Neuman’s Movie Monday: Jaw Droppers

The Top 10 Jaw Dropping Movies. Movies that left Neuman's jaw on the floor and why.

10. Primal Fear

Primal Fear takes the number 10 spot because it has one of the greatest endings of all time. Yes, it's better than the 6th Sense ending. If you are to stop this movie in the middle, you would be entertained but feel it's not that great. But Edward Norton is awesome in this movie and as soon as he starts clapping, the whole thing changes.

9. GoodFellas

When the first line of a movie is, "As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a gangster" you know this Scorsese picture is going to be great. Scorsese's signature of multiple voice overs is perfect in "GoodFellas" and every scene is memorable.

8. American History X

Another Edward Norton movie but this one is a completely different level. This movie looks at the ins and outs of white supremacy. Visually, this movie is very cool with the fact that present day is done in color but the flashbacks are done in black and white. If this whole movie wasn't jaw dropping for you, I bet that one scene is.

7. 12 Angry Men

A long time ago I was looking at IMDB's Top 250, and I saw that 12 Angry Men was sitting at number 5 so I thought I'd check it out. Wow, this movie is good. If I had to describe it in one word it would be: Seamless. If you have done any video editing at all, this is the movie for you to really appreciate. 12 guys, in one room and it feels like this was all done in one try like a play. The dialogue mixed with the building and explosive tension is amazing.

6. 12 Years a Slave

Clearly won the Oscar for best picture. This movie is aggravating because you want everyone to believe him. This is a must rent/order if you haven't seen it. Just an overall great film.

5. Chinatown

Jack Nicholson is amazing in this movie. This movie had my jaw on the floor at the very end of the movie. I got into this kick of watching movies that were made before I was born and this became one of my favorites.

4. Apocalypse Now

Apocalypse Now had me from the opening moment of the film. My eyes were wide and jaw dropped as soon as The Doors "The End" started off this crazy movie. Then to read about all the problems they had making this movie, it's amazing it all got done. This is also one of the best casts of all time: Marlon Brando, Martin Sheen, Robert Duvall, Dennis Hopper, and even Harrison Ford.

3. The Deer Hunter

You have to define The Deer Hunter as a slow build. The first hour of the movie is character development and even community development. It's almost two different movies. I'm not saying that the first hour is bad, I'm just saying that the first scene in the second half of the movie, I don't think I exhaled. I knew Christopher Walken was a good actor but didn't know why he was considered great until I saw The Deer Hunter.

2. The Departed

Another Scorsese flick and another great cast. Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Martin Sheen (again), Mark Wahlberg, and Alec Baldwin. No, I do not think that The Departed is better than GoodFellas as a movie. I'm just saying that there was more things in The Departed that I wasn't expecting which was jaw dropping.

1. Schindler's List

This should really come as no surprise. Schindler's List was basically a movement when it came out. There are a couple "perfect" movies and this is one of them. Liam Neeson and Ralph Fiennes just blow everyone away in this jaw dropping Oscar winner.