This seemed easy enough, but as I started, the years kind of ran together. As I looked it became difficult to decide on one film. Some years had many of my favorites, while others had a clear winner. I found making this list was taking days to compile. I had so many other things that I should have been doing. But I kept wasting time on this.
So, most of the years have a list of nominees based entirely on how many I felt like nominating. My criteria for picking the winner was influenced by the quality of the film, but mostly I tried to base it on the film I give the most repeat viewings. In many cases the movie I watch and enjoy the most is not by any means the best movie of that year. This is just what I enjoy watching and have enjoyed over time. Even with all that, I have a few ties. 1985 about killed me. So, enjoy and, if you dare, make your own list.
*Movies are organized by the year that they are listed on IMDB. In many cases this is not the year it was actually released in the USA.
1973
- The Exorcist
1974
- Blazing Saddles
1975
- Jaws
1976
Nominees:
- Burnt Offerings
- The Outlaw Josey Wales
Winner:
- The Outlaw Josey Wales
1977
Nominees;
- Star Wars
- Close Encounters of the Third Kind
- Smokey and the Bandit
- The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
Winner:
- Star Wars
1978
- Halloween
1979
- The Amityville Horror
1980
Nominees:
- The Shining
- Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back
- The Blues Brothers
- Superman II
- Caddyshack
Winner:
- The Blues Brothers
1981
Nominees:
- Raiders of the Lost Ark
- Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior
- Escape from New York
- Stripes
- Porky's
Winner:
- Raiders of the Lost Ark (Tie)
- Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (Tie)
1982
Nominees:
- Fast Times at Ridgemont High
- Poltergeist
- First Blood
- Night Shift
- E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial
Winner:
- Fast Times at Ridgemont High
1983
Nominees:
- Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi
- National Lampoon's Vacation
- The Right Stuff
- Strange Brew
Winner:
- National Lampoon's Vacation
1984
Nominees:
- Sixteen Candles
- Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
- Children of the Corn
- Red Dawn
- Revenge of the Nerds
Winner:
- Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
1985
Nominees:
- Back to the Future
- The Breakfast Club
- The Goonies
- Spies Like Us
- Teen Wolf
- St. Elmo's Fire
- Better Off Dead...
- Silverado
- Pee-wee's Big Adventure
- House
- Fandango
Winner:
- Pee-wee's Big Adventure (Tie)
- Better Off Dead... (Tie)
1986
Nominees:
- Ferris Bueller's Day Off
- Stand by Me
- ¡Three Amigos!
- Crossroads
- The Mosquito Coast
Winner:
- Ferris Bueller's Day Off
1987
Nominees:
- The Princess Bride
- Evil Dead II
- Can't Buy Me Love
- Raising Arizona
- Planes, Trains & Automobiles
- Amazon Women on the Moon
Winner:
- The Princess Bride
1988
Nominees:
- Die Hard
- Beetlejuice
- Young Guns
- Young Einstein
Winner:
- Die Hard
1989
Nominees:
- Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
- Back to the Future Part II
- Road House
- Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure
- Say Anything...
- Weekend at Bernie's
- Major League
- Harlem Nights
- Lonesome Dove
Winner:
- Lonesome Dove
- Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
1990
Nominees:
- Die Hard 2
- Cry-Baby
- Flatliners
- Young Guns II
- Pump Up the Volume
Winner:
- Die Hard 2
1991
Nominees:
- The Silence of the Lambs
- Terminator 2: Judgment Day
- Point Break
- Nothing But Trouble
- Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead
- The Last Boy Scout
- Career Opportunities
Winner:
- The Last Boy Scout
1992
Nominees:
- Bram Stoker's Dracula
- My Cousin Vinny
- Wayne's World
- Army of Darkness
- Scent of a Woman
- Encino Man
- Candyman
- Thunderheart
Winner:
- Candyman
1993
Nominees:
- Tombstone
- Dazed and Confused
- True Romance
- What's Eating Gilbert Grape
- The Fugitive
- Falling Down
- Wayne's World 2
- Demolition Man
- So I Married an Axe Murderer
- Kalifornia
- A Perfect World
- Aspen Extreme
- Weekend at Bernie's II
Winner:
- A Perfect World
1994
Nominees:
- The Shawshank Redemption
- Forrest Gump
- True Lies
- Wyatt Earp
- Color of Night
- With Honors
- Don Juan DeMarco
Winner:
- The Shawshank Redemption
1995
Nominees:
- Se7en
- Waterworld
- Empire Records
- Desperado
- Mallrats
- Mr. Holland's Opus
Winner:
- Mr. Holland's Opus
1996
Nominees:
- Kingpin
- Sling Blade
- That Thing You Do!
- Sleepers
- Beautiful Girls
Winner:
- That Thing You Do!
1997
Nominees:
- L.A. Confidential
- Good Will Hunting
- Boogie Nights
- The Game
- The Postman
- Fools Rush In
Winner:
- The Postman
1998
Nominees:
- The Big Lebowski
- The Waterboy
- Saving Private Ryan
- Pleasantville
- Can't Hardly Wait
- Dirty Work
- Smoke Signals
- Fallen
- Deep Impact
- Dancer, Texas Pop. 81
- The Wedding Singer
- Six Days Seven Nights
- American History X
Winner:
- Saving Private Ryan
1999
Nominees:
- The Matrix
- Fight Club
- The Sixth Sense
- American Pie
- The Green Mile
- Big Daddy
- Office Space
Winner:
- Fight Club
2000
Nominees:
- Unbreakable
- Almost Famous
- Me, Myself & Irene
- The Gift
Winner:
- Almost Famous
2001
Nominees:
- Black Hawk Down
- Enemy at the Gates
- American Pie 2
- Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back
- The Others
- The Devil's Backbone
- Bubble Boy
- The Majestic
- Say It Isn't So
Winner:
- The Majestic
2002
Nominees:
- The Ring
- Bubba Ho-Tep
- Panic Room
Winner:
- Bubba Ho-Tep
2003
Nominees:
- Big Fish
- Secondhand Lions
- The Missing
Winner:
- Secondand Lions
2004
Nominees:
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
- Saw
- The Butterfly Effect
- Alexander
Winner:
- Saw
2005
Nominees:
- King Kong
- Batman Begins
- The Descent
- Cinderella Man
- Flightplan
- Saw II
- Red Eye
Winner:
- Batman Begins
2006
Nominees:
- The Prestige
- 300
- Pan's Labyrinth
- The Host
- Black Snake Moan
Winner:
- Pan's Labyrinth
2007
Nominees:
- Superbad
- Planet Terror
- The Mist
- The Orphanage
- Dead Silence
- The Simpsons Movie
Winner:
- The Mist
2008
Nominees:
- The Dark Knight
- Cloverfield
- The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
- Gran Torino
- The Strangers
- The Happening
- Let the Right One In
Winner:
- Cloverfield
2009
Nominees:
- Zombieland
- The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
- The Road
- Moon
Winner:
- Zombieland
2010
Nominees:
- Inception
- Tucker and Dale vs Evil
- Winter's Bone
- Insidious
- The Book of Eli
- Trollhunter
- Super
- I Saw the Devil
- The Wolfman
Winner:
- Insidious
2011
Nominees:
- Rise of the Planet of the Apes
- Take Shelter
- Super 8
- War Horse
Winner:
- Super 8
2012
Nominees:
- The Dark Knight Rises
- Life of Pi
- Chronicle
- Mud
- The Woman in Black
Winner:
- Life of Pi
2013
Nominees:
- The Conjuring
- Evil Dead
- 42
- Homefront
- Insidious: Chapter 2
- Dark Skies
Winner:
- The Conjuring
2014
Nominees:
- The Imitation Game
- Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
- The Babadook
- Selma
- 3 Days to Kill
- St. Vincent
Winner:
- Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
2015
Nominees:
- Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens
- Mad Max: Fury Road
- The Big Short
- The Revenant
- The Visit
- Bone Tomahawk
- The Gift
- The Walk
Winner:
- Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens
2016 (So Far)
Nominees:
- Rogue One
- 10 Cloverfield Lane
- The Shallows
- The Conjuring 2
- Arrival
- Lights Out
Winner:
- Rogue One
2017 (So far)
Nominees:
- Split
- Get Out
Winner:
- Split
In these later years, I may not have seen many of the top pictures out there. For one, they seem to churn them out at a rapid rate, and two, there just isn't as much time as there was in the 80s and 90s. Feel free to offer suggestions and tell me how wrong I am. Tell me how bad or good is my taste.
Clayton
