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By Collin, on May 17th, 2010

Top Ten War Movies of All Time

10.)DAS BOOT

If you haven’t seen this absolute gem of a film. Stop reading and go watch it. For a film that tells the story of a submarine full of Nazis, it is amazing how much you’ll feel for these characters. When you’re faced with the reality that they were just boys, the madness of war hits you in the gut.

9.)The Wind that Shakes the Barley

Murder, execution, and cruelty done by bad people is easy to swallow. They’re just evil men after all. When these things are done by seemingly good people. You can’t help but feel the human race is being disgraced.

8.) Schindlers List

Not much to say about it really. Schindler was a good man, in a bad time. I’ve heard that Polanski refused to make the film. Was it because he didn’t want to misrepresent the Holocaust? I think so. I love this movie, but it might be an evil misrepresentation of the Holocaust. I’m not sure.

7.) Grave of the Fire Flies

This one I saw in college. It was my first choice for best war film ever made. But I just don’t enjoy watching it. It is a bit too depressing. The film follows two innocent children as Americans fire bomb their Japanese town in WW2. If you’ve never felt for the Japanese in that war, you’ll feel it with this one.

6.) The Hurt Locker

I reviewed this film. Read the whole review under Written Reviews.

5.) The Thin Red Line


This isn’t Terrence Malick’s greatest film. Badlands probably is. But regardless, this is a poetic, spiritual consideration of war and death.

4.) Paths of Glory

I watched this out of the corner of my eye when writing. Even then I knew I was watching a great film. After watching it properly a few times I knew this was one of Kubrick’s best.
3.) Platoon

Great film about a shitty war and a shitty time. Seeing the current political climate, as well as Oliver Stone’s Oscar acceptance speech for the film, I can’t imagine how Stone hasn’t killed himself yet. Probably because he’s too high on smack and booms. Who knows?

2.) Apocalypse Now

This is an audacious film. Francis Ford Coppola considered suicide during the shooting of this movie. Martin Sheen suffered a heart attack. Filming went on for over a year. This madness shows. Great movie.

1.) Letters From Iwo Jima/Flags of our Fathers


I know it is supposed to be only ten films, but these two films are to be watched together. Clint Eastwood’s two looks at the battle of Iwo Jima are the best war films ever made. No films have affected me so. Flags is an exploration of heroism, war, death, and brotherhood. Letters is an exploration of tribalism, madness, and self-sacrifice. At no point does the violence entertain us. I watch these films often and am always left with one question. I’m not going to say what it is, but I imagine it is shared by most who view this film.

By Collin, on May 8th, 2010

We’re looking for just scares here.

10. Dawn of the Dead (original)

Scene: Opening Cop scene

There is something about the opening of this film that turns my stomach. When the cops burst in on all the residents feasting away, there is a freaky realism that is hard to catch with crisp, realistic special effects.

9. Inside

Scene: Killer revealed through back door.

This scene is just plain scary. It is not a cheap scare either. It is revealed through cinematic craftsmanship and is geniunely scary. Good stuff.

8. Cannibal Holocaust

Scene: Ending scene. (Especially the fella’ getting his john thomas cut off)

This is one of the few movies that really could have every single scene be on this list. It is one of the scariest movies ever.

7.Mulholland Drive

Scene: When the old couple is up in Nioami Watt’s face at the end.

Lynch takes up 30% of this list.

6. Evil Dead

Scene: When the dead chick’s head pops out from the basement.

Sam Raimi’s series turned slap-stick but the original really does have geniune scares.

5. The Shining

Scene: Jack Nichelson makes out with that naked, dead chick.

I love scenes that don’t have cheap scares. This is the perfect example of one.

4. Blue Velvet

Scene: Dennis Hopper Scene

If you haven’t scene it describing it does no justice. I always wonder what finiancers thought when they were reading through that part of the script.

3. The Exorcist

Scene: Head spin + Vomit

I hate putting this on the list. It is so cliche, but i have to. The film overall isn’t too scary. The whole film aims at this scene and man does it pay off well.

2. Repulsion

Scene: Seeing a man in the mirror.

This movie is insane. This scene is a “shock” scene, with the music and everything. But it is built up to for around forty minutes. The shock also exists inside her damaged mind. Please go see this movie if you haven’t seen it. It really is better than Rosemary’s Baby.

1. Inland Empire

Scene: The main actress running toward the screen and screaming.

I talked about this film often in film school. Every student I would chat with brought up this scene. Lynch never made a horror movie, but Inland Empire comes as close to a straight horror movie as films come. I remember commenting to my brother that Lynch’s switch to digital tape freed him of any financial constraints, and therefore, producer interference. Watching Inland Empire really feels like your stuck in the mind of a madman for close to three hours.

By Collin, on May 8th, 2010

10. Super Mario Bros.
This movie is so bad it is kind of good. It might be the biggest failure in filmmaking history though.

9. Wing Commander

I’ve seen this movie recently and man, it is a disgrace to such a cool game. Wing Commander was probably the first video game I ever really got into. Whatever, still cool to watch.

8. Max Payne

This movie is fucking awful. Wait I’m doing the good movies, right? Yep. But video game adaptations suck. My brother and I adore this video game, but the movie was a little cool to watch.

7. Silent Hill

It really is a decent film. The video game is so fucking scary though. You might want to stick with the video game.

6. Hitman

This is one of the few movies that is actually better than the video game. I hated, hate, and will always hate the Hitman series. The film is violent, action-packed, and totally unrelated to the original.

5. Stree Fighter

I don’t know where to put this movie on the list. A few years ago it would have been higher. I loved this movie as a kid and adored Van Damme and Raul Julia. Then I watched it again a few months ago and yikes…

4. Mortal Kombat

I have to take serious issue with Paul Anderson’s films. I want to dislike the man, but can’t. His movies are okay. This is one of his best. Plus, the soundtrack to this film is great. That techno single, god damn that is badass. (Note: Christopher Lambert as Raiden biggest miscast ever?)

3. Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within

I am a huge Final Fantasy fan. I’ve beaten nearly ever single US released version and awaited the release of this film like the second coming of jesus. FF7, Tactics, and FF8 had been released leading up to this movie. I was floored. It ended up being a weird science fiction film. Real good movie, but almost ruined Squaresoft financially and I never got into it. It had NOTHING to do with the video games. Then Advent children was released. (*Gulp* I just puked a little.)

2. Lara Croft: Tomb Raider

I really like this movie a lot. Angelina Jolie is so sexy, playing the role as well as a series actress can. She gives real legitmacy to this movie. Danial Craig is also a lot of fun as her love interest who is on the wrong side. It is so dumb, but so fun.

1. Resident Evil 1,2,3

Really? Yes and trust me, I know good movies. It took me almost 5 years to except these movies were good. I was furious seeing them for the first time. I thought, “How could you do this?! This videogame changed videogames! It could have been the scariest film ever made! I could write a better movie any day of the fuckin’ week”. When this annoyance passed. I started to really enjoy the audacity of these action action/horror films. It is a series I watch often now. But regardless, this genre remains one of worst genres in filmmaking.

By Collin, on April 5th, 2010

10. The Ring

I love Naomi Watts. My brother and I are both obsessed with this fairly unknown Aussie gem. We also both hate this movie. It is certainly not scary. When researching my top ten scariest movies list I crushed to see The Ring so high up.

9. American Beauty

This movie is good. But is it great? I really don’t think so. I think it just barely scratches the surface of white suburbia. It is outdone by better films about the same subject, Happiness and Little Children come to mind.

8. Blair Witch Project

This is the only movie on this list I personally dislike. I never liked this movie. It isn’t scary. Anyone who thought it was real was just kidding themselves. And it cash out on the ideas of a bigger and better film Cannibal Holocaust.

7. The Departed

Right. Why is this movie on the list? Well, because the departed is just good. I don’t think it is great. I don’t think it was the best picture of that year and I certainly don’t think think it was Scorsese’s time to win an oscar, Raging Bull was.

6. Chariots of Fire

I just didn’t like this movie. Doesn’t mean you will.

5. Pulp Fiction

Quentin Tarintino pisses me off. For no good reason too. His movies are great. Kill Bill is one of my favorite movies. Frankly speaking, Pulp Fiction is a very good movie. But everyone my age cites it as the best film ever. Please. There are parts in the movie that don’t work and it is a bit slow. Is it the best film of the 90s? I hope not.

4. Boondock Saints

Anyone who really loves movies shouldn’t like this one. If I reviewed I’d probably give it a D. It is a good premise that went horribly wrong. William Dafoe dressing up as a chick and fighting dudes kept this one from being an F.

3. Good Will Hunting

Good movie. Not great. Gus Van Sant can and has done better. If you’re looking for a great Van Sant movie check out Milk. One of the best films of the decade.

2. A Time to Kill

Joel Shumacer’s courtroom drama comes to the all the right conclusions and says all the right things. But bad people doing bad things shouldn’t shock anybody. The film never looks into why they do bad things though. Or investigates the black side of the story. Time to Kill knows how satisfy its audience but it really doesn’t come to any tough conclusions.

1. Clerks

Kevin’s Smith debut is just okay. I’ve heard it acclaimed as genius. Not quite. It is a fun film and the characters are well drawn. But the dialogue is too rehearsed. It doesn’t seem to be happening in real time. It comes off as a movie that

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