I might be getting Pokemon Black soon. I'm not sure yet, but I'm kind of excited about it anyway. I still want Dead Space 2, though so I'm very conflicted about it. I know if I get it, I'll have nightmares. But I want to play it so very bad. D:
So this posts list is The Top Ten Best Movies. Onto the list!
(1971)
10. A Clockwork Orange - When it comes to movies that kick you in the face and show you all the horrible things that humans are capable of... A Clockwork Orange is that bully that is in charge of the whole gang of bullies. The story is that of (15?) year old Alex DeLarge, who's pastimes include raping young women, beating up old homeless men, and getting off to Beethoven's 9th. Seriously. The only moral I think this movie (and book) shows us is how absolutely horrible we can be to each other, and how our youth is slowly being corrupted. The scary thing really is that this kind of society doesn't seem all that far-fetched with the steady increase of child murderers. It's a good story, and a great satire of society... I just recommend watching it ONLY if you aren't easily disturbed.
(2004)
9. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind - A film lauded as being one of the best of 2004, this film takes it's ridiculously hard to pronounce title (if you have a speech impediment) from a poem by Alexander Pope, Eloise to Abelard. If you have read that poem... it's kinda the same idea as this movie. If not... well... the story follows this guy named Joel (Jim Carrey) who meets this girl named Clementine (Kate Winslet) on a train. Despite their totally different personalities, they get along extremely well, so well in fact that it's surprising. What they don't know, and you find out, is that they're former lovers, who have had their memories of each other erased. Most of this film takes place in Joel's mind, actually, as he undergoes the procedure to have his memories of Clementine erased. But as his memories are being erased, he realizes that he doesn't want to forget her. It's all really sad, and it's a very good movie.
(2010)
8. Inception - If you haven't seen this movie, I'm going to seriously wonder what is wrong with you. Anyway though, this film is now considered one of the highest grossing films of all time, and received several Academy Awards; Best Sound Editing, Best Sound, Best Cinematography, and Best Visual Effects. That being said, the story follows that of Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his associates as they illegally enter someone's mind while they're sleeping and steal ideas (or plant them...). Sounds... not extremely complicated right? The only problem is that Dom's subconscious keeps messing up their efforts (his dream-wife to be precise). They're hired by Mr. Saito (Ken Watanabe) to "inception" Robert Fischer (Cillian Murphy) - also known as "plant an idea in his head". Like all movies about heists, it starts to go horribly wrong. The story is amazing, the visual effects are even better, and the ending left so many people angry at Christopher Nolan.
(1997)
7. Titanic - Another Leo film, Titanic is one of those movies where you know the ending, and you go see it anyway. The REAL RMS Titanic sank on April 10, 1912, if that gives you any indication of the time frame in which this story takes place. Anyway, Titanic is one of those love stories that everyone knows. When it came out, it was considered one of the best films of all time, and has only ever been beat by it's sister film, Avatar. The plot more or less takes place in like, 3 days - if that. Rose DeWitt Bukater (Kate Winslet) is engaged to be married to a business mogul, but she's not happy. Jack Dawson (Leonardo DiCaprio) is penniless, and WINS his tickets in a poker game the day that the ship is scheduled to leave port. From there, the two meet, and begin a forbidden romance. It's made even more forbidden by the fact that the SHIP SINKS. Every girl (and most guys though they won't admit it) is a blubbery mess by the end of this film.
(1993)
6. Schindler's List - In terms of WWII movies... this one is my favorite. You can make half a dozen movies like Saving Private Ryan, because it's easy to tell the Allies point of view. But telling the German point of view, especially showing the way that the Jews were treated prior and after they were sent to the Death Camps... it isn't done often, and I feel that it should. A lot of people completely disregard the fact that the Holocaust happened; in fact, a lot of people don't believe it even happened. Movies like this one FORCE people to recognize it, to acknowledge it. The plot follows the story of Oskar Shindler, a business man who saved the lives of over a thousand Jews by employing them in his factories. Throughout the movie as it shows the business choices of Shindler, it also shows the actions of the Nazis and what they did to the Jews. The scene in which Shindler (Liam Neeson) literally breaks down in front of the Jews he saved, as he's fleeing from the Red Army... I was sobbing by the end of that scene.
(2002)
5. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers - The Lord of the Rings film trilogy is one of my all time favorites. It's right up there with Star Wars for me. The Two Towers is my favorite for one simple scene: The battle for Helm's Deep. Anyway, though, the film picks up where the Fellowship ended, Frodo and Sam are on their way to Mordor and run into Gollum along the way, and Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli are now in Rohan looking for Mary and Pippin, where they meet up with Gandalf - who they thought was dead. I would give the actors names for their characters... but that would take a while. Suffice to say, the actors are awesome. Anyway - again, Aragorn, Gimli, Legolas, and Gandalf make their way to the capital of Rohan, and once there, they free the king from the Evil Clutches of Saruman. After that, the battle for Middle Earth gets crazy. This film series is based off of Tolkien's books by the same title, and Tolkien's work was literally the start of the fantasy genre. While the movies deviate from the novels some, they still bring the story to an audience who would probably never have read the books.
(1994)
4. The Lion King - Probably the BEST DISNEY FILM EVER. Ahem. The Lion King came out before I was born, but it was re-released for the Christmas Season, and I was taken to go see that. The Lion King was the first film I ever saw in theaters. The story is basically an animal retelling of Hamlet. Like Hamlet, the king is killed by his brother who wants the throne. And like Hamlet, the Prince leaves home, and eventually decides to avenge his father. The plot is rather simple, and has definitely been used before, but the animation and art work is what makes this movie so good. With talent like Matthew Broderick, Nathan Lane, James Earl Jones, and Jeremy Irons(:D) doing the voice acting, it's easy to see why this film was the highest grossing film of 1994, and why it's the poster child of Disney's Renaissance period.
(1960)
3. Psycho - Probably one of the first horror movies, Psycho is readily considered one of Hitchcock's best films. It's real life serial killer counterpart is that of Ed Gein... and if you know anything about Ed Gein.... yeah... gross. The plot is that of an encounter between Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) and Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins) in a hotel that is managed by Bates... and what happens after said encounter. This movie is probably most famous for it's "shower scene" which has spawned a generation being terrified of taking a shower without checking the shower curtain first. The film was almost a flop at first, but a second review had a better impression, and the film did so well in the box office that several people wanted it banned for "bad taste." That didn't stop how successful the film became, if anything, it heightened how much people wanted to see it.
(1940)
2. Gone With the Wind - If there was ever a question to think of a film about the Civil War... it would be this iconic film that people think of. Honestly, it's one of my least favorite films, what with it's ridiculous length and all the "ASHLEY!!" "SCARLETT!" "RHETT!"'s being bounced around. But it is a good film. It definitely shows life in the South after the succession and during the war. Personally, I think Scarlett (Vivian Leigh) is a whiny little girl who obviously doesn't know what she wants, but everyone thinks she's the epitome of a strong woman. Sure, she does what's necessary to scrape by during the war, but she also treats Rhett (Clark Gable) like crap because she's secretly (or not so secretly) pinning after Ashley (Leslie Howard). And yes, Ashley is a guy. I know. That is a really fruity name. Hence another reason why Rhett will always be better than Ashley. This film is also the reason for the forever immortalized line "My dear, I don't give a damn." And I just found out that there wasn't a "frankly" in front of the "my dear." My whole life has been a lie.... ANYWAY, there will be time to break down later... The film, the actors, the soundtrack, and even most of the dialogue has become something so well known that you'd be hard pressed to meet someone who didn't know at least one line of Gone With the Wind.
(1980)
1. Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back - So, just for everyone's information, Star Wars is probably my all time favorite movie series of all time. Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back is one of those films that EVERYONE knows at least one line of, most famously, "I am your father." by Darth Vader to Luke Skywalker. Anyway, in the Empire Strikes back, the Rebel Alliance is struggling - they've been forced into hiding by the Empire on the ice planet Hoth, where they get totally pwned by Vader and his AT-ST's and AT-AT's who want to destroy the shields so they can further pwn the rebels. Han (Harrison Ford), Leia (Carrie Fisher), Chewbacca, and C-3P0 make their escape and Luke goes on his own to the Degobah system with R2-D2 to train with Jedi Master Yoda. Once there he comes across a little green dude and begins his training. Half way through said training though, he finds out his friends are in danger in Cloud City where they'd gone for repairs and supplies. Ends up being, Han is frozen in Carbon and given to Boba Fett (OMG I want his Mandalorian Skull as a tattoo so bad) so he can be bount...ied(?) to Jabba the Hutt. Luke dukes it out with daddy dearest (Vader), finds out he's the son of Darth Vader, and then has his hand chopped off. After that, he finds his way back to the Millennium Falcon. If you didn't know that plot... I just ruined it for you. But it's your own fault for not having watched Star Wars in the first place. Anyway, the thing I love about Star Wars is how much it's definitely a Hero's Journey kind of story. It's reminiscent of the Aenead, the Odyssey, Beowulf, and any other epic in which a young man must come into his own and snare his own destiny. Those kinds of stories are ones anyone can relate to, and that's what makes it such a wonderful story.
That's the end of the list! Next time I'mma tackle music. Hopefully. If I don't change my mind. ;) If you had any concerns, ideas, or just plain wanna talk, feel free to leave a comment in the little box. In fact, I WANT you to do that. TTFN!
