Long regarded as the go-to source for hot destinations or a nice dinner out, now you can refer to Zagat’s World’s Best Movies list for their official opinion the best films of all time. Find out which topped their list, plus pictures and video below!
Using a formula that calculates a film’s rank based on acting, storyline, and production value, the top 20 list based on a film’s ‘Overall Quality’ might surprise you. Containing only two films from the new millennium, the company immediately risks alienating their younger audience.
Topping Zagat’s world’s best movies is the predictable and worthy Godfather duo. Part 1 takes the first spot with part 2 right behind it. With Casablanca, Schindler’s List, and Lawrence of Arabia rounding out the top 5, other notables are number 7: Star Wars, 14: Shawshank Redemption, and 19: Finding Nemo. Yes, to the shock of old-time movie lovers who no doubt highly regard the first 18 classics, the lovable kids film scored one for the animated genre by breaking into the top 20!
Fore your perusal, here’s the full breakdown of Top Films By Overall Quality:
1. The Godfather (1972)
2. The Godfather Part II (1974)
3. Casablanca (1942)
4. Schindler’s List (1993)
5. Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
6. To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
7. Star Wars (1977)
8. The Wizard of Oz (1939)
9. Lady Eve (1941)
10. Singin’ in the Rain (1952)
11. Rear Window (1954)
12. It Happened One Night (1934)
13. Citizen Kane (1941)
14. Shawshank Redemption (1994)
15. All About Eve (1950)
16. The Pianist (2002)
17. African Queen (1951)
18. Third Man (1949)
19. Finding Nemo (2003)
20. Dr. Strangelove (1964)
But that isn’t where the multi-faceted rating company stops. Aside from their film ranking, lists were also made naming the top actors, actresses, and directors, as well as ranking the top film by genre! Quite an undertaking!
Actors:
1. Cary Grant
2. Johnny Depp
3. Geroge Clooney
Actresses
1. Meryl Streep
2. Sandra Bullock
3. Katharine Hepburn
Directors:
1. Steven Spielberg
2. Martin Scorsese
3. Alfred Hitchcock
Zagat’s World’s Best Movies is available for $14.95 from http://www.zagat.com. What do you think of the surveyor’s list? You can get more detail here. What would you change about it? Let me know in the comment section after you check out these pictures and videos!
Photos: www.wenn.com/ Adriana M. Barraza, Andres Otero, PNP
November 11th, 2010 at 7:06 am
Sandra Bullock is an amazing actress. I won’t disagree that there aren’t other extremely talented actresses out there who could have made the list… I personally LOVE Sally Fields and Julia Roberts to name a couple, but Sandra is quite deserving in her own right. How else does she become the top earning female actress over the past year? She’s definitely got talent!
November 11th, 2010 at 7:24 am
Are you kidding. Your list is great but. Have you ever seen Ben Hur, Forrest Gump, Patton, MASH, Spartacus, The Sting, Braveheart, Dances with Wolves,Cool Hand Luke, The Searchers, Gladiator or the Sound of Music.
Lets not forget Newman, Hanks, Peck, Wayne, Gable, Heston, Hopkins.
How about Sally Field or Ms. Foster
Your girl Dory Fish is not better than the Lion King or Little Mermaid – ask the kids.
November 11th, 2010 at 7:24 am
I completely disagree with this list 100%. Why are only american films listed here and no foregin? This is a bias list of movies and some shouldn’t even be on here! The Zagat needs to review every movie ever made to make a fair listing. And if you’re going to do american films what about Sam peckinpah or Alfred Hitchcock. perhaps John Ford? I don’t see Mel Brooks either? But where’s Stanley Kubrick. Enough of american film makers. Where’s Jean Renoir, Akira Kurosawa, Federico Fellini, Ingmar Bergman, Pier Paolo Pasolini, Wong Kar-wai etc….Do you see my point? This is NOT a fair or accurate list and needs to be done over!!!!!
November 11th, 2010 at 7:30 am
Ask Steven Spielberg who the three best directors are. He would say John Ford, John Ford, John Ford. Not only did you get the movies wrong, but you made a lame attempt to pick actors and directors. Stick to the restaurant business and leave the lists to the fans!
November 11th, 2010 at 7:58 am
What a load of crap! The movie list is beyond being a joke: no critic would agree with that monstrosity. As for the stars: WHERE THE HELL IS BOGIE!? The man who has been rated the top movie star of all time is not even rated your top male star? Are you people high? Sandra Bullock? George Clooney? What about James Stewart or even John Wayne, who was at the top of the box office for over 30 years of his career (he isn’t my cup of tea but he belongs there just the same- the record and his continuing popularity, not to mention his icon status, speak for themselves)
Good grief!!! You people must be high or ignorant of motion pictures altogether!!!
If you are really making a responsible list, you aren’t supposed to pander to people who are 20 years old: the list is supposed to be ALL ENCOMPASSING. Movies are 120 years old, guys, and believe it or not some of the best were made in the first 30 years of motion pictures.
Learn what you’re talking about before you presume to make lists like this.
November 11th, 2010 at 8:17 am
Oh, and by the way, where is John Ford on this miserable list? Spielberg, Welles, and many other directors would name him as the ONLY director who truly matters- the one they learned their craft from. Whose movie shows up in a clip in “ET”- John Ford’s “The Quiet Man”. There is a reason for that!!!
Only a fool would make a list of directors and not put the one who made the motion picture what it is- the director who is and was credited with being the ‘father of the motion picture’ worldwide .at the top. That man is D.W. Griffith. Yes, his films were made long before you bozos were born, and none of you have probably seen one of them, but his work influenced every filmmaker of his generation, and through them, everyone who came after. He took what was a novelty and turned it into an art form. Why don’t you study what this man accomplished? You can dismiss the racism of “The Birth of a Nation”, but its influence as a textbook for film making can can’t be. A man’s greatness and influence as a filmmaker can’t be erased because of something we find distasteful today; if so, our history books should also erase Henry Ford, who wrote that very anti-Semitic book and was pro-Nazi in the beginning (until the war).
Stick to what you know: restaurants. Maybe if a few of you devoted themselves to studying films and actually watching films of ALL eras as I have- and learned to appreciate them- you might try again; however, my guess is the list wouldn’t be much improved.
November 11th, 2010 at 8:38 am
Where’s “On the Waterfront”
November 11th, 2010 at 8:42 am
I’m sure Jodie Foster, Hilary Swank and Charlize Theron would love to know that Sandra Bullock is considered a better actress than they are. Frickin’ joke.
November 11th, 2010 at 8:57 am
TOTALLY DISAGREE WITH FINDING NEMO, FINDING ITS WAY INTO TOP 20!
There are so many other films that are leagues above this one … and if you needed to include an animation, why not Toy Story which at least has a great story and strong voice actor performances!
November 11th, 2010 at 9:00 am
George Clooney a best actor? If it weren’t for famous relatives, striking good looks and being a real nice guy, George would be doing community theatre in Boise. He has never starred in a hit movie and casting directors all say he’s a terrible audition. Sheesh.