Some have said Amadeus is boring. Some have said Amadeus is too long. And some have said Amadeus is nothing more than the music. But they all miss out the masterpiece in Amadeus. It's unbelievable watching F. Murray Abraham and Tom Hulce perform at their absolute best, and they'll be remembered forever for this film. The writing is first-rate. So are the interior set decoration, costumes, and cinematography.

A Brooklyn paint store clerk by day and undisputed king of the dance floor by night, it's John Travolta's most famous, iconic movie role. When I think of a film that captures a lost period, it's this one. At that time, disco was strictly underground, but when the movie came out, the subculture just blew up and John Travolta, although already famous because of the TV show Welcome Back, Kotter, became an instant international superstar.

Grease is among the best musicals of all time. That's how the genre should be: tell a story while the music advances it. There's no question the filmmakers had to have John Travolta as Danny Zuko because of his immense star power after what happened to Saturday Night Fever. As a result, Paramount Studios got two smash hits in a row.

"Ladies and gentlemen, direct from Hell, Spinal Tap!!" Genius is written all over this film, one of the funniest ever. Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer are brilliant. Many viewers thought the English band was real, and they got fooled big time. That's how convincing these actors were. To think of the movie is to think of the timeless quotes and scenes.

If there's scene that belongs in the top 50 of all time, it's the rotating steps on the stage, reaching seventy feet high. Breathtaking and magnificent, that may have been the clincher for Best Picture. Today, the musical represents Classic Hollywood very well. There are other superbly-staged shows that are replicas of the Ziegfeld Follies that ran on Broadway from 1907 to 1931. Now, you know where the phrase "Ziegfeld Girl" comes from.

Singin' in the Rain is Gene Kelly's most famous work. He is quite athletic, and there's grace in how he moves. The second best scene of the film is the "Broadway Melody Ballet" with Cyd Charisse. Unbeatable is the eponymous musical number that's up there with "The Hills Are Alive" for The Sound of Music in movie history. It will always stand the test of time.

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.

Unusual and gripping for a cinematic experience, Purple Rain is Prince's magnum opus. The sex symbol was 26 when he composed the songs and starred in the movie. Some of the most famous songs are "When Doves Cry," "Let's Go Crazy," and "I Would Die 4 U." Because of Prince's electrifying presence, Purple Rain is a moving work of art.

A surprise winner of 1972, Cabaret, which was shot on location in Germany, bested The Godfather at the Academy Awards by eight to three and remains the film with most Oscars without winning Best Picture. Liza Minnelli is famous for this because of her unique, iconic look. Even better than her is Joel Grey as the Master of Ceremonies. Winning the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, he did the impossible by beating out Al Pacino, James Caan, and Robert Duvall of The Godfather.

Featuring an electrifying performance by Dennis Quaid as Jerry Lee Lewis, Great Balls of Fire! is a fun movie. His musical performances while lip-syncing Jerry Lee Lewis' songs are inspiring and rousing that will make anyone want to get into the action. There's one scene that's among the best ever when he set his piano ablaze with the audience going nuts.

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.

Misunderstood by the public, Showgirls isn't about sex or nudity which is rather boring or relegated to the background. Instead, it's about themes. One of them is female empowerment. Another is putting women down because of their gender. The third is abuse of power simply because of higher-ups' ability to turn women into stars. Of all 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.

Sissy Spacek successfully sheds her Carrie reputation by giving an Oscar-winning performance in Coal Miner's Daughter. Tommy Lee Jones is excellent as her husband, and Beverly D'Angelo is another treat as Patsy Cline. There aren't many films set in the Appalachian Mountains. If so, the people tend to be deranged killers or made fun of due to their stereotypical hillbilly image. Hence, it's a complete change of scenery. When the language is spoken, it sounds authentic. So is the cinematography.

Urban Cowboy is the Saturday Night Fever of honky-tonk pictures. It's the relationship between Bud and Sissy, who are played well by John Travolta and Debra Winger, that makes this film a romantic classic. At the same time, it's cool to see the characters dress up as cowboys and mix in with the ambience of dance hall for the country and western flavor.

"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.

Two of the greatest scenes in cinema history are the first-ever music video that was originally choreographed by the King himself and Elvis forcefully kissing Judy Tyler which prompted her to say, "How dare you think such cheap tactics would work with me!" that was met with "That ain't tactics, honey. It's just the beast in me."

Val Kilmer didn't play Jim Morrison; he became Jim Morrison. The Doors is a creative film because it's a psychedelic trip. Val Kilmer just floats in and out. The best scene is when Kyle MacLachlan had a vision of Val Kilmer onstage dancing around with a couple of American Indians.

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.

The Buddy Holly Story has the same arc as La Bamba and Selena. Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and Selena Quintanilla-Pérez were tragically killed at ages 22, 17, and 23, respectively. Gary Busey deserves the Oscar nomination by delivering a one-man show; he's very believable as Buddy Holly. This is the film that should define his career. Gary Busey did his own singing and played the guitar.

Under the Cherry Moon is a playful follow-up to the massive success of Purple Rain. By far, the best artistic decision is turning it into a black-and-white picture. After that, Prince takes care of the rest. Too cool for words, he's fun to watch. What sets him apart from others is unpredictability. Kristin Scott Thomas makes a stunning debut, and the chemistry between her and Prince is electrifying.

Before the invention of Auto-Tune, there was The Idolmaker. One needed the look and stage presence, and the rest of everything else didn't matter. Well, that's not totally true; it would be a good idea not to have the baggage that came with Jerry Lee Lewis which killed his career during the 50's. Pulling the strings is a promoter named Vinnie Vacarri (Bob Marcucci in real life) who acts more of a slick salesman.

Making his motion picture debut in La Bamba, Lou Diamond Phillips became a household name. When idiots talk about the day that music died (which wasn't coined until 1971) on February 3, 1959, they always mention Buddy Holly and maybe The Big Bopper but never Ritchie Valens who was 17 at the time. Meanwhile, Esai Morales is memorable as his half brother, and Lou Diamond Phillips' music scenes are electrifying.

Forest Whitaker is given a leading role for the first time in his career and makes the most of it. Not much is known about Charlie Parker. In fact, there are no more than four written biographies about him. Having said that, I suppose Clint Eastwood had to make do with the scant material on Charlie Parker who wasn't actually famous nationwide during his time.

I didn't see Richard Dreyfuss in Mr. Holland but Mr. Holland in Richard Dreyfuss. In other words, it's been a wonderful piece of acting. Mr. Holland's battles as teacher are realistic, and anyone who has been in his position can relate to them. Of course, music and art programs are usually victims of budget cuts because they're viewed as irrelevant in the world of standardized tests. That's a shame, really, when football should be the first to go.

Eddie and the Cruisers II: Eddie Lives! is a better movie than the original. It goes even further to make the first part special by highlighting the important parts to bring more meaning to them. The nice thing is that it explains why Eddie Wilson disappeared and what his motivations were.

What started in a 1983 documentary called Breakin' 'n' Enterin', many of the same guys stayed together to make Breakin', the breakdance picture on steroids that went on to be a box-office smash. That's what the movie is all about: dance, dance, and dance. And it's not a bad thing. The two nice aspects about it are clean language and no sexual stuff. Given this rarity, Breakin' is enjoyable because it's about the characters who follow their passion.

Shot on location in Selma, Alabama, Payday may have a slow start, but it gets better over time. A lot of it is reminiscent of Five Easy Pieces, and Rip Torn, who's famous as Artie from The Larry Sanders Show, is certainly the poor man's Jack Nicholson. Simply put, it's a brilliant film of character study. Everybody is deeply sketched, and the performances are impeccable.

What goes on in The Cotton Club is more or less true. Standing out the most are the costumes and the cinematography. They're what makes the film go. Thanks to the all-star cast, the performances on the whole are easy to like. Richard Gere can actually play the cornet. James Remar steals the show as Dutch Schultz.

Compared to Baz Luhrmann's Elvis, this one is so much better by being calm, normal, and inclusive. Hands down, Kurt Russell wins the contest of Elvis impersonators. He has the look and moves down pat and even starred in a movie with the King himself: It Happened at the World's Fair. Sure, it isn't his actual singing voice, having been poorly dubbed, but that's all right. Two out of three ain't bad. Most of all, Elvis marks the beginning of the collaboration between John Carpenter and Kurt Russell.

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.