I Like to Watch

So, I figured that in order to honor my return to the blogosphere, I would present all of my (2) faithful readers with a list of the top 10 movies that I happen to own. For those of you who don't know, I consider myself a kind of a film nerd. I don't often spend time at the art house cinemas (most of that stuff happens once a year during Sundance, and I've never been), and I've missed a lot of the "classics" so I'm probably the film world's equivalent of a band geek. Being that as it may, I feel my credentials are sound. I've seen a lot of bad movies and like to think that I've got a pretty good eye for a good one. So, now that I've established myself as one of the world's foremost connoisseurs of film, let's get down to business.

First of all, let me tell you that for me, cinema falls into two general categories. There are movies and there are films. Movies tend to be more of the "mental junk food" type, to borrow a phrase from my dad. Sometimes they are just dumb, like Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure or Airplane or more substantial like Sneakers, but they are always pure entertainment. Then there are films. To me, films have something epic, artistic or classic about them. I don't favor one category over the other, they both serve a purpose, and you'll see a mix of them throughout the list.

One last thing about the list. I have put it in an order, from 10 at the bottom and 1 at the top, but you shouldn't consider the order to be set in stone. I debated a lot about what to put in the list and where to put it and if you were to ask me a month from now it would likely be different. That being said, let me start you off with short reviews of a few of the honorable mentions. These are in no order whatsoever.

Star Wars
Yeah, it didn't make the top 10. I like it a lot, and the trilogy has become modern mythology, but I really feel that the new trilogy and the additions that Lucas has made (not to mention his greedy marketing schemes) have tarnished it. Good story, classic characters, effects that still look good to me, and a lot of childhood nostalgia help this one to make honorable mention.

Much Ado About Nothing
I can't remember the first time that I realized Shakespeare could be wickedly funny, but I'm pretty sure that it was while watching the 1993 Kenneth Branagh version. I guess this would fall into the film category, the choice of location is probably enough to put it there for me. I mean, after all, Tuscany! The acting is superb, except for the reason that this didn't make the top ten, Keanu Reeves. As far as I'm concerned, Keanu's career peaked at Bill and Ted's. I'm convinced that Keanu was cast because there wasn't enough money left for someone else. Man, his scenes make this otherwise magnificent movie drop down to honorable mention status. Too bad.

Some Like It Hot
Oooh, a classic. Very funny. For those of you who haven't seen it, it's an over-the-top comedy of errors about two cross-dressing jazz musicians in the late 20's. If that doesn't pique your interest, you probably wouldn't like this movie. I don't know what more to say about it other than you'll laugh your head off when you watch it.

Sneakers
This one is a great movie that is suspenseful without being over done and funny without being ridiculous. I really think that the cast sells this movie for me. Robert Redford, Sidney Poitier, Sir Ben Kingsley, David Stratharin (of recent Good Night and Good Luck fame), River Phoenix and... Dan Aykroyd? Well, trust me, it works due to a well written and well thought out script that seems to know how to best use each actor. The addition of Mary McDonnell adds a touch of class that makes this movie a real treat to watch.

Clue
It's sopomoric, silly, and it has 3 endings! Man we watched this so much when I was a kid that my mom banned it for a while. Maybe that had to do with some of the innuendos (which I didn't pick up as a kid), but mostly I think it had to do with all the repeated viewings. This movie has such a great ensemble cast and some unforgettable lines ("heaving... breathing flames" and "I had to stop her from screaming" come to mind) that it is worth a few viewings. Though it has three different endings (which one you saw was determined by which theater you went to, I believe) you should really watch all of them back to back to back. And remember folks, Communism is just a red herring.

Ghostbusters
This is another one that I watched a lot as a kid. I still remember the first time I saw it was when my cousins rented it when it first came out on VHS. I was pretty young then, and quite frankly it scared me a little. Good thing I got over that. Between the movies, the cartoon and the proton pack I got for my 7th birthday, I grew up in a Ghostbusters world. I guess it was such a big part of my pop-cultural education that I named my current computer Ecto-1, and I've never thought of twinkies in the same way...

Well, that wraps up my list of honorable mentions. In the next few days, I will post more in depth reviews of my top ten list, one movie at a time. Stay tuned...