Here's is Film4's list of the top "50 Films To See Before You Die".

This list isn't simply looking at the Movie of the Year recipients, but really kind of mixes it up a bit.

50. Badlands (1973)
Atmospheric fictionalisation of the deeds of two murderers who killed their way across the US Midwest in the late 50s. Terrence Mallick directs Martin Sheen and Sissy Spacek.

49. Secrets & Lies (1996)
Mike Leigh's superb comedy-drama of family relationships. Heart-rending, bitter and delightful by turn.

48. Aguirre, The Wrath of God (1972)
Suitably insane collaboration between writer-director-producer Werner Herzog and his on-off leading man Klaus Kinski, who stars as a Spanish conquistador on a ruthless, fruitless hunt for El Dorado.

47. Brazil (1985)
Visual brilliance combines with snappy satirical humour to create one of the best films of the 80s. Undoubtedly Terry Gilliam's masterpiece.

46. This Sporting Life (1963)
It's about rugby league, beer, grit and tough lads, but it's also a profound commment on relationships loaded with symbolism and rich in emotion.

45. Cabaret (1972)
A sensitive young Englishman falls into the whirl of pre-War Berlin, and the arms of the equally dizzying Sally Bowles, in this dazzlingly choreographed story of love, decadence - and Nazi stormtroopers.

44. Raising Arizona (1987)
Nic Cage and Holly Hunter kidnap babies in this sharp, inventive comedy of errors from the Coen brothers.

43. Princess Mononoke (1997)
A young warrior prince gets involved in the conflict between magical beasts and ruthlessly progressive humans in this mature, complex, epic anime from Hayao Miyazaki.

42. Dawn Of The Dead (Director's Cut) (1978)
George A Romero's sequel to Night of the Living Dead follows a group of survivors who hole up in an abandoned shopping mall as the world is overrun by flesh-eating zombies.

41. Manhunter (1986)
Hannibal the cannibal makes his first appearance on screen in this prequel to The Silence Of The Lambs. Starker and less sensational, with a cracking opening scene, it offers a revealing glimpse into a murderous mind.

40. The King Of Comedy (1983)
Scorsese took a break from the gangster films to make this brilliantly executed piece about a stand-up, who will stop at nothing to get his big break on TV.

39. The Ipcress File (1962)
Michael Caine's first, and best, excursion as Len Deighton's spy Harry Palmer. A celebration of Britain during the 1960s and a fine thriller to boot.

38. Mulholland Drive (2001)
Surreal noir about Hollywood corruption, originally shot for American television. A naive wannabe starlet arrives in town only to become embroiled in a passionate lesbian relationship and a shadowy conspiracy surrounding a new movie.

37. The Searchers (1956)
A moody, intelligent Western starring John Wayne in his most complex role as Ethan Edwards, the eternal outsider.

36. Fight Club (1999)
A man and his new best friend make soap, form an unlicensed boxing club and set-up a terrorist organisation. Intense drama starring Edward Norton, Brad Pitt and Helena Bonham Carter, and directed by David Fincher.

35. The Ladykillers (1955)
A star-studded cast is led by sinister Alec Guinness in this vintage slice of Ealing Comedy. A gang of thieves get more trouble than they bargained for when they rent rooms in the Kings Cross home of little old lady.

34. The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)
Brilliant ensemble piece about an eccentric family of geniuses, with three child prodigies turned neurotic adults, an overly ambitious mother and Gene Hackman as a charming rogue of a father.

33. Three Colours: Blue (1993)
An extraordinary film. The first in Kieslowski's acclaimed Three Colours trilogy is cerebral yet compelling, looks and sounds superb, and features a mesmerising performance from Juliette Binoche.

32. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
Arnold Schwarzenegger reteams with James Cameron to reprise his career defining role as the near-indestructible robot in this sequel that is as spectacular as it is thought-provoking, heavy in both special effects and subtexts.

31. Scarface (1983)
Al Pacino stars in this Brian De Palma directed, Oliver Stone scripted remake of the classic 30s gangster film. A Cuban immigrant ruthlessly builds a crime empire in 1980s Florida.

30. All About Eve (1950)
Bette Davis excels as an aging diva in the six times Oscar Winner. Sit back and 'Fasten your seatbelts, it's going to be a bumpy night'.

29. Pink Flamingos (1972)
Breakthrough movie for Baltimore auteur John Waters. Drugs, corpulence, campery and dog-egg eating drag queens, it's all here.

28. Fanny And Alexander (1982)
Winner of four Oscars, Bergman's fantastical family saga follows a year in the life of a young Swedish boy at the turn of the last century. Visually dazzling, endlessly thought-provoking and, despite being over five hours long, utterly absorbing.

27. The Breakfast Club (1985)
Quintessential 1980s teen fare from John Hughes, with the Brat Pack mulling over the meaning of life one Saturday morning detention.

26. Hero (2002)
Martial arts epic from premiere Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou. Asian superstars Jet Li, Maggie Cheung, Tony Leung and Donnie Yen act out a Rashomon-style story set in the 3rd century BC.

25. Trainspotting (1996)
The blackly comic tale of a motley crew of Edinburgh heroin addicts and Mark Renton's escape to (hopefully) a better life was the funniest, bleakest British film of the 1990s.

24. Erin Brockovich (2000)
A real-life story from Hollywood hot-shot director Steven Soderbergh, starring Julia Roberts as Erin Brockovich, a legal secretary and single mum who takes on a giant utility corporation.

23. A Night At The Opera (1935)
The pinnacle of the Marx Brothers all-singing, all-falling-about comedy career. A big-budget blend of farce and extravagant musical numbers, it sees Groucho, Harpo and Chico infiltrating high society in the guise of opera promoters.

22. Heavenly Creatures (1994)
An intoxicatingly intense murder story with lesbian overtones, based on the real-life case that shocked 50s New Zealand.

21. Come And See (1985)
A Second World War film made in 1985, as the Soviet Empire was itself on the verge of collapse, showing the horrors endured by the population of Byelorussia.

20. The Player (1992)
Hollywood's A-list line up to see themselves lampooned in Robert Altman's movie-biz satire. Tim Robbins is the ambitious studio exec who accidentally murders a writer.

19. Boyz N The Hood (1991)
To a smart rap track, teenager Tre Styles (Cuba Gooding Jr) is trying to stay upright in a city determined to claw him down through violence, drugs and racism. The ultimate 90s coming-of-age film.

18. Black Narcissus (1947)
Classic thriller from Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger set in a remote Himalayan convent. Stars Deborah Kerr.

17. Walkabout (1971)
A boy, a girl and an aborigine: Nicolas Roeg's mesmerising debut.

16. Touch Of Evil (1958)
Another Orson Welles masterpiece. The big man stars as a corpulent US cop, facing off against Charlton Heston's Mexican narcotics officer over the border and over murder, corruption and abduction.

15. Pulp Fiction (1994)
Tarantino pushed storytelling to its limit to create this movie of interconnected stories, starring Bruce Willis, Samuel L Jackson, John Travolta and Uma Thurman.

14. Lagaan (2001)
By mixing two of India's greatest loves - cinema and cricket - Aamir Khan's debut production has become the new benchmark for Bollywood and the first Indian classic of the 21st century.

13. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman star in Frank Darabont's memorably moving prison-set fable, adapted from a short story by Stephen King. Robbins' young banker is accused of a double-murder but refuses to let his spirit be broken.

12. Lost In Translation (2003)
A wry and poignant comedy concerning the undercurrent of feelings between middle-aged actor Bill Murray and philosophy graduate Scarlett Johansson when they meet in a Tokyo hotel. Sofia Coppola's follow-up to The Virgin Suicides.

11. Alien (1979)
The film that gave us the action heroine, in the shape of Sigourney Weaver's Ellen Ripley, and presented space travel as just another job. It's a tour-de-force of suspense, slasher antics and good old-fashioned sci-fi.

10. Back To The Future (1985)
Gleeful, thoroughly entertaining 80s time travel yarn that stars Michael J Fox as a teen who heads back in time, only to muddle his own parents' courtship.

9. Donnie Darko (2001)
An astonishingly imaginative, poignant, genre-defying tale of teen love, insanity and time travel. The feature debut of US filmmaker Richard Kelly, starring upcoming talent Jake Gyllenhaal.

8. A Bout De Souffle (1959)
Paris never looked more romantic than in this fractured, amoral tale of a Bogart-obsessed fantasist who shoots a cop and takes up with an old flame.

7. North By Northwest (1959)
Alfred Hitchcock presents a 3000-mile chase across America. Cary Grant stars.

6. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
We know what the year 2001 looks like now, and it doesn't look much like Kubrick's vision. But 2001: A Space Odyssey itself still looks immaculate. Spectacular, trailblazing and philosophical, it's an undisputed masterpiece.

5. Sexy Beast (2000)
Ex-criminal Ray Winstone's idyllic retirement is disrupted when Ben Kingsley asks, nay demands, that he do one more job. Another Brit-gangster flick. No wait, come back!

4. Chinatown (1974)
Polanski's masterly film noir takes us back to the days when Los Angeles was a small town. Jack Nicholson stars.

3. City Of God (2002)
Impressive portrayal of the cycle of violence among the poor, young criminals in the slums of Rio De Janeiro. Based in reality, it features the all-out gang war that took place in the early 1980s and was documented in the renowned source novel of the same name.

2. The Apartment (1960)
Vintage, multiple award-winning Billy Wilder satire-cum-romance with Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine.

1. Apocalypse Now (1979)
Martin Sheen journeys through Vietnam and Cambodia to terminate flipped-out renegade US colonel Marlon Brando. But his mission becomes a screaming trip into madness, stunningly realised by Coppola's hallucinogenic direction and a cast dragged from Hollywood's Narcotics Anonymous.

If they're going for a well-rounded list that covers the high points of cinema over the years, it seems like there's quite a bit missing. I guess it's hard to cover so much ground in only 50 listings.

Still though, there's a lot on this list I haven't heard of, but movies I'd like to check out sometime.

scarface, hero, and donnie darko = lol

how about once upon a time in america, house of flying daggers, and for the love of god not donnie darko

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otherwise not a bad list of movies people wouldn't see in the normal course of events

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Meh, I thought the inclusion of Donnie Darko was interesting. It *is* a mind-bending movie that plays with your head.

I'm surprised not to see Citizen Kane, the Godfather, or Lawrence of Arabia on this list, as I would say all of those are must-see movies.

On a lighter note, I'm surprised there isn't anything along the lines of Return of the Jedi or Raiders of the Lost Ark. Or Close Encounters.

In terms of cinematography, they could have included What Dreams May Come or Fellowship of the Ring.

Obviously I have my preferences, heh.

It seems to me that the movies you listed are movies that more or less everyone is going to see at some point, and although I assume everyone will see Apocalypse Now, it seems like this list is more of movies that everyone wouldn't see and probably should.

Of course, maybe it's a generational thing, because I don't know anyone who hasn't or wouldn't see The Shawshank Redemption, Alien, and Pulp Fiction.

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I assume everyone will see Apocalypse Now

Nope. Resisted it til now, don't see that changing much. Just zero interest.

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Here's my Top 10:

10. Groundhog Day (1993)
A weather man is reluctantly sent to cover a story about a weather forecasting "rat" (as he calls it). This is his fourth year on the story, and he makes no effort to hide his frustration. On awaking the 'following' day he discovers that it's Groundhog Day again, and again, and again.

9. Groundhog Day (1993)
A weather man is reluctantly sent to cover a story about a weather forecasting "rat" (as he calls it). This is his fourth year on the story, and he makes no effort to hide his frustration. On awaking the 'following' day he discovers that it's Groundhog Day again, and again, and again.

8. Groundhog Day (1993)
A weather man is reluctantly sent to cover a story about a weather forecasting "rat" (as he calls it). This is his fourth year on the story, and he makes no effort to hide his frustration. On awaking the 'following' day he discovers that it's Groundhog Day again, and again, and again.

7. Groundhog Day (1993)
A weather man is reluctantly sent to cover a story about a weather forecasting "rat" (as he calls it). This is his fourth year on the story, and he makes no effort to hide his frustration. On awaking the 'following' day he discovers that it's Groundhog Day again, and again, and again.

6. Groundhog Day (1993)
A weather man is reluctantly sent to cover a story about a weather forecasting "rat" (as he calls it). This is his fourth year on the story, and he makes no effort to hide his frustration. On awaking the 'following' day he discovers that it's Groundhog Day again, and again, and again.

5. Groundhog Day (1993)
A weather man is reluctantly sent to cover a story about a weather forecasting "rat" (as he calls it). This is his fourth year on the story, and he makes no effort to hide his frustration. On awaking the 'following' day he discovers that it's Groundhog Day again, and again, and again.

4. Groundhog Day (1993)
A weather man is reluctantly sent to cover a story about a weather forecasting "rat" (as he calls it). This is his fourth year on the story, and he makes no effort to hide his frustration. On awaking the 'following' day he discovers that it's Groundhog Day again, and again, and again.

3. Groundhog Day (1993)
A weather man is reluctantly sent to cover a story about a weather forecasting "rat" (as he calls it). This is his fourth year on the story, and he makes no effort to hide his frustration. On awaking the 'following' day he discovers that it's Groundhog Day again, and again, and again.

2. Groundhog Day (1993)
A weather man is reluctantly sent to cover a story about a weather forecasting "rat" (as he calls it). This is his fourth year on the story, and he makes no effort to hide his frustration. On awaking the 'following' day he discovers that it's Groundhog Day again, and again, and again.

1. Groundhog Day (1993)
A weather man is reluctantly sent to cover a story about a weather forecasting "rat" (as he calls it). This is his fourth year on the story, and he makes no effort to hide his frustration. On awaking the 'following' day he discovers that it's Groundhog Day again, and again, and again.

I agree with Neesha. IAWN.

hmm, I would have expected to see The Birth of a Nation (1915) listed there.

That's great when studying film history and the advances in directing, but I don't think the plot or acting were notable. Plus there's the whole white supremacy thing, heh.

I did think that the Battleship Potemkin (1925) could have been on the list as well, but again I think that's more for the film enthusiast rather than the masses.

Back to back fail.

Oh, lord... Apocalypse Now...talk about boring. More like Apocalypse When? AM I RIGHT?!?!?

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Hope is the new black.

Don't be hating on Apocalypse Now. It's an amazing movie that had great directing, acting, cinematography, script, music, etc.

Based off the book "Heart of Darkness" but set in the Vietnam conflict. The story shows just how far Man can fall into the depths of madness.

But yeah Givin, I've never seen Raising Arizona and I don't plan on it. That being on the list was a surprise.

I did like Princess Mononoke though. Although I'm not big into Anime- is it considered bad as far as Anime goes?

I don't know much about anime, but, how can anyone hate a movie by Hayao Miyasaki? =[[[

I haven't seen Raising Arizona either.

I was thinking about this more and felt that these should also be on the list (I have seen each of these):

The Great Dictator (1940)
Casablanca (1942)
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
Saving Private Ryan (1998)
Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
The Sting (1973)
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) - one of my personal favorites
The Princess Bride (1987)
Witness for the Prosecution (1957) - if you like legal flicks...
Patton (1970)
King Kong (1933) - original is still the best
Spartacus (1960)
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)

yeah the sting might be my favorite movie ever and it really doesn't get enough love from lists like these

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I think part of the list's intent is to highlight movies that people might not have seen. The City of God is a great movie, and I'd highly recommend it.

Sarissa Candyangel

Jesus Camp

* The Great Dictator (1940) - Haven't seen this

* Casablanca (1942) - Great movie for its time, I wonder if a modern audience wouldn't appreciate it though

* Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964) - Great, subtle, dark humor movie. Good choice.

* Saving Private Ryan (1998) - This was another good pick, but I almost think Schindler's List should be on the list before this one.

* Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) - It takes a certain type of person and/or a certain amount of alcohol to truly appreciate this. I tried having my gf watch it with me, and she wasn't impressed, heh. But I still love it.

* The Sting (1973) - Haven't seen this, sounds like I should though.

* Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) - Haven't seen this.

* The Princess Bride (1987) - Another classic that should have been on the list. Good pick.

* Witness for the Prosecution (1957) - Never heard of this.

* Patton (1970) - Haven't seen this, but I hear it's good.

* King Kong (1933) - I'd vote against this one. There are many better movies than the original King Kong!

* Spartacus (1960) - Haven't seen this.

* The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962) - Haven't seen this, but I hear it's a classic.

Don't forget about other great films like Forrest Gump (1994), Gladiator (2000), Braveheart (1995), the Godfather I (1972) or II (1974), the Graduate (1967), Dances With Wolves (1990), Annie Hall (1977), and A Streetcar Named Desire (1951).

This is Charlie Chaplin's movie where he skewers Adolph Hitler. You will see so much of the baseline of comedy that is used today in this movie. A Classic.

You are right, could possibly have them a as a combo entry

this is another movie that is "referenced" by so many other movies/tv shows

Great movie for the stubborn idealist in us all

This is my wife's favorite movie. Classic British courtroom drama. Good story, good twist, very enjoyable.

By today's standards this isn't a great movie, but when you look at it realizing that it was made in 1933 what they were able to do is quite outstanding



Films like Forrest Gump, Gladiator, Bravehart, Godfather I & II, and Dance with Wolves I assumed that most people have seen. I thought about adding The Graduate to the list as it is a very good movie that many people today probably haven't seen. Streetcar is a tough movie to watch. It is a classic and I wouldn't argue about having it on the list. I have not seen Annie Hall. I have heard a lot about it, just haven't seen it.

There are several that you could add. I had a hard time with just having Casablanca on the list. I also wanted to add Key Largo, Maltese Falcon and/or Treasure of the Sierra Madre on the list but decided that if a person who had never seen Casablanca and enjoyed it they should move towards the other Bogey movies.

I like the old black and white films they show on PBS here on saturday nights. They aren't the "same ol same ol" that I have grown to hate.

Animal Crackers

Sarissa Candyangel

Raising Arizona is a great movie, rent if if you can.

Groundhog Day is one of those movies that if I am surfing channels and it pops up on the screen, I watch. Period..

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"Every normal man must be tempted at times to spit upon his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats." -Henry Louis Mencken
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VEGETARIAN -Noun (vej-i-tair-ee-uhn): Ancient tribal slang for the village idiot who can't hunt, fish or ride.

HD Net has had Cool Hand Luke on quite a few times lately. I was thinking of this list, and for some reason, I thought it was on the list, so I watched it. It was a good movie, but now I see that it wasn't even on the list! I feel so used.

I agree, house of flying daggers should easily replace hero... Hero was not very good, house of flying daggers had a pretty good love story and some good twists...

I would agree with Schindlers List to be above quite a few of those. And would personally add at least Black Hawk Down, and possibly Children of Men.

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Watched Mr. Smith Goes to Washington on your recommendation. It was pretty good. It ended abruptly, that was about my only complaint. So abruptly that my wife and I looked at each other and said wtf? I have noticed some of the movies from back in the day didn't have the nice sense of closure that a lot of contemporary films have.

Hero is on there solely because it's a pretty movie. No one cares about the story, you watch it for the cinematography. House of Flying Daggers has a much better story but looks average. Problem is that the story isn't THAT good that it really stands out from any of the other films of the type, while the stylized filming of Hero really is distinctive and worth going out of your way to have a look at. Hence, Hero makes the list and HoFD does not, at least in my estimation.

I was flipping through lists of old movies while looking for some audio clips online, and I decided I wanted to post a few movies here that I would put on such a list. These are movies that moved me. Some of them still produce flashes of emotion when I see clips from them. Some of these are on the original list, and some are not.

These are not listed in any particular order.

1. Shawshank Redemption. Possibly one of the best prison movies I've ever seen. The ending is so completely wonderful you have to have a heart of stone to not enjoy it.

2. Schindler's List. The end of this movie, when Schindler finally breaks down on camera, is simply heartbreaking. Typing this right now and imagining these scenes in my head still causes tears to form in my eyes.

3. A Few Good Men. I don't know why, but this military courtroom drama still gives me chills whenever I watch it.

4. Fight Club. Perhaps I'm just an idiot, but I did NOT see the twist coming at all, and that made this movie go from good to excellent for me.

5. The Matrix. The 2nd and 3rd movies sucked, but the first redefined action movies for that generation, and had me riveted from the beginning to end.

6. Braveheart. Large epic movies that are well done always do it for me.

7. Gladiator. See #6. Also, I always found the speech that Joaquin Phoenix's character gives as he kills his own father to be completely believable, and completely horrifying. You felt sorry for him and you hated him at the same time. That scene cemented the movie as one of my favorites.

8. The Usual Suspects. I'm apparently stupid, but again I didn't really see the big twist coming at the end, and I loved going back and watching the movie a second time with the new knowledge.

9. The Ring. This movie successfully produced fear for me, without ever relying on cheap gore to do it. Great work.

10. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. The hype for this was unbelievable, and I had read the books 100 times. This was sure to be a letdown, yet for me it wasn't. My friends and I immediately went back into the theater and saw it a second time. This movie left me in awe.

10 is probably enough for now.



3.

I gotta agree with you there. 1994was such a great year. Some of my top movies ever were done in that year. Forrest Gump, Pulp Fiction and Shawshank Redemption.

The best prison movie? No firehoses, no white t-shirts, no cutoffs, and no Shannon Tweed? Pfft.

Sarissa Candyangel

No Wendy O. Williams? It ain't the best prison movie.