EW names best 100 movies in last 25 years, we name the top 10 snubs

Posted Monday, June 23, 2008 at 2:59 PM Central

by John Couture

It used to be that everyone loves a clown, but I think the Web 2.0 version of this is everyone loves a list. Specifically, everyone loves a top 10 list and with last Thursday's movie t-shirt list, we're no exception.

Entertainment Weekly recently took on the daunting task of compiling a list of what they call "The New Classics: The 100 best films from 1983 to 2008." Take that AFI!

At first I simply dismissed it as yet another attempt to compile a list of the same old movies to get a little bit of traffic, but after actually sitting down with the list I became a convert. Anyone with the cajones to put Blue Velvet in the top 10 commands my respect.

Without further ado, here's the list (along with my occasional commentary):

100. South Park: Bigger, Longer, & Uncut

A great way to start the list and to send the message that this isn't going to be the same old movies.

99. The Blair Witch Project
98. The Talented Mr. Ripley

A very weak inclusion in my opinion, especially given the notable snubs below.

97. Glory
96. Far From Heaven
95. In the Mood for Love
94. Full Metal Jacket

Now we're talking. Of course, without Platoon (you know the Best Picture winning movie) on the list, you would think that this would be much higher up.

93. Ed Wood
92. Menace II Society

There's absolutely no way this makes it on the list before Boyz N The Hood. No way.

91. Back To The Future
90. Napoleon Dynamite

If you dismiss Juno out of hand because of concerns over its staying power, then this movie should also end up on the chopping room floor.

89. Breaking The Waves
88. Austin Powers: International Man Of Mystery
87. Swingers

Robbed of a deserved top 50 spot.

86. Y Tu Mama Tambien
85. The 40 Year-Old Virgin
84. Sideways
83. Evil Dead 2
82. Lost In Translation
81. Moonstruck

Explain to me again how a Cher movie makes the list when Kevin Spacey got snubbed many times over.

80. Michael Clayton
79. Waiting For Guffman

I liked it and all, but I don't think it fits in with this list.

78. Terminator 2: Judgment Day
77. Sid And Nancy
76. The Departed
75. Out Of Africa
74. Drugstore Cowboy
73. Office Space

Comedy always gets the shaft on lists like this. You applaud them on one hand for including this one, but chide them on the other for such a low ranking.

72. Thelma & Louise
71. Unforgiven
70. Broadcast News
69. All About My Mother
68. Witness
67. Donnie Brasco
66. Natural Born Killers
65. Dirty Dancing

Is this the Patrick Swayze sympathy vote? Hell, I'd rather see Ghost or Road House make the list.

64. No Country for Old Men

Way too high for a movie that is less than a year old.

63. Big
62. Sex, Lies, And Videotape
61. Beverly Hills Cop
60. Scream
59. L.A. Confidential
58. Ghostbusters
57. There's Something About Mary
56. The Lives of Others
55. Risky Business
54. Fatal Attraction
53. The Truman Show
52. The Naked Gun

Are you kidding me? Is this because Airplane! wasn't eligible?

51. There Will Be Blood

See above in regards to newer movies.

50. The Piano
49. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

I guess Roberto Benigni really did fall off the face of the planet.

48. Scarface

How this isn't top 25 or top 10, I'll never know.

47. Men In Black
46. Children of Men

Yes! Thank you! This is a newer movie that deserves its high placement.

45. Rain Man
44. The Player
43. Gladiator
42. Clueless

Uhh, no. Thanks for playing. Is this movie even still watch-able? I'm surprised Scooby Doo didn't make the list.

41. Dazed And Confused
40. Speed
39. The Sixth Sense
38. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
37. Pretty Woman
36. Spider-Man 2
35. The Incredibles
34. Fargo
33. The Breakfast Club
32. Fight Club
31. Brokeback Mountain
30. When Harry Met Sally...
29. The Bourne Supremacy
28. Wings of Desire
27. Aliens
26. Hoop Dreams

You choose one documentary and this is the one you go with? Roger & Me is a better choice. Super Size Me is another. I'm not knocking its inclusion, just wondering why it got the nod over other worthy pics.

25. Shrek
24. A Room With A View

Top 25? I don't think so.

23. Memento
22. Rushmore
21. Schindler's List
20. The Lion King
19. Casino Royale

Fine, you want to acknowledge the Blonde Bond, but this is far too gracious.

18. Do The Right Thing
17. Jerry Maguire
16. Boogie Nights

Gotta love the love given to the love industry.

15. Edward Scissorhands
14. Crumb
13. Goodfellas
12. The Matrix
11. This Is Spinal Tap

Oh look, how cute, and you put is at 11. Oh wait, we did the same thing over here. I guess we can't be hypocritical, now can we?

10. Moulin Rouge
9. Die Hard
8. The Silence Of The Lambs
7. Hannah And Her Sisters

Not even close to top 10 status.

6. Saving Private Ryan
5. Toy Story

Wait, wasn't Toy Story 2 the better movie?

4. Blue Velvet

This inclusion and ranking almost makes this list forgivable. Almost.

3. Titanic

Fine, I get it. You have to.

2. The Lord Of The Rings: The Motion Picture Trilogy

Ditto.

1. Pulp Fiction

No gripes here. Of course, with the notable snubs missing (see below), it almost invalidates this risky and inspired top choice.

That's quite a list and at first glance I was quite impressed with the inclusion and slotting of such movies like Blue Velvet and Memento, but what's a list without some sort of controversy? The more I looked and broke down the list, the more evident some snubs became.

And in true list fashion, I've compiled my list of the Top 10 Entertainment Weekly Snubs.

10. The Big Lebowski

    For someone that doesn't particularly imbibe the White Russians that the Dude concocts, I can still show a little appreciation for the rabid fanbase that holds annual bowl-a-thons and get-togethers.

9. Return Of The Jedi

   Sure, it's not as good as its predecessors in the series which are ineligible due to the timeframe cutoff, but are you telling me that Jedi isn't on par with Dirty Dancing (65) or Moonstruck (81)?

8. Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade

   Many of the same arguments for exclusion could apply here as above, but the difference here is that The Last Crusade might be the best of the Indiana Jones movies. It's surely more worthy of inclusion over say The Naked Gun (52).

7. Finding Nemo

   In our eyes Nemo is much better than The Incredibles (35), but it's not even listed. I guess we should be thankful that they didn't put Cars on the list.

6. Donnie Darko

   I will only forgive EW for this oversight if they will come out and admit that this snub was more a reaction to Southland Tales than a fair and balanced evaluation of Donnie Darko. Of course, it could also be a gut reaction to the alleged sequel S. Darko announced for next year, but come on Richard Kelly isn't even involved with that one.

5. / Clerks/Chasing Amy

   As most of you know, I would unabashedly put multiple Kevin Smith movies in my Top 10, but come on, how can you omit him altogether? Even if you don't include his genre breaking Clerks on the list, the omission of Chasing Amy is unforgivable.

4. Forrest Gump

   I know it's easy to get into Tom Hanks mode and completely overdose on him in your list, but I really don't get the argument for including Big (63) and not Gump. Yeah, I had to double check the list too.

3. The Professional

   Forget for a moment my infatuation with all things Natalie Portman and take this movie for what it is, an amazing work of art. Sadly, it often gets overlooked as it came out in the same year as the #1 movie on EW's list.

2. // Seven/American Beauty/The Usual Suspects

   I guess Kevin Spacey no longer rules. That's unfortunate because any one of these movies are worthy enough for top billing our most snubbed list. Taken together, their omission is unconscionable.

1. The Shawshank Redemption

   I really don't know what to say about this snub. I mean it's arguably one of the best movies put out in the last 50 years, let alone the last 25. For me, not having this movie on the list, let alone not within the top 10, is unforgivable.

So, what do you think of EW's list and/or our snubs? Are there movies left off both lists that you feel should be included? Let us know.