FIlms 50-41

So if you missed yesterday's post I talked about how I decided to make a list of the 50 greatest films of my lifetime (30 Years).  This was a huge task as I literally went through thousands of films that I have watched, and after that narrowed it down to 100s I really enjoyed.  Many of you will read this list and will say oh he must have missed this film or that film but trust me I didn't, I went through them all. I also feel that I have seen most of the prestige films over this time.  I have a wide range of movie taste so there is a huge variety of movies on my list.  Before we start I wanted to give the honorable mention, these are all films that at one point seemed to be a lock on my top 50 but would later get bumped off because of the high volume of great films.

Honorable Mentions in alphabetical order:  Air Force One, Aladdin, American Beauty, Apollo 13, Big Fish, Batman Returns, Con Air, Fargo, Field of Dreams, Fight Club, Ghost, Green Mile, Groundhog's Day, Home Alone, JFK, Juno, Jurassic Park, Lion King, Milk, Monster, Office Space, Rudy, Scream, Shutter Island, Space Cowboys, Social Network, The Town, Truman Show,  Uncle Buck, The Untouchables.

I mean seriously look at how solid that list is, and those are the movies that didn't even make the top 50!  Below I have listed 50-41 along with a little summary of why it made the list.  I also have marked movies that are currently available on Netflix with an asterisk (*). I have also embedded all the movie previews for you to watch in case you haven't seen the movie before.  Hope you enjoy my list and let the debates begin.

50. Oceans 11- This all star cast plays off each other perfect and this movie is a little special for me as it is set in my second home Las Vegas.  I also love the creativeness it has of how they come up with the actual plan to rob the casinos.

49. Saving Mr. Banks- Of all the movies that make the list this is the most current by far.  At first I wanted films to be able to stand the test of time but the more I looked at this film the more I loved it.  I think Tom Hanks and Emma Thompson are amazing as always, and Paul Giamatti is great as the lovable driver.

48. The Great Outdoors*- John Candy and Dan Aykroyd are an amazing duo in this family film that reminds us of all how great summer is for everyone.

47. 61*- This movie isn't available on Netflix just so happens to have an asterisk in it's title. A rare sports movie on this list but a truly great one.  One of my favorite sports stories is the chase at 61 and I think this movie does a great job telling that story.  Billy Crystal shows his passion for this story as the storyteller and Barry Pepper as Roger Maris is one of the most underrated actors.

46. Frequency- The concept of this story sounds like the dumbest thing ever.  I son who is able to talk to his dead father 30 years in the past through an old ham radio?  But it's the story that is told of the bond between a father and son that makes this movie so remarkable.

45. Grizzly Man- The only documentary on this list tells the story of bear expert Timothy Treadwell and the hundreds of hours of footage he took until he was killed by the thing he loved so much.

44. Sleepers- Another all star cast tells the story of teen boys abused and wanted to get revenge as adults.  This movie does a great job of telling two stories as one and overlapping the then and now.

43. Spaceballs*-  I love slapstick movies that are able to smartly make fun of movies around that time period. I was never a big Star Wars fan and even if I was the first three were made before 1983. I did however love the biggest movie to make fun of Star Wars and you can't go wrong with a movie that has John Candy and Bill Paxton, or is it Bill Pullman?

42. Team America- Another movie that makes fun of the movies around the same time but in a slightly unique way.  The creators of South Park came off as geniuses I feel in this tale of Americans in the fight for freedom.  This is also the only movie made only with puppets to make the list.

41. Schindler's List- Critically acclaimed film that is pretty depressing for most but tells a fascinating story none the less.  Usually I'm not a fan of black and white films but was a must for this picture.  I scene with the girl in the red jacket was an image we will all remember.