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| My favorite films | Patrickhat's Universe of Unique Content --------------------- |
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| Films --Composite list of best films --My favorite films Vegetarian Stuff --Veggies in films Video Games --Unisystem Page --------------------- Homepage Patrickhat's Home Patrickhat@yahoo.com --------------------- |
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| The best films make one think by presenting a grand statement and/or by creative virtuosity. Here's a list of films that got my neurons firing to the highest degree. |
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| All Quiet on the Western Front (1930) A pacifist war film--questions the motives of those who support war yet have never experienced it. Does a good job of showing the inhumanities of armed conflict. Even cooler is that it's a Hollywood film about WWI told from the side of German infantrymen. American Beauty (1999) Explores sexuality and the search for happiness in one's life. Annie Hall (1977) A Romantic comedy full of hilarious and creative scenes of two unconventional people falling in love and out of it. Apocalypse Now (1979) My favorite war film. Effort oozes from every visual and audio detail and it sports a very surreal atmosphere. Baraka (1992) A tour of the most beautiful and amazing scenes on earth--natural, manmade and mankind itself. Shot in over twenty countries it is overwhelming both in beauty and scope. Casablanca (1942)--A man must choose between love and his ideals--features a great story and dialog although the camera work is a little plain. Casino (1995) It's a shame that this film has been overlooked by many because of its similarity to Goodfellas. Its similarities include a great story, cinamatography and editing. Clerks (1994) Portrays current day sexual and relational practices with sick (and hilarious) jokes and attempts to find an understanding of them. Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) I remember how I hated this film when I was younger. What once seemed like a boring slow paced film now seems to me a convincing portrayal of a man looking for meaning in his life that just happens to include aliens from another planet. Do the Right Thing (1989) Race relations take center stage in this film from Spike Lee. African American members of a community choose between violence or pacifism to achieve their desire for acceptance. Double Indemnity (1944) Noir film that provides a demonstration of how people can do something considered immoral if given the right reasons. The Empire Strikes Back (1980) I didn't like this film when I was younger--I always found the original Star Wars more interesting. Now I realize the its depth and find it much more enjoyable than any other film in the franchise. The English Patient (1996) An epic love story set during and after WWII. Eyes Wide Shut (1999) Not soft-core pornography--it is an essay on the morals of sexuality--ignore the orgy scene at the end of the film and it's easy to see this. Fantasia (1940) Pure visual creativity. While the film does move slowly it stands as amazing work of animation wizardry that gets the creative juices flowing. Fight Club (1999) Another misunderstood film. Less a masochistic fantasy then an essay on consumerism and finding a new, if still imperfect way of living. Forrest Gump (1994) It is so fun to see the character of Forrest is woven into the history of later 20th century America. The Fugitive (1993) A smart, believable thriller/detective story. The Game (1997) Is it just a game or if there something more devious going on? Go (1999) Called by some the son of Pulp Fiction (grandson of Rasomon--the first film to use different viewpoints of the same event--would be more accurate). The story is fun and smart and the cinamatography shows good attention to detail except for a few slapdash scenes. Gone with the Wind (1939) An epic soap opera romance set in the American south. Sports great cinematography. Goodfellas (1990) Mob film spanning a man's career in the mafia. The Graduate (1967) College graduate has affair with woman next door, then falls for her daughter. Many funny and touching moments ensue. Happiness (1998) I'm ashamed to have this film on my list because it's sick and twisted. Yet that's the point--it shows the dark side of humanity with frankness. Likely the most disgusting film I've ever seen, but also very thought provoking and well put together. It's a Wonderful Life (1946) About film about morality and friendship it is also smarter and has a darker atmosphere than the holiday advertisements would have you remember. J.F.K. (1991) Portrays the assignation of J.F.K. as a huge government coup and cover up. Whether the activities portrayed in the film are accurate or not is contested but even if they are false this film would still stand as a brilliant twisting of truth. L.A. Confidential (1997) This is likely my favorite film of all. It boasts a multi-faceted mystery story that will have you contemplating each character's motivations for days. Lawrence of Arabia (1962) An epic film about war and growth. Leaving Los Vegas (1995) A prostitute tries to save a man whose trying to drink himself to death. Can she give him what is takes to keep on living? Powerful and humane. Memento (2000) If you want to test your own short term memory watch this film about a man who's lost the ability to retain his own and is looking for the killer of his murdered wife. Ingenious. Nashville (1975) Interesting to watch in order to see how the twenty-four characters interact with each other around a turbulent time during the seventies in Nashville, Tennessee. Ninja Scroll (1995) An anime film. Contains great fight scenes and an interesting story in which two heroes must outsmart and outfight seven villains with special powers. Not for the faint of heart as it features lots of gore. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) Overwhelms with visual creativity and leaves one aghast to think of how much effort must have went into pulling it off. North by Northwest (1959) Hitchcock's best film in my opinion and what makes it so is its creative and fun story. Not to mention the flawlessly executed scenes shot in the studio with orange screen that add to the surreal atmosphere of the film. Ordinary People (1980) Stellar psychological drama about finding meaning in life. The Quiet Man (1952) Except for the "Here's a stick to beat your wife with" line near the end of the film I really enjoyed this love story set in rural Ireland. Features drop dead gorgeous scenery. Payback (1999) Smart action film about a man getting revenge on those who double-crossed him. Pulp Fiction (1994) Somewhat overrated in my opinion but it's still one of my favorites if mainly for the dialogue and subject matter. Psycho (1960) A well-conceived noir thriller from Hitchcock. Rear Window (1954) Another thriller from Hitchcock. Not entirely convincing in that the every room of the suspected killers apartment can be seen from the one vantage point of photographer's apartment but admirable because other aspects of the film seem believable. Saving Private Ryan (1998) Very powerful film noted for its gory, realistic battle scenes. Unfortunately it features a somewhat cheesy premise and a beginning that runs like a highlight real of odd ways that people could die during the D-Day Invasion at Normandy. But otherwise this is solid gold filmmaking. Schindler's List (1993) Few films can compete with the power of this one. Just watch it, that's all I can say. Seven (1995) Great suspense thriller that challenges the viewer to put the pieces together before it's too late. The Shawshank Redemption (1994) A man saves himself and others through knowledge. Silence of the Lambs (1991) Another great suspense thriller. Sunrise (1927) So powerful--I never thought I would get goose bumps from a silent film. Taxi Driver (1976) A psychological thriller that has you wondering whose side the main character is on. Titanic (1997) Say what you want about the dialog, this is a great film. Part romantic adventure, part disaster movie and also one of the most ambitious films yet made. Traffic (2000) Nice multi-faceted view of the illicit drug business. Trainspotting (1996) At times hilarious, at others depressing it follows a character and his search for meaning in his life in a world of heroine addiction. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) What I want to know is how in the heck these special effects were pulled off in 1968. It also tackles the destiny of mankind--a lofty subject if there ever was one. The Usual Suspects (1995) Seems like a conventional gangster story in the beginning but turns out to be more interesting and thought provoking as it moves on. West Side Story (1961) About time a musical showed up on this list isn't it? This story preserves the Romeo and Juliet tradition almost perfectly, but its high budget betrays its premise. The places where these supposedly poor children live look on par with the insides of upper-middle class residences and there clothes look much too clean to belong to poor hoodlums. Besides that, it's a great film sporting some cool visual effects and songs. Wild Strawberries (1957)--A retired doctor confronts his inner demons about his relationships with his family and the common man he has let wane during his career. |
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