29 - Cloverfield (2008)
Cloverfield takes the concept of a giant monster destroying your city as you try to scurry away and places you right in the middle of it. The story kicks off with Rob (Michael Stahl-David) and all of his friends & loved ones at a party, for he will be moving to Japan. It's a happy-go-lucky couple segments with all his friends providing testimonials to the camera, wishing him luck. Then Rob's love interest Beth (Odette Yustman) shows up with another guy and some drama occurs. After the little spat some rumblings happen and the party guests become aware they're going through an earthquake...or so they think. Explosions begin happening all around them as they rush out of the apartment and are met with the head of the Statue of Liberty rolling down the street and a huge monster causing havoc amongst the streets of New York. Rob & his friends bolt the opposite way looking for shelter and the rest of the story is them trying to get away from the monster and out of New York. It's shot in the handheld camera style and is apparently "lost footage." I loved the marketing & hype around this movie, producer J.J. Abrams sure knows how to market a movie, probably the best in the business.
28 - Kick-Ass (2010)
Ohhhhhhh Kick-Ass. This movie is such an enigma to me. My first viewing of this film, I detested it! I thought it was crap and could not for the life of me understand why so many people popped a boner for it. Fast forward to one lazy Saturday morning and me perusing movies to watch Netflix and now I love it. I gave it a second shot and fell in love with the movie. It's the story of a nerdy kid named David (Aaron Johnson) who loves the superhero culture and ponders to himself, why hasn't anyone ever attempted to become a real-life superhero? He decides to make the leap of faith and dons himself as Kick-Ass. Before he knows it, he's in way over his head in the ring of crime & gang wars throughout his city, dueling with Frank D'Amico (Mark Strong) and his song Chris, aka Red Mist (Christopher Mintz-Plasse). Kick-Ass isn't alone in the battle, ACTUAL badass superheroes reveal themselves to him, Big Daddy (Nicolas Cage) & Hit-Girl (Chloe Grace Moretz). This movie is hilarious & bloody, it's the perfect mix of awesome and suspenseful. Am I as obsessed with it as others? No. But I can see why there are people out there who swear by this movie. Regardless though, Nicolas Cage still sucks and the people who pine over Chloe Grace Moretz are creepy. Otherwise, check this movie out!
27 - Zombieland (2009)
Now this is a zombie comedy! Earlier in my list I dubbed Night of the Living Dead as the best zombie movie ever made, I feel like I need to rephrase that. While I do have Zombieland rated MUCH higher than Night of the Living Dead, it's tough for me to put them on the same genre. Zombieland is a comedy while Night of the Living Dead is a pure horror zombie movie. A bit of a blurred line, yes, but regardless, I love this movie. You see the character (eventually given the name of Columbus) played by Jesse Eisenberg walking the empty streets as he runs into a man who labels himself as Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson) who is on a mission to find some Twinkies. They run into two girls, Wichita & Little Rock (Emma Stone & Abigail Breslin) who con them into giving them their car, but end up meeting up with them in the future as they begrudgingly befriend them. Not really sure how any could dislike this movie, it has zombies, blood splatter, awesome kills, hilarious & awesome Woody Harrelson, & Bill fuckin' Murray.
26 - Zack and Miri Make a Porno (2008)
A Kevin Smith directed movie starring Seth Rogen, Elizabeth Banks, Craig Robinson, Jason Mewes, Jeff Anderson, & Justin Long?! TAKE MY MONEY NOW. This was one of those movies that the second I heard of it, I knew I was going to see it immediately and love it, which I absolutely did. It's not just some raunchy low-brow sex-fest, although this movie has plenty of that, because hidden behind all the smut, is a pretty genuine and heartwarming love story. Damn you, Kevin Smith, sneaking in a chick flick in the middle of a movie about two best friends agreeing to make a porno together. Zack & Miri (Rogen & Banks) are two roommates who've fallen on rough times and need money BAD. So they enlist the help of their friends Delaney (Robinson), Lester (Mewes), Bubbles (Traci Lords), Deacon (Anderson), Stacey (Katie Morgan), & Barry (Ricky Mabe). This movie is hilarious, it's sad, & heartwarming all at the same time. HUG IT, CHUG IT, FOOTBALL!!!
25 - Toy Story (1995)
Oh hey, childhood, how are you doing? If you grew up in the 90s and didn't adore this movie, then odds are you're gonna end up being a rapist murderer or something. This is the epitome of a children's movie that grows up with you. It doesn't matter if I'm 4 years old, 14 years, 24 years old or 104 years old, I will always love this flick. Who didn't leave their room as a kid and imagine all their toys waking up and walking around, living a life of their own while you weren't playing with them. In my room, that would have meant all the Power Rangers & Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles would be chilling with Spider-Man & Batman. All the Hot Wheels would be racing around the bed while the wrestlers would be kicking ass in the ring. Of course I had a Buzz Lightyear figure growing up, one of them big fucks too, not a tiny little thing, this mother fucker had real working lasers and shit. The mini-dork in me will forever smile and remember the fact that just like Andy in the film, I wrote my name on the bottom of Buzz's foot.
24 - Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008)
SlC Punk!, How I Met Your Mother, Freaks and Geeks, & Knocked Up were all movies & TV shows in which we got to watch the awesomeness of Jason Segel. Forgetting Sarah Marshall was the first time we got to see Segel as the main guy and holy hell did he not disappoint. Segel plays a music composer for a crime television show named Peter who has to deal with his breakup from TV actress Sarah Marshall (Kristen Bell) and her new relationship with rock megastar Aldous Snow. Poor Peter is heartbroken throughout the film and tries to deal with it amongst new friends and new love interest, Rachel (Mila Kunis). This movie is hilarious and as I've heard from friends, it can even be therapeutic. Jason Segel really shines in this movie as it has propelled his career even further into more films with him as one of the leads. This movie made Segel one of my favorite actors.
23 - I Love You, Man (2009)
Speaking of movies starring Jason Segel, I Love You, Man is another comedy that I can't remember a joke not making me laugh. Every moment I'm cracking up at its hilarity. It's tough to name a better 1-2 combination in a movie than Jason Segel (Sydney Fife) & Paul Rudd (Peter Klaven). Peter is getting married to the insanely hot Rashida Jones who plays Zooey but he has no best man. He goes on a best friend hunt and it's a revolving door of hilarious characters all vying to be his new best friend. The awkward hilariousness Paul Rudd exemplifies in this movie is spectacular, it's uncomfortable and I can't help but laugh at every single made-up horrible nickname Peter comes up with for Sydney. This movie could use more Rashida Jones though, that'd be nice.
22 - Clerks. (1994)
This movie was the birth of Kevin Smith as a director and thus my favorite was born. Gotta respect Smith for going for his dream head-on, maxing out credit cards to fund a low budget movie and hitting it big and finding an audience. Clerks. introduced us to the wonderfully sarcastic & hilarious Jeff Anderson as Randal, the sympathetic and suprisingly funny (albeit some serious dry humor) from Dante, played by Brian O'Halloran, the intoxicatingly funny Jason Mewes as Jay, & the wise Silent Bob played by Kevin Smith. This was the movie that birthed the View Askewniverse and while it isn't my favorite of the bunch, I'll always respect and appreciate it the most out of any of them.
21 - Insidious (2011)
Insidious was just what the Dr. ordered for me. I've been yearning for a new thriller/horror movie for me to fall in love with and Insidious was that movie for me. This movie has demons that supernaturally kidnap a little boy named Dalton (Ty Simpkins) and now his parents (Patrick Wilson & Rose Byrne) need to try and find a way to save him. I love the cast of ghouls and demons, including Darth Maul! The subtle creepiness of this movie lingers throughout and it definitely gives a feeling of a classic horror from decades ago. I think that's why I appreciate it so much, because I love the classic older horror movies and you can tell the makers of this movie really used them as inspiration. It's an innovative movie in the sense that you have scares in new and creative (and downright strange ways, I mean...a gas mask!?) In a matter of a few weeks, I went from downloading this movie out of curiosity, then buying it on PPV to watch with friends, then I bought the DVD. Safe to say I love this movie.
20 - Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971)
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory is one of those movies that took me far too long to see. I didn't see it until recently, this past year, but I instantly fell in love. It starts off as this innocent little flick about a little boy, Charlie Bucket (Peter Ostrum) who does the improbable and scores himself the Golden Ticket that lands him in the infamous Willy Wonka chocolate factory. He, and a group of others, get to explore the factory filled with candy and wonder with the eccentric Will Wonka himself (played brilliantly by Gene Wilder). This movie is one of those I truly believe everyone should see, it's legendary and will never be forgotten. It's even a bit disturbing at some points, which for me, just makes it all the more better.
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