The second wind list

Everywhere I look there are listings for favourite everythings. Of course I have mine too. My people are never happy unless we are counting or classifying something or someone. What I also have is so many favourites that its impossible to pick only a few. Also I think I think this is a good way to record my current tastes and see how they evolve. For example, ten years ago, very little rock music would have appeared on my music list. Today New Kids on the block won’t make an appearance until a lo-o-ong way down. (I always like anything I like for life. I’m very loyal that way. Only the intensity fades, maybe down to short of zero) So I’m putting down my My Favs starting with my favourite movies before my most favourite, have-to-have-every-time-I-travel movies and why they are so. The only qualification anything on my favourites list requires is that I should that I would want to own the book, movie or MP3 to allow me to go through it more than once.The Favourite Movie list in no particular order

The Untouchables – I love the last action sequence in this movie. In all the movies I’ve seen, never has there been on so gripping that I was completely rigid in my seat with tension. All the roles are perfectly cast and very well acted, especially Malone and Capone. This movie makes you realize the power of direction and how it can raise a movie to glorious heights. The reason it lands on this list is that I tend to forward through to my favourite scenes, since I have seen it before.

Independence day – This movie had kicked alien butt and made you laugh. It had a rare sighting of Harry Connick Jr. It had Will Smith anf it had Jeff Goldblum looking much better than his Fly days.

Rear Window – Alfred Hitchcock’s masterpiece with James Stewart and Grace Kelly. I love this movies for all the nuances it has that only a solid mystery and a black and white film can have. The play of shadows, the beautiful creation of every apartment inhabitant and James Stewart looking into every life. I love revisiting this movie. This one worked its way down the list.

Singin’ in the rain – Gene Kelly, a movie about movies and it had catchy music. And I heard a name here and christened my first computer that, Cosmo. My favourite musical.

Noises off – I LOVE this movie. It makes me laugh so much and so long that I can’t watch it more than once a year in the name of my sanity. Who would have thought Christopher Reeve could be this funny? Michael Caine, John Ritter is just amazing and the rest of the cast likewise.

Aladdin -My favourite fairy tale as a cartoon with Robin Williams playing the genie. Genius! This movie paved the way for actors animating and has been bested only by Ellen Degeneres in Finding Nemo.

Jumpin’ Jack Flash – Whoopi Goldberg carries this movie through at a time. One of her funniest I’ve seen despite Sister Act. A stranded spy and an office worker sure create a barrel full of laughs.

Birdcage – Of course Nathan Lane is brilliant in this movie, as are Gene Hackman, Robin Williams and Dianne Wiest. But what makes me come back to this movie over and over is Hank Azaria, as Agador, the maid/handyman who is proud of his Guatemalan-ness. Why this guy didn’t make a hundred more movies yet I will never know.

Heat – One scene, two giants. Pacino and DeNiro. The entire movie and this is the only scene they have together aside from the final chase. So potent and wrought with tension, nothing can cut it. Watch them act off each other flawlessly and there is no doubt why they are the greatest actors of their generation. Val Kilmer is lost among them.

Stargate – A movie about another world in the universe which ends up riffing off Egyptian myths. And it has the computer who wore tennis shoes. ‘Nuff said

Event Horizon – A haunted (so it would seem) space ship with very little in the way of explanations. Sam Neill playing deranged to perfection. I love watching the whole thing fall apart. Also the gothic cathedral aura the spaceship adds to the unnerving effect.

The Usual Suspects – The fantastic mystery of Keyser Soze woven from start to finish. Movies like Sixth sense must have been inspired by this. And I enjoyed this much more than a much much more hyped film of Kevin Spacey’s, American Beauty.

The movie list continues tomorrow with my most favourite movies.

~ by summerlightning on March 19, 2007.