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Most of the time this becomes a 'greatest movies' list, and those kinda bore me. Comparing 'The Godfather' to 'Star Wars' to 'Airplane' isn't fair to ANY of these movies. Each is great on it's own merits within it's own genre. And besides, those lists always seemed so bloody pompous, anyway. What's the point of this one? People ask me what my absolute favorite movie is, and I don't have THE favorite movie. But if you want to know what movies I think of immediately when I think of movies I LOVE, that's another story. This list is going to meander all over the place, and considering how broad the topic is, this is going beyond the usual 4 or 5. Bwahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha.
1. 'Lord of the Rings'. No, it hasn't had a chance to Stand the Test of Time. However, like another movie on this list, (which you can probably guess, but we'll deal with that later) some movies don't need decades for you to realize how incredible they are. This trilogy is one of the reasons people see movies. Take a MASSIVE story, adapt it well, have actors who bring so much life and depth to the characters, have everything occur in a world that leaves you amazed, and then bring it ALL together so well you watch slack-jawed and feel like a kid again.
2. 'The Matrix'. Ah, the SECOND movie that didn't have to wait a bagillion years to be put here. Trendy? Oh yes. Perfect? Of course not. Oh, but what a wonderful combination of Zen philosophy, cyber-punk sensibility, and butt-kicking fight scenes! If you're a Gen-Xer, you've seen all of these things in one form or another. But now to see all of it combined so well on screen... to quote Neo 'Whoa'! And the beauty of it all is you really weren't sure what the heck was going on until Neo took the red pill... and suddenly all of those gel-caps look a bit spookier, don't they... bwahahahahahahahahahahahaha!
3. 'Inherit the Wind'. In light of the hoopla surrounding the teaching of evolution, this movie is a timely topic. This was originally a play based on the Scopes Monkey Trial and has been re-created on the silver screen at least three times. The most recent incarnation starred the late Jack Lemmon and the late George C. Scott. In any form this is an incredible movie displaying the clash of between church and state, dogma and reason, and all points in between.
4. 'Ghost in the Shell' and 'Spirited Away'. 'The Lion King' is still my favorite animated feature, but 'Ghost in the Shell' and 'Spirited Away' are amazing FILMS. Both pieces show the power of animation as a movie medium, beyond the limitless special effects budget. Both movies give you engrossing story lines, quirky characters, and a lot to think about in terms of the nature of cognition and growing up. Definitely NOT your father's animated movie, and thank god!
5. 'Manhunter' and 'Silence of the Lambs'. The beauty of these films for me is seeing the mind of a profiler at work. Sifting through tons of information, staring into the face of Satan himself, and finding SOMETHING that lets you capture the most dangerous creature on this planet; a serial killer.
6. 'LA Confidential', 'The Usual Suspects', and 'Glenngary/Glenross'. Two murder mysteries and a movie about real estate salesmen? Yes, REAL ESTATE. They are ensemble pieces with VERY complex stories that demand you pay attention. These are great to watch at home, because getting up for a bathroom break is a HUGE mistake.
7. 'Star Trek II', 'Terminator 2', 'Aliens'. Yes, you CAN make a GREAT sequel.