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Saturday, September 17, 2005

Favorite Movies

I've not been posting as much lately, and there is a good reason for that. I'm really flippin' busy. Trying to get together this ITS stuff, building a set for a show that goes up in less than two week, spending time with my wife, these are all things that I enjoy a great deal, but they take up time. So here is my long awaited list of my top ten movies.

Note: This is not my personal list of the "best" movies, per se. Rather they are my personal favorites. I recognize that I may enjoy a movie that is not necessarily the "best" movie.

10. Dead Poet's Society
When I was in high school I got really into the idea of romantic ideals and poetry and all that. This movie meant a lot to me and kind of was a catalyst for some of my ideals.

9. In America
I love this movie because, not only is it a well told story, but at it's core are the elements of childlike optimism and love for everyone despite differences

8. Back to the Future
Two years ago, maybe even one, I wouldn't have even had this movie in my top 20, but after a recent viewing I realised how much I liked it and could watch it over and over again. The Trilogy that this movie spawned was so inventive and magical that as far as action movies go, I can't imagine it can get better than this.

7. Swingers
Such a cool movie. I saw it in high school but didn't really get it until college.

6. Fargo
This movie has everything: Great story, "Willy Lomanesque" central tragic hero, the most complete and fully developed characters in any movie I've ever seen, plus the movie is completely honest in it's complete ridiculousness.

5. Rushmore
Once again my love for this movie demonstrates my adoration for stories about extraordinary but tragic characters. This movie is made even better because it is a buddy movie at the core of it. Bill Murray is superb and thus begins his reign as the king of meloncholy comedy. My crush on Wes Anderson begins. (For those wondering, I liked Bottle Rocket but didn't really catch the WA bug until this one

4. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Is Charlie Kaufman not a genious? This is one of my favorite Kaufman flicks because it appealed to my own particular sense of asthetic. All of his movies revolve around an unsatisfied male, confused in love and wanting to change things in his life. Kaufman does a really good job of telling stories that explore the questions in his own mind without providing solid answers. In other words, the basis for all great drama. I don't however feel that it was the best made or most original. That spot is reserved for Adaptation which would easily be in the top 11.

3. Being John Malcovich
It's the one that started it all. How much cahones does it take to write a fictitious movie with an actor's name in the title, muchless an actor as idiosyncratic as John Malcovich, and then make it so that the movie must have that actor to play the part? Could he have gone with any other actor? Maybe, but not really.

2. The Godfather: Part II
What can I say? Technically, creatively, emotionally, probably the best movie ever made.

1. The Royal Tanenbaums
If you want to know what kind of movies I like go watch The Royal Tanenbaums. I do. Quite often, in fact.

Looking back at this list I seem to have a very particular style of movie that I like to watch. Quirky, off-center, funny, and with a lot of subtexual morality. Remember, this isn't my "Greatest Movies List." It's my favorite movies. Those are two very different lists. You may recognize the superiority of a Mercedes, but nothing will drag you from your '83 Ford Pickup.

6 comments:

Dave said...

How can The Royal Tennenbaums be at number one, and I Heart Huckabees not even be on the list?

You confuse me bro.

By the way, I've converted to wordpress. my new website is http://tobetheman.com

Just a heads up in case you want to change your link, that one is going dead sooner than later.

Jason said...

Don't kid yourself, Kyle. You have a couple of Mercedes on that list: Godfather II and Fargo. Even though they probably wouldn't be on my top ten favorite's list, they are usually on "high profile" top movie lists.

But of course, I realize that few would have BTTF or Swingers, so I guess those are your '83 pickups.

Also, you only have one of my top ten, but 5 of my top 20, can you guess what the one is?

Kyle said...

Jason, I'm going to guess that the one in your top 10 is either Royal Tanenbaums or Rushmore. I remember you telling me that you really liked one of those more than the other. I want to say that you put Rushmore ahead of RT.

Godfather 2 is actually my #1 best film of all time. I couldn't quite give it the top spot above RT on this list, because there is no movie that I enjoy watching more. But I know that some of these are "Mercedes."

Dave, I'll get that link changed asap.

I thought that I (\/) Huckabee was
\/
well done and certainly a more extreme example of the kind of movie I like. However, I don't think it was overall as well made and I certainly didn't enjoy it as much, which is the basis for this list. I do think I need to watch it again.

Kyle said...

That heart thing didn't work like I thought it would.

Dan Carlson said...

That's a solid list, man. I'd have to put Rushmore above Tenenbaums, but that's just a personal choice.

By the way, I've had the pleaure to go to the Dresden on a couple of occasions, where Marty and Elayne play 6 days a week. They've got a killer cover of "Livin' La Vida Loca."

Jason said...

You got it. Rushmore is definitely in my top 10 (probably top 5). RT, Fargo, Eternal Sunshine, and Being John Malcovich are all in my top 20.

I just saw I (heart) Huckabees last week, and I really liked it too. I loved the philosophical satire, but I'm not sure it would put it in my top 10.