Favorite Films

In no particular order, here is a list of ten movies that have had a lasting impact on me since I first saw them many moons ago.

1. Goodfellas l 1990 l Martin Scorsese

I was fourteen and nothing I had seen before had the power to forcefully grab my attention and never let me go. It always played during the holidays - mob movie marathons were common. To this day, if a scene is playing on television, I have to sit down and watch. Disappointment set in when I discovered that most serious films were not as captivating as this one.

You could do worse if this were the only film you studied in film school. Every aspect of Goodfellas should be studied. The cinematography, the music, the acting, the editing! Scorsese is the king of sequences. He knows exactly how to keep us interested in every single frame of his fifteen-hour movies.

2. Badlands l 1973 l Terrence Malick

The 1970's.... They just don't make 'em like they used to. Badlands is essentially Bonnie & Clyde but from the perspective of a fifteen year old girl. It's a simple love story drenched in style. Martin Sheen is charismatic like James Dean, but there's something not quite right about him and Sissy Spacek is charming as the bright-eyed unreliable narrator. It's fascinating watching these young dumb kids go on the run. It's authentic, simple and poignant. One of my favorite Malick pictures and it doesn't overstay its welcome.

3. The Godfather l 1972 l Francis F. Coppola

The movie is epic, Shakespearean and most importantly, iconic. If you haven't seen it, you've at least seen some part of it parodied on television. The puppet logo, the score, Marlon Brando's stuffing cotton balls into his mouth to play Don Corleone. It's one of the most influential and culturally significant films made in the 20th century. It deserves a yearly revisit and will be the fastest three hours of your life.

4. Wings of Desire l 1987 l Wim Wenders

Spiritual films are so difficult to pull off. They either come off as pandering or propaganda. This film captures the essence of the spiritual dilemma and the beauty of being human. The movie is about two angels who watch over humans in the city of Berlin and one day one of them chooses to be human after falling in love with a lonely trapeze artist.

In the modern day, more movies have demons in them than angels. I wonder what that means. It's A Wonderful Life comes to mind as a movie with angels. I will warn you, not a lot happens. It's more of a film about a mood or presence. It poses questions but makes no claims. Probably not an ideal date movie.

5. Rumble Fish l 1983 l Francis F. Coppola

An incredible cast: Matt Dillon, Mickey Rourke, Diane Lane, Dennis Hopper, the list goes on. Stewart Copeland from The Police created the score. Francis F. Coppola went wild with this one. Warner Bros. pretends they were happy with this art house picture, but it was a huge box office bomb. However, this is truly a hidden gem. It's rarely talked about. It's very pretty, very moody and very very emotional. It's not a traditional narrative by any means. Some complain that it doesn't add up to anything (like most avant-garde films).

6. Taxi Driver l 1976 l Martin Scorsese

Taxi Driver was not the first ever vigilante movie, but it did increase the sub-genre's popularity tenfold. Paul Schrader is one of my favorite writers and this film turned me onto how he approaches storytelling. If your boyfriend loves this movie, break up with him. He's most likely quite disturbed. What does that say about me? I hope Taxi Driver is studied at psychology schools. It's about a lonely New York City taxi driver who spends almost all of his time working or thinking. Not a great work life balance. It's a dark film, but so psychologically intriguing.

7. Ikiru l 1952 l Akira Kurosawa

It’s fitting that Ikiru in English means To Live since that’s what it’s really about. When a Japanese bureaucrat about to retire is told he’s going to die soon from a terminal disease, he's determined to find true happiness before it's too late.

I liken this movie to Frank Capra’s It’s A Wonderful Life. They're two sides of the same coin. And I love them both equally.

It's rare that a movie is made with the sincerity that Kurosawa brings to it. I heard a remake came out recently. I won't see it. Perfection cannot be replicated.

8. Magnolia l 1999 l Paul T. Anderson

This movie has almost as many haters as I do. They are eight seemingly small stories going on all at once that take place over the course of a single day. However, these stories feel big. Who knew an epic could take place in the San Fernando Valley? What really stands out to me is how aggressively original and fearless this movie is. It doesn't hold anything back. Modern movies seem to always play it safe. It's one of those movies that make you laugh and make you cry and will leave you even more confused at the end, but in a positive way. And like all these movies, the cast is phenomenal.

9. My Own Private Idaho l 1991 l Gus Van Sant

Gus Van Sant is an underrated filmmaker. When Van Sant makes a movie about male prostitutes, it's not about sex but rather about a specific type of love that we all yearn for that should be provided by parents. Lazier filmmakers would've been less interested in going deep, but Van Sant gives the audience the intimacy that his compelling characters seek.

River Phoenix plays a narcoleptic drifter who wakes up in new places, relying on the kindness of others to keep him safe. Keanu Reeves plays the role of his protector. It's hard to make a bad movie with talented actors and a great director. Flea from The Red Hot Chili Peppers is in it too.

10. The Magician l 1958 l Ingmar Bergman

Wild Strawberries, Persona, Seventh Seal, Summer With Monika, Cries and Whispers are always mentioned when talking about Ingmar Bergman, but I've never heard someone bring up The Magician. It’s about a traveling magician during an unknown time who stops in a village where he is humiliated by the skeptical elites. However, the magician has a few tricks up his sleeve that they're not prepared for. It's short, entertaining and full of meaning. Max Von Sydow and Bibi Anderson. Can't ask for more.