20. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
Logline: In 1936, professor/adventurist Indiana ‘Indy’ Jones was commissioned to find and protect the Ark of the Covenant from the likes of Renee Belloq and evil Nazis.
Memorable Moments: The blood-curdling (at least for fellow ‘ophidiophobics’) scene in the Well of Souls, where snakes are everywhere in sight, is pretty symbolic of much of the rest of the film.
Why People Love It: It’s very hard not to love the film the started the whole Indiana Jones saga—and possibly even a new genre.
Best Quote: Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford): “You want to talk to God?! Let’s go see him together, I’ve got nothing better to do.”
19. Fight Club (1999)
Logline: The Narrator (Ed Norton) is an insomniac and burnt-out 9-5’er. Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt) is a crooked soap salesman and eccentric leader of a gang of angry men. The Narrator joins this ‘Fight Club’, which pits member against member in all-out, brutal fights.
Memorable Moments: This is a hard one (and will contain spoilers), but it’s the ending scene when The Narrator realizes that he and Tyler are the same person—and proceeds to off himself.
Why People Love It: One of Brad Pitt and Edward Norton’s most memorable films, Fight Club is a man’s-man kind of movie. It takes the stereotypical workaholic and insomniac (and the accompanying, pent-up anger) out of his element and—with the ‘help’ of Fight Club’s leader, Tyler Durden—ushers him into an underground world of ruthless street-fighting and seedy characters.
Best Quote: Tyler Durden (Pitt): “Listen up, maggots. You are not special. You are not a beautiful or unique snowflake. You’re the same decaying organic matter as everything else.”‘ & Tyler Durden: “Welcome to Fight Club. The first rule of Fight Club is: you do not talk about Fight Club”
18. Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977)
Logline: When Luke (Mark Hamill) learns that he must save the rebellion’s leader, Princess Leia, he teams up with Chewbacca, C-3PO, RD-D2, and Han Solo, knowing that one of their greatest and most fearsome obstacles lies in their way—the Empirical Death Star.
Memorable Moments: In the epic climax to the Mos Eisley bar scene (where some pretty bizarre-yet-charming creatures lounge), Han Solo (Harrison Ford) fantastically dispatches of Greedo.
Why People Love It: It’s Star Wars: One of the few “bigger” movie franchises that people either love, hate, or could care less about–very little middle ground.
Best Quote: Obi-Wan Kenobi (Alec Guinness): “The Force is what gives a Jedi his power. It’s an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us and penetrates us. It binds the galaxy together.”
17. 12 Angry Men (1957)
Logline: Once a young Latino’s (who’s accused of murdering his father) trial has commenced, 12 wary men–initially ready to convict right off and split–must now (thanks to a skeptical juror) seriously deliberate the youngster’s fate.
Memorable Moments: One of the defining moments occurs when jurors # 2 and 3 attempt to persuade the only dissenting juror, Juror #8 (Henry Fonda), to vote in favor of ‘guilty’.
Why People Love It: 12 Angry Men works has worked so well with audiences (even five decades later) because it epitomizes the courage one man displays when the overwhelming majority are eager to convict and go about their lives.
Best Quote: Juror #6 (Ed Binns): “Well, I’m not used to supposin’. I’m just a workin’ man. My boss does all the supposin’ – but I’ll try one. Supposin’ you talk us all out of this and, uh, the kid really did knife his father?”