Starting in 2003, with the release of “Old School” then “Anchorman,” a comedy renaissance started with the boom of the Will Ferrell/Judd Apatow/Seth Rogen era (“The 40 Year Old Virgin,” “Superbad,” “Step Brothers” and “Walk Hard.”) Then, the immense success of 2009’s “The Hangover” and 2011’s “Bridesmaids,” which leads us to where we are now, which, while despite a few great chucklers having been released, most of the recent comedy releases this past decade have been safe “star-based” movies (think Kevin Hart or Melissa McCarthy).
Read moreHappy Birthday, Christopher Nolan - Here Are All 10 of His Movies, Ranked From Best to Worst
With Hollywood’s chief blockbuster maker hard at work editing his new espionage thriller “Tenet,” let’s take a look through his catalog to date. A catalog that many have in different ranking order. Nolan’s films have a distinct knack of hitting those they connect with right between the eyes. As we await whether or not “Tenet” will be released come its July release date, we can’t help but look back at the filmography of Hollywood’s leading maverick director.
Read moreThe 12 Best African-American Movies
It’s interesting to note that, despite a lengthy and rich history, starting with Oscar Micheaux’s 1920 silent “Within Our Gates,” African-American cinema was mostly known as a fringe genre until blaxploitation showed up in the ‘70s and made it a marketable commodity. And yet, it took close to 3 decades for one of the greatest films ever directed by an African-American filmmaker to see the light of day (Charles Burnett’s “The Killer of Sheep”).
Read moreThe 10 Greatest Movie Sequels of All-Time
Making a sequel in Hollywood might be the single most stress-inducing task for cast, crew, director and producer. Why? Because expectations are that the first film was, in all likelihood, well-liked and popular and thus by making a sequel you stand a chance to tarnish its legacy if not done right. You also run the risk of pissing off a considerably well-built fanbase that will ask for someone's head if the film fails to meet expectations. That's Hollywood for you. Most of the time the sequel doesn't come remotedly close to the original's freshness, but sometimes, in the case of these 10 classics, it turns out to be a landmark moment.
Read more14 Great Movies with “Rotten” Scores
For a film to be "rotten" on Rotten Tomatoes it has to have a score of under 60%. Even films that were at first critically reviled, but have aged like fine wine, have (for the most part) had their scores boosted above 60% by present-day reviews and reconsideration. Because of that, it was actually tough to find 10 “classic” movies which are still rotten. These are all still below 60%, but as time passes they will more than likely move towards that 60 percent fresh spot. For now, they belong on this list.
Read moreBrad Pitt's 12 Best Performances
With one of Hollywood’s most recognizable faces hitting the big screen twice this awards season with Quentin Tarantino’s ‘Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood’, and James Gray’s ‘Ad Astra’, It’s time to take a look at Brad Pitt’s most recognizable performances.
Read moreThe 10 Best Scenes from ‘The Irishman'
It’s been nearly a month since Martin Scorsese’s “The Irishman” hit Netflix, and whether you think its Scorsese’s best, an instant classic or just plainly too long, it can’t be denied it has some of the greatest cinematic moments of the year, and in some cases, the decade.
Read moreThe 25 Best Movies of the Decade [2010s]
As the decade closes in, I’ve decided to make a list of the 20 best movies I have seen since 2010. To say that I have painstakingly been trying to refine this list over and over again would be an understatement. The general questions I set forth to ask were quite simple: which films left the biggest impression on me this decade? Which works of art transcended the medium and paved their way into my deepest subconscious? Which films will have a lasting impact in the years to come?
Read moreThe 10 Best Documentaries of the 2010s
This was the richest decade yet for non-fiction film. As technology further advanced itself into unpredictable and shape-shifting ways, so did the doc form. We now seem to be part of a generation that records just about everything, which has given documentary filmmakers worldwide a treasure trove of creative freedom to mold and shape storytelling narratives through the footage taken. And yet, that didn’t scare some directors from completely inserting themselves into their narratives. Films by Kirsten Johnson, Jafar Panahi and Laurie Anderson were as much about the artist directing as the topic being tackled.
Read moreRanked: All 8 Martin Scorsese Movies From the 21st Century
With “The Irishman” currently in limited release, and dropping on Netflix later this month, let’s look back on one of Hollywood’s most legendary director’s work since the turn of the millennia.
Read moreThe 10 Best Movie Performances of the 2010s
Today, we continue our decade series, where we recap the best cinema had to offer in the 2010s. This time, we tackle the best acting of the last 10 years by highlighting the actors and actresses who turned in the most iconic performances. The performers, six men, and five women, must have surely not known that their work would not only be remembered but would also be celebrated years after its initial release. Whenever art is created, albeit a painting, a written novella or acting performances, the artist rarely thinks about the effect his or her work will have on the zeitgeist years from now; however, the following 10 performances have turned into time-capsule worthy moments not just within the present decade at hand but will surely stand the test of time.
Read moreThe 10 Longest Hollywood Movies Ever Made
They may be great, but some still had us checking our watches and rushing to the washroom before the sweet bliss of their end credits. For this list of the longest Hollywood movies ever made, I have narrowed my picks to only mainstream Hollywood movies that must have been over 200 minutes long when shown originally in theaters. We’re also excluding experimental films, director’s cuts and extended versions.
The 10 Best Animated Movies of the 2010s
This last decade in animation brought a lot of technological advancement. Yes, Studio Ghibli's iconic Hayao Miyazaki entered retirement, only to announce he would soon make a comeback, but animators took over his mantle as lines were stretched out as to what was visually possible, with the use of both traditional and computer-generated techniques. The storytelling, however, was a little less risk-taking, with many of the very best films opting for traditional storylines and narratives. However, if in the past much of animation was designed to appeal to kids, the adults in the room were entertained as well this decade. There was less of a divide in animation appealing to both adults and children alike.
Read moreTop 10 Best Australian Movies
The word “movie” itself screams Hollywood and makes us think about the masterpieces that have been created in the state of California, but very often we forget that almost every country has its film industry and pretty good ones at that. Australia is one of the most prominent countries in terms of film, in fact, some of the most popular Hollywood actors are Aussies themselves, so why wouldn’t they have such a developed industry?
Read moreThe 10 Best Space Movies: From ‘2001: A Space Odyssey' to ‘Gravity'
Space movies are a dime a dozen but only a handful have actually captured the zeitgeist and become cinematic landmarks. What are some of the essential films set amongst the stars?
Read moreTom Cruise's 10 Best Performances
Tom Cruise has been one of Hollywood’s biggest stars ever since he slid onto the screen to the sound of Bob Seger’s Old time rock and roll in 1983’s ‘Risky Business’. Jumping between serious roles and as Hollywood’s go to action man, Cruise has built a career around authenticity, both in performance and in the stunts he performs. Still one of Hollywood’s most bankable stars, but what have been his career highlights?
Read moreTop 10 Kevin Spacey Performances
Good guy or bad, does separating the art from the artist justify the acknowledgement that this unpredictable and unconventional actor is a great one?
Read moreTop 10 Best Plot Twists in Modern Cinema History
It isn’t my fault that this list, and video, which I scripted and B-rolled for WatchMojo back in 2014 mostly contains American movies. Hollywood has always had a knack to try to one-up its audience with gimmickry. Whereas European and Asian filmmakers are not interested as much, because, truth be told, twists are indeed gimmicks, but, sometimes, they can work marvelously well.
Read moreTop 10 Worst Movies Based On Real Life Events
I found this little nugget that I wrote back in the day, when I used to work for WatchMojo and had a little more say in how the lists were chosen. This is all me. I approve of every choice and every word.
Read moreThe Best Movies of 2018
This has been a tumultuous, but rewarding, year for films. Despite all the hoopla that we are living in dire times for moviemaking, the last 12 months have proved the naysayers wrong yet again. In fact, every year it’s the same story. Film critics will lament a doom and gloom overview of the year at the movies, how Hollywood doesn’t produce original stories anymore, how the multiplexes are filled with reboots, sequels, and prequels galore. Those assessments may not be wrong, but we now live at a time when so many options are at our disposal. Forget about Hollywood; seek stuff on the indie and foreign circuits and you’ll be rewarded with treasure upon treasure of cinematic delights. Much of the quality came from films that had originally premiered at film festivals.
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Earlier this year, Zack Snyder mentioned having seen James Gunn’s “Superman.” Heaping praise on it. Now he’s saying he actually hasn’t caught up with it yet?