The Neverending Top Ten Thread

THE 10 GREATEST LETHAL WEAPON MOMENTS!

Lethal Weapon is one of the most popular action movie franchises of all-time. There are so many memorable and crowd-pleasing moments that I'm afraid this list will exclude several of them. But I hope you enjoy this list nonetheless.


#10 - FOREPLAY from LETHAL WEAPON 3 (1992)



When we meet Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson) in the original film, he had recently lost his wife in a car accident. He was depressed and suicidal. He overcame that thanks to his new partner but happiness wouldn't last for long. In the first sequel, he meets a cute South African girl and things seem to be progressing nicely till tragedy strike again. So, in Lethal Weapon 3, when ANOTHER love interest is introduced, people knew what to expect... or did they? Rene Russo plays Lorna Cole. She's an Internal Affairs officer investigating a breach in security when automatic weapons are stolen from a police warehouse and sold to L.A. gangs. From the moment she appears she's at odds with Riggs. They have the sort of playful bickering that's seen in many romantic comedies. But where they truly shine, and set themselves apart, is during a scene where they compare battle scars and slowly lead into sex. It's perhaps the most interesting foreplay in the history of cinema.


#9 - AN EXPLOSIVE FLUSH from LETHAL WEAPON 2 (1989)



Martin Riggs is the Lethal Weapon the title refers to. He's a loose canon that gets the job done no matter what. To balance him out, his partner Roger Murtaugh (Danny Glover), is a straight man. But for one brief moment he became the center in one of the most ridiculously over-the-time moments in the series. Like every man his age, he begins the day by sitting on the toilet and reading the newspaper. Knowing this, the villains think it's hilarious to put a bomb on it. What follows is, well, iconic.


#8 - PURSUING THE TRIADS from LETHAL WEAPON 4 (1998)
In the final installment of the series, Riggs & Murtaugh are after the Chinese triad but they didn't count on Jet Li attacking their entire family and almost burning them alive. So when you piss off these two, you can expect some destruction, including driving a car through a building. There are several car chases throughout the franchise, but this one takes the cake.

#7 - RIGGS & MURTAUGH vs. JET LI from LETHAL WEAPON 4
This is a bit of a controversial choice. Many fans have issues with this scene. You see, in the first movie, Riggs is a Vietnam vet, an ex-military sniper shooter, and a martial artist. In fact, Lethal Weapon is the first major Hollywood film to display Brazilian Jui-Jitsu. But for some unknown reason all of this is ignored in the sequels. Which is dumb because the whole point of calling the franchise "Lethal Weapon" revolves around Riggs knowing all this stuff. However, the lack of Riggs' expertise doesn't matter much in parts 2 and 3. But it does matter in part 4. If your villain is Jet Li, Riggs has to go back to Lethal Weapon mode. In this climactic fight sequence, Riggs is just an average street brawler. So you can see why fans dislike it. Now that being said, I do agree that Riggs should have displayed his skills, but the lack of it doesn't ruin the scene for me. For staters, the fight is well choreographed. Secondly, it has great atmosphere with the rain and thunder. Thirdly, it's the only climax in the series where Riggs and Murtaugh are fighting side-by-side. And finally, there's more tension than usual since Riggs is about to be a father and Murtaugh is about to be a grandfather. These guys have to survive this battle.


#6 - WE'RE FAMILY from LETHAL WEAPON 4



At this point, it's safe to say there will be no more Lethal Weapon movies except a remake, reboot, or spin-off. So if this is indeed the finale of the original franchise, then it had a great ending.


#5 - RIGGS' SUICIDE ATTEMPT from LETHAL WEAPON (1987)



Before Martin Riggs had a group of people he could call a family, he was a suicidal man who had recently lost his wife. It was this concept that made Lethal Weapon standout from all the other action movies. Usually, a hero defies death, but here, he's finding reasons to stay alive. The scene where Riggs almost blows his brains out is one of the most powerful scenes in the series.


#4 - DO YOU WANNA JUMP / PSYCHO PENSION from LETHAL WEAPON





One of things I love about the original Lethal Weapon is that no matter how over-the-top Mel Gibson gets, Danny Glover always manages to bring him down to Earth. A great example of this is the very popular "do you wanna jump" scene. Riggs ironically has to stop a guy from committing suicide and instead of talking him out of it, he throws him off a building and onto an inflatable bag set up by firefighters. Everyone applauds this moment as totally badass and hilarious except for Murtaugh. He takes Riggs aside and starts cursing him out. He asks Riggs if he truly is suicidal or if he's just trying to get a psycho pension. So Riggs responds the only way he can, by almost shooting himself. Director Richard Donner masterfully goes from a relatively light-hearted sequence to one of the most intense moments in the film. He successfully walks a fine line between drama, comedy, and action in a way most filmmakers can't.


#3 - OPERATION DUMBO DROP from LETHAL WEAPON



When Riggs and Murtaugh discover that the death of a young girl is a result of her father's involvment with heroin dealers, the bad guys kidnap Murtaugh's daughter in exchange for information he might have given the police department about their upcoming shipment. What follows is a failed rescue mission in the desert that's one of the film's most exciting moments.


#2 - HOLLYWOOD BLVD CHASE from LETHAL WEAPON



This is, more or less, the climax of the original Lethal Weapon. The villain's plan is foiled and although his henchman, Mr. Joshua (Gary Busey), manages to escape we get a pretty cool sequence where Riggs chases him on foot. Also, major kudos to Michael Kamen for his awesome score.


#1 - REVENGE / DIPLOMATIC IMMUNITY REVOKED / GEORGE HARRISON



Lethal Weapon 2 is a bit sloppy. Most of it is comedic like its two follow-ups. It was rushed into production because of the 1988 Writer's Strike which resulted in some less-than-stellar production values. There's a ridiculous amount of product placement and activism that's a bit distracting. But..... there is one element the film gets right. Which is, to quote Shane Black, "when Riggs gets pissed the audience is happy." In the original movie, Riggs is suicidal but Murtaugh rescues him and gives him a new home and family. But one couldn't help and wonder if the character ever got any real closure. Riggs clearly has some demons and when his buttons are pushed he gets kind of scary. If a guy like him existed in real life you'd be more concerned than supportive. Which is why Murtaugh is so brilliant in the original. He reacts the appropriate way. Having Riggs discover that someone malicious was responsible for his wife's death and unleashing all his pain and anger on this person allows him to close a tragic chapter in his life. Richard Donner directs all of these sequences beautifully and even manages to squeeze in some crowd-pleasing moments like "its been revoked" and one of the great George Harrison songs. Now... before I conclude this list, I have to acknowledge the debate of whether or not Riggs should have died. In Shane Black's version of the script he does. But that's because he always envisioned Riggs as a tragic character and his drafts continued the dark tones of the original. Richard Donner and the studio clearly thought differently and so they brought in Jeffrey Boam to lighten things up and launch a franchise. I guess I'm on Donner's side. I like that Riggs eventually found happiness.

RANKING THE FILMS OF SAM RAIMI

With the recent success of Oz the Great and Powerful and the upcoming Friday release of the Evil Dead remake, it seems like an ideal time to rank and discuss the works of Sam Raimi. He has largely been a cult filmmaker, with only a few mainstream hits on his resume, but his kinetic visual style and oddball sense-of-humor has influenced popular directors like the Coen Bros and Peter Jackson. He also happens to be one of my favorites and this is my rank of his movies:


#15 - FOR LOVE OF THE GAME (1999)



Following the critical acclaim of A Simple Plan, Hollywood came knocking and the best they could offer Sam Raimi was a Kevin Costner baseball movie. To give the film some credit, it has a very unique format. Most of the story is told through flashbacks as the 40-year-old Billy Chapel (Costner) pitches the final game of his career. It also has an interesting story about a man having to re-evaluate 19 years of his life. It's certainly not a bad movie per-say but it definitely doesn't suit Sam Raimi's sensibility. He's not the go-to guy for sports dramas and romantic films.


#14 - CRIMEWAVE (1985)



Sam Raimi made his debut with the independently-produced Evil Dead. His follow-up was his first Hollywood feature. While most directors are able to transition from indie fare to industry productions without much headaches, Raimi was the polar opposite. Crimewave is every aspiring filmmakers worst nightmare. When the movie went over-budget and over-schedule, due to Raimi's lack of experience, the studio literally ripped pages off the script and demanded he only shoot what was left. Then, during post-production, they took the film away from him and did whatever they wanted. The result was a mess. The movie, co-written by the Coen Bros (I s--t you not), tells the story of two bumbling assassins and the young man in love that gets in their way. It's a genre-bender that combines slapstick comedy, action, horror and elements of a crime thriller. It's the type of film that needed a strong director at the helm and not a bunch of studio executives meddling with the final product. While Crimewave is ultimately a disaster, it is still very original and you sense the creativity of Raimi and the Coen's trying to escape. Shout Factory is releasing it on Blu-Ray this May in case anyone here wants to watch it.


#13 - DRAG ME TO HELL (2009)



After completing his Spider-Man trilogy, Sam Raimi returned to the horror genre, at least as a director. Drag Me to Hell is about a young female banker that's cursed by a gypsy woman. It's a silly movie with a ridiculous ending but it also feels appropriate following the economic meltdown of 2008. I don't know if the film will survive the test of time, but it certainly works as an amusing horror flick that's relevant to our current culture.


#12 - THE GIFT (2000)



Upon release, all the hype surrounding The Gift revolved around Katie Holmes' nude scene. In fact, 13 years later, that's still what the movie is most famous for. As a pervert, I appreciate Katie Holmes in her naked glory, but I also gotta acknowledge the film itself. It's a well-made supernatural thriller. Cate Blanchett plays a Southern woman with psychic powers that helps the police solve a murder case. It's one of the few "serious" Sam Raimi movies, but it's also made within a genre that doesn't alienate his core fanbase. Some may dismiss The Gift as a simple "whodunit" story that's written by Billy Bob Thorton but a strong A-list cast, excellent Raimi visuals, and a creepy score by Christopher Young manage to elevate the material.


#11 - THE EVIL DEAD (1981)



In the horror genre, there's nothing more cliche than teenagers getting killed in the woods. Sam Raimi, however, managed to add creativity to the premise by throwing demons into the mix. He also compensated for the low-budget with his trademark kinetic visual style, goofy gags, and bizarre scenarios like trees raping a woman. And although filmmaking is a collaborative artform, here's a movie that succeeds almost entirely because of the talent of its director.


#10 - SPIDER MAN 3 (2007)



If you asked fanboys on the Internet to describe Spider-Man 3, they'd say it's the one where Peter Parker turns emo and dances at Jazzy night clubs. In reality that's only 10 minutes in a film with a running time of 2 hours and 30 minutes. I've never seen people focus so much on two scenes of a damn movie. Get over it. Besides, have you seen The Amazing Spider-Man? You can do worse than Tobey Maguire wearing eyeliner. Also, let me once again point out that Sony meddled with the film. They eliminated half-an-hour to avoid a 3 hour movie and then re-did the ending when they realized all those deleted scenes were important. For example, the film ends with Peter Parker forgiving Sandman. It was actually supposed to end with Sandman's wife and child showing up at the construction site and making him see the errors of his way. Sony's meddling destroyed the story Sam Raimi was trying to tell. Spider-Man 3 wasn't supposed to be entirely about forgiveness. That was only one of two themes. The other was redemption. Sandman is a criminal because he needs money to pay the medical bills of his sick child. Harry Osborn's desire for revenge turns him into a villain. Peter Parker has his issues as does Eddie Brock. These are characters that allow negativity to take over and they have to return to a moral highground. And although Sony's meddling got in the way of what could have been a great movie, elements of it still survive and it results in an above-average superhero flick. It's definitely not the disaster that fanboys will have you believe.


#9 - OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL (2013)



I know I'm gonna be criticized for this top 10 spot and I assure you this isn't an April Fool's joke. Oz the Great and Powerful is, well, magnificent and enchanting. It's easy to mock Disney's attempt to replicate the billion dollar success of Alice in Wonderland but Sam Raimi has proven that he can do more than just follow in the footsteps of Tim Burton. Oz stars James Franco as a womanizing carnival con-man in the early 20th century. Like Dorothy, he ends up in a magical land after getting caught in a Kansas tornado. But unlike Dorothy, he isn't singing and dancing during a journey to get back home. He gets mistaken for an almighty wizard that's destined to defeat the evil witch and rule the land. And he manages to do just that without magic. Instead, he uses his talents for trickery and deception for the greater good and proves that deep down he's a good-hearted soul. It's a family film that has something for everyone to enjoy. Children can enjoy mesmerizing visuals, good humor, and enjoyable action sequences while adults get a hero that's a tad more relatable than what's usually features in these types of movies.


#8 - A SIMPLE PLAN (1998)



In Oz the Great and Powerful, Sam Raimi avoided being caught in the shadow of Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland. 15 years earlier, he accomplished a similar task with A Simple Plan. It's a film that's made in the same mold as the Coen Bros' Fargo but it manages to stand on its own. It tells the story of two brothers that find $4 million in the woods and nothing but bad things come from it. It's a critically beloved morality tale that received Academy Award nominations for Supporting Actor (Billy Bob Thorton) and Adapted Screenplay. Most people here would say this is Raimi's best movie, and while it's certainly a work of art, I believe Raimi is at his best during more energetic and light-hearted material.


#7 - THE EVIL DEAD II: DEAD BY DAWN (1987)



If Crimewave is every aspiring filmmakers worst nightmare then Evil Dead II is their most pleasurable wet dream. It's wall-to-wall pure entertainment. It's a cinematic rollercoaster ride. It has some of the most spectacular comedic set-pieces of all-time. It's perhaps the most inventive horror film ever made. This is the movie that made Sam Raimi a legend. One also has to admire Bruce Campbell. This is essentially his one-man-show with Raimi behind the curtains. Campbell is the only actor I can think of that can be put in the most ridiculous situations and still manage to be cool and charming. How he never became an A-lister puzzles me to this day.


#6 - ARMY OF DARKNESS (1992)



Evil Dead II is brilliant, but I've always been in the camp that prefers Army of Darkness. For starters, it moves away from simple horror conventions and into a true genre-bender. It balances horror, comedy, and fantasy in a way that almost no one else can pull off. It's dark and menacing but also incredibly campy. It's epic but also comical with its Ray Harryhausen inspired action sequences. It has high production values while also looking cheap. To quote those Starburst commercials, "it's a juicy contradiction." Secondly, putting Bruce Campbell opposite a cast of non-expendable characters gives him a new playground to explore his charm and wits. It results in some of the most quotable movie lines of the 1990's. And lastly, you gotta love the music score by Joseph LoDuca and Danny Elfman. It's the one element that was missing in the first two installments.

THE 10 GREATEST LATE-NIGHT TALK SHOWS!

Here we go again! Jay Leno is expected to step down as host of the Tonight show for the second time in 4 years. Will he finally be gone for good or is he gonna screw over another Late Night host. I guess only time will tell. But... since we're on the topic of late-night talk shows, it seems like an appropriate time to do a top 10 list of the best in the genre. And I will be excluding the Daily Show and Colbert Report because those are comedic news programs as opposed to a traditional talk show.


#10 - THE CHRIS ROCK SHOW (1997-2000)



In the long history of late-night talk shows on American television, there has only been two successful programs targeted at urban audiences. Three if you count "The Magic Hour" with Magic Johnson. It's insane when you think about it. Late-night talk shows are as white as the U.S. government. That's why I appreciate the Chris Rock show. It - successfully - added diversity to the genre. Plus, it aired on HBO. Rock and his writers, which included Louie CK, could do whatever they wanted. It's a unique Emmy-winning program in all areas.


#9 - THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH CONAN O'BRIEN (2009-10)



Before 2009, I never had any issues with Jay Leno. His Tonight show was, and continues to be, rather bland but it's successful in reaching a wide audience by avoiding any niche humor or subject matters. It accomplishes its goal of being a huge money-maker for NBC. That's why it came as no surprise when Conan O'Brien briefly took over and the ratings declined. Conan has, and forever will be, a cult comedian. His brand of humor is perfectly suited for anyone that enjoys silliness. That's why I appreciate his short tenure on the franchise. He made the Tonight show interesting again.


#8 - TOMORROW WITH TOM SNYDER (1973-81)



Tom Snyder was the Charlie Rose of the 1970's. Except, he was always forced to dumb it down for mainstream audiences. That often resulted in hilarity as Snyder was forced to interview people he clearly did not give a s--t about. For example, in 1980, a day after John Lennon was shot and killed, NBC asked Snyder to air an interview he did with Lennon a few years earlier which now had the distinction of being the musicians final TV interview. Snyder introduced the episode by basically saying, "here's something of no historical value that's relevant in our popular culture. Enjoy." It's his "don't give a f--k" attitude that makes him a lot of fun to watch. He truly was one of a kind.


#7 - LATER WITH BOB COSTAS (1988-94)



If Tom Snyder is too condescending for you, then Bob Costas is the ideal alternative. Costas is famously known as a human encyclopedia in the sports broadcasting world. So it came as a great shock to discover that he has enough space on his brain to do the same in the realm of entertainment and popular culture. Costas, who won an Emmy for the show, puts every talk show host to shame with his excellent interview skills. The man is on a league of his own.


#6 - THE DICK CAVETT SHOW (1969-75)



Dick Cavett was the counter-culture alternative to Johnny Carson. His show had substance. It covered the topics and people that mattered. His conversational style put his guests on ease and resulted in interviews that are popular to this day. He's also a funny and charming guy. That makes him very unique because he's an entertainer and journalist wrapped into one person.


#5 - TONIGHT STARRING JACK PAAR (1957-62)



Jack Paar paved the way for Jon Stewart, Bill Maher, and all the other politically-driven comedians on television. That doesn't mean his tenure on the Tonight show was all serious. He did the usual light-hearted funny stuff as well, but he always reserved time to cover current events and other important issues that were on his mind. He was infamous for being highly emotional and a strong storyteller that moved away from the usual punchline jokes. And although he presented an unusual format for the times, he still managed to be incredibly popular with audiences and critics and won two Emmy awards. That's the most Emmy's for a single host in Tonight show history, which is hard to believe considering Johnny Carson's acclaim for 30 years. Jack Paar's stint was short but memorable.


#4 - THE ARSENIO HALL SHOW (1989-94)



Johnny Carson was named the King of Late Night when it seemed like no one could surpass him in popularity. Then Arsenio Hall showed up and stole the crown. By the 1980's, Carson was an old guy with no appeal towards young people whatsoever. His audience was also largely caucasian. Arsenio noticed this and quickly seized those marginalized demographics. His success prompted critics to label him as Carson for the MTV Generation. But Arsenio was more than just that. He opened the gates. During Carson's dominance of nearly three decades, most networks and comedians were discouraged to launch their own late-night talk show. It seemed pointless. Arsenio proved otherwise and years later, in our current TV landscape, there are dozens of late-night talk shows on television. Arsenio revolutionized the genre.


#3 - LATE NIGHT WITH DAVID LETTERMAN (1982-93)



In 1954, Steve Allen created the late-night talk show on the new medium known as television. 28 years later, David Letterman created the anti-talk-show. Known as a broadcaster first and a comedian second, Letterman found new inventive ways to keep the genre fresh. Why do an in-studio comedy routine when you can take a camera crew to GE and harass the new owners of NBC? Why do an interview when you can sit back and watch Andy Kauffman go berserk after getting smacked across the face by another guest? Letterman knew exactly what people wanted to watch after 12:35am..... and it wasn't Tom Snyder chatting with intellectuals.


#2 - THE TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JOHNNY CARSON (1962-92)



If you wanna witness Johnny Carson's impact, watch any talk show before his Tonight tenure and compare it to anything that came afterwards. The man set the standards. There's no better way to describe it. He also had the advantage of being incredibly well-rounded. He could do any brand of humor. He could interview anyone and make it entertaining or compelling regardless of what they had to offer. He was generous and gave everyone their moment in the spotlight. Johnny Carson is everything you want in late-night talk show host.


#1 - LATE NIGHT WITH CONAN O'BRIEN (1993-2009)




Conan is perfect after 12:35am. That's the sad truth about his post-Late Night venures. I enjoyed his Tonight Show. His self-titled Conan on TBS is really good as well. But it was his 16 year stint on Late Night that truly showcased his talent. He's a silly guy that loves random humor and he could only get away with that during the 12:35am timeslot. What's also amazing about Conan is that he can balance the absurdity of his comedy with genre traditions. He basically took Johnny Carson's rule book, David Letterman's technique for mayhem, Arsenio Hall's youth appeal, and combined it with his dorky personality to create a 20-year talk show career.

I like the Lethal Weapon list. I almost made one myself last time I went through the set.

TOP 10 JIM CARREY MOVIES!

Disclaimer: I haven't seen I Love You, Phillip Morris. So, pardon the exclusion.


In the past 6 months, Jim Carrey made two giant headlines in the world of entertainment. After the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary, he collaborated with Funny-or-Die on a parody song of the NRA. The video went viral and the song was a top-seller at iTunes. And now, he shocked everyone in Hollywood by disowning Kick-Ass 2 because of its level of violence. He made the movie prior to all the recent shootings and no longer wants to glorify violence on film. So... with the newly political Jim Carrey in the spotlight, it seems like an ideal time to discuss his body of work and rank his best movies. Here we go:





ONCE BITTEN (1985)






I've been a fan of Jim Carrey since his days as "the funny white guy" on In Living Color. During that era if you wanted to watch a movie starring Jim Carrey the best you could do was a cheesy `80s horror-comedy titled Once Bitten. Carrey plays the typical high school kid trying to have sex. And one night, while on the prowl with his friends, he hooks up with the MILF-tastic Lauren Hutton. She's a vampire looking for young blood and poor Carrey gets bitten. Then slowly, he starts turning into a vampire and it affects his life as an average American teenager. It's not all bad, however, since he develops amazing dance moves.






If you bothered to watch that clip you'll realize Once Bitten is a camp classic. It has a lot of charm, great humor, and it's the first time Jim Carrey got the opportunity to shine. I highly recommend it to Carrey fans and whoever is willing to go along with its brand of comedy.



EARTH GIRLS ARE EASY (1988)







When I was an innocent boy, I accidentally watched a movie about aliens having sex with Earth women. And no - it wasn't on Cinemax After Dark. It was in the middle of the afternoon on TBS. Just picture it. It's a comedy about feline-looking aliens visiting our planet. What could possibly go wrong with that? Oh - intense eroticism between Jeff Goldblum and Geena Davis. Watching this movie as a kid is like a girl looking at a penis for the first time. It's fascinating and disgusting at the same time. So, I'm giving Earth Girls Are Easy an honorable mention for corrupting my childhood.


And now for the main event:


#10 - THE CABLE GUY (1996)



In two years, Jim Carrey went from Fire Marshall Bill on In Living Color to the biggest movie star in Hollywood. It was one of those "overnight sensations" that left everyone in awe. So, if there was ever a time in Jim Carrey's career to do something crazy that would leave an impression, it was at that moment. And to make the situation more amusing, he got paid $20 million to do so. The Cable Guy, directed by Ben Stiller and produced by Judd Apatow, is ultimately a harmless comedy loaded with social satire. Contemporary audiences will love it. In 1996, however, people were shocked to see Jim Carrey turn into a creep. I mean... he's truly disturbing in The Cable Guy. If you met someone like that in real life you'd call the police. However, looking at it from a modern perspective, it's brilliant Black Comedy that was ahead of its time.


#9 - BATMAN FOREVER (1995)



Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I can hear you guys banging on your desk in pure anger that I would even - dare - to include this "garbage." But truthfully, I've always enjoyed Batman Forever and have defended it on several occasions. It's better than The Dark Knight Rises. It really is. Yeah - it's campy and kind of dumb, but it's also fun and features great superhero heroics. Which is something Christopher Nolan refuses to give us, even in a Superman movie! As for Jim Carrey as The Riddler, it's perfectly suitable for a campy version of the character. And to be fair, the character does have a psychological profile which is more than you can ask for in this type of film.


#8 - THE TRUMAN SHOW (1998)




When the late Roger Ebert did his retrospective review on Groundhog Day he said, "it's one of those enjoyable comedies that you find yourself referencing 10 years later." The same can be said about The Truman Show. At the time, no one made a big fuss about it. 15 years later, however, it's the movie that predicted our current society. Carrey plays a man that one day discovers that his entire life has been a TV show. Then he goes through great lengths to escape his fake reality, even though, we all know it'll haunt him forever. Now, some could criticize The Truman Show for being too lighthearted and heartwarming and ignoring the harsh truths of the concept, but honestly, it doesn't bother me at all. As long as you're emotionally invested and have something to think about later on, that's... good enough.

Now that we're done with Jim Carrey, brace yourself for..........








#10 - VIVA LOST WAGES
Original Airdate: November 13, 1995
Written by Robert Bruce
Directed by Shelley Jensen




Will takes Carlton to Las Vegas for his 21st birthday but the trip turns into a disaster when they lose all their money gambling. In order to get it back, they join a talent competition where they do a dance routine to Apache (Jump On It) from the Sugarhill Gang. This is one of the most iconic episodes from the series so to exclude it from the list would be shameful.


#9 - FRESH PRINCE AFTER DARK
Original Airdate: November 8, 1993
Written by Eddie Gorodetsky
Directed by Shelley Jensen



Popular L.A. weather girl Hilary Banks accepts an offer to pose for Playboy. Her father, Phillip Banks, objects and becomes a monk to avoid the hoopla surrounding her photo spread. Meanwhile, Will and Carlton accompany Hilary to the Playboy mansion and hilarity ensues. The episode is great just for the shenanigans at the mansion. In particular, I love the scene when Jazz is randomly seen roaming the backyard with Playmates by his side.


#8 - THE BUTLER DID IT
Original Airdate: November 25, 1991
Written by Bryan Winter
Directed by Ellen Falcon





Phillip and Vivian Banks go on a romantic weekend and leave the kids alone at the house. Carlton takes advantage of his parents trust and rents their home to a Bell Biv DeVoe music video shoot. When their trip is cut short, the kids have to quickly get the house back in order. The episode is a great twist on a familiar concept.


#7 - BULLETS OVER BEL-AIR
Original Airdate: February 6, 1995
Written by Maiya Williams & Eddie Gorodetsky
Directed by Shelley Jensen



On a special episode of Fresh Prince, Will is shot during a robbery. His cousin Carlton is enraged and purchases a gun. Back in the `80s and `90s, family sitcoms always had that "special episode." Usually, they were incredibly cheesy. Like the episode of Different Strokes where Gary Coleman rides a fat shirtless man. Fresh Prince, however, handled these type of episodes very well and tended to be quite touching.


#6 - 72 HOURS
Original Airdate: March 11, 1991
Written by Rob Edwards
Directed by Rea Kraus



Before Will and Carlton became the closest cousins in TV history, they used to bicker about their social status. In one episode, Will bets that Carlton can't spend an entire weekend in the ghetto. Will lost the bet in spectacular fashion. Not only did Carlton bond with the inner city kids but he had enough guts to hang around the dangerous MacArthur Park. Will, fearing for his danger, tells Uncle Phil and Aunt Viv about the bet and ends up showing his true colors.


#5 - BLOOD IS THICKER THAN MUD
Original Airdate: November 1, 1993
Written by Devon Shepard
Directed by Chuck Vinson




This episode is, more-or-less, the same as the one above. During Carlton's freshmen year in college he tries to join a fraternity but is discriminated against for being "an Oreo." This episode, I believe, is more effective because Carlton doesn't have to turn ghetto to prove a point. He's allowed to be himself and make the other people look bad.


#4 - MISTAKEN IDENTITY
Original Airdate: October 15, 1990
Written by Susan and Andy Borowitz
Directed by Jeff Melman



Here's another socially conscience episode from the series. In one of the earliest episodes, Will and Carlton are arrested for driving an expensive car. You see, the racist cops accused them of stealing it. Then Uncle Phil comes to the rescue and curses them out as the audience erupts into applause. It's a really cool episode. The only drawback is Will Smith's acting. He was terrible in season one. Even in that photo above you can see how bad he is. lol.


#3 - PAPA'S GOT A BRAND NEW EXCUSE
Original Airdate: May 9, 1994
Written by David Zuckerman & Bill Boulware
Directed by Shelley Jensen




Here's the last "special episode" on the list. Will's father returns after abandoning him as a kid and then breaks his heart for a second time. The most famous moment from the episode is the final scene which you can watch on the video clip above. As I said earlier, Fresh Prince handled these types of episodes very well.


#2 - PSAT PSTORY
Original Airdate: September 30, 1991
Written by Marcus Jamal Gaines
Directed by Ellen Falcon




When Will gets a better score on his PSAT exam, Carlton practically has a nervous breakdown. I love this episode because the writer's are having a lot of fun with Carlton. In the earlier seasons, he was so stuck-up and full of crap that it's nice to see him get knocked down for a bit.


#1 - WILL IS FROM MARS
Original Airdate: February 20, 1995
Written by Michael Soccio & Andrea Wiley
Directed by Shelley Jensen



Will and his fiance Lisa (Nia Long) are having issues right before their marriage so they decide to attend couples therapy. There, they meet the Jeffersons (I s--t you not) and get into a fight with them. It's hilarious to say the least. Even Quentin Tarantino is a fan of this episode. So that's enough endorsement for the people of ComingSoon.net.

The Truman Show is fantastic. That would be in my top three.

We already had this argument last year. Hence how passive aggressive my comments got towards the end. 

Yeah, we lost "Nick1998" because of it. He was so outraged that someone would say that Batman Forever is better than The Dark Knight Rises that he stormed out and never came back.

You should invite him. Nick1988. He was Franklin, Jr. 

I guess we've seen the last of him. Did you invite MatrixFan and his buddy? Was that their names? I'm too lazy to double-check. But you know who I'm talking about. Doomsday and Dracula scared them away for giving out excessive 10/10's. Maybe we can bury the hatchet.