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.

It's a Wonderful Life is the Christmas picture of them all. It also captures the human spirit. The last twenty minutes is what transcends the film as a whole to another level, hence the repeated viewings. Any time you're confronted by a person who wants to commit suicide, the best answer is telling him to watch It's a Wonderful Life. This piece of advice will probably save his life, offering him a new perspective of the world.

Birth. Evolution. Mankind. Age. Exploration. Universe. Death. 2001: A Space Odyssey...you'll never see anything like it, a brilliant visionary picture that's abstract, beautiful, complicated, and simple all at once. Considering the year the movie was made in—and that's not 1968—but 1963 which is five years of work to make the vision possible.

The Princess Bride is memorable for being a great fantasy picture which was shot on location in England and Ireland. What I love about it is the setup of the structure: the storytelling format, the voice-over narration, the actual story, and the occasional interruptions by the grandson. They all make the movie special. In fact, The Princess Bride is the best example to demonstrate the love of books.

"What an excellent day for an exorcism." Famous for many reasons, The Exorcist is one of the finest horror films ever made. Linda Blair's transformation is something else to behold. Her character is so scary that she's effective. Who can forget the taxi stop for Father Lankester Merrin in front of the house?

If you want to see the best haunted house movie made, then make it Burnt Offerings. Karen Black is the show while Oliver Reed is magnificent. The final ten minutes is the very definition of the phrase: "The suspense is killing me." Because of the shocking ending, you'll go, "Damn," and then watch the movie all over again.

Think of all the great classics James Stewart appeared in, and one of them is undoubtedly Harvey. It's among the warmest movies ever made and something that would have come out of Frank Capra's treasure chest. The funniest thing is I actually believed Harvey, a 6'8" invisible rabbit, existed. That's the magic of James Stewart's acting. No one would've done better than him.

Famous for the characters and the battle between good and evil as indicated in the opening crawl, nobody can forget Star Wars and the next two sequels. It changed everything for the sci-fi genre which hasn't been topped since then. The second part is unique for allowing the bad side to win and not really having a concrete ending.

It's the narrative structure that makes the film absorbing to watch, thanks to Neil Jordan who heavily adapted the screenplay from Anne Rice's novel published in 1976. The unbelievable casting of three superstars (Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, and Antonio Banderas) is the difference-maker. And the more the merrier is them giving very strong performances. This is the best vampire movie ever made, and I've seen a lot already with almost all of them stinkers.

What makes John Carpenter's films special is the way he sets up the atmosphere and lets the plot unfold as the tension climbs while allowing me to be part of the show by feeling for the characters and what they're experiencing. The story is so good that it might be possible. I love the high level of intelligence that's supplied by the characters who are students of the physics graduate program run by a professor with an interest in the paranormal.

One of the all-time great political fantasy pictures made, what had transpired either has happened or will happen. The use of "Gabriel" in the title is meant to signify the change in government was initially approved by a divine authority. A big fan of what's a hit piece against Herbert Hoover, FDR took advantage of many elements that would be part of his New Deal package. The warning at the end of what to expect with nuclear weapons will be demonstrated twelve years later in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

The Dead Zone serves up a fascinating insight into telepathic powers of an ordinary person. Christopher Walken gives a great performance. The plot is excellent, elicting a mix of David Cronenberg's style and The Manchurian Candidate, with an interesting twist at the end.

"If you build it, he will come." That's the mantra of Field of Dreams which is an all-time great baseball film. There's no doubt of movie magic in the spirit of James Stewart's time-honored pictures such as It's a Wonderful Life and Harvey. Simply put, they don't make movies like them anymore.

If you loved Burnt Offerings, The Changeling should be right up your alley. Only this time it's not a horror but a murder mystery movie. The story is intelligent: the house communicates with the newly moved-in inhabitant to right a wrong. George C. Scott, as usual, is excellent. In short, it's a must-see film.

In the quest of the Holy Grail, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade is a perfect mix of everything: dialogue, story, subplots, rich characters, and beautiful cinematography. It takes talent to make a movie like that, even on the neo-noir level. Petra, which is located in Jordan, is an amazing sight.

Many films about the supernatural and telepathy tend not to work out, but Don't Look Now is heads and shoulders above them. It's a superb psychic thriller classic with a final chilling climax. The reason why is the terrific chemistry between Julie Christie and Donald Sutherland. The ten-minute sequence of them making love and getting dressed to go out stands as one of the best ever.

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.

Many actors have at most one signature film, but it's been four for Patrick Swayze: Dirty Dancing, Road House, Point Break, and Ghost. After being cast for the leading character, he refused to do the film until Whoopi Goldberg was given the role of Oda Mae Brown. Nobody really saw her that way. As a result, she won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. Honestly, who could've done it better than Whoopi? She took Ghost to another level with her presence and comic relief.

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.

"They're here." Poltergeist is an open-minded film about ghosts. I love the story, and it makes sense. The acting is also first-rate. Even better are the special effects. Although Tobe Hooper is credited as the director of Poltergeist, Steven Spielberg is the one who did it.

If I can think of a horror film that's different, unique, and bizarre all at once, Phantasm comes to my mind. What picture will start off with a man and woman having sex at the cemetery? There are other memorable scenes: the steel ball pumping blood out of the gardener's forehead, the Tall Man's BOOOOOOYYYY!!! yell, the awesome-looking 1971 black Plymouth Barracuda, and the dwarves grabbing Michael on the bed with the Tall Man right behind.

Here's a forgotten 80's classic that ranks right up there with Harvey and Field of Dreams: The Boy Who Could Fly. The best part of the Peter Pan-like film is the movie magic that's produced by Eric and Milly as they fall down from the roof and then come soaring fast over the spectators. It's Lucy Deakins who gives the most outstanding performance. Jay Underwood is a big part of the story with Fred Savage being a great child star.

Based on the popular cartoon show, Masters of the Universe is an exhilarating fantasy film. It's never corny and is delightful to watch. Frank Langella is excellent as Skeletor, and Dolph Lundgren is fun as He-Man. It should've received Oscar nominations for Best Costume Design, Best Visual Effects, Best Art Direction, Best Makeup, and Best Supporting Actor for Frank Langella.

Dark, brooding, combative, sexy, and absolutely talented, Oliver Reed, once upon a time, was the rage of British cinema. The most underrated Hammer Horror picture ever made, Paranoiac is a wonderful treat for fans and newcomers alike. Oliver Reed is drop-dead gorgeous in black and white, and it's hard to take eyes off him.

Groundhog Day is a memorable picture for going through the same day over, over, over, and over. The concept seems to be clever at the outset yet can be tedious after a while. Thankfully, it's consistently funny and, at the same time, never runs out of gas. Harold Ramis does a good job of finding new ways to keep the momentum going.

Delirious is a clever movie that's funny with an occasional lull here and there. The characters are well-sketched. There are many moments that feel appropriately soap operatic. Basically, it's about a writer of a daytime TV soap opera who wakes up, after passing out, in his own creation and he can shape the outcome of what's happening by using his typewriter.

The writing is terrific, lending credibility to the characters' professions. There's a lot of paranormal activity going on, and nothing feels fake or contrived. The dreams, the professor's ulterior motive, and Lila's extrasensory perception through objects are seamlessly woven together. It's the last half-hour that gets things cooking until the climax when the murderer's identity is finally revealed.

Forget The Matrix...The Thirteenth Floor is the real deal. The most interesting concept is the setting primarily takes place in simulation when I thought it was the real world the whole time. Then, unlike The Truman Show, it turns out there's another simulation within it. Hence, there are three worlds going on at once, and it takes some work to orient myself in terms of which character is in which world.

If people want movie magic, this is it. Of course, action movies have always been against common sense by abusing the laws of physics which is a big part of Last Action Hero in a satirical way. It's cool when the kid noticed things like that and pointed them out. Plus, you got to love the Amadeus tie-in as in "this is the guy who killed Moe-zart."

Released in 1984, it's incredible how well the special effects of Ghostbusters have held up to this day. Of course, the most impressive thing is the creativity. I love how intelligence, especially when it's in relation with the academic world, is used during the first half hour. It's also a rare film because the characters have fun and are easygoing and lighthearted.

Vice Versa beats the pants off both versions of Freaky Friday. It's due to one reason alone: superior acting. Judge Reinhold and Fred Savage do a great job of playing their ages appropriately after their bodies got switched. Thanks to the strong plot, the film hasn't dated and doesn't involve contrivances.

On the same level as 2001: Space Odyssey, the visual effects of Brainstorm, especially when they are more real and high-impact, are mind-blowing as ever. The film was actually made in 1981, but its release was delayed for two years due to Natalie Wood's untimely death. MGM was going to pull the plug for good, but director Dalton Trumbull convinced the studio that Brainstorm was salvageable.

Here's a good James Belushi movie: Mr. Destiny. It's nice to see Michael Caine in a small role, and his classy presence plays a big part in the film that's similar to It's a Wonderful Life which was based on A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. The supposedly life-changing baseball scene is an homage to Bernard Malamud's The Natural, having been highlighted a great deal in the film version starring Robert Redford.

Meet Joe Black is very similar to The Seventh Seal but is so much superior because it is less abstract and has lot more substance to work with. The latter is just a chess game when the former is about the taste of life that Death wants to experience. While the performances are wonderful, the pace is deliberately slow as things are unpredictable from minute to minute.

Bram Stoker's Dracula is the most faithful adaptation of the book. There are scenes that capture the pivotal moments very well. It's clear everybody understood the spirit of the penned story. The other is Michael Ballhaus' rich cinematography that's blended with the fantastic-looking visual effects.