Round Table's Greatest Movies Part II: E-L

Eighth Grade (2018)

An introverted teenage girl (Elsie Fisher) tries to survive the last week of her disastrous eighth-grade year before leaving to start high school .— RT

 

Easy Rider (1969)

Two bikers head from L.A. to New Orleans through the open country and desert lands, and along the way they meet a man who bridges a counter-culture gap of which they had been unaware. — AFI

 

Edward Scissorhands (1990)

After he busted blocks with Batman, Burton broke hearts with perhaps his most personal picture. The romance of a razor-fingered recluse is given irresistible internal strength by a breakout performance from Johnny Depp. — Empire 500

 

Ed Wood (1994)

Tim Burton and Johnny Depp collaborate to tell the story of the world’s worst filmmaker, but elevate him to heroic status by exploring his world of misfits and cut-price magic. — Empire 500

 

Election (1999)

A film that manages the gargantuan task of goosing both the Darwinian proving ground of high-school USA and the Byzantine machinations of the American political system, Election is satire masquerading as quirky comedy. A canny adaptation of a Tom Perrotta novel, it was initially inspired by the Bush-Clinton election of 1993 and the infamous case of a pregnant prom queen denied her title after staff rigged the vote. Regarding the latter, it's possible to view Election in which teacher Matthew Broderick attempts to sabotage monstrously ambitious student Reese Witherspoon's bid for student body president as not merely bang on target but also, in the light of the Florida 2000 fiasco, remarkably prescient. — Empire 500

 

Electra Glide in Blue (1973)

The other great bike movie alongside Easy Rider, this mini-epic of counterculture Arizona cops on a murder investigation is gradually accumulating the reputation it deserves. — Empire 500

 

The Elephant Man (1980)

Easily Lynch's most sympathetic and outwardly 'gettable' movie tells the tragic 19th-century tale of John Merrick, hideously disfigured by a congenital disease, and taken in by a kindly doctor who sees the human beneath the freakshow. — Empire 500

 

Enduring Love (2004)

Rhys Ifans is beyond creepy as a disturbed stalker harassing Daniel Craig following a chance meeting. It differs substantially from Ian McEwan's novel but is almost unbearably tense. — Empire 500

 

The English Patient (1996)

If the late Minghella's best film is ladled with a Dullsville, awards-bait reputation, it shouldn't be, as it is a complex, ferociously intelligent, hugely emotional work — a true testament to a lost talent. — Empire 500

 

The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser (1974)

The haunting story of a foundling — apparently raised alone in a cellar and released in adulthood only to then be murdered is an enigma indeed. Don't expect any answers from director Werner Herzog. — Empire 500

 

Enter the Dragon (1973)

The movie that introduced the wider world to the bone-cracking kung fu icon that was Bruce Lee, Clouse's martial-arts funhouse hall of mirrors and all still sets the benchmark for all chopsocky actioners. — Empire 500

 

Eraserhead (1977)

A rare ’70s film completely divorced from its times — the solemnly lost Henry (Jack Nance) would be as out of place anywhere as he is in the industrial pocket universe of the film. — Empire 500

 

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

Director Michel Gondry and screenwriter Charlie Kaufman deconstruct the relationship drama via a fantastic psycho-sci-fi device, as Jim Carrey's Joel races through his own mind to reverse a process by which all his memories of his failed relationship with Kate Winslet's Clementine are to be erased. Which is a brilliantly weird, round-the-houses way of reminding us that heartbreak should be valued as one of the things that makes us. Better to have loved and lost, and all that. — Empire 500, Empire, THR

 

E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial (1982)

With the "Amblin" style so regularly referenced these days (most successfully in the Duffer brothers' Stranger Things), it's worth reminding ourselves that it was never more perfectly encapsulated than in E.T.: a children's adventure which carefully beds its supernatural elements in an utterly relatable everykid world, and tempers its cuter, more sentimental moments with a true sense of jeopardy. Spielberg turns his parents' divorce into a magical slice of sci-fi as autobiography. Subtle kid performances (especially Henry Thomas) make a great animatronic creation even more affecting. — AFI, Empire, RT, THR, Empire 500

 

Evil Dead 2 (1987)

How did this happen? How did a low-budget schlocker that made bugger-all when it opened in 1987 finally get its own Empire 500 cover? Here are just 10 reasons why Evil Dead 2 is the 49th greatest film of all time: 1. Sam Raimi: young, brilliant and bursting at the seams with ideas for virtuoso camera moves and demented montages. 2. Star Bruce Campbell's Ash: half-Stooge, half-Rambo. 3. The chainsaw/shotgun combo ... "Groovy." 4. There's a gleeful disregard for convention throughout: The breakneck first five minutes remake the original movie. 5. High gore factor: Walls spurt blood, eyeballs land in mouths. 6. The bit where Ash's hair turns grey. Genius. 7. It's hugely influential (ask Edgar Wright and Louis Leterrier). 8. It's goofily hilarious the possessed demon hand is a hoot. 9. Its ending is perverse and Planet of the Apes-perfect. 10. Oh, and it has a laughing moose head. Every movie should have a laughing moose head. — Empire 500

 

The Exorcist (1973)

William Friedkin's horror masterwork — in which a 12-year-old girl is possessed by a demon — has a reputation as a shocker (in the good sense), with the pea-soup vomit, head-spin and crucifix abuse moments the most regularly cited. But the reason it chills so deeply is the way it sustains and builds its disquieting atmosphere so craftily and consistently throughout. — Empire 500, Empire, wiki

 

Fanny and Alexander (1982)

The grand summation of Ingmar Bergman’s career, this epic family drama drew on the director’s own childhood experiences in early 20th century Sweden. — BFI

 

Fantasia (1940)

The animated collection of works of classical music won an honorary Academy Award for its creation of visualized music and for advancing the use of sound in motion pictures. Accompanied by the Philadelphia Orchestra, include Night on Bald Mountain and Mickey Mouse in The Sorcerer's Apprentice. The film’s creators considered, but abandoned, the idea of spraying scents into theaters such as jasmine for the Waltz of the Flowers segment and incense for Ave Maria. — AFI, Trib

 

The Farewell (2019)

A Chinese family discovers their grandmother has only a short while left to live and decide to keep her in the dark, scheduling a wedding to gather before she dies. — RT

 

Far from Heaven (2002)

Best appreciated by admirers of Douglas Sirk’s ’50s melodramas, Todd Haynes’ homage is more explicit but still emotional: a story of repression, desire and hope for fractured lives. — Empire 500

 

Fargo (1996)

Joel and Ethan Coen's snowy crime comedy is the best example of the “crap criminal” subgenre, reminding us that wrongdoers are very rarely slick, professional types, and more usually people who are either inept or just winging it. But it has a very good heart, of course, in the form of Frances McDormand's Marge, whose brightness remains undimmed by the horrors she witnesses. — Empire 500, AFI, Empire, THR

 

Fatal Attraction (1987)

The movie that gave us the phrase "bunny-boiler," Lyne's cautionary anti-romance was a phenomenon at the time. It's not aged too well (terrible ending), but its influence is still felt. — Empire 500

 

The Favorite (2018)

Inspired by the true events of Luke Benjamin Bernard. His spiritual and physical transformation is told through the life of two brothers. — RT

 

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998)

Johnny Depp channels Hunter S. Thompson and consumes inhuman amounts of drugs, while Gilliam shows that the straight, Nixon-voting world outside Thompson's head represented by Vegas at its most hideous is scarcely less insane. — Empire 500

 

Fear Eats the Soul (1974)

Fassbinder’s international breakthrough is an unconventional love story with devastating emotional power. BFI

 

Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)

The sportos, the motorheads, geeks, sluts, bloods, waistoids, dweebies and dickheads all adore him, and so do we. John Hughes’ righteous dude is unquestionably too cool for school. John Hughes paid homage to his earlier movies via the license plates on the characters' cars: "VCATION" for National Lampoon's Vacation, "MMOM" for Mr. Mom and "TBC" for The Breakfast Club. — THR, Empire 500

 

Festen (1998)

The Dogme manifesto is perfectly applied in this lean story of dark family accusations at dinner. Stripping everything back to its bare bones pulls focus onto the smallest action. — Empire 500

 

Field of Dreams (1989)

A beguiling, Capra-esque baseball fantasy that gets its sentiment just right, anchored by Kevin Costner on top form. If you build it, we will come. And cry buckets. — Empire 500

 

Fight Club (1999)

It could have just been pre-millennial angst, but Fincher’s grimly ironic epic of maladjusted masculinity shows no sign of fading. After all the pre-release hype about how dark and brutal Fight Club was, one of the most surprising things to discover on seeing it was just how funny it actually was. And just as well; if you weren't laughing at Bob's "bitch-tits" or Tyler Durden's human-fat soap-making antics, it would be pretty hard to process David Fincher's bravura take on Chuck Palahniuk's tale of modern masculinity running insanely rampant. — Empire, THR, Empire 500

 

Finding Nemo (2003)

Pixar's fifth feature is remarkable for being both cute and, at times, surprisingly harsh. Also, it's time to reconsider Ellen DeGeneres' memory-loss-plagued Dory as one of the studio's finest creations. — Empire 500

 

First Blood (1982)

Before Rambo became about gore and sport with goat carcasses, it was a portrait of a man who only knows how to be a warrior, even when nobody wants one. — Empire 500

 

Fitzcarraldo (1982)

A crazed Klaus Kinski brings opera to the jungle — by pulling a steamer over a mountain, obviously. As ambitious, visually stunning and plain old insane as cinema gets, this is Herzog’s masterwork. — Empire 500

 

Flesh (1968)

Produced by Andy Warhol and taking place in a New York awash with free love and free-flowing drugs, this tale of hustlers, dealers and sexual adventurers is frank, absorbing and surprisingly amusing. — Empire 500

 

The Florida Project (2017)

Set over one summer, the film follows precocious six-year-old Moonee as she courts mischief and adventure with her ragtag playmates and bonds with her rebellious but caring mother, all while living in the shadows of Walt Disney World. — RT

Forrest Gump (1994)

Robert Zemeckis' affable stroll through some of America's most turbulent decades, as seen through the childlike eyes of the simple-but-successful Forrest — the role which earned Tom Hanks his second Oscar in two years. And it says a lot about the film's emotional heft that it managed to win an Oscar itself, when it was in competition with both Pulp Fiction and The Shawshank Redemption. — Empire 500, AFI, Empire, THR

 

The Fountain (2001)

As a modern-day scientist, Tommy is struggling with mortality, desperately searching for the medical breakthrough that will save the life of his cancer-stricken wife, Izzi. Despite splitting audiences right down the middle, there's no mistaking the conviction that drives this deceptively simple fable about love and death. — Empire 500

 

Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994)

Over the course of five social occasions, a committed bachelor (Hugh Grant) must consider the notion that he may have discovered love. The film that established Richard Curtis as a brand is often unfairly mocked. The truth is that all rom-com writers are aiming for this mix of sly wit, genuine feeling and farce. — Empire 500

 

Frankenstein (1931)

In James Whale's timeless adaptation of Mary Shelley's masterpiece novel, Boris Karloff stars as the screen's most tragic and memorable horror giant, when Dr. Frankenstein (Colin Clive) dares to tamper with life and death by piecing together salvaged body parts to create a human monster. — AFI

 

The French Connection (1971)

Based on the infamous drug trafficking case of the same name, William Friedkin’s electric, documentary-style thriller is a gritty triumph of style and intelligent plotting bolstered by a career-defining turn from Gene Hackman as committed narc Popeye Doyle. — AFI, Empire 500

 

From Here to Eternity (1953)

At an Army barracks in Hawaii in the days preceding the attack on Pearl Harbor, lone-wolf soldier and boxing champion "Prew" Prewitt (Montgomery Clift) refuses to box, preferring to play the bugle instead. Hard-hearted Capt. Holmes (Philip Ober) subjects Prew to a grueling series of punishments while, unknown to Holmes, the gruff but fair Sgt. Warden (Burt Lancaster) engages in a clandestine affair with the captain's mistreated wife (Deborah Kerr). — AFI

 

Full Metal Jacket (1987)

After 50 minutes of R. Lee Ermey shouting at Marine recruits during basic training, the Vietnam scenes of Stanley Kubrick's brutal war film are almost a relief. — Empire 500

 

Funny Face (1957)

Audrey Hepburn has rarely looked better, and Fred Astaire's still on fine, toe-tapping form in this chic Parisian romp so who cares about the gaping age difference between them? A fine showcase for both stars' talents. — Empire 500

 

Garden State (2004)

Among the most likable of indie-slacker-ennui movies, Zach Braff's blank-faced charm and Natalie Portman's kooky energy make this hard to resist. Also gets points for its too-cool-for-school soundtrack. — Empire 500

 

The General (1926)

Set during the American civil war, Buster Keaton’s most ambitious film combines spectacular action sequences and hilarious comedy aboard the runaway locomotive of the title. — BFI

 

Gertrud (1964)

The conflict of a woman between her husband, her lover and the lover of her youth, and her failure to find happiness with any of them. — BFI

 

Get Carter (1971)

Bleak and brutal, the iconic and archetypal Brit-grit thriller retains a grubby authenticity. Michael Caine shows admirably little regard for his image, playing an anti-hero who’s the epitome of hateful cool. — Empire 500

 

Get Out (2017)

A young African-American (Daniel Kaluuya) visits his white girlfriend's parents for the weekend, where his simmering uneasiness about their reception of him eventually reaches a boiling point. — RT

Ghostbusters (1984)

As high-concept comedies go, Ghostbusters is positively stratospheric — a story of demonic incursion … with gags! Imagine National Lampoon doing H. P. Lovecraft, with a hit theme song.  And it manages to wring a fantastic supernatural adventure out of that concept, while never neglecting the opportunity to deliver a great laugh; or, on the flipside, ever allowing the zaniness to swallow up plot coherence. This sees Bill Murray at his driest, Sigourney Weaver in a slit, red evening dress, and the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man invading New York. Ray Parker Jr was right. Bustin' did indeed make us feel good. — Empire, THR, Empire 500

 

Ghost World (2001)

A zero-degree take on twisted adolescence, as oddball girls Thora Birch and Scarlett Johansson enter the big, wide world. Blackly comic, it's a saving grace for freaks and geeks everywhere. — Empire 500

 

Giant (1956)

Sprawling epic covering the life of a Texas cattle rancher and his family and associates. — AFI

 

Gladiator (2000)

Ridley Scott's comeback (after a bad run with 1492, White Squall and G.I. Jane). Russell Crowe's big Hollywood breakthrough. And, thanks to the scope of Scott's visual ambition combined with a leap forward in CGI quality, the movie that showed the industry you could make colossal historical epics commercially viable once more. Yes, we were entertained. — Empire, Trib, THR, Empire 500

 

Glengarry Glen Ross (1992)

David Mamet's pungent chronicle of real-estate hustling is a modern Death of a Salesman and makes one of the great ensemble films. Al Pacino, Jack Lemmon, Kevin Spacey, Alec Baldwin, Ed Harris, Alan Arkin 'nuff said. — Empire 500

 

The Godfather (1972)

A wedding. A horse’s head. A gun in a restaurant toilet. Sicily. Another wedding. A car bomb. A toll-booth. Orange peel. A baptism. A closed door. The first of Francis Ford Coppola’s epic trilogy about the Corleone crime family is the disturbing story of a son drawn inexorably into his father’s Mafia affairs. — AFI, BFI, Empire, RT, THR, wiki, Empire 500

 

The Godfather Part II (1974)

Both prequel and sequel to the original, The Godfather Part II follows two generations of the Corleone family as they fight for supremacy in the treacherous world of organized crime. Even cash-ins were high quality during the ’70s. Coppola reluctantly returned, yet delivered a damning picture in which Al Pacino’s mobster gains the world but loses his soul. — AFI, BFI, Empire, RT, THR, Empire 500

 

The Godfather Part III (1990)

The much-derided Corleone threequel finds its way onto the list, perhaps through residual love for the first two. Still, it’s a lot better than you remember it. Especially Andy Garcia. — Empire 500

 

Goldfinger (1964)

Goldfinger gets Sean Connery's 007 away from the Cold War to play with gonad-targeted lasers, gilded girls, mad millionaires, killer bowler hats and Honor Blackman's Pussy. — Empire 500

 

The Gold Rush (1925)

A prospector (Charlie Chaplin) goes to the Klondike in search of gold and finds it and more. — AFI

 

Gone with the Wind (1939)

“Gone with the Wind” chronicles the life of a spoiled Southerner named Scarlett O’Hara (Vivien Leigh) during the respective Civil War and Reconstruction eras. As Scarlett deals with a range of personal tragedies, she and Rhett Butler (Clark Gable) engage in an ill-fated romance. — AFI, Trib, THR, wiki, Empire 500

 

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)

Sergio Leone sets three renegades against each other in a treasure hunt backdropped against the chaos and madness of the American Civil War. The result is the movie on his CV which best balances art and entertainment. Clint Eastwood and Lee Van Cleef are great value as Blondie and Angel Eyes, but it's Eli Wallach's Tuco who steals this Wild West show: "When you have to shoot, shoot. Don't talk." — Empire 500, Empire

 

Goodfellas (1990)

Where Francis Ford Coppola embroiled us in the politics of the Mafia elite, Martin Scorsese drew us into the treacherous but seductive world of the Mob's foot soldiers. And its honesty was as impactful as its sudden outbursts of (usually Joe Pesci-instigated) violence. Not merely via Henry Hill's (Ray Liotta) narrative, but also Karen's (Lorraine Bracco) perspective: when Henry gives her a gun to hide, she admits, "It turned me on." — AFI, Empire, THR, Empire 500

 

Good Morning, Vietnam (1987)

Robin Williams off the Richter scale, as his jabber-mouthed DJ stirs up the Vietnam troops until the authorities pull the plug. The political framework at least gives more purpose to the freeforming comedian's verbal torrents. — Empire 500

 

Good Will Hunting (1997)

Remember when young actor buddies Matt Damon and Ben Affleck won an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay? Might seem odd now, but Damon and Affleck's heartfelt story of a friendship between a troubled math genius (Damon) and his unconventional counsellor (Robin Williams, who also won an Oscar) deserved the accolade. What happened to those guys, anyway? — Empire 500, Empire, THR, Empire 500

 

The Gold Rush (1925)

Masterfully recreating the freezing wastes of Alaska on his Hollywood backlot, Charlie Chaplin keeps his notorious sentimentality in check and offers up one of the most durable gems of the silent era, following the Tramp's varying fortunes as a gold prospector. — Empire 500

 

The Goonies (1985)

Every generation has a film that will always be carried in its heart. This madcap, Steven Spielberg- produced adventure about a gaggle of treasure-hunting brats stuck in booby-trapped mazes is that film for anyone born around 1980. — Empire 500

 

The Graduate (1967)

Captured an age of simultaneously emerging and demolished ideals, as Dustin Hoffman’s lovelorn outsider discovers the discontent and sexual simmer in suburbia. Which of these actresses was not considered for Mrs. Robinson: Deborah Kerr, Judy Garland, Lana Turner, Rita Hayworth, Doris Day, Shelley Winters, Ava Gardner, Patricia Neal or Ingrid Bergman? Trick question: All supposedly were up for the part. — Empire 500, AFI, THR

 

The Grapes of Wrath (1940)

John Steinbeck’s epic novel — about a Midwestern family that migrates to California during the Great Depression — leapt onto the big screen with this 1940 adaptation. The New York Times movie critic Frank Nugent wrote such an expert review of the work that he was subsequently hired by Fox Studios as a script-doctor. The film also won John Ford an Academy Award for Best Director. — AFI, Trib

 

Grave of the Fireflies (1988)

The animated film from Japan features a young boy and girl struggling to survive in the last days of World War II. It was based on a novel of the same name by Akiyuki Nosaka. Nosaka’s book was inspired by the lives of the author and his younger sister, who died of malnutrition during the war in Japan. —Trib

 

Gravity (2013)

Before wowing critics with 2018’s Roma, director Alfonso Cuarón unleashed Gravity in 2013. The film is about two astronauts (Sandra Bullock and George Clooney) who must fight for survival after their shuttle gets destroyed. By capitalizing on the latest 3D technology, the film brought viewers along for the ride, proverbially speaking. Between that and the engaging narrative, the movie earned heaping amounts of critical acclaim and over $700 million at the box office. — Trib, RT

 

Grease (1978)

Still lovingly mocked for featuring the oldest high-schoolers ever, Grease coasts on a double-dose of nostalgia: for the '50s as reminisced during the '70s. — Empire 500

 

The Great Escape (1963)

An all-star cast, a true-life tale and one of the most memorable theme tunes of all time, Sturges’ beloved entertainment somehow combines Boy’s Own thrills with the harsh bite of wartime truths. — Empire 500

 

The Great Silence (1968)

A critics' favorite, this classic Spaghetti Western sees Jean-Louis Trintignant's mute gunfighter take on Klaus Kinski's bounty hunters. Also boasts one of the bleakest endings ever mounted. — Empire 500

 

Greed (1924)

Erich Von Stroheim's silent masterpiece — an honest dentist becomes obsessed with money after winning the lottery — is as obsessive as Kubrick, as epic as Lean and as powerful as Scorsese. — BFI, Empire 500

 

The Green Mile (1999)

Frank Darabont's other Stephen King prison movie is not entirely successful at carrying its own weight, but with the heft comes a certain raw emotional power. Contains cinema's most disturbing execution scene. — Empire 500

 

Gremlins (1984)

Joe Dante's brilliant horror pastiche of cute puppets transforming into swarms of anarchic devils. Arguably, though, it was producer Steven Spielberg's emphasis on keeping Gizmo front and center that made the difference. — Empire 500

 

Grosse Pointe Blank (1997)

A disappointingly low showing for one of the best comedy thrillers of the '90s. Great cast (John Cusack, Minnie Driver, Dan Aykroyd as a professional hitman!), great script, killer soundtrack. — Empire 500

 

Groundhog Day (1993)

The greatest high-concept comedy of the modern era. Ramis, Bill Murray and co. mine the simple idea of having to repeat a single day over and over for all it’s worth. "People are morons." — Empire 500, THR

 

Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

It's official, then. The Marvel Studios movie most-beloved by Empire readers is the one which featured the MCU's freakiest and least-known characters (a talking raccoon, a walking tree, a green assassin lady, a muscleman named after a Bond villain and Star-who!?), starred that schlubby fellah from Parks and Recreation, and was directed by the guy who turned Michael Rooker into a giant slug-monster in Slither. Which is pretty cool, when you think about it. — Empire

 

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967)

A couple's attitudes are challenged when their daughter introduces them to her African American fiancé. — AFI

 

The Gunfighter (1950)

The premise of a gunslinger coming out of retirement might be cliché by today’s standards, but it was quite fresh when this Western debuted in 1950, making The Gunfighter a trailblazer of sorts. Furthermore, the movie’s reflective and psychological approach helped pave the way for similar and more successful fare like High Noon. In the film, a famous desperado (Gregory Peck) straps up the six-shooter for one final showdown, as he squares off against vengeful cowboys. — Trib

 

Hairspray (1988)

John Waters delivers a garish but affectionate Baltimore flashback with "pleasantly plump" teen Ricki Lake doing a mean twist and ending racial segregation on local TV as well. — Empire 500

 

Halloween (1978)

The Elvis of slasher movies — still imitated, never equaled. And even after all the sequels, rip-offs and remakes, its power to make you shiver and jump remains undiminished. — Empire 500

 

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)

The point at which the books started to take a darker turn — the arrival of the soul-sucking Dementors, a troubled werewolf, death sentences for hippogriffs. Cuarón's tenure as Hogwarts caretaker has yet to be outdone. — Empire 500

 

A Hard Day's Night (1964)

A life in the day of the Fab Four. Mixing documentary stylings, Fellini-esque fantasy, Dalí-esque surrealism and Nouvelle Vague. — RT, Empire 500

 

Harold and Maude (1971)

Wonderful to see this bizarre, bittersweet love story in the top ton, with Ruth Gordon and Bud Cort soulmates separated by a mere, um, 60 years. The most unlikely romance you’ll ever see. — Empire 500

 

Harvey (1950)

James Stewart's genial alcoholic talks to an invisible six-foot rabbit, but seems the only sane person in the film. Harvey the rabbit entered pop culture, and Stewart rated this his best role — if not best film. — Empire 500

 

Heat (1995)

Michael Mann directs one of the best shoot-outs in the history of cinema and guides an outstanding supporting cast (remember when Val Kilmer was this good?) through an intricate crime plot. But the showstopper is simply two major screen actors — Al Pacino, Robert De Niro — facing off over a coffee. Mann's starry upgrade of his TV movie L.A. Takedown squeezed every last drop of icon juice out of its heavyweight double-billing, bringing Pacino and De Niro together on screen, sharing scenes for the very first time. The trick was to only do it twice during the entire running time, with that first diner meeting virtually fizzing with alpha-star electricity. — Empire 500, Empire

 

Heathers (1989)

Dark-as-you-like high school comedy with Christian Slater and Winona Ryder, pre their respective meltdowns, giving the performances of their careers. Bullying and murder were never so much fun. — Empire 500

 

Hedgehog in the Fog (1975)

It was ranked No. 1 in a poll at the 2003 Laputa Animation Festival where 140 animators from around the world voted for the best animated films of all time. — wiki

 

Heimat (1984)

The running time is 924 minutes. It takes that long to tell the story of 20th century Germany through one family drama. Part One was said to be one of Kubrick’s favourite films — you won’t be bored. You might, however, need the toilet. — Empire 500

 

Hellzapoppin' (1941)

One of the darnedest films ever made, and a template for the who-cares-if-it-makes-sense-so-long-as- it's-funny? mode of comedy. — Empire 500

 

High Fidelity (2000)

Nick Hornby's North London discomaniac memoir makes as much sense in Chicago, thanks to John Cusack's unique mix of geekiness and appeal. — Empire 500

 

High and Low (1963)

Akira Kurosawa's contemporary crime thriller is one of his relatively lesser-known efforts. Don't let the absence of swords and samurai armor put you off — abetted once again by Toshiro Mifune (here a businessman whose son is kidnapped), Kurosawa proved himself a master of any genre he deigned to tackle. — Empire 500

 

High Noon (1952)

A town Marshal, despite the disagreements of his newlywed bride and the townspeople around him, must face a gang of deadly killers alone at high noon when the gang leader, an outlaw he sent up years ago, arrives on the noon train. — AFI

 

His Girl Friday (1940)

Rat-a-tat-tat romance as Cary Gary and Rosalind Russell trade come-ons and put-downs at an extraordinary screwball pace, for a film as fresh now as it was — wow — 68 years ago — Empire 500

 

Histoire(s) du cinéma (1988-98)

Godard’s dense, sprawling essay meditation on cinema and its relationship to the political history of the twentieth century. — BFI

 

A History of Violence (2005)

Family man Viggo Mortensen reveals his inner psychopath, and creepily his wife and children like him even more. David Cronenberg twists minds rather than flesh in this spare, classic modern Western. — Empire 500

 

Hoop Dreams (1994)

One of the most acclaimed documentaries of all time, 1994’s Hoop Dreams follows two high school basketball players from inner-city Chicago as they come up against various challenges in pursuit of their goals. Were this a Hollywood film, it would probably have a happier ending. Instead, it’s an utterly engaging snapshot of American life in its triumphs and failures alike. — Trib, wiki

 

Hot Fuzz (2007)

Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost's tribute to big American cop movies isn't just a great fish-out-of-water comedy, sending high-achieving London policeman Nick Angel (Pegg) to the most boring place in the UK (or so it seems). It also manages to wring every last drip of funny out of executing spot-on bombastic, Bayhem-style action in a sleepy English small-town setting. — Empire 500, Empire

 

Howl’s Moving Castle (2004)

A surprising Hayao Miyazaki to have in the list, given those that didn’t make it. But even second-tier Miyazaki outdoes most other animation, and the mysticism of Diana Wynne Jones’ novel perfectly fits the director’s dream logic. — Empire 500

 

The Hurt Locker (2009)

Set during the Iraq War, this taut war drama follows a bomb squad maverick Staff Sergeant William James (Jeremy Renner) as he dismantles various explosives. Winner of Best Picture at the Academy Awards, the film is sustained by a near-constant sense of dread, as it seems like James’ life could vaporize at any given moment. Many veterans have taken the movie to task over its reported exaggerations but watching it makes for a genuinely gripping experience nevertheless. — Trib

 

The Hustler (1961)

A cautionary tale masquerading as a sports movie, this is what legends are made of — especially considering Paul Newman’s turn as “Fast Eddie” Felson provided his breakthrough to the big-time. — Empire 500

 

I Am Cuba (1964)

Russian helmer Mikhail Kalatozov unsurprisingly reveals the source of Cuba’s ache for revolution via a quartet of stories set in Batista’s Cuba. Yes, it’s Communist propaganda, but also a technical marvel. — Empire 500

 

I Am Not Your Negro (2016)

Using an unfinished novel by writer and social critic James Baldwin as its foundation, this award-winning documentary explores the history of race in America. Against a harrowing tapestry of archival footage, actor Samuel L. Jackson reads excerpts from “Remember This House,” Baldwin’s intended tribute to Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr. and Medgar Evers. Interspersed throughout are interviews with Baldwin himself, whose words continue to emanate with poignancy to this day. — Trib

 

Ikiru (1952)

A dying man tries to get a playground built, and Akira Kurosawa demonstrates his range by segueing from acidic dissection of Japanese office workaholism to understated, uplifting tragedy. If you don't cry at the end, you need a new heart. — Empire 500

 

Imitation of Life (1959)

An aspiring white actress takes in an African American widow whose mixed-race daughter is desperate to be seen as white. Lana Turner shines in Douglas Sirk’s moving rags-to-riches tale. — BFI

 

Inception (2010)

Will Christopher Nolan ever make a Bond movie? Well, with Inception he kind of already has. Except, instead of a British secret agent, we get a freelance corporate dream thief. And the big climactic action sequence is so huge it takes up almost half the movie and is actually three big action sequences temporally nested inside each other around a surreal, metaphysical-conflict core. An aspiring white actress takes in an African-American widow whose mixed-race daughter is desperate to be seen as white. — Empire, THR

 

The Incredibles (2004)

One of the best superhero movies of recent years — a kind of Watchmen with gags — this fizzes by on pure invention, great jokes and a real affection for the retro '60s stylings it's aping. — Empire 500, RT

 

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)

CG gophers, nuked fridges and extra-dimensional beings aside, enough of you loved it to get it on to this list. Those who've grown craggy with Harrison Ford and Karen Allen go teary-eyed on the line, "They weren't you," and everyone can cheer hordes of ants. — Empire 500

 

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)

You voted … wisely. There may only be 12 years' difference between Harrison Ford and Sean Connery, but it's hard to imagine two better actors to play a bickering father and son, off on a globetrotting, Nazi-bashing, mythical mystery tour. After all, you've got Spielberg/Lucas' own version of James Bond … and the original Bond himself. — Empire, Empire 500

 

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)

Considered a lesser Indy, the sequel still has bags to recommend it. The opening is the best of the trilogy — and Indy actually wins in this one. — Empire 500

 

Inglourious Basterds (2009)

From its Sergio Leone-riffing opening to its insanely over-the-top, history-rewriting finale, Quentin Tarantino's World War II caper never once fails to surprise and entertain. As ever, though, QT's at his best in claustrophobic situations, with the tavern scene ramping up the tension to almost unbearable levels. — Empire

 

The Innocents (1961)

Based on Henry James’ The Turn of the Screw, Clayton’s psychological Gothic horror is a masterpiece of subtle implication over blatant gore. This has a strong shout as Blighty's best chiller. — Empire 500

 

Inside Out (2015)

This inventive Pixar movie goes where no animated adventure has gone before: inside the mind of a young girl named Riley. That’s where viewers are introduced to Riley’s personified emotions, specifically joy, fear, anger, sadness and disgust. When Riley’s family moves to a new city, her emotions must likewise learn to navigate entirely new terrain. Featured in the film are voices from a range of comedic talents, including Amy Poehler, Bill Hader, Lewis Black and Mindy Kaling, among others. — Trib

 

Interstellar (2014)

Christopher Nolan's tribute to 2001 and The Right Stuff (with a little added The Black Hole) presents long-distance space travel as realistically as it's possible to with the theoretical physics currently available. From the effects of gravity to the emotional implication of time dilation, it mixes science and sentiment to great effect. And it has a sarcastic robot, too. — Empire

 

Interview with the Vampire (1994)

Anne Rice’s vampire chronicles get the A-list treatment, with Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt as bickering bloodsuckers. Sexy, gory, voluptuous and strangely hypnotic. Best thing in it: a very young Kirsten Dunst. — Empire 500

 

In the Company of Men (1997)

Squirmy satire abounds in Neil LaBute's all-too-recognizable tale of two corporate men's bullying of a deaf female colleague. — Empire 500

 

In the Mood for Love (2000)

Wong Kar Wai’s ravishing romance stars Maggie Cheung and Tony Leung as two wronged spouses in 1960s Hong Kong who find comfort in each other’s company. — BFI

 

Into The Wild (2007)

Penn's fourth feature takes him into previously uncharted territory with a true-life tale about a young hobo explorer and his quest to truly escape modern life in America. Using the entire country as his backdrop, this is Penn's most ambitious movie yet. — Empire 500

 

Intolerance (1916)

Responding to criticisms of racism for his record-breaking The Birth of a Nation, filmmaking pioneer D.W. Griffith made this epic drama depicting intolerance through the ages. — BFI, Trib

 

The Invisible Man (2020)

When Cecilia's abusive ex takes his own life and leaves her his fortune, she suspects his death was a hoax. As a series of coincidences turn lethal, Cecilia (Elisabeth Moss) works to prove that she is being hunted by someone nobody can see. — RT

 

The Irishman (2019)

The 3.5-hour epic stars Robert de Niro, Harvey Keitel and Joe Pesci, all veterans of Martin Scorsese’s acclaimed mob movies, as well as Al Pacino, who had not worked with Scorsese before. The movie used “digital de-aging” techniques to portray the older characters as several decades younger. Nominated for 10 Oscars, it won none. — Trib, RT

 

Iron Man (2008)

Robert Downey Jr. takes the Marvel fave to a whole new level and audience. Jon Favreau mounts efficient action, but it's the acting that sticks how rare is that for a summer blockbuster? — Empire 500

 

It Happened One Night (1934)

Another justly celebrated Capra fable has snappy heiress Claudette Colbert, on the run from her cosseted life, hit it off with cynical reporter Clark Gable in search of just this kind of story. — Empire 500, BFI, RT

 

It's A Wonderful Life (1946)

Frank Capra's Christmas fantasy was the movie that coaxed a war-battered James Stewart back to acting, and a good thing, too: as George Bailey, who's shown a mind-blowing parallel reality in which he never existed, Stewart was never more appealing. And he tempers any potential schmaltz, too, with a sense of underlying world-weariness — one that he no doubt brought back from the conflict in Europe. —  AFI, Empire, THR, wiki, Empire 500

 

Jackie Brown (1997)

Underrated on release, Quentin Tarantino’s third has aged beautifully — appropriate given its characters are facing middle age, regret and last chances. — Empire 500

 

Jailhouse Rock (1957)

Elvis plays up to his rock 'n' roll bad-boy image as a former lag who gets into the music biz, becomes famous and grows a hell of an ego. Featuring a bunch of classic tunes, it's The King's best movie. — Empire 500

 

Jaws (1975)

Forty-five years young, and Steven Spielberg's breakthrough remains the touchstone for event-movie cinema. Not that any studio these days would dare put out a summer blockbuster that's half monster-on-the-rampage disaster, half guys-bonding-on-a-fishing-trip adventure. Maybe that's why it's never been rebooted. Or just because it's genuinely unsurpassable. — Empire 500, AFI, Empire, THR

 

The Jazz Singer (1927)

The son of a Jewish Cantor (Al Jolson) must defy the traditions of his religious father in order to pursue his dream of becoming a jazz singer.AFI

 

Jeanne Dielman 23, quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1975)

In precise detail Chantal Akerman observes the daily routines of a single mother (Delphine Seyrig) in her apartment and the consequences that transpire when things begin to unravel. — BFI

 

Jerry Maguire (1996)

Cameron Crowe's feel-good hit took his easygoing romantic indie sensibilities to the mainstream with dazzling effect, making a star of Renée Zellweger and giving Tom Cruise one of his best roles. — Empire 500

 

JFK (1991)

Oliver Stone’s dissection of the assassination that scarred the 20th century feels nutritious but never didactic. The "magic bullet" monologue — delivered masterfully by Kevin Costner — obliterates the Warren Commission. Conspiracy? You better believe it. — Empire 500

 

Johnny Guitar (1954)

It was the most cited film in the "Ten Best Westerns" lists of 27 French critics in Le Western. — wiki

 

Journey To Italy (1954)

Ingrid Bergman and George Sanders play a middle-aged English couple whose marriage falls apart during a journey through Italy. A pioneering work of modernism that links Italian neo-realism with the French new wave. — BFI

 

Jules and Jim (aka Jules Et Jim, 1962)

The French New Wave masterpiece stars Jeanne Moreau at the center of a love triangle, and the relationship of the three — Oskar Werner as Jules and Henri Serre as Jim — over 25 years. The French movie actress pitched in to help the financially strapped production, contributing her own money and lending her Rolls Royce for carrying props. — Empire 500, Trib

 

The Jungle Book (1967)

The last film personally supervised by Uncle Walt, this has a strong shout for being Disney's most gloriously entertaining film. Great characters, genius songs and rich animation. — Empire 500

 

Juno (2007)

This year's pleasant Oscar-nom surprise, with the nods well deserved, especially due to writer Diablo Cody and star Elliott (formerly Ellen) Page's efforts to depict the modern teen with keen veracity. — Empire 500

 

Jurassic Park (1993)

When dinosaurs first ruled the movie-Earth, they did so in a herky-jerky stop-motion manner that while charmingly effective, required a fair dose of disbelief-suspension. When Steven Spielberg brought them back on Isla Nublar, we felt for the first time they could be real, breathing animals (as opposed to monsters). And that's as much thanks to Stan Winston's astonishing animatronics work as to ILM's groundbreaking CGI. — Empire, THR, Empire 500

 

The Kid (1921)

The Tramp (Charlie Chaplin) cares for an abandoned child, but events put that relationship in jeopardy.  — RT

Kill Bill Vol. 1 (2003)

Quentin Tarantino's first true action movie offers bravura fight scenes undercut by a fun, sick sense of humor. Shame he couldn't quite keep either up to this standard for the next instalment. — Empire 500

 

Kill Bill Vol. 2 (2004)

Talkier and calmer than the berserk Vol. 1, Vol. 2 is very much a Western to the first film's Eastern. Still violent as all hell, though. — Empire 500

 

The Killer (1989)

Action at its most extravagant and impactful, triggering an Eastern influence on Hollywood. Apologies, but Empire 500 is legally obliged to note its spectacular "bullet ballets." — Empire 500

 

Killer of Sheep (2007)

Primarily shot by writer/director Charles Burnett in 1972 and 1973, this compelling drama wasn’t released to the public until 2007, since that was how long it took to clear all the music rights. Brimming with both vision and relevancy, the film centers on an African American slaughterhouse worker who experiences dissatisfaction in both his professional and personal life. Told through a series of episodic events, the movie pits its protagonist against a host of obstacles and temptations, with all the action taking place in L.A.’s Watts neighborhood. — Trib, Empire 500

 

Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949)

Ealing at its most entertainingly contradictory a film of style, charm and Victorian literary elegance about (frankly) a social-climbing serial killer. An exemplar of British good taste built on corpses, snobbery and sex. — Empire 500

 

The King of Comedy (1983)

De Niro’s Rupert Pupkin is the self-deluded ying to Travis Bickle’s sociopathic yang. Martin Scorsese’s satirical and deeply discomfiting black comedy deserves its place in this list for its dangerously desperate protagonist alone. — Empire 500

 

King Kong (1933)

A pioneer in special effects, it's also an argument that effects don’t matter. Yes, the ape is clearly, to the modern eye, a crudely animated doll, but you’re too convinced by Kong as a character to notice. — Empire 500 , AFI, RT

 

King Kong (2005)

Most remakes are exercises in money-grubbing cynicism, but Peter Jackson's King Kong is all about love for a film, a monster, a style of cinema and a child's instant bonding with a screen icon. — Empire 500

 

Knives Out (2019)

A detective investigates the death of a patriarch of an eccentric, combative family. Chris Evans and Daniel Craig lead a star-studded cast. — RT

La Belle Et La Bête (1946)

Perhaps anticipating his adult audience’s suspicion of a fairy-tale adaptation, poet/artist/director Jean Cocteau opens his surreal (in the true sense) take on the Beauty and the Beast fable with a reasonable enough request: “I ask of you a little childlike simplicity.” If that seems unnecessary to modern viewers long-familiar with Burton, Gilliam or indeed Disney’s smarter output (including its own version of the story, which owes much to this), consider that Cocteau was addressing a populace only recently liberated from Nazi rule in a country devastated by war. Of course, La Belle Et La Bête itself is neither childlike nor simple. Cocteau’s fairy-tale world is rendered with baroque opulence (a young Pierre Cardin worked on the costumes) and breathes a creepy, nightmarish atmosphere. Ingenious trick-shots conjure such unsettling wonders as self-lighting hand-candles and eye-rolling statues — then there’s the lionesque Beast himself (the astonishing Jean Marais), whose hands eerily smoke when he’s drawn blood. It also tingles with sexual energy throughout, packed with enough hints and winks to have made even Dr. Freud himself blush. Certainly not one for all the family. — Empire 500

 

L.A. Confidential (1997)

Twenty years on, and still nobody's made a better James Ellroy adaptation than Curtis Hanson and Brian Helgeland's boldly streamlined take on the heavy-plotted third novel in Ellroy's “L.A. Quartet.” Its spot-on casting hardly hurt: Russell Crowe as conscience-discovering bruiser Bud White; Guy Pearce as ramrod rookie Ed Exley; and Kevin Spacey as the sleazy, sharp-suited "Trash Can" Jack Vincennes. —  Empire, Empire 500

 

La Dolce Vita (1960)

Marcello Mastroianni is the paparazzi journalist whose life is an endless round of hedonistic parties and superficial liaisons as he searches for meaning amidst the crumbling grandeur of Rome’s once imperial city. Mastroianni looks better in sunglasses than anyone else ever and Anita Ekberg wades in a fountain in a spectacular evening dress, embodying the decadence Fellini so enjoys condemning. — Empire 500, BFI

 

Lady Bird (2017)

After starring in a string of popular indie films, actress Greta Gerwig wrote and directed this comedy-drama about a teenage girl who comes of age in Sacramento, California, in the early 2000s. Featuring powerhouse performances from actresses Saoirse Ronan and Laurie Metcalf, the movie immediately distinguished itself as being the best-reviewed film in the history of Rotten Tomatoes. — Trib, RT

 

The Lady Eve (1941)

Starring Barbara Stanwyck, Henry Fonda, Charles Coburn, and William Demarest, The Lady Eve depicts a trio of hustlers who target a wealthy brewery heir on board an ocean liner. The film is a classic example of director Preston Sturges’ use of quick, comical dialogue, a lively supporting cast and bustling, energetic scenes. — Empire 500, Trib

 

The Lady Vanishes (1938)

A young woman searches for an older English governess she is convinced she met on board a European train delayed by an avalanche. The mystery deepens as others on board claim not to have seen her. Director Alfred Hitchcock makes his brief trademark cameo as a man smoking in Victoria Station. — Trib, Empire 500

 

La Grande Illusion (1937)

Jean Renoir’s pacifist classic is set in a German prisoner-of-war camp during WWI, where class kinship is felt across national boundaries. — BFI, RT

 

La Haine (1995)

Matthieu Kassovitz's debut, and his moment of glory: a fantastically shot tale of friendship and violence on the streets of suburban Paris. You'd never have guessed he'd go on to make silly Vin Diesel films ... — Empire 500

 

La Jetée (1962)

This science-fiction short directed by Chris Marker is composed almost complete of still images. Its story, about time travel following a nuclear apocalypse, inspired Terry Gilliam’s 1995 feature 12 Monkeys.

List: BFI

 

La La Land (2016)

As much a technical marvel as it is an acting tour de force, Damien Chazelle's Los Angeles love letter proved a ridiculously easy movie to fall in love with, even for those who may have grumbled that they weren't really into musicals before sitting down to watch it. Go on, admit it: You're still humming "Another Day of Sun," aren't you? — Empire, RT

 

La Maman Et La Putain (1973)

Navel-gazing Parisian types puff on Gauloises in murky cafés while taking the Freudian route through life — falling in and out of their complex love lives. If it sounds irritating, it’s actually lovely. Deals with the relations, largely sexual, between an anarchic young man and his two mistresses, one seemingly permanent, who keeps him, the other seemingly casual. — BFI, Empire 500

 

La Règle du jeu (1939)

Made on the cusp of WWII, Jean Renoir’s satire of the upper-middle classes was banned as demoralizing by the French government for two decades after its release. — BFI

 

The Last of the Mohicans (1992)

Lush historical adventure with Daniel Day-Lewis something between noble savage and a 17th century Rambo as trapper hero Hawkeye. Michael Mann gets an authentic feel and real excitement out of canoe chases, woodland dashes, swooning romance, tomahawks, bloody scalping, and firework-display battles. — Empire 500

 

The Last Seduction (1994)

John Dahl and Linda Fiorentino crafted a bitch for the ages in crafty femme Bridget Gregory but then, why should it always be the men who get all the fun in noir? — Empire 500

 

The Last Waltz (1978)

If Woodstock (co-directed by Martin Scorsese) marks the beginning of an era, The Last Waltz appropriately and sensitively captures its end, as Scorsese documents the last gig by former Dylan backing-act The Band. — Empire 500

 

L'Atalante (1934)

Newlyweds begin their life together on a working barge in this luminous and poetic romance, the only feature film by director Jean Vigo. —BFI

 

Late Spring (1949)

Ozu Yasujiro’s exploration of the relationship between a widower and his unmarried adult daughter is often described as the perfect distillation of his style. Ryu Chishu and Hara Setsuko star. — BFI

 

Laura (1944)

A police detective (Dana Andrews) falls in love with the woman (Gene Tierney) whose murder he is investigating. —RT

 

L'Avventura (1960)

The ultimate arthouse flick. A couple go in search of a missing girl, but the mystery becomes an excuse to explore alienation, cracking psyches and barren landscapes in slow, striking images. Masterful. — Empire 500, BFI

 

Lawrence of Arabia (1962)

If you only ever see one David Lean movie … well, don't. Watch as many as you can. But if you really insist on only seeing one David Lean movie, then make sure it's Lawrence of Arabia, the movie that put both the "sweeping" and the "epic" into "sweeping epic" with its breath-taking depiction of T.E. Lawrence's (Peter O'Toole) Arab-uniting efforts against the German-allied Turks during World War I. It's a different world to the one we're in now, of course, but Lean's mastery of expansive storytelling does much to smooth out any elements (such as Alec Guinness playing an Arab) that may rankle modern sensibilities. Lean’s monumental epic remains a triumph of repeated discovery. Its dark, complicated heart will confound and inspire you every time. — Empire 500, AFI, BFI, THR

 

Layer Cake (2004)

The film that made the Brit gangster genre respectable once more turned the world on to Daniel Craig, who plays its nameless drug dealer, and marked Matthew Vaughn as a cinematic talent beyond the producer’s chair. All that, and Sienna at her sexiest. — Empire 500

 

Leave Her to Heaven (1945)

A smart, flashback-driven noir-melodrama charting a marriage swept to hell on a dark wave of jealousy. Championed by Scorsese, who discovered it on TV after a midnight asthma attack. — Empire 500

 

Leave No Trace (2018)

A father (Ben Foster) and his 13-year-old daughter (Thomasin McKenzie) are living an ideal existence in a vast urban park in Portland, Oregon, when a small mistake derails their lives forever. — RT

Le Cercle Rouge (1970)

Melville, that beloved master of French noir, delivers a morally murky crime story of honor among poker-faced thieves, and corruption among hardened cops. — Empire 500

 

Le Doulos (1962)

French director Jean-Pierre Melville did for gangsters exactly what the Italian Sergio Leone did for cowboys, creating a distinctively European take on a predominantly American form by focusing on details of props and costume in hyper-realist manner, spinning familiar B-plotlines into fable-like miniature epics of betrayal and revenge, and stressing brutally professional violence to an almost existential degree (albeit with a distancing Gallic shrug rather than Italianate close-up leering). In Le Doulos - slang for accuser, as in police informant, but also vengeance-seeker Jean-Paul Belmondo is the underworld icon in fedora and collar-upturned trenchcoat, donning white editor's gloves whenever he shoots anyone and, in an astonishing sequence, tying a woman to a radiator to batter information out of her. His middleman, Silien, is presented as the rat who squealed on jewel thief Maurice (Serge Reggiani), but, of course, things are far from being that simple. — Empire 500

 

L'eclisse (1962)

A young woman (Monica Vitti) meets a vital young man (Alain Delone), but their love affair is doomed because of the man's materialistic nature. — BFI

 

Le Samourai (1967)

La Samourai is the figurehead of Jean-Pierre Melville's career, the story a lone assassin (Alain Delon) whose rigid code is undone by the unforeseen arrival of love. It's a stalwart theme now, but no film has done it so sparely and tragically. — Empire 500

 

Les Enfants du Paradis (1945)

Made during the Nazi occupation of France, Marcel Carne’s romantic epic of the 19th-century theatre world is a life-affirming tribute to love, Paris and the stage. — BFI

 

Le Mépris (1963)

Working with his biggest budget to date, Jean-Luc Godard created a sublime widescreen drama about marital breakdown, set during pre-production on a film shoot. — BFI

 

Leon: The Professional (1994)

In some ways, Luc Besson's first English-language movie is a spiritual spin-off: after all, isn't Jean Reno's eponymous hitman just Nikita's Victor the Cleaner renamed and fleshed out? Of course, its greatest strength is in Natalie Portman, delivering a luminous, career-creating performance as vengeful 12-year-old Mathilda, whose relationship with the monosyllabic killer is truly affecting, and nimbly stays just on the right side of acceptable. — Empire, Empire 500

 

The Leopard (1963)

Sumptous adaptation by Luchino Visconti of Lampedusa’s classic novel, set in Sicily during the Risorgimento of the 19th century. Burt Lancaster plays the Prince of Salina, Alain Delon his nephew, and Claudia Cardinale the beautiful woman they both fall for. — BFI, Empire 500

 

Le Quai des Brumes (aka Port of Shadows, 1938)

So pervading is the gloom in Marcel Carné’s chronicle of a doomed French army deserter that he was partly blamed for France failing to fight occupation during the war. — Empire 500

 

Lethal Weapon (1987)

The high watermark of '80s cop movies, Lethal Weapon is harder-edged than its sequels, which upped the humour quotient at the expense of the “lethality.” — Empire 500

 

The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943)

Deborah Kerr and Roger Livesey star in this wondrous British Technicolor classic – one of cinema’s greatest studies of ‘Englishness’. — BFI, Empire 500

 

The Lion King (1994)

It's not hard to see — or indeed hear — why this is one of the Mouse House's hugest movies. Its formula (hit songs, big sequences, comedy sidekicks, tear-jerking tragedy, cute baby animals) has rarely worked better. It remains one of Disney's most beautifully rendered films, an epic tale of dynastic dastardliness in the Animal Kingdom, with catchy songs and still one of the most distressing death scenes in a kids' movie since … well … Bambi. — Empire 500, Empire, THR

 

Little Miss Sunshine (1947)

So indie it hurts dysfunctional characters, mainstream actors (Steve Carell, Greg Kinnear) doing quirky, Best Original Screenplay awards this transcends the easy labelling with a real sense of the pangs and pathos of family life. — Empire 500

 

The Lives of Others (2006)

One of the all-too-few films that resists subtitle prejudice, this character-driven Stasiland drama beautifully affirms that we can find color in even the greyest of places. — Empire 500

 

Local Hero (1983)

The theme of capitalism versus community means Bill Forsyth’s flick retains its relevance today, while the talented ensemble cast never let quirks overcome their characters, ensuring this small-town comedy is charming without being twee. — Empire 500

 

Logan (2017)

In a future where mutants are nearly extinct, an elderly and weary Logan (Hugh Jackman) leads a quiet life. But when Laura (Dafne Keen), a mutant child pursued by scientists, comes to him for help, he must get her to safety. — RT

 

Lone Star (1996)

Sayles specialises in deliberately paced, ensemble, slice-of-Americana dramas, and bolstered by a flashback-driven mystery element (featuring Matthew McConaughey's best performance), this bordertown saunter is one of his finest. — Empire 500

 

The Long Goodbye (1973)

Robert Altman's languid, freeform version of Raymond Chandler's last great novel relocates the 1953 story to 1973, critiquing the out-of-time values of Elliott Gould's Philip Marlowe - a slobby, unshaven, chain-smoking all-time loser introduced in a brilliant sequence which has him try to pass off inferior pet food on his supercilious cat. John Williams' superb score plays endless variations on a title tune and many sequences are astonishing: a violent gangster making a point by smashing a Coke bottle in his mistress' face ("That's someone I love; you I don't even like") and an invigoratingly cynical punchline ("... and I lost my cat") that turns Marlowe into a sort of winner, after all. Altman puts vital action into the corners of the frame, almost unnoticed, and highlights tiny moments of weirdness in a sun-struck tapestry of Los Angeles sleaze. Arnold Schwarzenegger, no less, has an unbilled cameo as a minor thug. — Empire 500

 

Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

It may feature monsters, wizards and plucky little fellas with furry feet, but The Lord of the Rings isn't a fairy tale. Which is why Peter Jackson's adaptation worked so well; from this note-perfect first instalment, it was treated exactly as Tolkien intended — as a historical epic which just happens to be set in an alternative world. — Empire, THR, wiki, Empire 500

 

Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)

Aside from Boromir, Aragorn and the small-town denizens of Bree, there's not a huge amount of human representation in The Fellowship Of The Ring. So one of the pleasures of The Two Towers is seeing Middle-earth truly open out after the arrival at Rohan, where the series takes on more of a sweeping, Nordic feel. ... Building up, of course, to Helm's Deep, a ferocious action crescendo which features gratuitous scenes of dwarf-tossing. — Empire, wiki, Empire 500

 

Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (2003)

Anyone who bangs on about all those endings is missing the many joys of Peter Jackson's Academy Award-laden trilogy-closer. It has some of the most colossal and entertaining battle scenes ever mounted; it has an awesome giant spider; it has that fantastic dramatic-ironic twist when Gollum saves the day through his own treachery; and it has that bit where Eowyn says, "I am no man." Deserves. Every. Oscar. — Empire, Trib, THR, Empire 500

 

Lords of Dogtown (2005)

The fictionalized companion-piece to the documentary Dogtown And Z-Boys makes a surprise appearance here. Clearly the sk8er boi community got its act together. — Empire 500

 

Los Olvidados (1950)

Once deemed a French surrealist, Luis Buñuel re-established himself as a Mexican realist — though this tale of slum delinquents, which makes Eden Lake look like The Railway Children, is as much horror story as social document. — Empire 500

 

The Lost Boys (1987)

Vampires, mullets and the Frog Brothers in '80s California, this was the Buffy of its time, a guiltily pleasurable blend of comedy and horror. If you're in your 30s and remotely cool, this was a big part of your adolescence. — Empire 500

 

Lost in Translation (2003)

Sofia Coppola's second film is the ultimate jet lag movie, locating its central almost-romance between listless college grad Scarlett Johansson and life-worn actor Bill Murray amid the woozy, daydreamy bewilderment of being in a very foreign country and a very different time zone. And it's exactly right that we still don't know what he whispered to her at the end. — Empire, Empire 500

 

Love and Death (1975)

Woody in his comedic prime exits New York for the verdant battlefields of Russian literature in this hilarious mash-up of Tolstoy, Chekhov, Dostoevsky and Allen's plaintive Jewish one-liners. — Empire 500

 

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  • I'll only comment on the films I've seen, with maybe one or two exceptions.

     

    Ed Wood (1994)  An "Ed Wood" movie about Ed Wood!  Great stuff!

    Evil Dead 2 (1987) Not bad.

    Fargo (1996) Another personal favorite.

    Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986) Vastly, vastly overrated film.

    Frankenstein (1931) Another personal favorite.  Karloff was amazing in this.

    Ghostbusters (1984) Not a great movie, but a fun one.

    The Godfather (1972)/The Godfather Part II (1974) Great stuff.

    The Godfather Part III (1990) Better than people say it is.

    (Note:  Godzilla (1954) should be on here as the progenitor of the kaiju eiga genre)

    The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966) My favorite Western.

    Good Morning, Vietnam (1987) OK, but overrated.

    Grave of the Fireflies (1988) Great, but really depressing.

    The Great Escape (1963) Another personal favorite.

    Gremlins (1984) So-so stuff.

    Groundhog Day (1993)  OK.  Bill Murray needs to be reined in to do his best work.

    Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)  Much better than I thought it would be.

    Halloween (1978) Another personal favorite.

    (Note:  Some version of Hamlet should be on this list.)

    Heathers (1989)  Dark but fun

    High and Low (1963) One of Kurosawa's classics.

    Ikiru (1952) A great, great movie. I wish I could've seen my Dad's reaction to this.

    The Incredibles (2004) Another OK but Overrated picture.

    Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)  An OK picture.

    Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) The less said about this, the better.

    (Note:  The 1933 version of The Invisible Man should be on this list.)

    Iron Man (2008)  An OK picture.

    Jaws (1975) Great stuff.  Just re-watched this recently, it holds up well.

    Jurassic Park (1993) The spectacle of this overawed me in the cinema, but when I re-watched it on the small screen, I realized that there wasn't a whole lot of great acting going on here.

    Kill Bill Vol. 1 (2003)/Kill Bill Vol. 2 (2004)  Some good stuff in this.

    King Kong (1933) A childhood favorite.  Willis O'Brien was a genius.

    King Kong (2005)  An OK re-make.

    Lethal Weapon (1987)  Haven't seen this since I saw it in the cinema.  Suspect it hasn't aged well.

    (Note:  I haven't seen this movie, but I suspect this date is incorrect.

     

    Little Miss Sunshine (1947)

    So indie it hurts  dysfunctional characters, mainstream actors (Steve Carell, Greg Kinnear) doing quirky, Best Original Screenplay awards  this transcends the easy labelling with a real sense of the pangs and pathos of family life. — Empire 500)

    Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)/Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)/Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (2003)  Great stuff, but too long to re-watch often.

    The Lost Boys (1987) Another one that I enjoyed at the time that I have no desire to re-watch.

  • The Exorcist (1973)

    William Friedkin's horror masterwork — in which a 12-year-old girl is possessed by a demon — has a reputation as a shocker (in the good sense), with the pea-soup vomit, head-spin and crucifix abuse moments the most regularly cited. But the reason it chills so deeply is the way it sustains and builds its disquieting atmosphere so craftily and consistently throughout. — Empire 500, Empire, wiki

    I saw it in an old-style movie theater just after its premiere. It was only in a handful of theaters at first. I traveled to Beverly Hills for the first time to see it. The scene in which Mom enters the bedroom to see and participate in the goings-on seems to go on forever (in a good way) and had me considering hitting the floor.

    The book makes a better point that the demon is using the young girl to destroy the faith of several people close to her by torturing them with its knowledge of their sins. The girl is only a tool.

    Full Metal Jacket (1987)

    After 50 minutes of R. Lee Ermey shouting at Marine recruits during basic training, the Vietnam scenes of Stanley Kubrick's brutal war film are almost a relief. — Empire 500

    Someone on IMDB (I think) commented that the war scenes weren’t authentic Vietnam war scenes. Wrong. This was the battle to retake the old capitol city of Hue during the Tet Offensive. Every battle in Vietnam wasn’t in a Tarzan-jungle.

    The General (1926)

    Set during the American civil war, Buster Keaton’s most ambitious film combines spectacular action sequences and hilarious comedy aboard the runaway locomotive of the title. — BFI

    A tongue in cheek homage to the real Civil War infiltration and sabotage that resulted in the first Medals of Honor being awarded.

    Get Out (2017)

    A young African-American (Daniel Kaluuya) visits his white girlfriend's parents for the weekend, where his simmering uneasiness about their reception of him eventually reaches a boiling point. — RT

    Doesn't really describe this truly horrifying movie.

    Heat (1995)

    Michael Mann directs one of the best shoot-outs in the history of cinema and guides an outstanding supporting cast (remember when Val Kilmer was this good?) through an intricate crime plot. But the showstopper is simply two major screen actors — Al Pacino, Robert De Niro — facing off over a coffee. Mann's starry upgrade of his TV movie L.A. Takedown squeezed every last drop of icon juice out of its heavyweight double-billing, bringing Pacino and De Niro together on screen, sharing scenes for the very first time. The trick was to only do it twice during the entire running time, with that first diner meeting virtually fizzing with alpha-star electricity. — Empire 500, Empire

    The most memorable thing to me (other than a bridge named for a politician being renamed for a saint) was Tom Sizemore’s character being very likeable ……until he uses a child as a human shield.

    High Noon (1952)

    A town Marshal, despite the disagreements of his newlywed bride and the townspeople around him, must face a gang of deadly killers alone at high noon when the gang leader, an outlaw he sent up years ago, arrives on the noon train. — AFI

    Like most of present company, my first exposure to this was in the Jack Davis parody in the infancy of Mad. Some time in the 80s the movie was re-released and I saw it in a theater. It was a convention-buster in its time. The good guy wore a black hat; the gang leader, a white hat. Gary Cooper as a good guy who isn’t perfect and actually feels fear. Grace Kelly as his Quaker wife, who doesn’t think violence is ever the answer. A Mexican woman played by an actual Mexican woman, Katy Jurado. She has a prominent role as ex-girlfriend of both the marshal and the gang leader. Lloyd Bridges as a self-serving A-hole deputy. The three henchmen are scary. Sheb Wooley as the leader’s younger brother. It’s implied that he really “likes” women to the point of rape. Character actor Robert Wilke, made to look even less attractive than he really was. And Lee Van Cleef (need I say more?). Frank Miller (yes), the leader, is portrayed by Ian MacDonald. His character has been released early from prison and is scheduled to arrive on the Noon train. Everyone believes, rightly, that he and his gang members (who are already haunting the town) want the marshal dead. Every scene has a clock in it, reminding the audience that Noon is coming. We are introduced to several people who remember Frank Miller as, basically, evil incarnate. This includes a drunk portrayed by Lon Chaney Junior who has an eye patch centered on a large vertical scar. By the time he gets off the train you expect Miller to look like a devil, but he’s soft-spoken and better looking than the marshal.

    Anyone who hasn’t seen this film should see it. You won’t be sorry.

    Jaws (1975)

    Forty-five years young, and Steven Spielberg's breakthrough remains the touchstone for event-movie cinema. Not that any studio these days would dare put out a summer blockbuster that's half monster-on-the-rampage disaster, half guys-bonding-on-a-fishing-trip adventure. Maybe that's why it's never been rebooted. Or just because it's genuinely unsurpassable. — Empire 500, AFI, Empire, THR

    I saw this on original release at a drive-in theater. When the shark finally jumps out of the water my head hit the car’s ceiling!

  • Edward Scissorhands - Meh, its okay.

    Ed Wood - See above

    Election- See above

    The Elephant Man - I haven't seen this in about 40 years, so I don't remember much about it.

    Enter the Dragon- Awesomeness, but I'm an easy sell on martial arts movies.

    E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial- See The Elephant Man

    The Exorcist - Back in the day a friend of mine said this should be the only movie in the "Horror" section of a movie rental joint.

    Fantasia- I love it.

    Fargo- It is really good. Good enough to spawn a great TV series about 20 years later.

    Fatal Attraction - I've never seen it all the way through. I saw the ending though, is that good enough?

    Ferris Bueller's Day Off - Its good, but The Baron is right, its overrated.

    Fight Club - Another one that is good, but overrated.

    Finding Nemo - Really good

    First Blood - At this point, I would consider this underrated. Its hard to believe that Stallone once knew how to act. Plus, this has the bonus of the overacting of Richard Crenna, and Brian Dennehy is great as always.

    Forrest Gump - Way overrated, but hey plenty of Robin Wright!

    Four Weddings and a Funeral - I guess they felt they were missing a generic rom-com.

    Frankenstein - I haven't seen this one years....I think I liked it.

    The French Connection - I love this one.

    Full Metal Jacket - Probably my favorite Kubrick film.

    Garden State- Kind of depressing I thought. Its alright.

    Ghostbusters - Sorry, I think this one is way overrated.

    Ghost World - Kind of weird, and it meanders a bit. Still really good.

    Giant - Another one I've seen but barely remember.

    Gladiator- Its good, but overrated.

    Glengarry Glen Ross - I like this more each time I watch it. Pure dialogue.

    The Godfather and Part II - Both are really good. I own all 3, but have yet to watch the last one

    Gone with the Wind - I know it got a lot of grief around here.Its okay, but slow in parts.

    The Good, the Bad and the Ugly - Its really good, if a bit too long.

    Goodfellas - Probably my favorite mob film. I think it really helps with the casting.

    Good Morning, Vietnam - Good but overrated.

    Good Will Hunting- I go back and forth on this one. From great to overrated. It is probably somewhere in between.

    The Goonies - I haven't seen this since the theater, so the memory is probably better than the movie.

    The Graduate - Good, not great.

    The Grapes of Wrath - Good, not great.

    Grease- Great soundtrack, who cares about the story. Oh wait, Olivia Newton-John...

    The Great Escape - I just re-watched this Memorial Day weekend. I still love it. I have a friend, if you ask him what his favorite movie is and he doesn't know you, he will say "The Great Escape". If he does know you he will tell you, "The Sound of Music".

    The Great Silence - Vastly underrated Western. I love it.

    The Green Mile - Meh. Kind of generic I thought.

    Gremlins- Overrated.

    Grosse Pointe Blank - I think it still hold up. Probably my favorite John Cusak movie.

    Groundhog Day - My favorite Bill Murray film. I love this one.

    Guardians of the Galaxy- I liked this better than I ever thought I would. One of the best Marvel movies.

    The Gunfighter - Very good, probably a bit underrated compared to other Westerns.

    Hairspray- Its a bit weird, but its John Waters. Maybe his most accessible movie though. I really like it.

    Heat- I love it

    Heathers- Dark, but good. It still makes me laugh.

    High Fidelity - I think this is really overrated.

    High Noon - Greatness

    Hoop Dreams - Probably the first movie documentary I ever saw. I thought it was really powerful. I love it.

    Hot Fuzz - Good, not great.

    The Hustler - Really good. I loved the serious acting role of Jackie Gleason.

    The Incredibles - I really liked it.

    Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade - Good, but overrated.

    Inglourious Basterds - Good, but overrated.

    Interview with the Vampire - I think the book series it vastly overrated. This movie was pretty damn good though.

    The Irishman - Over long and overrated.

    Iron Man - Its alright

    Jackie Brown - I just re-watched this. Probably the most underrated of Tarantino's films. I didn't like this the first time I saw it. It gets better with every re-watch. Robert Forrester totally makes it.

    Jailhouse Rock - I barely remember this,

    Jaws - Still great.

    Jerry Maguire - Way overrated, but not bad.

    JFK- Get ready for a symphony of terrible accents.

    Jurassic Park - I was okay, but overrated.

    Kill Bill Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 - These were both good, but nor great.

    Knives Out - Better than it had any right to be.

    L.A. Confidential - I love James Ellroy, and this is the best adaptation of any of his books.

    Lady Bird - One of those movies were I didn't like any of the characters. I hated it.

    The Last Waltz- Greatness!

    Leon: The Professional - I really liked this. Great style.

    Lethal Weapon - Alright I guess.

    The Lion King - The last pure Disney film I saw at the theater. I liked it.

    Logan - Greatness. I might have shed a tear.

    Lone Star - I know I am biased since I live in Texas, but this is awesome

    The Long Goodbye - Meh, I should love everything about this, but it just fell short for me.

    Lord of the Rings - All of these movies are way too long, and they fooled me with their endings numerous times.

    The Lost Boys - Good, not great.

  • Easy Rider (1969) I remember this being depressing but good.

    Ed Wood (1994) – Martin Landau’s performance was good.

    Enter the Dragon (1973) Hard to go wrong with Bruce Lee.

    Actually, it should be hard to go wrong with any martial arts movie, but it happens. I remember how incredibly boring Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon was.

    Evil Dead 2 (1987) First horror movie I laughed at, and led me to enjoy the cheesier, less serious horror movies. Remind me to tell you about The Love Butcher one of these days.

    Fantasia (1940) – Pretty pictures, as to be expected, but uneven, as is also to be expected.

    Fargo (1996) More slice of life than murder mystery/thriller, this is still good

    Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986) – I will never understand the popularity of this very mediocre movie.

    Forrest Gump (1994) I enjoyed this

    Ghostbusters (1984) - I remember when I saw this thinking that it was a really good movie. My opinion hasn’t changed.

    Ghost World (2001) – I enjoyed the source material more, which is not to say that this was bad.

    Giant (1956) – 4 hours is just too long. Indulgent.

    Goldfinger (1964) - Not my favorite Bond film, but a very well executed one.

    Good Morning, Vietnam (1987) It wasn’t what I was expecting when I saw it.

    Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) – I want to say the difference between this and Captain

    America: Civil War and their comic book counterparts is the quality of writing. Hollywood took a property that was going absolutely nowhere with Marvel and turned it into a cinematic franchise.

    Hairspray (1988) – I want to call this John Waters’ first “normal” movie, in that he used trained actors for the most part and the subject matter was accessible. Still love the cameo from Pia Zadora and Ric Ocasek.

    Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004) – We complain a lot about comic book adaptations to the big screen and taking liberties with the adaptations, but this and all the other Harry Potter movies are a good reason to make changes. Sure it looks nice, but I thought all of the Harry Potter movies were mediocre.

    A Hard Day's Night (1964) - I enjoyed Help! more, but this was a lot of fun.

    Harold and Maude (1971) – Odd, but endearing.

    Harvey (1950) This wasn’t bad, but I was expecting it to be a little more madcap.

    Heathers (1989) – Pretty good. I remember seeing it with a number of acquaintances and many of them thought that Christian Slater would end up being the next Jack Nicholson.

    The Hustler (1961) – Brilliant movie.

    The Incredibles (2004) - This may be my favorite of all time. Watched and re-watched many times. Encapsulates a lot of what I love about superheroes.

    Inside Out (2015) Cute and sad.

    Interview with the Vampire (1994) Eh. Tom Cruise was good.

    Iron Man (2008) Showcased the best and worst about the Iron Man character (Tony Stark is compelling, Iron Man has no villains worth mentioning).

    It Happened One Night (1934) - Fun.

    It's A Wonderful Life (1946) – I learned about this movie my first year of college, as a bunch of other

    theater students gathered to watch it. Really good.

    Lethal Weapon (1987) Gary Busey is a great actor. He’s a bunch of other things as well, but he’s a great actor.

    Love and Death (1975) Saw this as a kid. Don’t remember much except the duel at the end.


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