59. Alien (1979)
Most film franchises peak with their first entry, and the “Alien” franchise is no different. Despite having other extremely talented individuals like James Cameron and David Fincher working on sequels to this first film, Ridley Scott still managed to create the ultimate alien film on his first go around. It’s scary, thrilling, and has any number of fantastic scenes. It’s pretty funny to think that one of the best horror films of all time is actually a science fiction film.
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58. Die Hard (1988)
Speaking of genre films, action doesn’t get much better (or in fact, better at all) than “Die Hard”. It’s the ultimate action thriller, with the intensity getting cranked up to 11 and beyond with each new scene. Plus it has the star making performance of Bruce Willis. No other actor could have played the role of John McClain with such skill. We come to the film for the action, but we stay for the humor and intensity that Willis brings to the project. All you want to do after watching this movie is throw out a “Yippe-ki-Yay- Mother Fucker” and start it all over again. Also, it’s a great Christmas movie.
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57. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
Watching the first entry of Peter Jackson’s “Lord of the Rings” trilogy is one of the first (and only) times I remember actually being blown away by a film. “Fellowship of the Ring” is one of the grandest adventure films of all time, and the scope of the film has never really been seen before or since. Jackson actually succeeded in taking the novel and putting in directly on the screen without losing anything. If the subsequent films weren’t as powerful as this first one, it’s only because the source material suffered from that same inferiority to this, first, best entry.
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56. Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991)
James Cameron’s masterpiece. There’s nothing much else to say. But for a Sci-fi action movie, it moves you beyond belief. One of the most fun and entertaining cinematic rides of all time.
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55. Children of Men (2006)
“Children of Men” is one of those films that I love simply because of its filmmaking bravado. Seriously, watch this film and count how many cuts there are in it (or, lack thereof). The action scenes and choreography of the camera movement are simply breathtaking. Couple that with an intriguing story and a fantastic performance from one of the better actors working today, Clive Owen, and you’ve got a film that works on levels that most other films don’t even know exist. This film was robbed at the Oscars.
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