Your Favourite Movies Tell You What About Yourselves?

[Dr.Strangefate]

1. The Silence of the Lambs (1991) – This film jumpstarted my love for crime drama, and my fascination of the criminal mind. Hannibal Lector is one of the most fascinating characters in film history, and led to my desire to understand how the minds of these characters work. Most of my writing is based in crime, and addresses the nature of true evil and what it is and what it means. I think this movie is the root of that, and I could watch it every day for the rest of my life.

2. Kill Bill (2003/04) – One of the films (or rather, two of them) that I put on the DVD player whenever I'm in a bad mood. Vengeance is a powerful thing, and the mythology of this movie is lush and brilliantly constructed. Bill, like Lector, fascinates me as a character and I enjoy thinking about his past and how he became the man he is. These are beautiful films, and I get caught up in the world every time, without fail.

3. Peter Pan (2003) – Since I was a boy, Peter Pan has always been my favorite story. My dad had to make up Peter Pan stories to satisfy my desire to learn more about him and his world. I loved that he lived in imagination, and as a child, the subtle love story between Peter and Wendy made me painfully sad, in a beautiful kind of way. This movie captures the story better than any previous attempt. I watched it twice the day it came out on DVD, and have watched it many times since. When Peter starts gathering the power of imagination and belief I almost cry, every time… And a big stupid grin spreads across my face. My all-time favorite children's movie.

4. Almost Famous (2000) – When I forget why I want to become a writer, I watch this movie, which is a little bizarre since I know so little about music, and have no desire to become a Journalist. This just makes me want to write and write, and makes me happy every time I see it. I will always be in love with the baby-faced Patrick Fugit, and even the elusive Penny Lane.

5. JFK (1991) – Another one of my bad mood movies, but also one of my writer's block movies. I love conspiracies. I love the way they make me think and the way this movie captures me and spins me around every time I see it. I get caught up in figuring everything out each and every time I see it, and once I even watched it twice in a row, just because I felt I needed to. I love getting lost in this film.

6. High Fidelity (2000) – My favorite love story of all time, probably. John Cusack's character is probably the most relatable figure I've ever run into in a romantic comedy. Absolutely imperfect and hung up on the past, just like me. The narration also just catches me in such a way that I always want to write after seeing it.

7. Chinatown (1974) – Visually perfect, and a great noir story, probably my favorite Noir film ever, and possibly the big-g Greatest movie on this list. Analyzing this movie and considering its depth and the intensity of its construction made me want to be a writer probably more than any other film.

8. Hercules (1997) – My essential Bad-mood recovery movie. The other two are ways of me dealing with my bad moods… If I'm angry, I watch Kill Bill and think about vengeance. If I'm feeling like a worthless idiot, I watch JFK, because it makes me feel smarter. When I'm depressed, I watch Disney's Hercules, or I just listen to the soundtrack, which I think is perhaps the best of the Disney Soundtracks. The characters are more offbeat and strange, particularly Meg as a love interest. Sometimes I sing the songs when I'm driving around. Always puts me in a good mood.

9. It's A Wonderful Life (1946) – The essential holiday film, and in my opinion, the essential American film. This movie makes me feel patriotic, in the way it perfectly describes how America ought to work and how communities ought to be. The film is remarkably depressing at first, but moves me every single time. I always tear up at the end, and have to pretend something's gotten in my eye. My dad tried to tell me the depth of this film for ages, but I had seen it so many times… After a three year break, I saw it again, and now have seen it at least once a year for the past four years. It's got the nostalgia and the content working for it all at once.

10. The Incredibles (2004) – I love the universe this film creates, and how it pulls off everything I love about the superhero genre effortlessly. I still think The Incredibles is the perfect superhero movie… Its inspiring, and the mythology of the film is brilliant. One of the most original ideas. I get lost in the world and the style and the humor, and the traditional family values. It really gets at everything.

The other five films are:
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005)
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Saved! (2004)
Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
The Big Lebowski (1998)

I realized while ranking these movies, that although these five movies are close to the others in personal significance, most of the reasons are the same (I equate the experience of Kiss Kiss Bang Bang to High Fidelity, Saved! to Hercules, and Nightmare Before Christmas to The Incredibles). I thought I'd list them anyway, just to show off how fancy I am.

 

[Bass]

When we post our list, should we write kind of like an introspective analysis in order to find out what the movies tell about ourselves, or should we wait for others tell us their opinions of what they think it tells about us? Or both?

Please do.

I'm annoyed that others are just posting their lists without any introspection, effectively reducing this thread to just another movie list thread.

As Ourchair says. People aren't actually putting up anything particularly interesting.

See, this IS NOT "What are your 10 favourite movies and why". There's no wrong answer. You're not supposed to defend or justify your choices. I love JFK. It's terrific. You know why it's not in my top 10? BECAUSE I DON'T LIKE NEW ORLEANS THAT MUCH. It is, however, a far superior film to THE TRANSFORMERS: THE MOVIE. Yet that's in my top 10 BECAUSE I SAW IT WHEN I WAS SIX YEARS OLD. I think THE LORD OF THE RINGS, any of the three, is superb and really do get caught up when I watch it. But it ain't on my list because THEY'RE TOO DAMN LONG.

My point is this: people, when making their lists always (not just you guys) feel they have to justify their choices, like there's some kind of Film Police that will arrest them and dump them in their beds. So their film choices are really bizarrely thought out balances between films one loves and ones can garner 'cred' from by making impressive choices.

Your list ain't meant to impress, ain't meant to do nothing.

Your list is YOURS. It's your FAVOURITES for any reason. Hell, I almost put in GOLDENEYE because I love Famke Janssen that much. Seriously. I'll watch GOLDENEYE a thousand times because of her. I almost put KIKI'S DELIVERY SERVICE in there even thought I can't hardly tell you what happens because it so mystifies me. I didn't because it's subtitled and that's slightly annoying.

These choices and decisions are personal and not up to inspection by your peers. This isn't about that. It's not right and wrong, so get out of the usual "top 10 list" mentality of "This film is awesome because..."

No. Just put up your top 10 list. You can sit there and come up with reasons for why each film is there (and you can - just don't tell us). Just make sure it really is TEN movies you adore. Then look at that list. Like I did. And start to see what that says about you. And then tell us what you think it tells you about you.

Looking at my list again:

CLUE [1985]
THE TRANSFORMERS: THE MOVIE [1986]
DEAD POET'S SOCIETY [1989]
TERMINATOR 2: JUDGEMENT DAY [1991]
GROUNDHOG DAY [1993]
THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION [1994]
THE USUAL SUSPECTS [1995]
SEVEN [1995]
DUMB & DUMBER [1997]
THE DARK KNIGHT [2008]

I've noticed three new things:

1 - There's no STAR TREK there. I adore THE WRATH OF KHAN. It isn't there. I remember getting chills when I went to see FIRST CONTACT. GENERATIONS was the first Trek I ever saw. And by the time FIRST CONTACT was in the cinemas, I knew every TNG episode by heart, got all of DS9, watched all of Voyager, and all the movies. I was a complete geek. So why isn't FIRST CONTACT there? Or THE UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY - which I also love? Honestly. Out of those three, I think THE UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY is the one I love the most (which I can't believe I'm saying). And it's not there. Why not? I don't know. I really don't know. But I think that it's possible that the new STAR TREK might kick something out of my top 10, because STAR TREK is something I love, and I can't believe it's not on my top 10. My top 10 is totally mutable, I can change it... but I don't want to. There's nothing in there I'd replace COUNTRY with. So, I'm flabbergasted.

It's that kind of surprise I'd like to see you find in your own lists. Either from what's there or what ISN'T there. That's fine too.

2 - Thank God for THE DARK KNIGHT. I'm a huge superhero fanboy. I love them greatly. Have all my life. Until this year, not a single superhero movie would've made it onto my top 10. My top 10 was waiting, PRAYING, for a superhero movie. And one just squeaked itself in. I find that fascinating. I'm a big superhero fanboy, yet only one superhero movie made it in. If you asked me last year, I'd have no superhero movie on here at all. And I was aware of this as each new superhero movie came out. "Why didn't I enjoy it?" was something I asked myself when the comics immerse me so. The reason, I can now happily say is, most of them are crap. Really crap. Just "paint-by-numbers" movies. Finally, a superhero movie came along and gave me something new and totally familiar. How the hell they did that, I don't know, but I'm so glad they did.

3 - I don't put away my toys. I really don't. I was born in 1980. I'm 28. Only three films came out after I was 15. I cling to my childhood it seems. THE DARK KNIGHT is a ****ing Batman movie. Yes it's new, but it's my childhood imagination brought to life on the big screen after waiting for 15 years. I don't let go of my childhood love for things. DUMB & DUMBER is delightfully immature. CLUE and THE TRANSFORMERS came out before I was 10. TERMINATOR 2 I saw when I was barely 12. I remember, when I was ill with the flu, I used to watch GROUNDHOG DAY over and over. DEAD POET'S SOCIETY is about a bunch of kids at boarding school. When I really look at it, there are precisely three films on that list that don't bring out the kid in me in any way: SEVEN, THE USUAL SUSPECTS, and THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION. And they're all crime stories. So no wonder THE DARK KNIGHT is on here. It's a superhero movie that also is a fantastic crime story.

So, try to do what I did here. It's actually very self-rewarding. I didn't know this much about my preferences. Just put up your list - no explanation. Then ponder on it for a while. See what you notice.

It's not the individual choices that matter, but their holistic grouping that does.

Mole's list just gave him +300 respect points, even with the Power Rangers movie. Hell, I'll put an extra fifty points on there for putting PR on the same list as The Godfather and Casablanca.

This is why I love these kinds of honest lists. You get POWER RANGERS and CASABLANCA on the same list with GHOSTBUSTERS. KUNG POW with THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION and OCEAN'S ELEVEN. It's the sudden collection of these titles that makes the whole look really quite bizarre. There is no common link besides "This is what *I* like". It's a fascinating crystalline image of what you, and only you, love.

And Bass, only Lord Of The Rings was the 3rd movie. Pirates was the 1st movie.

Oops. My bad.

Batman Begins/The Dark Knight

An American Tail 1 and 2 - I wanted to put some more animated movies like The Lion King and Aladdin, but I always can't remember the cartoon movie I loved the most, I'm lucky I even remember American Tail. So I put it here to represent all the movies I can't remember what they were, but I know they were all of similar styles. I just might youtube this tonight.

Wayne's World 1+2 - I had a real trouble with this spot, I wanted to add a comedy, but there's too many to choose for a top 10: Robin Hood Men in Tights, Tommy Boy, Naked Gun, Airplane, etc. But Wayne's World represents the style and level of comedy I love. It's sad that I can not recall antoher comedy movie this genuinely funny in years. Its a sure case of "they don't make them like this anymore".

Couple of things - if you want two films, they take up two spots. BATMAN BEGINS and THE DARK KNIGHT are seperated by three years, a different cast and writing team, and a year of story time. They are not the same movie. Hell, if you wanted the original OCEAN'S ELEVEN and the remake, that would be two slots.

Your top 10 movies. If both are on there, both are on there. Looking at your list, you had BATMAN BEGINS/THE DARK KNIGHT, AN AMERICAN TALE 1 & 2, all three THE LORD OF THE RINGS, and WAYNE'S WORLD 1 & 2. That's 9 movies. Straight away you can tell that you sir, are a sucker for franshices and series. You LOVE sequels. You like repetition. Isn't that amazing? Who ELSE would have such a list? Only you. It's fascinating.

But... your list ain't your list yet. Each sequel is a seperate choice, so no cheating. Two, you picked AN AMERICAN TAIL because you wanted a cartoon, and WAYNE'S WORLD because you wanted a comedy. This goes back to my whole, "This isn't a list that needs to be justified". This is a list about self-examination. I was amazed I only had one cartoon on there, and it wasn't Pixar. I was amazed that I had no Trek. Sit down, and pull your dvds off your shelf without thinking, just taking the films you like. Then whittle down that pile. And again until you have 10 left. Think about the choices. Look at them. "Which of these two do I REALLY love more?" If there's no comedies... what does that say about you? You respect comedies, you enjoy them... but they don't get you going inside as much as a big, epic fantasy battle? Or is it more simple? Your films are all big CGI SFX movies, and while you appreciate animation greatly, maybe your heart lies with CGI?

These aren't observations of you, by the way. This is just my pretending what could go through your mind as you make your choices.

So... go do it again.

I notice that I am a big fan of the revenge stories. Vendetta, Batman, Gladiator, Saints, & Sin City are all movies about someone or someones going after the corrupt. Either revenge for themselves or for someone who can't fight back. I also enjoy the movies with odd humor & witty dialogue like Snatch, Pirates, and Juno. The Emperor's New Groove is my favorite animated movie with a very unique humor style unseen in most movies like that. I also like epic stories. I didn't really get heavily into movies like I am now, until about 2000 which is where my movies started. Interesting.

That's what I'm talking about!

 

[Goodwill]

I generally don't find "Top 10 Movie" lists interesting because they're usually uninsightful beyond, "10 Movies I've Seen That I Like To Talk About" with the "crappy kid's movie" that's actually a gem (generally something by Spielberg) and the important art film (something with Marlon Brando) and the appreciated classic (it's black and white) which makes the compiler of the list appear well-educated. But it doesn't say much beyond what this person has thought will be an impressive list.

But a top 10 favourites list, done with thought, can actually reveal quite a bit about the compiler.

So here, I offer you to put up your 10 favourite movies. You're FAVOURITE movies. Not the movies you respect, not the movies that you can talk about, not the movies that were 'important' in some fashion, no. Movies that you ADORE. Movies that so completely suck you in that when you watch them, the rest of the world disappears. When you tell people about the movie, you begin reliving the movie to the point where it would be easier to just watch the movie again and ******* it, even though you know it by heart and listen to the soundtrack, it seems like the BEST DAMN THING TO DO RIGHT NOW. The movies you can put on that are so familiar they are background noise yet so immersive to you that you can't do anything but watch.

Your favourites. Why are they your favourite? Doesn't matter. Doesn't have to be a 'proper' reason. Doesn't have to be because it was a success or because it was influential or **** like that. These films can be ****ing terrible films. What's important is that you LOVE them - for whatever reason. And the list might just tell you something about yourself.

Here's my list, in chronological order:

CLUE (1985)
THE TRANSFORMERS: THE MOVIE (1986)
DEAD POET'S SOCIETY (1989)
TERMINATOR 2: JUDGEMENT DAY (1991)
GROUNDHOG DAY (1993)
THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION (1994)
THE USUAL SUSPECTS (1995)
SEVEN (1995)
DUMB & DUMBER (1997)
THE DARK KNIGHT (2008)

I find that interesting. Nothing in there outside my time. I haven't fallen in love with something before my time, like STAR WARS or even INDIANA JONES (and I love Indy). And the films course a 12-year span, except for a sudden leap with THE DARK KNIGHT. What also surprises me is what's NOT on my list. MY COUSIN VINNY, INDIANA JONES, AMADEUS... I love those films, but it seems, not as much as these.

3 comedies; 2 dramas; 1 animation, but I like crime movies (four) and action (four)... Two of the films have Morgan Freeman, no one else appears more than once. I have a bizarre taste in comedies: a murder mystery farce and two romantic comedies, one is toilet humour and the other is dry wit. They're all American films - no British, no Asian, no European - which means I don't seem to stray far from Hollywood. None are particularly realistic. I suppose you could say DEAD POET'S SOCIETY is, but it's set in 1950 something, which to me, may as well be set on Mars. I like happy endings, but am not adverse to down-endings. THE USUAL SUSPECTS and SEVEN are the only proper down-ending films. DEAD POET'S SOCIETY and THE DARK KNIGHT both kinda end on high notes. I seem to love ensemble casts; only GROUNDHOG DAY has a proper leading actor. All the rest are ensemble cast, and SHAWSHANK, DUMBER, and SEVEN are all buddy movies.

And, according to me, 1995 was an awesome year for crime movies.

It probably says even more about me than I'm aware, but that's what I get out of it right now. What's palpable to me, is the unique atmosphere each one of these films has for me. THE DARK KNIGHT is the weakest in that sense. It's atmosphere just is too thin, but that's because it's so new. It's not had time to fester. At the moment, I'm totally inspired by it but maybe I'm too eager about it. Maybe in two years I'll put MY COUSIN VINNY back in.

What do your favourite movies tell you about you?

Dead Poet's society was filmed right where I live, in Delaware. Incidently, it's filmed at the church where my parents were married. Just saying.

 

[SSJmole]

This is why I love these kinds of honest lists. You get POWER RANGERS and CASABLANCA on the same list with GHOSTBUSTERS. It's the sudden collection of these titles that makes the whole look really quite bizarre. There is no common link besides "This is what *I* like". It's a fascinating crystalline image of what you, and only you, love.

Mole's list just gave him +300 respect points, even with the Power Rangers movie. Hell, I'll put an extra fifty points on there for putting PR on the same list as The Godfather and Casablanca.

:lol: When people say it like and I look at my list I realise it is a weird combination of movies. No idea what it says about me though

I'm annoyed that others are just posting their lists without any introspection, effectively reducing this thread to just another movie list thread.

I tried to put down Why I love them but the self-analysing stuff I'm not good at it. Like I mentioned above, I have absolutely NO Idea No idea what it says about me though.

 

[DARKKNIGHT]

Ok, here it goes in no particular order:

1.) Lord of the Rings trilogy: I'm counting it as one spot. They were filmed back to back, and based upon one book. They are simply different parts to a larger story. I remember being amazed by the first one when I was younger.

2.) Moulin Rouge!: I'm not sure why I love this movie but I do. A very strange combination of modern popular music, ancient tragedy, and Bollywood. Plus Nicole Kidman at her best.

3.) The Incredibles: The only Pixar movie I really love.

4.) Batman Begins: I'll admit it; I like Begins more than the Dark Knight. Maybe it's because Begins kind of came out of nowhere and revived my love for Batman. Anyway I can watch this day after day, and have.

5.) Abbott and Costello meet Frankenstein: I watched this movie all the time when I was little.

6.) Sweeney Todd: This is another movie that I didn't think that I was going to like going in but loved. Probably Burton's best film in recent years, and an almost perfect plot.

7.) Almost Famous: A great blend of two interests of mine, 70's rock music and writing. I only wish that Penny Lane was real.

8.) Thank You For Smoking: I love this movie. Aaron Eckhart is the man. A great movie about perception. In some ways this movie has changed the way I think. In a good way.

9.) Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl: While the other two are ok, this is by far the best. This movie would be nothing without Johnny Depp as Sparrow.

10.) Beauty and the Beast: I'll admit it, this movie almost makes me cry. By far the best Disney movie. I really have nothing else to say.

After looking over my list I'm a bit surprised that I didn't have more comedies, and that I have a total of 3 musicals.

 

[Random]

Couple of things - if you want two films, they take up two spots. BATMAN BEGINS and THE DARK KNIGHT are seperated by three years, a different cast and writing team, and a year of story time. They are not the same movie. Hell, if you wanted the original OCEAN'S ELEVEN and the remake, that would be two slots.

Your top 10 movies. If both are on there, both are on there. Looking at your list, you had BATMAN BEGINS/THE DARK KNIGHT, AN AMERICAN TALE 1 & 2, all three THE LORD OF THE RINGS, and WAYNE'S WORLD 1 & 2. That's 9 movies. Straight away you can tell that you sir, are a sucker for franshices and series. You LOVE sequels. You like repetition. Isn't that amazing? Who ELSE would have such a list? Only you. It's fascinating.

But... your list ain't your list yet. Each sequel is a seperate choice, so no cheating. Two, you picked AN AMERICAN TAIL because you wanted a cartoon, and WAYNE'S WORLD because you wanted a comedy. This goes back to my whole, "This isn't a list that needs to be justified". This is a list about self-examination. I was amazed I only had one cartoon on there, and it wasn't Pixar. I was amazed that I had no Trek. Sit down, and pull your dvds off your shelf without thinking, just taking the films you like. Then whittle down that pile. And again until you have 10 left. Think about the choices. Look at them. "Which of these two do I REALLY love more?" If there's no comedies... what does that say about you? You respect comedies, you enjoy them... but they don't get you going inside as much as a big, epic fantasy battle? Or is it more simple? Your films are all big CGI SFX movies, and while you appreciate animation greatly, maybe your heart lies with CGI?

These aren't observations of you, by the way. This is just my pretending what could go through your mind as you make your choices.

So... go do it again.

First off, I get what you're saying about sequels, most cases it's because I couldn't decide between the two when really both are perfect examples of movies that have either moved me or helped shape my interests as a person. And I only lumped sequels together when they're virtually indistinguishable in terms of style and continuity. Wayne's world 1+2 are practically the same almost clones. Ocean's 11 and its remake have a really huge differences between them. Batman Begins and TDK, not so much, they are apart of the same story. I don't feel like splitting hair and which one I should choose, because really, I don't really give a crap about these "rules".

However, I will contend to my dying day that Lord of the Rings should be considered one movie, specially for lists like these. There's only one beginning, one ending, and a hell of a lot of middle.

Also I wanted to pick movies that have shaped me not only as a fan of the medium but as a person. I really don't have the luxury to look at two decades of video tapes that has been lost to time in my home just so I can remember them. Which is why I hate making lists, I always forget the best movies. And always lingering in the back of my mind is a movie I was truly amazed with and just can't remember. And since I only have a handful of dvds here at college I can't do as you suggest and sit down and look at them. So instead I choose a movie the helps define the types of movies that have described me as a person. Cause really I don't have the time nor the patients to sit around and split hairs on something that doesn't really matter and wouldn't make much of a difference.

So... you do it again!


Any way on how those movies, I thought about it after I made it and couldn't think of anything and decided to comeback to that point later. Now that my mind is more clear I see that these movies show my love for the underdog hero going on an adventure against great odds in a situation he would never have expected. It's definitely the most common thread between and it's true, I love a good adventure.

 

[Bass]

First off, I get what you're saying about sequels, most cases it's because I couldn't decide between the two when really both are perfect examples of movies that have either moved me or helped shape my interests as a person. And I only lumped sequels together when they're virtually indistinguishable in terms of style and continuity. Wayne's world 1+2 are practically the same almost clones. Ocean's 11 and its remake have a really huge differences between them. Batman Begins and TDK, not so much, they are apart of the same story. I don't feel like splitting hair and which one I should choose, because really, I don't really give a crap about these "rules".

Who do you think you are?! The Joker? You ain't no agent of chaos! You go and do as I tells ya! *wags finger*

However, I will contend to my dying day that Lord of the Rings should be considered one movie, specially for lists like these. There's only one beginning, one ending, and a hell of a lot of middle.

LIES!!! Basically, I think the three are very different. I prefer Fellowship to the other two by quite a bit. I don't think it's too taxing to actually look at them seperately.

So... you do it again!

:shock:

The impudence! Why I oughtta...

RECORD MY LINES FOR UC 2!

...

Wait. That's not a good threat.

 

[Random]

:shock:

The impudence! Why I oughtta...

RECORD MY LINES FOR UC 2!

...

Wait. That's not a good threat.

*looks around...*


*raises arms*

I win.

 

[Iceshadow]

:shock:

The impudence! Why I oughtta...

RECORD MY LINES FOR UC 2!

...

Wait. That's not a good threat.

Damn mods holding up production!

 

[Volunteer Fire Detective]

I don't know if I've ever posted my top ten movies anywhere else on this site, but if I have, you'll notice this is the same one; any "top ten" list that I make is created with exactly what Bass was talking about in mind. So here are my favorite movies, counting down from number ten:

10 - The Manchurian Candidate - This is, I think, as powerful today as it was when it was made. I recently watched this film as part of a "Theatre and Film Appreciation," class, and it was very satisfying to hear everyone gasping and crying out as the events unfolded. Every single person in the film is fantastic as well, with the standout of course being Angela Lansbury, playing the character that I humbly believe to be the greatest villain in film history. Added bonus: I feel like I could watch this movie back-to-back for an entire day, and the ending sequence would still have me on the edge of my seat. A truly extraordinary film.

9 - Gandhi - This is the movie I always bring up when I tell people I didn't like The Godfather, and they say, "Well I guess you just don't like long movies and have the attention span of a gnat!" Gandhi is so amazing to me because it's one of those rare three-hour, mostly violence-less films that actually manages to sustain interest for its entire running time. Oh, sure, the second half is less compelling than the first, and Martin Sheen phoned it in, but any shortcomings this film has in the long run are compensated for by Ben Kingsely's nuanced, riveting performance, which is probably second-best in cinema history (first is coming up).

8 - 12 Angry Men - I saw this in my psychology class, and it was another one of those movies that you wouldn't think would hold your interest (twelve guys talkin' in a room?), but it does. I'm starting to see a trend here. I guess I tend to like movies that can keep me entranced throughout the entire thing. I know that sounds like a basic necessity, but I've never understood how some of the "classics" can be considered great, simply because they don't hold my interest over the entire course of the movie. Oh well. Other great things about this one: all of the performances are outstanding, and even though you pretty much know the outcome before it starts, it still manages to be suspenseful and engaging.

7 - No Country for Old Men - Just a phenomenal film. Everything about it is honed down to perfection, creating a lean, stark film with just the bare essentials that somehow manages to be more meaningful than every single overwrought, bloated blockbuster of the last ten years combined. Javier Bardem is magnificent in a role that is truly frightening, as one of the greatest, most ruthless, and chilling villains ever portrayed; and unlike Mrs. Iselin, he never gets him comeuppance. What sets this apart from the crowd is that nothing is wasted: every character is important, everything that happens is so finely controlled, and by the end, you feel like you just watched something very, very special.

6 - Spirited Away - I don't just include this to have an animated movie on the my list; it truly is magnificent. I mean, I love Pixar, but nothing can compare to the simple beauty of Miyazaki's masterpiece (just barely not making the list is my other favorite movie of his, Princess Mononoke). The animation is of course wonderful, but it's the characters that you love; and though it does lose steam towards the end, every second is filled with so much, visually and emotionally, you don't care. What's more, this movie leaves you thinking about it long after you finish watching it. It's a rare thing to find a truly great film; it's rarer still to find one that will stick with you.

5 - Amadeus - Oh, yes, remember when I said "Greatest performance by an actor ever" would be showing up later? Well, this is it. Certainly that's hyperbole, but I wouldn't hesitate to say it's the best I, personally, have seen. F. Murray Abraham is absolute perfection as the man who is destined to be mediocre while the young upstart he despises is one of the most gifted musicians of all time. And the rest of the movie is no slouch either: the visuals are stunning, the music fantastic (but of course, it would be), and there isn't a bad actor in the bunch. I tend to find tales of dangerous obsession fascinating, and this is certainly one for the books.

4 - Citizen Kane - Alright, I know what you're thinking: Citizen Kane? Really? But I dearly love this movie. Not just for its historical significance, of course; 2001 would be up here if that were the case (as it is, the less said about that movie the better). Rather, I love the characters; I love the mystery; I love the way it's constructed so that we slowly but surely find out about this man's life; I love the message at the end about the pointlessness of it all, how the identity of Rosebud tells us about as much concerning the man as the word "pancake." And of course, Welle's direction is sublime, and he ain't no slouch when it comes to acting, either. This is truly one film, among the great pantheon of "classics," that actually lives up to the hype.

3 - Fargo - This is only just barely better than No Country, probably because I'm a sucker for happy endings. But I think I like the message at the end of this one better: there are good people out there - bad people too, sure - but the good people are truly great, and they are doing the best they can to make this world a better place. Marge is one of the greatest characters ever concieved - someone who is completely unwilling to bend to others, and who holds up her moral code no matter the obstacle. Also, the cinemetography is outstanding; that stark, bare landscape, and the look of the frequently spilling blood on it, is nothing short of astounding. And Marge's ending speech always gets to me. "There's more to life than a little money, you know. Don'tcha know that? And here you are, and it's a beautiful day."

2 - American Beauty - This movie is, in a word, perfect. It's number two for various sundry reasons, but as a film, it is perfect. The imagery is nothing short of spectacular, and the writing is sublime (Alan Ball is probably my favorite writer - after all, he also did the amazing Six Feet Under, which I am currently still watching the first season of, so please no spoilers ). And the acting ... F. Murray Abraham may have been the best, but I don't think any ensemble has ever worked as well: Annette Bening is phenomenal, but then so is Kevin Spacey, who is nothing short of superlative (can you tell I'm running out of adjectives). This is that rare movie that does everything a movie should do: it sustains interest throughout, it sticks with you long after it's done, and it actually - it did for me, anyway - changes the way you look at the world. No other film has every so effortlessly and eloquently challenged everything I thought, and made me look at everything differently. Bravo, Sam Mendes, Alan Ball, Kevin Spacey, and Annette Bening. Bravo.

1 - Close Encounters of the Third Kind - I love this movie. It stirs something deeper inside of me, that childlike optimism that there are other life forms out there, and that they are friendly. Unlike E.T., which I thought was just kind of annoying (the movie, not the character, although he comes close), this movie has just the right amount of wonder and reality. I told you I liked movies about obsession - Roy's descent into an obsession that eventually destroys his family is magnificent, and enthralling; I get goosebumps every time he starts tossing dirt into his house to build the monument in his living room. Also, the scene when Barry is kidnapped is one of the most suspenseful I think I've ever seen - it's a spectacular sequence that truly involved you in the terror of a mother losing her son to forces beyond her control. I also have to mention the element of the sound being used to communicate is nothing short of breathtaking in its simplicity and originality (not the idea, but the way it was done). In short - this is the kind of movie that I can enjoy over and over and over again, and never get bored, never get tired of the plights of the characters, never think "ooh, that shouldn't have been there," never think, "that probably could have been done better." I just sit back, relax, and enjoy.


There you have it. My favorite movies, and why. Are the best movies every made? I'd argue that a few up there could be considered likely candidates, but that's not why I picked them; I picked them because I love them - because every single one of them has something different and amazing to offer the viewer, if they keep their minds (and hearts) open.

 

[SSJmole]

4 - Citizen Kane - Alright, I know what you're thinking: Citizen Kane? Really? But I dearly love this movie. Not just for its historical significance, of course; 2001 would be up here if that were the case (as it is, the less said about that movie the better). Rather, I love the characters; I love the mystery; I love the way it's constructed so that we slowly but surely find out about this man's life; I love the message at the end about the pointlessness of it all, how the identity of Rosebud tells us about as much concerning the man as the word "pancake." And of course, Welle's direction is sublime, and he ain't no slouch when it comes to acting, either. This is truly one film, among the great pantheon of "classics," that actually lives up to the hype.

I've said before but I really love this film. It was a film that almost made my ten list

 

[Frapalino]

Les Quatre Cents Coups (1959)
Lilies of the Field (1963)
The Up Series (1964-?)
Cool Hand Luke (1967)
Mean Streets (1973)
Tonari no Totoro (1988 )
The Sandlot (1993)
Independence Day (1996)
Rushmore (1998 )
Signs (2002)


I'm going to come back to this when I've given it some serious thought.

 

[Friday]

Fight Club
The Shawshenk Redemption
The Big Lebowski
High Fidelity
The Royal Tannenbaums
Clerks
Hellboy
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Evil Dead 2
Who Framer Roger Rabbit

I'll have self analysis later. I have to be at work in 11 minutes.

 

[Friday]

Hrmmm... Well, apparently I prefer movies made after I was born since a whopping 9 of the 10 were, and the 10th came out a mere year before. I seem to prefer comedies, or at least movies that don't take themselves very seriously. From what I can see the only actor that shares anything in them is Tim Robins (Shawshenk and a minor part in High Fidelity. I always found him distracting in that). No unifying Directors either. That surprises me a bit.

Huh.

I want to see someone else pick my list.

 

[thee great one]

I might replace Lord Of The Rings. We will see.

I also see I like the more gritty street type comic movies like Batman, Sin CIty, and Vendetta.

 

[moonmaster]

Kill Bill (2003-2004)
I've spewed my love for Kill Bill before so I'll be brief. It has been and still is my idea of film perfection. It's entertaining, engaging, and unashamedly epic. It's just an incredibly well-directed film. Part of me thinks that Reservoir Dogs is the most solid Tarantino film, but that's because of it's simplicity. Kill Bill isn't entirely perfect in the technical sense, but it's so enthralling that you can't really deny it.

Airplane (1980)
I first saw Airplane many years ago. My mom showed it to me, telling me about how she used to watch it with her grandmother. Airplane was - from my perspective - the most funniest thing in the history of ever. I still quote it when I have the opportunity, and good god is there so much to quote. Just some of the best, simple humor. I would go as far as to say that a lot of my sense of humor probably has it's origins in seeing this film all that time ago.

Groundhog Day (1993)
Bass talked about how much he loved this movie but I was reluctant to watch it. I've found that I often prefer Bill Murray in dramatic roles over comedic roles. What I was expecting was a somewhat funny early 90s comedy based around a silly premise. What I wasn't expecting was that it would be one of the most heartwarming movies I've ever seen. What I like about Groundhog Day is that it makes me feel all warm inside whenever I watch it. It manages to take most cheesey comedy conventions and turn them around and make them so much sweeter and more authentic. I just love the message behind it, that life ultimately rewards you if you take the time to be decent to other people.

Shaun of the Dead (2004)
Shaun of the Dead's style of humor matches my tastes so much that it felt like it was made for me. I've seen it so many times since then that I've lost count.

Night of the Living Dead (1968 )
Speaking of zombies...Night of the Living Dead was - believe it or not - another movie my mom showed to me when I was little. On Halloween one year, if I'm not mistaken. That was the beginning of my love affair (probably not the right word) with the zombie genre. The whole concept just interested me so much. I still try to watch it around Halloween every year.

28 Days Later (2002)
And that brings me to my next pick...If Night of the Living Dead was the beginning of my zombie obsession, 28 Days Later was the zenith of it. It's as perfect as the genre has managed to get since Dawn of the Dead. (The original, n00bs.) 28 Days Later is a pretty perfect representation of what attracts me to the genre, which is the fact that it's the only type of horror movie that really scares me, on a visceral level. It's the bloody and sudden collapse of civilization, the desperate need to survive in a world where surviving is far worse of a fate than just giving up. It scares the **** out of me. And 28 Days Later captures all that better than any other movie I've seen.

It's also a really great movie and it's very well-directed. One of the few movies where I actually enjoy analyzing the shots and the pacing. It makes me want to be a director.

A Fistful of Dollars (1964)
The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly is great but I think I've always preferred A Fistful of Dollars. It's such an awesome movie and really entertaining. Also, Eastwood's Man With No Name is (particularly in this movie) the ultimate movie badass. Seriously, no one does it better.

Monsters Inc. (2001)
Everyone else picks The Incredible when they're talking about Pixar movies but Monsters Inc. sticks out for me. For one thing, it's what drew me back into the Pixar movies. I loved Toy Story and (to a lesser extent) A Bug's Life, but thought that I was getting too old to enjoy those kinds of movies. Then I caught Monsters Inc. on DVD at a relative's house and was blown away. What really puts it over the top for me is that I realized recently: Monsters Inc. is - as lame as it sounds - one of the only movies that can nearly bring me to tears. If you don't feel the same during the scene where Sully has to say goodbye to Boo or the final moment before the credits ("Kitty!"), you're either lying or you have no soul.

Batman Begins (2005)
The Dark Knight is the better movie, but it's so recent that I'd rather not put it here. Also, I feel like in the long run, Begins will be the easier one to watch. It has just enough of a mix of darkness and comic book action to make it supremely watchable. I can't avoid it when it's on TV.

Se7en (1995)
I'd put Zodiac in Se7en's place but I don't feel like I've seen it enough, and it's run time is a bit heavy. Se7en is pretty great filmmaking though. And the ending is one of the best kick-in-the-ball moments ever, followed by the best closing line in film history: "Ernest Hemingway once wrote, 'The world is a fine place and worth fighting for.' I agree with the second part."


I'll maybe add some extra commentary about the whole thing later, but this is good for now.

 

[E]

Airplane (1980)
I first saw Airplane many years ago. My mom showed it to me, telling me about how she used to watch it with her grandmother. Airplane was - from my perspective - the most funniest thing in the history of ever. I still quote it when I have the opportunity, and good god is there so much to quote. Just some of the best, simple humor. I would go as far as to say that a lot of my sense of humor probably has it's origins in seeing this film all that time ago.

"I developed a drinking problem" is still one of the funniest things ever put in any movie.

 

[Ice]

"I developed a drinking problem" is still one of the funniest things ever put in any movie.

I use that almost all the time. :lol:

 

[Frapalino]

Les Quatre Cents Coups (1959)
Lilies of the Field (1963)
The Up Series (1964-?)
Cool Hand Luke (1967)
Mean Streets (1973)
Tonari no Totoro (1988 )
The Sandlot (1993)
Independence Day (1996)
Rushmore (1998 )
Signs (2002)

It's weird to me that I've never given something like this much thought. Looking through the list of films, with the exception of Independence Day and The Sandlot, they're all widely considered masterworks. So, that makes me feel like I have good taste.

Independence Day

I don't think there is anything deeper to my connection with this movie other than that it is awesomely bad ***. C'mon, Will Smith punches the alien in the head then says "Welcome, to Earth." That's why humans made up the term bad ***. This movie wants makes me wish for an alien invasion. I'd probably be messed up if I had to kill some humans in a normal human war. I'd have no guilt over slaughtering me some aliens.


Les Quatre Cents Coups
Lilies of the Field
The Up Series
Cool Hand Luke
Mean Streets
Rushmore

Judging by just the main characters of these films I must really identify with the outsider. I think that's probably true. I'd say most of these characters are searching for some sort of purpose. Which I guess is the plight of the majority of 20 something year old dudes. The demographic I'm smack in the middle of. I tend to be a generally positive guy, and think I'm going to do pretty damn great in this life. So, it makes sense that stories where the hero finds that purpose or is clearly on that path are stories that I'd be into. If I could pick my life to be one story it would be Lilies of the Field.

The Sandlot

I don't know of a better film that captures the type of friendship that is unique to a group of guys. I moved from Japan to Texas in 8th grade. I had no friends. Much like Smalls I somehow managed to work myself into a really close group of friends. These guys are still my best friends. Hell, several of them are currently my roommates. I plan for them to be my best friends for the rest of my life.

Tonari no Totoro

This movies just gorgeous. Everything about it.

Signs

This is the film that made me want to make films. I think it is the first film that I ever connected with and knew why instantly. It was the first film that I saw the deeper layers. The journey of Gram Hess's faith in this movie was right on with my path. When I watch this now I don't feel as connected to that faith plot as I once was. Which makes the whole film weaker for me. It kind of makes me sad that a film that I could say was undoubtedly my favorite no longer is. I'm guessing one day this film will feel fresh and I'll be even more intensely drawn into it.

I also find it odd that although Signs is the film that made me want to make films and I really got into studying film after I saw this that there isn't a flick released after it. No, There Will Be Blood, or any other Wes Anderson, or No Country for Old Men, or Children of Men, or Pans Labyrinth, or the Batmans, or The Prestige, or any Danny Boyle films, or that I haven't even thought of The Science of Sleep until now. Those are all great flicks but for some reason they just don't get me. It seems like a lot of my favorite film makers aren't anywhere near to being on this list.

All but The Sandlot and Independence Day I saw after I watched Signs. So, I must not have much affinity for my childhood film memories.

The Up Series (1964-?)

In defense of me doing this whole multiple films thing in one. This is only one movie. One film that probably never will be finished.

Yeah, that's about it.

 

[Planet-man]

So, my return is mainly due to my eagerness to participate in this thread. In fact, this is all I have EVER done any time we do a top-# list, and every time somebody says something like "Spider-Man doesn't belong anywhere near that list!". I always say, these are here because they're my favourites. Anyway, as usual I can't narrow it down to just ten, so here are the fifteen films most important to me… five at a time.

15. Se7en

Morbid fascination hits its peak with this one. I love imagining what it must have been like for everyone involved when they released at and just KNEW they had made something so good, and that people were going to be knocked out of there seats. John Doe is easily one of the best villains in anything, ever, and my love and fascination with him and the piece grew much deeper with the reading of the seven-issue comic mini-series prequel/at-the-same-timequel, which I recommend. The last line is definitely one of the greatest and most appropriate in movies.


14. Signs

Frapalino and I have this in common. This movie is responsible for so much of the reasons I want to be a filmmaker. I used to watch the DVD all the time and just eat it up, including all the making-of and behind-the-scenes stuff. Seeing so many cool things you can do with that camera and how effective they are. As a movie itself, I've always found it phenomenal. It works so well that you don't even care about the plot points that, if dissected, don't necessarily add up. It's a movie you have to have faith in, and my life has payed off because of it.

Also, it has just about the best and most effective to me horror direction I've seen.

13. Toys

There is something about this film… it has this aesthetic quality that is a very deeply ingrained part of my life. I don't know exactly where it comes from. I saw this for the first time when I was so young that it could be from this in the first place. It's hard to describe. The stark, refreshing whites contrasted with primary colours. The big, plasticy props and toys. The blue skies with puffs of white cloud just like the Magritte paintings that inspired it. I don't know. It's in my DNA and always will be. I love this film for embodying it so truly. It's also a heartwarming, feel-good emotional rollercoaster for me that perfectly sums up everything I feel about life and innocence. "May Joy And Innocence Prevail". Brilliant.

Also, it has by far one of the most unique, striking and best, like top-two or three EVER, soundtracks in a movie. "The Closing Of The Year"… my god. It's the most powerful Christmas song written in a century when they use it.

12. Batman

I've seen this movie more than any other film. Can quote every line. It's a part of my childhood, it's a part of my adulthood. It's a symphony, a masterpiece, a work of art. It's my favourite Batman film because it's the one I'm closest to and my introduction into Batman. The Joker is my favourite movie villain of all time.

11. Donnie Darko: The Director's Cut

This movie is just wonderful. It captures nearly everything I've always wanted out of teendom and sets it to beautiful music. I rented it and saw it for the first time in March or April, and watched it three times that week, then went out and bought it. The millions of ways you can look at the story, change things around, add them together and take them apart and get something fresh and different and incredible each time makes it something truly alive. I got depressed sometimes when I was last watching it because I never want to leave. It's beautiful. I can't wait to get into it again and again.

The next 5 will be coming soon.