1. CITIZEN KANE (1941)

I own this one on DVD, but I have only watched it a couple of times. I guess I don't "love" this movie the way I love many other films in my collection. This is one where I believe the Roger Ebert commentary is essential to explain why the movie is considered the ultimate film. Unlike Casablanca, you might not watch it and go "of course, that's the greatest film of all time." But don't get me wrong, the first time I saw this movie, I did enjoy it very much and I'm happy to own it. It's just hard for any film to live up to the hype of being the best movie ever made.

2. CASABLANCA (1942)

Ebert does a great commentary track on this film as well, and he sums up exactly how I feel about the movie. He says that Citizen Kane is probably "better" on a technical level, but that there's no movie he loves or enjoys watching as much as Casablanca. This is one of those classics that you genuinely love. It's just a flawless film. The acting, the writing, the emotional resonance, the sexual tension. There are a lot of movies on this list that I could take or leave, but Casablanca is a must-see for anyone who likes film.

3. THE GODFATHER (1972)

Of course, The Godfather is a great film. Like so many movies on this list, I came late to the party. (I didn't even see the Star Wars films until the re-release in the 90s.) So by the time I saw it, there was a lot of hype surrounding it. On top of that, mafia movies aren't my favorite. On top of that, I am a little sick of Pacino and DeNiro. All reasons to explain why I saw it, appreciated it, and am now done with it.

4. GONE WITH THE WIND (1939)

I recently re-viewed this film (oh man, I can't wait for the four-disc collector's edition) and remembered how good it is. I mean we've all seen the clips and sound bytes ("Frankly, my dear...") but there was a lot in this film that I hadn't remembered. All the detailed war stuff. (Although I still can't watch the scene where the soldier has his something-or-other amputated without an anesthetic.) It's just a juicy story, isn't it?

5. LAWRENCE OF ARABIA (1962)

Haven't seen it yet.

6. THE WIZARD OF OZ (1939)

How does one separate a critical view of this film from her inner seven-year-old who just loves it and is still scared by Dorothy getting captured by the witch with the spooky hourglass of doom, and always wanted to fall asleep in the California poppy fields because of this movie, and loves the songs and the way the Yellow Brick Road starts with a tiny little spiral of yellow bricks... yeah. It's The Wizard of Oz. Who can be objective?

7. THE GRADUATE (1967)

Man, itÕs been a while since I've seen this one too. I remember really enjoying it and thinking: what would it be without Simon & Garfunkel? That's all that comes to mind, though. I might have to re-watch this one.

8. ON THE WATERFRONT (1954)

I started to watch it, then gave up. Must try again.

9. SCHINDLER'S LIST (1993)

I feel like I have to be in the "right" "mood" to watch this Holocaust film. I haven't been in the right mood yet.

10. SINGIN' IN THE RAIN (1952)

I look forward to re-watching this; all I remember is really, really loving it.

11. IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE (1946)

It's been a while for this one too. Better re-watch.

12. SUNSET BOULEVARD (1950)

I watched like, half of this movie when it was on cable one day.

13. THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI (1957)

Never seen it.

14. SOME LIKE IT HOT (1959)

I didn't think it was all that funny, to be perfectly honest, although it's supposedly the funniest movie of all time. It didn't make me laugh very much; I am not a huge fan of farce. (Which is bizarre given my love for Three's Company, now that I think about it. Maybe it's the John Ritter thing.) I'd say this movie is overrated. Which raises the question, what do I consider the funniest movie of all time? Easy! Monty Python and the Holy Grail!

15. STAR WARS (1977)

Like I said, I saw these movies when they were re-released. I thought Star Wars was fine, of course I knew I'd have enjoyed it more as a kid. I loooved Empire Strikes Back, though. I saw it three times in the theater. Of course that's the best one, so why isn't it here on the list? Or is this supposed to be the whole trilogy? (In which case, I cheated on The Godfather because I could not make it through that crap-ass third one.)

16. ALL ABOUT EVE (1950)

Haven't seen it yet.

17. THE AFRICAN QUEEN (1951)

Haven't seen it.

18. PSYCHO (1960)

I own this one, on VHS no less! I had a weird crush on Anthony Perkins for a while. I don't know why. And I think Janet Leigh is the most beautiful woman who ever lived. Truly, I can't think of anyone I'd rank above her. Not even Ingrid Bergman, Marilyn Monroe or Halle Berry. Which is totally off-topic. Anyway, Psycho is brilliant. The plotting (which would have been great if I didn't know she gets killed in the shower from riding the Universal Studios tram tour so many times) is innovative, the acting is wonderful, the reveal at the end is delicious. I just love Psycho. Which is sort of weird since I don't like horror movies. But it's not really horror, it's more noir. I like noir. (Dark City, The Maltese Falcon, The City of Lost Children [would we call that noir?]...)

19. CHINATOWN (1974)

Haven't seen it yet.

20. ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST (1975)

Not yet. And it swept all the Academy Awards the year I was born, so I'm sort of ashamed. But: mental institution! Uggh.

21. THE GRAPES OF WRATH (1940)

I loved the book. Is the movie as good?

22. 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (1968)

Haven't seen it yet.

23. THE MALTESE FALCON (1941)

Saw this one recently and loved it. The book is great too. But I loved the old-time San Francisco setting, and Bogart as Sam Spade really makes it. Just a great, solid, classic noir. A fabulous film.

24. RAGING BULL (1980)

Nope, haven't seen it.

25. E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL (1982)

Haven't seen it.

26. DR. STRANGELOVE (1964) Haven't seen it in a while. I remember being vaguely confused by it, but loving the ending. I remember the ending.

27. BONNIE AND CLYDE (1967)

Nope.

28. APOCALYPSE NOW (1979)

Nope.

29. MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON (1939)

Aah, idealism. I saw this when I was sixteen and went to D.C. on one of those "young leadership conference" trips. Of course I loved it; I think it would depress the hell out of me if I saw it today.

30. THE TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE (1948)

The what now?

31. ANNIE HALL (1977)

Diane Keaton is irritating, but not in this. Absolutely a great film. Very funny, very smart writing. Not creepy like all the "Woody Allen sleeps with Julia Roberts or Elizabeth Shue or Other Improbable IngŽnue" films. It works in Annie Hall and it works in Manhattan, and that's it. I don't want to watch creepy Woody Allen, as brilliant as he is, touching some young chippy in movies anymore. He is CREEPY!

32. THE GODFATHER PART II (1974)

Oh, I guess its not the trilogy after all! I remember thinking this wasn't as good as the first one. I didn't like the way the flashbacks (I hope this was the one with the flashbacks) were structured. Anyway I liked the first one better.

33. HIGH NOON (1952)

I thought High Noon was awesome. I saw it relatively recently and I loved the clock motif, the Tex Ritter song, the mood of the whole thing. I didn't expect to like it as I am not one for cowboy movies, but it's really well done, nuanced, and because it's a story told almost in real-time, very innovative for its time.

34. TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD (1962)

Haven't seen it since the fifth grade.

35. IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT (1934)

I think I saw this, but I don't remember it. I initially got it confused with From Here to Eternity.

36. MIDNIGHT COWBOY (1969) Never seen it.

37. THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES (1946)

I don't even know what this is.

38. DOUBLE INDEMNITY (1944)

Or this one.

39. DOCTOR ZHIVAGO (1965)

Never seen it.

40. NORTH BY NORTHWEST (1959)

Cary Grant and the plane! The cafeteria at Mount Rushmore! Yeah, I didn't love this one. It was fine.

41. WEST SIDE STORY (1961)

I need to re-watch this one. I love musicals and I remember loving this one, although it was sad.

42. REAR WINDOW (1954)

Haven't seen it.

43. KING KONG (1933)

Haven't seen it.

44. THE BIRTH OF A NATION (1915)

Saw it in film class. That counts, right? I really have no desire to see this one again.

45. A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE (1951)

Haven't seen it.

46. A CLOCKWORK ORANGE (1971)

I liked the book better, possibly because I'm not a huge Kubrick fan. (Not that I've seen most of Kubrick's big hits, so maybe I should hold off. But his films seem bloated to me, and overly enamored of themselves.)

47. TAXI DRIVER (1976)

Oh, I saw this in the theater about five years ago! I was very impressed with DeNiro's performance (this and Cape Fea r are two movies in which I really "get" the DeNiro thing) and I love Scorsese. It seems like every movie on this list that I have seen is a movie I've largely forgotten, though.

48. JAWS (1975)

Oh, a long-time favorite film of mine. A big hit the year I was born, and I love the book. And I love sharks. And the soundtrack. The acting could probably be better (apart from what's his name who plays Quint) and I wish they hadn't gotten rid of the Hooper/Ellen Brody torrid affair. Also Richard Dreyfuss bugs and he should have gotten eaten by the shark. In the book, doesn't his character die? I want to say yes. Anyway. Yay Jaws.

49. SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS (1937)

I don't really care for this movie because Snow White irritates me. She always irritated me in the stories, especially since she fell for the witch's dastardly schemes THREE TIMES. Like, wake up, Buttercup! And in this movie she's all squeaky and annoying. And Dopey isn't that cute. And I am going to hell for this sacrilege, I am sure. Snow White doesn't do it for me. Give me Cinderella or Sleeping Beauty any day.

50. BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID (1969)

Never seen it.

51. THE PHILADELPHIA STORY (1940)

There's a very nasty, misogynistic message in this movie, if you peer into it too closely. (Like it was Tracy's fault for dumping her alcoholic husband because she needed to "loosen up" or whatever.) (Oh and the fact that the other girl in the movie, whose name I can't even remember, is totally Plan B and doesn't even have the spine to care.) But the love triangle is great, the acting is wonderful, and I love Katharine Hepburn and Jimmy Stewart and even Cary Grant a little and all the banter and what are you going to do? It's the Reality Bites of 1940. Think about that one for a little bit, and it'll come to you.

52. FROM HERE TO ETERNITY (1953)

Oh that's the one with the kiss on the beach and the closeted gay actor, and Sinatra lobbying for a part that he was really great in. Was this the one where I didn't understand the ending? I remember liking it but not really getting the "it's so great" thing except that people always want to think war movies are better than they really are.

53. AMADEUS (1984)

I also own this one. It's so melodramatic sometimes (oh, F. Murray Abraham) but you go with it and it's just a fabulous story, with great music, and Tom Hulce is a blast to watch, and you have to love Amadeus don't you? Rock me.

54. ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT (1930)

Never saw it.

55. THE SOUND OF MUSIC (1965)

Love love love. Yes, I love the musicals, and this one in particular. How much did I wish I were Liesl! The only problem is that there's no sexual tension between Christopher Plummer and Julie Andrews, in spite of the fact that I find them both personally attractive. But Edelweiss always makes me cry, so there you go. I won't say another word against this movie.

56. M*A*S*H (1970)

Man, do I have to? I never understood the TV show and have no desire to see this. Stupid M*A*S*H.

57. THE THIRD MAN (1949)

Never seen it.

58. FANTASIA (1940)

I'm sure it's great if you're on drugs.

59. REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE (1955)

Haven't seen it.

60. RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (1981)

I have seen it, but it's hard for me to pick this out from the rest of the oeuvre. I am sure it has an annoying leading lady (because all of them do) and that Harrison Ford is hot in it (because he always is). I know this isn't the movie where Sean Connery says, "We named the dog Indiana" but I wish it were. I love that line.

61. VERTIGO (1958)

Creepy! And San Franciscoian! I don't know if I'd put this on the list, though. Honestly I'd probably put some more contemporary classics on the list before Vertigo. To me, Psycho is just far better.

62. TOOTSIE (1982)

I vaguely remember seeing this and thinking it was not that funny. Kind of the same reaction I had to Some Like It Hot.

63. STAGECOACH (1939)

Nope.

64. CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND (1977)

Not yet.

65. THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS (1991)

Another great book turned into a great movie, and a very faithful adaptation at that! With great actors. I mean, thriller movies donÕt usually win Academy Awards, and I don't usually like them. But this is the cr?me de la cr?me of thrillers. Too bad Thomas Harris had to go and cock it all up with Hannibal. And ugh, Julianne Moore. What the hell is that about? (I don't like Julianne Moore.)

66. NETWORK (1976)

Haven't seen it.

67. THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE (1962)

Haven't seen it.

68. AN AMERICAN IN PARIS (1951)

Again, I remember seeing it and loving it, but its been years.

69. SHANE (1953)

Sounds familiar.

70. THE FRENCH CONNECTION (1971)

Don't know anything about this one.

71. FORREST GUMP (1994)

What are you KIDDING ME WITH THIS? I will replace this with Pulp Fiction which is by far the superior movie. Treacley, overrated Forrest Gump. I did like it when I saw it, though, to be honest. I just think its vastly overrated and, like the original Shrek, that gets to me after a while. (That's a bad comparison, since I didn't like Shrek at all when I saw it. I liked Shrek2.)

72. BEN-HUR (1959)

Have...

73. WUTHERING HEIGHTS (1939)

...not...

74. THE GOLD RUSH (1925) ...seen...

75. DANCES WITH WOLVES (1990)

...any...

76. CITY LIGHTS (1931)

...of...

77. AMERICAN GRAFFITI (1973)

...these...

78. ROCKY (1976)

...here...

79. THE DEER HUNTER (1978)

...films...

80. THE WILD BUNCH (1969)

...which...

81. MODERN TIMES (1936)

...is...

82. GIANT (1956)

...kind of...

83. PLATOON (1986) .

..pathetic.

84. FARGO (1996)

But here! I'm back, because this is on my top ten list of best movies of all time. What can I say? Love William H. Macy, love Frances McDormand, love Peter Stormare, love Steve Buscemi. Love the accent. Love the black comedy. Love the "based on a true story" conceit which totally fooled me the first time around. Love the writing, directing, music, cinematography... yes, I love this movie. So subtle and wonderful. And I don't quite understand people who don't love it.

85. DUCK SOUP (1933)

This is the Marx brothers, right? Sigh. Farce.

86. MUTINY ON THE BOUNTY (1935)

Sounds like a war movie. But mutinies are exciting.

87. FRANKENSTEIN (1931)

Saw this in film class. It's one of those movies that's more important to the history of cinema than it is a stand-alone classic. All the messages are in the book, and I think the book is better. But it's iconic, and so there you have it. I can't complain that it's on the list.

88. EASY RIDER (1969)

Nope.

89. PATTON (1970)

Haven't seen it.

90. THE JAZZ SINGER (1927)

Haven't seen it.

91. MY FAIR LADY (1964)

I know I said I love musicals, and I love the music in My Fair Lady, but the ending drives me crazy. Fetch your own slippers, Henry Higgins! And shove them RIGHT UP YOUR ASS!

92. A PLACE IN THE SUN (1951)

Nope.

93. THE APARTMENT (1960)

I saw this. Jack Lemmon, right? I didn't think it was all that. Again, too much farce for me. And I'm not a huge Jack Lemmon fan.

94. GOODFELLAS (1990)

I saw this years ago, with a friend of mine who loves mafia movies. I spent the next six months mocking Ray Liotta in this movie. Really, mafia movies aren't my thing. And I know it's Scorcese so I should like it more than I did. I know that one-shot in the club is awesome. I know Joe Pesci is great in it. It just added up to less than the sum of its parts for me.

95. PULP FICTION (1994)

Aah, thank you. Pulp Fiction is awesome. Another one of my favorite movies, a brilliant, innovative, energetic pastiche that adds up to more than the sum of its parts. I loved this movie when I first saw it, and I love it today. Sadly my Uma Thurman crush is gone, but she was hot in that black wig.

96. THE SEARCHERS (1956)

Haven't heard of this.

97. BRINGING UP BABY (1938)

Katharine Hepburn is in this! I have to see it.

98. UNFORGIVEN (1992)

Nope.

99. GUESS WHO'S COMING TO DINNER (1967)

And nope.

100. YANKEE DOODLE DANDY (1942)

And nope.

So there you have it. I have barely seen any of these movies, but it took me a long time to write all of this. I figure now I can start adding some of these movies to my Netflix queue and then update as necessary. And I will resist the urge to start compiling a list of my own personal top 100 classic movies. Although I am telling you right now, Clueless would so be on there.