30) Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (20th Century Fox)
1969 - Oh, so that's where the film festival gets its name from. The chemistry between Academy Award winners Paul Newman and Robert Redford's as actors was so electric that they've made the list twice, each in the same two movies. Centered on the two robbers - Butch being the affable, clever one and Sundance being the good shot - this is part western, part comedy, part adventure, with a bit of a romantic interest on the side. The intro set in the saloon starts the movie off with bang and ends with one of the best cinematic shootouts ever. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid also paved the way for future buddy films such as 48 Hrs. and Lethal Weapon.
29) Some Like It Hot (United Artists)
1959 - Screwball comedy at its best, Billy Wilder's Some Like It Hot stars Tony Curtis and Academy Award winner Jack Lemmon as two Chicago musicians who disguise themselves as women after witnessing the St. Valentine's Massacre. The two together with the late Marilyn Monroe is comedy gold as they both vie for her affection, while maintaining their disguises. The chemistry between the three is some of the best in film, and the final scene remains one of the funniest closing moments in any comedy. Hey, nobody's perfect.
28) Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (Columbia Pictures)
1964 - This is the first, and certainly not the last, film of the late great Stanley Kubrick to appear on this list. A satirical take on the attitudes surrounding the Cold War, Dr. Strangelove, you could argue, was one of the first films to deal with people not trying to be funny, but delivering humor in a serious manner. The late great, Academy Award winning George C. Scott steals every single scene that he is in. Peter Sellers never has to prove that he's a comedic genius... but he does here anyway. Keenan Wynn gives an understated yet hilarious performance, playing off Peter Sellers's Captain Mandrake ("You'll have to answer to the Coca-Cola Company."), and how can you possibly forget Slim Pickens riding the nuclear bomb back to Earth?
27) Apocalypse Now (United Artists)
1979 - The only thing more chaotic than the scenario this film was set in, was the turmoil that took place behind the scenes. Nevertheless, it's hard for me to imagine a film that depicts exactly what the horrors of war can due to a man's psychosis better than Apocalypse Now. Featuring an stellar all-star cast and a director (Francis Ford Coppola) who - well, yeah, he's no slouch, this film centers on US Army Captain Benjamin Willard (Martin Sheen) as he has been given orders to terminate the now mysterious Walter E. Kurtz (Marlon Brando) - a former US Colonel turned insane and now leading his own cult-like army. It's dark, horrific, oddly funny at times, and downright insane. I'd also have it no other way. The fact that it's rumored Brando improvised all of his scenes shows that man knew his craft and knew it well.
26) Ghostbusters (Columbia Pictures)
1984 - One of the few films that makes me feel like a little kid again no matter how many times I watch it, Ghostbusters, along with Back to the Future, was one of the most groundbreaking comedies of the 80's. Starring Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, Rick Moranis, Harold Ramis and Ernie Hudson (Who, as long as there's a steady paycheck in it, will believe anything you say) was one of the first films to successfully combine blockbuster special effects and gut busting laughs. Despite coming a long way in terms of visual effects since 1984, the effects used at the time were nothing to scoff at back then. With a smart and witty script from both Aykroyd and Ramis that provided laughs for both adults and the little ones, enough one-liners to make a book out of, and comedy directing mastermind Ivan Reitman at the helm, this is a comedy gem that never disappoints. On a side note, if you do watch this, I strongly recommend listening along to the filmmakers commentary. It's surprisingly informative and quite funny as well.
25) Young Frankenstein (20th Century Fox)
1974 - "What knockers!" "Ooh... Zank you, doctor." Mel Brooks's personal best film is also the greatest comedic satire of all-time. Young Frankenstein spoofed the story of the iconic seven foot monster to perfection. Feature a wonderfully funny cast that includes Gene Wilder, Peter Boyle Teri Garr, Academy Award winner Cloris Leachman, Marty Feldman, Academy Award nominee Madeline Kahn and a hilarious cameo appearance by Academy Award winner Gene Hackman, this is one of the most quoted ("The name... is Frahn-ken-steen!) and endearing comedies that to this day stands above the rest. Little known fact: if you're wondering where the legendary rock band Aerosmith came up with the idea for "Walk This Way", look no further than this film.
24) Network (United Artists)
1976 - Before there was Heath Ledger, there was Peter Finch, who unfortunately died of a heart attack before winning his much earned Best Actor Oscar at the 1977 Academy Awards. A savage and satirical take on the media, Network is funny and rings more than true - even to this day. What's even more special are the relationships involved - be it in the workplace or at home - at the center of the film. The cast ranging from Academy Award winners Faye Dunaway, William Holden, Peter Finch, Robert Duvall and Beatrice Straight (whose performance here, at just five minutes and forty seconds, is the shortest performance to win an Oscar) as well as Academy Award nominee Ned Beatty is brilliant. Paddy Chayefsky's writing is intelligent, witty and sarcastic, and do I really need to mention how great of a director Sidney Lumet is? Even before this film the man already had a stacked resume.
23) Superman (Warner Bros.)
1978 - Before all you Christopher Nolan fanboys crucify me, hear me out. There's no doubt Nolan resurrected the Batman franchise after Joel Schumacher raped and left it for dead, and as a whole (keeping in mind, the Christopher Reeve era Superman franchise unfortunately does contain Superman III and IV) the trilogy is easily the most consistently great superhero series in film. That being said, Richard Donner's Superman set the bar for future comic book films to come. The cast is magnificent. John Williams's score gets my heart racing right from the opening credits. Richard Donner's ability to blend humor with humanity is one of the best, and the first forty-five or so minutes of the film contains one of the most beautifully told origin stories in film. Despite Superman III, IV, and hey, while we're at it let's toss Returns into the mix as well, tarnishing the overall legacy of the Superman film series, that doesn't change the fact that Superman paved the way for future superhero movies.
22) The Sting (Universal Pictures)
1973 - The second of the Newman/Redford films to appear on this list, The Sting is extremely stylish and incredibly complex, but the way it unfolds is so fun to watch. Having three acting legends take center stage (Newman, Redford, and Robert Shaw) doesn't hurt either. After Johnny Hooker's (Robert Redford) friend is murdered by racketeer/gambler Doyle Lonnegan (Robert Shaw), Hooker plans to take Lonnegan down through a "sting" operation. To do so, he enlists the help of Henry Gondorff (Paul Newman), "the greatest con-artist of them all". It would take me literally the length of a novel to explain all the motives here (or would it?), but director George Roy Hill and writer David S. Hill do such a superb job at never letting the story run away from them and keeping the film straight. Their efforts in doing so is one reason why they both took home the Best Director and Best Original Screenplay Oscars respectively.
21) Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark (Paramount Pictures)
1981 - You know, I figured, maybe I could possibly squeeze in a Steven Spielberg picture. Why not? He seems decent enough. I could watch that opening scene posted above a million times back to back and still be on the edge of my seat for each and every time. Giving the viewer everything from great iconic action packed moments to the great humor the Fedora wearing Dr. Jones is known for, Raiders of the Lost Ark will have your eyes glued from the very beginning and you'll simply refuse to look away (although both Indy and Marion were smart to look away, if you know what I mean) until the end credits start to roll. Harrison Ford and Karen Allen are absolutely perfect together and their little "get under each other's skin" love/hate relationship which gradually builds to something more is one of the greatest love interests in film. Paul Freeman plays a terrifically charming villain and John Rhys-Davies is the perfect compliment to Ford as his likeable sidekick Sallah. Add a smart script from the great Lawrence Kasdan along with Spielberg's direction - who I'm told seemed to have a steady career before and after this - and you have one of the most exciting cinematic experiences of all-time. By the way, it should be no surprise that this won't be the only iconic role of Harrison Ford to make this list.
Well, there you go, readers. Three parts down, two more to go. I'll have Part IV up next week, and then the week after I'll have the quintessential top 10 greatest films of all-time. Feel free to take a stab at that number one spot. I'll give you a hint. It's not The Adventures of Pluto Nash. It was so close though.
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