51 essential movies for movie buffs

Jim Emerson recently compiled a list of 102 Movies You Must See. As always, these lists are very personal and by nature never written in an objective fashion. Since he had the guts to include Mad Max 2, I felt compelled to write my own list. I also felt that 102 movies are a bit too much to see in one weekend, so I cut that number in half.

I’ve sneaked in a few contemporary favorites on the list, I hope these will pass the test of time. When it comes to films with sequels, I’ve only added the first movie in the series, even though some sequels are even better than the first (hello Aliens).

Inspecting an IMAX cinema in San Francisco.

So here it is, my recommended viewing list for aspiring movie buffs, in no particular order. They may be special, important, ground-breaking or simply really great movies.

1. Alien (1979)
2. Blade Runner (1982)
3. The Godfather (1972)
4. Apocalypse Now (1979)
5. Star Wars (1977)
6. Pulp Fiction (1994)
7. Lost in Translation (2003)
8. Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
9. Der Himmel über Berlin (1987)
10. Shichinin No Samurai (1954)
11. It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
12. Memento (2000)
13. Casablanca (1942)
14. The Third Man (1949)
15. La Dolce Vita (1960)
16. The Day The Earth Stood Still (1951)
17. In the Mood for Love (2000)
18. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
19. Metropolis (1926)
20. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
21. The Shining (1980)
22. Before the Rain (1994)
23. A Clockwork Orange (1971)
24. North by Northwest (1959)
25. The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (1966)
26. Dr. Strangelove (1964)
27. Nausicaä (1984)
28. Matrix (1999)
29. The Wizard of Oz (1939)
30. Taxi Driver (1976)
31. Underground (1995)
32. Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
33. The Usual Suspects (1995)
34. Donnie Darko (2001)
35. Fight Club (1999)
36. Koyaanisqatsi (1983)
37. Reservoir Dogs (1992)
38. Rashomon (1950)
39. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)
40. Schindler’s List (1993)
41. Citizen Kane (1941)
42. Se7en (1995)
43. Le Fabuleux destin d’Amélie Poulain (2001)
44. Gone With the Wind (1939)
45. The Seventh Seal (1957)
46. Jaws (1975)
47. V For Vendetta (2005)
48. Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon (2000)
49. Amadeus (1984)
50. Wild Strawberries (1959)
51. Brazil (1985)