My Favorite Movies

I’m not gonna put these in any order…other than the order in which I think of them.

A bunch of movies that would fall into a “favorites” category:

• Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind – I’m not sure if it’s my love for the character of Clementine, the idea of a couple choosing to be together even knowing all the good and bad in store for their relationship, or the visuals presented by director Michel Gondry, but I could probably watch this every week and never grow tired of it.
• Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back – My favorite of the series is probably the most serious and well acted of the saga.  It also has the best light-saber fight, at least as far as meaningfulness goes.
• Jaws – Great characters plus great acting plus old school Spielberg edginess (a kid gets eaten!).  That all equals a fantastic movie.
• Seven – Despite its grim subject matter, I can watch this one frequently.  I love the look of it, and the two leads, Pitt and Freemen, work well together.  Spacey shows up and steals the show, just before that famous shocking ending.
• Raiders of the Lost Ark – More vintage Spielberg.  The quintessential fun action movie.  Good story, compelling acting, and great stunt work.  Also some of my favorite music that John Williams ever did.
• Close Encounters of the Third Kind – And even MORE Spielberg.  This one touches on my interest in space exploration.  Yeah, I’d get on board the big ship at the end too.
• Donnie Darko – Not sure I can even explain why this one appeals to me so much.  I just know I can watch it any time.  It’s weird and funny and touching and creepy, all rolled up in one package.
• Bottle Rocket – My first exposure to Wes Anderson, and still my favorite of his films.  I love the goofy, light-hearted innocence of the characters and the story.  It also has a lot of lovely imagery for such a small film.
• The Fall – Beautifully filmed and well acted, it’s a rather simple story about finding self worth and a reason to live.  It’s the way it’s presented that’s so moving.
• Insomnia – There’s something about the mood of this film that just sticks with me long after viewing it.  The scenery is great, and the acting is at a high level, but it’s the overall atmosphere of it that gets it on this list.
• Joe vs. the Volcano – Some people love this one, while some people despise it.  I’m in the camp that loves it.  It’s about overcoming fears and taking leaps of faith…and it has Meg Ryan being cute in 3 different roles.
• Aliens – I should stipulate that it’s the director’s cut of this movie that elevates to the level of a favorite.  There’s great action, but there’s also the story of Ripley having missed most of her daughter’s life while lost in space, then getting a second chance of sorts with little Newt.  Plus, who doesn’t love Bill Paxton’s myriad of funny lines as Hudson?
• Rear Window – I love Hitchcock, and this is my favorite.  It’s funny, suspenseful, and even romantic.
• Braveheart – Yeah, it’s an overblown epic, but it looks great, has James Horner’s best music, and might even move the viewer to shed a few tears.
• Edward Scissorhands – Winona…dancing in the falling snow…
• Amelie – Could watch this one over and over again.  Audrey Tatou is enchanting, for lack of a less cliche word, and the visuals are so captivating that you don’t want to take your eyes of the screen.  You just feel good after watching this movie, it’s as simple as that.
• Fight Club – It’s a movie that makes you think, while simultaneously entertaining you.  The fights can be a little off-putting, but it’s funny and interesting between those.  Plus, there’s that great ending.
• Return To Me – This is how I like my romantic comedies.  With nice people who you actually believe might like each other.  And no annoying significant others to break up with.  It’s a really sweet, touching movie.
• Memento – Another from Christopher Nolan, and while this one isn’t as visually pleasing as Insomnia, it’s more mentally entertaining.  It would be an interesting story whether it was told forwards or backwards.  It just happens to be told backwards in this case.
• The Princess Bride – Doesn’t everybody love this one?