Welcome to Only Good Movies

Tuesday, September 8, 2009 at 4:54 pm
By Shane Rivers

Welcome to Only Good Movies, your one-stop destination for all the cinematic goodness–both good and bad–that the world of filmmaking has to offer. We specialize in discussing and recommending good movies from various genres, as well as individual performers and directors, but there’s never any telling what we’ll throw into the mix along the way. We’ve been in operation for several years now, and the amount of content we’ve generated is truly staggering. No matter what your celluloid needs, there’s a strong chance that we have it.

My name is Shane Rivers, and I’ll be your host during this tour of the world of motion pictures. A graduate of the University of North Texas with a degree in Radio/TV/Film, I’ve been a passionate fan of movies ever since the days of 20-pound VCRs and single-screen cinemas. But whether you’re a fan of Akira Kurosawa or Michael Bay, I’ll make a sincere attempt to steer you in the direction of movies which appeal to your specific interests.

If this is your first visit to OGM, here’s what you can expect to find:

There’s lots more at OGM, of course, but the above items tend to dominate the landscape. Feel free to explore the archives, and you may be surprised by all the offbeat content that we’ve put out over the years.

The Importance of Movies

Movies provide us with an escape from the real world, but they can also help us to better understand it in the process. Not surprisingly, a number of great cinematic minds have commented on the importance of movies over the years, and here are a few of my favorites:

What Makes a Good Movie?

This is a question that’s open to debate, as most passionate movie fans are going to value certain qualities higher than others based on their own wants and needs. But, in general, here are some of the items that help a movie to sink or swim, both critically and commercially:

There are, of course, additional elements to making a good movie, but the list above includes some of the most frequently commented upon items by both critics and the general public. The next time you undertake the process of picking out a good movie to watch, ask yourself which of these elements you hold in the highest regard.

The Best Movies Ever Made

Critics love to debate about the best movies ever made, and the following lists should demonstrate just how much personal opinion factors into such arguments.

Internet Movie Database Top 10

Voted on by readers and constantly updated, it tends to include more American films and recent releases.

  1. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
  2. The Godfather (1972)
  3. The Godfather: Part II (1974)
  4. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)
  5. Pulp Fiction (1994)
  6. Schindler’s List (1993)
  7. 12 Angry Men (1957)
  8. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)
  9. Inception (2010)
  10. The Dark Knight (2008)

Roger Ebert’s All-Time Top 10

While he normally disdains top 10 lists, Ebert put this one together in 1991. He’s promised to reexamine and possibly update it in the coming years.

  1. Casablanca
  2. Citizen Kane
  3. Floating Weeds
  4. Gates of Heaven
  5. La Dolce Vita
  6. Notorious
  7. Raging Bull
  8. The Third Man
  9. 28 Up
  10. 2001: A Space Odyssey

Sight & Sound Top 10 Movies of All Time

An influential British cinema monthly that polls film professionals every decade to determine the best films of all time. Described by Roger Ebert as “the most respected of the countless polls of great movies–the only one most serious movie people take seriously.”

  1. Citizen Kane
  2. Vertigo
  3. La Règle du jeu (The Rules of the Game)
  4. The Godfather and The Godfather Part II
  5. Tokyo Story
  6. 2001: A Space Odyssey
  7. The Battleship Potemkin
  8. Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans
  9. Singin’ in the Rain

Quentin Tarantino’s Top 10 Movies

The eccentric filmmaker is fond of listing his favorite films, and this selection came from his voting for the 2002 Sight & Sound poll.

  1. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)
  2. Rio Bravo (1959)
  3. Taxi Driver (1976)
  4. His Girl Friday (1940)
  5. Rolling Thunder (1977)
  6. They All Laughed (1981)
  7. The Great Escape (1963)
  8. Carrie (1976)
  9. Coffy (1973)
  10. Dazed and Confused (1993)

The Worst Movies Ever Made

Now that we’ve looked at some of the best movies ever made, let’s switch gears and take a look at those cinematic stinkers which will forever live in infamy. I’m talking, of course, about the worst movies ever made, although you’ll quickly find that this list is also the subject of much debate.

IMDB Bottom 10

  1. Dream Well (2009)
  2. Superbabies: Baby Geniuses 2 (2004)
  3. Manos: The Hands of Fate (1966)
  4. Daniel the Wizard (2004)
  5. Monster a-Go Go (1965)
  6. Night Train to Mundo Fine (1966)
  7. Ben & Arthur (2002)
  8. Pocket Ninjas (1997)
  9. The Skydivers (1963)
  10. The Starfighters (1964)

Roger Ebert’s Most Hated Movies

While he’s never ranked them, critic Roger Ebert has provided a massive list of movies he can’t stand. Here’s are just a few of the titles, listed in no particular order.

Movie Review Query Engine’s Worst Ranked Movies of All Time

  1. Disaster Movie (2008)
  2. Redline (2007)
  3. Universal Soldier: The Return (1999)
  4. Alone in the Dark (2005)
  5. House of the Dead (2003)
  6. Who’s Your Caddy? (2007)
  7. Epic Movie (2007)
  8. Meet the Spartans (2008)
  9. Baby Geniuses (1999)
  10. On Deadly Ground (1994)

Worst Reviewed Films on Metacritic

  1. Bio-Dome
  2. The Singing Forest
  3. Vulgar
  4. Strippers
  5. Two of a Kind
  6. Dirty Cop No Donut
  7. National Lampoon’s Gold Diggers
  8. Baby Geniuses
  9. The Hottie & the Nottie

Contact Us

If you need to contact us for any reason, we can be reached by email at the following address:

onlygoodmovies[at]gmail[dot]com

Feel free to send hate mail, fan mail, morally questionable photos, or anything else you can think of. We like to stay in touch with our readers, and we absolutely love to talk about movies.