My Favorite Movies

My dad took me to see this movie in theatres when I was just a wee lad, and I loved him for it. Still do, I suppose. I've long been a fan of Godzilla and any man vs. overgrown beast flicks, but this one is by far the best. Rooted in a pseudo-scientific explanation that's not too hard to swallow, this was the first movie to put dinosaurs and man back together and make us believe it. The suspense sequences are extremely well done and the dinosaurs look amazing, but I think what sets Jurassic Park apart from other inferior pictures (like its unfortunate sequels) is that there is a certain sense of awe and wonder of the creatures here. The T-Rex as the mighty predator, the brachiosaurus as the gentle giant, and of course the raptors as the cunning hunters - there's a kind of majesty about them, and yet at the same time they are the most earthy, animal-like incarnations I've ever witnessed. In addition, the characters are very well-drawn and likeable, with Sam Neill and Jeff Goldblum in particular giving magnetic performances amd a lot of memorable dialog. With minimal gore and a low body count, Jurassic Park is an adventure movie, not a horror flick. Even at 6 when I first saw the film it didn't bother me at all. I recommend this to anyone as a magnificent and groundbreaking film, but more than that, it's just a darn good time. Isn't that why we watch movies in the first place?

This movie is pure undefiled awesomeness. It takes a long time before things really spring into action, but along the way the setup rarely feels labored and once on the planet Cameron continues the tradition begun by Scott and creates some extremely effective suspense sequences. This was one of the first movies in a while to give me a good scare. Then, once the Aliens show up (come on, it's the title of the movie, you all knew they were going to show up) things get incredibly tense and the action only lets up long enough for you to listen to your heart beating because you know something else is coming, you just don't know exactly what or when. The last hour or at least half hour of the film I was literally on the edge of my seat, forgetting to breathe or blink or swallow. This is great moviemaking. Aliens carries strong themes of mother/daughter abandonment and features a female protagonist, and yet, somehow it is one of the most pulsing, testosterone-injected action/horror movies I have ever seen or even heard of. Even when you think you know what's coming next, you're either gripping your seat in fear or grinning in satisfaction when it does. Bottom line? Aliens delievers. It takes the best of what Alien had to offer and overhauls it into an adventure masterpiece. Coming nine years after its predecessor, the special effects are much improved and the Xenomorphs seem less like robots and more like viable, living killing machines. See this movie. I can't recommend it highly enough.

Memento is one of the most sensational films I've ever had the privilege of seeing. It's a bit disheartening to see so many unenthusiastic reviews. This movie reeled me in with the fascinating opening shot and kept me hooked until the credit reel. It's hard to imagine Chris Nolan's psychological thriller being any more tightly wound nor accomplishing its goal with greater calculation. This is a very entertaining movie, yes, but more than that it's one that makes you think. To some people that's too much work - this isn't something you watch when you want to kick back and unwind. It's an absorbing, thought-provoking experience that disturbs not on a visceral level with violence or abberation but in our intellectual centers. It questions whether we really know what we know. In Leonard (played to perfection by Guy Pearce) we find an extremely sympathetic protagonist, and in a way we take his journey with him and try to solve his mystery. The backwards narration of the movie is in no way a gimmick, but is in fact of great importance. During each new scene, we are greeted as Leonard is - with the disorientation of having no knowledge of the events immediately preceeding. We get a glimpse of how he must feel, constantly deprived of the short term recollection most of us take for granted. As we gain more insight into the past, our perceptions of the characters and their motivations as well as the facts of the story shift and change in a dynamic fashion; and the movie invites several viewings at least to catch everything and try to pin down the exact nature of the narrative. Creative, ambitious, artistic, and stirring, I highly recommend Memento to anyone who likes to bring their brains to the movies.

Comedy is one of the most difficult genres. Everyone has a different sense of humor and even with the best writing a performance that is slightly off can completely alter the mood of the scene and throw off the joke. Truly hilarious movies only come along once every so often, and many of the great ones have been spoof movies. Airplane! is the granddaddy of spoof movies, and in my opinion, the funniest. Nothing is sacred in this crass, irreverent, manic, and downright silly film that makes fun of every religion and racial stereotype and fills every scene to the brim with groan-inducing puns, witty word plays, and spastic sight gags. Almost every scene is classic cinema. In some ways, Airplane! is a cartoon played out with live actors. Some scenes are so over the top it's ridiculous - and that's what makes Airplane! a joy to watch. Leslie Nielson appears in a smaller role than you would expect, but it's clear that this is his type of movie. And of course he delivers the line for which the movie is known; "Don't call me Shirley." Some jokes are cliche now, but back in 1980 Airplane! pioneered them, and it is still incredibly funny today. A mile stone, and a must-have for the comedy fan.

I saw this film in theatres almost on a whim, with no real expectations going in. I was blown away. I sat for the last 20 minutes squirming in my chair because I had to go to the bathroom really badly, but I couldn't pull myself away from the proceedings. My friend and I were having discussions based on this movie for at least two weeks after seeing it. The plot is simple. John Sullivan is a cop going through a failing marriage. He stumbles on an old ham radio, and thanks to some unexplained phenomenon brought on by the aurora borealis, he begins talking with Frank, a firefighter from Queens who just happens to be John's long-dead father 30 years in the past. Impossible? Sure. But the plot is easily pulled off by the earnest, heartfelt performances of Jim Caviezel and Dennis Quaid who are both excellent in their respective roles. Their relationship is so real and aimiable that it grounds the fantastic premise and allows us to move forward, or backward as the case may be. What the Sullivans discover is that it's tough messing with the past. They change something and it affects something else, until they are in over their heads trying to stop a serial murderer in the past from John's vantage point in the future. The result is a tense, emotional, and mesmerizing thriller that sucks you in and doesn't let go until the final scene. If you're a fan of high-concept films in general or time-travel movies in particularly, you'll have a lot to think about there. I did. The plot is pretty tight given the time-bending theme which is always difficult to pull off. The creators take a few cinematic liberties but the story still makes a lot of sense if you follow it correctly and stands up to a lot of scrutiny. This is one of my favorite movies, and I think it is vastly overlooked and underrated. Check it out, suspend your disbelief a little, and enjoy the ride.

Christopher Nolan has done it again. If I didn't love him enough after Memento and Batman Begins, he is certainly endeared to me now that I have witnessed The Prestige. The story is that of two magicians in late 19th century England who began as colleagues but became bitter rivals following a terrible stage mishap. The narrative twists in and out, back and forth through time in a way that is effective and rarely ever disorienting. Like a great magic trick, it shows you enough to keep your interest but saves the shocker for later on. One of the great things about this movie, though, is that even if you figure out the primary twist long before the film's conclusion, it is still powerful based on the characters and their sacrifices, and the story is intriguing and watchable even on repeat viewings (I have seen it twice so far). Also, there is not only one twist, but several, and some, at least, are likely to catch you off guard - yet all make sense in hindsight. I, like many viewers, was taken out of the film by one pivotal development that I simply found too unbelievable to fit with the context of the rest of the picture. Some try to deny that this plot point is true. However, they must read into the story using clues we are not really given to reach this conclusion, so I can only assume that the story relies on a certain fantastic science fiction element. It was so outlandish that it could have ruined the final act - and yet, somehow Nolan pulls it off. To me, it is the only real flaw in an otherwise exceptional film. Performances are great all around with Bale, Jackman, and Caine all playing their parts wonderfully. Guaranteed to keep you on the edge of your seat whether you think you know the end or not, The Prestige is easily my favorite movie of 2006 and I recommend it highly.

Underrated. The plot is simple - a lawyer who lies to his family habitually and lies in court for a living is suddenly unable to utter an untruth for 24 hours. It's the execution of said plot that makes this a comedy treasure that is gut-busting funny and highly re-watchable. Of course you can expect Jim Carrey's signature physical humor in high gear, but it's more refined and focused than in some of his other efforts such as Ace Ventura. The dialog is filled with sarcastic quips from the opening scene. It's not long before Fletcher's son gets fed up with being lied to and neglected by his father, and so he makes a birthday wish that dad couldn't lie for one day. Immediately, Fletcher's world is turned upside down as he finds that a) the lies he depended upon are pulled out from under him, and b) he is prone to telling the truth of his thoughts loudly and bluntly. It's a receipe for trouble, and in this case, hilarity. Of course the story is not without heart, and the family moments with Fletch and his son are nice enough, but they really serve only as a plot device to get our conflicted protagonist wrestling with the truth - literally! Cary Elwes is annoying as the doting boyfriend of Fletcher's ex-wife, and Jennifer Tilly is thoroughly unlikeable as his greedy client. Liar, Liar is filled with classic scenes, some of the best occurring when Fletcher must navigate his office, now unable to lie; and come in contact with a host of coworkers he loathes, giving them each a piece of his mind. In my opinion, this is one of Jim Carrey's funniest movies if not his very finest. It's top-10 comedy material for sure.

To those who say this movie is quite easy to follow, I found that to be true. I also give Gilliam and company points for it. There's nothing wrong with simplifying a potentially disorienting concept so that the audience understands it. The fact that you leave the theater confused doesn't necessarily mean you've watched a deep movie - maybe you just watched a confusing one. In my search for great movies, I came across 12 Monkeys. One of my favorite genres is that of the time-bending thriller, and this promised to be an worth entry into that category. Indeed it is. I wouldn't quite call 12 Monkeys a great movie, since it didn't wow me as have some of my recent discoveries; but it is still a very solid film that delivers in a number of ways. First, I found Bruce Willis's performance here to be trumped by his co-stars Madeline Stowe and especially Brad Pitt. I thought Pitt was a convincing and entertaining psychopath and his scenes help keep the movie alive. Willis spends more of his time scowling and looking unwell than anything else, really. Stowe on the other hand provided a bright counterpart for him and it was interesting to observe her psychologist's volatile relationship both to Willis' character and to her own beliefs and ideologies. There's a very dark and dirty feel to all the sets, like the movie was shot in sewers and dungeons. It reminds me of the odd-ball sci-fi of The Fifth Element stripped of its shimmer and vibrance. Of course the plot is intriguing, and we increasingly wonder whether the events that the main character believes he is a part of represent truth, or merely the twisted perception of a damaged mind - escapist fantasies put together from old memories. It's John's struggle for his identity, his sanity, and his freedom that drives the film. In the final scene we get to see pieces of a puzzle come together, but it's not terribly shocking or twisted. If you like distopian sci-fi or time travel movies as I do, you should give this one a look.

I've frequently wondered what my life would look like as a movie or television show. Every so often I get the feeling that a camera somewhere might be giving me my closeup, so I exaggerate my actions a little bit - give that movie star grin - and put an "I-mean-business" spring in my step. But it's all just fooling around. No one would ever really believe that their entire existence - everything they know - is in fact an elaborate fabrication, not in order to enslave the human race or some other high science fiction concept, but rather that they are being broadcast 24 hours a day as a reality television phenomenon. All your friends are actors, even your wife, and the major events of your life are influenced so as to get the best ratings. Now that's scary! And it's exactly what Truman Burbank is experiencing in the Truman Show, a fresh, original movie that asks a lot of tough questions and illuminates some pleasant (and extremely unpleasant) qualities of humanity. We pick up observing Truman (along with several different people all over the world who are addicted to the show) just a little before he begins to wonder about some things. He's getting itchy feet and wants to leave his town, but the coincidences preventing his departure become odder and odder until Truman slowly begins to suspect an overarching conspiracy. Ultimately, it will be a test of intelligence, courage, and spirit for Truman to either break free from his doll-house world or remain enslaved for the entertainment of everyone else. Functioning as a drama, a comedy, and a frighteningly astute satire of our society, The Truman Show is provides countless topics for discussion and introduces some weighty concepts within its neat, colorful tale. I suspect that it may actually become more interesting on subsequent viewings. Performances are strong all around. This is something everyone should probably see at least once.

Will Ferrell can be funny, yet sometimes he is not. You need only read the opposing reviews for Anchorman and Talladega Nights to see that not everyone enjoys his antics. In Stranger Than Fiction, his humor and that of the rest of the script is understated, and that is a very good thing. You appreciate the humor, but you don't depend on it. It's not heavy handed, begging you to laugh - and so it helps the story along in a very pleasing and interesting way. The story itself is the selling point, and it's a fantastic one. One day, Harold, a man living a drab life hears a voice narrating his day, and comes to discover that he is actually a character in a story that an author is writing - and she means to kill him off. This sets into motion a quaint and touching tale laced with dark wit that brings to the table some sobering questions about life and death. Emma Thompson was the highlight of the film for me and does a wonderful job as the frazzled novelist. There were also some great scenes with Dustin Hoffman as the professor who tries to determine what type of story Harold is in. I could have done without Maggie Gyllenhaal as the baker, but I suppose she couldn't be someone too affable or glamorous or else we'd never believe the developments that occur with Ferrell's character (though I had my doubts in any case). The ending seems uneven, and I think it turned rather abruptly from the tone of the rest of the film - and yet, given its context and the events that drive it, that seems perfectly fitting.