Empire Top 500

In the November 2008 issue of Empire magazine, 10,000 readers, 50 notable film critics and 150 film makers (including Quentin Tarantino, Sam Mendes, David Fincher, Pedro Almodovar, Mike Leigh, Hans Zimmer, Roger Deakins, Cameron Crowe, Edgar Wright, Julian Fellowes, Kevin Feige and, um, Uwe Boll) all voted for their top 10 movies of all time. The lists were collated, and a supposedly definitive top 500 was compiled. It's clear that the critics and film makers votes were given a slightly heavier weighting than the general public. This does make sense, as they know more about film than the rest of us, but it leads to some obscure choices (I Am Cuba number 112? Personally I'd never heard of it, now I know its terrible).

Films on the list: 500
Films watched: 181
Progress: 36.2%

1              1972       Godfather, The
2              1981       Raiders of the Lost Ark
6              1990       Goodfellas
7              1979       Apocalypse Now
8              1952       Singin' in the Rain
9              1994       Pulp Fiction
10           1999       Fight Club
11           1980       Raging Bull
12           1960       Apartment, The
13           1974       Chinatown
14           1968       Once Upon a Time in the West
16           1968       2001: A Space Odyssey
17           1976       Taxi Driver
19           1974       Godfather Part II, The
20           1982       Blade Runner
21           1949       Third Man, The
23           1985       Back to the Future
26           1964       Dr. Strangelove
27           1959       Some Like It Hot
30           1986       Aliens
31           1939       Gone With the Wind
36           1969       Andrei Rublev
37           1971       A Clockwork Orange
39           1999       Matrix, The
41           1959       400 Blows, The
42           1949       Kind Hearts and Coronets
44           1993       Schindler's List
46           1954       On the Waterfront
47           1982       E.T. the Extra Terrestrial
48           1984       This is Spinal Tap
50           1954       Seven Samurai, The
51           1963       8 ½
53           2001       Donnie Darko
55           1960       Dolce Vita, La
57           1962       Lawrence of Arabia
58           1940       His Girl Friday
59           1977       Close Encounters of the Third Kind
60           1985       Come and See
63           1950       Sunset Boulevard
64           2003       Oldboy
65           1971       Harold and Maude
69           1994       Three Colours: Red
70           1986       Stand By Me
71           1955       Night of the Hunter, The
73           2004       Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
74           1948       Treasure of the Sierra Madre, The
75           1946       A Matter of Life and Death
76           1979       Manhattan
77           1960       Spartacus
78           1968       Rosemary's Baby
79           1998       Thin Red Line, The
82           1963       Great Escape, The
83           1985       Brazil
85           1986       Blue Velvet
86           1976       Carrie
87           1983       King of Comedy, The
88           1986       Ferris Bueller's Day Off
89           1999       Magnolia
90           1989       When Harry Met Sally
92           1983       Once Upon a Time in America
93           1973       Spirit of the Beehive, The
94           1969       Wild Bunch, The
95           1961       Yojimbo
96           1999       American Beauty
97           1992       Reservoir Dogs
100         1976       Network
102         1961       Hustler, The
103         1954       Rear Window
104         1939       Rules of the Game, The
106         1966       A Man For All Seasons
108         1978       Tree of Wooden Clogs, The
109         1958       Touch of Evil
110         2004       Before Sunset
111         1982       Fitzcarraldo
113         2004       Anchorman
114         1974       Conversation, The
115         1974       Blazing Saddles
116         1959       Rio Bravo
118         1987       Withnail and I
119         1953       Wages of Fear, The
120         1965       Battle of Algiers, The
122         1987       Princess Bride, The
123         1974       A Woman Under the Influence
126         1973       Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid
128         2003       Lost in Translation
129         1950       Harvey
130         1975       Man Who Would Be King, The
131         1992       Last of the Mohicans, The
132         2006       Pan's Labyrinth
133         1944       Double Indemnity
135         1933       Duck Soup
136         1984       Amadeus
138         1967       Cool Hand Luke
139         1981       Blow Out
142         2000       Almost Famous
144         2007       There Will Be Blood
146         1975       Shampoo
147         1946       Notorious
148         1969       Z
151         2000       Gladiator
152         1997       Boogie Nights
153         1961       Innocents, The
154         1986       Betty Blue
159         2001       Royal Tenenbaums, The
160         1979       Being There
161         1982       Year of Living Dangerously, The
163         1957       Bridge on the River Kwai, The
164         1956       Searchers, The
165         1936       A Camping Party
166         1964       Goldfinger
167         1973       Don't Look Now
172         1939       Wizard of Oz, The
174         1978       Superman the Movie
175         1998       Rushmore
177         2002       City of God
178         1941       Hellzapoppin'
180         1962       To Kill a Mockingbird
181         1970       Beyond the Valley of the Dolls
182         1970       Performance
183         1967       Samourai, Le
187         1958       Big Country, The
188         2003       School of Rock
189         1984       Ghostbusters
193         1994       Ed Wood
194         1948       Bicycle Thieves
195         1946       It's a Wonderful Life
197         1991       Point Break
199         1974       Texas Chain Saw Massacre, The
200         1995       Before Sunrise
201         1991       JFK
202         1989       Killer, The
203         1979       Monty Python's Life of Brian
205         1995       Addiction, The
206         1973       Exorcist, The
207         1961       Misfits, The
208         2006       Departed, The
212         1931       M
214         1969       Army of Shadows
215         1997       Jackie Brown
216         1971       Sunday Bloody Sunday
219         1976       Outlaw Josey Wales, The
221         1971       McCabe and Mrs. Miller
224         1988       Distant Voices, Still Lives
226         1996       Romeo + Juliet
229         1998       Festen
230         2004       Howl's Moving Castle
235         2000       Battle Royale
237         1991       Delicatessen
239         1988       Cinema Paradiso
241         1947       Brighton Rock
242         1933       King Kong
244         1993       Dazed and Confused
245         2004       Downfall
246         1940       Philadelphia Story, The
248         1929       Pandora's Box
249         1946       My Darling Clementine
250         1927       Sunrise
251         1965       Darling
252         1963       Leopard, The
254         1982       Verdict, The
255         1939       Ninotchka
256         1938       Port of Shadows, The
257         1934       Black Cat, The
259         1993       Groundhog Day
260         1989       Field of Dreams
261         1953       Roman Holiday
263         1981       Boot, Das
264         1973       American Graffiti
267         1989       Crimes and Misdemeanors
268         1938       Lady Vanishes, The
269         1951       A Place in the Sun
270         2005       Death of Mr. Lazarescu, The
271         1985       Pee-Wee's Big Adventure
273         1941       Maltese Falcon, The
274         2005       Sin City
275         1988       My Neighbour Totoro
276         2004       Layer Cake
277         1949       On the Town
278         1993       Carlito's Way
279         1978       Animal House
281         1994       Interview with the Vampire
282         1990       Godfather Part III, The
283         1985       Ran
284         1983       Scarface
285         1972       Solaris
287         1996       Secrets & Lies
288         1988       Who Framed Roger Rabbit?
290         1950       Rashomon
291         1960       Rocco and His Brothers
293         1973       Mother and the Whore, The
295         1987       Untouchables, The
296         1976       All the President's Men
297         1934       It Happened One Night
298         1970       Red Circle, The
299         1942       Palm Beach Story, The
300         1953       Sawdust and Tinsel
301         1975       Love and Death
302         1946       Best Years of Our Lives, The
303         2000       Together
304         1987       Radio Days
306         1989       Indiana Jones Last Crusade
307         1969       Midnight Cowboy
310         1984       Gremlins
311         1998       American History X
312         1977       Suspiria
316         1996       Trainspotting
318         1940       Rebecca
321         1957       Funny Face
323         1994       Last Seduction, The
324         1996       Lone Star
325         2003       Kill Bill Vol. 1
327         1993       Nightmare Before Christmas
329         2006       Lives of Others, The
331         1999       Green Mile, The
332         1999       Sixth Sense, The
334         1942       Magnificent Ambersons, The
335         1957       Seventh Seal, The
338         1962       Jules et Jim
339         2001       Spirited Away
340         1963       High and Low
341         1975       Passenger, The
342         1925       Gold Rush, The
344         1978       Last Waltz, The
345         1987       Fatal Attraction
346         1945       Leave Her to Heaven
347         1950       All About Eve
349         1981       Arthur
350         1968       Planet of the Apes
351         1964       Zulu
352         1948       Unfaithfully Yours
353         1976       Bugsy Malone
356         1927       Napoleon
357         1973       Long Goodbye, The
358         2002       Russian Ark
359         1941       Lady Eve, The
360         2003       Return, The
361         1994       Clerks
362         1980       Elephant Man, The
364         1994       Natural Born Killers
366         1987       Predator
368         1980       Airplane!
369         1985       Breakfast Club, The
377         1973       Mean Streets
378         1985       Goonies, The
381         1975       Monty Python and the Holy Grail
382         2005       Hidden
384         1940       Shop Around the Corner, The
385         1951       Ace in the Hole
386         1968       Great Silence, The
388         1996       English Patient, The
391         2001       Mulholland Drive
392         1984       Paris, Texas
393         2004       Garden State
394         2008       Cloverfield
395         1995       Casino
396         2007       Assassination of Jesse James
397         1968       Night of the Living Dead
398         1977       Killer of Sheep
399         1924       Greed
401         1992       Batman Returns
402         2006       Little Miss Sunshine
403         1989       Do the Right Thing
404         1987       RoboCop
410         1964       A Hard Day's Night
412         1989       Heathers
414         1991       Double Life of Veronique
415         1978       Dawn of the Dead
416         1987       Bad Taste
417         2005       Lords of Dogtown
418         2005       V for Vendetta
419         1978       Days of Heaven
420         1996       Jerry Maguire
421         1987       Lethal Weapon
423         2004       Kill Bill Vol. 2
424         1944       To Have and Have Not
426         2004       Enduring Love
427         1948       Springtime in a Small Town
428         1974       Enigma of Kaspar Hauser, The
429         1968       Danger: Diabolik
431         1973       Electra Glide in Blue
435         2000       American Psycho
438         1987       Lost Boys, The
439         1997       Grosse Point Blank
440         1988       Akira
441         1999       Being John Malkovich
446         2000       High Fidelity
447         2002       Ten
448         2005       A History of Violence
456         2002       28 Days Later
457         1987       Full Metal Jacket
458         1989       Batman
459         1952       Ikiru
461         1978       Halloween
462         2004       Dead Man's Shoes
465         1995       Twelve Monkeys
466         2000       Snatch
467         1978       Deer Hunter, The
468         1994       Crow, The
469         1998       Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
472         1962       Doulos, Le
474         1973       Enter the Dragon
476         1989       Santa Sangre
478         1968       Flesh
479         1947       Secret Life of Walter Mitty, The
480         2001       Son's Room, the
483         1980       Big Red One, The
486         1961       Breakfast at Tiffany's
488         1997       Princess Mononoke
491         1959       Ben-Hur
492         2000       Amores Perros
493         1997       In the Company of Men
495         1957       Jailhouse Rock
497         2000       Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
498         1989       Back to the Future Part 2