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.

What makes Ferris Bueller's Day Off unforgettable is the moments. As many of them as there are, the best is the parade which included over 10,000 people; it looks real and spontaneous. The timing of every scene is dead-on, giving the film a perfect flow, and time flies by quickly. As Ferris Bueller, Matthew Broderick has universal appeal just like James Stewart. It's impossible to dislike him. That's why the movie works.

The ending is poignant when Casper asked: "Jesus Christ, what happened?" Shocking, edgy, raw, and real, Kids is still a highly relevant picture. The situation depicted may be extreme, but there's a point being made. I love how the characters come to a full circle, beginning with Telly infecting Jennie with AIDS and ending with Casper getting the virus by raping Jennie.

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.

Tex is among top three films of Matt Dillon's career. When the two high school girls saw Tex at the mall and walked away, one of them said, "God, he is so cute." It's true. At age 18, there's no question that Matt Dillon was one of the best-looking young actors in Hollywood history. More importantly, he could act. It was all too easy for him.

River's Edge is a cult masterpiece because it offers a realistic insight into teenager's social disaffection in the face of death. The characters live in the moment and try to get stoned or drunk as much as they can. When all of them see their deceased friend lying on the ground, they act like as if she had gone on vacation and it was no big deal even though they all grew up with her since kindergarten.

Rebel Without a Cause is a highly regarded picture, thanks to James Dean. How James Dean acted, moved, and did things differently, he was breaking through barriers like no one had done before or ever since. Marlon Brando demonstrated The Method, and James Dean took it to the next level.

It can't be any more dramatic than the scene when Tre yelled out to Ricky after the sight of the red Hyundai Excel. Simply put, Boyz n the Hood is the game changer of the genre and sets the standard that all black films are forever burdened to match. Of the ensemble cast, Ice Cube is unbeatable as Doughboy.

Back to the Future is a classic sci-fi picture that's sure to delight everybody. The time travel story is ingenious, especially when the son meets his parents when they're young and in high school. Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd are famous for their roles of Marty McFly and Doc Brown, respectively. The rest of the cast is perfect.

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 the critics hate her character, but that's the whole point.

River Phoenix was an advanced actor for a seventeen-year-old boy, and he turned in the performance of his career as Danny Pope, resulting in a much-deserved Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor. If people say River Phoenix was so good in My Own Private Idaho, I'll shoot back by asking, "But have you ever seen Running on Empty?"

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.

Shot on location in Santa Cruz, California, The Lost Boys is an extremely stylish, sexy vampire picture that ranks one of the best in Joel Schumacher's oeuvre. Everybody is famous for appearing in it: Jason Patric, Corey Haim, Kiefer Sutherland, Jami Gertz, Corey Feldman, Brooke McCarter, Alex Winter, Jamison Newlander, Billy Wirth, and Chance Michael Corbitt.

Here's a great one from Peter Bogdanovich: Mask. A beautiful, moving film with a sad ending, it's the story of Rocky Dennis and how craniodiaphyseal dysplasia has impacted his life. All performances are top-notch, but the true standouts are Eric Stoltz, Cher, and Sam Elliott. Three of the most interesting aspects of Mask are: Cher's soulful eyes, Sam Elliott's classy presence, and the camaraderie among the bikers.

Risky Business is a classic 80's Tom Cruise picture and is the one that made him a household name. His character is better and more real than Dustin Hoffman's in The Graduate. Hence, it's easier to identify with him than Benjamin Braddock. On the other hand, Rebecca De Mornay is great.

Edward James Olmos is perfect as Jamie Escalante, having gained 20 pounds and gone for the receding hairline look to emulate the teacher. On the other hand, Lou Diamond Phillips steals the film. An Oscar nomination for him shouldn't be out of the question. What he did in Stand and Deliver and La Bamba is the apogee of his career.

The king of high school pictures, Lean on Me is a heartwarming tale that's based on a true story about how Joe Clark created a storm of controversy by using unconventional methods of discipline at Eastside High in Paterson, New Jersey, during the 80's. Thanks to Morgan Freeman's stirring performance, it's scene-by-scene brilliant in a moving way that captures the essence of the human spirit.

Brilliant writing, brilliant acting, and brilliant story. After sloshing around in the world of alcohol and therefore wasting his talent for years, Richard Burton makes the greatest comeback of all time by appearing in Equus as psychiatrist Martin Dysart by giving a fiery but focused performance. His riveting soliloquies are the stuff of greats. On the other hand, Peter Firth is unforgettable. It's a singular peformance.

How do students prepare to defend themselves against accusations of academic cheating? Simple: they watch Stand and Deliver and take notes. It's the most perfect "aha" moment out of many in Cheaters. The movie is the best when it comes to academic fraud, and the strategies used to get ahead are pretty much spot-on.

Matt Dillon was fourteen years old when he made his on-screen debut in Over the Edge. The legend is Matt Dillon didn't want or expect to be cast in the movie and only auditioned so he could skip school. Imagine how many great films would've been lost if he wasn't discovered.

Full of powerful scenes set in Ireland, My Left Foot proves why Daniel Day-Lewis is such a gifted actor. However, not much of credit is given to the youth named Hugh O'Conor who's his equal as Christy Brown who was born with severe cerebral palsy that left him almost entirely paralyzed. Brenda Fricker is also special in an Oscar-winning performance.

All the Right Moves is more than just a football picture. It's about the abuse of power people in authority have over the teenagers who are treated as slaves to accommodate their system. The example with Stefen Djordjevic and his coach is common. I love the Western Pennsylvania look, and Tom Cruise and Craig T. Nelson of Coach are excellent.

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.

Mostly shot on location in Portland, Oregon, Permanent Record is The Big Chill for high school teenagers and showcases Keanu Reeves' talent. Being in almost the same league as River's Edge, Permanent Record is a good suicide movie because it doesn't pretend to have all the answers but is rather about moving on.

Wrestling is one of the rare sports that anyone can beat anyone; it just takes focus and determination. The whole plot is wonderful and believable. I love the energy, and it's one of those feel-good films that aren't afraid to play around with serious questions. The best of them all is how realistic high school wrestling looks in Vision Quest.

Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure combines three things: history, time travel, and idiots. It's the one that Keanu Reeves will always be famous for. The concept is unique, and the movie is funny. The Maltese-born actor Terry Camilleri as Napoléon Bonaparte is the best character. His most hilarious moment is when he went bowling and let out a scream of profanities in French. The tie-in with Waterloo and waterslides is a stroke of genius.

Thanks to the debuting actors Omar Epps, who was 17 at that time, and Tupac Shakur, Juice is a fast-paced classic 90's urban youth picture that takes a look at black-on-black violence. Put a gun in the hands of a black male, and he suddenly thinks he owns the world. That's the reaction of Bishop which struck the beginning of the end for him and his crew.

Gummo is like a breath of fresh air. It lacks none of the drivel that's typical of Hollywood pictures. There are people who look so unusual and different that they're mostly hidden away for the fear of being ridiculed or stared at. So, if I see them on the street, what am I supposed to feel...hatred? But what for?

This one proves any black director can make better pictures than Spike Lee, regardless of film experience. The 19-year-old Matty Rich wrote the short story two years prior and shot it as an 8-minute short for his high school, turning it into a full feature film under a budget of $450,000. The result is astonishing. Filled with nonprofessional actors in Brooklyn's Red Hook projects, it's almost on the same level as Boyz n the Hood.

Great lines, humorous moments, and terrific performances make License to Drive a must-see 80's picture. Corey Haim is perfect for the role, and so are Corey Feldman and Heather Graham. Not much of credit is given to Richard Masur, who plays the father of Les Anderson, for giving the best performance of the show. It also captures a significant moment in a teenager's life of what it's like to get a driver's license. Hence, License to Drive will never be old.

Toy Soldiers is The Goonies meets Die Hard. This time, the boys are more grown up and attend an elite prep high school. The story is great, so is the battle. Sean Astin is once again in the leading role while Andrew Divoff steals the show as Luis Cali who makes for a formidable adversary since Hans Gruber.

The Karate Kid will always be the film that Pat Morita and Ralph Macchio are remembered for the rest of their lives. The latter does a decent job of behaving in a particular way in order for the character to work, and the villains are memorable just like the climax during the tournament final.

Rad is easily the best BMX picture ever made. Who can forget Bill Allen and Lori Loughlin? Well, well, well...look at Bart Conner the blonde-haired rider of Mongoose bikes. He's the famous gymnast who won Olympics and world gold medals and is currently married to Nadia Comăneci, a much more über-famous gymnast.

Plenty of famous skateboarders including Tony Hawk and Stacy Peralta appear in this. Of course, the skateboarding scenes look tame by today's standards because vert skating gave way to street skating and the technical mastery of it has increased by a thousand-fold. Now, check out these Airwalk shoes in Gleaming the Cube. Yep, those were the days.

Accurate for the most part about improper student-teacher relationship, Indecent Seduction is based on what happened in Taylor, Texas, during 1986-87, and the teacher-coach's name was Jesse Lynn Stroud, who now lives in Holland, Texas, as a registered sex offender for life, while the principal (Eddy Lankford) and the superintendent (Mike Caplinger) looked the other way repeatedly.