Dir: Alfred Hitchock
Cast: James Stewart, Joan Chandler, Douglas Dick, John Dall, Farley Granger.
Genre: Crime/Mystery/Thriller
There's something about a murder-mystery where the killer's are testing the limits of their own crime that just seems perfect.
499. Live and Let Die (1971)
Dir: Guy Hamilton
Cast: Roger Moore, Yaphet Kotto, Jane Seymour, David Hedison, Bernard Lee.
Genre: Action/Adventure/Thriller
The first Roger Moore Bond film is one of the highlights of the epic franchise due to it's largely uncamp tone, and some of the best action sequences in the series. That, and a great title track by Paul McCartney and Wings.
498. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1939)
Dir: Alfred L. Werker
Cast: Basil Rathbone, Nigel Bruce, Ida Lupino, George Zucco, Alan Marshal.
Genre: Crime/Mystery/Thriller
The original version of the original crime solving super sleuth; this is one of the greatest cinematic mysteries of the golden age of Hollywood.
497. The Color of Money (1986)
Dir: Martin Scorsese
Cast: Paul Newman, Tom Cruise, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Forest Whitaker, John Turturro.
Genre: Drama/Sport
An unabashed sequel to an old school Paul Newman hustling film that manages to eclipse the original in nearly every way.
496. The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)
Dir: Wes Anderson
Cast: Gene Hackman, Anjelica Huston, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ben Stiller, Bill Murray.
Genre: Comedy/Drama
A spirited family romp that proves to be just as funny as it is heartwarming and enlightening.
495. Hero (2002)
Dir: Zhang Yimou
Cast: Jet Li, Tony Leung, Maggie Cheung, Zhang Ziyi, Donnie Yen.
Genre: Action/AdventureOne of those perfectly beautiful martial arts experiments that combines the combat with the art of cinematography.
494. Tropic Thunder (2008)
Dir: Ben Stiller
Cast: Ben Stiller, Robert Downey Jr, Jack Black, Tom Cruise, Steve Coogan.
Genre: Action/Adventure/Comedy
Hilarious examination of the acting side of Hollywood, the seriousness of actors, and the insanity of the war movie machine.
493. Help! (1965)
Dir: Richard Lester
Cast: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Roy Kinnear.
Genre: Comedy/Fantasy/Musical/Mystery
The Beatles second and goofiest flick that combines a uniquely ridiculous story with some clever gags and wonderful musical sequences.
492. Shadow of a Doubt (1943)
Dir: Alfred Hitchcock
Cast: Teresa Wright, Joseph Cotten, Henry Travers, Macdonald Carey, Patricia Collinge.
Genre: Crime/Film-Noir/Mystery/Thriller
There's only one thing you need to know about this film, really. It was Hitchcock's favourite film.
491. The Santa Clause (1994)
Dir: John Pasquin
Cast: Tim Allen, Eric Lloyd, Wendy Crewson, Judge Reinhold, Peter Boyle.
Genre: Comedy/Drama/Family
This is a fun little Christmas film with a goofy plot and some decent acting from a fairly underwhelming cast. It's not perfect, but it's something I rewatch every Christmas without fail.
490. Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)
Dir: Mike Nichols
Cast: Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, George Segal, Sandy Dennis.
Genre: Drama
An adaptation of a fantastic play that asserts itself as the rudest film of it's time.
489. Double Indemnity (1944)
Dir: Billy Wilder
Cast: Fred MacMurray, Barbara Stanwyck, Edward G. Robinson, Porter Hall, Jean Heather
Genre: Crime/Film-Noir/Thriller
One of those classic film-noir tales that just seems too outrageous to work, but when put into motion, it works perfectly.
488. Sunshine (2007)
Dir: Danny Boyle
Cast: Cillian Murphy, Chris Evans, Michelle Yeoh, Cliff Curtis, Rose Byrne.
Genre: Adventure/Science Fiction/Thriller
Brilliantly creepy science fiction romp where the threat feels real throughout and the visuals don't fail to impress.
487. A Beautiful Mind (2001)
Dir: Ron Howard
Cast: Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly, Ed Harris, Paul Bettany, Christopher Plummer.
Genre: Biography/Drama
A fascinating insight into the realities of genius and the concept of humanity.
486. Payback (1999)
Dir: Brian Helgeland
Cast: Mel Gibson, John Glover, Kris Kristofferson, Maria Bello, Lucy Liu.
Genre: Action/Crime/Drama/Thriller
Despite the fact that the director's cut is far superior, the theatrical cut of this film is an immensely fun experience, even though it rapes a perfectly good crime novel.
485. Bronson (2008)
Dir: Nicholas Winding Refn
Cast: Tom Hardy, Matt King, Amanda Burton, James Lance, Kelly Adams.
Genre: Action/Biography/Crime/Drama
The perfect example of Tom Hardy as a fine British actor, and one of the best looks at the mind of a criminal to ever be produced.
484. The Town (2010)
Dir: Ben Affleck
Cast: Ben Affleck, Jon Hamm, Rebecca Hall, Jeremy Renner, Blake Lively.
Genre: Crime/Drama/Thriller
One of the best amateur directorial efforts in years; as a Sophomore picture it is a perfect blend of crime thriller and human drama.
483. The Mask (1994)
Dir: Chuck Russell
Cast: Jim Carrey, Peter Greene, Cameron Diaz, Ben Stein, Peter Riegert.
Genre: Action/Comedy/Crime/FantasyInsanely fun, but immensely toned down adaptation of one of the craziest comic books ever published.
482. Gangs of New York (2002)
Dir: Martin Scorsese
Cast: Daniel Day-Lewis, Leonardo DiCaprio, Cameron Diaz, Liam Neeson, Brendan Gleeson.
Genre: Crime/Drama/History
Only Martin Scorsese, the master of the crime film, could go back to the origins of American crime and turn in a wonderfully crafted epic.
481. Cruel Intentions (1999)
Dir: Roger Kumble
Cast: Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe, Reese Witherspoon, Selma Blair, Tara Reid.
Genre: Drama/Romance/Thriller
A guilty pleasure, sure, but a brilliant character piece about the limits of conscience and emotional attachment.
480. Face/Off (1997)
Dir: John Woo
Cast: John Travolta, Nicholas Cage, Joan Allen, Alessandro Nivola, Gina Gershon.
Genre: Action/Crime/Drama/Science Fiction
A ridiculous concept that pays off and turns into one of the best action films ever made.
479. Manhattan (1979)
Dir: Woody Allen
Cast: Woody Allen, Diane Keaton, Michael Murphy, Meryl Streep, Anne Byrne.
Genre: Comedy/Drama/Romance
Always second best to Allen's other Diane Keaton movie, but this remains one of the man's best bits of cinematic expression.
478. Crash (1996)
Dir: David Cronenberg
Cast: James Spader, Elias Koteas, Deborah Kara Unger, Holly Hunter, Rosanna Arquette.
Genre: Drama/Thriller
Strangely engaging, but woefully disturbing look at the nature of sex and the damage it can do to an individual's mentality.
477. Dracula (1992)
Dir: Francis Ford Coppola
Cast: Gary Oldman, Winona Ryder, Anthony Hopkins, Keanu Reeves, Richard E. Grant.
Genre: Horror/Romance
Gaudy reinterpretation of the classic novel, with one of Gary Oldman's best performances, and some stunning visuals.
476. The Aviator (2004)
Dir: Martin Scorsese
Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Cate Blanchett, Alec Baldwin, Kate Beckinsale, John C. Reilly.
Genre: Biography/Drama
An examination of Howard Hughes, one of the most eccentric men in history, done with charm and power.
475. School of Rock (2003)
Dir: Richard Linklater
Cast: Jack Black, Joan Cusack, Mike White, Sarah Silverman, Miranda Cosgrove.
Genre: Comedy/Music
Fun romp that combines the joy of rock music with the comedy of this generation's Mike Myers.
474. Howl's Moving Castle (2004)
Dir: Hayao Miyazaki
Cast: Jean Simmons, Christian Bale, Lauren Bacall, Billy Crystal, Emily Mortimer.
Genre: Action/Adventure/Animation
One of the most intensely satisfying anime films ever made.
473. Public Enemies (2009)
Dir: Michael Mann
Cast: Johnny Depp, Christian Bale, Marion Cottilard, Billy Crudup, Stephen Dorff.
Genre: Biography/Crime/Drama
A fascinating glimpse into the final days of the great American criminal age, and the formation of the FBI.
472. Rashomon (1950)
Dir: Akira Kurosawa
Cast: Toshiro Mifune, Masayuki Mori, Mackiko Kyo, Takashi Shimura, Minoru Chiaki.
Genre: Crime/Drama/Mystery
Nobody does intense cinema quite like Akira Kurosawa.
471. Platoon (1986)
471. Platoon (1986)
Dir: Oliver Stone
Cast: Charlie Sheen, Tom Berenger, Willem Dafoe, Forest Whitaker, Johnny Depp.
Genre: Action/Drama/War
Far more action-oriented look at the impact of the Vietnam War on the lives of individual soldiers.
470. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)
Dir: Tim Burton
Cast: Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman, Timothy Spall, Sacha Baron Cohen.
Genre: Drama/Horror/Musical
Wonderfully powerful musical by Tim Burton that captures the horror of the tale, while transforming it's stars into singers.
469. The Social Network (2010)
Dir: David Fincher
Cast: Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, Justin Timberlake, Brenda Song, Rooney Mara.
Genre: Biography/Drama/History
The best drama about a geek inventing a website that's ever been made.
468. Pineapple Express (2008)
Dir: David Gordon Green
Cast: Seth Rogen, James Franco, Gary Cole, Rosie Perez, Craig Robinson.
Genre: Action/Adventure/Comedy
Incredibly funny stoner movie that manages to add in just enough action to make it a ride rather than a romp.
467. Modern Times (1936)
Dir: Charlie Chaplin
Cast: Charlie Chaplin, Paulette Goddard, Henry Bergman, Chester Conklin, Stanley Sandford.
Genre: Comedy/Drama/Romance
Chaplin at his best? Perfection.
466. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007)
Dir: Julian Schnabel
Cast: Mathieu Amalric, Emmanuelle Seigner, Max von Sydow, Annie Consigny, Marie-Josee Croze.
Genre: Biography/Drama
A film about a man who can't talk and is trapped inside his own body that transforms into a perfectly poetic piece of filmmaking.
465. Barry Lyndon (1975)
Dir: Stanley Kubrick
Cast: Ryan O’Neal, Marisa Berenson, Leon Vitali, Gay Hamilton, Patrick Magee.
Genre: Drama/Romance/War
Arguably, the most epic Kubrick ever got.
464. Without a Clue (1988)
Dir: Thom Eberhardt
Cast: Michael Caine, Ben Kingsley, Jeffrey Jones, Paul Freeman, Pat Keen.
Genre: Comedy/Crime/Mystery
The perfect piss-take of the Sherlock Holmes story there has ever been.
463. Funny Games (1997)
Dir: Michael Haneke
Cast: Susanne Lothar, Ulrich Muthe, Frank Giering, Arno Frisch, Wolfgang Gluck.
Genre: Crime/Drama/Horror
Messed up crime-horror that was remade by the same director, recently; both versions are fantastic, this one slightly more so.
462. All About Eve (1950)
Dir: Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Cast: Bette Davis, Anne Baxter, George Sanders, Thelma Ritter, Celeste Holm.
Genre: Drama
A film about the theatre industry, and the idea of threating competition and the problems that arise from that.
461. Dark City (1998)
Dir: Alex Proyas
Cast: Rufus Sewell, Kiefer Sutherland, Jennifer Connelly, William Hurt, Ian Richardson.
Genre: Mystery/Science Fiction/Thriller
This film combines everything I love into one giant mess of fun. A dark story, an engaging mystery and some stunning visuals.
460. Clerks II (2006)
Dir: Kevin Smith
Cast: Brian O’Halloran, Jeff Anderson, Rosario Dawson, Jason Mewes, Kevin Smith.
Genre: Comedy
Hilarious sequel that shows the value of age and understanding in a world where the youth is the dominant sect of society.
459. The Battle of Algiers (1966)
Dir: Gillo Pontecovro
Cast: Brahim Haggiag, Jean Martin, Saadi Yacef.
Genre: Drama/History/War
Epic war film told from the perspective of the oppressors and the suppressors.
458. Road to Perdition (2002)
Dir: Sam Mendes
Cast: Tom Hanks, Paul Newman, Jude Law, Daniel Craig, Tyler Hoechlin.
Genre: Adventure/Crime/Drama
Wonderful adaptation of the crime graphic novel that examines the generation of organized crime.
457. Tenacious D in: The Pick of Destiny (2006)
Dir: Liam Lynch
Cast: Jack Black, Kyle Gass, Jason Reed, Dave Grohl, Tim Robbins.
Genre: Adventure/Comedy/Music
The film version of one of the best known comedy bands of the last decade serves to be one of the most fan-serving pieces of film ever made.
456. Metropolis (1927)
Dir: Fritz Lang
Cast: Alfred Abel, Brigitte Helm, Gustav Frohlich, Rudolf Klein-Rogge.
Genre: Adventure/Drama/Science Fiction
Weird and wonderful Golden Age masterpiece.
455. Groundhog Day (1993)
Dir: Harold Ramis
Cast: Bill Murray, Andie MacDowell, Chris Elliott, Stephen Tobolowsky, Brian Doyle-Murray.
Genre: Comedy/Drama/Fantasy
Brilliant comedy about being forced to repeat the same twenty-four hours over and over again.
454. The Pink Panther (1963)
Dir: Blake Edwards
Cast: David Niven, Peter Sellers, Robert Wagner, Capucine, Claudia Cardinale.
Genre: Comedy/Crime/Family
The film that started the franchise and still remains one of the funniest comedies of the 1960s.
453. Sudden Impact (1983)
Dir: Clint Eastwood
Cast: Clint Eastwood, Sondra Locke, Pat Hingle, Paul Drake.
Genre: Action/Crime/Thriller
The last great Dirty Harry film; the beginning of the end for the hero cop, and the film to feature his most famous catchphrase.
452. Tombstone (1992)
Dir: George P. Cosmatos
Cast: Kurt Russell, Val Kilmer, Sam Elliott, Bill Paxton, Powers Boothe.
Genre: Action/Drama/History
One of the most underrated Westerns ever made.
451. The Wrestler (2008)
Dir: Darren Aronofsky
Cast: Mickey Rourke, Marisa Tomei, Evan Rachel Wood, Ernest Miller.
Genre: Drama/Sport
Mickey Rourke's greatest performance; a modern day Rocky from start to finish.
Next Time: 450 to 401
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