Tom Bowler's Top 100

It's difficult to follow an act like Reservoir Dogs. Either you make a film so brilliant that it becomes legend, or you never make anything ever again. Quentin Tarantino made Jackie Brown, a film which didn't quite showcase his directing and writing skills to their fullest extent and left critics in doubt as to his brilliance. Then he made Pulp Fiction. With an incredible cast of almost forgotten actor John Travolta, uber cool Samuel L Jackson, the undisputed master Harvey Keitel and relatively new Tim Roth, Tarantino wrote one of the most groundbreaking scripts for its time, filled with dizzying monologues, intense back and forth and a lot of swearing. The reason that Pulp Fiction is so highly regarded by critics around the world is the fact that it changed the way that films were made everywhere and brought into light an entirely different segment of society. In one film school, the story goes that after Pulp Fiction, 90% of the film assignments that were handed in featured hitmen, drugs or a lot of swearing, often a combination of all three. One film involved two hitmen sitting in a diner talking about the idiosyncracies of the Brady Bunch before shooting each other. The strength of Pulp Fiction lies in Tarantino's brilliant script and incredible instinct for the weird and wonderful. Some of the strangest scenes (see Jack Rabbit Slims) have now become some of cinema's most recognised worldwide. The reason that many people don't understand this film or don't see the point is because today's films have conditioned them to do so. Michael Bay, I'm talking about you. Many of today's directors prefer to leave their audience nothing to assume and nothing to figure out for themselves, dropping the biggest hints they can so that you will understand. Tarantino, on the other hand, trusts his audience to fill in the blanks or to wait until the moment of revelation, forcing you to pay attention throughout the film's entirety. Some of the sets and scenery in this film are amazing in their own right (once again, see Jack Rabbit Slims) but are modestly glossed over by Tarantino. Unlike Kubrick who wants his viewers to experience his location choice or set design to its fullest capacity, and with good reason, this plays second fiddle in a Tarantino film, showcasing instead the almost poetic dialogue, and giving the audience an intimate viewing of the characters, forcing them to sit through "uncomfortable silences" and drawn out war stories. Even though this may sound uninteresting, there is never a boring moment in the film. But whether you love it or hate it, and many people will hate it, there is no denying the impact this film had and still has upon the entire world. Incredible film.

Defining Scene:
There's always the 'bring out the gimp' scene but my favourite has always been the hamburgers scene, closely followed by Mia's OD'ing fiasco.

best movie ever. ever.

Quentin Tarantino is one of my favourite directors. His great blend of violence, swearing and drugs always manages to create a darkly comic film which leaves you apalled at yourself every time you laugh. Reservoir Dogs is the perfect example of Tarantino for me. It brings together a whip smart script, a seasoned ensemble and a macho gangster tale and creates a film which takes you from one extreme to the other in the space of a few seconds. After laughing in disbelief at the opening "Like a Virgin" sequence and the inspired slow motion walk to "Little Green Bag," you are suddenly plunged into a sympathetic, almost shocked state as the sounds of Tim Roth wailing about being shot slowly fade in over the sounds of the Hits of the 70s on the radio. Similarly, the flashback sequnces are included without any great aplomb, prefaced by a quick title card and then getting straight down to business. This style of narrative, with questions first and answers later, is much more rewarding than a linear narrative and much more satisfying. The cast's performances are also brilliant, with the close to death Tim Roth shining out brightest. Steve Buscemi is fantastic as well, speeding through lines like, "somebody stuck a red hot poker up our asses and I wanna know who's name is on the handle" at a breakneck pace. Harvey Keitel diplays and movingly genuine performance as gangster turned father figure Mr White, from the "You're gonna be okay!" scene to beating Buscemi's ass all up and down the rendevouz. Michael Madsen is as believable as it is possible to be when playing an ear hating psychopath while dancing to Stuck in the Middle WIth You. The fact that Tarantino's debut added renewed vigour to violence in film debate only goes to show the impace that this movie had worldwide. Great film.

Defining Scene:
The final mexican standoff. Absolutely incredible and the perfect finish to a nigh flawless film.

unnerving is the term. disturbing, even. kubrick proved to the world that he was a genius of filmmaking with this masterpiece. the confronting yet elegantly shot scenes are some of film history's most poignant. Malcolm McDowell was apparently under the impression that they were making a comedy while they were filming. hahahaha, er, hmph. hilarious.

i love this film. on the list of my favourite movies, this is near the top.

an absolutely mindblowing movie experience, fight club will change your life. absolutely brilliant. the music, exquisite. the action, down and dirty, gritty to the max. and you're not gonna find a better plot line in a long, long time. genius.

it's a movie you can't refuse

possibly one of the most difficult to understand movies, ever, donnie darko is one film which you'll never forget. with a beautiful soundtrack and an incredible cast, this film is one of the most disturbing yet amazing sci-fi movies.

this is an intense expericence, from the very beginning of the movie, to its incredible ending

seriously masterful work

absolutely awesome. on the shelf with the other greatest sequels ever.

possibly one of the most brilliant movies ever. this was the only movie i was allowed to watch until i was 8 years old, an each time i watch it, i love it even more

how the f**k am i funny!? brilliant movie. scorsese is awesome

the combination of film noir with the action/thriller genre has always given good results (see taxi driver, L.A. Confidential, blade runner) and this film, often referenced as the scariest film of all time is no different

one of the best movies in decades, with a record equalling 11 oscars

baz luhrmann can do no wrong as far as i can see. this movie is so different, so new, a breath of fresh air. nicole kidman is gorgeous as usual, ewan mcgregor is fantastic as christian, the script is incredible, the plot, moving, and the songs are delicious. incredible movie

absolutely insane. this movie is intense from start to finish. tarantino took violence in film to a whole new level when he made this, all with that trademark tarantino dialogue

this has got to be one of the funniest movies ever. groucho and his brothers are all amazing. this is a great film.

scorsese, you're a freaking genius

spielberg is brilliant. he gave cinema one of it's most iconic images ever with this film, and one of the most remembered characters in history.

featuring one of the greatest scenes in cinema, psycho will freak the hell out of you. brilliant film. not to mention the soundtrack. norman bates remains one of the scariest people ever.

one of the greatest movies of the last few decades. ledger is incredible, completely overshadowing bale's own brilliant performance and leaving a lasting imprint upon the world of film

one of my personal favourite movies, serenity has some of the best dialogue this side of the decade. it just proves that movies about space don't have to sacrifice wit and a smart storyline for a spaceship. and all hail nathan fillion, han solo reincarnated. brilliant.

one of the most out-of-this-world love stories to date, this film features great performances on all counts, especially kirsten dunst, and some of the quickest editting since the shower scene in psycho. jim carrey is brilliantly restrained as the quiet, reserved, joel.

absolutely brilliant. so different from everything that the film world was offering at the time.

this offbeat comedy is one of the best around. gene hackman is brilliant and luke wilson is fantastic. owen wilson is also surprisingly good. ben stiller and his family are funny on sight whilst gwyneth paltrow shows why she is so highly regarded as an actress

great movie. Peter Jackson has outdone himself, which is difficult, considering his previous three masterpieces

one of my favourite spielberg movies. leonardo dicaprio is absolutely perfect for this role and tom hanks is awesome. that knock knock joke will go down in history by the way.

an extremely funny film. not to mention gory. simon pegg is brilliant and nick frost is perfect for his role of slob.

absolute insanity. that rain, the constant rain, is gorgeous, as well as the great script. brad pitt is great and morgan freeman is too, hardly a surprise. great ending.

pure genius

absolutely brilliant start to the series

This movie isn't quite as full on as the first, and not quite as entertaining, but it's still a great way to finish the series. uma thurman is brilliant and michael masden is very cool. samuel l. jackson's tiny little role is also a very welcome addition to the cast. it's a really good film.

This is one of the funniest films ever. Kirsten Dunst is brilliant while Allison Janney is awesome as usual. Amy Adams is also really good.

brilliant film. russell crowe is a great aussie actor

this movie is the greatest rom-com of all time. from that extremely memorable scene in the diner to harry's many different theories on men and women. awesome movie.

not as good as IV or V but still pretty good

one of the most clever films of this decade. memento shows some of the darker sides of human nature in taking advantage of leonard's condition. the fact that the whole movie is backwards is extremely innovative.

teen movies aren't always bad. in the same way ferris bueller's day off became a teen cult classic, 10 things i hate about you has become extremely popular, and with good reason. Heath Ledger is great, rest his soul, and David Krumholtz i great as usual

one of the funnier monty python films, the holy grail is responsible for so many phrases, "bring out your dead," "there's some lovely filth over here." just brilliant

andrew lloyd webber is an absolute genius. plain and simple. emmy rossum, playing christine, is sumptuous, however, it is her counterpart, gerard butler, who is the real focus of the piece. surprisingly adept at singing, butler makes the hair all over your body stand on end when he goes from beautiful falsettos to incredible full bodied sound. a masterpiece.

one of the most politically incorrect comedies in history, life of brian once again delves into the nuttiness which makes monty python so very funny.

WOO! luhrmann is awesome

possibly the funniest comedy ever, airplane opened up a whole new section of comedy to the world, dramatic actors playing funny roles, not comedians playing funny roles.

close encounters is a brilliant film, with lavish sets, incredible special effects and five notes which will stick in your head for weeks. richard dreyfuss is fantastic. close encounters is not as well known as spielberg's other films, mainly because it came out around the same time as star wars and was slightly overshadowed. it is however, a great film.

an incredibly moving, no holds barred, film. whoopi goldberg is brilliant in this amazing drama.

Spielberg is the man!

brilliant sci-fi which has lasted most of film history. kubrick once again shows himself to be a genius

depending on whether this is the director's cut or the theatrically released version this could be a good movie or a great movie. incredible film noir influence transforms this from a regular sci-fi into a glorious sci-fi.

munich is not the greatest film ever made, though it certainly up there. munich is, however, one of the greatest political messages made into a motion picture ever. spielberg has never been a fan of pulling punches and it shows in munich

this is one of the greatest comedies of all time. with more great lines than you can poke a stick at and fantastic acting on the part of dan akroyd and john belushi, this movie is brilliant

thia is one of the most beautifully constructed, out-of-the-box films ever. one of the most incredible fantasy films ever made

this is one of the best movies i have ever seen. the fight scenes are breathtaking and yet the film itself doesn't sacrifice the storyline because of it. the awkward, unrequited romance between li mubai and the main chick is as awkward as it is beautiful. and shu lien is fantastic

absolute genius. all the way to 11

set the benchmark for superhero movies

one of the greatest thrillers ever made, not to mention the birth of one of the most unforgettable villains in cinema to date, the usual suspects is awesome, put simply. one of the best endings to a film in history also helps it out a bit

so far ahead of it's time and the start of a phenomenon

james cameron. king of action.

it's a rare film which can make tom cruise likeable, however, rain man succeeds, in the end. dustin hoffmans shows that he really is a genius with raymond, tom cruise's autistic older brother. he's anexcellent driver

possibly the greatest aussie film ever, the castle is inspired. film in a crazy 14 days, the castle has stood the test of time and is responsible for some of the great aussie catch phrases used today.

absofreakinglutely genius. fargo is one of my favourite films. with an explosive combination of action, comedy, gore, sex and suspense, joel coen has made a masterful film.

best twist in the world!

this film is filled with so many one liners that it's incredible to think that most of the script writers were being fired throughout production. the bogey is brilliant as rik and ingrid is stunning as always. the film itself is incredible, not to mention the greatest film ending in all of cinema history.

gregory peck is the father that we all wish we had in atticus finch. this movie works so well, even today. scout is adorable and jem is playful whilst all the while sending out a very political message

very, very cool. it may seem stupid, but brandon lee plays this role brilliantly. it is the only movie with more controversy surrounding it than the dark knight, with the lead role dying on set with a prop weapon.

one of the greatest comedies of all time. absolutely brilliant.

this is such a gritty, brilliant movie. brad pitt is playing his most underplayed role yet and cate blanchett, though in the film for a little while, lights up every scene she takes part in. the interconnecting stories, remeniscent of crash, weave such a tangled web which somehow make sense in the end. the girl playing the deaf-mute japanese girl is brilliant. some of the hardest hitting scenes which will never fail to shock the audiences abound in this film.

this movie started the blue steel. what else do you want?!

the soundtrack for this film means that no wrong can really be said of it. moonriver, with it's beautiful, lilting tones makes the movie a classic from the very start and audrey hepburn proves why she was the most wanted woman in film.

one of the most beautiful movies i've ever seen, with tim burton's gorgeous sets and weird topics, one of johnny depp's most touching films. The mansion is a marvel of engineering, btw.

peter weir and jim carrey. who knew it would be such an incredible combo

ethan! probably the greatest film theme song in the history of film with a great story line to boot

fantastic thriller

the BEST bond since connery

this movie had me scared for days. watching it at three in the morning didn't help of course. it also owns the greatest last line in movie history. "i'm having an old friend for dinner." freak

this is the first movie i ever watched at the cinemas, and will always hold a special place in my heart. and it's freaking awesome

this movie kicks ethan hunt's, xxx's and john mclane's ass

genius

great start to the series

McFly!!

jack nicholson, although upstaged by heath ledger, is one scary dude

forever to be parodied

i love this movie. the style is just gorgeous and the message is universal

INDY!

best summer blockbuster in history. Go Spielberg

twist and shout!

one of the scariest of hitchcock's films, the birds is a marvel of cinema. tippi hedren is brilliant all throughout the opening macguffin which leads beautifully into the main action. unsatifyingly short though it is, the birds is a brilliant film

first film in technicolor

this film was the realisation of what could be done with film. one of hitchcock's many masterpieces, this film delves into paranoia, mystery and the weird and wonderful world of alfred hitchcock

this is a beautiful film. it's not often that a film portrays an intellectually impaired character without being condescending, but Tom Hanks is brilliant as Forrest. great movie

hitchcock strikes again, this time with a thriller which mostly takes place in one man's house, often just through a pair of binoculars

one of the greatest bond films, if not THE greatest. sean connery proved that he really was worth his weight in gold

ellen degenerres is great as dory

this is one of the original sci-fi's, a classic in all respects

This is an extremely moving film, showing a man's transformation from hard-taskmaster to gentle, loving father. harisson ford is brilliant as usual as he shows how his character is forced to start over in life and the choices he makes along the way. great movie

so very sad! one of the most well-known stories in film history and one of the most remembered films ever. classic

one of the most hard-hitting films of the yearr, passion will make any Christian cry and make others think twice about religion.

when you look back at movies in the 80s, they're not always as good as you thought they were at the time. this film, however, still stands up under today's scrutiny. brilliant. in fact, EXCELLENT!!

it's always good to see an aussie making it big in hollywood. go olivia! this movie really made dancing and singing cool.

a brilliantly offbeat comedy/adventure film with david bowie playing the goblin king to perfection