(2000)Cheesecake never came in a prettier, more bubbly package. Cheerleader movies are...let's just say, a personal fave of mine(Man of the House and Sugar & Spice completing the trifecta), and Bring it On is by far the best ever. Not only did it put "spirit fingers" into my personal lexicon, but it introduced me to the greatness that was Sparky Polastry.
59. Inglourious Basterds
(2009)Tarantino never disappoints, even when he aims a little too high. Basterds, what I once called "lesser Tarantino", is the type of film made for film geeks like me. It might've taken me a couple of viewings to realize it, but his fantastical take on WWII is anything but inglourious.
58. Pan's Labyrinth
(2006)Fairy tales for adults are few and far between nowadays, especially ones this beautiful and imaginative. Gorgeously rendered, terrifying and irresistable at the same time thanks to the creative genius of Guillermo Del Toro.
57. Walk on Water
(2004)Think of it as Munich on a much smaller scale, Walk on Water is the story of an Israeli agent sent to murder an aging former Nazi, but along the way he becomes friends with the man's children. While there are cracks in the story, I was struck by this very obstinate man's journey of self discovery.
56. Where the Wild Things Are
(2009)Forget all the haters, Spike Jonze's adaptation of the classic story is a breathtaking wonder to behold, and one of the most insightful looks at the whirl of emotions every kid experiences growing up. Those who complain that not enough happen aren't paying enough attention.
55. The Incredibles
(2004)I'm not the biggest Pixar fan in the world, but in this case it was like they made a superhero movie just for me. In the process they introduced me to the coolest black superhero evah!! I'm talkin' about FroZone, of course.
54. The Brothers Bloom
(2009)Rian Johnson followed up his amazing debut in 2005's Brick with an adventure unlike any other. Adrien Brody and Mark Ruffalo play a pair of con men brothers, who set their sights on the rich but slightly unhinged Rachel Weisz. Shot in a whimsical style that somehow manages to make New Jersey look like Candyland, The Brothers Bloom is the best con movie I've seen in years.
53. Mulholland Drive
(2001)David Lynch's sleepy Hollywood mystery still gives me a headache everytime I try to decipher it, but there's no denying it's atmosphere or the power of Naomi Watts' performance. Oh who am I kidding? I love this movie because of the make out scene between Watts and Laura Elena Herring. Best. Sexual tension. Ever.
52. Batman Begins
(2005)Christopher Nolan took all the best elements of the Batman mythos and broke 'em down to their coolest essence, bringing us a leaner, more modern take on the avenger of the night than we'd ever seen before.
51. In Bruges
(2008)A modern buddy comedy in an obscure village stuck between the medievel and the modern. Colin Farrell's best performance of his career as a foul mouthed assassin with an irrational fear of midgets and a blatant disgust of the obese. Hilarious film.
50. Traffic
(2000)Steven Soderbergh began the decade with two career defining projects, the best of which being this confident, multi-tiered look at the country's failing war on drugs. Do you like baseball?
49. Roger Dodger
(2002)Roger Dodger should be essential viewing for every teenage boy and every horny old man. Campbell Scott plays a caddish womanizer, who takes his wide-eyed nephew(Zombieland's Jesse Eisenberg) out on the town to mack on chicks all night. The two are in for an unexpectedly revealing adventure, where the student might just be more insightful than he's letting on.
48. Punch Drunk Love
(2002)It's the namesake for our beloved website, so obviously we hold it pretty close to our hearts. Simply put, my favorite director Paul Thomas Anderson took Adam Sandler and pulled together what is the actor's best performance to date. Eccentric and quirky, Punch Drunk Love is an insane twist on the traditional love story.
47. Kill Bill Vol. 2
(2004) The more introspective half of Tarantino's revenge masterpiece features one of my favorite on-screen battles ever between Uma Thurman's Bride and Daryl Hannah's Elle Driver.
46. Mean Creek
(2004)A tightly wound story of growing up, harboring secrets, and retribution. When the school bully is accidentally killed during a prank gone wrong, a group of close knit friends are forced to share eachother's darkest secret, the stress of which threatens to ruin them all. I've been trying to get people to see this film for years, not only because of how good it is, but to see how far Josh Peck(The Wackness
) has come in such a short amount of time. Dude was huge back then!45. The Rules of Attraction
(2002)Beautiful people doing horrible things. Roger Avary's adaptation of Brett Easton Ellis' book features the weirdest love triangle ever between three spoiled, disaffected college students, none of which seem to have any genuine interest in anything other than drugs and sex.
44. Million Dollar Baby
(2004)Hilary Swank's transformative performance as a poor, down 'n out waittress turned boxing hero will forever be overshadowed by this film's tragic shock ending. For my money the best boxing film ever made....next to The Great White Hype
. ;-)43. Munich
(2005) “If any of us get laid tonight, it’s because of Eric Bana in Munich", said Seth Rogen in 2007's Knocked Up. Well said, sir. Bana is definitely a bad ass.
42. Death Proof
(2007)The better, more authentic grindhouse experience of the Rodriguez/Tarantino double feature, Death Proof is an even more complete film on it's own, featuring one of my favorite characters of the decade, Kurt Russell's evil Stuntman Mike.
41. 28 Days Later
(2002) I was tired of the same old zombie movies, that is until Danny Boyle threw the entire genre overboard and started from scratch. No more slow plodding brain eaters, Boyle's zombies are fast, brutally efficient, and far more terrifying than anything previously seen. I'm not as big a fan of the sequel, but this one will forever hold up as a turning point for the genre.
