Admit it. We all love lists. We love to agree with them; and more often than not we love to disagree with them. That's the idea behind my Favorites Friday posts. I may not post one every Friday due to the fact that I may run out of subjects too quickly, but feel free to comment if you'd like to see me post a list on a certain subject related to my blog. I'll start it off with my top 10 favorite movies of all time. Now, the first thing to note is there are some very great films that are going to missing from my list. My top 10 is based solely on two things. 1.)How the movie affected me long after viewing it, and more importantly 2. How many times I could re-watch the film and still thoroughly enjoy it. A perfect example of this is my inclusion of Office Space and Napoleon Dynamite. While these are well-loved films many will say I'm crazy for including these over such classics as Godfather. So again I refer you to points one and two above. I have seen these two films numerous times, and they still give me a good chuckle. Also, it is very hard to narrow this down to ten, let alone decide on an order as my top 3 could be easily interchanged in any order for sure, but the rules of a list imply that each be assigned to a number so here they are. Let the great debates begin!
If you read my Kick-Ass review then you know that I love Quentin Tarantino. He is an absolute cinematic genius. His love and knowledge of movies gushes from the screen. Yes, his movies are violent, but somehow out of his love of violence comes humor. The characters he paints are always larger than life, and very often given dialogue straight from movie heaven. Pulp Fiction wasn't his first movie, but was the one that put him on the map; and in my opinion it's still his best.
There's nothing I love more than a big sprawling epic to whisk me away to another world. The Lord of the Rings trilogy was what I had been waiting oh so long for. Not since Star Wars had I been so drawn in to a world of fantasy. The second and third installments of the trilogy suffered a few very minor hiccups, while this first installment was near perfection. From the beautifully subtle opening scenes in the Shire, to the shear terror brought to the screen from the ring-wraiths, to the down right jaw-dropping battle between Gandalf and the Balrog;itwas surely an epic to behold.
An instant cult classic and my favorite comedy of all time. This movie made me laugh more every time I watched it. The Dude is a character for the ages, and as great and prolific of an actor as Jeff Bridges is; this is still his most famous role. The Dude abides.
Well, we're only on number four and Mr. Tarantino has shown up again. Now I know I'm kind of cheating listing volumes 1 and 2 on one number, but they were really meant to be one movie in the first place so deal with it. Volume 1 was all style, while volume 2 spoon-fed the viewer scene after scene of the tasty dialogueTarantinois know for. Together they make one heck of a cool movie.
Speaking of style and coolness factor; Fight Club may just well be the definition of both. It was also responsible for shooting Brad Pitt into super stardom.Fight Club says you're welcome ladies. If you haven't seen this movie, well then all I have to say to you is: The first rule of Fight Club is, you do not talk about Fight Club.
What!?!? Moulin Rouge!? I know what you're thinking; musicals suck and are for girls. I would have agreed with you before seeing this movie.I had absolutely no desire to see it, and constantly made fun of it, but when I found out it had been nominated for Best Picture I had to give it a fair shake. I almost didn't survive the first 15 minutes, but then something strange happened, I actually began to enjoy it. Really enjoy it in fact. It's use of modern day songs was pulled off brilliantly, and the cinematography was breathtaking If you haven't seen it, give it a shot, but keep in mind to give it at least 15-20 minutes.
Star Wars holds a special place in the hearts of nearly every child of the 80's, and I am no exception. I can't pinpoint the first time I saw any of these films, or which one I saw first, but I'll never forget just how mesmerized I was with the Star Wars universe as a child. I don't need to explain the inclusion of this movie on my list, or even why I picked Empire over the other two. My only hope is that my children will hold the same amount of wonderment I did as a child when they are finally old enough to watch these films.
This quirky small budget movie became a small phenomenon in 2004-2005. It was hard to go a week without hearing someone spout off a one-liner from the film, and Vote for Pedro t-shirts became common attire. Every character was hilarious in their own way. My favorite? Uncle Rico."Napoleon, you know we can't afford the fun pack. What, do you think money grows on trees in this family? Take it back! And get some Pampers for you and your brother while you're at it."
Anyone that has ever worked in an office can completely relate to this movie. Similar to Napoleon Dynamite this movie created a cast of characters all equally hilarious, and one-liners that have been quoted since its release. The main protagonist of the film, Peter Gibbons, became the everyman hero, as his character's rebellious ways fulfilled the dream all of us office drones secretly held inside. Very funny stuff.
I can't remember a movie ever having an impact on me quite the way No Country For Old Men did. The decision to have no soundtrack in the movie immediately set the mood in the opening minutes and helped create a haunting tension that kept me on the edge of my seat during the entire viewing. Many people felt unsatisfied by the ending, as I thought I was initially, until I let it really sink in and soon realized how perfect it really was. Too often Hollywood provides us with a perfectly gift-wrapped ending that leaves us with nothing to ponder. Great movies make you think about them long after you have stopped watching, and No Country left me contemplating it's greatness days later. This is the second film on my list from directors Joel and Ethan Coen, and this movie is their masterpiece.
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