The Top 150 Rewatchable Movies in 50 Years

By Mark Pukalo

I will not share popcorn. Don’t bother me. I sit on my own, spread the napkins over my waist, sit back and enjoy the big screen experience.

Once in a while, that wonderful feeling of walking out of the theater after seeing a terrific movie just washes over me. Everyone knows when that happens. The only thing that’s better than watching a great film is recommending one, and seeing others entertained by it.

Laugh. Cry. Think. That combination was what coach Jim Valvano used to say made up a full day. I call it a great movie. The best have all three or plenty of smart humor, interesting or cheeky dialogue, characters you care about and a unique quality or two.

Your favorite films often come out of nowhere.

I had a break between the morning skate and the game during the NHL playoffs in New Jersey one day in the late 90s and killed some time at the theater after lunch. I decided on a film without knowing anything but the lead actor – John Cusack. It is now one of my favorite 10 of all time.

There was another day I went to a small second-run theater in Manchester, Conn. with a few friends to see a film that I knew little about. The cheaply-constructed top on my soda came off as I fumbled the cup, spilling the beverage all the way down the row in front of me during the previews. I was. … well, aggravated. My friends laughed at me. That movie is one of my five favorites of all time.

I rented an independent-type science fiction movie from Red Box one day in the middle of 2015 – not expecting much from the oddly-named movie. I ended up rating it the second best of a very good year.

There are many memories like that and lines from films you love that are used every day. You probably don’t even realize it. If you disagree, “You can’t handle the truth!”

After finishing with the fun I had putting together my top 350 songs in 50 years of music, I began another project that is much more difficult. Through the next year, I will reveal the top 150 movies in my lifetime on facebook and twitter - with a somewhat different criteria than the one I used to rank songs.

My movie survey will be even more personal. It will be based 75 percent on films you want to watch numerous times and 25 percent on significance, script, plot and acting. There are some movies that I thought were fantastic – such as “The Imitation Game” in 2014 - which gained a lot of points with how polished and interesting it is, but may not be on this list because watching it a couple times is sufficient. It means, of course, comedies and more uplifting movies get the upper hand. Those are the films that stick with you forever.

The list will not include any older classic films. I appreciate and honor the great movies of the past such as Citizen Kane, Gone with the Wind, From Here to Eternity, The Wizard of Oz, It’s A Wonderful Life, Casablanca and others, but they won’t be on the survey. Some other films that make many of these types of lists either didn’t grab me or I didn’t see for one reason or another – such as The Big Lebowski, Cousin Vinny, Road House, Annie Hall, The Matrix, Napoleon Dynamite, Rudy, Fight Club, The Princess Bride, Old School, The Lord of the Rings trilogy, etc.

There will be some surprises and films you think I have rated way too high or too low, along with no-brainers. Movies catch everyone differently, even more so than music in my opinion.

Hopefully, as I said with the music list, the posts don’t annoy anyone and it will intoduce you to a film you may not have seen before. Some of the videos might be a little R-rated. But, heck, we’re all adults. Right?

Here is a list of 50 movies that easily could have made the list, but fall into the honorable mention category instead.

All the President’s Men – Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman play Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, who uncover the Watergate scandal. Love the newsroom scenes.

American History X -- Ed Norton puts forth an amazing performance in this examination of racism in America. It’s ugly at times, but it’s real, powerful and fascinating. It also fits for the current situation in this country.

Anchorman – The sequel was not good, but Will Ferrell’s performance in the original is priceless.

Apocalypse Now – Francis Ford Coppola’s Vietnam War saga with Marlon Brando’s chilling performance.

Beyond the Lighted Stage – The best documentary of a rock band every made, in my opinion, on the fantastic Canadian trio Rush.

Boyhood – Director Richard Linklater’s ambitious project, following the life of Mason from child to young adult, keeps you interested through almost three hours.

Contact – The 1997 film is based on a book by Carl Sagan about trying to make contact with extraterrestrials. Jodie Foster is the lead and Matthew McConaughey adds a religious edge to the story.

Crash – This movie, with its intertwining stories about racial tension, won Best Picture at the 2004 Academy Awards and could fill an entire semester of a film class.

Divergent – The first of the action, science fiction series introduces a futuristic world where people are urged to conform - and the amazing Shailene Woodley’s versatile talents causes intrigue.

Do the Right Thing – The Spike Lee joint studies racism and hate in the city like few films have ever done.

Edward Scissorhands – Johnny Depp stars as a unique young man with a special talent, who emerges from isolation.

The Fault in Our Stars – Tear jerker about two young people dealing with cancer the only way they can.

The Fighter – David O. Russell’s film about the rise of boxer Irish Mickey Ward to prominence with outstanding supporting performances from both Amy Adams and Christian Bale.

Flight – Denzel Washington puts forth a standout performance as an airline pilot who deals with the drama after remarkably landing a damaged plane while intoxicated.

Fried Green Tomatoes – The 1991 film about unique relationships between women in different eras included outstanding performances from Mary Stuart Masterson and Kathy Bates.

Frost/Nixon – Impeccably acted - especially by Frank Langella as Tricky Dick - and crafted film by Ron Howard about the famous interviews. One of the best of 2010.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo – The talented and beautiful Rooney Mara makes this film work with her powerful performance as the unique Lisbeth Salander.

Ghostbusters – Crime fighters Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis get slimed while vacuuming up ghouls and ghosts.

Gone Baby Gone – Ben Affleck’s powerful film about a young girl, who is abducted from a poor home in Boston. It includes a strong performance by Casey Affleck.

Grosse Pointe Blank – John Cusack plays a high-priced hit man who returns to his high school reunion and re-unites with his old flame (Minnie Driver) in the 1997 movie.

The Imitation Game – Benedict Cumberbatch hits it out of the park with his turn on the enigmatic Alan Turing, a mathematician who tries to break the German code during World War II.

The Infiltrator – One of the best films of 2016 stars Bryan Cranston as Robert Mazur, who goes deep undercover to try and take down Pablo Escobar’s network.

Iron Man – The first of a trilogy always seems to be the best and this follows the pattern with Robert Downey Jr. killing it. Two words: Pepper Potts.

Jaws – Stephen Spielberg’s masterpiece should probably be high on the list but, for some reason, it never moved me as much as others.

JFK – Kevin Costner portrays Jim Garrison, who made the only case for a conspiracy in the assassination of President Kennedy. It is overdone at times and extremely powerful at others.

The Last Days of Disco – First fell in love with Kate Beckinsale here as she paired with Chloe Sevigny in this odd little movie about young people hanging out at the disco in the early 90s.

The Lookout – Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays a young man dealing with the aftermath of a horrific accident that he caused and a head injury that allows people to take advantage of him. “I wake up. I get dressed. I take my meds.”

The Martian – Matt Damon is stranded on Mars and makes the best of it to give us a fun ride. Yep, the ending probably couldn’t happen, but it’s still entertaining. David Bowie’s “Starman” is well used.

Midnight Express – American student Billy Hayes is arrested for smuggling drugs in Turkey. When he tries to get through the airport, it is one of the most spine-tingling scenes of all time.

Mo Better Blues – Spike Lee’s film about a talented young trumpet player named Bleek Gilliam, portrayed by Denzel Washington, who makes a series of poor decisions on the way to and out of stardom.

Mulholland Drive – Our first introduction to the amazing Naomi Watts was this strange, but fascinating David Lynch movie.

One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest – Perhaps Jack Nicholson’s finest performance as a criminal, who pleads insanity and becomes a leader at a mental institution.

Pirate Radio – A band of rogue DJs bring rock and roll to the masses and fight the conservative government in Great Britain from a ship off the shore. Tremendous ending.

Primary Colors – John Travolta and Emma Thompson play Bill and Hillary in this humorous, interesting film that captures the dilemma for a campaign with a very flawed, but brilliant candidate.

The Razor’s Edge – This was Bill Murray’s first dramatic role, playing a man trying to find the path to enlightenment. Reviews were not good as I remember, but I liked it anyway.

Room – An emotional film about a young woman (Brie Larson) who is abducted and raises her son in a small shed. Jacob Tremblay’s performance as the young boy is one of the best I’ve ever seen.

Scarface – Oliver Stone wrote it and Brian DePalma directed this crime drama with Al Pacino as the lead.

Secretariat – While a lot of the facts are fudged, it is still an entertaining look at the greatest race horse ever and the people around him. Diane Lane is awesome as Penny Tweedy.

The Silence of the Lambs – Jonathan Demme’s chilling story of a young FBI officer (Jodie Foster) who must work with a serial killer to catch another horrible criminal. Clarice!

Smokey and the Bandit – Burt Reynolds and Sally Field in this fun chase movie that I first saw with my eighth grade class at Radio City Music Hall. Then, we witnessed the Rockettes!

The Spectacular Now - Miles Teller and Shailene Woodley play absolutely rich characters in a unique story about a young man who goes on a journey of self-awareness after he spends most of high school living for the Now.

Star Trek – The 2009 edition is my favorite in the series with Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto, along with the gorgeous Zoe Saldana, playing the iconic characters during the Enterprise crew’s first voyage together.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens – Flawed in some ways, but still a thrilling long-awaited renewal of the great series. It’s always great to see Chewy again!

Star Wars: The Revenge of the Sith – The making of Darth Vader is fascinating, entertaining and emotional as Luke and Leia are born.

Straight Outta Compton - Interesting look at the ground-breaking rap group N.W.A for those like me who did not know much about them, and for those who did.

United 93 – The minute-by-minute account of the hijacked flight, which crashed in Shanksville, Pa. on 9/11, and what it was like for the passengers – many of them who become heroic. There are no stars. It’s understated, sad and gripping.

V for Vendetta – It’s not about terrorism as many dopey conservatives said when it hit the screen in 2005. It’s about revolution against Real tyranny.

We Bought a Zoo – Matt Damon needs to get away after his wife dies, so why not buy a zoo and fall in love with Scarlett Johansson? It’s not cinematic genius. It’s just a likeable film.

Whiplash – J.K. Simmons won best supporting actor for his depiction of a brutal music teacher who pushes a young drum student (Miles Teller) to the brink.

Zero Dark Thirty – Pulsating drama about the attack on Bin Laden, with Jessica Chastain’s powerful performance as the driving force. Don’t care about some of the arguments about the facts. It was a good watch.