25. "28 Days Later" (2002)
Five years ago, the zombie film was little more then a shuffling, stumbling, decomposing corpse of a genre. Moribund and stricken with rigor mortis after countless shabby direct-to-video films and cringe-worthy "Return of the Living Dead" sequels, zombie movies at the time appeared as though they might do the one thing their subjects never could - keel over and die.
Fortunately for fans of the living and pseudo-living dead, along came Danny Boyle, indie auteur behind "Trainspotting," with "28 Days Later," a brutal, grim and stomach-churning reinvention on the genre. Shot with hand-held cameras on gritty digital video, it followed Cillian Murphy, a humble bike messenger, as he awoke from a coma in a postapocalyptic London filled with the "infected." Boyle made zombies - who could now move much faster than you, thank you - scary again, and found time to fit in a wicked little bit of military commentary on the side.
"28 Days Later" kicked off a zombie resurgence in the cinemas, paving the way for the entertaining "Shaun of the Dead," the shockingly competent remake of "Dawn of the Dead," and its own even uglier sequel, "28 Weeks Later." But it's that first film that remains the most striking and sickest of the lot.
- Patrick Caldwell
24. "Dazed and Confused" (1993) Of all the movies on the list, "Dazed and Confused" has perhaps the most mundane plot synopsis: It's the last day of school in 1976 and Randall "Pink" Floyd wrestles with the moral consequences of signing a pledge sheet for his high school football team to abstain from alcohol, drugs or any other illegal activity. There are no explosions, gangsters or even Hollywood stars.
Instead, "Dazed" is a character-driven movie that captures a pre-Internet, pre-cable, post-hippie 1970s, wherein high school students have no choice but to entertain themselves with freshman hazing and aimless driving around, with only with drugs and alcohol a constant throughout the movie.
"Dazed and Confused" is cast remarkably well (including pre-fame performances from Matthew McConaughey and Ben Affleck) and features a soundtrack of '70s foot-stompers from Foghat, Alice Cooper and Nugent. It remains Austin director's Richard Linklater's most truthful, focused work and, ultimately, his best.
Fun for the whole family: There's a "Dazed and Confused" drinking game in which you imbibe your beverage of choice every time someone gets paddled or Mitch Kramer touches his nose.
- J. Ridewood
23. "Toy Story" (1995) This corner-turning kiddie flick is so good, it puts everything else to shame. In every single way, this movie is perfect. The cast is dynamic, the writing is flawless, and the directing is dead-on. The only knock against the movie is that it's only 80 minutes long. "Toy Story" never strains to be clever, and its pop culture references are still hilarious after 12 years. Tom Hanks and Tim Allen headlined an outstanding ensemble.
The genius of the movie lies within its universal themes of friendship and finding your place in the world. If the movie doesn't bring a smile to your face, you should visit the Wizard, because there's a good chance that you don't have a heart.
- Eddie Strait
22. "Adaptation" (2002) A masterpiece in post-modern self-reflexivity, Spike Jonze's "Adaptation," a Charlie Kaufman -penned drama, tells the story of one screenwriter, Charlie Kaufman, and his attempt to adapt a story from a nonfiction book. The film literally begins with the beginning of the universe and ends on a tender moment of self-realization, while in the middle we have everything from midlife crises to alligator attacks to drug rings to a neurotic voice-over.
Initially off-putting in its scrutinizing examination of what makes films enjoyable, "Adaptation" triumphs once it gets across its rather simple message: While it may seem easy, art is hard.
- John Bradley
21. "The Silence of the Lambs" (1991) The easiest way to not appreciate this movie is to start quoting the lines everyone does, such as the explicit instructions of Buffalo Bill to his victims on proper skin care. While these lines are undoubtedly cool and sick (in the twisted way), the terrifying psychological study of two serial killers is what grips the audience. The unbelievable characters become believable through the great acting of Anthony Hopkins and Ted Levine (incredibly, the captain of police on "Monk"). To think that these characters could exist is terrifying, and the combination of gore and drama is a key component to this movie's awesomeness. Clearly, the sequels and prequels didn't do their homework.
- Vanessa Orr
20. "Minority Report" (2002) First of all, this has nothing to do with the fact that Spielberg's seriously underrated cautionary noir has been all over TNT lately. In fact, the intention was for this pick to be one of those "man, that was a sick movie" sort of revelatory experiences for readers. There was a review that summer, in USA Today, I think, that boasted the headline: "Minority Report is excellent, but is that enough?"
I didn't bother to read the article; there was no need. Stephen Spielberg put together a jolting, elaborate labyrinth of a summer blockbuster with smooth curves. So what? The public expects him to; we take the guy for granted. Every other year, he'll hit us with a sweeping mega-blockbuster for the hot months, then some hastily pasted Oscar flick like "Munich." Big whoop.
"Report" is a science fiction masterpiece based on Philip K. Dig's spooky, sharp short story.
That scene where Lamar betrays and kills Colin Farrell had perfect, dark dialogue. Man, and those spiders, those "sick sticks," that sweeping saturation of advertising wherein Gap holograms know you by name.
Still, I almost used my editorial powers to nix this one, considering this newfound revelation: If these precognitives can see murders before they occur in real time, but are geographically limited to the city of Washington, D.C., why would Lamar stage an elaborate, system-beating cover up to kill Anne Lively, when all he needed to do was drive the woman to a different state and shoot her in the face?
My bad if you haven't seen it.
- Ramon Ramirez
19. "Scream" (1996) The 1960s had "Psycho." "The Exorcist" and "Jaws" owned the '70's. Freddy and Jason wreaked havoc on the '80s. The '90s have "Scream" and its myriad knockoffs.
From the instant classic prologue, "Scream" is the quintessential horror film of the last two decades.
Kevin Williamson's script brought cleverness and intelligence to a genre that had fallen by the wayside. Wes Craven became relevant again. Audiences got a glimpse of Drew Barrymore's innards. The Fonz got served.
The movie found a way to do the unimaginable and made David Arquette and Jamie Kennedy watchable. Few horror movies have hit the highs "Scream" achieved a decade ago. The film is relentless and brutal; it is winking at the audience throughout while teetering on the edge of being too smug for its own good. Despite the efforts of the two sequels to tarnish the brand name, "Scream" remains the golden standard in horror.
- ES
18. "Hoop Dreams" (1994) A contract exists between the average viewer and the fictionalized sports movie: The viewer will pay to watch it, and in return, said movie will deliver an underdog who, against all odds, will win the big game at the end of the movie with some unbelievable series of trick plays. Not only does this amazing player win the big game, but our underdog also learns about life along the way after overcoming personal trials and tribulations. This isn't to say that sports movies aren't fun or good, but it's actually a testament to the awesomeness of "Hoop Dreams." Since the movie is a documentary, viewers know that the other team isn't a set of extras paid to put up a convincing fight. "Hoop Dreams" is the ultimate sports movie, where the consequences of the game and the complications of life are determined by the players - not the script.
- VO
17. "Run Lola Run" (1998) In this European techno-heavy '90s high octane thriller, Lola desperately tries to assist her boyfriend, Mani, in escaping death by helping him find $100,000. Lola has 20 minutes to get the money to her boyfriend before he decides to rob a grocery store.
This film focuses on three diverse scenarios in which Lola takes part, indicating what would potentially happen in each situation. "Lola" provides every detail for the outcomes of each situation that only fate can control, painting a vivid picture of the constant "what ifs" that race through Lola's head. It is rare to find a film that is able to give the audience potential options of plausible outcomes of the conflict.
"Run Lola Run" is a brilliant showing of how every second and every decision is critical in the lives we choose to live.
- Luis Ramirez
16. "Akira" (1988) "Akira" begins with a very literal bang - he movie's first 15 seconds see the glistening metropolis of 1988 Tokyo silently obliterated by a massive explosion. Cut to the future nightmare dystopia of Neo Tokyo in 2019, with a collapsing economy, corrupt government and disillusioned teenage biker gangs roaming the streets. A chance encounter with a government experiment leaves one of these bikers, Tetsuo Shima, with emerging psychic powers, which he quickly uses to gruesome effect against the world that abused him.
Adapted from Katsuhiro Otomo's 2,182-page manga epic, "Akira" is occasionally a befuddling, incoherent mess, packing a mildly nonsensical climax and a fight between two main characters that famously breaks down to a literal shouting match. But its brutal, ugly take on a post-apocalyptic future remains one of cinema's most haunting and effective dystopias, and its gorgeous hand-drawn animation - with splashing gore and expansive, evocative cityscapes - has yet to be matched by any other non-Disney feature. The proof is in the pudding: While most anime remains a niche cultural phenomenon, "Akira" continues to influence mainstream sci-fi and has been saluted by everything from "South Park" to Absolut Vodka.
- PC
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