Sunday 21 November 2010

The 500 Greatest Films of All Time: 450 to 401

450. The Gold Rush (1925)
Dir: Charlie Chaplin
Cast: Charlie Chaplin, Georgia Hale, Mack Swain, Tom Murray, Henry Bergman.
Genre: Adventure/Comedy/Family
Pure Chaplin genius.


449. The Mark of Zorro (1940)
Dir: Rouben Mamoulien
Cast: Tyrone Power, Linda Darnell, Basil Rathbone.
Genre: Action/Adventure/Romance
The original swashbuckling romp.

448. The Ten Commandments (1956)
Dir: Cecil B. DeMille
Cast: Charlton Heston, Yul Brynner, Anne Baxter, Yvonne De Carlo, Edward G. Robinson.
Genre: Adventure/Drama/History
One of the greatest epics in cinematic history.

447. Point Blank (1967)
Dir: John Boorman
Cast: Lee Marvin, Angie Dickinson, Keenan Wynn, Carroll O’Connor, Michael Strong.
Genre: Crime/Drama/Thriller
A perfectly dark adaptation of one of the greatest crime novels of all time.

446. High Noon (1952)
Dir: Fred Zinnemann
Cast: Gary Cooper, Grace Kelly, Thomas Mitchell, Lloyd Bridges, Katy Jurado.
Genre: Drama/Western
Classic Western romp.

445. District 9 (2009)
Dir: Neill Blomkamp
Cast: Sharlto Copley, Jason Cope, David James, Vanessa Haywood.
Genre: Action/Drama/Science Fiction
One of the most original science fiction films of the last decade.

444. Amelie (2001)
Dir: Jean-Pierre Jeunet
Cast: Audrey Tautou, Mathieu Kassovitz, Rufus, Isabelle Nanty, Dominique Pinon.
Genre: Comedy/Fantasy/Romance
Wonderfully quaint film.

443. Let the Right One In (2008)
Dir: Tomas Alfredson
Cast: Kare Hedebrant, Lina Leandersson, Per Ragnar, Peter Carlberg, Pale Olofsson.
Genre: Drama/Fantasy/Mystery
Absolutely wonderful adaptation of one of the eeriest novels of recent years.

442. In Bruges (2008)
Dir: Martin McDonagh
Cast: Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Ralph Fiennes, Clemence Poesy, Jordan Prentice.
Genre: Crime/Drama/Thriller
Witty, original and gruesome comedy-thriller.

441. Star Trek (2009)
Dir: J. J. Abrams
Cast: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Bruce Greenwood, Simon Pegg, John Cho, Eric Bana, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, Leonard Nimoy, Anton Yelchin.
Genre: Action/Adventure/Science Fiction
The saving grace for the Star Trek franchise.

440. The Descent (2005)
Dir: Neil Marshall
Cast: Shauna Macdonald, Natalie Mendoza, Alex Reid, Saskia Mulder, Nora Jane Noone.
Genre: Drama/Horror
Original and frightening horror movie.

439. Dial M for Murder (1954)
Dir: Alfred Hitchock
Cast: Ray Milland, Grace Kelly, Robert Cummings, Anthony Dawson, John Williams.
Genre: Crime/Mystery/Thriller
Old school Hitchcock brilliance.

438. Hotel Rwanda (2004)
Dir: Terry George
Cast: Don Cheadle, Sophie Okonedo, Joaquin Phoenix, Nick Nolte, Jean Reno.
Genre: Adventure/Drama/History
Emotionally riveting film about a dark patch of history.

437. Liar, Liar (1997)
Dir: Tom Shadyac
Cast: Jim Carrey, Maura Tierney, Justin Cooper, Jennifer Tilly, Cary Elwes.
Genre: Comedy/Fantasy
One of Jim Carrey's funniest leading performances.

436. Thank You for Smoking (2005)
Dir: Jason Reitman
Cast: Aaron Eckhart, Katie Holmes, Cameron Bright, Maria Bello, Rob Lowe.
Genre: Comedy/Drama
Brilliantly farcical comedy demoting an industry through promotion.

435. The Fifth Element (1997)
Dir: Luc Beeson
Cast: Bruce Willis, Gary Oldman, Milla Jovovich, Ian Holm, Chris Tucker.
Genre: Action/Adventure/Romance/Science Fiction
Wonderfully epic science fiction adventure with some truly fantastic special effects and an an engaging story.

434. Three Kings (1999)
Dir: David O. Russell
Cast: George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, Ice Cube, Spike Jonze, Nora Dunn.
Genre: Action/Adventure/Comedy
Brilliant action-comedy looking at corruption in the military.

433. Blood Diamond (2005)
Dir: Edward Zwick
Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Djimon Hounsou, Jennifer Connelly, Michael Sheen, Arnold Vosloo.
Genre: Adventure/Drama/Thriller
Fantastically engaging drama about the dangers of the diamond trade.

432. The Great Mouse Detective (1986)
Dir: Ron Clements, Burny Mattinson, Dave Michener and John Musker
Cast: Barrie Ingham, Val Bettin, Vincent Price, Susanne Pollatschek, Candy Candido, Alan Young.
Genre: Adventure/Animation/Family
Wonderfully fun and vibrant animated take on the classic novels, themselves a take on Sherlock Holmes.

431. The Last King of Scotland (2006)
Dir: Kevin Macdonald
Cast: Forest Whitaker, James McAvoy, Kerry Washington, Simon McBurney, Gillian Anderson.
Genre: Biography/Drama/History
Brilliant look at the regime of Idi Amin and the world he inhabited.

430. Bicycle Thieves (1948)
Dir: Vittorio De Sica
Cast: Lamberto Maggiorani, Enzo Staiola, Lianella Carell, Vittorio Antonucci.
Genre: Crime/Drama
Wonderfully engaging piece of Italian cinema.

429. Requiem for a Dream (2000)
Dir: Darren Aronofsky
Cast: Ellen Burstyn, Jared Leto, Jennifer Connelly, Marlon Wayans.
Genre: Drama
One of the most depressing films ever made.

428. Collateral (2004)
Dir: Michael Mann
Cast: Tom Cruise, Jamie Foxx, Mark Ruffalo, Jada Pinkett-Smith, Javier Bardem.
Genre: Crime/Drama/Thriller
Brilliantly engaging thriller showing the depths of mentality, circumstance and mistaken identity.

427. Duck Soup (1933)
Dir: Leo McCarey
Cast: Groucho Marx, Harpo Marx, Chico Marx, Zeppo Marx, Margaret Dumont.
Genre: Comedy/Musical
The Marx Brothers at their humorously best.

426. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005)
Dir: Shane Black
Cast: Robert Downey Jr, Val Kilmer, Michelle Monaghan, Corbin Bernsen, Larry Miller.
Genre: Action/Comedy/Crime
Funny, engaging and intense modern noir.

425. In Cold Blood (1967)
Dir: Richard Brooks
Cast: Robert Blake, Scott Wilson, John Forsythe, Paul Stewart.
Genre: Crime/Drama/History
An adaptation of one of the best true crime novels ever written.

424. Spartacus (1960)
Dir: Stanley Kubrick
Cast: Kirk Douglas, Laurence Olivier, Peter Ustinov, John Gavin, Tony Curtis.
Genre: Action/Adventure/Biography
One of the best Kubrick epics ever filmed.

423. Patton (1970)
Dir: Franklin J. Schaffner
Cast: George C. Scott, Karl Malden, Michael Bates, Karl Michael Vogler.
Genre: Biography/Drama/War
An incredibly amusing account of one of the most famous military figures in history.

422. Stagecoach (1939)
Dir: John Ford
Cast: John Wayne, Claire Trevor, Thomas Mitchell, John Carradine, Andy Devine.
Genre: Action/Drama/Romance/Western
One of John Wayne's earliest and most engaging Westerns.

421. Training Day (2001)
Dir: Antoine Fuqua
Cast: Denzel Washington, Ethan Hawke, Eva Mendes, Scott Glenn, Harris Yulin.
Genre: Crime/Drama/Thriller
Fantastic crime thriller that offers some intense sequences and some brilliant acting.

420. Caddyshack (1980)
Dir: Harold Ramis
Cast: Chevy Chase, Rodney Dangerfield, Ted Knight, Michael O’Keefe, Bill Murray.
Genre: Comedy/Sport
One of the funniest sport films ever made.

419. Wall Street (1987)
Dir: Oliver Stone
Cast: Michael Douglas, Charlie Sheen, Daryl Hannah, Martin Sheen, Terence Stamp.
Genre: Crime/Drama
Brilliant look at the corruption on Wall Street.

418. All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)
Dir: Lewis Milestone
Cast: Louis Wolheim, Lew Ayres, Ben Alexander, William Bakewell, Harold Goodwin.
Genre: Action/Drama/History
One of the best films about World War One there has ever been.

417. The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
Dir: John Ford
Cast: Henry Fonda, Jane Darwell, John Carradine, Shirley Mills, John Qualen.
Genre: Drama
Heartbreaking adaptation of a classic novel.

416. The African Queen (1951)
Dir: John Huston
Cast: Humphrey Bogart, Katharine Hepburn, Robert Morley, Walter Gotell.
Genre: Adventure/Drama/Romance
Brilliant adventure film set within the back drop of history.

415. A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)
Dir: Elia Kazan
Cast: Marlon Brando, Vivien Leigh, Kim Hunter, Karl Maden.
Genre: Drama
Fantastic screen version of the harrowing play.

414. The Jazz Singer (1927)
Dir: Alan Crosland
Cast: Al Jolson, May McAvoy, Warner Oland, Richard Tucker.
Genre: Drama/Music/Romance
The first film to feature speaking, and it's a wonderful thing to behold.

413. Fanboys (2008)
Dir: Kyle Newman
Cast: Jay Baruchel, Dan Fogler, Sam Huntington, Kristen Bell, Seth Rogen.
Genre: Adventure/Comedy/Drama
Brilliant look at the mishaps of geeks.

412. Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
Dir: Arthur Penn
Cast: Warren Beatty, Faye Dunaway, Michael J. Pollard, Gene Hackman, Estelle Parsons.
Genre: Biography/Crime/Drama
Fantastically violent crime drama about love and murder.

411. Frankenstein (1931)
Dir: James Whale
Cast: Colin Clive, Boris Karloff, Mae Clarke, John Boles.
Genre: Drama/Horror/Science Fiction
Arguably the most famous horror film ever made.

410. Brokeback Mountain (2004)
Dir: Ang Lee
Cast: Heath Ledger, Jake Gyllenhaal, Anne Hathaway, Michelle Williams, Randy Quaid.
Genre: Drama
A powerful and honest tale of love.

409. Sixteen Candles (1984)
Dir: John Hughes
Cast: Molly Ringwald, Anthony Michael Hall, Justin Henry, Gedde Watanabe, Michael Schoeffling.
Genre: Comedy/Romance
Classic romantic comedy from the mind of a comedy genius.

408. Network (1976)
Dir: Sidney Lumet
Cast: Faye Dunaway, Peter Finch, Robert Duvall, Ned Beatty, William Holden.
Genre: Drama
Brilliant look at the insanity of the media.

407. Blade (1998)
Dir: Stephen Norrington
Cast: Wesley Snipes, Stephen Dorff, Kris Kristofferson, Donal Logue, N’Bushe Wright.
Genre: Action/Adventure/Fantasy/Horror
Fun, if silly, horror romp through the world of vampires.

406. The Lost Boys (1987)
Dir: Joel Schumacher
Cast: Kiefer Sutherland, Jason Patric, Corey Feldman, Jami Gertz, Corey Haim.
Genre: Comedy/Fantasy/Horror
Comedy-horror about two brothers and their suspected entanglements with vampires.

405. Shrek 2 (2004)
Dir: Andrew Adamson, Kelly Ashbury and Conrad Vernon
Cast: Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, Antonio Banderas, Jennifer Saunders.
Genre: Adventure/Animation/Comedy
Brilliantly witty comedy sequel.

404. Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998)
Dir: Guy Ritchie
Cast: Jason Statham, Vinnie Jones, Sting, Dexter Fletcher, Jason Flemyng.
Genre: Crime/Thriller
The film that started the career of Guy Ritchie; a fun, fast crime romp.

403. Coming to America (1988)
Dir: John Landis
Cast: Eddie Murphy, James Earl Jones, Arsenio Hall, Samuel L. Jackson, Shari Headley.
Genre: Comedy/Drama/Romance
Funny, fast and frequent comedy about the clash of cultures.

402. Stardust (2007)
Dir: Matthew Vaughn
Cast: Charlie Cox, Robert De Niro, Claire Danes, Michelle Pfeiffer, Sienna Miller.
Genre: Adventure/Family/Fantasy
Fantastically inventive fantasy film that combines numerous stereotypes into a wonderful mixture of originality and style.

401. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001)
Dir: Chris Columbus
Cast: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Richard Harris, Robbie Coltrane, Maggie Smith, Alan Rickman, Ian Hart.
Genre: Adventure/Family/Fantasy
The original film; the most loyal translation of novel to screen, and one of the best examples of how modern fantasy can work on screen.

Next Time: 400-351

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