I hardly go the movie theater compared to the average 24-year-old, I have a low opinion of most blockbusters, and I find modern comedies atrociously unfunny. If you consider Avatar, The Dark Knight, or Fight Club film classics, we can't be friends.
With that said, there's few things I find more enjoyable than sitting down and watching a good movie. My definition is just a tad more strict than most - especially amongst my generation, I find. A friend once told me, regarding my taste in music and movies, "Dylan - you were born 30 years too late."
It's not like I'm strictly watching The Seventh Seal, Citizen Kane, or Lawrence of Arabia all the time. I'm not limited solely to Oscar winners or movies of profound meaning and influence (although that does help). I'm just astonished by what I find when I talk to most people about movie interests.
So just as I've listed other favorites of mine, I continue that tradition today with my top ten favorite movies.
#10. The Blues Brothers (1980)
I'll admit, this one is a bit of an outlier on this list. There isn't a lot of cult classics on this list, but this Dan Aykroyd/John Belushi comedy makes the cut (barely - it was a long drawn out effort to trim this list down to just ten deserving movies).
This movie's got two things I love: comedy and old music. The Blues Brothers takes viewers on a wonderful trip through the roots of rock, soul, and R&B with a bevy of musical guest stars (such as Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, and James Brown) while providing plenty of laughs. You'll get a whole new perspective on Princess Leia (more from her in a little bit) and Illinois Nazis.
The film's ridiculous ending remains one of my favorites, including my favorite car chase sequence ever. The sheer number of cars that get wrecked is astounding!
An earlier, less destructive car chase sequence.
#9. Gojira (1954)
Don't recognize the title? Maybe if I translated for you. In America, he's known as Godzilla.
I cannot stress enough how much I loved Godzilla movies as a kid. While it is hard to go back and watch a lot of those movies today (Jet Jaguar, folks. Jet Jaguar), the original film still remains a poignant film about the destructive capabilities of nuclear warfare - from the only country to experience the terror of the atom bomb firsthand.
Godzilla may have evolved into a children's' hero, but he started as a monster for the times. I'm hoping the pending American remake captures some of that old essence (and is a vast improvement over the previous American version).
Please make sure you see the original Japanese version of the film. When Gojira was first presented to American audiences, it featured new scenes starring American actors badly interjected throughout. The editing looks awful and voice dubbing never helps a film. It still suffers from certain old cheesy monster movie gimmicks, but watch the original version keeping in mind how hard it was to portray a gigantic terrifying monster demolishing a city before the advent of CGI.
#8. Original Star Wars trilogy (1977-1983)
Another set of movies that had a profound affect on my childhood that stays with me today. What left is there for me to say about the original Star Wars trilogy that others already haven't? They are the movies that influenced sci-fi for years to come, spawned a legion of fans that only continues to grow with every generation, and three shitty sequels with more on the way (though as my stepfather said, "Look at it this way - it can't possibly get any worse than The Phantom Menace, can it?").
#7. Apocalypse Now (1979)
Not the easiest movie to just sit down and relax with, but that's not why you watch it to begin with. You watch it because you're looking for a movie that tells a story. In this case, a story about the darkness and brutality of man set amidst the backdrop of the Vietnam War.
Martin Sheen and his unlucky PT boat crew undertake a dangerous and bizarre assassination mission up the Nung River, with each stopover along the way proving weirder and more dangerous than the last.
Director Francis Ford Coppola (more from him later on this list) filmed two endings to the movie and opted to go with the one with a little bit more optimism, but that doesn't stop this movie from being hard to watch. When people talk about horror films, they generally talk about the slashers like Freddy, Jason, the Saw franchise, etc. But for me, no film kept me awake at night like the psychological torment of this film. If you're ready for an intense study of human nature and the depravity of war, Apocalypse Now is a great movie.
The horror...the horror...
#6. Love and Death (1975)
Don't let the title fool you - this isn't another deep psychological/philosophical artsy movie like my previous pick. Quite the contrary. This movie prefers to ridicule such films.
It's so hard to pick one film that succinctly sums up Woody Allen's career, but this one perhaps comes close. If nothing else it's my favorite film of his; which is a hard enough choice in itself - I'm a big fan of Woody Allen, especially his earlier, funnier films (Woody Allen smarks are chuckling at that line right now). It's a film that manages to be laugh-out-loud funny while still asking some truly insightful questions about life; it just prefers to come up with cheeky answers to those questions.
Love and Death perfectly satirizes the philosophical works of authors and filmmakers like Dostoyevsky and Bergman as it follows the adventures of a cowardly Russian (Woody Allen) and his amorous cousin-twice-removed (Diane Keaton) caught up in the 19th century French invasion of Russia. The witty repertoire between the two is at an all-time high in this film; and cannot be matched by what constitutes for "humor" in 99% of modern comedies. It's those quick wits and sharp puns that I love so much about Woody Allen's comedies and make him one of my favorite writers/directors.
#5. The Marx Brothers (1929-1949)
But Woody Allen didn't learn how to write such fast-paced witty dialogue all on his own. He studied at the feet of the masters: Groucho, Chico, Harpo, and I'll go ahead and mention Zeppo too - The Marx Brothers.
Much of Allen's comedies borrow from the Marx Brother formula: one part fast-paced dialogue, one part puns, one part clever innuendo, one part satire of a topic, and one part slapstick humor.
While they bear no relation to Karl Marx, the brothers did include a dose of sociopolitical humor into most of their films; largely wise cracks at the expense of high society types. The height of their popularity came during The Great Depression, so you can understand why such jokes got over with the general public.
It's impossible for me to pick just one film of theirs, but I love their work so much they deserved a mention somewhere. Animal Crackers, Duck Soup, A Night at the Opera, and A Day at the Races have to be my favorites worth mentioning, but there are plenty others worth seeing as well.
#4. Django Unchained (2012)
Hey, look! A movie from the 21st century!
Quentin Tarantino has so many good movies that, like my previous two picks, it can be hard to pick just one. However, for me, Django Unchained sits far above the rest. I was caught completely off guard by how much I loved this film. Pulp Fiction, Reservoir Dogs, and Inglourious Basterds are all good films, but the revenge/long-lost love story of Django caught my attention more than those other films.
It's got all the violence and intensity you'd expect from a Tarantino film, but it's the acting that makes this one so great. Jamie Foxx does some of his finest work since Ray, Leonardo DiCaprio does his best acting since...ever, in my opinion, and plays a superbly detestable villain. And for whatever reason, Tarantino and Christoph Waltz seem to have found some sort of chemistry that guarantees the latter an Oscar win every time the two work together.
Plus, I just enjoy seeing Boyd Crowder squaring off with people besides Raylan.
#3. No Country for Old Men (2007)
Alright, we're back to the deep philosophical movies now. I feel like I'm beginning to repeat myself, but yet again hard to keep more Coen Brother films from making this list, but No Country for Old Men is easily my favorite of theirs and my favorite film of the last 30 years.
No Country for Old Men examines our world and the common criticism that things were much safer in the past. You didn't have the psychopaths of today: the serial killers, the school shooters, etc. No Country for Old Men doesn't buy that bunch of baloney - "mankind has always been violent and greedy", seems to be the film's theory as it follows the story of a man (Josh Brolin) who stumbles up a briefcase full of cash and is chased by the drug cartel that wants it back, two mysterious hitmen (Javier Bardem and Woody Harrelson), and the aging sheriff trying to piece it all together (Tommy Lee Jones).
Furthermore, it's a fascinating examination of the driving forces in people. Is it fate or destiny that leads to things, or a person's choices? Is the difference between life and death as simple as heads or tails? The film doesn't have any conclusive answers in this regard, leaving it up to the viewer to decide. The film's ending will certainly leave plenty of people confused and angry, but that isn't really the point. It's a movie trying to make you think about your life, your choices, your motivations, and the things you do as a result of all those.
Javier Bardem plays arguably the greatest villain of all time (sorry, Darth Vader) in this perplexing crime story.
"What's the most you ever lost on a coin toss?"
#2. The Godfather: Part II (1974)
See #1.
#1. The Godfather (1972)
Hey, look! We're back in the 70s again!
Without a doubt in my mind, my two favorite films of all time are the first and second Godfather films (we won't speak of the third one).
I have an affinity for gangsters because of the warped perspective of capitalism, honor, and family they represent. Gangsters, fictional and non-fictional, are telling characters of the state of the American psyche. And there are no fictional gangsters better and more representative of the average U.S. citizen than those in The Godfather movies.
Essentially, the first film is the story of one man forced to defend his family against a world they've created. Michael Corleone does not condone his father's and brothers' actions - he is an outsider in their world. A man trying to make an honest living and make a name for himself without resorting to crime (which is, of course, exactly what his father wants for the family's future generations. Michael just doesn't realize that). But when his blood is put in mortal peril, Michael acts to save the family and protect the empire they've built - by any means necessary.
But by the end of the film, we see a transformed Michael. He has not only embraced the family tradition, but become trapped by it. He becomes fully immersed into its world of murder and corruption and takes the family business to new heights never before dreamed of in The Godfather: Part II. And so the overarching story between films becomes that of a single man's descent into moral depravity, and how he destroys the lives of his loved ones.
Amidst all that you have the backdrop of broader messages about the corruption within business and politics, the violent nature of the personal vendetta, and how holding too tightly to "family values" can in fact destroy family.
Also it doesn't hurt to have Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, Diane Keaton, Robert Duvall, Robert DeNiro, James Caan, and a host of great character actors in your film. The Godfather films boast some truly all-star casts.
Honorable mentions: Too many to list in full, but I guess I'll name the ones that came the closest to making this list. The Searchers, Annie Hall, The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, Monty Python and the Holy Grail
