Since this past Sunday, March 7th was Oscar night, I thought I’d do a themed week of my favorite movies which have won the Oscar for best picture. So, enjoy 5 days of films that have received the gold statue.

Gandhi. Probably, the best biopic ever made, Sir Richard Attenborough’s film is something that should be put on a film-lovers checklist of films that need to be seen. It stars the great Ben Kingsley.

Since this past Sunday, March 7th was Oscar night, I thought I’d do a themed week of my favorite movies which have won the Oscar for best picture. So, enjoy 5 days of films that have received the gold statue.

American Beauty. Certainly one of my favorite movies of all time. This film is a great tragicomedy. It takes the viewer to the heights of hilarity and the darkest depths of American tragedy. With a great cast of Annette Benning, Kevin Spacey, Chris Cooper, Allison Janney and others, it’s a movie you do not want to miss!

Rififi. Directed by blacklisted American director Jules Dassin (he also plays a character in the film) after he moved to France, Rififi is a film noir classic. The heist sequence in this movie is classic and I have no doubt that Michael Mann must have watched this before he directed his heist movie, Heat. However, when you watch it, make sure you watch it in the original France and the not the awful dub that is featured in this trailer.

Sabrina. This is one of those great old Hollywood romantic comedies. It stars the always-good Humphrey Bogart, William Holden, and Audrey Hepburn. It is directed by writer director Billy Wilder. The entire outing is a delightful experience.

Taxi Driver. Martin Scorsese’s film is truly one of the most chilling portraits ever created. Robert De Niro plays an alienated and mentally disturbed taxi driver in New York City. De Niro’s Travis Bickle is a boiler pot just waiting to explode. The film also features Cybill Shepherd, Harvey Keitel and a young Jodie Foster.

Ordinary People. Robert Redford’s drama about the aftermath of tragedy in a small family is brilliant. All the performances are brilliant, however the real gem of this film is Mary Tyler Moore’s performance as the mother. This film really should not be missed.

The Royal Tenenbaums. Wes Anderson’s movies are all really charming and bizarre, but with a strong emotional core and this is his best one. Check it out!

Open Range While I’ve already mentioned that I believe that the western genre is dead (with Unforgiven being the farewell ceremony), it should be noted that once in a while it will rise to walk the earth again inexplicably. Costner’s Open Range is one of those exceptions to my “westerns are dead” proclamation. It’s an excellent film, starring an excellent cast. It also features one of the best western gunfights ever! Yes, the gunfight is that good.

Terminator. James Cameron proved early on with this film that he is a master of the action genre. The movie that launched Arnold Schwarzenegger’s career. True, the sequel to this film is better, but this one is pretty awesome also!

Alphaville. Jean-Luc Godard’s sci-fi noir classic is as bizarre as it is fascinating. Godard took a pulp fiction detective character and placed him in a near future sci-fi film. The result is a film that is hard not to watch! Also, the voice of the computer, heard in this trailer, is about as memorable as you can get.