If you can’t appreciate dancing dwarfs, severed ears, or a singing girl that lives in a radiator, chances are you don’t appreciate David Lynch’s directorial and writing efforts.  Needless to say, you’re missing out on unforgettable characters, worlds brimming with colorful oddities, and stories that bewilder, frighten, and defy all conventions of narrative.

While I understand the elements that may defer a moviegoer from watching a Lynch film (tangled, inexplicable plots; pretentious, circus-like strangeness; and an awkward handling of sex and violence), I cannot comprehend the unwillingness to at least give Lynch’s aesthetic a chance.

I have trouble hearing biased viewers of Lynch’s work complain about how they simply don’t understand the film(s) but fail to even analyze or ponder the answers to their own questions.  (I heard many of these types of complaints when Mulholland Drive was released in 2001.)

The whole point and fun in viewing a Lynch film is to unravel its mystery and intricacies, and to analyze the clues—trust me, they’re there if you look for them.

I hope by reading this article that Lynch skeptics and newbies will give his work another chance or watch it for the first time and realize that he’s just as legitimate and versed in skill as James Cameron, Ridley and Tony Scott, or Francis Ford Coppola; he just makes the audience work a little bit harder.

Here are five of David Lynch’s best and oddest films:

Eraserhead (1976)

Lynch describes his directorial debut as a “dream of dark and troubling things.”  For Henry Spencer (Jack Nance), that is exactly what his industrial world seems to be.  Once Henry and his girlfriend Mary X (Charlotte Stewart) have a baby, it becomes a bit more clear as to what this dark dream is about.  Mary X gives birth to a slimy bandaged creature that incessantly cries.  The creature drives Mary X to flee motherhood and Henry to brutal violence.  Eraserhead manages to serve as a dark and artful manifestation of fear: fear of fatherhood, fear of obligation, and fear of commitment.  Rather than explore the theme of dreaded responsibility in a familiar, drab manner, Lynch provides the viewer with a perverse fairytale to dress up the topic.  It seems that Lynch also wants to remind us that although life can sometimes be a nightmare, in heaven everything is fine (as sung by the lady who lives in Henry’s radiator).

Blue Velvet (1986)

Once Jeffrey Beaumont (Kyle MacLachlan) discovers a severed ear in a nearby field, he finds himself in the middle of a sadistic mystery he simply cannot resist.  At the heart of the mystery is nightclub performer Dorothy Vallens (Isabella Rossellini), whose husband and child are being held captive by psychotic Frank Booth (Dennis Hopper).  As soon as Frank appears on screen, characters and audience are in for a demented ride of sexual perversion, abuse, drugs, and abrupt violence that is bound to unsettle most.  What enhances the various moments of taboo subject matter here is how Lynch styled the film like a Nancy Drew episode, with hints of Alfred Hitchcock (think Shadow of a Doubt).  Because of this, the film deceptively has an innocent tone in some parts, especially once Jeffrey’s girlfriend Sandy Williams (Laura Dern) also becomes immersed in the mystery.  The innocence is quickly shattered once Frank rapes Dorothy with her own blue velvet bathrobe (one of his many cruel and frenzied acts).  Despite the extreme subject matter and content, Lynch received an Oscar nomination for best director.

Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (1992)

The great thing about this film is that it helps Twin Peaks fans better understand the often puzzling series, or at least Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee).  Since Fire Walk with Me is the prequel to the television series Twin Peaks, we are able to more personally connect and unravel the secrecy surrounding the deceased Laura Palmer.  Laura is lost in a world of drugs, orgies, sexual abuse, and personal demons.  Alarmingly, much of it seems to stem from Laura’s father Leland (Ray Wise) and the demonic presence (Bob) that possesses him.  With literal backward dialogue, inexplicable disappearances, visions, and a one armed man, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me is a forcefully imaginative murder mystery that doesn’t just keep people guessing: it takes you to another place.

Lost Highway (1997)

Saxophone player Fred Madison (Bill Pullman) and his girlfriend Renee (Patricia Arquette) are being watched.  Someone or something is videotaping the couple as they sleep and prowling through their house only to leave the videotapes on their doorstep.  Things grow even odder once Fred finds himself on death row for murdering Renee.  As if things couldn’t get any odder, Fred then transforms into someone named Pete Dayton (Balthazar Getty).  I will admit that the film does lose a bit of its suspenseful edge once Fred changes into Pete (story-wise at least), but overall Lost Highway is a fascinating thriller that will easily hold anyone’s attention.  If the offerings of the storyline don’t intrigue you, then at least the film’s soundtrack will. Also, it’s probably the only work that features Marilyn Manson, a wheelchair-bound Richard Pryor, and John Waters’s muse Mink Stole.

Mulholland Drive (2001)

Unsurprisingly, Lynch was again nominated for an Oscar for best director with Mulholland Drive.  Out of all the films I have listed here, this one (oddly enough) seems to make the most sense, subplots and all.  When naïve Betty Elms (Naomi Watts) enters Hollywood to pursue a career in the movies, dark eyed Rita (Laura Elena Harring) brings the big screen to her in the contents of a purse and a case of amnesia.  Considering Lynch leaves us a number of intimations as to what’s going on, it is not difficult to realize that all these events are a product of Betty/Diane’s dream.  What amazes me, view after view, is how beautifully and intricately Lynch has constructed this dream.  The incoherence, frightening fragments, and pop-up characters all contribute to the true quality of a dream.  We’re dazed and fuddled, desperately trying to piece the unusual happenings into a lucid structure, which is quite similar to how we all try to interpret our own dreams.  Mulholland Drive is a profound and exciting exploration of identity, especially a longing to be someone we often cannot be.

I never thought I’d see the day where I’d consider giving up film criticism…

Forever.

Today may be the day.

One of my all time heroes, Roger Ebert, once said, “Your intellect may be confused, but your emotions will never lie to you.” I have lived by this quote ever since I discovered it back in high school (I even used it as my senior yearbook quote). I have been reviewing movies since I was 13 years old. I am now 21. I was planning on reviewing movies forever.

But things change.

Because it is in this quote by Roger Ebert that has for the first time, failed me. This is directly linked to the outlandish and irresponsible bashing towards M. Night Shyamalan’s newest film, The Last Airbender.

First and foremost, let’s get the obvious stuff out of the way. The movie is being viewed as a disappointment. And it certainly is. The editing is choppy, the acting and writing are stiff, and it feels very rushed. While I still found it entertaining enough to give it a positive review, I understand why this film has been negatively received.

That is not the issue here. The issue is HOW it’s being negatively received. In all my years of reviewing and loving movies, I have never seen such clear and blatant hatred towards one filmmaker (you’ve been impeached Michael Bay). The saddest part? It doesn’t even seem to be about his movies anymore. It’s becoming personal.

This is not a film critic’s job. A critic’s job requires him or her to look at a film, ANY FILM, from a clear and objective viewpoint. Everyone knows my hatred towards Michael Bay, (and yes I enter his films cautiously), but I’m always optimistic that he may surprise me. As for M. Night, I have and always will be a big fan. While I’m sad to see him underperform again, he does not deserve the hatred that has now been injected into his bloodstream.

“Your intellect may be confused, but your emotions will never lie to you” is a quote about trusting your own judgment. Who cares what anyone else thinks? If you have an emotional connection to a movie, then it’s your responsibility to honor that when your intellect is having trouble keeping up. For example, when I first saw Darren Aronofsky’s The Fountain, I couldn’t figure it all out, but I knew it was one of the most emotional experiences I’ve ever had watching a film.

In regards to The Last Airbender, (EVEN BEFORE THE MOVIE WAS EVEN RELEASED TO THE PUBLIC!) there has already been a universal agreement that this is “the death knell to Shyamalan’s career” (James Berardinelli from ReelViews). That “he is an idiot” (Matt Pais from Metromix.com). That “M. Night can ruin the world” (Jordan Hoffman from UGO). Even Roger Ebert, one of the fathers of film criticism, collapses under his own words. Ebert hates 3-D. And yes, he’s right, the 3-D is awful here. But he also took away a whole star from Toy Story 3 because of the 3-D, so he seemed ready to jump on Airbender before even viewing it. Why didn’t you see it in 2-D? Or were you too excited to jump all over the 3-D because you knew it would be a more interesting piece of journalism?

In fact, I could even use a quote from his review from The Happening, which he liked and gave three stars, to describe how I feel about The Last Airbender. “I suspect I’ll be in the minority in praising this film. It will be described as empty, uneventful, meandering. But for some, it will weave a spell.” You forgot about us some this time around, Mr. Ebert.

He’s not alone. Everyone’s jumping on the bandwagon. It happened in 2008 with The Happening, in 2006 with Lady in the Water, and in 2004 with The Village. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen someone change their mind about Shyamalan just because everyone seems to shit on him.

Therefore, I conclude with what I started with: Has the emotions of critics confused their intellect? Are they automatically built to search for the negative and block out the positive in a Shyamalan film? Am I the only who found the third act of the film to be a rousing, visually stimulating action spectacle?

It’s completely acceptable to hate the movie. Go ahead. It’s your right as a moviegoer. But it’s not cool to do it for coolness sake. It’s cool to remember that Shyamalan has made some great movies. And that hopefully one-day, when everyone gets over being a critic, they’ll remember what it was like to be a moviegoer. If this onslaught continues, I will be forced to depart from the critic inside me and join the ladder. I fell in love with this profession because I love the movies. I would hate to become the person that would make someone feel the way I feel today. After all, your emotions will never lie to you.

The 80s was the original age of MTV, so when it came to selling soundtracks for films, record producers made sure to load them up with killer songs, often performed by top artists of the time. The result was a smash with the public, particularly with the younger set, spawning Hit singles and promotional videos, launching a trend that continues to this day!

Here is a random line up of Soundtrack albums that guarantee an awesome trip to the past!

1: Top Gun

The soundtrack to the hit Tom Cruise vehicle about young hot shot pilots. Top Gun became a bestselling phenomenon and a model for hit soundtracks to follow, launching the classic, Oscar Winning Number One Hit, “Take My Breath Away” performed by Berlin, as well as three more hits, the tender soft rock number “Heaven In Your Eyes”, performed by Loverboy, the adrenaline pumping “Danger Zone” and “Playing With the Boys”, performed by soundtrack stalwart Kenny Loggins. Featuring other standout songs by Cheap Trick, Teena Marie and Miami Sound Machine, plus a killer main theme performed by Steve Stevens, adrenaline is what this soundtrack is all about!

2: Ghostbusters

The soundtrack to one of the most popular action/comedy classics of all time, starring Bill Murray and company, also launched one of most popular songs of all time, with the unforgettably quirky title tune, performed by Ray Parker Jr. Other great songs include the swingin’ “Cleanin’ Up the Town”, performed by the Bus Boys, the kooky new wave hit “In the Name of Love”, performed by the Thompson Twins, and Ray Parker Jr’s instrumental version of the theme song, as well as other standout moments by Air Supply and Laura Branigan. When it comes to Great 80s Soundtracks, “Who You Gonna Call?”

3: Back to the Future

The soundtrack to the beloved 80s sci-fi/comedy, is a nice blend of 80s and 50s songs, including the Number One smash hit “The Power Of Love” and “Back In Time”, performed by Huey Lewis and the News and the classic main theme composed by Alan Silvestri.

4: Rocky 4

One of the great workout soundtrack’s, this pumpin’ collection features the top ten hits “Burnin’ Heart”, performed by Survivor and the funky showstopper “Living In America” performed by James Brown, as well as Survivors Number One Smash hit “Eye of the Tiger” from Rocky 3 and a standout “Training Montage” theme by composer Vince DiCola . Kenny Loggins , Gladys Knight and Go West are among the other artists that pepper this killer soundtrack, which is guaranteed to give you extra fuel at the gym!

5: Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure

While not producing any major hits, (though the sizzling opener “Play With Me”, performed by Extreme, has since become a Guitar Hero favorite) this soundtrack to the popular time travel/ rock n roll comedy features a most outstanding set of 80s glam rock tunes that’ll have you cheering “Party On Dudes!”

6: Transformers: the Movie

When the hit cartoon series about shape shifting robots, became a full length animated feature, there was no stopping the excitement as this sensational, hard hitting soundtrack fueled the high tech action, featuring the famous theme song performed by Lion, and the hits “The Touch”, one of two songs performed by Stan Bush and surprisingly “Dare To Be Stupid”, performed by Weird Al Yankovic.

7: Footloose

One of the touchstone soundtracks and films of the era, is also one of the most hit filled, featuring the toe tapping title track performed by Kenny Loggins and “Lets Hear It For the Boy” performed by Denice Williams, both of which shot to Number One. Other Hits include “Almost Paradise” performed by Mike Reno of Loverboy and Ann Wilson of Heart, “Holding Out For A Hero” performed by Bonnie Tyler, “Dancing In the Sheets” performed by Shalamar, “I’m Free (Heaven Helps the Man)” also performed by Kenny, and the soft rock classic “Waiting For a Girl Like You”, performed by Foreigner.

8: Flashdance

The soundtrack and film that officially launched the MTV craze, features two Number One Smash Hits, including the classic Oscar winning title track, performed by Irene Cara (which has since become a dancing anthem) and the frantic “Maniac”, performed by Micheal Sembello. Other contributing artists include Laura Branigan, Donna Summer, Kim Carnes and Joe Bean Esposito.

9) Fame

Even before Flashdance, came this iconic film and soundtrack that pretty much started it all, spawning a TV series, a stage musical and setting the standard for pop music soundtrack’s to come. This essential 80’s benchmark features two more classic Irene Cara songs, the immortal title track and the simple, but powerful ballad “Out Here On My Own”, as well as the show-stopping numbers “Never Alone” and “I Sing the Body Electric”.

10: Dirty Dancing

Another 80’s essential, this mega hit soundtrack is also a celebration of the lightweight, pop/dance songs of the decades before it, primarily the 60s. It’s peppered with both original and updated classics and a few new songs, including the Oscar Winning, Number One Hit duet “I’ve Had the Time Of My Life”, performed by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warren, which became one of the seminal songs of the decade and the films star Patrick Swayze’s hit ballad “She’s Like the Wind”.

11: The Karate Kid

The soundtrack to the classic, coming of age, hit (starring our heroes, Danial San and Mr Myagi), is the teenage “Rocky 4”. Featuring another hit song from “Rocky;s” own Survivor, “The Moment Of Truth”, along with another 80s workout staple “You’re the Best”, performed by Joe Bean Esposito and other supporting artists including Jan and Dean and Paul Davis.

12: Beverly Hills Cop

The soundtrack to the hit Eddie Murphy action/comedy is a vibrant collection of syth/pop and funk, featuring no less than five hits, including “New Attitude” and “Stir It Up” both performed by Patti LaBelle, “Neutron Dance” ,performed by the Pointer Sisters, “The Heat Is On”, performed by Glenn Frey and the classic main theme “Axel F”, composed by synth/pop pioneer Harold Faltermeyer. Other contributors include Shalamar, Danny Elfman and The System.

13: Beverly Hills Cop 2

The soundtrack to the hit sequel, features an even more varied set of pop/rock and R&B songs and produced three major chart hits, including the pulsating “Sakedown”, performed by Bob Seger, which shot to Number One, the controversial “I Want Your Sex”, performed by George Michael and the percussion fused “Cross My Broken Heart”, performed by the Jets. Other standout artists include Pebbles, the Pointer Sisters, Jermaine Jackson, Corey Hart and Ready For the World.

14: Purple Rain

Prince’s soundtrack to his film of the same name is one of the quirkiest and most electrifying albums ever made, featuring killer guitar solos, screaming vocals, backwards choruses and dark and unforgettable songs, including the Number One Smashes “Lets Go Crazy” and “When Doves Cry”, the infamous “Darling Nikki”, the haunting “the Beautiful Ones” and the epic title track.

15: The Lost Boys

The soundtrack to the 80s cult hit about modern day teenage vampires is a lively and moody collection of pop/rock songs, featuring the rowdy “Good Times” and the mid tempo “Laying Down the Law” by INXS. Foreigner vocalist Lou Gramm, performs the killer theme song “Lost In the Shadows” and Gerard McMann performs the immortal ballad “Cry Little Sister”.

With the rampant rise in independent film production, it is becoming quite clear that not much is needed in order to construct a prodigious film, at least not in terms of finances or accessible talent.  One may even begin to notice that the farther a film strays from the major studio system that the better it is.  (Even this year’s Academy Awards acknowledged the quality of the independently minded: Precious and The Hurt Locker).

While children and adults alike scamper off to theatres for Pixar and Disney efforts like Up or DreamWorks’ Shrek Forever After, those who crave stories that are actually compelling are finding their appetites satiated by the likes of video rentals and film festivals.  Independent films, unlike Sex and the City 2, Grown Ups, The Karate Kid, or Toy Story 3, are willing to take risks and explore the unpredictable.

Though there may be nothing wrong with indulging in shoddy entertainment, we need to remember that we have a small world of gritty, intense, and fantastical truth at our fingertips. This world allows us to delve into the taboo and experience stories that are so efficacious we feel them long after viewing.

I’ve selected five independent horror films that not only encourage the mind to wander and entertain the obscene but demand attention from even the skeptics who’d rather be watching Avatar.

Ginger Snaps (2000)

Ginger (Katharine Isabelle) and Brigitte (Emily Perkins) are symbiotic sisters with a morbid obsession with death.  While battling the expected perils of suburbia and puberty, the unexpected hits when Ginger is attacked by a werewolf.  As Ginger’s newly acquired animal instincts gradually take over, tail and all, she and Brigitte grow farther apart and havoc ensues.  Screenwriter Karen Walton and director John Fawcett may not have crafted a highly original story with Ginger Snaps, but they do manage to portray women outside the conventional negative light of the horror genre.  Clichés and blatantly obvious stereotypes are not embraced here.  John Fawcett even insisted on using prosthetics and makeup instead of CGI effects, enhancing the creature’s terrifying appearance and overall significance.

May (2002)

May (Angela Bettis) is an unusual and shy woman who endlessly struggles to connect with others.  She struggles so much in fact that she is compelled to make her own friend…out of human body parts.  Angela Bettis is at her best as May, eerily convincing as a socially awkward woman with a need for friends or just their blood.  Lucky McKee’s darkly hilarious script has the viewer wondering if he should be laughing as May gouges out her own eyeball, kills her cat with an ashtray, or manages to torture a classroom of blind children.  What sets this horror gem apart from most is that McKee permits the viewer to get to know May and peer in at her most curious and disturbing moments.  Perhaps what is most disturbing is how close we grow to accepting her, oddities and all.

A Tale of Two Sisters (2003)

This Korean film (directed by Ji-woon Kim) has left a lot of people baffled but even more intrigued.  It’s intrigued American audiences so much that it was remade by Charles and Thomas Guard and titled The Uninvited (2009).  Sadly, the Guards failed to even remotely reach the level of excellence that the original possesses.  Soo-mi (Su-jeong Lim) leaves a mental institution and ventures back home to live with her sister Soo-yeon (Geun-Young Moon), father, and stepmother.  Their stepmother makes things beyond difficult and uncomfortable for the girls, and, to make matters worse, a ghost seems to be plaguing their home and Soo-mi’s ability to recuperate from past psychological troubles.  Eventually it is made known that these difficulties don’t even begin to cover the actual issues at the heart of this film.  A Tale of Two Sisters is brimming with mystery and puzzlement, constantly taking the viewer on an unexpected turn that only augments the haunting beauty of the experience.  Once you figure out what has happened, it will never leave you.

The Children (2008)

Normally I am opposed to horror films in which children are the main antagonists, but director/writer Tom Shankland manages to create a highly believable atmosphere.  A family plans to spend an enjoyable Christmas holiday together, but plans quickly change when the children strangely become infected by a type of virus that causes them to lash out violently.  No one is safe as the children viciously attempt to eliminate their parents and other family members.  What stands out most in this film is the cast.  While most of the cast was comprised of actual children taking on the role of malevolent murderer surprisingly well, the not too recognizable adult actors also pulled their weight.  Eva Birthistle, Stephen Campbell Moore, Hannah Tointon, Rachel Shelley, and Jeremy Sheffield are beyond convincing as parents riddled with doubt, desperation, paranoia, and fear.  Shankland successfully and convincingly constructed a horror film that asks the most difficult question of all: Can you kill those you love most?

Eden Lake (2008)

Jenny (Kelly Reilly) and her boyfriend Steve (Michael Fassbender) leave their world of deadlines and instruction and escape to Eden Lake, a beautiful, remote, and romantic getaway spot.  Of course, in true horror fashion, their romantic holiday is disrupted by a clan of tumultuous youths.  The group endlessly tortures the couple, vandalizing their car and leaving them stranded, stealing their possessions, even going as far as attacking the couple and capturing Steve.  Jenny is left to her own devices, endlessly trying to evade the malicious gang and escape Eden Lake with her life.  This film may seem like it follows your typical horror path (The Last House on the Left, Funny Games, and Frontieres), but it is so much more than that.  The performances from everyone in the film are so exceptional that the actions feel real, and because of this the viewer can connect with the characters.  You believe in the struggles and the violence, the disturbing and frustrating games that seem never ending.  I guarantee you that the high tension and authentic feel of the film will captivate you and pull you in.  The ending is viciously shocking and won’t be one you easily forget.

As I have also mentioned before, the 80s was the decade of Dungeons and Dragons! Never was a time more ripe for fantasy and make believe, thanks to the special effects renaissance and renewed interest in mythology that Star Wars created. While none of the genre films that came out that decade were enormous Box Office Hits, theres no denying that they were plentiful and have since stood as an enduring time capsule to the young at heart and the adventurer in all of us! While there are many films to choose from, here are (in no particular order) what many consider to be the best and most endearing fantasy films of the 80s.

1. Dragonslayer

This dark and atmospheric tale of a ferocious Dragon terrorizing a distraught kingdom and the eager sorcerers apprentice who must defeat it, is truly one of the best examples of  80s Fantasy cinema. While largely ignored in its day, this simple, but rough and raw film has since become one of the classics of the genre and benefits from stark on location photography in Scotland and Wales, a memorable performance from Sir Ralph Richardson in one of his last roles and probably the best fire breathing lizard in film history!

2. Willow

After scoring major success with Star Wars and Indiana Jones, writer/producer George Lucas decided to turn to Fantasy and teamed up with rising director Ron Howard to create another Blockbuster Trilogy. Yet only this one film would see the light of day, as it didn’t become the big smash hit it was expected to be. However it is now highly regarded as one of the more enjoyable and seminal films of the genre and one of the benchmarks for special effects technology, particularly the now common Morphing effect. While not very original, this adventurous tale of the small, but stalwart magician Willow Ufgood and his quest to restore an infant princess to her throne, is still an exciting and fast paced adventure filled with fun, danger and imaginative special effects!

3. The Black Cauldron

Disney’s return to form after years of mild and safe comedy’s and cheap animation, unfortunately turned a lot of heads with this decidedly darker and more elaborate fantasy tale (adapted from the award winning “Chronicles of Prydain” book series) of a young boy who dreams of becoming a warrior and his quest to find and destroy the title object before it falls into the wrong hands. The first Disney cartoon to be rated PG, this slightly more violent and malevolent adventure had trouble finding an audience in its day, but it certainly has plenty to offer for the serious fantasy and animation fan, with colorful characters, humor and horror and one of the most creepy and frightening Disney villains ever created, (The Horned King) memorably voiced by John Hurt.

4. The Dark Crystal

Muppetteer Jim Henson also took a darker route with this innovative and enveloping fantasy, featuring an all puppet cast and a moody, but wondrous atmosphere. Many of the familiar Muppet voices return to tell the story of a planet ruled with an iron claw by the vicious dragonlike Skeksis and the young hero who will defeat them by finding the title object. This all too familiar formula is given a fresh boost, with groundbreaking techniques in puppetry and enchanting sets and miniatures.

5. Labyrinth

Jim Henson followed up The Dark Crystal with this wonderfully  bizarre and elaborate fantasy/rock musical, featuring pop star David Bowie as the Goblin King, looking like anything but a goblin. Jennifer Connelly makes her breakout here, as a daydreaming teenager who learns the importance of responsibility, when on a whim, she wishes her baby stepbrother away into the Goblin Kingdom, there she must make her way through a tricky and treacherous maze, where she picks up various friends along the way and fends off dangers at every turn. Co written and produced by Henson and George Lucas, this 80s fantasy staple features creatively inventive sets, special effects, puppetry and costumes and show stealing tunes performed by Bowie himself, in one of his most memorable roles.

6. Return to Oz

This largely ignored film has the unfortunate distinction of being thought of as a sequel to the most beloved fantasy/musical of all time, when in fact it is merely a film version of the continuing Oz books written by L Frank Baum, which find Dorthy retuning to that magical place over the rainbow, only to find that Oz is in ruin and now ruled by the evil Nome King. Dorthy must find the Scarecrow, the rightful king of Oz and with the help of some new friends including a talking chicken, a tin soldier and even a Pumpkin headed man named Jack, must brave many dangers including the crazy Wheelers, and an Evil Princess, who changes heads, literally! This darker approach to the beloved fantasy land is nevertheless great fun for more serious fans of the genre, with memorable characters, delightfully frightening scares and eye popping special effects!

7. The Neverending Story

One of the more popular films of the genre, particularly for younger kids, is a wonderfully original story of a modern day boy who becomes fascinated with a magical book, that has a different story for every reader and whose characters may even be talking to him. The books land of Fantasia is wonderfully realized, with dazzling special effects and landscapes and a wide assortment of unique and varied characters, including good luck dragons, ogres and rock monsters, brought to life through wondrous animatronic and puppet effects, meticulously creating a one of a kind world.

8. Krull

At first intended to be a film version of the popular Dungeons and Dragons game, this interesting blend of Science Fiction and Fantasy did little at the Box Office, but has since become a cult classic. The all too familiar story of course involves a young warrior prince setting out to save his princess, however the setting is this time on another planet filled with prophetic wizards, shape shifting magicians, a one eyed cyclops, an reclusive sorceress, renegade bandits, flying horses, crystal spiders and even alien invaders. Imaginative production design and beautiful Italian locations make this a planet well worth visiting.

9. Clash of the Titans

The final film for special effects wizard Ray Harryhausen, is a grand swan song for the film legend, featuring some of his most iconic creatures. The classic Greek myth (the adventurers of Perseus, son of the great god Zeus) is given the Sword and Sorcery treatment that was flourishing in the 80s, with standout sequences, including encounters with the deadly Medusa and the towering Kraken and scenery chewing performances from Burgess Meredeth, Maggie Smith, Flora Robson and Laurence Oliver as Zeus.

10. The Secret of Nimh

Based on the award winning children’s book “Ms Brisby and the Rats of Nimh”, animation director Don Bluth’s first full length feature, is a surprisingly serious and deep minded story of a timid mouse, desperate to save her family from certain danger and the super intelligent rats who help her.  What may seem on the surface to be a mere children’s film is nicely offset with a gloomy and wondrous atmosphere, a fair amount of violence and whimsy and Bluth’s warm and glowing animation, brought to life with a memorable voice cast including Derek Jacobi as the Rats wise leader, John Carradine as a creepy old owl and Bluth regular Dom De Luise providing some comedy relief as a clumsy crow.

11. The Little Mermaid

Disney finally reclaimed their crown for fun and fantasy, with this lively musical retelling of Han’s Christian Anderson’s classic fairy tale. When Ariel, a daydreaming teenage mermaid, discovers the world of humans, she trades her beautiful voice for legs and sets off to find her dreams, little knowing that she’s a pawn in the evil schemes of the crafty sea witch Ursula. Delightfully told through colorful animation, tuneful songs, including the Oscar Winning “Under the Sea” and some of Disney’s most memorable characters such as the Reggae singing crab Sebastian and one of the all time great animated villains, the half woman half octopuslike Ursula, wonderfully voiced by Pat Carrol.

If you have not seen the movies that contain the scenes below I suggest dialing up Netflix and staying in for the weekend (and watch them on a screen bigger then your PC’s monitor, please!). If you have seen these, you might you remember some of the scenes I reference below. Either way, these are scary moments from pretty scary movies, some well known, some legendary and still others cult favorites.
I hope these stick with you as much as they have me these many years later that I had to write this list to try and get them out of my system!

1.) In the rain with the “Freaks” – This entire 1932 Tod Browning thriller is disturbing. “Can a full grown woman truly love a midget?” was the movie tagline, and during this odd little film (based on the short story “Spurs”) we learn that no, a full grown woman-Cleopatra in this case-only uses Hans (the midget) as a rich cuckold, eventually leading to her horrific fate at the end of the movie. There are plenty of truly unnerving scenes in Freaks, the ending itself had to be snipped and added to, the “Gooble gobble, gooble goble” dinner scene pretty much spins the world on its axis, but for me it’s the scene before the end, when then freaks are coming for the conniving Cleopatra and her lover Hercules, that has stuck with me all these years. In the rain, thunder and lightening flashes, the freaks are illuminating making their way across the circus grounds to avenge Hans. The image of Prince Randian, the “living torso” rolling his way under a wagon with a knife firmly stuck in his mouth is especially fantastic.

2.)The ending to “Seconds” - The ending seconds to John Frankenheimer’s film “Seconds” is harrowingly horrific stuff. Poor old ‘reborn’ Rock Hudson strapped to a gurney and gagged at the conclusion of this 1966 thriller has got to be one of the most chilling endings in any film.

3.)Creating a mannequin down at the Tourist Trap – This 1979 cult classic sees the ol’ Rifleman Chuck Connors terrorizing Tanya Roberts (pre Charlie’s Angeles) and friends in a weirder then usual slasher flick. Even at the best of moments mannequins are creepy (Kim Cattrall no withstand) enough and in this film there are simply too many with their disjoined jaws, weird high chanting and their ability to fall on unsuspecting travelers at the worst moments. The one scene I find unusually creepy in this film of many creepy scenes is when Chuck has a girl strapped to a table and is going about making her into a new mannequin by applying plaster-of-Paris across her face, in effect smothering her while he tells her exactly how and when her heart will explode.

4.) I’m Lost In The Super Market…with The Blob – How can you not love a horror movie that was made on a shoestring budget by a religious company looking to cash in on the drive-in movie horror craze? This 1958 classic starring soon-to-be mega star Steve McQueen, sees a rurual town terrorized by a red jelly amorpahs mass: The Blob. Though the scene where the Blob terrorizes the audience of the Colonial Theater is iconic, for me it’s when Steve McQueen’s character, Steve (yeah, they were getting real creative with the names on this one!) and his girlfriend Jane are trapped with the blob in the grocery store. The taught moments end with a heavyhanded bit of foreshadowing as the blob attempts to reach ‘the kids’ taking refuge in a walk-in refrigerator, but man just looking down the store isles for the lumbering blob is freaking scary dude!

5.) Up On The Ship - If you have gotten through life without seeing “Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror” don’t admit it to anybody. This perfect 1922 German Expressionist vampire movie, directed by directed by F. W. Murnau and starring Max Schreck as Count Orlock is an unauthorized adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, but doesn’t lack for it. As with all German Expressionist there are creepy angels and wide shadows throughout the film but for me Max Schreck rising like a plank from out of the depths of the schooner’s hold to take the lives of the ships crew, might be one of best horror visuals in all of filmdom. If you are going to see only one movie on this list, make it Nosferatu.

What makes a “good” movie truly captivating and unforgettable?  There are a number of reasonable answers to this question, but I’m more than willing to argue that a movie’s score/soundtrack is a large part of it.  A film’s soundtrack is like a guiding light for the audience, intimating when the tears should flow and the laughs should echo.  The soundtrack alone is fully capable of telling the film’s essential story with or without dialogue as its aide.

Along with dilapidated mansions consumed by feral vines, modern cities with jagged buildings and polluted streets, and aged fishing boats braving violent waves, soundtracks help to establish a movie’s atmosphere.  Music emotionally connects us to the human interaction(s) going on in the world of the film.  It speaks for us during those intense car chases or those unbearable goodbyes.

I’ve selected five soundtracks that I feel not only superbly encompass the atmosphere of the movies they are a part of but contain superior music (sometimes surpassing the quality of the film).

Great Expectations (1998)

Great Expectations was a brave endeavor on director Alfonso Cuaron’s part as he tackled Charles Dickens’s legendary novel.  The movie itself is watchable but doesn’t exactly mirror greatness, at least not like its predecessors.  Susan Bode’s set decoration and John Kasarda’s art direction are lush and artsy, easily impressing most viewers.  But what stands out is the soundtrack.  Featuring old and new artists: Tori Amos, Mono, Chris Cornell, Reef, Pulp, Duncan Sheik, Poe, Scot Weiland, The Verve Pipe, Lauren Christy, Fisher, Iggy Pop, David Garza, Grateful Dead, Cesaria Evora, and original music by Patrick Doyle and Ron Wasserman, this soundtrack offers unique surprise.  “Life in Mono” by Mono poignantly enhances the romance between Finnegan Bell (Ethan Hawke) and Estella (Gwyneth Paltrow), even if their performances don’t soar.

Highlights:  Mono-“Life in Mono” and Chris Cornell-“Sunshower”

Donnie Darko (2001)

This is by far Richard Kelly’s best film to date.  The story is complex and imaginative, drawing in viewers of all ages.  Since this sci-fi fantasy takes place during the presidential election of 1988, the music is a reflection of what a troubled teen may be inclined to listen to during that period.  Michael Andrews composed a haunting and ominous score to compliment a series of magnetic artists: INXS, Tears for Fears, The Church, Duran Duran, Oingo Boingo, Joy Division, and Echo and the Bunnymen.  Donnie Darko’s (Jake Gyllenhaal) efforts to cope with his family, high school, visions of a massive bunny rabbit claiming the world will end in 28 days, and falling in love with schoolmate Gretchen Ross (Jena Malone) are even more intensely felt courtesy of these various artists.

Highlights: INXS-“Never Tear Us Apart,” The Church-“Under the Milky Way,” Joy Division-“Love Will Tear Us Apart,” and Echo and the Bunnymen-“Killing Moon”

Garden State (2004)

While I’m not a fan of Zach Braff, I have to admit he does have a knack for compiling first-rate soundtracks.  It is obvious that he understands the importance of just how much music can heighten the emotional experience of a movie.  While the story behind Garden State is hardly intricate, it does manage to efficiently explore family estrangement and human detachment.  And while Zach Braff and Natalie Portman are keeping quiet around a fireplace or throwing knowing glances at one another in a bathtub, the soundtrack speaks volumes for them.  Braff’s mix of current artists and older gems holds an impeccable balance of quality: Coldplay, The Shins, Zero 7, Colin Hay, Cary Brothers, Remy Zero, Nick Drake, Thievery Corporation, Simon and Garfunkel, Iron and Wine, Frou Frou, and Bonnie Somerville.  The heart and charm of Garden State lies in its music, and even Zach Braff seems to take pride in that.

Highlights: Frou Frou-“Let Go” and Cary Brothers-“Blue Eyes”

Marie Antoinette (2006)

Whether you liked Sofia Coppola’s take on the doomed queen or not, it is doubtful you couldn’t appreciate the anachronistic soundtrack that met it with beautiful defiance and attitude.  While we may have been expecting piano pieces, we are delivered a colorful set of punk and new wave acts that irreverently spice up the 18^th century: Siouxsie and the Banshees, Bow Wow Wow, The Strokes, The Radio Department, New Order, Gang of Four, Adam and the Ants, Windsor for the Derby, The Cure, Air, and Squarepusher.  As the young queen Marie Antoinette rebels against her title and royal expectations, this soundtrack serves as a brilliant manifestation of her struggle for freedom amongst a constant reminder of duty.

Highlights: Siouxsie and the Banshees-“Hong Kong Garden,” New Order-“Ceremony,” Adam and the Ants-“Kings of the Wild Frontier,” and The Cure-“All Cats Are Grey”

The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009)

I know I am not the only one who is not a fan of the hugely successful romantic teen vampire phenomenon that is Twilight.  That being said, I was blown away by the high caliber of the soundtrack that is unnaturally paired with an insipid storyline and lackluster performers.  The preceding film’s soundtrack did not thrill me with acts like Paramore setting the film’s mood, but quite a sense of growth is apparent with New Moon’s selection of artists: Death Cab for Cutie, Band of Skulls, Thom Yorke, Lykke Li, The Killers, Anya Marina, Muse, Bon Iver and St. Vincent, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Hurricane Bells, Sea Wolf, Ok Go, Grizzly Bear, Editors, and Alexandre Desplat’s enchanting score.  I’m not looking forward to Eclipse, but it looks like it will be delivering an equally worthy soundtrack with competent artists (Bat for Lashes, Florence and the Machine, and Fanfarlo to name a few).

Highlights: Thom Yorke-“Hearing Damage,” Lykke Li-“Possibility,” Bon Iver and St. Vincent-“Roslyn,” and Grizzly Bear featuring Victoria Legrand-“Slow Life”

Before there was Asterisk Tom Cruise, he was simply known as Tom Cruise. While still a gifted actor, he is not turning in as many memorable performances as he used to. However, that doesn’t change the fact that the once most bankable movie star in the world has several worthy credits to his name.

We begin with, Top Gun (1986, Dir. Tony Scott), not his most critically acclaimed role, but it’s hard not to say that this 80’s blockbuster is Cruise at his most likeable. After Risky Business, Cruise was a star. After Top Gun, he became the man we all have come to know. As Lt. Pete Mitchell (call sign Maverick) Cruise delivers the looks girls ogle over and the confidence men desire. I will not look down upon a person who dislikes Cruise as the person he has become today, but I will look down on you if you dislike Cruise as the movie star if you’ve never seen Top Gun, which still stands to this day as one of the most entertaining action movies one can offer.

Cruise continued to hit it big, including a great performance in the Best Picture winner Rain Man and his first Oscar nominated performance as a wounded veteran who protests in Vietnam in Born on the Fourth of July. While on paper these may his finest roles, but for me, it’s his performances in the career choices he made after becoming the world’s unstoppable movie star. Cruise pocketed $75 million for Mission Impossible in 1996, but that’s not the highlight of his year. He gave a wonderful performance in Jerry Maguire (his second Oscar nomination), both funny and touching, deep and true. Teaming up with Cameron Crowe, the film gave Cruise another force among box-office draws. He was a hero of the action genre as well as mastering the romantic-comedy. At the time, it’s as though the words “You complete me” became the moviegoer’s decisive response upon viewing his work.

Cruise was not only rolling as an audience favorite, but continued as a critical darling in his great supporting role as Frank T.J Mackey in Magnolia, Paul Thomas Anderson’s courageously weird take on a day in the life of nine characters who all connect in one way or another (picture Crash on crack).  Cruise is electric as a sex guru who leads a seminar called “Seduce and Destroy, which can help men get women to sleep with them. In his third Oscar nomination (for supporting actor this time around), Cruise displayed a side we rarely get to see. It’s a riveting portrayal.

After that, he did Mission Impossible II, made another chunk load of change (the film itself was the highest grossing film of 2000, making $215 million domestically), and maintained his status as the world’s hottest movie star. Then he did Vanilla Sky, which got critically dismantled, but personally, I found it fascinating. A remake of the Alejandro Amenabar film “Abre Los Ojos” (Open Your Eyes), the film is a very daring choice for Cruise, consisting of a psychological thriller wrapped around some big Science Fiction themes. Re-teaming with Cameron Crowe, the film deserved more attention to Cruise’s successful attempt at playing such a different role. It proved that he could do ANY kind of movie he wanted and STILL have it gross over $100 million.

One year later, another $100+ million hit and another critically acclaimed smash. Steven Spielberg’s Minority Report is one of Cruise’s best blockbuster roles. Not only did it open to rave reviews, it’s considered to be one of Spielberg’s finest. When that’s the case, the lead actor’s performance must be recognized.

Tom Cruise isn’t the world’s biggest movie star anymore. However, we must remember that he was once, for a long, long time. Almost two decades of cinema has his name written all over it, as both a commercially and critically ordained movie star. Will he reclaim his thrown? While he’s still pulling in some strong performances (Valkyrie was criminally underrated), it remains to be seen.

Note: Cruise will be re-teaming with his Vanilla Sky co-star Cameron Diaz in James Mangold’s upcoming summer action-comedy Knight and Day, opening on June 25, 2010.

I know Meryl gets all the accolades (deserved as they are) and ol’ Helen Mirren is holding up so well, both in looks and in acting chops, and pound for pound the Halley Berry’s and Amy Adamse’s of the world are probably classically prettier, but for me the full package is Jodie Foster.

Below are eight reasons (I have plenty more I just didn’t want to be typical) why I love her. These are in no particular order, just as they came to me really, particular moments of the lady’s acting or maybe something from her life that assures me Jodie Foster is the girl for me. Now if she’d just return my phone calls, my last name isn’t Hinckley after all.

1.) “Contact”’s moment of contact. While her turn at lovely scientist Dr. Ellie Arroway  in the 1997 movie is perfect, there is a scene early on in the film where Jodie as Ellie is listing to her satellite feed while sitting on top of her car. She suddenly hears what will turn out to be the initial broadcast from Vega.  How Jodie Fosters plays her surprise here, the choices she makes (to be quite honest, although I hear people say this all the time, what the hell do any of us know about what ‘choices’-or anything else-a great actress has at her disposal) that breathtaking second she hears and realizes what it is she is actually hearing, is beautiful. Of course there is a little matter of how stunning she looks when she dresses for the Presidential party a few scenes later, showing how Foster can play both ends of the spectrum of a tantalizing attractive woman, but for me that moment on the hood of her car listening to the alien’s hello is one of my favorite in all recent moviedom.

2.) The Accused’s post contact. While Foster’s Sarah Tobias in 1988’s “The Accused” gained her first “Best Actress” Oscar (Jodie Foster would get two of the little gold men before she was thirty) there are moments in this movie that are just so honest one tends to forget they are watching Jodie Foster play a part. And while the entire rape on the pinball machine is harrowing to be sure, when Sarah breaks free of her torture and runs out of the bar, the way Foster plays the sheer terror flight-for-her-life moment is priceless.

3.) Dining out in Carny. A carnival comes to a small town and Jodie Foster’s eighteen year-old townie “Donna” meets and joins Gary Busey’s “Frankie” and Robbie Robertson’s “Patch” in this loosely plotted 1980 late-night H.B.O. cult movie. Often overlooked in the Foster cannon of films, this slice-of-life turn marks one of J.F.’s sexier turns. “Carny” happens to make my top list of all-time faves (and yes I know I am in a minority here) but Jodi Foster’s Donna is too real. There is an especially chillingly moment when Donna, Patch and Frankie enter a diner on the road and are beginning to be harassed by locals. The way Foster handles the situation, at once proud and so sad makes the movie.

4.) Those first moments as Clarice Starling in The Silence of the Lambs. All of J.F.’s 2nd Oscar winning performance in the 1991 thriller is spot-on but I’m especially reminded of her genius in the first minutes of her first confrontation with Anthony Hopkins’ stunning (and Oscar winning) Hannibal Lecter. Hopkins himself commented on this scene and how he realized he was in the presence of a world-class actress when he witnessed Foster’s reactions to him in this pivotal scene.

5.) Schooling-Despite how busy she was and could be as a working well-known actress, Jodi Foster was determined to see her education through. In 1980 she graduated as best of her class from the French College of Los Angeles then went to Yale to study English Lit, where she graduated in 1985.

6.) Iris in the diner. “Taxi Driver”-great film, great cast, great writer and one of the best director’s ever-Foster’s portrayal of 12 year-old prostitute Iris in this 1976 classic earned her a “Best Supporting Actress” nomination. Watch her in the diner scene with De Niro’s Travis Bickle as she pours sugar onto her bread and asks “Are you a Scorpion?” when talking over Bickle’s possible astrological sign. Heartbreaking stuff, and again because Foster manages to take her words- Paul Schrader’s script this time-and make them so freaking real!

7.) Stealing hearts and home-Foster’s 1988’s turn as Katie Chandler in another under-appreciated movie “Stealing Home” is poignant stuff for any man who can beg of ‘that older woman’ from their past. For me though, the moment comes when she runs with Billy down to the end of the boardwalk with her arms outstretched, as if flying off the end of a pier. A disjointed film even at the best of moments, I was never so sure the juxtaposition between the then and now of the characters ever really works, and though this quiet film is by far Mark Harmon’s movie-and he is damn good in it-J.F. steals every scene she is in.

8.) 1973’s Tom Sawyer. Jodie Foster is Becky Thatcher! She lights-up the screen as the most famous tomboy, from the second you see her (and this for me is a moment worth including here) as she does through this entire relatively faithful adaptation.

As I wrote in my last article, Science Fiction ruled the 80s Box Office, because of the breakthrough special effects and innovative flimmaking techniques of Star Wars, audiences were clamoring for more journeys into fantastic worlds, dazzling high technology’s and more up close and personal encounters with extraordinary creatures. So Hollywood responded with an ever evolving slew of Science Fiction films that continued to expand on photorealistic Special Effects and complex storytelling. There are many films to choose from, but here are (in no particular order) what are widely considered the Top Ten Best and most seminal films of the decade that defined Special Effects!

1. E.T

While not exactly the most exciting or action packed of films, this simple story of a little lost alien and the fatherless boy who befriends him became a worldwide smash and one of the top films not only of the decade, but of all time! Director Steven Spielberg created real magic here with an exceptional cast (particularly the all too real performance from E.T himself, as well as the remarkable Henry Thomas as his friend) and a hauntingly beautiful and emotionally soaring score from John Williams (who won an Oscar for his work). The result struck a chord with audiences all over the world and its resonance continues to this day.

2. Aliens

The exact opposite of “E.T” and sequel to the 1970s Science Fiction/Horror classic “Alien”, this is the Big, Bad a– action film that set the template for years to come and that officially kick started director James Cameron on the path to Blockbuster success! Fueled by a great cast of memorable Bad A– characters (including returning series star Sigourney Weaver, in one of her best performances) and some of the most kinetically exciting and terrifying action scenes ever filmed!

3. The Empire Strikes Back

The second film in the Star Wars Trilogy, is considered by many fans and critics alike as the best and certainly the darkest of the films, thanks to even more amazing Special Effects than the groundbreaking original and more serious themes and character development, resulting in a richly satisfying adventure, complete with another excellent John Williams score and one of the great (for the time) surprise plot twists in film history!

4.  The Terminator

Yep another Cameron one! This was his groundbreaking debut and while very low key and low budget, it became one of the pivotal films in Science Fiction and Action/Suspense Thriller history, thanks to a dark and relentless story involving time traveling robot assassins, reluctant predestined hero’s and the end of the world, caused by all powerful machines! The film also jump started bodybuilder Arnold Schwarzenegger into  superstardom, largely because of his unforgettable portrayal of the titular killing machine!

5.  Robocop

In the wake of the dark and gritty tone left by “The Terminator”, comes this unique and off putting blend of Science Fiction and Action/ Thriller about a gunned down street cop, who gets refurbished into an unstoppable cyborg policeman. Strongly directed with a  strangely winning combination of dark and violent action and outrageous black humor, as well as sporting a fantastic performance by Peter Weller in the title role and a great supporting cast of both noble and deranged characters!

6. Blade Runner

Though a misunderstood failure in its day, this essential Science Fiction classic has stood the test of time as one of the most important and influential films of the genre.

A triumph of production design and moody atmosphere, director Ridley Scott’s (Alien) ambitious and ambiguous  Sci-Fi/Noir tale of a burnt out and disillusioned android hunter (played by Star Wars star, Harrison Ford) and the mysterious robots he must hunt down (two of them mesmerizingly played by Rutger Hauer and Darryl Hannah) ,has almost singlehandedly influenced every Science Fiction film that came after it, with sets and Special Effects that still hold up!

7. Star Trek 2 The Wrath of Khan

Of all the hit Star Trek films throughout the decade, this is truly the best of them! Bringing back a memorable villain from the cult TV show (Ricardo Montalban in a juicy performance) and going for the gusto with riveting action and suspense, tight direction and great performance’s from the long loved characters, as well as a glorious score from newcomer James Horner, this second film in the series has everything a Sci-Fi or Star Trek fan could want!

8. Ghostbusters

One of the most unusual and wildly popular films not only of the Sci-Fi and Comedy genre, or the 80s, but of all time, is a surprising and unique blending of crazy comedy and Sci-Fi/Horror, written by Saturday Night Live’s Dan Aykroyd and writer/actor Harold Ramis and starring comedy legend Bill Murray in one of his signature performance’s. As a trio of kooky down on their luck professors, Murray, Aykroyd and Ramis decide (after creating technology that can track and catch ghosts) to open their own paranormal pest control business and not a moment too soon, because the gates of hell are about to burst wide open on the Big Apple! Featuring a standout supporting cast including Sigourney Weaver and Rick Moranis in show stealing roles, along with evenhanded direction by comedy stalwart Ivan Reitman, great special effects (look out for that giant Marshmallow Man) and a smash hit theme song, when it comes to 80s classics, comedy classics or classic catchphrases “Who You Gonna Call?”

9. Back to the Future

Another one of (if not) the most loved films of the 80s, this warm hearted and energizing classic is again a perfect blend of Sci-Fi/Comedy, as well as a high school vehicle, a rock n roll musical and a celebration of 50s and 80s youth culture all rolled into one! In his winning film debut, Micheal J Fox stars as Marty McFly, a typical 80s kid thrust back in time to the good ol 50s,  thanks to his eccentric scientist friend Doc Brown’s Time Machine!  Fueled by one of the tightest scripts ever conceived, surefire direction from Robert Zemeckis and some wonderful performance’s and characters (particularly Christopher Loyd as the loony, but lovable Doc and Thomas F Wilson as the bigger than life town bully, Biff.), this charming and exhilarating blast to the past, is one trip you wont soon forget!

10. Batman

The one that started it all! Not only did it officially jump start director Tim Burton’s illustrious career, but it launched the Blockbuster Superhero film craze! Burton’s bizarre and atmospheric visual style helped reinvent the comic book genre for good, taking it in a powerful, more serious direction, but often adding a wicked dose of humor (sometimes too wicked), thanks to film legend Jack Nicholson’s unforgettable portrayal of Batman’s greatest nemesis, the Joker, the theatrically sadistic and maniacally crazy “Clown Prince of Crime”, while comedy star Michal Keaton gives a surprisingly perfect performance as the brooding and mysterious “Caped Crusader”. The two leads magnetic personalties, paired with Burton’s moody direction, dark and creative Oscar Winning production design (including a killer Batmobile) and composer Danny Elfman’s superb score (heightening the drama with thundering power), combine to create one of the great 80s masterpieces!