Starring: Harrison Ford, Tommy Lee Jones, Sela Ward, Joe Pantoliano, Andreas Katsulas, Jeroen Krabbé, Daniel Roebuck, Tom Wood

"What I want from each and every one of you is a hard-target search of every gas station, residence, warehouse, farmhouse, henhouse, outhouse and doghouse in that area." - Dep. Marshall Sam Gerard

Why watch this? This is a well-done action thriller. Jones and Ford are excellent!

Dad's Review: This is a top level action thriller. Jones and Ford are excellent!
Adapted from the popular 1960's TV show, The Fugitive. This is a great film and script, plus it’s a treat to see Tommy Lee and Harrison square off against each other. It follows a doctor wrongly accused of killing his wife. He escapes (what a scene!) and covertly looks for the real killer. Hot on his trail is a tenacious US Marshall and his team.

Starring: Robert Carlyle, Tom Wilkinson, Mark Addy, William Snape, Paul Barber, Hugo Speer, Lesley Sharp, Emily Woof

"Anti-wrinkle cream there may be, but anti-fat-bastard cream there is not." - Dave

Why watch this? I have never loved a film more than this one I fully expected to hate.

Dad's Review: Featuring the most unlikely of topics for a comedy, this film centers on a group of unemployed English steel workers who are desperate to find work. When Gaz (Carlyle) spies women lined up at a male strip club, he devises a plan. That's right, he'll gather up his mates and give it a jolly old go. How hard could it be? Trust me, the film's ending will be one you never forget.

Starring: Brendan Fraser, Leslie Mann, Thomas Haden Church, Holland Taylor, Richard Roundtree, John Cleese

"Don't worry. Nobody dies in this story. They just get really big boo-boos." - Narrator

Why watch this? It's innocent and fun - just go with it.

Dad's Review: A very loveable Disney film with subtle adult humor and some really funny jokes and CGI gags. The film’s objective is play up physical humor for laughs, and it works. When my kids were young, we watched Disney movies over and over. This one never got old for me. I love the sweet Leslie Mann, and Holland Taylor is excellent as Ursula's meddling mother. Thanks to this film, I utter "King of Jungle only here to help" on a daily basis.

The Godfather (1972), Director: Francis Ford Coppola, rated R for violence and language

Starring: Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Richard Castellano, Robert Duvall, Sterling Hayden, John Marley, Richard Conte, Diane Keaton

"I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse. Okay? I want you to leave it all to me." - Don Corleone

Why watch this? This is ground-zero for the 1970's mob films.

Dad's Review: The two Godfather films are at the top of most movie lists. Why are these fine films hiding down here on Dad's Next 200? Well, it's simple. This film glamorizes the mob. The Corleone family are the film's "good guys", and I just cannot elevate that on my list. Anyway, that's my story and I'm sticking to it. It's a great, award-winning film; Brando and Pacino are excellent; the supporting cast is stellar. You may love it. I like it, too, but that's the best I can do.

The Godfather Part II (1974), Director: Francis Ford Coppola, rated R for violence and language

Starring: Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Robert Duvall, Diane Keaton, John Cazale, Talia Shire, Lee Strasberg, G. D. Spradlin, Richard Bright

"My father taught me many things here - he taught me in this room. He taught me: keep your friends close, but your enemies closer." – Michael Corleone

Why watch this? This film gives us Don's origin story, and Michael's rise to mob power.

Dad's Review: This sequel, in my opinion, out-paces the original. It covers more ground and gives us the history we need regarding Don Corleone's story growing up in New York City. It also fleshes out Michael's reign as head of the family, and the ruthless steps he takes to keep power. The film won Oscars for Best Picture, Director and Supporting Actor (De Niro).

Starring: Sean Connery, Honor Blackman, Gert Fröbe, Shirley Eaton, Tania Mallet, Harold Sakata, Bernard Lee, Martin Benson

"This is gold, Mr. Bond. All my life I've been in love with its color... its brilliance, its divine heaviness." – Auric Goldfinger

Why watch this? Connery remains my favorite Bond, and this is my favorite Bond film.

Dad's Review: Connery portrayed super-spy James Bond in many classic films. Here he must outwit the genius Auric Goldfinger. Golfinger’s plot to seize the worlds gold supply and contaminate it with atomic fallout. Only Bond, James Bond, can stop him! But first, Bond will have to overcome the ruthless henchman, Odd Job, who wields a deadly top hat with a razor-sharp brim! It feels so corny even keying that last sentence, but the film still works for me!

Starring: Charlie Chaplin, Georgia Hale, Mack Swain, Tom Murray, Malcolm Waite, Henry Bergman, Jack Adams, Frank Aderias

"I thought you was a chicken!" – Big Jim McKay, as his hunger causes him to see things

Why watch this? The entire film showcases Chaplin's non-verbal comedic genius. 

Dad's Review: This is one of, if not the best, of Chaplin's "Little Tramp" silent films. These masterpieces were a combination of small intimate interactions, and an elaborate comedy scene. Chaplin, as the tramp, portrays a starving prospector trying to survive. He winds up in a mining town and falls for a dance hall girl who barely knows he exists. She only makes fun of him. He dreams of her, but she does not return that emotion. Critics have long lauded this as a comedy classic. For once, I agree with them.

Starring: Robert De Niro, Ray Liotta, Joe Pesci, Lorraine Bracco, Paul Sorvino, Frank Sivero, Tony Darrow, Mike Starr, Frank Vincent, Chuck Low

"You took your first pinch like a man, and you learned the two most important things in life. You listenin'? Never rat on your friends, and ALWAYS keep your mouth shut." - Jimmy "The Gent" Conway

Why watch this? A superb mobster film with great performances from the film's stars.

Dad's Review: Another great Brooklyn mob film from Marty Scorcese. This is a great education on mob wise guys, and their code as they basically conduct illegal activities. There are three main characters: Jimmy (De Niro), a truck hijacker and gangster; Henry (Liotta) who fences for Jimmy, and Tommy (Pesci). Tommy's purpose appears to be just to pick fights and murder people. This film is violent and does not at all glamorize the lifestyle, but it's well-done, and very engaging.

Starring: Sigourney Weaver, Bryan Brown, Julie Harris, John O. Miluwi, Iain Glen, Iain Cuthbertson, Constantin Alexandrov, Waigwa Wachira

"Your hair is color of fire. They think you are a witch." - Sembagare

Why watch this? Dian Fossey's tragic story is very interesting, as was her work with the great apes.

Dad's Review: This riveting story is based on the real life of naturalist Dian Fossey, who devoted part of her life to study and protect the giant primates in the Congo. This touching film shows us so much about the behaviors and family structures of gorillas. When poachers cause too much damage, Fossey does all she can to stop them, which puts her in considerable danger.

Starring: Clint Eastwood, Bee Vang, Christopher Carley, Ahney Her, Brian Haley, Doua Moua, Brian Haley, Brian Howe, Geraldine Hughes

"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

Why watch this? Eastwood is just so damn good. How does he make this role likeable?

Dad's Review: Eastwood directs and stars in yet another great film. Here is plays Walt Kowalski, a grumpy, bigoted war veteran. As Asian families move into his neighborhood, he begins to soften a bit. He even takes a young boy, Thao, under his wing after the boy attempts to steal his car. This film is stuffed full of memorable moments. I have to warn you, the film's ending will blow you away, even if you see it coming. 

Starring: Steve McQueen, James Garner, Richard Attenborough, Charles Bronson, James Donald, Donald Pleasence, James Coburn, David McCallum

"Are all American officers so ill-mannered?" - Von Luger

Why watch this? A great WWII POW film with an all-star cast.

Dad's Review: During World War II, the Germans took many Allied prisoners. This film features the efforts of Allied soldiers and officers to escape from Stalag Luft III. The plan is to build a tunnel under the camp, beyond the barbed wire fences, and get the 250 prisoners to safety. American Capt. Hilts (McQueen), offers to be the distraction with his constant escapes.

Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Emily Watson, Rubert Grint, Maggie Smith, Robbie Coltrane, Harry Melling, Alan Rickman, Michael Gambon, Helena Bonham Carter, John Isaacs, Tom Felton

"A child's voice, however honest and true, is meaningless to those who've forgotten how to listen." - Dumbledore

Why watch these films? Yes, it's magical and wonderful - All eight films.

Dad's Review: The phenomenon that is Harry Potter is almost useless to critique. I decided to include all films in a "Harry Potter 8-pack". I recommend that you watch them, in order, and take a month to do that. My personal favorite is Prisoner of Azkaban (2004), probably because I like werewolves. That said, the rest are also wonderful, each in their own way. 

Starring: Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Val Kilmer, Tom Sizemore, Diane Venora, Amy Brenneman, Ashley Judd

"A guy told me one time, "Don't let yourself get attached to anything you are not willing to walk out on in 30 seconds flat if you feel the heat around the corner."" - Neil McCauley

Why watch this? A first class crime action film with a first class cast.

Dad's Review: This film brings together two tough-guy film icons in Pacino and De Niro. They only have one scene together, a quiet conversation in a small diner. One is a sophisticated criminal, the other a vice cop. There’s a healthy level of respect between them, but they don’t leave as friends. They know when they meet again, one of them is going down.

Starring: Ron Perlman, Selma Blair, Doug Jones, Jeffrey Tambor, John Hurt, Anna Walton, John Alexander, James Dodd, Luke Goss, Anna Walton

"I'm not gonna kill him, Abe. But I am gonna kick his ass." - Hellboy

Why watch this? It's almost as good as the original. Lots more wonderful creatures.

Dad's Review: This sequel, which many feel is better than the original, takes our red, kitten-loving demon into a fantastical underworld filled with monsters, elves and beings of all kinds. Trolls, witches and magic are everywhere.  I really like the twist where some of the villains may not be who we think they are. Regardless, it nice to see Ron Perlman again as our favorite hell-born super-hero.

Starring: Gary Cooper, Thomas Mitchell, Lloyd Bridges, Katy Jurado, Grace Kelly, Otto Kruger, Lon Chaney Jr., Henry Morgan

"You risk your skin catching killers and the juries turn them loose so they can come back and shoot at you again. If you're honest you're poor your whole life and in the end you wind up dying all alone on some dirty street." - Martin

Why watch this? Watching Cooper act is like watching butter melt on a piece of toast.

Dad's Review: It has all the ear marks of a standard Western drama: a sheriff has to stand against outlaws, backed by his deputies and concerned citizens. Well that doesn’t exactly happen. This sheriff is forced to really stand alone. His deputies quit. Even his fiancé leaves him. Yet this man, portrayed by the great Gary Cooper, knows he has to stay. This simple fact makes the story feel more realistic.

Starring: Sean Connery, Harry Andrews, Ian Bannen, Alfred Lynch, Ossie Davis, Roy Kinnear, Jack Watson

"You'd prop up dead men and inspect them if you was ordered to!" – Trooper Joe Roberts

Why watch this? This film examines the cruelty of a British military prison in Libya.

Dad's Review: This film is set in the scorching heat of the Libyan desert, at the end of WWII. There a British Army outpost deals with military prisoners. The officers in charge conduct brutal punishments on the men, namely hiking up and down a sand mound called "The Hill". This is an exercise in leadership, when those in charge simply do not step in and stop something they know to be wrong. Connery is excellent as a former Sergeant Major who assaulted his superior officer, and now must serve his sentence running up and down the Hill. 

Starring: Rutger Hauer, C. Thomas Howell, Jeffrey DeMunn, Jennifer Jason Leigh, John M. Jackson, Billy Greenbush, Jack Thibeau

"I want you to stop me." - John Ryder

Why watch this? It's as suspenseful as a movie can get.

Dad's Review: This is the ultimate cautionary tale regarding why you should never pick up a hitchhiker. It is brutal and a little unrealistic, but that’s what movies are for. No matter what our young protagonist does, he cannot escape the homicidal maniac who toying with his prey. I must point out that there is a "I can’t believe that just happened" moment, and it is very disturbing.

Starring: Rick Moranis, Matt Frewer, Marcia Strassman, Kristine Sutherland, Amy O'Neill, Thomas Wilson Brown, Jared Rushton

"Look, my dad's machine works. When we get home and he fixes us all, we're gonna be so rich. You'll regret this." – Amy Szalinski

Why watch this? It is so much fun, as the kids navigate through.

Dad's Review: A struggling scientist accidentally shrinks his, and the neighbor's, kids. At first, they just think the kids ran away, but they finally learn the truth. Meanwhile the kids in a new universe, where simple water drops are a flood, and a tiny ant is a monster! There are many memorable, tender and scary moments. This was a huge hit for Disney.  

Starring: Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, Michael Gough, Melissa Stribling, Carol Marsh, John Van Eyssen, Valerie Gaunt

"To liberate her soul and give her peace we must destroy that shell for all time. Believe me there is no other way." - Dr. Van Helsing

Why watch this? Christopher Lee is a great replacement for Lugosi as Count Dracula.

Dad's Review: This is the first Hammer horror film starring Christopher Lee as the bloodthirsty Count. Opposite him is Peter Cushing as Van Helsing. The two starred in over a dozen films together. This film exudes a lot more sexuality than the 1931 film. It's brooding Victorian atmosphere and creepy setting perfectly fits the genre.

Starring: Dee Wallace, Patrick Macnee, Dennis Dugan, Christopher Stone, Belinda Balaski, Kevin McCarthy, John Carradine, Slim Pickens

"A secret society exists, and is living among all of us. They are neither people nor animals, but something in-between." – Karen White

Why watch this? It's frankly scary from start to finish!

Dad's Review: 1981 was a good year for werewolves. This movie follows a reporter as she tracks down a stalker to a place called "The Colony", which is devoted to self-help. Of course, The Colony is really a haven for werewolves. This film is dark and scary; and damn, these werewolves are just nasty!

Starring: Paul Newman, Melvyn Douglas, Patricia Neal, Brandon deWilde, Whit Bissell, Crahan Denton, John Ashley, Val Avery

"That's the shame of it because you don't value anything. You don't respect nothing. You keep no check on your appetites at all. You live just for yourself." – Homer Bannon

Why watch this? I applaud Paul Newman's role choices. This one fits him

Dad's Review: Paul Newman’s performance in this film is vintage Windham. The Windham's were my grandmother's side. The men were good-looking and blue-eyed charming. Some of them could also be tough, mean, and very much like the character Hud in this film. It's very realistic to the plights of West Texas, right down to the scene where they have to shoot the entire cattle herd because of foot-and-mouth disease. My family had had to perform that grim task.

Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Keira Knightley, Matthew Goode, Rory Kinnear, Charles Dance, Mark Strong, Matthew Beard

"Sometimes it's the very people who no one imagines anything of who do the things no one can imagine." – Christopher Morcom

Why watch this? This engrossing story is based on the life of cryptographer Alan Turing.  

Dad's Review: Alan Turing was a genius. He was also gay in England in the 1930's. This results in a painful personal life, but professionally he was asked to work on breaking the most famous code in history: Germany's Enigma Code. Turing and his associates create an electronic "machine" that will slowly work through the code, hopefully, cracking it, so that the Allies can intercept the Germany messages and win the war. Cumberbatch is remarkable in this must-see film.

Starring: Sissy Spacek, Tom Wilkinson, Nick Stahl, Marisa Tomei, William Mapother, Celia Weston, Deborah Derecktor, William Wise

"You're bitter, Ruth. And you can point your finger at me all you like, but you better take a damn good look at yourself." - Matt

Why watch this? It's painful on two levels: the act of murder and coping with it.

Dad's Review: This film confronts the horrible topic of murder, and a common family’s inability to fight against wealth and power in a small town. We see the raw pain, the struggle and unfair blame. We also see justice repaid. The entire cast gives stellar performances. It was nominated for five Oscars, but unbelievably came away empty handed.   

Starring: Clint Eastwood, John Malkovich, Rene Russo, Dylan McDermott, Gary Cole, Fred Thompson, John Mahoney

"I have a rendezvous with death, and so does the President, and so do you, Frank, if you get too close to me." - Allison

Why watch this? An excellent action flick about the President's secret service detail.

Dad's Review: An intelligent, deranged man (Malkovich) plots to assassinate the President. An aging Secret Service agent (Eastwood), who has served several past Presidents, is goaded by the killer via phone calls. Malkovich and Eastwood are really fun to watch as they play "cat and mouse" right up to film’s thrilling finale.

Starring: Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Sarah Vowell, Spencer Fox, Jason Lee, Samuel L. Jackson, Elizabeth Peña

"Normal? What do you know about normal? What does anyone in this family know about normal?" - Violet

Why watch this? For a Disney film, this is one of the best super-hero films out there.

Dad's Review: Disney and Pixar rule the cartoon universe, and deservedly so. This major hit stands out because it is about the "modern family". You have all the dynamics: a Dad who hates his "safe" job, a Mom who feels lost, an emo teen, a Son that won’t listen. Just the kinda normal family life I feel comfortable watching. The film is tons of fun and very creative.  

Starring: Spencer Tracy, Fredric March, Gene Kelly, Dick York, Donna Anderson, Harry Morgan, Claude Akins, Noah Beery Jr.

"Why did God plague us with the capacity to think? Mr. Brady, why do you deny the one faculty of man that raises him above the other creatures of the earth, the power of his brain to reason? What other merit have we?" – Henry Drummond

Why watch this? This retells the 1925 Scopes "Monkey" trial regarding a teacher and Darwinism.

Dad's Review: This is a courtroom drama like no other. It features two cinematic legends in Spencer Tracy as Henry Drummond, and Fredric March as Biblical scholar Matthew Brady (he won the Best Actor Oscar). It's a heavy weight fight as these two debate Bible vs. Evolution.

Next 200 - 101 thru 125