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One of the top grossing film franchises of all time belongs to those young pale-faced actors in “Twilight” while one of 2010’s hottest television shows was about zombies. With the exception of the Benicio Del Torro remake, the werewolf rarely gets used as the star of a movie anymore. Here is a toast to all those great werewolf films.

10. Teen Wolf

I was born in the year 1980 so I reserve the right to overrate any cheesy movie made in the 80’s. That is why “Teen Wolf” makes the list as the tenth best werewolf movie. Every time I see “Teen Wolf” it makes me want to surf on top of the van. I don’t know any other movie that gives me that kind of feeling.

9. The Curse of the Werewolf

In “The Curse of the Werewolf” a young boy turns into a werewolf while hunting. The urges to turn into a werewolf subdues and he doesn’t have a problem for a while. Later in his life he meets a young woman and falls in love. Unfortunately it is shortly after that he turns into a werewolf again. Chicks aren’t really into that.

8. The Company of Wolves

In “The Company of Wolves” a young girl falls asleep and then stories of werewolves are told in her dreams. One of the stories is a re-imagining of Little Red Riding Hood with Angela Lansbury playing the part of granny. Well that’s no fun. She’ll have no problem discovering the wolf is the murderer.

7. Ginger Snaps

“Ginger Snaps” is a dark horror movie about two sisters that don’t want to grow up. The two sisters don’t want to grow up so badly that they have a suicide pact with each other. To make things more difficult Ginger begins to go through puberty at the same time that she is attacked and bitten by a werewolf. The changes she goes through as a werewolf then becomes a metaphor for the changes through womanhood.

6. Wolf

What “Wolf” lacks in a good title, it makes up for with its stellar cast. The cast of Jack Nicholson, Michelle Pfeiffer and Christopher Plummer is easily the most critically acclaimed cast on the best werewolf movies list.

5. The Howling

“The Howling” was directed by “Gremlins” director Joe Dante and was based on a novel by Gary Brandner. “The Howling” was a fun horror movie that paid nice homages to previous werewolf films. Dante went as far as to name the characters in the movie after directors that made other werewolf films.

4. Wolfen

When a NYPD detective starts to investigate a string of murders he funds out about Indian legends about “wolf spirits”. The Indian angle that is often used with werewolves is one of my least favorite werewolf stories but “Wolfen” was still a string film despite that.

3. Dog Soldiers

Normally in werewolf movies the monster preys on regular civilians that don’t stand a chance. In “Dog Soldiers” a creature has killed an entire Speical Ops Squad. Another squad of British soldiers is on a training mission when they find the werewolves’ victims. Now the squad must survive the werewolves attack.

2. The Wolf Man

Before werewolf movies there were some people that actually believed werwolves existed. The traditional folklore is much different from movie werewolves and “The Wolf Man” and also “Werewolf in London” introduced many of the werewolf concepts that are accepted now. “The Wolf Man” introduced the werewolves’ weakness of silver are carried on the shapeshifting at full moon concept that “Werewolf in London” introduced.

1. An American Werewolf in London

“An American Werewolf in London” has a little bit of everything. It’s a little bit American and a little bit British. It’s a little bit comedy and a little bit horror film. Over the years “An American Werewolf in London” has become a cult classic to horror fans and is critically one of the most liked werewolf films. On Rotten Tomatoes “An American Werewolf in London” scored an 88%.

Lee Andrew Henderson has been writing for the Yahoo Contributor Network since 2006 and also writes a blog called Six Men, One Eagle.

Many movies feature space flight though some of the older ones are overacted and contain inherent technical inaccuracies. Good space movies, in my opinion, are not just social event movies that happen to have a sequence or two of space flight. Space flight should be an integral part of the plot. Below are some of my favorites.

2001: A Space Odyssey

One of my all time favorites, not only because the technical aspects are accurate, but also for the sequence of inter-dimensional transport. The composed, professional manner the astronauts project are a little more realistic than an emotional Captain Kirk. Criticized as dull due to the long spacecraft traverse scenes with classical background music, the movie is 99% technically credible. Probably adding to the disinterest are only two instances of family relationships (both involving birthdays), and almost no romantic interactions.

2010: The Year We Make Contact

The sequel to 2001: A Space Odyssey has some great space walk sequences. Putting travelers in suspended animation for the trip to reduce consumable supplies is a smart idea. It also contains some details like the collection of volcanic sulfur dust from Jupiter’s moon Io on the Discovery spacecraft that had been in orbit around that moon for a decade. The producers and director involved family and romantic interests this time. The conversion of Jupiter into a star is, of course, fantasy, but it makes a good story.

Destination Moon

A 1950 overdramatized, but accurate, movie depicting an actual moon landing, likeable for people who are not interested in outlandish aliens or flying saucers. Though the portrayed technology is simple in appearance, and using stock footage of rockets, the basis is credible. An underlying story line involves the differences between governmental controls of space flight vs. private industry, and cold war overtones. The animation and 1/6th moon’s gravity simulation are good. A prophetic line in the screenplay was the proposal to build the mission in Texas; a decade and a half before Lyndon Johnson made it happen.

Space Odyssey: Voyage to the Planets

This was really a mini-series, not well advertized, about a voyage through the solar system. It portrays a realistic succession of planet and moon visitations including the difficulties encountered with being away from Earth for years; including facing death onboard. The special effects are good and the science is accurate. It is a long miniseries, though.

Alien

I’m normally not a fan of scary or shock movies that frighten audiences, but this one had me hooked in the first scenes with a planet of extreme weather where commerce astronauts passing by are investigating a distress call, and contact with Antarctica station (makes sense for an interstellar space craft). The encounter with a nasty alien made the point that should we ever find life forms elsewhere, we should approach them cautiously.

Star Wars

Most episodes; these movies are great fun and were well produced. Aside from the numerous fantastic creatures, the stories take advantage of convenient advanced technology (tractor beams, spacecraft of seemingly unlimited power and thrust without refueling, Jedi levitation ability, light sabers, etc.).

Star Trek

The first four movies; the movies are also great entertainment. The first Star Trek movie involved the real spacecraft Voyager, obviously long forgotten by the depicted year of the events of the movie. This made the movie interesting to space aficionados. The Wrath of Khan, Search for Spock, and The Return Home were well produced and enjoyable. The fantastic technologies, smoothly mixed with realistic scenarios, made the story easy to accept.

X-15

A space movie only because the research aircraft eventually reaches the technical definition of space (100 kilometers); the film mixes stock footage of real X-15 flights with animation, and includes dramatizations based on these videos. Charles Bronson and Mary Tyler Moore star in this Richard Donner (Superman: The Movie) 1961 motion picture.

Deep Impact

Probably the best of the Earth destruction by meteor movies, I liked the special effects and the sociological aspects were not too sappy. Really, the best way to deal with a large meteor is not to blow it up, but just push it away with rocket motors, given that you have time.

Docudrama Space Movies

I am a little surprised there are not more dramatized versions of historical space flights given we are forty to fifty years from the first space flights. My favorites are:

Apollo 13

Technically accurate with only a few deviations from actual events for artistic enhancement (for example, Ken Mattingly was not the capsule communicator during Apollo 13’s return through the atmosphere). The production and direction kept the audience in suspense even though everyone knows the outcome.

The Right Stuff

Based on Tom Wolfe’s book, this movie recounts the escapades of the original seven American astronauts. One of them, Walter Schirra (now deceased), reportedly called this movie the “Animal House” of spaceflight. The acting was hammy. Nevertheless, the history and technical aspects were relatively accurate. I suppose if the actors acted as the astronauts did in real life, the movie would be quite boring.

From Earth to the Moon

This miniseries is a good dramatization of important events during the Apollo program. The story was not just the actual flights, but also the preparations beginning years before Apollo 11. My favorite episode was “That’s All There Is”, the story of Apollo 12.

There was a point in time when I believed that no movie older than me could possibly be any good and black and white movies? Forget about it. That is, until one day after watching Predator on Encore I was too lazy to get off the couch and the next movie was a little flick called Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. The classic starring Paul Newman and Robert Redford forever changed my attitude of “old movies”. In honor of the Butch one this is a list of his 10 best films.

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

Might as well start with the most obvious choice (since I already named it). “Butch Cassidy” is one of the classic western movies. From “who are those guys” to the bicycle ride in the rain to “next time let’s go someplace like Bolivia”. From beginning to end “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” is about as perfect as a movie gets.

Somebody Up There Likes Me

No sport produces better movies than the sport of boxing but when the topic is brought up everybody mentions Bull Durham, Rocky or Million Dollar Baby. Paul Newman also starred in a good boxing movie in his second big movie role. Newman played the part of Rocky Graziano who gets in trouble with the law and goes AWOL after being drafted before finally winding up as a professional boxer.

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

Paul Newman is best known for his duo with Robert Redford but teaming up with Elizabeth Taylor isn’t bad either. Newman and Taylor are two of the all-time greats and both of them are at the top of their game in this classic movie.

The Long Hot Summer

“The Long Hot Summer” pairs Paul Newman with another lovely actress, Joanne Woodward. In this witty drama Newman plays a grifter that ends up in a small town in Mississippi. The man that hires the grifter sees more in him than the man that wishes to marry his daughter so he tries to convince the grifter to marry her instead.

The Hustler

“The Hustler” is part drama, part romance and part sports movie (if you count billiards as a sport.) In this movie Paul Newman is an up and coming pool player that challenges the current reigning champion to a match. Jackie Gleason also stars in this movie.

Harper

“Harper” is a film based on the novel by Ross Macdonald. Harper mixes mystery with social commentary as the film touches on everything from religion to drug abuse to war. Joining Paul Newman in Harper is “Lauren Bacall”, who plays the victimized wife, a similar role to the one she played in the Big Sleep.

Hombre

Newman stars as a white man that was raised by Apaches. “Hombre” is one of Newman’s best reviewed movies and he gives a fantastic performance despite the fact that he talks very little in the movie but instead uses mannerisms and facial expression to convey what he wants to say. “Hombre” was penned by the brilliant Elmore Leonard and was directed by Martin Ritt who had previously worked with Newman on five other films including “The Long Hot Summer”.

Slap Shot

“Slap Shot” is not as critically acclaimed as the other movies on this list but we’ll chalk that up to it being a comedy compared to a bunch of dramas. Almost every sports fan ranks “Slap Shot” as one of the three to five best sports movies of all-time and that is despite the fact that almost none of those people are hockey fans.

The Sting

“The Sting” is one of Paul Newman’s best known films. The Sting is about two grifters that decide to con a mob boss. This film is famously known as a reunion between Paul Newman and Robert Redford from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid but what many fail to mention is that the director, George Roy Hill, also returns to direct the duo.

Cool Hand Luke

“Cool Hand Luke” is the one Paul Newman film that can possibly match “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” in both quality and familiarity. “Cool Hand Luke” was the fourth time that Paul Newman was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role (though he would not win until The Color of Money many years later). Any movie fan that has not seen “Cool Hand Luke” should put it at the top of their Netflix queue immediately.

The holidays are about spending time with friends and family. It’s about tradition and the spirit of giving. But, In my family we have traditional movies that we watch every holiday season. It’s a time for us to get together, eat good food, and laugh our heads off at the classic holiday movies.

My friends and I often challenge each other on the dialogue, trying to see who knows what movie the best. It’s just a great inexpensive way to add a little fun to the holiday gatherings. The holidays just wouldn’t be the same without the following movies. These are my top pics for the best holiday movies ever!! These films are family oriented and some are even a bit dysfunctional, as most families are.

5. Christmas Vacation – This movie is a Chevy Chase classic!! The plot of the movie centers around the dreaded scenario of the disfunctional family, in laws, and unexpected distant relatives. Clark Griswold anxiously awaits the arrival of a bonus check while the entire house runs in chaos. There is even an unexpected abduction courtesy of one of the relatives. This does contain some language content, but it’s definitely worth watching.

4. Home Alone – Little Kevin wishes his family would dissapear and they do. He is left home by accident during Christmas. He has to defend the home from would-be crooks. This movie is full of antics and hilarity. Its comedic cast is outstanding. This is a great family movie.

3. A Muppet Christmas Carol – A classic story by Charles Dickens portrayed through the eyes of Jim Henson. The muppets narrate the story and interact with the other characters. The cast is well chosen and the muppets are a hilarious addition to the story. Kids will love this movie, as will adults.

2. Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer – This is one of my all time favorite Holiday Movies! Burl Ives is the loveable snowman who narrates the story and sings classic Christmas Songs. This early claymation film has endured the test of time and is still a timeless orginal. Rudolph and Yukon Cornelius and the misfit elf set out on their own because they don’t fit in. They find an island of misfit toys and then return to save Christmas. In the end Rudolph realizes his unique nose has a purpose as does everyone who felt they did not fit in.

1. The Wizard of Oz – “There’s no place like home…” I have loved this movie since I was a child. I still love it today. It is whimsical and beautiful. It deals with the classic elements of doubt, fear and the ability to overcome. Judy Garland plays young Dorothy who runs away from home. She ends up in the mystical land of Oz and picks up a few friends along the way. She is searching to find her way home to Kansas. She has to face her fears and destroy the Wicked Witch of the West in order for her to return home. The movie has a lot of hidden elements that psychological and personal to everyone.

1. Carrie – Based on the great Stephen King novel, this terrifying little gem from the 1970s is as potent today as it was when it was first released. Director Brian De Palma served us a spectacular vision of the popular Stephen King novel about the shy girl with the obsessed religious mother getting even after enduring years of torment from her high school peers and classmates. Sissy Spacek is wonderful in one of her first roles. She doesn’t play Carrie too subtly or underscored. She is the spitting image of the character in the novel. Plus, there is such special appearances from John Travolta that seem to stand out even if is in the film for no more than 10 minutes.

2. Child’s Play – You’ve seen Bride of Chucky and Seed of Chucky, but this is wear it all began. Witness serial killer Charles Lee Ray’s original transformation into the infamous killer doll known only as Chucky. For even more fun, try to watch the film as if you don’t already know the story. Play dumb, so to speak, and leave yourself open to the surprise that this little “Good Guy Doll” is actually a mass-murdering psychopath.

3. Christine – The Stephen King novel about the killer car is brought to life with the fury of John Carpenter’s horror expertise and the story could never look more real. It’s chilling, it’s fun, and Christine is one beautiful ride. I don’t think it’s the scariest or most effective Stephen King novel or adaptation, but it’s certainly a classic horror film that should not be overlooked.

4. Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride – It’s not what most people might classify as a “Halloween movie”. But, when you have bone-chilling creatures, like the singing and dancing skeletons, you’ve got something more. Not only can this movie be enjoyed by adults but it can also be great fun for the kids. Corpse Bride isn’t too scary or too silly. Johnny Depp is great as purely the voice of the lead character. In the vane of Nightmare Before Christmas, I actually prefer this one.

5. The Craft – The story of four rejects – four high school girls looking to fit in somewhere, and finding out there’s more to the world than mother nature intended is great Halloween treat. It’s not too scary. It’s not your typical teen horror film. There’s no masked maniac stalking these girls, it’s the girls themselves that you should be afraid of. The Craft takes the legend of witches and witchcraft into the modern world, transforming it into something more pure but still just as frightening.

6. Creepshow, Creepshow 2 – Featuring a series of bone-chilling tales of murder, people coming back to life, bugs, monsters and more, you can’t find a more frightening pair of movies. You might recognize Ed Harris in one of these tales. You might find yourself curling up into a ball of fright during a single 30 minute short. Then, again – as wild as it may sound, you might be cheering for the big, wooden statue of an Indian chief. There are a couple of these tales that are laughable, they are so marred by redundance and trite, but they still feel like they belong. Stephen King helped write these tales with Night of The Living Dead creator, George A Romero.

7. Cujo – Speaking of King, here is another chilling adaptation of the great author’s famous novel. Starring Dee Wallace, best known as the Mom in ET, Cujo gives us a disgruntled family brought back together by hellish circumstances. Bitten by a diseased bat, a beautiful St. Bernard starts losing his mind. He finally starts killing people left and right, but the film really starts when Cujo meets Wallace in his yard where he holds her and her son hostage. It’s a basic concept, but it sure is effective. You just have to look past the fact that it’s 20 years old.

8. Cursed – Laid out by Scream creators, Wes Craven and Kevin Williamson, this fun, contemporary tale of The Wolf Man or werewolf is one you should definitely check out this Halloween. It’s not great. I don’t even consider it to be written as well as the Scream trilogy, but I’m certainly a fan. Werewolves have been created through makeup and digital effects over the years. Cursed is cursed with similar effects, but it’s the joy of watching Teen Wolf meets The Howling that is actually the most fun about this movie.

9. Dawn of The Dead (2004) – As far as their creature effects go, I actually prefer this version of the famous tale of the dead coming back to life, and killing anything and everything around for food than the George A Romero classic. This film move just a little too fast for that gut-wrenching feeling of the original to take effect. You never get the feeling that everything is lost, the world has been completely overrun by zombies. The group of characters hiding out inside of a mall are hard to care about. Each of them show how little they respect themselves or the rest of the world. But, it’s all still great Halloween fun. It’s gory, it’s scary and it’s intense. So, I figure I should definitely recommend it.

10. Dawn of The Dead (1979) – I know it may seem strange, endorsing two versions of the same story, the original and its remake, but they’re both equally impressive – just in different areas. Here, George A. Romero created a story about a small group of people taking up residence inside a shopping mall as a follow up to his legendary, Night of The Living Dead. In this sequel/ remake, the world is being overrun by zombies. It’s terrifying, it’s gruesome, and it’s utterly gut-wrenching. But, you can’t help but look at the makeup effects and make fun. They’re dated. You can’t hold such a small detail like that against such a great classic film like Dawn of The Dead.

These are the top 10 most popular and highest-grossing films of the 1980’s.

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
Also known as E.T., this science fiction movie was released in 1982. The film centers around a boy that becomes friends with an extraterrestrial who is stuck on Earth. The movie was the highest-grossing film for 10 years until “Jurassic Park.” The film has grossed over $619 million worldwide.

Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
Released in 1983, this epic space film is the third installment of the “Star Wars” series. This film featured a star-studded cast of Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher. This movie was released to mostly positive reviews and has grossed over $475 million worldwide.

Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
Another “Star Wars” movie to top the list is this 1980 installment where the Galactic Empire is being run by Darth Vader. While the film initially received mixed reviews, it later became the most critically acclaimed of the franchise. As the highest-grossing film of 1980, this movie raked in more than $538 million worldwide.

Batman
This 1989 superhero film is based on a comic of the same name. This was the first chapter of the highly popular series. Released to critical and commercial success, this movie has grossed over $411 million worldwide.

Raiders of the Lost Ark
Released in 1981, this adventure-fantasy film is the first part of the Indiana Jones series. Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones is pitted against a group of Nazis searching for the Ark of the Covenant. As the year’s highest-grossing film, the movie brought in over $384 million worldwide.

Ghostbusters
This 1984 comedy and supernatural film follows a group of ghost chasers. This movie was well received by critics and was even considered one of the best films of the year. This was the most successful comedy of the decade, bringing in over $509 million worldwide.

Beverly Hills Cop
This 1984 comedy action is responsible for making Eddie Murphy an international star. This cop buddy movie was nominated for a Golden Globe and received an Academy Award nomination. As the biggest hit of the year, the movie has made over $234 million worldwide.

Back to the Future
Released in 1985, this comedy, science fiction film stars Michael J. Fox. It is about a teenager who travels back in time from 1985 to 1955. The film was number one for 11 weeks and made over $383 million worldwide.

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
This 1989 fantasy-adventure film is the third installment of the series. This film received mixed reviews but had one of the top 3 openings of the year. The movie has brought in over $474 million worldwide.

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
The second installment of the franchise was released in 1984. This is the prequel to “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” and finds Indiana Jones trying to locate a mystical stone. This film received mixed reviews as well but went on to gross over $333 million worldwide.

3 of the biggest names in fashion, Valentino Garavani, Karl Lagerfeld and Yves Saint Laurent. Very different men united by their passion for fashion. If you’re also feeling the passion, watch these movies.

Valentino, The Last Emperor
This documentary follows Valentino during the 2 years preceding the July 2007 retrospective of Valentino’s 45-year career.

Yves Saint Laurent – L’amour fou
The documentary was filmed after YSL’s death and we get to view the preparations for the auction in which a lifetime of collection is sold. Yves Saint Laurent’s story is told by his business and life partner, Pierre Bergé.

Lagerfeld Confidential
One of, if not the most recognizable men in fashion, Karl Lagerfeld with his black and white uniform and an ego the size of the Grand Canyon. We get to follow him in at work and in his everyday life.