My Favorite Movies

This perfect storm of Coenesque philiosophical nihilism and McCarthyite brutality produces a fantastic thriller which not only provides plenty of excitment but also explores deeper, richer themes.

An excellent movie.

A perfect example of a film driven by the characters rather than the action.

Shows what a man must be willing to give up -family, friends, love - in order satiate his yearnings for power. The devestation wrought by such a man touches all.

A haunting, juggernaut of a film. Fantastic.

Michael Mann's sweeping crime thriller.

The tale of two men at opposite spectrums of the law, but both united by their professional approach to each new undertaking.

Oh, there's also one of the greatest cinematic shootouts ever (quite possibly THE greatest).

Highly recommended.

Loosely based on historical fact and Joseph Conrad's seminal work, 'Heart of Darkness', Aguirre is a gripping account of a man pushing, and in turn being pushed, too far.

The sheer density of the jungle, coupled with both Herzog's superb direction and Kinski's amazing performance, creates an atmosphere of palpable foreboding.

The way it ends is the only logical conclusion amidst such an illogical expedition.

The greatest comic book movie ever.

Beyond the action, their lies at its heart a deeply contemplative study of good (light) and evil (dark), further complicated by the Joker, a character who recognises neither concept.

It touches upon contemporary matters, such as surveillance, the treatment of detainees, extraordinary rendition, and escalation. Add a few references to Rome, and you have not just an action blockbuster but a dish which even the most intellectual would find nourishing.

A superb slapstick horror made all the more endearing through a fantastic performance by Bruce 'Ash' Campbell.

Raimi's direction is also another outstanding feature of this classic, with imaginative angles, zooms, and tracks all reinforcing the sense of horror and outright craziness transpiring on the screen.

Gory, funny, clever, and very, very brilliant.

As with 'Heat', Mann creates a world in which two opposite worlds collide in a spectacular eruption of violence.

On one side, the methodical plan-man quietly working towards achieving his goals; on the other, an impatient, instinct-driven, planless-man who also has a number of goals to achieve, albeit in a more limited time.

The action is fantastic (as expected in a Michael Mann film), and the dialogue is sharp and quite philiosophical.

We see the characters evolve and come to understand, if not accept, and learn from each other, something which is neatly confirmed in the climatic shootout.

Still ranked as one of the greatest sci-fi horrors ever captured on celluloid. The list of reasons for this is exhaustive: the iconic,eponymous alien; the stunning set design; the theme of gender reversal; the rich characterisation and superb acting; the twists; and so on (as I said, exhaustive).

There's a reason why certain films disregard age and persevere, and it's simply because the original vision has yet to be matched, let alone surpassed.

Alien is such a film.

Despite the rich links between sci-fi movies and their original progenitor, literature, sci-fi movies have only occasionaly undertaken the use of literature as an overt thematic source.

'Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan' changes that.

Whether it's Khan's near incessant references to 'Moby Dick', or the Genesis device with its Biblical connotations, or the idea of sacrifice as suggested in Spock's 'A Tale of Two Cities' gift, the film has been clearly designed to be more than the usual wham-bam-slam typically associated with sci-fi. This isn't just a gimmick, as the literature's effects - inferred or otherwise - help to propel and define the characters, plot, setting and choices made in the movie.

A great sci-fi film? Yes.

But overall it's simply a great film.

The best of the Star Wars saga, with some of the most iconic movie scenes ever produced.

Fantastic action sequences, stunning revelations, new and fantastic characters (Boba Fett!), and an epic and emotionally satisfying lightsabre battle.