Five 'best' Hollywood movies of all time have been named

 The Shawshank Redemption made the top five [Photo: Courtesy]

There are so many incredible movies out there, that it can be difficult to pick a favourite.

Your favourite film probably says a lot about you but it is a very personal thing that varies greatly from person to person - one might love a thriller like Psycho, while another would prefer to watch Legally Blonde.

And while each year during award season we get a glimpse into what those working in the industry really think of the new films coming out, we can't help but wonder, what does Hollywood really think are the best movies of all time?

Well, it seems we finally have an answer to that question. The Hollywood Reporter (THR) sent an online ballot to every studio, agency, publicity firm and production house in Hollywood and a total of 2,120 industry members responded - including Fox chief Jim Gianopulos and Disney's Alan Horn.

As such, we've had a look at their five best films and we have to say, the choices are bound to divide people.

Here's the top five:

5. Pulp Fiction (1994)

Pulp Fiction was directed by Quentin Tarantino and starred John Travolta, Uma Thurman, Samuel L. Jackson, Bruce Willis and Ving Rhames.

4. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

Frank Darabont directed this film featuring Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman.

3. Citizen Kane (1941)

This Orson Welles movie also starred Orson Welles as well as Joseph Cotten, Dorothy Comingore, Agnes Moorehead and Ruth Warrick.

2. The Wizard of Oz (1939)

Victor Fleming was in the director's chair for this magical movie with a cast made up of Judy Garland, Frank Morgan, Ray Bolger, Bert Lahr and Jack Haley.

1. The Godfather (1972)

The number one film on the list was directed by Francis Ford Coppola and had Marlon Brando as Vito Corleone alongside Al Pacino, James Caan, Robert Duvall, Diane Keaton and Talia Shire.

Would you have put any of these choices in your top five?

Speaking about the top pick, film critic Todd McCarthy said: "Godfather is 42 years old, meaning anyone who saw it when it came out in 1972 is pushing 60 or older.

"This suggests its narrative power, extraordinary performances and mythic values register as strongly for younger viewers as they did at the time.

"The film also happens to stand at the precise midpoint between the arrival of sound films and the present. It is both classical and modern, traditional in its storytelling and contemporary in its critical perspective. It's a film that does it all."

Despite this, THR seemed pretty taken aback by a few of the most popular choices.

They said: "There are some surprises here. It's a far more commercial list than the usual critics' picks. Who knew, for instance, that Back to the Future would get more love than Lawrence of Arabia?

"There also are shocking omissions - The 400 Blows, La Dolce Vita, The Gold Rush and dozens of other undeniably great films. And there are interesting differences of opinion along professional divides: Directors, writers and agents all agreed on their choice for the greatest movie ever, while cinematographers chose 2001: A Space Odyssey and entertainment lawyers, the big softies, picked The Shawshank Redemption."

They added that it was important to keep in mind that movie lists "aren't forever" and your favourite film can change every day.