The New End All, Be All Top Ten Movies Of All Time.

  After 4 long days of searching, watching, taking notes and re-watching movies, I have put together my definitive list of the 10 greatest movies of all time. It was not easy, still, it was fun, and after taking into consideration not only the viewing public finicky take on these endless lists, but my own ever changing opinion, I have decided not put a rank of 1 -10 on these movies. Instead I will just put them on the list and explain my thinking that went into each choice, because what good is a list if you can't defend it. Also I am going to list the 10 most over-rated movies of all time, as well as the worst movie ever created, but we will start with what we will refer to as the greatest bad movie ever made. So sit back relax, kick your feet up and enjoy the show folks and remember there's no intermission so please head to the lobby now to get your snacks, and I will join you all in the balcony.


     So let us begin with the best worst movie ever made. What I mean by that is, even though there is nothing in this movie that is done very well, it still entertains me. Let me set the stage for you. The world as we know it is thrown into chaos and turmoil when suddenly the Earth's core has stops spinning, and now a team of scientists and a NASA space crew, must build a new type of vehicle that can tunnel through the ground below us with relative ease and set off a chain of nuclear blasts inside The Core to get it moving again. WOW. The question I have is, at what point while reading this script did Hilary Swank shout out I have to do this film. I mean really now. First, I find the contradictions in Hollywood to being very funny, in not one but two previously made disaster movies, the plot to save our planet in The Core is the same one that destroys a very big rock racing for our world to destroy it. In all 3 movies the plan is the same " Drill and Drop Nukes " but in the 2 better made movies it made more sense that setting off an explosion in the center of a large mass would blow it apart, but in this " Masterpiece The Core " that not only doesn't happen, it saves us. In Armageddon and Deep Impact ( I'm not saying that either of these are gems themselves ) they both had great casts and underlying stories to help push the movie along, The Core says who needs that over-rated garbage we got Stanley Tucci playing a pompus ass and the never wrong college professor Dr. Josh Keyes played stunningly poorly by Arron Eckhart to mesh with the equally never wrong NASA pilot Maj. Rebecca " Beck " Childs portrayed just as bad if not worse by the usually good aforementioned Hilary Swank. At least Armageddon had a hit Areosmith song, and Deep Impact....um ....Deep Impact had Morgan Freeman as President.....yeah..... Now he's been god and the President ( can you say EGO ). So lets break this down. We have a movie Directed by the at the time very hot Jon Amiel ( Copycat and Entrapment ) who seemed to not to really care if all the players involved just phone it in. We have a very poorly thought out and written script and story by a failed TV writer and a guy who Produces movies very well but seldom writes them. We have pretty much the worst special effects in the 2000's from a major motion picture going on ( see the Italy scene), and acting that can be rivaled by a spoof Porno Movie.... not that I would....be watching those....( clearing throat ). However despite all of that, I truly feel this movie entertains and works well for what it is ( yup you heard me right, I'm laughing too ), at least for me like I said,

The Best Bad movie - 2003's The Core period.
     Next up is the Worst Movie  ever made. It's so bad it's the only movie I paid to see in theaters and walked out on. It's so bad I am not going to waste too many words on it. There is not one redeeming quality in this film, so without any more wasted typing power, I give you The Worst Movie Ever Made Mr. Magoo, Rest In Piece Leslie Nielsen. One more thing this movie is so bad that ( for the Religious folks out there ) if Leslie Nielsen went to heaven last year when he passed his reward would be to forget he made this insult to cinema, and if he went to Hell his punishment would be him in a theater by himself ( even though it would still sound the same if it were filled with people ) with it playing on a continuous loop with no bathroom breaks. OK I'm done..... PHEW I needed to get that out.

The Worst Movie of all time - 1997's Mr. Magoo.
   
    Now we move on to the part of the article I think will upset the most people, The most Over-rated movies of all time. Basically these are the flicks that are seen on every top ten list but as we move farther and farther away from when they were made they get viewed less and less ( for the most part ) and do not translate as well to the new crop of movie patrons that they did in their hay day. Now Remember I am not saying these are bad movies and I'm not saying they are not the great and don't belong among the best of all time, but with this list and how I am evaluating them they just do not have the luster they once held. So here we go.

     The Most Over-rated Movies of All Time
The Usual Suspects (1995) -
American Beauty (1999) -
 For the 2 above. Basically I feel Kevin Spacey is soooooo over-rated and just doesn't have the range of an actor so highly regarded as he, should have. Just my opinion, and Mr. Spacey if your reading this, no offense but boo to your for ruining the latest Superman movie, you murdered a part of my comic book loving heart.

Fight Club (1999)  - The Big " shock " at the end was more like a joy buzzer for me, you can see it coming and the jolt is barely felt. Love Brad Pitt here but I'm just not sold on Ed Norton as so many of you out there are.


Pulp Fiction (1994) - Now before you all get too worked up let me explain ( Spoiler for the next section ) As great as this movie is and trust me I agree it is awesome I just can't do what many people do and crown it , 2, or 3 in terms of greatness on the All Time list. Now that being said you will see it as one of my top ten of all time and since I'm not going to " rank " them let me state for the record, I would place it at 9 or 10 on the list. But on a personal note it's one of my 2 or 3 favorites of all time but I'm going for as much objectivity as possible.

The Sound Of Music (1965)  - Calling this the greatest musical ever made is a huge stretch for me, in fact it's more like 7 or even 8 deep in line for this sing songy sub group.

Planet Of The Apes (1968) - I hope I don't loose my nerd card for this but it just isn't as watchable as it once was, by far this one is the most subjective on this list, and still is a great film. And another side note I feel the remakes hurt the original by a great deal. Damn you Marky Mark, but I am looking forward to the upcoming film.

Scarface (1983) - Good not great film that I feel is regarded far to highly and in fact with all the reboots of classics I feel this should be the next in line, it could use a fresh new cast and a face lift to really capitalize on the UN-tapped potential of this movie.

Casablanca (1942) - Always very high on lists and I even feel it is the 3rd best movie Humphrey Bogart made so to call it top 3 All-Time is too much of a stretch for me.

The Dark Knight (2008) - Great, Great flick but I have 2 problems with the over hype of this one, the first is I don't even think it's the best BATMAN movie ever made. Number 2, and this may be hard for some of you but, I just feel that if Heath Ledger wouldn't have met his untimely end this movie wouldn't have brought in nearly as much money it did let alone smash so many box office records.


The Godfather series (1972) - This is Francis Ford Coppola's best work no doubt, but for me it is not number 1 like 95% of all on-line lists say it is, great movie and again ( spoiler ) you will see this again below, and just for the sake of all the eye listeners out there. I will do here what I will not below and that is give it a guesstimate ranking and that would be around 5th all-time.

     Still with me guys. Now the hard part, we can begin with the 2 from above but aside from the ranking I gave these 2 earlier, this will all be in no particular order. Now if you read and still recall my last article ( see below ) you will recall what 4 conditions are most important to me and they will be graded as such. So let us take the big step into our new multiplex theater inside our minds and find out what are the 10 Greatest movies of all time.

"The New Criteria for choosing the Greatest movies of all time" Read more: http://cinemaroll.com/cinemarolling/the-new-criteria-for-choosing-the-greatest-movie-of-all-time/#ixzz1PHrRD077

The Four Key Factors
Bon Jovi Factor ( The test of time )
Michael Jackson factor ( Cinematography depth )
The Face/Off factor ( Acting )
M. Night Shyamalan/Spielberg Factor ( Direction )

              THE TEN GREATEST FILMS OF ALL TIME
                         ( in NO particular order )

   Pulp Fiction (1994) -
Bon Jovi Factor ( The test of time ) - Yeah I know it was only released 17 years ago, but so was Baby's Day Out - quick Quiz name an actor from that movie, Now who was in Pulp Fiction. See my point. But even in 25 years from now Pulp Fiction will be held in as much esteem as it is today.
Michael Jackson factor ( Cinematography / Filming depth ) -  This was shot amazingly well, I feel since 1990 there are guys that bring the most out of there cinematographers one is Guy Ritchie the other is Quentin Tarantino. This is  Tarantino at his best.
The Face/Off factor ( Acting ) - John Travolta as Vincent Vega, Samuel L. Jackson, Uma Thurman as Mia W, Bruce Willis as Butch Coolidge, Harvey Keitel as Winston Wolf, Tim Roth as "Pumpkin" or "Ringo", Amanda Plummer as Yolanda or "Honey Bunny", Ving Rhames as Marsellus Wallace and a slew of cameos from Steve Buscemi as the Buddy Holly waiter to Christopher Walken as a bar patron. This is just stacked with star power and talent. But Jackson and Travolta really shine brightest here.

M. Night Shyamalan/Spielberg Factor ( Direction ) - With everything that is happening in this movie, it's convoluted non-linear storyline and massively famous and talented cast, Quentin Tarantino had to juggle all this with precision and accuracy rarely scene in cinema. Top shelf job done. Two questions what was in that briefcasese, gold, a soul? And what were all these guys doing were they just run of the mill mobsters or was there a more biblical vibe going on? We may never know.

   The Godfather 1&2 (1972) (1974) -
Bon Jovi Factor ( The test of time ) - This was hard for me and why it was on the list above, I feel the time that passes the less people can connect with the story, Thanks to The Sopranos and a myriad of other crime boss related shows the bubble has kinda popped on the mafia genre, however it is due for a revival and if you ever want to see it done at its best, then look no further.
Michael Jackson factor ( Cinematography / Filming depth )- Very classic filming style, gritty and harsh and sets a very clear but dangerous tone for the audience.
The Face/Off factor ( Acting ) - Marlon Brando as Vito Corleone, Al Pacino as Michael Corleone, James Caan as Santino "Sonny" Corleone, Robert Duvall as Tom Hagen, Diane Keaton as Kay Adams-Corleone. Old School Hall of Fame cast with very gripping performances. Marlon Brando at his very best.
M. Night Shyamalan/Spielberg Factor ( Direction ) - This was Francis Ford Coppola's baby, and he directed it as such, just a masterful job done but the one question remains what happened with part 3? I feel he just went to the well one too many times, and with a cast that for some was facing the twilight of their careers while other were just finding their star power it may just have been too much to ask as movie gowers for another full bucket of water.

   Star Wars (1977-1983)
Bon Jovi Factor ( The test of time ) - Easy question to answer, just go to Comicon or Visit any of the hundreds of trade shows held every year and look around. There are also Storm Trooper units you can join either over seas or in the U.S. the reach of Star Wars has not faded in 34 years and I don't see that changing any time soon.
Michael Jackson factor ( Cinematography / Filming depth ) - Filmed as a action, adventure, sci-fi hybrid, the depth of the movie is well projected in this classic textbook if not too glitzy style.
The Face/Off factor ( Acting ) - Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, David Prowse/James Earl Jones, and later Billy D. Williams were young and relatively unknown and just as the movie did, they came out of nowhere and shocked their audiences, and after the incredible job done during these movies not one of them had to work again and sadly aside from Harrison Ford and James Earl Jones they didn't really. Also it's very funny that maybe just maybe the best human emotions came from the 2 droids. FYI George Lucas owns the word Android and Droid.
M. Night Shyamalan/Spielberg Factor ( Direction ) - After doing a masterful job with all the behind the scenes heavy lifting in A New Hope George Lucas decided to hand the reins over to another master of the directors world in Irvin Kershner. The force was strong with him as many myself included feel Empire is the best of the bunch. The Trilogy was rounded out by Richard Marquand who did a very solid job of closing the series, even if he is the oft forgotten director of the group.

   Jaws (1975)
Bon Jovi Factor ( The test of time ) - Let me put it this way, go watch Jaws sometime today then within 24 hours I want you to find an empty pool or water source and have yourself a nice swim, I rest my case.
Michael Jackson factor ( Cinematography / Filming depth ) - So much went wrong for the crew from stormy seas to faulty robotics, they were 3 weeks behind schedule after the first day of filming. The movie was on the razors edge as far as getting shut down, they ran out of money as production companies ran out of patients. But some how some way they still were able to deliver some great shots that kept the suspense and heart rates up. Really neat story, you should Google the full production story, it's amazing this film was made.
The Face/Off factor ( Acting ) - Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw and Richard Dreyfuss all delivered the goods, they had fantastic chemistry with one another and it showed through on the big screen. Also Lorraine Gary played a very nice role as Police Chief Brody's wife.
M. Night Shyamalan/Spielberg Factor ( Direction ) - Steven Spielberg, what more can I say. Of all the great work he has done this can very well be his best and THAT is saying something.
A Side note - Those of you who have read my Top Ten Horror films list may want to know why Jaws made this list but was behind Halloween ( did not make this list ) on that list, well the answer is this, while I firmly believe Halloween is the better Horror film, Jaws is the better all around movie, if that makes sense.


   Forrest Gump (1994)
Bon Jovi Factor ( The test of time ) - 1994 shows up again but I feel that Gump really shines not so much as a movie but as a time capsule spanning 40 plus years of Americana. For that alone it passes the test of time.
Michael Jackson factor ( Cinematography / Filming depth ) - The video work here is very adaptable to the changing time periods almost like Forrest is not really narrating his life but the life of time its self and that's where the mastery of the cinematography shows through.
The Face/Off factor ( Acting ) - Tom Hanks, Robin Wright and Gary Sinise are the stars here they work wonderfully together but it's the small things that makes this movie truly great, almost every character we meet along the way is memorable from Bubba to the Bus Drivers all the way to a youngster by the name of Haley Joel Osment. Also Sally Field does a great job as Forrest's Mother showing her ability to shine but not out shine the cast around here.
M. Night Shyamalan/Spielberg Factor ( Direction ) - Robert Zemeckis directors resume reads like this Beowulf, The Polar Express, Cast Away, What Lies Beneath, Back to the Future Part III, Back to the Future Part II, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Back to the Future, talk about a heavyweight, What's truly great about him is this, look at the list again, think about them in your head a moment, No two are alike, he has a specific vision for each project and he injects each one with life and vigor.
   The Princess Bride (1987)
Bon Jovi Factor ( The test of time ) - This movie should be viewed by everyone by the age of 12, Peter Falk ( Grandpa ) does a perfect job of explaining why this story is so great and he does so in the first 5 minutes of the film. You see, there are two stories here and watching them both unfold is just magical, as we are swept up in the action and word play by the characters in the book, there is this very real bond building between grandfather and grandson, and  to see both stories grow and have the ability to compliment each other is..... well it's uncommon to say the least.
Michael Jackson factor ( Cinematography / Filming depth ) - No big frills or anything, just very solid camera work that captures your mind and shows you the depth of the story while immersing you in imagery, be it from the color and motion of the sea to the flurry of the fantastic sword play in the sand on the cliffs of insanity, to the dark and dank reaches of the fire swamp.
The Face/Off factor ( Acting ) - Cary Elwes as Westley ,Robin Wright as Buttercup, Chris Sarandon as Prince Humperdinck, all give stellar performances but the work of Mandy Patinkin as Inigo Montoya and André the Giant as Fezzik steal the movie. Christopher Guest as Count Tyrone Rugen, Wallace Shawn as Vizzini, Peter Falk as The Grandfather/Narrator, Fred Savage as The Grandson all do a great job of rounding out the rest of the cast, but Billy Crystal as Miracle Max, and Carol Kane as Valerie, Max's wife, are just wonderful and really is one of the best 6 - 7 minutes of the whole film.
M. Night Shyamalan/Spielberg Factor ( Direction ) -The meat-head himself Rob Reiner does a great job behind the lens as well as of balancing the romance and the action while infusing comedy into the story, both he and Mel Brooks may be the best in all of Hollywood in accomplishing that. And Remember watch out R.O.U.S's.

   Titanic (1997)
Bon Jovi Factor ( The test of time ) - This film is fresh in our minds still after winning 11 Oscars, and up until Avatar was the highest grossing film of all time, but the story of Titanic is nearly  100 years old and it still captures your mind and so there is no doubt at all that Titanic will live on forever.
Michael Jackson factor ( Cinematography / Filming depth ) - James Cameron movies personify what this category is all about, hell it could be named The MJ/ James Cameron Factor. He does not disappoint here, every scene is breathtaking and you truly feel like you have been on Titanic after the credits roll.
The Face/Off factor ( Acting ) - Leonardo DiCaprio as Jack Dawson, I have no problems stating that Leo may be the greatest actor of my Generation, he really is amazing on screen, Kate Winslet as Rose DeWitt Bukater just shine together on screen, Billy Zane as Caledon Nathan "Cal" Hockley plays his villain part perfectly. Everyone involved with the Flashback Titanic parts bring Titanic alive and they work well within the confines of one of the most intricate and beautiful sets ever. In the present portions of the movie Gloria Stuart as Rose Dawson Calvert and Bill Paxton as Brock Lovett do a great job of keeping the tragedy that was Titanic into perspective.
M. Night Shyamalan/Spielberg Factor ( Direction ) -The only person James Cameron competes with as far as Tech growth, Awards and box office draw is James Cameron, I mean every film he does pushes the industry into a new area of technology, be it Aliens, T2, Titanic or Avatar, his ability is second to none and that is why he only has to put out a move once a decade.

   Lord Of The Rings (2001-2003)
Bon Jovi Factor ( The test of time ) - Of all the movies on this list this is the most recent, however if you take into consideration that the only 2 groups more die-hard than Lord Of The Rings fans are Star Wars and Trekkies and if they have lasted 30 plus years there is no reason to figure this won't too. Then once you think about the fact that these LOTR stories have been around for a very long time and already had a fan base that was very strong before the films, then you know it will stand the test of time.
Michael Jackson factor ( Cinematography / Filming depth ) - OK this doesn't take many words to describe about the cinematography, just look at the movies, they turned New Zealand into Middle Earth and the world is simply stunning.
The Face/Off factor ( Acting ) - In this case I wanted to list all of the main actors so you could get an idea of the scope of this cast, it's huge and talented, and that is why the text is bigger because the cast is huge. Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin, Sean Bean, Orlando Bloom, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monagh an, John Rhys-Davies, Cate Blanchett, Liv Tyler, Christopher Lee, Hugo Weaving, Ian Holm, Andy Serkis, Marton Csokas, Craig Parker, Lawrence Makoare
M. Night Shyamalan/Spielberg Factor ( Direction ) -Peter Jackson Did one hell of a job with this task, He did 3 huge movies in 3 years, nearly 9 hours of on screen footage I mean just WOW. What more is there to say. Oh yeah they are already back to it, doing The Hobbit again just WOW.

   Indiana Jones raiders of the lost ark (1981)
Bon Jovi Factor ( The test of time ) - Well it just turned 30 and another is looking to be on its way so I would have to say yes this has stood the test of time. I mean Indy is an Icon of POP Culture, and also is the reason several neighborhood kids lost an eye growing up, we all wanted whips.
Michael Jackson factor ( Cinematography / Filming depth ) - Every film in the set is unique but the setting of Raiders is amazing from the classic opening, to his day job at the University, to Egypt, it's all a blitz to the senses and it keeps you engaged into the lore that in Indiana Jones. And yet again Lucasfilms does what it does best.
The Face/Off factor ( Acting ) - Now I could list all the actors here but I'm not going to this is Harrison Ford and then no one else, yes the cast in the first was very good and memorable but Mr. Ford gave life to one of the most iconic characters of all time, all the women loved him and all the guys wanted to be him. If you have not yet seen the films in high def I recommend doing so, it's mind blowing.
M. Night Shyamalan/Spielberg Factor ( Direction ) - Does anyone take on more iconic tasks than Spielburg, I think not.

   Rocky (1976)
Bon Jovi Factor ( The test of time ) - Let me put it this way and this is 100% true, just this past year Sylvester Stallone was inducted into the Boxing Hall of Fame, not Rocky the character but Sly who never boxed.
Michael Jackson factor ( Cinematography / Filming depth ) - Filmed very basic very budget aware, it was dirty but it made it feel real, not every movie can do that.
The Face/Off factor ( Acting ) - Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire and Burt Young. Rocky his love and his best Friend, and let us never forget Mickey played by Burgess Meredith. Then of course Apollo Creed the brash Champ played very well by Carl Weathers. Small but unforgettable cast.
M. Night Shyamalan/Spielberg Factor ( Direction ) - John G. Avildsen seems to love the underdog story, between this and the Karate Kid you got a who's who of under dog champions. He is very good at capturing the raw human emotion and turning into an empathy catchers mit, you just feel for everyone in this film, their a family and you know that they need one another. Apart they were all broken worn down shells of people, a drunk, a doormat, a loan sharks leg ( or thumb ) breaker and then a old hard luck local gym trainer. But together they build a champion.

     So there you have it but I know it's a more modern list but I feel very strongly about these picks and I hope you all enjoyed the article. Now one more thing, here is a quick rundown of the rest of the movies that just missed out, after you see this list you may understand why this was so difficult. Also I welcome your feedback, let me know what you think of it, where did I miss the mark, where did I hit it out of the ballpark. I look forward to your feedback.

    Honorable Mentions
The Lion King, Highlander, SpaceBalls, Toy Story, Chicago, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, Fiddler On The Roof, Field of Dreams,
Snow White, LEGEND, Jurassic Park, Stand By Me, Steel Magnolia's,
, The Wizard Of Oz, The.Sound.Of.Music, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, Paint Your Wagon, Halloween,
Batman, Blade.Runner, Count of Monte Cristo, Ben Hur, Ronin, Terminator 2
The.Matrix, The African Queen, Psycho, Raging Bull, Some Like It Hot, 2001: A Space Odyssey
The Wild Bunch, Gorky Park, American Graffiti, Enter The Dragon, Being John Malkovich,
Planet Of The Apes, Braveheart, The Untouchables, John Carpenter’s The Thing, Scarface
Interview With The Vampire, The Exorcist, Dirty Harry, Memento, Saving Private Ryan,
Dances With Wolves, Harvey, The Silence Of The Lambs, One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest
The Dark Knight, Evil Dead, Spartacus, Annie Hall, Close Encounters Of The Third Kind,
The Usual Suspects, Casablanca, , Back To The Future, Taxi Driver, Fight Club, GoodFellas