25 Movies to See Before You're 30

25 Movies to See before you’re 30

1) Citizen Kane (1941). Orson Welles. This first film by Welles is considered by many to be, not only Orson’s finest, but indeed the finest movie ever made by anyone. It definitely influenced later films, especially (in my humble opinion) the film noir genre.

2) Night of the Living Dead (1968). George A. Romero. This is where all the modern zombie films and television shows began. Romero and friends started the genre right here, with this cheaply made, and often poorly acted, black and white flick. Unlike the acting, the script is solid and the editing and photography are excellent.

3) East of Eden (1955). Elia Kazan. Loved the book. Loved the movie. Both are true masterpieces.

4) Giant (1956). George Stevens. Not as strong as East of Eden, but still a fine movie, it deals with racial and economic prejudice without beating you over the head with the issues.

5) Rebel Without a Cause (1955). Nicholas Ray. I’m sure by now you’ve realized that I’m a James Dean fan. He was, in my opinion, a fine actor. This is certainly the weakest of his three films but it could well contain his finest displays of acting.

6) Saving Private Ryan (1998). Steven Spielberg. The first half hour - showing the D-Day invasion at Omaha Beach - is enough, by itself, to make my top 25 list.

7) Star Wars Episode IV, A New Hope (1977). George Lucas. An exceptionally fun and entertaining movie.

8) Star Wars Episode V, The Empire Strikes Back (1980). George Lucas. The last strong film in the series. By the time the Ewoks appear in Episode VI, George Lucas and company have forgotten how to tell an interesting story. (We won’t even talk about episodes I, II and III).

9) The Godfather (1972). Francis Ford Coppola. Actually better than the book, and that’s saying quite a lot since the book was very good.

10) The Godfather Part II (1974). Francis Ford Coppola. Not as good as Godfather I, except for the flashbacks to turn-of-the-century New York, which, thanks in part to Robert De Niro, are among the strongest segments in the franchise.

11) Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981). Steven Spielberg. Influenced by the serials of yesteryear, this is a true adventure film. It showed strong story and character development that, frankly, the rest of the series couldn’t live up to.

12) Road Warrior (1981). George Miller. Post-apocalyptic science fiction at its best.

13) Blade Runner (1982). Ridley Scott. Dystopian future science fiction at its best.

14) Grapes of Wrath (1940). John Ford. Yes, I know I didn't care for the book. But the movie is very good.

15) Father Goose (1964). Ralph Nelson. If all romantic comedies were this good, I’d watch a lot more of them. Exceptionally good writing and acting. Watch for Walter Eckland’s (Cary Grant) speech on why he left the teaching profession.

16) Kill Bill Volumes 1 and 2 (2003 and 2004). Quentin Tarantino. Okay, I cheated a bit here and listed both movies as a single film, but that was Tarantino’s original concept. For what it’s worth, I believe both 1 and 2 are strong, but that part 2 is the better half.

17) Birth of a Nation (1915). D.W. Griffith. Yes, I know this is a racist movie. Just acknowledge that fact and watch it anyway. It’s a great, pionering film made at such an early time that just about any technique was an innovation.

18) The Great Train Robbery (1903). Edwin S. Porter. Talk about early films, this one was made in the same year that the Wright Brothers flew the first airplane. It is generally listed as the first feature film. Before this, “flickers” were a novelty; beginning with this proto-western, “flickers” became films.

19) Casablanca (1942). Michael Curtiz. Arguably Bogart’s best.

20) Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (1988). Robert Zemeckis. A well-crafted, and enjoyable, blend of live action and animation.

21) The Man Who Would be King (1975). John Huston. Loved the novella. Loved the movie. Fine acting, fine directing, fine photography and fine script.

22) Cabaret (1972). Bob Fosse. My favorite musical. The scene where the young Nazi sings, “Tomorrow Belongs to Me” is especially outstanding.

23) Music Man (1962). Morton DaCosta. My second favorite musical, as different from Cabaret as day from night.

24) Aliens (1986). James Cameron. It's unusual when a sequel surpasses the original, but such is the case with Aliens, the first sequel to Alien. This second film is an excellent action, science fiction and horror story all in one, plus a darn good war story.

25) The Misfits (1961) John Huston. Yes, I know the first half of this movie is weak. But once the characters get out into the desert, chasing the remnants of a once great herd of wild horses, the movie really comes into its own. It is at this point that the film becomes a powerful farewell to the Old West, with the last free men trying desperately to escape wage slavery by dooming the last free horses to the dog food factory. Much has been written about the strong acting of Clark Gable and Marilyn Monroe in this film, but I believe that both fail in comparison to Montgomery Clift’s portrayal of Perce Howland.

Honorable Mention

1) The Ruling Class (1972). Peter Medak. A schizophrenic son, who believes he is Jesus Christ, stands to inherit a huge fortune and estate if he can be cured of his mental illness. Instead, the treatment leaves him believing he is Jack the Ripper. Believe it or not, the film is a musical comedy.

2) Jaws (1975). Steven Spielberg. Entertaining throughout, the film really comes alive once the three main characters go to sea in search of the shark. Watch for Quint’s (Robert Shaw) speech about the USS Indianapolis.

3) Zulu (1964). Cy Endfield. Vastly outnumbered British soldiers fight Zulu warriors at the Battle of Rorke’s Drift. A good companion piece to The Man Who Would be King.

4) The African Queen (1951). John Huston. There was a time when I would have included this one in my top 25 list, but viewing it nowadays brings home the fact that, unlike Casablanca, this movie has not aged well. It simply has not stood the test of time. That doesn't mean that Bogart and Hepburn don't turn in stellar performances and it certainly doesn't mean that there aren't

individual scenes that are among Bogart's best. His battle with the leeches definitely displays his excellent acting skills.

BONUS: Two Television Events to See Before You Die

1) God on Trial (2008). Andy de Emmony. This television play tells the story of a group of prisoners at Auschwitz extermination camp who put God on trial for seemingly breaking His covenant with the Jewish people.

2) Lonesome Dove (1989). Simon Wincer. This is good as broadcast television gets. An excellent adaptation of the Larry McMurtry novel.