Wednesday, June 25, 2008

I cannot possibly choose

A few weeks ago, I was challenged to list my top five movies of all time. Only five?! I doubted I could accomplish the task, but I did as any editor would: started with a big list, then trimmed it down. My initial list contained 53 films. For the first round of cuts, I threw out any movie I'd only seen once (it can't really be a favorite if I wasn't compelled to rewatch it). Then I did some soul-searching, read some tea leaves, and got the list down to my top twenty. I'm sure I'm still missing some unmissables, but it's a start ...

Here's the list, in alphabetical order, because ranking them would make my head explode.

City of Lost Children
Dead Man
Dead Ringers
Do the Right Thing
Dr. Strangelove
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Fight Club
Glengarry Glen Ross
Harold and Maude
Heavenly Creatures
Lost in Translation
Memento
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Mulholland Drive
Princess Bride
A Room With a View
Rushmore
Spiderman
Spirited Away
Star Wars

7 comments:

jenny bento said...

that was the question i was asked at my olive interview, oddly.

smartwick said...

I hope I didn't ask you that ... I prefer "What breakfast cereal would you most like to be?"

- The M.A.D. Hapa said...

Not to make you completely crazy, but there are movies I love . . . but never want to see again. Persona is a perfect example.

That said, I think you have a supremely wonderful list. Do you see a theme through it all?

smartwick said...

I think my theme is sort of melancholy and creepy. Or maybe it's dark and sweet. You know, something like that.

And, yes, there are some amazing movies I've only seen once. "After Life" was one that made my list, for sure.

Anonymous said...

I was definitely feeling the "melancholy and creepy" theme. :) I think your list says a lot about you, not in a bad way...just very informative. Dead Ringers? Maybe I need to re-watch. I could barely look at Jeremy Irons for years after that movie. Besides Princess Bride which is the ultimate movie (Yes, I'm eternally 12), my favorite on your list is City of Lost Children.

Now I feel compelled to make my own list. My choices will definitely have more jazz hands than yours. :)

smartwick said...

Oh, shoot! "Jazz hands" made me think of one of your favorites, which should have been on at least one round of my list -- The Red Shoes. Oh well, it's a work in progress.

Anonymous said...

Whatever. Barfly is conspicuously absent from your "list." As is Remo Williams : the Adventure Begins, which is only, oh, I don't know, the best movie EVER.