My Top 10 Films of All Time

Being asked what is my favorite of all time is the equivalent of asking someone to name their favorite child. I am such an avid lover of film that narrowing down a top five, three, or let alone even one is too difficult.Each film has its unique atmosphere as well as its diversity of funny, quirky, and jaw dropping moments. What exactly makes a movie memorable and loved throughout time. I believe that it is what appeals to the viewer. One person may love the dialogue of a certain flick, while another may love the sets and action pieces. The important thing about movies is that the audience is always different.

A great deal of people view films like Gone with the Wind, The Wizard of Oz, or The Godfather Part 2 to be some of the greatest films of all time. To be honest, I don’t blame them. Those movies are classics in their own right. They have a mix of beauty, great characters, great actors, and for some, a great deal of suspense. The top ten list that I am about to unveil is not a top ten list of the greatest movies ever made. As I have disclosed before, a list of great movies will differ depending on the person. One person may say that Alien is the greatest film ever made, while another may say The Hangover is the greatest. My list of films are picked because of how they make me feel. These are the type of movies that make me giddy every time I watch them. I don’t mind watching them again and again, and if I see catch it channel surfing, then you I must finish it.

I would of loved to put a top 100 of my favorite films of all time that I consider the best. However, there is no time, nor space to make that happen. Maybe if I do a part two or three than maybe so, in the future. What this list will adhere to is how many times I have watched it and how they make me feel. I have done my best to keep one film to a genre in order to give a sense of diversity.

10. Jaws/ Jaws 2

I am cheating on this one, but not having part one without part 2 is like a sin. Jaws is a film that takes place on the fictional tourist island of Amity. Jaws follows a nearly appointed, yet bewildered police chief as he tries to rid the island of a giant man eating shark. He must then join forces with a grizzled fisherman and a shark expert in order to destroy the beast. Jaws 2 follows the same police chief, Chief Brody, as he tries to convince Amity Island that there is indeed another shark, as well as going about saving his two sons and there friends from the beast’s jaws.

These two films are so classic and fun that I must always watch them back to back. I highly suggest watching them on vacation at the beach. What the first film brings to the audience is a sense of dread and suspense. You never ever see the shark until the final half hour. Jaws and Jaws 2 are highly relate-able. What would you do if you were police chief or what would you do if your children were in danger because of a shark?

What I love about Jaws is that is has a great sense of adventure. The audience generally love seeing the three main different characters act together and go on a wild boat ride in order to kill the shark. The use of filming on the actual high seas only bring forwards a greater sense of adventure. These are memorable characters and they keep you laughing and on the edge of your seat up until the last act. When the shark finally gets it in the end of both films, you find yourself cheering. What makes this film great is the lead role of Martin Brody. As a father and Police Chief, his role as an outsider can come across as the every man. You all knew this person and very well may be this person.

Jaws 2 may not be as good of the first (mainly because of how cheap the shark looks), but the appearance of Martin Brody and its sense of originality and adventure keep it going.By far the greatest part of each film is John Williams deep and foreboding score. This score identifies itself as a shark. It low and repetitive beats are sure to send chills running down your spine. There are also whimsical parts of his score that have you feeling as if you are in this adventure. Clearly both films are not ones to miss.

9. Gladiator

Gladiator is historic fiction that portrays the Moses story on a Spanish general by the name of Maximus Decimus Meridius. As his family is murdered, he must win the crowd of Rome within the Rome Colosseum and defeat the emperor that murdered his family.

Gladiator may be another rehashing of a classic story, but it is the score, sets, and acting of Joaquin Phoenix and Russel Crowe that completely set the stage. The score of Gladiator is very angelic and adventurous that has you on a journey of awe and sadness. You want the bad guy to be destroyed and you want the good guy (Russel Crowe) to win and be with his family once more. When the action music comes on, you feel as if you are in the picture.

Russel Crowe gives a subtle yet moving performance and Joaquin Phoenix gives a wickedly evil one as well. The audience generally loves the characters and feel as if they are real. The action is another point that makes the realism of film escape the screen. The action is so intense and gritty that one must wonder how they pull it off.

8. The Way Way Back

This film is one that I will and have to watch two or three times in a row. this coming of age tale follows Duncan as he joins his distant mother and her awful boyfriend on a vacation to his shore house. Here he befriends a water park employee named Owen and learns to make the best of his life and have fun.

There is nothing more to this film than it being relatable. We all have that point in our lives where we feel alone and just need a friend. Sam Rockwell gives a fun and heartwarming performance as that friend we all wish we had. The Way Way Back makes me feel warm after every viewing. You, as the audience, grow with the character of Duncan and see many life defining scenes, such as his first love and first job, through his eyes. The ending is defiantly not one to miss as Sam Rockwell will leave you with tears of sadness and joy. The last act of the film is something that had me stand and clap because f how happy and beautiful it was. I can now say that I cannot look at a water slide the same.

7. The Searchers

In more ways than one, The Searchers is the one great, true western of all time. This film follows John Wayne as Ethan Edwards, on a never ending trail to find his his niece who was once captured by Indians. You learn to love, root for, hate, and admire the character of Ethan because of his choices and obstacles he must face. The last action scene of the film as well as the last scene overall, is actually quite stunning, suspenseful and uplifting. The audience finds itself on a journey of its own and growing as Ethan does.

This film is also beautiful. The bright colored and grand way that this film was shot makes the viewer feel as if they are in the picture. I felt as if I was trotting along in the snow thinking if I would ever find my niece and I found myself riding and defending myself on the prairie. The Searchers is the type of film in which on one knows what would happen next, but they all root for the heroes. The end is one of the biggest pay offs in film history.

6. The Birdcage

This film is one of the funniest films as well as one of the most heartwarming and dramatic ones. The Birdcage follows two lifelong partners, Armand and Albert, two night club owners, being forced to play it straight for their son as his fiance and her ultraconservative parents arrive. The late Robin Williams and Nathan Lane magnificently play gay partners and their chemistry is irresistible. You actually believe that these two people have been together for years and love each other very much. Armand (Williams) is the more stern one and Albert (Lane) is the more sensitive of the two and they play off each other perfectly.

The Birdcage is one of those rare films that will have you crying tears of happiness and sadness. It is a moving picture as well as a crazy one. We all have that time in our life that we must put on a mask in order to impress someone else. The last act of the movie is utter laughs and pure disaster as the Albert, Armand, his son, and the manservant must put on a convincing act for the parents. The audience feels a huge sense of disaster and panic as they gay couple strives to putting on the show of their lives.

The scenes of Nathan Lane dressing in drag in order to fool the hard nosed parents will have you in tears. The last ten minutes are tense, funny, and suspenseful.

5. Night of the Hunter

This film is both gorgeous and chilling. It is reminiscent of a tale told around the campfire, a cautionary tale told to children. This 1950’s black and white masterpiece follows psychopathic preacher, Harry Powell (Robert Michum), chase down a pair of children in order to recover hidden money in the rural parts of West Virginia.

The two greatest things about this film is the lead role of serial killer Harry Powell and the atmosphere. Robert Mitchum plays such a fantastic and eerie serial killer that I refused to leave my house after watching this film. Mitchum plays the part of a man with the words Love and Hate tattooed to his knuckles to a tee. You know this character means business and that he will stop at nothing to get the money. He has already killed a number of woman and the fact that children are at risk puts the audience’s fears to an extreme. Harry Powell moves slow, but his quite and cold expressions are nightmarish.

The setting and atmosphere of this picture are eerie and chilling. It feels lie it came out of a lucid and unreal dream. It takes part in the south, so the wide landscapes make it as if you cannot escape. The one scene of the preacher on a far away horse is both surreal and beautiful. This film is one to watch on a multiple viewings right before bed.

4. Titanic

Face it, we all know this story. You either love or hate this film. There is no facing it, Titanic is a grand masterpiece as well as one of the highest grossing movies of all time. This is a fantastic tale and one of the greatest love stories of all time. Why? We all wish we had our own Jack Dawson or Rose Dewitt Bukater.

This film finds two lovers, one a spoiled rich teen, and the other a poor, happy go luck artist, falling in love on one of the biggest disasters of all time. Titanic is such a masterpiece because of its ability to balance real life drama and fictional drama all in one sitting. The audience is entranced by the love story of Jack and Rose, yet intrigued buy what was happening in the real world at the time. Director James Cameron’s attention to detail of the time period is defiantly not overrated, and one may learn something by each character’s morals and how they are treated.

I love this movie because of how real and lovable the two main characters are. This is not a Nicholas Sparks movie where everything is way, way too serious and unlike that of real people. We were all that teenage girl trying to find herself or that boy who is only trying to live life to the fullest. What made the world fall in love with these characters is how real they are and how much we wanted to be them. I knew I found myself wanting to know more and more and just wanting these characters to live a happily ever after. That is what makes a good love story. Now, there is that case of that cliched, talked about door. I know that it could of fit two people and saved Jack. Ask yourself this: could the point after Rose jumps back on board to be with Jack just scenes taking place in her head?

3. Tremors

I highly doubt that some of you reading this have even seen this 90’s cult classic sci fi B flick, but I highly, highly suggest that you see this immediately. Tremors is a film that I saw at the age of four and I immediately fell in love with. Not only is the story fun and original, not only is this a great country adventure mixed with a buddy comedy, not only is this film filled with an array of different and fun characters, not only is the effects top grade and practical, but it is a science fiction film about giant man eating warms that has fun with itself all the way.

Kevin Bacon and Fred Ward lead this film as two best friends and local handy men of Perfection, Nevada whom come to find that there home town is being attacked by giant worms nicknamed “Grabroids” and must get themselves and their friends to safety.

Tremors is a fantastically fun film. There is way too many things about this film that make it perfect. The main concept of giant worms seems incredibly silly and far fetched, but turns out it is original beyond belief. The fact that this film is 100% non CGI (Ironic because the sequels are somewhat just that) is purely magical. The look of the monsters is reminiscent of the Frankenstein monster or the alien from Alien. It is so original and creative that you will be both horrified and amazed.

The chemistry of the starring handymen is magical and fun. You belief that Val and Earl have been fiends for years. The other characters are also memorable, especially that of the two married gun fanatics, Bert and Heather, who have an entire basement filled with guns. This makes for an especially funny and suspenseful scene when they blast the heck out of an intruding Grabroid.

The fact that Tremors  is both a comedy, horror, and science fiction all makes for an arousing and exciting mixed together film that is pieced and paced perfectly. It’s almost as if it is a country song (It does have country music and stars Reba Mcentire) with uplifting moments of suspense and wonder. Tremors is something that I just cant get enough of.

2. The Big Lebowski

Want to watch an extremely funny movie about nothing?  The Big Lebowski is one of the funniest cult films I have ever had the pleasure of watching. To this day and with over fifty viewings, I still find myself laughing out loud. It has one of the greatest and most memorable characters of all time in the form of Jeff “The Dude” Lebowski. Jeff Bridges plays the Dude in one of his most memorable and fun roles to date. The Dude is a lazy and laid back slacker who seems to be the target of mistaken identity. ALong with his friends of the in denile and crazy war vet Walter, and the always told to shut up, Donny, the Dude seems lives a live of peaceful tranquility as he runs into one problem at a time in order to get his rug back.

What makes this movie worth the wacth is its variety of memorable characters, dialogue, and scenes. I have non stop found myself quoting lines like, “Donny you are out of you’re element,” “You don’t mess with the Jesus,” and “I’m the Dude, so that’s what you call me.”

The fact that there seems to be no plot,but just a colorful array of scenes is both interesting and majestic. We strive to be the carefree character of the Dude. He is like a spiritual model that ties each and every piece of this movie together. What I love to compare this movie to is an episode of Seinfeld, sure it’s basically an episode of about nothing, but what makes it memorable are its characters, out of this world crazy scenes, and more than relatable characters. We all know that one person who can’t seem to let something go or that one guy who is just too lazy for his own good. Even some of the scenes, like Walter bashing a car in with a tire iron in front of a young kid seems too odd to be taken seriously.

The Big Lebowski is one of those rare movies in which I can watch again and again, and yet find myself laughing, being intrigued, and most defiantly quoting. All I have to say is that, “The Dude abides.”

1. Raiders of the Lost Ark

This number one pick of my favorite film of all time is actually one that made me love movies.  I  remember watching it with my mom at the age of five and being completely entranced in the style of action, adventure, romance, and thrills.

Raiders of the Lost Ark finds Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones, a professor of archaeology who ventures all over the globe for mystical artifacts in order to put them in a museum and keep them out of greedy hands. His mission in this film is to race the Nazis to find the Ark of the Covenant, which in the wrong hands could lead to a catastrophe. Along the way Indy must dodge bullets, punches, snakes (his biggest fear), and re connect with his long lost love, Marion Ravenwood.

What can I not say about this movie? It has it all. The action scenes are pitch perfect and leave you gasping for air after every second. They re fast paced and memorable beyond belief. You find yourself loving and rooting for Dr. Jones from beginning to end. Each scene is classic in its own way, whether its Indy trying to outrun a giant boulder or a bad guy getting his face melted. Every piece of this film makes you want to go out on your own adventure. Let’s not forget John William’s classic Indiana Jones theme. Is there anything this guy can’t compose? This theme is so famous, mainly because it fits with the adventurous horse back riding and bad guy punching archaeologist.

The theme song of this film screams adventure. It will never leave your head. I will find yourself humming it all day long, just as I have. What makes it so memorable is that it is so catchy. You want it to be playing when you are diving or running. Great movies have easily remembered and classic soundtracks. With that, I say that adventure has only one name…..Indiana Jones.

These movie poster photos are just a mere few of the the many, many favorites that have ranked on my long, long list.

(I Found these sources respectively on Google Images)