WB's 85th Bday: 10 Classic Movie Picks

by Chuck Walton

Warner Bros. and iTunes have partnered for the studio's 85th anniversary to offer up 85 downloadable film selections, with titles ranging from lesser known works from well-known directors (Clint Eastwood's Absolute Power) to popular crowd pleasers (Grumpy Old Men) to cult favorites (Pee-Wee's Big Adventure) to established classics (Casablanca). From their list, here are ten must-sees...from A to Z...

All the President's Men - Political Drama

Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman are fascinating and believable as Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, the real-life journalists whose investigation of Watergate eventually helped bring an end to Richard Nixon's presidency. See it for the superlative script, the taut direction and the fact that it's an edge-of-your-seat thriller where no one fires a gun.

Blade Runner - Sci-Fi/Thriller

In between making The Empire Strikes Back and Raiders of the Lost Ark, Harrison Ford completed a trifecta of movie classics with this groundbreaking sci-fi noir, a triumph of atmospheric style and design that's influenced just about every genre film that followed it. Director Ridley Scott fills out each detail, nook and cranny of his futuristic L.A. gone to rot in spectacular, unforgettable fashion.

Chariots of Fire - Drama

This Best Picture winner has earned an undeserved reputation over the years of being long and laborious. Yes, it's not Michael Bay's Transformers. But that's a good thing. The plot, about two very different runners - a Christian Scotsman and a Jewish Englishman - aiming for gold at the 1924 Olympics gradually reveals itself as an inspiring, moving experience equal to any race by Ussain Bolt.

Enter the Dragon - Action

Bruce Lee's Enter the Dragon is the Citizen Kane of its genre. All of the trademarks are here: the whooping cry, the prancing taunts and Lee's faster-than-fast roundhouse kick (complete with whipsnap sound effect). Mix in a good story about fighters gathered on an island by a devious mastermind, throw in Nightmare on Elm Street dad John Saxon for good measure, and you've got a kung fu classic for the ages.

Million Dollar Baby - Drama

Clint Eastwood cemented his return to the critical and commercial mountain top with this intimate, superbly told (no fat on this fighter) story about the relationship between a female boxer (Hilary Swank) and the trainer she reveres (Eastwood). Morgan Freeman adds his classy touch to the fine ensemble, and Swank earns a well-deserved second Best Actress Oscar for her gritty, honest performance.

The Road Warrior - Sci-Fi/Action

Back before The Dark Knight, Iron Man and other comic book characters ruled the movie wasteland, cinema came up with its own make-believe heroes. Standing tallest amongst them was Mel Gibson's Max Rockatansky, a loner warrior scavenging the postapocalyptic highways with only his dog and an armored vehicle as his constant companions.

The Shawshank Redemption - Drama

The long-standing top movie at IMDB was voted #1 for a reason. It's an elegantly told piece about the amazing, unpredicatble life path taken by prison inmate Andy Dusfrene (Tim Robbins), and the incredible friendship he develops with fellow lifer Ellis 'Red' Redding (Morgan Freeman). It also has one of the most perfect movie endings ever.

Superman: The Movie - Action/Adventure

After this summer, many will argue that The Dark Knight belongs at the top of the list of comic book movies. They may be right. But take another look at 1978's Superman. Christopher Reeve could not have been more perfect for the role of America's most beloved superhero, and his relationship with Margot Kidder's feisty Lois Lane is still one to make women and men swoon.

The Right Stuff - Action/Drama

You may not have seen this underrated gem about the original Mercury astronauts. But if you love great cinema, this should rank high in your Netflix queue. Dennis Quaid, Ed Harris, Sam Shepard, Scott Glenn and Fred Ward are fantastic as some of the first test pilots-turned-astronauts, and the tale of their early days, training and eventual flights into orbit is literally out of this world.

Risky Business - Comedy

Can't get enough of that Tom Cruise jig in Tropic Thunder? This is where it all began, with a young Cruise getting down with Rebecca DeMornay and preparing for the inevitable rocket ride into superstardom. Looking back, Risky Business is still one of the finest teen comedies of the '80s, arriving a full year ahead of John Hughes' first teen classic (the equally hilarious Sixteen Candles). Ready for that "ol' time rock and roll?" Sweet.