100 Plus Movies to See Before You Die!

Yahoo! Movies today unveiled a movie buff’s giude guide to film called 100 Movies to See Before You Die. The 100 titles were chosen by the Yahoo! Movies team of editors and film experts, represent the best of cinema from around the world regardless of release date, genre, country of origin, or budget. The list is a way for Yahoo! to connect its audience with some of the most memorable experiences from motion picture history.

From modern day films like Die Hard and This is Spinal Tap to classics like Lawrence of Arabia and It’s a Wonderful Life, Yahoo! Movies has assembled a list that represents a cross-section of the most significant and timeless movies – ever. Unlike previous film lists from publications and organizations, Yahoo! Movies did not focus solely on American fare — the 100 also includes foreign films from India, Germany, China, Taiwan, Italy and elsewhere. What further defines the Yahoo! Movies compilation is its diversity of movie genre and year. Running the gamut from the 1922 German horror flick Nosferatu to the 1964 British musical comedy A Hard Day’s Night to the 2001 blockbuster The Lord of the Rings, Yahoo! Movies takes a comprehensive view of the silver screen. For film aficionados seeking further insight into the selection process, Yahoo! Movies offers in-depth commentary and expert analysis on 25 of the chosen films.

The 1950’s emerged as the era that produced the most influential movies. Nineteen films from that decade appear on the list, including iconic titles such as Rashomon, 12 Angry Men, Vertigo and Some Like it Hot. Of note, just three movies produced in the 21st century made the list – Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, In the Mood For Love and The Lord of the Rings.

Steven Spielberg carried the mantle of the most influential director with five films spanning his three decade movie career, including Jaws, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Saving Private Ryan, Schindler’s List and E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial.

While I thoroughly enjoyed devouring the list, and rummaging through my DVD collection and Netflix queue for potential screening dates, I felt there were some notable omissions. A small portion of the few films on the list I haven’t seen, along with some others, were sacrificed, in order for my new choices to be added. My list still can in at more than 100. Oh well. Admittedly, I am no film ‘expert’. Some I chose because of their groundbreaking nature, like The Dark Knight; some share their respective cultures with a raw, penetrating reality that must be watched, like One Were Warriors and Boyz N the Hood; and some of my additions are simply films that I can watch over and over again, and never tire of, like The Road Warrior, Ninja Scroll and Sideways.

I look forward to watching all the films on the original list I haven’t already viewed. What films do you feel should and shouldn’t be on these lists? Remember, this isn’t necessarily ‘your favorite’ films ever made or ‘the best’ list, whatever the fuck that means, but the films that must be explored!

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CLICK HERE to see Yahoo’s original list.