Insomnia's Top Shelf

List creator: Insomnia3 Created on: July 4, 2004 - 8:57 AM PDT Description: A list of DVDs that I bought and proudly store on the top shelf of my DVD rack. Note that I don't put poorly packaged DVDs on this shelf, so Warner movies get excluded. Also movies with bad sequels that I still buy tend to get demoted with them.

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	movie title	related list	average rating	MPAA rating	watch	rent	buy
	The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
The other two aren't as good, but this one blew me away. The best classic fantasy movie ever.
	Willow (1988)
Another great classic fantasy movie. A little different, but overall very well done.
	Conan the Barbarian (1982)
THE great classic fantasy movie. Everyone must see this movie at least twice in their lives.
	Total Recall (1990)
Originally rated X, but recut to R. A sometimes ridiculous, but thoroughly entertaining action movie.
	Equilibrium (2002)
I was surprised by this one. It was amazingly good. After the first scene, I was a little turned off, but then once it was explained, I couldn't helping thinking that that was just plain awesome. (This movie replaced "The Rock", finally).
	Wing Commander (1999)
Ok, yes, this is a bad movie. Yes, the acting is terrible. Yes, the space fighters make propeller noises. Even with all that, I love this movie. I will defend it forever, even to the (apparent) detriment of this list's rating. :)
	Strange Days (1995)
A little odd, but very different and well made. Quite entertaining and definitely not mainstream crud.
	Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003)
Much better than I expected. Ended up on my top shelf immediately. The first movie I've seen showing at all realistic wooden-ship navy life. Knocked Jurassic Park of my top shelf (finally).
	Ronin (1998)
A clear top-5 movie. The best two car chases of all movies are in this one. The plot and acting are subtle and actually make you think. Stupid people don't like this movie, because it's hard to follow. I'm fine with that.
	Aliens (1986)
Probably the best movie ever. Definitely the best sequel ever. Watch the preview first to better get in the mood.
	In the Line of Fire (1993)
A slew of excellent actors, including Clint Eastwood, Rene Russo, and John Malkovich, make this a must-see movie.
	G.I. Jane (1997)
I wasn't expecting this to be good, or interesting. It was both. It doesn't let the anti-sexist point get in the way of a great movie, nor does it lose its anti-sexist point in order to make it a great movie.
	The Bourne Identity (2002)
I didn't expect much from this movie, but was pleasantly surprised. The action is very well done (no damn shakey-cam), and not over-done. A great movie.
	Tombstone (1993)
Classic showdown at its finest. Historically accurate (according to Earp's version of things that is), and superbly acted.
	The Hunt for Red October (1990)
The best cerebral suspense movie ever. Way better than the book. It's a cold war movie (with all biases therefrom), but one of the top 5 movies ever for sure.
	Crimson Tide (1995)
I first worried this would be a rip-off of the above. It wasn't (though the DVD manufacturer must think it is, with nearly identical art). An excellent suspense drama.
	The Fifth Element (Ultimate Edition) (1997)
The best sci-fi epic ever. Incredible visuals, sound, music... and humor. A great ride with no dull points.
	The Replacement Killers (1998)
If the intro doesn't hook you into this movie, I don't know what will.
	Payback (1999)
Surprisingly high rewatch value. An excellent root-for-the-bad-guy underdog movie.
	True Lies (1994)
The best thing Arnold's ever done, hands down. It's not what one would expect, given the cast.
	Léon: The Professional (1994)			Not Rated
An excellent drama. Great acting all around. Watch the international version (Leon, the Professional) if you can (not sure which GC will send you). It better develops the relationship between the two main characters.
	Pitch Black (2000)
The Chronicles of Riddick "series" is unrelated to this movie, the success of this one was just hijacked to try to sell more. Alone, this movie is a classic for many reasons. The R and unrated versions are basically indistinguishable.
	The 13th Warrior (1999)
A lot better than I expected, but not as good as it could have been. Still, this movie deserves its place on my top shelf.
	The Terminator (1984)
When Michael Biehn and James Cameron teamed up in the 80s, they could do no wrong. This proves it.
	Terminator 2: Judgment Day - The Ultimate Edition DVD (1991)
This movie got promoted to the Top Shelf to be with its predecessor. On its own, it's kinda stupid and pointless, but still an enjoyable movie with some great action and stunts.
	The Fast and the Furious (2001)
This movie is "Point Break", but done right. Better acting, replace surfing with street racing, and bingo. It's not what I would call a GOOD movie, but it is very entertaining, and quite rewatchable.
	The Abyss (1989)
Michael Biehn and James Cameron teamed up again. This time with multi-million dollar underwater props and sets. This movie is amazing. If you haven't seen the director's cut, you haven't seen this movie.
	Fight Club (1999)
Wow. A hands-down amazing movie. I can't think of a thing about it I don't like (aside from a few disgusting scenes perhaps).
	Rob Roy (1995)
Many can't tolerate this movie due to the rape scene and others. It is a spectacular movie that was overshadowed by Braveheart - even though this movie is actually better.
	Gladiator (2000)
A movie that survives in Braveheart's shadow, and does pretty well on its own too.
	Braveheart (1995)
It's Braveheart. Need I say more?
	The Count of Monte Cristo (2002)
The ending of this version removes the moral of the original story completely, but hey, who cares? We're Americans. We don't need morals. A great movie otherwise.
	Enemy of the State (1998)
A highly entertaining movie. The two tech geeks add so much to it. Want a blend?
	Glory (1989)
The best civil war movie ever. To many excellent actors to name.
	A Few Good Men (1992)
The best drama ever. I even liked Tom Cruise in it (who I usually hate). A clear top-5 movie.
	Sneakers (1992)
A very entertaining caper movie. Deep, but whimsical characters. Interesting, if far-fetched plot. All-in-all a great way to spend 2 hours.
	Who Am I? (1998)
Jackie Chan at his finest.