Stuart Rachels


My 10 Favorite Movies

Day of the Jackal, The (1973)
Fargo (1996)
Fugitive, The (1993)
Godfather, The (1972)
In the Line of Fire (1993)
Jackie Brown (1997)
Man on the Moon (1999)
Memento (2000)
No Country for Old Men (2007)
Thin Blue Line, The (1988)

11-20:

Dirty Harry (1971)
Eye of the Needle (1981)
George Wallace: Settin' the Woods on Fire (2000)
Happy Gilmore (1996)
In the Company of Men (1997)
Munich (2005)
Prizzi's Honor (1985)
Pulp Fiction (1994)
Raising Arizona (1987)
Touching the Void (2003)

If those movies don't sound good, no need to read further.


My 100 Favorite Movies


These movies are listed alphabetically, chronologically, and by genre. At the bottom of the page, I give a runners-up list.

"Favorite" does not mean "best." So, I don't have to worry about whether Lawrence of Arabia (1962) is "better than" Point Break (1991). It's enough that I enjoyed Point Break more. Much more.

I have narrow taste. I like documentaries, comedies, and suspenseful movies with smart dialogue. Some outstanding movies didn't make the cut because no movie of their type could: About a Boy (2002) (romantic comedy), The School of Rock (2003) (kids' movie), The Matrix (1999) (sci-fi), The Last Waltz (1978) (concert film), It's a Wonderful Life (1946) (old movie), Schindler's List (1993) (Holocaust movie), and The Remains of the Day (1993) (Merchant Ivory film).

Affliction (1997)
American Movie (1999)
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)
Animal House (1978)
Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997)
Badder Santa (2003)
Best in Show (2000)
Big Lebowski, The (1998)
Blood Simple (1984)
Blues Brothers, The (1980)
Boogie Nights (1997)
Boys Don't Cry (1999)
Casino (1995)
Castle, The (1997)
Chinatown (1974)
Day of the Jackal, The (1973)
Dirty Harry (1971)
Dirty Work (1998)
Election (1999)
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
Evil Under the Sun (1982)
Eye of the Needle (1981)
Fargo (1996)
Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982)
French Connection, The (1971)
Fugitive, The (1993)
Galaxy Quest (1999)
George Wallace: Settin' the Woods on Fire (2000)
Godfather, The (1972)
Good Night, and Good Luck. (2005)
Hands on a Hard Body: The Documentary (1997)
Happy Gilmore (1996)
Hoosiers (1986)
Hustle & Flow (2005)
In-Laws, The (1979)
In the Company of Men (1997)
In the Line of Fire (1993)
In the Valley of Elah (2007)
Jackie Brown (1997)
King of Comedy, The (1983)
Legally Blonde (2001)
MacArthur (The American Experience) (1999)
Machinist, The (2004)
Man on the Moon (1999)
Marathon Man (1976)
Maria Full of Grace (2004)
Memento (2000)
Me, Myself & Irene (2000)
Monster (2003)
Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
Mulholland Dr. (2001)
Munich (2005)
Murder on a Sunday Morning (2001)
Muriel's Wedding (1994)
My Kid Could Paint That (2007)
Nine Queens (2005)
No Country for Old Men (2007)
No End in Sight (2007)
One False Move (1992)
Ordinary People (1980)
Over the Hedge (2006)
Patton (1970)
Payback (1999)
Piano Teacher, The (2001)
Point Break (1991)
Prestige, The (2006)
Prizzi's Honor (1985)
Pulp Fiction (1994)
Requiem for a Dream (2000)
Reversal of Fortune (1990)
Raising Arizona (1987)
Rush Hour (1998)
Scottsboro: An American Tragedy (2000)
Series 7: The Contenders (2001)
Shackleton's Antarctic Adventure (2001)
Simpsons Movie, The (2007)
Sixth Sense, The (1999)
Slacker (1991)
Sling Blade (1996)
Spanish Prisoner, The (1997)
Station Agent, The (2003)
Taxi Driver (1976)
Team America: World Police (2004)
There's Something About Mary (1998)
Thin Blue Line, The (1988)
This Is Spinal Tap (1984)
Times of Harvey Milk, The (1984)
To Die For (1995)
Touching the Void (2003)
Toy Story 2 (1999)
Traffic (2000)
Tropic Thunder (2008)
True Romance (1993)
Twilight (1998)
Unfaithful (2002)
Waiting for Guffman (1996)
Waterboy, The (1998)
Wedding Singer, The (1998)
Welcome to the Dollhouse (1995)
You Can Count on Me (2000) 








By Year






Patton (1970) 

Dirty Harry (1971) 

French Connection, The (1971) 

Godfather, The (1972) 

Day of the Jackal, The (1973) 

Chinatown (1974) 

Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) 

Marathon Man (1976) 

Taxi Driver (1976) 

Animal House (1978) 

In-Laws, The (1979) 

Blues Brothers, The (1980) 

Ordinary People (1980) 

Eye of the Needle (1981) 

Evil Under the Sun (1982) 

Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982) 

King of Comedy, The (1983) 

Blood Simple (1984) 

This Is Spinal Tap (1984) 

Times of Harvey Milk, The (1984) 

Prizzi's Honor (1985) 

Hoosiers (1986) 

Raising Arizona (1987) 

Thin Blue Line, The (1988) 

Reversal of Fortune (1990) 

Point Break (1991) 

Slacker (1991) 

One False Move (1992) 

Fugitive, The (1993) 

In the Line of Fire (1993) 

True Romance (1993) 

Muriel's Wedding (1994) 

Pulp Fiction (1994) 

Casino (1995) 

To Die For (1995) 

Welcome to the Dollhouse (1995) 

Fargo (1996) 

Happy Gilmore (1996) 

Sling Blade (1996) 

Waiting for Guffman (1996) 

Affliction (1997) 

Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997) 

Boogie Nights (1997) 

Castle, The (1997) 

Hands on a Hard Body: The Documentary (1997) 

In the Company of Men (1997) 

Jackie Brown (1997) 

Spanish Prisoner, The (1997) 

Big Lebowski, The (1998) 

Dirty Work (1998) 

Rush Hour (1998) 

There's Something About Mary (1998) 

Twilight (1998) 

Waterboy, The (1998) 

Wedding Singer, The (1998) 

American Movie (1999) 

Boys Don't Cry (1999) 

Election (1999) 

Galaxy Quest (1999) 

Man on the Moon (1999) 

MacArthur (The American Experience) (1999) 

Payback (1999) 

Sixth Sense, The (1999) 

Toy Story 2 (1999) 

Best in Show (2000) 

George Wallace: Settin' the Woods on Fire (2000) 

Memento (2000) 

Me, Myself & Irene (2000) 

Requiem for a Dream (2000) 

Scottsboro: An American Tragedy (2000) 

Traffic (2000) 

You Can Count on Me (2000) 

Legally Blonde (2001) 

Mulholland Dr. (2001) 

Murder on a Sunday Morning (2001) 

Piano Teacher, The (2001) 

Series 7: The Contenders (2001) 

Shackleton's Antarctic Adventure (2001) 

Unfaithful (2002) 

Badder Santa (2003) 

Monster (2003) 

Station Agent, The (2003) 

Touching the Void (2003) 

Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004) 

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) 

Machinist, The (2004) 

Maria Full of Grace (2004) 

Team America: World Police (2004) 

Good Night, and Good Luck. (2005) 

Hustle & Flow (2005) 

Munich (2005) 

Nine Queens (2005) 

Over the Hedge (2006) 

Prestige, The (2006) 

In the Valley of Elah (2007) 

My Kid Could Paint That (2007) 

No Country for Old Men (2007) 

No End in Sight (2007) 

Simpsons Movie, The (2007) 

Tropic Thunder (2008) 









By Genre









Action Movie: Rush Hour (1998) 




Animated Movies:



Over the Hedge (2006) 

Simpsons Movie, The (2007) 

Toy Story 2 (1999) 



Biopics:



Good Night, and Good Luck. (2005) 

Man on the Moon (1999) 

Patton (1970) 




Comedies:



Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004) 

Animal House (1978) 

Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997) 

Badder Santa (2003) 

Best in Show (2000) 

Blues Brothers, The (1980) 

Castle, The (1997) 

Dirty Work (1998) 

Election (1999) 

Galaxy Quest (1999) 

Happy Gilmore (1996) 

In-Laws, The (1979) 

Legally Blonde (2001) 

Me, Myself & Irene (2000) 

Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) 

Raising Arizona (1987) 

Series 7: The Contenders (2001) 

Team America: World Police (2004) 

There's Something About Mary (1998) 

This Is Spinal Tap (1984) 

Tropic Thunder (2008) 

Waiting for Guffman (1996) 

Waterboy, The (1998) 

Wedding Singer, The (1998) 



Dark Dramas:



Affliction (1997) 

Boys Don't Cry (1999) 

In the Company of Men (1997) 

In the Valley of Elah (2007) 

Monster (2003) 

Ordinary People (1980) 

Piano Teacher, The (2001) 

Requiem for a Dream (2000) 

Taxi Driver (1976) 

Welcome to the Dollhouse (1995) 



Dramas (not too dark, but no promises):



Big Lebowski, The (1998) 

Day of the Jackal, The (1973) 

Dirty Harry (1971) 

Eye of the Needle (1981) 

Fargo (1996) 

French Connection, The (1971) 

Fugitive, The (1993) 

In the Line of Fire (1993) 

Jackie Brown (1997) 

Marathon Man (1976) 

Maria Full of Grace (2004) 

Munich (2005) 

No Country for Old Men (2007) 

One False Move (1992) 

Point Break (1991) 

Pulp Fiction (1994) 

Reversal of Fortune (1990) 

Sling Blade (1996) 

Spanish Prisoner, The (1997) 

Traffic (2000) 

True Romance (1993) 

Unfaithful (2002) 



Film Noir:



Blood Simple (1984) 

Chinatown (1974) 

Payback (1999) 

Twilight (1998) 



Odd / Intense / Psychedelic: 



Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) 

King of Comedy, The (1983) 

Machinist, The (2004) 

Memento (2000) 

Mulholland Dr. (2001) 

Prestige, The (2006) 

Sixth Sense, The (1999) 



Mob Movies:



Casino (1995) 

Godfather, The (1972) 

Prizzi's Honor (1985) 
 


Documentaries:



American Movie (1999) 

George Wallace: Settin' the Woods on Fire (2000) 

Hands on a Hard Body: The Documentary (1997) 

MacArthur (The American Experience) (1999) 

Murder on a Sunday Morning (2001) 

My Kid Could Paint That (2007) 

No End in Sight (2007) 

Touching the Void (2003) 

Scottsboro: An American Tragedy (2000) 

Shackleton's Antarctic Adventure (2001) 

Thin Blue Line, The (1988) 

Times of Harvey Milk, The (1984) 
 


Mystery: Evil Under the Sun (1982) 



Romantic Comedies:



Slice of Life Movies:



Boogie Nights (1997) 

Hustle & Flow (2005) 

Muriel's Wedding (1994) 

Slacker (1991) 

Station Agent, The (2003) 

To Die For (1995) 

You Can Count on Me (2000) 



Sports Movie: Hoosiers (1986) 



Con Artist Movie: Nine Queens (2005) 



Teen Film: Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982) 







Runners-Up






About a Boy (2002) 

Adaptation (2002) 

All the President's Men (1976) 

Alpha Dog (2006) 

And the Band Played On (1993) 

Arthur (1981) 

Being There (1979) 

Black Christmas (a.k.a. Stranger in the House) (1974) 

Brady Bunch Movie, The (1995) 

Chicken Rice War (2000) 

Citizen Ruth (1996) 

Drugstore Cowboy (1989) 

Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004) 

Falling Down (1993) 

Field of Dreams (1989) 

Fire Down Below (1997) 

First Blood (1982) 

Flirting with Disaster (1996) 

Fog of War: Eleven Lessons from the Life of Robert S. McNamara, The (2003) 

Following (1998) 

Full Monty, The (1997) 

Goodfellas (1990) 

Heathers (1989) 

Ikiru (1952) 

Incredibles, The (2004) 

Iron Man (2008) 

It's a Wonderful Life (1946) 

Jennifer Eight (1992) 

Lives of Others, The (2006) 

Love and Death on Long Island (1997) 

Minority Report (2002) 

Murder by Death (1976) 

Mysterious Skin (2004) 

Napoleon Dynamite (2004) 

Return of the Pink Panther, The (1975) 

Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) 

Remains of the Day, The (1993) 

Rescue Dawn (2007) 

Rumble in the Bronx (1995) 

Schindler's List (1993) 

Shot in the Dark, A (1964) 

Sicko (2007) 

Standard Operating Procedure (2008) 

Stuart Saves His Family (1995) 

Super Size Me (2004) 

Taps (1981) 

Terminator, The (1984) 

Thin (2006) 

Thirteen Days (2000) 

Time After Time (1979) 

Tin Men (1987) 

Toy Story (1995) 

Under Siege (1992) 

Verdict, The (1982) 

When We Were Kings (1996) 

Whispers in the Dark (1992)