Friday Favorites

Movies

What is your favorite...

1. ...classic (old) movie?
Citizen Kane. While this should be the Greatest Movie of All Time, you left no place for Star Wars. This I believe lead the way to modern film making. Writing, Directing and Editing were all ground breaking and the use of optical effects made it the Jurassic Park/Matrix of it's time. The crown jewel in the master's collection this should be scene on Screen at least once in your lifetime. Side Note: I did not see this film until Senior Year of COLLEGE. I love and appreciate film and felt it needed to be seen on the big screen not on VHS (no DVDs in my collage years) on the 19 inch TV. I took several Film Classes at school and our teacher had many classics on film and showed them at the student union once a week on the big screen (Taxi Driver, Ran, Casablanca, The Deer Hunter). So finally he showed Citizen Kane my senior year and I was not disappointed. Best of all, never in my classes, discussions, talks and arguments about film did I find out what Rosebud was until I watched it.

2. ...comedy movie?
The Blues Brothers. One of the greatest movies of all time and in my personal Top Five!! Nothing like a break out movie for 2 comedy geniuses and 1 incredible director. Great moves, music and car chases. The cameos are smart and funny and the music lives on today. Side Note: I wrote a midterm report for my Music class in College on how the Blues Brothers revived the careers of Franklin, Charles, and James and interest in classic Rhythm and Blues. I got an A+.

3. ...action movie?
Raiders of the Lost Ark. A high action, intelligent story with relatively unknown Harrison Ford and Karen Allen. Well written and directed by our generations Masters of Cinema. Ford could have been a teacher at your school and turns out to be a great action hero. Made heroes out of regular guys and moved the muscle-bond actors into cheesey one-liner film schlock. Started a generation of wanna-be archeologists. And yes I took Archeology as a minor in College!!

4. ...drama movie?
The Godfather. It is funny that all of my favorite movies are made by men that looked to and respected the director of my other favorite movie. Coppola turned a terrific Puzo novel and turned it into the movie of all movies! Brando created the quintessential Mob Boss that even the real bosses tried to imitate. Nothing can really be said about this film but almost pure perfection. Rent and watch any of these movies on this list and you will have the greatest cinematic experience of your lifetime. Put all five of these on the big screen on one weekend and I would die a very happy man.


5. ...movie of all time?
Star Wars. I saw it on the big screen when it first came out in New York City in 1977. Darth Vader and C3-PO were there and everyone was wondering what the hell was going on, we never had lines like this to see a movie. I must have seen it dozens of times on the big screen since, was blown away and torn apart when Han was frozen and Luke finally had a father. Ran from school (8th Grade) and packed the local theater to see the first showing (3:30) of Return of the Jedi, cheered when the Ewoks bit it and booed when Vader's helmet was removed. It was, is and will always be STAR WARS, not Episode IV or A New Hope, but Star Wars. I had the original 12 action figures and the Lunch box, and the sticker book and the lightsaber that was a flash light and an inflatable saber. This was the movie that started my love for cinema and until the unaltered original comes out on DVD I will only watch my bruised and battered VHS Copy.