EW Counts Down 100 Best Films of Past 25 Years
Filed under: Classics, Comedy, Fandom, Lists
This week Entertainment Weekly is "Counting Down the New Movie Classics," listing the best films made in the past 25 years. The magazine claims that all 100 are good enough to be considered alongside the usual classics (you know, like Citizen Kane, Casablanca, etc.), but I guess that's relative. I wouldn't consider #99, The Blair Witch Project, to be equated with Poltergeist III, let alone Psycho. But isn't that the fun of these lists? They fuel our excitement about cinema while also angering us that our favorites aren't higher up, or more commonly, that the films we hate most are included on any list, ever. On the first day of the countdown, EW shows us the bottom 25, which includes such masterpieces as Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Breaking the Waves, In the Mood for Love and Full Metal Jacket. When I saw that the last of these was only at #94, I got really excited, wondering what 93 films could possibly be better. And then I was shocked to see that so-so comedies like Swingers and Waiting for Guffman and the fine but poorly aged Moonstruck placed higher. I almost didn't even see those titles, though, because I almost threw my computer when I saw that Napoleon Dynamite was just ahead of Back to the Future. Just another reason to hate Napoleon Dynamite, I guess. Even the Back to the Future sequels are better than ND, but I'm going to now assume they don't even make it on this list.
#s 75-51 will be revealed tomorrow. I wonder what kind of delights and blasphemies will meet us then.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
6-17-2008 @ 1:54PM
jake said...
I guess I should be happy that Back to the future was even on the list -- it gets no respect. It truly is one of the best movies ever made on every level and if you don't believe me you should watch it again.
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6-17-2008 @ 2:10PM
Alex said...
Absolutely, Jake. I don't know why it gets - in comparison to Star Wars, Indiana Jones, etc. - swept under the rug. And I too almost threw my computer out the window after seeing Napoleon Dynamite ahead of BTTF. ND is fine and all but COME ON!
6-17-2008 @ 2:01PM
juicerino said...
These type of lists are INFURIATING.
And yeah, i didn't make it as far as Nappy D when i saw Blair Witch Project and smashed my keyboard over my knee.
I actually don't have a problem with ND. It's a simple little comedy that got more hype than it knew what to do with, but it should be nowhere near BTTF on this list.
In fact, this list should probably just start somewhere in the 2000's and work backwards to 1983 as movies chronologically go from worse to better. Hell, i'd put Amadeus or Brazil in the top 10.
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6-17-2008 @ 1:59PM
GL said...
These lists drive me batty. I'm pretty sure I won't be able to pay attention long enough to get to #1.
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6-17-2008 @ 2:08PM
Erik Davis said...
Just knowing BTTF is that high on their list is enough of a reason NOT to go and read it. What in the world are they smoking over there?
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6-17-2008 @ 2:28PM
Alex said...
I think my breaking point will be when Serenity makes the top 25.
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6-17-2008 @ 2:29PM
Mike said...
Yeah, I hate to beat a dead horse here but the first thing that jumped out at me was Back to the Future immediately followed by Napoleon Dynamite. I wouldn't have necessarily had a problem with BTTF being that low on the list if it weren't for what they've put ahead of it.
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6-17-2008 @ 2:40PM
E said...
Swingers is a "so-so comedy"??? You're out of your mind. I don't care where it should be on the list but its one of my favorite movies.
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6-17-2008 @ 3:11PM
Pat said...
Fuill Metal Jacket deserves its low place, Waiting for Guffman rocks and so does Swingers to a lesser degree, and finally, lists like this are ridiculous because they incite bloggers to call films "mediocre" and fools like me to defend them.
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6-17-2008 @ 3:34PM
AJ said...
Why is Lost in Translation so low?! Jesus! I wonder if LotR is one film or three...guess we'll have to wait until the last day
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6-17-2008 @ 8:00PM
Robin said...
40YOV is better than most movies I've ever seen and definitely does not belong so low. And The Departed is horribly overrated.
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6-18-2008 @ 12:29PM
shawn said...
:(
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6-18-2008 @ 2:53AM
Robert Frenay said...
"And then I was shocked to see that so-so comedies like Swingers and Waiting for Guffman..."
What? Who do you think you are?
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