The 15 on 15 -- Top 15 Movies

I'm jumping on the bandwagon. The idea comes from Derek, who along with Ruvym and Ariel (and now Brooke) have posted their top 15 movies of all time. What follows is is a list of my favorite fifteen movies, not what I consider to be the "best" movies of all time (aka, I did not evaluate exclusively on quality of acting, cinematography, script, etc.). These are movies that I personally enjoy, and to me have a high "rewatchability" factor. Repeat viewing was an important factor in making this list, which adversely affected two groups of movies: recent releases and suspense/thriller/plot twist movies. A few movies that I enjoy that belong to those categories are included in the honorable mentions after the list. Now without further ado, my top 15:

15. Monty Python & The Holy Grail -- Wacky British humor, and eminently quotable. Absurd? Undoubtably. Hillarious? You bet.

14. Aladdin -- My vote for best Disney animated film. Casting Robin Williams as the voice of the geenie was a stroke of brilliance.

13. Hamlet -- Yes, the four-hour epic Kenneth Branagh version. Marquee cast, beautiful sets, and accurate down to the Bard's last line.

12. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (extended edition) -- Okay, so there are three movies here but I justify it as one entry because a) J.R.R. Tolkien intended it to be one story not three and Peter Jackson filmed all three at the same time.

11. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon -- A breathtaking piece of work visually - the martial arts scenes seem more poetic than belligerent. I recommend watching it with the original Mandarin dialogue and English subtitles. Dubbing would detract from the movie.

10. Pride and Prejudice (BBC miniseries) -- Another long piece but only because it does right by Jane Austen and remains faithful to the book. Often imitated, never duplicated. Colin Firth is Mr. Darcy.

9. The Shawshank Redemption -- A movie about hope and the triumph of the human spirit. First and foremost, this is a great story. It's well paced and very thought-provoking. There's a reason that so many people list Shawshank as one of their favorite movies.

8. Jurassic Park -- What can I say, I like dinosaurs. The T-rex scene is still one of my all-time movie favorites.

7. The Cutting Edge -- Practically obligatory for any ice skater. Sure it's a cheesy romantic comedy (and incredibly unrealistic on several levels), but anyone who's been in the world of competitive skating will appreciate the in-jokes and portayals.

6. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade -- Best of the series. Sean Connery makes the film, and he and Harrison Ford have an excellent rapport.

5. Amadeus -- An interesting take on the life of Mozart as seen from rival composer Antonio Salieri. Great music and a great movie.

4. A Few Good Men -- Come for the law drama, stay for the snappy (and quotable) Sorkin dialogue. For me, this movie has become practically synonymous with undergrad mock trial (mostly thanks to Derek). But much like Law & Order and almost any other lawyer movie, don't try this at home (er, at work?).

3. The Mask of Zorro -- A fun, fun movie perfectly complemented by popcorn. This is a great example of the Hollywood summer blockbuster. Swashbuckling s-word action? Check. Explosions? Check. Dashing rogue hero seeking revenge? Check. Compelling villians? Check and check. Sultry spanish dance scene? Check. And CZJ is easy on the eyes too.

2. Star Wars: Episode V --The Empire Strikes Back -- It was hard to pick one Star Wars movie for the list, and it's a close call between Empire and A New Hope (or just plain ol' Star Wars to most people). I like many elements from both movies, but Empire seems to age like a fine wine - I appreciate this movie much more now than I did when I was younger. I feel like I get a slightly different twist every time I watch it, and not just because of the prequels or the fact that George keeps changing things. I prefer the original or the '97 special edition.

1. Casablanca -- A timeless classic with engaging characters, a touching love story, and a wonderful non-stereotypical Hollywood ending. Also very quotable.



Honorable mentions (in random order):
Sabrina, Serenity, Pirates of the Caribbean, When Harry Met Sally, Contact, True Lies, Goldeneye, Gremlins, The Matrix, 12 Monkeys, The Usual Suspects, Sneakers, Searching for Bobby Fischer, Chicago, Roman Holiday, Some Like it Hot, High Fidelity, Ronin