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Welcome to my mind... My top movies of all timeDec 29 '02 (Updated Jan 08 '03) Write an essay on this topic.The Bottom Line I could go on forever on good movies. I just wish that the industry would make more, and stop making the quick buck movies they do... Just 10 - I couldn't get below 13. Phew. I thought about it what the ten best meant and decided I would use my own criteria for deciding on these 13. Any movie I can sit down and watch again and again got considered. After all movies are meant to be entertaining, so these are the movies that have managed to entertain me the most over time. I like movies that make you think and I have a rather deep, dark sense of humour that is attracted heavily by satire. I took a lot of classes though my education on film and various other formats, so I also have a rather deep background on the technical side of a movie. If I start noticing these things about the movie I am not being entertained as much as I should be. To start this review, I went over to my DVD/Video collection and narrowed it down to the below 13 plus quite a few runner ups 1. Shawshank Redemption (1994) What is not to like about this movie. This movie seems to be on most people's list - and so it should be. Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman were brilliant - especially Morgan. Even TNT showing this movie 20 times a month can't make you get sick of it. If it is on and I am clicking through channels, I'll still stop and watch my favourite parts. 2. Natural Born Killers (1994) Oh boy. Perhaps the most controversial of all my selections. This Oliver Stone film is perhaps the darkest and funniest movie of all time. I went and saw this movie with some friends and we sat in the back of a theatre laughing and singing our way through this movie – everyone else just sat there stunned. Darker than other movies, the satire and humour flows thick. Brilliant performances from Juliet Lewis, Woody Harrelson (who'd have thought), Tommy Lee Jones and Robert Downey Jr. The "I Love Lucy" sit-com satire at the beginning with Rodney Dangerfield is brilliant. Someone once described this movie to me as being 'raw' - that is as good a one-word description as I have ever heard. Worth watching the directors cut which adds several even more dark elements to the movie. Better than Pulp Fiction and Kalifornia ,which were also good movies in the same vein. 3. Boondock Saints (1999) Another dark comedy/action movie - this one featuring extremely strong performances by Willem Dafoe, Sean Patrick Flanery, Norman Reedus, David Della and Billy Connolly. This rapidly became a cult classic and is a movie I have been turning more and more people onto. Brilliant scenes in Boston, an area where I very much enjoying visiting myself. Nothing like good acting, good plot, good script and some great action. A movie that doesn't insult your intelligence and very much in the spirit of other dark humour movies. I am worried as they are making a sequel - I hope it lives up to the original. 4. Count of Monte Cristo (1934), B&W Boy do I wish I could get a decent copy of this version of the movie directed by Roland V Lee and with Robert Donat as Edmund Dante. Unlike the other movies made of this novel, this one comes the closet to sticking to the plot, not making unnecessary changes and generally being acted well. If you ever get a chance to see this version, it is well worth the time. Meanwhile get the French mini-series starring Gérard Depardieu which is every bit as brilliant. The 1975 version staring Richard Chamberlain isn't bad either - certainly better than any of the other movie attempts made since. 5. Das Boot (1981) This movie directed by Wolfgang Petersen is the classic submarine movie. They could have stopped making serious movies with submarines as the main subject after this one was made, as no movie has come close to matching this masterpiece. Wow. Can we get someone to make some movies like this. 6. Red Violin (1998) A beautiful movie of the history of a Violin's life. Amazing script with several interconnected stories which cross time as people try to possess a violin made by a master. Something very special. Incredible music. Movie as artwork. 7. Crouching Dragon, Hidden Dragon (2000) A piece of art. One that showed that the American movie goer doesn't need movies dumbed down for them. Please make more movies like this. It didn't matter what language this movie it was in, it was just brilliant. This movie takes the best of several genres and made a masterpiece. BTW, some people don't like the cliché plot, but to me that is just part of the genre and that just makes it even more true to its roots. 8. South Park: Bigger, Longer, Uncut (1999) Not a classic. Not a 'great movie' with art or direction orspecial effects or deeply intellectual. But it is funny. Very funny. Hilarious actually. For those that think about their humour this is a movie for you. One of the true secrets of South Park is that they are crass, rude and push every limit the censor has, but they don't rely on it for humour. There is about 6,000 movies and 7,000 sitcoms that could learn from this. Creative ideas in a creative package that is quite willing to laugh at itself as well as other targets. I watched this initially in Canada and the Canadian audiences were literally crying with laughter. One of the very few movies I have actually gone back to the theatres to see more than once. 9. The Fifth Element (1997) Action/Sci-fi movie centered around the life of Korbin Dallas (Bruce Willis) and a mysterious Fifth Element Leeloo (Milla Jovovich). Lots of fun and adventure with a script that doesn't have too many holes. Performances by Chris Tucker, Gary Oldman, Ian Holm make this movie. I can always watch this movie. 10. Tank Girl (1995) Lori Petty stars in this adaptation of a cult-like comic book. Fresh ideas, amazing thoughts, Ice-T as a Genetically Altered Kangaroo and in the middle of it all a Cole Porter musical number with full dancing cast. Wow. Intellectual collection of bizarre ideas. Fun movie that is very deservingly a cult classic 11. So I Married an Axe Murderer (1993) Mike Myers before "Austin Powers" and quite frankly, this is a more enjoyable movie. This should be more popular than it is - a somewhat more balanced comedy which doesn't go way, way over the top like the "Powers" movie occasionally do (and I like them as well). Myers as the father is hilarious and so is Brenda Fricker as the mother. Calling the "Weekly World News" the "paper" and the fathers rant against "The Colonel" of KFC fame is brilliant 12. Waking Ned Divine (1998) This feel good comedy is just flat out funny. Some great scenes in some a really, really, remote Irish town, and a well written script with actual actors. A breath of fresh air, nice and creative, simple plot and just highly enjoyable. 13. Blade Runner/Total Recall/Minority Report/Various Others (1982-present) This is my homage to the late Phillip K Dick. Spielberg and company all owe this man 1/2 their fortunes, as his ideas and stories have been the platform for many a famous movie. I figure once they run out of his short stories to turn into movies they will stop making movies. I have the complete works of this author and perhaps the best thing I can say is that his ideas are so good that in most cases the movies don't stray that far from the basic idea of the original work. The Best of the Rest: The Life of Brian - Any Python movie is good and this one if my favourite. Quote central. Include Meaning of Life and the Holy Grail here. The Truman Show - Turns out Jim Carey can act. This surprised everyone so this movie never got the acclaim it truly deserved Star Wars Trilogy - Basically a wild west/cowboy movie in space, the original three are just amazing classics. The Emperors New Groove - The movie Disney wont admit to making. More of a Looney Tune animated movie, it should be more appreciated Tora! Tora! Tora! - Classic WWII movie. Certainly one of my favourite war movies. Ferris Bueller's Day Off - Shows that a 'teen movie' doesn't need to be stupid. Some classic scenes - who can forget Ben Stein in this one. Drunken Master - Jackie Chan in a movie that is the measure of the 'kung fu' genre. Great fight scenes. Cool Hand Luke - "What we got here is a failure to communicate" Enough said... Oh and the Plastic Jesus song. Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence - David Bowie in a Prisoner of War movie. This is an amazing movie that you should watch at least once. The Killing Fields - Powerful, powerful movie Philadelphia - Best Tom Hanks movie. Powerful story Princess Mononoke - Anime at its brilliant best. Watch it in its original language - not in English. Gattaca - A slightly disturbing movie Dark City - A darker version of the Matrix without the special effects. Monsters Inc - Rapidly making its way up my list of movies. Very well done. Rocky Horror Picture Show - how much fun can one movie have The Full Monty - Ah huh Apocalypse Now – Very well done. Caddyshack/Animal House/ Lampoon’s Vacation – for when my brain needs a vacation  |
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by George_Chabot
