# Your 5 Greatest Films **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 28, 2013, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-5-greatest-films/672469 "2013-10-28T18:25:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![sentrix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ac8455/32.png) [@sentrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sentrix)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2013, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-5-greatest-films/672469/61 "2013-10-29T15:12:00Z")
this forum is older than i am so i will stick to modern. mum and i watched and my faves from the hollywood era. casablanca gone with the wind rear window to catch a thief psycho ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2013, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-5-greatest-films/672469/62 "2013-10-29T16:14:11Z")
I started with IMDb’s 250 Most Popular list and pruned it down to 20 finalists, knowing that certain personal favorites would be missing. But _Crash_ and _Snatch_ are both missing from the IMDb Top 250? :smack: Come on. To cut it down to just five, I decided to allow only one Godfather flick, only one Bogart, only one Jack Nicholson (this was the unkindest cut) and only one Coen Brothers _Casablanca_ _Godfather_ _Fargo_ _Crash_ _One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest_ ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2013, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-5-greatest-films/672469/63 "2013-10-29T17:04:53Z")
Birth of a Nation, Citizen Kane, The Godfather, Star Wars, and Toy Story. Not my favourites, but IMHO the five most important. ---
**Author:** ![koeeoaddi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/koeeoaddi/32/408_2.png) [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2013, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-5-greatest-films/672469/64 "2013-10-29T17:15:13Z")
Dr. Strangelove Sense & Sensibility/Persuasion (1995)\* 2001: A Space Odyssey Gallipoli Rebecca \*disclaimer for two in one cheat ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2013, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-5-greatest-films/672469/65 "2013-10-29T17:27:03Z")
Some most-watchable choices: **Groundhog Day Roxanne Back to the Future Peggy Sue Got Married** ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2013, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-5-greatest-films/672469/66 "2013-10-29T19:27:26Z")
> [@septimus](#): > > But _Crash_ and _Snatch_ are both missing from the IMDb Top 250? :smack: Come on. Which _Crash_ are you talking about? ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2013, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-5-greatest-films/672469/67 "2013-10-29T19:58:59Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > The Godfather > Casablanca > Raiders of the Lost Ark > The Princess Bride > Incredibles 5 is so hard, I think I need a top 100. Leaving Young Frankenstein, Blazing Saddles, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Airplane, Godfather II, Star Trek IV (The Whale Movie), Jaws, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Aliens, Blues Brothers, Animal House, Local Hero, My Favorite Year, African Queen, To Kill a Mockingbird, Singing in the Rain, West Side Story, Fiddler on the Roof, Groundhog Day, Back to the Future, Up!, Shawshank, Pulp Fiction, Gump, League of their Own, Rocky, Goodfellas, Citizen Kane, Bringing Up Baby, Roman Holiday, Sabrina, Key Largo, Miracle on 34th Street, Mary Poppins, Wizard of Oz, Harvey and especially Arsenic and Old Lace and Ghostbusters off the list is painful. In fact Princess Bride was a die roll with the last 2. ETA: Oh man, also the The Hudsucker Proxy and Josey Wales etc. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2013, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-5-greatest-films/672469/68 "2013-10-29T20:34:59Z")
> [@Rollo\_Tomasi](#): > > **L.A. Confidential > Singin’ in the Rain > The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp > Dead Again > Sullivan’s Travels** So-o-o-o-o, you are a fan of **L.A. Confidential** , huh? BTW, I am not one to call another persons opinion wrong, you know _De Gustibus_ and all that, but you folks who are putting _Blazing Saddles_ on your list instead of _Young Frankenstein_ are quite simply wrong,wrong wrong. ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2013, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-5-greatest-films/672469/69 "2013-10-29T21:09:00Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Which _Crash_ are you talking about? [Crash (2004)](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crash_(2004_film)) with Don Cheadle, Sandra Bullock, Matt Dillon. Great film; one reason Cheadle is one of my favorite actors. I’d never heard of Crash (1996) until you asked. That you imply it’s a plausible Top 5 candidate makes me intend to watch it soon! 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Lowdown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c57346/32.png) [@Lowdown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lowdown)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2013, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-5-greatest-films/672469/70 "2013-10-29T21:18:37Z")
Big Trouble In Little China The Fall …I’ll have to think on the final three. ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2013, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-5-greatest-films/672469/71 "2013-10-29T22:27:01Z")
FWIW (and absent any tabulation error) here are the SDMB Top 23 through post #70 ```auto 16 Casablanca 14 Godfather 7 Raiders of the Lost Ark 6 Dr. Strangelove 5 2001: A Space Oddysey 5 Goodfellas 5 Singing in the Rain 4 Blade Runner 4 Bridge on the River Kwai 4 Citizen Kane 4 Jaws 4 Memento 4 Pulp Fiction 4 The Princess Bride 4 Third Man 3 Aliens 3 Chinatown 3 Fight Club 3 Gone with the wind 3 Incredibles 3 Lawrence of Arabia 3 Raising Arizona 3 Star Wars ``` ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2013, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-5-greatest-films/672469/72 "2013-10-29T23:26:11Z")
In no particular order: Blade Runner (Final Cut) The Grey Fox Harvey One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest The Secret In Their Eyes ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2013, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-5-greatest-films/672469/73 "2013-10-29T23:37:39Z")
> [@AuntiePam](#): > > I’m gonna have to watch **The Man Who Would Be King**. Do so. It’s as good as they say. > [@Lowdown](#): > > Big Trouble In Little China I came so close to making this one of my five. (“Son of a bitch must pay.”) ---
**Author:** ![NoCoolUserName](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5fc32e/32.png) [@NoCoolUserName](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NoCoolUserName)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2013, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-5-greatest-films/672469/74 "2013-10-30T00:13:50Z")
To Kill a Mockingbird The Lion in Winter A Man for All Seasons Fargo (but could be any of the Bros.) The Usual Suspects Casablanca Young Frankenstein One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest …and too many more… ---
**Author:** ![Swamp\_Adder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/977dab/32.png) [@Swamp\_Adder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swamp_Adder)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2013, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-5-greatest-films/672469/75 "2013-10-30T00:58:24Z")
Back to the Future Singin’ in the Rain The Princess Bride Double Indemnity Memento The first four were pretty easy choices… the fifth was really a tossup. Could have picked any number of things. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2013, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-5-greatest-films/672469/76 "2013-10-30T01:21:50Z")
Yeah. Picking just five is unrealistic. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2013, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-5-greatest-films/672469/77 "2013-10-30T05:50:29Z")
A Man For All Seasons Dr. Strangelove 2001: A Space Odyssey Becket Fantasia ---
**Author:** ![Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/face_intentionally_left_blank/32/288_2.png) [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Face_Intentionally_Left_Blank)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2013, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-5-greatest-films/672469/78 "2013-10-30T07:59:33Z")
> [@TreacherousCretin](#): > > I came so close to making this one of my five. (“Son of a bitch must pay.”) Heh. Me too. That and the Kurt Russell version of, “The Thing.” Love them both dearly. I’d have to give “Big Trouble in Little China” the edge, though, as it just makes me so happy. . .AND it’s so quotable! ---
**Author:** ![sciurophobic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cab0a1/32.png) [@sciurophobic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sciurophobic)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2013, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-5-greatest-films/672469/79 "2013-10-30T16:38:39Z")
Not sure why these are all 90’s movies, but **Goodfellas** **The Usual Suspects** **L.A. Confidential** **The Matrix** **Army of Darkness** ---
**Author:** ![Lukeinva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lukeinva/32/17872_2.png) [@Lukeinva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lukeinva)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2013, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-5-greatest-films/672469/80 "2013-10-30T17:09:55Z")
Little Big Man The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean Romancing the Stone Raiders of the Lost Ark Return of the Jedi [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-5-greatest-films/672469.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-5-greatest-films/672469.md?page=5)