Remember When?
Going out to the movies doesn't cost what it used to; so thank goodness for DVDs, Netflix and On Demand. As for what to watch... you're on your own, but feel free to peruse through my annual top 10 lists (they go all the way back to 1981!)
Best Movies of 2023
1. Oppenheimer 2. Maestro 3. Killers of the flower Moon 4. Past Lives 5. Zone of Interest 6. The Holdovers 7. Nyad 8. American Fiction 9. Barbie 10. Still. (Honorable Mention: Air, The Burial, Theater Camp, No Hard Feelings, the Lost King, Dream Scenario)
Best Movies of 2022
1. Top Gun: Maverick 2. Tar 3. Knives Out: Glass Onion 4. All Quiet on the Western Front 5. Emily the Criminal 6. The Fabelmans 7. Elvis/Babylon (epic double feature) 8. The Outfit/Phantom of the Open (Mark Rylance double feature) 9. Weird 10. Vengeance
Best Movies of 2021
1. CODA 2. The Power of the Dog 3. Licorice Pizza 4. Belfast 5. Nightmare Alley 6. Summer of Soul 7. West Side Story 8. Passing 9. The Card Counter 10. The French Dispatch
Best Movies of 2019:
1. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood 2. The Irishman 3. Parasite 4. Jojo Rabbit 5. The Farewell 6. The Last Black Man in San Francisco 7. Ford v Ferrari 8. Queen & Slim 9. A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood 10. Little Women
Best Movies of 2018:
1. Roma 2. Green Book 3. A Star Is Born 4. Black Panther 5. Won't You Be My Neighbor? 6. If Beale Street Could Talk 7. A Quiet Place 8. Blindspotting 9. First Reformed 10. First Man
Best Movies of 2017:
1. Lady Bird 2. Get Out 3. Phantom Thread 4. I, Tonya 5. The Post 6. Darkest Hour 7. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri 8. The Lost City of Z 9. The Big Sick 10. Wonder Woman
Best Movies of 2016:
1. La La Land 2. Manchester by the Sea 3. Moonlight 4. Hell or High Water 5. Jackie 6. Loving 7. O.J.: Made in America 8. Sully 9. Paterson 10. A Bigger Splash
Best Movies of 2015:
1. Brooklyn 2. Spotlight 3. Inside Out 4. Carol 5. Room 6. The Martian 7. Mr. Holmes 8. Ex Machina 9. Me and Earl and the Dying Girl 10. Bridge of Spies
Best Movies of 2014:
1. Boyhood. 2. Selma. 3. Birdman. 4. Whiplash. 5. Gone Girl. 6. The Lego Movie 7. Guardians of the Galaxy 8. The Grand Budapest Hotel 9. Nightcrawler 10. Life Itself
Best Movies of 2013:
1. American Hustle 2. 12 Years a Slave 3. Gravity 4. Philomena 5. Nebraska 6. Enough Said 7. Blue Jasmine 8. Saving Mr. Banks 9. The Great Gatsby 10. Lee Daniels’ The Butler
Best Movies of 2012:
1. Zero Dark Thirty 2. Lincoln 3. Argo 4. Moonrise Kingdom 5. The Master 6. Silver Linings Playbook 7. End of Watch 8. Looper 9. Skyfall 10. Ted
Best Movies of 2011:
1. The Descendants 2. The Help 3. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 4. Bridesmaids 5. My Week with Marilyn 6. Midnight in Paris 7. Moneyball 8. The Artist 9. Martha Marcy May Marlene 10. Drive
Best Movies of 2010:
1. The Social Network 2. The King’s Speech 3. True Grit 4. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo 5. Toy Story 3 6. Inception 7. The Kids Are All Right 8. Get Low 9. The Fighter 10. Waiting for Superman
Best Movies of 2009:
1. Up in the Air 2. Julie and Julia 3. Precious 4. The Hurt Locker 5. Inglourious Basterds 6. The Hangover 7. The Blind Side 8. Up 9. 500 Days of Summer 10. Invictus
Best Movies of 2008:
1. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button 2. Slumdog Millionaire 3. Frost/Nixon 4. Wall-E 5. Revolutionary Road 6. Doubt 7. Tropic Thunder 8. The Dark Knight 9. The Visitor 10. Iron Man
Best Movies of 2007:
1. No Country for Old Men 2. There Will Be Blood 3. American Gangster 4. Juno 5. Atonement 6. The Kite Runner 7. Ratatouille 8. Into the Wild 9. Charlie Wilson’s War 10. Michael Clayton
Best Movies of 2006:
1. Little Miss Sunshine 2. The Queen 3. Dreamgirls 4. A Prairie Home Companion 5. The Departed 6. Letters from Iwo Jima 7. Borat 8. The Illusionist 9. Happy Feet/Cars 10. The Devil Wears Prada
Best Movies of 2005:
1. Capote 2. Good Night and Good Luck 3. Brokeback Mountain 4. Syriana 5. Crash 6. Walk the Line 7. The Wedding Crashers 8. March of the Penguins 9. The 40-Year-Old Virgin 10. Cinderella Man
Best Movies of 2004:
1. Sideways 2. Finding Neverland 3. The Aviator 4. Milllion Dollar Baby 5. Ray 6. Garden State 7. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind 8. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban 9. Dodgeball 10. Maria Full of Grace
Best Movies of 2003:
1. Mystic River 2. Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King 3. The Fog of War 4. Bend It Like Beckham 5. Whale Rider 6. Swimming Pool 7. Lost in Translation 8. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl 9. Finding Nemo 10. Seabiscuit
Best Movies of 2002:
1. My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2. Road to Perdition 3. Adaptation 4. Real Women Have Curves 5. Standing in the Shadows of Motown 6. Igby Goes Down 7. The Rookie 8. Antwone Fisher 9. Monsoon Wedding 10. Chicago
Best Movies of 2001:
1. Shrek 2. Memento 3. The Man Who Wasn’t There 4. In the Bedroom 5. Ghost World 6. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone 7. Amélie 8. The Royal Tenenbaums 9. Bridget Jones' Diary 10. Monsters, Inc.
Best Movies of 2000:
1. Gladiator 2. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon 3. Traffic 4. East is East 5. Remember the Titans 6. Girl on the Bridge 7. Almost Famous 8. Billy Elliott 9. Erin Brockovich 10. Meet the Parents
Best Movies of 1999:
1. American Beauty 2. Being John Malkovich 3. Buena Vista Social Club 4. The Green Mile 5. The Limey 6. Toy Story 2 7. October Sky 8. The Insider 9. The Straight Story 10. The Sixth Sense
Best Movies of 1998:
1. Saving Private Ryan 2. Shakespeare in Love 3. Smoke Signals 4. Elizabeth 5. The Impostors 6. A Bug’s Life 7. Simon Birch 8. Slam 9. Waking Ned Devine 10. The Truman Show
Best Movies of 1997:
1. Contact 2. Wings of the Dove 3. L.A. Confidential 4. Shall We Dance 5. Face Off 6. Eve’s Bayou 7. Amistad 8. As Good as It Gets 9. Air Force One 10. The Full Monty
Best Movies of 1996:
1. Big Night 2. The English Patient 3. Ransom 4. Fargo 5. The Spitfire Grill 6. Secrets and Lies 7. Shine 8. Mr. Holland’s Opus 9. Dead Man Walking 10. Twister
Best Movies of 1995:
1. Apollo 13 2. Nixon 3. The American President 4. Sense and Sensibility 5. Babe 6. Toy Story 7. The Brothers McMullen 8. The Postman 9. Heat 10. The Usual Suspects
Best Movies of 1994:
1. Forrest Gump 2. Hoop Dreams 3. Four Weddings and a Funeral 4. Ed Wood 5. Quiz Show 6. The Shawshank Redemption 7. Speed 8. The Lion King 9. Clear and Present Danger 10. Pulp Fiction
Best Movies of 1993:
1. Schindler’s List 2. Like Water for Chocolate 3. The Joy Luck Club 4. The Fugitive 5. Strictly Ballroom 6. What’s Love Got to Do with It? 7. Benny and Joon 8. Sleepless in Seattle 9. Much Ado About Nothing 10. Groundhog Day
Best Movies of 1992:
1. A League of Their Own 2. Unforgiven 3. Fried Green Tomatoes 4. Aladdin 5. The Crying Game 6. Malcolm X 7. Howard’s End 8. The Player 9. Glengarry Glen Ross 10. A River Runs Through It
Best Movies of 1991:
1. Silence of the Lambs 2. Bugsy 3. Truly Madly Deeply 4. City Slickers 5. Dead Again 6. Boyz n the Hood 7. The Commitments 8. Rambling Rose 9. The Vanishing 10. Barton Fink
Best Movies of 1990:
1. Avalon 2. Cinema Paradiso 3. Dances with Wolves 4. Presumed Innocent 5. Memphis Belle 6. Ghost 7. Goodfellas 8. The Godfather: Part III 9. Postcards from the Edge 10. The Hunt for Red October
Best Movies of 1989:
1. Field of Dreams 2. When Harry Met Sally 3. Sex, Lies and Videotape 4. Batman 5. Lethal Weapon 2 6. Do the Right Thing 7. Dangerous Liaisons 8. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade 9. Driving Miss Daisy 10. Steel Magnolias
Best Movies of 1988:
1. Big 2. Babette’s Feast 3. Bull Durham 4. Who Framed Roger Rabbit? 5. Moonstruck 6. The Accused 7. Crossing Delancey 8. The Thin Blue Line 9. A Fish Called Wanda 10. Working Girl
Best Movies of 1987:
1. Fatal Attraction 2. Hope and Glory 3. Roxanne 4. The Last Emperor 5. Full Metal Jacket 6. Tin Men 7. Dirty Dancing 8. The Princess Bride 9. Broadcast News 10. Jean de Florette/Manon of the Spring
Best Movies of 1986:
1. A Room with a View 2. Little Shop of Horrors 3. Aliens 4. Hannah and Her Sisters 5. Crocodile Dundee 6. Children of a Lesser God 7. Peggy Sue Got Married 8. The Color of Money 9. Stand by Me 10. Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
Best Movies of 1985:
1. The Color Purple 2. Back to the Future 3. The Killing Fields 4. Mask 5. Witness 6. Silverado 7. Prizzi’s Honor 8. Sweet Dreams 9. George Stevens: A Filmmaker's Journey
Best Movies of 1984:
1. Amadeus 2. Places in the Heart 3. A Soldier’s Story 4. Bizet’s Carmen 5. The Cotton Club 6. Romancing the Stone 7. The Natural 8. The Karate Kid 9. Country 10. Beverly Hills Cop
Best Movies of 1983:
1. Terms of Endearment 2. Risky Business 3. WarGames 4. A Christmas Story 5. Local Hero 6. La Traviata 7. The Grey Fox 8. The Right Stuff 9. Star Wars: Return of the Jedi 10. The Big Chill
Best Movies of 1982:
1. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial 2. An Officer and a Gentleman 3. Tootsie 4. On Golden Pond 5. 48 Hours 6. Diner 7. Diva 8. Missing 9. The Verdict 10. The Poltergeist
Best Movies of 1981:
1. Raiders of the Lost Ark 2. Breaker Morant 3. Atlantic City 4. Body Heat 5. Arthur 6. The Four Seasons 7. Chariots of Fire 8. Whose Life is It Anyway? 9. Melvin and Howard 10. The Great Muppet Caper
All-Time Classics:
1. Casablanca 2. Vertigo 3. Citizen Kane 4. The Godfather 5. It's a Wonderful Life 6. The Wizard of Oz 7. The Last Picture Show 8. Being There 9. Annie Hall 10. Gone with the Wind
Best Movies of 2020
1. Nomadland 2. Minari 3. Ma Rainey's Black Bottom 4. Soul 5. Mank 6. The Trial of the Chicago 7
7. Hamilton 8. News of the World 9. Promising Young Woman 10. Kajillionaire
Best Movies of 2019:
1. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood 2. The Irishman 3. Parasite 4. Jojo Rabbit 5. The Farewell 6. The Last Black Man in San Francisco 7. Ford v Ferrari 8. Queen & Slim 9. A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood 10. Little Women
 |
| Once Upon a Time in Hollywood |
Best Movies of 2018:
1. Roma 2. Green Book 3. A Star Is Born 4. Black Panther 5. Won't You Be My Neighbor? 6. If Beale Street Could Talk 7. A Quiet Place 8. Blindspotting 9. First Reformed 10. First Man
 |
| Roma |
Best Movies of 2017:
1. Lady Bird 2. Get Out 3. Phantom Thread 4. I, Tonya 5. The Post 6. Darkest Hour 7. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri 8. The Lost City of Z 9. The Big Sick 10. Wonder Woman
 |
| Lady Bird |
Best Movies of 2016:
1. La La Land 2. Manchester by the Sea 3. Moonlight 4. Hell or High Water 5. Jackie 6. Loving 7. O.J.: Made in America 8. Sully 9. Paterson 10. A Bigger Splash
 |
| La La Land |
Best Movies of 2015:
1. Brooklyn 2. Spotlight 3. Inside Out 4. Carol 5. Room 6. The Martian 7. Mr. Holmes 8. Ex Machina 9. Me and Earl and the Dying Girl 10. Bridge of Spies
 |
| Brooklyn |
Best Movies of 2014:
1. Boyhood. 2. Selma. 3. Birdman. 4. Whiplash. 5. Gone Girl. 6. The Lego Movie 7. Guardians of the Galaxy 8. The Grand Budapest Hotel 9. Nightcrawler 10. Life Itself
 |
| Boyhood |
Best Movies of 2013:
1. American Hustle 2. 12 Years a Slave 3. Gravity 4. Philomena 5. Nebraska 6. Enough Said 7. Blue Jasmine 8. Saving Mr. Banks 9. The Great Gatsby 10. Lee Daniels’ The Butler
 |
| American Hustle |
Best Movies of 2012:
1. Zero Dark Thirty 2. Lincoln 3. Argo 4. Moonrise Kingdom 5. The Master 6. Silver Linings Playbook 7. End of Watch 8. Looper 9. Skyfall 10. Ted
 |
| Zero Dark Thirty |
Best Movies of 2011:
1. The Descendants 2. The Help 3. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 4. Bridesmaids 5. My Week with Marilyn 6. Midnight in Paris 7. Moneyball 8. The Artist 9. Martha Marcy May Marlene 10. Drive
 |
| The Descendants |
Best Movies of 2010:
1. The Social Network 2. The King’s Speech 3. True Grit 4. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo 5. Toy Story 3 6. Inception 7. The Kids Are All Right 8. Get Low 9. The Fighter 10. Waiting for Superman
 |
| The Social Network |
Best Movies of 2009:
1. Up in the Air 2. Julie and Julia 3. Precious 4. The Hurt Locker 5. Inglourious Basterds 6. The Hangover 7. The Blind Side 8. Up 9. 500 Days of Summer 10. Invictus
 |
| Up in the Air |
Best Movies of 2008:
1. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button 2. Slumdog Millionaire 3. Frost/Nixon 4. Wall-E 5. Revolutionary Road 6. Doubt 7. Tropic Thunder 8. The Dark Knight 9. The Visitor 10. Iron Man
 |
| The Curious Case of Benjamin Button |
Best Movies of 2007:
1. No Country for Old Men 2. There Will Be Blood 3. American Gangster 4. Juno 5. Atonement 6. The Kite Runner 7. Ratatouille 8. Into the Wild 9. Charlie Wilson’s War 10. Michael Clayton
 |
| No Country for Old Men |
Best Movies of 2006:
1. Little Miss Sunshine 2. The Queen 3. Dreamgirls 4. A Prairie Home Companion 5. The Departed 6. Letters from Iwo Jima 7. Borat 8. The Illusionist 9. Happy Feet/Cars 10. The Devil Wears Prada
 |
| Little Miss Sunshine |
Best Movies of 2005:
1. Capote 2. Good Night and Good Luck 3. Brokeback Mountain 4. Syriana 5. Crash 6. Walk the Line 7. The Wedding Crashers 8. March of the Penguins 9. The 40-Year-Old Virgin 10. Cinderella Man
 |
| Capote |
Best Movies of 2004:
1. Sideways 2. Finding Neverland 3. The Aviator 4. Milllion Dollar Baby 5. Ray 6. Garden State 7. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind 8. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban 9. Dodgeball 10. Maria Full of Grace
 |
| Sideways |
Best Movies of 2003:
1. Mystic River 2. Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King 3. The Fog of War 4. Bend It Like Beckham 5. Whale Rider 6. Swimming Pool 7. Lost in Translation 8. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl 9. Finding Nemo 10. Seabiscuit
 |
| Mystic River |
Best Movies of 2002:
1. My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2. Road to Perdition 3. Adaptation 4. Real Women Have Curves 5. Standing in the Shadows of Motown 6. Igby Goes Down 7. The Rookie 8. Antwone Fisher 9. Monsoon Wedding 10. Chicago
 |
| My Big Fat Greek Wedding |
Best Movies of 2001:
1. Shrek 2. Memento 3. The Man Who Wasn’t There 4. In the Bedroom 5. Ghost World 6. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone 7. Amélie 8. The Royal Tenenbaums 9. Bridget Jones' Diary 10. Monsters, Inc.
 |
| Shrek |
Best Movies of 2000:
1. Gladiator 2. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon 3. Traffic 4. East is East 5. Remember the Titans 6. Girl on the Bridge 7. Almost Famous 8. Billy Elliott 9. Erin Brockovich 10. Meet the Parents
 |
| Gladiator |
Best Movies of 1999:
1. American Beauty 2. Being John Malkovich 3. Buena Vista Social Club 4. The Green Mile 5. The Limey 6. Toy Story 2 7. October Sky 8. The Insider 9. The Straight Story 10. The Sixth Sense
 |
| American Beauty |
Best Movies of 1998:
1. Saving Private Ryan 2. Shakespeare in Love 3. Smoke Signals 4. Elizabeth 5. The Impostors 6. A Bug’s Life 7. Simon Birch 8. Slam 9. Waking Ned Devine 10. The Truman Show
 |
| Saving Private Ryan |
Best Movies of 1997:
1. Contact 2. Wings of the Dove 3. L.A. Confidential 4. Shall We Dance 5. Face Off 6. Eve’s Bayou 7. Amistad 8. As Good as It Gets 9. Air Force One 10. The Full Monty
 |
| Contact |
Best Movies of 1996:
1. Big Night 2. The English Patient 3. Ransom 4. Fargo 5. The Spitfire Grill 6. Secrets and Lies 7. Shine 8. Mr. Holland’s Opus 9. Dead Man Walking 10. Twister
 |
| Big Night |
Best Movies of 1995:
1. Apollo 13 2. Nixon 3. The American President 4. Sense and Sensibility 5. Babe 6. Toy Story 7. The Brothers McMullen 8. The Postman 9. Heat 10. The Usual Suspects
 |
| Apollo 13 |
Best Movies of 1994:
1. Forrest Gump 2. Hoop Dreams 3. Four Weddings and a Funeral 4. Ed Wood 5. Quiz Show 6. The Shawshank Redemption 7. Speed 8. The Lion King 9. Clear and Present Danger 10. Pulp Fiction
 |
| Forrest Gump |
Best Movies of 1993:
1. Schindler’s List 2. Like Water for Chocolate 3. The Joy Luck Club 4. The Fugitive 5. Strictly Ballroom 6. What’s Love Got to Do with It? 7. Benny and Joon 8. Sleepless in Seattle 9. Much Ado About Nothing 10. Groundhog Day
 |
| Schindler's List |
Best Movies of 1992:
1. A League of Their Own 2. Unforgiven 3. Fried Green Tomatoes 4. Aladdin 5. The Crying Game 6. Malcolm X 7. Howard’s End 8. The Player 9. Glengarry Glen Ross 10. A River Runs Through It
 |
| A League of Their Own |
Best Movies of 1991:
1. Silence of the Lambs 2. Bugsy 3. Truly Madly Deeply 4. City Slickers 5. Dead Again 6. Boyz n the Hood 7. The Commitments 8. Rambling Rose 9. The Vanishing 10. Barton Fink
 |
| Silence of the Lambs |
Best Movies of 1990:
1. Avalon 2. Cinema Paradiso 3. Dances with Wolves 4. Presumed Innocent 5. Memphis Belle 6. Ghost 7. Goodfellas 8. The Godfather: Part III 9. Postcards from the Edge 10. The Hunt for Red October
 |
| Avalon |
Best Movies of 1989:
1. Field of Dreams 2. When Harry Met Sally 3. Sex, Lies and Videotape 4. Batman 5. Lethal Weapon 2 6. Do the Right Thing 7. Dangerous Liaisons 8. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade 9. Driving Miss Daisy 10. Steel Magnolias
 |
| Field of Dreams |
Best Movies of 1988:
1. Big 2. Babette’s Feast 3. Bull Durham 4. Who Framed Roger Rabbit? 5. Moonstruck 6. The Accused 7. Crossing Delancey 8. The Thin Blue Line 9. A Fish Called Wanda 10. Working Girl
 |
| Big |
Best Movies of 1987:
1. Fatal Attraction 2. Hope and Glory 3. Roxanne 4. The Last Emperor 5. Full Metal Jacket 6. Tin Men 7. Dirty Dancing 8. The Princess Bride 9. Broadcast News 10. Jean de Florette/Manon of the Spring
 |
| Fatal Attraction |
Best Movies of 1986:
1. A Room with a View 2. Little Shop of Horrors 3. Aliens 4. Hannah and Her Sisters 5. Crocodile Dundee 6. Children of a Lesser God 7. Peggy Sue Got Married 8. The Color of Money 9. Stand by Me 10. Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
 |
| A Room with a View |
Best Movies of 1985:
1. The Color Purple 2. Back to the Future 3. The Killing Fields 4. Mask 5. Witness 6. Silverado 7. Prizzi’s Honor 8. Sweet Dreams 9. George Stevens: A Filmmaker's Journey
 |
| The Color Purple |
Best Movies of 1984:
1. Amadeus 2. Places in the Heart 3. A Soldier’s Story 4. Bizet’s Carmen 5. The Cotton Club 6. Romancing the Stone 7. The Natural 8. The Karate Kid 9. Country 10. Beverly Hills Cop
 |
| Amadeus |
Best Movies of 1983:
1. Terms of Endearment 2. Risky Business 3. WarGames 4. A Christmas Story 5. Local Hero 6. La Traviata 7. The Grey Fox 8. The Right Stuff 9. Star Wars: Return of the Jedi 10. The Big Chill
 |
| Terms of Endearment |
Best Movies of 1982:
1. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial 2. An Officer and a Gentleman 3. Tootsie 4. On Golden Pond 5. 48 Hours 6. Diner 7. Diva 8. Missing 9. The Verdict 10. The Poltergeist
 |
| E.T. the Extra Terrestrial |
Best Movies of 1981:
1. Raiders of the Lost Ark 2. Breaker Morant 3. Atlantic City 4. Body Heat 5. Arthur 6. The Four Seasons 7. Chariots of Fire 8. Whose Life is It Anyway? 9. Melvin and Howard 10. The Great Muppet Caper
 |
| Raiders of the Lost Ark |
All-Time Classics:
1. Casablanca 2. Vertigo 3. Citizen Kane 4. The Godfather 5. It's a Wonderful Life 6. The Wizard of Oz 7. The Last Picture Show 8. Being There 9. Annie Hall 10. Gone with the Wind
 |
| Casablanca |
