My Favorite Movies

The blackest of black comedies released during the height of the Cold War is sheer genius. Peter Sellers masterfully plays three roles while George C. Scott takes a hilarious turn as a gung-ho general. Scathing, sobering, and an all-time classic.

Best courtroom/jury/legal movie ever made. Brilliant debut for director Sidney Lumet and a cast of great stars and character actors, Lee J Cobb a particular standout. Watch it!

The modern film that best proves movie magic does not merely reside in nostalgia. A feelgood fantasy that you can see, smell, and feel, reawakening the hidden joys that lurk around the corners in everyday life if you decide to look for them. Audrey Tautou deservedly won international acclaim in a breakthrough role.

Greatest comedy ever made? Very possibly, certainly unequaled in its combination of audacity and hilarity. The gags are just as funny the 20th time you hear them; Monty Python are curiously unique in that manner. A must-try.

I once had a similar idea for a movie structure but could never make it work, now I needn't bother because Nolan got it right. Miss literally anything that happens, even for 20 seconds to visit the fridge, and you've likely missed a vital piece of information. One of the most demanding and challenging pieces of cinema with a storyline to follow, and even if you accomplish that the ending (beginning?) remains enigmatic. Brilliant, one-of-a-kind experience.

Jack Nicholson's finest hour on a timeline full of them. Utterly convincing, inspiring, heartbreaking story told with conviction, humanity, and doses of humor.

Does what more adult relationship comedies should provide: laughs & likeable, intelligent characters.

"Most people are happy if you give them just a Big Mac and a pair of Nikes."

If there is more to your world than strip malls, suburban housing developments, and Starbucks, then 'Ghost World' is for you. An ode to misfits of all ages, this movie specializes in characters who have difficulty relating to the population at large. I must admit that I have a sizable kinship with teenage Enid and middle age Seymour, wonderfully played by Thora Birch and Steve Buscemi. Even the small roles are memorable, my favorite being Doug the convenience store denizen.

Hilarious moments spring up unexpectedly throughout as we follow Enid and her friend Becky after their high school graduation as they attempt to move on with their lives. The performances all ring true, the story unpredictable and engaging, and there are no easy answers or cop-outs. I love this movie.

The best Alien knockoff I have seen, and elevated above the normal 'monsters on the loose' scenario with compelling characters and a menacing, cunning antihero in Vin Diesel. Scary and smart, with a striking color scheme by director Twohy. And I bet nobody can guess which people get out alive!