List of Best Films

What follows are my favorite films for 1997-2004. I don't limit
the number of films that can be on a list. My only criteria is
that a film be at least three stars out of four―which, to me,
means the film achieved what it set out to do. A film may not
be perfect and still achieve what it set out to do. Perfection in
film is rare, as in any art.

2012

2004

2003

2002

2001

2000

1999

1998

1997

Top 10 films of all time

Honorable mentions

 Best NASA/space program films

 Best Star Wars films

2012 Favorite Movies

  1. The Avengers
  2. The Dark Knight Rises
  3. The Hunger Games
  4. Wreck-It Ralph
  5. Prometheus
  6. Safe House
  7. Rise of the Guardians
  8. Chronicle
  9. Skyfall

 

Yet to see:

  • The Hobit
  • Snow White and the Huntsman
  • Lincoln
  • Zero Dark Thirty
  • Django Unchained
  • The Bourne Legacy
  • Magic Mike
  • Life of Pi
  • Jack Reacher
  • Looper
  • This is 40
  • The Dictator
  • Argo
  • Les Miserables
  • Margin Call
  • The Master
  • Moonrise Kingdom
  • Silver Linings Playbook
  • Beasts of the Southern Wild

 

2011

  1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
  2. Mission Impossible - Ghost Protocol
  3. Rise of the Planet of the Apes
  4. X-men: First Class
  5. Super 8
  6. Rango
  7. Real Steel
  8. Battle: Los Angeles
  9. We Bought a Zoo
  10. War Horse
  11. Limitless
  12. The Adentures of Tintin
  13. Moneyball
  14. Hugo
  15. The Adjustment Bureau
  16. Midnight in Paris
  17. Source Code
  18. Arthur Christmas
  19. The Ides of March
  20. Paul
  21. Drive
  22. The Conspirator
  23. The Big Year

Haven't seen:

  • The Tree of Life
  • Melancholia
  • The Descendants
  • A Separation
  • Certified Copy
  • Take Shelter
  • Margaret
  • Tinker, Tailor, Soldier , Spy

 

2010

  1. The Social Network
  2. The King's Speech
  3. Inception
  4. 127 Hours
  5. The Tillman Story (documentary)
  6. Inside Job (documentary)
  7. How to Train Your Dragon
  8. Tangled

 

Haven't seen:

  • Black Swan
  • Winter's Bone
  • The Kids Are All Right
  • The Fighter

2004 Favorite Movies

  1. The Aviator
  2. Fahrenheit 9/11
  3. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
  4. Sideways -- Added 4/13/05
  5. Spider-man 2
  6. Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow
  7. The Manchurian Candidate
  8. Kill Bill Vol. 2
  9. The Incredibles
  10. Some Kind of Monster
  11. Touching the Void
  12. The Forgotten
  13. The Passion of the Christ
  14. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
  15. Ocean's Twelve
  16. Miracle
  17. Hellboy
  18. Ladder 49

     

2003 Favorite Movies

  1. Whale Rider
  2. Master and Commander
  3. Kill Bill Volume 1
  4. 21 Grams
  5. Seabiscuit
  6. Finding Nemo
  7. Cold Mountain
  8. American Splendor
  9. Lost in Translation
  10. Monster
  11. In America
  12. The Matrix Reloaded
  13. The Matrix Revolutions
  14. Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines
  15. The School of Rock
  16. A Mighty Wind
  17. Capturing the Friedmans
  18. The Hunted
  19. Phone Booth
  20. The Italian Job
  21. Big Fish
  22. Open Range

2002 Favorite Movies

  1. Minority Report
  2. Catch Me If You Can
  3. Bowling for Columbine
  4. Adaptation
  5. Chicago
  6. 25th Hour
  7. We Were Soldiers
  8. The Pianist
  9. Insomnia
  10. Gangs of New York
  11. Star Wars: Attack of the Clones
  12. The Bourne Identity
  13. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
  14. Spider-Man
  15. Die Another Day
  16. Impostor
  17. Solaris
  18. One Hour Photo
  19. Blue Crush
  20. About a Boy
  21. Spirit: Stallion of Cimarron
  22. Panic Room
  23. 8 Mile
  24. XXX

2001 Favorite Movies

  1. A Beautiful Mind
  2. Vanilla Sky
  3. Ocean's Eleven
  4. Memento
  5. Mulholland Drive
  6. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
  7. A.I. Artificial Intelligence
  8. Monsters, Inc.
  9. Sexy Beast
  10. Bridget Jones's Diary
  11. The Shipping News
  12. The Royal Tenenbaums
  13. Shrek
  14. Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back
  15. Serendipity
  16. Blow
  17. Training Day
  18. Hearts in Atlantis
  19. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
  20. Auto Focus

2000 Favorite Movies

  1. Gladiator
  2. Erin Brockovich
  3. Requiem for a Dream
  4. Snatch
  5. High Fidelity
  6. Cast Away
  7. The Virgin Suicides
  8. Chocolat
  9. Traffic
  10. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
  11. The Patriot
  12. Almost Famous
  13. The Big Kahuna
  14. Quills
  15. Wonder Boys
  16. Nurse Betty
  17. Thirteen Days
  18. Rules of Engagement
  19. Miss Congeniality
  20. X-Men

1999 Favorite Movies 

  1. The Matrix
  2. The Green Mile
  3. Star Wars: The Phantom Menace
  4. American Beauty
  5. The Insider
  6. The Talented Mr. Ripley
  7. Girl, Interrupted
  8. Three Kings
  9. Notting Hill
  10. The Limey
  11. Being John Malkovich
  12. Man on the Moon
  13. Go
  14. Fight Club
  15. Run Lola Run
  16. The Cider House Rules
  17. Galaxy Quest
  18. Election
  19. The Sixth Sense
  20. Toy Story 2
  21. October Sky
  22. Tarzan
  23. Runaway Bride
  24. The Blair Witch Project
  25. Sleepy Hollow
  26. The Thomas Crown Affair
  27. Eyes Wide Shut
  28. Dogma
  29. Trekkies
  30. Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels
  31. Mumford
  32. Dick
  33. Pushing Tin
  34. Music of the Heart
  35. Stir of Echoes
  36. Magnolia

1998 Favorite Movies

  1. Saving Private Ryan
  2. The Truman Show
  3. The Red Violin
  4. Shakespeare in Love
  5. Life is Beautiful
  6. The X-Files
  7. Ronin
  8. A Bug's Life
  9. Buffalo 66
  10. Enemy Of the State
  11. Primary Colors
  12. Pi
  13. Hilary and Jackie
  14. Gods and Monsters
  15. The Big Lebowski
  16. Affliction
  17. Dark City
  18. Rushmore
  19. One True Thing
  20. The Negotiator
  21. Blade

1997 Favorite Movies

  1. Titanic
  2. Star Wars: Special Edition
  3. The Empire Strikes Back: Special Edition
  4. Boogie Nights
  5. Good Will Hunting
  6. The Ice Storm
  7. The Sweet Hereafter
  8. As Good As it Gets
  9. The Edge
  10. L.A. Confidential
  11. Wag The Dog
  12. The Full Monty
  13. Shall We Dance?
  14. Eve's Bayou
  15. Donnie Brasco
  16. Copland
  17. Air Force One
  18. Contact
  19. Men in Black
  20. Face/Off
  21. Addicted to Love
  22. Brassed Off
  23. Breakdown
  24. Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion
  25. Chasing Amy
  26. Hard Eight
  27. Smilla's Sense of Snow
  28. When We Were Kings
  29. The Apostle
  30. One Night Stand
  31. The Game
  32. Starship Troopers
  33. Gattaca

Top 10 films of all time

  1. Star Wars
  2. Raiders of the Lost Ark
  3. Close Encounters of the Third Kind
  4. Witness
  5. Taxi Driver
  6. Network
  7. This is Spinal Tap
  8. Chinatown
  9. Annie Hall
  10. The Graduate

Honorable mentions

  1. Citizen Kane
  2. The Godfather Part I
  3. The Godfather Part II
  4. Saving Private Ryan
  5. Patton
  6. The Right Stuff
  7. Apollo 13
  8. 2001: A Space Odyssey
  9. Jerry Maguire
  10. Apocalypse Now
  11. Hannah and Her Sisters
  12. Unforgiven
  13. Singin' in the Rain
  14. The Sound of Music
  15. Jaws
  16. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
  17. Pulp Fiction
  18. Forrest Gump
  19. Dances with Wolves
  20. The Wizard of Oz
  21. The Conversation
  22. Terminator 2: Judgment Day

Best movies about NASA and the space race

  1. The Right Stuff
  2. From the Earth to the Moon (mini-series)
  3. Apollo 13
  4. Moon Shot: The Inside Story of the Apollo Project (VHS only) - Documentary
  5. The Dish
  6. The Dream is Alive (IMAX - documentary)
  7. For All Mankind (documentary)
  8. Hail Columbia! (IMAX documentary)
  9. Space Station (IMAX documentary - 3D)
  10. The Race to Space

Best Star Wars movies

  1. Episode IV: A New Hope
  2. Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
  3. Episode III: The Revenge of the Sith
  4. Episode VI: The Return of the Jedi
  5. Episode I: The Phantom Menace
  6. Episode II: Attack of the Clones