December talking meme - favourite movie(s)
And as has become traditional, today's December talking meme entry is a couple of days late, but the important point is that I showed up, to misquote Sam Seaborn.
sineala asked me for my favourite movie. I've been trying to narrow it down, but I honestly can't. As I've mentioned before, picking a favourite book/movie/fic is impossible for me, because I love so many for so many different reasons.
So instead, I'm going to attempt to list my five(ish) favourite movies, in no particular order. That's as narrow as I can make it :-)
Towering Inferno: For me, it's the epitome of what a good disaster movie should be. There's the slowly building tension, where the audience can see that the disaster is going to happen, but it's not there yet. It gives us time to get to know and care about the characters, so that by the time the fire is finally discovered, we're invested in their fates. We care about who lives and who dies, we mourn with Paul Newman's architect for the building he'd designed that's been destroyed by Richard Chamberlain's cost-cutting contractor, and we're on the edges of our seats through each daring set piece. Steve McQueen's fire chief doesn't get that kind of build up, but we don't need to see his personal life to care about him and want him to get through alive. It's a movie where the story-telling is spot-on, the characters and relationships are vivid, and the effects are amazing even with 21st century effects goggles on. I've watched this movie so many times, it's ridiculous.
Star Wars: Do I really have to explain? :-D
Star Trek VI: I know, Star Trek IV has the whales and I love the humour. Star Trek II has Khan and an amazing story. But It's VI that I've watched more than any other Star Trek movie. I'm a huge politics-in-space geek, so the plot hooks me every time, and it's the way I always want to remember these characters: best friends forever, figuring shit out and doing stuff about it. There's nothing about this movie that I don't love.
Dirty Dancing: I have big soft spot for romances (witness how many times I've watched Maid in Manhattan), but Dirty Dancing remains my favourite. I think it's because there's so much more going on that just a simple sappy romance. There's class commentary, and abortion, and some frankly fantastic dancing, with a soundtrack that can't be beaten and, yes, a sweet romance that makes me heart tingle. I've watched it way too many times and I still get a sappy smile each time I watch the last dance number and Baby finally runs into that lift without any fear.
The Day After Tomorrow: It's another disaster movie, I know, but I think this may be my favourite of all the modern disaster movies. I love Deep Impact, Volcano, Twister, and so many others, but this is the one I've watched a ridiculous number of times. It's got all the elements I love in a disaster movie--slow tense build, character relationships, personal journeys--and it looks bloody fantastic doing it.
Lord of the Rings: Er, my cheating sixth film. Extended editions only, obviously.
Just in case anyone is wondering, the other films that nearly made the list include: all the other disaster movies I mentioned, Maid in Manhattan, The Man in the Iron Mask (the one with Jeremy Irons and Gabriel Byrne), Master and Commander, Persuasion (the one with Amanda Root and Ciaran Hinds), Skyfall, Nina's Heavenly Delights, and probably a dozen other movies that I'll remember five minutes after hitting post.
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sineala asked me for my favourite movie. I've been trying to narrow it down, but I honestly can't. As I've mentioned before, picking a favourite book/movie/fic is impossible for me, because I love so many for so many different reasons.
So instead, I'm going to attempt to list my five(ish) favourite movies, in no particular order. That's as narrow as I can make it :-)
Towering Inferno: For me, it's the epitome of what a good disaster movie should be. There's the slowly building tension, where the audience can see that the disaster is going to happen, but it's not there yet. It gives us time to get to know and care about the characters, so that by the time the fire is finally discovered, we're invested in their fates. We care about who lives and who dies, we mourn with Paul Newman's architect for the building he'd designed that's been destroyed by Richard Chamberlain's cost-cutting contractor, and we're on the edges of our seats through each daring set piece. Steve McQueen's fire chief doesn't get that kind of build up, but we don't need to see his personal life to care about him and want him to get through alive. It's a movie where the story-telling is spot-on, the characters and relationships are vivid, and the effects are amazing even with 21st century effects goggles on. I've watched this movie so many times, it's ridiculous.
Star Wars: Do I really have to explain? :-D
Star Trek VI: I know, Star Trek IV has the whales and I love the humour. Star Trek II has Khan and an amazing story. But It's VI that I've watched more than any other Star Trek movie. I'm a huge politics-in-space geek, so the plot hooks me every time, and it's the way I always want to remember these characters: best friends forever, figuring shit out and doing stuff about it. There's nothing about this movie that I don't love.
Dirty Dancing: I have big soft spot for romances (witness how many times I've watched Maid in Manhattan), but Dirty Dancing remains my favourite. I think it's because there's so much more going on that just a simple sappy romance. There's class commentary, and abortion, and some frankly fantastic dancing, with a soundtrack that can't be beaten and, yes, a sweet romance that makes me heart tingle. I've watched it way too many times and I still get a sappy smile each time I watch the last dance number and Baby finally runs into that lift without any fear.
The Day After Tomorrow: It's another disaster movie, I know, but I think this may be my favourite of all the modern disaster movies. I love Deep Impact, Volcano, Twister, and so many others, but this is the one I've watched a ridiculous number of times. It's got all the elements I love in a disaster movie--slow tense build, character relationships, personal journeys--and it looks bloody fantastic doing it.
Lord of the Rings: Er, my cheating sixth film. Extended editions only, obviously.
Just in case anyone is wondering, the other films that nearly made the list include: all the other disaster movies I mentioned, Maid in Manhattan, The Man in the Iron Mask (the one with Jeremy Irons and Gabriel Byrne), Master and Commander, Persuasion (the one with Amanda Root and Ciaran Hinds), Skyfall, Nina's Heavenly Delights, and probably a dozen other movies that I'll remember five minutes after hitting post.
This entry was originally posted at http://selenay.dreamwidth.org/519006.html. There are currently
babbles on the entry on Dreamwidth. Leave comments at http://selenay.dreamwidth.org/519006.html?mode=reply