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Here’s a movie meme from Avitable, via the ever-dependable Rol:

Entertainment Weekly came up with a list of the top 100 movies of the last 25 years. I thought I’d start a meme, much like that one going around where you highlight the books that you’ve read or tried to read.

The ones in bold are ones I’ve watched.

The ones in bold and italics are ones I’ve enjoyed and have watched (or plan to watch) more than once.

If it’s not in bold but has a pair of bold stars after the title then it’s a film I plan to see soon.

If it’s in bold and there’s a ?!? after the title then it’s a film that belongs to that deeply personal and highly subjective genre, film merde (French for “cinematic shitefest).

I don’t make things easy for myself.

1. Pulp Fiction (1994)
2. The Lord of the Rings trilogy (2001-03)

3. Titanic (1997) ?!?
4. Blue Velvet (1986)
5. Toy Story (1995)
6. Saving Private Ryan (1998)
7. Hannah and Her Sisters (1986)
8. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
9. Die Hard (1988)

10. Moulin Rouge (2001)
11. This Is Spinal Tap (1984)
12. The Matrix (1999)
13. GoodFellas (1990)
14. Crumb (1995) **
15. Edward Scissorhands (1990)
16. Boogie Nights (1997)

17. Jerry Maguire (1996)
18. Do the Right Thing (1989)
19. Casino Royale (2006)
20. The Lion King (1994)
21. Schindler’s List (1993)
22. Rushmore (1998)

23. Memento (2001)

24. A Room With a View (1986)
25. Shrek (2001)
26. Hoop Dreams (1994)
27. Aliens (1986)
28. Wings of Desire (1988)
29. The Bourne Supremacy (2004)
30. When Harry Met Sally… (1989)
31. Brokeback Mountain (2005)
32. Fight Club (1999)
33. The Breakfast Club (1985)
34. Fargo (1996)
35. The Incredibles (2004)
36. Spider-Man 2 (2004)
37. Pretty Woman (1990) ?!?
38. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
39. The Sixth Sense (1999)
40. Speed (1994)
41. Dazed and Confused (1993) – how can you never have seen this?? It’s great, I have it on the shelf.
42. Clueless (1995)
43. Gladiator (2000)
44. The Player (1992)
45. Rain Man (1988) ?!?
46. Children of Men (2006)
47. Men in Black (1997)
48. Scarface (1983)
49. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)

50. The Piano (1993) ?!?
51. There Will Be Blood (2007) **
52. The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad (1988)
53. The Truman Show (1998)

54. Fatal Attraction (1987)
55. Risky Business (1983)
56. The Lives of Others (2006)
57. There’s Something About Mary (1998)
58. Ghostbusters (1984)
59. L.A. Confidential (1997)
60. Scream (1996)
61. Beverly Hills Cop (1984) ?!?
62. sex, lies and videotape (1989)
63. Big (1988)
64. No Country For Old Men (2007)
65. Dirty Dancing (1987)
66. Natural Born Killers (1994)
67. Donnie Brasco (1997)
68. Witness (1985)
69. All About My Mother (1999)
70. Broadcast News (1987)
71. Unforgiven (1992)

72. Thelma & Louise (1991)
73. Office Space (1999)
74. Drugstore Cowboy (1989)
75. Out of Africa (1985)
76. The Departed (2006)
77. Sid and Nancy (1986)
78. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
79. Waiting for Guffman (1996) **
80. Michael Clayton (2007) **
81. Moonstruck (1987)
82. Lost in Translation (2003)
83. Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn (1987)

84. Sideways (2004)
85. The 40 Year-Old Virgin (2005) **
86. Y Tu Mamá También (2002)
87. Swingers (1996)

88. Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997)
89. Breaking the Waves (1996)
90. Napoleon Dynamite (2004) ?!?
91. Back to the Future (1985)
92. Menace II Society (1993)
93. Ed Wood (1994)
94. Full Metal Jacket (1987)

95. In the Mood for Love (2001)
96. Far From Heaven (2002)
97. Glory (1989)
98. The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)
99. The Blair Witch Project (1999)
100. South Park: Bigger Longer & Uncut (1999)

My first impression was mild surprise and a strange sense of gratification at seeing guilty pleasure flicks like The Naked Gun, Evil Dead 2 and South Park: Bigger, Louder and Uncut make it on the list. I half expected Tremors, Bubba Ho-Tep and The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai to turn up, too.

That soon gave way to a sense of bafflement, however. It wasn’t so much the inclusion of films that annoy the Hell out of me. I dislike Titanic, despise Pretty Woman and detest Dirty Dancing, but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be on the list. I’m not a complete megalomaniac, after all. Only an incomplete megalomaniac.

No, what really perplexed me was the inclusion of films that were good over films that were great. As Rol said: “Natural Born Killers over True Romance and Reservoir Dogs? Boogie Nights instead of Magnolia?” There’s other examples, too. Sid & Nancy instead of Repoman? The Departed over Casino? Donnie Brasco in place of The Usual Suspects? Frankly, some of the choices have baffled the blue bejesus out of me.

And as for the whereabouts of The Big Lebowski and Withnail & I? Don’t get me started…