Howie
Donkey in a hat
After the humiliating debacle that was the 'Rank The Star Wars Movies' thread, I could be opening myself up to a whole load of fresh abuse here, but what the hell. I'm a big boy, I can take it.
Now there are 2 ways of going about this; you can be all high-brow about it if you want to, and start reeling off the usual list of pretentious, Sight & Sound 'Top 10 movies of all time' candidates, OR you can be honest about it and talk about the films you actually enjoy. For example, I think Schindler's List is one of the greatest and most important movies ever made, a true cinematic masterpiece, but is it one of my favourites? Do I enjoy it? Would I settle down on a Saturday night with a 6-pack and a pizza to watch Schindler's List? HELLLL no. In those circumstances I'd sooner watch Dunston Checks In.
So keep your Godfathers, your Raging Bull's, your Clockwork Oranges and your Shawshank f***ing Redemptions to yourself, let's hear about the stuff you really like!
*I realise that some of you aren't actually sad enough to have a 'Top 10 Favourite Movies' list but knowing you lot, if you're half as anal about films as you are about rollercoasters you'll have a f***ing spreadsheet! If you haven't, then just 'some films that I really like' will suffice. I'm one of those by the way - mine aren't in any strict order, just 10 films that I love. Here goes, then:
Die Hard
I knew it! From the moment I walked out of that cinema back in 1989 I knew I'd seen something special. People scoffed at the time; 'Don't be daft Howie, it's only a cheesy action film', they said, and yet here we are almost 30 years later and Die Hard still comes out on top in almost every 'Best Action Film' or 'Best Thriller Film' list there is. Breakthrough performances from Bruce Willis and Alan Rickman (RIP), Joel Silver's flair for destruction coupled with John McTiernan's attention to detail make this the ultimate thrill ride. Quite simply the most exciting 2 hours I've ever spent in a darkened room. It also gets a special nod for being the first 18 rated movie I saw at the pictures. Not bad for a spotty 15 year old wearing his dad's blazer and sporting a weeks worth of bumfluff. Still got the ticket stub. I keep it in the sleeve of my region 1, Special Edition Die Hard Trilogy Boxset.
This also gives me another excuse to show off this photograph, which I'm quite proud of.
#geek
Back To The Future
Be honest, who doesn't love Back to the Future? Literally the perfect summer blockbuster. Doc and Marty make one of the most endearing on-screen pairings ever. Biff is hilarious. Crispin Glover as George quietly steals the show in every scene he's in. The story is brilliant, the effects are fab, it's witty, inventive, exciting, has the best non-John Williams theme tune in existence and still looks as fresh as the day it was released. What's not to love?
Aliens
You gotta have a James Cameron movie in your top 10, right? It's written in geek law. But then so it should be - he's one of the greatest showmen there is. Avatar, The Abyss, Terminators 1 & 2 - all fab. Even True Lies is better than most people give it credit for. But for me, Aliens was his finest hour. It starts out suspensefully enough, but as the danger and tension escalates, Cameron just keeps on tightening the screw.
Choose the theatrical version for a more streamlined, efficient thrill ride, or go for the Special Edition if you want a bit more character depth and emotional wallop, but either way this remains an outright classic.
RoboCop
The original, of course, not that bastardised remake. I love Paul Verhoeven movies, he's one of my favourite directors. Starship Troopers is incredible, plus Basic Instinct, Hollow Man and Total Recall (the original, of course, not that bastardised remake) are all great - but Robo is the pick of the bunch. As a teen I loved it for the cool robots, the gun-porn and the uber-violence, but as I've gotten older I've come to appreciate the many other layers that this film has. Political satire, social commentary, (very) dark comedy, human drama, even some spiritual/religious parallels can be found if you look closely enough (it's no accident that the 'resurrected' Murphy appears to walk on water in the final showdown).
But best of all, it's got a toxic, melting man being splattered all over a car windscreen!
I'd buy that for a dollar!
The Blues Brothers
I love John Landis movies, he's one of my favourite directors. Who doesn't love Trading Places, Coming to America, American Werewolf in London, Spies Like Us etc..? And let's not forget Michael Jackson's Thriller - THE greatest pop video of all time.
But yeah, The Blues Brothers is the one for me. I watched it again recently following the death of Aretha (RIP) - still as bonkers as ever! I only recently found out there are 2 versions of the Blues Brothers - the 'theatrical' version which gets shown on tv nowadays (and I had on VHS for years) and an 'extended version' which is on the DVD and BluRay editions. Oddly, the 'best' version would be somewhere halfway between the two. The extended musical numbers are great, as are the extended car chase elements, but several of the additional scenes are unfunny and simply not required. We don't need to see the Bluesmobile being supercharged by an electricity sub-station, for example, we'd always just assumed it was a magic car.
Anyway, I'm rambling - it's still a great film.
Superman
I love Richard Donner movies, he's one of my favourite directors. I love The Goonies, I love The Omen, I love Scrooged and I love all 4 Lethal Weapon films - but Superman is the best. I realise this one might raise some eyebrows, but this goes right back to my childhood, see. It was probably my first 'favourite' film growing up, and I still enjoy giving it a watch now.
There's one truly awful bit - the 'Can you read my mind?'' sequence where Supes' takes Lois flying - I either fast-forward or leave the room when that bit comes on cos it literally makes me want to heave, but the rest of the film, despite some very dated effects, is still pure movie magic. Plus that theme tune...
Jaws
Geek law again - you gotta have a Spielberg in there. You just gotta. But which one? Raiders? Maybe. ET? Nah, too schmaltzy. Jurassic? Hmm possibly. Technically it should be Schindler I suppose, but I can't vote for something that doesn't have one single laugh in the entire movie.
Nah, it has to be Jaws, surely? It's just... perfect. The 'event movie', defined. Even now, over 40 years later, the Jaws effect is as powerful as ever, the thought is always there every time you 'go into the water'. Just those first 2 notes of the theme music is enough to make the blood run cold. (thank you again, Mr Williams).
And that goggle-eyed head that pops out of the hole in the boat? I know it's coming, but it still gets me. Every. Single. Time.
F**k the fake-looking shark, this is a masterpiece. No other word.
You've probably noticed that there's a definite 70's and 80's vibe going on here, but it's not all outdated old tosh y'know. From the 90's we have...
True Romance
I love Tony Scott movies (RIP), he's one of my favourite directors. Well, some of his early work was pants (Beverly Hills Cop 2, Days of Thunder, and I absolutely hate Top Gun) but I love The Last Boy Scout (sorry @witchfinder ), Man on Fire, Crimson Tide etc...
True Romance, though, is the highlight. What a film! Quentin Tarantino's script ably honed into a slick, stylish, violent and extremely funny caper, with a cast to die for. Christian Slater, Patricia Arquette, Brad Pitt, Val Kilmer, Christopher Walken, Dennis Hopper, Gary Oldman, Samuel L Jackson - the list just goes on. Brilliant, brilliant film. Makes me cry every time. Also, it features a great sequence filmed on Viper at Magic mountain!
Skyfall
Now, I'm not really a massive Bond-y. I've seen them all, obvs, and most of them are varying degrees of watchable. Casino Royale was new and original but a bit dull. Quantum of Solace was a chaotic mess, but Skyfall just nails it. If it wasn't a Bond film it would still be a first-class spy thriller in its own right. It's just a beautifully put-together film that oozes class and confidence. Great villain, spectacular locations, gorgeous photography and some thrilling action to boot. If it wasn't for that naff, miniature looking subway crash it would be just about perfect.
How many is that? 9 right? Ok one more.
Avengers Assemble
Or just The Avengers, if you live in 'Murica. Yes I know, this is a bit of a cheap one. Judging by the 'Rank The MCU' thread, this one won't be a popular choice. I get it, I totally get it - it's just a silly, money grabbing, comic-book movie but the thing is... it's just so damn entertaining. Literally every scene leaves me with a grin a mile wide. See, I'm one of those people that still thinks Buffy the Vampire Slayer is the greatest tv show ever made, and my inner Joss Whedon fan gets immense joy from seeing this huge, mega-budget action spectacle sprinkled with endless little Joss Whedon-isms.
Yes, it's just a load of CGI smashy smashy but it's the most enjoyable dose of CGI smashy smashy there is, and Hulk smashing Loki is still by far the funniest moment of the entire MCU.
So that's my lot, 10 movies that Howie really digs. A few others that were considered include Predator, American Werewolf, Fight Club, Pixar's Cars, Goodfellas, Gravity, American Beauty, The Revenant, LOTR: The Two Towers and, of course, that much loved classic Return of the Jedi.
Let the abuse commence....
<braces one's self>
Now there are 2 ways of going about this; you can be all high-brow about it if you want to, and start reeling off the usual list of pretentious, Sight & Sound 'Top 10 movies of all time' candidates, OR you can be honest about it and talk about the films you actually enjoy. For example, I think Schindler's List is one of the greatest and most important movies ever made, a true cinematic masterpiece, but is it one of my favourites? Do I enjoy it? Would I settle down on a Saturday night with a 6-pack and a pizza to watch Schindler's List? HELLLL no. In those circumstances I'd sooner watch Dunston Checks In.
So keep your Godfathers, your Raging Bull's, your Clockwork Oranges and your Shawshank f***ing Redemptions to yourself, let's hear about the stuff you really like!
*I realise that some of you aren't actually sad enough to have a 'Top 10 Favourite Movies' list but knowing you lot, if you're half as anal about films as you are about rollercoasters you'll have a f***ing spreadsheet! If you haven't, then just 'some films that I really like' will suffice. I'm one of those by the way - mine aren't in any strict order, just 10 films that I love. Here goes, then:
Die Hard
I knew it! From the moment I walked out of that cinema back in 1989 I knew I'd seen something special. People scoffed at the time; 'Don't be daft Howie, it's only a cheesy action film', they said, and yet here we are almost 30 years later and Die Hard still comes out on top in almost every 'Best Action Film' or 'Best Thriller Film' list there is. Breakthrough performances from Bruce Willis and Alan Rickman (RIP), Joel Silver's flair for destruction coupled with John McTiernan's attention to detail make this the ultimate thrill ride. Quite simply the most exciting 2 hours I've ever spent in a darkened room. It also gets a special nod for being the first 18 rated movie I saw at the pictures. Not bad for a spotty 15 year old wearing his dad's blazer and sporting a weeks worth of bumfluff. Still got the ticket stub. I keep it in the sleeve of my region 1, Special Edition Die Hard Trilogy Boxset.
This also gives me another excuse to show off this photograph, which I'm quite proud of.
#geek
Back To The Future
Be honest, who doesn't love Back to the Future? Literally the perfect summer blockbuster. Doc and Marty make one of the most endearing on-screen pairings ever. Biff is hilarious. Crispin Glover as George quietly steals the show in every scene he's in. The story is brilliant, the effects are fab, it's witty, inventive, exciting, has the best non-John Williams theme tune in existence and still looks as fresh as the day it was released. What's not to love?
Aliens
You gotta have a James Cameron movie in your top 10, right? It's written in geek law. But then so it should be - he's one of the greatest showmen there is. Avatar, The Abyss, Terminators 1 & 2 - all fab. Even True Lies is better than most people give it credit for. But for me, Aliens was his finest hour. It starts out suspensefully enough, but as the danger and tension escalates, Cameron just keeps on tightening the screw.
Choose the theatrical version for a more streamlined, efficient thrill ride, or go for the Special Edition if you want a bit more character depth and emotional wallop, but either way this remains an outright classic.
RoboCop
The original, of course, not that bastardised remake. I love Paul Verhoeven movies, he's one of my favourite directors. Starship Troopers is incredible, plus Basic Instinct, Hollow Man and Total Recall (the original, of course, not that bastardised remake) are all great - but Robo is the pick of the bunch. As a teen I loved it for the cool robots, the gun-porn and the uber-violence, but as I've gotten older I've come to appreciate the many other layers that this film has. Political satire, social commentary, (very) dark comedy, human drama, even some spiritual/religious parallels can be found if you look closely enough (it's no accident that the 'resurrected' Murphy appears to walk on water in the final showdown).
But best of all, it's got a toxic, melting man being splattered all over a car windscreen!
I'd buy that for a dollar!
The Blues Brothers
I love John Landis movies, he's one of my favourite directors. Who doesn't love Trading Places, Coming to America, American Werewolf in London, Spies Like Us etc..? And let's not forget Michael Jackson's Thriller - THE greatest pop video of all time.
But yeah, The Blues Brothers is the one for me. I watched it again recently following the death of Aretha (RIP) - still as bonkers as ever! I only recently found out there are 2 versions of the Blues Brothers - the 'theatrical' version which gets shown on tv nowadays (and I had on VHS for years) and an 'extended version' which is on the DVD and BluRay editions. Oddly, the 'best' version would be somewhere halfway between the two. The extended musical numbers are great, as are the extended car chase elements, but several of the additional scenes are unfunny and simply not required. We don't need to see the Bluesmobile being supercharged by an electricity sub-station, for example, we'd always just assumed it was a magic car.
Anyway, I'm rambling - it's still a great film.
Superman
I love Richard Donner movies, he's one of my favourite directors. I love The Goonies, I love The Omen, I love Scrooged and I love all 4 Lethal Weapon films - but Superman is the best. I realise this one might raise some eyebrows, but this goes right back to my childhood, see. It was probably my first 'favourite' film growing up, and I still enjoy giving it a watch now.
There's one truly awful bit - the 'Can you read my mind?'' sequence where Supes' takes Lois flying - I either fast-forward or leave the room when that bit comes on cos it literally makes me want to heave, but the rest of the film, despite some very dated effects, is still pure movie magic. Plus that theme tune...
Jaws
Geek law again - you gotta have a Spielberg in there. You just gotta. But which one? Raiders? Maybe. ET? Nah, too schmaltzy. Jurassic? Hmm possibly. Technically it should be Schindler I suppose, but I can't vote for something that doesn't have one single laugh in the entire movie.
Nah, it has to be Jaws, surely? It's just... perfect. The 'event movie', defined. Even now, over 40 years later, the Jaws effect is as powerful as ever, the thought is always there every time you 'go into the water'. Just those first 2 notes of the theme music is enough to make the blood run cold. (thank you again, Mr Williams).
And that goggle-eyed head that pops out of the hole in the boat? I know it's coming, but it still gets me. Every. Single. Time.
F**k the fake-looking shark, this is a masterpiece. No other word.
You've probably noticed that there's a definite 70's and 80's vibe going on here, but it's not all outdated old tosh y'know. From the 90's we have...
True Romance
I love Tony Scott movies (RIP), he's one of my favourite directors. Well, some of his early work was pants (Beverly Hills Cop 2, Days of Thunder, and I absolutely hate Top Gun) but I love The Last Boy Scout (sorry @witchfinder ), Man on Fire, Crimson Tide etc...
True Romance, though, is the highlight. What a film! Quentin Tarantino's script ably honed into a slick, stylish, violent and extremely funny caper, with a cast to die for. Christian Slater, Patricia Arquette, Brad Pitt, Val Kilmer, Christopher Walken, Dennis Hopper, Gary Oldman, Samuel L Jackson - the list just goes on. Brilliant, brilliant film. Makes me cry every time. Also, it features a great sequence filmed on Viper at Magic mountain!
Skyfall
Now, I'm not really a massive Bond-y. I've seen them all, obvs, and most of them are varying degrees of watchable. Casino Royale was new and original but a bit dull. Quantum of Solace was a chaotic mess, but Skyfall just nails it. If it wasn't a Bond film it would still be a first-class spy thriller in its own right. It's just a beautifully put-together film that oozes class and confidence. Great villain, spectacular locations, gorgeous photography and some thrilling action to boot. If it wasn't for that naff, miniature looking subway crash it would be just about perfect.
How many is that? 9 right? Ok one more.
Avengers Assemble
Or just The Avengers, if you live in 'Murica. Yes I know, this is a bit of a cheap one. Judging by the 'Rank The MCU' thread, this one won't be a popular choice. I get it, I totally get it - it's just a silly, money grabbing, comic-book movie but the thing is... it's just so damn entertaining. Literally every scene leaves me with a grin a mile wide. See, I'm one of those people that still thinks Buffy the Vampire Slayer is the greatest tv show ever made, and my inner Joss Whedon fan gets immense joy from seeing this huge, mega-budget action spectacle sprinkled with endless little Joss Whedon-isms.
Yes, it's just a load of CGI smashy smashy but it's the most enjoyable dose of CGI smashy smashy there is, and Hulk smashing Loki is still by far the funniest moment of the entire MCU.
So that's my lot, 10 movies that Howie really digs. A few others that were considered include Predator, American Werewolf, Fight Club, Pixar's Cars, Goodfellas, Gravity, American Beauty, The Revenant, LOTR: The Two Towers and, of course, that much loved classic Return of the Jedi.
Let the abuse commence....
<braces one's self>
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