Baseball’s proud claim to be the National Pastime has taken jarring hits from pro football and basketball in recent years. But neither of those sports can compete when it comes to providing the subject matter for some of America’s finest and most memorable movies.
In Oscar history, many fine actresses were never given Academy Awards for best actress. A few were eventually given other awards for their contributions to film.
Best Action Movies of All Time is a list of my top ten action movies. Like any true top ten list, I have included films that I have a personal connection with.
I grew up during the ’80s which was dominated by action films. As a child, my initial love for cinema bloomed through films such as ’Bloodsport’, ‘Commando’, ‘Predator’, ‘Aliens’, and a host of others.
This list of 10 Good Horror Movies is like any true top ten list. It is of personal taste as opposed to critical acclaim.
Some of the films to follow, would not feature on many top 10 lists or perhaps be classed as horror at all. For me, a ‘good horror film’, taps into the viewer’s psyche by delving into the primal fears that lie within us all. This may include a sense of isolation, knowing, but not seeing, unable to escape what awaits or makes us question life after death.
Science fiction films have plots revolving around interstellar travel, alien spaceships, extraterrestrial visits, robots, time travel or highly developed mind power. Of course, there is little or no relation to the existing scientific knowledge. It is basically an exploration of possibilities. Film makers chose this genre very early in the history of films. As early as 1902, Georges Melies entertained audiences with A Trip to the Moon. Science fiction movies are often based on books and often comment on politics or actual social conditions within the backdrop of science fiction. Jurassic Park, Inception and Star Trek (2009) are a few of the popular movies that belong to this genre but are treated very differently.
Drama is a genre that offers wide scope for experimentation in movies and that is the reason perhaps that most nominations for Best Picture awards come from this genre. Usually drama deals with the emotional dilemmas of people which we come across every day. It is usually achieved by in depth characterization. Themes around which dramatic movies have been constructed ranges from racial discrimination to infidelity but basically dramas revolve around a crucial moment of conflict.
International Film festivals have played a prominent role in garnering interest in world films. Festivals such as Cannes Film Festival, Berlinale and Toronto Film Festival have been longstanding. These Film Festivals have given a platform to many good films which would otherwise have gone unnoticed. Renowned directors, actors and producers grace the event with their presence and huge corporate sponsors promoting their brands do not miss rubbing off some glitter from these star studded events.
But the age old wisdom of all that glitters not being gold holds true for these festivals. Time and again, these festivals are marred by controversies ranging from choice of films to be screened to women artists not being awarded.
So I went through and did my ton ten favorite TV Villains a couple of weeks back and I figured I’d do my Top Ten Favorite Movie Villains! Now I don’t watch horror movies so there are no horror movie villains included in this list. But I do watch a lot of Sci-fi and Fantasy! So here is my list.
There are some movies which remain popular generations after generations. I’ve come up with a list of the best rated movies. These movies are ranked according to their success (awards and nominations) popularity, and ratings.
Year: 1994, Rating: 9.2
It is an American drama film adapted from the Stephen king novella Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption. It was directed by Frank Darabont and starred Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman. The film tells the story of a banker, Andy Dufresne, who is sentenced to life in Shawshank State Penitentiary for the murder of his wife and her lover. But he claims to be innocent. During his time at the prison, he befriends a fellow inmate, Ellis Boyd ‘Red’ Redding. The guards protect him after the warden starts using him in his money laundering operation.
Year: 1972, Rating: 9.2
It is an American crime drama directed by Francis Ford Coppola. It starred Marlon Brando and Al Pacino. They portrayed the leaders of the fictional Corleone New York crime family. The story is about how Michael Corleone, just a family outsider, turns into a Mafia boss. The movie is based on Puzo’s best selling novel ‘The Godfather’.
Year: 1974, Rating: 9.0
This movie was also directed by Francis Ford Coppola starring Al Pacino and Robert De Niro. It was a sequel to ‘The Godfather’. It won the Oscar for ‘Best Picture’. The story is about the new Don Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) protecting his family business and his fathter’s (De Niro) journey to finding the family enterprise in New York City.
Year: 1994, Rating: 8.9
It is an American black comedy crime film directed by Quentin Tarantino. The movie has been popular for its ironic mix of violence and humor and it’s strong dialogues. It has won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. It starred John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson and Uma Thurman. This film is about Los Angeles mobsters, small-time criminals, fringe players and mysterious briefcase.
All these movies are timeless. People of every generation still love watching these movies again and again. These movies always inspire movie makers.
