Markgway's Top Ten English Language Films from 1980-2009
Posted: 11 Mar 2014, 01:42
I've tried to strike a balance between films I really like and films I really admire.
Naturally I reserve the right to substitute titles as and when I see fit.
In alphabetical order:
1980
Airplane
The Big Brawl
The Blues Brothers
The Changeling
Cruising
Dressed to Kill
The Empire Strikes Back
Eyes of a Stranger
Friday the 13th
Raging Bull
(Honourable mentions: The Hunter)
1981
Blow Out
Body Heat
Deadly Blessing
Escape to Victory
The Evil Dead
For Your Eyes Only
Mad Max 2
Nighthawks
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Road Games
(Honourable mentions: Hell Night, Outland)
1982
Conan the Barbarian
Death Wish II
The Entity
Evil Under the Sun
48 Hrs.
The King of Comedy
Poltergeist
Rocky III
Tenebrae
The Thing
(Honourable mentions: The Wicked Lady)
1983
Bad Boys
The Dead Zone
The Man with Two Brains
Octopussy
Psycho II
Return of the Jedi
Silkwood
Sudden Impact
10 to Midnight
Trading Places
(Honourable mentions: The Initiation, Lone Wolf McQuade, Risky Business)
1984
Beverly Hills Cop
Body Double
Ghostbusters
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
The Karate Kid
The Lonely Guy
Missing in Action
A Nightmare on Elm Street
Teachers
The Terminator
(Honourable mentions: All of Me, C.H.U.D., Fear City, Finders Keepers, Flashpoint, Heaven Help Us, The Hit, Micki + Maude, The Naked Face, Police Academy, Revenge of the Nerds, Scream for Help, A Soldier's Story, Trancers)
1985
Back to the Future
The Breakfast Club
Clue
Invasion USA
Missing in Action 2 - The Beginning
Rocky IV
The Sure Thing
Witness
Year of the Dragon
1986
Aliens
Brighton Beach Memoirs
Bullies
F/X
Friday the 13th, Part VI: Jason Lives
Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer
The Hitcher
The Karate Kid, Part II
Platoon
Salvador
1987
The Bedroom Window
Full Metal Jacket
Lethal Weapon
The Living Daylights
A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors
Predator
The Principal
Robocop
The Untouchables
Wall Street
(Honourable mentions: Best Seller, In the Mood, Nuts, Someone to Watch Over Me)
1988
Braddock: Missing in Action III
Child's Play
Coming to America
Die Hard
A Fish Called Wanda
Frantic
Heathers
Midnight Run
Mississippi Burning
Working Girl
1989
The Abyss
Born on the 4th of July
The 'Burbs
Casualties of War
Crimes and Misdemeanours
Glory
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Lethal Weapon 2
Licence to Kill
Road House
(Honourable mentions: Drugstore Cowboy, A Dry White Season, Jacknife, Sea of Love)
1990
Back to the Future, Part III
Dances with Wolves
Edward Scissorhands
Die Hard 2
The Hunt for Red October
Kindergarten Cop
Misery
Pump Up the Volume
Quick Change
Total Recall
1991
Cape Fear
City Slickers
Dead Again
JFK
The Last Boy Scout
Out for Justice
The Rocketeer
The Silence of the Lambs
Terminator 2: Judgment Day
Toy Soldiers
1992
Basic Instinct
Batman Returns
Diggstown
A Few Good Men
Glengarry Glen Ross
Gladiator
The Last of the Mohicans
Reservoir Dogs
Sister Act
Unforgiven
1993
Carlito’s Way
Cliffhanger
Dazed and Confused
Falling Down
The Fugitive
Groundhog Day
Hard Target
In the Line of Fire
Judgment Night
So I Married an Axe Murderer
1994
Clerks
Disclosure
The Hudsucker Proxy
Leon
Mute Witness
Quiz Show
The Shawshank Redemption
Speed
Wes Craven's New Nightmare
Wolf
1995
Casino
Dead Presidents
Die Hard With a Vengeance
Get Shorty
Goldeneye
The Hunted
The Last Supper
The Quick and the Dead
Se7en
Strange Days
1996
Bound
The Frighteners
The Long Kiss Goodnight
Mission: Impossible
Ransom
The Rock
Scream
A Time to Kill
2 Days in the Valley
Unforgettable
1997
Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery
Copland
Donnie Brasco
The Edge
Gattaca
Jackie Brown
L.A. Confidential
The Lost World: Jurassic Park
The Rainmaker
Red Corner
1998
American History X
Dark City
The Faculty
The Mask of Zorro
The Negotiator
The Thin Red Line
The Truman Show
U.S. Marshals
Who Am I?
Wild Things
1999
American Pie
8mm
Go
The Green Mile
The Insider
The Matrix
Payback
The Sixth Sense
Sleepy Hollow
The World is Not Enough
2000
Frequency
Gladiator
High Fidelity
Hollow Man
Mission: Impossible II
Return to Me
Shaft
Thirteen Days
What Lies Beneath
What Women Want
2001
Along Came a Spider
Anti-Trust
Frailty
From Hell
Kiss of the Dragon
The Majestic
The Others
The Score
Shrek
Training Day
2002
The Bourne Identity
Collateral Damage
The Count of Monte Cristo
Die Another Day
The Four Feathers
Jason X
Minority Report
Panic Room
Road to Perdition
Spider-Man
2003
The Cooler
Gothika
The Last Samurai
The Live of David Gale
Lost in Translation
Matchstick Men
Open Range
Out of Time
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
28 Days Later
2004
The Butterfly Effect
Cellular
Collateral
The Manchurian Candidate
Mean Girls
Million Dollar Baby
Shaun of the Dead
Spartan
Spider-Man 2
The Terminal
2005
Batman Begins
The Constant Gardner
Crash
Four Brothers
Good Night and Good Luck
The Interpreter
Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang
Munich
Red Eye
Sahara
2006
Apocalypto
Blood Diamond
Casino Royale
Hollywoodland
The Illusionist
Inside Man
Mission: Impossible III
The Prestige
Running Scared
Thank You for Smoking
2007
Death Proof
Death Sentence
Gone Baby Gone
In the Valley of Elah
Live Free or Die Hard
The Mist
No Country for Old Men
The Orphanage
We Own the Night
Zodiac
2008
The Bank Job
Body of Lies
Doubt
Frost/Nixon
Gran Torino
Iron Man
Pride and Glory
Quantum of Solace
Rambo
Valkyrie
2009
Bandslam
Crossing Over
500 Days of Summer
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Knowing
A Perfect Getaway
Taken
Terminator: Salvation
Up in the Air
NB: Honourable mentions are for films that I rated the same as the least entry in each top ten.
Naturally I reserve the right to substitute titles as and when I see fit.
In alphabetical order:
1980
Airplane
The Big Brawl
The Blues Brothers
The Changeling
Cruising
Dressed to Kill
The Empire Strikes Back
Eyes of a Stranger
Friday the 13th
Raging Bull
(Honourable mentions: The Hunter)
1981
Blow Out
Body Heat
Deadly Blessing
Escape to Victory
The Evil Dead
For Your Eyes Only
Mad Max 2
Nighthawks
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Road Games
(Honourable mentions: Hell Night, Outland)
1982
Conan the Barbarian
Death Wish II
The Entity
Evil Under the Sun
48 Hrs.
The King of Comedy
Poltergeist
Rocky III
Tenebrae
The Thing
(Honourable mentions: The Wicked Lady)
1983
Bad Boys
The Dead Zone
The Man with Two Brains
Octopussy
Psycho II
Return of the Jedi
Silkwood
Sudden Impact
10 to Midnight
Trading Places
(Honourable mentions: The Initiation, Lone Wolf McQuade, Risky Business)
1984
Beverly Hills Cop
Body Double
Ghostbusters
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
The Karate Kid
The Lonely Guy
Missing in Action
A Nightmare on Elm Street
Teachers
The Terminator
(Honourable mentions: All of Me, C.H.U.D., Fear City, Finders Keepers, Flashpoint, Heaven Help Us, The Hit, Micki + Maude, The Naked Face, Police Academy, Revenge of the Nerds, Scream for Help, A Soldier's Story, Trancers)
1985
Back to the Future
The Breakfast Club
Clue
Invasion USA
Missing in Action 2 - The Beginning
Rocky IV
The Sure Thing
Witness
Year of the Dragon
1986
Aliens
Brighton Beach Memoirs
Bullies
F/X
Friday the 13th, Part VI: Jason Lives
Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer
The Hitcher
The Karate Kid, Part II
Platoon
Salvador
1987
The Bedroom Window
Full Metal Jacket
Lethal Weapon
The Living Daylights
A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors
Predator
The Principal
Robocop
The Untouchables
Wall Street
(Honourable mentions: Best Seller, In the Mood, Nuts, Someone to Watch Over Me)
1988
Braddock: Missing in Action III
Child's Play
Coming to America
Die Hard
A Fish Called Wanda
Frantic
Heathers
Midnight Run
Mississippi Burning
Working Girl
1989
The Abyss
Born on the 4th of July
The 'Burbs
Casualties of War
Crimes and Misdemeanours
Glory
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Lethal Weapon 2
Licence to Kill
Road House
(Honourable mentions: Drugstore Cowboy, A Dry White Season, Jacknife, Sea of Love)
1990
Back to the Future, Part III
Dances with Wolves
Edward Scissorhands
Die Hard 2
The Hunt for Red October
Kindergarten Cop
Misery
Pump Up the Volume
Quick Change
Total Recall
1991
Cape Fear
City Slickers
Dead Again
JFK
The Last Boy Scout
Out for Justice
The Rocketeer
The Silence of the Lambs
Terminator 2: Judgment Day
Toy Soldiers
1992
Basic Instinct
Batman Returns
Diggstown
A Few Good Men
Glengarry Glen Ross
Gladiator
The Last of the Mohicans
Reservoir Dogs
Sister Act
Unforgiven
1993
Carlito’s Way
Cliffhanger
Dazed and Confused
Falling Down
The Fugitive
Groundhog Day
Hard Target
In the Line of Fire
Judgment Night
So I Married an Axe Murderer
1994
Clerks
Disclosure
The Hudsucker Proxy
Leon
Mute Witness
Quiz Show
The Shawshank Redemption
Speed
Wes Craven's New Nightmare
Wolf
1995
Casino
Dead Presidents
Die Hard With a Vengeance
Get Shorty
Goldeneye
The Hunted
The Last Supper
The Quick and the Dead
Se7en
Strange Days
1996
Bound
The Frighteners
The Long Kiss Goodnight
Mission: Impossible
Ransom
The Rock
Scream
A Time to Kill
2 Days in the Valley
Unforgettable
1997
Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery
Copland
Donnie Brasco
The Edge
Gattaca
Jackie Brown
L.A. Confidential
The Lost World: Jurassic Park
The Rainmaker
Red Corner
1998
American History X
Dark City
The Faculty
The Mask of Zorro
The Negotiator
The Thin Red Line
The Truman Show
U.S. Marshals
Who Am I?
Wild Things
1999
American Pie
8mm
Go
The Green Mile
The Insider
The Matrix
Payback
The Sixth Sense
Sleepy Hollow
The World is Not Enough
2000
Frequency
Gladiator
High Fidelity
Hollow Man
Mission: Impossible II
Return to Me
Shaft
Thirteen Days
What Lies Beneath
What Women Want
2001
Along Came a Spider
Anti-Trust
Frailty
From Hell
Kiss of the Dragon
The Majestic
The Others
The Score
Shrek
Training Day
2002
The Bourne Identity
Collateral Damage
The Count of Monte Cristo
Die Another Day
The Four Feathers
Jason X
Minority Report
Panic Room
Road to Perdition
Spider-Man
2003
The Cooler
Gothika
The Last Samurai
The Live of David Gale
Lost in Translation
Matchstick Men
Open Range
Out of Time
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
28 Days Later
2004
The Butterfly Effect
Cellular
Collateral
The Manchurian Candidate
Mean Girls
Million Dollar Baby
Shaun of the Dead
Spartan
Spider-Man 2
The Terminal
2005
Batman Begins
The Constant Gardner
Crash
Four Brothers
Good Night and Good Luck
The Interpreter
Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang
Munich
Red Eye
Sahara
2006
Apocalypto
Blood Diamond
Casino Royale
Hollywoodland
The Illusionist
Inside Man
Mission: Impossible III
The Prestige
Running Scared
Thank You for Smoking
2007
Death Proof
Death Sentence
Gone Baby Gone
In the Valley of Elah
Live Free or Die Hard
The Mist
No Country for Old Men
The Orphanage
We Own the Night
Zodiac
2008
The Bank Job
Body of Lies
Doubt
Frost/Nixon
Gran Torino
Iron Man
Pride and Glory
Quantum of Solace
Rambo
Valkyrie
2009
Bandslam
Crossing Over
500 Days of Summer
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Knowing
A Perfect Getaway
Taken
Terminator: Salvation
Up in the Air
NB: Honourable mentions are for films that I rated the same as the least entry in each top ten.