Unexplained List: Bestest Bests

BEST OF THE BEST
The Godfather Part II Lawrence of Arabia The Godfather The Bridge on the River Kwai Schindler’s List 12 Years a Slave On The Waterfront Casablanca The Apartment The Sound of Music			Moonlight The Silence of the Lambs LOTR: Return of the King Parasite Everything, Everywhere, All At Once The Sting The Departed It Happened One Night Kramer vs. Kramer One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest

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Explained List: My AFI Top 100

In May 2018, the podcast “Unspooled” suggested taking the AFI Top 100 and making your own list. I can’t resist making a list, so I started with the ones I had seen at the time. The original AFI list came out in 1997, and I made it the center of my film education. In 2007, the AFI updated the list, removing and replacing 23 films in the process. 

On October 3, 2024, six years after I originally posted this list, I finally watched all 100 of the 2007 list.

On August 27, 2025, roughly 28 years after the list came out, I watched the last of the films removed from the original 1997 list.

So here it is, my personal ranking of all 123 movies that have ever been included in the AFI Top 100. The ones left off the 2007 list are asterisked. I’m sure I’ll continue adjusting this list the more I think about it, but here it is.

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Unexplained List: For the Love of Terriers

MOVIES50) Reign of Fire 49) Zoolander 48) The Bourne Identity 47) Borat 46) Ocean’s Eleven 45) Death to Smoochy 44) Guardians of the Galaxy 43) Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse 42) Knives Out 41) Wall-E

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FILMS50) An Inconvenient Truth 49) Whiplash 48) Sorry to Bother You 47) Exit Through the Gift Shop 46) Lars and the Real Girl 45) 21 Grams 44) Challengers 43) The Prestige 42) Cecil B. Demented 41) Big Fish

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Unexplained List: Orchid Explosion by Fournier

BAD 43) The Last Duel 42) House of Gucci 41) King Richard 40) Venom: Let There Be Carnage 39) Spiral 38) Wonder Woman 1984 UNMEMORABLE 37) The New Mutants 36) The Matrix Resurrections 35) The King’s Man 34) Eternals 33) The Green Knight 32) Minari 31) Black Widow 30) Bad Education 29) Old 28) West Side Story 27) I Care a Lot 26) Army of the Dead 25) Luca 24) Onward 23) Sonic the Hedgehog 22) The French Dispatch

LIKED 21) Jungle Cruise 20) Trial of the Chicago 7 19) Mortal Kombat 18) In the Heights 17) Shang-Chi 16) The Gentlemen 15) Emma. 14) Dune: Part One 13) The Suicide Squad 12) Pig 11) Bill & Ted Face the Music 10) Free Guy 9) Nobody RECOMMEND 8) Spider-Man: No Way Home 7) Tenet 6) Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom 5) Promising Young Woman 4) Palm Springs 3) Birds of Prey LOVED 2) Judas and the Black Messiah 1) Cruella

Explained List: The... Ugh... Aughts

In all this time, we really haven't figured out a better term for the first decade of the 21st Century? But I digress. The New York Times list of the best movies of this century's Q1 got me thinking about making my own list. Step 1 is breaking it down by decade like I did for the 2010s. I know this century didn't begin until 2001, but I did the other decade 2010-2019, so this time it will be 2000-2009. Whatever. It's my list, I'll do what I want. Just like before, we're splitting this list into movies and films. (NOTE:  Thirteen Days is #13 and 21 Grams is #21 by sheer coincidence, not planned)

MOVIES25) Reign of Fire 24) Zoolander 23) The Bourne Identity 22) Borat 21) Ocean’s Eleven 20) Death to Smoochy 19) Wall-E 18) Kill Bill, Vol. 1 17) Big Trouble 16) Anchorman 15) X2: X-Men United 14) Hot Fuzz 13) Thirteen Days 12) The Incredibles 11) The Transporter 2 10) Zombieland 9) Mean Girls 8) Spider-Man 2 7) A Knight’s Tale 6) Catch Me if You Can

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FILMS25) Stranger Than Fiction 24) About Schmidt 23) An Inconvenient Truth 22) Lars and the Real Girl 21) 21 Grams 20) Best in Show 19) The Prestige 18) Cecil B. Demented 17) Big Fish 16) Secretary 15) Little Miss Sunshine 14) Bowling for Columbine 13) The Invention of Lying 12) Moon 11) The Departed 10) Juno 9) Inglourious Basterds 8) Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon 7) City of God 6) Adaptation.

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Unexplained List: For All Seasons

2025 - Sinners 2024 - Challengers 2023 - Poor Things 2022 - Everything Everywhere All At Once 2021 - Cruella 2020 - Promising Young Woman

2019 - Parasite 2018 - Black Panther 2017 - Get Out 2016 - Moonlight 2015 - Room 2014 - Predestination 2013 - Gravity 2012 - Queen of Versailles 2011 - The Descendants 2010 - Inception	2009 - Inglourious Basterds 2008 - The Dark Knight 2007 - Juno 2006 - Children of Men 2005 - The Transporter 2 2004 - The Incredibles 2003 - Finding Nemo 2002 - Adaptation. 2001 - Amelie 2000 - Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
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Unexplained List: Best Picture? Really?

Year	Best Picture	Better Picture
2025	Anora
2024	Oppenheimer	Poor Things
2023	Everything, Everywhere, All At Once
2022	CODA
2021	Nomadland
2020	Parasite

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Unexplained List: I Told Ya

BAD 25) Madame Web 24) Uglies 23) Joker: Folie a Deux 22) Mean Girls UNMEMORABLE 21) IF 20) Moana 2 19) Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga 18) Carry-On 17) We Live in Time 16) The Fall Guy LIKED 15) Detained 14) Trap

13) Dune 2 12) Beetlejuice Beetlejuice 11) Nosferatu 10) A Real Pain RECOMMEND 9) Hundreds of Beavers 8) Jackpot! 7) The Beekeeper 6) Wicked 5) Alien: Romulus 4) Inside Out 2 3) Deadpool & Wolverine 2) Anora 1) Challengers

Still Might See:
My Old Ass
Megalopolis
Saturday Night
Gladiator II
Kraven the Hunter

Unexplained List: We’re #1!!!

42) American Sniper 41) Pirates: Dead Man’s Chest 40) Spider-Man 3 39) The Phantom Menace 38) Three Men and a Baby 37) Avatar 36) How the Grinch Stole Christmas 35) Bad Boys For Life 34) Rain Man 33) Saving Private Ryan 32) Titanic 31) Rogue One 30) Beverly Hills Cop 29) Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone 28) Revenge of the Sith 27) Shrek 2 26) Toy Story 25) Inside Out 2 24) Home Alone 23) Forrest Gump 22) The Last Jedi

21) The Avengers 20) Catching Fire 19) Top Gun: Maverick 18) Barbie 17) Spider-Man 16) Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 15) Avengers: Endgame 14) Top Gun 13) Spider-Man: No Way Home 12) Return of the Jedi 11) Toy Story 3 10) The Force Awakens 9) Black Panther 8) LOTR: Return of the King 7) Aladdin 6) Batman 5) Jurassic Park 4) Independence Day 3) The Dark Knight 2) Terminator 2 1) Back to the Future

Unexplained List: Vigorous Jumping

COULDN'T FINISH 48) Avatar: The Way of Water 47) 65 46) Transformers: Rise of the Beasts 45) John Wick: Chapter 4 BAD 44) The Flash 43) Ant-Man & The Wasp: Quantumania 42) Shazam! Fury of the Gods ILL-CONCEIVED 41) You Hurt My Feelings 40) A Haunting in Venice 39) Scream 6 38) The Little Mermaid 37) Vacation Friends 2 36) You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah 35) Fast X UNMEMORABLE 34) Murder Mystery 2 33) Tetris 32) Super Mario Brothers 31) Theater Camp 30) The Killer 29) Bottoms 28) Hunger Games: Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes 27) Asteroid City 26) Thanksgiving 25) Saw X

LIKED 24) Quasi 23) Dream Scenario 22) Haunted Mansion 21) Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning, Part One 20) Cocaine Bear 19) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem 18) Renfield 17) Oppenheimer 16) Reality 15) May December 14) Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse RECOMMEND 13) The Marvels 12) Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret 11) Quiz Lady 10) 80 For Brady 9) M3GAN 8) Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves 7) Barbie 6) Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 5) Saltburn 4) American Fiction 3) Anatomy of a Fall LOVED 2) Joy Ride 1) Poor Things

Unexplained List: Raccacoonie

COULDN'T FINISH 40) The Gray Man 39) Uncharted BAD 38) Morbius 37) Fantastic Beasts… Dumbledore 36) The School for Good and Evil 35) Death on the Nile 34) Moonfall ILL-CONCEIVED 33) Don't Worry Darling 32) Hocus Pocus 2 31) Father of the Bride 30) The Bubble  29) See How They Run 28) Bullet Train 27) Amsterdam 26) The Princess 25) Black Adam 24) Jurassic World: Dominion 23) Dr. Strange… Multiverse… LIKED 22) The Adam Project 21) The Lost City

20) Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers 19) Luckiest Girl Alive 18) Black Panther: Wakanda Forever 17) Do Revenge RECOMMEND 16) The Batman 15) Thor: Love and Thunder 14) Spirited 13) Bros 12) Beavis and Butt-Head Do The Universe 11) Nope 10) Fire Island 9) Top Gun: Maverick 8) Banshees of Inisherin 7) The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent 6) RRR 5) Triangle of Sadness 4) Tár 3) Weird: The Al Yankovic Story LOVED 2) Glass Onion 1) Everything Everywhere All At Once

Explained List: Hockey Pants

 #6 - Tenet

Is this movie good? Honestly, no. Not really. Or at all. Have I already watched it 3 times in the year it came out? Yes. I firmly believe in collaborative filmmaking, and as such, I usually don’t enjoy movies made by a writer/director. There needs to be another voice in the room to prevent an artist from getting lost too far up their own ass. For years, this was clearly his brother Jonathan, who always made sure the insanity was rooted in character and emotion. Tenet is plain silliness that thinks it’s really serious and deep. But damn if I’m not along for the ride. That Tallinn car chase is so involved it takes multiple viewings to fully grasp, which is totally fine if the plan is to just put it on in the background and half pay attention to it. I think the thing I love the most about this movie is that I can make fun of it on every level, like absolutely rip it to shreds, and still enjoy the hell out of it.

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Explained List: Murph!

#12 - Following

It’s just not fair to judge this feature against his others. It’s a marvel a small movie like this got made at all, and I’m thrilled it got noticed and we have the other movies on this list to enjoy. You can see Nolan’s fascinations here right from the start. It’s non-linear. It’s about two men in suits, and the woman is just kind of window dressing. There’s a guy named Cobb. The only thing I remember, though, is being bored to tears.

#11 - The Dark Knight Rises

A bad Nolan movie is still leaps and bounds better than most. It’s just hard to watch this movie without judging it against the films that came before. Nolan was going to make a bunch of great movies, and if this is what he had to do to get carte-blanche, power to him. If you’re gonna sell your soul, at least do it for a good reason. This movie, though, is just so bad. Top to bottom, so bad. From Bane’s ridiculous voice to that flaming bat on the bridge he had time to make despite a literal ticking clock to Blake’s birth name being… sigh… Robin, this film was clearly a project to just get done and move on. At least he tried to say something about class warfare, but ultimately, it was a completely empty piece of fluff. And for real, how the hell did his back get fixed? And he got to Gotham from the Middle East with no money? Okay, I’ll stop.

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Explained List: Movies of the Decade

There was a time I assumed this blog would be pretty much just top 10 lists of everything. Making a yearly top 10 movies always seemed kinda lame. What does my list have that every critic in the world doesn't have? After 2006, the answer couldn't just always be Crank 2. It occurred to me I've just been laying low, waiting for a big best movies of the decade list. To avoid comparing apples and oranges, I just said fuck it and made two separate lists. Don't let Uncle Marty tell you differently, I love both of these lists equally.

MOVIES20) The Force Awakens 19) Captain America: Winter Soldier 18) Game Night 17) Guardians of the Galaxy 16) Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse 15) Harry Potter / Deathly Hallows, 2 14) Knives Out 13) Mission: Impossible -- Fallout 12) Ant-Man 11) Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping 10) Edge of Tomorrow 9) X-Men: Days of Future Past 8) 21 Jump Street 7) The LEGO Movie 6) Mission: Impossible -- Ghost Protocol

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FILMS20) The Big Sick 19) Nymphomaniac, Vol. I 18) The Lobster 17) Exit Through the Gift Shop 16) Zero Dark Thirty 15) Sorry to Bother You 14) Eighth Grade 13) Queen of Versailles 12) Whiplash 11) The Artist 10) Her 9) Parasite 8) Room 7) The Shape of Water 6) Get Out

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2010: Some Movies Got Released

My movie viewing this year has been severely lacking. Without long stretches of unemployment, I can't spend days at a time catching up on movies. I'm grateful to have a steady job during a recession, but come on, when it comes to movie watching, work really gets in the way. This is hardly a best movies list, but more-so, it's a list of the best movies I've seen this year.

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Movies You Should See, Part 5

(Part 5 of 5, in alphabetical order)

The Shawshank Redemption - Prison movies rarely make you think about prison. We've seen the fights and the rapes, and that somehow never really gives us the impression of why, at a very base level, being locked in a room is a punishment. Shawshank has to make us see all that because it's the only way we can truly appreciate it when Andy escapes. Yes, whatever, SPOILER. Knowing the ending is far from the be-all, end-all of this movie. It's the how; it's the why. It's how you feel for the other characters once he's gone. Thank you, TNT, for making me watch this movie over and over again.

Sherlock Jr. / The Goat - Neither of these are full-length movies, so I'll combine them. The big message here is WATCH BUSTER KEATON. I think a lot of people are turned off by silent films, mostly because Charlie Chaplin is annoying as fuck. Keaton IS NOT CHAPLIN. They're as different as football and ice dancing. Keaton is the finest physical comedian in movie history, and he was able to do it without pansy lawyers telling him he had to be safe. In “Sherlock Jr." he breaks his neck (like in real life, his neck broke), stands up, and runs away from the camera, never breaking character. The premises are always brilliant, but every Keaton movie is just Buster vs. ridiculousness, and he beats away the absurdity with physicality no human should be capable of achieving.

Sneakers - Robert Redford, Sidney Poitier, Ben Kingsley, River Phoenix, Mary McDonnell, David Strathairn, Dan Aykroyd, Timothy Busfield, Stephen Tobolowsky, Donal Logue, Lee Garlington, and James Earl Jones. Oh yeah, also the last great post Cold War spy thriller. It's intense, twisting, and hilarious. It may take multiple viewings to totally figure out what's going on, but it's worth every re-watch.

Terminator 2 - Purists will get pissed when I say this, but T2 makes T1 feel like just a prequel. T1 is a straight-forward action film about escaping a killer robot from the future. T2 takes that premise and, like Empire Strikes Back, builds out the world of the future. Bringing back Arnold as a good terminator was a stroke of genius, and creating the father/son bond between him and the young John Connor was a take on robots we've never seen before. Unfortunately, the crazy success of this one-time most expensive film ever made gave James Cameron the balls to give us Titanic and Avatar, both of which I could have done without seeing.

When Harry Met Sally - Oh, the periods of my life this movie ruined. Do me a favor, watch this movie, but keep it away from impressionable boys between the ages of 14 and 22. The Friend Zone is a thing to be guarded carefully, and its boundaries must be clearly defined. Watch, enjoy, and love this movie, just make sure you realize that in real life, this friendship would have simply ended.

Movies You Should See, Part 4

(Part 4 of 5, in alphabetical order)

Newsies - You know that guy from “American Psycho" and “The Machinist" and “The Dark Knight"? That guy starred in a musical, and let me tell you, even though he was clearly the guy on set with the least singing and dancing experience, he was fucking amazing. Kenny Ortega, the guy who did “Dirty Dancing," tells us the story of a newsboys strike, and infuses it with musical numbers in a way only the Disney Corporation can get away with. This may be the last totally original movie musical that doesn't look or feel like a music video, and the songs will stay with you forever. Carry the banner!

Noises Off - This is a movie based on a play about a bunch of quibbling narcissists putting on a play. Even without the meta-aspects, the play within a play in the movie would just be a hilarious farce. Michael Frayn's brilliant script layers the fast paced farce of the actors on top of the fast paced farce of the play. The entire middle section of the film plays out back stage during a performance, so it runs almost entirely without dialogue, minute after minute of beautiful sight gags and slapstick. If you're looking for as much comedy as you can fit into an evening, I'd suggest the triple feature of this, “Clue," and believe it or not, the overlooked Stallone vehicle “Oscar."

The Princess Bride - When I was five-years-old, I would wake up every morning and watch this movie while my sisters got ready for school. If you set aside how annoying the people who love this film are, you're in for a treat. It simply defies description, so just go watch it.

Run Lola, Run - A third of the way into this film, you're as out of breath as Lola is after all that running. You find yourself wondering how they're going to fill the rest of the 80 minutes. Then they throw at you a plot device that would be unendingly contrived if you didn't immediately realize THIS is how we're going to get more of this exciting ride. Man, I think I'm going to have to go home and watch this tonight.

Shaolin Soccer - After “The Matrix" we got dozens of Matrix clones. Bullet time became cliché and even slick wire-work got tiresome. The brilliant Stephen Chow came up with the first original new use for it, comedy gold. He turns this little sports movie into pure fantasy, and it even made me interested in soccer.

Movies You Should See, Part 3

(Part 3 of 5, in alphabetical order)

Fight Club - I have a serious love/hate relationship with this movie. Modern digital filmmaking owes a lot to Fincher's work. Whenever I'm having an editing dilemma, I turn on this movie and it floods me with ideas. I've also seen it so many times, I can't sit through it any more. If no one has spoiled the ending for you, I highly recommend it.

The Godfather (Parts I and II) - In one of my many conversations about how I'd re-make the Star Wars prequels, I hit on an idea I thought would make for a good movie of its own. At its core, the Star Wars septilogy (I made that up) is about a man who represents ultimate good becoming a man of ultimate evil. That's the story I would tell. Then my roommate pointed out that's Godfather I and II. Michael comes in an ideological war veteran, and over the course of 2 movies we watch him build and build until he commits the most evil act imaginable. On top of it, we get to see Pacino (as Michael) before he realized yelling was fun. Watching him change is nothing short of fascinating.

The Incredibles - This is not a kids' movie. Although it has a sheen of kid playfulness, this movie is too dark, too depressing, too deep for children. As a guy who one day wants to be a father, this movie made me cry, many, many times. It may rival “Finding Nemo" in the number of times it made me well up. At its core, this is a movie about a father who can't do that job right until he can find a way to be himself. He foolishly puts his entire family at risk in this search, and at times it's down-right gut wrenching. Luckily, it's also got an unreal amount of truly exciting action. The scene when Dash – the little boy – finally discovers his powers, you really feel what a child would feel. And yes, that moment made me cry too.

Independence Day - I really do not understand how no other disaster movie is as good as this movie. Roland Emmerich has tried repeatedly to do it again, and he just can't. Is it the perfect ensemble cast whose biggest star wouldn't get big until after this movie's release? The special effects? The tone that skates the perfect balance of cheesy but not too cheesy? Please, someone figure this out, so we can have another one of these that even comes close to living up to how awesome this movie is.

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington - If you just whole-heartedly hate Frank Capra movies, you need to go out and find yourself a soul. Whatever you believe about the corruption of the American system, this movie makes you long for a world where one man really can stand up and take down the man. Jimmy Stewart, while he still liked playing likeable characters, shines with dough-eyed innocence, while making sure we all know that it's backed up by a strong, working brain and clear moral compass. Later, Stewart went for the darker roles. “Vertigo" makes me long for this movie the same way “American Psycho" makes me want to watch “Newsies."

Movies You Should See, Part 2

(Part 2 of 5, in alphabetical order)

Citizen Kane - Pretension alarm! I'll spare you the film lecture. I will say, though, rent it, watch the behind the scenes documentaries, then watch it. This movie is the father of modern filmmaking, and love it or hate it, if you have any interest in working in the entertainment business, you should study this film. It's a 2-hour lesson in perfect filmmaking.

Clue - It saddens me that a movie like this couldn't be made today. Like “Murder by Death" before it, “Clue" takes the creepy mansion murder mystery and turns it on its head. Without a real movie star in the cast, we're treated to a true ensemble headed by Tim Curry in arguably his best role ever. This fast-paced, joke a minute ride makes you almost forget these characters are surrounded by an ever growing number of murder victims. And once again, Tim Curry is fucking brilliant.

Die Hard With a Vengeance - I like it better than the original, deal with it. I really hate cop movies, especially buddy cop movies. I'd watch Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson read bible passages, though. I just love watching the entire universe turn against John McClane, and the perfect man do it is a severely racist Samuel L. For an added bonus, watch this movie on basic cable for such classic overdubs as “…you rascist melon-farmer."

The Empire Strikes Back - Do I really need to justify this? While, I think no scene in any Star Wars movie beats the Vader-Emperor-Luke scenes in Jedi, Empire, I think, turned the Star Wars franchise into what it is today. Jaws and Star Wars are both considered the first blockbusters, but Star Wars goes way beyond box office. That transcendence comes from Empire. The original Star Wars was just an action movie.

A Few Good Men - Tom Cruise may be one of the most annoying men alive. This might be his best role. As slick talking Dan Kaffee, Tom Cruise is perfect as an asshole who doesn't give a fuck, until he's forced to give a fuck. Aaron Sorkin's script gives Cruise enough verbal gymnastics and enough time as a total cock to really shine. As one of the most quotable movies of all time, this movie offers a serious look at what makes the military tick, by coming at it from the perspective of someone who thinks the formality is all a joke. Jack Nicholson's “You can't handle the truth" speech may be cliché now, but what he says after that famous line gives a real good look into the eyes of someone who gave his soul to protect your freedom.

Movies You Should See, Part 1

(Part 1 of 5, in alphabetical order)

Amelie - One of the first things you’ll notice about this list is it’s very American-centric, so it’s a good thing I’m starting with a French film, lest you think I’m uneducated. The fact that I’m not the biggest fan of foreign films should help illustrate just how much I love this movie. Despite what my girlfriend says, it’s not just because I have a crush-let on Audrey Tautou. I love modern movies that present themselves as fairy tales, without losing the honesty behind the characters. The only other example that rolls of my brain is “The Illusionist.” Jean-Pierre Jeunet is a master of turning sometimes tragic tales into rich fables. From start to finish, Amelie sucks you in and leaves you with a warm feeling when you leave.

The American President - To say this a romantic comedy or a political movie is to totally miss the point. Aaron Sorkin’s skewed view of love and politics is just a vehicle for his lyrical dialogue. This movie has lines that go beyond quotable into the realm of real depth. This man clearly as a lot to say and he knows how to speak through his characters. His jokes, too, skate the line of high brow and low brow comedy, like pies in the face for smart people.

Back to the Future (Parts I and II) - I saw Part 2 several years before I saw Part 1. Even without the benefit of the first movie, I could tell the scenes where Marty and Doc return to 1955 were something special. The stuff in 2015 was flashy and a fun piece of comedic prophesizing (I want my damn hover board), but re-visiting exact scenes from a previous movie was something that had never been done before. Also never been done before in a mainstream movie was the plotline about time travel creating alternate dimensions. These two ideas are common place in time travel storytelling nowadays, but the fact they started in this goofy trilogy that started as a clever fish out of water comedy make these two movies important to anyone’s movie knowledge.

Batman (1989) / The Dark Knight - Two movies, about the same subject, about the same interaction, told in two completely different universes. What happens when Batman, the ultimate symbol of unflinching seriousness meets the whimsical anarchy of The Joker. Comic book canon aside, Burton made a bold choice making The Joker the one who killed Batman’s parents, and as a result, he was allowed to make the darkest version of the story as studios would have allowed in 1989. Nearly 10 years later, Adam West’s inspired camp devolved into BatClooney, and from that movie's backlash, we could finally have the serious Batman we deserve. The Dark Knight is the culmination of a 20-year Batman image re-vamp, and the result is one of the smartest, most thought-provoking movies of our time.

Cecil B. Demented - There is absolutely no reason why I should like this movie. I’m not a fan of John Waters. I whole-heartedly disagree with the main character’s view of filmmaking and his opinion of popular movies. Most of all, I hate movies about movie-making. I think a lot of filmmakers have their heads in their asses, and you give them a pulpit to talk about how great they are at their jobs and how oppressive studios are, they will throw 2-hour masturbation at you. This movie manages to get around that and make the film about the fun of filmmaking. These misfits have nothing else, and the joy telling their cheesy story brings them is worth the price of admission.