frankie's - 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die List

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When Roy Neary (Richard Dreyfuss) witnesses the arrival of alien ships from a distant world, an incredible series of events begins- planes which disappeared during the Second World War are found intact in Mexico, long lost ships mysteriously re-appear in the middle of the desert and people from all

around the world, including Neary are convinced that someone is trying to communicate with them. Nearys search to find an answer leads him to take part in the ultimate encounter with the extra-Terrestrials and to board the vast, beautiful Mothership.

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Peter Weir directs this engaging thriller about an Australian lawyer (Richard Chamberlain) who defends a group of aborigines in a murder case, only to begin experiencing strange dreams and visions that portend a catastrophic tidal wave that will decimate Australia.

Are these visions the real thing, or is he losing his mind? Finding the answer may prove crucial to the murder case and to the survival of the continent.

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Alvy Singer (Woody Allen), is one of Manhattan's most brilliant comedians, but when it comes to romance, his delivery needs a little work.

Introduced by his best friend, Rob (Tony Roberts), to the ditzy but delightful nightclub singer, Annie Hall (Diane Keaton), no sooner is Alvy in love, when his own insecurities sabotage the affair, forcing Annie to leave Alvy for a new life - and lover (Paul Simon) - in Los Angeles. Knowing he may have lost Annie forever, Alvy's willing to go to any lengths - even driving L.A.'s freeways - to recapture the only thing that ever mattered...true love.

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A terminal “road-movie”, 'Last Chants' single-mindedly follows the path of its central character, Tom Bates (Tom Blair), through an unspecified period of time as he talks to a hitch-hiker and then throws him out of his truck, visits his wife and has a fierce argument with her, talks to a man in a

breakfast cafe, picks up a woman in a bar and has a one night stand with her; leaves the woman, and cruising in his truck on a back road, pulls over to help a man with his broken-down car, and shoots and kills the man, for a few dollars.

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After being released from prison, Berlin street musician Bruno Stroszek (Bruno S.) finds himself lost in a world where he simply doesn't belong.

So along with his prostitute girlfriend (Eva Mattes) and an eccentric neighbor (Clemens Scheitz), Stroszek moves to America, where he's told, everyone is rich. It doesn't take long, however, after moving into a mobile home and taking a job as a mechanic, for Stroszek to realize that the streets of Railroad Flats, Wisconsin aren't paved with gold.

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Andrzej Wajda's dazzling Man of Marble is one of the key films of the 1970s. Often described as the 'Polish Citizen Kane', Wajda's epic masterwork operates as both an electrifying political saga and a compelling analysis of the nature of cinema itself.

Mateusz Birkut, a bricklayer, glorified as a State-promoted 'Worker's Hero' is subsequently removed from all official mention in 1952. In 1976 a young filmmaker, Agnieszka, obsessively pursues his story. Birkut's rise and fall and disappearance into obscurity provides Wajda with a framework for a brave reassessment of the period. Although suppressed by the authorities, Man of Marble became a milestone in Polish cinema and an undoubted influence in the dismantling of the totalitarian system in Poland.

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John Travolta gives a sensual and intelligent performance as the troubled Tony Manero - Brooklyn paint store clerk by day and undisputed King of the dance floor by night.

Every Saturday, Tony puts on his wide collared shirt, flared trousers and platform shoes and heads out to the only place where he's seen as a god rather than just some young punk. But in the darkness, away from the strobe lights and glitter ball, is a tragic story of disillusionment, violence and heartbreak. Without a doubt, Travolta's performance made him a Hollywood legend, but 'Saturday Night Fever' is more than just a movie that defined the music and fashion of a generation. It's a powerful and provocative urban tragedy that carries as much significance today as it did in 1977.

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Killer Of Sheep is an undisputed masterpiece of African-American filmmaking and one of the most poetic, perceptive dramas ever made about family and community.

This acclaimed tale of a disillusioned slaughterhouse worker-and the solace to be found in the simplest moments of life-is tender, witty, and affectionate. With lovely neorealist photography - capturing the long, hot days of 1970s Los Angeles - and a gorgeous blues soundtrack (Dinah Washington, Paul Robeson and Little Walter all feature) the film has a quiet emotional power.

Five years in the making, 'Eraserhead' contains all of the trademark attributes of a Lynch film - haunting visuals, an ethereal score, unsettling sound design, and, most notably, a black sense of humour - creating a world onscreen thatis exhilarating, terrifying, and truly unique.

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In precolonial Senegal, members of the Ceddo (or "outsiders") kidnap Princess Dior Yacine (Tabata Ndiaye) after her father, the king, pledges loyalty to an ascendant Islamic faction that plans to convert the entire clan to its faith.

Attempts to recapture her fail, provoking further division and eventual war between the animistic Ceddo and the fundamentalist Muslims, with Christian missionaries and slave traders from Europe also playing a role in the conflict. Banned in Senegal upon its release, 'Ceddo' is an ambitious, multilayered epic that explores the combustible tensions among ancient tradition, religious colonization, political expediency, and individual freedom.

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Professional frame maker Jonathan (Bruno Ganz) has been diagnosed with a terminal blood disease. A chance encounter with the enigmatic Tom Ripley (Dennis Hopper) offers him a way to ensure a stable future for his family.

But as Jonathan embarks on his new and dangerous role, Tom questions his motives for involving his new friend.

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Taking an ill-advised detour en route to California, the Carter family soon run into trouble when their campervan breaks down in the middle of the desert. Stranded, the family find themselves at the mercy of a group of monstrous cannibals lurking in the surrounding hills.

With their lives under threat, the Carters have no choice but to fight back by any means necessary.

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Under the Nazi occupation of Holland, the Dutch people are forced to choose between collaboration and resistance.

Armed with the knowledge that those, choices made by fellow countrymen will forever changed the fate of their homeland, six college students set out on an epic adventure that will involve courage, betrayal and survival.

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Jessica Harper stars as Suzy Banyon, a young American ballet dancer who arrives at a prestigious European dance academy run by the mysterious Madame Blanc (Joan Bennett) and Miss Tanner (Alida Valli).

But when a series of bizarre incidents and horrific crimes turn the school into a waking nightmare of the damned, Suzy must escape the academy's unspeakable secret of supernatural evil.

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Based on the early 20th-century exploits of Jimmy Governor, Jimmie Blacksmith (Tommy Lewis) follows its title character, a half-Aboriginal, half-white young man attempting to make his way as a farmhand, but facing only prejudice and deception from society.

When the parentage of his child is called into question and he is further robbed by his white employers, Jimmie's barely suppressed rage explodes, triggering a wave of violence that would shock a nation.