The 50 Best Guy Movies Of All Time

[newyawker99]

Culturally, guys often get the short end of the stick. Most books are bought by women, the music industry caters to teenagers, and when was the last time an art museum had an exhibit on nitro-burning funny cars? But the movies have always been good to us. The first feature film, 1904's The Great Train Robbery, was full of trains, guns, and chases -- guy friendly from start to finish. And Hollywood has been in our corner ever since.

But what makes a great guy film, and how did Men's Journal pick the best of all time? At first there were no hard and fast restrictions; we just knew one when we saw one. But over time basic criteria emerged. Violence trumps sex, war beats peace, and you better have a very good reason to oppose anything with Steve McQueen in it.

We believe that a true guy movie is a movie only a guy can love. A crucial distinction. Pop one into the DVD player and your wife or girlfriend should run screaming from the room. We frown upon films that are too serious or sensitive. The Deer Hunter got KO'd despite lengthy elk hunting and torture scenes because Meryl Streep was in it. Sure, she's a great actress, but rules are rules: no films with Meryl Streep.

Guy films can be watched in groups, over and over, and you should be able to recite yards of dialogue from memory. Great lines stick in your mind forever, like old pop songs, and when you blurt one of them in public ("Say hello to my leetle friend!" "Don't ever take sides with anybody against the family again"), women and children should give you odd looks, while other guys -- total strangers -- glance over and nod with respect and understanding.

MORE.....


http://www.mensjournal.com/feature/0312/guymovies.html

[joeybee12]

1. You know, I'm almost afraid to see what they picked!

I mean, if this ultra-violent (and I agree with Jane--racist) film doesn't make it...

[ProfessorGAC]

2. There's A Few "HmmmmS" On There, But. . .

. . .i'll admit to liking at least 40 of those on the list. I might move the order around a little, but i think they did a pretty good job of putting their finger on the pulse of movie guys.

One Complaint: Fletch!?!?!?!? Come on!
The Professor

[Faygo Kid]

3. Where's "The Magnificent Seven?"

Did I miss it? It should surely be there. Also, "Stalag 17."

[GOPisEvil]

7. "Stalag 17" - great movie. No "The Longest Day" either.

No "To Live And Die In LA"...my favorite car chase after "Bullitt" and "The French Connection".

[xcentrik]

13. It is there, sort of...

"The Magnificent Seven" although not bad on its own terms, is an inferior remake of "The Seven Samurai."

[mobuto]

15. The Magnificent Seven is underrated

Film snobs compare it (unfavorably) to the Kurosawa film, but I disagree. The acting is great (never argue with Eli Wallach), as is the directing, as is the cinematography, and throw in the music for good measure.

[GOPisEvil]

4. Hmmm...pretty good list overall.

I'd say I like the vast majority of those movies.

Interesting they selected "Seven Samurai" over "The Magnificent Seven". Anyone who has seen both knows Kurosawa's is much better. BUT, I think Kurosawa's "Yojimbo" (which inspired "A Fist Full of Dollars") should be on this list too.

[Loonman]

5. Wow, that's a good list

I'm impressed, they're all great movies.

[eyesroll]

6. Wow, out of the 50, I only really, really like two

"Office Space" and "Fight Club."

("The Matrix" and the original "Terminator" get honorable mentions, but both have diminished in my eye because of lesser sequels. "The Godfather" is still a holdout -- I liked the first 2/3rds of it, and I'm one of the six people in the world who haven't seen "Godfather II.")

So does that make "Office Space" and 'Fight Club" not true guy movies, since I don't run from the room screaming? Hell, my husband gave me "Fight Club" on DVD as a gift. And not because he really wanted it for himself.

Edited to add: Most of the others I don't explicitly hate. I go back and forth between like and "eh" on several, and I haven't seen a bunch. (I admit that "Caddyshack" eludes me. It's funny, but I can watch it about once every 9 years or so.)

[joeybee12]

8. Bridge on the River Kwai, Goodfellas and Full Metal Jacket are all

brilliant movies--are there women out there who appreciate these?

[Robroy]

9. The absolutely best...

"guy" movie, or quite possibly the best movie ever, period, has to be "The Wild Bunch." Watch this one to see how movies are supposed to be made.

[Richardo]

10. 3 stooges ahead of "French Connection" and "Office Space" WTF?

Corrollary :wtf: : French Connection #44 of 50? Best Picture of 1971? C'mon!

Richardo <-- Tipping his hand as a rabid FC fan.

[Richardo]

12. No "Patton" either...or M*A*S*H....

Lotsa crap, though!

[everythingsxen]

11. A lot of those are really awesome movies..

however.. I wasn't aware they were "guy" movies...

I know a lot of women who like all those movies too...

Primarily all my friends girlfriends. :D

As an added twist.. the #1 "guy" movie on that list IMO is Fight Club..

When it came out I saw it.. I was totally blown away and thought it was a great movie. I told all my friends to see it...

We all saw it.. I loved it.. again. The girls all thought it was a great movie too ("Ooooh Brad Pitt is so cute." :P) not just for that, but because they understood the whole split personality part of the plot.

Whereas several of my guy friends said "Dude what a crappy movie!"; only to reverse that opinion a few weeks later after a LOT more people had seen it and thought it was an awesome movie.

[BOSSHOG]

14. I had to go to #49 to find my #1

COOL HAND LUKE. Movies don't get any "guyer" than the adventures of the ever failing to communicate, egg eating, sentimental for my dying mom, I'll take your dumbass punishment for a little pissy crime, I'll fake a good time so the guys in the cell block can have a moment of fun, put me in the block, prison busting, warden baiting LUKE!

[mobuto]

16. What we have here

is a failure to communicate.

[Richardo]

17. Me too, BOSSHOG

That's in my top 10. #49 does not do it justice...

[Twillig]

18. Where the heck was Repo Man?!

They had Dazed and Confused in there and no Repo Man? Talk about an all time guy pic. "What about our relationship?"

Otto: "Fuck that..."








They could have put two more Woo films in too.

[PsN2Wind]

19. Damn

Didn't any of youse see "Dusk till Dawn"/

[bif]

20. Diner, Wayne's World and Spinal Tap

Not action flicks, but I think they all appeal more to guys than chicks. I'd also add the Terminator movies as well.