Listmania!
My favorite movies
By an Amazon.com customer
Lawrence of Arabia (Limited Edition)Lawrence of Arabia (Limited Edition)
Buy new: $27.49 / Used from: $4.99
A supurb movie that swallows you up in its grand scale. David Lean's finest movie...and that is saying something. A true feast for the eyes.
Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark (Special Edition)Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark (Special Edition)
Buy new: $14.99 / Used from: $9.77
Timeless adventure movie that set the stage for all of the big budget summer movies we are now used to. Harrison Ford's "other" movie franchise. The movie still looks as good today as it did almost thirty years ago.
Saving Private Ryan (Special Limited Edition)Saving Private Ryan (Special Limited Edition)
Buy new: $9.99 / Used from: $3.49
An unflinching look at what battle is really like. Some may say the middle lags, but I think the whole movie flows like battle itself...intense mayhem followed by quieter moments. The first and last set pieces are utterly spellbinding.
Star Wars, Episode V- The Empire Strikes Back (Widescreen Edition)Star Wars, Episode V- The Empire Strikes Back (Widescreen Edition)
Buy used from: $6.99
I lump episode IV and VI in with this one because this is the best of the first trilogy, but they should all be viewed together. From frozen Hoth to the cloud city, this is one wild ride, with perhaps the most famous confession in modern movie history at the end.
Airplane! (Don't Call Me Shirley! Edition)Airplane! (Don't Call Me Shirley! Edition)
Buy new: $9.99 / Used from: $3.19
C'mon! A classic of corny comedy. I dare you to sit through this and not laugh out loud! The source of famous bits like "Don't call me Shirley," "My Drinking Problem," "Assume Crash Positions" and dozens more!
CasablancaCasablanca
Buy new: $12.99 / Used from: $7.50
A movie classic. Great story, with great music and characters all played out in less than two hours. Bogey is the definition of cool and it is hard to find anyone who looks better than Ingrid Bergman in this film.
The Adventures of Robin Hood (Two-Disc Special Edition)The Adventures of Robin Hood (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Buy new: $10.99 / Used from: $9.46
This movie is just pure fun! A great cast with Flynn at his very best. One of the best musical scores in movie history that is often overlooked. On top of everything else the colors used in the film are jaw dropping.
To Kill a Mockingbird (Collector's Edition)To Kill a Mockingbird (Collector's Edition)
Buy new: $14.99 / Used from: $10.98
It's a classic character study that only needs two words to defend its inclusion on any list...GREGORY PECK!
The Lord of the Rings - The Return of the King (Widescreen Edition)The Lord of the Rings - The Return of the King (Widescreen Edition)
Buy new: $9.49 / Used from: $0.25
As with the first "Star Wars" trilogy, I include "The Fellowship of the Ring," and "The Two Towers" in with this movie. A fittingly grand conclusion to one of the most monumental undertakings in movie history that is probably still underappreciated.
The Sting (Universal Legacy Series)The Sting (Universal Legacy Series)
Buy new: $21.99 / Used from: $13.35
Another fun movie with two screen legends at their very best. A complex con caper that looks great even when watched today. It has stood up very well.
The Great Escape (2-Disc Collector's Set)The Great Escape (2-Disc Collector's Set)
Buy new: $14.99 / Used from: $3.93
Sometimes very funny, and sometimes tragic, this is a classic POW movie. The cast is increadible and then there is Steve McQueen!
Michael Clayton (Widescreen Edition)Michael Clayton (Widescreen Edition)
Buy new: $9.99 / Used from: $3.50
THE best movie of 2007. Tom Wilkenson and Tilda Swinton are both Oscar worthy in supporting roles, but this complex character study is all about George Clooney in the title roll. I think it is his best work to date.
The Bourne Ultimatum (Widescreen Edition)The Bourne Ultimatum (Widescreen Edition)
Buy new: $14.99 / Used from: $4.83
Again I am going to cheat and include the first two installments in with this one. Chapter three is a white-knuckle, nail-biting wild adventure ride that leaves the door open for more. Matt Damon has made this character real and human, the anti-Bond.
Out of AfricaOut of Africa
Buy new: $8.99 / Used from: $6.69
Besides Streep and Redford, the scenery is the third major star in this movie. The film is a feast for the eyes! A slow rolling journey that never once feels like it is lagging.
Bull DurhamBull Durham
Buy new: $10.99 / Used from: $2.05
The very best movie about baseball...funny and touching at the same time, with memorable sight gags and one liners...not to mention the heat between Sarandon and Costner. "What we have here is a natural disaster!"
Captain BloodCaptain Blood
Buy new: $13.99 / Used from: $10.95
My second favorite Errol Flynn movie behind "The Adventures of Robin Hood." A swashbuckling adventure.
Master and Commander - The Far Side of the World (Widescreen Edition)Master and Commander - The Far Side of the World (Widescreen Edition)
Buy new: $9.99 / Used from: $0.02
A gorgeous film that conveys how brutal 18th and 19th century naval warfare can be. Add to that the realtionship between Jack Aubrey and the good doctor. I wish they would make more of the books into movies.
The English Patient (Miramax Collector's Edition)The English Patient (Miramax Collector's Edition)
Buy new: $15.49 / Used from: $8.75
Very much like "Lawrence of Arabia" in that it demands involvement from the viewer as the story jumps back and forth and spirals back on itself. Again the scenery is truly magnificent and so is Kristen Scott-Thomas.
Stripes (Unrated Extended Cut)Stripes (Unrated Extended Cut)
Buy new: $6.99 / Used from: $2.74
Find a guy anywhere above the age of thirty that can not give you at least ten memorable lines from this movie...Bill Murray's best! "Lighten up Francis!"
The Bridge on the River KwaiThe Bridge on the River Kwai
Buy new: $17.49 / Used from: $11.82
Another David Lean masterpiece. Alec Guiness and William Holden at their best, and one of the most memorable train crashes in movie history.
When Harry Met Sally...When Harry Met Sally...
Buy new: $10.49 / Used from: $3.64
Meg Ryans best work. A romantic comedy that men like as much as women. As a plus there is the music from the movie which is fantastic. NYC never looked better on film either.
The Right Stuff (Two-Disc Special Edition)The Right Stuff (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Buy new: $10.99 / Used from: $9.34
An amazing movie based on the equally amazing book that chronicles NASA's Project Mercury, and the race to put a man in space. Look at the cast now...back then they were all up and coming.
SilveradoSilverado
Buy used from: $4.87
Made at a time when Western's were not cool to make. Unlike the more serious western's like "Unforgiven," and "Open Range" made in the last fifteen years or so...this movie maintains some of that fun that the classic western's had.
Finding Neverland (Widescreen Edition)Finding Neverland (Widescreen Edition)
Buy new: $11.99 / Used from: $1.49
A fantastic little movie driven by J. Depp who is as good as ever in it.
The Road WarriorThe Road Warrior
Buy new: $10.99 / Used from: $4.49
Deserves to be on the list not only for being entertaining but because the entire last third of this movie is a chase scene. I don't have any hard data, but it has to be one of the longest continual chase scenes in movie history.
The Insider [Region 2]The Insider [Region 2]
Buy used from: $34.42
Al Pacino and Russell Crow at their very best. A gripping character driven movie that holds you until the very last frame.
L.A. ConfidentialL.A. Confidential
Buy used from: $2.14
A gorgeous movie that brings up echoes of "The Maltese Falcon" and other cops and robbers pieces from the thirties and forties. Great cast all doing great work.
The Magnificent Seven (Special Edition)The Magnificent Seven (Special Edition)
Buy new: $9.99 / Used from: $3.25
OK, so it is the Americanized take on "The Seven Samurai." It still has Brenner, Coburn, Bronson and Steve McQueen. Very cool! And don't forget the score.
Grosse Pointe BlankGrosse Pointe Blank
Buy new: $11.99 / Used from: $3.99
This is just a cool, fun, sly movie. John Cusak has never been better, and the music is great. Dan Akroyd is a riot in a supporting role.
A Fish Called WandaA Fish Called Wanda
Buy new: $13.49 / Used from: $2.65
Flat out one of the funniest movies that I have ever seen. The scene where M. Palin has the chips jammed up his nose while being interrogated is one for the ages!
Stardust (Widescreen Edition)Stardust (Widescreen Edition)
Buy new: $9.99 / Used from: $5.99
This is one of the more underrated movies of the past few years. First off it looks fantastic. The story is great and the performances are spot on.
Schindler's List (Widescreen Edition)Schindler's List (Widescreen Edition)
Buy new: $14.99 / Used from: $9.40
A haunting movie as epic as it is heart breaking and yet hopefull at the end. This should be must viewing in every high school history class until the end of time so no one ever forgets.
Spaceballs (Collector's Edition)Spaceballs (Collector's Edition)
Buy new: $21.99 / Used from: $3.60
Ok, so maybe it is a guilty pleasure, but who cares..."My schwartz is bigger than your schwartz!"
The Agony and the EcstasyThe Agony and the Ecstasy
Buy new: $4.99 / Used from: $4.06
Another one of my guilty pleasure that I end up watching all the way through whenever I catch it on cable. I think that Heston does his best work in this movie.
LadyhawkeLadyhawke
Buy new: $10.99 / Used from: $5.99
Ok, so the music in this movie is truly terrible! I love the story. Especially Matthew Broderick and his running commentary with God.
Patton (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)Patton (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)
Buy new: $14.99 / Used from: $8.38
Has there been many movies with roles better for any actor than this one. George C Scott dominates almost every scene for almost three hours and shows the many sides of a complex man.
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)
Buy new: $14.99 / Used from: $8.84
The other great Newman and Redford movie. The scene where they blow the train car to smithereens is classic. "Who are those guys?"
Juno (Single-Disc Edition)Juno (Single-Disc Edition)
Buy new: $13.49 / Used from: $5.13
Another great "little" movie. In this day and age I would be hard pressed to see anyone handle a topic like teen pregnancy as well as this movie does, with humor and humanity.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Two-Disc Special Edition)Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Buy new: $19.99 / Used from: $6.99
Again I am going to cheat and put the whole "Harry Potter" series in here. A magical ride that starts off innocent, and builds to some very adult themes. Can't wait to see how the end is visualized (in 2 movies no less!)