The greatest movies of my lifetime- 34 movies for 34 years
by Starbl00d | created - 15 Oct 2010 | updated - 15 Oct 2010 | Public- Instant Watch Options
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1. Labyrinth (1986)
PG | 101 min | Adventure, Family, Fantasy
Sixteen-year-old Sarah must solve a labyrinth to rescue her baby brother when he is taken by the Goblin King.
Director: Jim Henson | Stars: David Bowie, Jennifer Connelly, Toby Froud, Shelley Thompson
Votes: 149,538 | Gross: $12.73M
Magical...what more can I say?
2. Legend (1985)
PG | 94 min | Adventure, Fantasy, Romance
A young man must stop the Lord of Darkness from destroying daylight and marrying the woman he loves.
Director: Ridley Scott | Stars: Tom Cruise, Mia Sara, Tim Curry, David Bennent
Votes: 72,447 | Gross: $15.50M
Fantastic- Tom Cruise's best work...when he was normal
3. The Little Mermaid (1975)
Not Rated | 74 min | Animation, Adventure, Drama
A mermaid falls in love with a human prince, which leads to tragedy.
Directors: Tomoharu Katsumata, Tim Reid | Stars: Fumie Kashiyama, Mariko Miyagi, Tarô Shigaki, Hideki Shibata
Votes: 1,148
Emotionally impacting, this movie will have you in tears. Not to be confused with the Disney rip off.
4. The Notebook (2004)
PG-13 | 123 min | Drama, Romance
An elderly man reads to a woman with dementia the story of two young lovers whose romance is threatened by the difference in their respective social classes.
Director: Nick Cassavetes | Stars: Gena Rowlands, James Garner, Rachel McAdams, Ryan Gosling
Votes: 619,988 | Gross: $81.00M
The only movie to make me fully cry
5. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003)
R | 98 min | Horror
After picking up a traumatized young hitchhiker, five friends find themselves stalked and hunted by a deformed chainsaw-wielding loon and his family of equally psychopathic killers.
Director: Marcus Nispel | Stars: Jessica Biel, Jonathan Tucker, Andrew Bryniarski, Erica Leerhsen
Votes: 152,359 | Gross: $80.57M
I like this and The Beginning. A very well done remake
6. Shutter Island (2010)
R | 138 min | Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Teddy Daniels and Chuck Aule, two US marshals, are sent to an asylum on a remote island in order to investigate the disappearance of a patient, where Teddy uncovers a shocking truth about the place.
Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Emily Mortimer, Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley
Votes: 1,455,972 | Gross: $128.01M
I never wanted to see this, but when I finally did I instantly wanted to see it again. Fantastic!
7. Night of the Demons (1988)
R | 90 min | Comedy, Fantasy, Horror
Ten teenagers party at an abandoned funeral parlor on Halloween night. When an evil force awakens, demonic spirits keep them from leaving and turn their gathering into a living Hell.
Director: Kevin Tenney | Stars: Cathy Podewell, Alvin Alexis, Hal Havins, Allison Barron
Votes: 19,126 | Gross: $3.11M
This movie has always scared the crap out of me
8. To Die For (1988)
R | 94 min | Horror, Romance, Thriller
L.A. real estate agent Kate Wooten gets a new lease on life when she learns that her new client, a mysterious and handsome man named Vlad, is looking for a house isolated in the Hollywood ... See full summary »
Director: Deran Sarafian | Stars: Brendan Hughes, Sydney Walsh, Amanda Wyss, Scott Jacoby
Votes: 588
Excellent vampire movie, but hard to find. Well worth it if you can get it!
9. The Descent (2005)
R | 99 min | Adventure, Horror, Thriller
A caving expedition goes horribly wrong, as the explorers become trapped and ultimately pursued by a strange breed of predators.
Director: Neil Marshall | Stars: Shauna Macdonald, Natalie Mendoza, Alex Reid, Saskia Mulder
Votes: 246,849 | Gross: $26.02M
A real nail-biter, with a lot of tension and jumps
10. A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001)
PG-13 | 146 min | Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi
A highly advanced robotic boy longs to become "real" so that he can regain the love of his human mother.
Director: Steven Spielberg | Stars: Haley Joel Osment, Jude Law, Frances O'Connor, Sam Robards
Votes: 322,953 | Gross: $78.62M
This movie was really not what I expected, and to me it was incredibly sad
11. Awake (2007)
R | 84 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A wealthy young man undergoing heart transplant surgery discovers that the surgical team intend to murder him.
Director: Joby Harold | Stars: Hayden Christensen, Jessica Alba, Terrence Howard, Lena Olin
Votes: 80,559 | Gross: $14.38M
This movie stuck with me for days after watching it!
12. Dead Silence (2007)
R | 89 min | Horror, Mystery, Thriller
After his wife meets a grisly end, Jamie Ashen returns to his hometown of Ravens Fair to find answers. His investigation leads him to the ghost of a ventriloquist named Mary Shaw who seems to have ties to his entire family tree
Director: James Wan | Stars: Ryan Kwanten, Amber Valletta, Donnie Wahlberg, Michael Fairman
Votes: 101,829 | Gross: $16.81M
A lot of people hated this movie, but I didn't. I was really creeped out by it, and it remains one of my top favorite films. I prefer the theatrical release though- I hate the stupid fake tongue they added in
13. A Tale of Two Sisters (2003)
R | 114 min | Drama, Horror, Mystery
After being institutionalized in a mental hospital, Su-mi reunites with her sister, Su-yeon, and they return to live at their country home. But strange events plague the house, leading to surprising revelations and a shocking conclusion.
Director: Jee-woon Kim | Stars: Lim Soo-jung, Yum Jung-ah, Kim Kap-su, Moon Geun-young
Votes: 68,256
This movie was just excellent! An amazing story!
14. Spiral (2000)
90 min | Drama, Fantasy, Horror
The inhabitants of a small Japanese town become increasingly obsessed with and tormented by spirals.
Director: Higuchinsky | Stars: Eriko Hatsune, Fhi Fan, Hinako Saeki, Shin Eun-kyung
Votes: 8,986
This is a truly creepy and strange Asian horror film. By far the weirdest I've seen, it's still spooky as hell
15. Orphan (2009)
R | 123 min | Horror, Mystery, Thriller
A husband and wife who recently lost their baby adopt a 9-year-old girl who is not nearly as innocent as she appears.
Director: Jaume Collet-Serra | Stars: Vera Farmiga, Peter Sarsgaard, Isabelle Fuhrman, CCH Pounder
Votes: 252,286 | Gross: $41.60M
I heard a lot of good things about this film, and I was not at all disappointed. The ending was a fantastic twist!
16. Pan's Labyrinth (2006)
R | 118 min | Drama, Fantasy, War
In the Falangist Spain of 1944, the bookish young stepdaughter of a sadistic army officer escapes into an eerie but captivating fantasy world.
Director: Guillermo del Toro | Stars: Ivana Baquero, Ariadna Gil, Sergi López, Maribel Verdú
Votes: 702,839 | Gross: $37.63M
Another creepy yet magical film, it surpassed my expectations
17. REC (2007)
R | 78 min | Horror, Mystery, Thriller
A television reporter and cameraman follow emergency workers into a dark apartment building and are quickly locked inside with something terrifying.
Directors: Jaume Balagueró, Paco Plaza | Stars: Manuela Velasco, Ferran Terraza, Jorge-Yamam Serrano, Pablo Rosso
Votes: 196,584
I by far prefer this to Quarantine.
18. Mirrormask (2005)
PG | 101 min | Drama, Fantasy
In a fantasy world of opposing kingdoms, a fifteen-year-old girl must find the fabled MirrorMask in order to save the kingdom and get home.
Director: Dave McKean | Stars: Stephanie Leonidas, Jason Barry, Rob Brydon, Gina McKee
Votes: 23,670 | Gross: $0.86M
What can I say? I absolutely love this movie!
19. Return of the Living Dead III (1993)
R | 97 min | Horror
Having recently witnessed the horrific results of a top secret project to bring the dead back to life, a distraught youth performs the operation on his girlfriend after she's killed in a motorcycle accident.
Director: Brian Yuzna | Stars: J. Trevor Edmond, Melinda Clarke, Kent McCord, James T. Callahan
Votes: 16,730 | Gross: $0.05M
One of the best zombie films ever. The heartbreaking story has never been matched
20. Scarecrows (1988)
R | 83 min | Action, Crime, Horror
Criminals hijack a plane and force the pilot and his daughter to fly them to Mexico. However, an unexpected landing finds them in a cemetery inhabited by killer scarecrows.
Director: William Wesley | Stars: Ted Vernon, Michael David Simms, Richard Vidan, Kristina Sanborn
Votes: 5,646
Old, but still has some really creepy moments. Worth a look!
21. Deja Vu (2006)
PG-13 | 126 min | Action, Crime, Sci-Fi
After a ferry is bombed in New Orleans, an A.T.F. agent joins a unique investigation using experimental surveillance technology to find the bomber, but soon finds himself becoming obsessed with one of the victims.
Director: Tony Scott | Stars: Denzel Washington, Paula Patton, Jim Caviezel, Val Kilmer
Votes: 327,554 | Gross: $64.04M
This movie was really interesting, and as it progressed I just wanted to see more and more!
22. Next (2007)
PG-13 | 96 min | Action, Sci-Fi, Thriller
A Las Vegas magician who can see into the future is pursued by FBI agents seeking to use his abilities to prevent a nuclear terrorist attack.
Director: Lee Tamahori | Stars: Nicolas Cage, Julianne Moore, Jessica Biel, Thomas Kretschmann
Votes: 166,369 | Gross: $18.21M
This film's climax gave me goosebumps- an excellent watch!
23. Vacancy (2007)
R | 85 min | Horror, Thriller
A married couple becomes stranded at an isolated motel and finds hidden video cameras in their room. They soon realize that unless they escape, they'll be the next victims of a snuff film.
Director: Nimród Antal | Stars: Kate Beckinsale, Luke Wilson, Frank Whaley, Ethan Embry
Votes: 107,365 | Gross: $19.36M
Part 2 was utter crap, but this one is still really exciting
24. Cabin Fever (2002)
R | 93 min | Horror
Five college graduates rent a cabin in the woods and begin to fall victim to a horrifying flesh-eating virus, which attracts the unwanted attention of the homicidal locals.
Director: Eli Roth | Stars: Jordan Ladd, Rider Strong, James DeBello, Cerina Vincent
Votes: 83,677 | Gross: $21.16M
I just saw this not too long ago, and ended up really loving it. Again, part 2 just didn't measure up
25. Eden Lake (2008)
R | 91 min | Horror, Thriller
Refusing to let anything spoil their romantic weekend break, a young couple confront a gang of loutish youths with terrifyingly brutal consequences.
Director: James Watkins | Stars: Kelly Reilly, Michael Fassbender, Tara Ellis, Jack O'Connell
Votes: 94,812 | Gross: $0.01M
An amazingly realistic and horrifying thriller. this is a must see if you haven't already!
26. Saw (2004)
R | 103 min | Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Two strangers awaken in a room with no recollection of how they got there, and soon discover they're pawns in a deadly game perpetrated by a notorious serial killer.
Director: James Wan | Stars: Cary Elwes, Leigh Whannell, Danny Glover, Ken Leung
Votes: 466,570 | Gross: $56.00M
This includes all of the series.
27. Final Destination (2000)
R | 98 min | Horror, Thriller
After getting a premonition about a plane crash on his school trip, Alex, a student saves a few of his classmates. However, their situation gets complicated when death starts chasing them.
Director: James Wong | Stars: Devon Sawa, Ali Larter, Kerr Smith, Kristen Cloke
Votes: 279,395 | Gross: $53.33M
I love 1, 2, and 3...but hate 4.
28. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
PG-13 | 178 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
A meek Hobbit from the Shire and eight companions set out on a journey to destroy the powerful One Ring and save Middle-earth from the Dark Lord Sauron.
Director: Peter Jackson | Stars: Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Orlando Bloom, Sean Bean
Votes: 2,006,485 | Gross: $315.54M
Without question, I of course like all 3
29. The Island (2005)
PG-13 | 136 min | Action, Sci-Fi, Thriller
A man living in a futuristic sterile colony begins to question his circumscribed existence when his friend is chosen to go to the Island, the last uncontaminated place on earth.
Director: Michael Bay | Stars: Scarlett Johansson, Ewan McGregor, Djimon Hounsou, Steve Buscemi
Votes: 327,590 | Gross: $35.82M
This was a really interesting and just all around great film
30. The Last Unicorn (1982)
G | 92 min | Animation, Adventure, Drama
A beautiful unicorn sets out to learn if she truly is the last of her kind in this sparkling animated musical.
Directors: Jules Bass, Arthur Rankin Jr. | Stars: Jeff Bridges, Mia Farrow, Angela Lansbury, Alan Arkin
Votes: 29,527 | Gross: $6.46M
A movie from my childhood. Ageless and full of magic...but stay away from the re-released DVD, as it's been censored
31. Boy Eats Girl (2005)
R | 80 min | Comedy, Fantasy, Horror
A boy declares his love for his girlfriend, only to die the same night. He is brought back to life by his mother as a flesh-craving zombie, who sires more teen undead while trying to control his, er, appetite for his beloved.
Director: Stephen Bradley | Stars: Samantha Mumba, David Leon, Tadhg Murphy, Laurence Kinlan
Votes: 4,009
A really funny short movie- you won't be let down
32. Grease (1978)
PG | 110 min | Comedy, Musical, Romance
Good girl Sandy Olsson and greaser Danny Zuko fell in love over the summer. When they unexpectedly discover they're now in the same high school, will they be able to rekindle their romance?
Director: Randal Kleiser | Stars: John Travolta, Olivia Newton-John, Stockard Channing, Jeff Conaway
Votes: 300,437 | Gross: $188.76M
I love both Grease 1 and 2
33. Shaun of the Dead (2004)
R | 99 min | Comedy, Horror
The uneventful, aimless lives of a London electronics salesman and his layabout roommate are disrupted by the zombie apocalypse.
Director: Edgar Wright | Stars: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Kate Ashfield, Lucy Davis
Votes: 593,788 | Gross: $13.54M
A total laugh riot. Nothing ever has or will top this as far as horror-comedy goes
34. The Crow (1994)
R | 102 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A man brutally murdered comes back to life as an undead avenger of his and his fiancée's murder.
Director: Alex Proyas | Stars: Brandon Lee, Michael Wincott, Rochelle Davis, Ernie Hudson
Votes: 203,010 | Gross: $50.69M
Yes, yes...typically I do love this film. A tale of love and revenge? What can be better?
35. Zombieland (2009)
R | 88 min | Action, Comedy, Horror
A shy student trying to reach his family in Ohio, a gun-toting bruiser in search of the last Twinkie and a pair of sisters striving to get to an amusement park join forces in a trek across a zombie-filled America.
Director: Ruben Fleischer | Stars: Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, Woody Harrelson, Abigail Breslin
Votes: 621,122 | Gross: $75.59M
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