Sweet Sixteen
#1 Jaws vs. #12 The Shawshank Redemption
The fact that Spielberg alone has three films in the Sweet 16 and no other director has more than one is staggering; the guy is on another level. But because I can predict that his other two films in this bracket will move on, I’m going to show The Shawshank Redemption some more love. As possibly the greatest inspirational movie of all time, you will leave the experience joyful if not outright clapping. Jaws is great, but I’ve seen (dare I say it?) better work from Spielberg since then.
#2 Die Hard vs. #11 Gone Baby Gone
This might be blasphemous, but I have to go with Gone Baby Gone over Die Hard. One is very clearly an action movie (a great one at that), but the other takes its time and presents you with a choice near the end that will haunt you forever. I’ve never seen a film make bold choices like that and much of the credit has to go to first-time director Ben Affleck. This is the kind of movie that you can discuss with your friends long after you’ve seen it; with Die Hard, most of the conversation is just agreeing with each other, “Wow, that was awesome!”
#3 Almost Famous vs. #7 Up in the Air
There’s no personal bias here, so I’m picking Almost Famous. At least among my circle of friends, these two films are never brought up and that’s a tragic mistake. As someone who loves music, I give the slight edge to the #3 seed, but they both have genuine moments of comedy.
#8 The Dark Knight vs. #12 Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
On the other hand, there’s a ton of personal bias with this matchup. I regret that I’ve only seen Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (that’s a mouthful) once, so that’s probably working against it. But The Dark Knight is something special, man. In 50 years, I think we will still be talking about this movie and its revolutionary effects on the genre.
#1 Schindler’s List vs. #4 The Social Network
I love The Social Network, but it’s not that high on my personal Top 10 list. While I can’t recommend you watch Schindler’s List more than once, I can say definitively that it is a masterpiece. The score alone would carry it quite far in this bracket; that’s the level of quality I’m talking about.
#2 Pulp Fiction vs. #11 Jurassic Park
Two of my favorite directors with two of their best films…I’m going to upset someone no matter which way I lean. I guess there’s enough material in Pulp Fiction that’s not as interesting (the Bruce Willis storyline doesn’t hold up to the Travolta/Jackson stuff) that I’m picking Jurassic Park. I also selfishly want the “Spielberg battle of 1993” that people have been debating for ages.
#2 The Matrix vs. #3 The Usual Suspects
Here’s where “entertaining” will triumph over “engaging” (unsurprisingly, my two main criteria for judging movies). I can’t see myself watching The Usual Suspects over and over, but how can you only experience The Matrix once? It demands multiple viewings if only for the impressive choreography.
#4 The Empire Strikes Back vs. #9 Whiplash
As a drummer myself, it was not the most comfortable experience watching Whiplash. But that feeling only enhanced how I perceived the film; to see the complex student-teacher relationship between Miles Teller and J.K. Simmons was both inspirational and chilling. I did not have that same feeling watching The Empire Strikes Back, so a Star Wars movie will not be winning this bracket unfortunately. If you think I’m disproportionately praising Whiplash, you need to sit down and watch it (maybe for the second time).
Differing Opinions 