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Most Influential Movies of My Life

by Harry-Hood • Created 11 years ago • Modified 11 years ago
A personal & subjective review of films that left an impact on me throughout my life, from the 70s to present.
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  • 50 titles
  • Henry Thomas and Pat Welsh in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

    1. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial

    19821h 55mPG92Metascore
    7.9 (454K)
    A troubled child summons the courage to help a friendly alien escape from Earth and return to his home planet.
    DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsHenry ThomasDrew BarrymorePeter Coyote
    my first film experience
  • Michael Douglas, Don Cheadle, Dennis Quaid, Benicio Del Toro, and Catherine Zeta-Jones in Traffic (2000)

    2. Traffic

    20002h 27mR86Metascore
    7.5 (225K)
    A conservative judge is appointed by the President to spearhead America's escalating war against drugs, only to discover that his teenage daughter is a crack addict. Two DEA agents protect an informant. A jailed drug baron's wife attempts to carry on the family business.
    DirectorSteven SoderberghStarsMichael DouglasBenicio Del ToroCatherine Zeta-Jones
    First socio-politically relevant film......
  • Fargo (1996)

    3. Fargo

    19961h 38mR88Metascore
    8.1 (758K)
    Minnesota car salesman Jerry Lundegaard's inept crime falls apart due to his and his henchmen's bungling and the persistent police work of the quite pregnant Marge Gunderson.
    DirectorsJoel CoenEthan CoenStarsWilliam H. MacyFrances McDormandSteve Buscemi
    the first dark comedy
  • Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Paul Freeman, Wolf Kahler, Ronald Lacey, and Terry Richards in Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

    4. Raiders of the Lost Ark

    19811h 55mPG86Metascore
    8.4 (1.1M)
    In 1936, archaeologist Indiana Jones is tasked by Army Intelligence to help locate a legendary ancient power, the Ark of Covenant, before the Nazis get it first.
    DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsHarrison FordKaren AllenPaul Freeman
    the first adventure film
  • Sean Connery, Harrison Ford, Denholm Elliott, Michael Byrne, Alison Doody, and John Rhys-Davies in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)

    5. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

    19892h 7mPG-1365Metascore
    8.2 (840K)
    In 1938, after his father goes missing while pursuing the Holy Grail, Indiana Jones finds himself up against the Nazis again to stop them from obtaining its powers.
    DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsHarrison FordSean ConneryAlison Doody
    the first adventure film with true heart
  • Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush, Orlando Bloom, and Keira Knightley in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)

    6. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

    20032h 23mPG-1363Metascore
    8.1 (1.3M)
    Blacksmith Will Turner teams up with eccentric pirate "Captain" Jack Sparrow to save Elizabeth Swann, the governor's daughter and his love, from Jack's former pirate allies, who are now undead.
    DirectorGore VerbinskiStarsJohnny DeppGeoffrey RushOrlando Bloom
    The best action comedy since "Raiders of the Lost Ark". Too bad the sequels failed...
  • Anthony Daniels, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, James Earl Jones, David Prowse, and Kenny Baker in Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977)

    7. Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope

    19772h 1mPG90Metascore
    8.6 (1.5M)
    Luke Skywalker joins forces with a Jedi Knight, a cocky pilot, a Wookiee and two droids to save the galaxy from the Empire's world-destroying battle station, while also attempting to rescue Princess Leia from the mysterious Darth Vader.
    DirectorGeorge LucasStarsMark HamillHarrison FordCarrie Fisher
    the first mythical film
  • Heather O'Rourke in Poltergeist (1982)

    8. Poltergeist

    19821h 54mPG79Metascore
    7.3 (188K)
    A family's home becomes the center of paranormal activity that opens a doorway to the "other side." With help, they must cross over to get their daughter back.
    DirectorTobe HooperStarsJoBeth WilliamsHeather O'RourkeCraig T. Nelson
    first horror film
  • The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)

    9. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre

    19741h 23mR91Metascore
    7.4 (199K)
    Five friends head out to rural Texas to visit the grave of a grandfather. On the way they stumble across what appears to be a deserted house, only to discover something sinister within. Something armed with a chainsaw.
    DirectorTobe HooperStarsMarilyn BurnsEdwin NealAllen Danziger
    most realistic/terrifying horror film (a fortuitous VHS b-side to "Poltergeist")
  • Heather Langenkamp in A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

    10. A Nightmare on Elm Street

    19841h 31mR76Metascore
    7.4 (278K)
    Teenager Nancy Thompson must uncover the dark truth concealed by her parents after she and her friends become targets of the spirit of a serial killer with a bladed glove in their dreams, in which if they die, it kills them in real life.
    DirectorWes CravenStarsHeather LangenkampJohnny DeppRobert Englund
    first intelligent horror film
  • Jodie Foster in The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

    11. The Silence of the Lambs

    19911h 58mR86Metascore
    8.6 (1.6M)
    A young F.B.I. cadet must receive the help of an incarcerated and manipulative cannibal killer to help catch another serial killer, a madman who skins his victims.
    DirectorJonathan DemmeStarsJodie FosterAnthony HopkinsScott Glenn
    first award-winning horror film
  • Game of Thrones (2011)

    12. Game of Thrones

    2011–201974 epsTV-MATV Series
    9.2 (2.4M)
    Nine noble families fight for control over the lands of Westeros, while an ancient enemy returns after being dormant for millennia.
    CreatorsDavid BenioffD.B. WeissStarsEmilia ClarkePeter DinklageKit Harington
    Perfect blend of fantasy, drama, action/adventure and realism...
  • John Lithgow, Kristen Johnston, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and French Stewart in 3rd Rock from the Sun (1996)

    13. 3rd Rock from the Sun

    1996–2001139 epsTV-PGTV Series
    7.8 (58K)
    A group of aliens is sent to Earth, disguised as a human family, to experience and report life on the third planet from the sun.
    CreatorsBonnie TurnerTerry TurnerStarsJohn LithgowJane CurtinKristen Johnston
    TV sit-com with first universal appeal....
  • Sofía Vergara, Julie Bowen, Ty Burrell, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Sarah Hyland, Ed O'Neill, Eric Stonestreet, Beatrice the Dog, Ariel Winter, Nolan Gould, Rico Rodriguez, Reid Ewing, Aubrey Anderson-Emmons, and Jeremy Maguire in Modern Family (2009)

    14. Modern Family

    2009–2020250 epsTV-PGTV Series
    8.5 (517K)
    Three different, but related, families face trials and tribulations in their own uniquely comedic ways.
    CreatorsSteven LevitanChristopher LloydStarsEd O'NeillSofía VergaraJulie Bowen
    TV comedy with most universal appeal...
  • Alive (1993)

    15. Alive

    19932h 8mR56Metascore
    7.1 (67K)
    After crash-landing in the snowswept Andes, a Uruguayan rugby team has no choice but to turn to desperate measures in order to survive.
    DirectorFrank MarshallStarsEthan HawkeVincent SpanoJosh Hamilton
    First true survival story
  • Daniel Radcliffe in The Woman in Black (2012)

    16. The Woman in Black

    20121h 35mPG-1362Metascore
    6.4 (197K)
    A young solicitor travels to a remote village where he discovers that the vengeful ghost of a scorned woman is terrorizing the locals.
    DirectorJames WatkinsStarsDaniel RadcliffeJanet McTeerCiarán Hinds
    Most atmospheric & effective commercial ghost movie...
  • Haley Joel Osment in The Sixth Sense (1999)

    17. The Sixth Sense

    19991h 47mPG-1364Metascore
    8.2 (1.1M)
    After being shot by a resentful former patient whom he failed to help, a Philadelphia child psychologist seeks redemption by treating a young boy with a disturbing secret.
    DirectorM. Night ShyamalanStarsBruce WillisHaley Joel OsmentToni Collette
    Emotional movie about the supernatural... feels both real and metaphysically impactful.....
  • The Shining (1980)

    18. The Shining

    19802h 26mR68Metascore
    8.4 (1.2M)
    A family heads to an isolated hotel for the winter, where a sinister presence influences the father into violence. At the same time, his psychic son sees horrifying forebodings from both the past and the future.
    DirectorStanley KubrickStarsJack NicholsonShelley DuvallDanny Lloyd
    First horror film I watched repeatedly...
  • 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

    19. 2001: A Space Odyssey

    19682h 29mG84Metascore
    8.3 (755K)
    When a mysterious artifact is uncovered on the Moon, a spacecraft manned by two humans and one supercomputer is sent to Jupiter to find its origins.
    DirectorStanley KubrickStarsKeir DulleaGary LockwoodWilliam Sylvester
    First film to make me think more on each viewing...
  • Malcolm McDowell in A Clockwork Orange (1971)

    20. A Clockwork Orange

    19712h 16mR77Metascore
    8.2 (913K)
    Alex DeLarge and his droogs barbarize a decaying near-future.
    DirectorStanley KubrickStarsMalcolm McDowellPatrick MageeMichael Bates
    Film that made me wonder, "Who or What is Stanley Kubrick??"
  • Gravity (2013)

    21. Gravity

    20131h 31mPG-1396Metascore
    7.7 (883K)
    Dr Ryan Stone, an engineer on her first space mission, and Matt Kowalski, an astronaut on his final expedition, have to survive in space after they are hit by debris while spacewalking.
    DirectorAlfonso CuarónStarsSandra BullockGeorge ClooneyEd Harris
    Made me re-appreciate life and what motivates progress.
  • Suraj Sharma in Life of Pi (2012)

    22. Life of Pi

    20122h 7mPG79Metascore
    7.9 (686K)
    A young man who survives a disaster at sea is hurtled into an epic journey of adventure and discovery. While cast away, he forms an unexpected connection with another survivor: a fearsome Bengal tiger.
    DirectorAng LeeStarsSuraj SharmaIrrfan KhanAdil Hussain
    A great analogy for the struggle over the freedom of religious choice.
  • Tom Hanks, Matt Damon, Tom Sizemore, and Edward Burns in Saving Private Ryan (1998)

    23. Saving Private Ryan

    19982h 49mR91Metascore
    8.6 (1.6M)
    Following the Normandy Landings, a group of U.S. soldiers go behind enemy lines to retrieve a paratrooper whose comrades have been killed in action.
    DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsTom HanksMatt DamonTom Sizemore
    The first film to bring me to tears... regarding the "value" of one life over another, and much more....
  • Anna Kendrick, Brittany Snow, Rebel Wilson, Anna Camp, Hana Mae Lee, Alexis Knapp, and Ester Dean in Pitch Perfect (2012)

    24. Pitch Perfect

    20121h 52mPG-1366Metascore
    7.1 (342K)
    Beca, a freshman at Barden University, is cajoled into joining The Bellas, her school's all-girls singing group. Injecting some much needed energy into their repertoire, The Bellas take on their male rivals in a campus competition.
    DirectorJason MooreStarsAnna KendrickBrittany SnowRebel Wilson
    A fun and escapist movie with strong grounding in real-life.
  • Liv Tyler, Sean Astin, Sean Bean, Elijah Wood, Cate Blanchett, Viggo Mortensen, Ian McKellen, Orlando Bloom, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, and John Rhys-Davies in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

    25. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

    20012h 58mPG-1392Metascore
    8.9 (2.1M)
    A meek Hobbit from the Shire and eight companions set out on a journey to destroy the powerful One Ring and save Middle-earth from the Dark Lord Sauron.
    DirectorPeter JacksonStarsElijah WoodIan McKellenOrlando Bloom
    As a trilogy, the most engaging and fully-realized vision ever put on film.

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