My Favourite Films Of All Time

I always get asked what my favourite movie is. I usually respond by asking them to pick a genre and then I’ll give a couple of my favourites. I mean, to compare the comedic genius of Airplane! to the visual wizardy of The Matrix or the masterful storytelling of Pulp Fiction is simply ludicrous. So for my blog (and Joel), I thought I would give a gigantic list of my favourite films. These are films I feel everyone should see at some point in their life. You’ll probably disagree with some, but that’s what makes lists so fun. I chose to use the criteria of films of the last 25 years, as I have not seen every film ever made (surprising but true). I have also excluded films from 2006 (you can see those favourites in the new year). So, I have picked five of my favourites (in alphabetical order) for each genre and then list the other fifteen I feel are also deserving. A couple of genres have less than twenty because I may not have seen that many of that particular film genre. So let the lists begin.

Comedies

To get in this list, the movie needs wall-to-wall comedy with memorable lines and unexpected laughs.
Airplane! There wouldn't be The Naked Gun without this non-stop laughfest. From unsusal drinking problems to jive talking grandmas, it doesn't get much better than this.
Liar Liar By far, the best Jim Carrey movie that showcases his rubbery-face talents. Also the concept of this movie is sheer genius. "The pen is blue!"
Monty Python & the Holy Grail I usually pick this one as the funniest movie of all time. Killer bunnies, the Camelot model, the eating of the minstril. This one has it all.
Office Space Mike Judge nails office protocol and TGIFridays and its flair. Michael Bolton and the fax machine is priceless.
So I Married an Axe Murderer Austin Powers is funny but Mike Myers really shines here. His Scottish dad is 10 times better than Fat Bastard. "Someone needs a hug"

The Rest: Anchorman; Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery; The Birdcage; Dodgeball; Clueless; Ferris Beuller's Day Off; Groundhog Day; Happy Gilmore; Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle; Hot Shots; I Heart Huckabees; Old School; Team America; Tommy Boy; Zoolander

Dramas

A great drama needs a compelling script with fantastic acting but it also needs visual images that draw you in.
American Beauty The imagery is magnificent in this film. The colours are vibrant. Kevin Spacey's performance is masterful. It has some difficult parts to get through, but the payoff is so worth it.
A Few Good Men Aaron Sorkin writing at its best. I can watch this film over and over again. The Jack Nicholson speech is picture perfect but Tom Cruise is no slouch with his cross-examinations. I'm a sucker for courtroom dramas.
Fight Club I was hooked at the Ikea catalogue scene. Brilliant narration by Edward Norton and violent lunacy from Brad Pitt make this David Fincher film a must see. Pitt's spill on the bike during the "I am Jack's colon" scene still makes me laugh.
Pulp Fiction Nothing quite like hitmen discussing bacon and foot massages. Tarantino's punchy script is fantastic, not to mention the stellar performances by Sam Jackson, John Travolta and Bruce Willis.
The Usual Suspects I often call this my favourite film of all time (if a gun is pointed at my head). The brilliant cinematography, sound editing, screenplay, twists and Kevin Spacey make this film a study in film excellence.

The Rest: Crash; Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind; Fargo; Forrest Gump; Garden State; Jerry Maguire; Memento; Moulin Rouge; Resevoir Dogs; Road to Perdition; Rushmore; Shawshank Redemption; Sin City; The Sixth Sense; Titanic

Action

I always need a small mix of humour with my stuff blowing up. It's also all about the villains, baby!
Batman Begins The best superhero movie ever! Just take a look at the cast list. The acting pedigree alone is worth it, but Christopher Nolan weaves a wonderful story as well.
Die Hard The grand-daddy of action films in confined spaces. Alan Ruckman is phenomenal, the jump off the roof with the fire hose is amazing, and Bruce Willis is not bad either. "Yipie-kay-ya!"
Face/Off This is where John Woo shines. Mexican standoffs in a church surrounded by doves in slow-motion, does it get better than that. Forget the realism, enjoy the art.
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade Indy is great on his own but Sean Connery kicks it up a notch. Fun story with more humour than the previous movies. I also love the orgins of the hat, whip and name.
The Rock This Michael Bay flick is just plain fun. Sean Connery swearing like a sailor with Nicholas Cage nebbishly freaking out is an enjoyable combination. Ed Harris also shines as a wonderfully 'moral' bad guy.

The Rest: Bad Boys; Beverly Hills Cop; Enemy of the State; The Fugitive; In the The Line of Fire; The Italian Job; The Last Castle; The Mummy; Pirates of the Caribbean; Rush Hour; Saving Private Ryan; Snatch; Speed; Spiderman; Spy Game

Sci-Fi/Fantasy

This could be considered cheating, but sci-fi/fantasy is in a totally different realm than action. Suspend that disbelief people.
Back to the Future, Part II Don’t get me wrong, I like the original but this film had Marty in four different time periods. Loved the future and Marty trying to avoid himself.
The Empire Strikes Back I’d pick this one over the others mostly for Han Solo and his fun interactions with Princess Leia. Also love Yoda going through Luke’s stuff.
The Fellowship of the Ring Sure there’s no Gollum (only eyes) but the sheer magnitude of the trilogy starts here. Love the group dynamics & perilous journey. "You shall not pass!"
The Matrix The special effects in this movie still blow me away. Nothing quite like bullet-time and slow motion violence to techno music. "Whoa."
Serenity Watch Joss Whedon’s Firefly series first, then buckle up for a fitting tribute. Just imagine if Han Solo was the one in charge the whole time.

The Rest: Aliens; Back to the Future; Independence Day; Jurassic Park; Men in Black; Minority Report; Return of the Jedi; Return of the King; Star Wars; Terminator 2

Horror/Thriller

These films still give me the shivers and make me jump.
American Psycho Christian Bale at his best. His creepy turn as a businessman with an appetite for murder is a little freaky and a little funny.
Dead Again A wonderfully told story told in two time periods. This film made me scared of scissors. I still get the creeps when I here, “These are for you!” Just got a shiver.
Scream I love that Wes Craven explained the genre while still creating an intriguing whodunit with an ultra-violent body count.
Seven Don’t watch this movie while eating a pizza, you’ll see why after the sin of gluttony. The ending simply rocks, especially the reveal of the killer.
What Lies Beneath The creepy music doesn’t stop! Who would have thought Harrison Ford could pull off a thriller/horror? Total Hitchcock homage

The Rest: 28 Days Later; The Game; The Ring; The Shining; Silence of the Lambs

Classics

These are the films that fit into the pre-1980 category. It's an eclectic bunch of films to say the least.
Casablanca Humphrey Bogart is the man! You can’t get much better dialogue in a movie; every line pops! It’s one of the most quoted films of all time for a reason.
The Godfather Marlon Brando steals the show which hard to do from someone as dynamic as Al Pacino. This is superb movie-making.
North by Northwest Definitely the most action-packed of the Hitchcock films. Cary Grant is both humourous and debonair, a perfect hero.
One Flew Over the Cukoo’s Nest This film will make you see why Jack Nicholson deserves all his accolades. This film gets me every time.
Some Like it Hot Jack Lemmon in drag is truly a sight to behold. Fun stuff with Marilyn Monroe to top it off. This is Billy Wilder at his best.

The Rest: Apocalypse Now; Citizen Kane; Dr. Strangelove; It’s a Wonderful Life; Jaws; The Maltese Falcon; Modern Times; Mr. Smith Goes to Washington; On the Waterfront; Psycho; Raging Bull; Rear Window; Singin’ in the Rain; To Kill a Mockingbird; The Wizard of Oz

Foreign

This is a small list because I don't see too many foreign films.
Amelie Jean-Pierre Jeunet makes magic on the screen with this French film about a waitress who tries to help people find happiness. The visuals in this film are outstanding.
Cinema Paridiso This film demonstrates the true love for the movies. I wish our movie theatres had the same impact in our communities as they do in this quaint village.
Life is Beautiful Who would have thought there could be some humour found in the Holocaust? Roberto Benigni will amaze you with his talent.
The Passion of the Christ Mel Gibson takes his audience through a painful yet visually stunning journey to the cross. Just make sure you’re in the proper mood though. This is ain't a popcorn flick.
Run Lola Run A fantastic suspense that builds on “what if” statements. We see three different stories of Lola racing the clock or people will die.

Documentary

Okay, I cheated and put a couple of mockumentaries in here too. Another small list because I don't see too many documentaries.
Bowling for Columbine Michael Moore may be a little one-sided but he sure makes it entertaining. Not a big fan of his interviews with Canadians but the Brief History of America is a riot.
Murderball This documentary about wheelchair rugby beats March of the Penguins to a pulp. Both interesting and humourous with a touch of heart as any good documentary should be.
Super Size Me What a fun time watching Morgan Spurlock destroy his body with McDonald’s food. Check out his show 30 Days for more experiments.
This is Spinal Tap This is the ultimate mockumentary! The earnestness of these three buffoons will make you split a gut laughing. I guarantee it!
Waiting for Guffman If you’ve ever done or seen crappy community theatre, this is the film for you. Also check out Parker Posey’s 'terrible' audition clip in the DVD extras.

Animated

I like my animated films tobe clever and good for adults as well as kids. Call me picky.
Aladdin I think this Disney film has the catchiest songs from One Step to Friend Like Me. Robin Williams shines but Gilbert Gottfried steals the show as Iago the parrot.
The Incredibles Brad Bird wonderfully spoofs the superhero genre and the mid-life crisis And you can’t get a more entertaining character than Edna Mode. "And guest."
The Iron Giant I was introduced to this gem a few years back. The hyper Hogarth on espresso is sight to behold. It even manages to bring a tear to my eye at the end. Classic!
The Little Mermaid You can’t help but smile when watching this film. Fun songs, great side characters, and a smokin’ hot mermaid. What more could you ask for?
Toy Story The first full Pixar film set the bar really high. I loved the nostalgia of toys like Mr. Potato Head. Clever and entertaining. A perfect mix.

The Rest: A Bug’s Life; Chicken Run; The Emperor’s New Groove; Finding Nemo; Ice Age; The Lion King; Shrek; South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut; Toy Story 2; Who Framed Roger Rabbit

Just Fun

I had a hard time finding room for these very derserving films so I decided to shove them here. Hope you don't mind.
Catch Me If You Can A superb cat and mouse film with plenty of disguises to go around. Love the fun, upbeat opening credits too.
Charlie’s Angels This film is so over-the-top you can’t help but enjoy yourself. It’s vibrant and fun with Bill Murray to boot.
Matchstick Men I love me a good con movie. The father-daughter relationship is touching, Nicholas Cage is quirky fun, the con is genius.
Ocean’s Eleven I also love a con movie with a large cast that appears to be enjoying themselves. George Clooney and Brad Pitt are amazing together.
The Princess Bride I don’t know what category to put this film in because it seems to fit in almost all of them. A fun story with dynamic characters and memorable lines that will plague your thoughts forevermore. But in a good way... I think.

So there you have it. Feel free to comment if you’re wondering why a certain movie is on or off the list. I’ll probably respond. I stand by my choices and can defend them all. If your favourite movie in not on my list, maybe I haven’t seen it or didn’t think it reached the caliber of my choices. So I challenge you to respond. Bring it on!