The ReelzChannel 100 began when we asked Leonard Maltin for his favorite Hidden Gems of the decade. His list led the web team into a general discussion about the best movies of the decade and — after no small amount of debate, arguing, and (we're not proud to say) some petty name-calling — we decided we'd better bring it to an end with a company-wide vote. Then it was just a matter of tallying up the votes and hoping for the best. Lucky for us, ReelzChannel is filled with a staff ranging from movie lovers to movie fanatics. What turned out isn't what you'll find on a critic's best of list — instead it's what movie fans really enjoyed.
While Death Proof made me extremely scared of the psychopaths that are lurking in the world, it also made me excited about the kind of revenge that can be enacted on them … by a group of women.
by Bonnie Floran, Localization Manager
It's rare that an action movie has much of a plot, let alone such a good one, but the birth and transfer of a child in Children of Men is only a MacGuffin. The real goal is showing off some of the best fight scenes ever recorded and what it means to live in a truly realistic post-apocalyptic world. Needless to say, it succeeds wildly.
Sean Gandert, Web Production Manager
Even though The Dark Knight is often held higher than Christopher Nolan’s first entry into Batman's realm, Batman Begins is what really brought the character back to life in a gritty and realistic way. Gone are the campy villains and plots, instead we're given a believable, and awesome, origin story for the caped crusader.
Blake Foley, Database Coordinator
Director Jon Favreau came out swinging with this comic book movie. He was able to give life to a classic superhero with the help of Robert Downey Jr., who brought the action as well as the cool to Stark Industries. Iron Man is what the movie-going experience is all about.
Travis Oscarson, Host of Movie Mob and Saturday Morning @ Reelz
One word to describe this movie: gorgeous. Not only that, even though it's a sword and sandals epic, the story isn't lost in all the fighting. Joaquin Phoenix is almost unrecognizable and the perfect Commodus and Russell Crowe has never been finer. I have no reason normally to like a gladiator movie, but I loved this one.
Kristen Rakes, Producer
Star Trek managed to keep me at the edge of my seat, which is saying a lot considering that I even fell asleep during Vin Diesel’s XXX. They connected the whole Star Trek series to something that was fresh, youthful, and fun. With Simon Pegg and Anton Yelchin providing comedic relief, this movie touched on all my aesthetic and emotional needs.
Amy Upah, Media Librarian
Part Western, part samurai flick, and all Quentin Tarantino, Kill Bill's sprawling trip across time and genre didn't just kick butt, it was also unimaginably beautiful. We all knew that a full-on Tarantino action flick would bring the pain, but who would have thought that decapitation could look so good?
Sean Gandert, Web Production Manager
The caped crusader as he was meant to be: dark, conflicted, gravel-voiced. Heath Ledger’s Joker is the finest villainous performance in any superhero/comic book movie, hands down.
Adam Galanter, Producer/Editor
The series has well-staged action sequences, great cinematography (if you don’t get motion sickness from the "shaky cam"), and an interesting, twisting story. Each of these movies is an adrenaline rush from start to finish, and they even manage to make Matt Damon into a complete badass.
by Blake Foley, Database Coordinator
Peter Jackson took a classic book long considered un-filmable and turned it into a landmark series of movies that won over critics, audiences, and even a very picky legion of Tolkien fans (some of whom are conversant in Elvish). The appeal goes way beyond the revolutionary GGI. Bringing such a rich and compelling world of adventure to the big screen is an achievement that few filmmakers have ever equaled.
Bill Stouffer, Contributing Writer