Here's basically how this list was compiled: I made a list of all the movies on my site to which had been given four or three-and-a-half stars. Then, going by my gut, I dropped some. That's all it was -- gut. I retained movies that I had a vestigal, knee-jerk affection for over movies that, though I may have rated them the same at the time, I don't really remember the same way. And then, because I wanted to shape the lists -- more or less -- into top 10 or 20, I just dropped a few more (ain't I the stinker?) So...unscientific? Yup. Prone to error? You betcha. Many of these movies I haven't even seen in years and so may be remembering with undue reverence (and others that I left off may be better than I remember) -- but what the hey? I mean, is "Citizen Kane" really the greatest American movie ever made...or do critics just remember it that way?
What that means, though, is that there are other movies and TV shows that just narrowly missed being included (in case you thought this was all there is). And there are plenty of good movies out there. But these maybe deserve special notice. And I can practically guarantee many on this list will have critics and film business insiders scratching their heads in bemusement!
There will presumably be other movies and TV shows
that must be considered, or that I've yet
to
see, that deserve inclusion on this list, and maybe I'll update this
list
in a few months to include them (or even, gasp!, bump some already on
it). This is Wonderland, for instance, is a serious contender (but its
second season didn't strike me as strong as the first) and Slings &
Arrows, which I gave a very good, but not quite "great" review to, I
keep meaning to watch again...
Anyway...away we go...(in alphabetical order):