The Definitives

Appreciations and critical essays on great cinema

The Definitives are my personal favorite films. Each essay in The Definitives provides an impassioned appreciation or critical analysis, each researched from the extensive Bibliography to ensure an interdisciplinary discussion of the film. I hope The Definitives enhance your viewing experience, whether it’s your first time with the film, you’re rediscovering it, or you’re returning to a longtime favorite for a new perspective.

Brian Eggert
Deep Focus Review

  1. terrorizers-1986

    Terrorizers (1986)

    Essay by Brian Eggert

  2. gosford-park-header-4

    Gosford Park (2001)

    Essay by Brian Eggert

  3. raising-arizona

    Raising Arizona (1987)

    Essay by Brian Eggert

  4. zama-lucrecia-martel

    Zama (2018)

    Essay by Brian Eggert

  5. halloween-1978

    Halloween (1978)

    Essay by Brian Eggert

  6. Rosemary's Baby

    Rosemary’s Baby (1968)

    Essay by Brian Eggert

  7. the-music-room-1958

    The Music Room (1958)

    Essay by Brian Eggert

  8. the-big-city-1963

    The Big City (1963)

    Essay by Brian Eggert

  9. pather-panchali-film-1955-satyajit-ray

    Pather Panchali (1955)

    Essay by Brian Eggert

The Definitives

  1. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
  2. 28 Days Later (2002)
  3. The 400 Blows (1959)
  4. 8 1/2 (1963)
  5. Ace in the Hole (1951)
  6. Adaptation. (2002)
  7. The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)
  8. After Hours (1985)
  9. The Age of Innocence (1993)
  10. Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972)
  11. A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001)
  12. Alien (1979)
  13. Aliens (1986)
  14. Amadeus (1984)
  15. Annie Hall (1977)
  16. Army of Shadows (1969)
  17. Bamboozled (2000)
  18. Barry Lyndon (1975)
  19. Barton Fink (1991)
  20. Batman Begins (2005)
  21. Being There (1979)
  22. Bicycle Thieves (1948)
  23. The Big City (1963)
  24. The Big Heat (1953)
  25. Blade Runner (1982)
  26. Blow Out (1981)
  27. The Blue Angel (1930)
  28. Blue Velvet (1986)
  29. Bob le flambeur (1956)
  30. Brazil (1985)
  31. The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
  32. Brute Force (1947)
  33. Caché (2005)
  34. Captain Blood (1935)
  35. Carrie (1976)
  36. Casablanca (1942)
  37. Cat People (1942)
  38. Chinatown (1974)
  39. Citizen Kane (1941)
  40. City Lights (1931)
  41. Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989)
  42. The Crying Game (1992)
  43. The Curse of the Cat People (1944)
  44. The Dark Knight (2008)
  45. The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
  46. Dawn of the Dead (1978)
  47. Diabolique (1955)
  48. Die Hard (1988)
  49. Do the Right Thing (1989)
  50. Don’t Look Now (1973)
  51. Double Indemnity (1944)
  52. Drunken Angel (1948)
  53. El laberinto del fauno (2006)
  54. The English Patient (1996)
  55. Escape from New York (1981)
  56. The Exorcist (1973)
  57. Eyes Wide Shut (1999)
  58. The Fallen Idol (1948)
  59. Fanny & Alexander (1982)
  60. Finding Nemo (2003)
  61. Fitzcarraldo (1982)
  62. The Fly (1986)
  63. Frances Ha (2013)
  64. Freaks (1932)
  65. Gone with the Wind (1939)
  66. Gosford Park (2001)
  67. Grand Illusion (1937)
  68. The Great Dictator (1940)
  69. Grizzly Man (2005)
  70. Halloween (1978)
  71. Happy-Go-Lucky (2008)
  72. Harakiri (1963)
  73. Heat (1995)
  74. High and Low (1963)
  75. His Girl Friday (1940)
  76. House of Games (1987)
  77. The Ice Storm (1997)
  78. Ikiru (1952)
  79. The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009)
  80. The Incredibles (2004)
  81. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
  82. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)
  83. Inglourious Basterds (2009)
  84. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)
  85. Jaws (1975)
  86. Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1975)
  87. JFK (1991)
  88. Jurassic Park (1993)
  89. King Kong (1933)
  90. Knife in the Water (1962)
  91. La noire de… (1966)
  92. La strada (1954)
  93. The Lady Eve (1941)
  94. Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
  95. Les enfants du paradis (1945)
  96. The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943)
  97. M. Hulot’s Holiday (1953)
  98. Man of the West (1958)
  99. The Man Who Wasn’t There (2001)
  100. The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
  101. A Matter of Life and Death (1946)
  102. Metropolis (1927)
  103. Minority Report (2002)
  104. Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters (1985)
  105. The Mist (2007)
  106. Modern Times (1936)
  107. Mon oncle (1958)
  108. Moolaadé (2004)
  109. Mulholland Dr. (2001)
  110. The Music Room (1958)
  111. My Darling Clementine (1946)
  112. My Neighbor Totoro (1988)
  113. The Naked Spur (1953)
  114. Nashville (1975)
  115. Network (1976)
  116. Night and the City (1950)
  117. The Night of the Hunter (1955)
  118. Night of the Living Dead (1968)
  119. Ninotchka (1939)
  120. North by Northwest (1959)
  121. Notorious (1946)
  122. Odd Man Out (1947)
  123. Oldboy (2003)
  124. Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)
  125. Onibaba (1964)
  126. Our Man in Havana (1959)
  127. Pather Panchali (1955)
  128. Paths of Glory (1957)
  129. Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (2006)
  130. Pickup on South Street (1953)
  131. The Player (1992)
  132. PlayTime (1967)
  133. Princess Mononoke (1997)
  134. Pulp Fiction (1994)
  135. The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985)
  136. Raging Bull (1980)
  137. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
  138. Raising Arizona (1987)
  139. Rashomon (1950)
  140. Rebel Without a Cause (1955)
  141. Red River (1948)
  142. The Red Shoes (1946)
  143. Rembrandt (1936)
  144. Rio Bravo (1959)
  145. The Road Warrior (1981)
  146. RoboCop (1987)
  147. Rosemary’s Baby (1968)
  148. The Rules of the Game (1939)
  149. Rushmore (1998)
  150. Sanjuro (1962)
  151. Sansho the Bailiff (1954)
  152. A Scanner Darkly (2006)
  153. The Searchers (1956)
  154. Seconds (1966)
  155. A Serious Man (2009)
  156. Seven Samurai (1954)
  157. The Seventh Seal (1957)
  158. Sexy Beast (2000)
  159. Shadow of a Doubt (1943)
  160. Shoah (1985)
  161. Singin’ in the Rain (1952)
  162. Solaris (1972)
  163. Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (1977)
  164. State and Main (2000)
  165. Sullivan’s Travels (1941)
  166. Sunset Blvd. (1950)
  167. Sweet Smell of Success (1957)
  168. The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)
  169. Taxi Driver (1976)
  170. Terrorizers (1986)
  171. There Will Be Blood (2007)
  172. They Live (1988)
  173. The Thin Blue Line (1988)
  174. The Thin Man (1934)
  175. The Thin Red Line (1998)
  176. The Thing (1982)
  177. The Third Man (1949)
  178. To Be or Not to Be (1942)
  179. Topsy-Turvy (1999)
  180. Touch of Evil (1958)
  181. Toy Story (1995)
  182. Trainspotting (1996)
  183. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
  184. Trouble in Paradise (1932)
  185. Ugetsu (1953)
  186. Umberto D. (1952)
  187. Unfaithfully Yours (1948)
  188. Unforgiven (1992)
  189. The Untouchables (1987)
  190. Vertigo (1958)
  191. Videodrome (1983)
  192. The Wages of Fear (1953)
  193. WALL·E (2008)
  194. White Heat (1949)
  195. White Material (2009)
  196. The Wild Bunch (1969)
  197. The Wolf Man (1941)
  198. Woman in the Dunes (1964)
  199. Written on the Wind (1956)
  200. Yojimbo (1961)
  201. Zama (2018)
  202. Zodiac (2007)