Essential Films

[Flea]

Seen a great film,
think everyone should watch it?
Well post here and say why.
:)

[Grimm]

Shaun of the dead - Great British Movie
Hot Fuzz - Same As Shaun its a great laugh!

[MommaCrash]

Children of Men definitely

and

running scared.... crazy movie with lots of violence, blood, and violent language but awesome movie

[cc99999]

Actually, I worked on a scholarly project referencing film from 1998-2004. Here are the films I chose as essential:

The Birth of a Nation Griffith 1915 US
Intolerance Griffith 1916 US
The Kid Chaplin 1921 US
Nanook of the North Flaherty 1922 US
Haxan Christenson 1922 Netherlands
Nosferatu Murnau 1922 Germany
Our Hospitality Keaton 1923 US
Die Nibelungen Lang 1924 Germany
Sherlock Jr. Keaton 1924 US
The Battleship Potemkin Eisenstein 1925 Soviet Union
The Gold Rush Chaplin 1925 US
The General Keaton 1926 US
College Horne 1927 US
Metropolis Lang 1927 Germany
Sunrise Murnau 1927 US
The Passion of Joan of Arc Dreyer 1928 Netherlands
Diary of a Lost Girl Pabst 1929 Germany
The Blood of a Poet Cocteau 1930 France
Under the Roofs of Paris Clair 1930 France
All Quiet on the Western Front Milestone 1930 US
Earth Eisenstein 1930 Soviet Union
M Lang 1931 Germany
Le Million Clair 1931 France
A Nous la Liberte Clair 1931 France
City Lights Chaplin 1931 US
Dracula Browning 1931 US
Dracula Melford 1931 US
The Most Dangerous Game Schoedsack & Pichel 1932 US
Trouble in Paradise Lubitsch 1932 US
Grand Hotel Goulding 1932 US
Love Me Tonight Mamoulian 1932 US
The Mummy Freund 1932 US
The Testament of Dr. Mabuse Lang 1933 Germany
Counsellor at Law Wyler 1933 US
Duck Soup McCarey 1933 US
42nd Street Bacon 1933 US
Lady for a Day Capra 1933 US
Little Women Cukor 1933 US
The Private Life of Henry VIII Korda 1933 UK
The Scarlet Empress von Sternberg 1934 US
A Story of Floating Weeds Ozu 1934 Japan
It Happened One Night Capra 1934 US
L'Atalante Vigo 1934 France
Man of Aran Flaherty 1934 US
The Thin Man Van Dyke 1934 US
The 39 Steps Hitchcock 1935 UK
Bride of Frankenstein Whale 1935 US
Mutiny on the Bounty Lloyd 1935 US
A Night at the Opera Wood 1935 US
Triumph of the Will Riefenstahl 1935 Germany
My Man Godfrey La Cava 1936 US
The Lower Depths Renoir 1936 France
Dodsworth Wyler 1936 US
Modern Times Chaplin 1936 US
Mr. Deeds Goes to Town Capra 1936 US
Pepe le Moko Duvivier 1937 France
Lost Horizon Capra 1937 US
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs 1937 US
Grand Illusion Renoir 1938 France
The Lady Vanishes Hitchcock 1938 UK
Pygmalion Asquith & Howard 1938 UK
Alexander Nevsky Eisenstein 1938 Soviet Union
The Adventures of Robin Hood Curtiz 1938 US
The Rules of the Game Renoir 1939 France
Destry Rides Again Marshall 1939 US
Gone with the Wind Fleming 1939 US
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington Capra 1939 US
Of Mice and Men Milestone 1939 US
Stagecoach Ford 1939 US
The Wizard of Oz Haley, Jr. 1939 US
Wuthering Heights Wyler 1939 US
The Bank Dick Cline 1940 US
Rebecca Hitchcock 1940 US
Fantasia 1940 US
Foreign Correspondent Hitchcock 1940 UK
Grapes of Wrath Ford 1940 US
His Girl Friday Hawks 1940 US
The Philadelphia Story Cukor 1940 US
Pinnochio 1940 US
The Thief of Bagdad Berger, Powell & Whelan 1940 UK
The Lady Eve Sturges 1941 US
The Devil and Daniel Webster Dieterle 1941 US
Citizen Kane Welles 1941 US
Dumbo Hand 1941 US
How Green Was My Valley Ford 1941 US
The Maltese Falcon Huston 1941 US
Sullivan's Travels Sturges 1942 US
Holiday Inn Sandrich 1942 US
The Ox-Bow Incident Wellman 1942 US
The Pride of the Yankees Wood 1942 US
The Talk of the Town Stevens 1942 US
Yankee Doodle Dandy Curtiz 1942 US
Day of Wrath Dreyer 1943 Netherlands
The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp Powell & Pressburger 1943 UK
La Corbeau Clouzot 1943 France
Casablanca Curtiz 1943 US
The Song of Bernadette King 1943 US
Henry V Olivier 1944 UK
Double Indemnity Wilder 1944 US
Going My Way McCarey 1944 US
National Velvet Brown 1944 US
Ivan the Terrible I Eisenstein 1945 Soviet Union
I Know Where I'm Going! Powell & Pressburger 1945 UK
Spellbound Hitchcock 1945 US
Children of Paradise Carne 1945 France
Les Dames du Bois de Boulogne Bresson 1945 France
And Then There Were None Clair 1945 US
Dead of Night Chrichton 1945 UK
The Lost Weekend Wilder 1945 US
Open City Rossellini 1945 Italy
The Southerner Renoir 1945 US
They Were Expendable Ford 1945 US
Beauty and the Beast Cocteau 1946 France
Great Expectations Lean 1946 UK
Brief Encounter Lean 1946 UK
Notorious Hitchcock 1946 US
The Killers Siodmak 1946 US
The Best Years of Our Lives Wyler 1946 US
The Bicycle Thief De Sica 1946 Italy
The Big Sleep Hawks 1946 US
My Darling Clementine Ford 1946 US
The Postman Always Rings Twice Garnett 1946 US
Black Narcissus Powell & Pressburger 1947 UK
Quai des Orfevres Clouzot 1947 France
Body and Soul Rossen 1947 US
Gentleman's Agreement Kazan 1947 US
It's a Wonderful Life Capra 1947 US
Life with Father Curtiz 1947 US
Odd Man Out Reed 1947 UK
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre Huston 1947 US
Oliver Twist Lean 1948 UK
The Red Shoes Powell & Pressburger 1948 UK
Hamlet Olivier 1948 UK
Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein Barton 1948 US
La Terra Trema Visconti 1948 Italy
Louisiana Story Flaherty 1948 US
Red River Hawks 1948 US
The Third Man Reed 1949 UK
Orpheus Cocteau 1949 France
Stray Dog Kurosawa 1949 Japan
Adam's Rib Cukor 1949 US
All the King's Men Rossen 1949 US
Queen of Spades Dickinson 1949 UK
On The Town Kelly & Donen 1949 US
Twelve O'Clock High King 1949 US
Variety Lights Lattuada & Fellini 1950 Italy
All About Eve Mankiewicz 1950 US
Father of the Bride Minnelli 1950 US
Sunset Boulevard Wilder 1950 US
Rashomon Kurosawa 1951 Japan
Diary of a Country Priest Bresson 1951 France
A Christmas Carol Hurst 1951 UK
The Day The Earth Stood Still Wise 1951 US
Singin' in the Rain Kelly & Donen 1951 US
Strangers on a Train Hitchcock 1951 US
A Streetcar Named Desire Kazan 1951 US
The Importance of Being Earnest Asquith 1952 UK
The White Sheik Fellini 1952 Italy

[cc99999]

Umberto D De Sica 1952 Italy
Ikiru Kurosawa 1952 Japan
High Noon Zinneman 1952 US
The Quiet Man Ford 1952 US
Shane Stevens 1952 US
Wages of Fear Clouzot 1953 France
M. Hulot's Holiday Tati 1953 France
Indiscretion of an American Wife De Sica 1953 Italy
Tokyo Story Ozu 1953 Japan
Pickup on South Street Fuller 1953 US
I Vitelloni Fellini 1953 Italy
From Here to Eternity Zinneman 1953 US
Stalag 17 Wilder 1953 US
Seven Samurai Kurosawa 1954 Japan
Musashi Miyamoto Inagaki 1954 Japan
Diabolique Clouzot 1954 France
La Strada Fellini 1954 Italy
The Caine Mutiny Dmytryk 1954 US
Creature from the Black Lagoon Arnold 1954 US
On The Waterfront Kazan 1954 US
Rear Window Hitchcock 1954 US
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers Donen 1954 US
A Star is Born Cukor 1954 US
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea Fleischer 1954 US
Duel at Ichijoji Temple Inagaki 1955 Japan
Summertime Lean 1955 US
All That Heaven Allows Sirk 1955 US
Rififi Dassin 1955 France
Ordet Dreyer 1955 Netherlands
Bob le Fambeur Melville 1955 France
Night and Fog Resnais 1955 France
Richard III Olivier 1955 UK
Smiles of a Summer Night Bergman 1955 Sweden
Giant Stevens 1955 US
Mister Roberts Ford 1955 US
Rebel Without a Cause Ray 1955 US
Duel at Ganryu Temple Inagaki 1956 Japan
And God Created Woman Vadim 1956 France
Written on the Wind Sirk 1956 US
Anastasia Litvak 1956 US
The Court Jester Panama 1956 US
Friendly Persuasion Wyler 1956 US
The Searchers Ford 1956 US
The Ten Commandments DeMille 1956 US
The Seventh Seal Bergman 1957 Sweden
Nights of Cabiria Fellini 1957 Italy
Wild Strawberries Bergman 1957 Sweden
The Cranes Are Flying Kalatozov 1957 Soviet Union
Throne of Blood Kurosawa 1957 Japan
The Lower Depths Kurosawa 1957 Japan
Bridge Over the River Kwai Lean 1957 UK
Paths of Glory Kubrick 1957 US
12 Angry Men Lumet 1957 US
Witness for the Prosecution Wilder 1957 US
A Night to Remember Baker 1958 UK
Ivan the Terrible II Eisenstein 1958 Soviet Union
The Blob Yeaworth, Jr. 1958 US
Fiend without a Face Crabtree 1958 UK
Mon Oncle Tati 1958 France
Big Deal on Madonna Street Monicelli 1958 Italy
The Hidden Fortress Kurosawa 1958 Japan
The Horse's Mouth Neame 1958 UK
The Defiant Ones Kramer 1958 US
Gigi Minnelli 1958 US
Separate Tables Mann 1958 US
Touch of Evil Welles 1958 US
Vertigo Hitchcock 1958 US
The 400 Blows Truffaut 1959 France
Black Orpheus Camus 1959 Brazil
Testament of Orpheus Cocteau 1959 France
Good Morning Ozu 1959 Japan
Ballad of a Soldier Chukhrai 1959 Soviet Union
Hiroshima mon amour Resnais 1959 France
Floating Weeds Ozu 1959 Japan
Anatomy of a Murder Preminger 1959 US
North by Northwest Hitchcock 1959 US
On The Beach Kramer 1959 US
Room at the Top Clayton 1959 UK
Some Like it Hot Wilder 1959 US
Peeping Tom Powell 1960 UK
L'Avventura Antonioni 1960 Italy
Spartacus Kubrick 1960 US
Le Trou Becker 1960 France
Tunes of Glory Neame 1960 UK
Eyes Without a Face Franju 1960 France
The Apartment Wilder 1960 US
Psycho Hitchcock 1960 US
Shoot the Piano Player Truffaut 1960 France
The Time Machine Pal 1960 US
Two Women De Sica 1960 Italy
Yojimbo Kurosawa 1961 Japan
Il Posto Olmi 1961 Italy
Through a Glass Darkly Bergman 1961 Sweden
Salvatore Giuliano Rosi 1961 Italy
A Women is a Woman Godard 1961 France
The Hustler Rossen 1961 US
Judgement at Nuremberg Kramer 1961 US
A Man for All Seasons Zinneman 1961 US
One, Two, Three Wilder 1961 US
A Raisin in the Sun Petrie 1961 US
West Side Story Robbins 1961 US
Sanjuro Kurosawa 1962 Japan
Carnival of Souls Harvey 1962 US
Cleo from 5 to 7 Varda 1962 France
Antoine and Colette Truffaut 1962 France
I Fidanzati Olmi 1962 Italy
Winter Light Bergman 1962 Sweden
Ingmar Bergman Makes a Movie Sjoman 1962 Sweden
Knife in the Water Polanski 1962 Poland
Mamma Roma Pasolini 1962 Italy
Jules and Jim Truffaut 1962 US
Lawrence of Arabia Lean 1962 UK
Long Day's Journey Into Night Lumet 1962 US
The Longest Day Annakin, Marton & Wicki 1962 US
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance Ford 1962 US
Shock Corridor Fuller 1963 US
High and Low Kurosawa 1963 Japan
Lord of the Flies Brook 1963 UK
Charade Donen 1963 US
8 1/2 Fellini 1963 Italy
Contempt Godard 1963 France
The Silence Bergman 1963 Sweden
The Leopard Visconti 1963 Italy
The Birds Hitchcock 1963 US
Dr. Strangelove Kubrick 1963 US
The Great Escape Sturges 1963 US
Hud Ritt 1963 US
Tom Jones Richardson 1963 US
The Naked Kiss Fuller 1964 US
Kwaidan Kobayashi 1964 Japan
Diary of a Chambermaid Bunuel 1964 France
Billy Liar Schlesinger 1964 UK
Gertrud Dreyer 1964 Netherlands
Band of Outsiders Godard 1964 France
The Killers Siegal 1964 US
Onibaba Shindo 1964 Japan
The Gospel According to St. Matthew Pasolini 1964 Italy
A Hard Day's Night Lester 1964 US
Mary Poppins Stevenson 1964 US
Séance on a Wet Afternoon Forbes 1964 UK
A Shot in the Dark Edwards 1964 UK
Topkapi Dassin 1964 US
The Train Frankenheimer 1964 US
When Comedy Was King Youngson 1964 US
Alphaville Godard 1965 France
The Shop on Main Street Kadar & Klos 1965 Czechoslovakia
Loves of a Blond Forman 1965 Czechoslovakia
Juliet of the Spirits Fellini 1965 Italy
Tokyo Olympiad Ichikawa 1965 Japan
Red Beard Kurosawa 1965 Japan
Help Lester 1965 US
The Pawnbroker Lumet 1965 US
Ship of Fools Kramer 1965 US
The Sound of Music Wise 1965 US
Andrei Rublev Tarkovsky 1966 Soviet Union
Tokyo Drifter Suzuki 1966 Japan
Closely Watched Trains Menzel 1966 Czechoslovakia
The Pornographers Imamura 1966 Japan
The Battle of Algiers Pontecorvo 1966 Italy
Belle du Jour Bunuel 1966 France
Repulsion Polanski 1966 UK
Branded to Kill Suzuki 1967 Japan
Playtime Tati 1967 France
The Fireman's Ball Forman 1967 Czechoslovakia
I Am Curious- Yellow Sjoman 1967 Sweden
Bonnie and Clyde Penn 1967 US
Don't Look Back Pennebaker 1967 US
The Graduate Nichols 1967 US
In Cold Blood Brooks 1967 US
In the Heat of the Night Jewison 1967 US
Marat Sade Brook 1967 UK
The President's Analyst Flicker 1967 US
War and Peace Bondarchuk 1967 Soviet Union
Salesman Maysles 1968 US
Monterey Pop Pennebaker 1968 US
I Am Curious- Blue Sjoman 1968 Sweden
Stolen Kisses Truffaut 1968 France
The Lion in Winter Harvey 1968 UK
Rosemary's Baby Polanski 1968 US
Satyricon Fellini 1968 Italy
Shame Bergman 1968 Sweden
2001: A Space Odyssey Kubrick 1968 US
Yellow Submarine Dunning 1968 UK
Double Suicide Shinoda 1969 Japan
The Honeymoon Killers Kastle 1969 US
Butch Cassedy and the Sundance Kid Hill 1969 US
M*A*S*H Altman 1969 US
Medium Cool Wexler 1969 US
Midnight Cowboy Schlesinger 1969 US
The Sorrow and the Pity Ophuls 1969 France
The Wild Bunch Peckinpah 1969 US
Woodstock Wadleigh 1969 US
Gimme Shelter Maysles 1970 US
Bed and Board Truffaut 1970 France
Le Circle Rouge Melville 1970 France
Five Easy Pieces Rafelson 1970 US
Little Big Man Penn 1970 US
Patton Scaffner 1970 US
Three Sisters Olivier 1970 UK
Walkabout Roeg 1971 Australia
Straw Dogs Peckinpah 1971 US
Bananas Allen 1971 US
Bite the Bullet Brooks 1971 US
A Clockwork Orange Kubrick 1971 US
The Decameron Pasolini 1971 Italy
The French Connection Friedkin 1971 US
The Garden of the Finzi Continis De Sica 1971 Italy
The Last Picture Show Bogdanovich 1971 US
Two English Girls Truffaut 1971 France
Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory Stuart 1971 US
Cries and Whispers Bergman 1972 Sweden
The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie Bunuel 1972 France
The Ruling Class Medak 1972 UK
Solaris Tarkovsky 1972 Soviet Union
Deliverance Boorman 1972 US
Fox and His Friends Fassbinder 1972 West Germany
The Godfather Coppola 1972 US
Roma Fellini 1972 Italy
Sleuth Mankiewicz 1972 UK
The Tree of Wooden Clogs Olmi 1972 Italy
Flesh for Frankenstein Morrissey 1973 UK
The Harder They Come Henzell 1973 Jamaica
Sisters De Palma 1973 US
Scenes from a Marriage Bergman 1973 Sweden
Mean Streets Scorsese 1973 US
Paper Moon Bogdanovich 1973 US
Amarcord Fellini 1974 Italy
Blood for Dracula Morrissey 1974 UK
The Night Porter Cavani 1974 Italy
General Idi Amin Dada Schroeder 1974 France
Hearts and Minds Davis 1974 US
Ali: Fear Eats the Soul Fassbinder 1974 West Germany
Butley Pinter 1974 US
Chinatown Polanski 1974 US
The Conversation Coppola 1974 US
The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser Herzog 1974 West Germany
The Godfather, Part II Coppola 1974 US
Lenny Fosse 1974 US
Swept Away Wertmuller 1974 Italy
That's Entertainment! Haley, Jr. 1974 US
Salo Pasolini 1975 Italy
Picnic at Hanging Rock Weir 1975 Australia
The Magic Flute Bergman 1975 Sweden
The Lost Honor of Katharina Blum Schlondorff & von Trotta 1975 West Germany
Jaws Spielberg 1975 US
Nashville Altman 1975 US
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest Forman 1975 US
The Rocky Horror Picture Show Sharman 1975 UK
Grey Gardens Maysles 1976 US
Coup de Grace Schlondorff 1976 West Germany
Maitresse Schroeder 1976 France
All the President's Men Pakula 1976 US
The Bad News Bears Ritchie 1976 US
The Front Ritt 1976 US
Man of Marble Wajda 1976 Poland
Network Lumet 1976 US
Seven Beauties Wertmuller 1976 Italy
Small Change Truffaut 1976 France
The Last Wave Weir 1977 Australia
That Obscure Object of Desire Bunuel 1977 France
Jubilee Jarman 1977 UK
3 Women Altman 1977 US
Annie Hall Allen 1977 US
Close Encounters of the Third Kind Spielberg 1977 US
Star Wars: A New Hope Lucas 1977 US
Autumn Sonata Bergman 1978 Sweden
The Marriage of Maria Braun Fassbinder 1978 West Germany
The Deer Hunter Cimino 1978 US
The Last Waltz Scorsese 1978 US
Superman Donner 1978 US
The Long Good Friday Mackenzie 1979 UK
Monty Python's Life of Brian Jones 1979 UK
Love on the Run Truffaut 1979 France
The Tin Drum Schlondorff 1979 West Germany
The China Syndrome Bridges 1979 US
Kramer vs. Kramer Benton 1979 US
The Stunt Man Rush 1979 US
Hopscotch Neame 1980 US
Ordinary People Redford 1980 US
The Shining Kubrick 1980 US
Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back Kerschner 1980 US
Time Bandits Gilliam 1981 UK
Coup de torchon Tavernier 1981 France
Lola Fassbinder 1981 West Germany
Atlantic City Malle 1981 US
Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark Spielberg 1981 US
Pixote Babenco 1981 Brazil
Veronika Voss Fassbinder 1982 West Germany
Circle of Deceit Schlondorff 1982 Germany
Fitzcarraldo Herzog 1982 West Germany
Say Amen Somebody Nierenberg 1982 US
Tootsie Pollack 1982 US
The Verdict Lumet 1982 US
The World According to Garp Hill 1982 US
Videodrome Cronenberg 1983 Canada
The Day After Meyer 1983 US
E.T. The Extra Terrestrial Spielberg 1983 US
Koyaanisqatsi Reggio 1983 US
Star Wars: Return of the Jedi Marquand 1983 US
Terms of Endearment Brooks 1983 US
And the Ship Sails On Fellini 1984 Italy
The Element of Crime von Trier 1984 Netherlands
Secret Honor Altman 1984 US
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom Spielberg 1984 US
The Natural Levinson 1984 US
Stop Making Sense Demme 1984 US
Brazil Gilliam 1985 UK
Vagabond Varda 1985 France
My Life as a Dog Hallstrom 1985 Sweden
The Goonies Donner 1985 US
The Official Story Monti 1985 Argentina
Shoah Lanzmann 1985 France
Sid & Nancy Cox 1986 UK
Mona Lisa Jordan 1986 UK
Withnail and I Robinson 1986 UK
Down by Law Jarmusch 1986 US
Castle in the Sky Miyazaki 1986 Japan
The Godfather, Part III Coppola 1986 US
Sherman's March McElwee 1986 US
Stand by Me Reiner 1986 US
RoboCop Verhoeven 1987 US
Full Metal Jacket Kubrick 1987 US
Moonstruck Jewison 1987 US
Transformers: The Movie Shin 1987 US
The Untouchables De Palma 1987 US
Dead Ringers Cronenberg 1988 Canada
The Unbearable Lightness of Being Kaufman 1988 US
The Last Temptation of Christ Scorsese 1988 US
How to Get Ahead in Advertising Robinson 1988 UK
The Vanishing Sluzier 1988 Netherlands
Biloxi Blues Nichols 1988 US
Powaqqatsi Reggio 1988 US
For All Mankind Reinert 1989 US
Do the Right Thing Lee 1989 US
Babette's Feast Axel 1989 Netherlands
Bull Durham Shelton 1989 US
Glory Zwick 1989 US
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade Spielberg 1989 US
The Silence of the Lambs Demme 1990 US
Dancing with Wolves Costner 1990 US
Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! Almodovar 1990 Spain
Naked Lunch Cronenberg 1991 US
Slacker Linklater 1991 US
Howard's End Ivory 1991 UK
Fishing with John Lurie 1992 US
Man Bites Dog Belvaux, Bonzel & Poelvoorde 1992 Netherlands
Short Cuts Altman 1993 US
Schindler's List Spielberg 1993 US
Little Women Armstrong 1994 US
My Metier Jensen 1995 Netherlands
Toy Story 1995 US
The Rock Bay 1996 US
Schizopolis Soderbergh 1996 US
Breaking the Waves von Trier 1996 Netherlands
Taste of Cherry Kiarostami 1997 Iran
Insomnia Skjoldbjaerg 1997 Sweden
Chasing Amy Smith 1997 US
Boogie Nights P. Anderson 1997 US
4 Little Girls Lee 1997 US
Good Will Hunting Van Sant 1997 US
Armageddon Bay 1998 US
Rushmore W. Anderson 1998 US
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas Gilliam 1998 US
The Big Lebowski Coen 1998 US
Saving Private Ryan Spielberg 1998 US
Thief Chukhrai 1998 Russia
Ratcatcher Ramsay 1999 UK
The Cider House Rules Hallstrom 1999 US
La Traviata Zeffeirelli 1999 US
Romance Breillat 1999 France
South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut Parker & Stone 1999 US
Star Wars: The Phantom Menace Lucas 1999 US
Three Kings Russell 1999 US
Toy Story 1999 US
Beastie Boys Anthology Various 2000 US
In the Mood For Love Kar-Wai 2000 South Korea
Traffic Soderbergh 2000 US
George Washington Green 2000 US
American Beauty Mendes 2000 US
Billy Elliot Daldry 2000 UK
Dancer in the Dark von Trier 2000 Netherlands
Fantasia 2000 2000 US
O Brother Where Art Thou? Coen 2000 US
Songcatcher Greenwald 2000 US
Wonder Boys Hanson 2000 US
You Can Count on Me Lonergan 2000 US
The Royal Tenenbaums W. Anderson 2001 US
Cast Away Zemeckis 2001 US
Ghost World Zwigoff 2001 US
Lantana Lawrence 2001 Australia
Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring Jackson 2001 US
Moulin Rouge Lerman 2001 US
No Man's Land Tanovic 2001 Bosnia Herzegovenia
61* Crystal 2001 US
A.I.: Artificial Intelligence Spielberg 2002 US
Bowling for Columbine Moore 2002 US
Gosford Park Altman 2002 US
Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers Jackson 2002 US
Minority Report Spielberg 2002 US
Monster's Ball Forster 2002 US
Road to Perdition Mendes 2002 US
Star Wars: Attack of the Clones Lucas 2002 US
Talk to Her Almodovar 2002 Spain
Catch Me If You Can Spielberg 2003 US
The Fast Runner Kunuk 2003 Canada
Naqoyqatsi Reggio 2003 US
Nowhere in Africa Link 2003 Germany
Punch Drunk Love P. Anderson 2003 US
Fog of War 2003 US
Fahrenheit 9/11 Moore 2004 US
The House of Sand and Fog Perelman 2004 US

[Turbo VDuB 44]

LOL damn cc....you don't mess around. I was going to copy it just to be an ass haha...
The only 2 movies I have EVER seen that are essential to watch are Star Wars Episode 4 and Scarface. You have to watch them, otherwise you pretty much suck at life...

[Azeron]

Hmm, good question. I'd say Lola rennt and Fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain for me.

[graf1k]

Except for the ending with some of the newer movies, it looks like cc's list could have just been summed up as "The entire Criterion Collection". I can't really knock it though as almost every movie on the list that I've seen were fantastic. I'm not sure Picnic At Hanging Rock is really that great. On the other hand, Throne of Blood is my favorite Kurosawa film thus far, and the list has probably my favorite movie of all tme, The French Connection.

[L3giOn]

Donnie Darko. If you like mind **** movies, this one is the king.

[Turbo VDuB 44]

Donnie Darko. If you like mind fuck movies, this one is the king.

Momento is another mind-boggler. Drug movie enthusiasts should watch Requiem for a Dream. Craziness as well in both movies...

[cc99999]

The CC puts out many great titles, but there's more on that list than that. actually, when I'm looking at that list- i think it was based on films that were available for home video release; i had a second one with films that were still out of print - which had great titles like Lili and Let it Be.

[JJ UK]

Shaun of the Dead - British comedy at its finest
Hot Fuzz - same as above
The Shawshank Redemption - simply love the film - can't think of any other reason why you should watch it but its great
Stardust - I went on the set of it, you should watch it just to say hey! JJ was there! (if you do its the pub the witch makes ;) ) its actually just a hollow structure ... ah well :p

[Predator]

Predator- Great action movie.
Saving Private Ryan- Simply amazing!
Superbad- Funniest thing ever.

[JJ UK]

oh my how did I forget the clasics that are Predator and SPR? good call pred

[deathbypig37x]

Very good list CC, however, you said films from 1998 to 2004? don't you mean 1898 to 2004? Whatever.

There are certain omissions to the list which I found quite disturbing. I am very glad you included 2001: A Space Odyssey, the movie is in my top 5 at number 3. The special effects, score, and just the overall film really astound, and rival movies of today in looks.

However, not including Forrest Gump (my number 1) really got me down. Forrest Gump received quite a few Oscars, and epitomizes the U.S. Through a time window of about 50 years.
The exclusion of Goodfellas, also got me down...Martin Scorcese's(sp?) best work was that film, and Di nero, Pesci, and Liotta do a FANTASTIC job and meld very well together. Shame on you. :p
I am also surprised that Caddyshack, Animal House, and Blazing Saddles weren't included, they ARE comedy. Pred, Superbad owes it all to these movies, for these movies laid the foundation for raunchy and crude humor to be used commonly. The American Film Institute would quite agree with me. ;)

Now, I am seeing independent movies being mentioned, and all I have to say is watch MY BIG FAT INDEPENDENT FILM(or is it movie?) It parodies many movies you guys have mentioned, along with a few other favorites.

Now cult classics are making a small showing as well. Legion mentioned Donnie Darko. It was a mind-blowing film, and only gained popularity after its box office failure (or at least struggle). Others would include Fight Club, (my number 2 choice :p) Snakes on a Plane, Elvis Vs. the Mummies, etc.

Very good choices so far though guys! :D

[hpenaranda]

The Good, The Bad, The Ugly.

Blondie, Angel Eyes & Tuco. Simply Amazing.