Best Films Since 1983

Inspired by Entertainment Weekly (as I often am) and Ross Douthat I came up with my own list of the Top 50 movies since 1983. They did Top 100, so I had to cut quite a few movies, although many of them would not be in my own 100 best. Also, I didn’t list any films from E’s list that I haven’t seen (Oddly, most of them I have no interest in seeing).

I disagree with Entertainment Weekly a good deal, and 21 of my 50 are not on their 100 (My additions are shown with asterisks). I have noticed that compared with their list, I have a few tendencies/biases: I definitely have a bias in favor of foreign films compared to E. I tend to rank violent mafia, gangster, and war movies higher. Also, anything that deals with government and corrupt gets a boost. I noticed I have a fairly strong pro Martin Scorsese/Wes Anderson/Clint Eastwood/Coen Brothers/Quinton Tarentino bias. Also, I think movies have gotten a lot better over the last 8 years or so, and also that the late 1980s was a particularly bad era for film.

When you know that, you can probably guess my list. But just to make it official, here is the correct list of the Top 50 movies since 1983.

Top 50 (in order, additions with asterisk):
1. GoodFellas (1990)
2. The Lives of Others (2006)
3. No Country For Old Men (2007)
4. Pulp Fiction (1994)
5. Fargo (1996)
6. Unforgiven (1992)
7. *Reservoir Dogs (1992)
8. Rushmore (1998)
9. Saving Private Ryan (1998)
10. There Will Be Blood (2007)
11. *The Usual Suspects (1996)
12. This Is Spinal Tap (1984)
13. *Pan’s Labyrinth (2007)
14. *City of God (2001)
15. Broadcast News (1987)
16. *The Royal Tennenbaums (2002)
17. *Blood Diamond (2007)
18. Scarface (1983)
19. Fight Club (1999)
20. *Adaptation (2003)
21. The Sixth Sense (1999)
22. *Million Dollar Baby (2003)
23. Schindler's List (1993)
24. Gladiator (2000)
25. *American Beauty (1999) – Apologies to Ross Douthat
26. Rain Man (1988)
27. The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad (1988)
28. *Knocked Up (2007)
29. The Matrix (1999)
30. There’s Something About Mary (1998)
31. *Gangs of New York (2003)
32. L.A. Confidential (1997)
33. Boogie Nights (1997)
34. *Scent of a Woman (1990)
35. Office Space (1999)
36. The Departed (2006))
37. * Leaving Las Vegas (1995)
38. *The Big Lebowski (1999)
39. Sideways (2004)
40. *Casino (1995)
41. *Best in Show (2000)
42. Full Metal Jacket (1987)
43. *Downfall (2004)
44. *Rudy (1994)
45. The 40 Year-Old Virgin (2005)
46. *Autofocus (2003)
47. *Batman Begins (2005)
48. *The Spanish Apartment (2002)
49. Swingers (1996)
50.* Braveheart (1995)

Not in the Top 50 (in approximate order):
Casino Royale (2006) Waiting for Guffman (1996) Glory (1989) Natural Born Killers (1994) Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) Speed (1994) Spider-Man 2 (2004) The Truman Show (1998) Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997) Napoleon Dynamite (2004) Back to the Future (1985) South Park: Bigger Longer & Uncut (1999) The Lord of the Rings trilogy (2001-03) Titanic (1997) Toy Story (1995) The Silence of the Lambs (1991) The Lion King (1994) Ghostbusters (1984) Jerry Maguire (1996) Dazed and Confused (1993) Beverly Hills Cop (1984) Men in Black (1997) Clueless (1995) Do the Right Thing (1989) Shrek (2001)

Have not Seen:
Breaking the Waves (1996) Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) The Piano (1993) The Breakfast Club (1985) Children of Men (2006) The Player (1992) Pretty Woman (1990) Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) The Incredibles (2004) Menace II Society (1993) Ed Wood (1994) In the Mood for Love (2001) Far From Heaven (2002) The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999) The Blair Witch Project (1999) Y Tu Mamá También (2002) Michael Clayton (2007) Moonstruck (1987) Lost in Translation (2003) Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn (1987) Drugstore Cowboy (1989) Out of Africa (1985) Thelma & Louise (1991) Sid and Nancy (1986 Donnie Brasco (1997) Witness (1985) All About My Mother (1999) Dirty Dancing (1987 sex, lies and videotape (1989) Big (1988) Scream (1996) Memento (2001) A Room With a View (1986) Blue Velvet (1986) Hannah and Her Sisters (1986) Die Hard (1988) Moulin Rouge (2001) Crumb (1995) Edward Scissorhands (1990) Hoop Dreams (1994) Aliens (1986) Wings of Desire (1988) The Bourne Supremacy (2004) When Harry Met Sally... (1989) Brokeback Mountain (2005) Fatal Attraction (1987) Risky Business (1983)