As a student of film, the first question people ask after I’ve told them the degree I’m studying for (Film & Broadcast Production), is usually “So what are your favourite movies then?” And it’s a legitimate question. As a student of film, you are expected to have good taste, although speaking to some peers, its not always strictly a given, so i’d like to think my choices are considered worthy.
Now to pick a singular favourite movie is like asking someone to pick their favourite sibling. Its unfair. So I have always worked on the notion that I have a top ten favourite movie list which goes in no particular order other than there being a top five and then the next five (if that makes sense?). The top five has pretty much been fixed since I was about 16, and its going to take something monumental to displace any one of these from my list. There’s always a slim chance, but I think the nostalgia and context attached in my memory to these movies, makes them a tricky bunch to better.
Top Five (In no particular order)
Star Wars V: The Empire Strikes Back
To be fair, I could have picked all of the original Star Wars movies for my top ten, but that would be unfair to the other nine places, so I plump for, in my humble opinion, the best of the lot. What makes it the best? Star Wars has always had a big place in my heart for as long as I can remember. The first poster I remember pinning to the back of my door was from ROTJ, but when you’re a kid, you just know you love Star Wars, and don’t really make a distinction between the three. I’d play with the toys religiously (Han Solo in carbonite was my favourite), and watch the movies every time they were shown on TV. Once video became more used, we recorded them, but for whatever reason, we only ever had New Hope & ROTJ on tape, not Empire. So when videos became cheaper, and pocket money improved I invested in a widescreen copy of Empire. And boy did it blow my mind all over again, cementing its place in my mind as the best of the best. The snow battle, the giant asteroid worm thing, Yoda, Lando, Cloud City (even pre special edition, it was a beautiful vision), Han Solo in carbonite and finally the maiming and the revelation. What a way to end part two of a trilogy! Most films nowadays, when a sequel is assured, have such a lame shoe horning way of setting up the next part. This is how you do it! Epic, delicately detailed human stories, revelations left right and centre and the coolest bounty hunter to ever grace our screens. George Lucas….when did you go so wrong? (Indy 4, I’m talking to you.)
Jaws
From one beardy supreme to another. Jaws, Spielbergs breakthrough, the first summer blockbuster, the reason for a worldwide fear of sharks…..what else is there to say? I love this movie, and like the other films in my top ten, I could it watch over and over again. Which I have done. Superb acting, pacing, shocks, and scares throughout, plus the greatest modern cinema monologue ever makes this an unmissable movie. Which is why it beggars belief that one of my co-conspirators here at Falcon Seven has (whispering) never once seen this movie!!! Naming no names, but shame on you….you know who you are.
Apocalypse Now
I’m a sucker for war films, Vietnam especially. There’s no sick reason behind this, other than being born a boy in 1982, me and my friends loved playing war and soldiers, and the most relevant and accessible war for us was Vietnam. We didn’t understand (and probably don’t still fully), the epic cultural moment that this war was at the time, but it was an easy one to play along to. Cool uniforms, and faceless nameless bad guys. Ace movies too. Platoon, Predator, Rambo, even Deer Hunter were war type films we hoovered up avidly as youngsters, but when I saw Apocalypse Now for the first time, I saw a war film unlike no other I’d ever seen. This wasn’t a war film with epic battles, awesome weaponry and gung ho valiant action. This was a twisted trippy movie, at times slow paced and introverted, at others totally balls out bonkers. Playboy bunnies in the jungle, drugged up squaddies wigging out at the end of the world, surfing, napalm and puppies. There’s Robert Duvall in perhaps the most impactful cameo ever, and then finally there’s Dennis Hopper and the behemoth that is Marlon Brando. I’ve watched this movie over and over again, and get fresh things from it every time. I’ve watched “Hearts Of Darkness” (the rare VHS only making of documentary film) and wondered how in the world this film ever came to be being made in the first place. I think Ford-Coppolla lost something out there in the jungle, but I think it made it on to the screen somehow. Watch this (the original, not the redux), and tell me of a better war film that illustrates the crazyness and futility of war. I challenge you….
Blade Runner
What is there not to love about this movie? The new Final Cut is the definitive version of this movie, and so there’s no excuse now for acquainting yourself with this masterpiece, if you’ve never seen it. Ridley Scott is at the height of his powers and has taken his grimy future sci-fi look from Alien and just ran wild with it in this movie. Watch this and marvel at the ultra realistic world he has created on the soundstage for real, then look at most modern future-noir thrillers to see how they try and fail miserably to get a look unattainable with CGI. This is how movies should be made. Harrison Ford stakes his claim as the greatest actor of the 80’s in this too. Sure we had Star Wars and Indy, but this is my favourite of his characters, a nihilistic hard bitten cop, unafraid to pull punches, who dispatches synthetics with ease and grace, not bothered about shooting a woman in the back. Tough mother-f***er. Its to Ridley Scotts credit, that all the kooky characters present in this future vision come across as realistic, and none jar in the way that some science fiction movie characters can do in similar movies (Fifth Element, AI to name a few). This is one movie I’d love to see a sequel to, done properly though, no Harrison and minimal CGI (cough Indy 4 cough).
The Shining
I recently wrote an essay on this for a university assignment, though I need no excuses to watch this again. When you study film, you have to look for all sorts of different things that you normally wouldn’t look for, and when you do, you appreciate great directors like Kubrick all the more. This film was given a luke warm reception when first released by critics. Slow paced, overacting from Nicholson, ineffective as a horror they said. Slow paced it may be, but this is like no horror film that came before, and even has since not been bettered in my opinion. The dread and unease builds right from the first beautifully shot tracking shot of the cars ascent to the hotel, right until its brutal and bloody climax. The scares are scarce granted, but Kubrick is no cheap shock master. The scares are there, but they’re psychological. Are there really ghosts, or is Jack just mad? You’re not quite sure until he gets released from the fridge. Then all hell breaks loose. Brilliant. Turn the lights low, get a hot chocolate, and enjoy. Pisses over modern horror from a great height.
Next time on my blog....
The next five in my top ten…..
No comments:
Post a Comment