The Next 10...
Jan 19 '03
The Bottom Line Ten more films to rent any night of the week.
You know what they say, "Three on a match, bad luck." Well, that's why I'm going for number four. This is the fourth crack I've taken at a Top Ten list, which I can do, because as I've explained before, my lists are not Top Ten in the classic sense of the term...like the 10 Best Ever. Rather, they are 10 films that I feel are worth seeing, required viewing, etc.
To see the previous lists and the films that qualified there, try these reviews:
Only Ten?!http://www.epinions.com/content_1211277444
Ten More! http://www.epinions.com/content_2908921988
Yet 10 Morehttp://www.epinions.com/content_2958270596
10. Seven
Scary, shocking, gory, disgusting. A few possible adjectives that could be applied to this mystery/thriller directed by David Fincher (The Game and Fight Club), and starring Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, Kevin Spacey and Gwyneth Paltrow. If the progression through the Seven Deadly Sins doesn't get you, the ending will. A stunningly crafted work, with a great soundtrack. There's not much bad that can be said about this film.
9. Batman
We're talking the first Tim Burton movie here. Michael Keaton, Jack Nicholson, Kim Basinger. This is the best of the lot. It's dark, it's moody, it's got humor, it's even got some of the camp of the show, yet it's the Dark Knight all the same. Jack Palance has a stunning turn -- but it's Jack Nicholson who steals the show, even over the Prince soundtrack. This one is truly the best of the bunch, hands down. All the rest devolved.
8. Opportunity Knocks
Let's lighten up for a moment. This is one of Dana Carvey's first movies, and one that's surprisingly good. He stars alongside Robert Loggia. Carvey plays a conman (doing his best impressions from his SNL days, including some George H.W. Bush "Not gonna do it!") who falls into the best con of his life, falls for the girl, loses his nerve and can't screw his future father-in-law. It's a great comedy for the whole family!
7. When Harry Met Sally
It's funny 'cause it's true. Billy Crystal is funny. Meg Ryan is funny. Carrie Fisher is funny. Even the other guy is funny...Bruno Kirby. It has some adult themes, keeping it a movie for the older set (18 and up), but it does have bring laughter and tears. Meg Ryan is an actress who I think has gotten better looking with age. Which is why...
6. You've Got Mail
I know, I know...sappy love story just like Sleepless in Seattle. But it's good! And Meg Ryan is prettier than ever. Tom Hanks is funnier than ever. The supporting cast is a hoot -- Steve Zahn, Jean Stapleton (from All in the Family), Dave Chappelle, Greg Kinnear as the luddite journalist boyfriend. "F-O-X...Fox!" It is in fact a love story for the digital age -- and all the Godfather references are killer. I can't stop watching it even if it's on cable.
5. Army of Darkness
Okay, now we're going B-movie on you, but that's ok. This is the third in the Evil Dead trilogy directed by Sam Raimi and starring Bruce Campbell -- aka "The Chin." It's got action, adventure, a little romance, and a lot of schlock. Plus a ton of belly laughs. Ash battles the forces of evil again over the Necronomicon. The scene where Ash retrieves the Book and has to say the magic words is priceless, to die for! Rent this flick!
4. The Matrix
Even if this movie were crap, I would watch it just for the fight scenes. But luckily it is not. Another epic sci-fi, fantasy trilogy (soon to be!), The Matrix, starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, and others is a jarring look into an AI future. And seriously, the kung-fu fighting is out of this world. And wouldn't it be awesome to be able to download skills into our brains with a disk. "I need to know jiu jitsu!" "I got the disk right here!"
3. The Exorcist
Another scary one, though for different reasons than Seven or Matrix. The Exorcist is scary because it deals with the religious phenomenon of demon possession. Starring Max von Sydow, Lee J. Cobb and Linda Blair, this is a no-holds-barred journey through the horrors of demon possession. The directors cut DVD has even more pea-soup and some other creepy effects.
2. Enemy at the Gates
I love military history and I loved this movie! Starring Jude Law, Joseph Fiennes, Bob Hoskins, and Rachel Weisz (sp?), it's the story of the German siege of Stalingrad, focusing on the sniper Vasili Zietsev (sp?). While enhancing Zietsev's role a bit, overall the movie was awfully faithful to the actual horrors of the siege and history of events. The scene with troops coming off the train and seeing the horrors of Stalingrad, and then the crossing of the Vulga equal the horror of D-Day in "Saving Private Ryan." A must-see!
1. Die Hard
It's about time this one made it. "Yippee-kai-oh-kai-eh..." you know the rest! Or at least any self-respecting male does. Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman, Bonnie Bedelia, Robert Davi, et al, make this one of the great action-comedies of all times. Willis' line in the air vents with the lighter, "Come out to the coast, we'll get together, have a few laughs!" is priceless. The action is intense, the finish is a nailbiter and the sequels can't possibly live up to the first and best. See it, believe it!
Well, there you go. Ten more suggestions for you. Some left off this list include Billy Madison, A League of Their Own, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves , Robin Hood starring Errol Flynn, Apocalypse Now , Spartacus , Full Metal Jacket, and any number of Disney animated features, not to mention Toy Story. And then there's the new instant classic, Dumb and Dumber.
I hope maybe I've stimulated your imagination just a little to check out some of these classic and near-classic films.
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Epinions.com ID:
btomczak
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Member: Benjamin Tomczak
Location: Duncanville, TX
Reviews written: 73
Trusted by: 19 members
About Me:
Parish Pastor, St. Mark Lutheran Church, Duncanville, TX (Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod)
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