My Favorite Movies

Probably the best film ever made. This is as close to a perfect movie as you'll ever get!

See this film, or I'll make you an offer you can't refuse...

This is one of my favorite films. The best comic book-to-film adaptation ever. See this movie or die trying!

This film is deeper than the Pacific. Definitely Tarantino's best.

This is probably the best comedy on film. If there is anyone funnier than Groucho, I'd like to meet him. This is the Marx brothers at their finest.

See it more than once. You'll truly appreciate how well done this film is. Fincher's best work.

See this movie, or I will fart in your general direction!

Now THIS is a spoof. Not just the best spoof of a western, but the best spoof period. Mel Brooks is a genius.

If you don't find this film funny, I can't be your friend. It's that simple.

Wes Anderson's magnum opus. This film is funnier, bolder, and more touching than you would think possible. What's the secret, Max?

One of my favorite westerns. This movie breaks almost every single cliche, and yet it works completely.

I've only seen this movie once in my life. I don't think I can see it again, but I mean that as a compliment. This is Spielberg's finest hour. I'll never forget how sick this movie made me feel, not because it was bad (quite the contrary), but because I can't believe people could actually do this to each other.

Great pacing, great dialogue, awesome action, and an unexpected ending. This is storytelling at its finest.

I'm still pissed that "Shakespeare in Love" beat this film for the best picture Oscar. 100 years from now, that tripe will just be a footnote in some book, but they will still be talking about this one. This is probably the best film about war ever made.

This movie has it all. Fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, chases, escapes, giants, monsters, true love, and miracles. As you wish...

If you've ever been on stage before, you can't not love this movie. This is probably Guest's best.

If someone ever asks the question, "What is film noir?" you have but to sit them down and show them this Wilder classic. One of my favorite films.

This is the "Citizen Kane" of classic film noir; its structure, cinematography, and narrative are truly quite similar to Welles' masterpiece. It's hard to believe this was Lancaster's first film role; his subtle interpretation of the truly doomed Swede is emotional without being overstated. Of course, Gardner is absolutely beguiling in her take on the "femme fatale" (though, admittedly, I've always had a powerful and serious attraction to her, so I may not exactly be objective). To say this film is suspenseful is a true understatement; excellent pacing, mesmerizing chiaroscuro lighting, and a strong sense of fatalism combine with one of Miklos Rozsa's best scores to create one of the best movies ever to bear the title of film noir. Highly recommended.

While Clerks is arguably Kevin Smith's most important film, I think this one is his best. Buddy Christ forever!

This is one of the most important science-fiction films ever made. This film contains one of the best opening shots in cinema.

Fanstastic flick. This is back when King could really write. Excellent performances all around and a top-notch screenplay. Don't miss this one!

The best written and best directed action film in movies. One of the few sequels that surpasses its original. This may be the perfect action flick.

Nazis. I hate these guys! A serial made with big budget. The best of the series, and one of the best films all around.

Best of all the Star Wars films. Thank God Lucas let someone else direct this!

If this movie didn't come out the same year "Gone With the Wind" did, it would have swept the Oscars. One of the few instances where I prefer the film to the book. A perennial favorite!

Tied with "Brazil" for my fave Gilliam movie. This film contains what may be my favorite performances from both Bruce Willis and Brad Pitt. One of the best time-travel movies around.

See only Gilliam's version. There is no other! One of my favorite Gilliam films.

This film should be seen by everyone in their 30s. I hold this movie in very high regard. Although I'll never be able to look at a donkey without laughing!

Brilliant performances accent a great script, well directed and flawlessly scored. There are many levels to this movie, and most of them are very, very subtle.

Kubrick's best work, and that's saying something. This is arguably the best sci-fi film of all time. It has layers upon layers upon layers. Plus, it was thirty years ahead of its time.

I just plain ol' love this movie. The perfect marriage of chop-socky action and Looney-Toons style comedy. It stands up to repeated viewing extremely well.

Kubrick's take on the war movie is where it's at. My favorite Vietnam picture, and probably my second favorite war movie overall.

A really excellent film. One of Kubrick's earliest directorial projects, this movie is probably one of the best "heist" movies ever made. Quentin Tarantino notes that this movie was a big influence on him (especially for "Reservoir Dogs"), and it definitely shows. This film used a non-linear narrative structure that at the time was very rare and bold, in addition to superb direction, beautiful cinematography, and top-notch acting (especially from Hayden, Sawyer, and Cook). This movie will be enjoyed by Kubrick fans, Tarantino fans, film noir fans, "heist" movie fans, and just about anybody that loves a great suspense film. Very highly recommended.

There's a reason many critics pick this as the greatest movie of all time. An extremely innovative narrative stucture (at least at the time) coupled with amazing Expressionistic cinematography, this film is also one of the most sonically interesting ever made (not surprising given Welles' radio background). While not my pick for best of all time, it's very high on my list.

Awe-inspiring. Heavy-handed, but oh so right. Visually stunning, great performances from everyone (esp. Sewell and Sutherland), and very well directed. One of the best science-fiction films around.

It's hard to believe that when this film came out, it had a mostly unknown cast and a neophyte director. A brilliant film, considered by most to be the first "true" film noir. Bogart is the best Sam Spade ever filmed; he brings a certain sense of honor and humanity to the legendary tough guy. This is the third (and absolute best) adaptation of this story, with the dialogue lifted almost entirely from Hammett's novel. Huston's direction is both groundbreaking and captivating, and the supporting cast delivers performances that are second to none, especially Greenstreet and Lorre. An absolute must-see.

Since I often note that there are remarkably few modern romantic comedies worth watching, people frequently ask me to name one I like. This is it. "The Apartment" has absolutely everything a romantic comedy should have, and then some. This is one of Wilder's best films, and that's really saying something. Great direction, near flawless acting from all the principals, and fantastic writing, scriptwise. So, be a mensch, and watch this film.

This is one of my favorite romantic comedies, and also one of my favorite movies about friendship. The acting and the screenplay are tops here, with the latter even getting an Oscar nomination (rare for a comedy). Giamatti gives a particularly brilliant performance. This movie really reminds me of the dynamic between me and one of my best friends (with Miles representing me; unfortunately, there is more of Miles in me than I care to admit). I starting drinking pinot noir after I first saw this movie! Overall, this is an excellent film, and it gets my strongest recommendation.

Excellent flick! Planet Terror may be my new favorite zombie movie. Rose McGowan is both smoking hot and a primo ass-kicker! It's too bad this film's being broken up onto two DVDs. Oh well, at least I got to see it in the theater.

This is my favorite Steve Martin movie. I love old film noir, and in addition to being very, very funny, this film pays tribute to all those great mysteries from the '40s and '50s. The more you know about such films, the more you'll enjoy this movie. Just don't say "cleaning woman"...