Top 100 of all time - # 36-40

Moving into the 30's, we get our first Scorsese film, another Hitchcock, some De Niro, and a lesser known, yet masterfully done crime noir flick. A little edit job done - The Manchurian Candidate was not good enough to show up twice on the list. It stands at #95, while 1980's classic Stand By Me should be in its place at #50.

#40 - The Silence of the Lambs, 1991.

Anthony Hopkins is frightening as the cerebral serial killer, Hannibal Lecter. Spawning a handful of sequels and prequels based on the Thomas Harris novels and characters, none quite lived up to this one. Lecter helps Jodie Foster's Clarice Starling track down an active serial killer in one of the most smartly written suspense films of the early 90's. Lecter has many memorable lines, and the film hit the superfecta of Best Actor, Actress, Director, Picture, and Adapted Screenplay. Granted, it was a somewhat weak year, but Silence of the Lambs is a must see. If you haven't yet had the pleasure, you should probably see it alone on a dark Saturday night.

#39 - North by Northwest, 1959.

The third and final Hitchcock film on my top 100 list, this case of mistaken identity haunts an innocent man as we witness great scenery from around the country, and a few of the better action sequences of the time (biplane, Mount Rushmore). Cary Grant is great in his fourth pairing with Hitchcock, and although it is a bit cheesy now, if you put yourself in 1959, I'm sure it was amazing.

#38 - Taxi Driver, 1976.

Damn you, Peter Finch. Robert De Niro is spectacular and menacing as he transforms from taxi driver to monster, all in the name of a misguided sense of justice and protection. This probably should have been his first Best Actor Oscar, and would have put him in the lone company of Jack Nicholson as 3 time winners (2 Best Actor, 1 Best Supporting Actor). The gritty, seedy vision of the New York nightlife in the late 70's is unforgettable, and only Scorsese can bring it to life in such a way.

#37 - LA Confidential, 1997.

This is the type of film that grows on you. It requires a second or third viewing to truly appreciate the artful work of Curtis Hanson. The performances by Guy Pearce, Kevin Spacey, and Kim Basinger are exceptional, but for me, Russell Crowe made this film. It was one of his first American mainstream roles, and shows us the side of him that we didn't get to see again until Gladiator.

#36 - Raging Bull, 1980.

Scorsese's second of three films to land on this list, the film was shot in 1980, but it feels like the 1950's with bad makeup. The makeup might be terrible, but De Niro gains and loses weight like Christian Bale (Machinist...) and plays Jake La Motta with true professionalism. He becomes him and shows exactly, and more of what La Motta intended with his autobiography. Released shortly after Rocky, this film had the realism and acting that Rocky lacked, and introduced us to the fireplug Joe Pesci. Great film in so many ways.

Well, that's it for this installment. Stay tuned for #30 - 35...