Autonemesis

None of these should be in the top 100. 101-250, OK, sure, some of them, but not the top 100.

10 Star Wars (1977) 8.7/10 (108372 votes)
15 Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980) 8.6/10 (83397 votes)
16 Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) 8.6/10 (74581 votes)
18 Memento (2000) 8.6/10 (66746 votes)
19 Pulp Fiction (1994) 8.6/10 (99016 votes)
28 Goodfellas (1990) 8.5/10 (51486 votes)
29 American Beauty (1999) 8.4/10 (86728 votes)
32 Matrix, The (1999) 8.4/10 (112886 votes)
35 Pianist, The (2002) 8.4/10 (17826 votes)
43 Fight Club (1999) 8.3/10 (81762 votes)
54 Se7en (1995) 8.3/10 (66994 votes)
60 Alien (1979) 8.2/10 (49064 votes)
70 Reservoir Dogs (1992) 8.2/10 (50927 votes)
74 Amadeus (1984) 8.2/10 (29278 votes)
78 Annie Hall (1977) 8.2/10 (16303 votes)
79 Jaws (1975) 8.2/10 (36726 votes)
81 Braveheart (1995) 8.1/10 (73054 votes)
83 Fargo (1996) 8.1/10 (52560 votes)
84 Aliens (1986) 8.1/10 (50825 votes)
86 Finding Nemo (2003) 8.1/10 (22434 votes)
88 Sixth Sense, The (1999) 8.1/10 (75957 votes)
92 Donnie Darko (2001) 8.1/10 (27621 votes)
93 Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003) 8.1/10 (27787 votes)
97 Princess Bride, The (1987) 8.1/10 (43447 votes)
100 Toy Story 2 (1999) 8.1/10 (31464 votes)

Pain Paien

Just for comparison...

Malagasy Rain

I am literally saddened that those movies have dropped down the past few years. Pretty soon my No. 1 beloved film, A Beautiful Mind, will be off the list.

Chuck

I'm apparently one of the very very few people who don't like this movie. I mean, it's not TERRIBLE - not as crappy as #18 "Memento." (that's a whole 'nother rant)

It's just childish, annoying, and really devoid of any particular outstanding qualities. That scene with Billy Crystal and Carole King is the one that set me dead against it. Terrible. I can't explain why.

Acinom

Personally, I love The Princess Bride, but I can see how some people might not like it. I think just like The Neverending Story, you had to have been a certain age when you're exposed to it. Any time after high school is WAY too late to be watching The Princess Bride for the first time.

At least, that's how I'm rationalizing the lack of taste some of you have exhibited. How can you not love Mandy Patinkin and Cary Elwes in that movie???

Acinom

Okay, I quickly scanned the list just now, and I must object to Clerks being on that list -- and ranked just below E.T. and above A Beautiful Mind for that matter!

I might be the only college student in the U.S. who finds Kevin Smith movies to be pretentious and annoying, but by god, I will stand by my opinion. I find the characters in his movies boring and completely unsympathetic, the dialogue to be unbelievable and desperate for laughs. His films just always come across so self-consciously "hip." I can't understand why so many people just looooove his movies.

clark

It was #1 for many years on IIDB's list. Only a couple of years ago did The Godfather bump it to #2.

For what it's worth..

THOUGHTfully Yours,
Clark

Postcard73

That's okay. Back around 1989 or 1990, the People's Choice Awards named the ten best movies of all time. Among the films selected were Top Gun and Coming to America. Eddie Murphy (who starred in CtA) was the person who read the list. He said thanks, but you could tell even he thought it was absurd.

Friar Bellows

Movies which I definitely wouldn't put in a top 250 list (warning: long):

1. Godfather, The (1972)
2. Shawshank Redemption, The (1994)
3. Godfather: Part II, The (1974)
7. Schindler's List (1993)
10. Star Wars (1977)
11. Citizen Kane (1941)
16. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
17. Usual Suspects, The (1995)
19. Pulp Fiction (1994)
23. Fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain, Le (2001)
26. Silence of the Lambs, The (1991)
28. Goodfellas (1990)
29. American Beauty (1999)
34. Apocalypse Now (1979)
46. Chinatown (1974)
56. Saving Private Ryan (1998)
61. Sting, The (1973)
64. Léon (1994)
74. Amadeus (1984)
75. Ran (1985)
78. Annie Hall (1977)
79. Jaws (1975)
81. Braveheart (1995)
83. Fargo (1996)
87. Shining, The (1980)
89. Blade Runner (1982)
103. Full Metal Jacket (1987)
107. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
109. The Graduate (1967)
115. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
116. Deer Hunter, The (1978)
119. Philadelphia Story, The (1940)
120. Forrest Gump (1994)
122. Cool Hand Luke (1967)
123. Bringing Up Baby (1938)
124. Ben-Hur (1959)
125. Green Mile, The (1999)
126. Once Upon a Time in America (1984)
127. Unforgiven (1992)
131. Stalag 17 (1953)
132. Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983)
137. Gone with the Wind (1939)
138. Christmas Story, A (1983)
139. Wild Bunch, The (1969)
141. All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)
142. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
144. Hustler, The (1961)
145. Back to the Future (1985)
146. Platoon (1986)
147. Young Frankenstein (1974)
149. His Girl Friday (1940)
150. Adventures of Robin Hood, The (1938)
151. Die Hard (1988)
156. Spartacus (1960)
162. Bronenosets Potyomkin (1925)
167. Roman Holiday (1953)
171. Streetcar Named Desire, A (1951)
175. Being John Malkovich (1999)
177. All the President's Men (1976)
178. Day the Earth Stood Still, The (1951)
179. Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)
181. Killing, The (1956)
182. Trois couleurs: Rouge (1994)
186. Exorcist, The (1973)
188. Stand by Me (1986)
190. Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
191. Terminator, The (1984)
193. Harvey (1950)
194. Gandhi (1982)
195. This Is Spinal Tap (1984)
197. Miller's Crossing (1990)
201. Right Stuff, The (1983)
202. Network (1976)
204. Midnight Cowboy (1969)
205. Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
206. Rain Man (1988)
220. Big Lebowski, The (1998)
221. In the Heat of the Night (1967)
222. Untouchables, The (1987)
229. Henry V (1989)
230. Planet of the Apes (1968)
231. Todo sobre mi madre (1999)
232. Fantasia (1940)
233. Being There (1979)
236. Good Will Hunting (1997)
241. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
246. MASH (1970)
250. JFK (1991)

Phew!

I've seen maybe one-half of the movies on this list (I haven't seen many movies made in the 90's and 00's because a lot of these haven't been on free-to-air TV yet, and for a long time I was too poor to afford cinema tickets or a video player). I've been lenient on Hitchcock's films because I can't decide which to leave in the top 250, and which to leave out. I also have an irrational soft spot for Westerns, but fortunately, most of the Westerns here are by John Ford, a great director, and Sergio Leone, a good director (IMHO).

For me, what's sad but perfectly understandable about this list is the almost complete lack of independent films, and the relative lack of foreign films; the best films are not played in your multiplex cinemas, but in small independent theatres, art museums, specialist film societies, or, sadly, not at all. I suspect it's similar to the opinion that the best modern music is not played on radio.

Finally, a top 250 list without movies from directors such as...

Andrei Tarkovsky (my personal favourite)
Carl Dreyer (well, one of his films is in the top 250)
Yasujiro Ozu
John Cassavetes
Mike Leigh

...is a poor list in my opinion. But, you know, I find it very difficult to articulate why I like or hate a film. Usually, it's just a silly, overall feeling I have about it. There's definitely nothing deep or intense about my artistic tastes. I marvel at people who can write entire books reviewing a single film or small set of films. I even marvel at some of the film criticism I've seen on this forum from time to time.

xorbie

#29: American Beauty - I can appreciate that people like it... but it wasn't that damn good.

#70: Reservior Dogs - Meh... the ending I thought was extremely disapointing. It was ok, but a bit of a letdown.

Also, Life of Brian was, IMO, a much better movie than Holy Grail. It should definitely be top 50.

Another complaint: How are movies like Monsters Inc. and Toy Story 2 in the top 250 but not The Lion King, IMO the finest animated Disney movie ever?

Joel