Authors Top 100: 81-100

#81 NO WAY OUT (1987)

Kevin Costner – Gene Hackman – Will Patton

A really intriguing and clever spy/murder thriller set in the Pentagon. Costner is at his best for this and Hackman is his usual brilliant self, ably supported by an oily Will Patton. Sean Young looks good – but who cares?
[imdblt]NO WAY OUT (1987)[/imdblt]

#82 GET SHORTY (1995)

John Travolta – Gene Hackman – Danny de Vito

Travolta is ideally cast as the enforcer who is also a movie fanatic in this sideswipe at movie-making (and movie-makers) in Hollywood. The script is witty throughout and everybody contributes to a fun time. Scarcely a dull moment.
[imdblt]GET SHORTY[/imdblt]

#83 SINCE YOU WENT AWAY (1944)

Claudette Colbert – Joseph Cotten – Jennifer Jones

There are quite a few sugary scenes in this WW2 home front drama, but it also contains some rich characterizations that strike home. Made during the war, it seems to bring the conflict’s impact home to those like me who were born after its conclusion.
[imdblt]SINCE YOU WENT AWAY[/imdblt]

#84 OPERATION PETTICOAT (1959)

Cary Grant – Tony Curtis – Joan O’Brien

A thoroughly enjoyable comedy featuring two stars (Grant and Curtis) who play off each other with professional ease. War was never as much fun as this, of course, but how many movies have you seen where a submarine torpedoes a truck?
[imdblt]OPERATION PETTICOAT[/imdblt]

#85 CHARADE (1963)

Cary Grant – Audrey Hepburn – James Coburn

A first class romantic comedy (and ‘whodunnit?’) all rolled into one. Hepburn is delightful and Grant, although a lot older than her, provides the romantic interest and plenty of genuine laughs. Most enjoyable and has not dated.
[imdblt]CHARADE[/imdblt]

#86 THE DAY REAGAN WAS SHOT (2001)

Richard Crenna – Richard Dreyfuss – Colm Feore

Anyone doubting whether or not truth is stranger than fiction should watch this tele-movie. Anyone convinced that the world is in safe hands with US politicians in the driving seat should not.
[imdblt]THE DAY REAGAN WAS SHOT[/imdblt]

#87 AN IDEAL HUSBAND (1999)

Cate Blanchett – Rupert Everett – Jeremy Northam

If you like Oscar Wilde you will love this richly casted version of one of his better stories.
[imdblt]AN IDEAL HUSBAND[/imdblt]

#88 THE FINAL COUNTDOWN (1980)

Kirk Douglas – Martin Sheen – Charles Durning

An interesting time-travel concept has the USS Nimitz caught in a time warp that places it off the coast of Hawaii on December 7, 1941, just hours prior to the Japanese sneak attack that brought America into WW2.
[imdblt]THE FINAL COUNTDOWN[/imdblt]

#89 KISS ME KATE (1953)

Howard Keel – Ann Miller – Keenan Wynn

Music-wise, the best musical ever made simply because the songs are the best ever written. No surprise, given that they were penned by the inimitable Cole Porter. Only Kathryn Grayson spoils the picture. Her hideous screeching voice (both in song and dialogue) grates as usual.
[imdblt]KISS ME KATE[/imdblt]

#90 GLADIATOR (2000)

Russell Crowe – Joaquin Phoenix – Oliver Reed

The ultimate ‘Roman’ movie. What a rare treat these days to find a Best Picture winner that does not require a sex scene or foul language to be a success. Russell is superb and surely deserved his Best Actor gong.
[imdblt]GLADIATOR[/imdblt]

#91 BULLITT (1968)

Steve McQueen – Jacqueline Bisset – Robert Vaughn

Steve McQueen is perfect as the world-weary detective in a cleverly conceived cop story set in San Francisco. Vaughn makes a great ambitious and sleazy DA, and what is generally the best filmed car chase in cinema history takes place here as well. Bisset is gorgeous, of course.
[imdblt]BULLITT[/imdblt]

#92 CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER (1994)

Harrison Ford – Willem Dafoe – Joaquim de Almeida

The best of the Jack Ryan action-thrillers, this one is set (mostly) in South America and has enough action, violence and nasty individuals (many of whom are supposed to be good guys) to keep the picture bouncing along.
[imdblt]CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER[/imdblt]

#93 FATHER GOOSE (1964)

Cary Grant – Leslie Caron – Trevor Howard

A light-weight comedy set in the Pacific during WW2 in which Grant is trapped into coast-watching by the British Navy and finds himself nurse-maid to a French governess and some refugee schoolchildren.
[imdblt]FATHER GOOSE (1964)[/imdblt]

#94 RIO BRAVO (1959)

John Wayne – Dean Martin – Walter Brennan

Another John Wayne western that is easy to watch, contains some humorous dialogue, eccentric characters, a love story, and just enough action. What’s not to like?
[imdblt]RIO BRAVO[/imdblt]

#95 PLATOON (1986)

Charlie Sheen – Tom Berenger – Willem Dafoe

By far the best Vietnam War drama so far. Berenger’s Oscar-nominated turn as Sgt. Barnes is a highlight, and even Charlie Sheen is good. The plight of the American foot soldier in Vietnam and his treatment of the Vietnamese is vividly captured in this stark film.
[imdblt]PLATOON[/imdblt]

#96 HOMBRE (1967)

Paul Newman – Richard Boone – Diane Cilento

This is one of those rare westerns where the superb script makes everything else superfluous. Everybody gets to utter great lines of dialogue which probably accounts for the strong cast of highly respected performers.
[imdblt]HOMBRE[/imdblt]

#97 TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY (1991)

Arnold Schwarzenegger – Linda Hamilton – Robert Patrick

James Cameron’s snappy direction makes the first two Terminator thrillers a cut above most sci-fi pictures. Added to this is the brilliant CGI use that turned special effects on its head. Patrick as T-1000 provides one of the best ever villains.
[imdblt]TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY[/imdblt]

#98 THE FIRM (1993)

Tom Cruise – Gene Hackman – Hal Holbrook

Regardless of his ditzy religious persuasion, Cruise really does deserve recognition for the quality of his work, especially in this. Perhaps, he knows how to choose the right vehicles, but either way, many of his movies are well put together and memorable.
[imdblt]THE FIRM[/imdblt]

#99 HEART AND SOULS (1993)

Robert Downey Jr – Charles Grodin – Tom Sizemore

A fun fantasy about four souls trapped in limbo who are attached to a baby born at the moment their Earthly lives ended.
[imdblt]HEART AND SOULS[/imdblt]

#100 GUNFIGHT AT THE O.K. CORRAL (1957)

Burt Lancaster – Kirk Douglas – Rhonda Fleming

Beautifully photographed, a great theme song running through it, an excellent script, strong performances, but as a history lesson it is a complete waste of time, especially the legendary gunfight.
[imdblt]GUNFIGHT AT THE O.K. CORRAL[/imdblt]

5 Comments

  1. you pick the same type of movies action and western. as an actor john wayne played john wayne he also was a draft dodger in ww2.top 100 without singin in the rain. obvious you do not like musials or comidies. they made a lot of great movies before 1960. almost all your picks are recent movies.

    • I do not have time to go back through my top 100, Robert, but I doubt very much if ‘Kiss Me Kate’ is not in there somewhere. I also enjoyed ‘Singin in the Rain’ and ‘South Pacific’. As for my favourites being mostly ‘recent’, I do not know how you can possibly say that because it simply is not true. My #1 of all time is ‘Casablanca’ and if you care to glance at my response to Colin below, you will see a host of OLD black and white pics, ALL of which I rate very highly. If you intend knocking my taste in movies, please be accurate in your criticism. Besides, we each have different tastes so why bother criticising mine in the first place?

  2. I wonder which film Tony Curtis made first, Some Like it Hot, or Operation Petticoat. In one he imitates him at one stage, and in the other of course, he plays opposite him.

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