My 25 Favorite Movies

It's been quite a while since I posted anything and I'm going to (hopefully) use this post as a blog rebirth of sorts (mostly some refound motivation). It occured to me that I've never really given a list of flicks I love so people can see where I'm coming from. The following is a list of my 25 (26 really since I cheated) favorite movies of all time. Keep in mind that this is by no means what I consider the best movies of all time. There are some choices on here that would be nowhere near that list if I decided to make it (though a lot would). I do consider all the movies here to be either imminently rewatchable, highly quotable or maybe they just appeal to me in a way I can't explain. These are also not in any numerical order and just listed alphabetically as I can't make those kind of decisions within the movies I love.

American Psycho (2000)

I absolutely hated American Psycho the first time I saw it. I thought it would be a horror movie and found it boring, pointless and not frightening in the least. The second time I watched it, I viewed it as a dark comedy and it blew me away. This is one of the funniest and most quotable "horror" movies ever made. It also was the start of Christain Bale's adult acting career and his is a fantastic performance that would showcase a major talent. It's admittedly not for everyone's tastes but it does wonders for most people who can get into it.

Blue Velvet (1986)



David Lynch is generally a pretty divisive fimmaker. His films invoke as much hatred as admiration and never really find a mainstream audience due to their overall weirdness.  Blue Velvet is one of his most staightforward movies plot wise but there are many other aspects that could easily turn a viewer off. Rampant language, violence and sex are prevalant throughout. All that aside, the movie is an amazing glimpse at the seedy underbelly of a seemingly quanit town. The contrast between dark and light that is a common theme in Lynch's films is at it's strongest here. Dennis Hopper steals the show with his performance and is the main reason this movie appears here. His character, Frank, is a nitrous huffing lunatic who embodies everything exciting and frightening about a truly great film villain.

Chinatown (1974)

Chinatown is one of the most celebrated neo-noirs of all time and for very good reason. Everything is perfect throughout. From the look and feel of 1930's Los Angeles to the fantastic performances (highlighted by Jack Nicholson's portrayal of main character Jake Gittes) to the fact that there isn't a wasted second of film in the entire 2 hour and 15 minute run time, it all works magically.

Die Hard (1988)

Die Hard is my favorite pure action movie ever made. It's funny, intense, inventive and features Bruce Willis' career defining performance. Alan Rickman's Hans Gruber is one of the all time great villains in action movie history as well. The chemistry between the two during their cat and mouse game is what sets the film apart from other action flicks. Well that and the fact that Die Hard simply has larger amounts of awesome!!

Dog Day Afternooon (1975)

Dog Day Afternoon is a deceptively simple movie. Most of it takes place in one location and it's ostensibly just a heist movie. Beneath that surface however are a lot of things that set it apart from many movies of it's type. Most obviously there's Al Pacino as Sonny and like all his 70's work he is excellent in the lead. The criminally overlooked John Cazale holds his own as Sonny's emotionally weaker sidekick Sal. Director Sidney Lumet keeps the pace fresh and exciting in addition to the strong character work. Dog Day is also one of the first movies to deal explicitly with a trans gender character. Add all this together and you've got a classic film that goes far beyond it's simple roots.

Dumb and Dumber (1994)

How can someone not love a movie with a sheep dog truck? Dumb and Dumber is certainly not high art but it is a hell of a lot of fun. For better or worse this movie put the Farrelly Brothers on the map, made Jim Carrey a superstar, showed Jeff Daniel's previously unseen comedic abilities and made it ok to sell headless birds to blind children. There are far too many quotable lines to list here but anyone who's ever used "so you're saying there's a chance" as a means of escaping rejection or made a dumb comment about a "big gulp" knows what's up.

Fargo (1996)

Naming a favorite Coen Brothers movie is a daunting task and while Fargo may or may not be their "best" movie, it is my personal favorite. All the aspects of their work are present, dark humor, quirky characters and an offbeat story. The thing that puts Fargo a level above the rest is Frances McDormand's work as Marge Gunderson. If the Coen's have a weakness it's that some of their films lack in emotional connections to the characters but that is certainly not the case here. Marge is someone we can all feel for and someone we would all like to know and she's what sets Fargo apart from the rest of their stellar films.

The Godfather (1972)

The GodfatherPart 2 (1974)

So this is where I cheat and count both parts 1 and 2 as one whole. It's nearly impossible to think of them as seperate stories so I'm not going to. What more can really be said about the Godfather films (3 excluded though I don't think it's horrible)? They are movie perfection in every way. The acting, direction, editing, set design, etc. are all among the highest level of film ever acheived. Many movies feature one or two of these qualities in such rare form but very, very few have them all. If you don't like The Godfather and The Godfather 2, you probably don't like movies all that much.

Goodfellas (1990)

Goodfellas isn't the best gangster movie ever made but it's pretty close. There isn't a director who has more movies on this list than Martin Scorsese and I fluctuate between the three included in regards to which is the best. Goodfellas is probably the easiest one to handle initially and the most superficially enjoyable. Robert De Niro and Ray Liotta are excellent as two of the main characters but it's Joe Pesci who steals the show. There's a fine line between liking these guys, while still realizing they're pretty horrible people and just idolizing them instead. The movie might cross over to idolization at times but don't identify with them too much. If you do, all you'll get in the end is to live the rest of you're life as a schnook.

Heathers (1989)

Heathers is the darkest high school movie of all time. It's also my favorite. Just the thought of making a comedy centered around teenage suicide is utterly fearless, nonetheless making one with as much stylized dialogue and as many unlikeable characters as Heathers has. I've never considered Winona Ryder a great actress but she aquits herself nicely here. Christain Slater really channels Nicholson throughout to great affect and there are many fantastic dialogue exchanges within the flick. The movie falls apart a little at the end but it's not enough to ruin anything. Bonus points for naming the high school after Paul Westerberg.

High Fidelity (2000)

High Fidelity is a combination music and movie nerd like myself's dream. It's got many scenes in a record store I'd love to work at, includes conversations I've basically had with friends and has a great soundtrack. I've done the resorting your albums (mine are cd's) scene so many times in my life it's rediculous. The movie also (mostly) pulls off the self aware talking to the camera thing that is very difficult to do successfully. While John Cusak's Rob is the main guy and the character I identify with most, it's Jack Black's breakout role as Barry, along with Todd Louiso as Dick, that really make the movie work. High Fidelity may not speak to everyone as well as it does to me but it would be wrong for me not to include it here.

Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001)

In the truest sense of the word Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back probably isn't a great movie. It's nonsensical, generally stupid and relies on being very familiar with other Kevin Smith movies. I could care less. I probably know this movie from front to back, line by line and it never ceases to bore me. there are too many personal highlights to list here but tops on the list has to be the stuff with Ben Affleck as his Chasing Amy character Holden McNeill ripping on the real Ben Affleck (save for Phantoms) and the filming of Good Will Hunting 2: Hunting Season. This is not a movie I'd ever want to watch with my parents or around children but if anybody wants to come over, have a beer and watch it with me, I'm all in.

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005)



There are a lot of things about Kiss Kiss Bang Bang that can possibly turn a viewer off. There's the self aware narration, the amount of "cute" gags and lines scattered throughout, the constant swearing and the fact that no character is truly likeable. None of that has a negative affect on me. In fact most of that stuff really adds to the experience. Robert Downer Jr. and Val Kilmer have great chemisty together. Michelle Monaghan is beautiful and funny while the script balances plot, characterization, mystery and action very well. Although this movie isn't for everyone, I think it's one of the funniest flicks of the last 5 years.

L.A. Confidential (1997)



L.A. Confidential is a sort of Chinatown for the 90's. It's more convoluted for sure (though nowhere near the levels of the book) and it isn't quite as good but it stands on it's own as one of the best movies from that decade. Screenwriter Brian Helgeland and Director Curtis Hanson did an amazing job of whittling down James Ellroy's opus to feature film length without sacrificing any of it's power. Russell Crowe and Guy Pierce were relative unknowns in the U.S.A. when they were cast but you'd hardly know it watching the movie now. Kevin Spacey, Kim Basinger, Danny Devito and James Cromwell all deliver top-notch performances too. L.A. Confidential is just plain fantastic.

Memento (2000)

I remember the first time I watched Memento. I was working at Best Buy at the time and had never heard of it. This was right about the time when I became pretty serious with my film viewing and bought it based on the cover reviews alone. I had to work early the next morning (7 a.m.) but decided to put the movie on right around the time I would normally go to bed just to watch the first 15 or so minutes and get a feel for it. I ended up watching the entire thing, there was no way I could turn it off once it sucked me in. There was no denying I was watching a movie by a filmmaker to be reckoned with. I've now seen it on numerous occasion and I still get that same feeling of excitement I got the first time I watched it. Christopher Nolan has gone on to do some truly amazing movies in his short career and I'm sure there will be many more to come but I doubt any of them will stir up memories like Memento does.

Mystic River (2003)

Mystic River can be best described in one word. Powerful. The Denis Lehane novel that forms the basis certainly is. The adapted screenplay by Brian Helgeland (again) is. The performances by Sean Penn, Tim Robbins and Kevin Bacon definately are. Clint Eastwood directes with a steady hand and avoids getting flashy, letting the story speak for itself. Mystic River is by not a "feel good" movie by any means so it's not one I'll plug in the PS3 on a whim but when in the mood for a dark drama there are few better options.

North By Northwest (1959)

I consider North By Northwest to be Alfred Hitchcok's magnum opus. It hits on the recurring themes of most of his work (the wrong man, deception). It also features some of the most elaborate use of his visual style, has his most used actor (Cary Grant) in the lead role and a classic use of a "MacGuffin." There are many iconic scenes throughout, with the crop duster and Mount Rushmore finale being the most famous. It may be possible to consider some of his other movies better but it's going to be hard to top North By Northwest in terms of excitement.

Out of Sight (1998)

I'm counting Out of Sight as the lone romantic comedy on the list. Sure it's got a lot more than that going on but at it's core the movie is about the romance between George Clooney's theif, Jack Foley and Jennifer Lopez's Federal Marshall, Karen Sisco. The movie's not really a true comedy either. There are just as many crime elements involved that it's easy to miss the dark humor scattered throughout. I'm partially biased in favor of succesfull adaptations of Elmore Leonard books (Get Shorty and Jackie Brown being two significant other examples) and Out of Sight nails the tone of the book perfectly. Aside from the two excellent leads (Lopez has never come close to being this good again) there's a great supporting cast featuring Don Cheadle at his most menacing, Steve Zahn at his most stoned and Albert Brooks at his most unrecognizeable. Any future ladies in my life (with all this awesome knowledge, I'm somehow single) will have to get used to this counting for movie romance.

Pulp Fiction (1994)

Pulp Fiction came out at the perfect time in my young filmgoing life. It was right around the time I could see R-rated movies by myself in theaters. I had never seen a film with this structure before. I had also never really heard people talk like they do in Tarantino world. Needless to say I had  never seen a 6 inch needle get violently stabbed into the chest of a od'ing woman before either. With so many new things being witnessed it was a hard movie for me to initiallt grasp. Thankfully after many, many repeat viewings it makes perfect sense now and remains as exciting a movie experience as any on this list. If I was ranking these, Pulp Fiction would be top 5 for sure.

Raging Bull (1980)

Is there a better performance in movie history than Robert De Niro as Jake LaMotta in Raging Bull? It's that performance that get's the most acclaim (and rightfully so) but it's Scorcese's direction that gives the movie it's knockout punch. The boxing scenes take up a very small amount of screen time but are master works of shooting and editing (Thelma Shoonmaker is a genius). The rest of the movie is carried by not only De Niro but also Joe Pesci as Jake's brother Joey and Cathy Moriarty as Jake's wife Vickie (Coach from Cheers is in there too but it's too small a part to make a huge impact). This is another one that would probably be top 5 for me.

Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

If you don't love Raiders of the Lost Ark there is something wrong with you. It's my favorite adventure movie of all time and it's not really even close unless you count North By Northwest. Indy is just a great character, Harrison Ford was perfect for the role (how would this work with original choice Tom Selleck?), and Spielberg was at a perfect moment in his career to make this type of crowd pleaser. From the opening scene you know Raiders is going to be something special and it never disappoints. It deliver's thrills, laughs and romance with equal skill and even if a couple of the sequels don't measure up, it's nice to know not much else does as well.

The Searchers (1956)

John Wayne and John Ford made many movies together but none were as dark, powerful or quite simply as good as The Searchers. If anyone thinks Wayne was a low talent star and hasn't seen this movie, they need to asap. Far from the iconic American roles he generally played, his character, Ethan Edwards, is not necessarily a nice man. He's racist, short tempered and driven by vengence. Even with all those faults it is impossible to not be moved by his story and to perhaps question your own feelings on race. As a director Ford is in amazing form here as well. The Searchers represents some of the finest visuals of the VistaVision process ever caught on film. The visual effect is that it really feels like the viewer is in the movie. Every moment of the film feels real and in the end I'd say The Searchers is the Best Western ever made.

South Park: Bigger Longer and Uncut (1999)

In a list full of vulgar movies, the lone cartoon and musical on the list also happens to be the most vulgar. There are more swear words uttered in other films listed here but none are as jarring as when they're being said by 8 year old's, cartoons or not. It still amazes me to this day the kind of things Trey Parker and Matt Stone got away with doing in this movie. Hearing stories abot the rating process makes it even more priceless. It's not just the swearing that makes this one of my all time favorites, it's the songs. I'm not a giant musical guy but I don't hate them either and the songs in this movie flow naturally and fit in the plot as well as any musical from the 50's. This another flick I can quote at will but for the sake of keeping it clean I will refrain from doing so.

Taxi Driver (1976)

The third Scorsese/De Niro collaboration on this list is arguably the best (really they all are but I'm running out of intro's). Travis Bickle is widly considered the poster boy for isolated losers who struggle to fit into society. While his ultimate actions are well beyond what any well adjusted person would do the journey to the final result feels extremely natural. Taxi Driver is an undenaibly dark movie but there is a strong undercurrent of humor running throughout, giving the film some levity. It's easy to get caught up in what De Niro does but the supporting roles are all hadled splendidly. Jodie Foster, Cybill Shepherd, Albert Brooks, Peter Boyle and Harvey Keitel all keep it from completely being a one man show but in the end everybody's looking at Travis.

Touch of Evil (1958)

If Citizen Kane is the best Orson Welles movie (or maybe just plain ol' best movie) of all time, then at the very least Touch of Evil is his most rewatchable. This is the last great film noir of that genre's golden age (40's to the late 50's) and my favorite of them all. There are multiple versions of this movie available and while none are Orson Welles's true vision, the 1998 restoration version that followes Welles' original notes as well as possible is the best. The original studio version is fantastic but the changes made really show off Welles' true genius. Most notable they remove the credit's from the famous opening tracking shot and it really sets the mood of the film better than the original. Charlton Heston get's top billing (playing a Mexican!) but Welles' police Captain Hank Quinlan is the true star. The movie features some very strange performances and goes into places a viewr wouldn't expect from a mainstream film of this time period. It really feels like it could have been made yesterday and that's one of the best compliments I can give it.

Conclusion:

I seem to really like swearing. All but 4 of the movies are rated R and almost all of those feature heavy dodes of cursing.

 I was also surprised that no foreign films made the list and I was tempted to include one (probably The Seventh Seal) to seem cool but I had to be honest instead.

 I generally consider the 70's to be the best decade for film but there were far more movies listed that were made after I was born (1978) than from before. I suspect if I did what I consider to be the "best" that ratio would change dramatically.

That's all I got for now, I hope this helps to show what I'm generally into when writing stuff about film and perhaps I'll even start updating this on a much more consistant basis.