Film is Pwn

By John M. Zurak (aka JMZ)

This is an overdue effort on my behalf, which is the official response to Tom Stephens and Daniel Roo’s video post on their favorite movies of all time. After mocking them about some of their choices I am know rightly allowing myself to be ridiculed. (Excellent!!!!)

To reiterate this is not the best movie list of all time. There are some great movies that I will never count as personal favs. (For example Schindler’s List is genius but I watched it once and won’t want to again.)

That’s not to say this is a list without movies of depth. However this is a list of personal taste. So you won’t only find films regarded as the all time best movies (though some did make it on mine). But a film like Taxi Driver (over rated) or Raging Bull (which was well made, but once is enough thank you very much) or Citizen Kane (its okay I guess, but really the best of all time?) would never make my list. Why because after seeing them once, once was enough!

This is rather a personal list of movies I love watching over and over again.

These are movies that also affected my life, which means some movies I grew up with made my list, but they still have to hold up. (So the Tranformers cartoon movie from 25 years ago did not make the list.)

Some are obvious, some are, well….. stupid, and that’s okay. They will tell you something about me. These are movies that speak to me on some level. So unlike Tom and Daniel I do have movie that make me laugh. And no you won’t find any Hobbit’s in my list.

• Movies that just missed the list for me….Wall-E would have been 22. If I was doing this list next year it probably be close to my top 10 ( a fantastic film), and Pirates of the Caribbean would be 21 (Hey movies are allowed to just be stupid mindless fun, and Johnny Deep as Captain Jack” where has all the rum gone?” Sparrow was genius.

In any regards, let the list begin…

20. Shine (1996) -rotten tomatoes rating 90%
The movie that introduce Jeffrey Rush to the world. His performance won him best actor and stirred the classical musical world in his depiction of David Helfgott, whose brilliance of the piano (though debatable amongst purists) overcomes a illness of the mind.

19. The Princess Bride (1987) -rotten tomatoes rating 95%
Inconceivable! I somehow came across this movie late in my life and I feel cheated. One of the funniest movies ever made. Inconceivable!

18. Babe (1995) - rotten tomatoes rating 98%

Yes Babe! I don’t care if you think this is a kids movie. (You knew I’d have to have some Aussie movies in this list.) It’s brilliant. It was nominated for an Academy Award as Best Picture, and it has singing mice. “blue moon, I saw you standing along….!!!!” What else do you need??!!! In all seriousness, it had a very understated feeling which is very typically Australian. Made be proud to be from there.

17.Hoosiers (1987) - rotten tomatoes rating 90%
The best sports movie of all time. And I’m a huge basketball fan. Its been copied dozens of times, but never as well.

16. Fiddler on the Roof (1971) - rotten tomatoes rating 88%
If I was a rich man, yadadadada. A musical that continues to stir the souls of people around the world. This film honored the famous musical well. Topel was brilliant as the father who has five daughters at the time of Pre-Russian Revolution.

15. Finding Neverland (2004) - rotten tomatoes rating 83%

While Johnny Deep has made more popular and better films, as someone who tries to write I am fascinated how this film depicts the creation of the Peter Pans stories from mind to paper and then the stage.

14. The Iron Giant (1999) - rotten tomatoes rating 97%

A truly underrated cartoon, which funnily most people don’t think of when thinking of their favorites. But I love this story of friendship and loyalty. It is a great film that for some reason included some PG language thus robbing it of being required childhood viewing. But brilliant neither-the-less.

13. The Pianist - (2002) - rotten tomatoes rating 95%

There have been so many great World War II movies. The reason I included this over lets say Schindler’s List (which is a master piece) is that it focused so much on the individual unique suffering as apposed to the overall war. If you imagine this one story and multiple it by 100 million you understand the full grief of this war. The Pianist showed for me how unfair and fragile life can be, and yet how kindness can thrive in a cruel world if it is coupled with courage. It was like an adult version of the Diary of Ann Frank.

12. Indiana Jones the Last Crusade (1989) - rotten tomatoes rating 89%

My favorite of the series (which in hindsight should have been the last of the series), and was a great improvement on the mediocre Temple of Doom. It went back to its original roots and included Indy’s dad, played brilliantly by Sean Connery. Harrison Ford, playing Indy and Han was really the man.

11.The Magnificent Seven (1960) rotten tomatoes rating - 93%

John Sturgis remark of the Seven Samurai I think is better and more enjoyable (and not as long thank goodness). This is my favorite cowboy movie. Yul Brenner leads the pack of men that protect a border Mexican town from a mob of bandits terrorizing them. Loved Steve McQueen too.
10. Bill and Ted’s excellent Adventure (1989) - rotten tomatoes rating 81%

Strange things are afoot at the Circle K. Yes its in my top ten. Look everyone has stupid movie that they swear by. Ironically its a stupid movie that has a pretty intelligent script ( Whoa!) I love this movie and I am not ashamed by that (most righteous!) Keanu Reeves performance and his facial expressions just cracks me up every time. A stoner movie with not the stoning, these lovable idiots were (are), dare I say it, EXCELLENT!

9. Star wars: A New Hope (1977)- rotten tomatoes rating 95%

The movie that started in all in shaping my childhood. In my expert opinion if you lived in the late 70’s and in the 80’s and weren’t influenced by the Star Wars trilogy you were a dork that didn’t really live. And I still stand by this.
8. Monsters inc (2001) - rotten tomatoes rating 95%

Everyone has their favorite Pixar. Well, this is mine. As a father of a little girl how could I not fall in love with Kitty and Boo. Wall-E might be smarter, and Finding Nemo maybe funnier but Monsters Inc is my favorite simply because it is what it is about and the fact I have watched dozens of time with my five year old little daughter. Yes, to answer your question we have played Kitty and Boo in our house for hours as a result of her viewing this film!. I haven’t got tired of it yet.

7. On the Waterfront - (1954) - rotten tomatoes rating 100%

Marlon Brando in his best performance. This gripping tale of heartland America shows that Brando’s character was more than just a contender. He was the peoples champ. This was a tough, raw movie finds regular Joe’s defeating their insecurities and overcoming the mob. Karl Malden performance as he street smart Priest was right up with Brando’s performance.

6.To kill a mockingbird (1962) - rotten tomatoes rating 97%

Never has such a brilliant book been so well translated to the screen. This meaningful tail that does not pull any punches, but still is not callous in depicting small town USA as it battles to overcome the demons of prejudices. It is a coming of age story which follows the story the youngest Finch child who learns about her prejudices and misgivings of their father, their neighbor and of the nation she lives in as well.

5. Crouching tiger, hidden dragon (1999) - rotten tomatoes rating 97%

Visually stunning. Acrobatic amazing. This is the best of Chinese Theater put to film. The breathtaking filming by Ang Lee left me captivated, and has continued to do so. I am drawn to this film on many levels beyond just the sword play which is beyond verbs of recognition. The underlining theme of how societies structure though there to project us can keep us from what we need most creates an underpinning of sadness that is echo by Yo Yo Ma’s performance of the score. The film is beautiful, the use of the script so understated, which it needed to be considering how flamboutant is its chorography. The movie is a tour de force.

4. Casablanca (1942) -rotten tomatoes rating 98% (one idiot said he didn’t like it)

What strikes me about this movie, is not how many great performances there are, because everyone was perfect in this film, and that how many memorable phrases there are in this movie for there are dozens, and not how great the story is because it is fantastic, but honestly after not watching it for a few years ( to my shame), I forgot how brilliant funny, and sharply witty (almost sarcastic) this movie was. For a drama almost all wannabe comedy writers could take some lessons for this movie. The movies dialogue is so fast paced you get a new wow, did he just say that moment every time. If this was a best movies of all time list this would be it for me.

3. Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (1980) - rotten tomatoes rating 97%

This movie changed my young life. It is in fact my earliest memory of going to the movies. I was Han Solo for two years after seeing this movie. The best of the series, and a movie for me that proved the sequel can be better the brilliant original.

2. Life is beautiful (1998) - rotten tomatoes rating 77%

Some see Benigni’s performance as over the top- and to that I can understand, if not somewhat agree. But, the story is so amazing to me. The notion to that despite the awful surroundings that we can find the joy in life and our loves, is more powerful than any anything I have seen on film. It didn’t hurt that the first 45 minutes is as funny as anything I have seen on film as Benigni’s Prince Charming type gets his girl. Contrast this with the evil of World War II as it grips the world and the film shows that there are different types of happily ever after, even in hell on earth. I have no problem saying I cry at the end of this movie every time.

1. Great Escape (1963) - rotten tomatoes rating 91%

For me this is guilty pleasure. So many old school stars from England and Hollywood all in the same movie. Every character was so strong and each played such an important part in its very success. This is man’s man movie. Steve McQueen was the ultimate rebel in a time when rebels were required heroes, but I loves James Garner’s character in the this movie as the kind scrounger. A great blockbuster, and my favourite MOVIE OF ALL TIME!!!!

Well….. not a bad list if I do say so myself, and not a bad pick the bunch!!!!! let the disagreement begin.