Because I Must


Before I commence with the list itself, let me say one very important thing about the EW list of 100 "new classics: in film (films released in the last 25 years), in the form of a confession. The list disturbed me - as in had me nervous, twitchy, anxious - all weekend. I couldn't get my mind off of it. Why? Because The Shawshank Redemption is nowhere to be found on it. And this disturbs me. I paged through the magazine dozens of times, assuming I missed it. I know it shouldn't be so upset. I know it's just a list. But Shawshank's omission is to me like omitting peanut butter and jelly from a list of classic sandwiches - an oversight so egregious as to invite questioning. Was it a mistake? Was there some classification reason for its omission I'm missing? Because they can't have intentionally omitted it. Right?


Same drill as before - Bold is seen, red is have no interest, green is hope-to-see-someday.


1. Pulp Fiction (1994)
Shawshank aside, I'm OK with this as their number one. A great film that's aged well so far and that still stands alone.


2. The Lord of the Rings trilogy (2001-03)
I love that they treat these as one film.


3. Titanic (1997)
Yes. It bears repeating; this bombs, and film snobs bemoan that modern audiences didn't embrace this wonderful throwback to old Hollywood.


4. Blue Velvet (1986)
No. I know people love this, but #4?


5. Toy Story (1995)
EW makes the same mistake as the AFI voters. Pixar released several better films after their admittedly superb first one.


6. Saving Private Ryan (1998)
Yes. And no, naysayers, the film doesn't makes sense as a flashback. But we're never told it is one - not an actual one. Sure, the film is spurred by Ryan's memory, but the bulk of the film is never supposed to be his memories. It's supposed to be the actual past, that we are being shown because he is remembering his part in it.


7. Hannah and Her Sisters (1986)


8. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
A great film. I've seen this at least three or four times, which begs a question. With so many TV shows and movies to see - never mind the TV Shows and movies that will be released in the future that I will want to see - will I ever see this again? Should I?


9. Die Hard (1988)
Ditto.


10. Moulin Rouge (2001)


11. This Is Spinal Tap (1984)
No. Sorry. This I need to see again.


12. The Matrix (1999)
This is falling in estimation as time goes on, isn't it?


13. GoodFellas (1990)


14. Crumb (1995)


15. Edward Scissorhands (1990)
A very odd choice so high up. It's like they wanted Johnny Depp in the top 20 but thought Ed Wood was too esoteric.


16. Boogie Nights (1997)
Another film I'd really like to see again.


17. Jerry Maguire (1996)


18. Do the Right Thing (1989)
Another film I must see again. Caught a little of it on cable a few months go, and we struck again by how great the score is.


19. Casino Royale (2006)
Way too soon. Great film, easily one of the best Bonds, but top twenty of last fifty years??


20. The Lion King (1994)
As I said yesterday, Beauty and the Beast is the better film.


21. Schindler's List (1993)
I've only seen this once. Must remedy. (Although I have listened to the score easily 20-30 times.)


22. Rushmore (1998)


23. Memento (2001)


24. A Room With a View (1986)
I don't know that I've ever seen a Merchant Ivory film.


25. Shrek (2001)
I rewatched this recently with the girls, and think it's been getting a bit of a bum rap. It's much more clever and sweet than I had remembered.


26. Hoop Dreams (1994)
One day Ebert. One day.


27. Aliens (1986)
Man, haven't seen this in forever. Great Horner score.


28. Wings of Desire (1988)


29. The Bourne Supremacy (2004)
See, the problem is that I don't want to see BSII and BSIII until I see the first again. Need more hours in my day.


30. When Harry Met Sally... (1989)
I know some think this isn't aging well, bit to me it's just becoming a very nice period piece.


31. Brokeback Mountain (2005)
Ang Lee is kind of scary, isn't he? A martial arts epic, Jane Austen drama, a comic book movie, a 70s period piece, a gay Western. What can't he do?


32. Fight Club (1999)
A little overrated, really. But I do have a huge crush on Helena Bonham Carter in it.


33. The Breakfast Club (1985)
Easily the best of the Hughes films, and a good movie no doubt. But on a list with no Shawshank!!!?


34. Fargo (1996)
Yet another film I'd like to see again someday and probably won't.


35. The Incredibles (2004)
Can't wait until the kids are old enough to appreciate this one!

36. Spider-Man 2 (2004)
A great super-hero movie.

37. Pretty Woman (1990)
For all of the ill-will directed at this movie because it's such a fairy tale, you'd think it had pretensions to reality. It is supposed to be a fairy tale.

38. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
A very, very sweet movie masquerading as something else.

39. The Sixth Sense (1999)
This will only grow in estimation over the years.

40. Speed (1994)
A perfect little gem of an action movie.

41. Dazed and Confused (1993)

42. Clueless (1995)
A bit overrated I think.

43. Gladiator (2000)
Braveheart is the better ancient times gore film.

44. The Player (1992)
I remember pretty much nothing about this movie.

45. Rain Man (1988)
Haven't seen in ages.

46. Children of Men (2006)
Now here's a movie I know I will watch again and again and again.

47. Men in Black (1997)
Slighter than it seems at first.

48. Scarface (1983)

49. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
Ang Lee you genius.

50. The Piano (1993)
A movie that seems to be kind of forgotten today.

51. There Will Be Blood (2007)
It will be interesting to see how this ages.

52. The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad (1988)
When they knew how to do spoofs.

53. The Truman Show (1998)
I adore this film.

54. Fatal Attraction (1987)

55. Risky Business (1983)
Not really. It's fine, but 100 of the last 25 years?

56. The Lives of Others (2006)

57. There’s Something About Mary (1998)
Remember when it seemed like the Farrelys were going to make great raunchy/sweet comedies forever?

58. Ghostbusters (1984)
One of those films you can never really recreate. Just a perfect confluence of actors and subject and execution.

59. L.A. Confidential (1997)
I have to cop to not getting the huge love this film gets.

60. Scream (1996)

61. Beverly Hills Cop (1984)
Not worthy of inclusion.

62. sex, lies and videotape (1989)

63. Big (1988)
Sweet and deeper than you might remember.

64. No Country For Old Men (2007)
Too soon.

65. Dirty Dancing (1987)
Come on. This is cheesy fun, but not, you know, good.

66. Natural Born Killers (1994)
Comes off kind of silly now, no?

67. Donnie Brasco (1997)
A film that should be remembered more.

68. Witness (1985)
I've seen large chunks, but never the whole thing.

69. All About My Mother (1999)

70. Broadcast News (1987)
Another film I doubt I'll ever get around to seeing though.

71. Unforgiven (1992)

72. Thelma & Louise (1991)

73. Office Space (1999)
Should probably be higher, really.

74. Drugstore Cowboy (1989)

75. Out of Africa (1985)

76. The Departed (2006)
Maybe, but not even this high.

77. Sid and Nancy (1986)

78. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

79. Waiting for Guffman (1996)
So much more sweeter than I expected.\

80. Michael Clayton (2007)
Too soon, but this was really a very good movie.

81. Moonstruck (1987)
Should be much higher. Might be the best romantic comedy ever. The atmosphere it captures, of a big New York Italian family, is just pitch-perfect.

82. Lost in Translation (2003)
Slighter than we might have thought at first.

83. Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn (1987)

84. Sideways (2004)
Great performances.

85. The 40 Year-Old Virgin (2005)
Should be much higher. A great comedy.

86. Y Tu Mamá También (2002)
Not sure why this is so loved. It was a fine coming of age film, but not much else.

87. Swingers (1996)

88. Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997)
As much as I might like to, can't argue. It works.

89. Breaking the Waves (1996)

90. Napoleon Dynamite (2004)

91. Back to the Future (1985)
Should be higher. Just a perfect piece of pop entertainment.

92. Menace II Society (1993)

93. Ed Wood (1994)

94. Full Metal Jacket (1987)
Another I've seen large chunks of.

95. In the Mood for Love (2001)
I don't know what this is, so I must not want to see it too badly.

96. Far From Heaven (2002)
A great film I've already forgotten about. Sad.

97. Glory (1989)
Sure.

98. The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)
Not really. Did Miramax pay a fee?

99. The Blair Witch Project (1999)
Easily deserving. What many often forget is that some did think it was real as they watched it. Not everyone reads entertainment magazines.

100. South Park: Bigger Longer & Uncut (1999)
No argument.

Until Whenever