Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Richard Crenna, Brian Dennehy, Bill McKinney, Jack Starrett, Michael Talbott, Chris Mulkey, David Caruso

"In town you're the law. Out here it's me. Don't push it or I'll give you a war you won't believe. Let it go." - John Rambo

Why watch this? Stallone's best action film. Don't waste your time on the sequels.

Dad's Review: Stallone is John Rambo, a drifter who wanders into the wrong town, where the hard-nosed Sheriff Teasle decides to hassle him. What the sheriff does not know is that Rambo was in the special forces in Vietnam. When they Rambo into jail and start roughing him up, he goes berserk. This film is non-stop action until the awesome climax.

Starring: Sam J. Jones, Melody Anderson, Ornelia Muti, Max Von Sydow, Topol, Timothy Dalton, Brian Blessed, Peter Wyngarde

"Pathetic earthlings. Hurling your bodies out into the void, without the slightest inkling of who or what is out here." – Emperor Ming

Why watch this? To enjoy some swashbuckling action, and jam with Queen!

Dad's Review: This is an colorful, excellent fantasy film, offering a fitting homage to the old Flash Gordon serials of the 1930’s. It's a welcome return to innocence. Von Sydow is perfectly cast as the ultra-evil Ming The Merciless. It may seem hokey at times, but it never stops being fun. The movie's soundtrack was performed by Queen, and they do ROCK the entire soundtrack!

Starring: Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Alan Rickman, Tony Shalhoub, Sam Rockwell, Daryl Mitchell, Enrico Colantoni, Missi Pyle, Jed Rees, Justin Long

"Never give up. Never surrender!" - Commander Taggart

Why watch this? It may be a parody of Star Trek's campiness, but it has a heart of its own.

Dad's Review: An all-star cast makes this Trek parody a laugh a minute. When the cast of a syndicated Space TV show are hijacked to fight a real alien threat, in actual space, the fun begins. I was pleasantly surprised by the comedic chops displayed by Rickman and Weaver. Another surprise is Sam Rockwell, as red-shirt Crew Member #6, he may actually steal the film!

Starring: Michael Douglas, Sean Penn, James Rebhorn, Deborah Kara Unger, Peter Donat, Carroll Baker, Amin Mueller-Stahl

“Discovering the object of the game is the object of the game.” – Daniel Schorr

Why watch this? To see the look on our face when you realize what is really going on.

Dad's Review: Rented this one night and could not believe that there was not more buzz about it. It is a tense film with a brilliant plot. You will have to watch it more than once to catch everything. This film certainly is a cautionary tale for the modern day corporate executive; those who live their lives solely to serve the "company", at the expense of living life and spending time with loved ones.

Starring: Ben Kingsley, Candice Bergman, Trevor Howard, John Gielgud, Martin Sheen, Daniel-Day Lewis, Roshan Seth

“Whenever I despair, I remember that the way of truth and love has always won. There may be tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they may seem invincible, but in the end, they always fail. Think of it: always.” – Mohandas Gandhi

Why watch this? This spanning epic still finds a way to intimately touch each heart that sees.

Dad's Review:  It's hard to argue with 8 Academy Awards. This film is epic and unrelenting as it follows the life of Mohandas Gandhi, and his non-violent protests against British rule in India. Ben Kingsley's performance is hypnotic. The man Gandhi, was a miracle of a human on this earth and we should all acknowledge his beliefs and type of thinking.

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Daniel Day-Lewis, Cameron Diaz, John C. Reilly, Jim Broadbent, Brendan Gleeson, Liam Neeson

"When you kill a king, you don't stab him in the dark. You kill him where the entire court can watch him die." - Amsterdam Vallon

Why watch this? Bill the Butcher - damn, what a character.

Dad's Review: I'll put this Scorsese film up against all his others including the Godfather films, Taxi Driver and Goodfellas. This has a story that is rich and so well done. It is a damn good movie. Perfect performances from DiCaprio, Day-Lewis, Diaz, etc. It's brutal and so wonderfully historical. 

Starring: Jeff Daniels, Tom Berenger, Martin Sheen, Maxwell Caulfield, C. Thomas Howell, Kevin Conway, Stephen Lang, Sam Elliott

"We are adrift here in a sea of blood and I want it to end. I want this to be the final battle." - General Robert E. Lee

Why watch this? We live 30 minutes from Gettysburg. YOU NEED TO SEE THIS FILM!

Dad's Review: A very well done film about that pivotal battle in American history. This requires the viewer to try to understand all the pieces that had to come together for this battle. It is all there: Devil's Den, Little Roundtop, Pickett's charge. I get that this was years ago, but historically it is important to understand what occurred here. 

Starring: Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, Harold Ramis, Rick Moranis, Annie Potts, Ernie Hudson

"I've only been with the company for a couple of weeks, but I gotta tell you: these things are real. Since I joined these men, I have seen shit that'll turn you white!” – Winston Zeddemore

Why watch this? It may be the best SNL-cast film ever. So creative and fun!

Dad's Review: I remember seeing this in a theater in Dimmitt, Texas. I was completely beside myself. What a wonderful, sophisticated film from a couple of SNL dudes in Murray and Aykroyd. This is when I realized that they guys were more than what I thought. They were real movie-makers, and the world was about to take notice. 

Starring: Matthew Broderick, Denzel Washington, Cary Elwes, Morgan Freeman, Andre Braugher, Jihmi Kennedy, Mark Margolis, Cliff DeYoung

"Gonna come a time when we all gonna hafta ante up and kick in like men, LIKE MEN! You watch who you callin' "nigger"! If there's any niggers around here, it's YOU, just a stupid-ass, swamp-runnin' nigger! And if you not careful, that's all you ever gonna be!” – Rawlins

Why watch this? Denzel and Morgan - they are the power that propels that film forward.

Dad's Review: The Civil War has a lot of stories, but this one is so unique and deserves our special attention. It details the Massachusetts 54th Infantry regiment, one of the first all-black regiments in the Union Army. It is well-done, with strong performances. 

Starring: John Phillip Law, Tom Baker, Takis Emmanuel, Caroline Munro, Douglas Wilmer, Martin Shaw

"Trust in Allah, but tie up you camel." - Sinbad

Why watch this? This is vintage, wonderful Harryhausen; maybe his best work. 

Dad's Review: This was almost in the Top50, but lost out to Valley of Gwangi. There are other  Harryhausen films I could name: The 7th Voyage of Sinbad, Mysterious Island, Jason and the Argonauts. But this the best Sinbad story. As Sinbad and his crew work to restore a Grand Visier to this rightful throne, they battle a sorcerer and his magic, sword-wielding statues and a centaur. The acting feels more natural, the villain is excellently evil, and the special effects are awesome. 

Starring: Casey Affleck, Michelle Monaghan, Morgan Freeman, Ed Harris, John Ashton, Amy Ryan, Amy Madigan, Titus Welliver

"He told me what God said to his children. "You were sheep among wolves. Be wise as serpents, yet innocent as doves.” – Patrick Kenzie

Why watch this? A tense story about a missing girl, her screwed-up mother and those that cover things up.

Dad's Review: Ben Affleck's directorial debut is a tight, tough South Boston drama. There are some really strong performances the entire cast. I will single out Casey Affleck, who shows he can carry a film as the lead, and Amy Ryan - she's so convincing as the worthless druggy mother who really doesn't deserve the child she has. 

Starring: Clark Gable, Vivien Leigh, Leslie Howard, Olivia de Havilland, Thomas Mitchell, Hattie McDaniel, Ona Munson

"I'm going to live through this and when it's all over, I'll never be hungry again. No, nor any of my folk. If I have to lie, steal, cheat or kill, as God is my witness, I'll never be hungry again.” - Scarlett O’Hara

Why watch this? The burning of Atlanta, which is a spectacle on screen to behold.

Dad's Review: This is the great American story of the Old South. It follows the life of Scarlett O'Hara, a spoiled rich plantation debutante. Then the Civil War starts. As the South's loss becomes evident, Atlanta is burned and Scarlett finally returns to her devastated home. She has a fight on her hands to keep it. Luckily, the noble scoundrel, Rhett Butler, gives her aid. As I have watched this film through the years, my affection for Scarlett has evolved. Her internal conflict is the star of the film. My Mom, though, could not see past the handsome Gable and all his confident charm.  

Starring: Robin Williams, Forest Whitaker, Bruno Kirby, Robert Wuhl, Tung Thanh, Chintara Sukapatana, J. T. Walsh

"Five months in Vietnam and my best friend is a V.C.! This will not look good on a résumé!" - Adrian Cronauer

Why watch this? Robin Williams steals the show, and I think that was the idea.

Dad's Review: Robin Williams was quick-witted, almost manic, comic. Could film-makers harness that energy in films? This vehicle let him be spontaneous, and funny, but it also exposed us to a real actor behind the comedian. His complicated relationship with two Vietnamese siblings gives the film a real beating heart.

Starring: Robin Williams, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Stellan Skarsgard, Minnie Driver, Casey Affleck, Cole Hauser, Matt Mercier

“If you ever disrespect my wife again, I will end you. I will f***ing end you. You got that, chief?” – Sean Maguire

Why watch this? It's so layered and powerful. Williams, Damon, and incredible script. 

Dad's Review: This one of Robin Williams' greatest performances (he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor). It was this film, and its screenplay, that catapulted Affleck and Damon into Hollywood. However, the film is carried by the relationship between Damon, as a boy cursed with genius, and Williams, a honest psychiatrist, who searches for a way to reach someone who specializes at out-witting those around him. When these two are on screen, you can cannot look away, and you hang on every word.  

Starring: Danny Glover, Kevin Kline, Steve Martin, Mary McDonnell, Mary-Louise Parker, Alfre Woodard, Jeremy Sisto

"You ain't got the gun, we ain't having this conversation." - Simon

Why watch this? It's about good people just trying to fix broken things and themselves.

Dad's Review: This is a superb film where multiple interrelated stories slow come together. As events occur, our ensemble cast is forced, or compelled, to take action. These are great characters. It is set in motion when Mack takes a wrong turn and ends up in a bad part of L.A. He calls for a tow truck, just as gang members descend upon him. Suddenly the tow truck arrives and hooks on. In a tense exchange, the tow truck driver, Simon, talks the gang-bangers out killing the man. What does this have to do with the Grand Canyon? Well, you'll have see.

Starring: Bill Murray, Andie MacDowell, Chris Elliott, Stephen Tobolowsky, Brian Doyle-Murray, Marita Geraghty, Angela Paton, Rick Overton

"I was in the Virgin Islands once. I met a girl. We ate lobster and drank pina coladas. At sunset we made love like sea otters. That was a pretty good day. Why couldn't I get that day over and over and over?" – Phil Connors

Why watch this? Put Bill Murray in any situation and he'll make it funny.

Dad's Review: A modern fairy tale of sorts about a self-centered man who is forced to live one day, Groundhog day, over and over. It is a great premise for a comedy, especially in the hands of veteran actor-director Ramis. The film delivers great performances, and plenty of really funny moments at Murray approaches each repeated day a little different than the day before.

Starring: Richard Gere, Joan Allen, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Sarah Roemer, Erick Avari, Jason Alexander, Erick Avari

"When I hear about him and Hachi, I feel like I know him. They taught me the meaning of loyalty. That you should never forget anyone that you loved." - Ronnie

Why watch this? It is the one great Akita movie - it barely missed the Top50! Akitas RULE!

Dad's Review: Our last three dogs have been Akitas: Keegan, Conan, and Miko. We love this aloof, protective, and wonderful breed. We were pleasantly surprised when this lovely little movie came out. What I did not expect was for the film to be so darn good. The film's stars are top notch, but it is the plot (based on the incredible story of a real Japanese Akita named Hachikō) that will stay with you long after you exit the theater.

Starring: Donald Pleasence, Jamie Lee Curtis, P. J. Soles, Nancy Loomis, Tony Moran, Nancy Keyes, Brian Andrews

"I spent eight years trying to reach him, and then another seven trying to keep him locked up for I realized what was living behind that boy's eyes was purely and simply... evil." – Dr. Sam Loomis

Why watch this? It's two scariest film I have ever seen. 

Dad's Review: In 1979, I was always looking for a way to get my date to dig her hands into my arm, or better yet bury her head in my chest, during a movie. This film did more than that. It may be the scariest film ever made. It started the "slasher" film genre, yet there is very little blood. But when we see Michael Myers, in that mask, it sends chills up our spines!

Starring: James Stewart, Josephine Hull, Peggy Dow, Charles Drake, Wallace Ford, William H. Lynn, Victoria Horne, Jesse White, Cecil Kellaway

"Years ago my mother used to say to me, "In this world, you must be oh so smart or oh so pleasant." For years I was smart. I recommend pleasant. And you may quote me." - Elwood P. Dowd

Why watch this? It's one of Stewart's best and most beloved films

Dad's Review: We all know someone who is a little "touched". Here we have a sweet man who just so happens to spend his day with a 6 ft. 3 in. white rabbit named Harvey. His relatives and friends are beside themselves regarding what to do because they can't see the giant pooka. The script is just so off the wall that you can't help but love Stewart. Sure he's odd, but aren't the oddities the things that make people unique and interesting in the first place?  

Starring: Chris Pine, Jeff Bridges, Ben Foster, Gil Birmingham, Marin Ireland, Dale Dickey, William Sterchi, Buck Taylor, Kristin K. Berg

"I am a Comanche. Do you know what it means? It means 'Enemy to everyone'." - Bear

Why watch this? This is a great Texas crime film.

Dad's Review: Texas, with its sparse, angry-poor landscapes, is such a great setting for the crimes that poverty breeds. Here we have two brothers, both tough as nails, one fresh out of jail. The other just wants to rob that last bank that will set him up enough to go straight. A seasoned sheriff is hot on their trail, and stuff gets nasty when they finally catch up to them.

Hellboy (2004), Director: Guillermo del Toro, Writers: del Toro and Peter Briggs, rated PG-13

Starring: Ron Perlman, John Hurt, Selma Blair, Doug Jones, Jeffrey Tambor, Rupert Evans, Karel Roden, Biddy Hodson, Corey Johnson, Kevin Trainor

"In the absence of light, darkness prevails. There are things that go bump in the night, Agent Myers. Make no mistake about that. And we are the ones who bump back." – Professor Broom

Why watch this? One if best comic book hero stories adapted to film. Pearlman is awesome!

Dad's Review: Being a comic book reader, I found my way to Mike Mignola’s Hellboy. So I read one story arc and was hooked. I love how Hellboy is written, his origin, the occult influence, everything. The movie hit theaters and was a huge hit! I couldn’t be happier. Sure, you have to get over the fact that he’s red and has horns growing out of his skull. After that, it’s a big bowl of fun. Ron Perlman is an American treasure. This film also introduced me to (now Oscar-winning) director Guillermo del Toro.

Starring: Christopher Lambert, Sean Connery, Clancy Brown, Roxanne Hart, Alan North, Beatie Edney, Sheila Gish, Jon Polito, Hugh Quarshie

"The Kurgan. He is the strongest of all the immortals. He's the perfect warrior. If he wins the Prize mortal man would suffer an eternity of darkness." - Juan Sanchez Villa-Lobos Ramirez

Why watch this? It's the wonderful blend of history and sci-fi that appeals to me.

Dad's Review: The mid 80’s hatched a sea of action films ranging from good to bad, most of the bad films being rip-offs of something that was a surprise success. Highlander was definitely one of the good ones thanks to its creative plot and some very fine acting. It is part old world adventure, science fiction and gritty crime film. It covers a lot ground, but never stops being fun. I love the performances from Sean Connery and Clancy Brown, as the demonic Kurgan. 

Starring: John Wayne, Geraldine Page, Ward Bond, Michael Pate, James Arness, Leo Gordon, Lassie

"You baked today. I can smell fresh bread on you. You smell all over like soap. You took a bath, and on top of that you smell all over like a woman. I could find you in the dark, Mrs. Lowe, and I’m only part Indian." - Hondo Lane

Why watch this? This was Wayne's favorite Western novel and film. Mine, too.

Dad's Review: John Wayne had a special place in his heart for this film. His estate kept it out of public distribution for many years after the Duke’s death in 1972. In 1990, I was working in California for EDS. It was announced that a local cable TV channel was going to air Hondo - in 3D! Special 3-D glasses were available at the station! That first viewing won me over. It is so easy to watch. Wayne's so very comfortable as the independent, quiet, honorable man-of-action. Here he helps a woman who has been deserted by her husband. 

Starring: Gene Hackman, Barbara Hershey, Dennis Hopper, Maris Valanis, Kent Poole, David Neidorf, Brad Boyle

"My practices aren't designed for your enjoyment." – Coach Norman Dale

Why watch this? It is an inspirational tale about 1950's small-time basketball in Indiana.

Dad's Review: This seems like such a small film. But it's about so much more than basketball. When new coach Norman Dale arrives he has to not only win over the boys on the team, but the skeptical town as well. Slowly, the team comes around, but the town's folks don't like coach's tough methods. Gene Hackman, as usual, delivers a strong performance. Dennis Hopper surprised me as the town drunk who just needs to feel valued again. 

Starring: Sean Connery, Alec Baldwin, Scott Glenn, James Earl Jones, Sam Neill, Tim Curry, Fred Thompson

"Once more, we play our dangerous game, a game of chess against our old adversary — The American Navy." - Capt. Ramius

Why watch this? The best submarine film ever made, IMHO.

Dad's Review: I do love a good submarine movie. Run Silent, Run Deep. U-571. Crimson Tide. This film stands alone at the top. Based on Tom Clancy's novel, this film takes us on a deep sea battle where a Russian sub has gone rogue, and the US sends its own sub to intercept her, before she can launch ICBM missiles at the US. Connery and Baldwin are excellent in their leading roles.