Great, more lists. This time we’re looking at Entertainment Weekly‘s Top 100 Movies and Top 100 Books of the last 25 years. I’m not going to quibble with the actual rankings of these titles, since such things are almost entirely subjective in my opinion. My super-bestest faves aren’t likely to be yours, after all. But what I will do is follow in Jaquandor‘s footsteps and bold the titles I’ve seen or read, with occasional commentary when I have something to say.

Movies first:

1. Pulp Fiction (1994)
   Okay, I guess I will quibble with placement, at least when it comes to this one. I so completely do not understand the affection so many hold for this flick. I think it’s an impossibly overrated, disturbingly amoral gimmick film. Tarantino reminds me of the obnoxious kid in grade school who was always disrupting class in a desperate effort to get the teacher’s attention, but when she finally acknowledged him, he had nothing to say. In that sense, Pulp Fiction is a perfect reflection of its creator. I loathe this flick and wouldn’t even have it in my top 100 list, let alone as number one.
2. The Lord of the Rings trilogy (2001-03)
   A magnificent accomplishment. Even with all the recognition these films received, I don’t think most people understand how really good they are, how complete a job of world-building was done, or how unlikely it was that they’d turn out good at all.
3. Titanic (1997)
   As I said in the previous entry, I really don’t get the backlash against this movie. I liked it. I still like it. And I’m man enough to admit it, too!
4. Blue Velvet (1986)
5. Toy Story (1995)
   Curiously, there seems to be something of a backlash building against this movie, too; I’ve read a lot of blogs lately that have said it’s not as good as Pixar’s later films. I disagree — I find this one eminently re-watchable, certainly superior to the seemingly better-liked Toy Story 2, and it is, of course, historically significant for being the first all-CG feature. It deserves its place on any “top” list.
6. Saving Private Ryan (1998)
   A good enough movie, for the most part, but vastly overrated. And William Goldman is right: the frame story is an outright lie. The movie would’ve been better without it.
7. Hannah and Her Sisters (1986)
   Remember seeing it, but don’t remember the movie.
8. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
   Still brilliant and chilling, even if Hannibal has been watered down by sequels, prequels, and countless stand-up routines.
9. Die Hard (1988)
   It set the mold for a host of imitators, but still one of the greatest action movies ever.
10. Moulin Rouge (2001)
11. This Is Spinal Tap (1984)
12. The Matrix (1999)
    Meh. I never did get the fuss over this one. Entertaining enough, but ultimately kind of stupid. I’m with Joey Pants’ character: is it so bad to be a slave in a tube if you think you’re eating real steak instead of gray glop? And wouldn’t Keanu have had zero muscle definition if he’d spent his entire life in a tube prior to getting flushed? It’s the little niggling questions like these that cause this movie to unravel for me.
13. GoodFellas (1990)
    I love this movie. That said, I’m not one of those who thinks Scorsese got robbed by Costner on Oscar night. Dances with Wolves was a great flick, too, just different. Apples and oranges.
14. Crumb (1995)
15. Edward Scissorhands (1990)
16. Boogie Nights (1997)
17. Jerry Maguire (1996)
    Ugh. Another one I do not get. Obnoxious in just about every way. Renee Zellweger squints through the entire flick, her kid is annoying, and the “you complete me” line is truly gag-worthy. Cameron Crowe is really hit or miss for me; this one is a tremendous miss. In a just universe, Almost Famous would be his most acclaimed flick.
18. Do the Right Thing (1989)
19. Casino Royale (2006)
20. The Lion King (1994)
    Overrated. Beauty and the Beast is the best of Disney’s output in the ’90s.
21. Schindler’s List (1993)
22. Rushmore (1998)
23. Memento (2001)
24. A Room With a View (1986)
    I think I’ve seen this. In truth, the Merchant-Ivory movies blur together in my mind…
25. Shrek (2001)
    Meh. All the pop-cultural references are already dated, and am I the only one who thinks it would’ve been a more powerful movie if the princess had remained human and opted to be with Shrek regardless?
26. Hoop Dreams (1994)
27. Aliens (1986)
28. Wings of Desire (1988)
29. The Bourne Supremacy (2004)
    Have I mentioned how much I hate the shaky-cam?
30. When Harry Met Sally… (1989)
    A romantic movie that works for men and women. Why don’t they make ’em like this more often?
31. Brokeback Mountain (2005)
    Beautiful and heart-breaking.
32. Fight Club (1999)
    A good movie, but not nearly as profound as its cultish fans believe. And I hate the dreary, humid dankness of it all. This and Seven are responsible for a decade of truly ugly filmmaking.
33. The Breakfast Club (1985)
    A classic for we people of a certain age. I wonder if today’s teens would still relate to it?
34. Fargo (1996)
    I need to see this.
35. The Incredibles (2004)
    Possibly the best cartoon ever made for grown-ups. Love everything about it, from the groovy ’60s spy-movie production design to the voice work to the genuinely funny jokes and tear-jerking pathos.
36. Spider-Man 2 (2004)
37. Pretty Woman (1990)
38. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
    Meh.
39. The Sixth Sense (1999)
    I think this one holds up quite well, even if you figure out the twist or have seen it before. It’s some of Bruce Willis’ finest work. Too bad M. Night Shyamalan has turned out to be something of a one-trick pony.
40. Speed (1994)
41. Dazed and Confused (1993)
    Love this one… my teen years were in the ’80s instead of the ’70s, but so much of this still ran true and looked familiar. And it’s the only movie where I’ve actually liked Matthew McConnaughey, so that’s got to be worth something.
42. Clueless (1995)
43. Gladiator (2000)
44. The Player (1992)
    Saw it, don’t remember it.
45. Rain Man (1988)
46. Children of Men (2006)
47. Men in Black (1997)
    I’m with Jaquandor on this one: it’s a pleasant little comedy, but one of the best of the last quarter century? How do you get that?
48. Scarface (1983)
    I need to see this one, too.
49. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
    Need to see this one again, since I don’t remember much.
50. The Piano (1993)
51. There Will Be Blood (2007)
52. The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad (1988)
    I’ve never been very fond of this variety of humor, the absurd-slapsticky thing. Leslie Neilson is an appealing lead, though.
53. The Truman Show (1998)
54. Fatal Attraction (1987)
55. Risky Business (1983)
    It’s so strange to watch this now and see how natural and unaffected Tom Cruise’s performances used to be. I miss the real Tom instead of the android that now uses his face.
56. The Lives of Others (2006)
57. There’s Something About Mary (1998)
58. Ghostbusters (1984)
59. L.A. Confidential (1997)
60. Scream (1996)
61. Beverly Hills Cop (1984)
62. sex, lies and videotape (1989)
    I know I saw this back in the day, but couldn’t even tell you the premise now. I remember thinking it was weird and not my cup of tea. I suppose I ought to give it another look…
63. Big (1988)
    Another flick I thought everybody liked but which seems to be developing a backlash. I still like it…
64. No Country For Old Men (2007)
65. Dirty Dancing (1987)
    As I’ve said before, one of my personal classics.
66. Natural Born Killers (1994)
67. Donnie Brasco (1997)
68. Witness (1985)
    Possibly Harrison Ford’s best performance, if not his best movie. Someone in college once told me that this was just another example of imperial-colonialist filmmaking, i.e., a movie that requires an average white guy to serve as our access point into a little-understood culture. This conversation was my first inkling that I didn’t fit into the world of academe as well as I had hitherto imagined.
69. All About My Mother (1999)
70. Broadcast News (1987)
71. Unforgiven (1992)
72. Thelma & Louise (1991)
73. Office Space (1999)
74. Drugstore Cowboy (1989)
75. Out of Africa (1985)
76. The Departed (2006)
77. Sid and Nancy (1986)
78. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
    If we’re talking “best movies,” the first Terminator is by far superior to this one.
79. Waiting for Guffman (1996)
80. Michael Clayton (2007)
    Wha? I thought this was a good-enough movie, largely because Clooney delivers a strong performance, but it wasn’t anything all that special. It was a plot we’d basically seen before…
81. Moonstruck (1987)
82. Lost in Translation (2003)
83. Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn (1987)
    An unexpected choice for this list, but glad to see it here. Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell rock…
84. Sideways (2004)
    An excellent movie, and also a really damn depressing one if you happen to be a man of a certain age who still hasn’t achieved the goals you thought you’d have reached long before that age…
85. The 40 Year-Old Virgin (2005)
86. Y Tu Mamá También (2002)
87. Swingers (1996)
88. Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997)
    I maintain that you if you took the best bits from all three Austin Powers movies and cut them together, you might — might — end up with one consistently good one.
89. Breaking the Waves (1996)
90. Napoleon Dynamite (2004)
    Ugh. The most painfully unfunny movie of the last 25 years, perhaps. Why is this thing so popular? I never will understand it…
91. Back to the Future (1985)
    The little movie that could. It never gets old.
92. Menace II Society (1993)
93. Ed Wood (1994)
94. Full Metal Jacket (1987)
95. In the Mood for Love (2001)
96. Far From Heaven (2002)
97. Glory (1989)
    Makes me cry every time.
98. The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)
99. The Blair Witch Project (1999)
    Garbage! Garbage, garbage, garbage! Shrill, unlikable characters and nausea-inducing camera work that leave you ultimately feeling exhausted, rather than scared or exhilirated. Just goes to show you what a lot of hype can do for your box-office returns. And how far the horror genre has fallen.
100. South Park: Bigger Longer & Uncut (1999)
     On my “to see” list. I nearly gambled and bought it from the five-dollar bin the other night, for whatever that’s worth…

So what’s missing from this list? Jaquandor mentioned The Shawshank Redemption, which I’d probably include, and Braveheart, which I probably would not. (I remember liking this when it first came out but haven’t had any desire to revisit it, which leads me to think my initial response may have been more to the hype than the film. Or it may be because I’ve lost so much respect for Mel Gibson in recent years. With the exception of The Road Warrior, I find it very hard to watch him anymore.) I’d also add Almost Famous, as I mentioned above, and Wonder Boys, a wonderful movie that went criminally unnoticed due to (I believe) a lousy marketing campaign. It includes some of Michael Douglas’ best work; if you haven’t seen it, you should. And finally, where’s the love for Dances with Wolves? This, like Titanic, seems to be a victim of its own success — everybody loved it at first, then suddenly started resenting the fact that everybody loved it. Well, I still love it. So there.

Moving on to books now…

[Ed. note: Given the length of these lists, I decided to chop this into two parts. Check the next entry for the top 100 books, according to EW, and my thoughts on some of them…]