These are my top 10 favorite movies of all time.  Of course, I haven’t seen everything, so if you have a recommendation, based on my reviews, let me know.

 

 

Not only is this the ultimate caper flick, but my personal favorite movie of all time.  Made in 1975, this film stars Robert Redford and Paul Newman in their prime, as well as a fine supporting cast.   For clever and suspenseful storytelling, surprising plot twists, and a conclusive cinematic ending, you can't get ant better than this one.  Rent it tomorrow.

 

I don’t usually gravitate towards westerns, but this is a serious movie, and a true cult classic.  The story is gripping, revolving around a clever scenario, and there’s even a pretty serious Civil War battle scene.  Clint Eastwood's role in this movie launched his career, and Ennio Morricone's soundtrack became one of the most recognized movie themes ever.  This spaghetti western is a must see!!

 

Not all movies have to be happy to be appreciated, and this one certainly gave me the spooks.  I particularly like this movie because it gave me a clear outlook of war that no movie has been able to do (although Platoon came really close).  It’s easy to read the statistics of any battle and learn how many were killed and wounded with a certain emotional detachment, but this movie effectively delivers the shocking details behind all of those numbers.  

 

This is my favorite Coen Brothers film, though I admire them all.  This is a wacky story that starts with a bizarre premise and takes you through many off-the-wall scenarios.  In the beginning, Jeff Lebowski, played by Bridges, gets jumped in his home by a bunch of gangsters, who, mistaking Jeff for somebody else, threaten him and piss all over his valued Persian rug.  From there, the story just takes off on a crazy adventure.  The characters are all unforgettably unique, which include fine performances by Jeff Bridges, Phillip Seymor Hoffman, John Turturro, Julianne Moore, and John Goodman, who all break out of their shells for this one!  If you haven’t seen it, you’ll certainly be entertained by this lighthearted and witty comedy.  

 

Long before the first episode came out in the theatres, I rented a movie that had a LOTR trailer at the beginning of the tape, and it was so enticing I had to keep rewinding the tape to watch it over again.  I felt inspired to finally read the books, and of course was blown away when I watched the movies.  This trilogy displays a spectacular moviemaking achievement.  

 

When i saw this in the theatre, i was blown away!  Just about every aspect of the film deserves praise; it was well cast, the epic story was well told, and the visual effects are well worth an honorable mention.  With this kind of intense production, I'm not surprized that it won so many awards.  What I particularly liked about this movie was the soundtrack, done by Hans Zimmer and Lisa Gerrard, which, even by itself, exhibits tremendous depth.

 

This wild look inside the mid 70's porn business should be a cult classic.  I like this movie for two reasons.  First of all, the production offers many fun sequences that were cleverly arranged with fancy editing and interesting music.  Take, for instance, the opening scene, which starts with an elevated view of a nightclub, then the camera, without stopping, goes inside and gives us about two minutes of conversations and action cues without the director yelling "cut".  In this movie, every scene is a work of art.  Second of all, the characters were brilliantly played.  In fact, this movie put many actors on the map who I personally had never heard of before this movie came out, such as William H. Macy, John C. Reilly, Heather Graham, Louis Guzman, Don Cheadle, Phillip Seymor Hoffman, Julianne Moore, and Mark Wahlberg.  This is one of the few movies that I can watch over and over.

 

This is a bit twisted of a story, and many people had a hard time stomaching its aggressive and liberal edge, but to me it really made a statement.  The story isn't just about an underground club of hardcore fist fighters; it goes further to challenge the values of modern materialistic society.  Indeed a liberal edge, but quite entertaining, and loaded with many fun surprises that I won't give away, in case you haven't seen it yet.  Next to twelve monkeys, this is my favorite Brad Pitt movie, and I'm glad he broke out of the pretty boy roles to take a chance on characters like these.  Go rent it if you haven't already - I won't say any more about it.    

 

There's nothing I can say about this one that you don't already know.  I was about seven years old when this movie came out, and I had a chance to see it in the theater before all the buzz got out.  You can imagine how blown away I was.  So, because of its strong impact on my childhood, I have to give this movie an honorary mention.

 

You may not have heard of this one, but it came out in the 70's and put Dennis Quid on the map.  It's about a group of misdirected high school graduates who live in Bloomington, Indiana, a place where if this is your home, you either attend the University or work in the rock quarry.  This group of townies gets an opportunity to compete in the big college bike race.  It sounds boring, but I assure you that it's quite good.

 

 

OTHER MOVIES WORTH MENTIONING:

The Fisher King

Adaptation

Ocean's 11

Rumble Fish

These are 5 of the most interesting and fun (not to mention educational) books that I have ever read.  I’m sure you would enjoy them as well, and No, I’m not coming from a heady, intellectual place here.  

 

This is a long epic novel written by James Michner, and is about, oddly enough, Hawaii.  Actually, this book is quite a few stories in one, as Michener goes deep into the background of each significant group of settlers, and details the events that influenced their migration to the Hawaiian Islands.   Upon arrival, these stories cleverly intertwine as Michner illustrates how these cultural influences helped shape Hawaii into what it is today. Even though this book is quite long, I found that it never got boring, as it's loaded with colorful storytelling and fascinating historical information.

 

In 1106, the White Ship, heading for England, set sail from Normandy and was lost at sea.  Incidentally,  it was carrying every close relative to the King of England, thus leaving the country without an obvious heir to the throne.  What followed was a period of anarchy and turmoil, and this is the background in which Ken Follett sets this novel, an epic story that spans the course of a generation.  With a strong beginning, a splendid array of interconnecting characters, masterful storytelling, and a powerful conclusion to tie everything together, I have never read a more gripping tale.

 

I'm sure many of you have heard of Ernest Shakleton's ill fated voyage to Antarctica in 1912, and there are several books and documentaries that cover the subject.  This particular book, written by Alfred Lansing, is told in story fashion, and contains many passages taken directly from the journals that were kept by the sailors who lived through this grueling event.  I was fascinated, and, as a result, will probably never complain about cold weather again.

 

Written back in the 60's by Robert Crighton, this book is about a small Village in the mountainous region of northern Italy that prides itself on producing the best wine in the world.  Near the end of WWII, German officers were given orders take control of the town and  confiscate its collective wine stock for their superior officers.  However, when they arrived, they found that this wine had mysteriously vanished.  This charming book is full of many unforgettable characters and touching scenarios, and is considered a cult classic for many of those who read it.  I loved it.

 

Larry McMurtry wrote many great books, and this is definitely one of them.  It takes place in the days of the old west, and tells the story of two Texas cattle wranglers looking to retire to Montana after one last big cattle drive.  This is not just a simple western, but a serious emotional drama, as McMurtry has this ability to dissect the characters in his story and expose the flawed, vulnerable side rather than just the hard exterior.  In short, it has some serious depth.