My Five Favorite Films From...1994

Honorable Mention – Natural Born Killers: I have a story to tell about this film but I will save it for another time. Very intense, bloody and off-the-charts nuts, but it’s well-made and definitely worth seeing.

5. Hoop Dreams: Even now I think this stands as one of the better documentaries of the past 20 years or so. It was a sin against common sense and general decency that it wasn’t nominated for an Academy Award that year.

4. Clerks: To many this is still Kevin Smith’s best movie*. I think it holds up as one of the better comedies of my generation. The sequel…not so much.

3. The Shawshank Redemption: If this was a list about quality, this would be first in a cakewalk. The best adaptation of a Stephen King story ever**. Still amazes me whenever I watch it.

2. Léon (The Professional): A huge sleeper film that caught everyone by surprise and is now recognized by many as one of the better movies ever made***. Not a down moment the entire movie. And it still amazes me that this was Natalie Portman’s first film. Who acts like that their first time out?

My Five Favorite Films From...1993

1993 was a powerhouse year for the movie industry. The sheer number of quality films that came out just boggles the mind. I had to struggle to pick my favorites.

Honorable Mention (x2) – Carlito’s Way and Dazed and Confused: Already I can’t pick just one film. Carlito’s Way is a fantastic gangster film and what I think is Pacino’s last great role. As for Dazed and Confused let’s just say that not only was it funny, but I was in my senior year of college and definitely enjoyed many of the same things the characters did. And I don’t mean Wooderman and high-school girls.

5. Schindler's List: An incredibly powerful movie. It seems ridiculous in retrospect that it took this movie to re-ignite interest in the Holocaust and preserving the memory of that evil as a warning to us all. But that is just how good it was. And that girl in the red coat…

4. True Romance: An excellent reminder that Tarantino has been writing great scripts for a while, Tony Scott could direct a film without gimmicks* and Christian Slater could act his ass off. And who knew that Balki from Perfect Strangers made such a good coke-head?

3. Shadowlands: I love this movie. If you told me 20 years ago that a British film about the relationship between C.S. Lewis and Joy Gresham would be a personal favorite, I’d have laughed in your face. But I do so love this film.

2. Army of Darkness: You have to love The Bruce in his seminal role as Ash. It’s corny and funny and ridiculous and I love all of it. Even people who don't like horror movies like this movie. Because The Bruce is awesome.

My Five Favorite Films From...1992

Honorable Mention – Aladdin: Just a wonderful animated tale. Robin Williams is fantastic as the Genie. Not ashamed to say I still love this movie even in my advanced years.

5. Honeymoon In Vegas: You’d think a Nic Cage / James Caan comedy wouldn’t work…but it does.

4. El Mariachi: If you wanted to pinpoint the year that indie films went mainstream for good, it would be 1992. This was one of the two films to make that happen. Rodriguez’s tale of mistaken identity, love and revenge was made for just $7,000. And it kicks ass.

3. The Last of The Mohicans: Probably the most successful film set in the time of the French and Indian Wars. Daniel Day-Lewis does his usual great job of acting. The score and cinematography were just as impressive. This is a fantastic movie that I think gets overlooked to some degree.

2. Reservoir Dogs: The other film that helped to cement independent film in the public eye. Tarantino’s tale about a robbery-gone-bad is violent, funny and multi-layered. Just a remarkable piece of work.

1. Unforgiven: One of the best Westerns ever made and one of the best movies ever made. Eastwood’s ultimate piece of work in his decades-long deconstruction of the Western genre.

Films I Like But Didn't Make The List: The Babe, Glengarry Glen Ross, A Few Good Men, Howards End, A League of Their Own, Indochine, The Player, Patriot Games, Basic Instinct, My Cousin Vinny, Batman Returns, Wayne’s World, Singles, Buffy The Vampire Slayer, School Ties, Malcom X, Bob Roberts*, Stay Tuned

Underappreciated – Diggstown: A movie about a con-man (Warwick’s Own Jimmy Woods) and his partner/former boxer (Lou Gossett, Jr.) trying to take $1.5 million from a sleazy one-time manager by betting Gossett’s character can box, and beat, 10 men in 24 hours. It’s funny and layered, with some twists that are damned good. But it never caught on in the theaters, which is a crime. Definitely worth watching.

Guilty Pleasure – Waxwork II: Lost in Time: I can’t even pretend to defend this movie as being a quality film. But I like it. I like the whole concept of traveling around pocket dimensions fighting evil and teleporting back and forth. And it has The Bruce in it. You can’t hate on a film when The Bruce is involved. Well, maybe McHale's Navy, but that’s it.

Insane Film That Must Be Mentioned – Dr. Giggles: Remember the guy who played the mentally-disabled Benny Stulwicz on L.A. Law? Am I seriously dating myself with that reference? Well, now imagine Benny as a homicidal psycho who uses medical instruments to kill people. There’s your main character for Dr. Giggles, which is nuts even by slasher standards. How many films have you seen where the killer suffocates someone with a 3-foot Band Aid? That’s what I thought.

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* This film is much less funny and much more scary once George Bush became President. Now it seems like a template for how whack jobs can become Senators (*cough* Ted Cruz *cough*)

My Five Favorite Films From...1991

Honorable Mention – What About Bob?: I saw this the first time on the Quad at UConn my sophomore year. Funny funny funny stuff. And all of it was driven by Richard Dreyfuss’ over-the-top performance.

5. Delicatessen: A French post-apocalyptic dark comedy that involves cannibalism. Trust me, it’s funny and a joy to watch.

4. The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear: In my opinion, this was the last major release “spoof” film that was any good. Not as solid as the original, but still has a lot of laughs. And you cannot go wrong with Robert Goulet.

3. Terminator 2: Judgment Day: Action sci-fi with enough special effects to melt your brain. Loud and brash and a great way to kill a lazy afternoon. I still like the first one more.

2. The Silence of the Lambs: Creepy and cringe-inducing, but what a film! I wish that Manhunter got half the exposure this film received.

1. Defending Your Life: Remember, this is a list of my favorite films from a particular year. And this is my favorite. I love this movie. Albert Brooks is hilarious. It never gets old. I personally hope this is what Heaven is like.

Films I Like But Didn't Make The List: Barton Fink, City Slickers, Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, New Jack City, Cape Fear, Naked Lunch, Bugsy

Wow…what a weak year for movies.

Underappreciated – L.A. Story: Steve Martin’s romantic comedy about a weatherman in LA who finds love with the help of a traffic sign (it sounds weird but it works) is just wonderful to watch. It’s also a nice piece of satire on the L.A. lifestyle. But, much like Bowfinger, it fell off the radar. Do your part and get the DVD. It probably costs five bucks.

Guilty Pleasure – The Rocketeer: I know a lot of people don’t like this movie. But I love the whole 30s vibe of the film and it has some great dialogue. It’s almost an “unappreciated” film but the overall script is a little weak.

Insane Film That Must Be Mentioned – Shakes the Clown: With an alcoholic depressed birthday clown as the lead character, you know you’re entering some weird territory. But Bobcat Goldthwait’s movie isn’t bad at all…just nuts. His boss gets murdered and he is the main suspect, so he goes undercover as a mime to find the killer. And clowns apparently hate mimes (a rivalry reinforced by CSI, no less.) Oh, and Florence Henderson plays a lady who has the hots for clowns. Deeply disturbing, indeed. And if you remember when this came out, you’ll also remember we were all treated to the scene of clowns picketing this movie. Which was surreal all on its own.

My Five Favorite Films From...1990

Honorable Mention – Dances with Wolves: This film gets cut on more often than not these days. But I still think it was a powerful movie that killed a lot of myths about the Old West.

5. La Femme Nikita: Another Luc Besson film, another favorite of mine. Great movie. The remake with Bridget Fonda was “meh” at best.

4. Total Recall: Probably my favorite Arnie film after The Terminator. Fun action/sci-fi romp with lots of insanity and a nice “what is reality?” undercurrent that isn’t insulting or tacked-on.

3. Misery: A scary movie that doesn’t rely on cheap “scare moments” but revels in the pure horror of how people can mistreat people. In some ways the movie’s sledgehammer scene is more visceral and cringe-inducing than King’s original “whisper of the axe.”

2. The Hunt for Red October: Sure, Connery’s Scottish accent is kind of misplaced as the Russian sub captain. But this is one of the best Cold-War thrillers ever made.

1. Goodfellas: As gangster movies go, only the first two Godfather movies surpass this one. And if someone wanted to argue Goodfellas was the best, I wouldn’t think they were out of line. Note-perfect the entire way through.

Films I Like But Didn't Make The List: Air America, Cadillac Man, Back to the Future III, Arachnophobia, Cyrano de Bergerac, Europa Europa, The Freshman, Diehard 2, The Grifters, Jacob’s Ladder, Miller’s Crossing, The Krays, Pump Up The Volume, Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead, The Godfather Part III, Hamlet, Gremlins 2: The New Batch, Kindergarten Cop, The Russia House, Joe Versus the Volcano

Underappreciated x2 – Tremors and Dreams: Tremors probably doesn’t belong here, because a lot of people know about it. But it is such a good pulp horror film I still think it doesn’t get enough love. And Kurosawa’s Dreams rarely gets mentioned when people discuss his films, but it is one of my favorites. The imagery is remarkable.

Guilty Pleasure – Blind Fury: Rutger Hauer. As a martial-arts expert. Who is blind. How can you not love a setup like that?

Insane Film That Must Be Mentioned – Wild at Heart: No surprise here, as almost any David Lynch film could qualify as “insane” in some fashion. Here you have a violent road movie with crazy Elvis allusions. Yes, that sounds like the “insane” label is justified.

My Five Favorite Films From...1989

Honorable Mention – Field of Dreams: I’m not going to admit to crying at the end of this movie. I’ll just say the room got very, very dusty. And there was some pollen in the air. Someone may have been peeling an onion.

5. When Harry Met Sally…: It can be schmaltzy in spots, but it makes me laugh a lot as well. Plus, it gets the ups and downs of relationships dead-on.

4. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation: It definitely measured up to the other two. It really gets the insanity of the Christmas season down pat.

3. Major League: The sequels to this movie sucked. Hard. But this one is flat-out funny. Not a down moment the whole time.

2. Glory: Powerful, powerful movie. I’m still blown away when I watch it.

1. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade: In the Temple of Doom/Last Crusade argument, I comes down solidly on this side. I love this movie. Action-packed and hilarious. Connery really makes the film. And I am glad that this is still the last movie I saw in the series, since by all accounts “Nuked The Fridge” sucked pretty hard.

Films I Like But Didn't Make The List: Cinema Paradisio, 84 Charlie Mopic, Back to the Future II, How to Get Ahead in Advertising, The ‘Burbs, Casualties of War, Roger and Me, My Left Foot, Uncle Buck, UHF, Born on the Fourth of July, Parenthood , The Little Mermaid, Ghostbusters II, Always, Kickboxer, Lethal Weapon 2, Fletch Lives, Heathers, Dead Poets Society, The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover, Dead Calm, Henry the V, Godzilla vs. Biollante, Do the Right Thing, Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure

Underappreciated x2 – Black Rain and Batman: I have always enjoyed Black Rain, but it got no love when it came out and you only see it rarely on fourth-rate television channels. As for Batman…I don’t see why people are slagging it when talking about The Dark Knight franchise. It was a solid movie. The soundtrack, on the other hand…

Guilty Pleasure – Best of the Best: I know this is not a good movie. It has Eric Roberts as a kickboxer, for God’s sake. It has James Earl Jones as the US coach, prostituting his talent for a paycheck. It’s completely ridiculous…and yet I cannot turn away when I see it.

Insane Film That Must Be Mentioned – Meet The Feebles: That Peter Jackson is one screwed-up dude. Imagine the Muppets, except they’re a bunch of sex-starved, drug-addicted, gun-toting freaks. That would be Meet the Feebles. Beyond nuts, but pretty damned funny.

My Five Favorite Films From...1988

Honorable Mention – Bird: I grew up playing alto sax and I still have a well-worn copy of Charlie Parker’s Omnibook. So when Clint Eastwood came out with Parker’s biopic in 1988, I was right there. Really well-done, and it gave us our first look at Forrest Whitaker as a lead actor.

5. (Tie) They Live and Bull Durham: I have a lot of love for both these films. They Live is a wonderful sci-fi “B-movie” romp. And Piper is awesome in the lead role. No, there is no argument about this. Bull Durham is one of the greatest sports films ever. And damned funny to boot.

4. Scrooged: This movie grows on me each time I see it. I love Murray in this and the flashbacks of his life are great. And Carol Kane as the Ghost of Christmas Present is a joy.

3. (Tie) The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! and A Fish Called Wanda: Another strong year for comedies. Naked Gun is, in my opinion, the apex of “spoof” movies. Just solid from top to bottom and non-stop laughs. Wanda is a more refined comedy, but just as hilarious. Kevin Kline deserved that Oscar for his role as Otto West. “Oh no! K-k-k-ken is coming to k-k-k-kill me!” Hey, it was so funny it killed a guy. Go Google “Ole Bentzen” if you don’t believe me.

2. Big: What made Big so effective is not only Tom Hanks’ ability to play a man-child with that sense of wonderment kids have, but that all us remember a point when we were kids that we simply wanted to be…big. Twenty-five (!) years old now and not dated in the least.

1. Die Hard: You know a film has become a cultural touchstone when it is used to describe other films. It also doesn’t hurt that Die Hard kicks a hundred different kinds of ass as well. There isn’t a down moment in the film. And while some people say Billy Zabka played the biggest jerk ever on film (Johnny Lawrence - Karate Kid), I still say Hart Bochner holds the title hands down as the coked-out L.A. businessman Harry Ellis. I cheered when Gruber shot him.

Films I Like But Didn't Make The List: Akira, Biloxi Blues, Colors, Midnight Run, Eight Men Out, Alien Nation, Frantic, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Waxwork, Rambo III, Twins, The Last Temptation of Christ, , Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, The Unbearable Lightness of Being, My Neighbor Totoro, I'm Gonna Git You Sucka, Coming To America, Bat 21, Mississippi Burning, Beetlejuice, Big Top Pee-wee, Tucker: The Man and His Dream, Pelle the Conqueror, Bloodsport

Underappreciated x2 – The Big Blue and Willow: Luc Besson’s The Big Blue is an almost-hypnotizing story about a rivalry between two free divers. The scenes underwater are incredible. Willow catches a lot of flack as a “Star Wars with swords” movie or a rip-off of Tolkein. Maybe, but so what? It’s an entertaining, fun movie. Better that than some pedantic, slow-moving, sub-par rip-off like the Sword of Shannara books.

Guilty Pleasure – Action Jackson: I can’t defend this movie. It’s ridiculous. But I love it. Carl Weathers kicking ass is always a good time in my book. And Craig T. Nelson plays one of the most evil, insane guys to ever cross the screen and has fun doing it.

Insane Film That Must Be Mentioned – Phantasm II: Where to begin? The Tall Man harvesting bodies from town to town. Flying silver balls with assorted appendages of death. Strange Yellow Ichor. Dwarfs coming out of barrels. And a crazy ending. All that said…I love this movie and the whole series. I don’t know why. But they’re great.

My Five Favorite Films From...1987

In making this list, I realized that 1987 was an extremely strong year for movies. For some of these, it has been really easy to pick the five films. Here it was really tough. Tough enough I copped out twice to use ties.

Honorable Mention – Cry Freedom: Phenomenal story about South African anti-apartheid activist Steven Biko and newspaper editor Donald Woods. Denzel Washington’s first major role was playing Biko and you could see just how good an actor he would become.

5. Raising Arizona: I always want to give Nick Cage a pass for all his recent crap because of this movie. He was just flat-out great as Hi.

4. Lethal Weapon: The series slowly devolved into utter foolishness by the end. But the first film in the series was fantastic. You had the humor, but there was a cold edge to it that the others lacked.

3. (Tie) Spaceballs and The Princess Bride: Trying to choose between these two movies was impossible. The first was Mel Brooks’ last great movie. I don’t think he did anything else worthy of his history until The Producers hit the stage. And the other is a remarkable fairy-tale/comedy that has some emotional depth. Are you telling me you don’t want to cheer when Montoya finally slays Count Rugen?

2. (Tie) Robocop and Full Metal Jacket: And here’s another example of not being able to choose. Robocop is a wicked satire of the 80s mentality wrapped in a solid sci-fi plot. And FMJ is a harrowing look not only at war, but at how we make the men who go to fight the war.

1. The Untouchables: Love, love, love, LOVE this movie. Ness against Capone. DeNiro in an incredible role. Connery winning his Oscar and deserving it for the role of Malone. Just a solid movie from beginning to end with no let-up. And it had what I think is one of the best movie posters ever made.

Films I Like But Didn't Make The List: Wall Street, Prince of Darkness, Hellraiser, Gardens of Stone, Adventures in Babysitting, Withnail and I, Roxanne, Throw Momma From The Train, Can’t Buy Me Love, Less Than Zero, Some Kind of Wonderful, Broadcast News, Good Morning, Vietnam, Empire of the Sun, The Last Emperor, Evil Dead 2, The Lost Boys, The Witches of Eastwick, The Monster Squad, Fatal Attraction, The Secret of My Succe$s

Underappreciated – Hamburger Hill: This Vietnam War film seemed to pass by without a lot of notice. Which is a shame, because it is an excellent look at the insanity of war. The story of the capture of Hill 937 is brought into even sharper focus by the fact it was abandoned less than a month later. You should definitely watch this movie if you get the chance.

Guilty Pleasure – Predator: “I ain’t got time to bleed.” Best. Line. Ever. An alien-hunter killing off US Special Forces and their commander going solo at the end to kill the Predator, who then decides to nuke the jungle because he’s a bad sport. How can you not like that?

Insane Film That Must Be Mentioned – Bad Taste: If you know someone who likes Peter Jackson’s LotR trilogy, throw this into the DVD player and freak them out. Jackson’s first film ... and it is just nuts. Aliens harvesting New Zealanders for food, and eating barf as an appetizer. Jackson’s character holds his brains in his head with a belt. It’s bizarre as Hell but oddly fun.

My Five Favorite Films From...1986

Honorable Mention – Big Trouble in Little China: Goofy action/comedy/horror hybrid from John Carpenter that shouldn’t work but does. Remember, it’s all in the reflexes.

5. (Tie) Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home and Blue Velvet: On the one hand, you have people getting thrown back in time to recover a humpback whale to save the future. On other, you have a severed ear in a field to go along with a nitrous-huffing freak. It’s like they’re the same film! Two films that appeal to me on two totally different levels.

4. Platoon: One of the best war movies ever made, and one that highlights the absurdity and senselessness of war. Still a powerful film more that 20 years after it was first released.

3. Manhunter: This was the first film to introduce us to Hannibal Lecter. It kicks ass, but died at the box-office before getting “rediscovered” after Silence of the Lambs came out. It is way better than Brett Ratner’s tepid 2002 remake titled Red Dragon, the actual name of the source novel by Thomas Harris.

2. Ferris Bueller's Day Off: A classic. The kind of day we all wish we could’ve had in high-school. I did skip a few days to go to the beach or catch films, but never was I involved in a parade.

1. Aliens: The shining example of an action/sci-fi movie. It’s a top-flight film from start to finish. I love it.

Films I Like But Didn't Make The List: Betty Blue, The Mission, Top Gun, Back to School, Labyrinth, Crocodile Dundee, The Color of Money, Highlander, The Fly, ¡Three Amigos!

Under-appreciated – F/X: People seem to have forgotten about this little gem, a thriller/action romp about a special-effects guy hired by the Department of Justice to stage the murder of a mob informant, and who is then double-crossed by the DoJ. It’s a lot of fun to watch. The sequel (F/X 2)…not so much.

Guilty Pleasure – The Delta Force: C’mon, how can you not like a movie that combines the 80s awesomeness of Chuck Norris with the 70s kick-assitude of Lee Marvin? It’s horribly dated (anyone born after 1986 can’t relate to the whole Beirut/hi-jacking/payback for Iran debacle angle) but I still get a kick out of it.

Insane Film That Must Be Mentioned – The Hitcher: If you saw that lame remake a few years ago, it didn’t have 1/100th of the punch the original contained. Simply because no one can out-crazy Rutger Hauer when he decides to go that route. Between killing a family in a station-wagon, ripping Jennifer Jason-Leigh in half with a truck and shooting down about 30 cops, it didn’t get much more insane in 1986 than The Hitcher.

My Five Favorite Films From...1985

Honorable Mention – Weird Science: It’s a funny little ridiculous film. Plus, I really identified with those two nerds as a kid. What with me being a nerd and all.

5. To Live And Die in L.A.: This neo-noir film was criminally ignored when it came out. Definitely worth owning on DVD. And if you’ve only see William Petersen as Grissom on CSI, you’ll see a new side of him here.

4. Pee-wee's Big Adventure: I love this movie. It still makes me laugh when I watch it. The whole concept of him chasing after his bike is insane…but it works. And no, there is no basement at the Alamo.

3. Better Off Dead: Would “absurdist comedy” be the right way to describe this movie? Call it what you will, but it’s a lot of fun. And how can you go wrong with the bad guy being named Roy Stalin? Never mind the Korean drag-racers doing a Howard Cosell impression. And I want my two dollars!

2. Brazil: Only Terry Gilliam could meld comedy with a sci-fi dystopia. Biting satire of the highest order. If you haven’t seen it, make sure you get the DVD that has the 142-minute cut, as that contains Gilliam’s original vision. Do not settle for the studio cut of 94 minutes, which isn’t worth wasting your eyeballs on.

1. (Tie) Pale Rider and Ran: I didn’t want to have a tie at the top, but I love both these movies. Pale Rider continued Eastwood’s deconstruction of the Western that culminated in Unforgiven. And Ran was unlike anything I had ever seen in my life. It was the movie that introduced me to Kurosawa. You cannot go wrong with either of these films.

Films I Like But Didn't Make The List: Back to the Future, Day of the Dead, Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, The Goonies, Ladyhawke, Rocky IV, Wetherby, The Breakfast Club, Rambo: First Blood, Part II, Young Sherlock Holmes, Witness, National Lampoon's European Vacation, Target

Guilty Pleasure – Commando: It’s a mindless action film with one-liners galore and a lot of gunplay. But I watch it every single time I see it on television. I cannot explain the hold it has over me. I don’t think it’s the bad guy with the chainmail shirt. More likely it’s that Arnie somehow slaughters over 200 enemy soldiers without getting scratched. That takes talent.

Insane Film That Must Be Mentioned – The Last Dragon: Not insane in a bad way, but in a “These guys were smoking some strong weed” kind of way. How else can you explain a plot where the Shogun of Harlem – named Sho’Nuff no less – walks around challenging random people to fights? And the hero is a guy named Bruce Leroy who needs to find “The Glow” in order to defeat Sho’Nuff? It’s completely off-the-wall in every way.

My Five Favorite Films From...1984

Honorable Mention – Beverly Hills Cop: The film that cemented Eddie Murphy as a star. It’s impossible to imagine Stallone in the role of Alex Foley. But that was the original plan before Sly pulled out. His vision? You saw it in Cobra.

5. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom: The darkest of the four films, it’s still a lot of fun. The mine-cars chase was an instant classic. Still, I like Raiders and Last Crusade more.

4. Ghostbusters: An all-time favorite of most people in my age bracket, this is still watchable almost a quarter-century later. Funny with some classic one-liners. And Rick Moranis as Tully makes the film.

3. The Natural: I still think this is the ultimate baseball film, Field of Dreams and Bull Durham included. But wow, is it ever different from the novel.

2. The Terminator: The movie that launched the career of Arnie. And gave us the best killer robot ever.

2. This Is Spinal Tap: Smell the Glove. Stonehenge. Dwarfs. And exploding drummers. This movie still makes me laugh hard enough to hurt myself. The all-time best mockumentary.

Films I Like But Didn't Make The List: 1984, Gremlins, Amadeus, A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Karate Kid, Dune, Red Dawn, Police Academy, Once Upon A Time In America, Repo Man, Star Trek III, Blood Simple, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, The Pope of Greenwich Village, Romancing The Stone, Revenge of the Nerds

Guilty Pleasure – The Last Starfighter: I don’t know why this average-at-best sci-fi flick has a hold on me, but it does. Likely, it’s the idea that there is more going on in the universe than we realize. And if there is, then I want in.

Insane Film That Must Be Mentioned – Cannibal Holocaust: “But wait!” you say. “Hasn’t this repulsive film already been mentioned on your 1980 list?” Yes, it has. But it wasn’t released in the US until 1984. Suffice it to say, this movie is so over-the-top, so bat-shit insane/horrific/repugnant, that it deserves to be mentioned in two separate years. I’ll say it again; this is a film you see once, on a dare or as part of a group of high-school/college kids who “heard” about it. If you are re-watching this movie, you need a psychiatric examination pronto.

My Five Favorite Films From...1983

Honorable Mention – Le Dernier Combat: With hardly any dialogue and a sparse score, Luc Besson’s first film is one to remember. This post-apocalyptic tale is unlike anything else you have ever seen.

5. The Outsiders: The Greasers and the Socs. A great adaptation of a great book. And I will admit it still gets dusty in the room when Johnny dies.

4. (Tie) Trading Places and National Lampoon’s Vacation: I couldn’t choose between the two. Both films are hilarious. If you held a gun to my head, I’d probably pick Vacation, but you cannot go wrong either way.

3. A Christmas Story: This is A Wonderful Life for my generation; always on at Christmas, but 100x more watchable and completely hilarious. Sometimes when I’m frustrated I’ll bust out the “Sons of bitches…Bumpuses!!”

2. Scarface: First time I ever saw anyone murdered (by implication) with a chainsaw. And if you want to see F. Murray Abraham hanged from a helicopter, this is the film for you. It’s hyper-violent and deserves some of the criticism it receives, but I enjoy it because at the end, justice is served with Tony’s death.

1. Wargames: A real touchstone 80s movie. Somewhat outdated today (the computer is ridiculously huge and Command Center operations were moved from Cheyenne Mountain to Peterson AFB in 2008), it's still a solid film. I don’t know if it’s because I was (and still am) a computer nerd, but I love the whole story of this one kid almost torching the planet and then saving it.

Films I Like But Didn't Make The List: Blue Thunder, The Right Stuff, Risky Business, Never Say Never Again, Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life, Lone Wolf McQuade, The Keep, Mr. Mom, The Fourth Man, Twilight Zone: The Movie, Sleepaway Camp, The Dead Zone, Return of the Jedi, The King of Comedy

Guilty Pleasure – Yellowbeard: This isn’t a good movie. But Graham Chapman makes me laugh. And even though I know this isn’t a “quality” film, I like it.

Insane Film That Must Be Mentioned – Videodrome: “Long live the New Flesh.” Tumor-inducing video signals that cause hallucinations and homicidal tendencies. And that doesn’t even touch the crazy visuals. I’ll admit to liking this movie, not only because it’s unlike anything else but also because the Pride of Warwick, RI is the star. I like almost anything with James Woods (Vampire$ and John Q being the exceptions).

My Five Favorite Films From...1982

Honorable Mention – First Blood: Before he was playing goat soccer with the Afghanistan rebels, Rambo first appeared in this movie. A well-written, well-shot tale that not only had action, but explored the problems some Vietnam Vets were having reintegrating with American society.

5. 48 Hours: Remember when Eddie Murphy was funny? This, his first role, was one of his best movies. Playing off of Nick Nolte’s racist cop, it made for an instant action/comedy classic.

4. Blade Runner: It’s become stylish to hate on this movie as of late. But Ridley Scott’s vision of a dystopian future became a permanent part of science-fiction lore, and its imagery still influences the genre. The examination of what exactly makes someone human, tied into those visuals, makes for a great film.

3. Fast Times at Ridgemont High: Even now, more than 25 years later, this movie holds up. Hilarious and touching at the same time. And who can’t relate to being a teenager with a shit job? Though I never had to wear a pirate outfit…

2. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan: Still the best Star Trek film ever made. Not only because of the action and the humor, but what other film in the series could compete with the emotional ending?

1. The Thing: John Carpenter’s tour de force about a parasitic alien life-form hunting and killing men in the Antarctic. He ratchets up the tension relentlessly. And with a touch of Lovecraft, it pushes the film over the top into one of the all-time great horror/sci-fi films.

Films I Like But Didn't Make The List: Airplane 2, Class of 1984, Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid, E.T., Gandhi, Poltergeist, An Officer and A Gentleman, The Year of Living Dangerously, Tootsie, Fanny and Alexander, Rocky III, The Verdict, The Dark Crystal, Tron, Porky’s, Missing, The World According to Garp, Conan the Barbarian, Firefox

Guilty Pleasure – The Beastmaster: I can’t defend a movie starring Marc Singer on quality grounds. It’s a complete rip of Conan the Barbarian. But for some reason I like Don Coscarelli films. Beastmaster is a grade-B popcorn movie that I have to watch when it’s on. Maybe it’s the ferrets…

Insane Film That Must Be Mentioned – Tenebrae: It’s probably Dario Argento’s best film. But you cannot deny that’s it’s also a crazy film, with enough blood to fill the banks at a Red Cross center. All the killings, and the gruesome way in which they were performed, saw Tenebrae banned in many countries. It wasn’t until 1999 that it could be legally purchased in the UK.

Reoccurring Note: As always, my list is not what I consider "the best" films of a particular year. If that was the case, The Verdict or Gandhi would be at the top of the list. These are the films I enjoyed the most. Your mileage may vary.

My Five Favorite Films From...1981

Honorable Mention – Time Bandits: A dark comedy of the highest order. Terry Gilliam is a fantastic director and this is, in many ways, my favorite of his films.

5. Gallipoli: It’s a war film in which very little of war is shown. But what you see is so powerful. The final scene is heartbreaking.

4. Excalibur: An epic re-telling of the Arthurian legend. The imagery and archetypes are wonderful and the battle scenes are both brutal and mesmerizing. The only downside is the now-constant abuse of Carl Orff’s "O Fortuna,” which was first used to effect in a film in Excalibur.

3. Stripes: Who knew the Army was so hilarious? Ridiculously fun and irreverent, I think it gets overlooked a lot in the discussion of great comedies. It’s highly quotable as well; I still use “Lighten up, Francis” when someone gets a little too strident for their own good.

2. Escape from New York: One the best adventure flicks ever made. Still a fun watch today, if slightly-dated. Great action and an iconic character in Snake Plissken.

1. Raiders of the Lost Ark: A throwback to the old serials of the 30s and 40s, it exceeded every expectation and is (rightly) one of the most beloved films today. It never drags, is always exciting and fires on all cylinders. If you want to learn about making movies, this is a film to watch.

Films I Like But Didn't Make The List: Absence of Malice, Clash of the Titans, Arthur, Bustin’ Loose, Das Boot, Chariots of Fire, Fort Apache the Bronx, History of the World, Part 1, Road Warrior, Outland, Prince of the City, Taps, The Great Muppets Caper, For Your Eyes Only, The Evil Dead

Guilty Pleasure – The Hand: I love Michael Caine as an actor, but this film is so stupid. Yet, I like it. A crazy animated severed hand that kills for its former owner, who happens to be batshit nuts by film’s end? How can you not like that?

Insane Film That Must Be Mentioned – Heavy Metal: I’ve seen this film more than once…and it’s still a mess. Using the idea of concentrated evil (the Loc-Nar) to thinly join together numerous stories of average quality but insane concepts…it just doesn’t work. And then you have the breast-centric art (wonderfully satirized by South Park in a classic episode) to bring the crazy altogether.

My Five Favorite Films From...1980

Before I get into the movie, I want to quickly touch on something. I occasionally have an entry at the bottom about an insane/twisted/crazy film. That doesn’t mean I liked the movie. Only that it should be mentioned because it’s so over the top. I say this because after the last entry someone asked me if I actually liked Caligula. The answer is an emphatic “no!” But, that film is so bat-shit nuts you have to at least mention it.

Honorable Mention – Kagemusha: Kurosawa’s excellent story of an impersonator who fills in for Japanese warlord Takeda Shingen after his untimely death.

5. The Big Red One: If you see this, make sure to watch the newest release: The Big Red One - The Reconstruction. This is the film as Sam Fuller wanted it to be. Just a great war film that talks about the insanity of war and why, sometimes, you still have to fight.

4. Airplane!: You know 1980 was a great year for comedies if this is #4. Perpetually quotable, this is still the best ZAZ film ever made (with The Naked Gun a close second).

3. Caddyshack: You could run Caddyshack in a theater today and it would do great business against most current comedies. Ted Knight owns this film as the haughty/pathetic Judge Smails. How about a Fresca?

2. The Empire Strikes Back: In any other year, this would be my favorite. A better overall film that the first, its dark tone and tight script let you know beyond any shadow of a doubt that George Lucas had nothing to do with it.

1. Cruising: Just kidding…

1. The Blues Brothers: One of the funniest movies ever made and one of the greatest musicals ever made. That makes it the greatest musical comedy ever. Peroid. Another film you can quote forever. It’s also my favorite soundtrack (still in heavy rotation on my iPhone).

Films I Like But Didn't Make The List: 9 to 5, The Fog, Brubaker, Flash Gordon, Friday the 13th, The Shining, Raging Bull, Ordinary People, Stir Crazy, Superman II, Breaker Morant

Guilty Pleasure – Any Which Way You Can: I know it’s dumb. Clint Eastwood as a brawler with an orangutan for a friend. But the fight with Jack Wilson is awesome. The Black Widows still make me laugh. And I cannot deny that I enjoy this movie.

Insane, Twisted Film That Must Be Mentioned – Cannibal Holocaust: There are a handful of films that make a mockery of the exploitation genre, that are so excessively brutal and/or sexualized they almost demand their own category. This is one of those films. It’s the kind of film you see once as a teenager because of things you’ve heard about it, and maybe once more when you’re older to see if it was really that bad. But if you watch it repeatedly…you may have a problem or two.

Reoccurring Note: As always, my list is not what I consider my favorite films of a particular year, not the best. If that was the case, Raging Bull would be at the top of the list. These are the films I enjoyed the most. Your mileage may vary.

My Five Favorite Films From...1979

Honorable Mention – Rocky II: Sure, it is basically the first film all over again, only with Rocky winning this time. But it is still a good movie, with some of the best boxing scenes ever filmed.

5. The Jerk: Another film I grew to love through repeated viewings on HBO as a kid. Everyone has their favorite scene; mine is where Navin hurts his foot kicking Iron Balls McGinty in the crotch. That and the cat juggling.

4. Apocalypse Now: Epic in scope, the story of the film’s creation is almost better than the actual film itself. But this look at the insanity of war and the darkness of the human soul is a remarkable work of art.

3. Escape From Alcatraz: Best prison escape film ever. And it’s a true tale to boot. Frank Morris led the only successful escape ever from Alcatraz. And that escape scene down the wall and into the water. No stunt doubles; that’s Eastwood, Fred Ward and Jack Thibeau.

2. Mad Max: Awesome apocalyptic film. If you ever wondered what the world will look like when the oil runs out…

1. Alien: The most successful melding ever of science-fiction and horror. This movie still gets me to twitch and startle, even though I know every beat by heart. I can’t say enough good things about it, and it kills me that this franchise has been shit upon by the asinine AvPmovies.

Films I Like But Didn't Make The List: The China Syndrome, Zulu Dawn, Star Trek: The Motion Picture, …And Justice For All, The Black Stallion, Kramer vs. Kramer, Moonraker, Manhattan, The Muppet Movie, The Warriors, The Tin Drum, Being There, Monty Python's Life of Brian, Meatballs, The Great Santini

Guilty Pleasure – 1941: Not a great film by any stretch of the word, it still makes me crack up. The massive brawl at the USO, the AA gun destroying the house, the ferris wheel…I like it and I am not apologizing, damn it!<

Insane, Twisted Film That Must Be Mentioned – Caligula: Is it even possible to sum this film up a couple of sentences? The principal writer and the director took out ads decrying the final product. The film had people getting their heads cut off in the Coliseum by a bizarre thresher. Hardcore sex footage was inserted into the film, causing one of the female leads to sue. It was (and is) an absolute mess of a film, full of just about every sexual depravity you can think of.

My Five Favorite Films From...1978

Honorable Mention – Heaven Can Wait: Half the time I mention this movie to someone that hasn’t seen it, they go “Isn’t that the biggest bomb ever made?” No, that’s Heaven’s Gate. This film is a pretty good comedy, and Buck Henry as an angel always makes me laugh

5. Halloween: Outside of The Thing, this is John Carpenter’s best film. Helped to restart and redefine the horror genre. Created the concept of the unstoppable killer (I think. If I’m wrong, please let me know.)

4. Superman: The Movie: Remember when people called The Dark Knight "revolutionary"? I think that description should have been reserved for this movie. It’s a successful superhero movie with remarkable depth made at a time when SFX were positively rudimentary compared to what we have now and other superhero films were campy or outright jokes.

3. The Deer Hunter: Ah, the film that made Russian Roulette mainstream. An outstanding film about war and the psychological damage it leaves behind.

2. Dawn of the Dead: A great film in its own right, I wonder how much better it would’ve been had they kept the original ending where everyone committed suicide when faced with the end of civilization. As it stands, still one of the best zombie films ever.

1. Animal House: Thirty years later and this is still, to me, one of the greatest comedies ever made. It made toga parties a college staple along with “Shout” by The Isley Brothers. Even the ROTC/Vietnam angle doesn’t feel dated although it obviously is. Definitely the greatest ensemble film ever.

Films I Like But Didn't Make The List: Blue Collar, The Lord of the Rings, Coming Home, Revenge of the Pink Panther, Autumn Sonata, Midnight Express, The Boys From Brazil, China 9 / Liberty 37, Force 10 From Navarone, Every Which Way But Loose, Foul Play, The Fury

Guilty Pleasure – Capricorn One: This film is pure cheese. But the story of a faked Mars landing by NASA and then trying to assassinate the astronauts is one I still love. And the slo-mo ending of James Brolin running up to his own funeral to smash the conspiracy...you win all the prizes for that one, James.

My Five Favorite Films From...1977

Honorable Mention – Annie Hall: It’s not my favorite Woody Allen movie, but Alvy Singer is my favorite Woody Allen character. Plus, the scene in the movie line with Marshall McLuhan is a classic.

5. Smokey and the Bandit: Yes, this film is pure cheese. But I must have watched it a hundred times as a kid when it first came out on cable. So I didn’t even understand the whole bootlegging angle. But it had fast cars and lots of chases. Worked for me then and still does.

4. Close Encounters of the Third Kind: The more intellectual sci-fi hit of 1977. The final scene with a peaceful exchange between humans and aliens was a landmark moment in film at the time. In some ways it’s sad to see that the pendulum has swung back the other way (ID4 as one example).

3. Slap Shot: I love this movie. Definitely a Top 5 All-Time for sports movies. Everyone thinks about the Hansen Brothers, but the best scene for me was when Reggie Dunlop goads the opposing goalie into a brawl by telling him his ex is a lesbian.

2. A Bridge Too Far: One of the greatest war films ever made. Probably the most accurate war film ever made. It did poorly in the US, which is inexplicable to me, but did great business overseas. Just a top-notch film across the board with a cast you just wouldn’t see the likes of today.

1. Star Wars: This is the first film I remember seeing in a movie theater. I was five years old. Up until then, I had only gone to the drive-in during the summer. It is still my favorite movie-going experience.

Films I Like But Didn't Make The List: Allegro non troppo, Padre Padrone, The Hobbit, Kentucky Fried Movie, Cross of Iron, The Late Show, The Car, Suspiria, The Rescuers, The Gauntlet, Oh, God!, Soldier of Orange

Insane Film I Have To Mention – Eraserhead: I didn’t even see this film until the late 80s when I was in high-school. Wow. Lizard babies, brains for erasers and that’s the tip of the iceberg. I’m still not entirely sure what was going on. But it was very watchable. And without it I’d have never gone on to rent Blue Velvet a short time later, which just blew me away.

My Five Favorite Films From...1976

Honorable Mention – Midway: It’s slightly bloated and occasionally inaccurate , but I love military history. And this film is pretty good at depicting how the critical battle in the Pacific theater went down. If you can ignore the stock footage of German planes.

5. The Bad News Bears : If you’re only familiarity with this movie is the tepid re-make with Billy Bob Thornton, you have to go see the original. It ostensibly may be about Buttermaker, Amanda and Kelly Leak, but the real star to me will always be Tanner. His rants wouldn’t make it past the censors these days.

4. Marathon Man : “Is it safe?” A great thriller made even better by the acting of Dustin Hoffman and Laurence Olivier. It’s even more amazing to watch Olivier in this film when you realize he had almost died from dermatomyositis – a degenerative muscle disease – less than a year prior to the film’s release and was suffering through it while making the movie.

3. Taxi Driver: One of Scorcese’s best films. The one that most people think of when they think of Robert DeNiro. And while it builds to an insane climax, the epilogue is what makes it for me. A very thin line exists between being the hero and the villain.

2. The Outlaw Josey Wales: Such a kick-ass western. Another step in Eastwood’s deconstruction of the genre. Not only are the Union soldiers the bad guys, but at the end he avoids fighting the Indians and instead shoots it out with the Red-Legs. And that final fight with Terrill, as he cycles on every empty chamber of his revolvers…classic.

1. Rocky: The Little Film That Could. Stallone held out against making this movie until he got the studio to let him play the role. An iconic movie, probably the best “rags-to-riches” movie in recent memory and, alongside Raging Bull, the best boxing movie ever made.

Films I Like But Didn't Make The List: Silver Streak, Assault on Precinct 13, Network, Noirs et blancs en couleur, The Shootist, The Omen, All the President's Men , The Pink Panther Strikes Again, Carrie, Silent Movie, Robin and Marian

Insane Film I Have To Mention – Sebastiane: What do you do with the historical tale of Saint Sebastian? A captain of the Praetorian Guard and secret Christian, the Emperor Diocletian had him tied to a tree and shot with arrows. Well, if you are Derek Jarman, you turn that tale into a homo-erotic nudity fest on screen. I just don’t see how you can rationally explain a entire Roman outpost constantly walking around in the nude.

Reoccurring Note: As always, my list is not what I consider "the best" films of a particular year. If that was the case, Network would be at the top of the list. These are the films I enjoyed the most. Your mileage may vary.

My Five Favorite Films From...1975

Honorable Mention – Death Race 2000: Look, I'm not going to pretend that this is a good film. It's solid B-movie fare. But it's fun B-movie fare. Death Race 2000 is just a gas to watch, whether it's because of Sly Stallone's overacting as "Machine Gun" Joe Viterbo or the classic scene where Frankenstein runs over the medical staff instead of the elderly patients they put out for him to run over. And it is leaps and bounds better than the remake.

5. The Eiger Sanction: A good, not great, film from Clint Eastwood. But what makes it one of my favorites from this year are the incredible rock-climbing scenes at the end. Eastwood did his own stunts, something you would never see nowadays.

4. Jaws: The film that created the concept of the "blockbuster" film. Scared the hell out of me when I first saw it. I still have issues swimming in the ocean today. Great acting all-around, but Robert Shaw as Quint just steals the movie.

3. The Return of the Pink Panther: This film always kills me. The part where Cato comes flying out of the refrigerator to attack Clouseau is just priceless.

2. Monty Python and the Holy Grail: If you're any kind of geek, as I am, then you know this film forwards and backwards. You know all the lines and all the gags. And it's still freaking hilarious even though I've seen it too many times to count.

1. Rollerball: I love this movie. I love the idea of one man standing up to the Corporation and not only surviving, but winning. And it's a damn fine look at how little corporations care about the common man, and how bloodthirsty we're becoming as a society. The action scenes are fantastic and James Caan is the perfect actor for the role of Jonathan E. For God's sake, don't taint your enjoyment of this film by watching that disastrous remake from 2002.

Films I Like But Didn't Make The List: The Yakuza, French Connection II, The Man Who Would Be King, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Deep Red, Farewell, My Lovely, The Passenger, The Man in the Glass Booth, Rooster Cogburn, The Wind and the Lion, Three Days of the Condor

Insane, Depraved Film I Have To Mention – Salo, or the 120 Days of Sodom: Where to begin. This film is chock full of sex and nudity, but if you even get slightly aroused you should have yourself committed. Pier Paolo Pasolini's adaptation of de Sade's The 120 Days of Sodom is so completely abhorrent and insane that I can't even begin to describe it. The only goal Pasolini could've had with this movie was to completely de-eroticize the act of sex. Well, mission accomplished, sir. If you want to put kids off of sex, forget abstinence classes. Just have them watch this movie. It's exploitation masquerading as art, repeated to the point where it becomes mind-numbingly dull.

Note: I feel like I have to mention again that my list is not what I consider "the best" films of a particular year. If that was the case, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest would be at the top of the list. But while I like it, I simply didn't enjoy it as much as the ones on the list. That's the standard here.