Empire’s 500 Greatest Movies of All Time
491. Ben-Hur (William Wyler, 1959)
Ben-Hur is an 11 Academy Award winning epic historical drama film set in ancient Rome. Only one other film has won as many awards and that was Titanic.
Worth the watch?
I would be very surprised if you haven’t seen this film at some point in your life. It is a very good film with a lot of memorable moments. In terms of films involving Jesus Christ, this film is definitely the top of my list.
Worth a second watch?
Man, I haven’t seen this film in years. Because Kirk Douglas lost the role of Judah Ben-Hur to Charlton Heston, he was inspired to do Spartacus with Stanley Kubrick, which came out the following year. I like Spartacus much more than Ben-Hur and many would say it overshadows the latter film in this sentence. As a result, I wouldn’t find myself watching Ben-Hur a second time. I know that’s a cheap excuse to avoid watching a film again, but I don’t care.
Empire’s 500 Greatest Movies of All Time
496. Superman Returns (Bryan Singer, 2006)
We may have been due for a Superman movie, thus leading to a sequel to the films from the late 1970s to early 1980s. More specifically, Superman Returns takes place after Superman II, completely ignoring the events of Superman III and Superman IV: The Quest for Peace. Does that sound like a recipe for success to you?
Worth the watch?
Not unless you’re a Superman fan. This movie was long and boring. The acting is solid, including Kevin Spacey’s role as Lex Luthor, but that’s about the only notably good thing about this film. Too much love story between Superman and Lois and not enough action, honestly. Also, it was desperate for nostalgia. We get it, there were two good films from the 1980s. Why didn’t you try to make your own vision of Superman instead?
Worth a second watch?
Well, Man of Steel is coming out later this year. Maybe you should revisit this film to get your Superman fill until then. I’m thinking of doing that. Maybe I can muster something from this film to get me pumped for Man of Steel. Like Lois, I have a complicated relationship with Superman.
NBA Predictions From the Beginning of the Season
Boston Celtics 42-49 wins
Brooklyn Nets 42-52 wins
New York Knicks 45-52 wins
Philadelphia 76ers 35-42 wins
Toronto Raptors 23-32 wins
The Sixers are underachieving. The Raptors went into the break with a four game winning streak and with the addition to Rudy Gay, they just might not be a 50 loss team.
Chicago Bulls 45-52 wins
Cleveland Cavaliers 20-32 wins
Detroit Pistons 20-29 wins
Indiana Pacers 47-52 wins
Milwaukee Bucks 33-43 wins
Knowing now that Derrick Rose might not see the basketball court this season may slow down the Bulls. They play well, but it is hard to be motivated when your best player was expecting to come back, then appears to lean towards sitting out the season. The Bucks don’t know what to make of themselves, which is why i gave them such a win range.
Atlanta Hawks 40-42 wins
Charlotte Bobcats 13-22 wins
Miami Heat 60-65 wins
Orlando Magic 13-22 wins
Washington Wizards 23-35 wins
Not sure if the Heat will get to 60 wins. Everything else in the dicision seems legit.
Dallas Mavericks 50-52 wins
Houston Rockets 33-42 wins
Memphis Grizzlies 50-52 wins
New Orleans Hornets 13-22 wins
San Antonio Spurs 50-59 wins
I did not expect this from the Mavericks. Maybe they will pick it up in the second half.
Denver Nuggets 45-49 wins
Minnesota Timberwolves 35-45 wins
Oklahoma City Thunder 60-62 wins
Portland Trail Blazers 23-35 wins
Utah Jazz 35-45 wins
Much disappointment from the Timberwolves. That is all.
Golden State Warriors 33-41 wins
Los Angeles Clippers 50-59 wins
Los Angeles Lakers 50-52 wins
Phoenix Suns 20-25 wins
Sacramento Kings 23-33 wins
This division is giving me a headache. Being a Kings fan gives me a headache
Empire’s 500 Greatest Movies of All Time
498. Back to the Future Part II (Robert Zemeckis, 1989)
The first film completely left the door wide open, so the sequel was necessary. Instead of traveling to the past, Doc and Marty travel to the future to help Marty’s kids. But when they travel back to the present, things are much different than when they left it.
Worth the watch?
Did you like the first film? Of course you did. I found this film to be my favorite of the three Back to the Future movies. There are inventions from this film that fans are still waiting for to this day. We have the technology, so where are our awesome Nike shoes and hover board shown in the photos above?
Worth a second watch?
Yes, again, and again, and again. The third film is like The Godfather Part III. It is good, but it just makes you sad that it isn’t as good as the first two.
Empire’s 500 Greatest Movies of All Time
23. Back to the Future (Robert Zemeckis, 1985)
Robert Zemeckis has made some of the more memorable films in the past 30 years, none more memorable than Back to the Future. Is there a better film duo than Marty McFly and Doc Brown? Probably not.
Worth the watch?
Absolutely. Back to the Future is a science fiction adventure comedy film. It is this combination that makes this a film easy for any type of movie fan to enjoy. Truly, a film you can’t go life without.
Worth a second watch?
Yes. A second, third, fourth, and fifth. It is an enjoyable film for yourself, with the family, with the better half, friends, etc. Just sit back and enjoy the DeLorean ride.
