Movies
For no apparent reason, I've decided to attempt a list of my favorite movies of all time in their preferred order. I always enoy it when other people on LJ post movie reviews/lists. Now it's time for one of my own: an epic, ultimate list.
Geez. This is a hard thing for me to do. But I've got to do it! To make it a little easier on myself, I'm not factoring in TV/anime series, even though I like some shows as much as some of these movies. This list is hard enough.
Okay. Here goes.
1) The Scarlet Pimpernel
For those of you who know me well, this is no big surprise. Yes, it's cheesy. Yes, the cinematography could be a little better. But hell if it doesn't have the best balance of drama, humor, cheesiness, and cleverness all wrapped up in a perfect bundle. I don't think I can ever get tired of this movie, ever, no many how many times I watch it.
2) Perfume
What can I say? I love dark stories. But more than anything, I love dark stories that are also balanced with beauty and wonder. A serial killer with a supernatural sense of smell, roaming one of the most realistic portrayals of 18th century France I've ever seen? Yes. Fantastic music, cinematography, and acting. The tagline is "He lived to find beauty. He killed to possess it." What else do you need to know?
3) The Princess Bride
Um ... I don't think this one needs any explanation. I don't remember what the list was called, but I remember seeing a list at USC rating the best screenplays ever written from top to bottom. "The Princess Bride" was number 1.
4) The Neverending Story
I've always had a fondness for noble young heroes. Atreyu takes the cake. He isn't perfect, he hardly knows what he's doing, but he never stops trying. The cinematography in this movie comes from a time when special effects backgrounds consisted of beautiful paintings--and for me, it best depicts the stuff of dreams. The greatest tragedy surrounding this movie is that Wolfgang Peterson didn't immediately make the sequel, using the same Atreyu and a script that followed the second half of the book. If that movie had ever been made the way I picture it, I suspect it would be number 1 on my list.
5) Collateral
Tom Cruise in this film is probably my favorite villain in a movie, ever. And that's saying a lot. Meanwhile, Jamie Foxx plays such a strong "victim" hero that he manages to keep Tom Cruise from keeping the spotlight, which is also saying a lot. Thrilling, beautiful, strong script, strong actors ... I love it.
6) Joe vs. the Volcano
For a movie often classified as a romantic comedy, it will probably surprise you to hear me say that this may be one of the most epic films I've ever seen. Consider "The Lord of the Rings," which is also on my list--you have a small hobbit who goes on a journey across the world to the innards of a volcano, right? Well, Joe goes even further--he jumps INTO the damn volcano. He also starts out as a guy more like you and me. He has a horrible job, he's bored with life, he craves beauty and adventure but he's afraid to go after it. This is also movie I can watch a thousand times and never get tired of. No matter what I'm going through, this movie addresses the problem in some fashion, and it makes me feel better.
7) The Return to Snowy River
All right, the script is bad. The acting is--occasionally--awful. Why is it on my list of favorite movies of all time? Because the last half hour of this movie is one of the most thrilling sequences you'll ever see. I'm sure most people will disagree with me. Basically, it's a lot of people riding horses and chasing each other. But it's in a beautiful Australian landscape, it's scored with fantastic music, and it's REAL. I'd rather not think too hard about how they might have filmed a few of the scenes--I don't think "no animals were harmed in the making of this film" shows up in the credits. But it is so visceral, so clearly shot from real life and stunts, that it takes my breath away every time.
8) The Lord of the Rings: the Fellowship
Naturally. I love fantasy. I love beauty and horror all tied up together with a fantastic score (for me, a fantastic score is essential, if you haven't noticed). I probably don't need to justify this movie either. I picked the first one as my favorite because I have an inexplicable crush on Sean Bean. Too bad he dies in just about every movie he's in.
9) The Lost Room
If you can make it through the first hour of this miniseries (okay yeah, miniseries, not series, so it counts as a movie all right?), then you won't be able to stop watching. It starts off a bit corny, for some reason. Then it gets awesome. Watch it with a group and a lot of popcorn. You'll laugh, you'll yell, you'll tremble in fear ... and you'll love it.
10) Grosse Point Blank
As much as I love my epic sci fi and fantasy, I've got to have a modern comedy every once and awhile, too. I had to debate a long time whether to put "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" on here instead. That's a tough competition right there. But I saw this movie first, and it's about an assassin, so it wins by a hair.
11) Dracula
Another movie that doesn't need justification. Phew. If you need any, though, I have one word for you: cinematography.
12) The Island
All right, the USC School of Cinema would probably hate most of my choices on this list, but they would probably hate this one the most. I happen to enjoy Michael Bay, thank you very much (except for "Armageddon," oddly enough, since that's what most people prefer). It's thrilling, it's about clones, Sean Bean plays the villain ... yeah, I know, most of you probably disagree with me one way or another. I just love it.
13) Gladiator
Do I really have to explain?
All right, what I will say is this. My favorite themes in any story, written or filmed, revolve around betrayal, hidden identies, and revenge. This movie is packed with all three.
14) Mercury Rising
This is an unusual action film. For starters, John Barry does the music. We're talking about the guy who did the music for "Out of Africa" and "Dances with Wolves." These days, you expect Hanz Zimmer or John Powell to score an action film with rocking techno music--not John Barry. But I think John Barry is one of the many ways this movie goes beyond being a thriller and becomes something a little more dramatic, a little deeper than you'd expect.
15) Moulin Rouge
You've all seen it. You probably either hate it, or love it. The first time I saw it, I hated it. For some reason, something in me clicked afterwards. Now, well ... I love it.
16) The Lost Boys
It seems a little unfair to include this movie on the list because I only saw it for the first time, er, last night. It also has a horrible, corny ending. But this is another example of cheese and drama blended together, 80's style, in a way that has a special place in my heart. Usually I roll my eyes at vampire movies--okay, I love "Dracula" too, which is a better made film, I admit--but to put it frankly, this entire movie could be called vampire foreplay. All right, there's a glimpse or two of bloodsucking in the background, that whole campfire scene. But other than that, it's all about the idea of vampires, and a guy who almost becomes one, but never really does. I think it best illustrates the part of us that secretly wants to be a vampire--but yeah, not really. Let me just fly a few times and then call it a night.
Oh, and remember how I said I love a nice blend of dark and beautiful? Damn, there are some beautiful men in this film.
16) Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
To me, whether you like this movie or not is a strong indication of who you are as a human being. That sounds a little dramatic, I know. But here's why. Ten minutes or so into this movie, people suddenly launch into the air and fly for no good reason. I know you could say it comes from the Chinese culture or something ... whatever. What it comes down to is whether, the moment those people jump into the air and start floating, you say "yes I believe" or "no this is bull shit." I'm not talking about religion and science. I'm talking about dreams, imagination ... the belief that something out there can defy gravity.
17) The Dark Knight
... Yeah.
18) The Godfather II
I don't think I have to justify this movie, either. If it wasn't so damn long, it would be a little higher on my list. But the reason I picked one, instead of two, is because of the scene between Al Pacino and Diane Keaton near the end. That argument is so powerful, so visceral, it makes my heart pound.
19) The Life Aquatic
If you saw it once and had mixed feelings about it, watch it again. You'll understand.
20) Gattaca
Hidden identies. Michael Nyman. Yep.
21) Mr. Brooks
I seriously don't know how this movie ended up so low on my list. Suffice it to say there are a lot of awesome movies out there.
22) Les Miserables
Revenge. Betrayal. Secret identies. I'm getting tired of writing and you're probably getting tired of reading. Watch it.
*********
... Phew. That was tough. Fortunately, this is the ultimate list. I won't have to do it again until I find another movie as awesome as the others.
Movies that didn't make it onto the list, but should have:
*Star Wars
*The New World
* Pan's Labyrinth*Swing Kids
*Howl's Moving Castle
You just have to stop somewhere. I guess. Maybe I'll add them later. I'm too tired now.
Geez. This is a hard thing for me to do. But I've got to do it! To make it a little easier on myself, I'm not factoring in TV/anime series, even though I like some shows as much as some of these movies. This list is hard enough.
Okay. Here goes.
1) The Scarlet Pimpernel
For those of you who know me well, this is no big surprise. Yes, it's cheesy. Yes, the cinematography could be a little better. But hell if it doesn't have the best balance of drama, humor, cheesiness, and cleverness all wrapped up in a perfect bundle. I don't think I can ever get tired of this movie, ever, no many how many times I watch it.
2) Perfume
What can I say? I love dark stories. But more than anything, I love dark stories that are also balanced with beauty and wonder. A serial killer with a supernatural sense of smell, roaming one of the most realistic portrayals of 18th century France I've ever seen? Yes. Fantastic music, cinematography, and acting. The tagline is "He lived to find beauty. He killed to possess it." What else do you need to know?
3) The Princess Bride
Um ... I don't think this one needs any explanation. I don't remember what the list was called, but I remember seeing a list at USC rating the best screenplays ever written from top to bottom. "The Princess Bride" was number 1.
4) The Neverending Story
I've always had a fondness for noble young heroes. Atreyu takes the cake. He isn't perfect, he hardly knows what he's doing, but he never stops trying. The cinematography in this movie comes from a time when special effects backgrounds consisted of beautiful paintings--and for me, it best depicts the stuff of dreams. The greatest tragedy surrounding this movie is that Wolfgang Peterson didn't immediately make the sequel, using the same Atreyu and a script that followed the second half of the book. If that movie had ever been made the way I picture it, I suspect it would be number 1 on my list.
5) Collateral
Tom Cruise in this film is probably my favorite villain in a movie, ever. And that's saying a lot. Meanwhile, Jamie Foxx plays such a strong "victim" hero that he manages to keep Tom Cruise from keeping the spotlight, which is also saying a lot. Thrilling, beautiful, strong script, strong actors ... I love it.
6) Joe vs. the Volcano
For a movie often classified as a romantic comedy, it will probably surprise you to hear me say that this may be one of the most epic films I've ever seen. Consider "The Lord of the Rings," which is also on my list--you have a small hobbit who goes on a journey across the world to the innards of a volcano, right? Well, Joe goes even further--he jumps INTO the damn volcano. He also starts out as a guy more like you and me. He has a horrible job, he's bored with life, he craves beauty and adventure but he's afraid to go after it. This is also movie I can watch a thousand times and never get tired of. No matter what I'm going through, this movie addresses the problem in some fashion, and it makes me feel better.
7) The Return to Snowy River
All right, the script is bad. The acting is--occasionally--awful. Why is it on my list of favorite movies of all time? Because the last half hour of this movie is one of the most thrilling sequences you'll ever see. I'm sure most people will disagree with me. Basically, it's a lot of people riding horses and chasing each other. But it's in a beautiful Australian landscape, it's scored with fantastic music, and it's REAL. I'd rather not think too hard about how they might have filmed a few of the scenes--I don't think "no animals were harmed in the making of this film" shows up in the credits. But it is so visceral, so clearly shot from real life and stunts, that it takes my breath away every time.
8) The Lord of the Rings: the Fellowship
Naturally. I love fantasy. I love beauty and horror all tied up together with a fantastic score (for me, a fantastic score is essential, if you haven't noticed). I probably don't need to justify this movie either. I picked the first one as my favorite because I have an inexplicable crush on Sean Bean. Too bad he dies in just about every movie he's in.
9) The Lost Room
If you can make it through the first hour of this miniseries (okay yeah, miniseries, not series, so it counts as a movie all right?), then you won't be able to stop watching. It starts off a bit corny, for some reason. Then it gets awesome. Watch it with a group and a lot of popcorn. You'll laugh, you'll yell, you'll tremble in fear ... and you'll love it.
10) Grosse Point Blank
As much as I love my epic sci fi and fantasy, I've got to have a modern comedy every once and awhile, too. I had to debate a long time whether to put "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" on here instead. That's a tough competition right there. But I saw this movie first, and it's about an assassin, so it wins by a hair.
11) Dracula
Another movie that doesn't need justification. Phew. If you need any, though, I have one word for you: cinematography.
12) The Island
All right, the USC School of Cinema would probably hate most of my choices on this list, but they would probably hate this one the most. I happen to enjoy Michael Bay, thank you very much (except for "Armageddon," oddly enough, since that's what most people prefer). It's thrilling, it's about clones, Sean Bean plays the villain ... yeah, I know, most of you probably disagree with me one way or another. I just love it.
13) Gladiator
Do I really have to explain?
All right, what I will say is this. My favorite themes in any story, written or filmed, revolve around betrayal, hidden identies, and revenge. This movie is packed with all three.
14) Mercury Rising
This is an unusual action film. For starters, John Barry does the music. We're talking about the guy who did the music for "Out of Africa" and "Dances with Wolves." These days, you expect Hanz Zimmer or John Powell to score an action film with rocking techno music--not John Barry. But I think John Barry is one of the many ways this movie goes beyond being a thriller and becomes something a little more dramatic, a little deeper than you'd expect.
15) Moulin Rouge
You've all seen it. You probably either hate it, or love it. The first time I saw it, I hated it. For some reason, something in me clicked afterwards. Now, well ... I love it.
16) The Lost Boys
It seems a little unfair to include this movie on the list because I only saw it for the first time, er, last night. It also has a horrible, corny ending. But this is another example of cheese and drama blended together, 80's style, in a way that has a special place in my heart. Usually I roll my eyes at vampire movies--okay, I love "Dracula" too, which is a better made film, I admit--but to put it frankly, this entire movie could be called vampire foreplay. All right, there's a glimpse or two of bloodsucking in the background, that whole campfire scene. But other than that, it's all about the idea of vampires, and a guy who almost becomes one, but never really does. I think it best illustrates the part of us that secretly wants to be a vampire--but yeah, not really. Let me just fly a few times and then call it a night.
Oh, and remember how I said I love a nice blend of dark and beautiful? Damn, there are some beautiful men in this film.
16) Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
To me, whether you like this movie or not is a strong indication of who you are as a human being. That sounds a little dramatic, I know. But here's why. Ten minutes or so into this movie, people suddenly launch into the air and fly for no good reason. I know you could say it comes from the Chinese culture or something ... whatever. What it comes down to is whether, the moment those people jump into the air and start floating, you say "yes I believe" or "no this is bull shit." I'm not talking about religion and science. I'm talking about dreams, imagination ... the belief that something out there can defy gravity.
17) The Dark Knight
... Yeah.
18) The Godfather II
I don't think I have to justify this movie, either. If it wasn't so damn long, it would be a little higher on my list. But the reason I picked one, instead of two, is because of the scene between Al Pacino and Diane Keaton near the end. That argument is so powerful, so visceral, it makes my heart pound.
19) The Life Aquatic
If you saw it once and had mixed feelings about it, watch it again. You'll understand.
20) Gattaca
Hidden identies. Michael Nyman. Yep.
21) Mr. Brooks
I seriously don't know how this movie ended up so low on my list. Suffice it to say there are a lot of awesome movies out there.
22) Les Miserables
Revenge. Betrayal. Secret identies. I'm getting tired of writing and you're probably getting tired of reading. Watch it.
*********
... Phew. That was tough. Fortunately, this is the ultimate list. I won't have to do it again until I find another movie as awesome as the others.
Movies that didn't make it onto the list, but should have:
*Star Wars
*The New World
* Pan's Labyrinth*Swing Kids
*Howl's Moving Castle
You just have to stop somewhere. I guess. Maybe I'll add them later. I'm too tired now.