Top 5 Thursday: Movie Plot Twists

I hate predictable movies, movies that are anything but surprising. So when a film has an twist that you didn’t expect, it makes my day. Here are my five favorite plot twists in movies. Warning: *SPOILER ALERT*

5. The Empire Strikes Back
As the rebel alliance runs from Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker is trained to become a Jedi Knight. When Luke abandons his training to save his friends from Darth Vader, he finds out that he is his father.

4. Planet of the Apes
Three astronauts crash land on an unknown planet. On this planet, apes rule the world, while humans are considered second class citizens. The final scene sees the surviving astronaut stumble upon a half-sunken statue of liberty. He has been on planet earth all along.

3. Seven
Two detectives, Somerset and Mills, search for a serial killer obsessed with the seven deadly sins. In the end, killer John Doe, decides to lead the detectives to his final two bodies. When they arrive, they find a box. In the box is the head of Mills’ wife. Doe admits to have killed her out of envy and challenges Mills to kill him, making wrath the seventh and final sin.

2. The Sixth Sense
Dr. Malcolm Crowe attempts to help a young boy, who sees dead people. In the end it appears that Crowe has been dead himself the whole time.

1. The Usual Suspects
Five criminals plot against the police after being called in for a crime they didn’t commit, but begin to uncover a larger plot stemming from legendary criminal Keyser Soze. But who is he. In the final scene we see that it’s the pretending to be cripple Verbal Kint.

They Almost Made the Top 5: Psycho, Fight Club, Chinatown, Primal Fear, Fallen, Memento, The Prestige, Shutter Island

Top 5 Thursday: Movies with a Number in the Title

There are a lot of great movies that have a number in the title (not counting sequels like “Back to the Future Part II”). I made a list and started ranking them. It wasn’t easy, because there are many good films that I love and are on my all-time favorites list. Here is my top 5.

5. 21 Grams

This is the movie that introduced met to Naomi Watts, my favorite actress, and Alejandro González Iñárritu, one of my favorite directors. It’s a story filled with characters that grab you and you start caring about. Such a fantastic film.

 

 

4. (500) Days of Summer

This movie I fell in love with after the first watch. It first looks like yet another boy meets girl story, but it’s anything but that. It’s a very unconventional romantic comedy, with great cinematography and acting.

 

 

3. 127 Hours

James Franco at his best. One of the best films of the last decade and definitely one of the best make performances ever. I love this movie, one huge adrenaline rush.

 

 

2. 50/ 50

It seems impossible, but it’s a movie about cancer that is brought with a lot of humor and wit. And exactly that is what makes this movie so great.

 

 

1. Seven

One of the best movies ever made, a film that still terrifies me every time and captivates me. “Seven” is a sublime and brilliant thriller.

 

 

They Almost Made the Top 5: 12 Years a Slave, 101 Dalmatians, The 40 Year Old Virgin, 28 Days Later, District 9, The Sixth Sense, Twelve Monkeys, 10 Things I Hate About You, Apollo 13, The Fifth Element

Top 5 Thursday: David Fincher Movies

David Fincher is one of the best directors in Hollywood and he has also made some awesome movies that I can count as favorites. Here are my five favorites ranked.

5. The Game
I think most people count “The Game” as one of their least favorites. For some reason I always loved this film. Just the originality of it and how you get dragged into this film so easily.

4. Zodiac
I don’t think it’s a masterpiece, but I do like crime/ detective stories like this. Good acting and an interesting story. Somehow I always watch it when it’s on TV, that must mean it’s good right?

3. Gone Girl
It was high on my to watch list before it came out and it didn’t disappoint. This movie changed my mind about Ben Affleck as an actor, because I’m not a fan. But it was in fact Rosamund Pike that stole the show as Amy. A very good movie.

2. Fight Club
This is a genius story, with some of the best characters in cinema. That twist in the end still gets me and it’s definitely a masterpiece.

1. Seven “Seven” is one of the best thrillers ever made. Frankly, it’s just one of the best movies ever! This movie grabs me ever time, it’s so disturbing, yet interesting and compelling.

They Almost Made the Top 5: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Panic Room

Top 5 Thursday: Movies from 1995

Seriously, this was the toughest year so far. There were so many wonderful movies made in 1995, some of my all-time favorites. But to rank time, almost impossible. I eventually managed, so here are my favourite movies of 1995.

5. Braveheart

This was in the time everyone still took Mel Gibson seriously. He’s so good in “Braveheart”. Haven’t seen it in a while, but it’s not a movie for just anytime. You really have to sit down and fully focus on “Braveheart”. Only then you get the full experience.

 

4. Toy Story

This was ground breaking, the first digitally made Disney movie. It looks amazing, with a perfectly voiced Woody and Buzz by Tom Hanks and Tim Allen. It’s not my favourite in the series, but I love “Toy Story”.

 

3. Die Hard with a Vengeance

The best one in the series. I just love seeing Bruce Willis as John McClane (not in the fifth one though, I just pretend that was never made) and he is also one of my favourite movie characters of all-time.

 

2. The Usual Suspect

A movie with a fantastic ending. Even though I know how it ends now, that doesn’t make this movie any less exciting. But that climax is brilliant!

 

1. Se7en

This is definitely one of the best thrillers ever made. The concept, a guy killing by the seven deadly sins, is just genius. I have seen “Se7en” again recently and it still amazes me and manages to creep me out at the same time.

 

They Almost Made the Top 5: The Net, Leaving Las Vegas, Casino, Jumanji

Top 5 Thursday: Movie Villains

This week I picked the best movie villains. Characters that are just nasty, evil, sick and twisted. Here they are.

5. Hannibal Lecter (“The Silence of the Lambs”)
Hannibal Lecter is a charming and smart man and I think some people respect him somehow. But let's face it, he eats people, that's not very nice.

4. John Doe (“Seven”)
He kills people according to the seven deadly sins. Original and brilliant, but also pretty disturbing.

3. Hans Gruber (“Die Hard”)
Hans is a sophisticated villain with a sense of style. He is very polite for a bad guy, but maybe that’s why some people might underestimate him. You don’t want to mess with Hans Gruber.

2. Michael Myers (“Halloween”)
Always very coolly, slow walk, dark eyes and silent. He never says a word and that silent act makes him very scary.

1. Mr. Blonde (“Reservoir Dogs”)
The scene where he cuts that guys ear of and that poors it with gasoline. That's sick! Mr. Blonde, aka Vic Vega, wants to see his victims suffer before they actually die.

They almost made the top 5: Darth Vader (“Star Wars”), Freddy Krueger (“A Nightmare on Elmstreet”), Anton Chigurg (“No Country for Old Men”), Alex Forrest (“Fatal Attraction”), Tommy De Vito (“Goodfellas”), Jack Torrance (“The Shining”) and Elle Driver (“Kill Bill”)