My Favorite 100 Movies of the Past Ten Years 1997-2006

My Favorite 100 Movies of the Past Ten Years 1997-2006

3
04
2007

Hello there. Here follows my list of “My 100 Favorite Movies of the Past Ten Years” (1997-2006) This list was the bane of my existence for about two weeks, seeing as it about that long to make it. I finally bit the bullet and gave myself a midnight deadline one night and finished ‘er up. And note, this is a list of my favorite movies, so I love them all dearly. If you disagree, feel free to post or make your own list. It’d be super cool to see what movies you had on yours. :) Enjoy.

100. Dungeons and Dragons(2001)



Classic, super-stock fantasy non-epic adventure. Entertaining, cheesy stuff.

99. BASEketball (1998)



Classic rude and crude comedy from the guys that do it best.

98. Small Soldiers (1998)



I always my toys to come alive and fight evil with me. Pretty cool movie.

97. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)



Has superb-excellent fight scenes (especially the one between Michelle Yeoh and Ziang Ziya), but the story is kinda ‘ehh.’

96. Bridget Jones’ Diary (2001)



Sorry for this one, but after seeing it while my sister watched it, it kinda grew on me.

95. The Departed (2006)



A New York/Boston mobster movie with Irish punk. . .coolest thing ever?

94. Chicken Run(2000)



This movie must have taken FOREVER to make. . .and it’s pretty dope.

93. Toy Story 2(1999)



Pretty funny adventure with more toys that come alive.

92. Detroit Rock City(1999)



Awesome road movie with four completely cool dudes. I like how it was structured, too, with each dude having their own little adventure.

91. Half Baked(1998)



Nice stoner comedy with Chapelle. Jim Breuer kindof annoyed me, though.

90. Behind Enemy Lines (2001)



I find this movie surprisingly cool. It’s super rad.

89. All About the Benjamins (2002)



This movie is freakin’ funny. Seeing Ice Cube go “dayamn” never gets old.

88. Galaxy Quest (1999)



This movie is freakin’ awesome. I like how they used actual suits and make-up for the green aliens instead of CG. Cool adventure flick.

87. Sideways (2004)



An excellent, and hilarious, tale about a failing-loser author and his philandering friend as they go on a week trip before the friend’s wedding.

86. Super Troopers(2001)



“License and registration, chicken fucker. . .paacockkk!!!” Very funny comedy made on a cheap budget. . .I’d drink syrup to that. “You boys like Mex-i-co?!”

85. Timeline (2003)



Sure it sucks compared to the book, but is a fun adventure. Plus, it has uber-badass Gerard Butler in it.

84. Iron Monkey (1993, but released in United States in 2001)



Coolest Jet Li movie around. “A strong man sheds blood before he sheds tears”. . .not if you’re emo. :P

83. Pitch Black (2000)



Cool movie. Low-budget, but good dialogue and suspense.

82. Doom (2005)



Yea, it’s dumb, but that’s why I like it so much.

81. Phone Booth(2002)



Very intense movie that has you on the edge of your seat and your heart a’poundin’.

80. The Road to El Dorado (2000)



Supremely funny for kid’s movie, I thought. A fun adventure with two goon lead characters. Awesome.

79. Saved! (2004)



Very cute and funny movie about weird things that go down at Catholic school. Plus, a good commentary (I thought) on the view of homosexuals in the eyes of the Catholic church.

78. The Hils Have Eyes (2006)



“Claire” from “Lost” is in it and Doug went from quiet-type to total badass. Nuff said.

77. War of the Worlds (2005)



Sure, the story was kindof dorky and sure, seeing Tom Cruise weirds us all out now, but this movie had excellent direction by Spielberg.

76. The Matador (2005)



Funny tale about a washed-up assassin and the unassuming businessman that meets him in the motel bar late at night. Pierce Brosnan proves that he doesn’t have to be Bond to hold a gun and look cool.

75. Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benedit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan. (2006)



Sacha Baron Cohen surely has some guts if he does all this in public. I was laughing the whole time.

74. Best in Show (2000)



A great mockementary from Christopher Guest in crew about a group of people that is outrageously funny anyway.

73. Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy(2004)



Funny shit with many comedy actors. “Great Odin’s Raven!”

72. Die Another Day(2002)



Sure, it’s a cheesy movie, even for a Bond flick, but I dig it.

71. Casino Royale (2006)



I was at first skeptical of the new Bond, but Daniel Craig has gained my respect with a badass movie like this one. Eva Green is gorgeous as well.

70. School of Rock (2003)



Jack Black rocks, as does his class. Badass movie.

69. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001)



The dawning of one of the coolest franchises out there. Cool movie with big imagination.

68. The Last Samurai (2003)



Very beautiful cinematography and a touching story.

67. The Passion of the Christ (2004)



Very powerful movie. Once the movie ended, I could not move for about ten minutes out of pure “whoa.”

66. The Waterboy (1998)



Funny Adam Sandler comedy. “Now that is some high-quality h20″

65. V for Vendetta (2005/2006)



Awesome rebe-vs.-totalitarion-empire movie. Nice visuals, and Natalie Portman’s involvement in a movie never hurts.

64. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)



Cool Harry Potter flick that upped the darkess level up a bit. I dig werewolves and shit, too.

63. Serendipity (2001)



I’m a sucker for romantic movies and the ideas of fate, so this movie is perfect for me.

62. The Chroniclesof Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (2005)

Sweet ass battle scenes with Liam Neeson as a lion. . .need I say more?

61. Blade II(2002)



Sick-ass Vampire killing, with some cool characters to accompany Blade. Guillermo del Toro rocks my rocks.

60. Tomorrow Never Dies(1997)



(Just hums the James Bond theme song enthusiastically)

59. Match Point(2005)



I love Scarlett Johansson, especially in this suspensful flick. Very well structured and constructed. Plus British accents are cool.

58. American Splendor(2003)



Comedic story of a down-on-his-luck dude and all his friends. Having the real people in the movie was great. “Ordinary life is pretty complex stuff.”

57. The Matrix Revolutions (2003)



Crazy climactic ending to the Matrix saga, but sometimes too cheesy even for me.

56. The Black Knight(2001)



Funny stuff. Martin Lawrence is hella funny in this medieval romp.

55. Kill Bill, vol. 2 (2004)



Awesome revenge story; classic kung-fu action; cool style; bitchin’ heroine.

54. Kill Bill, vol. 1 (2003)



Beats Vol. 2 only because it has the fight with the Crazy 88’s, which was kick-ass.

53. The Prestige(2006)



A crazy movie about rivalry and magic. This movie trips out your brain over and over. Excellet movie. . . are you watching closely?

52. Starship Troopers (1997)



Great action! Pure sci-fi aliens-attack-humans sci-fi. “I’m from Buenos Aries(said in great non-Latin accent) and I say kill ‘em all!”

51. American History X (1998)



Great, powerful, eye-opening movie. Good message and sad as a motherfucker.

50. Blue Streak(1999)



Good set-up for a comedy. Martin Lawrence and Dave Chapelle are hilarious. This movie just rocks.

49.Out Cold(2001)



Very funny comedy. Zach Galifianakis’ character and Pig Pen are especially hilarious. Just pure funny-ness.

48. Fight Club (1999)





Sweet flick. It’s grungy, dirty, in your face. Has good music and writing. “I ran until my veins pumped battery acid. . .” I mean, that line is awesome.

47. I <3 Huckabees(2004)



This movie definetely belongs in the “zany comedy” cotegory. Dustin Hoffman, Jason Schwartzman, Naomi Watts, Jude Law and Mark Wahlbergall give great performances of quirky characters.

46. 8 Mile(2002)



Uplifting tale of a man who get shit handed to him his whole life, but then triumphs over all, not letting anything bog him down.

45. Tenacious D and the Pick of Destiny (2006)



Freakin’ hilarious movie. I was laughing the whole time. Jack Black and Kyle Gass are my heroes.

44. Collateral(2004)



Cool movie. Nice cinematography and good acting. I liked how it took place in one night as well. That was a pretty cool timeframe.

43. The Mummy(1999)



Any movie with Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz is awesome, especially when it has old, crusty, resurrected mummies.

42. Blade (1998)



Wesley Snipes is awesome as the Vampire-slayin’ character.

41. Waiting for Guffman(1996)



A wacky, zany, quirky mockumaentary from the comedic master Christopher Guest.

40. My Big Fat Greek Wedding(2002)



A funny family-oriented tale. True and heartwarming.

39. Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)

Awesome pirate movie and fun adventure. Jack Sparrow has to be one of the best characters ever.

38. Clerks II (2006)



Great Kevin Smith movie and great continuation of the View Askew lore. With Dnate still pissed about his job and Dante still an asshole, this moive never fails to be a Kevin Smith great.

37. Snakes on a Plane (2006)



This movie is. . .SO AWESOME. Samuel L. Jackson saying cool lines and killing snakes on a plane. Awesome-ist title evar.

36. The Phantom of the Opera (2004)



Such excellent music! The film is also visually beautiful. Gerard Butler is a badass in this flick.

35. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (2006)



Great action and adventure. But what is really great about this movie is the CG. I was blown-away by Daevy Jones.

34. The 40 Year Old Virgin (2005)



Hilarious flick with a nerdy protagonist, aided by unique comedic friends. Heartwarming a little as well.

33. Meet the Parents (2000)



Robert de Niro gives an excellent performance. Very funny movie about a guy who has had a horrible week.

32. The Mummy Returns (2001)



Like I said before, all movies with Brendan Frasier and Rachel Weisz are cool with me. . .and this one has The Rock in it, too! Not to mention the badass battle with the Amry of Anubis vs. Oded Fehr and his homies.

31. Lethal Weapon 4 (1998)



A great story with excellent set-ups and pay-offs. Jet Li is awesome.

30. The Lost World: Jurassic Park(1997)



Spielberg, dinosaurs, Ian Malcolm. w00t!

29. Dawn of the Dead (2004)



My favorite zombie movie. I love this one so much because I actually cared about the people in this movie. Lots of cool zombie effects, too.

28. Saving Private Ryan (1998)



How did this not win Best Picture for 1998? Very intense movie. Instantly feel connected to every character in the film. Made me cry at the end, like. . .a lot.

27. Star Wars: Episode III: Revenge of the Sith(2005)



Sure, it’s kindof a sucky movie, but I love it because it’s Star Wars! Plus, Obi-Wan is a badass Jedi in this space-adventure.

26. Underworld(2003)



Sexy-dressed hot babe killing Werewolves? How awesome!

25. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)



This has to be the first of the Harry Potter movies I’ve called “badass.” Awesome because it goes from kiddy to dark. Death Eaters burn shit, some people almost die, and Voldemort comes back. . .we aren’t in Kansas anymore.

24. Star Wars: Episode II: Attack of the Clones(2002)



Yes, I know, it’s super bad, but it’s Star Wars, and that I can dig. Anakin’s hairstlye is horrible and he’s a whiny bitch, but the Battle of Geonosis is pretty a-w-e-s-o-m-e. Plus it has Natalie Portman.

23. The Matrix Reloaded(2003)





Great action scenes. I love the albino twins, they are stellar! I love the Zion orgy thing, the Burly Brawl, the Chateau fight (Neo vs. the Merovingian’s dudes), and the Car Chase. yay for big-budget special effects.

22. There’s Something About Mary(1998)



Hilarious comedy. Ben Stiller and Matt Dillon give great performances, as does Cameron Diaz. Quirky shit.

21. Kung-Pow: Enter the Fist (2002)



The zaniest kung-fu spoof you’ll ever see. With gopher-chucks, crazy voice-overs, metal hands that hurt like crap, a fighting cow, and a flying woman with one boob, this movie will have you laughing, as well as saying “what the fuck?” the entire time. wee-o, wee-o, wee-o!

20. High Fidelity (2000)





Top Five Things About this movie: 5. The music 4. The comedy 3. The flash backs 2. Jack Black’s “Barry”1. The story

19. King Arthur (2004)



A sweet tale set in foggy England. I love the example of fellowship between all these soldiers, especially when they stand together at the last battle. Makes me tear up a little.

18. Love Actually(2003)



Intertwining stories make this movie like nine good romantic dramadies in one. This movie can make you laugh and cry. . .multiple times. Very heartwarming Christmas movie.

17. Harold And Kumar Go To White Castle(2004)



Fuckin’ hilarious comedy about two men on a quest so trivial that we, too, want some White Castle. Maria is beautiful as well. Harold and Kumar have good chemistry. I hope they will make more comedies together.

16. The Boondock Saints (1999)



This is such a cool idea: Two Irish-Catholic brothers kill bad people to ‘celan house.’ Is ‘killing for good’ good? I loved the whole religious aspect and the Irish music. Great performances by all and great script.

15. Saving Silverman (2001)



Jack Black, Jason Biggs, and Steve Zahn are a great team. What better guys to play three absolute losers who look for love?

14. King Kong (2005)



Great adventure flick. Peter Jackson uses his expertise of the action film and rocks this remake. w00t!

13. Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999)



Groovy baby! This comedy is flat-out hilarious. Not to mention a great ddition to the Austin Powers lore. Also, Heather Graham is hot. yay!

12. Grandma’s Boy(2006)



Oh man. . .if there is any comedy that I identify most with, it would have to be this nerdy laughfest. Jeff and Dante are great characters, as are J.P. and the boss. Such a great comedy.

11. Sleey Hollow(1999)





Tim Burton’s unique visual style neccesitates this creepy tale like no other. Great acting and cinematography. Just a badass, sweet, movie.

10. Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace(1999)

The first Star Wars movie I ever saw. I was instantly sucked up in the galaxy far, far away at the age of eleven, sitting in Signature Six theatres in Ukiah. Opening in May, it sparked a whole long summer of imagining about the Star Wars universe and being in a podracer. I was in heaven when it came out on video! I would watch it over and over, and I pretty much know the whole movie by heart. It was actually the first DVD I ever bought. This movie has it all, podracing, Darth-freakin’-Maul, crazy-ass Jedi, four climaxes all at once, and Liam Neeson as a Jedi Master. He is like the bad-assiest Jedi Master. Lol. The sword fights were hella bomb, as was all the other action. This movie does have it’s drawbacks, like do I even need to mention the particular Gungan’s name? And Jake Lloyd playing Anakin. . .”you’re telling me this little guy becomes Vader. . ..pssh, yeah right.” Haha. However, Jar Jar and wussy Anakin are quite small problems in a movie that is so damn cool. Favorite Part: Darth Maul vs. Obi-Wan Kenobi and Qui-Gon Jinn, without a doubt.

9. Office Space (1999)

A comedy classic. The characters in this flick are so funny. Peter Gibbins, Michael Bolton, Sayid Nayenanejar, Tom, Lawrence and, of course, Milton Waddums. I love the rap in this flick, and the scene where they beat up the fax machine. One thing that makes this movie funny is that it is so true. It deals with all the BS you have to deal with in a job. Sure, I’ve only had one, but I can understand not wanting to work. Milton is an iconic character, and it seems every time someone wants to borrow a stapler they have to say it in the Miltony studder-voice. Lumbergh is a great asshole in the flick too. And the whole ‘wearing flare’ is reminiscent about those freakin’ restaurant owners that take their job way too seriously. “I’m gonna show her my ‘O’ face, ‘oh. . .oh. . .oh’ you know what I’m talkin’ about.” Good and funny flick. Favorite Part: When they bash the fax machine with the bat to the Geto Boys “Still.”

8.The Wedding Singer (1998)

I love Adam Sandler in this movie. He’s not going around like an idiot with his loud voice and then his super high one. Basically, he doesn’t act like an ass in this movie. It a cool 80’s tale about two people who fall in love and all that jazz. Drew Barrymore plays a charming chica. All the characters in this movie are pretty unique and they all have their quirks which makes them funny. Not to mention Billy Idol at the end. That was so kicks ass.! Favorite Part: Um. . .I dunno. . .so many. Probably when they are getting into a fight with Julia’s fiancé and the old guy punches him and hardly hurts him. The he goes “Sorry. . .I used to be much stronger.” Lol

7. The Matrix (1999)

When it comes to the Matrix, there is no beating the original. It is such a good movie. It was so revolutionary when it came out. Now every movie we see has bullet-time, slow-motion, and leather suits, but this movie was the first, at least in my book. It introduced us to cool action scenes with loud techno and rock music. It also introduced us to the badass kung fu guys in business suits and sunglasses. This movie sort of, to me at least, invented cool which would spawn the look of other movies such as ‘Underworld’ and things of the like. Wow, I haven’t even begun to talk about the movie yet! Lol. This movie is so cool on many levels. First off, the look. The look of the movie is just so awesome. Like the fight inside the Dojo simulation. That was a cool set. Secondly, the martial arts. Yuen Woo Ping once again choreographs hella badass fight scenes, and the whole bullet time/slow-motion aspect revolutionized the action scene as we know it. Thirdly, the story. The story totally bends your brain around and makes you go “whoa!” I remember the first time I actually got what Morpheous was talking about. I was sitting there in the recliner with my mouth wide open saying “no. . .no. . .it can’t be” in my head. Lol. Hugo Weaving plays Agent Smith so well, I love his enunciation and speaking patterns. The acting is great, the story is great, and the action is top notch. And we must also appreciate the Matrix for its innovation. Great classic film. I love it. Favorite Part: Hmm. . .either the lobby shootout or the Dojo kung fu fight.

6. Titanic(1997)

Ok, ok, ok. . .I’ll give you all some time to scoff away because you must hate this movie. I do not understand why people dislike this movie. I love it! I have seen it so many times I can recite nearly every line. The love story is pretty cool because we instantly root for Jack when we first see him and Fabreezio playing poker for the tickets. And we hate seeing Billy Zane being a total asshole to Rose Dawson. Lol. Wow, I’m a nerd. This movie really starts picking up when the iceberg is hit, though. I love that whole entire hour long sequence. It is very sad, but it has to be one of the best action set pieces ever on a movie. This movie sparked my interest in the ancient ship and I instantly became an expert. :) The ship sinking is cool, plus, we get to see her boobs. :D Favorite Part: Hmmm. . .I don’t know. Lol

5. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring(2001)

I will never forget the first time I saw this movie. I didn’t catch it in theatres, so I went to Blockbuster the day the DVD came out and bought the last one they had. It was Fullscreen, but I didn’t really care. I went home, wondering who everyone was on the front cover, and popped it in. Oh man, if only I had known what I was in for. This movie. . .is so motherfucking cool. The introduction with the huge Battle of Dagorlad, and Sauron kicking ass sucked me into the whole world of Middle-Earth. I could not wait for the adventure to begin. Gandalf was an instantly trustworthy character the first time you see him on his wagon smokin’ his pipe. Ian McKellen does an excellent job playing him. So, you’re just sitting there watching the movie, and then bam, pretty soon Frodo’s gotta leave town and there are the frightening Black Riders after him! His friend Sam is there, as well as Merry and Pippin. And once they reach Bree, the movie just takes off. Strider is an awesome badass and the fight on Amon Sul (Weathertop) with the Ringwraiths is so bomb. There is so much action in this flick, yet there is also a lot of story. There is a good balance between the action and the emotional story stuff. I love the scene with the Council of Elrond. And the Mines of Moria kick ass. Especially the Bridge of Khazad-Dum and the Balrog. Then the movie rolls into the climax with Lurtz and the attack of the Uruk-Hai. Oh man, just talking about this movie makes me wanna see it again. I think I might pop it in later today. :) Legolas and Aragorn were kinda like the first REALLY cool heroes in a movie that I can remember. They just kicked so much ass. Like the shot in Amon Hen when Legolas just shoots one Uruk-Hai after another. The locations of this movie are beautiful, too. Man, I totally cannot talk enough about this movie, but I don’t want to bore you. Haha. Basically, this movie rocks my socks. . .times infinity. Favorite Part: The whole entire sequence at the Bridge of Khazad-Dum with the breaking stairwell. That is just the coolest part in the movie. Ohh! I love it.

4. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers(2002)

How fitting! :D So, since I’m already talking about LOTR, why not continue? ‘The Fellowship of the Ring’ and ‘The Two Towers’ are so close in my mind that it was hard for me to pic which one was better. Ultimately I picked ‘The Two Towers.’ I love how this movie pics up exactly from where the first left off. There’s no ‘re-cap’ of the first one or anything. It just goes right into it. There are many things that make this movie awesome. First, Rohan. I love Rohan. I don’t know anything about horses, have been around one once in my whole life, and have never ridden one, but I love Rohan. The whole country of Rohan and their Norse-like buildings and style is just so cool to me. If I were in Middle-Earth, I’d wanna live in Rohan. Secondly, the Easterlings. The ‘bad’ Humans, (also called the Harad-Men for all you nerds out there) look awesome with their cool armour, crude weapons, and ninja-like head coverings. The scene with the Mumakil (the big elephants) is awesome. Third cool thing: Getting closer to Mordor. The first movie was riddled with bright places and beautiful locations. Not so much in the second. The Dead Marshes and the Black Gate make Mordor seem so uninviting. Fourth cool thing: Faramir and his crew. At last, we have so Robin Hood ranger lookin’ guys. These guys are awesome. And lastly. . .need I even say it? Helm’s Deep. It has to be one of the coolest battles ever filmed for a movie ever. I love this scene. It is so damn cool. You are right there along with the 300 odd Rohan guys, locked away in a fortress with your back against the wall, facing an army of 10, 000 Uruk-Hai. The darkness of the night and the rain really adds a dismal mood to the battle. You go into this thing thinking that they have no chance of winning. “Farmers. . .stableboys. . .these are no soldiers.” And when the Elves come, led by Haldir, it is awesome! You’re just like “woo-hoo!” Hooray for old alliances. :) This movie is full of action, cool special effects (the Ents), cool costumes, cool locations, good acting, great characters, evil villains, and fantastic music. All around, this movie is just awesome.

3. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King(2003)

Well, whatta know? This movie caps off the whole LOTR Trilogy. It brings everything from the first and second movies and clashes them together in three and a half hours of crazy adventure and action. In the extended cut, I love the scenes with Saruman on Orthanc, and the scene with the Mouth of Sauron. To me, it’s just so cool when evil villains talk shit to the good guys. The Paths of the Dead is pretty awesome too. Frodo and Sam’s journey to Mount Doom gets more and more crazy with that big scary Shelob and getting captured in Cirith Ungol. But I have to say the coolest parts of the movie are, of course, the big huge battles. The Siege of Gondor and the Battle of the Pelennor Fields are so cool. I kinda like the battle of Osgilaith, too, where Faramir and his crew have to RUN! Haha. Gandalf kicks ass during the siege of Gondor, finally busting out some mad Gandalf-the-White moves. Pippin and Merry get their slice of slaying action, too. You have to think about it, the whole action scene at Minas Tirith is one for the record books. Nearly 200, 000 Orcs against one of the biggest cities in Gondor. And the bad guys have Trolls, Wargs, Seige towers, and catapults. It’s so cool. Perhaps the coolest part is when Rohan finally comes. As I said before, I love Rohan and everything, so when they do their huge charge, it’s freakin’ awesome. Then, the Mumakil come and it is horses and elephants galore! After the battle we get to enjoy the crazy-ass climax. The Men of the West at the Black Gate of Mordor with Frodo and Sam fighting off Gollum in the Crack of Doom! That is so crazy. It’s not just a climax to a movie, but to a trilogy. And it so works as all the previous 9 or whatever hours are resolved in one crazy battle for Middle-Earth. Woo! So awesome. The characters we know and love are pushed to the absolute edge of their abilities in the flick, and that’s what I love about it. Great movie. . .great movie trilogy. Favorite Part: The Ride of the Rohirrim, without a doubt. Six thousand horses riding to a triumphant version of the Rohan theme song. Great, just great.

2. Gladiator(2000)

“On my signal. . .unleash hell.” This movie is truly awesome, from the opening battle in Germania to the final scene in the Colosseum. Russel Crowe plays Maximus Decimus Meridius, commander of the armies of the North, General to the Felix Legions (lol) and then, he is betrayed and turned into a slave, then, turned into a Gladiator. Jaoquin Phoenix plays an excellent creep as Commodus: the evil, snidely, and disgusting (wanted to do his sister) emperor. Now, these actors and dialogue are all great and all, but there are two things that makes this movie really outstanding: the action and the music. The opening battle in Germania set the standard for badass battles. It’s dark, cold, and wet. Thousands of Roman Soldiers vs. thousands of Barbarians. The fire arrows scene is pretty tight. The coolest part of the battle is when Maximus charges with his cavalry through the woods to Hans Zimmer’s awesome battle theme. “Hold the line, stay with me!” Then, the cavalry comes out of the woods and the fire screaming “Roma Victor!” and slaughter the Barbarians. I love it when he chops that guy’s head off and he’s next to a tree and the blade sticks into the tree trunk. :) The cool thing about the action in this movie is that it is never the same. We have a battle where two people are chained together, another one where it’s Maxiumus verses like 5 guys, 20 guys vs. 5 chariots, a one on one battle with tigers, and then just a classic one on one battle. No battle is like another one. Jabu and Hagen provide some good comic relief and friendship to Maximus throughout, and Proximo just kicks ass as the old guy. This movie really used CG to it’s advantage and made people go “whoa. . .look!. . .the Colosseum!” This movie has a GOOD story, too. That’s what’s so cool about it. A breathtaking scope with brilliant visual effects, with a great story. The ending is so sad, I nearly cried the first time I saw it. This movie captures you in two ways: It takes you by the eyes and by the heart. Favorite Part: When Maximus charges with his cavalry through the woods with that great Hans Zimmer music. “Hold the line, stay with me!” part. Man, gives me such a rush. Lol. I’ve watched it so many times that I can’t even put my tape in the VCR anymore or it eats it up. Lol.

1. Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997)

“Yeah, baby, yeah!” Man, talk about a refreshing movie. There is really nothing else out there like Austin Powers. Sure, you have ‘Spy Hard,’ but there is nothing that beats Mike Meyers in his blue suit with those goofy glasses and crooked teeth. I don’t remember the first time I saw it, but I do remember the second time. We rented it, and then like two years later, we rented it again and I watched it so much. I love this movie. It kept getting funnier and funnier as I would begin to get the perverse jokes that are riddled throughout the whole movie. And when I found out Dr. Evil and Austin Powers were played by the same guy, I was like “No way.” Vanessa Kensington (Elizabeth Hurley) is so hot in the flick. :) “That’s doctor evil’s cat!” “How can you tell?” “I never forget a pussy. . .cat!” Haha. There isn’t one scene that isn’t funny. “My name is Richie Cunningham, and this is my wife Oprah!” lol. I love the scene where they are in the casino and then he goes into the bathroom. Haha. “Hey, that’s one crazy getup you got there, you in the show?” “Um. . no, actually I’m English.” says Austin. This movie has some of the best lines ever in a movie. Talking about this movie has go me thinking: I miss these kind of movies. Movies that are just so stupid and silly, but so much fun. We need to see more goofy movies. I could probably recite this whole entire movie line by line. The characters are funny, the jokes are funny, and just the concept is funny. Dr. Evil, Frau Farbissina, Fembots, Austin’s teeth, his chest hair, Scott Evil being a punk. . .all so funny. I love this flick. Favorite Part: Gee. . .can’t say. . .I really like the part when Dr. Evil sings “I want chicken, I want liver, Meow Mix, Meow Mix, please deliver.” That gets me ever time.