DNREC Announces <a class="lar-automated-link" href="https://bigsurfmavericks.com/category/beach-ecology/" 1826 target="_blank">Beach</a> Access Closures Due to Storm Damage – State of Delaware News
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The widespread beach erosion and storm damage along Delaware’s Atlantic Coast as seen at Rehoboth Beach. /DNREC photo
The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control announced today that multiple Delaware State Parks drive- and walk-on crossings will be closed this Memorial Day Weekend due widespread erosion along Delaware’s coastline sustained during a May 8 nor’easter.
Unsafe drop-offs along the dunes where the crossings meet the beach necessitated the closures. Additionally, very little beach is available for drive-on surf fishing even during low tide at the closed locations.
As of Thursday, May 26, the following beach access points remain open:
The Point, Herring Point and Gordons Pond crossings at Cape Henlopen State Park. The northernmost pedestrian crossing at The Point parking lot is also closed.
3Rs crossing at Delaware Seashore State Park.
North (York), Middle and South crossing at Fenwick Island State Park.
Keybox, Conquest and Faithful Steward crossings at Delaware Seashore State Park. The Conquest pedestrian crossings are also closed.
DNREC’s Shoreline and Waterway Management Section beach crew is working to reopen drive-on and pedestrian crossings along the coastline, including at other damaged beaches.
Cape Henlopen and Delaware Seashore state parks Facebook pages will be updated regularly with what crossings are open or closed.
About DNREC
The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control protects and manages the state’s natural resources, protects public health, provides outdoor recreational opportunities and educates Delawareans about the environment. The DNREC Division of Parks and Recreation oversees more than 26,000 acres in 17 state parks and the Brandywine Zoo. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.
The widespread beach erosion and storm damage along Delaware’s Atlantic Coast as seen at Rehoboth Beach. /DNREC photo
The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control announced today that multiple Delaware State Parks drive- and walk-on crossings will be closed this Memorial Day Weekend due widespread erosion along Delaware’s coastline sustained during a May 8 nor’easter.
Unsafe drop-offs along the dunes where the crossings meet the beach necessitated the closures. Additionally, very little beach is available for drive-on surf fishing even during low tide at the closed locations.
As of Thursday, May 26, the following beach access points remain open:
The Point, Herring Point and Gordons Pond crossings at Cape Henlopen State Park. The northernmost pedestrian crossing at The Point parking lot is also closed.
3Rs crossing at Delaware Seashore State Park.
North (York), Middle and South crossing at Fenwick Island State Park.
Keybox, Conquest and Faithful Steward crossings at Delaware Seashore State Park. The Conquest pedestrian crossings are also closed.
DNREC’s Shoreline and Waterway Management Section beach crew is working to reopen drive-on and pedestrian crossings along the coastline, including at other damaged beaches.
Cape Henlopen and Delaware Seashore state parks Facebook pages will be updated regularly with what crossings are open or closed.
About DNREC
The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control protects and manages the state’s natural resources, protects public health, provides outdoor recreational opportunities and educates Delawareans about the environment. The DNREC Division of Parks and Recreation oversees more than 26,000 acres in 17 state parks and the Brandywine Zoo. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.
There are many reasons to love San Francisco — Tony Bennett famously sang that he left his heart there — but if you’re looking for an easy day trip or a weekend getaway, you don’t have to go far. Just 15 to 20 minutes south on Highway 1, you’ll find the coastal town of Pacifica, a peaceful respite from the busyness of the city.
With its chill, beachy vibes, Pacifica is a surfer’s paradise. Still, if you prefer your activities to be on dry land, you can also find scenic hiking trails, wildlife spotting opportunities, amazing sunsets over the ocean, and the world’s most beautiful Taco Bell. Here’s what to do and where to stay in Pacifica.
Pacifica weather
If you visit Pacifica, California, you’ll want to stick around until dusk for some incredible sunset views.
Lesley Chen
The weather in Pacifica, like most of coastal California, is mild year-round, so while it never gets too hot, it never gets too cold either. Temperatures usually range between 40-70 degrees, with the beach areas chillier than the inland hills.
The best time to visit Pacifica depends on your weather preference and what you’re looking to do. If you’re seeking warmer temperatures, the spring and summer months (anytime between April and October, though June Gloom is a real thing) are your best bet. That is because the fog over the ocean tends to burn off by afternoon to reveal sunny, clear skies. Karl the Fog is never too far away or predictable though, so it’s a good idea to bring layers no matter what time of year you go.
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Weather aside, there is no shortage of things and events throughout the year. Between February and April, you can spot gray whales migrating north just off the shore, and humpbacks make their journey between April and December. The annual Pacific Fog Fest happens in September (ironically one of the least foggy months of the year) and includes arts, crafts, food, music, and entertainment. There are also multiple surfing competitions throughout the year at Linda Mar Beach (also known as Pacifica State Beach), including one for four-legged athletes: the World Dog Surfing Championships take place in August, and in addition to the surf competition, there’s a dog fashion contest and pet adoptions.
What to do in Pacifica
When visiting Pacifica, you can hike popular trails, like Devil’s Slide.
Lesley Chen
Hiking
There’s nothing quite like the California coastline, which is rocky, rugged, and undeniably beautiful. The best way to see Pacifica is by foot on one of the numerous hiking trails that wind along the bluffs. You’ll feel miles away from the city with nothing separating you from the sights, sounds, and smells of the Pacific Ocean.
Mori Point: Easy to moderate trails, wildflowers in the spring, and ocean views greet you at Mori Point, which makes for an excellent place to watch the sunset. To the north, you can see the Pacifica Pier, and if you walk south, you’ll eventually end up at Rockaway Beach. During World War II, workers used cable pulleys to extract sand and gravel at Mori Point, and you can still see some of the anchors on the hillside.
Devil’s Slide Trail: Located on a stretch of Highway 1 that was prone to landslides, Devil’s Slide (technically between Pacifica and Montara) has now been converted to a bicycle, equestrian, and pedestrian-only trail at the edge of the ocean. It’s marked by steep slopes into the ocean, where the waves continue to erode the bottom of the slide. There are small parking lots and restrooms along either side of the 1.3-mile trail, but otherwise, you’ll encounter zero motorized vehicles. Along the paved road, you can spot all sorts of wildlife: whales during migration season, and sea birds such as hawks, Peregrine falcons, and Common murres nesting on the rocky cliffs. The Devil’s Slide Trail is a small section of the California Coastal Trail that, when completed, will be a connected pathway that extends over 1,200 miles from Oregon to Mexico.
Beaches
With its chill, beachy vibes, Pacifica is a surfer’s paradise.
Lesley Chen
When in California, hit the beach. Northern California is not known for particularly warm beaches, but they’re still a fun way to spend an afternoon.
Pacifica State Beach: Pacifica State Beach, or Linda Mar Beach, is a family-friendly beach with a large sandy shore for lounging or walking. In the mornings you’ll see the water dotted with wetsuit-clad surfers looking to catch a few waves, as well as dog walkers strolling by the water. It’s also home to the Pacifica Taco Bell, and you can walk straight from the beach to the takeout window on the patio. If you walk to the north end of the beach, you can connect to a hiking trail that takes you over the hill to Rockaway Beach.
Rockaway Beach: Smaller and with more dramatic geography, Rockaway Beach is home to several hotels, shops, and restaurants with amazing views, especially at sunset. The beach here, as the name implies, is rocky, but you can sit and listen to the waves crash.
Beginner Surfing in San Francisco (Pacifica Beach) provided by Adventure Out
tripadvisor.com
$119.00
Pacifica has great surfing spots for all levels, with Linda Mar being a prime spot for beginners because the waves are ample but relatively calm. If you’re looking to get some practice on a board, you can take a beginner surf clinic (wetsuit and surfboard included), which teaches you ocean awareness, wave etiquette, pop-up technique, and more.
If you’re looking to spend a night or two in Pacifica, you’ll want to check out these hotels. Depending on the time of year, you can find a hotel reasonably priced for between $140 to $280 a night.
Pacifica Lighthouse Hotel Trademark Collection by Wyndham
expedia.com
Located at Rockaway Beach, Lighthouse Hotel is just steps from the beach. There’s a pool, hot tub, gym, and restaurant with views overlooking the ocean. You can choose between a regular guest room or a suite
Another hotel at Rockaway Beach, the Inn at Rockaway is set back further back than Lighthouse Hotel. It is just a few minutes from the beach. It’s pet-friendly, too, so you can bring your furry friends up to 35 pounds.
For a hotel near Linda Mar Beach (and Taco Bell), Pacifica Beach Hotel is a great option. It has 52 guest rooms, many with jacuzzi tubs. The hotel also has an onsite restaurant, a heated pool, and is just across the street from the beach.
Are you looking for a little homier feel? You can rent an apartment or house on VRBO, just steps from the beach. It’ll cost you a bit more than a hotel nightly but comes with more privacy.
Enjoy a staycation by yourself with a partner at this beachfront apartment. Go to bed at night and wake up each morning to the sound of waves (no sound machine needed). Plus, there’s a balcony, fireplace, and dining nook with ocean views
Stay 50 yards from the beach in this cute cottage, which has two bedrooms and one bathroom. In the afternoons and evenings, you can hang out in the backyard, which has a BBQ and fire pit.
Watch the sunset on your private deck in front of the fire pit at this large, modern home just north of the Pacifica Pier. It has five bedrooms and three bathrooms, so invite some friends or family for a relaxing weekend getaway.
Pacifica restaurants
What the inside of Pacifica’s Taco Bell looks like.
Lesley Chen
Fuel up before, during, or at the end of a day in Pacifica at one of these restaurants.
Taco Bell: You may be hard-pressed to call a fast food restaurant “beautiful,” but the Taco Bell in Pacifica will change your mind. This Taco Bell on Linda Mar Beach is housed in a rustic, chic building, with a huge interior and fireplace, and has even hosted weddings. But the back patio is where you want to be. There you can watch surfers as you snack on Doritos Locos Tacos, or if you’re a surfer yourself, park your board and order at the walk-up window without leaving sandy footprints all over the restaurant. It’s a great spot to pick up a breakfast burrito pre-hike or surf session, or enjoy an afternoon Mexican pizza paired with an adult beverage — since this is a Taco Bell Cantina location, you can order wine, beer, and spiked drinks.
Soul Grind: Caffeine powers many a beach day, and Soul Grind has impressive coffee in spades. Beans are roasted in-house, and you can order everything from a classic pour-over to a matcha or charcoal latte. There’s a daily selection of pastries, as well as breakfast, sandwiches, and salads that you can eat inside or on the back patio.
Gorilla BBQ: Blink and you may miss Gorilla BBQ which is located in a converted rail car off Highway 1. But don’t judge a book by its cover. This spot serves ribs, pulled pork, brisket, and more smokin’ deliciousness, and has appeared on Food Networks Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. It’s open on Saturday and Sunday, from noon until they sell out, and they often do.
Moonraker: Come for dinner, stay for the views at Moonraker, the restaurant located inside the Lighthouse Hotel. The restaurant features a variety of seafood and California wines, beers, and cocktails. Floor-to-ceiling windows ensure that you can take in the ocean at all hours of the day, with sunset being the most spectacular.
Breakers: Casual breakfast a few steps from the beach? Yes, please. Breakers serves only breakfast and lunch but has an extensive menu to please every palate. Omelets, French toast, pancakes, benedicts, burgers, BLTs, and more — Breakers will make sure you’re fueled up for a day’s worth of adventure.
Nick’s Rockaway: Located inside the Sea Breeze Hotel at Rockaway Beach, Nick’s Rockaway has old school charm, with its horseshoe bar and live music on Fridays and Saturdays. You can get breakfast, lunch, or dinner here, and the emphasis is on seafood. Think oysters, fish and chips, crab sandwiches, surf ‘n turf, and more.
Where is Pacifica?
While visiting Pacifica, you can stop at local coffee shops like Soul Grind Coffee with a quick cup and nice ambiance.
Lesley Chen
Pacifica is just outside of San Francisco, about 12 to 20 miles south depending on what part of the city you’re leaving from, and 15 to 20 minutes by car depending on traffic. The city includes several beaches along the coast as well as inland hills. across beaches along the coast and over into the interior hills. It’s easily accessible to SFO, which is about a 15-minute drive further south.
Is Pacifica safe?
I did a little research and according to Safewise, which ranks the 50 safest cities in California, Pacifica dropped from 21 to 41 in 2021, and then fell off the list in 2022. I felt safe walking around there by myself, but I was on hiking trails or in Taco Bell.
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🗳️ Get ready to shape Barbie's next adventure! Visit The Barbie Sequel Voting Site and cast your vote on the next Barbie script. Your voice matters in deciding the storyline for the iconic doll's sequel. Join the fun and help create the magic! Vote now at barbiesequel.com. Make Barbie's next Big Wave Surfing journey unforgettable! 🎉
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It wasn’t an assignment the flight crews at the Navy Fighter Weapons School were expecting.
For many in the close-knit community of pilots and radar intercept officers, it was something they would normally scoff at.
But with the blessing of the Chief of Naval Operations, a movie was being made about the hot-shot aviators of Fightertown USA, and someone needed to take a young actor named Tom Cruise out on the town and tell him what Top Gun was all about.
The mission fell to Lt. Walter E. Carter Jr., known to his fellow naval aviators as Slapshot, and Bob Schrader, another radar intercept officer — “backseaters” on the F-4 Phantoms and F-14 Tomcats flown by the best of the best.
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“I was the low man on the totem pole,” said Slapshot, now known as University of Nebraska President Ted Carter, “so they said ‘Go out and meet Tom Cruise, get him really drunk, and then we’re going to throw him in the swimming pool the next day so we can show him how hard this is.'”
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University of Nebraska President Ted Carter (left), an alum of the U.S. Naval Academy, also graduated from Navy Fighter Weapons School, which is what the movie “Top Gun” was based on.
COURTESY PHOTO
So Carter, who had arrived in Miramar, California, in February 1985 after a deployment on the USS Midway in the Sea of Japan, did as he was ordered, taking the Hollywood superstar to the bar with the goal of plying him with booze.
But Cruise, who was emerging as a bankable star and would go on to become one of the most recognizable people in the world, was nothing like Carter expected.
He was a “nice guy, not cocky at all,” Carter said in a Zoom interview last week, and was interested in “what we do and why we do it, why we love doing it and why we didn’t get paid more.
“Then, he jumped in the pool the next day and did great,” added Carter. “He did fine all the way through.”
The conversation came at the early stages of production for the movie that would become “Top Gun,” a box office smash — it was the highest-grossing movie of 1986 when it was released — and a pop culture mainstay for decades.
A long-awaited sequel — “Top Gun: Maverick” — will debut in theaters Tuesday, and begin showing on screens Friday in Lincoln.
Ted Carter
Carter said while fictional, the original movie captured the speed and intensity of flying an F-14 Tomcat, as well as the swagger of the kind of people who willingly hop into a cockpit and put their lives on the line.
The attitudes of the flight crews as depicted in the movie are real, Carter said, and worn like armor by the real pilots and backseaters against the inherent risks and dangers of flying jets.
Other details that made it into the movie also show the work done by the actors and others involved, he added.
“The idea of having your mask off when you’re flying, how to walk in your flight gear, how to carry your flight bag,” Carter explained, “they spent hours teaching the actors how to do that, and they got it right. That part was exactly spot-on.”
Carter’s own path to Top Gun — a story he seldom speaks about publicly — involves a flight that itself could have been a scene in the movie.
At the height of the Cold War, as a 24-year-old radar intercept officer, or RIO, in charge of weapon systems and radar, Carter flew missions to intercept Soviet airplanes to ensure they weren’t on attack runs against the Midway, a U.S. aircraft carrier, off the coast of Japan.
University of Nebraska President Ted Carter spent five weeks training at Navy Fighter Weapons School, also known by its nickname Top Gun.
COURTESY PHOTO
“I was in the backseat of an F-4 Phantom being flown by a Vietnam-era fighter pilot named (Lt. Commander) Vance Toalson — his call sign was Steamer,” Carter said.
The plane and the aircraft carrier were fine, but the choppy waters in the Sea of Japan were causing the Midway to pitch 30 feet up and down, creating all but impossible landing conditions.
“We went around 13 times trying to land,” Carter said. “We refueled four times with the airborne tankers. If we wouldn’t have landed the 13th time, we would have ejected because we were out of fuel.”
On their final run, the Phantom and the Midway synchronized and Steamer put the fighter onto the deck and into the arresting gear to bring it to a stop.
Carter jumped out of the plane excited: “This is the coolest thing ever,” he recalled, but Toalson, a veteran aviator, was shook by the experience.
Over “medicinal whiskey” in the ready room with high-ranking officers, Toalson told Carter he thought the pair were close to having to eject into the frigid waters and wait to be fished out by a helicopter.
“‘Kid, we could have died,’” Carter remembers Toalson telling him. But Carter’s cool nature under a stressful situation had earned the veteran aviator’s respect, and he recommended the squadron send Slapshot to Top Gun.
University of Nebraska President Ted Carter (right) graduated from Navy Fighter Weapons School, which is what the cult classic “Top Gun” was based on.
COURTESY PHOTO
Four months later, in February 1985, Carter was in San Diego, learning how to engage in air-to-air combat in an intensive program that required twice-daily flights, plus hours of pre-briefings and debriefs, classes and homework.
Carter said the most valuable experience imparted at Top Gun during the five-week course, where he flew with Lt. Rory “Wily” Banks, was the importance of teaching and learning, which changed the trajectory of his life.
There’s no Top Gun trophy, per se — another layer of conflict invented by Hollywood for the movie — but instructors select a student to brief for a final exercise, a strike event consisting of 16 fighters, 24 bogeys and other planes requiring an excruciating amount of planning.
Carter was selected to give that briefing before he graduated in March 1985.
The lessons learned over the course of the five weeks he spent at Miramar culminated 14 years later during the war in Kosovo, when he led a section of fighters “through the popcorn popper” of anti-aircraft artillery and missiles to deliver a strike on a fuel depot.
“Everything I learned in Top Gun came together in that one combat mission,” Carter said, which required the planes to lock onto the target for 12 seconds before peeling away using a high-speed maneuver.
University of Nebraska President Ted Carter (left), an alum of the U.S. Naval Academy, flew with Lt. Rory “Wily” Banks during his Top Gun training.
COURTESY PHOTO
A missile flew between planes during the run, but everybody made it home safe, he added. For his “superb airmanship, courage under fire, and steadfast devotion of duty,” Carter earned the Distinguished Flying Cross.
“It was a little bit later in life than what’s depicted in the movie,” Carter said, referring to the scene where Top Gun aviators are deployed at their graduation ceremony, “but I’m grateful I had that experience.”
Carter didn’t attend the premier for “Top Gun” in 1986. Rather, he saw the movie in a Maryland theater with his wife, Lynda, when his tour in Japan had ended.
“We walked out of there going, ‘Wow, that’s going to be a hit,’” he said.
Three months later, when the Carters returned to Miramar, the movie was continuing to play before sell-out audiences, but at the Navy Fighter Weapons School, “Top Gun” had become somewhat taboo.
Tom Cruise as Capt. Pete “Maverick” Mitchell in “Top Gun: Maverick.”
Paramount Pictures
“You were not allowed to use a line from the movie, as cult-like as it had become,” Carter said. “If you did, you paid money to be going on the bar on Friday night.”
Carter said he and others in the aviation community, while following along with the new code of silence, also saw the bigger picture.
The movie’s popularity attracted thousands of men and women to the military, and aviation in particular, making it an effective recruiting tool for several branches.
With the new movie set to come out 36 years after the original, Carter said he has had the chance to be involved with production at a distance.
He met actor Glen Powell, who will portray “Hangman” in the new film, at a 50th anniversary event for Top Gun in San Diego in 2019, and said the two are regularly in touch.
But he has purposely stayed away from any premieres or sneak peeks, preferring instead to relive the experience from 36 years ago.
“I’ve had some opportunities, and I know some of the script, but I want to see it like everybody else,” Carter said. “My wife and I will see it in a theater just like we saw the original.”
Since then, movie criticism has retained countless core consistencies while evolving to keep pace with the medium itself. During this time, the two respective arenas have developed what some might call a symbiotic relationship. Movies often, but not always, depend on solid reviews to succeed, and movie critics rely on the emergence of new films to keep their jobs.
Furthermore, there have been periods of history during which the exchange of ideas between critics and artists have spawned new conventions or artistic movements. For example, the French film magazine, Cahiers du Cinéma—where both François Truffaut and Jean-Luc Godard worked as writers—played a vital role in the creation of French New Wave Cinema, which subsequently influenced a legion of auteurs. Meanwhile, there have also emerged a handful of famous critics over the decades, including Pauline Kael and Roger Ebert, whose unique interpretations of classic films have occasionally been heralded as works of art unto themselves.
Opinions are everywhere nowadays, but film critics still hold a certain amount of sway over how works are perceived. That might have people wondering: what are the best movies of all time according to critics? For the answer, Stacker gathered data from Metacritic (as of March 16, 2021), where movies are scored based on their aggregate critical reception. Movies not yet released to the public were not included.
Counting down from #100, here are the best films of all time, according to the critics.
#100. Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (2003)
– Director: Peter Jackson
– Metascore: 94
– Runtime: 201 minutes
The last film in the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy won 11 Academy Awards, the third movie ever to do so, along with “Titanic” and “Ben-Hur.” It is the most Oscar-nominated movie in history to win in every single one of its nomination categories.
New Line Cinema
#99. Chimes at Midnight (1967)
– Director: Orson Welles
– Metascore: 94
– Runtime: 119 minutes
Orson Welles not only directs but stars as the Shakespearean character Sir John Falstaff, drawing from the plays “Henry IV,” “Henry V,” “Richard II,” and “The Merry Wives of Windsor.” It was based on a play Welles wrote called “Five Kings,” which flopped on its opening night in New York City in 1939.
Internacional Films
#98. Lady Bird (2017)
– Director: Greta Gerwig
– Metascore: 94
– Runtime: 94 minutes
After starring in a string of popular indie films, actress Greta Gerwig wrote and directed this comedy-drama about a teenage girl who comes of age in Sacramento, California, in the early 2000s. Featuring powerhouse performances from actresses Saoirse Ronan and Laurie Metcalf, the movie immediately distinguished itself as being the best-reviewed film in the history of Rotten Tomatoes.
Scott Rudin Productions
#97. We Were Here (2011)
– Directors: Bill Weber, David Weissman
– Metascore: 94
– Runtime: 90 minutes
In the early 1980s, San Francisco’s flourishing gay community was devastated by the AIDS epidemic, which delivered unfathomable amounts of suffering and loss. Revisiting those early days by way of interviews and footage, this 2011 documentary chronicles the immediate impact of the crisis and shows how the community united while taking on a tragedy of calamitous proportion.
Wiessman Projects
#96. The Gunfighter (1950)
– Director: Henry King
– Metascore: 94
– Runtime: 85 minutes
The premise of a gunslinger coming out of retirement might be cliché by today’s standards, but it was quite fresh when this Western debuted in 1950, making “The Gunfighter” a trailblazer of sorts. Furthermore, the movie’s reflective and psychological approach helped pave the way for similar and more successful fare like “High Noon.” In the film, a famous desperado (Gregory Peck) straps up the six-shooter for one final showdown, as he squares off against vengeful cowboys.
When making his iconic Vietnam War movie, 1979’s “Apocalypse Now,” director Francis Ford Coppola endured many psychological and physical setbacks. Over two decades passed before he revisited the film, releasing this unabridged, digitally restored version in 2001, which included a host of previously cut scenes. Meanwhile, the original story remained intact. It’s about a soldier (Martin Sheen) who’s sent into the heart of the Cambodian jungle to assassinate a rogue colonel (Marlon Brando).
Zoetrope Studios
#94. The Apartment (1960)
– Director: Billy Wilder
– Metascore: 94
– Runtime: 125 minutes
The comedy stars Jack Lemmon as an insurance company employee who lets the firm’s bigwigs use his Manhattan apartment for their trysts in hopes of getting a promotion. Fred MacMurray plays his boss, who is having an affair with an elevator operator played by Shirley MacLaine. During a break from filming, MacLaine made an uncredited cameo appearance in “Ocean’s 11,” which starred Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and the rest of the Rat Pack.
The Mirisch Corporation
#93. Meet Me in St. Louis (1945)
– Director: Vincente Minnelli
– Metascore: 94
– Runtime: 113 minutes
Judy Garland leads the cast of the popular family musical. Margaret O’Brien, who was 7, plays her little sister and was given a special Academy Award for outstanding child actress. Director Vincente Minnelli and Garland met while making the movie and later were married.
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
#92. Schindler’s List (1993)
– Director: Steven Spielberg
– Metascore: 94
– Runtime: 195 minutes
In the early 1990s, Steven Spielberg released one of his most personal and sophisticated films to date, about German industrialist Oskar Schindler (played by Liam Neeson) who became an unlikely savior to over 1,000 Jews during the Holocaust. Critics noted how the film represented a major step up for the director in virtually every regard. Proving just how pure Spielberg’s intentions were, he refused a salary when making the movie and donated his profits to a charitable foundation.
Universal Pictures
#91. Sideways (2004)
– Director: Alexander Payne
– Metascore: 94
– Runtime: 126 minutes
Despite its understated premise, this 2004 comedy-drama from Alexander Payne was a veritable phenomenon upon its release and had a discernible effect on the wine industry at large. Based on a novel, the film follows two close friends (Paul Giamatti and Thomas Haden Church) as they travel through wine country, encountering romance and excessive amounts of alcohol along the way. Winner of Best Adapted Screenplay at the Academy Awards, the movie earned rave reviews and over $100 million at the box office.
This inventive Pixar movie goes where no animated adventure has gone before: inside the mind of a young girl named Riley. That’s where viewers are introduced to Riley’s personified emotions, specifically joy, fear, anger, sadness, and disgust. When Riley’s family moves to a new city, her emotions must likewise learn to navigate entirely new terrain. Featured in the film are voices from a range of comedic talents, including Amy Poehler, Bill Hader, Lewis Black, and Mindy Kaling, among others.
Pixar Animation Studios
#89. Shadow of a Doubt (1943)
– Director: Alfred Hitchcock
– Metascore: 94
– Runtime: 108 minutes
In this 1943 thriller, “master of suspense” Alfred Hitchcock tells the story of young Charlotte ‘Charlie’ Newton (Teresa Wright) who gets a surprise visit from her Uncle Charlie (Joseph Cotten). When Uncle Charlie starts to exhibit some abnormal behavior, Charlotte begins to wonder if he’s actually a con artist and potential murderer.
Universal Pictures
#88. Amazing Grace (2018)
– Directors: Alan Elliott, Sydney Pollack
– Metascore: 94
– Runtime: 87 minutes
The performance of Aretha Franklin recording a gospel album was shot over two days in 1972 at the New Bethel Baptist Church in the Watts section of Los Angeles. Because director Sydney Pollack failed to use clapper boards to synchronize the film’s video and audio, the footage originally could not be used. It was not until many years later that Alan Elliott found a way to sync the film and the sound. Appearing briefly are Rolling Stones’ musicians Mick Jagger and Charlie Watts who stopped by to hear Franklin sing.
40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks
#87. The Wild Child (1970)
– Director: François Truffaut
– Metascore: 94
– Runtime: 83 minutes
Francois Truffaut directs and appears in the story of a feral boy found living among wolves in a forest. The French director plays a doctor who tries to teach and care for the child. The film is based on the true story of a boy found in 19th-century France who was given the name Victor and known as the “Wild Boy of Aveyron.” The real-life Dr. Jean Itard was chief physician at the National Institution for Deaf-Mutes, and his work was influential in the development of the Montessori teaching method.
Les Artistes Associés
#86. Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
– Director: Isao Takahata
– Metascore: 94
– Runtime: 89 minutes
The animated film from Japan features a young boy and girl struggling to survive in the last days of World War II. It was based on a novel of the same name by Akiyuki Nosaka. Nosaka’s book was inspired by the lives of the author and his younger sister, who died of malnutrition during the war in Japan.
The 3.5-hour epic stars Robert de Niro, Harvey Keitel, and Joe Pesci, all veterans of Martin Scorcese’s acclaimed mob movies, as well as Al Pacino, who had not worked with Scorcese before. The movie used “digital de-aging” techniques to portray the older characters as several decades younger. Nominated for 10 Oscars, it won none.
Proving that audiences and critics don’t always see eye to eye, this 2014 biographical drama from Mike Leigh is almost universally heralded by professional reviewers but completely hit or miss among general moviegoers. Chronicled in the film are the life and times of eccentric British painter J.M.W. Turner, played by Timothy Spall. Haunted by the death of his father and in possession of great talent, Turner engages in a range of controversial exploits, often to the disapproval of others.
Simon Mein
#83. The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
– Director: John Frankenheimer
– Metascore: 94
– Runtime: 126 minutes
Frank Sinatra stars in this 1962 thriller about a former POW who’s brainwashed into becoming a political assassin. Released at the height of the Cold War, the film kicked off what’s now known as Frankenheimer’s “paranoia trilogy.” It opened to solid reviews but underperformed at the box office. In the time since, however, “The Manchurian Candidate” has garnered appreciation among a wider audience, and the film was even remade in 2004.
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc.
#82. Pulp Fiction (1994)
– Director: Quentin Tarantino
– Metascore: 94
– Runtime: 154 minutes
1992’s “Reservoir Dogs” might have put director Quentin Tarantino on the cultural map, but it was this 1994 masterpiece that made him a worldwide phenom. Weaving multiple Los Angeles-based storylines together in brilliant fashion, the film brings its viewers into Tarantino’s fully realized world of grit, violence, and wicked comedy. Indeed, between the iconic dialogue, the unconventional narrative, the distinct aesthetic, the killer soundtrack, the memorable characters, and the bevy of classic scenes, “Pulp Fiction” remains as vital now as it was upon its debut.
Miramax
#81. Taxi Driver (1976)
– Director: Martin Scorsese
– Metascore: 94
– Runtime: 114 minutes
One of director Martin Scorsese’s earliest feature films is also one of his best. That film is 1976’s “Taxi Driver,” and it stars Robert De Niro as Vietnam War veteran-turned-cabbie Travis Bickle. While cruising New York City at night, Bickle becomes increasingly disgusted with the filth that surrounds him, and he slowly descends into madness. Eventually, he emerges as a gun-toting madman, with multiple targets in sight.
True to its name, this 2015 drama centers on a couple who have been married for 45 years. As they plan to celebrate their upcoming anniversary, the husband (Tom Courtenay) gets word his first love—who disappeared decades ago—has been found dead in a melting glacier. The news has a discernible effect on the husband and causes him to act strangely, which consequently prompts his wife (Charlotte Rampling) to re-examine the man she thought she knew so well.
BFI Film Fund
#79. The Searchers (1956)
– Director: John Ford
– Metascore: 94
– Runtime: 119 minutes
John Wayne is a Confederate Army veteran who spends years obsessively tracking down the Comanches who kidnapped his niece, killed her family, and set their home on fire. The film has come under criticism for its racist views of American Indians. Wayne and director John Ford worked together on more than a dozen movies.
C.V. Whitney Pictures
#78. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)
– Director: John Ford
– Metascore: 94
– Runtime: 123 minutes
As far as the residents of Shinbone are concerned, the man who shot ruthless outlaw Liberty Valance was Ransom Stoddard (James Stewart), who went on to become a senator. However, when Stoddard comes back into town years later, he reveals he might not have been the shooter after all. As it turns out, Tom Doniphon (John Wayne) is the film’s real hero.
Paramount Pictures
#77. Dunkirk (2017)
– Director: Christopher Nolan
– Metascore: 94
– Runtime: 106 minutes
Director Christopher Nolan’s gripping World War II drama recounts the Battle of Dunkirk when hundreds of thousands of Allied troops were forced to evacuate a French coastal town as the German enemy closed in. From the first scene to the last, the film delivers a pulse-pounding ride, pitting various soldiers against what seems to be their inevitable demise. Some journalists criticized the film for its supposed inaccuracies, but critics and audiences definitely didn’t mind.
Warner Bros.
#76. Amour (2012)
– Director: Michael Haneke
– Metascore: 94
– Runtime: 127 minutes
Controversial director Michael Haneke puts a couple’s decades-long marriage to the test in this slow-moving, intricate work. Specifically, the movie centers on a pair of retired school teachers, whose loving marriage is manifested by a series of daily rituals. After the wife suffers a massive stroke, her condition deteriorates to the point that she’s no longer recognizable as the person she once was. Consequently, the husband must struggle with a range of emotions while acting as her loyal caretaker.
Richard Linklater’s heralded “Before” Trilogy began in 1995 with “Before Sunrise,” and culminated with this 2013 effort. After dallying with romance during their previous encounters, Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Celine (Julie Delpy) have finally tied the knot, and by the time “Before Midnight” begins, they’re going on nine years of marriage. As they and their two daughters vacation in Greece, however, cracks begin to show in the relationship, forcing the couple to once again evaluate a range of emotions and ideas.
Sony Pictures Classics
#74. Carol (2015)
– Director: Todd Haynes
– Metascore: 94
– Runtime: 118 minutes
Based on a novel by Patricia Highsmith, this quiet film from Todd Haynes stars Cate Blanchett as Carol, a gay housewife trapped in a loveless marriage. After sparks fly between her and a young woman (Rooney Mara), the two find themselves breaking free from the conventions of their time. Kyle Chandler and Sarah Paulson co-star.
Wilson Webb
#73. WALL-E (2008)
– Director: Andrew Stanton
– Metascore: 95
– Runtime: 98 minutes
Set in the distant (or not-so-distant) future—where Earth has become uninhabitable—this 2008 Pixar feature follows the adventures of a lovable, trash-collecting robot. After boarding a massive spaceship, the robot discovers that humanity hasn’t exactly learned from its previous mistakes. Due to its somewhat bleak vision and an extended opening segment that’s virtually absent of dialogue, “WALL-E” is unlike any other film in Pixar’s catalogue. That said, it was still widely praised and financially successful—just like most of the studio’s output.
Sony Pictures Classics
#72. A Separation (2011)
– Director: Asghar Farhadi
– Metascore: 95
– Runtime: 123 minutes
Written and directed by Asghar Farhadi, this 2011 Iranian drama finds a married couple in the midst of a crisis. Specifically, the wife seeks a divorce and a better life abroad for her and her daughter, while the husband insists the family stay together in Iran and take care of his sickly father. As the dispute unfolds, the country’s own societal norms are put under the microscope. In addition to wildly positive reviews, “A Separation” received a slew of major awards, including an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film.
Sony Pictures Classics
#71. Zero Dark Thirty (2012)
– Director: Kathryn Bigelow
– Metascore: 95
– Runtime: 157 minutes
This taut dramatic thriller depicts the decade-long hunt for Osama bin Laden in the wake of 9/11, which eventually led to the terrorist’s assassination. At the heart of the investigation is a CIA operative named Maya, played to perfection by Jessica Chastain. Overcoming a range of political obstacles, Maya stays the course throughout the entire film and ultimately makes the final call as to bin Laden’s whereabouts.
A lawyer played by James Stewart comes out of retirement to defend a U.S. Army lieutenant accused of murdering a man (Ben Gazzara) who allegedly raped his wife (Lee Remick). George C. Scott plays the prosecutor in the story riddled with secrets. Jayne Mansfield turned down Remick’s part, and Gregory Peck was considered for the lead. The role of the judge was offered to Burl Ives and Spencer Tracy but in the end was played by Joseph N. Welch, a real-life lawyer who represented the U.S. Army in the 1954 anti-Communist Army-McCarthy hearings. He never memorized his lines and instead read them off a teleprompter, and it was his only movie role.
Otto Preminger Film
#69. The Hurt Locker (2009)
– Director: Kathryn Bigelow
– Metascore: 95
– Runtime: 131 minutes
Set during the Iraq War, this taut war drama follows a bomb squad maverick Staff Sergeant William James (Jeremy Renner) as he dismantles various explosives. Winner of Best Picture at the Academy Awards, the film is sustained by a near-constant sense of dread, as it seems like James’ life could vaporize at any given moment. Many veterans have taken the movie to task over its reported exaggerations but watching it makes for a genuinely gripping experience nevertheless.
Jonathan Olley
#68. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1938)
– Directors: Ben Sharpsteen, David Hand, Larry Morey, Perce Pearce, Wilfred Jackson, William Cottrell
– Metascore: 95
– Runtime: 83 minutes
Walt Disney’s legacy might have started with a mouse named Mickey, but it was this 1938 animated feature that kicked off the studio’s cinematic streak. Based on a fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm, the movie follows Snow White as she flees from an evil queen and seeks shelter with a group of highly personable dwarfs. At one point during production, Disney mortgaged his own house to secure more financing. Needless to say, the effort paid off handsomely, especially in the long run.
Disney
#67. Collective (2020)
– Director: Alexander Nanau
– Metascore: 95
– Runtime: 109 minutes
A determined group of journalists, activists, and victims takes on corruption and fraud in Romania following a devastating nightclub fire that killed 27 people and injured 180. Dozens of burn victims died in the months that followed from infections they acquired while hospitalized. Former President Barack Obama listed the documentary as one of his favorite films in 2020.
Alexander Nanau Production
#66. Double Indemnity (1944)
– Director: Billy Wilder
– Metascore: 95
– Runtime: 107 minutes
In this noirish thriller from Billy Wilder, an insurance agent (Fred MacMurray) gets lured into a murderous scheme by his client’s wife (Barbara Stanwyck). Not only do the pair plot the murder of the woman’s husband, but thanks to a double indemnity clause in the victim’s insurance plan, they hope to walk away with twice the fortune. When adapting James M. Cain’s novel for the big screen, Wilder brought mystery legend Raymond Chandler on board as a co-writer, though the two men reportedly hated working with one another. Nevertheless, the script would go on to receive an Oscar nomination, while the film endures to this day as a genuine classic.
The film capturing Woodstock, the three-day musical festival in 1969 that came to define a generation, won an Academy Award for Best Documentary, Features. It has a treasure trove of performances by The Who, Joan Baez, Richie Havens, Joe Cocker, Jimi Hendrix, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Santana, and more, with interviews and footage from the iconic site in Bethel, New York.
Wadleigh-Maurice
#64. I Am Not Your Negro (2016)
– Director: Raoul Peck
– Metascore: 95
– Runtime: 93 minutes
Using an unfinished novel by writer and social critic James Baldwin as its foundation, this award-winning documentary explores the history of race in America. Against a harrowing tapestry of archival footage, actor Samuel L. Jackson reads excerpts from “Remember This House,” Baldwin’s intended tribute to Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr., and Medgar Evers. Interspersed throughout are interviews with Baldwin himself, whose words continue to emanate with poignancy to this day.
Arte France
#63. Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019)
– Director: Céline Sciamma
– Metascore: 95
– Runtime: 122 minutes
Set in 18th-century France, “Portrait of a Lady on Fire” tells the story of the relationship that develops between an aristocratic bride-to-be and a young woman commissioned to paint her wedding portrait. The film has only brief lines of dialogue by men, and it has no musical score.
Lilies Films
#62. My Fair Lady (1964)
– Director: George Cukor
– Metascore: 95
– Runtime: 170 minutes
The musical classic stars Sir Rex Harrison as Professor Henry Higgins whose task is to transform a Cockney working-class girl—Eliza Doolittle played by Audrey Hepburn—into a presentable member of high society. Actors James Cagney, Cary Grant, Rock Hudson, Peter O’Toole, and Sir Michael Redgrave all were considered for the male lead before Harrison, who played Higgins on Broadway, was selected. Hepburn took lessons with a vocal coach and expected to do her own singing, but in the end most of her numbers were dubbed.
Warner Bros.
#61. The Social Network (2010)
– Director: David Fincher
– Metascore: 95
– Runtime: 120 minutes
Inspired by Ben Mezrich’s national bestseller, “The Accidental Billionaires,” this dark 2010 drama recounts the creation of Facebook, with Jesse Eisenberg starring as Mark Zuckerberg. While screenwriter Aaron Sorkin and director David Fincher definitely take some creative liberties, the result is a thoroughly compelling work about a brilliant misfit who ironically establishes the world’s most ubiquitous social network.
The sequel to the 1931 film, “Frankenstein,” features Elsa Lanchester as Mary Shelley and as the iconic Bride with stitches on her face and silver streaks in her towering shock of hair, and Boris Karloff as the Monster. Their makeup reportedly took several hours to apply each day, and Lanchester used stilts that made her 7 feet tall.
Universal Pictures
#59. Toy Story (1995)
– Director: John Lasseter
– Metascore: 95
– Runtime: 81 minutes
The modern era of computer animation arguably begins with this original classic from 1995. In “Toy Story,” a cowboy named Woody (voiced by Tom Hanks) gets a little jealous when his owner, Andy, starts playing with a killer new toy named Buzz Lightyear (voiced by Tim Allen). Eventually, the two learn to get along, paving the way for a string of adventures that are still going to this day.
Pixar Animation Studios
#58. Small Axe: Lovers Rock (2020)
– Director: Steve McQueen
– Metascore: 95
– Runtime: 68 minutes
The film is a segment in the five-part “Small Axe” series that looks at the life of West Indians in London over the course of a decade. It was chosen for the 2020 Cannes Film Festival, which was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and it premiered at the virtual New York Film Festival.
British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)
#57. Beauty and the Beast (1991)
– Directors: Gary Trousdale, Kirk Wise
– Metascore: 95
– Runtime: 84 minutes
Disney was in the midst of a substantial comeback when it released this animated smash hit in 1991, about a cursed prince who’s doomed to exist as a beast, lest he finds true love and breaks the spell. While the movie is an indisputable classic with near-universal acclaim to show for it, some folks feel it conveys a bad message about tolerating unacceptable behavior. Of course, most would agree it’s a movie about learning to love someone for whom they are, and not for whom they appear to be.
Walt Disney Pictures
#56. Spirited Away (2002)
– Director: Hayao Miyazaki
– Metascore: 96
– Runtime: 125 minutes
In the annals of animated cinema, Japan’s Hayao Miyazaki is an absolute legend, with a bevy of renowned features to his name. Standing out from the pack is this acclaimed effort from 2002, which follows a young girl into a fantasy world run by all sorts of mystical beings, where humans are turned into beasts. Winner of Best Animated Feature at the Academy Awards, the movie combines Miyazaki’s distinct visual style with a truly compelling story to downright masterful effect.
– Directors: Ben Sharpsteen, Bill Roberts, David Hand, Ford Beebe Jr., Hamilton Luske, James Algar, Jim Handley, Norman Ferguson, Paul Satterfield, Samuel Armstrong, T. Hee, Wilfred Jackson
– Metascore: 96
– Runtime: 125 minutes
The animated collection of works of classical music won an honorary Academy Award for its creation of visualized music and for advancing the use of sound in motion pictures. Accompanied by the Philadelphia Orchestra, the stories include “Night on Bald Mountain” and Mickey Mouse in “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice.” The film’s creators considered, but abandoned, the idea of spraying scents into theaters such as jasmine for the “Waltz of the Flowers” segment and incense for “Ave Maria.”
Walt Disney Production
#54. Gravity (2013)
– Director: Alfonso Cuarón
– Metascore: 96
– Runtime: 91 minutes
Before wowing critics with 2018’s “Roma,” director Alfonso Cuarón unleashed “Gravity” in 2013. The film is about two astronauts (Sandra Bullock and George Clooney) who must fight for survival after their shuttle gets destroyed. By capitalizing on the latest 3D technology, the film brought viewers along for the ride, proverbially speaking. Between that and the engaging narrative, the movie earned heaping amounts of critical acclaim and over $700 million at the box office.
Warner Bros.
#53. The Lady Eve (1941)
– Director: Preston Sturges
– Metascore: 96
– Runtime: 94 minutes
Starring Barbara Stanwyck, Henry Fonda, Charles Coburn, and William Demarest, “The Lady Eve” depicts a trio of hustlers who target a wealthy brewery heir on board an ocean liner. The film is a classic example of director Preston Sturges’ use of quick, comical dialogue, a lively supporting cast, and bustling, energetic scenes.
Paramount Pictures
#52. Mean Streets (1973)
– Director: Martin Scorsese
– Metascore: 96
– Runtime: 112 minutes
This gritty 1973 movie wasn’t director Martin Scorsese’s first film, but it might as well have been. Made on a shoestring budget of just $500,000 (half of which reportedly went toward the soundtrack), “Mean Streets” follows a small-time criminal named Charlie (Harvey Keitel) who struggles to reconcile his moral inclinations with his dangerous lifestyle. This film not only marked the first of many collaborations between Scorsese and actor Robert De Niro, but it furthermore cemented their respective statuses as veritable cinematic forces.
A married couple played by Julie Christie and Donald Sutherland are mourning the death of their daughter when they meet a psychic in Venice who says she can see their lost child. The two leads met initially on the set, and the first scene they shot was the film’s well-known sex scene. The scene was removed by censors when the movie was released in Ireland, and it had to be cut by nine frames, which was less than a half second, to avoid being rated X in the United States.
Casey Productions
#48. Rocks (2021)
– Director: Sarah Gavron
– Metascore: 96
– Runtime: 93 minutes
“Rocks” is the story of a teenage girl and her brother struggling to survive on the streets of London after being abandoned by their mother. Written by Nigerian British playwright and screenwriter Theresa Ikoko and film and television writer Claire Wilson, the movie was made with a mostly female crew.
Fable Pictures
#47. Parasite (2019)
– Director: Bong Joon-ho
– Metascore: 96
– Runtime: 132 minutes
“Parasite” depicts the intersection of a poor family living in a squalid basement with members of a wealthy family living in a mansion in Seoul. Made with subtitles, it was the first non-English language film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture. It also won Oscars for best director and for best original screenplay.
Barunson E&A
#46. Ratatouille (2007)
– Director: Brad Bird
– Metascore: 96
– Runtime: 111 minutes
The legendary Brad Bird co-wrote and co-directed this Pixar classic, about an epicurean rat named Remy (voiced by Patton Oswalt) who puts his cooking skills to the test in the kitchen of a French restaurant. To avoid exposure, Remy hides inside the hat of a bumbling kitchen worker and controls the worker’s movements by pulling on his hair. Not only was this animated flick a huge hit with critics, but it features an elitist food critic in a prominent role.
The ensemble cast of “Nashville” features Karen Black, Ned Beatty, Lily Tomlin, Keith Carradine, Geraldine Chaplin, and Henry Gibson. The songs were written and performed by the actors themselves, and Carradine’s “I’m Easy” won an Oscar and a Golden Globe. The movie was nominated for a record 11 Globe awards, including acting nods to Chaplin, Gibson, Tomlin, Ronee Blakley, and Barbara Harris.
ABC Entertainment
#44. Killer of Sheep (2007)
– Director: Charles Burnett
– Metascore: 96
– Runtime: 80 minutes
Primarily shot by writer/director Charles Burnett in 1972 and 1973, this compelling drama wasn’t released to the public until 2007, since that was how long it took to clear all the music rights. Brimming with both vision and relevancy, the film centers on an African American slaughterhouse worker who experiences dissatisfaction in both his professional and personal life. Told through a series of episodic events, the movie pits its protagonist against a host of obstacles and temptations, with all the action taking place in L.A.’s Watts neighborhood.
Milestone Films
#43. 12 Years a Slave (2013)
– Director: Steve McQueen
– Metascore: 96
– Runtime: 134 minutes
Author Solomon Northup’s memoir provided the basis for this historical drama from Steve McQueen. In the film, Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor) is enjoying life as a free man up North, until he’s abducted by criminals and sold into slavery down South. What follows over the course of 12 years is nothing short of tragic, as Northup and his peers suffer a range of abuses at the hands of an alcoholic slave owner (Michael Fassbender). The movie won three Academy Awards, including Best Picture.
Jaap Buitendijk
#42. The Maltese Falcon (1941)
– Director: John Huston
– Metascore: 96
– Runtime: 100 minutes
In this 1941 mystery, Humphrey Bogart plays private detective Sam Spade, one of his most iconic roles. In the film, Spade must navigate through a treacherous maze of murder and betrayal, as he searches high and low for a priceless missing statue, the Maltese Falcon. Along the way, he crosses paths with three dangerous criminals and one devious dame.
Warner Bros.
#41. Rosemary’s Baby (1968)
– Director: Roman Polanski
– Metascore: 96
– Runtime: 137 minutes
Some thoroughly haunting theme music sets the tone for this bone-chilling horror flick from Roman Polanski, in which a woman gets mysteriously impregnated. She soon finds herself in the midst of a terrifying conspiracy. Starring as Rosemary is actress Mia Farrow, who brings the ideal amount of innocence and fear to the role. As a series of ghastly events unfolds, Rosemary begins to wonder if she’s carrying the spawn of Satan himself.
Modern dramas don’t get much more depressing than this one from 2016. The film is about a traumatized handyman named Lee Chandler (Casey Affleck) who’s asked to look after his nephew after his brother dies. Haunted by his past mistakes, Lee struggles to fulfill his parental duties or even forge a connection with his newfound housemate. However, he ends up wallowing in remorse instead. Michelle Williams and Kyle Chandler co-star.
Amazon Studios
#39. 12 Angry Men (1957)
– Director: Sidney Lumet
– Metascore: 96
– Runtime: 96 minutes
Writer Reginald Rose adapted his own award-winning teleplay when he penned the script for this taut drama about 12 jurors who argue over the fate of a suspected murderer. Initially, every juror except Juror 8 (Henry Fonda) finds the defendant to be guilty. However, as Juror 8 breaks down the evidence, he slowly steers the verdict toward innocence. In the process, the respective prejudices of his peers come to the surface, vicariously causing all the more tension inside the room. Sidney Lumet directed.
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc.
#38. The Shop Around the Corner (1940)
– Director: Ernst Lubitsch
– Metascore: 96
– Runtime: 99 minutes
Margaret Sullavan and James Stewart play two sparring employees at a gift shop unaware that they are one another’s anonymous pen pals who are falling in love. The movie was the basis for the 1998 film “You’ve Got Mail,” in which the bookstore owned by Meg Ryan’s character is called The Shop Around The Corner.
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
#37. Quo vadis, Aida? (2021)
– Director: Jasmila Žbanić
– Metascore: 96
– Runtime: 101 minutes
Set in Bosnia in 1995, “Quo vadis, Aida?” tells the story of a United Nations translator whose family seeks refuge when the Serbian army takes over their town of Srebrenica and commits mass slaughter. Director and writer Jasmila Žbanić lived in Sarajevo during the Serbian siege. The film was submitted by Bosnia and Herzegovina in the International Feature Film category of the Academy Awards.
Coop99 Filmproduktion
#36. Ran (1985)
– Director: Akira Kurosawa
– Metascore: 96
– Runtime: 162 minutes
From influential filmmaker Akira Kurosawa comes this 1985 epic, which sets Shakespeare’s “King Lear” in Medieval Japan. After a warlord decides to leave his fiefdom to his three sons, the sons square off against one another over rights to the land. Kurosawa was 75 years old and in poor health when he made the film. For those reasons and more, critic Roger Ebert wondered if “Ran” was as inspired by the director’s own life as it was Shakespeare’s famous play.
Winner of the Golden Lion Award at the 2018 Venice Film Festival, Alfonso Cuarón’s “Roma” takes place in the early 1970s and depicts a year in the life of a middle-class family in Mexico City. Cuarón based the black-and-white film on his own childhood experiences, making this project arguably his most personal one to date. According to critics, it’s also one of his best.
Esperanto Filmaj
#34. Dumbo (1941)
– Directors: Ben Sharpsteen, Bill Roberts, Jack Kinney, John Elliotte, Norman Ferguson, Samuel Armstrong, Wilfred Jackson
– Metascore: 96
– Runtime: 64 minutes
“Dumbo” is the beloved story of a baby elephant ridiculed for his giant ears. It was Disney’s most financially successful movie at the time, following the costly productions of “Pinocchio” and “Fantasia.” Cels from the movie are extremely rare. Most were fragile and were destroyed.
Walt Disney Productions
#33. American Graffiti (1973)
– Director: George Lucas
– Metascore: 97
– Runtime: 110 minutes
George Lucas might be best known today as the man behind “Star Wars,” but in 1973, he released this nostalgic comedy, which couldn’t have been more different from the famous space opera in terms of tone and narrative. Set in the early 1960s, the movie follows a bunch of high school graduates as they cruise around town for one last time before heading off to college. Bringing their adventures to life is a range of comic exchanges and an endlessly listenable soundtrack of classic oldies. Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, and young Harrison Ford star.
Universal Pictures
#32. A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)
– Director: Elia Kazan
– Metascore: 97
– Runtime: 122 minutes
One of just two films in history to win three Academy Awards for acting, this 1951 adaptation of a Tennessee Williams play centers on the contemptuous relationship between Blanche DuBois (Vivien Leigh) and her brother-in-law, Stanley Kowalski (Marlon Brando). As the two continuously butt heads while living under the same roof, Blanche’s mysterious and troubled past comes back to haunt her. Meanwhile, Stanley’s wife, Stella (Kim Hunter), finds herself stuck in the middle of the ongoing battle.
Warner Bros.
#31. Battleship Potemkin (1926)
– Director: Sergei M. Eisenstein
– Metascore: 97
– Runtime: 75 minutes
In honor of the Russian Revolution, “Battleship Potemkin” tells of sailors in the Imperial Russian Navy staging a mutiny. Its famed sequence on the Potemkin Stairs shows a massacre of unarmed civilians. When Joseph Stalin came to power in the Soviet Union, the film’s written introduction by Leon Trotsky was replaced by a Vladimir Lenin quote. The famed glorification of rebellion originally was banned in France, England, and in the United States.
More than just a groundbreaking horror film, Alfred Hitchcock’s “Psycho” changed the face of cinema itself. Experimental for its time, the movie opens in a small town, where a dissatisfied bank employee (Janet Leigh) decides to take off with a bag full of money. However, what at first appears to be a compelling thriller turns into something far more sinister when the woman stops for the night at Bates Motel. There, she crosses paths with a lunatic named Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins), and the film itself abruptly changes course, to say the least.
Set in 1980s Romania—where a communist regime has ruled birth control illegal and second-term abortion a crime punishable by death—this bleak social drama follows Găbița as she tries to terminate an unwanted pregnancy. Given her lack of options, Găbița and a friend visit a male abortionist, who expects sexual favors in return. Thanks to its claustrophobic premise and minimalist style, the film whizzes by at the pace of a white-knuckle thriller. It won the Palme d’Or at Cannes, among numerous other awards.
Mobra Films
#28. Gone with the Wind (1940)
– Directors: George Cukor, Sam Wood, Victor Fleming
– Metascore: 97
– Runtime: 238 minutes
“Gone with the Wind” chronicles the life of a spoiled Southerner named Scarlett O’Hara (Vivien Leigh) during the respective Civil War and Reconstruction eras. As Scarlett deals with a range of personal tragedies, she and Rhett Butler (Clark Gable) engage in an ill-fated romance.
New Line Cinemas
#27. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
– Director: Stanley Kubrick
– Metascore: 97
– Runtime: 95 minutes
Stanley Kubrick makes his first and only appearance on this list with this 1964 dark comedy. Starring Peter Sellers in three separate roles, the movie brings modernity’s worst nightmare to life, as it builds toward a nuclear showdown between the world’s foremost powers. Of course, “Dr. Strangelove” would be that much funnier were it not so prescient, even decades after its release.
Columbia Pictures
#26. The Third Man (1949)
– Director: Carol Reed
– Metascore: 97
– Runtime: 104 minutes
Author Graham Greene adapted his own novel when writing the screenplay for this 1949 film noir. It stars Joseph Cotten as pulp novelist Holly Martins who travels to post-war Vienna at the request of his friend, Harry Lime (Orson Welles). By the time Martins arrives, he’s shocked to discover that Harry has been killed in a mysterious traffic accident. Or has he?
One of legendary actor Daniel Day-Lewis’ quality performances is his turn as Christy Brown in this biographical film from Jim Sheridan. Afflicted with cerebral palsy, Brown learns to paint and write using only his left foot, becoming a successful artist in the process. To prepare for the role, Day-Lewis spent eight weeks at a cerebral palsy clinic in Dublin, where he learned how to paint and write using just his left foot. It’s also been reported the actor stayed in character throughout the entire shoot, never once getting up out of his wheelchair.
Ferndale Films
#24. The Wild Bunch (1969)
– Director: Sam Peckinpah
– Metascore: 97
– Runtime: 135 minutes
Starring William Holden and Ernest Borgnine, “The Wild Bunch” centers on a pack of aging Western outlaws taking on a final job in Mexico. Because it was so violent, it almost was given an X rating by the Motion Picture Association of America, which settled instead on an R rating. The making of the movie used more than 90,000 rounds of blank ammunition. The soldiers in the film’s climactic shootout were members of the Mexican Army hired as film extras.
Warner Bros./Seven Arts
#23. Jules and Jim (1962)
– Director: François Truffaut
– Metascore: 97
– Runtime: 105 minutes
The French New Wave masterpiece stars Jeanne Moreau at the center of a love triangle, and the relationship of the three—Oskar Werner as Jules and Henri Serre as Jim—over 25 years. The French movie actress pitched in to help the financially strapped production, contributing her own money and lending her Rolls Royce for carrying props.
Les Films du Carross
#22. All About Eve (1950)
– Director: Joseph L. Mankiewicz
– Metascore: 98
– Runtime: 138 minutes
Despite being several decades old, this heralded drama simply oozes with perennial primacy, putting show business in its crosshairs and hitting the target with a bulls-eye. In the film, an obsessive actress named Eve (Anne Baxter) finagles her way into a Broadway theater company, where she comes face to face with her supposed idol, Margo (Bette Davis). As it turns out, however, Eve doesn’t plan to worship Margo as much as she plans to replace her. “All About Eve” is among the most Oscar-nominated films in history.
Twentieth Century Fox
#21. Rashomon (1951)
– Director: Akira Kurosawa
– Metascore: 98
– Runtime: 88 minutes
The highly acclaimed “Rashomon” centers on a rape and murder as recounted by different people—a priest, a bandit, a victim, a woodcutter, and the ghost of a samurai. The title of the film has come to be used to describe different accounts or perspectives of an event. Winning top honors at the Venice Film Festival, it is considered to have been director Akira Kurosawa’s breakthrough onto the international film scene.
Daiei
#20. Hoop Dreams (1994)
– Director: Steve James
– Metascore: 98
– Runtime: 170 minutes
One of the most acclaimed documentaries of all time, 1994’s “Hoop Dreams” follows two high school basketball players from inner-city Chicago as they come up against various challenges in pursuit of their goals. Were this a Hollywood film, it would probably have a happier ending. Instead, it’s an utterly engaging snapshot of American life in its triumphs and failures alike.
New Line Cinemas
#19. North by Northwest (1959)
– Director: Alfred Hitchcock
– Metascore: 98
– Runtime: 136 minutes
The modern-day action genre might have well begun with this 1959 spy thriller from Alfred Hitchcock. It stars Cary Grant as a New York ad exec named Roger Thornhill who gets mistaken for a wanted spy and framed for murder. To clear his name, Thornhill embarks on an adventure of epic proportion, paving the way for a deadly showdown on Mount Rushmore.
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc.
#18. Some Like It Hot (1959)
– Director: Billy Wilder
– Metascore: 98
– Runtime: 121 minutes
This timeless comedy takes place in 1929 and finds two Chicago musicians (Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon) on the run after they witness the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre. To stay hidden, the musicians disguise themselves as women and join an all-female band. Featured in the band is singer and ukulele player Sugar Kane Kowalczyk (Marilyn Monroe), for whom one of the musicians develops an affection. Hilarity of the highest caliber ensues.
Ashton Productions
#17. Pan’s Labyrinth (2006)
– Director: Guillermo del Toro
– Metascore: 98
– Runtime: 118 minutes
This Mexican/Spanish film finds director Guillermo del Toro in top form. The film represents a formidable blend of fantasy, history, and drama. Set in 1944 Francoist Spain, the movie centers on a bookish young girl named Ofelia who’s forced to move in with her sadistic stepfather, an army captain. Still mourning the loss of her real father, Ofelia escapes into a fantastical labyrinth, where she’s told by a magical faun that she’s of royal descent. However, before Ofelia can fulfill her destiny, she must complete three gruesome tasks. Awash with inventive creatures and stunning set pieces, the film won three Academy Awards, including best makeup and best production design.
New Line Cinemas
#16. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
– Director: John Huston
– Metascore: 98
– Runtime: 126 minutes
A quintessential movie about greed-fueled paranoia, this 1948 film stars Humphrey Bogart as Fred Dobbs, a down-on-his-luck American looking for work in Mexico. After catching word of buried gold in the Sierra Madre Mountains, Dobbs, his friend, and a prospector take off in search of the fortune. By overcoming a string of obstacles, the men finally get their hands on the gold, but they soon start to turn on one another.
In “The Lady Vanishes,” a young woman searches for an older English governess she is convinced she met on board a European train delayed by an avalanche. The mystery deepens as others on board claim not to have seen her. Director Alfred Hitchcock makes his brief trademark cameo as a man smoking in Victoria Station.
Gainsborough Pictures
#14. Touch of Evil (1958)
– Director: Orson Welles
– Metascore: 99
– Runtime: 95 minutes
Orson Welles’ best film (according to the critics) not called “Citizen Kane” is 1958’s “Touch of Evil,” about murder and corruption in a small Mexican border town. Thanks to its dark and somewhat nightmarish atmosphere, the film deftly retains a sinister vibe from open to close. A domestic box office disappointment upon its initial release, “Touch of Evil” now ranks among the greatest films ever made. It stars Charlton Heston, Janet Leigh, Marlene Dietrich, and Welles himself.
Universal Pictures
#13. Pinocchio (1940)
– Directors: Ben Sharpsteen, Bill Roberts, Hamilton Luske, Jack Kinney, Norman Ferguson, T. Hee, Wilfred Jackson
– Metascore: 99
– Runtime: 88 minutes
The childhood favorite tells the tale of the little wooden puppet created by the woodworker Geppetto. It won two Oscars—one for best original song, which was “When You Wish Upon a Star,” and one for best original score. The expected budget for the film was $500,000, but it cost five times that amount to complete, and it was one of the most costly films of its time.
Walt Disney Animation Studios
#12. Intolerance (1916)
– Director: D.W. Griffith
– Metascore: 99
– Runtime: 197 minutes
The silent classic starring Lillian Gish visits four historical eras—ancient Babylon, Judea, 16th-century France, and early 20th-century America—where characters suffered under stifling social and political beliefs and systems. D.W. Griffith made the movie a year after his epic “The Birth of a Nation” was met with criticism over its racism and its sympathetic attitudes toward the institutions of slavery, white supremacy and the Ku Klux Klan.
Triangle Film Corporation
#11. Moonlight (2016)
– Director: Barry Jenkins
– Metascore: 99
– Runtime: 111 minutes
The debut feature film from writer/director Barry Jenkins, 2016’s “Moonlight” takes place in Miami and chronicles three separate time periods in the life of an African American gay man named Chiron. Growing up in a broken home, Chiron falls under the wing of a local drug dealer (Mahershala Ali). Later in life, Chiron becomes a drug dealer himself, all while still coming to terms with his sexuality. The film won many awards, including Best Picture at the 2017 Oscars.
Director and star Charlie Chaplin thought about making the silent “City Lights” a talkie but opted not to do so. It has music and sound effects but no speaking. It features some of the comic artist’s best scenes as the Little Tramp in a boxing match, dodging a parade of elephants, and, after swallowing a whistle, being followed by a pack of dogs. It was one of Chaplin’s most successful films, financially and with critics, and is said to have been his favorite.
Charles Chaplin Productions
#9. Singin’ in the Rain (1952)
– Directors: Gene Kelly, Stanley Donen
– Metascore: 99
– Runtime: 103 minutes
Hollywood legend Gene Kelly co-directed, choreographed, and starred in this wildly popular musical, which is widely considered the greatest of its kind. Set during the rise of talkies, the film finds the members of a production company struggling to keep pace with the industry changes. Featured in the film is an iconic song-and-dance number, during which Gene Kelly literally sings in the rain. Both critics and audiences love it.
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc.
#8. Notorious (1946)
– Director: Alfred Hitchcock
– Metascore: 100
– Runtime: 101 minutes
Alfred Hitchcock is back on the list with this noirish thriller starring Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman. In the film, Bergman plays Alicia Huberman, a German woman who’s sent undercover to spy on the Nazis. But how far will she go to earn their trust? Noted French critic and filmmaker (and major Hitchcock fan) François Truffaut called “Notorious” a personal favorite, referring to it as the “very quintessence of Hitchcock.”
RKO Radio Pictures
#7. Vertigo (1958)
– Director: Alfred Hitchcock
– Metascore: 100
– Runtime: 128 minutes
Overlooked upon its initial release, Hitchcock’s “Vertigo” has since been reappraised and is now considered one of the greatest films ever made. It stars James Stewart as John “Scottie” Ferguson, a retired police detective who suffers from an irrational fear of heights. After being hired to follow a man’s wife (Kim Novak) around San Francisco, Ferguson becomes ensnared in a murderous plot. As the mystery unravels, he’s forced to confront his innermost desires and fears.
Universal Studios
#6. Three Colors: Red (1994)
– Director: Krzysztof Kieślowski
– Metascore: 100
– Runtime: 99 minutes
The final installment in Krzysztof Kieślowski’s “Three Colours” trilogy is also the Polish director’s final film. Blending elements of drama, romance, mystery, philosophy, and comedy, the movie takes place in Geneva, Switzerland. The film stars actress Irène Jacob as a model named Valentine. After discovering that her neighbor has a keen habit of eavesdropping on other people’s conversations, Valentine grapples with the moral implications and confronts secrets from her own past.
While audiences really liked this Richard Linklater film, the critics absolutely adored it. Shot over the course of several years, the movie depicts the exploits of its protagonist, Mason (Ellar Coltrane), as he goes from a young boy to a young college student. Like a number of Linklater’s films, this one gets its message across through a series of naturalistic scenes, which don’t build up as much as they flow together. Patricia Arquette and Ethan Hawke co-star.
IFC Films
#4. Casablanca (1943)
– Director: Michael Curtiz
– Metascore: 100
– Runtime: 102 minutes
According to legions of critics, this 1943 classic features one of the best screenplays ever written, and that’s just one among its many charms. Giving all that catchy dialogue its due is a cast full of talented actors and actresses, including Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman. In the film, Bogart plays Rick Blaine, a club owner in Casablanca, who helps refugees obtain passage to America as they flee from the Nazis. As if Blaine’s life wasn’t complicated enough, his former lover, Ilsa Lund (Bergman), shows up seeking help for her husband. What ensues is the stuff that cinematic legacies are made of.
Warner Bros.
#3. Rear Window (1954)
– Director: Alfred Hitchcock
– Metascore: 100
– Runtime: 112 minutes
A pure exercise in suspense, Alfred Hitchcock’s “Rear Window” stars James Stewart as photographer L.B. “Jeff” Jefferies, who gets confined to a wheelchair after breaking his leg in an accident. Armed with a camera and his own insatiable curiosity, Jefferies starts to spy on his neighbors through his apartment window. At first, his habit seems harmless enough, until he thinks he witnessed one of his neighbors (Raymond Burr) committing murder. Grace Kelly co-stars.
Alfred J. Hitchcock Productions
#2. The Godfather (1972)
– Director: Francis Ford Coppola
– Metascore: 100
– Runtime: 175 minutes
Between its tremendous IMDb rating and flawless Metacritic score, 1972’s “The Godfather” endures as the perfect film among seasoned critics and casual moviegoers alike. It’s no wonder that famous critic Pauline Kael described it as coming “out of a merger of commerce and art.” Based on the bestselling novel by Mario Puzo, the movie chronicles the ongoing exploits of the Corleone crime family, one of America’s most powerful underworld organizations. As the family’s esteemed patriarch (Marlon Brando) looks to transfer control, the youngest scion (Al Pacino) steps up to fill the void.
Paramount Pictures
#1. Citizen Kane (1941)
– Director: Orson Welles
– Metascore: 100
– Runtime: 119 minutes
Marking Orson Welles’ auspicious feature debut, “Citizen Kane” tells the story of its title character (played by Welles), a newspaper magnate whose rise to power comes at the cost of his own humanity. In the opinion of Roger Ebert, it’s the greatest movie ever made, though he’s far from the only critic to feel that way. Accordingly, the film hosts a dizzying array of groundbreaking elements, from the creative camerawork to the unconventional narrative to everything in between. More than a mere masterpiece, “Citizen Kane” is a historic work of art, which will continue to impress critics for decades, if not centuries, to come.
Since then, movie criticism has retained countless core consistencies while evolving to keep pace with the medium itself. During this time, the two respective arenas have developed what some might call a symbiotic relationship. Movies often, but not always, depend on solid reviews to succeed, and movie critics rely on the emergence of new films to keep their jobs.
Furthermore, there have been periods of history during which the exchange of ideas between critics and artists have spawned new conventions or artistic movements. For example, the French film magazine, Cahiers du Cinéma—where both François Truffaut and Jean-Luc Godard worked as writers—played a vital role in the creation of French New Wave Cinema, which subsequently influenced a legion of auteurs. Meanwhile, there have also emerged a handful of famous critics over the decades, including Pauline Kael and Roger Ebert, whose unique interpretations of classic films have occasionally been heralded as works of art unto themselves.
Opinions are everywhere nowadays, but film critics still hold a certain amount of sway over how works are perceived. That might have people wondering: what are the best movies of all time according to critics? For the answer, Stacker gathered data from Metacritic (as of March 16, 2021), where movies are scored based on their aggregate critical reception. Movies not yet released to the public were not included.
Counting down from #100, here are the best films of all time, according to the critics.
This timeless comedy takes place in 1929 and finds two Chicago musicians (Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon) on the run after they witness the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre. To stay hidden, the musicians disguise themselves as women and join an all-female band. Featured in the band is singer and ukulele player Sugar Kane Kowalczyk (Marilyn Monroe), for whom one of the musicians develops an affection. Hilarity of the highest caliber ensues.
Ashton Productions
#3. Rear Window (1954)
– Director: Alfred Hitchcock
– Metascore: 100
– Runtime: 112 minutes
A pure exercise in suspense, Alfred Hitchcock’s “Rear Window” stars James Stewart as photographer L.B. “Jeff” Jefferies, who gets confined to a wheelchair after breaking his leg in an accident. Armed with a camera and his own insatiable curiosity, Jefferies starts to spy on his neighbors through his apartment window. At first, his habit seems harmless enough, until he thinks he witnessed one of his neighbors (Raymond Burr) committing murder. Grace Kelly co-stars.
With Delaware Bay <a class="lar-automated-link" href="https://bigsurfmavericks.com/category/beach-ecology/" 1826 target="_blank">Beach</a> Nourishment Projects Complete, DNREC Now Works Toward Restoring Atlantic Coastline – State of Delaware News
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DNREC’s completed Bay beach nourishment project in Pickering Beach, showing a wide beach berm and newly planted beach grass. /DNREC photo
Recovery from the Recent Nor’easter to Continue Into Fall
Having recently completed beach nourishment projects in five Delaware Bay beach communities, the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control today begins the next phase of restoring parts of Delaware’s coastline, including the beaches that experienced widespread erosion and damage from a May nor’easter.
“Our Shoreline team will be hard at it for the foreseeable future on beach restoration priorities that this storm handed us,” said DNREC Secretary Shawn M. Garvin. “While restoring the beaches will not be instant nor easy, we are confident of surmounting the challenge ahead. We’re working on making the state’s beaches accessible and in shape for the summer. Of course, we also welcome the communities’ help in restoring the beaches just as they – and we – value our federal partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers when expected beach nourishment projects begin in a number of these communities as early as next fall.”
“The damage done to our beaches by the recent nor’easter makes clear that robust federal, state and local partnerships are needed now more than ever,” said U.S. Senator Tom Carper, chair of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. “I have been fighting to give one of our key federal partners in this effort — the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers — several new beach restoration tools in the 2022 Water Resources Development Act legislation. Among the provisions in the bill are: emergency authority to allow the Corps to help restore beaches in the aftermath of storms; a requirement that the federal government pay 90% of the costs of the Bay Beach nourishment project; and a reorientation of the Corps’ civil works program to proactively address climate change and streamline the implementation of shoreline protection and restoration projects. The state of Delaware should be able to count on the support of the Corps and other federal agencies to help restore our beaches and make sure our communities are protected.”
DNREC recently completed beach nourishment project in the Pickering Beach, Kitts Hummock, Bowers, South Bowers, and Slaughter Beach communities. This project used approximately 52,650 cubic yards of sand – enough to fill almost 11 Olympic-sized swimming pools. The next restoration phase spans the majority of the state’s coastline and will require DNREC to partner with the Army Corps of Engineers and affected communities to restore the coastline.
Storm erosion and dune fence damage in Rehoboth Beach from the recent nor’easter storm. /DNREC photo
“The long duration of the storm and the post-storm wind direction mean we may not see a rapid natural rebuilding of the beach,” said DNREC Shoreline and Waterway Section administrator Jesse Hayden. “The dunes did their job protecting our communities from being inundated, but by absorbing the impact of the storm they suffered damage that affects people’s ability to access the beach. Our immediate goal is restore as much safe beach access in as many communities as possible so that beachgoers can enjoy a safe and enjoyable Memorial Day weekend. Our partners are a big part of that.”
DNREC’s post-storm work is set to begin this week in South Bethany, the community worst hit by the storm, and restoration work will then move south to north. At each juncture, DNREC will clean up debris such as smashed dune fencing and will re-grade numerous access crossings. DNREC also is working on a nourishment project north of the Indian River Inlet which lost significant sand from the dune critical to protecting the roadway and the Indian River Inlet Bridge.
“The first pass made by our team will focus on cleanup and restoring access,” Hayden said. “When that work is done, we will begin repairing the damaged dune fence.” Both post and rope and wooden dune fence do the job of keeping people off the sensitive dune. But where wooden dune fence can trap wind-blown sand at its base, a post and rope system allows a more natural exchange where vegetation covering the dune can trap wind-blown sand over a wider area. DNREC uses both types, depending on the management needs in each area.
DNREC’s beach nourishment projects introduce sand into the shoreline system to offset the effects of erosion. The beach and dune are an important natural line of defense between the ocean or bay and inland public and private infrastructure, including houses and roads. Both the Delaware Bay and Atlantic beaches and dunes also provide crucial habitat for migrating shorebirds, including several threatened species, and other wildlife, such as spawning horseshoe crabs – which, under ordinary circumstances, means beach nourishment projects must be completed by April 15 or by March 1 at some beaches, with beach nourishment not permitted again until Oct. 1.
However, after Pickering Beach was impacted by a nor’easter on April 18, the Shoreline and Waterway Management Section requested and received approval from DNREC’s Division of Fish and Wildlife to replace sand that had washed onto the road there back onto the beach. The sand was then reshaped into a dune at Pickering. The other Bay beach communities experienced some erosion of newly placed beach and dune sand, but none of the towns where the nourishment was made experienced overtopping of the dune from the most recent nor’easter.
Several bay beach communities experienced minor impacts from the more recent nor’easter that caused widespread erosion on the both coasts – some of the truck-hauled sand from that project was moved around and lost because of the storm. But the winter beach nourishment at South Bowers, Bowers, Kitts Hummock, Pickering Beach and Slaughter Beach largely held its ground and worked to protect the communities in the face of high tides and winds. Future nourishment is planned along both the Atlantic Ocean and Delaware Bay coastlines. Along the Atlantic Ocean, large scale nourishment projects in partnership with the Corps of Engineers will include Rehoboth Beach, Dewey Beach, Bethany Beach, South Bethany, and Fenwick Island. Along Delaware Bay, DNREC will perform small-scale nourishment to further fortify the most vulnerable sections of shoreline.
More information about the work of the DNREC Shoreline and Waterway Management Section can be found at de.gov/shoreline. More information on beach nourishment in Delaware available from Outdoor Delaware, de.gov/outdoordelaware.
About DNREC The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control protects and manages the state’s natural resources, protects public health, provides outdoor recreational opportunities and educates Delawareans about the environment. The DNREC Division of Watershed Stewardship develops and implements innovative watershed assessment, monitoring and implementation activities. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.
DNREC’s completed Bay beach nourishment project in Pickering Beach, showing a wide beach berm and newly planted beach grass. /DNREC photo
Recovery from the Recent Nor’easter to Continue Into Fall
Having recently completed beach nourishment projects in five Delaware Bay beach communities, the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control today begins the next phase of restoring parts of Delaware’s coastline, including the beaches that experienced widespread erosion and damage from a May nor’easter.
“Our Shoreline team will be hard at it for the foreseeable future on beach restoration priorities that this storm handed us,” said DNREC Secretary Shawn M. Garvin. “While restoring the beaches will not be instant nor easy, we are confident of surmounting the challenge ahead. We’re working on making the state’s beaches accessible and in shape for the summer. Of course, we also welcome the communities’ help in restoring the beaches just as they – and we – value our federal partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers when expected beach nourishment projects begin in a number of these communities as early as next fall.”
“The damage done to our beaches by the recent nor’easter makes clear that robust federal, state and local partnerships are needed now more than ever,” said U.S. Senator Tom Carper, chair of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. “I have been fighting to give one of our key federal partners in this effort — the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers — several new beach restoration tools in the 2022 Water Resources Development Act legislation. Among the provisions in the bill are: emergency authority to allow the Corps to help restore beaches in the aftermath of storms; a requirement that the federal government pay 90% of the costs of the Bay Beach nourishment project; and a reorientation of the Corps’ civil works program to proactively address climate change and streamline the implementation of shoreline protection and restoration projects. The state of Delaware should be able to count on the support of the Corps and other federal agencies to help restore our beaches and make sure our communities are protected.”
DNREC recently completed beach nourishment project in the Pickering Beach, Kitts Hummock, Bowers, South Bowers, and Slaughter Beach communities. This project used approximately 52,650 cubic yards of sand – enough to fill almost 11 Olympic-sized swimming pools. The next restoration phase spans the majority of the state’s coastline and will require DNREC to partner with the Army Corps of Engineers and affected communities to restore the coastline.
Storm erosion and dune fence damage in Rehoboth Beach from the recent nor’easter storm. /DNREC photo
“The long duration of the storm and the post-storm wind direction mean we may not see a rapid natural rebuilding of the beach,” said DNREC Shoreline and Waterway Section administrator Jesse Hayden. “The dunes did their job protecting our communities from being inundated, but by absorbing the impact of the storm they suffered damage that affects people’s ability to access the beach. Our immediate goal is restore as much safe beach access in as many communities as possible so that beachgoers can enjoy a safe and enjoyable Memorial Day weekend. Our partners are a big part of that.”
DNREC’s post-storm work is set to begin this week in South Bethany, the community worst hit by the storm, and restoration work will then move south to north. At each juncture, DNREC will clean up debris such as smashed dune fencing and will re-grade numerous access crossings. DNREC also is working on a nourishment project north of the Indian River Inlet which lost significant sand from the dune critical to protecting the roadway and the Indian River Inlet Bridge.
“The first pass made by our team will focus on cleanup and restoring access,” Hayden said. “When that work is done, we will begin repairing the damaged dune fence.” Both post and rope and wooden dune fence do the job of keeping people off the sensitive dune. But where wooden dune fence can trap wind-blown sand at its base, a post and rope system allows a more natural exchange where vegetation covering the dune can trap wind-blown sand over a wider area. DNREC uses both types, depending on the management needs in each area.
DNREC’s beach nourishment projects introduce sand into the shoreline system to offset the effects of erosion. The beach and dune are an important natural line of defense between the ocean or bay and inland public and private infrastructure, including houses and roads. Both the Delaware Bay and Atlantic beaches and dunes also provide crucial habitat for migrating shorebirds, including several threatened species, and other wildlife, such as spawning horseshoe crabs – which, under ordinary circumstances, means beach nourishment projects must be completed by April 15 or by March 1 at some beaches, with beach nourishment not permitted again until Oct. 1.
However, after Pickering Beach was impacted by a nor’easter on April 18, the Shoreline and Waterway Management Section requested and received approval from DNREC’s Division of Fish and Wildlife to replace sand that had washed onto the road there back onto the beach. The sand was then reshaped into a dune at Pickering. The other Bay beach communities experienced some erosion of newly placed beach and dune sand, but none of the towns where the nourishment was made experienced overtopping of the dune from the most recent nor’easter.
Several bay beach communities experienced minor impacts from the more recent nor’easter that caused widespread erosion on the both coasts – some of the truck-hauled sand from that project was moved around and lost because of the storm. But the winter beach nourishment at South Bowers, Bowers, Kitts Hummock, Pickering Beach and Slaughter Beach largely held its ground and worked to protect the communities in the face of high tides and winds. Future nourishment is planned along both the Atlantic Ocean and Delaware Bay coastlines. Along the Atlantic Ocean, large scale nourishment projects in partnership with the Corps of Engineers will include Rehoboth Beach, Dewey Beach, Bethany Beach, South Bethany, and Fenwick Island. Along Delaware Bay, DNREC will perform small-scale nourishment to further fortify the most vulnerable sections of shoreline.
More information about the work of the DNREC Shoreline and Waterway Management Section can be found at de.gov/shoreline. More information on beach nourishment in Delaware available from Outdoor Delaware, de.gov/outdoordelaware.
About DNREC The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control protects and manages the state’s natural resources, protects public health, provides outdoor recreational opportunities and educates Delawareans about the environment. The DNREC Division of Watershed Stewardship develops and implements innovative watershed assessment, monitoring and implementation activities. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.
They do! Kourtney Kardashian’s wedding to Travis Barker was nothing short of a dream. The Kardashians star and Blink-182 drummer married on May 15, 2022, in Santa Barbara, California—not too far from where Travis proposed to Kourtney on a beach at the Rosewood Miramar resort in Montecito, California, in October 2021.
Kourtney and Travis were photographed in bride and groom attire as they exchanged vows on the steps of a courthouse on Anacapa Street in downtown Santa Barbara. Kourtney wore a white mini dress with thin straps, long sleeves and a gold bedazzled heart on her chest to marry Travis Barker. She completed the look with black pumps and a hood-like white veil. She styled her hair an updo with loose, romantic strands on both sides. Travis, for his part, wore an all-black suit and black sunglasses. After their vows, Kourtney and Travis got into a black lowrider convertible with a sign that read “JUST MARRIED” on the back before they drove off together, as seen in a video shared by TMZ.
The legal wedding came after Kourtney and Travis had an unofficial wedding at the One Love Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas, Nevada, in April 2022. The wedding, which was at 2 a.m. and was officiated by an Elvis Presley impersonator, came hours after Kourtney and Travis attended the 64th annual Grammy awards together. A source told People on Sunday that Kourtney and Travis are planning a third—official wedding—with their family, including Kourtney’s three children with her ex-boyfriend, Scott Disick: Mason, Penelope and Reign. “They had to legally get married first ahead of their big Italian wedding, which is happening very soon,” the insider said. “All the details are set and the whole family, including all the kids, are very excited.”
Another source told People on May 16, 2022, that Kourtney and Travis celebrated their kids after their legal wedding. (Travis shares son Landon and daughter Alabama with ex-wife, Shanna Moakler.) “After they got married in Santa Barbara, they came back to L.A. to be with their kids,” the insider said. “Kourtney was beaming. She feels beyond lucky to be Travis’ wife.”
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The source also confirmed that Kourtney and Travis plan to have a third, bigger wedding in the future. “They always planned to have a small ceremony just the two of them. They love Santa Barbara. Since they got engaged there, they were excited to get married there too,” the insider said. “They have a bigger wedding celebration coming up soon.”
Kourtney and Travis’ wedding plans come after the Poosh founder revealed in an episode of The Kardashians in May 2022 that her kids didn’t react well when she FaceTimed them in October 2021 to tell them that she and Travis were engaged. “Penelope took it hard. I think it’s a big change for her. And even though she loves Travis, I think she doesn’t know what that means. You know, is that taking me away?” Kourtney said. “I think she just doesn’t know what it means/ I think it’s a big change for her. And even though she loves Travis, I think she doesn’t know what that means. You know, is that taking me away? I think she just doesn’t know what it means.”
She continued, “I do wish my kids were here. I think it would have made them feel more included in the decision kind of and part of the surprise. I know that my mom made that decision. And it probably wasn’t her best.” Kourtney’s younger sister, Khloé Kardashian, also revealed Scott’s reaction later in the episode. “‘You guys are gonna kick me out now,’” Khloé recalled what Scott told her about Kourtney’s engagement. “‘I’m not involved in the family,’ and then was asking, ‘Why weren’t my kids there?’ And we said, because they were too young.”
“I think they think they’re losing their dad,” Khloé continued of Kourtney’s kids’ reaction to her and Travis’ engagement. “I don’t think they think they’re losing their mom. They think their dad is gone, and you’re replacing him. When you’re a kid, you think you have to pick one. So P’s reaction is understandably okay but there’s nothing wrong with Travis. It’s the same way how you felt about [Caitlyn Jenner, who Kris Jenner married after divorcing Rob, Kourtney, Kim, and Khloé’s father Robert]. There was nothing wrong with [Caitlyn].”
For more about the Kardashians, check out Kris Jenner’s 2011 memoir, Kris Jenner…And All Things Kardashians, in which the momager tells her never-before-told story about how she led her six children—Kourtney, Kim, Khloé, Rob, Kendall and Kylie—to international stardom and built their multi-million dollar empire. You may think you know the Kardashians, but as Kris explains in her book, what’s in the media and in Keeping Up With the Kardashians is only the tip of the iceberg. In Kris Jenner…And All Things Kardashians, Kris reveals how she balanced six children (not to mention four stepchildren and numerous grandchildren) while building a business for her family. The book also dives into Kris’ relationship with Nicole Brown Simpson before and after her husband, O.J. Simpson, was accused of her murder. Kris Jenner…And All Things Kardashians is a must-read for any Kardashian fan.
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Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker’s Recent Trip to Italy Was ‘Wedding Related,’ Source Says
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