#95–#91 of...

Since some people are still hungover from the LSU game, let's use this humpday to make a clean break. Forget about football for one night and get some culture. But before you head to Blockbuster, take a gander at these questionable classics in our continuing Top 100 countdown.

#95 - Moulin Rouge! (2001)
This movie is on crack. I’m not kidding…it should come with its own epilepsy warning. Within the first batshit crazy 15 minutes, you already know whether you’re going to love it or hate it—and I love every single absinthe-soaked second of it. While I’m hardly a romantic soul, this movie is SO stupidly romantic, SO wrapped up in its own insanity, you just can’t peel your eyes away. Or...you might just think it's the most horrifying thing you've ever seen.

#94 - Full Metal Jacket (1987)
There are “training is hell” movies and there are “war is hell” movies. This one is both. Like two sides of the same record, each half has its own vibe while working together toward the same Kubrickian goal. Unfortunately, Jacket tends to get lost in the Kubrick shuffle when compared to his earlier stuff. Sure, it spawned a romantic 2 Live Crew ode to horniness and created a cottage "Hey, it's that Marine guy" industry for R. Lee Ermey, but it deserves to be remembered for a lot more than that. Me love you long time.

#93 - Fantasia (1940)
Only Mickey Mouse could get little kids to sit still and listen to classical music for two hours. In this age of Shreks where every animated movie is over-stuffed with endless (and soon-to-be-dated) pop culture references, it’s refreshing to some good old pure, timeless animation. It’s a shame there’s not much of an audience for a movie like this today...not enough Starbucks jokes.

#92 - Miller’s Crossing (1990)
Probably the Coens' best, but still one of their least seen. It’s without a doubt right up there in the pantheon of gangster flicks. Absolutely classic is the wacky, hyper-violent “musical number/assassination action sequence” involving Albert Finney, a tommy gun, and some assassins—all set to the song “Danny Boy.” Just think The Godfather plus O Brother, Where Art Thou?. If you like either of those movies, you owe it to yourself to see this one.

#91 - Clerks (1994)
An inspiration to anyone who has ever worked behind a counter and dealt with the stupidity of the average customer. This is the movie that started the six-movie cult “Jay and Silent Bob” franchise. And that’s not even including their epic appearance in Scream 3. This tiny little movie’s impact was huge—helping to put indie movies on the map. Great soundtrack, too.

The rest of the countdown so far...
#100-#96

Learn you some movies...

You've waited 100 years for this Saturday's USC/SC State matchup, so what's two more days? And no matter how much we want to, it's not really healthy to talk about football all the time...or so I've been told. So let's take a step back from football and have ourselves a cultural breather before the weekend.

Crack open your Netflix queue and get ready to fill it up, because you're about to get yourself edumacated about some film. Here's our first weekly installment—#100-#96—of what will surely be the most definitive Top 100 movie list ever...

#100 - Starship Troopers (1997)
Gleefully retarded on the surface, this movie has a LOT more going on than it seems. You've got shiny special effects, pretty actors acting pretty poorly, and hilarious fascist propaganda. And while our heroes are off killing the bugs, you're left to ponder the deeper themes of fascism, patriotism, loyalty, bravery, unisex showers, the starship-piloting abilities of Denise Richards, and the profound creepiness of Jake Busey.

#99 - Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)
Cruel, sadistic, and razor-sharp, it’s literally two hours of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton ripping each other to shreds. Kind of a direct ancestor to Closer, this movie is loaded with enough verbal and emotional abuse to shock even today’s viewers...not bad for a 40-year old movie. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll probably need a couple hours of therapy to cleanse yourself.

#98 - The Big Lebowski (1998)
One of the most quotable movies of all-time, this one is best savored with friends on multiple, multiple viewings. And a little pot wouldn't hurt, either. But it’s more than just a stupid stoner comedy. It's an absurd, stylish, and complex stupid stoner comedy...courtesy of the Coen Brothers. It's not their best…but it's definitely my favorite and without a doubt their most addictive. And proud we are of all of them.

#97 - Stagecoach (1939)
By Deadwood standards, this movie is a little dated, and surprisingly F-bomb free. But since this is the Western that started it all, I'll give it a break. I don't want to make excuses, but you just kind of have to get past the stiff acting. And the stilted dialogue. And the opressively sappy music. And the white actors as Indians. But other than that stuff. It's actually still really good, in a crappy old movie kind of way.

#96 - Scream (1996)
For good or bad, Scream single-handedly revived the horror genre. And while theaters today are littered with crappy clones, none can even come close to the cleverness of the original. Loaded with pop-culture references, self-aware dialogue, snarky characters, sight gags, and red herrings...it's like Halloween meets Clueless. Of special note: the Rose McGowan garage scene.