Movie: American Gangster.
Released: 2007.
IMDB rank: 8.1.
IMDB link.
Notes: Denzel Washington has repeatedly shown the range of his acting abilities. In Training Day, he was a mean, nasty cop who had already crossed the line. So his role as Frank Lucas, a Harlem heroin kingpin in the 1970s (based on a real character), is quite believable. (Though […]

Movie: Hustle & Flow.
Released: 2005.
IMDB rank: 7.5.
IMDB link.
Notes: This Oscar-winning movie takes a look at a Memphis pimp, DJay (Terrence Howard), who wants out of that lifestyle. DJay feels that he’s at a crossroads in his life, and that it’s his last chance to pursue his dream of being a hip-hop emcee. He’s hit bottom […]

Movie: Ocean’s Eleven.
Released: 2001.
IMDB rank: 7.6.
IMDB link.
Notes: Hollywood once had a motto of never glorifying certain types of crime - or so we hear. The original Ocean’s Eleven supposedly changed that. It’s been ages since I saw the original, but the Rat Pack actors in it were very comfortable with each other, and that probably […]

Movie: Braveheart.
Released: 1995.
IMDB rank: 8.3.
IMDB link.
Notes: Braveheart was Mel Gibson’s second directorial effort, succeeding 1993’s The Man Without a Face. Braveheart is Gibson’s interpretation of the 13th Century Scotsman William Wallace, and his efforts to unite his people in order to overthrow the English rule. The movie disposes with a few historical truths, including reports […]

Movie: Sin City.
Released: 2005.
IMDB rank: 8.4.
IMDB link.
Notes: Sin City weaves four stories and multiple characters over several years. The events take place in the immensely corrupt Basin City, aka “Sin” City, blurring the lines between bad and good guys. It’s directed by Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez, with Quentin Tarantino listed as a “guest” director. […]

Movie: No Country For Old Men.
Released: 2007.
IMDB rank: 8.5.
IMDB link.
Notes: No Country For Old Men was the talk of 2007. It won 4 Oscars this year, with an additional 83 awards and 31 nominations, including a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for Javier Bardem as the cold-blooded killer Anton Chigurh. Chigurh goes after $2M in drug […]

Movie: Unforgiven.
Released: 1992.
IMDB rank: 8.3.
IMDB link.
Notes: Unforgiven, which won 4 Oscars (including Best Director and Best Picture) and 30 other awards, has been called by many “the last Western,” a definitive picture to indicate the end of a genre (despite the fact that a few Westerns came after). In this Western, there are no clear […]

Movie: Die Hard.
Released: 1988.
IMDB rank: 8.2.
IMDB link.
Notes: Up until Die Hard, Bruce Willis had had mostly bit parts on TV shows, though he was the main character on the TV series Moonlighting. Die Hard - which was nominated for four Oscars and won various other awards - arguably established him as an action star. (Though […]

Movie: Fight Club.
Released: 1999.
IMDB rank: 8.7.
IMDB link.
Notes: The first rule of Fight Club is that you don’t talk about it. So I can’t tell you much about it, without ruining the story. Yes, it is about guys fighting, but there’s much, much more - about exploring the self, realizing who you really are. Edward Norton […]

Movie: Pulp Fiction.
Released: 1994.
IMDB rank: 8.9.
IMDB link.
Notes: Pulp Fiction was Quentin Tarantino’s third directorial effort, following up on the success of Reservoir Dogs (which is loosely connected through characters and settings). The movie received an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay and received six other Oscar nominations, including Best Actor (John Travolta), Best Supporting Actor (Samuel […]