Tag Archives: Lists

THE LIST (2025 Update)

08 Saturday Feb 2025

Posted by in Movies, Writing

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Rather overdue, but here is the full updated list of my personal top 365 films, including the latest additions in bold, albeit with series and ties combined in completely arbitrary ways because it’s MY list. It’s hard to believe I’ve been curating this list for 10 years now. This blog started as a countdown of poems/reviews for my original Top 365 films that took up my first year of blogging, and then I have edited and updated it annually ever since. (I’m thinking I’ll combine the past updates onto a single page instead of having them clutter up the top menu.)

Looking back at the 10 years that I’ve been curating this index, it’s hard to believe that only 8 films (not counting groupings) have managed to carve out a new place in the Top 100 in that time: Dungeons & Dragons, Little Women, the Star Wars sequel trilogy, Wit, Serenity, The Greatest Showman, La La Land, and The Martian. Otherwise, my favorites have remained pretty solid in the past decade, while the rest of the list has gone through quite a bit of fluctuation.

In this latest update, Tick, Tick… Boom! and Galaxy Quest saw the biggest boost, both jumping 50 places higher as I realized just how much I love those films, with other increases going to The Red Violin (+16), Hidden/A Quiet Place (+18), and Klaus (+26). Meanwhile, other films were brought down a peg, particularly The Right Stuff, dropping 102 places but still staying on the list. Also falling a bit were The Homecoming (-37), the Planet of the Apes series (-40), Labyrinth of Lies (-52), Shang-Chi (-24), and The Father (-42).

But what really pains me, as always, is tearing off the excess from this ever-growing list, so I must mention the excellent films that ended up being supplanted with this update, namely The Ultimate Gift, Shazam!, Wuthering Heights (1970), Remember the Titans, Kubo and the Two Strings, Swiss Family Robinson (1960), and A Chorus Line. I’m still a fan of these and all the other films that have been replaced over the last ten years; alas, there just isn’t enough room.

Thank you again to anyone who gives even a first glance to my little corner of the blogosphere here. I’ve actually been watching a lot more movies so far this year, so I’m hoping I can revive my rather languid posting schedule. Plus, I’m still working on that new musical project, and I live for the day when it’s ready to share with the world. In the meantime, may everyone have a fantastic 2025!

1.  The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001, 2002, 2003)

2.  Mr. Holland’s Opus (1995)

3.  Forrest Gump (1994)

4.  It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)

5.  The Sound of Music (1965)

6.  Star Wars Trilogy (1977, 1980, 1983)

7.  Finding Nemo (2003) and Finding Dory (2016)

8.  Titanic (1997)

9.  Toy Story Series  (1995, 1999, 2010, 2019)

10.  Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)

11.  The Princess Bride (1987)

12.  Beauty and the Beast (1991)

13.  Groundhog Day (1993)

14.  The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

15.  The Prince of Egypt (1998)

16.  You’ve Got Mail (1998)

17.  The Wizard of Oz (1939)

18.  The Avengers (2012), Captain America: Civil War (2016), Infinity War (2018), and Endgame (2019)

19.  Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

20.  War Horse (2011)

21.  The Incredibles (2004) and The Incredibles 2 (2018)

22.  Cast Away (2000)

23.  Heart and Souls (1993)

24.  Pirates of the Caribbean (2003, 2006, 2007) and Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017)

25.  Tarzan (1999)

26.  Les Miserables (2012)

27.  Ben-Hur (1959)

28.  Elizabethtown (2005)

29.  Star Trek (2009)

30.  The Chronicles of Narnia (2005, 2008, 2010)

31.  The Mummy (1999) and The Mummy Returns (2001)

32.  Driving Miss Daisy (1989)

33.  Oliver! (1968)

34.  Whisper of the Heart (1995)

35.  Spider-Man Trilogy (2002, 2004, 2007)

36.  The Five People You Meet in Heaven (2004)

37.  Doctor Zhivago (1965)

38.  Babe (1995)

39.  The Blues Brothers (1980)

40.  Jurassic Park (1993)

41.  84 Charing Cross Road (1987)

42.  National Treasure (2004) and National Treasure: Book of Secrets (2007)

43.  Ratatouille (2007)

44.  The Fugitive (1993)

45.  True Grit (1969, 2010)

46.  Evita (1996)

47.  The Lion King (1994)

48.  Inception (2010)

49.  When Harry Met Sally… (1989)

50.  Back to the Future Trilogy (1985, 1989, 1990)

51.  Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023)

52.  Chariots of Fire (1981)

53.  Lilies of the Field (1963)

54.  Life of Pi (2012)

55.  Mary Poppins (1964)

56.  Star Trek: First Contact (1996)

57.  Glory (1989)

58.  Singin’ in the Rain (1952)

59.  The Family Man (2000)

60.  The Sixth Sense (1999)

61.  Aliens (1986)

62.  Life Is Beautiful (1997)

63.  Sherlock Holmes (2009) and Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011)

64.  The Phantom of the Opera (2004)

65.  Awakenings (1990)

66.  Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971)

67.  Paulie (1998)

68.  Home Alone (1990) and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992)

69.  The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)

70.  Big (1988)

71.  Jumanji (1995)

72.  A Christmas Story (1983)

73.  Speed (1994)

74.  Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)

75.  Little Women (1994, 2019)

76.  1776 (1972)

77.  High School Musical Trilogy (2006, 2007, 2008)

78.  Wit (2001)

79.  Serenity (2005)

80.  Somewhere in Time (1980)

81.  Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)

82.  Miracle on 34th Street (1947)

83.  Gone with the Wind (1939)

84.  Aladdin (1992)

85.  The Greatest Showman (2017)

86.  Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015), The Last Jedi (2017) and The Rise of Skywalker (2019)

87.  Saints and Soldiers (2003)

88.  La La Land (2016)

89.  Fantasia (1940)

90.  Shadowlands (1993)

91.  Hook (1991)

92.  Young Frankenstein (1974)

93.  The Truman Show (1998)

94.  The Ten Commandments (1956)

95.  Star Wars Prequel Trilogy (1999, 2002, 2005)

96.  October Sky (1999)

97.  Saving Mr. Banks (2013)

98.  Holes (2003)

99.  The Martian (2015)

100.  The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)

101.  About Time (2013)

102.  Tick, Tick… Boom! (2021)

103.  Mr. Church (2016)

104.  Taking Chance (2009)

105.  Signs (2002)

106.  Star Trek: Generations (1994)

107.  Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991)

108.  The Santa Clause (1994)

109.  Starman (1984)

110.  The Passion of the Christ (2004)

111.  Train to Busan (2016) and Peninsula (2020)

112.  1917 (2019)

113.  Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), Far from Home (2019), and No Way Home (2021)

114.  Brother Bear (2003)

115.  Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)

116.  WALL-E (2008)

117.  The Green Mile (1999)

118.  On Golden Pond (1981)

119.  Air Force One (1997)

120.  Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) and Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2013)

121.  Shrek (2001), Shrek 2 (2004), and Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022)

122.  The Mitchells vs. the Machines (2021)

123.  Star Trek into Darkness (2013) and Star Trek Beyond (2016)

124.  Big Hero 6 (2014)

125.  To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)

126.  The Matrix (1999)

127.  Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

128.  Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)

129.  Shuffle (2011)

130.  The Mask of Zorro (1998) and The Legend of Zorro (2005)

131.  The Color Purple (1985 and 2023)

132.  Jesus Christ Superstar (1973)

133.  Cyrano (2021)

134.  The King’s Speech (2010)

135.  X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)

136.  My Fair Lady (1964)

137.  Iron Man Trilogy (2008, 2010, 2013)

138.  The Hunger Games series (2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2023)

139.  Men in Black Trilogy (1997, 2002, 2012)

140.  The Wild Robot (2024)

141.  The Music Man (1962)

142.  Ghostbusters Trilogy (1984, 1989, 2021)

143.  Ready Player One (2018)

144.  Yentl (1983)

145.  The Blind Side (2009)

146.  Regarding Henry (1991)

147.  Alien (1979)

148.  Top Gun: Maverick (2022)

149.  The Polar Express (2004)

150.  Sleepless in Seattle (1993)

151.  Julie and Julia (2009)

152.  Airplane! (1980)

153.  Castle in the Sky (1986)

154.  Secondhand Lions (2003)

155.  Grave of the Fireflies (1988)

156.  Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)

157.  Wicked: Part 1 (2024)

158.  National Velvet (1944)

159.  Darkest Hour (2017)

160.  A Christmas Carol (any version)

161.  E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

162.  The Little Mermaid (1989)

163.  Die Hard trilogy (1988, 1990, 1995)

164.  Godzilla Minus One (2023)

165.  Soul (2020)

166.  Source Code (2011)

167.  Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) and Across the Spider-Verse (2023)

168.  Gattaca (1997)

169.  Inside Out (2015) and Inside Out 2 (2024)

170.  Oppenheimer (2023)

171.  Hacksaw Ridge (2016)

172.  Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986)

173.  Overboard (1987)

174.  Cinderella (1950) / Cinderella (2015)

175.  A League of Their Own (1992)

176.  Tangled (2010)

177.  Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984)

178.  Zootopia (2016)

179.  The Untouchables (1987)

180.  Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron (2002)

181.  Treasure Planet (2002)

182.  Ella Enchanted (2004)

183.  Splash (1984)

184.  Monsters, Inc. (2001) and Monsters University (2013)

185.  Children Who Chase Lost Voices (2011)

186.  How to Train Your Dragon (2010)

187.  Guardians of the Galaxy (2014),  Vol. 2 (2017), and Vol. 3 (2023)

188.  Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms (2018)

189.  Mission: Impossible III (2006), Ghost Protocol (2011), Rogue Nation (2015), Fallout (2018), and Dead Reckoning (2023)

190.  Selma (2014)

191.  Doc Hollywood (1991)

192.  Knives Out (2019) and Glass Onion (2022)

193.  The Holdovers (2023)

194.  Extraordinary Measures (2010)

195.  The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman (1974)

196.  Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968)

197.  Enchanted (2007)

198.  Up (2009)

199.  What’s Up, Doc? (1972)

200.  Ant-Man (2015) and Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)

201.  Wolf Children (2012)

202.  Jojo Rabbit (2019)

203.  Your Name (2016)

204.  Wolfwalkers (2020)

205.  Galaxy Quest (1999)

206.  Pocahontas (1995)

207.  Planet of the Apes series (2011, 2014, 2017, 2024)

208.  Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989)

209.  Rudy (1993)

210.  Mulan (1998)

211.  Hidden Figures (2016)

212.  The Homecoming: A Christmas Story (1971)

213.  As Good As It Gets (1997)

214.  Coal Miner’s Daughter (1980)

215.  King of Thorn (2010)

216.  In the Heights (2021)

217.  Les Miserables (1998)

218.  Spaceballs (1987)

219.  My Left Foot (1989)

220.  The Way (2010)

221.  The Prestige (2006)

222.  Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (2011)

223.  Blinded by the Light (2019)

224.  The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)

225.  Wreck-It Ralph (2012) and Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018)

226.  Saving Private Ryan (1998) / The Longest Day (1962)

227.  To Sir, with Love (1967)

228.  The Right Stuff (1983)

229.  Frozen (2013) and Frozen II (2019)

230.  The Dark Knight Trilogy (2005, 2008, 2012)

231.  Harriet (2019)

232.  United 93 (2006)

233.  Joyeux Noël (2005)

234.  Woman in Gold (2015)

235.  Twister (1996)

236.  Foul Play (1978)

237.  Coco (2017)

238.  Funny Girl (1968)

239.  Rocky (1976), Rocky II (1979), Rocky III (1982), Rocky IV (1985), and Creed (2015)

240.  Hello, Dolly! (1969)

241.  Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)

242.  Weathering with You (2019)

243.  April and the Extraordinary World (2015) / Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (2004)

244.  Déjà Vu (2006)

245.  Out of Africa (1985)

246.  Kramer vs. Kramer (1979)

247.  The Hobbit Trilogy (2012, 2013, 2014)

248.  Adventures in Babysitting (1987)

249.  Hoosiers (1986)

250.  The Great Escape (1963)

251.  Arrival (2016)

252.  Scrooged (1988) and Spirited (2022)

253.  The Naked Gun (1988)

254.  Jumpin’ Jack Flash (1986)

255.  Philadelphia (1993)

256.  Raising Arizona (1987)

257. The Jerk (1979)

258.  Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)

259.  Ghost (1990)

260.  Misery (1990)

261.  School of Rock (2003)

262.  42 (2013)

263.  Daniel Craig Bond films – Casino Royale (2006), Quantum of Solace (2008), Skyfall (2012), Spectre (2015), and No Time to Die (2021)

264.  Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)

265.  Gravity (2013)

266.  Hidden (2015) and A Quiet Place series (2018, 2021, 2024)

267.  Vantage Point (2008)

268.  Peter Pan (1953)

269.  The Terminal (2004)

270.  The Father (2020)

271.  Eddie the Eagle (2016)

272.  Labyrinth of Lies (2014)

273.  Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)

274.  Jane Eyre (1970)

275.  Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Across the 2nd Dimension (2011)

276.  The Poseidon Adventure (1972)

277.  The Girl Who Leapt through Time (2006)

278.  Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) / Furiosa (2024) and Waterworld (1995)

279.  Ride Your Wave (2019)

280.  Cloud Atlas (2012)

281.  Anastasia (1997)

282.  Violet Evergarden: The Movie (2020)

283.  Short Term 12 (2013)

284.  X-Men (2000) and X2: X-Men United (2003)

285.  The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim (2024)

286.  Green Book (2018)

287.  Surrogates (2009)

288.  Lethal Weapon 2 (1989)

289.  WarGames (1983)

290.  Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001)

291.  The Red Violin (1999)

292.  Cars (2006) and Cars 3 (2017)

293.  My Girl (1991)

294.  Memphis Belle (1990)

295.  Soul Man (1986)

296.  The Terminator (1984)

297.  The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1947)

298.  The Castle of Cagliostro (1979)

299.  Casablanca (1942)

300.  Rain Man (1988) and Dominick and Eugene (1988)

301.  One Cut of the Dead (2017)

302.  Pinocchio (1940) and Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio (2022)

303.  City Slickers (1991)

304.  The Hundred-Foot Journey (2014)

305.  Patema Inverted (2013)

306.  Forget Paris (1995)

307.  A Silent Voice (2016) / Hear Me (2009)

308.  Dances with Wolves (1990)

309.  Doctor Strange (2016)

310.  Akeelah and the Bee (2006)

311.  Murphy’s Romance (1985)

312.  Shenandoah (1965)

313.  A View to a Kill (1985)

314.  Wonder Woman (2017)

315.  Con Air (1997)

316.  Unbreakable (2000)

317.  Trading Places (1983)

318.  Sister Act (1992)

319.  Alien: Romulus (2024)

320.  Something the Lord Made (2004)

321.  The Way Back (2010)

322.  Superman (1978) and Superman II (1980)

323.  Dave (1993)

324.  Klaus (2019)

325.  Annie (1999)

326.  Elemental (2023)

327.  The Elephant Man (1980)

328.  Mean Girls (2004)

329.  The River Wild (1994)

330.  A Beautiful Mind (2001)

331.  Finding Forrester (2000)

332. The Big Year (2011)

333.  Starter for 10 (2006)

334.  Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas (2003)

335.  The Pianist (2002)

336.  Wayne’s World (1992)

337.  Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991)

338.  The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya (2010)

339.  Steel Magnolias (1989)

340.  Encanto (2021)

341.  Searching (2018) and Missing (2023)

342.  Chronesthesia (or Love and Time Travel) (2016)

343.  Dancer in the Dark (2000)

344.  Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)

345.  Please Stand By (2018)

346.  Music and Lyrics (2007)

347.  The Abyss (1989)

348.  The Breakfast Club (1985)

349.  Places in the Heart (1984)

350.  Psycho (1960)

351.  Cabrini (2024)

352.  Chicken Run (2000)

353.  Black Panther (2018) and Wakanda Forever (2022)

354.  Hercules (1997)

355.  Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey (1993)

356.  In Time (2011)

357.  The Emperor’s New Groove (2000)

358.  The Spiderwick Chronicles (2008)

359.  A Monster Calls (2016)

360.  Ordinary People (1980) and Rabbit Hole (2010)

361.  Fiddler on the Roof (1971)

362.  Seven Samurai (1954) / The Magnificent Seven (1960/2016)

363.  Citizen Kane (1941)

364.  The Conjuring (2013) and The Conjuring 2 (2016)

365.  Sneakers (1992)

My 11th Blogiversary and 2024 List Additions

20 Monday Jan 2025

Posted by in Movies, Reviews, Writing

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

It feels odd to celebrate my tenth year of blogging and movies when, for my posting at least, the year was basically just NaPoWriMo in April and three Blindspots before that. Heck, I still haven’t gotten around to completing my 2023 Blindspot list! I realize I’ve been out of practice for months, but 2024 still had quite a few excellent films that I enjoyed and will hopefully get to review eventually. Like last year, there weren’t quite a full twelve that I loved enough to add to my Top 365 List, but my love of lists demands a full complement and #12 is still a high runner-up in my book.

As is tradition, I must make mention of the other runners-up seen last year that I still liked and would recommend, even if they didn’t make the cut. These include Long Way North, A Man Called Otto, Mean Girls (2024), Past Lives, American Fiction, Dreamgirls, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, The Equalizer and The Equalizer 2, Civil War, Carry-On, Gladiator, and Flow. Beyond the world of film, I also have been seeing a lot more touring and local stage productions lately, as research for my own musical project and just to widen my horizons. I thoroughly enjoyed Shucked, Beetlejuice, and Into the Woods (way better than the movie), as well as Peter and the Starcatcher and To Kill a Mockingbird for straight plays. 

Plus, my vacation to Europe in October allowed me to see two shows in London’s West End: Stranger Things: The First Shadow (great for fans of the show and coming to Broadway in April) and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: The Musical. The latter is very different from the movie, but, with its Celtic musical style and an exceptionally talented cast, I think it’s my favorite thing I saw all year. Sadly, it’s closing next month, but, if you ever get a chance to see it, I can’t recommend it highly enough.

Once again, this list isn’t exactly full of Best Picture nominees (maybe a few), but it reflects my personal favorite movies seen, all but two of which were actually from 2024. I probably need to start watching more older films again. Anyway, what were your top movies from last year? I always welcome recommendations, but for now, on to the Top Twelve list!

12. Dune: Part Two (2024)

As many noted after the successful first installment, any story split into two parts is going to hinge on how well it sticks the landing, and Denis Villeneuve’s Dune did it with just the right amount of prophetic guile and sci-fi grandeur. The big moments feel appropriately huge – Paul’s first worm ride, the Fremen attack on the palace, the climactic knife duel – and even if Dune overall isn’t my favorite tale in the genre, the skill and scale of this adaptation deserve praise.

11. Furiosa (2024)

While not as universally well-received as Mad Max: Fury Road, George Miller’s prequel was still an awe-inspiring thrill ride, focusing on the past of Charlize Theron’s tough-girl Imperator, played by the always reliable Anya Taylor-Joy. With Chris Hemsworth in rare form as the crazed desert warlord Dementus, Furiosa serves as a fitting origin story of one woman against a world gone mad, reminding us why Mad Max felt like a supporting character in the previous film.

10. Cabrini (2024)

Continuing the theme of one woman against the world (albeit in very different circumstances), Cabrini brought to life the story of the first American saint, the Italian immigrant and missionary nun Francesca Cabrini. Cristiana Dell’anna gives an award-worthy performance in the title role, and her strength and conviction in the face of stubborn powers-that-be represent the kind of inspiration that Hollywood rarely delivers these days, especially for religious audiences.

9. A Quiet Place: Day One (2024)

While I couldn’t care less about the latest Saw or Terrifier, I am fully invested in the Quiet Place franchise, which remains my brand of horror. Scary and intense without resorting to gore, this prequel separate from the other films, set during the beginning of the sound-based alien invasion, continues the themes of loss and self-sacrifice with an excellent Lupita Nyong’o in the lead. Although, let’s face it: her cat is the real star.

8. Alien: Romulus (2024)

What was that about gore? I don’t know exactly why, but Alien is in a league of its own, and this latest entry in the long-running sci-fi horror franchise is one of its best. A crew of orphaned workers trying to escape to a better planet try their luck with a derelict space station, and naturally things go south quickly. Bridging the gap between the Prometheus and original Alien timelines, Romulus sticks to what this franchise does best and creates some outstanding action setpieces amid the android betrayals and xenomorph ambushes. Even seven movies in, I’m still eager to see what comes next.

7. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (2024)

After an excellent trilogy of Apes films in the last decade, it seemed like adding another entry into this hoary franchise might backfire, but Kingdom managed to surpass expectations. It follows the hero’s journey of Owen Teague’s young chimp Noa after a human girl appears and his clan is captured by a would-be tyrant. With some of the franchise’s best effects yet and room for more to come, Kingdom breathed some welcome freshness into this simian dystopia. 

6. Inside Out 2 (2024)

Proving that last year’s Elemental was a return to form rather than a fluke, Inside Out 2 built on one of its best films of the last decade. It explored further corners of Riley’s mind while bringing in new teenage emotions like Embarrassment, Ennui, Envy, and especially Anxiety, something that is all too relatable nowadays. The imaginative storytelling at Pixar is still going strong.

5. The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim (2024)

In the Venn diagram of anime fans and Lord of the Rings fans, I am squarely in the center, so it hurt my heart to see War of the Rohirrim ignored at the box office and largely written off as a failure. I can’t argue with some of its weaknesses, whether it’s unrealistic feats or the slightly choppy animation, but it felt so good to return to Middle-earth, complete with music from the Peter Jackson trilogy, that I didn’t care. Regardless of what it could have been, I still love it.

4. The Holdovers (2023)

Appropriately a “holdover” from last year, Alexander Payne’s tale of a student, a teacher, and a cook at an emptied New England boarding school at Christmas is an instant holiday classic. Despite the bratty insolence of Dominic Sessa’s teenage Angus Tully or the crotchety disdain of Paul Giamatti’s Paul Hunham, the layers of surliness are gradually peeled back, allowing the insecure humans underneath to unexpectedly bond. Along with Da’Vine Joy Randolph’s Oscar-winning role as a grieving mother, their trio of performances is pitch perfect.

3. Godzilla Minus One (2023)

Easily the biggest surprise of the year, Godzilla Minus One managed to win over audiences and critics alike with its impressive effects and a genuinely moving story of survivor’s guilt. I was convinced to see it only based on the wave of popular buzz, and it challenged my preconceived notion of what a Godzilla movie could be. It’s a true reinvention of what had once been the stuff of B movies.

2. Wicked: Part 1 (2024)

What a surprise that a musical fan enjoyed the biggest musical movie of the year! Again, the truest evaluation of Jon Chu’s adaptation of Wicked will have to wait until Part 2 (For Good) comes out later this year, but Part 1 certainly delivered the tunes and Ozian wonder of the classic musical’s first half. With both Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande excelling in career-defining roles, Wicked found the success that has eluded so many other movie musicals of late, and I couldn’t be happier about it.

1. The Wild Robot (2024)

Similar to how Pixar made an inquisitive robot beloved in WALL-E, DreamWorks Animation delivered an exquisite fable of technology finding a way to live in harmony with nature. After Lupita Nyong’o’s unprogrammed robot Roz is stranded on a forested island, she must rise above her directives to connect with the local wildlife, particularly a hatchling goose in need of a mother. The animation is stunning, the score soul-stirring, and the voice cast peerless. The Wild Robot is that always-welcome animation that can appeal to anyone of any age, and, despite an imperfect ending, it was my favorite film of the year.

And thus ends another blog year, as sparse as it may have been. Nevertheless, here are my own unofficial awards for the year’s films:

Best opening scene: The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare

Best final scene: Wicked: Part 1

Coolest scene: Alien: Romulus (the ending escape)

Biggest emotional impact: The Wild Robot

Oldest film: 8½ (1963)

Most recent film: Wicked: Part 1

Longest film: Dune: Part Two (166 minutes)

Shortest film: Long Way North (81 minutes)

Best soundtrack: Wicked: Part 1 (naturally)

Best score: The Wild Robot

Best special effects: Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes

Most family-friendly: Inside Out 2

Most mature: Furiosa

Funniest: Inside Out 2

Scariest: Alien: Romulus

Best male performance: Paul Giamatti in The Holdovers

Best female performance: Cristiana Dell’anna in Cabrini

Personal favorite poem written: The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

Most represented year: 2024, with ten films

So there you have it. While I regret how much I’ve left this blog in limbo lately, I’m still grateful for everyone who has read, liked, commented, or followed in the past year and for this blog itself as a creative outlet. I really want to return to a more regular posting schedule and get to some of the lists I’ve had in the back of my head for a while now. Thank you to all, whether you be a long-time reader or a newfound visitor, and I wish everybody a blessed 2025!

NaPoWriMo 2024 Recap

04 Saturday May 2024

Posted by in Movies, NaPoWriMo, Poetry, Writing

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

May the Fourth be with you all! I am breathing a sigh of relief after the whirlwind of National Poetry Writing Month. Plus, I’m very pleased that, for the first time since 2020, I managed to not miss any days. There were plenty of times I posted right before midnight, but I was able to keep up with the daily schedule of one poem/review a day throughout April. This allowed me to play major catch-up on my backlog of movies waiting to be reviewed, particularly the major films from last year.

With another NaPoWriMo in the books, I want to extend thanks to everyone who read, liked, commented, and subscribed along the way, as well as to the NaPoWriMo website for the daily prompts that helped direct each day’s poem. Not every post may be my best work, but I’ve come to value the inspiration that April brings every year, helping me create verses that I might not have imagined otherwise.

While resuming work on my musical will take precedence again, I’ll be continuing to write on this blog too, hopefully more frequently than I was before April rolled around. Below is a look back at the posts from NaPoWriMo 2024, and until next year, happy writing to all!

April 1 – Great Expectations (1946) – Honorable Mention

April 2 – The Whale (2022) – Honorable Mention

April 3 – Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014) – Honorable Mention

April 4 – Godzilla Minus One (2023) – List-Worthy

April 5 – Living (2022) – List Runner-Up

April 6 – Leave the World Behind (2023) – List Runner-Up

April 7 – Weekend at Bernie’s (1989) – List Runner-Up

April 8 – A Million Miles Away (2023) – List Runner-Up

April 9 – The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes (2022) – List Runner-Up

April 10 – Barbie (2023) – Honorable Mention

April 11 – Last Night in Soho (2021) – List Runner-Up

April 12 – Django Unchained (2012) – Dishonorable Mention

April 13 – Dune: Part Two (2024) – List Runner-Up

April 14 – Long Way North (2015) – List Runner-Up (my most liked post)

April 15 – Cabrini (2024) – List-Worthy

April 16 – A Man Called Otto (2022) – List Runner-Up

April 17 – Guys and Dolls (1955) – List Runner-Up

April 18 – The Boy and the Heron (2023) – Honorable Mention

April 19 – Hollow Man (2000) – Honorable Mention

April 20 – Lincoln (2012) – List-Worthy

April 21 – Mean Girls (2024) – List Runner-Up

April 22 – The Holdovers (2023) – List-Worthy (my favorite film of the month)

April 23 – The Marvels (2023) – List Runner-Up

April 24 – The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (2023) – List-Worthy (my favorite poem of the month)

April 25 – Past Lives (2023) – List Runner-Up

April 26 – Cats (2019) – Dishonorable Mention

April 27 – Elemental (2023) – List-Worthy

April 28 – Peninsula (2020) – List-Worthy

April 29 – Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One (2023) – List-Worthy

April 30 – Oppenheimer (2023) – List-Worthy

THE LIST (2024 Update)

08 Monday Jan 2024

Posted by in Movies, Writing

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

I cannot believe it has been ten years since I first started this blog with a countdown of my top 365 favorite movies with a poem for each one. I think it was just an outlet for my obsessive list-making, since it was a list I had already compiled on my own even before I thought to turn it into a blog. Since then, I’ve been constantly adding and removing and rearranging as only a compulsive cinephile would, and the fact that I’m still here ten years later is a wonder to me. A lot has changed, like making the leap from Panera cashier to software developer (I thank God every day that I’ve escaped from the world of customer service), but my love of movies and poetry has remained constant, even if the frequency of my posts has waned in recent years.

So then, let’s get into the 10-year anniversary version of THE LIST, padded though it be with ties and grouping of franchises together. This is probably the smallest shakeup of any year simply because the eleven films I’ve added this time (in bold below) lend themselves well to being grouped with ties or franchises. 😀 So that eases the blow of having to remove others to make space for the new arrivals. In fact, there were only three new films that actually took up a slot, meaning (thanks to one combination) I bid a fond farewell to only two: Joseph: King of Dreams and The Great Mouse Detective. Like last year, I’ve actually removed the films that were at the bottom of the previous year’s list, rather than saving them with some forced rearranging. Psycho was at #365 for a long time, but it keeps edging up to safety.

While there was some shuffling toward the bottom, there isn’t much movement this time in the middle of the list, but for the first time since 2019’s Little Women, we have a movie that actually managed to crack my Top 100, namely Dungeons & Dragons. And the rest of the new entries fared quite well, generally making it into the top half of the list, though perhaps on the coattails of films already present there. The biggest mover was Galaxy Quest, jumping from #309 to #255, simply because I enjoy and appreciate that movie more every time I see it. I also finally combined Shrek and Shrek 2, alongside the new Puss in Boots: The Last Wish; I don’t know why those were separated for so long, but that prevented one removal.

As I said in my previous post/end-of-year list, I thank everyone out there who has liked, commented, followed, or read anything I’ve written in the last ten years, even just once. It can seem at times like I’m just flinging my rhymes and ramblings into the Internet void, so any sign that someone else has engaged with it is a reassuring treat for me. Until I can get a musical or whatever it is I’m writing off the ground, I can still take pleasure in my little corner of the blogosphere, whether it’s one or ten more years to come. Thank you again, and here’s hoping 2024 will be another great year for movies!

1.  The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001, 2002, 2003)

2.  Mr. Holland’s Opus (1995)

3.  Forrest Gump (1994)

4.  It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)

5.  The Sound of Music (1965)

6.  Star Wars Trilogy (1977, 1980, 1983)

7.  Finding Nemo (2003) and Finding Dory (2016)

8.  Titanic (1997)

9.  Toy Story Series  (1995, 1999, 2010, 2019)

10.  Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)

11.  The Princess Bride (1987)

12.  Beauty and the Beast (1991)

13.  Groundhog Day (1993)

14.  The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

15.  The Prince of Egypt (1998)

16.  You’ve Got Mail (1998)

17.  The Wizard of Oz (1939)

18.  The Avengers (2012), Captain America: Civil War (2016), Infinity War (2018), and Endgame (2019)

19.  Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

20.  War Horse (2011)

21.  The Incredibles (2004) and The Incredibles 2 (2018)

22.  Cast Away (2000)

23.  Heart and Souls (1993)

24.  Pirates of the Caribbean (2003, 2006, 2007) and Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017)

25.  Tarzan (1999)

26.  Les Miserables (2012)

27.  Ben-Hur (1959)

28.  Elizabethtown (2005)

29.  Star Trek (2009)

30.  The Chronicles of Narnia (2005, 2008, 2010)

31.  The Mummy (1999) and The Mummy Returns (2001)

32.  Driving Miss Daisy (1989)

33.  Oliver! (1968)

34.  Whisper of the Heart (1995)

35.  Spider-Man Trilogy (2002, 2004, 2007)

36.  The Five People You Meet in Heaven (2004)

37.  Doctor Zhivago (1965)

38.  Babe (1995)

39.  The Blues Brothers (1980)

40.  Jurassic Park (1993)

41.  84 Charing Cross Road (1987)

42.  National Treasure (2004) and National Treasure: Book of Secrets (2007)

43.  Ratatouille (2007)

44.  The Fugitive (1993)

45.  True Grit (1969, 2010)

46.  Evita (1996)

47.  The Lion King (1994)

48.  Inception (2010)

49.  When Harry Met Sally… (1989)

50.  Back to the Future Trilogy (1985, 1989, 1990)

51.  Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023)

52.  Chariots of Fire (1981)

53.  Lilies of the Field (1963)

54.  Life of Pi (2012)

55.  Mary Poppins (1964)

56.  Star Trek: First Contact (1996)

57.  Glory (1989)

58.  Singin’ in the Rain (1952)

59.  The Family Man (2000)

60.  The Sixth Sense (1999)

61.  Aliens (1986)

62.  Life Is Beautiful (1997)

63.  Sherlock Holmes (2009) and Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011)

64.  The Phantom of the Opera (2004)

65.  Awakenings (1990)

66.  Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971)

67.  Paulie (1998)

68.  Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015), The Last Jedi (2017) and The Rise of Skywalker (2019)

69.  Home Alone (1990) and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992)

70.  The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)

71.  Big (1988)

72.  Jumanji (1995)

73.  Somewhere in Time (1980)

74.  Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)

75.  A Christmas Story (1983)

76.  Speed (1994)

77.  Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)

78.  Little Women (1994, 2019)

79.  1776 (1972)

80.  High School Musical Trilogy (2006, 2007, 2008)

81.  Wit (2001)

82.  Serenity (2005)

83.  Miracle on 34th Street (1947)

84.  Gone with the Wind (1939)

85.  Aladdin (1992)

86.  The Greatest Showman (2017)

87.  Saints and Soldiers (2003)

88.  La La Land (2016)

89.  Fantasia (1940)

90.  Shadowlands (1993)

91.  Hook (1991)

92.  Young Frankenstein (1974)

93.  The Truman Show (1998)

94.  The Ten Commandments (1956)

95.  Star Wars Prequel Trilogy (1999, 2002, 2005)

96.  October Sky (1999)

97.  Saving Mr. Banks (2013)

98.  Holes (2003)

99.  The Martian (2015)

100.  The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)

101.  About Time (2013)

102.  Mr. Church (2016)

103.  Taking Chance (2009)

104.  Signs (2002)

105.  Star Trek: Generations (1994)

106.  Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991)

107.  The Santa Clause (1994)

108.  Starman (1984)

109.  The Passion of the Christ (2004)

110.  Train to Busan (2016) and Peninsula (2023)

111.  1917 (2019)

112.  Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), Far from Home (2019), and No Way Home (2021)

113.  Brother Bear (2003)

114.  Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)

115.  WALL-E (2008)

116.  The Green Mile (1999)

117.  On Golden Pond (1981)

118.  Air Force One (1997)

119.  Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) and Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2013)

120.  Shrek (2001), Shrek 2 (2004), and Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022)

121.  The Mitchells vs. the Machines (2021)

122.  Star Trek into Darkness (2013) and Star Trek Beyond (2016)

123.  Big Hero 6 (2014)

124.  To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)

125.  The Matrix (1999)

126.  The Right Stuff (1983)

127.  Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

128.  Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)

129.  Shuffle (2011)

130.  The Mask of Zorro (1998) and The Legend of Zorro (2005)

131.  The Color Purple (1985 and 2023)

132.  Jesus Christ Superstar (1973)

133.  Cyrano (2021)

134.  The King’s Speech (2010)

135.  X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)

136.  My Fair Lady (1964)

137.  Iron Man Trilogy (2008, 2010, 2013)

138.  The Hunger Games series (2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2023)

139.  Men in Black Trilogy (1997, 2002, 2012)

140.  The Music Man (1962)

141.  Ghostbusters Trilogy (1984, 1989, 2021)

142.  Ready Player One (2018)

143.  Yentl (1983)

144.  The Blind Side (2009)

145.  Regarding Henry (1991)

146.  Alien (1979)

147.  Top Gun: Maverick (2022)

148.  The Polar Express (2004)

149.  Sleepless in Seattle (1993)

150.  Julie and Julia (2009)

151.  Airplane! (1980)

152.  Castle in the Sky (1986)

153.  Tick, Tick… Boom! (2021)

154.  Secondhand Lions (2003)

155.  Grave of the Fireflies (1988)

156.  Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)

157.  National Velvet (1944)

158.  Darkest Hour (2017)

159.  A Christmas Carol (any version)

160.  E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

161.  The Little Mermaid (1989)

162.  Die Hard trilogy (1988, 1990, 1995)

163. Soul (2020)

164.  Source Code (2011)

165.  Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) and Across the Spider-Verse (2023)

166.  Gattaca (1997)

167.  Planet of the Apes Trilogy (2011, 2014, 2017)

168.  Inside Out (2015)

169.  Oppenheimer (2023)

170.  Hacksaw Ridge (2016)

171.  Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986)

172.  Overboard (1987)

173.  Cinderella (1950) / Cinderella (2015)

174.  A League of Their Own (1992)

175.  The Homecoming: A Christmas Story (1971)

176.  Tangled (2010)

177.  Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984)

178.  Zootopia (2016)

179.  The Untouchables (1987)

180.  Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron (2002)

181.  Treasure Planet (2002)

182.  Ella Enchanted (2004)

183.  Splash (1984)

184.  Monsters, Inc. (2001) and Monsters University (2013)

185.  Children Who Chase Lost Voices (2011)

186.  How to Train Your Dragon (2010)

187.  Guardians of the Galaxy (2014),  Vol. 2 (2017), and Vol. 3 (2023)

188.  Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms (2018)

189.  Mission: Impossible III (2006), Ghost Protocol (2011), Rogue Nation (2015), Fallout (2018), and Dead Reckoning (2023)

190.  Selma (2014)

191.  Doc Hollywood (1991)

192.  Knives Out (2019) and Glass Onion (2022)

193.  Extraordinary Measures (2010)

194.  The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman (1974)

195.  Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968)

196.  Enchanted (2007)

197.  Up (2009)

198.  What’s Up, Doc? (1972)

199.  Ant-Man (2015) and Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)

200.  Wolf Children (2012)

201.  Jojo Rabbit (2019)

202.  Your Name (2016)

203.  Wolfwalkers (2020)

204.  Pocahontas (1995)

205.  Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989)

206.  Rudy (1993)

207.  Mulan (1998)

208.  Hidden Figures (2016)

209.  As Good As It Gets (1997)

210.  Coal Miner’s Daughter (1980)

211.  King of Thorn (2010)

212.  In the Heights (2021)

213.  Les Miserables (1998)

214.  Spaceballs (1987)

215.  My Left Foot (1989)

216.  The Way (2010)

217.  The Prestige (2006)

218.  Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (2011)

219.  Blinded by the Light (2019)

220.  Labyrinth of Lies (2014)

221.  The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)

222.  Wreck-It Ralph (2012) and Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018)

223.  Saving Private Ryan (1998) / The Longest Day (1962)

224.  To Sir, with Love (1967)

225.  Frozen (2013) and Frozen II (2019)

226.  The Dark Knight Trilogy (2005, 2008, 2012)

227.  Harriet (2019)

228.  The Father (2020)

229.  United 93 (2006)

230.  Joyeux Noël (2005)

231.  Woman in Gold (2015)

232.  Twister (1996)

233.  Foul Play (1978)

234.  Coco (2017)

235.  Funny Girl (1968)

236.  Rocky (1976), Rocky II (1979), Rocky III (1982), Rocky IV (1985), and Creed (2015)

237.  Hello, Dolly! (1969)

238.  Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)

239.  Weathering with You (2019)

240.  Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)

241.  April and the Extraordinary World (2015) / Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (2004)

242.  Déjà Vu (2006)

243.  Out of Africa (1985)

244.  Kramer vs. Kramer (1979)

245.  The Hobbit Trilogy (2012, 2013, 2014)

246.  Adventures in Babysitting (1987)

247.  Hoosiers (1986)

248.  The Great Escape (1963)

249.  Arrival (2016)

250.  Scrooged (1988) and Spirited (2022)

251.  The Naked Gun (1988)

252.  Jumpin’ Jack Flash (1986)

253.  Philadelphia (1993)

254.  Raising Arizona (1987)

255.  Galaxy Quest (1999)

256. The Jerk (1979)

257.  Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)

258.  Ghost (1990)

259.  Misery (1990)

260.  School of Rock (2003)

261.  42 (2013)

262.  Daniel Craig Bond films – Casino Royale (2006), Quantum of Solace (2008), Skyfall (2012), Spectre (2015), and No Time to Die (2021)

263.  Gravity (2013)

264.  Vantage Point (2008)

265.  Peter Pan (1953)

266.  The Terminal (2004)

267.  Eddie the Eagle (2016)

268.  Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)

269.  Jane Eyre (1970)

270.  Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Across the 2nd Dimension (2011)

271.  The Poseidon Adventure (1972)

272.  The Girl Who Leapt through Time (2006)

273.  Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) and Waterworld (1995)

274.  Ride Your Wave (2019)

275.  Cloud Atlas (2012)

276.  Anastasia (1997)

277.  Violet Evergarden: The Movie (2020)

278.  Short Term 12 (2013)

279.  X-Men (2000) and X2: X-Men United (2003)

280.  Green Book (2018)

281.  Surrogates (2009)

282.  Lethal Weapon 2 (1989)

283.  WarGames (1983)

284.  Hidden (2015) and A Quiet Place (2018) and Part II (2021)

285.  Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001)

286.  Cars (2006) and Cars 3 (2017)

287.  My Girl (1991)

288.  Memphis Belle (1990)

289.  Soul Man (1986)

290.  The Terminator (1984)

291.  The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1947)

292.  The Castle of Cagliostro (1979)

293.  Casablanca (1942)

294.  Rain Man (1988) and Dominick and Eugene (1988)

295.  One Cut of the Dead (2017)

296.  Pinocchio (1940) and Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio (2022)

297.  City Slickers (1991)

298.  The Hundred-Foot Journey (2014)

299.  Patema Inverted (2013)

300.  Forget Paris (1995)

301.  A Silent Voice (2016) / Hear Me (2009)

302.  Dances with Wolves (1990)

303.  Doctor Strange (2016)

304.  Akeelah and the Bee (2006)

305.  Murphy’s Romance (1985)

306.  Shenandoah (1965)

307.  The Red Violin (1999)

308.  A View to a Kill (1985)

309.  Wonder Woman (2017)

310.  Con Air (1997)

311.  Unbreakable (2000)

312.  Trading Places (1983)

313.  Sister Act (1992)

314.  Something the Lord Made (2004)

315.  The Way Back (2010)

316.  Superman (1978) and Superman II (1980)

317.  Dave (1993)

318.  Annie (1999)

319.  Elemental (2023)

320.  The Elephant Man (1980)

321.  The Ultimate Gift (2006)

322.  Mean Girls (2004)

323.  The River Wild (1994)

324.  A Beautiful Mind (2001)

325.  Finding Forrester (2000)

326. The Big Year (2011)

327.  Starter for 10 (2006)

328.  Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas (2003)

329.  The Pianist (2002)

330.  Wayne’s World (1992)

331.  Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991)

332.  The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya (2010)

333.  Steel Magnolias (1989)

334.  Encanto (2021)

335.  Searching (2018) and Missing (2023)

336.  Chronesthesia (or Love and Time Travel) (2016)

337.  Dancer in the Dark (2000)

338.  Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)

339.  Please Stand By (2018)

340.  Kubo and the Two Strings (2016)

341.  Music and Lyrics (2007)

342.  The Abyss (1989)

343.  The Breakfast Club (1985)

344.  Places in the Heart (1984)

345.  Psycho (1960)

346.  Chicken Run (2000)

347.  Black Panther (2018) and Wakanda Forever (2022)

348.  Hercules (1997)

349.  Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey (1993)

350.  Klaus (2019)

351.  In Time (2011)

352.  The Emperor’s New Groove (2000)

353.  The Spiderwick Chronicles (2008)

354.  Swiss Family Robinson (1960)

355.  A Monster Calls (2016)

356.  Ordinary People (1980) and Rabbit Hole (2010)

357.  Fiddler on the Roof (1971)

358.  Seven Samurai (1954) / The Magnificent Seven (1960/2016)

359.  Citizen Kane (1941)

360.  The Conjuring (2013) and The Conjuring 2 (2016)

361.  Sneakers (1992)

362.  Remember the Titans (2000)

363.  Wuthering Heights (1970)

364.  A Chorus Line (1985)

365.  Shazam! (2019)

My 10th Blogiversary and 2023 List Additions

01 Monday Jan 2024

Posted by in Movies, Reviews, Writing

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

,

And here we are at another milestone I never expected to reach, ten whole years for the Rhyme and Reason blog! I realize this year might be described as my least prolific or most neglectful year yet, and I think that came down to two reasons. For one, my Ireland/Scotland vacation back in May, my first international trip ever, threw off a lot of my routines, so it was both a big distraction and the highlight of the year. Secondly, I’ve been devoting a lot of my creative energies to my planned musical, which is progressing nicely, but still has a long road ahead of it. I can’t wait for the day when I can actually share it with the world, just not yet.

I’m still glad, though, that I was able to take part in NaPoWriMo back in April and still churn out the occasional review throughout the year, just to remind anyone out there that I’m still around. My Blindspot series has especially suffered, but I hope to wrap that up quickly in the new year, and maybe, hopefully do better with 2024’s Blindspot list. Hope springs eternal, even in the scattered world of time management.

The past year has been full of ups and downs, but good movies remain a consistent up whenever they come along. Hollywood found its stride in 2023 with some unqualified hits, despite Disney’s financial woes and the various strikes that rocked the movie industry. With my more limited theater-going, I wasn’t sure if I would have enough real favorites to compile my annual Top Twelve list, but there were more hits than I recalled. True, this is the first year that I don’t have a full twelve List-Worthy films to add to THE LIST of my Top 365 favorites, but I’ve included a couple high runners-up to round out my top films that I’ve seen in 2023 (not just 2023 releases). Not surprisingly, animation and musicals are well-represented, with a few more serious entries for good measure.

Before the countdown kicks off, as is tradition, I will pay respects to the outstanding runners-up that are worthy of praise but didn’t quite make the cut, including Shadow in the Cloud, Elvis, Matilda the Musical, RRR, Suzume, The Invisible Man, Living, Sound of Freedom, Last Night in Soho, A Million Miles Away, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, The Marvels, Blue Beetle, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, Journey to Bethlehem, and Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire. Plus, just as I have before with Hamilton and Come from Away, I’ll give kudos to the filmed stage performance of the musicals Waitress and Titanic that released this year. I still can’t quite bring myself to classify such recordings as typical movies, but they are well worth watching.

I can’t help but feel that this list has no resemblance to any critic’s end-of-year list, but these are my tastes and my list. What were your favorite films of the past year? I know I have plenty to catch up on (ahem, Barbie), so I’ll gladly take any recommendations! Now, on to the Top Twelve list!

12. Missing (2023)

Missing was an opportunistic watch, since I saw it on my transatlantic flight to Ireland. I had my doubts that the screenlife storytelling that worked so well in Searching could support another mystery about an online missing person investigation, but this spiritual sequel manages to nail the same level of tension and intrigue, even if its gimmick strains realism a bit. Luckily, the gimmick is well-utilized, keeping the audience guessing throughout.

11. Lincoln (2012)

While I still have a few Blindspots to watch, I somehow made time for this Spielberg biopic that has long been on my shortlist of potential Blindspots. The fact that it didn’t quite rise to the level of being List-Worthy is by no means a knock on the film’s quality, since Daniel Day-Lewis’s Oscar-winning portrayal of Lincoln is everything I could have hoped. Dense with talky politics and strong performances, this film played into my love of Civil War history perfectly. Another viewing could raise it to List-Worthy, since Lincoln deserves every one of its accolades.

10. Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One (2023)

Viewed as a casualty of the busy summer movie season, Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning may not have quite lived up to its predecessors at the box office, but this Tom Cruise series continues to go strong, staying timely with a rogue A.I. as its villain. While I have some qualms about how it trades out its female leads, Hayley Atwell is a welcome addition, and the thrills and set pieces never disappoint.

9. Elemental (2023)

A sleeper hit, Elemental proved that Pixar’s trademark world-building magic still lives on, this time in a universe of living fire, water, earth, and air elements. While romance has been present before in films like Up and WALL-E, this is the first time they’ve tackled the straightforward rom-com formula, and the result is a charming fable of attraction, prejudice, immigration, and family expectations, with wondrous animation to boot.

8. The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (2023)

While it was hardly a flop, I feel like I’m more positive toward this prequel than most. Focusing on the 10th Hunger Games, decades before the tale of Katniss and Peeta, this return to Panem is a riveting origin story for Coriolanus Snow, proving how even monsters can begin with good intentions. True, it’s rather long with a divisive lack of resolution, but I thought it recaptured the thrills and themes of the original series quite well.

7. Peninsula (2020)

One of the several horror movies I didn’t get to reviewing this past Halloween, Peninsula once again subverts my general aversion to the zombie genre. Another film in the world of Train to Busan, this story expands the action from mid-apocalypse to post-apocalypse as a guilt-ridden thief-for-hire navigates a zombie-infested cityscape, and while it’s not as affecting as the original, it still delivers a pulse-pounding and ultimately satisfying redemption story.

6. Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022)

It’s not often that an animated sequel surpasses its original, but this second Puss in Boots film was a supremely entertaining return to form for a DreamWorks franchise I thought to be dead. Exploring mortality in a surprisingly nuanced way, this fantasy adventure had all the laughs and beautiful animation I could want, easily becoming the biggest surprise of the year.

5. Oppenheimer (2023)

While I didn’t partake in the Barbie half of the Barbenheimer craze, I did go for the serious half, Christopher Nolan’s highly anticipated biopic about the father of the atomic bomb. Considering Nolan’s last film Tenet got caught in its own logic, this was a return to form for Nolan, fashioning a mature puzzle box of a film that is as thought-provoking and well-acted as it is long, even without flashy action scenes. In a genre known for its cookie-cutter style, Nolan’s take on the biographical film is entirely his own.

4. The Color Purple (2023)

The last film I saw in 2023, this musical version of The Color Purple took a film to which I already had a strong emotional connection and gave it a brilliant Broadway treatment. While I think Spielberg’s original still edges it out, this new version hit all the notes it needed to and made me cry twice. And what can I say, if something makes me cry, I love it.

3. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023)

There isn’t much more I can add to all the accolades heaped upon the sequel to 2018’s Into the Spider-Verse, so I’ll just acknowledge that all of it is deserved. My full appreciation may depend on how well the finale in this trilogy sticks the landing, but as of now, Across the Spider-Verse built out Miles Morales’ world and beyond with expert nerdy craftsmanship, and I can’t wait to see where it goes next.

2. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)

While the Marvel franchise had further struggles this year, James Gunn provided a crowd-pleasing hit to close out his tenure with Marvel and the Guardians. Milking pathos as well as nostalgia, this last hurrah for Star-Lord, Rocket, Drax, and the rest of the crew gave us one of the most hissable villains in recent memory, as well as one of the most feel-good conclusions.

1. Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023)

Tell me I’m not the only one who absolutely loved this movie! I don’t even play D&D, but I do love the fantasy genre, and Honor Among Thieves combined so many elements into a marvelously entertaining package that I instantly became a fan. Every character, every set piece, every inventive special effect, every joke that landed added to my enjoyment and made me wish it could spawn a franchise that would give me more. I love everything about it, which is a rare feat for any movie these days.

And that’s another blog year in the books. As always, here are my own unofficial awards for the year’s films:

Best opening scene:  Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny

Best final scene:  Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

Coolest scene:  Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (the shapeshifting chase scene)

Biggest emotional impact:  The Color Purple

Oldest film:  Lincoln (2012)

Most recent film:  The Color Purple (2023)

Longest film:  Oppenheimer (180 minutes)

Shortest film:  Elemental (101 minutes)

Best soundtrack:  Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (hey, it has both Rainbow and Florence)

Best score:  Oppenheimer

Best special effects:  Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

Most mind-bending: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

Most family-friendly:  Puss in Boots: The Last Wish

Most mature:  Oppenheimer

Funniest:  Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

Scariest: Peninsula

Best male performance:  TIE: Cillian Murphy in Oppenheimer and Daniel Day-Lewis in Lincoln

Best female performance:  Danielle Brooks in The Color Purple

Personal favorite poem written: Thor: Love and Thunder

Most represented year: 2023, with nine films

So there you have it. Not as much representation from films outside of 2023 as in the past, but the last year has definitely provided some winners. I want to thank everyone who has read, liked, commented, or followed in the past year, despite my waning activity. I still want to continue with this blog as a creative outlet for as long as I can, and I do have some lists in mind for the months ahead to celebrate my 10th year of blogging in earnest. Thank you all, and I wish everybody a Happy New Year and a blessed 2024!

If I’d Been Born in Ireland

24 Saturday Jun 2023

Posted by in Movies, Poetry, Writing

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

As some might have noticed, I’ve been rather absent from the blogosphere since the end of NaPoWriMo. This has been due mainly to a two-week vacation I took to Ireland and Scotland, as well as the preparation and readjustment periods before and after the trip. It was a major expedition for me since I had never been out of the United States before or even ridden on a plane, so to do both on my own was a big step outside my comfort zone, one I’m very glad that I took. It was sort of a pilgrimage tour where I traveled by bus with a group to various cathedrals, castles, and amazing sites. Trinity College and the huge library of the Long Room were particularly awe-inspiring for this book nerd, and climbing Blarney Castle to kiss the Blarney Stone was a highlight as well, especially since it means I’m now even more eloquent than before. 😉 (The picture at the top is the Rock of Cashel, which I visited on my first day over there.)

I don’t want to turn this into a travel blog, but I thought I would share this poem that I began writing during the trip and took final shape after I returned home, including the names of several locations I visited. I could see it as a Celtic folk song for travelers like me, fascinated with far-flung places that are perfectly normal to their inhabitants. And so as not to lose sight of the movie aspect of this blog, I’ve included five recommendations for films set in Ireland further down, in case someone else wants a vicarious visit to the Emerald Isle.

If I’d been born in Ireland
With so much to admire and
Places full of history,
I wonder how I’d feel.
Would every sight I care to see
Hold such familiarity
That all the ways the hills amaze
Would lack the same appeal?

I could truly be a local,
Hear a lilt to every vocal,
Owe a debt to good St. Patrick
That the snakes have long been gone.
My first language would be Blarney,
And I’d summer in Killarney.
I’d often tour the Cliffs of Moher
And catch a leprechaun.

But I can only fantasize
Of other mes in other lives.
I’m only here to visit, but I’m grateful for the chance.
I’m a listener and learner
And a journaling sojourner,
Here to stare at all the marvels locals only give a glance.

But if this were my home parish,
I would have so much to cherish.
I could round the Ring of Kerry
Back to where I’d always been.
I would gladly take a walk
Along the paths of Glendalough,
And the graves would not be strangers;
They would be potential kin.

I could reckon Dublin dear,
Gain a taste for Guinness beer,
Roam the castles and cathedrals
With the other residents,
Stay at home and not hotels,
As I claimed the Book of Kells,
The Hill of Slaine, and Yeats and Heaney
As inheritance.

If I’d been born in Ireland,
What more could I desire and
Where else are seen such hills of green,
My own backyard to roam?
From Down to Knock to Kylemore,
What else could I be praying for?
I wonder if I’d feel the same
If Ireland were home.

But I can only fantasize
Of other mes in other lives.
I’m only here to visit, but I’m grateful for the chance.
I’m a listener and learner
And a journaling sojourner,
Here to stare at all the marvels locals only give a glance.

And here are my top 5 Irish film recommendations, though I’ll also give a nod to Belfast, Brooklyn, and An Irish Goodbye, the recent winner of the Best Live Action Short Film Oscar, which I watched on the plane trip back home.

5. Darby O’Gill and the Little People (1959)

An oft-overlooked member of the Disney classic catalog, this charming take on Irish folklore deserves a place in more childhoods and features a pre-Bond Sean Connery singing.

4. The Quiet Man (1952)

I’m due for a rewatch of this one, but John Ford’s The Quiet Man had a big impact on Irish tourism, showcasing the lush green countryside for American audiences. I didn’t make it to the village of Cong, where it was filmed, but I saw many souvenirs still referencing the film and did pass a stream where some scenes were said to have been shot.

3. My Left Foot (1989)

Featuring masterful, Oscar-winning performances by Daniel Day-Lewis and Brenda Fricker, this biopic about palsied author and painter Christy Brown, a Dublin native, is one of the great inspirational stories.

2. Sing Street (2016)

This coming-of-age tale of Dublin teens forming a band in the 1980s boasts humor and heart and a set of surprisingly great songs that fit in perfectly with the period.

1. Tomm Moore’s “Irish Folklore Trilogy” – The Secret of Kells (2009), Song of the Sea (2014), Wolfwalkers (2020)

While Wolfwalkers is probably my favorite of this unofficial trilogy of singularly Celtic animated films from Cartoon Saloon, I had to let all three share the number 1 spot. While fictional, The Secret of Kells now has greater appeal for me since I was able to see the Book of Kells itself at Trinity College (literally right downstairs from the Long Room). Song of the Sea is a Ghibli-esque delight with its tale of selkies and faeries in a modern setting, while Wolfwalkers is an enchanting adventure setting magical “werewolves” of a sort against a backdrop of medieval strife. All three feature a beautiful animation style inspired by the curlicues and geometrical symmetry of illuminated manuscripts like the Book of Kells, and they never fail to captivate.

© 2023 S.G. Liput
783 Followers and Counting

NaPoWriMo 2023 Recap

11 Thursday May 2023

Posted by in NaPoWriMo, Reviews, Writing

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

It may have taken a while for me to announce it, but another National Poetry Writing Month has come to an end! This year was a little more stressful than years past, since I didn’t have many reviews already done ahead of time, leading to repeated instances of posting right around midnight. I hope I can plan better next year and just focus on the poems each day and be already done with the film reviews, which are an extra self-assigned obligation for the blog.

Nevertheless, I appreciated the opportunity to once again stretch my writing muscles with the daily poem prompts from the NaPoWriMo website. It was also a welcome opportunity to work through the backlog of movies I’ve seen in the last few years and just haven’t had the time or inspiration to review. I enjoy finding a movie that complements the prompt, which often results in poems I never would have come up with on my own. As a recap, here is a list of the posts from NaPoWriMo 2023:

April 1 – Vesper (2022) – List-Runner-Up

April 2 – Three Thousand Years of Longing (2022) – List Runner-Up (tied for most likes, at 11)

April 3 – Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023) – Top 100-Worthy (tied for most likes, at 11, and my favorite film of the month)

April 4 – Old (2021) – Honorable Mention

April 5 – See How They Run (2022) – List Runner-Up

April 6 – The Mercy (2018) – Dishonorable Mention

April 7 – skipped

April 8 – Paint (2023) – List Runner-Up

April 9 – Thor: Love and Thunder (2022) – Honorable Mention (my favorite poem of the month)

April 10 – The Sea Beast (2022) – List Runner-Up

April 11 – Infinitum: Subject Unknown (2021) – Dishonorable Mention

April 12 – Nightbooks (2021) – List Runner-Up

April 13 – Shadow in the Cloud (2020) – List Runner-Up

April 14 – Moonfall (2022) – Honorable Mention

April 15 – Elvis (2022) – List Runner-Up

April 16 – The Bad Guys (2022) – List Runner-Up (tied for most likes, at 11)

April 17 – skipped

April 18 – Matilda the Musical (2022) – List Runner-Up

April 19 – Beast (2022) – Honorable Mention

April 20 – Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023) – List Runner-Up

April 21 – skipped

April 22 – RRR (2022) – List Runner-Up

April 23 – Drifting Home (2022) – List Runner-Up (my VC’s favorite poem of the month)

April 24 – Dear Evan Hansen (2021) – List Runner-Up

April 25 – Notting Hill (1999) – List Runner-Up

April 26 – Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022) – List-Worthy

April 27 – Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022) – List-Worthy

April 28 – Suzume (2022) – List Runner-Up

April 29 – Avatar: The Way of Water (2022) – List Runner-Up

April 30 – Disenchanted (2022) – List Runner-Up

A big thank you to everyone who read, liked, and commented throughout April! I haven’t been as interactive as I’d like with my fellow NaPoWriMo participants, but I really appreciate everyone who takes the time to visit my little corner of the blogosphere. I’ll still be keeping up with my usual schedule of poems and reviews (which will hopefully be a little more frequent) until next year brings that same creative rush of NaPoWriMo. Happy writing in the meantime!

My 2023 Blindspot Picks

08 Wednesday Mar 2023

Posted by in Blindspot, Movies

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

It’s that time once again, when I look through the long list of intriguing or recommended films I’ve been putting off watching and select twelve for the year ahead. My seventh year of this Blindspot series may be starting a little late, but I am determined this time to finish all of these movies before 2023 is over. It helps that I don’t have a trilogy like last year.

As with every Blindspot selection, I’ve tried to combine a mixture of various years and genres. I can blame my own project of writing a musical for why I’ve included three musical films on the list, but they all promise to be quite different. (Believe me, I was tempted to include more.) In addition, we have an old Italian classic, sci-fi both absurdist and epic, a horror favorite, a romantic sports comedy, a star-studded ensemble piece, and one of the last Studio Ghibli films I have yet to see. Time will tell if any of these movies end up being new favorites, but I can’t wait to find out.

In alphabetical order, my Blindspot picks for 2023 are:

8½ (1963)

Brazil (1985)

The Fifth Element (1997)

The Fountain (2006)

Jerry Maguire (1996)

London Road (2015)

Ship of Fools (1965)

Sunset Boulevard (1950)

The Tale of the Princess Kaguya (2014)

The Thing (1982)

The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964)

The Wiz (1978)

2022 Blindspot Ranking

07 Tuesday Mar 2023

Posted by in Blindspot, Movies

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

I’m thrilled to have finally finished my sixth year of this Blindspot series, even if this collection of cinema ended up spilling over into 2023. Overall, I think it was a largely positive year, with all twelve films being worth the watch and the top two being new entries for my Top 365 List. Going in, I never would have guessed this worst-to-best ranking, so it’s proof that a good Blindspot list should always have surprises. Now to pick out a new list for 2023…

12. The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)

Campy but perverse horror musical with some solid tunes propping up an incoherent story

11. The Road Home (1999)

Slow but nostalgic tale of rural young love under Chinese Communist rule

10. Apu Trilogy (1955, 1956, 1959)

Classic Indian saga of Apu growing from a poor boy to young scholar to a father; not the most entertaining but artistically important

9. The Frighteners (1996)

Enjoyable Peter Jackson horror comedy with a muddled tone and impressive-for-the-time effects

8. Grand Canyon (1991)

Poignant ensemble of city dwellers facing crossroads in their lives; tries a bit too hard to be meaningful

7. Murder by Death (1976)

Silly pastiche of mystery novel tropes and characters with a splendid ensemble cast

6. Better Off Dead (1985)

Scattershot dark comedy that thrives on its 1980s-ness and John Cusack as a likable slacker with a death wish

5. Shutter Island (2010)

Ominous psychological thriller with DiCaprio in fine form and a predictably unpredictable plot

4. Chef (2014)

Feel-good culinary saga of Jon Favreau’s chef-turned-food-truck-operator finding the perfect outlet for his passions

3. Children of Men (2006)

Gripping dystopian thriller with piercing social commentary and brilliant direction from Alfonso Cuarón

2. Short Term 12 (2013)

Deeply personal, insightful, and well-acted glimpse into the shattered lives of troubled youth in need of trust and connection

1. National Velvet (1944)

All-time classic about an English country girl and the horse she believes in, bolstered by a family who believes in her

THE LIST (2023 Update)

07 Saturday Jan 2023

Posted by in Movies, Writing

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

It’s time once again for the official update of THE LIST, my personal top 365 list of favorite movies. I always come back to this list because it’s what started this blog in the first place, with my first year being a countdown of the original Top 365 films. This is now the ninth annual revision, which blows my mind, and there have been quite a few additions and removals over the years, as well as exceptions to group film series and similar films together. Now I’ve added the latest thirteen films seen during 2022 (in bold in the list below), including classics, modern blockbusters, and two Blindspots, which I covered in my previous blogiversary post. Nothing quite cracked the top 100, but it’s still a pretty good showing for these new additions.

As I always reiterate, this is a list of personal favorites that will no doubt clash with other opinions and best-of lists, and there’s plenty of room for it to change in the future. As it is, there was some significant shuffling of the order in some cases, and it was mainly films that I haven’t seen in a while that suffered a fall. The biggest boost went to Scrooged, rising from #342 to #249, thanks to a recent viewing and my decision to pair it with Spirited. Other gainers include Arrival, Galaxy Quest, and Altantis: The Lost Empire. On the other hand, Superman and The Ultimate Gift were demoted a bit, while the biggest loser was Captain Phillips, falling from #255 right off the list entirely; like Dunkirk last year, it’s still a great film, just not the most rewatchable.

The hardest part of these updates is choosing which films lose their place on the list, which pains me when they are still films I love. But the old must make way for the new, and this year’s losses include The Majestic, Captain Phillips, News of the World, Baby Boom, The Last Days (or Los Ultimos Días), Judas and the Black Messiah, Coma, The Nativity Story, and the trilogy of Thor, Thor: The Dark World, and Thor: Ragnarok. The last ones were a surprise, since I like the Thor films more than most, but last year’s Love and Thunder left enough of a bad taste in my mouth that I’ve replaced the god of thunder with Black Panther, whose sequel raised my opinion of the original. I still enjoy and recommend these eleven cut films and consider them favorites nonetheless.

I had thought last year would offer me more time for writing and reviewing, but, between working on my musical and bouts of writer’s block, that wasn’t the case. As much as I would like to increase output, I’m content to keep the schedule loose, so I don’t get tired of blogging, as many other bloggers have in recent years. This is meant to be a fun outlet, right? Anyway, there are still plenty of movies and reviews I have in the works, and lots of promising new releases in the year ahead. So once again, I thank all who read, like, comment, follow, and generally join me in my love of film and poetry. I wish a happy 2023 to all of you and many great movie experiences to come!

1.  The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001, 2002, 2003)

2.  Mr. Holland’s Opus (1995)

3.  Forrest Gump (1994)

4.  It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)

5.  The Sound of Music (1965)

6.  Star Wars Trilogy (1977, 1980, 1983)

7.  Finding Nemo (2003) and Finding Dory (2016)

8.  Titanic (1997)

9.  Toy Story Series (1995, 1999, 2010, 2019)

10.  Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)

11.  The Princess Bride (1987)

12.  Beauty and the Beast (1991)

13.  Groundhog Day (1993)

14.  The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

15.  The Prince of Egypt (1998)

16.  You’ve Got Mail (1998)

17.  The Wizard of Oz (1939)

18.  The Avengers (2012), Captain America: Civil War (2016), Infinity War (2018), and Endgame (2019)

19.  Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

20.  War Horse (2011)

21.  The Incredibles (2004) and The Incredibles 2 (2018)

22.  Cast Away (2000)

23.  Heart and Souls (1993)

24.  Pirates of the Caribbean (2003, 2006, 2007) and Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017)

25.  Tarzan (1999)

26.  Les Miserables (2012)

27.  Ben-Hur (1959)

28.  Elizabethtown (2005)

29.  Star Trek (2009)

30.  The Chronicles of Narnia (2005, 2008, 2010)

31.  The Mummy (1999) and The Mummy Returns (2001)

32.  Driving Miss Daisy (1989)

33.  Oliver! (1968)

34.  Whisper of the Heart (1995)

35.  Spider-Man Trilogy (2002, 2004, 2007)

36.  The Five People You Meet in Heaven (2004)

37.  Doctor Zhivago (1965)

38.  Babe (1995)

39.  The Blues Brothers (1980)

40.  Jurassic Park (1993)

41.  84 Charing Cross Road (1987)

42.  National Treasure (2004) and National Treasure: Book of Secrets (2007)

43.  Ratatouille (2007)

44.  The Fugitive (1993)

45.  True Grit (1969, 2010)

46.  Evita (1996)

47.  The Lion King (1994)

48.  Inception (2010)

49.  When Harry Met Sally… (1989)

50.  The Family Man (2000)

51.  Chariots of Fire (1981)

52.  Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015), The Last Jedi (2017) and The Rise of Skywalker (2019)

53.  Lilies of the Field (1963)

54.  Life of Pi (2012)

55.  Mary Poppins (1964)

56.  Star Trek: First Contact (1996)

57.  Glory (1989)

58.  Singin’ in the Rain (1952)

59.  The Sixth Sense (1999)

60.  Back to the Future Trilogy (1985, 1989, 1990)

61.  Aliens (1986)

62.  Life Is Beautiful (1997)

63.  Sherlock Holmes (2009) and Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011)

64.  The Phantom of the Opera (2004)

65.  Awakenings (1990)

66.  Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971)

67.  Paulie (1998)

68.  Home Alone (1990) and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992)

69.  The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)

70.  Big (1988)

71.  Jumanji (1995)

72.  Somewhere in Time (1980)

73.  Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)

74.  A Christmas Story (1983)

75.  Speed (1994)

76.  Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)

77.  Little Women (1994, 2019)

78.  1776 (1972)

79.  High School Musical Trilogy (2006, 2007, 2008)

80.  Wit (2001)

81.  Serenity (2005)

82.  Miracle on 34th Street (1947)

83.  Gone with the Wind (1939)

84.  Aladdin (1992)

85.  The Greatest Showman (2017)

86.  Saints and Soldiers (2003)

87.  La La Land (2016)

88.  Fantasia (1940)

89.  Shadowlands (1993)

90.  Hook (1991)

91.  Young Frankenstein (1974)

92.  The Truman Show (1998)

93.  The Ten Commandments (1956)

94.  Star Wars Prequel Trilogy (1999, 2002, 2005)

95.  October Sky (1999)

96.  Saving Mr. Banks (2013)

97.  Holes (2003)

98.  The Martian (2015)

99.  The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)

100.  About Time (2013)

101.  Mr. Church (2016)

102.  Taking Chance (2009)

103.  Signs (2002)

104.  Star Trek: Generations (1994)

105.  Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991)

106.  The Santa Clause (1994)

107.  Starman (1984)

108.  The Passion of the Christ (2004)

109.  Train to Busan (2016)

110.  1917 (2019)

111.  Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), Far from Home (2019), and No Way Home (2021)

112.  Brother Bear (2003)

113.  Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)

114.  WALL-E (2008)

115.  The Green Mile (1999)

116.  On Golden Pond (1981)

117.  Air Force One (1997)

118.  Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) and Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2013)

119.  Shrek 2 (2004)

120.  The Mitchells vs. the Machines (2021)

121.  Star Trek into Darkness (2013) and Star Trek Beyond (2016)

122.  Big Hero 6 (2014)

123.  To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)

124.  The Matrix (1999)

125.  The Right Stuff (1983)

126.  Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

127.  Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)

128.  Shuffle (2011)

129.  The Mask of Zorro (1998) and The Legend of Zorro (2005)

130.  The Color Purple (1985)

131.  Jesus Christ Superstar (1973)

132.  Cyrano (2021)

133.  Shrek (2001)

134.  The King’s Speech (2010)

135.  X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)

136.  My Fair Lady (1964)

137.  Iron Man Trilogy (2008, 2010, 2013)

138.  The Hunger Games series (2012, 2013, 2014, 2015)

139.  Men in Black Trilogy (1997, 2002, 2012)

140.  The Music Man (1962)

141.  Ghostbusters Trilogy (1984, 1989, 2021)

142.  Ready Player One (2018)

143.  Yentl (1983)

144.  The Blind Side (2009)

145.  Regarding Henry (1991)

146.  Alien (1979)

147.  Top Gun: Maverick (2022)

148.  The Polar Express (2004)

149.  Sleepless in Seattle (1993)

150.  Julie and Julia (2009)

151.  Airplane! (1980)

152.  Castle in the Sky (1986)

153.  Tick, Tick… Boom! (2021)

154.  Secondhand Lions (2003)

155.  Grave of the Fireflies (1988)

156.  Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)

157.  National Velvet (1944)

158.  Darkest Hour (2017)

159.  A Christmas Carol (any version)

160.  E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

161.  The Little Mermaid (1989)

162.  Die Hard trilogy (1988, 1990, 1995)

163. Soul (2020)

164.  Source Code (2011)

165.  Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)

166.  Gattaca (1997)

167.  Planet of the Apes Trilogy (2011, 2014, 2017)

168.  Inside Out (2015)

169.  Hacksaw Ridge (2016)

170.  Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986)

171.  Overboard (1987)

172.  Cinderella (1950) / Cinderella (2015)

173.  A League of Their Own (1992)

174.  The Homecoming: A Christmas Story (1971)

175.  Tangled (2010)

176.  Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984)

177.  Zootopia (2016)

178.  The Untouchables (1987)

179.  Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron (2002)

180.  Treasure Planet (2002)

181.  Ella Enchanted (2004)

182.  Splash (1984)

183.  Monsters, Inc. (2001) and Monsters University (2013)

184.  Children Who Chase Lost Voices (2011)

185.  How to Train Your Dragon (2010)

186.  Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) and Vol. 2 (2017)

187.  Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms (2018)

188.  Mission: Impossible III (2006), Ghost Protocol (2011), Rogue Nation (2015), and Fallout (2018)

189.  Selma (2014)

190.  Doc Hollywood (1991)

191.  Knives Out (2019) and Glass Onion (2022)

192.  Extraordinary Measures (2010)

193.  The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman (1974)

194.  Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968)

195.  Enchanted (2007)

196.  Up (2009)

197.  What’s Up, Doc? (1972)

198.  Ant-Man (2015) and Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)

199.  Wolf Children (2012)

200.  Jojo Rabbit (2019)

201.  Your Name (2016)

202.  Wolfwalkers (2020)

203.  Pocahontas (1995)

204.  Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989)

205.  Rudy (1993)

206.  Mulan (1998)

207.  Hidden Figures (2016)

208.  As Good As It Gets (1997)

209.  Coal Miner’s Daughter (1980)

210.  King of Thorn (2010)

211.  In the Heights (2021)

212.  Les Miserables (1998)

213.  Spaceballs (1987)

214.  My Left Foot (1989)

215.  The Way (2010)

216.  The Prestige (2006)

217.  Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (2011)

218.  Blinded by the Light (2019)

219.  Labyrinth of Lies (2014)

220.  The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)

221.  Wreck-It Ralph (2012) and Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018)

222.  Saving Private Ryan (1998) / The Longest Day (1962)

223.  To Sir, with Love (1967)

224.  Frozen (2013) and Frozen II (2019)

225.  The Dark Knight Trilogy (2005, 2008, 2012)

226.  Harriet (2019)

227.  The Father (2020)

228.  United 93 (2006)

229.  Joyeux Noël (2005)

230.  Woman in Gold (2015)

231.  Twister (1996)

232.  Foul Play (1978)

233.  Coco (2017)

234.  Funny Girl (1968)

235.  Rocky (1976), Rocky II (1979), Rocky III (1982), Rocky IV (1985), and Creed (2015)

236.  Hello, Dolly! (1969)

237.  Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)

238.  Weathering with You (2019)

239.  Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)

240.  April and the Extraordinary World (2015) / Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (2004)

241.  Déjà Vu (2006)

242.  Out of Africa (1985)

243.  Kramer vs. Kramer (1979)

244.  The Hobbit Trilogy (2012, 2013, 2014)

245.  Adventures in Babysitting (1987)

246.  Hoosiers (1986)

247.  The Great Escape (1963)

248.  Arrival (2016)

249.  Scrooged (1988) and Spirited (2022)

250.  The Naked Gun (1988)

251.  Jumpin’ Jack Flash (1986)

252.  Philadelphia (1993)

253.  Raising Arizona (1987)

254. The Jerk (1979)

255.  Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)

256.  Ghost (1990)

257.  Misery (1990)

258.  School of Rock (2003)

259.  42 (2013)

260.  Daniel Craig Bond films – Casino Royale (2006), Quantum of Solace (2008), Skyfall (2012), Spectre (2015), and No Time to Die (2021)

261.  Gravity (2013)

262.  Vantage Point (2008)

263.  Peter Pan (1953)

264.  The Terminal (2004)

265.  Eddie the Eagle (2016)

266.  Soul Man (1986)

267.  Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)

268.  Jane Eyre (1970)

269.  Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Across the 2nd Dimension (2011)

270.  The Poseidon Adventure (1972)

271.  The Girl Who Leapt through Time (2006)

272.  Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) and Waterworld (1995)

273.  Ride Your Wave (2019)

274.  Cloud Atlas (2012)

275.  Anastasia (1997)

276.  Violet Evergarden: The Movie (2020)

277.  Short Term 12 (2013)

278.  X-Men (2000) and X2: X-Men United (2003)

279.  Green Book (2018)

280.  Surrogates (2009)

281.  Lethal Weapon 2 (1989)

282.  WarGames (1983)

283.  Hidden (2015) and A Quiet Place (2018) and Part II (2021)

284.  Cars (2006) and Cars 3 (2017)

285.  My Girl (1991)

286.  Memphis Belle (1990)

287.  Dances with Wolves (1990)

288.  The Terminator (1984)

289.  The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1947)

290.  The Castle of Cagliostro (1979)

291.  Casablanca (1942)

292.  Rain Man (1988) and Dominick and Eugene (1988)

293.  One Cut of the Dead (2017)

294.  Pinocchio (1940) and Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio (2022)

295.  City Slickers (1991)

296.  The Hundred-Foot Journey (2014)

297.  Patema Inverted (2013)

298.  Forget Paris (1995)

299.  A Silent Voice (2016) / Hear Me (2009)

300.  Doctor Strange (2016)

301.  Akeelah and the Bee (2006)

302.  Murphy’s Romance (1985)

303.  Shenandoah (1965)

304.  The Red Violin (1999)

305.  A View to a Kill (1985)

306.  Wonder Woman (2017)

307.  Con Air (1997)

308.  Unbreakable (2000)

309.  Galaxy Quest (1999)

310.  Sister Act (1992)

311.  Something the Lord Made (2004)

312.  The Way Back (2010)

313.  Chronesthesia (or Love and Time Travel) (2016)

314.  Superman (1978) and Superman II (1980)

315.  Shazam (2019)

316.  Annie (1999)

317.  The Elephant Man (1980)

318.  The Ultimate Gift (2006)

319.  Mean Girls (2004)

320.  The River Wild (1994)

321.  A Beautiful Mind (2001)

322.  Finding Forrester (2000)

323. The Big Year (2011)

324.  Starter for 10 (2006)

325.  Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas (2003)

326.  Dave (1993)

327.  Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001)

328.  The Pianist (2002)

329.  Wayne’s World (1992)

330.  Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991)

331.  The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya (2010)

332.  Steel Magnolias (1989)

333.  Encanto (2021)

334.  Searching (2018)

335.  Dancer in the Dark (2000)

336.  Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)

337.  Please Stand By (2018)

338.  Kubo and the Two Strings (2016)

339.  Music and Lyrics (2007)

340.  The Abyss (1989)

341.  The Breakfast Club (1985)

342.  Places in the Heart (1984)

343.  Chicken Run (2000)

344.  Black Panther (2018) and Wakanda Forever (2022)

345.  Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey (1993)

346.  Klaus (2019)

347.  In Time (2011)

348.  The Emperor’s New Groove (2000)

349.  The Spiderwick Chronicles (2008)

350.  Swiss Family Robinson (1960)

351.  A Monster Calls (2016)

352.  Wuthering Heights (1970)

353.  Trading Places (1983)

354.  Ordinary People (1980) and Rabbit Hole (2010)

355.  Fiddler on the Roof (1971)

356.  Sneakers (1992)

357.  Remember the Titans (2000)

358.  Seven Samurai (1954) / The Magnificent Seven (1960/2016)

359.  Citizen Kane (1941)

360.  Psycho (1960)

361.  Hercules (1997)

362.  A Chorus Line (1985)

363.  The Conjuring (2013) and The Conjuring 2 (2016)

364.  The Great Mouse Detective (1986)

365.  Joseph: King of Dreams (2000)