Time for another few entries from my top 100 list. You get six today instead of five; the addition of 50/50 to my list has pushed things down one notch. The old #100 (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban) is muscled off the bottom of the list, and the #86 I revealed last time (October Sky) is taken down to #87.
86. Scrooged. I should be sick to death of the story of A Christmas Carol. We're all exposed to it every single year whether we like it or not, and it's a rather trite tale. But not only do I not get tired of Scrooged, I will often make time to watch it every December. Bill Murray, when he's on his game, is that good. I wrote about this movie a while back, so you can look back on that review if you want to read more.
85. Being John Malkovich. I don't go for "Weird for the Sake of Being Weird." But here the weirdness in in support of a compelling plot, interesting characters, and twisted commentary on narcissism and the nature of the soul. There's also fantastic performances from John Cusack, Catherine Keener, Cameron Diaz, and of course, the "title character." Other movies (including some from writer Charlie Kaufman) have come along since to try to capture the magic here, but all have fallen short.
84. Back to the Future, Part II. It's no secret how much I love Back to the Future. What makes me enjoy this first sequel so much is that makes it clear how much everyone involved -- writers, actors, and director -- loved it too. So much, in fact, that the entire third act of this movie is a loving look back at most of the best scenes from the original, with fun twists thrown in. Plus, you get an entertaining opening act that takes you to "the future" (which is even funnier now that 2015 is almost actually here), and a great middle act in a hellscape of a reality as run by Biff. Perhaps the whole is a touch too schizophrenic, and that keeps me from rating the movie higher than this. Still, I love the way this movie just embraces the geek to weave a complicated narrative.
83. The Silence of the Lambs. The story is interesting, but what makes this movie so exceptional is the powerhouse acting. Anthony Hopkins is delightfully urbane-yet-terrifying. Jodie Foster's naivete makes you sympathetic and fearful for her character. Ted Levine is one of the creepiest criminals in cinema. And this movie does the "you think we're in one place, but we're really somewhere else" gimmick exceptionally well, and long before so many subsequent TV shows and films would wear it out. Of course, as great as this movie is, all other sequels and prequels are equally bad in my book. This film stands on its own.
82. Malice. Some people find this movie a bit corny, with dialogue like "I am God." But the actors just make it work: Bill Pullman, Nicole Kidman, Alec Baldwin, George C. Scott, and more. This was one of Aaron Sorkin's earlier scripts, before he was more widely known, but I think it's just as good as some of the things that would earn him Oscar nominations later -- and a lot more fun. I've written about this film a while back too, so check out that post if you're interested.
81. The Mist. Stephen King and director Frank Darabont are meant to be together. While this isn't their best collaboration, it's certainly their most unsettling. I had a strong reaction to this movie when I first saw it, and if anything I like it more now. Reading more Stephen King stories, and seeing how they're all just missing that something that must be what Darabont brings to the table, just makes me appreciate this film more. I think the only imperfection in this film is the rather cartoonish character played by Marcia Gay Harden, but it's otherwise a wonderfully character-driven example of horror.
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