Unbiased Reviews by Real People
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Unbiased Reviews by Real People
My Ten Favorite Movies of the few (thousand) I have seen.Nov 22, 2005 (Updated Dec 17, 2005) Write an essay on this topic.
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The Bottom Line Life long movie lovers list of favorite films. May not be the best or the most influential, but they are my favorites.
I cannot and will not say that these are the best or the most important films released in cinema history. They are however, my personal favorites, and I hope that as a life long lover of the movies, that my opinion counts for something. Every film on here is one that I have seen often enough to know it almost line by line. So in order of theatrical release, here are the films that I enjoyed the most. 1. Casablanca: (1942 directed by Rick Curtiz) They don't make Hollywood stars like they used to. I can't think of a single actor that can hold a candle to Humphrey Bogart. Casablanca for me is THE classic movie. A pretty girl (Ingrid Bergman), Nazis, an anti hero (Bogart as Rick) and the classic song A Kiss is Just a Kiss. This film inspired more classic lines than any film I know of Here's Looking at You Kid, Of all the gin joints in all the world why did you have to walk into mine, this could be the start of a beautiful friendship. The most famous line Play it again Sam wasn't even in the movie! What really makes this film stand out? In Hollywood's standard cliche writing department, the guy gets the girl, but not in Casablanca. Our antihero Rick makes the sacrifice so the love of his life can fly off into the sunset with her husband at the film's end. Some of my other favorite Bogart movies To Have and Have Not, The Maltese Falcon, The African Queen, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, The Caine Mutiny and The Big Sleep. 2. Clockwork Orange (1971 directed by Stanley Kubrick based on the book by Anthony Burgess) Ah, so many have watched this Kubrick adaption of Anthony Burgess's chilling look at the future and their only comment is that the film was too violent. Clockwork was about far more than violence, it explored the concept of what it truly meant to be good. If one understands what a clockwork orange is, they should be able to truly appreciate the masterpiece this film was. A clockwork orange is what appears to be an orange, but is just the orange skin covering an elaborate clockwork. Thus is Alex (our anti hero played with a true understanding of the part by Malcolm McDowell) truly good after his "reform"? What makes us good? What is the nature of man? After viewing Kubricks meticulously shot scenes and listening to the haunting score by Walter Carlos (aka Wendy Carlos), mixed in with lots of Beethoven and Rossini, you will not forget this movie. It is also a great introduction to one of the finest directors ever, Stanley Kubrick. His precision and attention to detail is like no other director and it shows in all of his films (well okay, not so much in Eyes Wide Shut). For other Kubrick classics, check out The Killers, 2001: A Space Odessey, Lolita (the original, not the remake with Jeromy Irons), The Shining, Dr. Strangelove, Barry Lyndon, and Full Metal Jacket. 3. Star Wars (1977 written & directed by George Lucas) Sorry George, I'm not going to add The New Hope Episode IV to this title. When I was in the seventh grade and first saw this film, it was just called Star Wars. I was a boy obsessed, I absolutely loved this movie. I loved it enough to sit through Hayden Christensen "acting" in Episodes II & III just to see how it all came to be in my childhood favorite. I loved it enough to have a light saber battle in Best Buy (this was when I in my much younger days of course, last week I believe). I still know all the lines I've been waiting for you Obi Wan... If you enjoyed this, check out THX 118, George Lucas's first science fiction movie. 4. Blade Runner (1982 directed by Ridley Scott based on the story by Philip K. Dick) Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? This film noir classic sci fi tale has long remained one of my favorite movies of all times. Is it the brilliant sci fi vision of writer Philip Dick? The apocalyptic future vision of Los Angeles by director Ridley Scott? The film noir like voice over by Harrison Ford (regrettably absent in the Director's cut, but present in the original film)? Yes, yes and yes. The acting by all was superb from Harrison Ford as Deckard the Blade Runner, Rutger Hauer, the ruthless, but sad replicant, Darryl Hannah as a replicant, Sean Young as the beautiful daughter (or creation) of the powerful president of the company that creates the replicants and William Sanderson as the childlike genius J. F. Sebastion. Aside from the action and adventure aspects of the movie, I really enjoyed the philisophical bent of the movie. What is life? What defines who we are? Who has the right to create life? Who has the right to take it away? This film rises far and above a simple science fiction movie. Philip K. Dick's stories have been adapted into other films, notably Total Recall, The Minority Report, Imposter and Paycheck, although none quite so good as Blade Runner. 5. Pink Floyd : The Wall: (1982 directed by Alan Parker written by Roger Waters) Was it a musical, a movie? an extended music video? To me it was sheer genius. Waters depressing lyrical tribute to the father that he lost in WWII really comes to life in this cinematic masterpiece with Pink Floyd played by Bob Geldorf of the Boomtown Rats and creepy grotesque animations by Gerald Scarf. Make sure you are not the least bit depressed when you watch this film, or you will sink into despair and trash your hotel room oh my god, this place is bigger than my whole apartment. You will never listen to Pink Floyd The Wall quite the same way again. 6. Scarface (1983 directed by Brian DePalma, screenplay by Oliver Stone) When I was a teenager, my parents were strict. If a movie was Rated R, that meant I couldn't go see it no matter how much I wanted to. The first R rated movie I saw, was Scarface! Within moments, I was in shock as a drug deal went sour and a man was cut up in the bathtub with a chainsaw while he was still alive. Al Pacino Tony Montana used the F word more than any other film (I didn't know that at the time, I just figured perhaps my parents were right not to let me see this stuff when I was younger) I was shocked and amazed and glued to the screen for the next two and a half hours. This tale of an immigrant rising to the height of drug dealing success through determination and ruthlessness in Miami will always remain glued in my mind. Even buying it as an adult, I found Scarface to be an unforgettable in your face film. Perhaps just because of the first impression, this movie stands out in my mind as one of my favorites in a way that even classics like The Godfather, Goodfellas or Casino never matched. 7. Brazil (1985 written & directed by Terry Gilliam) Ah Brazil, this was my first introduction to former Monty Python member turned director Terry Gilliam. What an introduction it was. Jonothan Pryce starred as a hapless beaurocrat in an odd future society where beaurocracy was the order of the day. Look closely for an appearance by Robert DiNiro. Will love conquer all? or will you go with the dark Orwellian ending intended by Gilliam on the directors cut. You may want to rent this before spending 50 bucks on the Criterion Collection 3 disc box set with all three versions of the movie. If you enjoy it, check out Gilliams other works such as Adventures of Baron Von Munchausen, Time Bandits, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and 12 Monkeys. 8. Pulp Fiction (1994 written & directed by Quentin Tarantino) Quentin Tarantino's sophomore effort grabbed me and sucked me to a film making style like no other. Clever dialogue, disjointed scenes and flashbacks quick in your face violence, this is the movie that made Tarantino one of my favorite directors. Hitmen Samuel L. Jackson and John Travolta, boxer Bruce Willis, Cleaner Harvey Keitel, and cameo by Christopher Walken; everyone delivers unforgettable performances. If you enjoy this movie check out Tarantino's first movie Reservoir Dogs, or True Romance (based on one of his screen plays) and of course Kill Bill 1 and Kill Bill 2. (Sorry, Jackie Brown is more of a Elmore Leonard novel than a Tarantino film) 9. The Matrix (1999 Written and Directed by Andy Wachowski and Larry Wachowski) Although I was dissapointed by the follow ups, The Wachowski brothers second film (yeah, the Matrix was not the first, that would be the steamy film noir Bound with Joe Pantoliano and Jennifer Tilly) really blew me away. The story was very original, the special effects were groundbreaking, the sound editing set new standards, and it was pure entertainment to watch! Non actor Keanu Reeves hit pay dirt playing mono syllabic Neo beautiful Carrie Ann Moss as Trinity, Lawrence Fishburne as Morpheus. Hugo Weaving was great as Agent Smith. I believe that this was one of my favorite films. I also believe that the characters say I believe as much as Tony Montana says the F word in Scarface. 10.Lord of the Rings Return of the King (2003 Directed by Peter Jackson based on the book by J.R.R. Tolkien) Sequels by and large never measure up, and third installments, forget it. To every rule there is an exception. Peter Jackson's direction of the climactic finale of J.R.R. Tolkien's epic masterpiece Lord of the Rings succeeds on every front. Action, loyalty, friendship, honor, love, devotion, fear, betrayal, so many human (and elf, dwarf, hobbit) emotions, foibles and fortes are done so well in this movie. The haunting score, the fantastic special effects, the EPICNESS of it all really does make this movie deserve to be in anyone's top ten list. If you loved it, pick up the box set with the DTS-ES soundtrack and extended scenes too, its well worth it. I got the 3 box set of Lord of the Rings and I absolutely love it. Ask me my favorite films on a different day, and I may say Jurassic Park, Repo Man, Reservoir Dogs, Something About Mary, Gladiator, Fargo, Memento, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Sin City and The Terminator, but today is not that day. As always, I do welcome comments, and usually reply to them. My Other Top Ten Movie Lists My Top Ten Favorite Movies Top Ten Children's Movies from a big kid My Favorite Christmas Movies (mostly comedies) Japanimation Top Ten Top Ten Comedies My Top Ten Favorite Science Fiction Films Top Ten Teen Films Top Ten DVD Box Sets A gift idea for everyone! Top Ten World War II Movies Top Ten War Movies  |
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