The Portman's aportman.com

Movies You Should See

Originally published, May 26, 2015

I worked for Domino's for 35 years. For a long time, I was as old as my co-workers' parents. There is a generational cultural gap.

This led to someone asking for a list of movies he should see. This was shortly after someone else said "Excuse me while I whip this out." and he had no clue where it came from. A movie list was started. This is the full monty. (ok add "The Full Monty" to the list. "Waking Ned Devine" too.)
This list has been compiled from several sources. We all have our opinions. The first list includes films not on the other lists and some that are. It would be a good start. They should all be the un-edited for TV versions, as close to the theater release as possible.

Not in any particular order

  1.  Blazing Saddles
  2. Risky Business
  3. The Blues Brothers
  4. Animal House
  5. Top Gun
  6. Casablanca
  7. The Maltese Falcon
  8. Star Wars (the pre digital version if possible), The New Hope if you must. (Machete Order is OK too.)
  9. Citizen Kane
  10. The Sting
  11. Schindler's List
  12. Rocky
  13. Bull Durham
  14. Raiders of the Ark, Indiana Jones, 2 and 3. Skip 4
  15. It's a Wonderful Life (uncut and in black and white)
  16. Saving Private Ryan
  17. When Harry Met Sally
  18. An American President
  19. Bladerunner (the theater version with the bizarre ending and the commentary) not Blade Runner 2049
  20. Bananas/Sleeper or another Woody Allen COMEDY, pre Interiors. 

Highlights from "Esquire Magazine's 100 Best Movies of All Time"

  1. In The Heat Of The Night
  2. Slap Shot
  3. Jaws
  4. 12 Angry Men (the Fonda version)
  5. Fast Times at Ridgemont High
  6. Chinatown
  7. The Godfather/Godfather II
  8. Ghostbusters
  9. Glory
  10. Wall Street
  11. The Exorcist
  12. The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly
  13. Johnny Dangerously
  14. The French Connection
  15. The Great Escape
  16. Night of the Living Dead/Dawn of the Dead (the originals)
  17. First Blood
  18. Tootsie
  19. The Front Page
  20. The Terminator
  21. Dirty Harry
  22. Raging Bull
  23. Citizen Kane
  24. The Shining
  25. Fatal Attraction
  26. Blade Runner
  27. Sling Blade
  28. Giant
  29. Glengarry Glenn Ross
  30. Serpico
  31. The Searchers
  32. Do The Right Thing
  33. M*A*S*H
  34. The Warriors
  35. Alien
  36. Stalag 17
  37. Bridge on the River Kwai
  38. The Misfits
  39. The Maltese Falcon
  40. Dr. No
  41. Cool Hand Luke
  42. The Road Warrior
  43. Patton
  44. True Romance
  45. Run Silent, Run Deep
  46. All Quiet On The Western Front
  47. Platoon
  48. Caddyshack
  49. Blazing Saddles
  50. On The Waterfront

While moving this page to its new home, I realized the list was a little dated. So, a partial list from IMDB's best movies of the 2000's.

 

  1. The Hobbit/ The Lord of the Rings
  2. 12 Years a Slave 
  3. Capote
  4. The Imagination Game
  5. Lincoln 
  6. Memento 
  7. Elephant 
  8. Pan's Labyrinth 
  9. There Will Be Blood 
  10. Up 
  11. The Dark Knight 
  12. Hotel Rwanda 
  13. Slumdog Millionaire 
  14. The King's Speech 
  15. Children of Men 
  16. The Departed 
  17. Amour 
  18. Gravity 
  19. Amélie