The greatest horror film of all time, with at least 3 good remakes that I know about, a tv series, and at least 2 bad remakes all spawned from one masterpiece. It's great when a movie is relevant socially, actually scary, and fun to watch at the same time.

Un-freaking-believably good. This Western manages to take cliches from other westerns, make them seem real and original, and combines exciting action with an underlying impact of a man losing his humanity. Good on so many levels.

Granted, I've only seen half a dozen Kurosawa films, but I'm not holding my breath on seeing one better than this (though "The Bad Sleep Well" was closest). This film seems like one that would appeal to a very small niche of people, but show it to anybody that enjoys good movies and I am confident they would love it.

If you don't like David Lynch or having to figure out what a movie is about, you probably won't like this one (try Blue Velvet though, it's a bit more accessible). For everybody left in the room, Mulholland Drive is a near perfect film that is so amazing to immerse yourself in, that when you do come up with an explanation it's both satisfying and unnecessary.

Westerns are great, and the best one of an era is Shane. No movie better shows the reluctant gunfighter, and no western makes the surround characters so developed that it feels grounded in realism and yet romanticized simultaneously.

The horror/sci-fi/noir world of Dark City is something that must be experienced to truly understand. One of the most unique movies on the list.

Another western, but very different from the other two. This film succeeds mainly due to the performance of Val Kilmer, the action/big budget mentality of the shootouts, and the historical truthfulness behind the picture.

My favorite actor in his best movie, Newman as Luke makes a character that doesn't depend on sympathy to resonate with the audience. The fact is that Luke is likable; this elevates him with the prisoners in the film as well as the viewers.

The ultimate conspiracy movie succeeds because it is grounded in true events. No matter how you feel going into the movie, one can't help but wonder when placed with all the evidence by director Oliver Stone.

Wes Anderson is a director who, if you like one of his movies, you'll probably like them all. The inverse is also true. I fall into the former category, but find this to be his film I return to the most often. I think its undoubtedly his funniest film, and while Tennenbaums does leave me sadder, this too has an effect on me.

A funny and exciting film that hasn't aged a bit. Newman and Redford are forever associated together for two films that are among the best ever made.

I put this copy down to have a picture, but really you should just buy the Masterpiece collection it comes in. Hitchcock is phenomenal, and the suspense he generates in a film like this is thick. Grace Kelly in her prime as well.

A made for tv movie in the top 40? Yes, if it's based on a great book, if it's almost completely faithful to that book, and it uses quality actors in filling the roles. It has to be good if 6 hours of it doesn't scare off annual viewings.

The other musical on this list, Once is one of the only musicals you'll see where the music actually fits within the context of the story. On top of that, it's a sweet and simple story with two very likable leads.

One of the most thorough documentaries ever made, this film follows around 2 boys with dreams of playing in the NBA for 5 years. It is real drama, and you don't know how it will play out until they show you.

Some movies are weird for the sake of being weird. This one is weird, but it's also well crafted. Both John Cusak and John Malcovich appeark on the edge of going crazy in this movie, even before the hijinks begin. Definitely a movie you'll never forget.

A great movie about the greatest game in the world. This is a true story, played by two actors perfectly suited to their roles, and so entertaining that even Yankee haters like myself enjoy it. The only thing that keeps it from being higher is when it slips into melodrama for awhile in the middle.

James Cameron used to make the best action movies in the world. What happened? Aliens take the great concept from the first film and perfects it. Strike that: it escalates it. Everything in this film is more intense making it the rare sequel to pass the original.

Even if you know the end is coming, it doesn't make it any less dramatic. The ultimate buddy movie, provides as many laughs as it does anything else. Just don't count the bullets at the end.

True stories always provide for the best drama. This is a long biopic about Howard Hughes, and when it ends the only think you can think is, "where's part two?" Great film, great performances all around.