Bom Yeoreum Gaeul Gyeoul Geurigo Bom (2003)

Trailer

Lust awakens the desire to possess. And that awakens the intent to murder.
So basically: On an isolated lake, an elderly monk mentors a young boy about Buddism. As the seasons change, so does the boy into a grown man who falls in love and eventually leaves the floating temple to pursue a girl.

I didn't think I was going to like this film. The plot sounded very dull. But, within a couple of minutes I instantly fell in love. I know some people might have a problem with the lack of dialogue, but really, this film doesn't need it. It's beautiful, not just the scenery, which is stunning, but everything about this film just leaves you in awe.

Defs deserves to be on the list, and it needs to be higher.

Ziggi seal of approval!

Black Swan (2010)

Trailer

Did you have some sort of lezzie wet dream about me? Was I good?
So basically: Nina is a balerina in a New York City ballet company. When the prima donna retires, the spot for the lead in Swan Lake is left open. Nina auditions and miraculously gets the part, but solely on her determination and her perfection in dancing the white swan. As she struggles with the part of the black swan, she slips into delirium and paranoia.

I want to gouge my eyes out with a spoon after watching this. Damnit Darren Aronofsky, stop making movies! They suck, alright? They are stupid and fail! GAH! Why must you do this to me? I was also told that this is a mindfuck movie. My mind was not fucked. Or at least not in the way it was supposed to be! More like mindRAPED! I was kinda looking forward to this just for the hot girls - and lesbian scene - and yeah, okay, fap to Mila Kunis, but Natalie Portman kinda looked like butter spread over too much bread ... It was odd. And the lesbian scene! OMG! that was painful. I was pushing for it the entire film and instantly regretted it once it happened. DARREN ARONOFSKY IF YOU CAN'T MAKE A LESBIAN SEX SCENE HOT YOU OFFICIALLY FAIL! OK?!

This film is annoying. Period. Get off the list already.

Ziggi seal of disapproval!

A Christmas Story (1983)

Trailer

You'll shoot your eye out.
So basically: Ralphie is a nine year old boy in the 1940's, his favourite radio program is Little Orphan Annie and he is convinced that a Red Ryder BB Gun is the perfect Christmas gift. Now, he just needs to convince everyone else, including Santa.

I watched the first 20 minutes of this a couple of years ago and I just couldn't watch it. I thought it was dumb. But, I (obviously) watched it again. This time I got into it. The premise is pretty simple, duh it's a kid's film, but it was cute and funny. If you grew up with this, of course you're going to love it, but it is still enjoyable for new viewers like me!

Just that fact alone means it deserves to be on the list.

Ziggi seal of approval!

127 Hours (2010)

Trailer

This rock... this rock has been waiting for me my entire life.
So basically: While on a hike in Utah, Aron Ralston falls down into a canyon and his arm gets pinned down by a boulder. Unable to break free, he rations his food and water supply hoping for rescue as he relives past memories and slips into hallucinations.

Thank god for this film. I had spent the better part of a weekend watching the other 2010 films that had been recently added to the list. Which all sucked. But this film! I wasn't looking forward to it. It sounded kind of boring. And the parts about the flashbacks sounded kind of annoying. But, how wrong I was. James Franco is a brilliant actor - I knew this, though - and he carries the film brilliantly. homg! I usually don't have to turn away when watching, but this made me! It was extreme and awesome and I loved every minute of it!

Yes! Finally one that deserves to be here!

Ziggi seal of approval!

New Additions

January 2011:
127 Hours (2010)
A Christmas Story (1983)
Black Swan (2010)
Bom Yeoreum Gaeul Gyeoul Geuringo Bom (2003)
Fa Yeung Nin Wa (2000)
Fanny och Alexander (1982)
Festen (1998)
Hauru no Ugoku Shori (2004)
His Girl Friday (1940)
Inception (2010)
Kaze no Tani no Naushika (1984)
Mary and Max (2009)
Mou Gaan Dou (2002)
Persona (1966)
Roman Holiday (1953)
Sherlock, Jr. (1924)
The Fighter (2010)
The King's Speech (2010)
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)
The Social Network (2010)
Trois Couleurs: Rouge (1994)
True Grit (2010)

February 2011:
Beauty and the Beast (1991)

March 2011:
Hable con Ella (2002)
Tenkou no Shiro Rapyuta (1986)

April 2011:
Jodaeiye Nader az Simin (2011)
La Grande Illusion (1937)

May 2011:
Before Sunrise (1995)
Shutter Island (2010)
Yip Man (2008)

June 2011
X-Men: First Class (2011)

July 2011
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011)
Stalker (1979)
Tokyo Story (1953)

Still here

Dear Viewers,

As you can see, we are finally done the list. Then why, do you ask, are there more reviews to be posted? Well, dear viewers, in order to keep this website current in all your top 250 IMDb movies watching needs, I am writing reviews on all of the new additions each month. I will keep checking the list for new updates, watch them as they appear and post reviews. It isn't going to be in any order, however. And if it is not on the list when you check it, that is fine as well.

So please see the tab at the top for the New Additions. They will be separated according to the month that I found them on the list.

If you are so very tired of the list, however, I am started a new challenge of watching all the Best Picture nominees for the Oscars, starting with this year. That sounds like fun, doesn't it?? So go check it out here: Ziggi vs The Oscars

That is all for now. Happy New Year!

Ziggi

The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

Trailer

Remember Red, hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies.
So basically: In the late 1940's, banker Andy Dufresne is sent to Shawshank prison for the murder of his wife and her lover, although he claims he is innocent. There, he meets Red, the man who can get just about anything. They form a lasting friendship and find redemption in each other.

hmmmm, I'm at a loss as to what to say. It's the final movie on the list. The top movie!! Ahh, nothing seems good enough. But, I guess here we go: This was the first time I heard about this movie - when I first read the list. Which I thought was refreshing. I don't think it deserves the top spot, as there are a lot of movies on the list I think are better and more enjoyable. This is a fantastic movie, but I was expecting to be in awe after watching it. To feel something, like I learned something from it, which I didn't.

A good movie that deserves to be on the list, but not first.

Ziggi seal of approval!



The guest reviewer adds her opinion...
I’m assuming the most salient quality of this movie in terms of its 250 inclusion was the inspirational value its depictions of redemption and tenacity and friendship.  I can see this in it, but personally – I wasn’t all that inspired. I most certainly winced and grabbed at my friend’s hand during some of the more dramatically sad scenes, and some of the friendship scenes were pretty heartwarming, but I didn’t find that the movie as a whole carried much emotional resonance. Even the themes and images that I thought were extremely well portrayed weren’t especially poignant for me - a couple of days after watching it, I can’t honestly say that I’m thinking about it at all.
 
I’m not particularly attuned to nuances of cinematography or pacing or whatever else, but I think a truly great movie should be accessible to the average viewer.

So... The Pretentious Reviewer's Seal of Disapproval!

The Godfather (1972)

Trailer

I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse.
So basically: An aging New York mafia Don, Vito Corleone, hands over the family to his youngest son, Michael, after nearly being killed. Michael was the one son that did not partake in the family business until he wanted to extract revenge on the potential murderers of his father. His revenge sends him to Sicily to hide out for awhile, but once he returns, he has the sole responsibility of the Corleone family.

Ok, I don’t like this film. I don’t like gangster movies and Marlon Brando irks me on a fundamental level – espec in this film, which I do believe was my introduction to him. Come on! I’d rather listen to Christian Bale’s Batman than Don Vito Corleone! I do love Al Pacino, though. I think he is a really good actor and Michael Corleone is an interesting character – much better in this film than in the second one (which is odd, since the second one has more to do with him).

So, besides the plot, which is just my personal opinion, this film is really well done. Against my opinion, I think this deserves to be on the list.

Ziggi seal of approval!

The Godfather: Part II (1974)

Trailer

Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer.
So basically: The second instalment chronicles Michael Corleone’s reign in the mafia and his decisions to keep his family in power through the decades. Flashbacks of Vito Corleone as a child in Sicily to an established New York gangster are entwined into the plot.

I definitely prefer this to the first Godfather film. That in mind, I still really dislike this film. It would have been epic if they had just made the movie about Vito’s early life. That part of the movie I rly enjoyed! Every time it flashed back to the present, I lost interest. I don’t know why they smooshed the two plots together, maybe for contrast? I didn’t even read the trivia for this film, so my knowledge of it is limited. But, still, I didn’t think Michael’s life was interesting enough to be put into the same film as Vito’s. Maybe that is just me, tho?

I’m going to say yes, this film deserves to be on the list, but only on the strength of the flashback scenes. Which, I think, really says a lot about that storyline.

Ziggi seal of approval!

Il buono, il Brutto, il Cattivo (1966)

Trailer

There are two kinds of people in the world, my friend: Those with a rope around the neck, and the people who have the job of doing the cutting. 
So basically: The last instalment of The Man With No Name, this time as Blondie. Blondie teams up with Tuco, a criminal, to cash in on his reward money. They have a pretty good scam going on, but the two of them come across a dying Bill Carson. Bill Carson tells them of a buried treasure, but each of them only has half the information: Tuco knows the cemetery where the treasure is buried in and Blondie knows the name on the gravestone. To add into the mix, a bounty hunter, Angel Eyes, was hunting Bill Carson and is now hot on the trail of Blondie and Tuco.

Westerns are slow paced. Everyone knows this. The first time I watched this film I turned it off within 10 minutes because I just couldn’t get into it. Not to mention it was a crappy version and I rly didn’t want to sit through it if it was going to be this slow throughout. But, I borrowed a DVD copy and sat through it. And, if you can get through the introduction, it is defs worth it! I watched it twice in the same day – I wanted to show a friend who had showed up just after it ended! It’s better paced than a lot of westerns I’ve seen, and it’s funny! And by it I mean Tuco. I also think Clint Eastwood is pretty in the Dollars trilogy … maybe that is just me.

Yes, definitely deserves to be on the list!

Ziggi seal of approval!

Pulp Fiction (1994)

Trailer

Three tomatoes are walking down the street: a poppa tomato, a momma tomato, and a little baby tomato. Baby tomato starts lagging behind. Poppa tomato gets angry, goes over to the baby tomato, and smooshes him... and says, Catch up. 
So basically: Two hitmen for a notorious crime boss, Marsellus Wallace, must retrieve a stolen case for him. One of the hitmen, Vincent Vega, is also hired by Marsellus to take his wife out while he is out of town. A boxer is paid by Marsellus to throw his next fight, but the two of them end up getting taken hostage. And two small time robbers attempt to rob the café they are in.

I LOVE QUENTIN TARANTINO!!! I had to use caps just to get the message across, because after reading this review, I don’t think anyone will believe me. I’m pretty sure this is the first Quentin Tarantino film I saw, at least the first one I remember, and it put me off of him. But, since there are a lot of Tarantino films on the list, I was forced to watch them and I have loved every single one – and am still amazed that people do not love him as a writer/director. But, I just don’t get this film. Everything about it is just trivial and like, wut?! Why are they constantly talking about things that don’t matter? There isn’t even a plot! WHY?! would you put me through this??? Ack! Yeah. I don’t get why people love this film so much and it makes *no* sense why it’s the top Tarantino film, let alone in the top 5 IMDb movies!!

No. I don’t get why this is even here!

Ziggi seal of disapproval!

Toy Story 3 (2010)

Trailer

I told you kids to stay out of my butt!
So basically: Andy is getting ready to go to college and must decide what is going to happen to his childhood toys. In an unfortunate mix-up, the toys think he’s going to throw them out, so they hide away to go to Sunnyside Day Care. Woody, who is college-bound with Andy, knows about the mix-up and follows the rest to the day care to bring them back to Andy.

I cried a lot during this movie. Even on the second viewing. I also laughed a lot. It’s a rollercoaster of emotions watching this film, as much as that is a cliché. But, as someone who grew up loving Toy Story – and I know there are a lot of us – it was awesome seeing what happened to the toys!

It definitely better than the second one – how the hell did that end up on this list?? – but I still don’t think it’s as good as the first. So, yeah, it deserves to be on the list, but not this high.

Ziggi seal of approval!

Schindler's List (1993)

Trailer

Whoever saves one life, saves the world entire.
So basically: Oskar Schindler is a German businessman who sets up an enamel factory in Poland during the German occupation. He started out to make a lot of money by hiring the cheap workforce of the Jews, but throughout the war he started taking in more Jews, making his factory a safe haven.

This isn’t my favourite film ever and I don’t think I would voluntarily watch it. Which I think about some of the movies on the list. But, that doesn’t stop them from being awesome films, which this one is. Unlike The Pianist, which I thought some scenes were put in there purely for shock value, this flows very nicely. And everything is set into place just right. It’s a very long film about a very serious subject matter, but it works and doesn’t make the audience wish it was over and get overwhelmed – please don’t misunderstand me, the subject matter is overwhelming, but the amount of characters, settings, and the like do not swamp the audience and get confusing, which I think is something that happens to movies of this type.

Yes, this film deserves to be on the list.

Ziggi seal of approval!

12 Angry Men (1957)

Trailer

It's now your duty to sit down and try to separate the facts from the fancy.
So basically: The trial is over and it’s up to the jury to decide the fate on the accused. It seems like a pretty simple conviction – the man is obviously guilty, there are eye witnesses to the fact! But, when one juror disagrees, reluctant to send a man to death, he tries to convince the others to talk the case through, not necessarily getting the guy off, but to prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, the truth.

My sister even likes this movie, and she hates old, black and white films! That must mean it’s brilliant, right? I think it does. I mean, the outcome is pretty predictable, you know Henry Fonda is going to convert everybody, but it’s the way he does it, the discussions involved, that are the interesting part. A film like this could have failed so easily, but all the actors, the director, and writers involved did their job flawlessly to create a brilliant picture.

Defs deserves to be on the list!

Ziggi seal of approval!

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)

Trailer

I'm a goddamn marvel of modern science.
So basically: R.P. McMurphy thinks he can get out of prison duties by posing to be insane. His plan backfires when he is sent to the state asylum. Once there, he befriends the inmates and leads them in a rebellion against the tyrannical Nurse Ratched.

This story is very character driven. The first time I saw it I couldn’t sum it up to anyone who asked, I just knew it was a fantastic movie. Jack Nicholson rly does have the crazy guy down and so this role was practically made for him. And he defs does not overshadow the other actors’ performances, which were all brilliant, by the way. It’s what makes this film so good.

Yeah, this film deserves to be on the list.

Ziggi seal of approval!

Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

Trailer

No, I am your father.
So basically: It’s the second, most epic instalment in the Star Wars trilogy!

This is the famous reveal movie. HOMG!! It’s also one of those films which didn’t fail as a sequel, so it gets points just for that. And Yoda! Yoda is awesome and puppety! Not the lame-ass Yoda today, with all that crappy CGI junk. I don’t have anything really against CGI, I just think it’s hella overused, especially since Yoda pre-prequels was awesome in the first place.

This film is epic and defs deserves to be on the list! Tho, I do think the original Star Wars (Episode IV: A New Hope) should be higher,

Ziggi seal of approval!

The Dark Knight (2008)

Trailer

Why so serious?
So basically: Gotham is terrorized by The Joker, a man who loved to cause chaos. Batman is struggling with his role as the vigilante in Gotham and handing over the saving to the new D.A., Harvey Dent, Gotham’s white knight.

Let me tell you how unbiased this review is going to be. I saw it THREE times in theatres, loving each time and thinking, whole-heartedly, that it would surpass Titanic at the box-office (I am SO angry that it was Avatar that finally got there, by the way). So when I say this is a terrible movie, you’re going to agree with me. And it’s only got all the hype because of The Joker and, by extension, Heath Ledger’s amazing acting. I noticed, probably on the third or fourth viewing, that any scene without him in it was just boring. Like, so boring! It hurt. It’s much too long, also. Which I think is the biggest downfall of the film. They tried to shove way too much into it. Especially stuffing Two Face in at the end. That was just unnecessary! He deserves his own film. And what’s with The Joker being all “I don’t plan things, I just go with the chaos,” yet all of his schemes seem very well thought out. Wut?! Yup, so, dull film that is way too long and has too much plot shoved into it. Lastly, I did not know Batman was dying of lung cancer, but that's certainly how he sounds.

Homg! No, not at all deserving of the list.

Ziggi seal of disapproval!

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)

Trailer

Certainty of death, small chance of success... What are we waiting for?
So basically: Their stroll takes them to a VOLCANO! And some epic battles ensue.

Okay, so this film is pretty epic. It’s full of epic battles and scenes of epicess. I mean, if you remember my review of Glory, you know that I abhor the meaning of glory in war. There is no glory or good shit in war. But, this movie makes it seem like there is. There’s this awesome feeling at the beginning of every battle. This awe at the power of man-kind. And while I’m at it, where the fuck are the elves? They were so there 3,000 years ago, and I know they are all about ‘It’s a man’s world now we need to go at sea and DIE’ but like, srs? Legolas is the only elf? Don’t they care about the fate of Middle Earth at ALL?! They are still there! Anyway, still an epic movie, espec with the ghosts, which is like my favourite scenes. And Merry and Pippin are awesome in this movie as well. My only problem is the complete lack of care to the Frodo storyline – y’kno, the actual point of the story. When it cuts back to their scenes, you’re like, oops forgot about those guys …

Anyway, still an epic movie, so defs deserves to be on the list.

Ziggi seal of approval!

Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977)

Trailer

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away …
So basically: It’s the original Star Wars film.

The movie that started it all. Don’t you wish you could go back to simpler times when this first one came out? When the phenomenon started and little kids were sooo excited that they could be Ewoks in the third installment of the trilogy? Before George Lucas ruined it all with his overly CGIed, crappy prequels with annoying characters? This film is classic and if you haven’t seen it, you should. Even if you don’t like science fiction, because it is SO much more than that! Also, Han Solo is epic.

Psh, obvi this deserves to be on the list. And I think it should be the highest Star Wars film on the list. Which it isn’t. How lame.

Ziggi seal of approval!

Shichinin no Samurai (1954)

Trailer

Don't you see? A real sword will kill you.
So basically: A samurai is employed by a town who is under attack by bandits. To make matters worse, they don’t have much and can only offer him three meals a day. This out of luck samurai agrees to their terms and must hire six other samurai to defend the town. The story chronicles their struggles to defeat the bandits and protect the small town.

I’ve already proclaimed my love for Akira Kurosawa, but I don’t like this film. And it entirely rests on my not-so-much love of epics. At over 3 hours long and focusing on a narrow cast of characters, this is exactly what an epic should be! And probably one of the better ones. But, I just can’t get into it. The characters are all pretty awesome and I felt a connection with some of them, but it wasn’t enough for me. The story wasn’t there, at least not for a wider audience, which is what I think it needed. If Kurosawa would have condensed it I think it would have made an awesome film – see Yojimbo and Rashômon, which are both shorter and epic-er!

I’m sorry, but I don’t get the appeal of this film. It was in the hands of a talented director and the characters were there to accompany a good story, but it just wasn’t there!

Ziggi seal of disapproval!

Casablanca (1942)

Trailer

Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
So basically: Rick Blain owns the most famous club in unoccupied French Africa during the Second World War. Casablanca is a stopping ground for Europeans fleeing to America. Czech underground leader Victor Laszlo is one of these emigrates, along with his wife, Ilsa. Rick has his hands on the papers that Laszlo needs to get out of Africa, but he refuses to hand them over due to his past relationship with Ilsa in Paris.

If you people have been keeping up, you’ll know my distaste for Humphrey Bogart. This was the first film I saw him in, before I knew who he was, so I do not dislike him in the film. I actually think he did a pretty good job with the role – I still don’t think he is what Hollywood seems to think he is, but for this one, I’ll let it slide. Ingrid Bergman is a lovely actress, which is nice alongside Humphrey Bogart, though! But, yeah, it’s Casablanca! Everyone loves this movie, don’t they? It’s, like, the ultimate romance movie, and it has just a bit of action in to please everyone else.

Can I say this movie doesn’t deserve to be on the list? It’s Casablanca! Of course it deserves to be on the list!

Ziggi seal of approval!

Goodfellas (1990)

Trailer

What am I? A schmuck on wheels?
So basically: Henry Hill narrates his rise to power in the New York mob hierarchy.

Narrates is the key word in that “summary” … I don’t get it with Scorsese and his voice-overs! It’s annoying as hell! I keep expecting the introduction, with the voice-over, to end, and it never does! I have this feeling of waiting for the story to happen and then the movie ends! I hate it. I don’t get it, and I don’t understand why everyone loves him for it. I don’t get gangster movies either, but this one at least didn’t bore me to tears, so yey for that!

No! I’m still a blasphemer, but this doesn’t deserve to be on the list.

Ziggi seal of disapproval!

Fight Club (1999)

Trailer

The first rule of Fight Club is: you do not talk about Fight Club. The second rule of Fight Club is: you do not talk about Fight Club!
So basically: A bored insomniac goes to support groups for various illnesses and diseases every night. He finds a woman, Marla, who is doing the same thing and they trade off nights. One day, he meets a soap salesmen, Tyler Durden, who revolutionizes his life with the invention of an underground club, fight club. Together they set off a chain reaction of male aggression and dissatisfaction with the world.

Oh Fight Club! What is there really to say about Fight Club? Only that’s it’s the best movie ever! Or close to that. I only wish some stupid kid in my anthro, socio, and psych class hadn’t spoiled it for me! I totally would have been sucked in until the end! And it would have been great! Instead, I knew what was going to happen, which doesn’t make it any less of an epic movie! It just makes the end a little less awesome!

You should watch this film! oh … and it totally deserves to be on the list! Also, how can you not love a movie with Meat Loaf in it?!

Cidade de Deus (2002)

Trailer

You need more than guts to be a good gangster, you need ideas.
So basically: Rocket retells the story of the slum. He recounts when he was a boy and the reign of the Tender Trio robbing gas trucks. When he was 18, and Li’l Ze took over the drug run. And a decade later, when Li’l Ze and Carrot are the only gang leaders left and the City of God is in the middle of the war. Throughout the violence of the slum, all Rocket wants to do is take pictures.

I don’t usually like these types of movies. But, I think it’s because I’m so used to the American ones, and they really can’t do them right. It never gets boring and you’re never left wondering why we care about these kids, and the stories weave into each other (this tends to happen to me with films about multiple stories) because it’s done excellently. Rocket makes a good narrator and brings the audience into the slums of Rio de Janeiro.

The story was handled brilliantly by the director and defs deserves to be on the list! Check out the sequel, Cidade dos Homens, too!

Ziggi seal of approval!

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

Trailer

Anyways, you need people of intelligence on this sort of... mission... quest... thing.
So basically: Nine beings of Middle Earth – four hobbits, two humans, one elf, one dwarf, and a wizard – go on an epic stroll.

I used to watch this every day after school when I first got it on DVD. ‘Cause I’m a cool kid like that. And not surprisingly, it’s because I love the film. Still do, especially the extended versions (of which I used for the viewing of the list). Why? Because Peter Jackson does a fantastic job introducing people to Middle Earth. I was ten when this film came out and my dad took me to see it and dear readers, I thought it was real. No, not like that, I just thought it was a real period in history. I knew the story was fiction, but the setting felt real to me. And that’s the magic of this film. It’s brilliant in its detail but not too bogged down with it and the mythology, so it’s appealing to newcomers to the series.

It’s not just a film about epic stolling, there’s also dwarves and shit. And that is why it deserves to be on the list. Because of Gimli. No srs, it’s a pretty epic film.

Ziggi seal of approval!

Happy New Year!!!

Yeah, I know I keep saying I'm going to finish by this date and the date passes and I'm still not done ...

My last goal was to be done by the New Year, which obviously hasn't happened. Now I just want to be done before I start school on Monday. Which should be easy. There are only 6 more I haven't seen.

Yes, I know there are more reviews to be posted, but that's just because I am a lot ahead, ok?

So, with a bit of luck, and some shut-in tomorrow, I shall be done this list this weekend! YEY!!!!!

That is all.