PenguinDust (Level 11)

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My Favorite Movies - Not the Greatest Movies Ever - Just My Favorites

Well, I thought I'd compile a list of my personal favorite movies. As the title states, these are not the films I think are the greatest movies ever. There's a lot of movies that I acknowledge are cinema masterpieces, but once I've seen them, I havet no desire to ever see them again. However, these listed movies are ones I can watch over and over again and enjoy each and every time. Some are widely accepted great films while others are less popular fare, but all of them appeal to me in someway that keeps me coming back to them. Simply put, they make me happy.

NOTE: Numbers 1 through 10 are pretty solid in place, but 11 onwards should be considered a work in progress.

1. North by Northwest

This is my absolute favorite movie. I've lost count over the number of times I've seen it, and yet I don't own it on DVD/Blu-Ray. But, whenever it's on TV (and that is a lot) I turn it on and watch it. Cary Grant is delightful and Eve Marie Saint is as lovely as she's ever been. One of Hitchcock's finest.

2. His Girl Friday

This one is all about the dialog. Another Cary Grant classic, co-stars Roselind Russell. Here the two play newspaper reporters and the pacing of the dialog is what makes this movie so perfect for me. To describe it as quick would be an understatement. Like a machine gun, jokes and one-liners fly from the actors lips. Laugh and you'll miss three more quips.

3. One, Two, Three

This movie is firmly rooted in the time it was filmed. The set up and many of the jokes reference the world of 1961. That's not really a problem though, because the foundation of the story is so ridiculous. In the film, Cagney tries to rectify an incident involving his boss's daughter while brokering a deal with the East Germans to earn him a promotion. Again, the pacing of the dialog is fast and clever. Funny lines fly back and forth between characters with amazing speed.

4. Casablanca

This is an amazing film and often included among the best ever made. I love watching the subtleties of this movie. Small looks and gestures by the actors reveal so much of their character. A great story, great cinematography headed by a great cast.

5. The Thin Man

This movie is about the characters. William Powell and Myrna Loy shine as the leads Nick & Nora Charles, and it's their interaction that makes this movie work so perfectly. The plot is some brouhaha about a murder, but the who-done-it aspect of the mystery is unimportant. It's the interplay between the actors and the rich characters that inhabit the setting that make the film enjoyable. Modern audiences might find them cliche, however since 1934 they've never been more perfectly captured than they have here.

6. WALL-E

This is one of the newer films that I've come to completely love. Like Casablanca, it's the subtleties of the characters which amplify the depth of their performances. That in itself is amazing considering it's an animated movie, however the focus of the direction of the film brings to life these fully realized characters. The film is also a charming love story full of romantic, humorous and tearful moments.

7. A Hard Day's Night

The Beatles first movie and one of the best rock-n-roll movies ever. Apart from the classic soundtrack by one the most influential bands of all time, what I love about this movie is how it celebrates the personalities of the Fab-four. John is witty, Paul is jovial, George is indifferent, and Ringo befuddled. When it all comes together, it's fun and funny throughout.

8. Yojimbo

Caught between a rock and a hard place, Kurosawa's 1961 tale of a wandering samurai is thrilling, engaging, and amazing. Toshirô Mifune plays the lead role of the crafty ronin with strength and wit. His portrayal of the honorable anti-hero is captivating.

9. The Maltese Falcon

This is Bogart at his best. Sly, angry, sarcastic, desperate and self-confident, his portrayal of the jaded detective, Sam Spade is fascinating. "When a man's partner is killed, he's supposed to do something about it. It doesn't make any difference what you thought of him. He was your partner and you're supposed to do something about it." This quote defines Spade. Like the samurai of Yojimbo, he is a man of honor and integrity, but it is his personal code that he can not deviate from, not the laws of society itself. Surrounded by a wonderful cast of supporting character, this movie sucks me in each time.

10. To Kill a Mockingbird

Gregory Peck's Atticus Finch is probably the character I admire most from those film listed so far. He is noble, caring, brave and honest, but most of all he is a decent human being. He embodies what I personally feel a man should be. I feel that every element of this film is timeless despite being set more than 70 years ago. Harper Lee's story is beautifully brought to the screen in this 1962 adaption.

11. Charade

Grant and Hepburn search for some missing money in the best "Alfred Hitchcock movie" not made by Alfred Hitchcock.

12. My Man Godfrey

Charming and sophisticated movie about a "forgotten man" and the screwball family he works for.

13. Tampopo

A Japanese film comedy about ramen, food and life.

14. Star Wars

A farm boy must save a princess with the aid of a scoundrel, a fuzz ball, a hermit and two tin cans.

15. Raiders of the Lost Ark

The greatest action movie ever.

16. The Shop Around the Corner

Very romantic story about a pair who bicker by day and woo each other by mail. Captivating.

17. Hellboy

An oddball team of super-powered heroes must save humanity from a dark evil.

18. Brigadoon

Musical about a town that appears once every 100 years.

19. Blazing Saddles

A black sheriff tries to save a bigoted town with the help a drunk gunfighter

20. The Sound of Music

The Von Trapp family learn to sing while breaking in a new nanny shortly before the Second World War begins.

21. The Incredibles

Superhero family struggles with being a family and being heroes.

22. Young Frankenstein

Great comedy homage to classic Universal horror.

23. Groundhog Day

Intriguing comedy about time, love and immortality.

24. Annie Hall

Hilarious romantic comedy with a bittersweet but plausible ending. "If life was only like this."

25. Supercop

Jackie Chan kicks ass alongside Michelle Yeoh in this 3rd installment of the Police Story trilogy.

26. Miracle on 34th Street

The original film is an annual holiday tradition for me.

Black_Roseon Aug. 21, 2011 at 9:04 p.m.
Great choices, a lot of Cary Grant there, which I like. But you got Yojimbo's release date wrong, it's 1961 not 1951. 
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