All My Favorite Movies (So Far)

By Tanner Smith

In the past few years, I’ve tried getting across what are many of my favorite movies–such as lists that keep changing (because that’s what lists about personal matters tend to do) and in-depth personal retrospectives about each film (when it will end, I do not know). Well…I’m just gonna go year by year and simply list my absolute favorite titles, one year at a time.

That’s all I’m gonna do here, but I’ll also rank them in four different categories (“personal faves,” “definite faves,” “very close to being faves,” and “need to see again”). And as with the lists from years ago, this is just how I feel about my faves in this moment. (But at least I’m honest about it.)

There’s going to be a LOT of movies to title-drop here…but that’s just because I love movies so much.

Starting from…let’s say 2020 and down:

2020
Personal faves: David Byrne’s American Utopia, The Rental, Yes, God, Yes, I Used to Go Here, The King of Staten Island, Spontaneous
Definite faves: The Invisible Man, Bad Education, The Half of It, Palm Springs
Very close to being faves: Run, Impractical Jokers: The Movie, All Together Now, Freaky, Host, Stargirl, Horse Girl, Saint Frances, Banana Split, Tigertail, Never Rarely Sometimes Always
Need to see again: Soul, Hamilton, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, I’m Your Woman, Promising Young Woman, The Assistant, Come As You Are, The Trial of the Chicago 7, Rent-A-Pal
(Anyone who says 2020 was a lousy year for movies clearly didn’t watch enough movies.)

2019
Personal faves: The Farewell, Parasite, 1917, Honey Boy, Little Women, Us, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Booksmart, Rocketman
Definite faves: Avengers Endgame, Jojo Rabbit, Doctor Sleep, Knives Out, Uncut Gems, Shazam!, Dolemite is My Name, Joker, The Peanut Butter Falcon, Luce, How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, Blinded by the Light, Long Shot, Ready or Not, Happy Death Day 2U, Brittany Runs a Marathon, Fast Color, Marriage Story
Very close to being faves: Frozen II, Spider-Man: Far From Home, It Chapter Two, Jumanji: The Next Level, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, Haunt, Hustlers, Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken!, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, Good Boys
Need to see again: Toy Story 4, The Irishman, Ford v. Ferrari, The Lighthouse, John Wick Chapter 3, The Mustang, El Camino, High Flying Bird, Wild Nights with Emily

2018
Personal faves: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Mid90s, Black Panther, Lean on Pete, Boy Erased, Wildlife, Hearts Beat Loud, Leave No Trace, Private Life, A Quiet Place, Creed II
Definite faves: Three Identical Strangers, American Animals, Eighth Grade, Avengers: Infinity War, Won’t You Be My Neighbor?, If Beale Street Could Talk, Paddington 2, Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind, Shirkers, Searching, Can You Ever Forgive Me?, First Reformed, Love, Simon, Minding the Gap, Roma, The Hate U Give, The Land of Steady Habits, Halloween, The Tale, Free Solo, Ben is Back
Very close to being faves: A Star is Born, Hereditary, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, Overlord, Thoroughbreds, Annihilation, Upgrade, Before I Wake, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before
Need to see again: They Shall Not Grow Old, Mission: Impossible–Fallout, First Man, Blindspotting, Shoplifters, Measure of a Man, Deadpool 2, Green Book

2017
Personal faves: 45RPM, Brigsby Bear, Get Out, The Disaster Artist, It, The Big Sick, Lady Bird, Logan, Call Me By Your Name, Split, Last Flag Flying, Super Dark Times, The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected)
Definite faves: Spielberg, Brad’s Status, War for the Planet of the Apes, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, Thor: Ragnarok, The Post, Gerald’s Game, Spider-Man: Homecoming, First They Killed My Father, Columbus, I, Tonya, Coco, Gifted
Very close to being faves: Power Rangers, Ingrid Goes West, Better Watch Out, Stronger, Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi, Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond, Creep 2, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, The Babysitter, A Ghost Story, The Florida Project, Okja, Win It All, Dayveon, T2: Trainspotting
Need to see again: Big Sonia, Wonder Woman, Dunkirk, Baby Driver, Molly’s Game, The Lego Batman Movie, John Wick Chapter 2, All the Money in the World, Wonder, Wind River, Colossal, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

2016
Personal faves: Midnight Special, Hush, Kung Fu Panda 3, Sing Street, 20th Century Women, Lights Out, Everybody Wants Some!!, Green Room, Train to Busan, Operation Avalanche, Don’t Think Twice
Definite faves: Deadpool, The Nice Guys, Moonlight, Ouija: Origin of Evil, 10 Cloverfield Lane, Miss Stevens, Arrival, De Palma, Kubo and the Two Strings, The Edge of Seventeen, The VVitch, Pete’s Dragon, Southside With You, Rogue One, Loving, Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising, Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders
Very close to being faves: The Invitation, Hail Caesar!, Captain America: Civil War, Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping, The Jungle Book, Don’t Breathe, Raiders!, Blue Jay, Other People, The Shallows, The Conjuring 2
Need to see again: A Monster Calls, La La Land, Zootopia, Take Me to the River, Asperger’s Are Us, Little Men, Hunt for the Wilderpeople, Moana, Manchester by the Sea, Hell or High Water

2015
Personal faves: Inside Out, The End of the Tour, The Stanford Prison Experiment, Spotlight, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, The Gift, Unfriended
Definite faves: Creed, Mad Max: Fury Road, Cop Car, It Follows, Love & Mercy, Room, Steve Jobs, Turbo Kid, Mistress America, Two Step, Trainwreck, The Final Girls, The Visit, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2, Paper Towns, Straight Outta Compton, Infinitely Polar Bear, The Walk, The Diary of a Teenage Girl
Very close to being faves: Predestination, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens, Krampus, Bridge of Spies, Dope, The Big Short, A Girl Like Her, Ex Machina, True Story, No Escape, Grandma, Digging for Fire, While We’re Young
Need to see again: Beasts of No Nation, The Revenant, Amy, When Marnie Was There, The Hateful Eight, Carol, Brooklyn, What We Do in the Shadows, Unexpected, Mississippi Grind, Kingsman: The Secret Service, Tangerine, I Believe in Unicorns

2014
Personal faves: Sacred Hearts, Holy Souls, Life Itself, Whiplash, Boyhood, Begin Again, Creep, The Sacrament, Laggies
Definite faves: Rich Hill, Man Shot Dead, Chef, Big Hero 6, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, 22 Jump Street, The Wind Rises, Top Five, How to Train Your Dragon 2, Blue Ruin, The One I Love, St. Vincent, Obvious Child, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Oculus, Birdman
Very close to being faves: The Lego Movie, The Guest, John Wick, X-Men: Days of Future Past, The Fault in Our Stars, The Skeleton Twins, Joe, Big Eyes
Need to see again: Snowpiercer, The Imitation Game, Nightcrawler, Dear White People, The Babadook, Selma, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, Foxcatcher, Gone Girl, Locke, American Sniper

2013
Personal faves: Before Midnight, Frances Ha, 56 Up, The Dirties, Gravity, The Spectacular Now, The World’s End, Short Term 12, Fruitvale Station, The Way, Way Back, Mud, The Kings of Summer
Definite faves: The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, Much Ado About Nothing, Don Jon, Enough Said, Stories We Tell, Inside Llewyn Davis, In a World…, Her, This is the End, Black Rock, Last Summer
Very close to being faves: Frozen, Warm Bodies, The Conjuring
Need to see again: When I Walk, Prisoners, Nebraska, Come Morning, Saving Mr. Banks, Captain Phillips, C.O.G., All is Lost, Man of Tai Chi

2012
Personal faves: Ruby Sparks, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Safety Not Guaranteed, Celeste and Jesse Forever, Sleepwalk With Me
Definite faves: Argo, Chronicle, The Secret World of Arrietty, Sinister, ParaNorman, The Impossible, Jeff Who Lives at Home, Moonrise Kingdom, Bernie, The Hunger Games, The Cabin in the Woods, Hitchcock, Smashed, The Avengers, Robot & Frank, The Amazing Spider-Man
Very close to being faves: V/H/S, Dredd, Liberal Arts, Your Sister’s Sister, Les Miserables, The Innkeepers
Need to see again: Life of Pi, Flight, Lincoln, Skyfall, West of Memphis, Django Unchained, The Master, Silver Linings Playbook, Zero Dark Thirty, End of Watch

2011
Personal faves: 50/50, Take Shelter, Attack the Block
Definite faves: Hugo, The Artist, Cedar Rapids, Bridesmaids, Beginners, Arthur Christmas, The Descendants, Friends With Benefits, Drive, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, Source Code, Super 8
Very close to being faves: Win Win, A Better Life, Insidious, The Myth of the American Sleepover, Terri, Fright Night, Young Adult, Scream 4, HappyThankYouMorePlease, Tucker and Dale vs. Evil, 30 Minutes or Less
Need to see again: Kung Fu Panda 2, X-Men: First Class, The Tree of Life, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Submarine, The Beaver, Another Earth, Moneyball, Martha Marcy May Marlene

2010
Personal faves: The Social Network, Toy Story 3, 127 Hours, Let Me In, True Grit, Cyrus
Definite faves: Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, The Kids are All Right, Buried, It’s Kind of a Funny Story, Tangled
Very close to being faves: Winter’s Bone, How to Train Your Dragon, Tiny Furniture, Rabbit Hole, Please Give, Flipped, Get Him to the Greek, Greenberg, The Book of Eli
Need to see again: The King’s Speech, Inception

2009
Personal faves: War Eagle, Arkansas, Up, Adventureland, Inglourious Basterds
Definite faves: (500) Days of Summer, Me and Orson Welles, Funny People, I Love You, Man, Up in the Air, Sugar, Jennifer’s Body, The House of the Devil, Coraline, Humpday
Very close to being faves: Bandslam, The Hangover, Star Trek, The Loved Ones, Paranormal Activity, Paper Heart
Need to see again: Where the Wild Things Are, Moon, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Goodbye Solo, The Hurt Locker, An Education, A Serious Man, District 9, Sunshine Cleaning

2008
Personal faves: The Dark Knight, Shotgun Stories, Let the Right One In, Iron Man, Kung Fu Panda, Baghead
Definite faves: Tropic Thunder, Pineapple Express, Frost/Nixon, Cloverfield, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, The Visitor, The Rocker, Henry Poole is Here, Milk, City of Ember, The Spiderwick Chronicles
Very close to being faves: Snow Angels, Be Kind Rewind, American Teen, The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, Marley & Me, The Wackness, The Forbidden Kingdom, Definitely Maybe, Zack and Miri Make a Porno
Need to see again: Wall-E, Slumdog Millionaire, Lake Mungo, Man on Wire, Trouble the Water, Gran Torino, In Bruges, Happy-Go-Lucky, Frozen River, Burn After Reading

2007
Personal faves: No Country for Old Men, Hot Fuzz, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Hot Rod, Superbad, Juno
Definite faves: Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story, Once, Ratatouille, The Simpsons Movie, I am Legend, Margot at the Wedding, Alpha Dog, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Knocked Up, Disturbia, Into the Wild, Bridge to Terabithia, 1408, The Savages, The Namesake, Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon, Surf’s Up, Waitress
Very close to being faves: Lars and the Real Girl, Fracture, Bee Movie
Need to see again: There Will Be Blood, Paris Je T’Aime, Zodiac, The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters, Persepolis, Eastern Promises, The Lookout, Gone Baby Gone, Rec, Blades of Glory

2006
Personal faves: United 93, Thank You For Smoking, Little Miss Sunshine, Stranger Than Fiction, Monster House, Half Nelson
Definite faves: Brick, Pan’s Labyrinth, The Puffy Chair, The Departed, Casino Royale, Letters from Iwo Jima, Clerks II
Very close to being faves: Hard Candy, This Film is Not Yet Rated, The Descent, Final Destination 3, Slither, Keeping Up With the Steins, Rocky Balboa, The Nativity Story
Need to see again: Children of Men, The Prestige, 12 and Holding, Joyeux Noel, Borat, Come Early Morning, Friends With Money

2005
Personal faves: Good Night and Good Luck, Brokeback Mountain, War of the Worlds, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Serenity
Definite faves: Munich, King Kong, Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, Red Eye, Zathura, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Castle in the Sky, Sin City, The Chronicles of Narnia, A History of Violence, Capote, The Exorcism of Emily Rose
Very close to being faves: Batman Begins, The Squid and the Whale, Hustle & Flow, Stay, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, Sky High
Need to see again: Broken Flowers, Millions, Match Point, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Proof, Street Fight, Junebug, Me and You and Everyone We Know

2004
Personal faves: Before Sunset, Napoleon Dynamite, Shaun of the Dead, Collateral, Super Size Me, Mean Creek, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Definite faves: Shrek 2, The Incredibles, Saw, Spider-Man 2, Speak, Baadasssss!, Sideways, Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, Overnight, Kill Bill Vol. 2, Dodgeball
Very close to being faves: Touching the Void, Undertow, Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle, Mean Girls, The Village, The Polar Express, Spanglish, Open Water, Going to the Mat
Need to see again: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Million Dollar Baby, Closer

2003
Personal faves: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Holes, School of Rock, Shattered Glass
Definite faves: American Splendor, Lost in Translation, Freaky Friday, The Station Agent, Pieces of April, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Bruce Almighty, Bad Santa, Kill Bill Vol. 1
Very close to being faves: Identity, Elephant, Raising Victor Vargas, Better Luck Tomorrow, Peter Pan, Hulk, Elf, Spellbound, The Battle of Shaker Heights
Need to see again: Finding Nemo, Capturing the Friedmans, Monster, Mystic River, Whale Rider, All the Real Girls, 28 Days Later, Manic

2002
Personal faves: Signs, Y Tu Mama Tambien, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Red Dragon, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Catch Me if You Can
Definite faves: Spirited Away, 25th Hour, Minority Report, The Ring, Frailty, About a Boy, Punch-Drunk Love, Kissing Jessica Stein
Very close to being faves: 8 Mile, Tuck Everlasting, The Good Girl, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Big Fat Liar, Spider-Man, Treasure Planet, Gerry
Need to see again: Insomnia, Antwone Fisher, Road to Perdition, Lilo and Stitch

2001
Personal faves: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Accountant
Definite faves: Memento, Shrek, Donnie Darko, The Royal Tenenbaums, A.I.: Artificial Intelligence, Joy Ride
Very close to being faves: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Zoolander, Monsters Inc., Tape, Spy Kids
Need to see again: A Beautiful Mind, The Devil’s Backbone, Ghost World, Ginger Snaps

2000
Personal faves: Cast Away, Unbreakable
Definite faves: Almost Famous, Finding Forrester, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, High Fidelity
Very close to being faves: The Virgin Suicides, American Psycho, George Washington, You Can Count on Me, Shadow of the Vampire, O Brother Where Art Thou?, Disney’s The Kid, The Emperor’s New Groove
Need to see again: Billy Elliot, Requiem for a Dream, Chuck & Buck, Titus, Best in Show

1999
Personal faves: The Sixth Sense, Toy Story 2, The Iron Giant, Magnolia, Phantom Town, October Sky
Definite faves: South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut, Dogma, Election, The Blair Witch Project, The Straight Story, Rushmore, American Movie, Don’t Look Under the Bed, Bowfinger, Galaxy Quest, Smart House
Very close to being faves: Man on the Moon, Stir of Echoes, The Mummy, Tarzan
Need to see again: Boys Don’t Cry, Fight Club, The Hurricane, Eyes Wide Shut, The Matrix, Princess Mononoke, Run Lola Run, The Green Mile, The Minus Man, Office Space

1998
Personal faves: Pleasantville, The Prince of Egypt, The Mighty
Definite faves: A Simple Plan, The Big Lebowski, The Borrowers, Mulan, The Truman Show, Smoke Signals, Dark City
Very close to being faves: Ever After, Kiki’s Delivery Service, American History X, Apt Pupil, Antz, A Bug’s Life
Need to see again: Saving Private Ryan, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, The Mask of Zorro, Rounders, The Horse Whisperer, Blade

1997
Personal faves: Titanic
Definite faves: Good Will Hunting, George of the Jungle, Scream 2, My Teacher Ate My Homework, The Daytrippers, Paradise Road, Shiloh, My Best Friend’s Wedding
Very close to being faves: Chasing Amy, As Good As it Gets, Con Air
Need to see again: Boogie Nights, In & Out, The Ice Storm, Amistad, Eve’s Bayou, Contact, The Sweet Hereafter, Waiting for Guffman, L.A. Confidential, The Game, Jackie Brown, Men in Black, Ulee’s Gold

1996
Personal faves: Fargo, Scream, Cannibal! The Musical
Definite faves: Hamlet, Jerry Maguire, Sling Blade, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Walking and Talking, From Dusk Till Dawn, The Paper Brigade, Bottle Rocket, Happy Gilmore
Very close to being faves: Trainspotting, Courage Under Fire, Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie, James and the Giant Peach
Need to see again: Flirting with Disaster, Bound, Lone Star, Freeway, The Truth About Cats and Dogs

1995
Personal faves: Before Sunrise, Toy Story, The Indian in the Cupboard, Living in Oblivion, Heavyweights
Definite faves: Se7en, The Celluloid Closet, Jumanji, Tall Tale
Very close to being faves: The Brothers McMullen, A Little Princess, Die Hard With a Vengeance, Pocahontas
Need to see again: The Usual Suspects, Crumb, Apollo 13, Strange Days, Dead Man Walking, The Secret of Roan Inish, Dolores Claiborne, Friday

1994
Personal faves: The Lion King, Hoop Dreams, Pulp Fiction, Ed Wood, The Client, Red
Definite faves: The Shawshank Redemption, Clerks, Speed, Forrest Gump, Fresh, Blue, Wes Craven’s New Nightmare
Very close to being faves: Little Women, Little Big League, White, The Mask, Dumb and Dumber
Need to see again: Four Weddings and a Funeral, Heavenly Creatures, Bullets Over Broadway

1993
Personal faves: Schindler’s List, Jurassic Park, Matinee, Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, The Sandlot
Definite faves: Dazed and Confused, Groundhog Day, Demolition Man, Searching for Bobby Fischer, Much Ado About Nothing, King of the Hill, American Heart, Free Willy, Last Action Hero, El Mariachi, Rudy, Philadelphia, What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, Cool Runnings, Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas, The Adventures of Huck Finn
Very close to being faves: Shadowlands, Mrs. Doubtfire, Fearless, Rookie of the Year
Need to see again: Grave of the Fireflies, Ruby in Paradise, A Bronx Tale, Gettysburg, Dave, The Fugitive, What’s Love Got to Do With It, The Joy Luck Club, Tombstone, The Secret Garden

1992
Personal faves: Wayne’s World, Aladdin
Definite faves: Reservoir Dogs, Scent of a Woman, A Few Good Men, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, My Cousin Vinny, Prelude to a Kiss
Very close to being faves: Under Siege, School Ties, Batman Returns, Where the Day Takes You, Candyman
Need to see again: White Men Can’t Jump, The Waterdance, The Player, One False Move, The Crying Game, Glengarry Glen Ross, A Midnight Clear, A League of Their Own

1991
Personal faves: Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Beauty and the Beast, The Silence of the Lambs
Definite faves: Dead Again, The People Under the Stairs, Boyz ‘N the Hood, Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse, Thelma and Louise, Barton Fink, City Slickers, The Rocketeer
Very close to being faves: Slacker, White Fang, Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey, Point Break, Doc Hollywood, My Girl
Need to see again: Defending Your Life, The Man in the Moon, Madonna: Truth or Dare, Grand Canyon, The Fisher King

1990
Personal faves: Goodfellas, Misery, Home Alone
Definite faves: Tremors, Back to the Future Part III, A Cry in the Wild
Very close to being faves: Cinema Paradiso, Pump Up the Volume, Die Hard 2, The Witches
Need to see again: Arachnophobia, Darkman, Dances With Wolves, Awakenings, The Exorcist III, Avalon, The Rescuers Down Under

1989
Personal faves: Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Say Anything, Do the Right Thing, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, Batman, The War of the Roses, Field of Dreams
Definite faves: Lethal Weapon 2, Drugstore Cowboy, When Harry Met Sally…, Back to the Future Part II, Dead Poets Society, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
Very close to being faves: My Left Foot, In Country, Roger & Me, Casualties of War, Born on the Fourth of July, The Little Mermaid, Chances Are
Need to see again: Glory, The Abyss

1988
Personal faves: Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Big, Die Hard, Beetlejuice, Bull Durham
Definite faves: Rain Man, Dear America: Letters Home From Vietnam, A Fish Called Wanda, Permanent Record, The Last Temptation of Christ, Vice Versa, Running on Empty, The Thin Blue Line, The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years, Midnight Run, They Live
Very close to being faves: Mystic Pizza, Killer Klowns From Outer Space, The Blob, Child’s Play
Need to see again: Working Girl, Mississippi Burning, Dangerous Liaisons, Boyfriends and Girlfriends, The Accidental Tourist, Colors, Clean and Sober, She’s Having a Baby

1987
Personal faves: Planes, Trains & Automobiles, The Monster Squad, The Princess Bride, Full Metal Jacket, Near Dark, The Stepfather, The Lost Boys, Some Kind of Wonderful
Definite faves: Lethal Weapon, Good Morning, Vietnam, River’s Edge, Broadcast News, RoboCop, Empire of the Sun, Raising Arizona, Predator, Innerspace, The Gate, The Untouchables
Very close to being faves: Moonstruck, The Hidden, Evil Dead II, Fatal Attraction, No Way Out, Spaceballs, Less Than Zero, A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, Big Shots
Need to see again: Withnail & I, Jean de Florette, Manon of the Spring, Swimming to Cambodia, House of Games, The Big Easy, Roxanne, Light of Day

1986
Personal faves: Stand by Me, Lucas, Blue Velvet, At Close Range, Platoon, Aliens, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
Definite faves: The Great Mouse Detective, Ruthless People, Hoosiers, Smooth Talk, Manhunter, The Hitcher, Children of a Lesser God, The Fly, Night of the Creeps, Flight of the Navigator, The Manhattan Project, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
Very close to being faves: Little Shop of Horrors, Peggy Sue Got Married, Something Wild, Big Trouble in Little China, F/X, Crossroads, The Boy Who Could Fly
Need to see again: True Stories, Down by Law, Hannah and Her Sisters, Sid and Nancy, A Room With a View, Desert Bloom, Jo Jo Dancer: Your Life is Calling

1985
Personal faves: Back to the Future, The Goonies, 28 Up, Runaway Train, Witness, Real Genius, The Breakfast Club, Mask, Streetwise, Explorers, Young Sherlock Holmes
Definite faves: The Sure Thing, Blood Simple, The Purple Rose of Cairo, D.A.R.Y.L., Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure, Sylvester
Very close to being faves: Vision Quest, A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge, Code of Silence, The Journey of Natty Gann
Need to see again: Brazil, Lost in America, Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, My Life as a Dog, The Color Purple, After Hours

1984
Personal faves: Amadeus, Ghostbusters, The Karate Kid, Stop Making Sense, Gremlins, The Terminator, This is Spinal Tap, Starman
Definite faves: Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Firstborn, All of Me, The Neverending Story, The Flamingo Kid, A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Natural, Stranger Than Paradise, Love Letters
Very close to being faves: Beverly Hills Cop, Purple Rain, Romancing the Stone, That Sinking Feeling
Need to see again: Once Upon a Time in America, Paris, Texas, The Killing Fields, Comfort and Joy, Repo Man, The Brother From Another Planet, Moscow on the Hudson, The Stone Boy

1983
Personal faves: A Christmas Story, The Outsiders, Risky Business, Christine
Definite faves: Bad Boys, WarGames, Something Wicked This Way Comes, Tender Mercies, The Big Chill, Never Cry Wolf
Very close to being faves: Terms of Endearment, Return of the Jedi, The Dead Zone, Sleepaway Camp
Need to see again: The Right Stuff, El Norte, Local Hero, Silkwood, Testament, The King of Comedy

1982
Personal faves: Tex, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
Definite faves: Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, My Favorite Year, The Secret of NIMH, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Tootsie, The Thing, Gregory’s Girl
Very close to being faves: Personal Best, First Blood, Creepshow, Poltergeist
Need to see again: Blade Runner, An Officer and a Gentleman

1981
Personal faves: Raiders of the Lost Ark, On Golden Pond, The Great Muppet Caper
Definite faves: An American Werewolf in London, Gates of Heaven
Very close to being faves: My Dinner with Andre, Time Bandits, Superman II, Melvin and Howard, Stripes, Blow Out, The Evil Dead
Need to see again: Continental Divide, Southern Comfort, Escape from New York

1980
Personal faves: The Empire Strikes Back, The Shining
Definite faves: Raging Bull, The Blues Brothers, Ordinary People, Fame, My Bodyguard
Very close to being faves: Caddyshack, Airplane!, Nine to Five
Need to see again: Coal Miner’s Daughter, Used Cars

1979
Personal faves: Alien, The Bugs Bunny/Roadrunner Movie, Breaking Away, Rocky II, The Muppet Movie
Definite faves: Salem’s Lot, Phantasm, Over the Edge, Monty Python’s Life of Brian, Kramer vs. Kramer
Very close to being faves: The Black Stallion, 1941, Dawn of the Dead, The Double McGuffin, Time After Time
Need to see again: Being There, The China Syndrome, The Onion Field

1978
Personal faves: Halloween, Invasion of the Body Snatchers
Definite faves: Coming Home, A Hero Ain’t Nothin’ But a Sandwich, The Buddy Holly Story
Very close to being faves: Superman, Days of Heaven, Animal House, Heaven Can Wait, I Wanna Hold Your Hand
Need to see again: Girlfriends, An Unmarried Woman, Magic, Interiors

1977
Personal faves: Star Wars, 21 Up
Definite faves: Annie Hall, Saturday Night Fever, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
Very close to being faves: Close Encounters of the Third Kind, One on One, I Never Promised You a Rose Garden, Oh, God!, Smokey and the Bandit
Need to see again: Slap Shot

1976
Personal faves: Rocky, Taxi Driver, The Bad News Bears
Definite faves: Bugsy Malone, Swept Away
Very close to being faves: Carrie, Freaky Friday
Need to see again: All the President’s Men, Network, Marathon Man

1975
Personal faves: Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Jaws
Definite faves: Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore
Very close to being faves: Escape to Witch Mountain
Need to see again: Nashville, Dog Day Afternoon, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Shampoo

1974
Definite faves: The Godfather Part II, The Conversation, Black Christmas, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
Need to see again: Young Frankenstein, Chinatown, Blazing Saddles, The Longest Yard, The Towering Inferno, The Sugarland Express

1973
Personal faves: Day for Night, The Last Detail
Definite faves: The Exorcist, Badlands, Paper Moon, Mean Streets
Very close to being faves: American Graffiti
Need to see again: The Paper Chase, Enter the Dragon

1972
Personal faves: The Godfather, Sounder
Definite faves: Deliverance, What’s Up Doc?
Very close to being faves: The Poseidon Adventure
Need to see again: The Heartbreak Kid

1971
Personal faves: Bedknobs and Broomsticks
Definite faves: A Clockwork Orange, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, The Last Picture Show, Harold and Maude, Play Misty For Me
Very close to being faves: Duel, Summer of ’42
Need to see again: Straw Dogs, The French Connection, A New Leaf, Dirty Harry

1969
Personal faves: True Grit
Need to see again: The Wild Bunch, Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice

1968
Personal faves: 2001: A Space Odyssey
Definite faves: Rosemary’s Baby, Planet of the Apes
Very close to being faves: Night of the Living Dead
Need to see again: Targets

1967
Definite faves: Bonnie and Clyde, Wait Until Dark
Very close to being faves: The Graduate
Need to see again: The Incident, In the Heat of the Night

1965
Definite faves: That Darn Cat!
Need to see again: The Great Race, The Sound of Music

1964
Personal faves: Mary Poppins, Dr. Strangelove
Definite faves: A Hard Day’s Night

1963
Personal faves: The Haunting
Definite faves: The Sword in the Stone, The Birds, From Russia With Love, Lord of the Flies

1962
Personal faves: To Kill a Mockingbird

1960
Personal faves: Psycho
Definite faves: The Apartment, Pollyanna, Swiss Family Robinson

1959
Personal faves: The 400 Blows, Darby O’Gill and the Little People

1957
Personal faves: 12 Angry Men, Old Yeller
Definite faves: The Incredible Shrinking Man
Very close to being faves: Johnny Tremain

1954
Personal faves: Rear Window
Definite faves: 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, On the Waterfront

1951
Definite faves: Strangers on a Train

1950
Personal faves: Rashomon, Sunset Boulevard

1946
Personal faves: It’s a Wonderful Life

1942
Definite faves: Casablanca

1941
Definite faves: Citizen Kane

1940
Personal faves: Fantasia
Definite faves: Pinocchio, The Great Dictator
Need to see again: The Shop Around the Corner

1939
Personal faves: The Wizard of Oz

1931
Personal faves: City Lights

1922
Definite faves: Nosferatu, The Kid

Whew! That took a lot out of me–I hope I don’t have to do it again for a long time. But there you have it: the movies I love, even more movies I love, movies that still have a place in my heart, and movies that I…well, need to see again.