My Favorite Movies

Absolutely unforgettable. Chronicles the life of a soulless office worker who suddenly discovers he only has six months left to live; at which point he decides to finally start living. I have to say this resonated a lot with me personally, as I personally had a near-death experience that changed the way I look at life. I think this movie might have the potential to do that on a smaller scale for people who view it. The single most moving film I've ever watched.

I don't think this paragraph has enough space to say all of the great things I want to say about this film. Instead, I'll politely suggest you watch this with no preconceived notions, other than the knowledge that you will experience something that will touch your soul. Ladies and gentlemen, this is the reason I watch movies.

If I had to choose one film that I thought absolutely anyone would like, this would be it. Yes, I know it was made in 1942 and it's black and white.

The best western of all time; and when I say "western" I mean "movie" (I think). I have also never experienced a more powerful score in a movie before.

A classic in every sense. The incredible visuals of a depressing future are even superceded by a compelling moral story. One of my favorite movies of all time.

[28th Atlantic Film Festival]

Jared (director) and Brandon (writer) Drake have crafted together a film with a very simple moral, but have managed to create one of the most fascinating cultures I have ever witnessed in a film. I was blown away; which is fitting, since the film revolves around George Washington Winsterhammerman (descendant of the original G.W.), who notices that everybody around him has started to explode.

The exploding epidemic takes this fantasy world by storm. The keys to avoiding it are being productive, and happy. One way to be happy is to eat butter. And don't forget fried chicken. Fried Chicken is delicious, after all. Unfortunately, George soon succumbs to the first symptom of explosions - dreams.

This has quickly become my most quoted film, which is unfortunate since it seems only 7 people on flixster have currently seen it. Quirky, imaginative, with a fantastic message and an even better ending. At any point where you fear you're losing track of the film, a character always seems to pop up and soliloquize their inner turmoil at just the right moment. Very highly recommended, and I sincerely hope this will be the launchpad for the Drake brothers to become bigger players in the film world.

An incredibly brilliant film that invokes strong feelings from those who have watched it. Some people loathe it, some people love it, and pretty much nobody is in-between. There is very much a sense of "what does it all mean", and although the conclusion of the film tries to connect the dots, there is enough doubt planted throughout the film to support different arguments. You will want to see it twice before you begin to discuss it. Brilliant film, and an incredible performance by Tom Cruise, which earned him an Oscar nomination.

If anything, you want to watch it for the breathtaking scene of Tom Cruise running through a completely empty Times Square - a scene done without any special effects (!)

This is film at its absolute best. Dustin Hoffman finally wins the Oscar not for playing a truly unique roll, for which he is famously known. Instead, he plays a single father, with this role suddenly thrust on him at the film's onset; but plays it to such perfection that I barely registered that I was watching one of the greatest actors in film history. Interesting to note that most of the key scene (ice cream, courtroom testimony, etc) were either ad-libbed or reworked. Won the Academy Award for Best Picture for 1979 and deservedly so; you are cheating yourself of a truly moving and unforgettable film experience if you haven't watched Kramer vs. Kramer.

Absolutely brilliant black comedy that parodies actors, the movie making industry, the films themselves ... you name it.

Robert Downey Jr. steals the show ... of the headlining actors, anyway. Stiller, I have to give him credit, wrote and directed one hell of a movie. He must have cashed in every favor imaginable for the amount of cameos occurring here. Most importantly, Tropic Thunder is a movie for people who love watching movies - I loved the scenes will begin as a cliche, only to have the characters react as they REALLY would, not like "movie" logic dictates they should. Black, Stiller, and Downey Jr. play their stereotypes to perfection, and the interplay between each of them is just common gold. I haven't laughed this hard at a movie in a very long time.

Final note - TT reaffirms my theory that the best part of a movie with Tom Cruise in it, is Tom Cruise. If Les Grossman isn't worth 5 stars, I don't know what is.

It's almost a shame that there are so many tremendous performances in this film that are all being overlooked by what will surely go down as Heath Ledger's defining performance. Ledger owns the role of The Joker; there is no trace of the actor anymore. This is a legendary performance and role, which deserves to go alongside Anthony Hopkins' "Hannibal Lechter" and Bela Legosi's "Dracula" as one of the most iconic villains in film history. How good is it? I have watched the film three times so far, yet every time he tells the story about his scars, I just can't look away. Even thinking back to it gives me the chills. There is absolutely no doubt Ledger is winning the Academy Award posthumously for this role.

Hey, I guess there was a movie as well! Just a brilliant script. I don't want to give too much away, but I love that there has to be heavy sacrifice in order to have any chance to stop The Joker. The morality play that continues as the film progresses is fascinating; there is much more to accomplish than just stopping the bad guy, and The Joker realizes this moreso than anyone. Superhero movies are not supposed to be this deep, intelligent, or emotional. The action scenes are absolutely cutting edge, but they are the back drop for the deeper story about the characters themselves. I found the action scenes were never on the screen for a minute longer than they had to be.

I want to toss some credit to Gary Oldman's role as Jim Gordon, which I thought was award worthy in itself. He was given more of a starring role in TDK than Batman Begins, and delivered one of the best performances of his career. Bale, Eckhart, Caine, Freeman, also all tremendous. This now holds the distinction of best superhero movie of all time.

One final note, this is the first wide release that had action scenes which were shot in IMAX. If you have the opportunity to see this film in IMAX, I recommend you do so before you lose that experience forever.

Over half a decade later, The Maltese Falcon is a film still teaming with incredible atmosphere and an intriguing nest of unsavory characters. Bogart's performance as Sam Spade is timeless.

How good is this film? So good, that it invented an entire genre of films, the Film Noir. And the best Film Noir ever made? Still The Maltese Falcon.

Apparently, the most believable romance of the year is between a tin can and an iPod.

Pixar follows up the best movie of 2007 (Ratatouille) with what will likely be the best movie of 2008. No studio is currently releasing consistent quality like Pixar does, animated or otherwise.

There have been two zeniths in American animation as far as I can tell. The first was the "Walt Disney" era, which brought us Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, and Sleeping Beauty. After Walt died, the early 90's sparked a renaissance with The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and The Lion King.

Almost 20 years later, and I think we are approaching a third zenith thanks to Pixar; a company who has always produced high quality animated films, but is now redefining the genre. WALL-E is simply a film that could not have been make 10 ... even 5 years ago. I feel sorry for people who avoid animated features. Pixar is *the* world leader in animation, and it may be decades before we encounter this level of quality again. Enjoy the ride; movies honestly don't get much better than this.

Assemble a cast of tremendous actors, directed by one of the most celebrated actors/directors in cinema history, and let them tell a compelling story. Nothing more I can say, perfect in pretty much every way.

Right up there with "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" as one of the best westerns of all time. The more I had a chance to ponder 3:10, the more I liked it. Succeeds completely as both a morality play and a spaghetti western. Every scene with Crowe and Bale interacting gets a million stars.

Mixes incredible action and chase scenes with a sharp plot, tremendous cinematography, and sensational acting by all involved. Matt Damon completely owns this role. I'm convinced you can't make a bad amnesia movie.

"Jesus Christ. It's Jason Bourne."

Well, it's official. Even with the misstep of the second movie, the Bourne movies (1st and 3rd) are the best spy movies you will ever watch, and Matt Damon's portrayal of Jason Bourne has achieved legendary status as the best spy in movies. Perhaps the first time I can ever remember the final movie in the trilogy being the best in the series. No other movie does modern espionage this well, period.

There are very basic morals to this story. Tell the truth. Don't steal. Believe in yourself. Yet built around these morals is an incredibly imaginative adventure. Funny at the right times, heartfelt without being cheap, and just amazingly colorful. You feel like a rat scampering around. There are so many funny and touching moments that to spoil them here would do you a disservice, so I'll just say this:

Ratatouille is not just a great movie. It is not just an excellent animated feature. This is the best animated film Pixar has ever produced, and one of, if not the best American animated film I have ever seen.

An intense psychological thriller with a lot of imagination and a tremendous character study. The scares don't come cheap. Had me on edge about 10 minutes before anything even happened.

John Cusack gives one of the best performances of his career and completely carries this film to rank amongst the best thrillers I've ever seen.

I note that most of the movies on my 5-star list are not comedies. I had this discussion with MagicButterfly, and he concluded that the vast majority of comedies do not age well, and are much less enjoyable to watch the second time than any other genre. I tend to agree with him.

Welcome to the exception to that rule.

I don't think I have the amount of exclamation marks necessary to say how awesome Gene Wilder is in this.

John Cusack excels in the roll of a character who is so selfish, so neurotic, and so unwilling to commit to just about anything, it's hard to call him anything but an everyman. Not even close to being your typical romance, this is a tremendous "realistic" tale about life, love, and relationships. Loved every minute of it. Also deserves note as being the movie that put Jack Black on the map.

I almost wept during this film. I truly did. I don't think a documentary that can inspire that much emotion in me can get anything less than a perfect score. I know that a lot of films get tagged with the moniker of "must see", but, truly, you need to watch this movie, and then you need to do something. I did and I am.

When Roger Ebert volunteers to do a commentary track for you, you know you've got something special. One of the all-time greatest sci-fi movies. Better than 'The Matrix'.

"Does anyone else find it funny that, decades later, people are still quoting --word-for-word--, a group loved for their mastery of shock, the unexpected, and defiance of convention?" -Randall Munroe (the movie itself, btw, is a timeless cult classic)

King Lear, filmed in epic form with absolutely beautiful scenery and stunning costumes in a feudal Japanese setting. Just an absolutely incredible cast, with Nakadai, Harada, and Peter in particular giving outstanding performances. Could be Kurosawa's greatest film; it's certainly the best modernization of a Shakespearean play I've ever seen.

Funny how I knew some of the stuff that was coming here (like the infamous 'shower scene'), yet it still freaked me out. _That_ is the hallmark of a great film. Anthony Perkins was incredibly memorable in his role as Norman Bates.

The all-time Razzie champ delivers the performance of his career. The penultimate underdog movie. I'm trying to figure out how anyone could not enjoy this movie. It has fights! It has romance! Even if you hate Stallone, you'll love Rocky.

It's Hamlet. By Kurosawa. Set in postwar corporate Japan. And Toshirô Mifune is Hamlet. I could practically give this 5 stars before even watching it. Kurosawa once again lives up to my exceedingly high expectations of him. Part Shakespeare, part film noir, with an exceptional ending; THIS is how you modernize a Shakespearean classic.

A great story, plenty of action and guns, a performance by Lee Van Cleef that may have even upstaged Clint's, an iconic score, plenty of memorable moments and lines, and a terrific ending. What could you possibly ask for from a Spaghetti Western that isn't here?

This is in essence a love story. A shockingly captivating and touching tale about penguin mating rituals. I think I'd just stay home rather than endure all that. You couldn't possibly conceive a better nature documentary, and Morgan Freeman is the perfect narrator.

So, Kurosawa does a Samurai Western, except he does it way better than any Western not containing Clint Eastwood? Yeah, that sounds about right.

Full of twists which keep you (mostly) guessing up until the end. Very fun to watch. Robert Redford is incredible here.

An incredible suspense mystery about a guy who's been emprisoned for 15 years, then freed and given 5 days to find who locked him up. Loved the ending (I think?). Just a positively brilliant thriller.

This is one of the most intelligent films I've ever seen. Everything fits together so well and the acting is amazing. The real question of expectations and are we limited by our genetics is intriguing and handled well. There is nothing to dislike about it.

A stunning film that is so much more than it's "gimmick" (the film starts at the end and works backwards). A tremendouslt sharp thriller. Even though the cast is solid, Guy Pearce completely steals the show.

You think it's just an Arnold shoot-em-up, but the movie is surprisingly deep. This is how you do sci-fi. ~Loved~ the ending.

This film is simply a visual masterpiece. The last great movie Jennifer Lopez made.

A fantastic postwar Japanese crime drama. The parallels between the cop and the criminal add a lot, and I can honestly say I didn't know how it would end. Toshirô Mifune was better here than he was in Seven Samurai.

If only we could solve all our problems through creative dance. An adaptation of Romeo and Juliet, so you know what's coming throughout the movie. Still hits you like a ton of bricks. The best musical I've ever seen. I watched it three times in a row (no, really).

Michael Moore's study into American violence is thoroughly entertaining and educational. His best documentary.

After you watch Control Room, you'll be entertained, educated, and you'll think of the world in a completey different way. This is positiviely gripping. The best documentay I've ever seen.

I don't know how to describe this movie other than it being an explosion of imagination.

I got guilted into giving this movie a lower rating the first time by all these people trying to convince me it's not good (or at least as good as I thought). Well I've rewatched it a few times and I have one thing to say to those people: I'm on to you.

Hollywood has been trying to tell this type of stylish drug/crime/personality story for about 20 years, but never quite gotten it right. This is the only movie of that genre that succeeds at the whole picture. A must watch.

This lost out to Forrest Gump at the Oscars, but it has since become clear that this movie should have won, and will be remembered 30 years from now.

An absolutely gripping portrait on how influence and opinion are created through example. Incredibly powerful, I loved everything about this.

I know the Toy Story movies were the ones that put Pixar on the map, but for my money, this is their best film.

We've all been there. Wouldn't be easy if you could just forget your worst memories? From that simple concept comes a film of incredible depth and emotion. Can Kaufman write a bad script? I'm finally convinced that Jim Carrey is a tremendous actor.

Where to begin. This is the first animated movie that really transcended the perceived limitations of its genre. I felt for the robot. This resonated real emotion with me like few other moies have.

Justin once said "If you don't like Jurassic Park you don't like movies"; he's probably right. Stay away from the sequels though.

An incredibly polarizing film to its critics. A tremendous reflection on the decay of our modern day culture. Critics completely missed the mark on this one; this is indeed the film of my generation.

Amazing scenery, tremendous performances (esp Patrick McGoohan), a powerful score, and a fantastic story. In short, an incredible epic film.

Probably the greatest sci-fi action film of all time. Changed the movie special effects landscape for years, and spawned a host of imitators, none of which even came close to touching the original.

Clint Eastwood has gone on record as saying this will be the last film he acts in. If that is the case, what a fitting way to go for a veritable legend of cinema. An emotional powerhouse which is led by Eastwood's powerful performance. This movie would not work with anyone but Clint in the starring role. One of the best films of 2009.