- Gone
with the Wind (1939)
This Civil War-era love story with Clark Gable and Vivien
Leigh has seduced generations of moviegoers.
- Star
Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977)
George Lucas' space western with aliens, revolutionaries
and high-tech effects spawned sci-fi's biggest franchise
of six films.
- The Sound of Music
(1965)
Julie Andrews headlines the von Trapp family saga that celebrates
the triumph of good over Nazism.
- E.
T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
Spielberg enchants audiences by showing how suburban kids
could help a magical, little alien get back home.
- Titanic (1997)
Romance, life-or-death stakes and spectacular effects make household names of
director James Cameron and star Leonardo DiCaprio.
- The Ten Commandments
(1956)
Sex, violence, religion and Charlton Heston as Moses fuel a Biblical epic that's
become an Easter tradition on TV.
- Jaws
(1975)
Spielberg defines summer blockbuster with a shark flick featuring
one of the most memorable theme songs in movie history.
- Doctor Zhivago (1965)
Julie Christie and Omar Sharif make love as Russia explodes
into war in this epic romance.
- The Exorcist (1973)
A pop-cultural touchstone: Cursed set, pea soup puke, and
young Linda Blair making heads turn -- including her own.
- Snow
White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
Arguably Walt Disney's best, this animated feature combines
sentiment and timeless storytelling seamlessly.
- Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force
Awakens (2015)
The seventh installment in the franchise's
series, set three decades after the defeat of the Galactic
Empire, with forces of the Resistance battling the First
Order.
- 101 Dalmatians (1961)
A fashionista wants a spotted coat made of puppy hides. Sounds
creepy but this animated pic is actually fun.
- Star
Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
A suave Billy Dee Williams gets added to the canny Star Wars
recipe of old-school drama and gee-whiz sci-fi trappings.
- Ben-Hur
(1959)
A little history, a dash of religion, a thrilling chariot
race, and Charlton Heston ripped and ready for redemption.
- Avatar (2009)
3-D visuals make James Cameron's sci-fi spin on "cold
civilization vs. nature-loving natives" fresh again.
- Avengers: Endgame (2019)
The sequel to Avengers: Infinity War
(2018), again assembling the surviving Avengers to
combat the evil demi-god and Mad Titan Thanos' actions
and restore order to the universe, thereby concluding the
Infinity Stone saga.
- Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the
Jedi (1983)
Jabba the Hutt, Carrie Fisher in a bikini and Luke's showdown
with Darth Vader wraps the first Star Wars trilogy.
- Jurassic
Park (1993)
Everyone loves Spielberg's stars, not Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum, but those
awesome CGI dinosaurs.
- Star
Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)
Fans rush back to the future, giving Liam Neeson and Natalie
Portman a thumbs up and Jar Jar Binks a big thumbs down.
- The Lion King (1994)
Disney reclaims its reputation for first-rate animated features with this coming
of age story and its Elton John score.
- The Sting (1973)
A clever caper with Paul Newman and Robert Redford in their
prime making this Depression-era comedy a hit.
- Raiders of the
Lost Ark (1981)
Spielberg's vintage adventure tale turns the dashing archaeologist
Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) into a modern-day hero.
- The
Graduate (1967)
Fresh out of college, a young Dustin Hoffman tries to decide
what to do when not distracted by the cougar Mrs. Robinson.
- Fantasia
(1940)
After 30 years, this union of Mickey Mouse, dancing hippos
and classical music turns a profit and then some.
- The
Godfather (1972)
Marlon Brando and Al Pacino help Francis Ford Coppola turn a Mario Puzo's novel
into the ultimate gangster pic.
- Forrest Gump (1994)
Gump appeals to heart and head thanks to technology that
inserts Tom Hanks' simple character into great historic moments.
- Mary Poppins (1964)
What kid doesn't want a sly Julie Andrews for a nanny after seeing Disney's musical
ode to non-traditional families?
- Grease (1978)
1950s nostalgia transforms this high-school musical, showcasing Olivia Newton-John
and John Travolta, into a sweet treat.
- Marvel's The Avengers (2012)
The highly-anticipated 3-D superhero tale produced by Disney-owned Marvel Studios
brought together, under Nick Fury's peace-keeping S.H.I.E.L.D, a team of
superhumans (Iron Man, the Hulk, Thor, and Captain America) to save the Earth
from Loki and his army.
- Jurassic World (2015)
The follow-up blockbuster to the trilogy of earlier Jurassic franchise
films from 1993 to 2001.
- Black Panther (2018)
The culturally-significant story of Marvel's superhero - the 18th film in Marvel's
Cinematic Universe, featuring the first major black cinematic and comic book
character.
- Thunderball (1965)
Sean Connery's fourth Bond movie gave fans more gadgets,
more sharks and more very sexy Bond girls.
- The Dark Knight (2008)
Christian Bale's brooding Batman and Heath Ledger's scary
Joker gave this comic-book movie reboot real emotional
depth.
- The Jungle Book (1967)
This animated flick about a feral child and his animal friends is voiced by George
Sanders and Louis Prima among others.
- Sleeping Beauty (1959)
Almost ten years in the making, Disney's third princess
movie remains a favorite of 12-year-old girls of all ages.
- Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
The Avengers and other superhero allies (the Guardians of the Galaxy) joined
forces to combat a new danger - the despotic Thanos (Josh Brolin), who was
collecting all six Infinity Stones in order to take over the universe.
- Ghostbusters
(1984)
A profitable combination of goofy ghosts and snarky ghost chasers Bill Murray,
Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis.
- Shrek 2 (2004)
Kids love the rude, stinky-but-goodhearted green troll (voiced
by Mike Myers); adults identify with his nemesis in-laws.
- Spider-Man
(2002)
Tobey Maguire convinces us that high-school nerd Peter Parker could become a
superhero when bit by a spider.
- Butch Cassidy and
the Sundance Kid (1969)
One part Western, two parts star power (Paul Newman and
Robert Redford), one part "Raindrops Keep Falling
on My Head."
- Love Story (1970)
Everybody cries at this tale of doomed young lovers (Ali
McGraw and Ryan O'Neal). The "disease movie" of
the '70s.
- Independence Day (1996)
The ultimate war movie for nervous times proves that no one
cares when bug-eyed monsters get their alien butts kicked.
- Home Alone (1990)
Precocious Macaulay Culkin foils buffoonish burglars after
his parents accidentally abandon him during Christmas vacation.
- Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last
Jedi (2017)
The Resistance (composed of forces led by General Leia Organa, and with guidance
from Luke Skywalker) continues to struggles against the Forces of the First
Order.
- Pinocchio (1940)
Funny, action-packed and a little scary, this animated feature
targets kids between Dumbo and The Lion King age.
- Cleopatra (1963)
Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton front a cast of thousands
and lavish sets for this big screen epic.
- Beverly Hills Cop (1984)
A good cop thriller that showcases the young Eddie Murphy's
signature mix of sweetness and street smarts.
- Goldfinger
(1964)
With Sean Connery oozing charm, a golden girl and Honor Blackman as Pussy Galore,
the third Bond movie is the charm.
- Incredibles 2 (2018)
A sequel to The Incredibles (2004), with Elastigirl (Helen) as the star
super-hero battling against new supervillain Screenslaver, while Mr. Incredible
took on domestic chores.
- Airport (1970)
The template for modern disaster movies has an all-star cast:
Burt Lancaster, Jacqueline Bisset, Dean Martin, etc.
|
- American Graffiti
(1973)
Before George Lucas conquered the universe, he reworked his past in a coming-of-age
story set in early '60s California.
- The Robe (1953)
Pomp, piety, and pop psych (and CinemaScope) lure moviegoers
to an epic about a Roman (Richard Burton) who won Jesus' robe.
- Pirates
of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006)
This sequel adds a monster, a ghost ship and the tentacle-bearded
Davy Jones to Johnny Depp's Jack Sparrow.
- Around the World in 80 Days (1956)
A little Jules Verne adventure, a lot of globe-trotting locations
and an avalanche of movie-star cameos.
- Bambi (1942)
From the hand-drawn images to its unsentimental story of a
fawn's journey to adulthood, a Disney watermark.
- Blazing Saddles
(1974)
The tiny western town of Rock Ridge gets a black sheriff (Cleavon
Little) in Mel Brooks' rudely hilarious spoof.
- Batman
(1989)
Thanks in part to Jack Nicholson's Joker, the Michael Keaton
reboot of the superhero legitimizes comic-book movies.
- The Bells of St. Mary's (1945)
An easy-going priest (Bing Crosby) and a feisty nun (Ingrid
Bergman) save a faltering Catholic school.
- The
Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
Building on the success of the first two installments, the
last Lord of the Rings movie tops the awards and box
office.
- Finding Nemo (2003)
A sad clownfish stops at nothing to find his missing son in
this animated feature (also one of the bestselling DVDs
ever).
- The Towering Inferno (1974)
Following Airport's lead, this disaster movie trots
out big names like Paul Newman, Fred Astaire, and Steve McQueen.
- Rogue
One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
The continuing epic sci-fi tale of resistance forces
of the Rebel Alliance fighting against the evil Empire, with
a risky effort to steal the plans for the powerful weapon the
Death Star.
- The Lion King (2019)
Both a CGI-animated feature and one of Disney's
Live-Action Reimaginings of the 1994 classic animated film.
- Cinderella (1950)
Disney's musical animated classic of the Grimm's fairy tale
about dreams coming true - a young girl at the mercy of
her mean and cruel stepsisters and stepmother was aided
by a Fairy Godmother, attended a ball, fell in love with
Prince Charming, and escaped from servitude.
- Spider-Man
2 (2004)
This sequel which adds Doc Oc (Alfred Molina) to Spidey's problems
more than holds its own.
- My Fair Lady (1964)
Audiences thrill to Audrey Hepburn's transformation from guttersnipe
to elegant lady in the ultimate makeover movie.
- The Greatest Show on Earth (1952)
Cecil B. De Mille's Oscar-winning circus spectacular stars
Charlton Heston, Betty Hutton and James Stewart as a sad
clown.
- National Lampoon's Animal House (1978)
Comedian John Belushi raucously celebrated rude fraternity
hijinks.
- The Passion of the Christ (2004)
While traditional religious movies glorify transcendence, Mel
Gibson's Aramaic-language drama zeroes in on Jesus' pain
and agony.
- Star
Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005)
The last of three Star Wars prequels, Revenge of
the Sith benefits from being the final link between old
and new.
- Back
to the Future (1985)
Eighties teen heartthrob Michael J. Fox meets his parents when
they were teens themselves in this time travel comedy.
- The
Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
The first Rings sequel turns the Tolkien hit about Frodo
the Hobbit into a cultural phenomenon.
- The Dark
Knight Rises (2012)
In the last of director Christopher Nolan's trilogy of Batman
films, the caped superhero Dark Knight battled a masked villain
to save Gotham City.
- The Sixth Sense (1999)
How many didn't guess the twist ending of this thriller about
troubled shrink Bruce Willis and a child (Haley Joel Osment)
who sees ghosts?
- Superman
(1978)
Pitched between camp and cute, this fantasy put an old-fashioned
hero (Christopher Reeve) in a brave new world.
- Tootsie (1982)
"I was a better man… as a woman... than I ever
was with a woman, as a man," says a cross-dressing Dustin
Hoffman.
- Beauty and the Beast (2017)
Disney's live-action version of the oft-filmed classic fairy tale.
- Smokey and the Bandit (1977)
On initial release, only Star Wars out-grossed Burt
Reynolds' southern-fried action comedy, fueled by the CB radio
fad.
- Finding Dory (2016)
Blue tang fish Dory, afflicted with short-term memory loss, has since childhood
been looking for her lost parents, with help from her friends Nemo and Marlin.
- Harry
Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001)
Richard Harris, Maggie Smith and Alan Rickman made the first Harry Potter adaptation
downright respectable.
- West
Side Story (1961)
This Romeo and Juliet musical on Manhattan's mean streets somehow
made dancing gang members dangerously cool.
- Close Encounters
of the Third Kind (1977/1980)
New Ageism meets UFOlogy when regular guy Richard Dreyfuss'
life is turned upside down by extraterrestrials.
- Lady and the Tramp (1955)
A pampered cocker spaniel and a mangy mutt find love in Disney's
first CinemaScope animated feature.
- Lawrence
of Arabia (1962)
This stunning, psychologically rich bio of T.E. Lawrence (Peter
O'Toole) inspired Steven Spielberg to make movies.
- The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)
Perverse bisexual transvestite-alien Dr. Frank-n-Furter (Tim
Curry) corrupts innocent sweethearts Susan Sarandon and
Barry Bostwick in a glam sci-fi musical.
- Rocky (1976)
Struggling actor Sylvester Stallone writes himself a good part
which leads to the biggest boxing movie franchise in history.
- The
Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
Post-WWII sentiment gave this drama about veterans adjusting
to civilian life a timely relevance.
- Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of
Skywalker (2019)
The third installment of the Star Wars sequel
trilogy - another saga of the exploits of the Resistance (Finn,
Poe, and Rey) facing off against the resurrected forces of
the First Order (evil Emperor Palpatine and Kylo Ren).
- The Poseidon Adventure (1972)
A cavalcade of stars -- Shelley Winters, Gene Hackman and Leslie
Nielsen -- seeks to escape an upended cruise ship.
- The
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
In the first of the series, world-class actors Ian McKellen,
Hugo Weaving, and Viggo Mortensen play wizards, elves and warriors.
- Twister (1996)
Professional storm chasers (Helen Hunt, Bill Paxton) with complicated
personal lives track extreme weather outbreaks.
- Men in Black (1997)
Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones look like boring bureaucrats
but are actually top secret agents monitoring aliens in
this ultra-snarky comedy.
- The
Bridge On The River Kwai (1957)
During WWII, British prisoners are put to the test when ordered
to build a strategically useful bridge for their captors.
- Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
(2009)
The robots that turn into cars and guns return in a sequel
that outperforms the original.
- It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963)
Nearly every star in Hollywood had a cameo in this comedy about
a race to recover a fortune in California's Santa Rosita
State Park.
- Swiss Family Robinson (1960)
A shipwrecked family pulls together to survive natural hardships
and vicious pirates in this live-action Disney hit.
- One
Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)
The anarchic spirit of '60s idealism is crushed by the establishment
in this bitterly funny dramedy with Jack Nicholson.
- M*A*S*H (1970)
Donald Sutherland and Elliott Gould helm Robert Altman's dark
comedy about Korean-War medics.
- Indiana
Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)
Alongside Gremlins, this boundary-pushing prequel prompted
the MPAA to create its first new rating in 12 years: PG-13.
- Star
Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002)
Introducing the new Luke Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) plus an opportunity to
find out who the clones are.
|
