My Favorite Movies

Spielberg has never made a film better than this, and it is doubtful he ever will. One of the most heart-wrenching and powerful films I have ever seen, no film captures the horrors and sadness of the Holocaust better than this film. Everyone knows I have countless films I consider among my favorites, but this one will always remain firmly in my top 10.

This film is an undeniable masterpiece. In showing the terrorizing affects of drug addiction in it's fullest scope, Aronofsky turns this drama into one of the most chilling horror films ever composed. Burstyn is especially intriguing as the diet pill-addicted Sara Goldfarb, an elderly woman who slowly descends into the abyss of addiction. This movie will not only frighten and disturb you, but cause you to reflect upon it's meaning as well.

The best film of 2006. Scorsese brings out the best performance I've ever seen DiCaprio give, Nicholson is heinously evil (which as we all know is when he is most entertaining), and Wahlberg, Damon, and Alec Baldwin all give Oscar-caliber performances. The master finally won an Oscar for directing this, as well he should have

I still am a little troubled that Forrest Gump defeated two films the year it won the Best Picture Oscar that were easily better. The first was Pulp Fiction, and the second was this Stephen King adaptation that is by far the best film version of any of his works. There is something inspiring about Tim Robbins spellbinding performance in this film as Andy Dufresne, and Morgan Freeman is his usual genius self in the role of Red. This film is brutal, dark, uncomforting, and still manages to be nothing short of beautiful.

This is a higly underappreciated film from the greatest director of all time, Martin Scorsese. This film is even more resonant today, because the obsession with celebrity that was portrayed as satire in this film ultimately became reality in our society today. De Niro and Jerry Lewis have great chemistry as the comedy star and his disturbed but hilarious stalker.

Whenever people ask me what my favorite film is, I seem to have a different answer on a regular basis. However, this film more than any other always seems to reach the top of my list. DeNiro gives a chilling performance as Travis Bickle, a lonely sociopath taxi cab driver who believes he can save New York from the evil that surrounds him. But as his descent into madness takes its course, it seems as if he may be the most dangerous of all. Scorsese, along with Tarantino, is my favorite director, and in my opinion this is one of his best.

This movie may have been panned by the critic, but Kevin Smith wins me over again with this great film about comic book geekiness, mall culture, and odd relationships. And can you really go wrong with a STAN LEE cameo?

Some people may side with Brokeback Mountain (which while a decent film was not the revelation it was made out to be), I still choose this as the best film out there about gay culture and relationships. Joey Lauren Adams really is solid as the conflicted Alyssa, and Ben Affleck finally proves he has some acting chops as Holden.

I am a huge Prince fan, and though many of his cinematic endeavors have been truly painful to watch, this is still a classic. Excellent music sequences and a fun performance by both Prince and Morris Day make this a quintessential fun 80's movie.

Not only the best boxing film ever made (sorry Rocky), but also the best sports film ever. De Niro gives one of the best performances ever committed to film as a ferocious animal of a man who is as destructive in real life as he is in the ring. Thelma Schoonmaker's editing is breathtaking in this film, and the operatic way that Scorsese directs is nothing short of masterful.

Most films about the Mob try to emphasize the same philosophy: crime doesn't pay. If that is true, the moral of this film is crime does not pay, but it sure can be a lot of fun. Classic gangster film by Scorsese examines the rise of Henry Hill (Ray Liotta) through the ranks of a violent and unpredictable mob and its inevitable fall. Liotta carries the movie well, and De Niro is also great, but Pesci is a revelation as a evil, wise-cracking mobster.

I love this movie. My friends and I affectionately call this "The Wine Movie", though the movie really is not about wine. It is about two distinctly different friends and the two very different paths they take to achieve what they want in life. Paul Giamatti is always reliable in the role of Miles and Thomas Haden Church shines as his despicably hilarious friend Jack.

Roger Ebert said this was the most important film of the 90's, and I agree 110%. This bizarre, bloody, reflective, and hilarious film tells 3 intriguing stories about morality that exists among the immoral. Tarantino has proven himself as the new Scorsese, and this might be his Raging Bull (so far...).

It has become somewhat of a teen classic, but I would put it in an even higher category, because it holds up remarkably well even today. Judd Nelson still owns the film as slacker Bender, but I was always partial to Ally Sheedy's outcast character (and personally found her more attractive than Molly Ringwald).

It is hard to believe that this film was pretty much written as it went along, because the execution couldn't have been more flawless. Bogart is the picture of cool, and I fell deeply in love with Ingrid Bergman in this film, and yet her role is very restrained in its sensuality. In the great debate between Gone With the Wind and Casablanca, in my opinion Casablanca wins by a landslide.

For anyone who has nursed a music obsession the way I have, this film will prove to be irresistable. John Cusack plays Rob Gordon, a man whose failures in relationships he juxtaposes with his lifelong devotion to pop music obscurity and miscellany. Cusack is fantastic, and Jack Black appears in his breakthrough performance as rock snob Barry.

I canâ??t think of too many films that are as willing to lampoon how disconnected from real life Hollywood truly is. The premise of the story, about a Hollywood filmmaker who decides to live among the impoverished in order to make a powerful drama about their plight, is a really different kind of idea from many of the films at the time, and this film is also one of the best examinations of the film industry as well, and it even goes so far as to reference actual films and filmmakers, adding to its grounded setting among many of the screwball antics. And the filmâ??s overall message of how comedy and laughter enables the down-trodden to have a brief reprieve from their troubles and fears, is a beautiful one.

One of the greatest action films ever made. Insane car chase sequences, excellent gun battles, awesome explosions, amazing hand-to-hand combat, and succeeds in being the sequel that has most improved on the original. This war of robots and a dismal future is a brilliant sci-fi epic and should be viewed by all.

Hysterical movie. Easily the funniest movie I've seen this year thus far. MCLOVIN RULES!!!!

There isn't much I can say about this film that can't already be said. Truly shot Pacino to stardom and brought Brando back in one of the most memorable film characters, Don Corleone. Still my favorite performance in the film is James Cann as hot-headed brother Sonny. REQUIRED viewing for any film fan.

Can a science fiction film function as both a hard-boiled film noir and a powerful religious parable and still manage to be immensely cool. Well, yes actually, and Ridley Scott proved it with this futuristic beauty. Harrison Ford stars as a Bogart-evoking cop who is having doubts about his profession, which revolves around taking out rogue clones (in this film referred to as â??replicantsâ??) in a futuristic version of New York. The interesting thing about this film is that of all the portrayals of the future, this seems like one of the perceptions that seems as if it could truly become a reality, as it is not as immaculate and idealized as in other films. From the terrific opening shot of the city reflected in the eye, to the climactic speech delivered eloquently by Roy Batty (Rutger Hauer, being all sorts of awesome once again), the film is a true classic. When people question the artistic possibilities of science fiction, this is one of a handful of films that can be selected to build a compelling argument against that view.

One of the best war films ever, though it has little to do with the actual war; instead it is how war changes people permanently, and not for the better. A chilling film, but an epic for the ages as well.

A one of a kind movie experience, and certainly a film that is unlike any other. Utilizing real sideshow abnormalities, this pseudo horror/drama movie is both disturbing and fascinating.

As the movie that is perennially held as the #1 film ever, it succeeds in receiving a number of criticisms for being over-hyped. But honestly, the film deserves such merit for its drastic importance. It was a landmark in editing, lighting, and processes in storytelling, and the symbolism used in the film (such as the dinner table scene and the excellent framing of Kane playing in the snow as his parents are discussing his future) reveal the talents of a cinematic prodigy at work. This film does for film what the Beatles did for rock and roll, and it really is THAT impressive. The only flaw in the film is the scene where Kane is destroying his room, and the camera is pulled too far away, but to point this one scene out as reason to condemn the film would be like a golfer getting 17 hole in ones and then attacking him for getting a par on the last shot.

This and Batman Begins are without a doubt the best superhero films ever created (though I pick this one over Batman, but that is based on a life-long love of the character). Alfred Molina makes Doc Ock even more compelling than he was in the comic, and Tobey Maguire really compels the viewer to believe that being a hero is not as glamorous as it may seem.

Along with The Shining and Devils Advocate, one of my favorite horror films (if it really qualifies as that). Hopkins creates one of the greatest villains ever in film, and actually makes you find him almost charming. And it is also responsible for me quoting the "lotion in the basket" lines ad infinitum.

This film is a heartwarming masterpiece. Ryan Gosling gives one of the most incredible performances this year as the lovable Lars, a lonely man who buys a life-size anatomically correct female doll and falls in love with it. What should be an incredibly stupid premise is made genius by Gosling's brilliant acting. The doll, Bianca, is literally brought to life through Gosling's care and concern of it, and the film succeeds in being uproariously funny, but also touching, sweet, and heartwarming. I implore everyone to watch this movie, as it is beyond excellent.

An absolutely flawless film. Abraham is terrific as narrator and Mozart murderer in the film (though not in real life), Anton Salieri, and Tom Hulce is perfect as the crude yet brilliant Mozart. The beautiful imagery and music only serve to enhance the overall mystique of the film.

One of the most wildly entertaining and exciting westerns ever made. Violent even by today's standards,director Sam Peckinpah succeeds in creating a cast of characters, led by the brilliant William Holden, that is both likeable and endearing while still being on the shady side of the law. An astounding cinematic achievement, and one of the best films the Western genre has to offer.

Adapted from Joseph Conrad's novel "Heart of Darkness", this film better than any other exhibits the madness that can come from the horrors of war. Martin Sheen was pushed so far during filming he had a heart attack, and that doesn't surprise me. This film plunges the viewer down a sinister trail, leading them to horrors and wonders, and in the end, a tour-de-force performance by Marlon Brando.

My friend Kevin is not making a bold statement when he says this is the best Mel Brooks film. I would go even further and say it is one of the best comedies ever put to celluloid. Filled with rich puns, deliciously incorrect racial jokes (but spares no race in its insults), and brilliant physical humor, this film really set the bar high on what you could get away with in comedy, and in some ways this film is ahead of even our time, as I am certain if you tried to get this film released today, it could never happen without every interest group alive attacking it and completely missing the irony in that. If you haven't seen it yet, you are missing a truly classic comedy.

An interesting take on race issues is the theme of this Spike Lee classic, quite possibly among Malcolm X as one of his greatest films. Spike Lee makes it very apparent he is an amazing director with seamless editing and cinematography so epic it is obvious his tutelage under Scorsese resonated with him. Also succeeds in showing the good and bad shades of both races.

Though I would name a few Westerns above it, it is hard to deny the fact that this is likely not only one of the finest Westerns ever made, but one of the best American films in general; it is intriguing to see Wayne play a role that does not possess much nobility and respectability, and in doing so puts in one of his best performances. And the landscape of the West has never been more radiant and beauitful.

An unexpected comedy masterpiece. This gory yet very funny satire of the greed of the 80's through the eyes of a heartless murderer made me fall in love with Bale as an actor, and has some of the best dark humor on film.

A visually stunning film, and an immensely faithful representation of Frank Miller's beautiful graphic novel. Snyder puts the "gore" in "gorgeous" and creates some of the most vivid battle sequences ever committed to film, and Gerard Butler shines as King Leonidas.

Many of the classic 50's musicals have not aged very well, and though musicals naturally have some measure of camp, many of them are now so campy they border on obnoxious. Singin' In the Rain, thankfully, does not fall into that category. The film, which was hailed as a fun, entertaining, charming romp upon its release in 1952, has managed to maintain all of these features, and is easily one of the best, if not the best, American musicals. Gene Kelly was an amazing talent, singing, dancing, and acting up a storm, and his chemistry with Debbie Reynolds in the film is enchanting. Personally though, my favorite parts of the film, besides choreography that is breathtaking and may have even influenced many of the action films of today as well as musicals, are two supporting performances. Donald O'Connor gives a brilliant display of physical and verbal comedy that makes him appear as a handsome blend of Harpo and Groucho Marx, and he steals most of his scenes rather easily. And Jean Hagen is a riot as a woman who really is just another pretty voice, as she is painfully untalented in anything that requires a competent set of vocals.

One of the greatest rock films ever made, and one of the best comedies as well. This mockumentary about the rock band that never was is one of those films that seems to only get stronger with repeated viewings, and not only is it funny, but it also seems eerily realistic on the inherent lunacy of how the music business is run.

Immensely funny satire on war and Hollywood in general. Everyone is pretty strong here, but Robert Downey Jr. and Tom Cruise steal the show and are painfully hilarious. Definitely a hard R film, and merciless in skewering the excesses of Hollywood. And even if you are like me and don't care for Cruise's public image, you can't deny he is hysterical in this movie as a greedy, heartless, and relentlessly foul Jewish movie executive.

Is Donnie from the past or future? Is he a superhero. Is he an ordinary teen thrust into an extraordinary situation? These questions are continually delivered in this film, and though you may never discover the exact true answers, the film is such a fun ride that it doesn't seem to matter. Jake Gyllenhall plays the trouble teen Donnie with great skill, and Patrick Swayze has his best role since Dirty Dancing as a perverse motivational speaker. A movie that will reward you for paying attention.

This film is a horror classic, and it should be. Both imaginiative and visually disturbing, this tale of Herbert West's attempts to bring people back to life but with horrifying results. Jeffrey Combs plays one of the best mad scientist characters in film.

An incredibly bizarre and twisted film blossoming with inspired moments of dark humor and strong performances. Dylan Baker in particular is incredibly odd as the sympathetic pederast, and Hoffman is excellent as usual as a disturbed, lonely man known for making disturbing phone calls.