It doesn’t take much to get a screenplay made these days. Take a trip to the cinema, rent a movie from Redbox, or take a glance at all those shiny new releases at Netflix. What can we gather? Any idiot can write a screenplay! Can’t sell a screenplay? No problem. Write a book about writing a screenplay. Nevermind the naysayers who tell you that you’ve never written a screenplay that sold, because that’s irrelevant. Why would you need such experience? Do you think people have to actually win a world series of poker bracelet to release a book about how to win the world series of poker?

Repeat after me: subversion, subversion, subversion. To start writing a great screenplay you need to think inside the box. The basic idea here is to subvert all the advice you’ve been given, pair that with obvious advice (if you want a great story, you need great characters!), and mash that up into a concotion you can call your own. This blog post will guarantee that your next big screenplay you write in the middle of your local coffee shop will be optioned and on the production line in no time.

Start with an idea. No, hold on: twenty ideas.

People in the business will tell you that it’s all about the “pitch.” You need to be able to pitch to producers in a few sentences or less the reasons they should fund your screenplay. A few examples: “Boy meets girl, loses girl, regains girl, boy and girl live happily ever after.” “Guy commits a crime, guy goes to jail, guy finds redemption, guy is happy.” To hell with that! How many times has someone sold a script using that logic? Your pitch needs to be exhausting, confusing, and completely irresistible. Try to include every idea you’ve ever had and mash them up. Producers love genre mashups. How do you think Rob Zombie got money for Halloween? You think he pitched that in one line? I bet it went something like this.

“Well, see, Michael Myers grew up in a bad home and does a bunch of messed up cliche things like killing animals, then he has to deal with his rude stepdad on top of it! He would be a nice dude but no one took him trick or treating and this pissed him off. So he beats this kid up and gets arrested and cries. His mom is a stripper and he wants to kill his sister like 20 years later. Anyway he makes these cool masks in jail and is kinda a misunderstood artist type. Then he finds this mask buried under his porch and goes nuts and chases his sister and stuff. His family sucks though. Also I’ll use that black guy from Dawn of the Dead for credibility.”

I bet that producer slammed down his coffee cup and exclaimed “BOY THAT’S FANTASTIC!”

Write simple stuff.

Jean-Luc Godard once said that all you need to make a movie is a girl and a gun. It’s true. You just need a few things and off you go. Try this one of for size.

Jonny is a robber. He robs a bank. His motivation is that he wants money, which he gets by robbing the bank. He loves Cindy, who is a female. Her motivation is that she wants to have some money too. She gets some of Jonny’s.

Forget the roller-coaster. Think a train ride.

The idea of a rising climax building to a crescendo of suspense and “edge of your seat” type of stuff is overrated. Your goal here is to make the story as linear as possible. Who cares about tension and pay off? Stick with straight line stuff and you’re golden.

Jim is a hunter who likes to hunt. He spends his time hunting things. He’s happy about this decision.

Forget lengthy descriptions.

Look, this is a script, not a book. Sure, it’ll be translated to the screen, but should you care about viewer immersion? Of course not. You’re trying to tell a story and don’t have time for that. If a viewer doesn’t like it, he can go immerse his head in a bathtub full of water.

Sally wakes up. She walks over to her fridge. She opens it. She grabs a bottle of water. She takes off the cap. She takes a sip. She puts the cap back on. She looks outside. It’s day time.

Use the most descriptive language possible.

I know, I’m contradicting myself, right? Wrong. See, if you’re a talented writer, why shouldn’t you use the extent of your vocabulary? That’s what a thesauraus is for right? Screw ‘em if they don’t understand!

Rick gets into his old, rusty, beat up, used, smelly, ugly, and not new car. He puts his right foot in first, then his left. His pants are brown, jean, boot cut, and the seams are a bit off. Rick puts his key in the ignition and turns it 84 degrees to the right. The car starts loudly, with a crackle, and is generally noisy. He puts the car in drive. It’s an automatic, so he doesn’t need to worry about the clutch. The dashboard is mint, but has a chip on the right side. It’s not very noticable, but would detract from the resale value. It’s snowing outside. Generally this occurs in the winter months, which is why it’s snow and not rain. It’s precipitation coming down from the sky either way though. It’s made primarily of water, but some co2 is there as well. A basic snow shower, really.

Forget conflict, we need to get this thing to the end.

If you accidentally start to build toward something, stop immediately. This isn’t a television show, and we don’t have time to tie up all those loose ends. What you do is throw in a bunch of sub-plots that lead to nowhere. The viewer loves this.

Jack goes on a bike ride. He gets lost. Some guy in all black is following him. He finds a coffee shop. He parks his bike outside. He runs in for a corned beef sandwich. He rides home after. He gets to bed a bit earlier than usual. He never sees the man again. He calls his girlfriend the next day.

Remember to use cliches.

What’s the problem with cliches? If it weren’t for cliches, nothing would get made. Twist and turn the plot using familiar devices from other movies and you’re guaranteed success.

Ricky talked to Sam. No one else could see Sam. Rick never noticed this. He just realized this and mulled over the recent events. Now a flashback of the movie. He snaps back to reality. He realizes that it wasn’t the other guy doing anything. It turns out they’re the same person!

Obstacles? Steamroller!

Who needs a character that they can identify with? Not the viewer. Trust me, this isn’t why they go to the movies. You don’t want your character to encounter multiple stumbling blocks on the way to his goal. The key is to make him nearly invulernable to defeat. Why watch a movie if the outcome is uncertain?

Max’s wife is kidnapped by gangsters. Max goes to the gangster’s hideout. He walks in the front door. He shoots a few gangsters. He goes upstairs and shoots a few more. He walks into the room where his wife is being held and shoots the leader’s right hand man. Then he points the gun at the leader. The leader surrenders. Max uses his phone to call the cops. He saves his wife and the leader goes to jail.

End it.

Seems logical that a story has to end right? Remember, your ending isn’t the image the viewer leaves with, so there is no need to leave a lasting impression of your movie. End it, move on, and get to your next script. Leave the audience with a flat generic finale and your paycheck is completely assured.

Sam runs a marathon. He takes about 2 hours to do this. He eventually finishes. He’s a bit winded at the end. He walks over to the refreshments table and gets a cup of water. He takes a sip and stretches out. Fade to black.

So there you have it. I’ve given you everything you need to write a great script. Many great screenwriters of today have followed this exact formula. A good script is nice, but remember that every great script is going to contain all of these elements. You’ll be hard pressed to find a good one today that doesn’t have at least three of these things. Now, dear reader, the work is up to you.

Do you have what it takes to write the next great script?

*drum roll*

Your ego poisons everything.

I recently received an email from a reader asking for advice on writing and starting a blog. This is a brand new blog, so I was a bit surprised at the question, but nevertheless I believe I have an answer. He asked..

“Hey Brad, you seem to get a lot of writing done but where do you find the time?! I don’t know if I could do it. Doesn’t work and movie watching get in the way? Very curious! Any advice? ha ha. Cool blog.”

I don’t know if he wishes to remain anonymous since he hasn’t gotten back to me yet, so let’s call him John Doe and get right into it then.

Do you think LeBron James is a well-rounded person? Do you think that in addition to being an elite basketball player, he’s also a master chef, world class guitar player, and up to date on all the latest breakthroughs in the medical field? Of course not. The majority of his time is dedicated to activities surrounding basketball and becoming a better player. That’s great, because that’s his passion — what drives him — and it’s what’s makes him successful.

So, why then, do those who want to be writers, do almost everything but WRITE?!

How many times have you split your time into equal pie slices? One piece to finding the best widgets, one piece reading on how to be a better writer, one piece checking up on all your social network accounts and email, one piece on your SEO, one piece working on your layout, one piece messing with your cell phone, and then maybe if there’s time left you’ll get a bit of writing in.

This is not progress.

I recall reading Stephen King in his memoir discuss the fact that he blocks out all distractions and simply writes. He sits solitary in a room with zero outside interference. Do you think Stephen King would have written 50+ novels by splitting his time up between 6 different things at once? Imagine for a moment that writers like Thomas Paine lived in the internet age. Do you think he’d be sitting on Facebook chatting, or busy and unavailable because he was writing The Rights of Man?

Which brings me to my next point.

When people ask me why I choose to write I always have a definitive answer — I do it because I want to. I enjoy it. The art of writing is generally a thankless business, no matter how often people read your material, but that’s entirely the point. I write for me. I don’t fill this blank white space with my thoughts to worry about praise or achievement. My hope is that there are others like me out there that also enjoy this endeavor I’m undertaking or share similar sensibilities. If I’m not putting myself out there completely–writing from my heart–why bother? I have no inclination whatsoever to please anyone with my writing. Bruce Lee once said “I’m not in this world to live up to your expectations and you’re not in this world to live up to mine.“

Too many potential writers focus on things that are out of their control. They become so focused on comments that they become disinterested after a few weeks when they aren’t the flavor of the week or the most popular blog in their niche. If your goal is to interact, I can tell you from experience that it takes a while to build up a readership. My experience with this comes from some years ago when I wrote for a newspaper. When I started, I was unsure of myself and how I should tackle such a wide audience. Should I give them my unadulterated and unedited writing? Maybe I should be writing in the classic newspaper style and leave my feelings and opinions out of it? It took me a while, but I found that the articles were well received when I wrote them based on how I felt, and not based on the idea of eliciting a certain positive response from the reader.

No matter how good of a writer you are, there are people who will hate you. This should not discourage you and is to be expected. No one is immune from criticism. Did I receive hate mail at the paper? You bet, but I made no apologies. For every hostile judgment, I’d get 5 others who thanked me for the articles.

Ask yourself, what is the goal you’re hoping to achieve by writing or starting a blog? Do you want to use it to make money, become popular, be respected as a great writer? You have to pick your goal and roll with it. If you start out with the end goal of “I want to be respected as a great writer” and start second guessing yourself, changing posts in order to become more popular, or accepting advertisers all over the place, you’re finished. I don’t worry about what others think about me. That’s for other people to decide. All I care about is finishing an essay (or post), reading it over, and feeling like I’ve done a good job. If people like it, then what a bonus that is.

How many more “tips and tricks” are you gonna read before starting? Do you really need another batch of “7 tips to better writing” or “5 ways to be a great writer” articles? Stop looking for all this wisdom and shit and start writing! The fact is that the internet is an information super highway. There are millions of pieces and bits of information everywhere. This can only help you right? Wrong. There’s always conflicting advice, and it does nothing but you make insecure about your abilities. There’s a lot of bullshit out there these days, and the time spent trying to decide what is and isn’t is a waste of time. Do I have advertisers on this site? Am I talking for someone? Are my words sponsored? I think you know where my line in the sand is drawn. Don’t be affected by information overload.

You’re not going to start off being the best writer. Sorry, but odds are you’re gonna need some time to work out the kinks. If you do start out on top, then consider yourself lucky, because it’s rare. Generally, as you write more, you progress. Check out your favorite blog or website and try to find out when it was opened. If a blog claims to have been established in 2008, then go back and read the January 2008 articles. Now try reading the January 2012 articles. Hopefully, you’ll notice a vast improvement over prior efforts.

If I told you that tomorrow you’re forbidden to write ever again and you have to take up cooking or something other hobby– how would you feel? Angry? Relieved? In the answer to this question lies one of your greatest truths. If you’re relieved or at the very least not upset at this notion, you’re probably not cut out to be a writer. The reader emailing me claimed that I “wrote a lot” in a short period of time and such a task seemed daunting and tiresome. Reel Maniacs may be new, but I’ve been doing this for years. The movies are my passionate interest in life and it’s what I consistently write about every day. I have journals and journals full of writing that date back to as early as 2003. I wrote them as personal memoirs with no intention of having them read by another person.

Why does keeping a journal help so much with blogging? Well, when you’re writing in a journal, what’s the one thing you aren’t consciously doing? Correcting yourself! You write in a journal without judgment because you aren’t thinking about what words help you come off the best to a potential reader. New bloggers (even some not so new) are constantly restructuring sentences and shaping the article so that it comes off neutral and without bias.

I’ll tell you straight out: Reel Maniacs is unfair and biased. I don’t apologize for this. It’s my thoughts. Why would you want it any other way? Am I a great writer? I don’t know. Never asked. When you admit that you’re the same way, you can grow positively and take a tire iron to that monkey chattering in your head about what you can’t do. Strip away the posturing and you’ll be much better off.

So, thanks to the reader for the question. Consider this your kick in the ass. I wish I had some magic potion for sale that suddenly gave you the burning desire to write, but the fact that there isn’t one is what this essay is all about. Do you want to write? Then do it! No writing pill, no 30 days to the best writer product, nothing at all. Remember American History X? “Derek says it’s always good to end a paper with a quote.”

“This is how you do it: you sit down at the keyboard and you put one word after another until it’s done. It’s that easy, and that hard.” ― Neil Gaiman

Then this post is for you.

You may be wondering, what is a film snob? I would define it like this.

Film Snob – A person who believes that their opinion is fact. This opinion is set in stone and that which was once subjective is now inarguable.

Let’s go over a few things.

1. The Criterion Collection is not bulletproof.

What do Blade Runner, Badlands, The French Connection, Blue Velvet, McCabe and Mrs. Miller, and the films of Johnnie To all have in common? They’re all great movies that aren’t part of the Criterion Collection. While I admire their dedication for film, lest we forget that many films considered to be “classic” aren’t among the Criterion.

2. Oh, what’s that? You haven’t watched it?

In recent times, Twilight has been the main punchline for film snobs looking to crack an easy joke at casual film goers. Except there was a problem–they haven’t watched any of them. I watched the first Twilight. Was it bad? Maybe, but I watched it, so my opinion isn’t baseless. However, film snobs don’t know this because they haven’t watched it. Look, if you think Michael Bay movies look like shit from the trailers, that’s fine, but unless you’ve watched his movies, what basis do you have saying they are shit? Blind hatred of movies? Film snob trait #2.

3. Y U No Understand Money??

They’ll tear apart anything that’s not arthouse or foreign, but if it’s a blockbuster too? Forget about it! What these poor film snobs fail to realize is that the success of the $300 million blockbuster paid for your favorite director’s little $30 million pet project.

I’m not anti-knowledge. I encourage all people who are passionate about art to develop a refinement to their tastes and a deeper appreciation of that medium. We can’t let potentially hurting someone’s feelings deter us from tough conversations. Even I would call someone out if they said The Godfather was “poorly made.” It’s in the delivery of this knowledge that the film snob missteps. Condescention should be discouraged at all times. I don’t understand this thinking..

“How can you like Next Friday? Have you not watched *insert obscure foreign language comedy here*?”

The kind of generalization that “if you like this, it’s only because you haven’t seen this” is preposterous and incredibly snobby. I love the movies, so of course I have favorites like Oldboy, La Dolce Vita, L’Avventura, etc. However, I’m also completely enthralled with the horror genre, exploitation films, and classic Kung Fu flicks. Is my reputation now ruined if I enjoyed Friday the 13th Part 6: Jason Lives? This is useless ideology. Maybe I’m different, because I don’t let anyone deter me from watching any movie. Whether the film is universally panned or praised, if it interests me–I’m going to watch regardless. I didn’t make this blog to condescend. I think highly of you dear reader. You have a functioning brain, so I’m positive you can make your own distinctions about movies.

Do you remember the scene in Annie Hall when Woody Allen is standing in line and the snob behind him is speaking about Fellini being “unsure of what to say” and “use of negative imagery” and “cohesion” ? I imagined someone similar writing the following review for No Country For Old Men.

“The aesthetic baffles are replaced by a sparer, less baroque, much grittier tone and a splitting of the narrative into two distinct voices. Moreover, the violence is often ameliorated by its elaborate choreography and vatic narrative voice. The irony coexists uneasily with the eidetic passages. Notice the structure of the male character on the left, and the female on the right, giving off a sort of Oedipus vibe that was no doubt intentional.”

I wouldn’t be as nice as Woody was. If I could pull this man out of the line and pose a question to him, it would be “what ass did you pull that out of?” I have my doubts that his Oedipus allegory was at all “intentional.”

If you want to draw mumbo jumbo conclusions about post-structural theory and how Samuel L. Jackson was cast by Tarantino in Pulp Fiction because an interracial tag team could usher in a new and vertiginous psycho-social mobility, then by all means, do so. No, I don’t have a clue what I just said either, but that’s what you’ll find in typical “film theory” books. I’ve had the displeasure of speaking to people like this at revival houses, and it’s hard sometimes for me to believe they actually enjoy movies. Here are guidelines that every film snob appears to follow.

• Black and white? Profound by default. (except if it’s made in America and post-1970)
• Independent? Better than any Hollywood film ever released.
• Is it new? A Hollywood studio film? Automatic garbage.
• Foreign? From a lesser known country like Thailand? Instant masterpiece.

Since when was art ever about education? There happens to be a boatload of snobs from schools like NYU with degrees in “film theory” that believe their words are more valid than a casual movie goer because they watch films in a classroom instead of at home. Has anyone questioned whether it was a ruse? Whatever happened to enjoying or disliking a movie, then having a discussion about it? I wish that snobs would realize that they aren’t impressing anyone but themselves with their masturbatory tirades about “gender systems” and “allegorical impotence.”

The issue of proper comparison is something that’s not understood correctly. Film snobs always stick in completely irrelevant opinions to the discussion. Having a conversation about Clive Barker’s Hellraiser? Sorry, the film snob says, it’s not as good as Bergman’s Persona. Really? How is that comparable? A more valid discussion would be debating 2001 vs Solaris.

My biggest beef with film snobs is that many of them aren’t passionate whatsoever about this art that I love so dearly. Yes, they talk about film all the time, but it isn’t because they love it is it? No, it’s all about using that argument to display superiority. That my friends, is wrong.

In summary, if you’re reading this and would like to know how you can stop yourself from becoming a film snob, it’s easy. Don’t be an ass.

It’s hard to believe it’s been nearly 32 years since a film by the name of Friday the 13th completely changed the face of horror and low budget slashers. Gone were the days of unrealistic special effects and Hitchcock thrillers. The truth is that filmmakers realized that horror had started taking itself far too seriously. Slashers that reveled in the concept of having a singular objective to find clever ways to dispatch as many unsuspecting teenagers as possible had taken over. American youth ate it up. After raking in a gigantic box office profit, the low-budget slasher had become a cash cow for anyone with a madman and some kids to kill.

Much to the chagrin of Freddy and Michael fans, my main man Jason Voorhees stands alone at the top of the most successful horror franchise created in the 80′s mountain. Certainly you can feel the blood pumping through your veins as we take a retrospective look at a series you once thought to be dead, but not buried right? It’s Friday the 13th and I couldn’t be happier. So, in honor and celebration, we’re going to countdown the best kills from the entire Friday the 13th franchise.

13. Off with her head!

Depending on which side you pledge your Voorhees family allegiance on, this is either a sad point in the series or the absolute best. Sad because it’s a mother (albeit psychotic) who’s trying to defend the honor of her dear ol’ Jason, or one of the best moments because it set the stage for Jason Voorhees to exact his revenge in countless sequels! Can you blame him? If some snot nosed brat decapitated my mother I’d be pissed too!

12. Is Jason Voorhees gonna have to choke a bitch?

Poor Eva. She may not have had the goriest death, but she may have suffered the most out of any who met their fate by the hands of Mr. Voorhees. Not only does she find herself caught in some kind of disco hell (and the 8th movie), but she’s also being choked out by an undead zombie in a hockey mask at the same time. To make matters worse, after Jason gets done with her he tosses her violently to the ground like yesterday’s trash. You thought you had a bad day? Luckily for Kelly Hu, her career lives on.

11. Marcie Marcie Marcie!

What a way to say goodbye for Marcie. It’s bad enough that you’re killed by an axe right? How bad do you feel when you realize the person wielding that axe is a woman so old that she wouldn’t seem out of place on The Golden Girls? Marcie gets it so hard that the axe is literally driven through her skull! Damn, grandma be liftin’ weights. No, I won’t be taking the “talk about a splitting headache!” joke. Thank you.

10. Fuck the PO-lice.

This may come off as hard to believe, but I actually found Sheriff Garris’ checklist for the night from the movie set. Here, let’s take a peek. 1. Get daughter to stop seeing Tommy. Check. 2. Find whoever is killing citizens of the town and put it to a stop. In progress. 3. Get bent backwards and broken by a 6 foot tall swamp monster in a hockey mask? Oh wait, that wasn’t on there.

9. First impressions are everything

This Nikki is a real piece of work. First, she demands unrealistic expectations in bed from Cort. Then, she makes him listen to the most flaccid erection inducing music while belittling his manhood. It comes as no surprise, but Jason isn’t a believer in the “if the house is a rockin’ don’t come a knockin” thing, so he invites himself in and hides in the bathroom, waiting for his moment to strike. Just when her bitching is about to get out of control, the J-man grabs her and smashes her face through the wall of the RV. That’ll shut her up.

8. Momma said knock you out

Folks we’re thrilled to have you here tonight for this great bout between two heavy sluggers. Julius with a left. Now with a right. Another left! He’s got Voorhees reeling! Julius continuing his assault with a fury of lefts and rights. Jason’s stumbling and I don’t know if he can recover! He may have him here folks! Wait, Jason strikes back with a haymaker that knocks Julius’ head clean off! Unbelievable! I can’t believe what I’ve just witnessed! Jason Voorhees has come back from that brutal beating to win the fight!

7. Don’t fold me bro

Of all the people who’ve gotten it over the years, Trey has to be one of the most violent cases. You see, he really pissed Jason off. Was it the fact that he was having sex? Drinking? Being disrespectful to a woman? Well, it was a combination of something, because as if Trey getting his insides rearranged via machete wasn’t enough punishment, he gets folded like a big ol’ Trey sandwich. Goodnight, sweet prince.

6. Eye see you admirin’

I have to give Vera credit, because she tried to deny Shelly entrance to her love cave with his dignity in tact. You can even debate that she deserved to live, but the fact that she denied sex doesn’t count. If someone attractive (i.e. not Shelly) had come along on the trip, are you telling me she wouldn’t have put out the first night of partying? Exactly. An arrow to the eye for you!

5. Leave it to cleaver

Now we arrive upon good ol’ deadfuck himself, Jimmy. His dance moves are among the most atrocious of all-time (trumped only by the likes of MC Hammer.) Sorry Jim, but in this game of Press Your Luck, you’ve just hit the double whammy square. He probably thought the worst was over after his hand was impaled with a wine corker, but that was only to keep his spastic ass in place long enough to drive a cleaver into his face.

4. Jason: Equal Opportunity Destroyer

If someone asked me “Brad, what does politically incorrect mean?” I’m pretty sure I’d show them the video of this. I give props to Mark, because he didn’t whine about his handicap, nor did he ask for any sympathy. In fact, he was so confident it was likely he was going to be laid that night. Yes, things were going fantastic for Mark. Well, up until the whole “hey your machete that’s embedded in your face is showing! tee hee.”

3. Frozen face bash

Adrienne’s intelligence? Good. Her choice of outfit? Sexy. Poking and prodding at Jason’s body with various sharp instruments ? BAD. I guess the more things change, the more they stay the same huh? See, apparently women in the future were not instilled with the beliefs of old, but even the lesser primates among us know that you always let sleeping dogs lie. Well, sleeping corpses. Of course, that notion becomes null and void when you have your frozen faced bashed into a hard surface, thus creating the most beautiful snow cone of all-time. You died for art Adrienne, and that’s beautiful.

2. Shear terror

I know, I know. Poor Tina is a little slow. I realize she’s at a halfway house for mental patients and all, but it comes to a point where you should just know better. Sure, she innocently show her breasts (and what lovely ones they are), but then she has sex with her boyfriend IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WOODS. After, she lounges out in the open completely naked, as if she were asking for a psychotic killer who kills precocious teens to show up. I hate to say you were asking for garden shears to the eyes Tina, but you were asking for garden shears to the eyes.

1. The woods are alive..

..with the sound of musiccccc. Have you ever sat and pondered “Hmm, I wonder who would win in a fight, my skull or a tree trunk?” If you guessed tree trunk, then you’re correct! Judy found this out first hand when Jason slashed into her tent, stole her sleeping bag with her body still wriggling inside, and then proceeded to bash it against a tree. Why? Upset with deforestation? Displeased with the disregard for safety and potential wildfire hazard? Splinters got you down? Only Jason knows the answers to these questions. Whatever the case may be, this one is simply the best.

Well folks, that will commence our ceremonies for the first Friday the 13th of 2012. With a series that boasts a body count of over 200, there’s a good chance one of your favorites wasn’t on the list. Ya can’t please ‘em all, and I don’t intend to. So why don’t you share some of your favorites with me? For now, sing along with me, would you?

Voorhees a jolly good fellow.. Voorhees a jolly good fellow..

I created my free trial account, browsed around, and noticed that Blockbuster has the 1001 list as a “featured list” so I don’t have to do any of the leg work. Yeah convenience! I eagerly added about 130 movies to my queue. Wanna guess how many are currently available? 14. That’s right, only 14 out of 130 or a whopping 10.7%. These aren’t even new releases or blu-ray versions. Some of them yes, but a majority are plain ol’ DVDs. I have some Criterion and a lot of old catalog titles from 1900-1950. 57 discs have a “very long wait” and another 40 or so have “long wait.” How has Brian De Palma’s “Blow Out” status of “very long wait” not changed in 2 months? The rest say “short wait” and some even say “unavailable.” Why exactly, if the film is unavailable, do they have it listed at all? A kind person would call that misleading. How has Brian De Palma’s “Blow Out” status of “very long wait” not changed in 2 months? I’ve been able to rent exactly 15 movies in 2 months, because Blockbuster never carries anything in stock. The voucher was good for an account that offered unlimited in-store exchanges, which is terrific, but I don’t have a local store. The closest one? 24 miles away.

Fine, the service is busy, so I noticed they added video games. I’m not a gamer in the least bit, but I was damned if I wasn’t going to get some use out of this. That is, until I attempted to rent a game and realized it would not be available to rent until 03/11/2012. Great, you carry new games, but they aren’t available until 3 months after they’re released. Not only that, even most of the titles you can rent are never available! What is going on with this service?

I figured all was not lost, because certainly I could watch some older titles via On Demand with my current state of the art PS3 right? No, of course not, because that would be convenient. It does offer full on demand services for the 2wire media set top box. Are you kidding me? No PS3 support? No Xbox 360 support? Blockbuster believes more customers own a 2wire Media set top box? Unlike Netflix, which offers a wide array of titles absolutely free, every title you choose to watch is a pay-per viewing event.

Whatever. Regardless of the situation, I got to watch 15 free movies that I didn’t have prior to signing up. So I go to cancel TWO DAYS prior to the renewal date, and I see that I have a charge on my credit card for $34.99. At this point, I calmly contact Blockbuster via email about this issue because it was an obvious error on their part. How can they charge me for a new month 2 days in advance? Here is the exchange.

“Hello,

This was the last month of my free trial of 3-out at a time with unlimited exchanges. Recently, I noticed that it renewed before the trial expired and charged me for this month. I realize this is an error, so can you refund the $34.99? I have no Blockbuster stores within a 45 minute driving distance, so I’m unable to use any of those exchanges and I’m not interested in continuing this service. Can something be done?

Thanks,

Brad”

Here is their response.

“Hello Brad,

Thank you for contacting Blockbuster Customer Care.

I understand that you would like to update your plan since there are no local store in your area, and you will not be able to take advantage of your exchanges.

We truly hope to continue to serve your media entertainment needs. Since your local store has closed, we would love to offer you our By Mail Only service. Blockbuster By Mail Only is our online DVD rental program that offers a great value for those who enjoy movies but don’t frequent our stores as much to use the free in-store exchanges. You still get the same great service by mail, but you’ll save on the monthly price! These plans are not listed via the website.

In this case, I have updated your plan to Blockbuster By Mail Only 3 at-a-time, unlimited online rentals for $16.99 plus tax per month that will take effect on 02/01/2012.

Please let me know if there is anything else I can help you with.

Maria  “

What was that garbage? When in my email did I ever convey what she is assuming I had said? You’d love to offer me your by mail service? What do you think I’ve been using this ENTIRE TIME you doofus. I sent another email with the hopes that I’d get a different associate, but I received generally the same response. What can I do? Take them to court? Pay more in court fees than it’s worth? It appears that I’m stuck with a loss of $35 and there isn’t a damn thing I can do about it. It’s these kind of policies that keep Blockbuster heading toward the inevitable destruction they so rightly deserve. I don’t know if it’s the name or what, but how this company stays in business is beyond me.

Since I’m unable to speak clearly with my rage boiling over creating this post, I’ll let the great French writer Georges Bataille say it for me.

“We are attempting to communicate, but no communication between us can abolish our fundamental difference. If you die, it is not my death.”

I eagerly await the final nail in your coffin Blockbuster. You’ve worn out your welcome. You need the coup de grâce, you need to be blown to smithereens.

Here’s a link to their customer service email. Come yell at them with me.

Are the plots lifted directly from real life? Are the details embellished to a point where the original premise is unrecognizable? What you are about to read is not fiction. These articles have been meticulously researched and I have gathered every detail I could dig up in an effort to answer those questions.

Released in 2002, the Mothman Prophecies claimed to be based on true events. In this case, a main chunk of the story was taken from the 1975 John Keel book of the same name. In it, Keel describes encounters with the Mothman, UFOs, ghosts, and other strange phenomena.

For thirteen months the town of Point Pleasant, West Virginia was gripped by a dark terror that culminated in a tragedy that made headlines all over the world. Homes throughout the little town were plagued with unearthly noises and ghostly manifestations. Mysterious aerial lights traveled silently overhead seemingly on a regular schedule, and winged monsters and frightening apparitions terrified the population.

Automobiles stalled, while telephones and TV sets ran amok. A Red Cross mobile filled with fresh blood was pursued along a darkened highway by an unknown flying creature. Domestic animals were found slaughtered and mutilated in pastoral farm fields. Innocent people lived in surrealistic horror, haunted by the fearsome demonic “bird” and besieged by legions of strange beings.

Late in the evening of November 15, 1966, two young married couples had a strange encounter as they drove past an abandoned TNT plant near Point Pleasant, West Virginia. The couples spotted two large eyes that were attached to something that was “shaped like a man, but bigger, maybe six or seven feet tall. And it had big wings folded against its back”. When the creature moved toward the plant door, the couples panicked and sped away.

Moments later, they saw the same creature on a hillside near the road. It spread its wings and rose into the air, following with their car, which by now was traveling at over 100 miles per hour. “That bird kept right up with us,” said one of the group. They told Deputy Sheriff Millard Halstead that it followed them down Highway 62 and right to the Point Pleasant city limits. And they would not be the only ones to report the creature that night. Another group of four witnesses claimed to see the “bird” three different times!

On December 15, 1967 at approximately 5 p.m., the U.S. Highway 35 bridge connecting Point Pleasant, West Virginia and Kanauga, Ohio suddenly collapsed into the Ohio River. At the time of failure, thirty-seven vehicles were crossing the bridge span, and thirty-one of those automobiles fell with the crumbling structure. Forty-six individuals perished and nine were seriously injured. Along with the numerous fatalities and injuries, a major transportation route connecting West Virginia and Ohio was destroyed, disrupting the lives of many and striking fear across the nation.

The Mothman was sighted in Point Pleasant, WV and surrounding areas by well over 100 people between November 15, 1966, and December 15, 1967.

After the Silver Bridge disaster, the sightings all but stopped. Those that speculate on the connection between the events are divided. Did the Mothman cause the catastrophe that took 47 lives that day, or had it appeared as a warning of the imminent disaster? Perhaps faced with real human tragedy and grief, the people of the Point Pleasant area stopped looking for the bizarre visitor. Sightings have occurred since, but none match the frequency of the period between November 1966 and December 1967.

Is the Mothman real, or a figment of the imagination? Is it part of a failed scientific experiment? Is it an animal that has yet to be identified? A creature from another world? Some claim that the Mothman is a misidentified bird, and that humans are largely exaggerating the size of the creature in the darkness. None of these questions can be answered with 100% validity, and for now its existence shall remain a mystery.

I enjoy Ebert’s thumbs up/4 star rating system, but I also find that 4 stars isn’t a broad enough range for me to be satisfied with. For example, I could rate Hatchet II 3 stars, and An Education 3 stars, but if I enjoy Hatchet II far more because of personal taste, then where does that leave me? Which brings up another point of reviews being relative. Hatchet II is judged against other slasher films of its kind and that’s it. Comparing a horror film and a romantic comedy is apples and oranges.

When I rate movies, I rate them on an enjoyment level and a filmmaking level. I know it sounds ridiculous, because all ratings are essentially based on enjoyment level, but let me explain.

If I enjoyed a movie that’s Oscar worthy, but didn’t think it was all that great, maybe on an enjoyment level it would be a 6/10. If the film has a high level of filmmaking, I’ll bump that rating up to perhaps 7/10 based completely on the fact that it’s technically excellent and I appreciate that side of it.

Now, the star rating system is intriguing, since that’s how it’s always been in the papers I read growing up, it’s old school, and I like looking at it. Yet, I think of every film like a report card. I apply a grading system based on individual traits (which I’ll explain) to a 5-star scale and then convert that to a numerical score of 0-10. It shapes up like this.

• A+ = ***** = 9.5-10/10
• A = ****1/2 = 9/10
• A- = **** = 8-8.5/10
• B+ = ***1/2 = 7-7.5/10
• B = *** = 6-6.5/10
• B- = **1/2 = 5-5.5/10
• C+ = ** = 4.5-5/10
• C = ** = 4/10
• C- = ** = 3-3.5/10
• D+ = *1/2 = 2.5/10
• D = * = 2/10
• D- = 1/2 star = 1/10
• F = 0 stars = 0/10

The “C” would generally be 2 stars, since there isn’t a major difference between a 3.5/10 and 4.5/10 movie when thinking in terms of the scale. The star scale seems to be the most rational, because it’s clear to see the distinction between an average affair and a fantastic film simply by looking at the number of stars it received, but that’s not good enough for me. I have some weird OCD with numbers, so that’s how it breaks down.

Here’s how the individual categories shape up.

These ratings are purely subjective, and I’d suggest you use the individual reviews for a clearer definition instead of looking at pure numbers. Think of the reviews as a capsule, giving you all the information I possibly can about my personal experience without ruining or spoiling the plot. This should explain my system enough to quell your curiosity. I see a lot of blogs that use a rating system, but offer no justification or explanation as to why. At the very least, you’ll know what the scale means to me, and it’ll be much easier for you to yell at me if I give your favorite film a low rating.

==== Where do I start? ====

I know the indecision that comes with way too many choices. However, because I’m so kind, I’ve made it easy for you. Try starting here with the manifesto, then check out the index.

==== What should I do if something isn’t working? ====

First, make absolutely sure it’s not your browser that’s at fault.  From my testing, this theme is compatible with IE7-IE9, Firefox 2-9, Safari, Opera, and Chrome. Make sure you’re up to date on your Java and Flash.

If you’re still having issues, I’d appreciate it if you’d alert me.

==== What about spoilers? Should I worry? ====

I dislike spoilers and go out of my way to avoid them. In the age of the internet and social media, sometimes it’s impossible, but here at Reel Maniacs you can lay your weary head to rest. What you’ll be reading here is my experience and truths I’ve reached from viewing the film, but nothing every directly spoiling key plot points. If I ever include spoilers, they will be clearly marked in giant words that read “SPOILER ALERT!” If I had known about The Sixth Sense twist, it wouldn’t have been have as enjoyable. I’m with you. I understand.

==== Do you get free movies to review? =====

- This was a question I received because the reader feared I had someone behind me pulling strings for a favorable review. The majority of movies I watch come from the library, Netflix, or my personal collection (which isn’t big, mind you.) In rare cases I may have to go to a video store. So no, I don’t get anything for free. The truth is that I revel in brutal honesty and it’s important that I make this a point in my writing. I know how radical it is to be sincere and refuse to shade the truth. I know how few people do this. A lot of reviews I read on various “review” specific websites are glad handing praise in hopes of ending up with a quote on a dvd cover or some kind of advertisement. “The scariest movie since Halloween!“ “A mash up of Pulp Fiction and The Matrix!” It’s easy to see where the motive lies with the person publishing that.

==== Are there any rules? ====

For this website? No.

I don’t care about vulgar language, because they’re just words. I doubt children occupy the majority of my reading demographic. However, all comments that contain racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person will be deleted. I invite you to criticize me, but there are proper ways to go about it.

As for my movie watching, yes I have a few.

1. I will not watch a movie in “pieces.” No 30 minutes tonight, 30 minutes the next night, and wrap up the third act on day three kind of nonsense.

2. I will not fast forward anything. No matter if I’m bored or some other circumstance that would compel me to skip ahead, I will stick it out.

==== Okay, so now what? ====

Get to reading! If you still have questions, you can send an email to brad@reelmaniacs.com

   (Photo by Ray Horwath)

I love the movies. Cliché, I suppose, but as a child growing up in the rural Midwest, the movie theater offered a vision of something larger. I could sit in the theater and marvel as I was transported into a completely different world. It didn’t matter if I were watching in the comfort of my own home or on the biggest IMAX screen available; the ability for a movie to have a profound affect on the human condition remained unchanged.

Reel Maniacs was created to explore the history of cinema and the classic films that have woven themselves into the fabric of American culture. Why a blog? Unfortunately, the human brain is not without evolutionary defect, and I can’t possibly remember 1001 movies off hand, though I wish I could. The cells in my body that watched a movie years ago will have replicated by then, leaving me with a shiny new updated version (though I hear slightly diminished as I age.) As the great Australian philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein said, “Can you remember what remembering was like last Tuesday?”

What one considers a “classic” is arguable, and quite frankly, arbitrary. Which lead me to this..

The 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die list.

I’ve been aimlessly wandering through the annals of film since I was a mere boy in front of my grandparents exhaustive movie collection. From Disney, to 80′s slashers, to gangster films, to indie, to arthouse, and so on. I’ve always wanted my knowledge to span many genres and a wide era of time. I’m sure this feat has been attempted, and possibly even completed, but has it been documented from start to finish? That’s where I come in. Is the 1001 list perfect? Probably not. How could it be? I’d imagine the hardest part of creating such a list is deciding what to leave out.

However, it’s a fine place to start.

At this time, I’m 25 years old, and yet I’m not naive. I realize my appreciation of some movies may be hampered simply by my life experiences (or a lack of.) I’m sure I’m going to see life a lot differently at 35. Hell, I’ll see it different at 30. Then at 40, at 50, etc. The fact is I haven’t been married, or had a failed marriage, nor have I any children or buried any of my parents. The convictions I’m strongly attached to now may become old habits at a different age. Or as acoustic extraordinaire Frank Turner put it, “And all the things that I believed with all my heart when I was young are just coasters for beer and clean surfaces for drugs.”

The point being, I’m aware enough to know that I’m creating a time capsule. A look into the mind of a younger version of myself as I hitchhike through the galaxy of cinema. I’m never going to stop watching movies, so what better time than now to begin keeping a record?

That’s not to say my voice can’t be accurate. Some critics are so out of touch with reality that they’ll fail to connect with the material. That’s okay. Why? Because a movie, like any form of art, is a subjective experience. The difference between a great critic and a bad one is perception. What separates them? The ability to leave your personal taste out of the equation. “But Brad, what’s the point? I didn’t like it! It sucks!” Not quite. What you have to understand is that good and bad is not the same as like and dislike. I don’t like a large portion of Indie music, but does that mean by default, all Indie music sucks? Of course not. So many people “reviewing” these days live with delusions of grandeur, assuming that because they didn’t like it, it’s a requirement that everyone else does as well.

My reviews are personal. I’m only a man after all, so I don’t expect you to follow me or take my word as gospel. I think all “ratings” are silly, but it’s a short and simple way to express a snapshot of feeling. If I give a film a 6/10, I’m not telling you to skip it or not watch it. On the contrary, you should be able to draw your own distinctions and make your own choice. My ultimate goal as a writer is that you are able to read my thoughts on a movie, and based on my observations, make a decision on where to go from there.

Peruse the internet. Uninformed opinion is everywhere. Have you ever spent time at IMDb? Read the vitriol (or glad handing praise) spewed by a casual movie goer who has zero appreciation for life experience or subjectivity. It seems that most positive reviews are written in hopes of appearing on an advertisement or box cover. There’s nothing wrong with this, to each their own, but it comes off as more than insincere when someone reviewing a z-grade sci-fi film states “it’s better than Star Wars!”

See, I’m of the belief that people shouldn’t be able to spout nonsense and not be called on it. Pretending that all opinions are equal and deserve equal respect is a recipe for reducing everything to the lowest common denominator. If you have no regard for intellectual standards, then at least express some regard for common sense. If I told you that in my opinion, 2+2 = 5, is that equal to your belief of 2+2 = 4? Is this is corruption and elitism at it’s worst? Maybe so, but it’s hard to be quiet when you’re passionate about a subject that many so clearly don’t love or value. I despise elitism. No one should be locked into such rigid beliefs. The goal of every person should to be grow with each experience. Why are some people so concerned with what other people like?

What you ask, is my point?

Film and its consequent experiences are essential. It reminds us that life is a gift, not a privilege. It reminds us that we are alive and our time on this planet brief. It can impact all races, cross barriers of social or political belief, and is not gender biased. How much can be learned through the introspective examination we go through after the credits roll? That’s what I’m looking to find out. As much as we’d like it to be so, movies can’t save us from war, greed, betrayal, heartache, old age, or death, but it can revitalize us. I believe the cinema can be a great teacher. Some of the greatest moral lessons I’ve learned have come from the stories on the screen. A major deciding factor in watching so many movies is finding out what truths these experiences will lead me to.

I don’t consider myself a film critic, but others may. Through my looking glass I see more of an observer and active participant in the art form that I love. I’m here to share my life experience and provide you with insights that maybe you haven’t reached yet. Someone reading this may help me discover something about myself. If you’re coming here looking for recommendations, I’d be happy to give some. How about you give me some? Although my rantings may come off as holier than thou at times (a pitfall of enthusiasm, though I make no apologies), I can assure you I’m not attempting to berate your taste.

That’s the gist of this place.

So get comfortable, grab some popcorn, and let’s go to the movies.

“Wow, that’s a lot of movies.” Right? Welcome to the 1001 movies index.

Click on the movie to be instantly taken to the post.  If you’re lost and unsure what this list is about, then start here.

1. A Trip to the Moon (1902)
2. The Great Train Robbery (1903)
3. The Birth of a Nation (1915)
4. Les Vampires (1915)
5. Intolerance (1916)
6. Broken Blossoms (1919)
7. The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920)
8. Way Down East (1920)
9. Within Our Gates (1920)
10. The Phantom Carriage (1921)
11. Orphans of the Storm (1921)
12. La Souriante Madame Beudet (1922)
13. Dr. Mabuse Parts 1 and 2 (1922)
14. Nanook of the North (1922)
15. Nosferatu (1922)
16. Haxan (1923)
17. Foolish Wives (1922)
18. Our Hospitality (1923)
19. The Wheel (1923)
20. The Thief of Bagdad (1924)
21. Strike (1924)
22. Greed (1924)
23. Sherlock, Jr. (1924)
24. The Last Laugh (1924)
25. Seven Chances (1925)
26. The Phantom of the Opera (1925)
27. Battleship Potemkin (1925)
28. The Gold Rush (1925)
29. The Big Parade (1925)
30. Metropolis (1927)
31. Sunrise (1927)
32. The General (1927)
33. The Unknown (1927)
34. October (1927)
35. The Jazz Singer (1927)
36. Napoleon (1927)
37. The Kid Brother (1927)
38. The Crowd (1928)
39. The Docks of New York (1928)
40. An Andalusian Dog (1928)
41. The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928)
42. Steamboat Bill, Jr. (1928)
43. Storm over Asia (1928)
44. Blackmail (1929)
45. The Man with the Movie Camera (1929)
46. Pandora’s Box (1929)
47. The Blue Angel (1930)
48. L’Age D’Or (1930)
49. Earth (1930)
50. Little Caesar (1930)
51. All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)
52. À Nous la Liberté (1931)
53. Le Million (1931)
54. Tabu (1931)
55. Dracula (1931)
56. Frankenstein (1931)
57. City Lights (1931)
58. The Public Enemy (1931)
59. M (1931)
60. La Chienne (1931)
61. Vampyr (1932)
62. Love Me Tonight (1932)
63. Boudu Saved from Drowning (1932)
64. I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (1932)
65. Trouble in Paradise (1932)
66. Scarface (1932)
67. Shanghai Express (1932)
68. Freaks (1932)
69. Me and My Gal (1932)
70. Zero for Conduct (1933)
71. 42nd Street (1933)
72. Footlight Parade (1933)
73. Gold Diggers of 1933 (1933)
74. She Done Him Wrong (1933)
75. Duck Soup (1933)
76. Queen Christina (1933)
77. Las Hurdes (1933)
78. King Kong (1933)
79. The Bitter Tea of General Yen (1933)
80. Sons of the Desert (1933)
81. It’s a Gift (1934)
82. Triumph of the Will (1934)
83. L’Atalante (1934)
84. The Black Cat (1934)
85. Judge Priest (1934)
86. It Happened One Night (1934)
87. The Thin Man (1934)
88. Captain Blood (1935)
89. Mutiny on the Bounty (1935)
90. A Night at the Opera (1935)
91. The 39 Steps (1935)
92. Bride of Frankenstein (1935)
93. Top Hat (1935)
94. A Day in the Country (1936)
95. Modern Times (1936)
96. Swing Time (1936)
97. My Man Godfrey (1936)
98. Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936)
99. Camille (1936)
100. Sabotage (1936)
101. Dodsworth (1936)
102. Things to Come (1936)
103. The Story of a Cheat (1936)
104. Captains Courageous (1937)
105. Song At Midnight (1937)
106. Grand Illusion (1937)
107. Stella Dallas (1937)
108. The Life of Emile Zola (1937)
109. Make Way for Tomorrow (1937)
110. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
111. The Awful Truth (1937)
112. Pepe Le Moko (1937)
113. Jezebel (1938)
114. The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)
115. Angels with Dirty Faces (1938)
116. Olympia (1938)
117. The Baker’s Wife (1938)
118. Bringing Up Baby (1938)
119. Stagecoach (1939)
120. The Story of the Late Chrysanthemums (1939)
121. Babes in Arms (1939)
122. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
123. The Wizard of Oz (1939)
124. Destry Rides Again (1939)
125. Only Angels Have Wings (1939)
126. Gone With the Wind (1939)
127. Daybreak (1939)
128. Gunga Din (1939)
129. Ninotchka (1939)
130. The Rules of the Game (1939)
131. Wuthering Heights (1939)
132. His Girl Friday (1940)
133. Rebecca (1940)
134. Fantasia (1940)
135. The Philadelphia Story (1940)
136. The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
137. Dance, Girl, Dance (1940)
138. Pinocchio (1940)
139. The Mortal Storm (1940)
140. The Bank Dick (1940)
141. Citizen Kane (1941)
142. The Lady Eve (1941)
143. The Wolf Man (1941)
144. The Maltese Falcon (1941)
145. Sergeant York (1941)
146. Dumbo (1941)
147. High Sierra (1941)
148. Sullivan’s Travels (1941)
149. How Green Was My Valley (1941)
150. The Palm Beach Story (1942)
151. Now, Voyager (1942)
152. Casablanca (1942)
153. To Be or Not to Be (1942)
154. Cat People (1942)
155. The Magnificent Ambersons (1942)
156. Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942)
157. Meshes of the Afternoon (1943)
158. Fires Were Started (1943)
159. The Man in Grey (1943)
160. The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943)
161. I Walked with a Zombie (1943)
162. The Seventh Victim (1943)
163. The Ox-Bow Incident (1943)
164. Shadow of a Doubt (1943)
165. Ossessione (1943)
166. Meet Me in St. Louis (1944)
167. To Have and Have Not (1944)
168. Laura (1944)
169. Gaslight (1944)
170. Henry V (1944)
171. Ivan the Terrible (1944) Parts 1 and 2
172. Double Indemnity (1944)
173. Murder, My Sweet (1944)
174. The Battle of San Pietro (1945)
175. Spellbound (1945)
176. Mildred Pierce (1945)
177. Children of Paradise (1945)
178. Open City (1945)
179. The Lost Weekend (1945)
180. Detour (1945)
181. I Know Where I’m Going! (1945)
182. The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
183. Brief Encounter (1946)
184. Paisan (1946)
185. The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946)
186. My Darling Clementine (1946)
187. The Stranger (1946)
188. Beauty and the Beast (1946)
189. The Big Sleep (1946)
190. The Killers (1946)
191. A Matter of Life and Death (1946)
192. Great Expectations (1946)
193. Notorious (1946)
194. Black Narcissus (1946)
195. It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
196. Gilda (1946)
197. Monsieur Verdoux (1947)
198. Out of the Past (1947)
199. The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1947)
200. Odd Man Out (1947)
201. The Bicycle Thief (1948)
202. Letter from an Unknown Woman (1948)
203. Secret Beyond the Door (1948)
204. Force of Evil (1948)
205. Spring in a Small Town (1948)
206. Red River (1948)
207. Rope (1948)
208. The Snake Pit (1948)
209. The Lady from Shanghai (1948)
210. Paleface (1948)
211. The Red Shoes (1948)
212. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
213. Louisiana Story (1948)
214. The Heiress (1949)
215. Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949)
216. Gun Crazy (1949)
217. Adam’s Rib (1949)
218. Whiskey Galore! (1949)
219. White Heat (1949)
220. The Reckless Moment (1949)
221. The Third Man (1949)
222. On the Town (1949)
223. Orpheus (1949)
224. The Asphalt Jungle (1950)
225. Rashomon (1950)
226. Winchester ’73 (1950)
227. Rio Grande (1950)
228. All About Eve (1950)
229. Sunset Blvd. (1950)
230. Los Olvidados (1950)
231. In a Lonely Place (1950)
232. The Big Carnival (1951)
233. A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)
234. Strangers on a Train (1951)
235. The Lavender Hill Mob (1951)
236. Pandora and the Flying Dutchman (1951)
237. The African Queen (1951)
238. Diary of a Country Priest (1951)
239. An American in Paris (1951)
240. A Place in the Sun (1951)
241. The Day The Earth Stood Still (1951)
242. The Quiet Man (1952)
243. Forbidden Games (1952)
244. Angel Face (1952)
245. Singin’ in the Rain (1952)
246. Ikiru (1952)
247. Europa ’51 (1952)
248. The Bad and the Beautiful (1952)
249. The Big Sky (1952)
250. High Noon (1952)
251. Umberto D (1952)
252. The Golden Coach (1952)
253. The Bigamist (1953)
254. The Band Wagon (1953)
255. Madame De… (1953)
256. From Here to Eternity (1953)
257. Tokyo Story (1953)
258. Roman Holiday (1953)
259. Wages of Fear (1953)
260. The Naked Spur (1953)
261. Pickup on South Street (1953)
262. Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953)
263. The Big Heat (1953)
264. M. Hulot’s Holiday (1953)
265. Voyage in Italy (1953)
266. Ugetsu (1953)
267. Shane (1953)
268. Beat the Devil (1953)
269. Johnny Guitar (1954)
270. On the Waterfront (1954)
271. Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954)
272. Les Diaboliques (1954)
273. Animal Farm (1954)
274. Rear Window (1954)
275. A Star Is Born (1954)
276. The Barefoot Contessa (1954)
277. La Strada (1954)
278. Seven Samurai (1954)
279. Senso (1954)
280. Silver Lode (1954)
281. Carmen Jones (1954)
282. Sansho the Bailiff (1954)
283. Salt of the Earth (1954)
284. Artists and Models (1955)
285. Guys and Dolls (1955)
286. Pather Panchali (1955)
287. Bad Day at Black Rock (1955)
288. The Mad Masters (1955)
289. Hill 24 Doesn’t Answer (1955)
290. The Ladykillers (1955)
291. Marty (1955)
292. Ordet (1955)
293. Bob Le Flambeur (1955)
294. Kiss Me Deadly (1955)
295. The Man from Laramie (1955)
296. Rebel without a Cause (1955)
297. The Phenix City Story (1955)
298. Smiles of a Summer Night (1955)
299. Night and Fog (1955)
300. The Night of the Hunter (1955)
301. Lola Montes (1955)
302. Forbidden Planet (1956)
303. The Burmese Harp (1956)
304. The Searchers (1956)
305. A Man Escaped (1956)
306. Written on the Wind (1956)
307. The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956)
308. Giant (1956)
309. All That Heaven Allows (1956)
310. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)
311. The Wrong Man (1956)
312. Bigger Than Life (1956)
313. High Society (1956)
314. The Ten Commandments (1956)
315. 12 Angry Men (1957)
316. The Seventh Seal (1957)
317. An Affair to Remember (1957)
318. Wild Strawberries (1957)
319. The Nights of Cabiria (1957)
320. Throne of Blood (1957)
321. The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957)
322. Aparajito (1957)
323. Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (1957)
324. The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
325. Mother India (1957)
326. The Cranes Are Flying (1957)
327. Paths of Glory (1957)
328. Sweet Smell of Success (1957)
329. Man of the West (1958)
330. Touch of Evil (1958)
331. Cairo Station (1958)
332. Gigi (1958)
333. The Defiant Ones (1958)
334. Vertigo (1958)
335. Ashes and Diamonds (1958)
336. Horror of Dracula (1958)
337. Mon Oncle (1958)
338. The Music Room (1958)
339. The 400 Blows (1959)
340. North by Northwest (1959)
341. Some Like It Hot (1959)
342. Anatomy of a Murder (1959)
343. Eyes without a Face (1959)
344. Ride Lonesome (1959)
345. Black Orpheus (1959)
346. Shadows (1959)
347. The World of Apu (1959)
348. Breathless (1959)
349. Ben-Hur (1959)
350. Pickpocket (1959)
351. Hiroshima Mon Amour (1959)
352. Rio Bravo (1959)
353. The Hole (1959)
354. Floating Weeds (1959)
355. Rocco and His Brothers (1960)
356. La Dolce Vita (1960)
357. Saturday Night and Sunday Morning (1960)
358. Shoot the Piano Player (1960)
359. L’Avventura (1960)
360. La Joven (1960)
361. The Cloud-Capped Star (1960)
362. The Housemaid (1960)
363. Psycho (1960)
364. Black Sunday (1960)
365. Peeping Tom (1960)
366. The Apartment (1960)
367. Spartacus (1960)
368. Splendor in the Grass (1961)
369. Last Year at Marienbad (1961)
370. La Jetee (1961)
371. One-Eyed Jacks (1961)
372. Lola (1961)
373. Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961)
374. La Notte (1961)
375. Jules and Jim (1961)
376. Viridiana (1961)
377. The Ladies Man (1961)
378. Through a Glass Darkly (1961)
379. Chronicle of a Summer (1961)
380. The Hustler (1961)
381. West Side Story (1961)
382. Mondo Cane (1962)
383. Cleo from 5 to 7 (1962)
384. Dog Star Man (1962)
385. An Autumn Afternoon (1962)
386. L’Eclisse (1962)
387. Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
388. To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
389. The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
390. Lolita (1962)
391. Keeper of Promises (1962)
392. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)
393. What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962)
394. My Life to Live (1962)
395. Heaven and Earth Magic (1962)
396. The Birds (1963)
397. The Nutty Professor (1963)
398. Blonde Cobra (1963)
399. The Cool World (1963)
400. 8 1/2 (1963)
401. Passenger (1963)
402. Contempt (1963)
403. Hud (1963)
404. Winter Light (1963)
405. Flaming Creatures (1963)
406. The Great Escape (1963)
407. Shock Corridor (1963)
408. The Leopard (1963)
409. Barren Lives (1963)
410. Mediteranee (1963)
411. The House is Black (1963)
412. The Haunting (1963)
413. An Actor’s Revenge (1963)
414. The Servant (1963)
415. Goldfinger (1964)
416. Scorpio Rising (1964)
417. The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964)
418. Marnie (1964)
419. My Fair Lady (1964)
420. Woman in the Dunes (1964)
421. Dr. Strangelove (1964)
422. A Hard Day’s Night (1964)
423. The Red Desert (1964)
424. Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors (1964)
425. The Masque of the Red Death (1964)
426. Before the Revolution (1964)
427. Gertrud (1964)
428. The Gospel According to St. Matthew (1964)
429. Black God, White Devil (1964)
430. The Demon (1964)
431. Vinyl (1965)
432. The Shop on Main Street (1965)
433. Doctor Zhivago (1965)
434. The War Game (1965)
435. Tokyo Olympiad (1965)
436. The Battle of Algiers (1965)
437. The Sound of Music (1965)
438. The Sargossa Manuscript (1965)
439. Alphaville (1965)
440. Chimes at Midnight (1965)
441. Repulsion (1965)
442. Juliet of the Spirits (1965)
443. Pierrot Le Fou (1965)
444. Faster, Pussy Cat! Kill! Kill! (1965)
445. Golden River (1965)
446. The Man Who Had His Hair Cut Short (1965)
447. Hold Me While I’m Naked (1966)
448. Blow-Up (1966)
449. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)
450. Daisies (1966)
451. Come Drink with Me (1966)
452. Seconds (1966)
453. Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Woolf? (1966)
454. Persona (1966)
455. Masculin-Feminin (1966)
456. Au Hazard Balthazar (1966)
457. In the Heat of the Night (1967)
458. Two or Three Things I Know About Her (1967)
459. The Graduate (1967)
460. Playtime (1967)
461. Report (1967)
462. Hombre (1967)
463. Belle de Jour (1967)
464. The Young Girls of Rochefort (1967)
465. Week End (1967)
466. The Godson (1967)
467. Cool Hand Luke (1967)
468. Point Blank (1967)
469. Wavelength (1967)
470. Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
471. The Red and the White (1967)
472. Marketta Lazarova (1967)
473. The Jungle Book (1967)
474. The Fireman’s Ball (1967)
475. Earth Entranced (1967)
476. Closely Watched Trains (1967)
477. Vij (1967)
478. The Cow (1968)
479. Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)
480. Planet of the Apes (1968)
481. Faces (1968)
482. Rosemary’s Baby (1968)
483. If… (1968)
484. Memories of Underdevelopment (1968)
485. The Producers (1968)
486. David Holzman’s Diary (1968)
487. Shame (1968)
488. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
489. Hour of the Wolf (1968)
490. Targets (1968)
491. Night of the Living Dead (1968)
492. My Night at Maud’s (1969)
493. Lucia (1969)
494. A Touch of Zen (1969)
495. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
496. Midnight Cowboy (1969)
497. Satyricon (1969)
498. Z (1969)
499. The Conformist (1969)
500. Easy Rider (1969)
501. High School (1969)
502. In the Year of the Pig (1969)
503. The Wild Bunch (1969)
504. Andrei Rublev (1969)
505. Le Boucher (1969)
506. The Color of Pomegranates (1969)
507. Kes (1969)
508. Tristana (1970)
509. Five Easy Pieces (1970)
510. El Topo (1970)
511. Woodstock (1970)
512. Deep End (1970)
513. The Spider’s Stratagem (1970)
514. Little Big Man (1970)
515. The Ear (1970)
516. Patton (1970)
517. M*A*S*H (1970)
518. Performance (1970)
519. Gimme Shelter (1970)
520. Zabriskie Point (1970)
521. The Bird with The Crystal Plumage (1970)
522. The Garden of the Finzi-Continis (1970)
523. Wanda (1971)
524. W.R.: Mysteries of the Organism (1971)
525. A Clockwork Orange (1971)
526. The Sorrow and the Pity (1971)
527. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971)
528. McCabe and Mrs. Miller (1971)
529. Walkabout (1971)
530. Klute (1971)
531. Harold and Maude (1971)
532. Red Psalm (1971)
533. Get Carter (1971)
534. The French Connection (1971)
535. Shaft (1971)
536. Dirty Harry (1971)
537. Murmur of the Heart (1971)
538. Sweet Sweetback’s Baadassss Song (1971)
539. The Last Picture Show (1971)
540. Straw Dogs (1971)
541. Two-Lane Blacktop (1971)
542. The Heartbreak Kid (1972)
543. Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972)
544. Cabaret (1972)
545. Last Tango in Paris (1972)
546. High Plains Drifter (1972)
547. Sleuth (1972)
548. Deliverance (1972)
549. Solaris (1972)
550. The Godfather (1972)
551. Cries and Whispers (1972)
552. Fat City (1972)
553. The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972)
554. The Bitter Tears of Petra Von Kant (1972)
555. Frenzy (1972)
556. Pink Flamingos (1972)
557. Superfly (1972)
558. The Sting (1973)
559. The Mother and the Whore (1973)
560. Badlands (1973)
561. American Graffiti (1973)
562. Papillon (1973)
563. Enter the Dragon (1973)
564. Mean Streets (1973)
565. The Long Goodbye (1973)
566. The Wicker Man (1973)
567. Day for Night (1973)
568. Don’t Look Now (1973)
569. Sleeper (1973)
570. Serpico (1973)
571. The Exorcist (1973)
572. Turkish Delight (1973)
573. The Spirit of the Beehive (1973)
574. Fantastic Planet (1973)
575. Amarcord (1973)
576. The Harder They Come (1973)
577. Pat Garret and Billy the Kid (1973)
578. Dersu Uzala (1974)
579. The Conversation (1974)
580. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
581. Mirror (1974)
582. A Woman under the Influence (1974)
583. Young Frankenstein (1974)
584. Chinatown (1974)
585. Celine and Julie Go Boating (1974)
586. Blazing Saddles (1974)
587. The Godfather Part II (1974)
588. Ali: Fear Eats the Soul (1974)
589. Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia (1974)
590. Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
591. One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)
592. Jeanne Dielman, 23 Quai Du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1975)
593. The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)
594. The Wall (1975)
595. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
596. Barry Lyndon (1975)
597. Fox and His Friends (1975)
598. India Song (1975)
599. Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975)
600. Manila in the Claws of Brightness (1975)
601. Salo, or the 120 Days of Sodom (1975)
602. Nashville (1975)
603. Cria! (1975)
604. The Traveling Players (1975)
605. Jaws (1975)
606. The Killing of a Chinese Bookie (1976)
607. Carrie (1976)
608. The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976)
609. All the President’s Men (1976)
610. Rocky (1976)
611. Taxi Driver (1976)
612. Network (1976)
613. Ascent (1976)
614. In the Realm of the Senses (1976)
615. 1900 (1976)
616. The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976)
617. Star Wars (1977)
618. Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
619. The Last Wave (1977)
620. Annie Hall (1977)
621. Last Chants for a Slow Dance (1977)
622. Storszek (1977)
623. Man of Marble (1977)
624. Saturday Night Fever (1977)
625. Killer of Sheep (1977)
626. Eraserhead (1977)
627. Ceddo (1977)
628. The American Friend (1977)
629. The Hills Have Eyes (1977)
630. Soldier of Orange (1977)
631. Suspiria (1977)
632. The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith (1978)
633. Five Deadly Venoms (1978)
634. The Tree of Wooden Clogs (1978)
635. The Deer Hunter (1978)
636. Grease (1978)
637. Days of Heaven (1978)
638. Dawn of the Dead (1978)
639. Shaolin Master Killer (1978)
640. Up in Smoke (1978)
641. Halloween (1978)
642. The Marriage of Maria Braun (1979)
643. Real Life (1979)
644. My Brilliant Career (1979)
645. Stalker (1979)
646. Alien (1979)
647. Breaking Away (1979)
648. The Tin Drum (1979)
649. All That Jazz (1979)
650. Being There (1979)
651. Kramer vs. Kramer (1979)
652. Life of Brian (1979)
653. Apocalypse Now (1979)
654. The Jerk (1979)
655. The Muppet Movie (1979)
656. Manhattan (1979)
657. Mad Max (1979)
658. Nosferatu The Vampyre (1979)
659. Ordinary People (1980)
660. Atlantic City (1980)
661. The Last Metro (1980)
662. The Shining (1980)
663. The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
664. The Elephant Man (1980)
665. The Big Red One (1980)
666. Loulou (1980)
667. Airplane! (1980)
668. Raging Bull (1980)
669. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
670. Das Boot (1981)
671. Gallipoli (1981)
672. Chariots of Fire (1981)
673. Body Heat (1981)
674. Reds (1981)
675. An American Werewolf in London (1981)
676. Three Brothers (1981)
677. Man of Iron (1981)
678. Too Early, Too Late (1981)
679. Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1981)
680. E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
681. The Thing (1982)
682. Poltergeist (1982)
683. Blade Runner (1982)
684. The Evil Dead (1982)
685. Tootsie (1982)
686. Yol (1982)
687. Diner (1982)
688. Fitzcarraldo (1982)
689. Gandhi (1982)
690. The Night of the Shooting Stars (1982)
691. A Question of Silence (1982)
692. Fanny and Alexander (1982)
693. A Christmas Story (1983)
694. El Norte (1983)
695. Videodrome (1983)
696. Return of the Jedi (1983)
697. The Big Chill (1983)
698. Sans Soleil (1983)
699. The Last Battle (1983)
700. L’Argent (1983)
701. Utu (1983)
702. Terms of Endearment (1983)
703. The Fourth Man (1983)
704. The King of Comedy (1983)
705. The Right Stuff (1983)
706. Koyaanisqatsi (1983)
707. Once Upon a Time in America (1983)
708. Scarface (1983)
709. The Battle of Narayama (1983)
710. Amadeus (1984)
711. The Terminator (1984)
712. Paris, Texas (1984)
713. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
714. This Is Spinal Tap (1984)
715. Beverly Hills Cop (1984)
716. Ghostbusters (1984)
717. A Passage to India (1984)
718. Stranger Than Paradise (1984)
719. The Killing Fields (1984)
720. The Natural (1984)
721. The Breakfast Club (1985)
722. Ran (1985)
723. Come and See (1985)
724. The Official Story (1985)
725. Out of Africa (1985)
726. The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985)
727. Back to the Future (1985)
728. The Time to Live and the Time to Die (1985)
729. Brazil (1985)
730. Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985)
731. The Quiet Earth (1985)
732. Mishima (1985)
733. Prizzi’s Honor (1985)
734. Vagabond (1985)
735. Shoah (1985)
736. The Color Purple (1985)
737. Manhunter (1986)
738. Stand By Me (1986)
739. Blue Velvet (1986)
740. Hannah and Her Sisters (1986)
741. She’s Gotta Have It (1986)
742. The Decline of the American Empire (1986)
743. The Fly (1986)
744. Aliens (1986)
745. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)
746. Down by Law (1986)
747. A Room with a View (1986)
748. Children Of A Lesser God (1986)
749. Platoon (1986)
750. Caravaggio (1986)
751. Tampopo (1986)
752. Peking Opera Blues (1986)
753. Salvador (1986)
754. Top Gun (1986)
755. Sherman’s March (1986)
756. The Horse Thief (1986)
757. Yeelen (1987)
758. Wings of Desire (1987)
759. Project A, Part II (1987)
760. Babette’s Feast (1987)
761. Raising Arizona (1987)
762. Full Metal Jacket (1987)
763. Withnail and I (1987)
764. Good Morning, Vietnam (1987)
765. Au Revoir Les Enfants (1987)
766. Broadcast News (1987)
767. Housekeeping (1987)
768. The Princess Bride (1987)
769. Moonstruck (1987)
770. The Untouchables (1987)
771. Red Sorghum (1987)
772. The Dead (1987)
773. Fatal Attraction (1987)
774. A Chinese Ghost Story (1987)
775. Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (1988)
776. The Vanishing (1988)
777. Bull Durham (1988)
778. Ariel (1988)
779. The Thin Blue Line (1988)
780. Akira (1988)
781. Cinema Paradiso (1988)
782. Hotel Terminus: The Life and Times of Klaus Barbie (1988)
783. A Fish Called Wanda (1988)
784. The Naked Gun (1988)
785. Big (1988)
786. Dangerous Liaisons (1988)
787. Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
788. Landscape in the Mist (1988)
789. The Decalogue (1988)
790. Die Hard (1988)
791. A Tale of the Wind (1988)
792. Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)
793. Rain Man (1988)
794. The Story of Women (1988)
795. The Accidental Tourist (1988)
796. Alice (1988)
797. Drowning by Numbers (1988)
798. Batman (1989)
799. When Harry Met Sally… (1989)
800. Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989)
801. The Cook, the Thief, His Wife and Her Lover (1989)
802. Drugstore Cowboy (1989)
803. My Left Foot (1989)
804. The Killer (1989)
805. Do the Right Thing (1989)
806. Roger & Me (1989)
807. Glory (1989)
808. The Asthenic Syndrome (1989)
809. Sex, Lies and Videotape (1989)
810. Say Anything… (1989)
811. The Unbelievable Truth (1989)
812. A City of Sadness (1989)
813. No Fear, No Die (1990)
814. Reversal of Fortune (1990)
815. Goodfellas (1990)
816. Jacob’s Ladder (1990)
817. King of New York (1990)
818. Dances with Wolves (1990)
819. Europa Europa (1990)
820. Pretty Woman (1990)
821. Archangel (1990)
822. Trust (1990)
823. Close-Up (1990)
824. Edward Scissorhands (1990)
825. Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1990)
826. Total Recall (1990)
827. Once Upon a Time in China (1991)
828. Boyz ‘n the Hood (1991)
829. Raise the Red Lantern (1991)
830. Delicatessen (1991)
831. A Brighter Summer Day (1991)
832. Naked Lunch (1991)
833. La Belle Noiseuse (1991)
834. The Rapture (1991)
835. My Own Private Idaho (1991)
836. Thelma & Louise (1991)
837. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
838. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
839. JFK (1991)
840. Slacker (1991)
841. Tongues Untied (1991)
842. Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse (1991)
843. The Double Life of Veronique (1991)
844. Strictly Ballroom (1992)
845. The Player (1992)
846. Reservoir Dogs (1992)
847. Romper Stomper (1992)
848. Glengarry Glen Ross (1992)
849. Unforgiven (1992)
850. Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992)
851. Candy Man (1992)
852. A Tale of Winter (1992)
853. Aileen Wuornos: The Selling of a Serial Killer (1992)
854. The Crying Game (1992)
855. Man Bites Dog (1992)
856. The Actress (1992)
857. Farewell My Concubine (1993)
858. Thirty Two Short Films About Glenn Gould (1993)
859. Groundhog Day (1993)
860. Short Cuts (1993)
861. Philadelphia (1993)
862. Jurassic Park (1993)
863. The Age of Innocence (1993)
864. The Puppetmaster (1993)
865. Schindler’s List (1993)
866. Blue (1993)
867. The Piano (1993)
868. The Blue Kite (1993)
869. The Wedding Banquet (1993)
870. Red (1994)
871. Hoop Dreams (1994)
872. Forrest Gump (1994)
873. Clerks (1994)
874. Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994)
875. The Lion King (1994)
876. Satantango (1994)
877. Natural Born Killers (1994)
878. The Last Seduction (1994)
879. Pulp Fiction (1994)
880. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
881. The Wild Reeds (1994)
882. Chungking Express (1994)
883. Crumb (1994)
884. Heavenly Creatures (1994)
885. Through the Olive Trees (1994)
886. Riget (1994)
887. Dear Diary (1994)
888. Muriel’s Wedding (1994)
889. The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994)
890. Casino (1995)
891. Deseret (1995)
892. Babe (1995)
893. Toy Story (1995)
894. Strange Days (1995)
895. Braveheart (1995)
896. Safe (1995)
897. Clueless (1995)
898. Heat (1995)
899. Zero Kelvin (1995)
900. Seven (1995)
901. Smoke (1995)
902. The White Balloon (1995)
903. Xixch Lo (1995)
904. Underground (1995)
905. The Brave Heart Will Take the Bride (1995)
906. Dead Man (1995)
907. The Usual Suspects (1995)
908. The Pillow Book (1996)
909. Three Lives and Only One Death (1996)
910. Fargo (1996)
911. Independence Day (1996)
912. Secrets and Lies (1996)
913. Breaking the Waves (1996)
914. The English Patient (1996)
915. Gabbeh (1996)
916. Lone Star (1996)
917. Trainspotting (1996)
918. Scream (1996)
919. Shine (1996)
920. Deconstructing Harry (1997)
921. L.A. Confidential (1997)
922. Happy Together (1997)
923. Princess Mononoke (1997)
924. Fast, Cheap and Out of Control (1997)
925. The Butcher Boy (1997)
926. The Ice Storm (1997)
927. Boogie Nights (1997)
928. Kundun (1997)
929. The Sweet Hereafter (1997)
930. Funny Games (1997)
931. Taste of Cherry (1997)
932. Open Your Eyes (1997)
933. Mother and Son (1997)
934. Titanic (1997)
935. Tetsuo (1998)
936. The Celebration (1998)
937. Saving Private Ryan (1998)
938. Buffalo 66 (1998)
939. Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998)
940. The Big Lebowski (1998)
941. Run Lola Run (1998)
942. Rushmore (1998)
943. Pi (1998)
944. Happiness (1998)
945. The Thin Red Line (1998)
946. The Idiots (1998)
947. Sombre (1998)
948. Ringu (1998)
949. There’s Something About Mary (1998)
950. Magnolia (1999)
951. Beau Travail (1999)
952. The Blair Witch Project (1999)
953. Taboo (1999)
954. Rosetta (1999)
955. All About My Mother (1999)
956. Three Kings (1999)
957. The Wind Will Carry Us (1999)
958. The Audition (1999)
959. Time Regained (1999)
960. Fight Club (1999)
961. Being John Malkovich (1999)
962. American Beauty (1999)
963. Attack the Gas Station (1999)
964. Eyes Wide Shut (1999)
965. The Sixth Sense (1999)
966. The Matrix (1999)
967. Nine Queens (2000)
968. The Captive (2000)
969. In the Mood for Love (2000)
970. Ali Zaoua, Prince of the Streets (2000)
971. Gladiator (2000)
972. Kippur (2000)
973. Yi Yi (2000)
974. Requiem for a Dream (2000)
975. Amores Perros (2000)
976. Meet the Parents (2000)
977. Signs & Wonders (2000)
978. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
979. Traffic (2000)
980. The Gleaners and I (2000)
981. Dancer in the Dark (2000)
982. O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)
983. Memento (2000)
984. Amelie (2001)
985. What Time Is It There? (2001)
986. Y Tu Mama Tambien (2001)
987. Kandahar (2001)
988. Spirited Away (2001)
989. The Piano Teacher (2001)
990. The Son’s Room (2001)
991. No Man’s Land (2001)
992. Moulin Rouge (2001)
993. Monsoon Wedding (2001)
994. Fat Girl (2001)
995. Mulholland Dr. (2001)
996. The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)
997. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
998. Lantana (2001)
999. A.I.: Artificial Intelligence (2001)
1000. Adaptation (2002)
1001. Far From Heaven (2002)