The Godfather trilogy is a masterpiece with many big-time actors, spanning at least five generations of Corleone's family in the mafia. There are numerous classic scenes, lines, and movie moments that make the saga unforgettable. Gordon Willis' cinematography is fantastic throughout, and that's why he has the moniker: Prince of Darkness.

If there's a definitive black American motion picture, it's Roots followed by Roots: The Next Generations. Starting out as a novel in 1976 by Alex Haley about nine generations of African descendants, Roots was developed into a TV miniseries one year later, and just about everybody in the country tuned in, setting viewership records. There's nothing like it.

JFK is an incredible masterpiece, representing Oliver Stone's best. Outstanding are the acting, storytelling, and, most of all, editing. The best moment is when Jim Garrison, after learning the real plot from Donald Sutherland's character, summed up the startling discovery by saying, "The size of this is...beyond me."

Murder on the Orient Express is completely star-studded (twenty-nine Oscar nominations and nine wins including one honorary award), but nobody tops Albert Finney's performance. It's the only film adaptation that Agatha Christie was satisfied with, and she's most pleased with Finney's portrayal of the famed detective but didn't like his mustache.

Through the love stories and differences of philosophies, there's so much drama that it's hard not to be absorbed by the subplots while there's a display of many different, attractive-looking costumes. It's a reflection of the show's quality and high production values, a bona fide masterpiece of Civil War drama. In total, 8,700 pieces of wardrobe were presented, and the lead actresses each wore between 28 and 35 different costumes. However, skip the third book as it's a massive disappointment.

People have mocked The Oscar because of its high campness, but the whole thing is honestly great. The writing is terrific and not talky like the dreadful script for All About Eve. Stephen Boyd dominates the show. The opening shot is of an actual Academy Awards ceremony that took place in 1965, and it's nice to see many Hollywood luminaries, most especially Edith Head who was responsible for costume design in countless films.

Having one of the greatest ensemble casts ever, Nashville is so good that it's a panorama of everything that occurs in the country-western music world. The ending, after the assassination happens, is interesting because the people can take away the power of what just occurred and let the positive dominate the scene.

The performances, the conversations, the style, and the cult feel are what Pulp Fiction is all about. John Travolta is perfect. Uma Thurman is brilliant with him. Their dance scene is timeless. Samuel L. Jackson is special and has the most unforgettable scene of his career.

A magnificently made masterpiece, it's David Lean's magnum opus. One of the most remarkable jobs he did with his characters is not only to make them larger than life but also mysterious in terms of their ambitions and desires. Thanks to Freddie Young's spellbinding cinematography, it's impossible to deny the power of the desert that Lawrence of Arabia brings to the screen.

Irwin Allen wasn't named the Master of Disaster for nothing. The Swarm has been frequently called one of the worst movies ever made, but I disagree and think it's a well-made picture with some strong performances, an intriguing storyline, and excellent special effects which included 22 million real bees.

Benicio del Toro is the reason to watch this film over and over. It's such a classy performance that ends with his character watching a kids baseball game and knowing what he had done. Benicio del Toro has another great scene when he's in the pool with two DEA agents for a chat. There are other standouts as well, and the Mexico scenes are gritty to watch.

Platoon is an outstanding Vietnam War picture, depicting the realities of infantry combat. The performances by the ensemble cast are brilliantly rendered, but it's Tom Berenger and Willem Dafoe who take the film to another level that makes the whole thing a tragedy. The most thrilling, impactful scene is Elias' death run.

The Dirty Dozen is a well-known war picture despite the misleading title because there are actually fourteen involved in the mission. Performance-wise, none of the actors stands out. So, it's the chemistry of the group that makes the film watchable. Of course, having Lee Marvin on board is a bonus.

Murder on the Orient Express is the one that restarted the cycle of whodunnit pictures, and here comes along Death on the Nile four years later. The true treat of such pictures is an all-star cast which is 28 Oscar nominations with eight wins and one Honorary Oscar among them. It's also hard to go wrong with an Anthony Shaffer screenplay.

How can an U.S. President running for second term avoid a scandal that's being played out in the media two weeks prior to the election? All he has to do is produce a war. The more unknown country is for an enemy, the better. It doesn't matter if the war is fake. Straight out of the politics playbook, this is the premise for Wag the Dog, hence the three lines: "Why does the dog wag its tail? Because a dog is smarter than its tail. If the tail were smarter, it would wag the dog."

Sometimes, a bunch of all-stars get together to do an important film, and this one is among them which was based on Randy Shilts' seminal book of the AIDS coverage. The performances are excellent; my favorite is Richard Gere's which may feel two minutes long but is still powerful. The other great one is Jeffrey Nordling as the French-Canadian airline steward.

Tombstone moves well with Arizonian ambience and a strong cast of many showing off their mustaches which are all real. Unfortunately snubbed for an Oscar nomination, Val Kilmer takes the top acting honors by giving one of the greatest performances of his career and has the best lines. There are many rich scenes that make it a highly regarded Western.

One of the most famous movie scenes of all time is when Burt Lancaster and Deborah Kerr embraced themselves on the beach while being engulfed by the water. It's simply breathtaking. If that's all anybody can remember about From Here to Eternity, then so be it. The performances, especially by Montgomery Clift, Burt Lancaster, and Frank Sinatra, are unforgettable.

Brilliant and haunting, The Last Picture Show is a timeless motion picture about individuals growing up in a dying Texas town. Robert Surtees' black-and-white photography has never looked better. Then, there's the ensemble cast: the old-timers and those who'll go on to be famous.

Genius movie. There are many, many funny parts. My favorite is the balancing act in James Caan's broken-down trailer. The back of the DVD cover says, "Only Mel Brooks would tell his laugh-packed tale about a silent movie—as a silent movie—with one word of dialogue." That's true as the mime will ironically say it. Brilliant stuff.

The editing work of the dogfighting scenes is the best in any film. There are many great movie moments: Tom Cruise on his bike while an F-14 Tomcat is taking off, when he arrives at the female instructor's house, the whole volleyball match with Rossovich flexing his muscles, the piano scene at Kansas City Barbeque, and an F-14 Tomcat buzzing the tower. Top Gun makes joining the U.S. Navy to be a fighter pilot a very cool thing to do.

There exists an underrated Steve Martin comedy, and it's called Parenthood. Ron Howard seamlessly handles vignettes of four different families which crisscross throughout the picture. The best performances come from Steve Martin and Dianne Wiest. Their characters are special. Ironically, Steve Martin didn't become a parent until 2012 although it seems like a natural thing for him.

The king of disaster pictures, Airport is that good. The suspense is exhilarating and exciting. Until the moment disaster strikes, the heavy drama is what makes the movie intriguing, gripping, and not all that different from From Here to Eternity. The performances rendered by the all-star cast are excellent, and the standouts are Dean Martin and Helen Hayes who won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress.

Executive Suite is a rare film that gives a glimpse of business ethics and how a corporation is run. It's simple story of a power struggle among execs to be next in the line for the CEO position of a furniture manufacturing company. The performances of the all-star cast are outstanding, and they're fun to watch.

Full of iconic scenes and lines, Apocalypse Now is among the best of the decade as it tops madness with more madness. That's what the movie is all about: the exploration of insanity in the journey toward the heart of darkness. Making a case for the deterioration of Marlon Brando's mind may not be far-fetched, either.

It's truly mission impossible in Mission: Impossible. What a fine job by Tom Cruise who may have turned in the most exciting performance in years. The script, the defining moments, the gadgets, the disguise masks, and, most of them all, the ending with the TGV and the helicopter are spectacular. Of course, we must have Henry Czerny for the show.

Memphis Belle is excellent which depicts the job that bomber crews went through during World War II. It's a dramatic show because their lives were at stake to serve their country. There's no glamorization at work; it's just a set of straightforward facts of how the job was done. I like the star-studded cast, and there's a nice deal of teamwork. The final hour is very exciting.

Remember...Andre does not eat raw meat 'cause Andre is a vegetarian. The best scene is when Robert Loggia gave a halftime speech before proceeding to tear off his clothes and then getting everybody to pray together afterwards. Memorable characters, strong script, plenty of laughs, and solid acting are the key ingredients to make this film a winner.

Clear and Present Danger is by far the best film of the Jack Ryan franchise. The story is so good with different kinds of villains, and the acting, especially by Harrison Ford, Joaquim de Almeida, Miguel Sandoval, Henry "Boom" Czerny, Harris Yulin, and Donald Moffat, is terrific. Speaking of villains, there are not one, two, or three but many of them. Not only are they from the bad side, but they're also from the good side.

It's one of the finest movies made, a wondrous spectacle with outstanding hallmarks of what makes an epic. The parting of the Red Sea by Moses is a sight to behold, the clincher for a lone Academy Award win in Special Effects category, and it's still unbelievable for 1956. Charlton Heston will always be the King of Epics: The Ten Commandments, Ben-Hur, and El Cid. Not to miss is the strong performance by Yul Brynner.

Thanks to Aaron Sorkin's outstanding screenplay, the performances are thoroughly outstanding. As Colonel Nathan Jessep, Jack Nicholson has a Oscar-winning clip when he yelled after being pressed by Tom Cruise: "You can't handle the truth!"

Is The Big Country the Citizen Kane of Western films? Absolutely yes. A favorite of U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower who gave the movie four consecutive showings at the White House, The Big Country is so good that you won't be able to find more than a few that pack many lessons in one film.

My choice for the number one film of all time is made easy by Casablanca which is the most quotable with some of the best lines ever written. This one has it all, and it's just perfect, perfect, perfect every step of the way. Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Claude Rains, and Paul Henreid will always have a place in cinema history. Movies come and go, but there's only one Casablanca.

There's something nostalgic about American Graffiti whether it's the cars, the cruises, the drive-ins, the rock 'n' roll music, the 50-60's feel, the innocence, or the characters. One thing that's undeniable is it's a timeless classic with a great cast of characters who are engaged in random events. Take away any of them, and American Graffiti ceases to be the picture as it is.

Michael Douglas is chilling as Gordon Gekko and steals every scene. The most famous line of Wall Street is: "Greed, for lack of a better word, is good." It's also full of Gekkoisms such as "The most valuable commodity I know of is information," "Ever wonder why fund managers can't beat the S&P 500? 'Cause they're sheep, and sheep get slaughtered," and "I don't throw darts at a board. I bet on sure things. Read Sun-tzu, The Art of War. Every battle is won before it's ever fought."