TOP 100 COOLEST FILMS EPISODE IV THE TOP 25... and LUCAS DIRECTS THE MIGHTY NIMROD Posted by: Ric Nimrod 1-30-02 12:01am Oh, you didn’t know that Lucas had directed the great and powerful NIMROD? It’s true, I was directed by a young filmmaker named Rob Lucas and as I take a page outta the ol’ plug book allow me to tell you why I mention this young man and the film he made that features the mighty Nimrod. It is being played at the AKRON INDEPENDENT FILM FEST on 1-31-02. Not only will this epic (entitled THE BIG NIGHT) be screened, but so will DEATH OF A G.P.A., the film that was featured on this very web site and directed by your hero, the MIGHTY NIMROD. It’s only $3 and it’s for a good cause. So support your local filmmakers and go see the film fest on Thursday, Jan 31 at Akron University, Gardner Theater. For more info call 330-618-4405. On with the countdown, we are down to the TOP 25 COOL-ASS MOVIES in Nimrodland. Here are the links to the first 3 columns dealing with the other 75 films. (Please put those links in here Mr. Cable) 100-76; 75-51; 50-26. First the whole 100 then this weeks 25. 100- Star Wars Episode One The Phantom Menace 99- The Last Boy Scout 98- Shaft (1970) 97- King Creole 96- Batman Forever 95- Bonnie and Clyde 94- Lolita 93- Titanic 92- Friday the 13th 91- X-Men 90- They Call Me Trinity 89- Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom 88- Blade 87- Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? 86- Time Bandits 85- Rock-n-Roll High School 84- O' Brother Where Art Tho? 83- Predator 82- Harvey 81- M 80- The Lavender Hill Gang 79- Big Trouble in Little China 78- Pee Wees Big Adventure 77- The Warriors 76- Lethal Weapon 75- Halloween 74- Trinity is Still My Name 73- Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas 72- Requiem For a Dream 71- Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade 70- Reservoir Dogs 69- Close Encounters of the Third Kind 68- The Exorcist 67- African Queen 66- A Nightmare on Elm Street 65- The Muppet Movie 64- 48 Hours 63- Braveheart 62- Do the Right Thing 61- Patton 60- Payback 59- Boyz in the Hood 58- Goodfellas 57- Saturday Night Fever 56- Dirty Harry 55- Desperado 54- The Fifth Element 53- Planet of the Apes (1968) 52- Zentropa 51- Star Wars Episode Six Return of the Jedi 50- RoboCop 49- Silence of the Lambs 48- Army of Darkness 47- Unbreakable 46- Back to the Future 45- E.T. 44- BeetleJuice 43- The Terminator 42- Starship Troopers 41- Major League 40- Platoon 39- Raging Bull 38- Dr. Strangelove or How I Learned to Stop Worrying & Love the Bomb 37- Fight Club 36- Memento 35- Breakfast Club 34- Shawshank Redemption 33- Urban Cowboy 32- Iron Giant 31- Smokey and the Bandit 30- Schindlers List 29- Godfather II 28- Batman 27- Citizen Kane 26- Star Wars Episode Four A New Hope 25- Dusk 'Til Dawn 24- 12 Monkeys 23- Toy Story 2 22- Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid 21- The Sixth Sense 20- Natural Born Killers 19- Scream 18- Better Off Dead 17- Gladiator 16- Stalag 17 15- Fast Times at Ridgemont High 14- Superman 13- Fargo 12- Rocky 11- Leon The Professional 10- Jaws 9- Boogie Nights 8- Casablanca 7- Godfather 6- Die Hard 5- Rear Window 4- Raiders of the Lost Ark 3- Pulp Fiction 2- King Kong (1933) 1- Star Wars Episode Five The Empire Strikes Back Lets BREAK IT DOWN Y'ALL!!!!! 25- From Dusk 'Til Dawn ­ There is Robert Rodriguez, and then there are other directors. Nobody else could take us from the Tarantino gun flick to a Vampire blood fest in a heartbeat. This is a great movie in every sense of the word. Great action, great editing, great actors, great writing, GREAT directing. Cheech plays three rolls and Selma strips. The movie that made Clooney a movie star, the flick delivers. 24- 12 Monkeys ­ Well, first it has the Bruce factor. Add Terry Gilliam and a genius plot about time travel and self-destruction and you have a top 25 films that is as smart as it is cool. 23- Toy Story 2 ­ The E-mails you guys sent about this really hurt my feelings. Here is a quote from one reader. "Nimrod, you would not know a good film if I shoved all 10 reels of Bridge Over the River Kwai up you’re a$$. How could Toy Story NOT rank and TS2 be in the top 25!? You Suck!". I am sorry to offend my loyal reader, but TS2 is just a better film... it has the toy collector jabs and is a wide eyed buddy story that tops its magical predecessor. I love the first one, but the second one is really better on all fronts. And couldn’t you shove Toy Story 2 up my a$$ instead? It is a much shorter film than River Kwai and probably only takes up 6 reels. Thanks and keep that mail coming. 22- Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid ­ The word CLASSIC still does not do this movie justice. It is the PERFECT cowboy/buddy movie. Nuff Said? 21- The Sixth Sense ­ This movie knocked Empire Strikes Back outta the top 10 money makers (though it has since been knocked out by Harry Potter) SO that has to tell ya its pretty damn good. Still not convinced... how about the Bruce factor and a spooky kid that sees dead people. This one is a modern classic that will stand the test of time. Its almost better the second time you see it. 20- Natural Born Killers ­ This movie has grown on me over the years. At its release I hated it, after home video I liked it and now I friggin’ LOVE this movie. The media satire and observations about our bloodthirsty society are the blunt objects that Oliver Stone hits us with repeatedly through this film and the melting pot of film stocks and editing styles he uses to kick you while your down. Ahead of its time and BRILLIANT! 19- Scream ­ Wes Craven is a hero of mine. I love his work and this is his best. He makes a movie that makes fun of himself, winks at the camera and still scares the crap outta ya. 18- Better Off Dead ­ What could be cooler than 2 Asians that talk like Howard Cossel, a sexy French girl, John Cusak and a pair of hamburgers that sing Van Halen songs? 17- Gladiator ­ This was the last big movie to blow me away. LOTR didn’t do it, this one did. It still rocks and is damn near a perfect film 16- Stalag 17 ­ This is the template for Hogan’s Heroes, BUT it is not a comedy. This 1953 film won William Holden the Oscar. It’s a great movie about prisoners of was and paranoia. VERY cool in a ton of ways. 15- Fast Times at Ridgemont High ­ This was the funniest movie in the world to me when I was 15 years old... of course I was stoned. Sean Penn in the breakthrough roll of Spicoli, a cast of young folks that all want on to become stars and a great story by Camron Crowe and directed by Amy Heckerling. This film defined the 1980s stoners and all that they strived to be. 14- Superman ­ The highest-ranking Superhero film on my list, this film has very few faults. The Lex character and his buffoon sidekick are lame and the flying with Lois scene is a skipper (thank god for DVD) BUT for the most part, Richard Donner crafted the greatest superhero tale ever. All the Krypton stuff is perfect and the Smallville scenes are dead-on. A cool movie about a man that can fly. 13- Fargo ­ During a trip to Minnesota I actually sat in the very booth that William Macy makes the ill-fated deal in this film. It is a film that the Coen brothers will never be able to top. Funny, smart and entertaining as heck, this is a crime movie that surprises and thrills at its every quirky turn. 12- Rocky ­ Forget the sequels. All of them. This movie STILL jerks the tears outta me. It really does. This film about the human spirit is Sly at his most creative. 11- Leon The Professional ­ The perfect blend of action movie and art house independent style. If you have never seen this one SHAME ON YOU! 10- Jaws ­ And so begins the top 10. In 1975 I was seven years old, this film scared the crap outta me. In 2002 I am 33 years old and this movie brings a smile to my face every time I see it. Steven Spielberg takes a monster movie, peppers it with star power and a little Hitchcockian flavored lensing, adds a whole lotta Spielberg magic and John Williams music. The result is a tasty movie about a killer fish. I still won’t swim in the ocean because of this doosey. 9- Boogie Nights ­ Paul Thomas Anderson is by far my favorite modern director. PERIOD. There is not one thing wrong with this coming of age tale set in the 70s and 80s world of porn. It is one perfect shot after another with perfect direction, flawless acting and a script that bursts with originality. There are rumors of a sequel BUT god PLEASE do not let this film be tarnished by an inferior follow-up. I cannot wait for Anderson’s next film. 8- Casablanca ­ A film that should have been a train wreck of a movie, with every kind of production hassle and studio interferences you could think of and still a perfect film emerges. It is romance, excitement, interreges and mystery. It is one of the greatest movies and with a character like Rick it is one of the coolest movies. 7- Godfather ­ Brando-Coppola-Duvall-Pacino-Puzo-Caan and ABE ‘MUTHA F*CKIN’ VIGODA. This movie changed mob flicks FOREVER. Without this movie there is no Goodfellas, no Sopranos, no Analyze This and no mobster clichés that plague the film world. The first film to merge the criminals and the people who love them. To watch Michael become what he hates is poetry on film. But then again... you already know that don’t you. 6- Die Hard ­ Besides changing the way the world looks at action films, it is also my favorite Christmas movie. 5- Rear Window ­ Hitchcock never won an Oscar. This movie is everything that is right with the movies and the fact that this man was ignored only goes to show you that the academy SUCKS. This movie about a man with WAY too much time on his hands is a testament of great filmmaking. With Hitch shooting and Jimmy Stewart acting ANY script would shine, lucky for us the script in this suspense thriller is as strong as its director and lead actor. 4- Raiders of the Lost Ark ­ Jones is the COOLEST film hero ever. With the COOL team of Steven Spielberg & King George creating this COOL character we get a COOL adventure. In 1981 it was COOL and in 2002 it only reminds us of how COOL movies can be and how we need some COOL heroes. A new Indy flick would be COOL. 3- Pulp Fiction ­ Tarantino is the king of cool. If everything he does from now on stinks, he made Pulp Fiction... therefore, he is cool. Everyone has seen it so there is no need to discuss it (and if you have not seen this movie, you are not cool). 2- King Kong (1933) ­ A giant ape goes gaga over a hottie. KEWL! This old movie demanded my undivided attention as a child and it still does. I love the effects; the emotions of an obviously fake gorilla still seem so human. The ORIGIONAL Beauty killed the beast story, often imitated and NEVER duplicated. 1- Star Wars Episode Five The Empire Strikes Back ­ I never wanted a movie more than this one. I was a 12 year old boy who had spent the prior 3 years DREAMING of all the possible stories that could be told in this universe and acting them out with my action figures (YEP, the more things change... the more they stay the same). This movie is the KING DADDY COOL OF ALL THAT IS COOL and it changed my life... perhaps a little more than its older sibling, Episode IV. What is cool about it? Well, it IS Star Wars so it is cool. The sets are the coolest ever in a SW film, the acting starts getting a little better (due partly to the fact the King George did not direct); the effects are cool and still stand up today. Vader is at his most evil- COOL. Swaggering Solo is at the top of his game- COOL. Leia is at her sassiest- COOL. Luke trains to be a Jedi ­ COOL. The action never stops-COOL. We meet Fett- COOL. LANDO IS JUST PLAIN COOL! And of course the whole HanTakenToJabbaByBoba WhileLukeFightsVader OnlyToFindOut ThatVaderIsHisFather AndLukeGetsHisHandChoppedOff finale that we all love so much. If the next Star Wars movie is half as cool as this one then COOL! There it is folks, the wrap-up to my 100 COOLEST movies list, I think the only thing I really got out of it was a wrist cramp.... And I prefer to do OTHER things to get my wrist cramps (if ya smell what the nimrod is cookin’)   C ya, Ric Nimrod