griggs's - 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die List

Show moreShow less

Taking an ill-advised detour en route to California, the Carter family soon run into trouble when their campervan breaks down in the middle of the desert. Stranded, the family find themselves at the mercy of a group of monstrous cannibals lurking in the surrounding hills.

With their lives under threat, the Carters have no choice but to fight back by any means necessary.

Show moreShow less

A terminal “road-movie”, 'Last Chants' single-mindedly follows the path of its central character, Tom Bates (Tom Blair), through an unspecified period of time as he talks to a hitch-hiker and then throws him out of his truck, visits his wife and has a fierce argument with her, talks to a man in a

breakfast cafe, picks up a woman in a bar and has a one night stand with her; leaves the woman, and cruising in his truck on a back road, pulls over to help a man with his broken-down car, and shoots and kills the man, for a few dollars.

Show moreShow less

Under the Nazi occupation of Holland, the Dutch people are forced to choose between collaboration and resistance.

Armed with the knowledge that those, choices made by fellow countrymen will forever changed the fate of their homeland, six college students set out on an epic adventure that will involve courage, betrayal and survival.

Show moreShow less

Sam Neill - in his first lead role in a feature - plays Smith, a man escaping the break-up of his marriage by finding isolation on an island off the Coromandel Peninsula.

As he settles into his new life, the country is experiencing its own turmoil: an oil embargo has led to martial law and civil war, into which Smith reluctantly finds himself increasingly involved.

Show moreShow less

Peter Weir directs this engaging thriller about an Australian lawyer (Richard Chamberlain) who defends a group of aborigines in a murder case, only to begin experiencing strange dreams and visions that portend a catastrophic tidal wave that will decimate Australia.

Are these visions the real thing, or is he losing his mind? Finding the answer may prove crucial to the murder case and to the survival of the continent.

Show moreShow less

When Roy Neary (Richard Dreyfuss) witnesses the arrival of alien ships from a distant world, an incredible series of events begins- planes which disappeared during the Second World War are found intact in Mexico, long lost ships mysteriously re-appear in the middle of the desert and people from all

around the world, including Neary are convinced that someone is trying to communicate with them. Nearys search to find an answer leads him to take part in the ultimate encounter with the extra-Terrestrials and to board the vast, beautiful Mothership.

Show moreShow less

John Travolta gives a sensual and intelligent performance as the troubled Tony Manero - Brooklyn paint store clerk by day and undisputed King of the dance floor by night.

Every Saturday, Tony puts on his wide collared shirt, flared trousers and platform shoes and heads out to the only place where he's seen as a god rather than just some young punk. But in the darkness, away from the strobe lights and glitter ball, is a tragic story of disillusionment, violence and heartbreak. Without a doubt, Travolta's performance made him a Hollywood legend, but 'Saturday Night Fever' is more than just a movie that defined the music and fashion of a generation. It's a powerful and provocative urban tragedy that carries as much significance today as it did in 1977.

Show moreShow less

The anti-Qing patriots, under the guidance of Ho Kuang-han, have secretly set up their base in Canton under cover of being school masters. Liu Yude, one of Ho's pupils, having been inspired by his teacher's patriotism, is determined to join the anti-Qing ranks.

Liu works as an espionage courier for his fellow countrymen until the Manchu General in Canton, Tianda, orders his troops to round up all the anti-Qing patriots. The Manchu soldiers, acting on information, surround the Ho school and kill Ho and many of his students. Later, Liu's father is also murdered by the Qing lackeys; Liu escapes to the Shaolin Temple in hopes of learning martial arts, with which he may avenge his father's death. The Abbot of the Shaolin Temple sympathizes with Liu's plight, accepting him as an inmate and giving him the name "San De". Liu does nothing but sweep the floors for nearly a year before being given permission to learn the Shaolin kung fu techniques, comprising 35 chambers. Of course, as a novice, he has to start from the lowest chamber. One of the 35 chambers concerns the study of Buddhism, and the others are devoted to the martial arts. Each pupil has to endure a stiff test in order to pass through any one chamber before going on to the next. In an incredibly short time, Liu has mastered and passed 10 chambers, specializing in the employment of the fists, feet, palms, swords, sticks, lance, and other weapons. He continues to make tremendous progress in the art of kung fu, and with the approval of the Abbot, he leaves the temple and goes out into the country to not only attack the cruel Manchu henchmen, but also to recruit more patriotic youths for training. Meanwhile, the Qing authorities order Tianda and his troops to catch Liu and his fellow monks. In a fierce encounter, Liu, aided by Hong Xiguan, kills many enemies, including Tianda. Liu and his new fellow fighters then return to the Shaolin Temple, where he immediately develops the "36th Chamber" which is the apex of the art of kung fu. The new blood, including Hong Xiguan, Tong Qianjin, Lu A-Cai and Chung Mi-lu (Miller Six), under the leadership of Liu, become a barb to torment the Qing flesh.

Show moreShow less

Killer Of Sheep is an undisputed masterpiece of African-American filmmaking and one of the most poetic, perceptive dramas ever made about family and community.

This acclaimed tale of a disillusioned slaughterhouse worker-and the solace to be found in the simplest moments of life-is tender, witty, and affectionate. With lovely neorealist photography - capturing the long, hot days of 1970s Los Angeles - and a gorgeous blues soundtrack (Dinah Washington, Paul Robeson and Little Walter all feature) the film has a quiet emotional power.

Focusing on four families working and living on the farm of a landowner in the Bergamo region of northern Italy, Ermanno Olmi presents a year in their lives, charting their daily activities and the natural flow of existence: birth, marriage, death, and the trials and tribulations in between.

Show moreShow less

There's nothing straight about this movie. But here's the dope anyway: Cheech and Chong make their film debut in this riotous rock 'n' roll comedy, bringing with them the same madness, lifestyles and sketches that sold over 10 million records in the early '70s.

Cheech and Chong's marijuana-laced humor keeps their spirits high and leads them to an outrageous finale at L.A.'s Roxy Theater, where Cheech performs in a pink tutu and Chong dresses as a large red quaalude. It will make you feel very funny.

Show moreShow less

John Travolta solidified his position as the most versatile and magnetic screen presence of the decade in this film version of the smash hit play Grease. Recording star Olivia Newton-John made her American film debut as Sandy, Travolta's naive love interest.

The impressive supporting cast reads like a "who's who" in this quintessential musical about the fabulous '50's. Grease is not just a nostalgic look at a simpler decade - it's an energetic and exciting musical homage to the age of rock n'roll!

Show moreShow less

Based on the early 20th-century exploits of Jimmy Governor, Jimmie Blacksmith (Tommy Lewis) follows its title character, a half-Aboriginal, half-white young man attempting to make his way as a farmhand, but facing only prejudice and deception from society.

When the parentage of his child is called into question and he is further robbed by his white employers, Jimmie's barely suppressed rage explodes, triggering a wave of violence that would shock a nation.

Show moreShow less

A National Emergency grips the US as the zombie population grows at an alarming rate. Two S.W.A.T. officers, a helicopter pilot and his girlfriend escape the city and take refuge in an abandoned shopping mall after securing it following a series of flesh-shredding confrontations with the undead.

Their survival is threatened when a band of looters leave a door open allowing the zombies access to the mall once more and a final stand-off for survival must play out.

One of the most critically-acclaimed films of all time, 'Days of Heaven' is a moving story about two men who love the same woman. Bill (Richard Gere), a fugitive from the slums of Chicago, finds himself pitted against a shy, rich Texan (Sam Shepard) for the love of Abby (Brooke Adams).