Top 10 Movies

The following are my Top 10 Movies of all time:

1. Last of the Mohicans: I honestly can't give you a truthful assessment of why this is my favorite movie of all time. It just is. Maybe some things in this world are better left unexplained.


2. The Princess Bride: Barely missed being #1. Seen it 50 times and could see it 50 more. The sheer quantity of classic lines from it is unheralded.
   


3. Rattle and Hum: U2 in their prime. Post-Joshua Tree, but pre-Zooropa/Popmart. A great look into the soul of a band on the brink of becoming a music icon.


4. Three Amigos: Another 80's classic that I could watch 50 more times. The Singing Bush. The Invisible Swordsman. El Guapo. My Little Buttercup. And a plethora of memorable lines...


5. Ocean's 11: A classic heist flick mixed with an awesome ensemble cast: George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Andy Garcia, Don Cheadle, Elliot Gould. Unfortunately, Ocean's 12 and 13 couldn't live up to the original--I mean, the re-make of the original...or...well, you know what I mean.
   


6. Good Will Hunting: One in a series of fantastic performances by Matt Damon (Rounders, Bourne Identity, Ocean's 11, etc.). Unfortunately, Ben Affleck's first and last good performance.


7. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory: I'm not joking—this is a classic. So much so that I refuse to see the Johnny Depp-remake despite being a big fan of his.


8. Fahrenheit 9/11: I'm not a Democrat. I'm not a Republican. Heck, I've never even voted before. But this movie shocks you with its deep dive into the American political machine, big business, and the use of propaganda to drive an agenda.


9. Top Gun (or Jerry Maguire): Putting aside his recent insanity, I had to pick at least one Tom Cruise movie for the list. Hate him all you want, he's a fantastic actor with several billion dollars in box office billings to back up his talent. But in the end, I genuinely couldn't decide between early "Risky Business" Cruise or later "Mission Impossible" Cruise--so I chose both.


10. Groundhog Day (or Click): The older I get, the more I realize how much I enjoy movies that shake my core, that leave me walking out of the theater in a completely different frame of mind than when I walked in. Being that the premise of both movies is effectively the same--"What would you do if you suddenly became immortal?"--I chose them both. Although Click better drives home the point that speed begets speed and the faster we go through life, the faster life passes us by.

Just Missed the List: Rounders, Rent, Moulin Rouge, The Professional, The Great Escape, A Christmas Story, Spaceballs, Blackhawk Down, Usual Suspects, A Christmas Story, Love Actually.