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 11:00 am
Sandra Bullock has too many unbelieveable, campy movies. As much as I believe she has so very much improved, she is not in the same ballpark as a Hepburn. Meryl number one, no.
What about Jimmy Stewart, Tom Hanks, and Paul Newman. Godfather number 1 and 2, no. And finaly, though hated in Hollywood, James Cameron should be right up there. Speilberg, I would agree is number one.
November 11th, 2010 at 11:03 am
Amadeus? Cool Hand Luke? Goodfellas (Scorsese is one of your top directors, but no Martin movie in top 20..interesting). Raiders of the Lost Ark? Patton?
November 11th, 2010 at 11:06 am
I’d like to know where the wonderful foreign movies fit into Zagat’s world view.
Can Fellini, and Copolla really be ignored?
And Truffaut?
To me this is like Zagat never looks beyond the boundary of their own eyes.
Actresses and actors maybe somewhat better..
But I really think they should keep their opinions to food ….
November 11th, 2010 at 11:14 am
wait I was wrong …..I have to agree with other opinions that actors like Marlon Brando, Willem Dafoe, Paul Newman, Denzel Washington to name a few, are superior …but maybe the actors list needs to be in the amount of 20 also ….and please insert Kate Blanchett in place of Sandra Bullock! Thanks.
November 11th, 2010 at 11:17 am
Who is the idiot who thinks that Leonardo DeCrapio should be on a best actor list?! He belongs on a worst actor list definitely!!
November 11th, 2010 at 11:37 am
WHERE IS THE HARRY POTTER MOVIES?! THOSE ARE THE BEST 8 MOVIES OF ALL TIME!!!
November 11th, 2010 at 11:57 am
AFI has their own list of 100 greatest movies…looks like Zagot borrowed from that quite a bit…agree with most above that Clooney, Sandra Bullock, and Finding Nemo should not have made these lists. Jimmy Stewart should have made this list. Also agree with bgs that these should be movies you can watch over and over again. Wizard of Oz, Godfathers, Star Wars, and Singing in the Rain, I’ve seen more than a dozen times. I’ve also seen It’s a Wonderful Life, Rocky (the original), and Raiders of the Lost Ark, dozens of times as well and would have listed here. For Dave I would have listed Grease as the best musical of all time…For comedies I’ve seen The Blues Brother, Caddy Shack, Airplane, Animal House, and Stripes dozen’s of times a well.
November 11th, 2010 at 12:54 pm
What about Steven Spielberg’s “The Color Purple”? And a movie that definitely should be in the top 20 or even top 10 is Sam Mendes’ “Road to Perdition” staring Paul Newman and Tom Hanks.
November 11th, 2010 at 1:26 pm
Wow, I like a lot of the films on the top 20 but there are a few missing ie. Pulp Fiction, Taxi Driver, Boogie Nights, 2001: A Space Odyssey etc. I don’t like Johnny Depp or George Clooney on this list even though I like both actors. What about Jimmy Stewart and Robert DeNiro? And Sandra Bullock on this list is just an outright insult!
November 11th, 2010 at 1:39 pm
MY ONLY CHANGE IN THE TOP 20 WOULD BE “THE TEN COMMANDMENTS. I THINK ONE OF MY ALL TIME MOVIE, THAT I COULD WATCH OVER AND OVER! THANKS!!!!!