The Sting (1973) - #219

Empire top 301: #219
IMDb top 250: #96

Rating 8/10

Director: George Roy Hill
Writers: David S. Ward
Starring: Paul Newman, Robert Redford & Robert Shaw

"Not only are you a cheat, you're a gutless cheat as well."

The Sting reunites from - Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid - Director George Roy Hill with Paul Newman and Robert Redford. It is a great movie full of so many twists and turns that you don't see coming and it keeps you guessing right up until the final moment. Robert Redford plays grifter Johnny Hooker (Redford) who seeks out Henry Gondorf (Newman) after the death of his partner to teach him "the big con"- an elaborate scam known as "the wire", using actors and con artists to create a fake off-track betting parlour - to fleece money from evil Doyle Lonnegan (Shaw) who was responsible for the death of his partner. 

The three leads are all equally great, although Robert Shaw's Irish accent dips here and there. Robert Redford is charming and perfectly cast. Newman is a hoot as Henry and gets the best lines, which are delivered to perfection and have me laughing out loud every time I hear them. I've not seen this movie in a while and completely forgot that Miles (Harold Gould) from the Golden Girls was in it. 

One of the best things about the movie is the music, Scott Joplin's rag lends itself so well to the fast, crime caper tone and period of the movie. You'll be whistling 'The Entertainer' for hours, long after the movie is finished. The sets are just right and the costumes are wonderful, every detail perfect right down to the clicking of Johnny's Brogues. 

The Sting has a great script and a fast pace and it really does have some 'didn't see that coming' twists, where no one or nothing are what they seem. It is a classic that totally deserves to be in the top 500! 

Jaws (1975) - #8

Empire top 301: #8
IMDb top 250: #148

Rating 8/10

Director: Steven Spielberg
Writers: Peter Benchley & Carl Gottlieb
Starring: Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw & Richard Dreyfuss

"You're gonna need a bigger boat."

I love Jaws, have done since the first time I saw it when I was about 12. It's just a brilliant movie. The thing that makes this movie so good and effective is the build up, it's well over half way into the movie before we get a good look at Jaws. Most of the kills are from Jaws point of view and all built up with John Williams brilliant score. This is one of Spielberg's best films and one that is still as good today as it was 38 years ago. Yes, at times Jaws looks a bit fake by today's standards but it's still pretty good. 

Every actor in this film does a really good job, especially Robert Shaw who's Indianapolis speech  is pretty amazing and still gives me chills. There are plenty of laughs and scares, the head coming out of the boat still makes me jump even though I know it's coming. 

Jaws is a great movie and really deserves to be in the top 500 greatest movies of all time. It's definitely in my top 500!