Watch Apocalypse Now before you die

Francis Ford Coppola's Vietnam war epic Apocalypse Now has been named as the number one film that cinemagoers should watch before they die by a panel of experts.

Channel 4 compiled a list of 50 films that best displayed a "unique and creative approach to filmmaking", with Rio de Janeiro slums epic City Of God, 2001: A Space Odyssey and Donnie Darko all making the top ten.

Based upon Joseph Conrad's Heart Of Darkness, Apocalypse now, starring Martin Sheen, Marlon Brando and Robert Duvall, was nominated for eight Oscars in 1979, but was beset by production problems with Sheen suffering a heart attack and Coppola himself picking up the tab when the film went hopelessly over budget.

Films that just missed out on a top ten spot include Ridley Scott's Alien, Lost in Translation starring Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson, sci-fi spectacular Terminator 2, Fight Club and Miyazaki's beautiful anime Princess Mononoke.

On the panel of Film4 experts was producer Lord David Puttnam, film critics Jason Solomons and Karen Krizanovish, publicist Jonathan Rutter, film director Menhaj Huda and Ch4's own head of film and drama, Tessa Ross.

The complete top 50 films to see before you die:

Apocalypse Now
The Apartment
City Of God
Chinatown
Sexy Beast
2001: A Space Odyssey
North By Northwest
A Bout De Souffle
Donnie Darko
Manhattan
Alien
Lost In Translation
The Shawshank Redemption
Lagaan: Once Upon A Time in India
Pulp Fiction
Touch Of Evil
Walkabout
Black Narcissus
Boyz N The Hood
The Player
Come And See
Heavenly Creatures
A Night at the Opera
Erin Brockovich
Trainspotting
The Breakfast Club
Hero
Fanny and Alexander
Pink Flamingos
All About Eve
Scarface
Terminator 2
Three Colours: Blue
The Royal Tenenbaums
The Ladykillers
Fight Club
The Searchers
Mulholland Drive
The Ipcress File
The King Of Comedy
Manhunter
Dawn Of The Dead
Princess Mononoke
Raising Arizona
Cabaret
This Sporting Life
Brazil
Aguirre: The Wrath Of God
Secrets And Lies
Badlands

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