As we inch closer and closer to #1, we continue our countdown of Movie Fanatic's Top 100 Films of All Time! Last week we brought you a lot of Alec Guinness movies, and this week features three from Robert De Niro!
Catch up on our first 70 picks with #100-91, #90-81, #80-71, #70-61, #60-51, #50-41, and #40-31, then scroll down to see our picks for the 30th to 21st best movies of all time! Let us know what you think in the comments section below.
30. Psycho
As chronicled so well in Hitchcock, the making of Psycho was all the talent, effort and money of Alfred Hitchcock. After the success of North by Northwest, the studio wanted him to do something more in the espionage arena. They wanted him to go nowhere near the true story of a serial killer who was answering to murder orders from his dead mother. When Hitchcock financed it himself, he knew he was on to something. What he crafted defines not only the horror genre, but filmmaking itself. As shown in Psycho, sometimes with only the simplest of hints, our deepest fears are fanned by a fire all crafted by imagination. Utterly terrifying on so many levels, Psycho still strikes fear in an audience in horror films that ultimately show us everything. Read through some Psycho quotes to find out why.
29.The Deer Hunter
One of the most gritting war films of all time, The Deer Hunter follows a group of small-town friends who ship off to the Vietnam War. The now-famous “Russian Roulette” scene and Oscar-nominated performances by Robert DeNiro, Christopher Walken, and Meryl Streep brought a level of wartime realism that became popular during the conflict in Vietnam. The film earned five Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Check out our The Deer Hunter quotes page.
28. It Happened One Night
One of the definitive Screwball Comedies, Frank Capra’s It Happened One Night uses the amazing on-screen chemistry between Clark Cable (whose performance is rumored to have influenced the Bugs Bunny character) and Claudette Colbert to its distinct advantage. The hilarious, touching, and fun-filled rom-com follows a young heiress on the run from her life, and the reporter who follows her to get a story, only to end up falling in love. It also It Happened One Night was the first film to win all of the big five Oscar categories. Take a look at some It Happened One Night quotes for more.
27. Goodfellas
The true story of Henry Hill and his rise and fall in a New York mafia racket is as powerful today as when it premiered in 1990. The way Nicholas Pileggi took his book and brought it to the screen with his screenplay is nothing short of a miracle. Even though it is a genre film, many screenwriters should take a lesson in his page to screen brilliance. Ray Liotta was Henry Hill, and managed to capture a character over a long period of time as he rose to the top and fell to the depths of hell… all through his own doing. Martin Scorsese gave audiences an unprecedented look at the inner-workings of the business of the Mafia. To this day, it should have beat Dances with Wolves for Best Picture. Check out our Goodfellas quotes page to revisit some of the film's most memorable moments.
26. Rushmore
One of the funniest movies ever made, and Wes Anderson’s most out-and-out comedy, Rushmore introduced the world to a young, rambunctious Jason Schwartzman, and the subtler side of Bill Murray. The characters Anderson created in his weird little world are some of the most vibrant and memorable in recent history, and Rushmore quotes are some of the most repeatable of all time. Underneath the outlandishness of Rushmore is a sincerity and sentimentality that few modern filmmakers can rival.
25. Bonnie and Clyde
Often imitated but never replicated, Bonnie and Clyde was based on a true story, but it was the chemistry between Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway that catapulted this film to legendary status. The crime couple movie is a delightful means to tell a violent yarn, like Natural Born Killers and True Romance, but they never possessed that indefinable spark that arrived in 1967 in the form of the story of the Depression-era couple who robbed banks and became heroes to millions. Read through some Bonnie and Clyde quotes for more.
24. The Shining
Although author Stephen King states that The Shining is one of his least favorite film versions of his books, film fans would argue otherwise. Stanley Kubrick crafted a masterpiece of familial terror that simultaneously manages to be very King-ish as much as it is Kubrickesque. Jack Nicholson scored just one of his career-defining roles and those The Shining quotes gave us some seriously iconic moments: Here’s Johnny, indeed! Check out some more The Shining quotes here.
23. The Godfather Part II
Rare is the sequel that matches the original, but Francis Ford Coppola achieved that feat when The Godfather Part II matched the first film’s box office, critical and award success. The continuing saga of the Corleone family achieved something no other film in history had -- it won Best Picture, just as the original did. Read some The Godfather Part II quotes for more.
22. Days of Heaven
The film that introduced the world to the “Magic Hour” (the two times of day when the sun is below the horizon but still emitting light) is undoubtedly one of the most aesthetically awe-inspiring creations ever committed to film. The story of a Chicago steel worker, Bill, and his girlfriend Abby, who move to a farm, where they pretend to be brother and sister while Abby cons the wealthy farm owner into marriage, Days of Heaven stars Richard Gere in his first major role. Head to our Days of Heaven quotes page!
21. The Last Picture Show
The quintessential coming-of-age story follows a group of teens in small-town Texas as they struggle with their ascent into adulthood after graduating high school. A beautifully shot and acted drama, The Last Picture Show presents a stark and devastating image of the slow economic and cultural decline of small-town America. A young Jeff Bridges, Timothy Bottoms, and Cybill Shepherd round out an amazing cast in this 1970’s classic that garnered eight Oscar Nominations. Check out some The Last Picture Show quotes.