The Movie Tree Top 100

In honor of my 100th post I have decided to list my top 100 movies of all-time. This was no easy task- there were a lot of movies I thought would make the top 100, but there simply wasn't enough room.

100: Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008)
99: Rear Window (1954)
98: Frankenstein (1931)
97: Dracula (1931)
96: Finding Neverland (2004)
95: The Usual Suspects (1995)
94: Stripes (1981)
93: National Lampoon's Vacation (1983)
92: Die Hard (1988)
91: Multiplicity (1996)
90: Casino (1995)
89: Aliens (1986)
88: Fight Club (1999)
87: The Godfather (1972)
86: The Godfather II (1974)
85: Ghosts of the Abyss (2003)
84: 21 Grams (2003)
83: Wall-E (2008)
82: Toy Story 3 (2010)
81: Casino Royale (2006)
80: Ray (2004)
79: Ironman (2008)
78: JFK (1991)
77: Santa Clause (1994)
76: Star Trek (2009)
75: Tommy Boy (1995)
74: Finding Nemo (2003)
73: Saving Private Ryan (1998)
72: Super Troopers (2002)
71: Orange County (2002)
70: The Assassination of Jesse James (2007)
69:  500 Days of Summer (2009)
68: Warrior (2011)
67: Hot Tub Time Machine (2010)
66: Return of the Jedi (1983)
65: The Others (2001)
64: Starship Troopers (1997)
63: Batman Begins (2006)
62: Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991)
61: The Dark Night Rises (2012)
60: Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1994)
59: The Incredibles (2004)
58: Monsters, Inc. (2001)
57: A Few Good Men (1997)
56: The Wizard of Oz (1939)
55: Bull Durham (1988)
54: V for Vendetta (2006)
53: Ocean's Eleven (2001)
52: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971)
51: Inception (2010)
50: Can't Hardly Wait (1998)
49: Forrest Gump (1994)
48: Sandlot (1993)
47: Miracle (2004)
46: Jurassic Park (1993)
45: The Ten Commandments (1956)
44: Titanic (1997)
43: Catch Me if You Can (2002)
42: A Beautiful Mind (2001)
41: Twister (1996)
40: National Treasure (2004)
39: Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)
38: Inglorious Basterds (2009)
37: Underworld: Evolution (2006)
36: The Departed (2006)
35: Elf (2003)
34: Apollo 13 (1995)
33: Rudy (1993)
32: Major League II (1994)
31: For the Love of the Game (1999)
30: Almost Famous (2000)
29: Pirates of the Caribbean (2003)
28: The Dark Knight (2008)
27: The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
26: Jaws (1975)
25: Back to the Future Part II (1989)
24: Tin Cup (1996)
23: Toy Story 2 (1999)
22: Christmas Vacation (1989)
21: Back to the Future (1985)
20: When Harry Met Sally (1989)
19: Batman (1989)
18: Star Wars (1977)
17: The Goonies (1985)
16: 61* (2001)
15: Walk the Line (2005)
14: Major League (1989)
13: Troy (2004)
12: Underworld (2003)
11: Cinderella Man (2005)
10: Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
9: The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
8: Passion of the Christ (2004)
7: The Monster Squad (1987)
6: Goodfellas (1990)
5: Big Fish (2003)
4: Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
3: Toy Story (1995)
2: Ghostbusters (1984)
1: Field of Dreams (1989)

Weekly Recap: July 21- July 27, 2013

A recap of the movies I watched for the first time this past week.

Featured:

Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters (2013)- 6/10

After escaping a witches grasp in a ginger-bread house, Hansel and Gretel decide to track down witches and kill them all. Despite mostly bad reviews, I had a fun time with Hansel and Gretel. The witches weren't the best to look at (perhaps the point) but the action was intense and it was quite funny at times. 

The Rest:

Lincoln (2012)- 7/10- Daniel Day-Lewis was quite impressive portraying Lincoln in his final days as he worked to abolish slavery. 

Sharknado (2013)- 2/10- A movie that gained a lot of attention a few weeks back for being so bad it's good. I felt the same way for about 10 minutes, then realized it was just bad. 

Lost Voyage (2001)- 2/10- Just a bad movie about a recovered ship that went missing in the Bermuda Triangle years earlier.

Movies watched this week: 4

Movies watched in 2013: 108

Source: IMDB

Trailer of the Week: 47 Ronin (2013)

A fictional account of a real-life band of Samurai warriors in Japan who set out to avenge their master's death. We have seem Tom Cruise as a Samurai, so why not Keanu Reeves? It has been a while since Keanu has graced the big screen- or so it seems. I am not quite sure how I feel about 47 Ronin, but there will be some good sword fights, fantastic creautres and a women that turns into a dragon....could be fun. 47 Ronin is set to release on Christmas Day.


Source: YouTube

Branch Out: Silver Bullet (1985)

A movie you may have missed- less than 25,000 reviews on IMDB.

 

Based on a Stephen King novella, it stars Corey Haim as a paraplegic boy who, along with his uncle and his sister, battles a werewolf that has been terrorizing the town.  

My Rating: 8/10

IMDB Ratings: 10,981

 

Super Bat is coming!

It appears Warner Bros. has been planning this for years. We were treated with a fake billboard in I Am Legend (2007) but it appeared it would never come to fruition. But the big announcement at Comic Con this past weekend was that Superman and Batman will indeed be joining each other on the big screen, with Zach Snyder directing. 

Henry Cavill will be back as Superman, but it is almost a certainty that Bale has retired from wearing the bat suit. I wrote last week that Marvel was eying Joseph Gordon-Levitt to play Doctor Strange, but he very well could be the man joining Cavill on screen in 2015.

It doesn't appear this is going to be the Justice League movie that has been rumored for sometime, but it is a giant step in that direction. Who knows, maybe we will see a few more DC characters make an appearance. Either way, this is exciting news. But Snyder definitely has his work cut out for him.


Source: JoBlo

Weekly Recap: July 14- July 20, 2013

A recap of the movies I watched for the first time this past week. 

Featured:

A Good Day to Die Hard (2013)- 5/10

John McClane takes his show to Russia to help his son that he believes to be in trouble. Overall it is a decent action movie but feels nothing like a Die Hard movie. It is chalked full of bad jokes and way too much slow-motion. Two John McClanes do not make for a better movie.

The Rest:

She-Devil (1989)- 3/10- One would think a movie with Roseanne Barr playing a housewife seeking revenge on her cheating husband would be funny; but it is not...at all. 

Movies watched this week: 2

Movies watched in 2013: 104

Source: IMDB

Trailer of the Week: Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 (2013)

Flint returns to Swallow Falls where the giant food his invention created has now come to life. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs was a nice little surprise. I wasn't expecting much from it going in, but I really enjoyed it. The sequel looks like it is going to be just as fun. We will be treated with more food jokes and plenty of food-animals- Shrimpanzees, Tacodiles and Watermeolphants....oh my. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 is set to release September 27 of this year.


Source: YouTube

Comic Con 2013 has officially begun!

One of the most news filled weeks of the year. I cannot wait for all the fun stuff we will see. One of these days I am going to take the trip out west and attend this thing. For now I will just enjoy all the pictures and videos from the lucky ones in attendance.

Casting Doctor Strange

Doctor Strange should be a big part of Marvel's Phase III. I have even read that Marvel wants to make Doctor Strange the next 'Iron Man' of the series. If that is the case, it is very important to cast the right person to play the neurosurgeon turned Sorcerer Supreme.

According to Latino Review, Marvel may be eying Joseph Gordon-Levitt to man the cape. This would be an interesting choice; he is certainly a hot commodity these days and has done rather well. But could he take this character to the level Downey, Jr. took Iron Man? It is possible I suppose. What I find most interesting is that (SPOILER AHEAD) Gordon-Levitt could be in line to play another caped superhero for DC Comics. Of course I am talking about Batman.

If you had the choice, would you take on a new character for a thriving franchise or would you choose to be the next man to put on the bat suit? Tough call. That being said, I do not think Gordon-Levitt will be the last name we hear when it comes to casting Doctor Strange.


Source: JoBlo

Branch Out: In the Shadow of the Moon (2007)

A movie you may have missed- less than 25,000 reviews on IMDB.

Footage and interviews of the surviving members from NASA's Apollo missions. 

My Rating: 8/10

IMDB Ratings: 4,152

  

Weekly Recap: July 7- July 13, 2013

A recap of the movies I watched for the first time this past week. 

Featured:

Identity Thief (2013)- 5/10

Melissa McCarthy steals Jason Bateman's identity- has to be funny right? Turns out, not as much as I expected. Sure, there were some funny moments (most were in the trailers), but not enough to put it over the top. It appears that McCarthy is funniest in smaller doses; still loved her in Bridesmaids.

The Rest:

2-headed Shark Attack (2012)- 2/10- A movie so bad I couldn't stop watching. You find a lot of those on SyFy. 

Movies watched this week: 2

Movies watched in 2013: 102

Source: IMDB

Trailer of the Week: Oldboy (2013)

I have the 2003 South Korean version by Park Chan-wook sitting in my Netflix queue, but I have not got around to watching it. I have heard it is one awesome flick. The American remake by Spike Lee looks like it could be pretty awesome too. So much so, that I am going to hold out on watching the 2003 version even longer. Apparently there is a great twist at the end and I don't want to know anything going in. 

Josh Brolin looks like he is going to be great in this role- as a man kidnapped and held in solitary confinement for 20 years. Judging by the hammer scene in the trailer, we are in for some ruthless, revenge killings. Oldboy is set to release in October. 

Source: YouTube

From the Big Screen to the Small Screen

It has been commonplace lately for Hollywood to take a popular TV series and turn it into a movie- 21 Jump Street, Dark Shadows, The A-Team- but now we are seeing things move the other direction.

Earlier this week it was reported that Fox has ordered a pilot episode for a potential The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen series. The movie was somewhat disappointing, but I could see it being an entertaining series. With that announcement I now count 5 upcoming TV series that first graced the big screen. These are just the ones I am aware of.

In addition to The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, there is Hannibal that just finished airing; which of course is about Dr. Hannibal Lecter from Silence of the Lambs. The series is actually more like the prequel to Lambs, Red Dragon- based on the novel by the same name.

The other 3 are set to air this fall- Dracula, Sleepy Hollow and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Nothing too new with Dracula- vampires are quite popular on the small screen these days. The Sleepy Hollow series looks interesting with Ichabod Crane and the Headless Horseman waking up in modern times. But the series I am most looking forward to is Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D featuring Agent Coulson from the Marvel movies. It won't be focused on The Avengers, and it is not likely Downey, Jr. will be making any appearances, but it should be full of fun easter eggs.


Source: IMDB

Branch Out: Without Limits (1998)

A movie you may have missed- less than 25,000 reviews on IMDB.

The story of Steve Prefontaine, a famous long distance runner that ran at the University of Oregon and in the Munich Olympics before dying in a car wreck at the age of 24. 

My Rating: 8/10

IMDB Ratings: 4,641 

Weekly Recap: June 30- July 6, 2013

A recap of the movies I watched for the first time this past week. 

Featured:

Oz the Great and Powerful (2013)- 4/10

What a disappointment. The story was decent enough, the effects were nice, but the acting was hard to watch- mainly James Franco and Mila Kunis. I usually like both of them, but these roles were way too big for them. Even Michelle Williams was surprisingly bland. I'm not looking forward to the planned sequel. 

The Rest:

Harry Potter and the Half-Blooded Prince (2009)- 7/10- I thought for a while it was going to be my favorite of the series, but it fizzled near the end. A solid edition nonetheless. 

Wallace & Gromit in 'A Matter of Loaf or Death' (2008)- 7/10- Thirty minutes of claymation fun for all ages. 

The Big Bounce (2004)- 5/10- I caught it on TV and I'm pretty sure 30 minutes of the movie was missing, but Owen Wilson provided some funny moments. 

Silent Hill: Revelation 3D (2012)- 3/10- It did provide a bit more of the back story from the first one, but just wasn't scary...at all. 

Movies watched this week: 5

Movies watched in 2013: 100

Source: IMDB

Top 10 Patriotic Movies

In celebration of the Forth of July, I give you the 10 movies that make me feel proud to be an American.

10. United 93 (2006)- 7/10

The destruction of 9/11 could have been far worse if it wasn't for the group of individuals that gave their lives to take down the plane headed for Washington, D.C. A story of heroism during one of the darkest moments in United States history.

9. Independence Day (1996)- 7/10

Will Smith and  Jeff Goldblum saving the nation, and the world, from an Alien invasion. It wouldn't be a list celebrating Independence Day with out this movie.

8. Glory (1989)- 7/10

The story of the U.S. Civil War's all-black volunteer company. Seems odd adding a movie about the U.S fighting against each other, but it is a great story that helped change the country. 

7. Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)- 8/10

A small guy wanting nothing more than to fight for his country, agrees to be the subject a top secret military experiment that turns him into a super-soldier. His patriotism is in his name and in his uniform. 

6. Top Gun (1986)- 8/10

Students at the Navy's elite fighter weapons school compete to be top in class- Top Gun. A thrill ride that gave us one of the best nicknames in movies- Maverick! 

5. Saving Private Ryan (1998)- 9/10

A group of U.S. soldiers go behind enemy lines to retrieve a soldier whose brothers were killed in action. Not only were they fighting for their country, they were fighting for each other.

4. National Treasure (2004)- 9/10

A treasure collector races to find the legendary Templar Treasure before a team of mercenaries get to it first. Only a patriot would steal the Declaration of Independence to save it from getting into the wrong hands. 

3. Forrest Gump (1994)- 9/10

While going about his life, Forrest links himself to some of the most important events in the U.S. during the 20th century. He teaches Elvis to dance, plays football at Alabama, fights in Vietnam, meets 3 presidents, and even takes down China in table tennis.

2. Apollo 13 (1995)- 9/10

The planned Apollo 13 moon landing mission that went horribly wrong, leaving 3 astronauts struggling to get back home. To paraphrases a line from the movie- what could have been NASA's biggest disaster turned out to be their finest hour. 

1. Miracle (2004) -9/10

Story of the 1980 Unite States hockey team and their miracle upset of the Soviet Union. Never has a movie made me want to stand up and chant USA, USA, USA! more than this one. 

Source: IMDB

Extra note: Tom Hanks appears in this list 3 different times, making him the most patriotic actor in my book. 

Branch Out: Multiplicity (1996)

A movie you may have missed- less than 25,000 reviews on IMDB.

Doug (Michael Keaton) has no time for both work and family; when presented with an opportunity to duplicate himself, he takes it. 

My Rating: 8/10

IMDB Ratings: 18,186

Weekly Recap: June 24- June 30, 2013

A recap of the movies I watched for the first time this past week.

Featured:

Young Adult (2011)- 7/10

A divorced writer returns home to reclaim her high school boyfriend who is now happily marriage and a new father. YA is just a solid film all around- good writing, good acting and good direction. Charlize Theron was great as a 37 year old still stuck in her high school days; and just when you think the movie is going to be another coming-of-age story (despite her age) it takes a refreshing turn.





The Rest:

Four Rooms (1995)- 5/10- Four stories from four different directors all involving a bell hop (Tim Roth) on New Year's Eve. No surprise Rodriguez and Taratino delivered the most entertaining stories.

The Factory (2011)- 5/10- Wasn't exactly what I was expecting in the end, but a decent find. Cusack is good enough as a police officer tracking a serial killer.

Batman: Year One (2011)- 4/10- Animated comic movies don't do it for me. The story was there, but was packed into just over an hour, not giving things time to develop.

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1997)- 4/10- One of two 20,000 Leagues movies released in 1997, this one has Ben Cross playing Captain Nemo. I like the story, but the movie never clicks.


Movies watched this week: 5
Movies watched in 2013: 95


Source: IMDB