56. Waking Sleeping Beauty
2010, 86 minutes, PG / Director: Don Hahn / Writer: Patrick Pacheco / Subjects: Ron Clements, Peter Schneider, Roy Disney, Rob Minkoff, Glen Keane, Michael D. Eisner, Jeffrey Katzenberg
Buy It: DVD • Instant Video

Superb documentary (one of just three on this list) relies on archival footage to put you inside Disney Animation during its '90s Renaissance and voiceover from new interviews to put that exciting time in perspective. Full DVD Review

@DVDizzy_com Really happy to see "Waking Sleeping Beauty" included on the #HalfDecadeHundred list. Such an honest, well-made documentary.

— ZackPas+ (@ZackPaslay) January 16, 2015

55. Take Shelter
2011, 121 minutes, R / Writer/Director: Jeff Nichols / Stars: Michael Shannon, Jessica Chastain, Shea Whigham, Katy Mixon, Ray McKinnon
Buy It: Blu-ray • DVD • Instant Video

This independent drama, which made Jeff Nicholas a filmmaker to watch, captivates with its deceptively simple premise: are a family man's apocalyptic visions a warning or is he just losing his mind? Full Blu-ray Review

54. Philomena
2013, 98 minutes, PG-13 / Director: Stephen Frears / Writers: Steve Coogan, Jeff Pope, Martin Sixsmith / Stars: Judi Dench, Steve Coogan
Buy It: Blu-ray • DVD • Instant Video

This film seemed to crash last year's Oscar race, but we all should have seen it coming, with its Weinstein backing and British and elderly appeal. Although all those elements make this an easy target for claims that the Academy is out of touch, this story of an Irish woman's search for her son absolutely compels and is well-told with humor and humanity. Full Blu-ray Review

53. The Tree of Life
2011, 139 minutes, PG-13 / Writer/Director: Terrence Malick / Stars: Brad Pitt, Sean Penn, Jessica Chastain, Hunter McCracken, Laramie Eppler, Tye Sheridan, Fiona Shaw
Buy It: Blu-ray Combo • DVD • Instant Video

There's no one else in cinema quite like Terrence Malick. Full of beauty and largely free of form, his ambitious films are such that you'll probably either argue this one should be atop this countdown or not in it at all. But reactions needn't be so extreme. Not as fulfilling as films less open for interpretation, this one feels properly placed near the midway point of this list. Full Blu-ray Combo Review

@DVDizzy_com Hope my favorite, The Tree of Life, makes it high. Trumbull's visuals alone make it a must-see masterpiece. #HalfDecadeHundred

— Justin Smith (@JJSmith910) January 12, 2015

52. Gravity
2013, 91 minutes, PG-13 / Director: Alfonso Cuarón / Writers: Alfonso Cuarón, Jonás Cuarón / Stars: Sandra Bullock, George Clooney, Ed Harris
Buy It: Blu-ray 3D Combo • Blu-ray Combo • DVD • Instant Video

It'd be wrong to dismiss this survival story as purely a technical achievement. Yes, the space visuals are unprecedented and add undeniable impact. But fine acting and efficient storytelling make it much more than just eye candy. Full Blu-ray 3D Combo Review

@DVDizzy_com Gravity is a stunning film about rediscovering the will to really live.

— John Seiley (@JackSeiley) January 7, 2015

51. Iron Man 3
2013, 131 minutes, PG-13 / Director: Shane Black / Writers: Drew Pearce, Shane Black / Stars: Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Guy Pearce, Rebecca Hall, Jon Favreau, Ben Kingsley, James Badge Dale, Stephanie Szostak, Paul Bettany, William Sadler, Miguel Ferrer, Dale Dickey, Ty Simpkins
Buy It: Blu-ray 3D Combo • Blu-ray Combo • Blu-ray + DVD • DVD • Instant Video

Admittedly not as easy to label a work of art as the two films immediately behind it in this list, this blockbuster threequel nonetheless finds superhero factory Marvel in top form. Although this series should be wearing out its welcome, it is better than ever with its sharp writing, unpredictable turns, and first-rate characterization. Thus far, Iron Man's alluring universe has somehow yielded greater diversion on its own than as part of Marvel's Avengers franchise. Full Blu-ray Review

50. The Place Beyond the Pines
2013, 140 minutes, R / Director: Derek Cianfrance / Writers: Derek Cianfrance, Ben Coccio, Darius Marder / Stars: Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper, Eva Mendes, Ray Liotta, Ben Mendelsohn, Rose Byrne, Mahershala Ali, Bruce Greenwood, Harris Yulin
Buy It: Blu-ray Combo • DVD • Instant Video

While it plays like three short films, each less powerful than the one before it, this rich drama is greater than the sum of its parts.

@DVDizzy_com The Place Beyond the Pines, enthralling sins-of-the-father tragedy, thoughtfully paced &performed with heart #HalfDecadeHundred

— Wesley Mead (@wesleymead) January 13, 2015

49. The Ides of March
2011, 101 minutes, R / Director: George Clooney / Writers: George Clooney, Grant Heslov, Beau Willimon / Stars: Ryan Gosling, George Clooney, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Paul Giamatti, Evan Rachel Wood
Buy It: Blu-ray • DVD • Instant Video

George Clooney's inside-the-campaign political drama gets you to invest in multi-layered characters and a complex story, two things rare enough to make you appreciate them tremendously. Full Blu-ray Review

48. Flight
2012, 139 minutes, R / Director: Robert Zemeckis / Writer: John Gatins / Stars: Denzel Washington, Don Cheadle, Kelly Reilly, John Goodman, Bruce Greenwood, Brian Geraghty
Buy It: Blu-ray Combo • DVD • Instant Video

Robert Zemeckis' return to live-action filmmaking may not be the most subtle of dramas, but its creative premise, fine cast, and thoughtful visuals all work together to make a big impact. Full Blu-ray Combo Review

47. Django Unchained
2012, 165 minutes, R / Writer/Director: Quentin Tarantino / Stars: Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kerry Washington, Samuel L. Jackson
Buy It: Blu-ray Combo • DVD • Instant Video

If not for the over-the-top violent finale, Quentin Tarantino's sharply-written, well-acted slave and bounty hunter western would rank even higher. Full Film Review

46. True Grit
2010, 110 minutes, PG-13 / Directors: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen / Writers: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen, Charles Portis / Stars: Jeff Bridges, Hailee Steinfeld, Matt Damon, Josh Brolin, Barry Pepper
Buy It: Blu-ray Combo • DVD • Instant Video

A Coen Brothers remake of a John Wayne western may not sound promising on paper, but this commercially potent hit ended up being a terrific and atypically accessible vessel for the filmmakers' offbeat talent and flair. Full DVD Review

45. Big Hero 6
2014, 108 minutes, PG / Directors: Don Hall, Chris Williams / Writers: Robert L. Baird, Daniel Gerson, Jordan Roberts, Duncan Rouleau, Steven T. Seagle / Stars: Scott Adsit, Ryan Potter, Daniel Henney, T.J. Miller, Jamie Chung, Damon Wayans Jr., Genesis Rodriguez, James Cromwell, Alan Tudyk
Buy It: Blu-ray Combo • DVD • Instant Video

After some creative instability and a brief identity crisis, Walt Disney Animation Studios has returned to the consistent excellence for which they've long been known. While they've had success putting new spins on their winning formula of fairy tale musicals, their most impressive modern achievements have been unlikely and unexpected triumphs like this delectable futuristic adventure adapted from an obscure Marvel comic book. Full Blu-ray & DVD Review

44. The Master
2012, 138 minutes, R / Writer/Director: Paul Thomas Anderson / Writers: E. Max Frye, Dan Futterman / Stars: Joaquin Phoenix, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams
Buy It: Blu-ray Combo • DVD • Instant Video

Adored by critics and abhorred by much of the general public who even took notice of it, this creative drama inspired by the establishment of Scientology is a showcase for fearless acting and directorial virtuosity. Full Blu-ray Combo Review

43. Foxcatcher
2014, 129 minutes, R / Director: Bennett Miller / Writers: E. Max Frye, Dan Futterman / Stars: Steve Carell, Channing Tatum, Mark Ruffalo, Sienna Miller, Vanessa Redgrave
Buy It: Blu-ray • DVD • Instant Video

Absolutely no appreciation of wrestling is needed for this drama to sweep you up in its haunting world with big yet real performances of larger than life characters. Full Blu-ray Review

42. The Help
2011, 146 minutes, PG-13 / Director: Tate Taylor / Writers: Kathryn Stockett, Tate Taylor / Stars: Emma Stone, Viola Davis, Bryce Dallas Howard, Octavia Spencer, Jessica Chastain
Buy It: Blu-ray + DVD • Blu-ray Combo • DVD • Instant Video

General audiences appreciated this southern drama more than critics. For feel-good, crowd-pleasing cinema, it is surprisingly good at tastefully addressing still relevant issues of race and class from our recent past. Full Blu-ray Combo Review

41. Warm Bodies
2013, 98 minutes, PG-13 / Director: Jonathan Levine / Writers: Isaac Marion, Jonathan Levine / Stars: Nicholas Hoult, Teresa Palmer, Analeigh Tipton, Rob Corddry, Dave Franco, John Malkovich
Buy It: Blu-ray • DVD • Instant Video

More liked than loved, this witty retelling of Romeo and Juliet as an apocalyptic human-zombie romance is incredibly appealing. The frequent comparisons to Twilight only underscore how much smarter and more enjoyable this teen-oriented genre tale is. Full Blu-ray Combo Review

@DVDizzy_com Nice to see WARM BODIES is so high on your list. And underrated, delightful little movie. #HalfDecadeHundred

— Anthony Strand (@ZeppoMarxist) January 22, 2015

Continue >>
Page 4: #40-26

< Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 3 | Page 4 | Page 5 | Page 6 | Page 7 | Page 8 >