I’m a fifty year old male. I am a college level professional. What are my top ten films of all time?
Godfather I and II. Besides Goodfellas these two films are my Scorsese favorites. It’s the story of family and organized crime. Outstanding acting by Marlon Brando and Al Pacino.
Schindler’s List. I have many Spielberg films in my drawer of favorites but this is the definitive cap on that stack. That list includes Jaws, Raiders Of The Lost Ark, E.T. The Extra Terrestrial, and Always.
Dr. Strangelove or How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Bomb. I have many Stanley Kubrick film favorites. I love to watch Spartacus, 2001:A Space Odyssey, The Shining and Full Metal Jacket. The comic portrayal of the cold war in this film is a political satire of the conflict between the US and the Russians. Peter Seller’s roles of security adviser and his role as english officer made this film memorable.
Vertigo. Alfred Hitchcock films form a large stack in my favorites film drawer. They include North By Northwest, Rear Window, Psycho,and The Birds. This film stars Kim Novak and James Stewart in a story of romantic obsession.
Casablanca. This Humphrey Bogart – Ingrid Bergman film by Michael Curtiz is set on Nazi occupied North Africa where everyone is hoping to leave. Amidst the realities of civilian refugees, the film tells the love story between Rick and Ilsa.
It’s A Wonderful Life. Everybody’s favorite Christmas movie is number six in my list. My favorite Frank Capra film is It Happened One Night. You might add Mr. Smith Goes To Washington in this list but I keep losing my copy of this movie. “Life” has stayed on as everyone’s favorite including the younger generation for its positive message to a world increasingly getting too materialistic.
Lawrence Of Arabia. Among David Lean’s epics stands this Peter O’ Toole movie depicting the life of T.E. Lawrence, an english officer obsessed about the bedouin tribes of Arabia. If you hate the heat you can always watch Doctor Zhivago, a David Lean movie about the russian revolution. And then there’s the house favorite, The Bridge On The River Kwai. No, you don’t have to whistle the…
Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. Talking about epics but made in increments, this is the fifth episode of the epic saga. Irvin Kershner directs Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford and Carrie Fischer. The Star Wars universe has produced 8 films so far. I hope to binge watch all of them.
I was told that this next slot should hold a mystery thriller or a horror film. So I’m putting 3 films in this position equally great and scary. The first one is The Exorcist, directed by William Friedkin starring Ellen Burstyn and Max Von Sydow. I was too young to watch this on cinemas in 1973 but my aunt who was in college then told me she couldn’t sleep at night for a month. Linda Blair debuts as the child possessed by the devil. The second film I nominate for this slot is The Sixth Sense. It stars Haley Joel Osment, Bruce Willis and Toni Colet. M. Night Shyamalan directed the film which tells the story of a boy who could talk to dead people. The third film I am sure should be in this slot is The Silence Of The Lambs. FBI agents are on the trail of a serial kidnapper and killer but had to ask for help from a convicted psychopath. Acting performances from Jodi Foster and Anthony Hopkins make this film memorable. Jonathan Demme directs.
The unfortunate consequence of a top ten list is, even as you try hard not to do, you end up missing some important films. Se7en is a film about crimes set in a fictional city. Pulp Fiction stars John Travolta, Uma Thurman and Samuel L Jackson and directed by Quentin Tarantino. The Lord Of The Rings:The Fellowship Of The Rings,The Two Towers and Return Of The King were epic adaptations of J.R.R. Tolkien’s work of literary fantasy. Peter Jackson directs. 12 Angry Men is a courtroom drama directed by Sidney Lumet stars Henry Fonda. By the way, Sidney Lumet also directed such films as Murder On The Orient Express (1974), Serpico and Dog Day Afternoon. So my apologies but this is a natural result of making a subjective list.
I should at least include anime in this list since in recent years, anime has graduated to major budgeted feature films of a serious nature. The Lion King made by Walt Disney Films features the voices of Matthew Broderick, Jeremy Irons, Whoopi Goldberg, James Earl Jones, Nathan Lane and others. It won 2 Oscars for Best Original Song and for Best Original Score. It also crossed over to Broadway!
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