Pylorns posted his top 5 movies (presumably after watching High Fidelity recently, I’d wager), and knowing the movie geek that I am he had to know I’d throw in my two cents on the issue. I’m not saying these are the best movies of all time, but if these movies are on the tube I’m going to watch them- no question. So, here we go…

1) Star Trek II- The Wrath of Khan (1982)- The grandaddy of them all. The only one of the series that can be considered a FILM instead of a movie. Classic themes such as sacrifice, death, revenge and hope- with a plot that would make Bill Shakespeare proud, a villian that never, EVER compromised (his last words were a curse from Moby Dick, for Chrissakes) and a sacrifice that would make any cold-hearted geek warm up just a little. When people ask why I’m a Trek fan, this is the movie I point them to as an answer.

2) Ghostbusters (1984)- Easily the best comedy to come out of the 1980s, and one of the best comedies of all time. Bill Murray is at his comedic best here, and the script by Ramis and Ackroyd is outstanding. So prolific in its influence that Dan Ackroyd was able to coast for YEARS on its reputation alone. Only within the last couple years did the talk of a second sequel finally end, so beloved is this movie.

3) The Godfather, Part II (1974)- The first movie might be more quotable, but this one is the superior product. The fall of Michael Corleone is captured beautifully here, and Pacino is at his best. Plus, few things are as chilling as the sound of the gunshot as Michael looks out upon the lake. The first sequel ever to win the OSCAR for Best Picture, a distinction only recently matched by The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.

4) Good Will Hunting (1997)- Say what you want about Robin Williams, the comedian. But he was spot-on in this movie. Watch the scene again of him talking about meeting his wife. The lake scene gets more attention, but this scene makes you believe he would pass up the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to go talk to a girl in a bar. Enough has been said about the script by Affleck and Damon (leading to one of the funniest lines in the An Evening With Kevin Smith DVD) but it’s earned. To this day, I still say it got screwed over by Titanic for Best Picture. Any other year, it would have won- no question.

5) Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993)- The only animated movie on my list, but it’s that good. I consider Kevin Conroy’s voiceover work as Bruce Wayne/Batman to be the defining performance as the Caped Crusader, better than even Michael Keaton’s work in the role in Batman and Batman Returns. This is perhaps the best presentation of Batman that has been put to film, with the added bonus of Mark Hamill’s unequaled performance as the Joker and Dana Delany as Andrea Beaumont. I’d give anything to see the same movie performed as well in live-action, but it’d probably lose some of the luster that way. It’s not the best animated movie ever, but it’s the best adaptation of the source material I’ve seen.

Honorable Mentions:

Kevin Smith’s Jersey series (1994-2001)- The Original Jersey Trilogy, plus Dogma and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. Too many pop culture references have been spawned by these celebrations of pop culture for the movies to be ignored.

Office Space (1999)- If you don’t know why, don’t ask.

The Empire Strikes Back (1981)- showing once more why Darth Vader IS the baddest mutha in the galaxy. Best of the Holy Trilogy.

Steven Speilberg’s World War II movies- Schindler’s List (1993) and Saving Private Ryan (1998)- Two movies that don’t make the list because so powerful were they upon first viewing, I can’t really watch them more than once every few years.

The Matrix (1999)- a really good movie brought down by inferior sequals- and this is coming from a guy that didn’t hate the follow-ups. When Neo flies off at the end, geeks flipped out and couldn’t wait for sequals. Maybe we should have kept it that way…

Highlander (1985)- Well-made and perhaps a bit too ambitious for its own good. A movie brought down by its sequals. It doesn’t make the top five because it spawned a tv series that was better than the source material.

There you go- my list. Peruse and discuss at your leisure

Out.

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