The Top 10 Movies To Watch Before You Die

Hello fellow Otaku & Metalheads. Welcome to the 1st of October!

I wanted to do something a bit different this year. Don’t worry, I’m okay. As dark as the title says, I’m not in some awful slump or anything. As a way to further vent out how I’ve been feeling since March & make some sense of it, I wanted to think of a list. 3 special lists in fact, on essential media that we all should partake in before we pass on to whatever realm of existence is in the beyond for us. More specifically, the 10 movies to watch, the 10 albums to listen to, and finally the 10 games we should play. I’m starting off the month of spooks and specters with the 10 movies to watch before you die.

As I made this list, I attempted to make sure that it was as varied as possible when it came to genres. One style of film might have been easier to do, but I wanted to cover a variety of styles so as to have a cornucopia to choose from. I may do a second one of these next year, but time will tell. In any case, here are the top 10 movies to watch before you die. Let’s begin!

10) Koyaanisqatsi (Trailer)

Like I’ve probably stated a few times on this blog, I’m not the biggest fan of Arthouse films. More often than not, I think they talk down to their audience, and feel like fluffy pieces that just stroke the director’s ego. That doesn’t mean they’re all like that, as there’s a couple that really make the brain cells ignite. Case in point, we have Koyaanisqatsi. Translated from the Hopi Indian language as “Life Out Of Balance”, it is one of the most stunning features I’ve ever watched. While there is some ego around the beginning, there isn’t much else in that regard during the rest of it’s 86 minute run time. It really is something not just to see, but hear as well, thanks to Philip Glass’s incredible soundtrack that plays across the entire movie. There’s no spoken dialog, and there aren’t any characters, though one could argue that when it focuses on a specific person there could be. Godfrey Reggio never put a story in, as he wanted all of it’s viewer to come up with their own opinion about what they saw. In the 42 years since it was released, older fans & newer fans alike have come to appreciate the wonderful photography & amazingly crafted music, and it’s contributions to motion picture should never be forgotten.

9) A Nightmare On Elm Street (Trailer)

In the past few years, I’ve grown more appreciative of the Horror genre. Like I’ve said for a while on this blog, I’m not a big fan, but like I said I definitely enjoy it far more now than I do maybe a decade ago (Even though I enjoyed it a little back then also). One such Horror film I’m a big fan of is the iconic & infamous A Nightmare On Elm Street. Directed by the late Wes Craven, it has been on this Earth for almost 40 years (Exactly 40 years on the 9th), and in all that time it carved a path through so many teenagers. Though aspects of it haven’t aged well over the nearly 4 decades (Mainly when it comes to certain special effects), much like the feature above the overall experience is awesome! Robert Englund chews up each & every scene he’s in, and was absolutely perfect as the titular Freddy Kruger, and everybody else does a great job as well (It was also Johnny Depp’s first screen role if I recall correctly). From the cinematography to the music, and even the special effects despite the hokiness at times, A Nightmare On Elm Street was a pop culture phenomenon, and did incredibly well at the box office. Even now, it manages to keep viewers’s lights on, and maybe just a little nervous when they go to sleep. If you want to get into Horror, perhaps a trip to Elm Street is in order.

8) Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (Trailer)

Animation has always been a powerful medium, no matter where it comes from. Japan especially has always been a juggernaut when it comes to that, as the titan that is Anime continues to be a powerful force practically everywhere. One of those champions from the Land of the Rising Sun is the iconic Studio Ghibli, where the grumpy yet oddly lovable Hayao Miyazaki & his cohorts have created some classic films. One of the best they’ve ever created was Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. It turned 40 years old this March on the 11th, but even before it turned 4 decades old it was incredible over in Japan, and made U.S. viewers’s jaws drop one it came over here. An environmental piece that’s the exact opposite of something like Avatar, it has wears the typical Ghibli charm on it’s sleeve, and isn’t ashamed of it because of critics. In addition to it’s environmental aspect, it’s also a great fantasy feature as well, filled not just with swordfights, but fantastical creatures, epic scenery, and even technology that counteracts nature. The voice acting is great also, whether it’s the original Streamline Pictures or the Disney re-release, as they’ll stay in your brain for quite some time. Studio Ghibli has released some amazing films since 1984, but it must be said that Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind might be their most essential. Definitely one to watch.

However, Japan is not the only country that wields animation like a sword. The United States is pretty damn good with it as well, and a little over a decade later after Nausicaä, something amazing created with computers was released.

7) Toy Story (Trailer)

By today’s standards it looks pretty primitive, but back in 1995 when this Pixar classic was released it was nothing short of amazing. Computer work beforehand was regulated mainly to special effects & action scenes, so to see a whole movie made by it was really incredible. I remember seeing Toy Story in theaters, and was completely enchanted by it from beginning to end. I was one of those kids that always wondered what my toys were doing when we weren’t looking, so to see that in front of my pre-teen eyes was really something. While CG since has been overdone in many movies since, back in the mid-90s to see an entire film made of it was incredible. The amount of work that was put in Toy Story is still evident today, and many of Pixar’s features in 2024 show that with the right crew, Computer animation can be a powerful force for film making.
 
6) Enter The Dragon (Trailer)

50 years old. That is how old Bruce Lee’s most iconic Martial Arts film turned in August of 2023 (August the 19th of that year more specifically). For half a century, it has wowed & awed viewers of all ages with it’s spectacular stunts, and blood pumping fights scenes. The acting might not be up to snuff when compared to everything else, and the cinematography is definitely dated by today’s standards, but the overall experience is just wonderful from beginning to end. The Dragon definitely cemented his legacy with other films after this one, but Enter The Dragon is such a landmark film in the Martial Arts genre, that they don’t quite have as much weight to them. If there was one Kung Fu feature that is required to watch, Enter The Dragon is that movie.

5) Rocky Horror Picture Show (Trailer)

More so that Horror & Arthouse films, I’m not a fan of musicals. Whereas I’ve gained some appreciation for the previously mentioned genres, when it comes to musicals not much ground has been gained (Outside of a few exceptions). However, my heart always had a home for the B rated classic Rocky Horror Picture Show. Getting slammed for the first 6 months, it would eventually gain a behemoth of a cult following due to midnight screenings back in the 70s, and eventually takes it’s place as a classic piece of cinema. Even today, the legion of fans it has all over the world shows it’s incredible staying power, what with it’s cast of quirky characters & surprisingly good songs. Not only that, but many in the Queer & Trans communities consider it an important piece of media when it comes to representation and such. Coming in on just under 50 years old last month (Turns exactly 50 years old on the 26th of September in 2025), it is a safe bet to say that nobody with ever forget Rocky.

4) Die Hard (Trailer)

For starters, I am one of those people that think Die Hard is a Christmas Movie! Yes, call me a dork, but this is a Seasonal essential for when December comes around.

Hell, even if it didn’t have anything to do with Christmas (Which it does), I & many others would still hail it as an 80s Action Movie classic! For the first time ever as a lead role, Bruce Willis was highly convincing as the fish that was massively out of water. Up against some highly armed & highly skilled “Terrorists” (If you’ve seen the movie, you know what I mean), he’s gotta do everything he can to rescue his wife & as many people as he can from out of Nakatomi Plaza, all the while avoiding getting shot at. All of the 80s Action Movie cliches are in Die Hard, heightened to a T, yet it all works so well that it somehow doesn’t feel old nearly 40 years after it came out in theaters. It is still an 80s film essential almost 4 decades since it first came out on the silver screen, and whether you watch it around the Holiday season or not, it’s sure to be exciting!

3) Blazing Saddles (Trailer)

Yet another movie that’s celebrating a half-century on this planet (Turned 50 years old back in February of this year on the 7th), Blazing Saddles could only have come from the minds of Richard Prior & Mel Brooks, who himself turned 98 back in June on the 28th. Taking the Western genre & turning it into a comical farce of the best kind, as practically every single joke lands and makes me laugh. Not only that, but Blazing Saddles is also one of the best examples of anti-racist media that’s ever been made. The acting is superb from beginning to end, with greats like Gene Wilder, Cleavon Little, Harvey Korman, Madeline Kahn, and of course Mel Brooks chewing up every single scene they’re in. Given the social & political environment we unfortunately have nowadays (Most if not all critics don’t realize most the jokes are done at the EXPENSE of the racists), we’re likely to never have another movie like Blazing Saddles made, but that’s okay.....because one Blazing Saddles is enough.

2) Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch's War on Journalism (Trailer)

In a highly political year like 2024, it seemed only right to talk about this documentary. I remember watching this about 20 years, and while I didn’t understand a lot of the material back then, I comprehend practically all of it nowadays. The story behind the formation of Fox News is equal parts intriguing & terrifying, and it’s existence in then 2004 when the documentary came out. Those who were in the political sphere in the early 2000s were likely aware that Fox was nothing more than a mouthpiece for the Right, but for average joes like myself it was like staring into an abyss that none the less provided an illuminating yet horrifying experience. The inner working of this “News” network has become all the more obvious 20 years later, and it’s a shame that a 3rd version of the film hasn’t been released. Even so, Outfoxed is an important documentary that every one should watch at least once. Speaking of watching at least once.....

1) Schindler’s List (Trailer)

It’s a bit of a downer to end this list on a such a heavy note, but it’s only right.

I’ve known about what is perhaps Steven Spielberg’s biggest film ever (That’s saying something, considering what he released in the years before) for a long time, with my first actual introduction towards the end of 2019 thanks to a movie list I watched (Click Here), and I did view a few scenes afterwards, but it wasn’t until May of 2024 when I finally witnessed the story of one of the most incredible acts of bravery during World War 2. The story of Oscar Schindler, a man who sacrificed everything, saving the lives of 1,100 Jews from the hands of the Nazis. Though it does start further into his life during the war, we still see him turn from quite the prick, into one of the most heroic individuals ever in history. The fact that he is the only Nazi to be buried in Israel is testament to what he did, and screw those who discredit him. If there was ever a movie that you truly needed to watch once before you die.....it is Schindler’s List.

And those were the top 10 movies to watch before you die. More than any other list I’ve ever done, there’s something for pretty much everybody on here. Now, I turn my attention to the realm of music, as I’ll speak of the 10 albums you gotta listen to before you die. See you all around the middle of the month, but see you all next week for a spooky surprise!