A to Z Movies

Jinx (over at Totally Jinxed) has an amazing alphabetical list of her current favorite films, and she inspired me to create my own list:

A
Amelie (2001)
I love this movie.  Audrey Tatou is gorgeous and the entire movie just puts me in a good mood.  Even if you are not a fan of foreign films, you should watch this flick.

Honorable Mention:  American Psycho (2000) - An excellent adaptation (directed by a woman, no less!) of one of the most disturbing books I have ever read.  (Bonus: Christian Bale moonwalks!)

B
Beetlejuice (1988)
The flick that introduced me to Tim Burton and Winona Ryder.

Honorable Mentions:  The Bad Seed (1956) - Based on the William March novel of the same name.
Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989) - The role Keanu Reeves was born to play.

C
The Changeling (1980)
George C. Scott stars in this early '80s ghost story that made red rubber balls terrifying.

Honorable Mention:  The Children (2008) - An awesome British indie horror movie about psychokiller kids.

D
The Devil's Backbone (2001)
Guillermo Del Toro's beautiful and haunting ghost story, set during the Spanish civil war.

Honorable Mention:  Death Proof (2007) - My favorite Tarantino film - nothing better than Kurt Russell and kick-ass chicks!

E
The Exorcist (1973)
I have to go with Jinx on this one.  William Friedkin's The Exorcist is in my Top Ten best films of all time list for several reasons, including (but not limited to) the faithful adaptation of the novel, the amazing cast, Dick Smith's incredible makeup and special effects, and Mercedes McCambridge's bone-chilling voice work.  Not to mention that this flick has serious staying power.

Honorable Mention:  Edward Scissorhands (1990) - A beautiful, dark love story with a cameo from Vincent Price.

F
Fido (2006)
A kitschy zombie satire starring Billy Connolly and Carrie-Anne Moss.  In an alternative universe 1950s, the zombie war results in collared zombies working as servants in suburbia.

Honorable Mention: Fallen (1998) - A subtle demonic possession film starring Denzel Washington. (Bonus:  A small role by one of my favorite character actors, Elias Koteas.)

G
Ginger Snaps (2000)
Two sisters who are obsessed with death must deal with boys, growing up, and high school - all while protecting the secret that one of them is a werewolf.

Honorable Mention:  Ghost World (2001) - Clever adaptation of Daniel Clowes's graphic novel of the same name.  Thora Birch is a pitch-perfect Enid Coleslaw.

H
A Hard Day's Night (1964)
It's The Beatles . . . need I say more?

Honorable Mention:  House of 1,000 Corpses (2003) - I was shocked that I liked this film, but I totally did.  It's a fun horror flick, which tends to be pretty rare.

I
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)
One of the few times that the remake is actually better than the original.  It's one of my favorite sci-fi flicks of all time.

Honorable Mention:  It's All About Love (2003) - Made by a Danish director with an A-List Hollywood cast (Sean Penn, Claire Danes, and a pre-fake break down Joaquin Phoenix), this film isn't really good, but it is incredibly weird, so it's worth the watch.

J
Jawbreaker (1999)
This film was pretty heavily panned when it first came out, but I liked it so much better than the regular teen fare that Hollywood was pumping out at the time (Clueless, et al.)

Honorable Mention:  Jennifer's Body (2009) - This Diablo Cody penned movie is chock full of references to both '80s teen flicks and classic horror films.  Much better than I expected it to be, considering it stars Megan Fox.

K
Kick-Ass (2010)
In addition to being funny, this movie kicks a lot of ass.  Based on the awesome comic series of the same name.

Honorable Mention:  Kill Bill (2003) - Tarantino's super-stylized take on kung fu flicks.

L
Let the Right One In (2008)
The gorgeous Swedish film based on the novel of the same name by John Ajvide Lindqvist.

Honorable Mention:  The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane (1976) - An awesome, subtle thriller starring a young Jodie Foster.

M
Mirrormask (2005)
Inspired by Alice in Wonderland and written by Neil Gaiman equals this girl's dream come true.

Honorable Mention:  Marie Antoinette (2006) - Based on the life of the doomed Austrian-born French queen, Sofia Coppola's film is a beautiful feast for the eyes with a modern twist.

N
A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
The first (and best) of many Freddy Krueger films.  The school hallway scene alone makes this movie worth watching.  (Bonus:  Johnny Depp gets sucked into a bed.)

Honorable Mentions:  Night of the Living Dead (1968) - George Romero's game-changing zombie flick.
Near Dark (1987) - Behold the awesomeness that is Lance Henriksen.

O
The Omen (1976)
Again, gotta go with Jinx on this one.  I love The Omen and I watch it every Halloween.  You can't go wrong with evil kids, scary music, and Billie Whitelaw.

Honorable Mention:  The Others (2001) - A stylish ghost story with a solid twist ending.

P
Psycho (1960)
This was arguably Alfred Hitchcock's masterpiece and almost singlehandedly created the slasher genre.

Honorable Mention:  Phantasm (1979) - Who wasn't scared of the Tall Man as a kid?

Q
Quiz Show (1994)
The Oscar-nominated film about the scandal surrounding 1950s quiz shows like "Twenty One".  Ralph Fiennes is excellent in this film.

R
Requiem for a Dream (2000)
This film is excellent.  It also makes me want to curl into the fetal position while simultaneously rocking back and forth every time I watch it.

Honorable Mention:  Reservoir Dogs (1992) - Michael Madsen singing "Stuck in the Middle With You" into an ear.  That is all.

S
Shaun of the Dead (2004)
My favorite zombie movie of all time!

Honorable Mentions:  Shallow Grave (1994) - Danny Boyle's first film about an unlikeable trio of roommates who happen upon a suitcase full of money . . . and a dead body they must get rid of.
Seven (1995) - David Fincher's dark, twisting view of humanity.  (Bonus:  Brad Pitt screaming, "What's in the box?"  We do this every time we get a package and it's still funny.)

T
The Thing (1982)
One of my favorite flicks.

Honorable Mention:  The Tenant (1976) - Roman Polanski stars in and directs this bizzare testament to the hell of apartment living.

U
The Uninvited (1944)
A classic black and white ghost story starring Ray Milland (from Dial M for Murder), notable for being one of the first Hollywood films to depict a haunting as a serious supernatural event.

V
The Vanishing (1988)
The Dutch thriller with a shocking ending.

Honorable Mentions:  Village of the Damned (1960) - Wolf Rilla's adaptation of The Midwich Cuckoos by John Wyndham.  A very creepy black and white classic.
V for Vendetta (2006) - A gorgeous film based on the Alan Moore graphic novel of the same name.

W
The Wicker Man (1973)
An amazing British film with the incomparable Christopher Lee and a brilliant performance from Edward Woodward.  (I was really tempted to put the "Not the Bees" scene from the 2006 Wicker Man on here, but I decided against it.  You're welcome.)

Honorable Mention:  When a Stranger Calls (1979) - Have you checked the children?

X
X-Men (2000)
Bryan Singer brings the wildly popular superheroes to life. (I'm super excited about the upcoming X-Men: First Class, by the way.)

Y
Yes Man (2008)
 A surprisingly funny Jim Carrey flick about one man's transformation into a positive person.  (Bonus:  They go to Lincoln, NE!)

Z
Zombieland (2009)
A hilarious and goreriffic zombie flick.

Honorable Mention:  Zodiac (2007) - David Fincher's adaptation of Robert Graysmith's book about the real-life serial killer who terrorized San Fransisco during the late 1960s and early 1970s.