Ok, so here's a start...This is a difficult question, especially for all you movie buffs...but what are your top 5 movies?

(I'll start...)

- Baraka
- Koyaanisquatsi
- Gummo
- Songs from the Second Floor
- Waking Life

Top five, eh? Well... I'm a little more main-streamed in my films than you Jono, so here goes...

5. The Princess Bride. A clever film with a lot of humour that isn't over the top. It's a great story and so enjoyable I could watch it over and over again. Rob reiner expertly mixed humor and the traditional elements of fairy tale literature.

4. Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens. The first vampire movie, made about 1922, I think. Dark, creepy, and silent. “Shadow of the Vampire” was based on the making of this movie.

3. Citizen Kane. Still impressive after all these decades, today "Citizen Kane" is probably more admired and analyzed than it is enjoyed, but there is plenty to admire. Even for those who just want to watch a good movie, not to analyze one, there's a lot to see. True, it's not really 'the greatest film ever made', especially because there isn't really such a thing, anyway, as 'the' one greatest film.

2. Raiders of the Lost Ark. Arguable the best movie that the early 80’s had to offer, Raiders set the tone for adventure movies to come. Indiana Jones is the quintessential reluctant hero. This movie gave back to the adventure movie its credibility around three points: exoticism, action and effectiveness.

1. The Empire Strike Back. Probably the best film in the Star Wars series, and directed by Irving Kurshner. My #1 for more than that, though - I'm a huge fan of the series and couldn't imagine a Star Wars film not being my number one choice.

C.

hmm.. top five is hard.

5. Amelie- french indy flick. Makes you feel happy.

4. Halloween. I love michael myers.

3. Reality Bites. (yeah, i know, weird choice.)

2. High Art - Wicked awesome film about a photographer, a reporter, and addictions. Rent it!

1. The Wizard of Oz, ever since I was born. I love that movie. Its what I play when I'm having an awful day.

hmm...Emipire strikes back was definitely the best SW flick - those Walkers on Hoth STILL scare the hell outta me (and they spawned EVERY 'mech' since then...lol)

Amelie should be in my top 5 actually...the soundtrack is absolutely stunning (I'm such a nerd, I learned how to play La Valse D'Amelie on piano within 48 hrs. of seeing the movie..hehe), and Audrey Tatou is...well, lets just say that in my books, she rivals Audrey Hepbern...

Hmm, top five, in no particular order:

1. The Shawshank Redemption.
2. Momento
3. Amelie (fyi- I will instanly think less of anyone that says they don't want to "read" a movie.
4. Etnernal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.
5.American Splendor.

There are many more of course that I would highly recommend.

American Splendour was a fantastic movie; I read the graphic novel/collected the zines/comics beforehand...but they did an amazing job of re-creating Krum and Pecar...

I guess I'll post first here.

These really are five of my favorites, my actual top five changes constantly.

5. It's A Wonderful Life
I can watch this flick any time of the year and love it! I admit it, I nearly cry everytime as well.

4. National Lampoon's Vacation
I laugh my ass off everytime I see this stupid movie. Chevy Chase looks just like my father in this and I think that's why I like it, it reminds me of every failed vacation we ever went on.

3. Late 70's/Early 80's Trilogies
This is a lump one, I like the Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and Back to the Future movies so much they all need to be included.

2. Fargo
All Cohen Brother's movies kick ass, well except for Intolerable Cruelty, but Fargo is a staple of Minnesota Living and during the long winter months, my girlfriend and I watch it almost bi-weekly.

1. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
I love this movie, it is very well written, superbly directed, and I feel it's both Kate Winslet's and Jim Carrey's best performances. I'm a huge fan of Charlie Kaufman and it seems every script he writes just seems to get better and better. This is a great flick to watch with your significant other if you have been together for a long time.

Like I said it's not all incompassing, but a few that I really treasure.

Asylunt

Like Asylunt, my top 5 changes pretty frequently so I'll just post 5 favorites as they come to mind.

5) Being There - This is probably my favorite Peter Sellers character. He was generally known for more slapstick/manic performances (Clousseau, Quilty, etc) but in this film he plays a complete simpleton who answers every question he doesn't understand with information about gardening and then through a series of misadventures becomes one of the most respected political minds in the country. It's simultaneously hilarious and touching. The version I have on tape includes the outtake footage of Peter Sellers trying to deliver a line in a hospital bed and cracking himself up (the line never made it into the movie). Also, there are a number of Illuminati references.

4) Harold and Maude - Another film that makes me laugh and feel sad at the same time. Harold is a depressed young man whose wealthy mother would like him to just find a nice girl to settle down with. He stages numerous extravagant and gory fake suicides, drives a hearse, and goes to funerals for people he doesn't know. He meets and falls in love with Maude, an 80-year old woman with a zest for life that balances his own moodiness. One of my favorite things about this movie is the jaguar that Harold's mom buys him after selling his hearse... and he retrofits it a bit and turns it into a jaguar-hearse.

3) Wise Blood - Based on a novel by Flannery O'Connor and directed by Jhon Huston (that's how they spelled his name in the credits for this one!). For those of you that like Ministry, this movie seems to be a popular source of samples ("Nobody with a good car needs to be justified!" "Where you come from is gone, where you thought you were going weren't never there at all, and where you are ain't no good unless you can get away from it." etc. etc.). Hazel Motes returns from the war and has been ambiguously injured somehow so he receives a pension from the government. Nobody's left when he gets home so he moves to the "big city" of Taulkingham. At first he denies being a preacher even though everybody thinks he is one. Then he founds the Church of God without Christ ("Where the blind don't see and the lame don't walk and the dead stays that way!") and begins preaching it on the street. I can't even explain the plot in a short enough space to keep this going, but it's very worth seeing (even with the stupid comic relief subplot with Enoch Emery).

2) Dead Man - Jim Jarmusch directed it and it stars Johnny Depp and Gary Farmer with a number of cool cameos (including Robert Mitchum, Iggy Pop, and Billy Bob Thornton). Johnny Depp takes a train to the town of Machine where he's supposed to become an accountant, but he arrives to late and finds himself jobless. After using the last of his money to buy booze he hooks up with a local barmaid. Her jealous ex-boyfriend finds them in bed together and shoots them both (killing her and injuring Depp) and Depp shoots him. It turns out that he's the son of the guy who mostly owns the town who places a fee on Depp's head so he flees town. Soon he meets a native american named "Nobody" who believes him to be a reincarnation of the famous poet William Blake (it's also Depp's character's name) who brings him on his journey to the grave. It's one of the films that always renews my love for the moving image and stark/contrasty black and white.

1) El Dia de la Bestia (The Day of the Beast) - Probably the greatest apocalyptic horror-comedy ever made in Spain. Alex de la Iglesia is a foreign director that inexplicably hasn't been discovered by Hollywood yet. Every one of his films that I've seen is absolutely hilarious (Accion Mutante, Common Wealth). Father Angel Beriartua has discovered the date and time of the birth of the antichrist, but he doesn't know the location yet (though he suspects it will be in Madrid). He moves to Madrid in order to become a sinner so that he can convince the devil of his sincerity when he offers to sell his soul to gain knowledge of the location of the antichrist's birth. The initial scenes of him sinning crack me up every time. He hooks up with a heavy metal fan and a television psychic along the way. There are some genuinely creepy moments mixed in with all of the comedy.

0) The Dark Backward - OK. So I already have 5. Shoot me. I thought of this one too. Judd Nelson plays Marty Malt, a garbage man with a night job as a comedian - probably the world's worst comedian. Bill Paxton plays his best friend Gus who is also a garbageman who eats trash and plays the accordion. Lara Flynn Boyle is his girlfriend. Gus meets a talent agent named Jackie Chrome (played by Wayne Newton) who hates Marty... until a third arm grows out of his back. I'm not even fucking kidding. This movie also seems to have been made to be a cult classic. The production design is incredible - every single item in the movie looks greasy/slimy and the Blump's products/advertising are legendary (in fact, they've appeared in every Adam Rifkin movie made since this one). It's not a very good movie by any means, but I love it and if you're like most people you'll hate it.

1. "Alice"
An interpretation of Alice In Wonderland, filmed mostly in stop-motion, by czech surrealist Jan Svankmajer. He uses animal bones, meat, and weird objects to portray the characters in this film.



for example this horse and carraige is done with chicken bodies and rodent skulls (in the movie the chickens "neigh" like horses)... It's my favorite movie ever. It's very dark and strange. Giant pieces of steak come to life and crawl around the room. The caterpillar is a large sock with human teeth, who sews his eyes shut when he goes to sleep.


2. "Hard Core Logo"
Canadian film by Bruce McDonald, based on the book. It's a fake documentary of a fake Canadian punk band's last tour, kinda like Spinal Tap. It's really funny, and fucked up, and smart. It features Hugh Dillon of Headstones fame, and it's where that band "Billy Talent" got their name from (the fictional guitarist in Hard Core Logo's name is Billy Talent)... Oh and it also features that guy with the weird face who plays A.A. Milne in that Canadian Heritage Moments commercial for the creation of Winnie The Pooh. You know who i'm talkin' about.

the rest of my favorites are a tie:

3. "White Oleander"
Based on the book by Janet Fitch. At first I didn't want to watch this because I figured it looked like a total chick-flick. It's not. It may be about the lives of women, but it's by no means a light and fluffy movie. The story follows the life of a girl whose melodramatic, pretentious artist mother is convicted of a murder. The daughter is sent from foster home to foster home, in and out of juvenile centers, she's shot and abused and kicked around while constantly being barraged with insane letters from her mom. It's a fascinating, disturbing movie, and the book is even better because it goes into way more detail. Plus the movie leaves a lot of the book out.



4. "The Dark Crystal"
I think everyone's seen the dark crystal. No explanation needed.


5. "The Labirynth"
yeah um. david bowie. hello.

(I love Alice - have you seen any of Svankmajer's other stuff like Faust? Also, if you haven't seen their stuff yet I highly recommend checking out the Brothers Quay. There are a few collections of their work available and a lot of it is done in homage to Svankmajer)

Alice... hoo boy.

I remember being in the hospital for a week and a half when my appendectomy went wrong. I was on Demerol in a big way, and I was having trouble sleeping. So, one night I was watching Teletoon, I think, pretty late at night. And Alice comes on. I'll never forget it. I had never heard of this guy before but I was totally stunned by his work.

On top of that, I was totally doped up on demerol. Quite the experience. Thanks for reminding me about that piece, Richelle. I'd like to try to track down a version on DVD or VHS.

C.

Posted by EatsTooMuchJam (I love Alice - have you seen any of Svankmajer's other stuff like Faust? Also, if you haven't seen their stuff yet I highly recommend checking out the Brothers Quay. There are a few collections of their work available and a lot of it is done in homage to Svankmajer)

yep (it never fails that someone will bring up brothers quay whenever i mention svankmajer) they are good too. I've got the complete short films of jan svankmajer on DVD.

Posted by Crossfire Alice... hoo boy. I remember being in the hospital for a week and a half when my appendectomy went wrong. I was on Demerol in a big way, and I was having trouble sleeping. So, one night I was watching Teletoon, I think, pretty late at night. And Alice comes on. I'll never forget it. I had never heard of this guy before but I was totally stunned by his work. On top of that, I was totally doped up on demerol. Quite the experience. Thanks for reminding me about that piece, Richelle. I'd like to try to track down a version on DVD or VHS. C.

i can't even begin to imagine how fucked up that must have been. you know you can get it on DVD:

http://www.amazon....815?v=glance&s=dvd

Posted by The Hitman's Daughter I've got the complete short films of jan svankmajer on DVD.

You've got? You gave it to me for Christmas!

Posted by thirstysandwich You've got? You gave it to me for Christmas!

he's got, then. sheesh. it's sitting right behind me on the shelf.

Posted by thirstysandwich You've got? You gave it to me for Christmas!

If you're getting married, you have to get used to "What's yours is ours, and what's mine is my own."

My Top Five Movies...
mine are mainstream, but a little strange, and old...

5.)Alien (1979)- This movie froze in my mind what a sci-fi/horror movie SHOULD be. I love the way that the Nostromo was shot, almost as if it was a character in its own right. Also, I definitely enjoyed the technology and life aspect of it. The characters weren't soldiers, adventurers, or astronauts... just a bunch of working stiffs dragging cargo from point a to point b. Also, I feel that each movie in the series held on to the basic theme of that. Aliens was a little over the top, but who could resist Bill Paxton going, "GAME OVER, MAN! JUST GAME OVER!!!"

4.)Mad Max (1979)- this actually is not a popular movie with my circle of friends. They felt it too boring, and not enough action. I don't really know what it is about this movie that I like so much. Sure the cars are awesome, and the idea is cool. Over on the Mad Max forum, there has been much hair-pulling and chest-thumping over having a remake of the original Mad Max. There is even talk of a 4th installment. What would Max be driving in it, though? A walker? A wheelchair?

3.)Star Wars- Come on! X-Wing fighters, Death Stars and Han Solo? Oh my. This was the coolest movie I had ever seen!

2.)here we have a tie!!! Vanishing Point/Two Lane Blacktop/Corvette Summer- arguable two of the best 'car guy' movies ever made. For those who have never seen Vanishing Point, please go rent it, buy it, steal it, download it. If you love going fast, defying authority, and just being early 70's cool, this is an awesome movie. Two-Lane Blacktop is another obscure car movie that is just following two guys and their 55 Chevy 210 around as they race everyone. And the final tie for 2nd is Corvette Summer which had Mark Hammil (think Luke Skywalker) in it as a guy chasing his Corvette around after it had been stolen. It was fluffy, but fun and its funny moments. The Corvette is definitely 70's cheeze... but we love that flavor of cheeze.

1.)Running Scared (Gregory Hines and Billy Crystal)- my friend Lou and I have watched this movie over and over and over and over again... We can quote lines from this movie left and right. I think this is my favorite because it is so much fun and has so many good one liners from it. Fun.

Honorable mentions:
Event Horizon
Soldier
Raiders Of The Lost Ark
Original Stars Wars trilogy
The matrix/ reload/ revolutions
Me, myself & Irene (most of it was filmed near here)
session 9 (duh!)
the shining (here's Johnny!!!)
natural born killers
the core

anyways,
Samurai

Tough to put in only 5... so i would probably go back on it, i will try not to forget some, which will inevitably happen

1. Alien

I put the first one here, but the series is my fave horror/sci-fi movies of all time. I wish there was more interesting movies like this coming out, instead of crap like the 6th day with schwarzenegger... One of my friends complaint about the first alien is that "action" doesnt happen before the 50th minute or so...
Who cares? A commercial ship in space wakes up its crew automatically upon receiving radio transmission of alien origin, they land on an alien planet to try to find out what it is, find a authentic looking alien spacecraft, go exploring it cautiously. They find the pilot of this ship, an alien creature much taller than a human, and theres a hole in his ribcage!! And and... WOW!!! Sci-fi thats taken seriously, and well made, is the best type of movies i can ever wish for.

2. Europa Europa

A movie about a jewish youth who enrolls into the hitler youth to hide the fact that he is jewish, and all his perilous adventures throughout WW2. Based on a true story, fantastic movie.

3. The vanishing (french/dutch version)

Psychological thriller. A guy stops for gas at a "pit stop" somewhere on the highway in the french alps, goes to the toilet and discovers that his girlfriend has dissapeared when he returns. He goes nuts. He goes to plaster towns with "have you seen this girl?" flyers, eventually catching the attention of TV people who interview him, where he asks the kidnapper to contact him, which he does. Ill stop there for people who havent seen it, really well made movie that grabs you in and doesnt let go until the final moments. DO NOT rent the american, hollywoodized version of this movie, with kiefer sutherland, which is lame compared to the original. Or rent it after youve seen the original to see how much hollywood can take a good movie and turn it into mushy goo.


4. Run lola run (lola rennt , germany)

A movie about the randomity of life. In this life, you forgot about the six pack of beer you had to buy, went back to the store to get it, and a huge piano fell where you would have been standing if you didnt go back to get it. In another life, you didnt think about it and died crushed under a piano. Great movie.

5. Dawn of the dead (original)

My only complaint about this movie is that the makeup looks dated. From that cops who goes nuts and starts killing everyone in the building, to the rednecks laughing, drinkin thermoses of cofee and sniping zombies for fun, to the perfect location to wait out a zombie plague, this movie is great!

Well, I'm feeling kind of lazy so I don't think I'll put them in order, but my top five probably are

The Empire Strikes Back
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Ran
Rashomon
eh... hard to narrow down a fifth one, so, Silence of the Lambs, Kill Bill, Once upon a Time in the West, Glory, Lawrence of Arabia, and The Shawshank Redemption.

there so many good ones out their

I LOVE = SESSION 9

passing stones
another day in paradise
lonestar state of mind
american history x
ghost dog
lock stock and two smoking barrels


i have so many more favorite movies, i love documentarys like micheal moore's films, my fave is 'the big one' ofcourse 'farenheit9/11' is great. so is 'bowling for columbine', also the independent film channel is awsome so is sundance, i dont watch many movies but am always watching those channels.


directors
i love the majkowski bros
and the hughes bros(from hell)
michael moore

and obviously
-scarface, goodfellas, donnie brasco, blow......all those mob flicks violence is always fun...in movies!!!

i have so many more ill post a few other when i can think of them.

hrmm top 5

requim for a dream
trainspotting
shawshank redemption
murder in the first
kids