The Matrix (1999)
The Movie: Keanu Reeves chooses the red pill and discovers a) that reality is an illusion and b) he's suddenly a lot more kick-ass.
Why It Was Loved: Hollywood catches up with innovations in manga and gaming by reinventing the action movie as an exercise in achieving the impossible with wire-fu, bullet time and lots of guns.
Typical Online Review: "The Matrix is simply one of the most amazing movies ever! It's philosophy is probably almost the equivalent to that of ancient Greeks... well maybe not, but still, rock on Matrix!" Markojukicpro, the-top-tens.com
The Big Lebowski (1998)
The Movie: The film that ties together the Coens' room, via bowling, nihilist art-rockers and weed.
Why It Was Loved: The Coens abandon their pin-sharp plotting and made something as shaggily loveable and random as its hero. Plus, Jeff Bridges abides.
Typical Online Review: "the Big Lebowski is a movie that can be watched again and again. You learn sometime more each time or just found something that most the guest will enjoy none the less. More then anything its a movie to put in wile your in your favorite house robe and drinking one fine white russian. Just dance your cares away wile your sparking up a jay worries for another day." anonymous, Dudeism
Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)
The Movie: Righteous dude Ferris (Matthew Broderick) bunks off school and teaches his sadsack mate to start enjoying life while he can.
Why It Was Loved: A manifesto for teenage life that proved it's possible to unite the sportos, the motorheads, geeks, sluts, bloods, wastoids, dweebies and dickheads.
Typical Online Review: "My friends knowing that I'm a huge film buff asked me to come up with a list of my favorite movies of all time, when it came down to number one, there was one film that stood out in my head that I knew I could watch over and over again and never get sick of: Ferris Bueller's Day Off." Kristine, IMDb
The Princess Bride (1987)
The Movie: Rob Reiner's swashbuckler dodges and feints like a swordmaster, pretending to be ironic even as it's becoming more and more genuinely romantic.
Why It Was Loved: From the flashing of blades to the post-modern winking of its construction, everything twinkles.
Typical Online Review: "It is, in my opinion, the most perfect film ever made because it's fun for the whole family. Youngsters see it as an adventurous love story and adults will appreciate the satire." Angie, A-List Reviews
Fight Club (1999)
The Movie: Pre-millennial tension courtesy of David Fincher, as Brad Pitt plays the devil on Edward Norton's shoulder and coaxes him into swapping flat-pack furniture for anarchic terrorism.
Why It Was Loved: A generational statement without the sermonising. Instead, killer twists, a mischievous satirical wit and Fincher's off-kilter cool acted as a gut-punch.
Typical Online Review: "it has a completely original storyline, it's unpredictable, stylish, the characters are engaging, the music, scenery, everything is fresh and entertaining. my favorite movie" deetrosa, Yahoo Answers
The Godfather (1972)
The Movie: Coppola's Mob epic remains the gold standard of 70s filmmaking, and the sequel isn't too shabby, either.
Why It Was Loved: Huge themes nestle in the warm embrace of the kind of family you want to be a part of. Leave the gun, take the cannelloni.
Typical Online Review: "you feel part of the family and you feel hurt by the choices some people make because you know them like a family. and at the end when he closes the door slowly you feel you've been pushed out and not wanted in the family." DMTMD, Yahoo Answers
Stand By Me (1986)
The Movie: River Phoenix, Wil Wheaton, Jerry O'Connell and Corey Feldman travel upstate in search of their rite of passage, in Rob Reiner's sun-kissed but bittersweet blast of nostalgia.
Why It Was Loved: The gorgeousness of the time and place sells this as the best childhood memory you never actually made.
Typical Online Review: "As with many people, it is 100 per cent what I was like with my group of friends growing up. The film caputred that so well." HeyHey, Democratic Underground
The Dark Knight (2008)
The Movie: Christopher Nolan's second Bat-flick earned $1 billion worldwide on the strength of muscular IMAX action and Heath Ledger's incredible post-9/11 reading of the Joker.
Why It Was Loved: Nolan gave the fanboys renewed belief in the power of the superhero: a gritty, Michael Mann-esque crime flick of considerable intelligence and tour-de-force performances.
Typical Online Review: "All in all, the movie was perfection. There are only a handful of such movies. Each puzzle peice not only fits together with the others perfectly, but can hold it's own. Plus, the action sequences (especilly the scene involving the BatPod) are to die for." de6789, Experience Project
Pulp Fiction (1994)
The Movie: Quentin Tarantino rips up the rulebook and decides that it doesn't really matter what you put inside a movie as long as it's amazing.
Why It Was Loved: There's so much going on that it's possible for every Pumpkin and Honey Bunny to have their favourite moment, regardless of whether they're into comedies, thrillers or even musicals.
Typical Online Review: "freakin' love this movie mannnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn!!!!! AWESOME!!!!! I really don't know what else to say, this film is a stallwart, a classic, inspirational. I would happily accept this film as my child." pupfictionisawesome, Lovefilm
The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)
The Movie: Richard O'Brien's saucy, camper-than-a-caravan site play thrived on audience participation... and, weirdly, so does the film.
Why It Was Loved: It's not every film where you can walk into a cinema and start throwing toast around, you know.
Typical Online Review: "When I was 16 I used to go with my friends to the Waverly Theater in Greenwich Village, NYC to see the midnight show (that was many years ago) EVERY WEEK. My parents thought I was nuts. We were. We were obsessed. I still remember all the lines and all the lyrics to the songs. God, it was such good fun. It's astounding.... Time is fleeting..." Sadie, Yahoo Answers
