Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)

Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)

[8] Philip Kaufman enhances the creepiness and desperation in this superior retelling of the classic tale of alien menace and paranoia. The terrific cast includes Donald Sutherland, Jeff Goldblum, Veronica Cartwright, Brooke Adams, and Leonard Nimoy. Ben Burtt provides the spooky sound…
Pineapple Express (2008)

Pineapple Express (2008)

[8] Pineapple Express is Quentin Tarantino meets Cheech and Chong, a hyperviolent action flick crashed into a buddy comedy. The mish-mash may be an acquired taste, but it's a winning combination for me. Seth Rogen and James Franco carry this movie to…
A Christmas Story (1983)

A Christmas Story (1983)

[8] A boy growing up in 1940's middle-America tries to convince his parents to get him a Red Ryder B.B. gun for Christmas. It's hard to judge a movie that has become a holiday tradition. Growing up, I don't think a single…
Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961)

Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961)

[8] You know how people often say such-and-such actor "lights up the screen?" Well, that phrase was made for Audrey Hepburn, because that's what she does in Blake Edwards' adaptation of Truman Capote's novella, Breakfast at Tiffany's. As Holly Golightly, she plays…
Coco (2017)

Coco (2017)

[9] Coco is a lively and emotionally fulfilling film that stands proudly among the many accomplishments of Pixar Animation. Anthony Gonzalez plays the role of 12-year-old Miguel, a boy with a deep passion for music, despite his family's strict prohibition against enjoying…
Planet of the Apes (1968)

Planet of the Apes (1968)

[8] It may be tempting to dismiss Planet of the Apes as high camp, but there's provocative science-fiction under those monkey masks. Charlton Heston plays an American astronaut who's on his way back to Earth when he crashlands on a strange, desolate…
The Graduate (1967)

The Graduate (1967)

[8] Dustin Hoffman plays Ben Braddock, an aimless college graduate who stumbles into an affair with the older Mrs. Robinson (Anne Bancroft) before falling in love with a girl his own age... Mrs. Robinson's daughter. The Graduate was groundbreaking for its provocative…
The Sixth Sense (1999)

The Sixth Sense (1999)

[8] A young boy who can see and hear dead people confides in a child psychologist who comes to believe the boy's curse is a gift. The strength of The Sixth Sense lies most prominently in the scenes between Toni Collette and Haley…
Misery (1990)

Misery (1990)

[8] Kathy Bates delivers a spooky Oscar-winning performance in Rob Reiner's film based on the novel by Stephen King. Screenwriter William Goldman builds a tremendous amount of tension and suspense with barely more than two characters and one room. The payoff isn't…
Moulin Rouge! (2001)

Moulin Rouge! (2001)

[8] A lonely writer falls in love with a singing, dancing courtesan in this bawdy musical that soars on the charms of co-stars Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor. The song numbers cannibalize lyrics from love songs over the past century, an approach…