As impressive as it can be, Gone with the Wind is a one-of-a-kind picture although it's an extremely long epic. Doing an excellent job of perpetuating the myths about the Old South which was anything but, it abounds with excellent performances, a picturesque cinematography, and a sumptuous story. Vivien Leigh and Olivia de Havilland will always be unforgettable as Scarlett O'Hara and Melanie Hamilton, respectively.

"I'm scared of walking out of this room and never feeling the rest of my whole life the way I feel when I'm with you." Because of Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey, Dirty Dancing is a timeless movie with memorable moments, fantastic music, and a killer intro, notwithstanding the strange mix of 50's/60's and 80's looks.

For the first time ever in cinema history, Signourney Weaver becomes an ultimate female hero when she goes against the monster. It's the role that will define her career. Oftentimes, monsters either look corny or ridiculous, but in Alien, the Xenomorph is the most impressive thing ever shown, creating the gold standard that'll have to be matched from there on. The sequel is a can't-miss, either.

It's apropos that Charade was shown during Pretty Woman because both are classy films. Reviving the now-lost art of Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn romance, Richard Gere and Julia Roberts are an electric pair. There are great movie moments during Pretty Woman, and the best one is when he spontaneously closed the necklace case on her fingers.

The Miracle Worker is a powerful, moving story about how Helen Keller was shown the light through language. The Oscar wins for Patty Duke and Anne Bancroft are deserving, and the former's performance is in the top ten of all time. It's impossible not to be moved by all of this.

A landmark in black cinema, The Color Purple captures the human spirit so well that it's a strange yet moving work of art with powerful scenes. Making her astonishing film debut is Whoopi Goldberg. There's so much for the characters to overcome such as domestic violence, incest, forced separation, rape, slavery, pedophilia, poverty, racism, and sexism.

Julia Roberts earned the Oscar for Best Actress. How much of what's shown in the film is true? It turns out to be nearly everything. Even the real Erin Brockovich called it "98% accurate." Simply put, the movie is better when Julia Roberts stops being a bitch with an attitude and starts gathering facts about what's happening to residents of the town. During this process, Ed Masry begins to see Erin's worth through how she works with them.

The story is based on a British spy named Violette Szabo. She could speak both English and French fluently, shoot a rifle, and play sports. After being trained as a spy, she performed two missions but, because of her sprained ankle, got caught by the Germans and was tortured and executed at age 23. To this day, Tania, who's without family, is still alive, having sold her mother's medals a decade ago, and they're currently on display at the Imperial War Museum in London, England.

Jennifer Lopez can make as many movies as she wants, but nothing will top Selena. The first 98% is fun to watch, but the rug is instantly pulled in the last 2%. What a tragedy. An aspect to like is the heavy Tejano flavor with an all-Latino cast which is extremely rare for a Hollywood picture. Edward James Olmos may have been memorable in Miami Vice and Stand and Deliver, but playing Selena's father ranks number one of his career.

Based on the true story of Francine Hughes, The Burning Bed is a motion picture example of battered woman syndrome. With that being said, it's not an easy watch, even for 75 million people when it was first aired on television in 1984. If The Burning Bed was theatrically released instead, Farrah Fawcett should've gotten an Oscar, and it's the best performance of her career. I'm not going to see a better description of an abused wife.

Far ahead of its time in many ways, Imitation of Life is a classy picture with great performances by Claudine Colbert, Louise Beavers, and Warren William. Among the reasons why is the idea of a successful female entrepreneur. There's a partnership between a white woman and a black woman, an unthinkable concept in 1934.

Buoyed by Hilary Swank's Oscar-winning performance, Boys Don't Cry is one of the most important films about hate crime. While watching her play Brandon, I actually believed she was a he. Thanks to the cast, most especially Chloë Sevigny, it's a well-played masterpiece from start to finish with a superbly handled direction by Kimberly Peirce.

This is really Robin Wright's film. She gives a commendable performance as the strong-willed heroine who puts up with the hard conditions and finally sees the light at the end to get out of her desperate situation. In other words, it's a classic story of one's fall and eventual redemption (think of The Count of Monte Cristo). On top of first-rate costumes and wonderful cinematography, the supporting cast elevates the material as well, and extra points go to Stockard Channing, Morgan Freeman, and John Lynch.

There are several films Julia Roberts is famous for, and among them is Sleeping with the Enemy which came first way, way before Enough with Jennifer Lopez. A huge box-office hit in 1991, the story is absorbing while the editing and cinematography are flawless. Taking place around the stunning-looking house on the beach, the film starts off well, and then things begin to take a turn for worse, exposing flaws in the Burneys' marriage.

Dolores Claiborne is a superbly haunting flick. It's a fine piece of work by Taylor Hackford who has done a great job in the storytelling department. Kathy Bates is pretty much a one-woman tour de force, recapturing the same magic from Misery that saw her win the Oscar. Judy Parfitt is at her best, too.

If you have to pick one Merchant Ivory picture to watch, make it A Room with a View. It's a rare achievement in filmmaking which is transforming the screenplay into a motion picture with the feel of a 19th century novel with brilliant performances. The direction is adroitly done, and the cinematography is magnificent.

Single White Female is the quintessential picture of the dreadful feeling about the prospect of rooming with strangers. Jennifer Jason Leigh, who's an underrated actress, and Bridget Fonda turn in the performances of their careers. So, what a surprise that neither was nominated for an Oscar.

Apart from the Alien movies, it's Sigourney Weaver's most famous role, and she was rightly awarded an Academy Award nomination. The film is both beautiful and sad. Of course, the gorillas are the stars. Dian Fossey had a reputation of being emotionally unstable which is often glossed over. Instead, she's credited with reversing the downward trend of the world's gorilla population. There are over a thousand now, the highest ever recorded since the 60's.

Reportedly, That Hamilton Woman is Winston Churchill's favorite film, having seen it over eighty times. It's not hard to see why. This is an excellent film that's about overcoming adversity to rouse British (and possibly American) support to enter WWII and showcases the very best of Laurence Olivier's and Vivien Leigh's talents in their third and final collaboration.

Making their screen debuts, Kate Winslet and Melanie Lynskey are almost like James Stewart and Farley Granger in Rope. What's perfect, which is the point of Peter Jackson showing everybody that he got it, is Pauline Parker and Juliet Hulme being so wrapped up in their fantasy world that they've become delusional, hence the exaggerated expressions and feelings of romanticism.

Its brilliance begins with the beautiful black-and-white photography, and the editing is top-notch. Adding more to it are the ever-hip writing and fresh acting performances. Combining all, Go Fish succeeds in the message that being a lesbian is a cool thing to do. The story is simple: a female is looking for somebody to start a lesbian relationship.

Henri-Georges Clouzot and Alfred Hitchcock were in a race to buy the film rights to a novel called Celle qui n'était plus by Pierre Boileau and Thomas Narcejac, and the former emerged as the winner. As a result, he directed the award-winning French thriller that became Les diaboliques, aka The Devils, making the Master of Suspense envious, but it did have an enormous influence on Psycho.

Nancy Drew... Detective and the following three sequels are charming whodunnit mystery pictures with great lines. Bonita Granville and Frankie Thomas are excellent together and deserve Oscar nominations. It's difficult to beat their chemistry. A lot of the action they generate is just pure old-fashioned fun.

Up the Down Staircase will always stand the test of time because it's a true representation of what goes on in urban schools. Being a teacher there is an impossibly hard job. Academic expectations are nil. Common sense is thrown out of the window. Everybody passes, no matter what they do, because handing out F's isn't allowed. It doesn't matter if somebody knows virtually zero about anything or does nothing in school.

Lady Sings the Blues is a depressing biopic about Billie Holiday all the way through. Diana Ross of the Supremes had no acting experience prior to being cast, and it's a stunning debut for her. She has many sad moments. Now, you know Billy Dee Williams, but this is the film, along with Brian's Song, that made him a household name. Richard Pryor is impressive as Piano Man.

It's hard to find any fault in The Crucible which is as good as the play per se. The viewers need to keep in mind everything that happened in the Salem Witch Trials predates the passage of the U.S. Constitution by a full century. Not only was witchcraft being practiced in Colonial America, but it also played a big part in Europe for centuries. Naturally so, being nugatory and senseless, it's a good lesson as to why a sound judicial system is necessary.

The style is impeccable in the tradition of Body Heat, thanks to the outstanding cinematography by Conrad L. Hall, with shades of Zalman King. Having Theresa Russell aboard goes a long way. She's believable as the black widow. Debra Winger is on the other side, pursuing her, and may have fallen in love with her. At the minimum, there's respect for each other through discovery.

Not Without My Daughter is a scary movie. So, I must ask Betty Mahmoody: "WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING?" However, I can understand her position which was between a rock and a hard place. But it's a very bad decision she made from the outset, no matter what. Anyway, the acting is top-notch and holds up well. All the thespians play their parts to perfection. It's almost like being there.

There's no doubt that Russia had its own Audrey Hepburn, and her name was Tatiana Samoilova. Her most famous performance is given in Letyat zhuravli, otherwise known as The Cranes Are Flying. Highly romantic, it's one of the prettiest pictures made with unique shots. Whenever Tatiana appears, she enhances the visually striking black-and-white cinematography even more.

The cast is perfect, and everybody is brilliant in his or her own way. Of course, Lana Turner is fabulous, having shed off the label as the famous platinum blonde siren from The Postman Always Rings Twice. Diane Varsi, marvelous. Lee Philips, wonderful. Hope Lange, fantastic. Russ Tamblyn, outstanding. Arthur Kennedy, magnificent. Barry Coe and Terry Moore, what a pair. Mildred Dunnock, saintly. Not to miss is the sequel.

The screenplay is among the top ten ever. Listening to the dialogue has been a satisfying experience, so that's why Christopher Hampton won the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay. Also, the costume design and the in/exterior sets are excellent, scoring Oscar wins in both categories. There are great performances, most especially by Glenn Close, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Uma Thurman.

A realistic portrayal of what life is like for the inner city youth and, more importantly, how they think, it's Poetic Justice meets Straight Out of Brooklyn. Ultimately, Leslie Harris makes a statement: "A film Hollywood dared not do." Ariyan Johnson is powerful and unforgettable as Chantel. It's easy to see why critics hate her character, but that's the whole point.

I Spit on Your Grave is a catchy title and sounds even better than Day of the Woman. It's among the most unusual pictures made and is the feminist Death Wish version of Deliverance. Camille Keaton did what no respected actress would do by giving a brave, courageous effort to play the role of a character who's been raped by four men, not all at once but in four separate occasions.

Misunderstood by the public, Showgirls isn't about sex or nudity which is rather relegated to the background. Instead, the film is about themes. One of them is female empowerment. Another is putting women down because of their gender. Of all the characters, the best is played by Gina Gershon who's treacherous. As for Elizabeth Berkley, it's an outstanding job: unrestrained and raw with genuine acting throughout.

Despite being totally forgotten, The Killing of Sister George has a reputation. What a total surprise that Beryl Reid, Susannah York (who's way, way better than Julie Christie), and Coral Browne weren't Oscar-nominated. That has to be the best performance of their careers. Is it because of the controversial content? For 1968, the lesbianism must have been shocking to see on screen.

Lianna is the second film of John Sayles' directorial career and is every bit as good as Return of the Secaucus 7. He has a keen understanding of human beings and how they handle relationships. It's about a woman who cheats on her husband by engaging in a lesbian affair, has self-discovery, and feels liberated as a result.

Drop Dead Gorgeous is an impressive mockumentary picture about local girls entering a beauty pageant in the hopes of making to the nationals. I'm surprised at the strong cast that the filmmakers had managed to collect in one place: Kirstie Alley, Ellen Barkin, Kirsten Dunst, Denise Richards, Brittany Murphy, Allison Janney, Mindy Sterling, and Amy Adams. It's what keeps the show going on top of the excellent script.

Cleo Moore could act and had more substance than Marilyn Monroe. What's surprising is it's her penultimate film. She would do one more in 1957 before exiting Hollywood for good. What the heck happened? Cleo Moore was just getting better. Over-Exposed features a topic that's not touched much in cinema: a career in photography.

Despite the insane running length of 251 minutes, Cleopatra is an epic, no question. The film deserves the Oscar for Best Cinematography because it's spectacular. In fact, the most winning feature is Elizabeth Taylor's breasts. It's also famous for the start of Elizabeth Taylor-Richard Burton relationship that captivated the world all over for many years.

Gia is a film about a tomboy who happens to have the looks of a supermodel but with an attitude. Style is incorporated throughout the chaotic biopic about Gia Carangi who was addicted to heroin and therefore died of AIDS-related complications at the age of 26. It's Angelina Jolie who gives the best acting performance of her career.

Beverly Hills Madam is very close to the truth. Three books were published during the 90's and the following decade: You'll Never Make Love in This Town Again and its two sequels. Prostitution is nothing new, and a madam running the business in Hollywood has gone for a long time. What's impressive is the film foretold the story of Heidi Fleiss who got started one year later. Before her, it was Madam Alex.

If you aren't familiar with Peter Greenaway's films, then be forewarned that they're out-there. What starts out as a simple idea becomes a nightmare. Thinking money will take care of everything, the father and son start to realize women are complex creatures because they have needs. So, out of frustration, they want to be rid of them, but the father dies at the end for having too much pleasure and the son is rejected by the most desired female and is stuck with a mentally retarded amputee who can't physically walk out of the house.

The story is clever that's a soap opera within a soap opera within a movie. It's Kevin Kline who supplies the most energy, starting with his failed Willy Loman act in a fleabag steak 'n' play house dinner theater. Then, Sally Field creates drama of her own to rival Kevin's with Elisabeth Shue getting caught in the middle. Chaos ensues when the cat is out of the bag.

Candyman is a slick, craftily-made horror thriller with some of the most hypnotizing scenes. If there's anything to watch, it's Virginia Madsen's mesmerizing performance that makes the biggest difference in the storytelling. She's strong, assertive, and sensual as Helen Lyle. Reportedly to be the favorite role of his career, Tony Todd is effective as Candyman. Whenever Tony appears in a scene, he's bone-chilling.

Andi Garrett and Sara Lane have the honors of dominating the show from start to finish as two unbelievably stupid teenage girls who make prank calls to various strangers who are randomly picked out of a telephone book. Of course, bad things happen, and they manage to land a killer played by John Ireland. No matter what, the catchy premise sets up the film as a black-and-white thriller.

Lynn Whitfield gives a terrific performance as Josephine Baker and seems to have taken on a lot of tasks to fulfill the demands of her character. Although the biopic ranges across the spectrum from the beginning to the end of Josephine's life, it's been highly informative.

This is Hiep Thi Le's film, so don't be misled by the top billing given to Tommy Lee Jones. Heaven & Earth tells a respectful story of one Vietnamese woman's survival, and those who went through exactly the same thing will understand and relate to it very well. As for Hiep Thi Le, she gives her best effort and has thus done an excellent job in spite of turning in zero acting work beforehand.

People know what Marilyn Monroe looked like, but they don't know the real her, hence the film Norma Jean and Marilyn. It's often fascinating although highly inaccurate. Understandably, there's so much material that it's difficult to get them all in a two-hour picture. To make up for the shortcoming, Ashley Judd and Mira Sorvino provide a collaborative effort for a tour de force.

It's easy to say Nancy McKeon's character looks so pretty that how it can be she has schizophrenia. But really, the disorder can affect anyone, regardless of their appearance, socioeconomic status, or intelligence. What I love about Strange Voices is how her parents, no matter how hard they try, are eternally frustrated, too. It's true which is an issue that's not often touched.

Rebecca De Mornay makes most of her character who's trapped by an unfortunate set of circumstances. I love how Arlene wears her heart on her sleeve as she's straightforward and frank. There are two outstanding supporting performances at hand from Ellen Burstyn and Carol Mitchell-Leon. The former as the mother, especially with her glasses, is creepy, and how Arlene works out the conflict with her is the most fascinating part.