Short Stories

About

Friday, September 4, 2015

My All-time Top Movies

Following up on my IMDB Top 250 post, here is a list of my favorite movies. Everyone likes lists, right? What's better than a movie list where you can pick apart my personal tastes?
Inside Llewyn David The Thin Red Line Ghostbusters Gattaca In Bruges The New World Big Trouble in Little China Fight Club The Departed The Lives of Others The Godfather Hot Fuzz A Perfect World Indiana Jones The Terminator Unbreakable

I'm not going to debate the merits of IMDB's list.  There are movies rated too high, and others rated too low, and many great movies that should be on the list, but that's the case with all lists. The list is prone to having the most recent popular movie added, but over time that is corrected.

I'm not saying these are the best movies, 
I'm  saying these are my favorites.

It's hard to put these in order. I'm not saying these are the best movies, I'm saying these are my favorites. These are movies that inspired me, spoke to me, and fueled my desire to make a movie that's relevant, touching, and impressive.
There are many movies I consider 'better' technically, there are so many more movies I wanted to add to this list, but here it is. This is my top ten list. And I realize my timeline is quite narrow, but that's a conversation for another day. There are indeed many amazing classic films and I've seen quite a few of them.

These are movies that connected, that spoke, that changed my view on what a movie could be.


In Bruges
Watch
Two hitmen flee to Bruges, one awaiting punishment for a botched hit. A perfect combination of humor and drama. It's well acted by Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleason and Ralph Fiennes. It's incredibly well written.


Inside Llewyn Davis
Watch
A musician struggles to make the most of his last chance to make it. It captures the plight of the artist so perfectly. Oscar Isaac's best role, though he's unlikable, it's hard not to root for him.


The New World
Watch
It's the combination of a nature documentary and a minimalist story.  Colin Farrell and Christian Bale bring Jamestown in the 1600's to life.


Gattaca
Watch 
Science fiction combines the best and worst of humanity, our dreams and insecurities. It stars Ethan Hawke, Jude Law, and Uma Thurman.


The Terminator
Watch 
He can't be reasoned with. He can't be bargained with. He can't be stopped. Arnold Schwarzenegger has never played a better role. It's a love story, action movie, and thriller in a sci-fi wrapper.


Ghostbusters
Watch 
Bill Murray, Dan Ackroyd, Harold Ramis, and Ernie Hudson created the iconic paranormal investigators. A classic comedy that was the first big budget comedy.


Unbreakable 
Watch 
M. Night Shyamalan before every movie included a twist. It's comic book influenced and directed very well. Bruce Willis is the hero and Samuel L. Jackson is the villian.


The Departed 
Watch 
Leonardo DiCaprio and Matt Damon are on opposite sides of the law, both undercover for their organization. Who will find the other first? Dicaprio delivers an especially amazing performance.


Before Sunset & Before Sunrise
Watch & Watch
The movies are little more than one long conversation. The break from traditional form only highlights how engrossing these films are.


The Matrix
Watch
The Matrix reinvented the action movie. The suggestion that the world was fake was delivered with plausibility. Keanu Reeves was the only one that could save the world.

Honorable Mention (because I just couldn't cut them from my list)


The Thin Red Line
Watch 
A World War II film with a huge ensemble cast. The movie relies less on words and more on action to tell a story about humanity.


Big Trouble in Little China
Watch 
A brilliant satire of the typical action movie.  Kurt Russell is perfect.


Hot Fuzz
Watch
Simon Pegg and Nick Frost form a crime fighting duo in what could be the best comedy movie I've ever seen. 


The Godfather
Watch 
Marlon Brando is the titular character and his son played by Al Pacino rises to power as head of the Irish mob family, the Corleones.


A Perfect World
Watch 
Kevin Costner is criminal on the run who befriends a boy while on the run. It's a touching story.


The Lives of Others 
Watch
A foreign film that has such an amazing story. I thought about this movie for days afterwards.

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring
Watch 
There's something about a movie that comments on humanity and redemption.


Fight Club
Watch
It's a cult classic for good reason. It's got the twist ending, but it also questions the status quo.

The Wages of Fear 
Watch 
An older movie that doesn't feel old. It's well ahead of it's time.


Raiders of the Lost Ark
Watch
Everything about this movie is classic. The hero, the story, the stunts, the ending.

How many movies have you seen? How many of the IMDB Top 250 movies have you seen? What are your favorite films?

No comments:

Post a Comment