Favorite movies
William has a post of his 100 Favorite Films and that has inspired me to do the same. William's list is hard to beat, though - he has a lot of foreign films and many I'd consider obscurely cool. I couldn't quite make it to 100 and these on my list are not what could be thought of as "great" movies but just ones that I especially like (I know Citizen Kane is great but please don't make me watch it :). Here we go, in alphabetical order ......
A Hard Day's Night - musical, 1964, The Beatles
Alien - science fiction, 1979, Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, John Hurt
Aliens - science fiction, 1986, Sigourney Weaver, Michael Biehn, Lance Henriksen
All the President's Men - 1974, Robert Redford, Dustin Hoffman
Anaconda - horror, 1997, Jennifer Lopez, Eric Stoltz, Ice Cube, Jon Voight
Angel Eyes - 2001, Jennifer Lopez, James Caviezel, Jeremy Sisto
Avatar - science fiction, 2009, Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, and Giovanni Ribisi
Beetlejuice - comedy, 1988, Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis
Black Hawk Down - 2001, Josh Hartnett, Eric Bana, Ewan McGregor, Tom Sizemore
Blade Runner - science fiction, 1982, Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Edward James Olmos
Blast form the Past - comedy, 1999, Brendan Fraser, Alicia Silverstone, Christopher Walken
Broken Arrow - 1996, John Travolta, Christian Slater
Brother Sun, Sister Moon - religious, 1972, Graham Faulkner, Alec Guinness
Contact - science fiction, 1997, Jodie Foster, Matthew McConaughey, James Woods, Tom Skerritt
The Day After Tomorrow - science fiction, 2004, Dennis Quaid, Jake Gyllenhaal
The Dead Zone - horror, 1983, Christopher Walken, Tom Skerritt, Martin Sheen
Die Hard - 1988, Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman, Alexander Gudunov
The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain - 1995, Hugh Grant
Ever After - fantasy, 1998, Drew Barrymore, Dougray Scott
Extreme Measures - 1986, Hugh Grant, Gene Hackman
Fallen - religious horror, 1998, Denzel Washington, John Goodman, Donald Sutherland
Forbidden Planet - science fiction, 1956
Frequency - science fiction, 2000, Dennis Quaid, James Caviezel
Galaxy Quest - science fiction comedy, 1999, Tim Allen, Alan Rickman, Sigourney Weaver, Tony Shalhoub
Gattaca - science fiction, 1997, Ethan Hawke, Uma Thurman, Jude Law
Groundhog Day - fantasy comedy, 1983, Bill Murray
Heat - 1995, Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Val Kilmer
Hidalgo - 2004, Viggo Mortensen
The Hidden - science fiction, 1987, Kyle MacLachlan, Michael Nouri, Claudia Christian
Highlander - fantasy, 1986, Christopher Lambert, Sean Connery
Inception - science fiction, 2008. Russell Crow, Leonardo DiCaprio
Independence Day - science fiction, 1996, Will Smith, Bill Pullman, Jeff Goldblum, Brent Spiner
The Insider - 1999, Russell Crowe, Al Pacino
Insomnia - 2002, Al Pacino, Robin Williams, Hilary Swank
Invasion of the Body Snatchers - science fiction, 1978, Donald Sutherland, Jeff Goldblum, Leonard Nimoy
The Island - science fiction, 2005, Ewan McGregor, Scarlett Johansson, Sean Bean
Jack's Back - 1988, James Spader
The Jackal - 1997, Bruce Willis, Richard Gere, Sidney Poitier
Jaws - 1975, Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfuss, Robert Shaw
Jesus - religious, 1999, Jeremy Sisto, Debra Messing,, Jacqueline Bisset,, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Gary Oldman
Jurassic Park III - science fiction, 2001, Sam Neill, William H. Macy, Tea Leoni
Ladyhawke - fantasy, 1985, Rutger Hauer
Legend - fantasy, 1985, Tom Cruise
The Librarian: Quest for the Spear - 2004, Noah Wyle, Bob Newhart, Jane Curtin
Little Women - 1994, Winona Ryder, Gabriel Byrne, Christian Bale, Eric Stoltz, Susan Sarandon
The Lord of the Rings trilogy - fantasy, 2001, 2002, 2003, you know who :)
The Lost World - fantasy, 2001, Bob Hoskins, James Fox, Peter Falk
Mad Max - science fiction, 1979, Mel Gibson
The Man in the Iron Mask - 1998, Jeremy Irons, John Malkovich, Gabriel Byrne, Gérard Depardieu, Leonardo DiCaprio
Manhunter - 1986, William L. Petersen, Joan Allen
The Matrix - science fiction, 1999, Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Hugo Weaving
Men in Black - science fiction comedy, 1997, Tommy Lee Jones, Will Smith
The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc - religious, 1999, Milla Jovovich, John Malkovich
The Mission - religious, 1986, Robert De Niro, Jeremy Irons, Liam Neeson
The Mummy - fantasy, 1999, Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz
National Treasure - 2004, Nicolas Cage
Navy Seals - 1990, Charlie Sheen, Michael Biehn
The New World - 2005, Colin Farrell, Q'Orianka Kilcher, Christian Bale
The Next Three Days - 2010, Russell Crowe, Elizabeth Banks
Night of the Demon - horror, 1957
Notorious - 1946, Cary Grant, Ingrid Bergman
Open Range - western, 2003, Robert Duvall, Kevin Costner, Annette Bening
The Order - religious horror, 2003, Heath Ledger
Proof of Life - 2000, Russell Crowe, David Caruso
The Prophecy - religious horror, 1995, Christopher Walken, Eric Stoltz, Viggo Mortensen, Elias Koteas
Raiders of the Lost Ark - 1981, Harrison Ford
Rear Window - 1954, James Stewart, Grace Kelly
Rebecca - 1940, Laurence Olivier, Joan Fontaine
Red Planet - science fiction, 2000, Val Kilmer, Carrie-Anne Moss
Revelations - religious horror, Bill Pullman, Natascha McElhone
The Rock - 1996, Nicolas Cage, Sean Connery, Ed Harris, Michael Biehn
Romeo and Juliet - 1968, Leonard Whiting, Olivia Hussey, Michael York
Seabiscuit - 2003, Tobey Maguire, Jeff Bridges, Chris Cooper, William H. Macy
The Seige - 1998, Denzel Washington, Bruce Willis, Tony Shalhoub
Sense and Sensibility - 1995, Emma Thompson, Kate Winslet, Hugh Grant, Alan Rickman
Silver Bullet - horror, Gary Busey, Corey Haim
Silverado - western, 1985, Kevin Kline, Scott Glenn, Kevin Costner, Danny Glover, Jeff Goldblum, Brian Dennehy
The Sixth Sense - fantasy, 1999, Haley Joel Osment, Bruce Willis
Speed - 1994, Keanu Reeves, Dennis Hopper
Spiderman - science fiction, 2002, Tobey Maguire, Willem Dafoe
Star Trek - science fiction, 2009, Leonard Nimoy, Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Karl Urban, and Zoe Saldaña
Stargate - science fiction, 1994, Kurt Russell, James Spader
The Terminator - science fiction, 1984, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Michael Biehn
Timeline - science fiction, 2003, Gerard Butler, Paul Walker
Vampires - horror, 1998, James Woods
Vertigo - 1958, James Stewart, Kim Novak
While You Were Sleeping - comedy, 1995, Sandra Bullock, Bill Pullman
Wolfen - horror, 1981, Albert Finney, Diane Venora, Gregory Hines
Zodiac - 2007, Jake Gyllenhaal, Robert Downey Jr.
A Hard Day's Night - musical, 1964, The Beatles
Alien - science fiction, 1979, Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, John Hurt
Aliens - science fiction, 1986, Sigourney Weaver, Michael Biehn, Lance Henriksen
All the President's Men - 1974, Robert Redford, Dustin Hoffman
Anaconda - horror, 1997, Jennifer Lopez, Eric Stoltz, Ice Cube, Jon Voight
Angel Eyes - 2001, Jennifer Lopez, James Caviezel, Jeremy Sisto
Avatar - science fiction, 2009, Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, and Giovanni Ribisi
Beetlejuice - comedy, 1988, Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis
Black Hawk Down - 2001, Josh Hartnett, Eric Bana, Ewan McGregor, Tom Sizemore
Blade Runner - science fiction, 1982, Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Edward James Olmos
Blast form the Past - comedy, 1999, Brendan Fraser, Alicia Silverstone, Christopher Walken
Broken Arrow - 1996, John Travolta, Christian Slater
Brother Sun, Sister Moon - religious, 1972, Graham Faulkner, Alec Guinness
Contact - science fiction, 1997, Jodie Foster, Matthew McConaughey, James Woods, Tom Skerritt
The Day After Tomorrow - science fiction, 2004, Dennis Quaid, Jake Gyllenhaal
The Dead Zone - horror, 1983, Christopher Walken, Tom Skerritt, Martin Sheen
Die Hard - 1988, Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman, Alexander Gudunov
The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain - 1995, Hugh Grant
Ever After - fantasy, 1998, Drew Barrymore, Dougray Scott
Extreme Measures - 1986, Hugh Grant, Gene Hackman
Fallen - religious horror, 1998, Denzel Washington, John Goodman, Donald Sutherland
Forbidden Planet - science fiction, 1956
Frequency - science fiction, 2000, Dennis Quaid, James Caviezel
Galaxy Quest - science fiction comedy, 1999, Tim Allen, Alan Rickman, Sigourney Weaver, Tony Shalhoub
Gattaca - science fiction, 1997, Ethan Hawke, Uma Thurman, Jude Law
Groundhog Day - fantasy comedy, 1983, Bill Murray
Heat - 1995, Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Val Kilmer
Hidalgo - 2004, Viggo Mortensen
The Hidden - science fiction, 1987, Kyle MacLachlan, Michael Nouri, Claudia Christian
Highlander - fantasy, 1986, Christopher Lambert, Sean Connery
Inception - science fiction, 2008. Russell Crow, Leonardo DiCaprio
Independence Day - science fiction, 1996, Will Smith, Bill Pullman, Jeff Goldblum, Brent Spiner
The Insider - 1999, Russell Crowe, Al Pacino
Insomnia - 2002, Al Pacino, Robin Williams, Hilary Swank
Invasion of the Body Snatchers - science fiction, 1978, Donald Sutherland, Jeff Goldblum, Leonard Nimoy
The Island - science fiction, 2005, Ewan McGregor, Scarlett Johansson, Sean Bean
Jack's Back - 1988, James Spader
The Jackal - 1997, Bruce Willis, Richard Gere, Sidney Poitier
Jaws - 1975, Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfuss, Robert Shaw
Jesus - religious, 1999, Jeremy Sisto, Debra Messing,, Jacqueline Bisset,, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Gary Oldman
Jurassic Park III - science fiction, 2001, Sam Neill, William H. Macy, Tea Leoni
Ladyhawke - fantasy, 1985, Rutger Hauer
Legend - fantasy, 1985, Tom Cruise
The Librarian: Quest for the Spear - 2004, Noah Wyle, Bob Newhart, Jane Curtin
Little Women - 1994, Winona Ryder, Gabriel Byrne, Christian Bale, Eric Stoltz, Susan Sarandon
The Lord of the Rings trilogy - fantasy, 2001, 2002, 2003, you know who :)
The Lost World - fantasy, 2001, Bob Hoskins, James Fox, Peter Falk
Mad Max - science fiction, 1979, Mel Gibson
The Man in the Iron Mask - 1998, Jeremy Irons, John Malkovich, Gabriel Byrne, Gérard Depardieu, Leonardo DiCaprio
Manhunter - 1986, William L. Petersen, Joan Allen
The Matrix - science fiction, 1999, Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Hugo Weaving
Men in Black - science fiction comedy, 1997, Tommy Lee Jones, Will Smith
The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc - religious, 1999, Milla Jovovich, John Malkovich
The Mission - religious, 1986, Robert De Niro, Jeremy Irons, Liam Neeson
The Mummy - fantasy, 1999, Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz
National Treasure - 2004, Nicolas Cage
Navy Seals - 1990, Charlie Sheen, Michael Biehn
The New World - 2005, Colin Farrell, Q'Orianka Kilcher, Christian Bale
The Next Three Days - 2010, Russell Crowe, Elizabeth Banks
Night of the Demon - horror, 1957
Notorious - 1946, Cary Grant, Ingrid Bergman
Open Range - western, 2003, Robert Duvall, Kevin Costner, Annette Bening
The Order - religious horror, 2003, Heath Ledger
Proof of Life - 2000, Russell Crowe, David Caruso
The Prophecy - religious horror, 1995, Christopher Walken, Eric Stoltz, Viggo Mortensen, Elias Koteas
Raiders of the Lost Ark - 1981, Harrison Ford
Rear Window - 1954, James Stewart, Grace Kelly
Rebecca - 1940, Laurence Olivier, Joan Fontaine
Red Planet - science fiction, 2000, Val Kilmer, Carrie-Anne Moss
Revelations - religious horror, Bill Pullman, Natascha McElhone
The Rock - 1996, Nicolas Cage, Sean Connery, Ed Harris, Michael Biehn
Romeo and Juliet - 1968, Leonard Whiting, Olivia Hussey, Michael York
Seabiscuit - 2003, Tobey Maguire, Jeff Bridges, Chris Cooper, William H. Macy
The Seige - 1998, Denzel Washington, Bruce Willis, Tony Shalhoub
Sense and Sensibility - 1995, Emma Thompson, Kate Winslet, Hugh Grant, Alan Rickman
Silver Bullet - horror, Gary Busey, Corey Haim
Silverado - western, 1985, Kevin Kline, Scott Glenn, Kevin Costner, Danny Glover, Jeff Goldblum, Brian Dennehy
The Sixth Sense - fantasy, 1999, Haley Joel Osment, Bruce Willis
Speed - 1994, Keanu Reeves, Dennis Hopper
Spiderman - science fiction, 2002, Tobey Maguire, Willem Dafoe
Star Trek - science fiction, 2009, Leonard Nimoy, Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Karl Urban, and Zoe Saldaña
Stargate - science fiction, 1994, Kurt Russell, James Spader
The Terminator - science fiction, 1984, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Michael Biehn
Timeline - science fiction, 2003, Gerard Butler, Paul Walker
Vampires - horror, 1998, James Woods
Vertigo - 1958, James Stewart, Kim Novak
While You Were Sleeping - comedy, 1995, Sandra Bullock, Bill Pullman
Wolfen - horror, 1981, Albert Finney, Diane Venora, Gregory Hines
Zodiac - 2007, Jake Gyllenhaal, Robert Downey Jr.
posted by crystal | 3:23 PM
9 Comments:
Bless you Crystal. On my blog months ago I listed my 10 favorite movies. In my 2001 book I listed my 20 favorites. A few years ago, about 20 members of my family exchanged a series of lists---favorite movies, favorite books etc. So I am real excited to list my favorite movies here.
I am a bit different from most people. I kind of believe in "objective" aesthetics. That is I think there are 'great' things and such lists as this should be judged at not defended on the grounds of pure whim.So I am submitting this list to you and to William, especially for the latter's comment if he would so favor me. I do not include 'foreign' language films. Remember some people think "Cosi Fan Tutti" is Mozart's greatest opera.
My list of films. Not in order.
Casablanca
Dr. Strangelove
E.T.
On the Waterfront
Barry Lyndon
Bonnie and Clyde
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Ordinary People
Psycho
East of Eden
Lonliness of the Long Distance Runner
The Third Man
The Big Sleep
Saving Private Ryan
Rear Window
Breaking Away
Bridge on the River Kwai
The Last Picture Show
Empire of the Sun
Shane
Slumdog Millionaire
I am old enough to have seen all of these first run. The first movie I saw was "The Little Colonel." Jack
I watched all the Terminators this month at the request of my family, since we were going to see the new one. Very fun stuff.
Crystal, I believe 'lists' are fun AND educational. A snapshot of how a person is thinking. You might be interested to know that the first thing I posted as a blogger was "The Ten Greatest Football Games." I directed it to a person who comes here. Never got a reply. Jack
I didn't see the movie Seabiscuit, but saw a PBS documentary that came out ahead of the movie. One of those times when you watch something you think you have zero interest in just because nothing better is on, and was I ever wrong...
The poem in my book, "Seabiscuit" pretty much exploded into mind I think it was the day after watching the program and in particular the footage of that race where he almost overtakes the lead horse while carrying a heavier jockey and coming from way way behind...
Jack,
We have some same movies on both our lists. I forgot Ordinary People - that was a really good movie.
Liam,
Yeah, the original Terminator is a classic :)
Hi Paul,
Even better than the movie Seabiscuit is the book.
Thanks for the link. But "obscurely cool"? :-) Of course you can "beat" my list, because it's your list! I really enjoy seeing what films (or books, music, etc.) people love.
We only share two titles - Galaxy Quest and The Matrix - but there are several that have been on my list in the past, including Vertigo and Rear Window. And you have a lot of films I really like and even considered, such as All the President's Men, Sense and Sensibility, and Groundhog Day. And I didn't think of Seabiscuit. I love that one. I could see it making my list in the future.
Interesting you like the original Terminator and Spider Man more than the 2nd in each series, which I prefer.
Recently watched the Director's Cut of Blade Runner. I actually didn't like it as much as the original release, which I re-watched as well. From my list, you can probably tell I love film noir, and I kind of miss the noir-ish voice over in the original release. I also thought it helped move the film along - the Director's Cut seemed a little too slow at times. Which do you prefer?
A lot of great films here. Thanks for posting it!
Hi William,
I'm not sure if I've ever seen the director's version of Blade Runner, I have to admit. Now I'll have to rent it and see :)
The second Terminator was really good - not so 80's and better effects - but the original had Michael Biehn and Lance Henriksen, and I liked the originality of the story, the travel to the past to change the timeline.
I appreciate you posts about movies - I always learn about ones I hadn't heard of before.
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