My Favorite Films of all Time

Making that list of my favorite comic book flicks got me thinking about my favorite films ever. And now, for no reason whatsoever, here is a list of my top 20 favorite movies ever made (as of December 1st, 2005). I have not included any comic book films, because I love that genre so much that it gets it's own list. Here we go...

MY FAVORITE MOVIES OF ALL TIME

1) The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003): It's hard for me not to think of The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King as one giant super-movie. Director/Co-Writer/Producer Peter Jackson did a brilliant job adapting J.R.R. Tolkien's classic trilogy of novels into an epic film trilogy. Jackson captures Tolkien's voice, themes, and characters but ups the action quotient making this a very enjoyable, layered film going experience.

2) Excalibur (1981): John Boorman takes a realistic, gritty look at the Arthurian legends in this spectacular film filled with excellent performances and layered with symbolism.

3) Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981):Director; Steven Spielberg, writer; George Lucas and actor; Harrison Ford teamed up to redefine the way action movies are made forever. Ford's Indiana Jones is still one of the most endearing characters ever put on film.

4) Jaws (1975): Another early Spielberg masterpiece about three very different men trying to destroy a sea monster. This movie is both highly suspenseful and character driven.

5) King Kong (1933): This early sound film was truly a classic in every way. This beauty and the beast story is still very watchable and poignant, even 72 years later. I can't wait to see what Peter Jackson does with the re-make in a few weeks. It will, no doubt, be superior to the mediocre 1976 re-make.

6) The Empire Strikes Back (1980): The best of the Star Wars movies and a grand Space Opera. This is truly George Lucas at the top of his game. He takes his ideas from Star Wars and expands on them in unexpected and exciting ways. The archetypal characters reach one at the gut level.

7) Star Wars (1977): I can still remember sitting in the movie theatre and watching this movie for the first time. When the giant Star Destroyer crawled across the screen firing on Princess Leia's smaller space ship something in me changed. I was then transformed into a Science Fiction Geek forevermore.

8) Shakespeare in Love (1998): Like one of Shakespeare's plays, this excellent film blends history and fabrication to create the unforgettable tale of two star-crossed lovers. It is a celebration not only of love, but of the theatre.

9) The Terminator (1984):James Cameron's action packed, balls to the wall, love story about a man, a woman, and an unstoppable killing machine.

10) Aliens (1986): James Cameron uses the movie Alien as a jumping off point into this incredibility suspenseful action/Sci-Fi epic about two mad mother's on a collision course.

11) Pulp Fiction (1994): Writer/Director Quentin Tarantino changes the way films are made with this highly original collection of tales about very bad men doing good things.

12) Fight Club (1999): David Fincher's brilliant, dark, social satire about men pushed to the edge by our consumer society.

13) The Matrix (1999): Larry and Andy Wachowski blend cyber-punk fiction, kung-fu action and zen philosophy into this highly watchable, visually stunning picture.

14) 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968): Stanley Kubrick and Arthur C. Clarke team up to create one of the best pure Science Fiction movies ever made.

15) Tombstone (1993): Epic retelling of the story of the gunfight outside of the O.K. Corral and it's bloody aftermath.

16) The Shawshank Redemption (1994): This is that rarest of films, a prison story with an uplifting ending.

17) Kill Bill Volume 1 & 2 (2003-2004): Like the Lord of the Rings, I have to think of these two movies as one giant, super-film. This is Quentin Tarantino's highly enjoyable homage to kung-fu, spaghetti westerns and bloody revenge films of the 70s.

18) Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000): Two touching love stories are couched in a Martial Arts action flick.

19) The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly (1966): A great spaghetti western and the best of Sergio Leone's "Man With No Name" trilogy.

20) An American Werewolf in London (1981): A film that works as well as a comedy as it does as a horror movie.