Every week at SiftPop.com, we challenge our writers to choose what they think is the best movie under a certain topic related to a recent release. So this week, with the release of Lightyear, we’re counting down our favorite movies with time titles! And yes, we know a lightyear is a unit of distance, but we’ve already done that topic! Let us know @SiftPop what your ranking is!
Training Day is a perfect fit for this category with the events unfolding across a single day, as the sun literally and figuratively rises and sets on the first – and probably last – day as a Los Angeles narcotics officer for Ethan Hawke’s Jake Hoyt. It is remarkable how much action, suspense, and tension they jammed into the events of a single day. Denzel Washington deservedly won his first and somehow only Best Actor Oscar for his portrayal of Alonzo Harris, a loose canon and rogue detective who is as manipulative as he is charismatic. Alonzo oscillates seamlessly between chaotic and calculated in a way only Washington could pull off. The King Kong line and other noteworthy quotes are added bonuses, but the role would still be more than award worthy even without them. Washington’s ability to go from Remember the Titans to Training Day in consecutive years, and thrive in both, is a testament to his standing as one of the greatest living actors. Hawke had the unenviable and seemingly impossible task of matching Washington’s brilliantly manic performance. He somehow pulled it off. You can understand Jake’s struggle as he is torn between operating by the book and succumbing to Alonzo’s peer pressure to play the game. It’s challenging for a movie in such a well-trodden genre to remain surprising. It makes Training Day all the more impressive. It keeps you guessing throughout and keeps your heart rate elevated. (Jason Mack)
How would you feel if you woke up from a coma and found everything you know and everyone you love is gone? I would be downright scared, thinking it was all a bad dream, but it’s not for our cast in 28 Days Later. Cillian Murphy plays Jim, a bicycle courier, who wakes up from a coma to find the human race is being wiped out by a highly contagious virus accidentally release into the world that turns people into ravenous, flesh-eating monsters. In desolated London, Jim, Selena (Naomie Harris), Frank (Brendan Gleeson), and Frank’s daughter, Hannah (Megan Burns) are trying to find food, gas, and refuge while trying to stay steps ahead of the zombies. As if their only problems are the fast-paced zombies, they have to deal with Major Henry West (Christopher Eccleston) and his soldiers, luring them there to enslave the women to repopulate. It’s a lot to deal with an apocalypse. 28 Days Later is one of my favorite apocalyptic horror films, if not my favorite. It’s wild, gritty ride through the empty streets of England, with genuine jump scares, and the first time where the zombies are charging toward you. I’ve never been so scared until seeing the dead full sprint, teeth chomping at you. Danny Boyle made a classic here as well as a sequel, which was good but not as good as the first. I appreciate a good horror flick, and I will always recommend this one. (Chantal Ashford)
500 Days of Summer is a story of boy meets girl, but you should know up front, this is not a love story. I adored Marc Webb’s stylistic recollection of non-sequential days of infatuation for a Manic Pixie Dream Girl when it was released in 2009, and I still do today. Though, I can recognize that even in the short decade-plus since it hit theaters, critical assessments of the storytelling have shifted. Tom (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is painted as the hero, while Summer (Zooey Deschanel) is the villain simply because she doesn’t reciprocate the fullest extent of his feelings for her or share the belief that the two are soulmates. The movie is Tom’s story to tell, and his character is more fleshed out; we meet his friends, his sister, and we learn that architecture is his passion. The most prominently featured piece of backstory for Summer is her having dated someone nicknamed “The Puma”. She exists almost solely to inspire Tom out of the monotonous funk of his life, but when she ultimately spurns his advances, she’s vilified for it. To this day, I think an interesting companion piece to this movie would’ve been 500 Days of Thomas, released six months, even a year after 500 Days of Summer: a retelling of the titular 500 Days, but entirely from Summer’s perspective. Even though there’s merit to the idea that Tom is the principal wrongdoer of the piece, not Summer, I still love this movie for being an atypical rom-com of the 2000s. (Jonathan Fedee)
I don’t normally get queasy during movies, especially at the movie theater. The closest I got was when I first saw The Blair Witch Project because I can’t handle shaky came found footage. Don’t get me wrong, though; I like 127 Hours a lot, and I think it is a great story of the triumph of the human spirit. James Franco proves he can actually act in a dramatic role, thanks to the tough task of carrying a large amount of the movie on his own. Then that scene happened. That scene we all know about as film lovers, where Aron has to make a decision to either stay and hope that someone sees him or find a way to escape. When he finally comes to terms that he needs to cut his arm off in order to save himself, I wasn’t sure exactly how graphic it was going to be and boy, I was not expecting it to be as rough of a watch for me. Danny Boyle’s style is on full display and I like the cinematography on top of the story. Trigger warning, but this is definitely worth a watch. (Mike Hilty)
Well, we are mentioning Groundhog Day, again… Because it deserves it. You could argue a few people have influenced the comedy and pop-culture world as much as Harold Ramis. Especially in the ‘80s and ‘90s, he had a run of being either director or a screenwriter of some of the all-timers. And Groundhog Day definitely cemented his place in pop-culture history and confirmed him writing Ghostbusters wasn’t a fluke. Its concept is so simple that you wonder why it took others so long to adapt into different genres like action (Edge of Tomorrow, 2014) or horror (Happy Death Day, 2017). And although the first mentioned film did this “gimmick” really well (I still haven’t seen Happy Death Day), it will always be the original who utilized the concept of, “What if one guy, who is kinda jerk, gets to relive the same day over and over again?” the best. What helps is the stellar cast with Bill Murray (still in his prime, don’t @ me) being that jerk. Because he has this charisma, he has this undeniable charm about him that we will root for him even though he isn’t the most likable character by any means. I have rewatched this film a couple of times now (which is rare for me, as I tend to watch mostly films I haven’t seen before) and it still has not failed to make me laugh. If this is not THE best comedy of the ‘90s, it is terribly close to the top spot. (Luke Burian)
We can spend an inordinate amount of time talking about movies that make their setting feel like a character all by itself. New York City is a character in X movie, Chicago is a character in Y movie. There are few movies that make a time of day feel like a character, but Nightcrawler definitely does manage. For all the time it spends with Jake Gyllenhaal’s character roaming the streets of LA trying to get his scoops, there’s really nothing quite like the quiet hours moments away from some sort of disaster he can profit off of. Between Gyllenhaal, Riz Ahmed, Bill Paxton, and Renee Russo, Nightcrawler features four characters on various levels of comfort with what’s actually being done to profit off of peoples’ pain, and as an examination of one man’s complete disregard for others, there’s very few movies that do it better — and very few performances that exhibit that dysfunction better than Gyllenhaal’s. (Chris Bakker)
It can get lost in the shuffle of talking about those prolific all-time greats like Goodfellas, Taxi Driver, The Departed, or The Wolf of Wall Street, but After Hours is without a doubt one of Martin Scorsese’s best movies. It’s a bold, unique, New York City-based (of course) comedy in which Paul’s (Griffin Dunne) night just keeps getting worse and worse after he goes to visit a girl he just met named Marcy (Rosanna Arquette) on the other side of town. What begins as a night of him potentially finding a new partner escalates more and more in new, absurd ways with each passing minute. This is at once one of Scorsese’s more fun and entertaining movies to sit through, and one of his bleakest movies. Dunne is great in his lead role, and the supporting cast, which includes the likes of Cheech and Chong, John Heard, Catherine O’Hara, Verna Bloom, and Arquette, are all excellent as well. It’s not going to blow you away with the grandness of Goodfellas or the depth of Silence, but After Hours does every little thing right, en route to making it one of Scorsese’s absolute best. (Robert Bouffard)
What will a single fateful day bring when the time comes? James Cameron’s impressive sequel Terminator 2: Judgment Day packs its narrative full of thought-provoking ideas about not only our relationships with every-growing artificial intelligence, but also the role of fate. This bigger and better sequel finds Arnold Schwarzenegger’s terminator back… as a good guy! He teams with the mother-daughter team of Sarah (Linda Hamilton) and John Connor (Edward Furlong) as they try to rewrite the book on Judgment Day. The ante is upped with a liquid metal T-1000 antagonist (played with steely intensity by Robert Patrick). The action is raised to the next level, including a fantastic L.A. chase sequence. One of the greatest sequels, T2 captures the significance of one day, while offering up a complex commentary on the role of machines in our world and lives. (Shane Conto)
Though classics like Jaws, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, or Monty Python and the Holy Grail are understandably more frequent subjects of discussion when it comes to 1975 releases, Dog Day Afternoon is right there with them in terms of sheer quality. Directed to perfection by the great Sidney Lumet, the film follows the true story of three amateur bank robbers in a heist gone wrong. On top of the film’s propulsive screenplay and an especially excellent supporting performance from Chris Sarandon, we are gifted what might be the greatest performance of Al Pacino’s career — that’s right; fight me! Dog Day Afternoon has it all. Moments of emotion, paranoia, humor, and extreme tension abound in this surprisingly progressive and quintessentially New York story. Should you find yourself making your way through the admittedly overwhelming number of classic, “must-watch” films, Dog Day Afternoon is not to be missed. (Foster Harlfinger)
12 Years A Slave is one of those films that I will always remember the first time watching. I knew it was going to hit hard, but I just wasn’t expecting it to hit me as hard as it did. The sheer brutality and violence in this movie is so uncomfortable to watch, but it helps give context to a small fraction of the experience African Americans had in the Americas during slavery. Props for sure go to Chiwetel Ejiofor for his performance as Solomon Northup. Lupita Nyong’o won a well-deserved Oscar for her role. 12 Years A Slave will go down as one of those significant movies that will be remembered. It won Best Picture in a stacked year that included heavy hitters like Gravity, The Wolf Of Wall Street, and Her,while also making Steve McQueen a director to be on the lookout for. This feels like a film school movie, and even a history class movie in the same realm as something like Schindler’s List. What a triumph of a movie. (Mike Hilty)
X-Men: Days of Future Past
The X-Men movies broke ground in 2000, and even though they have some misses, there is one movie that tied both versions together: X-Men: Days of Future Past. The comic book event Days of Future Past changed things, and the movie based on it was no different. Set in two different eras, and featuring both the Patrick Stewart timeline and the James McAvoy timeline, they send Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) back in time to stop the current darkest timeline from happening. Bringing in as many X-Men characters as this movie does truly sets it apart. There is so much good about this film, from incredible shots to fantastic acting. The scene of Young Magneto (Michael Fassbender) lifting a baseball stadium over to the White House still lives in my head rent free. The scene of Young Charles (McAvoy) and Old Charles (Stewart) is absolutely phenomenal. The X-Men have some of the best stories, and several were used for the Fox X-Men universe — this was a good one. I can’t wait for their true introduction into the MCU. (Austen Terry)
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
“Bueller? Bueller? Bueller?” Few last names are as easily linked to their film counterpart — particularly when attempted in Ben Stein’s trademark drawl. It’s incredible to think that out of writer/director John Hughes’s entire iconic catalogue, one surname repeated three times might be the most quoted line — or at the very least, its most imitated. It just speaks to the iconic nature of Ferris (Matthew Broderick) and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off as a whole. I mean, how often would you sit around in class and wish you could be out having fun instead? We all knew we couldn’t, which is what made living vicariously through Ferris such a blast. It’s the idealized senior skip day. Visit a museum, drive around in a sports car, catch a ballgame, crush a parade crashing performance — this day has everything. The writing of Ferris as a character is one of Hughes’s greatest magic tricks. With his cockiness, it would be easy for him to come off as unlikable, but we’re sucked in like everybody else. He was even ahead of his time on the post-credit jokes! (Jake Bourgeois)
Darkest Hour
The best movie of 2017 to feature the British evacuation of Dunkirk, Darkest Hour is the film probably most famous for finally winning Gary Oldman his Oscar for his portrayal of Winston Churchill. The story follows the appointment of Winston Churchill as prime minister of the United Kingdom and how he navigated the early days of his term. The film is powered by Oldman’s truly remarkable performance, with both its Oscar wins for Oldman and best makeup and hairstyling being well-deserved for how he truly disappears into the role. However, reducing it down to just a performance piece for Oldman would be a mistake. Director Joe Wright (Atonement, Hanna) and cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel (Tragedy of Macbeth, Amélie) produce a strikingly shot film. The supporting performances from Lily James, as Churchill’s secretary, and Kristin Scott Thomas, as his wife, elevate the movie to give it more than one performance to appreciate. It’s a fascinating look at one of history’s biggest characters. (Jake Bourgeois)
The 40-Year-Old Virgin
The 40 Year Old Virgin was an instant hit when it came out. Director Judd Apatow brought his television background to the big screen, and in this moment changed the entire landscape of cinematic comedies. With his simple multi-camera set up of television directing, he knew when to set them up and let them roll on the actors as they improvised their way to comedy gold. Exploding the careers of Steve Carrell, Seth Rogen, and Paul Rudd, this timeless classic will shine for generations, as it only gets better with age. Case in point: I do not even have to tell you what this movie is about. You know this movie. Everyone does. And if you don’t, we’ll wanna know how I know you’re g—, wait. Okay maybe it didn’t age perfectly, but it’s still damn funny. (Frank Kemp)
Saturday Night Fever
Well you can tell by the way I walk, I’m a woman’s man, no time to talk… unless it’s about Saturday Night Fever, that is. For this week’s BEC I decided to take a crack at this 1977 classic that launched John Travolta’s career into the limelight. Leaning into the disco and drug scene of the ‘60s, while there are some aspects of this film I’m very glad we left in the past, there are also some subtle threads that make it deep and an interesting story to dive into, such as our main character’s brother as he chooses to leave the church. Not only that, but I’m a huge fan of The Bee Gees, and this soundtrack is nothing short of a greatest hits by the three brothers. While I would say some things in this movie are triggering, don’t try to understand The New York Time’s effects on man and consider taking the time to dive into Saturday Night Fever. (Joseph Davis)
Independence Day
Roland Emmerich’s name is strongly tied to the disaster movie genre. Does that mean all of his disaster films are critical successes? No, not quite. But it does mean that he deserves credit where it is due. And the incredibly patriotic sci-fi, adventure film Independence Day has earned him enough credit to secure his career, despite several flops. The movie finds Will Smith, Jeff Goldblum, and Bill Pullman leading a counterattack against an alien race to defend humanity on the titular Independence Day. The film is epic, inspiring, and unapologetically American. Dean Devlin and Emmerich’s script is incredibly quotable, with President Whitmore’s speech at the climax being particularly memorable. It even earned an Oscar for its visual effects that, for the most part, still hold up to this day. This is one of those movies that I watched at a formative point of my childhood and now rewatch it annually. Fortunately, its association with a holiday gives me the perfect excuse to pop it in once a year. (Jack Grimme)
Rush Hour
Rush Hour movie has changed how people react to the words “Rush Hour” forever. No longer will people feel the dread of standstill traffic; instead, movie lovers everywhere will reflect on the comedy styling of Chris Tucker mixed with the always entertaining martial arts of Jackie Chan. You can walk up to anybody and quote this film, and the recipient will at least get the reference. Rush Hour dominated cable television in the late ‘90s and early 2000’s. If you ever just wanted to sit back and be entertained, you knew you would find it somewhere on the 15 movie channels you could flip through. There is nothing unique about the concept of investigating a kidnapping in a foreign city. Being a fish out of water is quite a common trope. But it is the interactions between Chan and Tucker that makes this a buddy cop classic. Every scene between them results in comedy gold that has been often duplicated, but never repeated. Rush Hour’s longevity in the cultural zeitgeist proves that time stands still for this movie, and you should always use that time to give this one a watch. (Scott Batchelor)
Happy Death Day
I have seen the trailer for Happy Death Day at least a few hundred times. The use of 50 Cent’s “In Da Club” creates a fun vibe. We want to learn about this world and see what protagonist Tree (Jessica Rothe) sees. Then, as we learn more about this movie and it becomes clear it’s a Groundhog Day setup, the sound of 50’s iconic tune gets twisted just as the life of Tree spins out of control. It is an amazing piece of advertisement that got me hyped to see it. AND THEN YOU ACTUALLY WATCH THE MOVIE AND “IN DA CLUB” IS NOT IN IT!!! It’s an absolute travesty and a waste of good marketing. But the movie is still terrific. Rothe breaks out in this movie and shows a wonderful sense of humor. Watching a person dying over and over again may seem like a daunting task, but in Rothe’s hands, the movie takes on a unique charm. The final twist is one I did not see coming myself, and it lends to the movie being both rewatchable and having a sequel (hopefully more than one). (Sam Nichols)
Friday the 13th
The year is 1980. Halloween has already rocked the slasher world. There’s no way anything could ever compete, right? Well, Friday the 13th and Mrs. Voorhees would like to have a brutal word with you. How can you ever make a more enticing ending and jump start for a franchise than Jason Vorhees jumping out of the lake to attack one of the original (and most influential) final girls that has ever kicked ass on the screen? Looking at you, Alice (Adrienne King)! This film is full of some of the most iconic elements that would come to define the horror genre, ranging from Kevin Bacon in one of the most infamous kills that the great Tom Savini is known for, to everyone having a Ned to not be that upset goes away. Throw on your denim shorts and hitchhike your way til Crazy Ralph gives you a cryptic warning. From there it’s your choice. (Matt Lawson)
Weekend at Bernie’s
I love a deep, thematic cinematic experience as much as the next film buff. However, that’s not always what the doctor ordered. Sometimes, what’s required is nothing more than some good, old-fashioned hijinks. Welcome to Weekend at Bernie’s. It’s been a while since I watched this, and a scan through the cast and crew reveals no big superstar, no iconic director. But the premise and its absurdity have stayed with me. The question is, are you, as a viewer, willing to accept a premise as ludicrous as two coworkers being invited to a luxury island with their boss, then having to puppeteer him through the weekend after finding him dead and not wanting to get blamed for his murder? Nothing about it makes sense, but it somehow doesn’t matter. If you’re willing to give yourself to the insanity and forget all you know about the concept of rigor mortis, I think you’ll have some fun. (Jake Bourgeois)
Gone in Sixty Seconds
The combination of high-octane car action and a colorful cast of characters is what makes Gone in 60 Seconds so much fun. Director Dominic Sena does his best Michael Bay impression and he pulls it off with flying colors. This film has all of the trappings of a Bay film and is very stylish. It also helps that leading the film is none other than Nicolas Cage, who plays infamous former car thief, Memphis Raines, who must reluctantly come out of retirement to help save his brother’s life. The driving sequences and stunts in this film are well shot and have a great sense of thrills and speed. It’s exhilarating watching Memphis’ ragtag team heist all of these high end vehicles. Those who are fans of car chases, look no further than this Cage thrill ride. (Joe Vargas)
Also See: Seven Years in Tibet, A Good Year, The Day After Tomorrow, Friday Night Lights, Yesterday, Any Given Sunday, A Most Violent Year, 13 Hours, One Hour Photo