Mike Minetti's Favorite Movies

This is a project I've thought about for years. Compile a Top 100 list of my all-time favorite movies. Problem was, I had no list of all the films I had actually seen. Then in early 2000 I discovered the Internet Movie Database (IMDB.com). Now I had access to a list of every movie ever made. Beginning in the summer of 2000, I started going through the database year-by-year jotting down my favorite flicks. I finished this process in the summer of 2004 (there are well over 100,000 titles to sift through) with over 600 on my list. From there I made Top 10 lists for every year since 1980, a Top 20 list for films of the 70's, Top 10 for the 60's, and Top 10 for all movies before 1960. Most movies on the overall list were made in the last 25 years, simply because many films don't "age well." If I had seen some of the great movies of the 30's, 40's, 50's, and 60's in the theater when they were new I might feel differently about them. These movies are my personal favorites and not necessarily the best films. I'm well aware that Citizen Kane is a better movie than Caddyshack, but the former didn't give me as much enjoyment as the latter. Hopefully you might come across a title or two on these lists that you've never heard of before and the next time you're in the video store or browsing through Netflix, you will choose one of the following and thank me later.

TOP 100 MOVIES OF ALL-TIME

1) Pulp Fiction (1994)
2) Prince Of The City (1981)
3) A Clockwork Orange (1971)
4) American Beauty (1999)
5) Crimes And Misdemeanors (1989)
6) The Godfather (1972)
7) It's A Wonderful Life (1946)
8) Goodfellas (1990)
9) The Godfather: Part II (1974)
10) Nuovo Cinema Paradiso (1989)

11) The Pope Of Greenwich Village (1984)
12) Once Upon A Time In America (1984)
13) Airplane! (1980)
14) River's Edge (1986)
15) Rope (1948)
16) A Christmas Story (1983)
17) Freeway (1996)
18) Arthur (1981)
19) This Is Spinal Tap (1984)
20) Igby Goes Down (2002)

21) Things To Do In Denver When You're Dead (1995)
22) A Bronx Tale (1993)
23) Blue Velvet (1986)
24) Atlantic City (1980)
25) Bitter Moon (1992)
26) Four Friends (1981)
27) Take The Money And Run (1969)
28) Forrest Gump (1994)
29) The Graduate (1967)
30) Seems Like Old Times (1980)

31) One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest (1975)
32) Ghost (1990)
33) 21 Grams (2003)
34) Body Double (1984)
35) Lost In Translation (2003)
36) Being There (1979)
37) ...And Justice For All (1979)
38) Irreconsilable Differences (1984)
39) Night Shift (1982)
40) That Thing You Do (1996)

41) Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
42) One False Move (1992)
43) F / X (1986)
44) La Vita E Bella (1997)
45) Election (1999)
46) Magnolia (1999)
47) Roger And Me (1989)
48) Local Hero (1983)
49) When Harry Met Sally... (1989)
50) Lost In America (1985)

51) Tootsie (1982)
52) After Hours (1985)
53) Modern Romance (1981)
54) To Catch A Thief (1955)
55) Deconstructing Harry (1997)
56) The Big Chill (1983)
57) 12 Angry Men (1957)
58) You Can Count On Me (2000)
59) Blazing Saddles (1974)
60) Annie Hall (1977)

61) Miracle On 34th Street (1947)
62) Spoorloos (1988)
63) Midnight Run (1988)
64) Bully (2001)
65) Zelig (1983)
66) In The Bedroom (2001)
67) Tune In Tomorrow... (1990)
68) The World According To Garp (1982)
69) Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind (2004)
70) ET: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

71) My Cousin Vinny (1992)
72) Sideways (2004)
73) Short Cuts (1993)
74) Menace Ii Society (1993)
75) The Parallax View (1974)
76) Metropolitan (1990)
77) The Heartbreak Kid (1972)
78) The Player (1992)
79) The Pianist (2002)
80) A Face In The Crowd (1957)

81) My Favorite Year (1982)
82) Do The Right Thing (1989)
83) Silver Streak (1976)
84) Ed Wood (1994)
85) Reservoir Dogs (1992)
86) Caddyshack (1980)
87) Wild At Heart (1990)
88) The Bedroom Window (1987)
89) The Aviator (2004)
90) Midnight Cowboy (1969)

91) The Fugitive (1993)
92) Terms Of Endearment (1983)
93) Thirteen (2003)
94) Taxi Driver (1976)
95) Les Invasions Barbares (2003)
96) Field Of Dreams (1989)
97) King Of Comedy (1983)
98) Pay It Forward (2000)
99) Almost Famous (2000)
100)Somewhere In Time (1980)

Top Ten Movies Before 1960

1) It's A Wonderful Life (1946)
2) Rope (1948)
3) To Catch A Thief (1955)
4) 12 Angry Men (1957)
5) Miracle On 34th Street (1947)
6) A Face In The Crowd (1957)
7) Dial M For Murder (1954)
8) The Man With The Golden Arm (1955)
9) Anatomy Of A Murder (1959)
10) The World, The Flesh, And The Devil (1959)

Top Ten Movies Of The 1960s

1) Take The Money And Run (1969)
2) The Graduate (1967)
3) Midnight Cowboy (1969)
4) Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf? (1966)
5) Night Of The Living Dead (1968)
6) Birdman Of Alcatraz (1962)
7) The Fortune Cookie (1966)
8) Bonnie And Clyde (1967)
9) The Odd Couple (1968)
10) To Sir, With Love (1967)

Top 20 Movies Of The 1970s

1) A Clockwork Orange (1971)
2) The Godfather (1972)
3) The Godfather: Part II (1974)
4) One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest (1975)
5) Being There (1979)
6) ...And Justice For All (1979)
7) Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
8) Blazing Saddles (1974)
9) Annie Hall (1977)
10) The Parallax View (1974)

11) The Heartbreak Kid (1972)
12) Silver Streak (1976)
13) Taxi Driver (1976)
14) Duel (1971)
15) Rocky (1976)
16) The Rose (1979)
17) The Groove Tube (1974)
18) The Great Santini (1979)
19) The Kentucky Fried Movie (1977)
20) Brian's Song (1971)

Top 50 Movies Of The 1980s

1) Prince Of The City (1981)
2) Crimes And Misdemeanors (1989)
3) Nuovo Cinema Paradiso (1989)
4) The Pope Of Greenwich Village (1984)
5) Once Upon A Time In America (1984)
6) Airplane! (1980)
7) River's Edge (1986)
8) A Christmas Story (1983)
9) Arthur (1981)
10) This Is Spinal Tap (1984)

11) Blue Velvet (1986)
12) Atlantic City (1980)
13) Four Friends (1981)
14) Seems Like Old Times (1980)
15) Body Double (1984)
16) Irreconcilable Differences (1984)
17) Night Shift (1982)
18) F / X (1986)
19) Roger And Me (1989)
20) Local Hero (1983)

21) When Harry Met Sally... (1989)
22) Lost In America (1985)
23) Tootsie (1982)
24) After Hours (1985)
25) Modern Romance (1981)
26) The Big Chill (1983)
27) Spoorloos (1988)
28) Midnight Run (1988)
29) Zelig (1983)
30) The World According To Garp (1982)

31) ET: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
32) My Favorite Year (1982)
33) Do The Right Thing (1989)
34) Caddyshack (1980)
35) The Bedroom Window (1987)
36) Terms Of Endearment (1983)
37) Field Of Dreams (1989)
38) King Of Comedy (1983)
39) Somewhere In Time (1980)
40) Ghostbusters (1984)

41) Beaches (1988)
42) Summer Lovers (1982)
43) Diner (1982)
44) Moonstruck (1987)
45) Beverly Hills Cop (1984)
46) Blood Simple (1984)
47) Stripes (1981)
48) Cocoon (1985)
49) The Thin Blue Line (1988)
50) The Color Purple (1985)

Top 50 Movies Of The 1990s

1) Pulp Fiction (1994)
2) American Beauty (1999)
3) Goodfellas (1990)
4) Freeway (1996)
5) Things To Do In Denver When You're Dead (1995)
6) A Bronx Tale (1993)
7) Bitter Moon (1992)
8) Forrest Gump (1994)
9) Ghost (1990)
10) That Thing You Do (1996)

11) One False Move (1992)
12) La Vita E Bella (1997)
13) Election (1999)
14) Magnolia (1999)
15) Deconstructing Harry (1997)
16) Tune In Tomorrow... (1990)
17) My Cousin Vinny (1992)
18) Short Cuts (1993)
19) Menace Ii Society (1993)
20) Metropolitan (1990)

21) The Player (1992)
22) Ed Wood (1994)
23) Reservoir Dogs (1992)
24) Wild At Heart (1990)
25) The Fugitive (1993)
26) Very Bad Things (1998)
27) Dick (1999)
28) 2 Days In The Valley (1996)
29) Celebrity (1998)
30) Go (1999)

31) The Big Lebowski (1998)
32) Grace Of My Heart (1996)
33) Fargo (1996)
34) Waiting For Guffman (1996)
35) Grand Canyon (1991)
36) City Of Hope (1991)
37) Manhattan Murder Mystery (1993)
38) True Romance (1993)
39) Muriel's Wedding (1994)
40) Before Sunrise (1995)

41) Liberty Heights (1999)
42) Bullets Over Broadway (1994)
43) Night Falls On Manhattan (1997)
44) The Virgin Suicides (1999)
45) The Doom Generation (1995)
46) L.A. Confidential (1997)
47) Titanic (1997)
48) Fucking Amal (1998)
49) Untamed Heart (1993)
50) Sabrina (1995)

Top 25 Movies Of The 2000s

1) Igby Goes Down (2002)
2) 21 Grams (2003)
3) Lost In Translation (2003)
4) You Can Count On Me (2000)
5) Bully (2001)
6) In The Bedroom (2001)
7) Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind (2004)
8) Sideways (2004)
9) The Pianist (2002)
10) The Aviator (2004)

11) Thirteen (2003)
12) Les Invasions Barbares (2003)
13) Pay It Forward (2000)
14) Almost Famous (2000)
15) Adaptation (2002)
16) If These Walls Could Talk 2 (2000)
17) Closer (2004)
18) Saved! (2004)
19) Requiem For A Dream (2000)
20) Wit (2001)

21) House Of Sand And Fog (2003)
22) Le Fabuleux Destin D`Amelie Poulain (2001)
23) Crash (2004)
24) Pieces Of April (2003)
25) The Contender (2000)

Top 10 Movies Of 1980

1) Airplane!
2) Atlantic City
3) Seems Like Old Times
4) Caddyshack
5) Somewhere In Time
6) Raging Bull
7) Stardust Memories
8) Tribute
9) Fame
10) The Blues Brothers

Top 10 Movies Of 1981

1) Prince Of The City
2) Arthur
3) Four Friends
4) Modern Romance
5) Stripes
6) Blow Out
7) Thief
8) Body Heat
9) On Golden Pond
10) The Postman Always Rings Twice

Top 10 Movies Of 1982

1) Night Shift
2) Tootsie
3) The World According To Garp
4) ET: The Extra-Terrestrial
5) My Favorite Year
6) Summer Lovers
7) Diner
8) Victor/Victoria
9) Deathtrap
10) An Officer And A Gentleman

Top 10 Movies Of 1983

1) A Christmas Story
2) Local Hero
3) The Big Chill
4) Zelig
5) Terms Of Endearment
6) King Of Comedy
7) Mr. Mom
8) Trading Places
9) Flashdance
10) The Dead Zone

Top 10 Movies Of 1984

1) The Pope Of Greenwich Village
2) Once Upon A Time In America
3) This Is Spinal Tap
4) Body Double
5) Irreconcilable Differences
6) Ghostbusters
7) Beverly Hills Cop
8) Blood Simple
9) Broadway Danny Rose
10) Top Secret!

Top 10 Movies Of 1985

1) Lost In America
2) After Hours
3) Cocoon
4) The Color Purple
5) Fletch
6) The Sure Thing
7) The Purple Rose Of Cairo
8) Jagged Edge
9) The Jewel Of The Nile
10) St. Elmo's Fire

Top 10 Movies Of 1986

1) River's Edge
2) Blue Velvet
3) F / X
4) Mona Lisa
5) About Last Night...
6) Henry: Portrait Of A Serial Killer
7) Something Wild
8) Hannah And Her Sisters
9) She's Gotta Have It
10) Back To School

Top 10 Movies Of 1987

1) The Bedroom Window
2) Moonstruck
3) Radio Days
4) Stakeout
5) Raising Arizona
6) House Of Games
7) Broadcast News
8) Overboard
9) Throw Momma From The Train
10) No Way Out

Top 10 Movies Of 1988

1) Spoorloos
2) Midnight Run
3) Beaches
4) The Thin Blue Line
5) Talk Radio
6) The Naked Gun: From The Files Of Police Squad
7) Frantic
8) Bull Durham
9) The Accused
10) Big

Top 10 Movies Of 1989

1) Crimes And Misdemeanors
2) Nuovo Cinema Paradiso
3) Roger And Me
4) When Harry Met Sally...
5) Do The Right Thing
6) Field Of Dreams
7) Major League
8) Sex, Lies, And Videotape
9) Steel Magnolias
10) Always

Top 10 Movies Of 1990

1) Goodfellas
2) Ghost
3) Tune In Tomorrow...
4) Metropolitan
5) Wild At Heart
6) Mermaids
7) Postcards From The Edge
8) Alice
9) Presumed Innocent
10) Quick Change

Top 10 Movies Of 1991

1) Grand Canyon
2) City Of Hope
3) Hearts Of Darkness: A Filmmakers Apocolypse
4) Dead Again
5) Jfk
6) The Man In The Moon
7) The Silence Of The Lambs
8) What About Bob?
9) Madonna: Truth Or Dare
10) Fried Green Tomatoes

Top 10 Movies Of 1992

1) Bitter Moon
2) One False Move
3) My Cousin Vinny
4) The Player
5) Reservoir Dogs
6) Red Rock West
7) Peter's Friends
8) Shadows And Fog
9) Husbands And Wives
10) Bob Roberts

Top 10 Movies Of 1993

1) A Bronx Tale
2) Short Cuts
3) Menace Ii Society
4) The Fugitive
5) Manhattan Murder Mystery
6) True Romance
7) Untamed Heart
8) And The Band Played On
9) Schindler's List
10) Mrs. Doubtfire

Top 10 Movies Of 1994

1) Pulp Fiction
2) Forrest Gump
3) Ed Wood
4) Muriel's Wedding
5) Bullets Over Broadway
6) Crumb
7) Swimming With The Sharks
8) Dream Lover
9) Exotica
10) The Shawshank Redemption

Top 10 Movies Of 1995

1) Things To Do In Denver When You're Dead
2) Before Sunrise
3) The Doom Generation
4) Sabrina
5) To Die For
6) Heat
7) Waiting To Exhale
8) Casino
9) The Usual Suspects
10) Nixon

Top 10 Movies Of 1996

1) Freeway
2) That Thing You Do
3) 2 Days In The Valley
4) Grace Of My Heart
5) Fargo
6) Waiting For Guffman
7) Stealing Beauty
8) The Birdcage
9) The People Vs. Larry Flynt
10) Set It Off

Top 10 Movies Of 1997

1) La Vita E Bella
2) Deconstructing Harry
3) Night Falls On Manhattan
4) L.A. Confidential
5) Titanic
6) Fall
7) The House Of Yes
8) Breakdown
9) Inventing The Abbott's
10) Soul Food

Top 10 Movies Of 1998

1) Very Bad Things
2) Celebrity
3) The Big Lebowski
4) Fucking Amal
5) Gia
6) Lola Rennt
7) Zero Effect
8) Hurlyburly
9) Sliding Doors
10) American History X

Top 10 Movies Of 1999

1) American Beauty
2) Election
3) Magnolia
4) Dick
5) Go
6) Liberty Heights
7) The Virgin Suicides
8) Goat On Fire And Smiling Fish
9) The Cider House Rules
10) Cookie's Fortune

Top 10 Movies Of 2000

1) You Can Count On Me
2) Pay It Forward
3) Almost Famous
4) If These Walls Could Talk 2
5) Requiem For A Dream
6) The Contender
7) Return To Me
8) Memento
9) Best In Show
10) The Dish

Top 10 Movies Of 2001

1) Bully
2) In The Bedroom
3) Wit
4) Le Fabuleux Destin D`Amelie Poulain
5) Startup.Com
6) L.I.E.
7) Thirteen Conversations About One Thing
8) Legally Blonde
9) Ghost World
10) Kissing Jessica Stein

Top 10 Movies Of 2002

1) Igby Goes Down
2) The Pianist
3) Adaptation
4) The Kid Stays In The Picture
5) Bowling For Columbine
6) Unfaithful
7) Secretary
8) Hable Con Ella
9) Sunshine State
10) Rabbit Proof Fence

Top 10 Movies Of 2003

1) 21 Grams
2) Lost In Translation
3) Thirteen
4) Les Invasions Barbares
5) House Of Sand And Fog
6) Pieces Of April
7) Baadasssss!
8) A Mighty Wind
9) The Life Of David Gale
10) Bad Santa

Top 10 Movies Of 2004

1) Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind
2) Sideways
3) The Aviator
4) Closer
5) Saved!
6) Crash
7) I Heart Huckabees
8) Before Sunset
9) The Notebook
10) Hotel Rwanda

My Favorite Movies By Year

1970 The Out-Of-Towners
1971 A Clockwork Orange
1972 The Godfather
1973 Sleeper
1974 The Godfather: Part II
1975 One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest
1976 Silver Streak
1977 Annie Hall
1978 Capricorn One
1979 Being There

1980 Airplane!
1981 Prince Of The City
1982 Night Shift
1983 A Christmas Story
1984 The Pope Of Greenwich Village
1985 Lost In America
1986 River's Edge
1987 The Bedroom Window
1988 Spoorloos
1989 Crimes And Misdemeanors

1990 Goodfellas
1991 Grand Canyon
1992 Bitter Moon
1993 A Bronx Tale
1994 Pulp Fiction
1995 Things To Do In Denver When You're Dead
1996 Freeway
1997 La Vita E Bella
1998 Very Bad Things
1999 American Beauty

2000 You Can Count On Me
2001 Bully
2002 Igby Goes Down
2003 21 Grams
2004 Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind

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