My Favorite Movies

My favorite movie of all time! Still fun to watch, even after so many viewings over the years.

Everytime I watch this movie I walk away thinking about it for days on end. It's one that lives up to the hype. The acting and writing are absolutely incredible and the story, though heartbreaking, makes you realize that you have to appreciate what you have, for tomorrow it could be 'gone with the wind'.

I didn't see this classic film until I was in my 20's. As I was becoming a big fan of Stewart's work, and being a Christmas fanatic, I knew it was a must-see. Needless to say, it lived up to the hype in every way. I was so taken in by the story and acting that I had to watch it from beginning to end the very next day. I know watch the movie at least once a year, though surprisingly it's usually not during the Christmas season. This is a classic that is enjoyable at any time of the year and the message is universal!

My favorite animated film of all time. Don Bluth's first feature film and probably his best. A sympathetic tale of a widow on her quest to find answers, accompanied by Jerry Goldsmith's beautiful score.

This is one of the best examples I've seen of book being translated into film. Both compliment the other in every way and both are mesmerizing from beginning to end. Never before has an adventure been so charming, witty and romantic. It also contains one of the best sword fights on film.

Beautifully done and terribly overlooked! The singers were selected perfectly. Emmy Rossum was perfect as the young, naive Christine with a voice of an angel. Gerard Butler was a disappointment to many who loved Michael Crawford as the Phantom, but I thought his rougher translation of the songs were more appropriate to the character. Romantic and dramatic, this quickly became one of my favorite musicals of all time.

It's not the greatest musical of all time, but it was the one that really introduced me to Gene Kelly. This was after I fought my Dad on even wanting to watch it. Before I knew it, I was hooked! It had it's own little charm and Judy Garland and Gene Kelly had a special chemistry. The music is still great and contains one of Judy Garland's best known numbers, "Get Happy". I have to list this as a favorite because I'm still very sentimental about it and have seen it many, many times.

I love this movie for so many reason. Most of all because it celebrated the life of a man who saw life as a big adventure. His son, who has a hard time coming to terms with his father's fantastic stories, begins to understand how true those stories were after all. It's all in how you perceive things.

Quite possibly the best cynical comedy ever and a standard by which all my friendships are measured. Either you get it, or you don't.

Funny, but most of all endearing. Great music and a festive atmosphere. One of those movies you can watch a hundred times and never get sick of it.

Saw this movie again last night for the millionth time. It never ceases to put a "smile on my face". I love the look at how the movie business struggled to transition from silent film to "talkies". It's a great bit of history. What do you know? It also happened to be Gene Kelly's birthday yesterday. Happy birthday to the master of dance!

This is a film for all holidays, that introduces the classic songs such as, "White Christmas", "Easter Parade" and "Happy Holidays". Bing Crosby is looking to get out of flashy show business, settle down with a wife and conform to the simple life by running an Inn in the country that only opens on holidays. Meanwhile Fred Astaire plays up the part of an opportunistic, girl-swiping weasel under the thumb of his equally opportunistic manager. This forces Bing to resort to deception and tricks in an attempt to keep Astaire from his new, multi-talented fiancee. This of course backfires, but you can't help but sympathize with him all the while. An overall great cast and concept. One worth watching any time of the year!

Although it departs from the book in many ways, this movie took on a life of its own that is superior to Dahl's classic novel. The effects may be dated now but Gene Wilder's portrayal of the eccentric candy maker is so entertaining that it will forever be considered a classic. He became Wonka and you really can't imagine anyone else in the role. Sorry Mr. Depp, but you didn't stand a chance!

This is one of my guilty pleasures. I loved this movie so much as a kid. The music, the characters and the story were fun! I still get happy when I hear "Brazzle, Dazzle Day" and emotional when I hear "Candle On The Water". I suppose I'm just unable to see the movie through the cynical eyes of critics.

Dark and haunting. A beautiful piece by Rankin & Bass that ranks up there with my favorite animated films of all time. Looking forward to the live action film that is supposedly in the works. Hope it lives up to expectation!

May not be the fantasy film they advertised it to be, but it is a beautiful adaption that is true to the book. Be sure to keep your tissues near by for this one!

Dark but hilarious! Goldie Hawn and Meryl Streep are in top form but the sur[risingly shining star is Bruce Willis. You barely recognize him as the snivelling coward of a man torn between to frienemies.

A humorous and thoughful movie about a man coming to terms with life after retirement. Jack Nicholson gives a convincing performance but I could have lived without seeing Kathy Bates in the buff!

Seeing Disney's Peter Pan as an adult definitely gives me new appreciation for the film. I always enjoyed it as a kid, as most kids do, but I am really impressed with how well the humor was presented and the voice acting that carried the roles. The movie is also beautifully animated and still holds up to this day. A classic rendition of a classic tale that never grows old!

One of my favorite romantic comedies. I love the innocence and naivety of the characters. Sad, but so sweet and even hilarious at times. A must watch!

This is the kind of movie that really makes you think. Our technology is not so far off that memory erasing could be a reality in our lifetime. Would it really be worth forgetting portions of your life just to avoid working through the pain?

Coming Soon!

One of the greatest dialogue based films. Excellent writing and strong character development. The adult topics were handled very tastefully and personally I like this telling of the story more than the original play.

All around great musical and one of my all-time favorites. Great cast and musical numbers. Very funny at times too. Although it's a bit lengthy it never seems to drag. Anyway, Marlon Brando singing and dancing...what's not to like? Even Jean Simmons (no, not the one from the band Kiss) does a decent job singing. Of course Frank is in top form as always.

Jimmy Stewart in one of his best roles as the wildly popular band leader. Very interesting that it shows how Miller's sound evolved into the hits we hear even to this day. June Allyson is wonderful in this as well. These two actors always share great chemistry when on screen together which adds a lot to the film. Not a completely historically accurate movie, but well made and enjoyable for the whole family.

Brilliant! So relevant to politics today too. It makes you realize how little has changed over the years. Politicians still play dirty but thankfully there are still people with integrity to stand up for what's right no matter the cost!

Definitely one of the greatest musicals of all time. Julie Andrews shines, just as she did in Mary Poppins. A fun movie for the whole family, despite dealing with some heavy issues such as Nazi-ism and struggles with religious convictions.

Still highly enjoyable after many viewings and quite possibly contains the best written songs for a musical. All the characters really work and Shirley Jones and Gordon McRae have great chemistry. Of course what would it be without Ado Annie and Will Parker? Even if Gloria Grahame is a bit tone deaf she pulls it off in the most charming way. I'd love to give it 5 stars but it does lose my interest a bit during Laurey's long, drawn out dream sequence, which doesn't even contain any of the cast members but one. Other than that I love every minute!

A very cute musical I loved as I was growing up. Doris Day is lovable as always, even when she's in the wrong. Howard Keel is the perfect choice to play opposite her as Wild Bill Hickok. The Lieutenant couldn't handle this firecracker anyhow!

My very favorite version of this story on film. The character's ages are not completely accurate to the book but I think it actually works better here. Great performances by all! Of course I'll always wish for a different ending, but I love the movie just the same.

One of my favorite musicals of all time. This may be a remake of the classic film, "Philadelphia Story", but I found it be overall more enjoyable and charming. I find Bing Crosby's character to be more fitting of the role and Grace Kelly is a thousand times more appealing than Katharine Hepburn, in my opinion. Add a Cole Porter score, some lively jazz numbers with the one and only Louis Armstrong, a duet featuring Bing & Frank and you have pure magic!

I really enjoyed this film when it came out, but after reading the book I could see how much it deviated at times. Still, I felt they captured the essence of the story with great acting and beautiful sets. You could really understand the enchantment the children must have found in the garden! I was a little thrown off by this one sort occultist scene where the children are chanting around a fire. Other than that, it's just beautiful and even a bit romantic!

What an overlooked gem! The animation is beautiful, the story is engaging and the music by the Sherman Brothers is great! It's unfortunate that more people are not familiar with this animated film, especially with so many mediocre animated films out there. Perhaps it's all in the marketing. This film brings the classic comic to life in such a charming way. Fans of Hayao Miyazaki will especially appreciate it. If you love animation, try to track this down. It might be a little difficult to find, but well worth it!