1. Lord of the Rings - all 3 films. I first read LOTR when I was in the 8th grade. Although I remember a mediocre animated version, I waited decades for the live action film. Despite high expectations, I was not disappointed. With great acting, amazing special effects, and a large budget, this series takes the Number One spot. Because of his work on these films, I can forgive Peter Jackson for the horrible District 9. Ian McKlellan did Gandalf proud.
2. Gone With the Wind. I suppose it's not politically correct. And, yes, it did paint a rosy, unrealistic portrait of slavery. (Fortunately, the film isn't owned by Disney, or it would be locked away in the vault somewhere with Song of the South.) But the film captures the romance of the novel.
3. Star Wars (the original) and the Empire Strikes Back. I remember being blown away when I saw Star Wars for the first time. Empire was almost as good, but I disliked Revenge of the Jedi. Sadly, the 2nd trilogy is not in the same league as the original - Phantom Menace was truly horrible. Of all of the amazing artifacts in the Smithsonian museums, it was R2D2 and C3PO that I most admired.
4. Bambi. This was one of the first films that I ever saw at the theater. Although the quality of the animation can't compare to newer Disney flicks such as Beauty and the Beast, it is a beautiful film. I have often thought of the advice given by Thumper's mother - "If you can't say anything nice about someone, don't say anything at all." Consequently, I have often kept my mouth shut. Although the brutal murder of Bambi's mother traumatized me at an early age, it pretty much assured that I would never go hunting.
5. The Wizard of Oz. I've seen this movie more times than any other. In the days before cableTV and VCRs, I watched this movie once a year. At first, it was on a little 19 inch black & white TV. Later, it was in full color (after the tornado, at least). I've also read a few of the books by L. Frank Baum on which the film was based. The slippers were green in the book, by the way. "Lions, tigers, and bears, oh my!" "Ding dong, the witch is dead." I could go on.
6. The Harry Potter series. All I can say is, "Wow".
7. Silence of the Lambs. This one scared me to death. I love horror films, but I don't believe in ghosts, vampires and the like, so they really aren't that frightening. But I do believe in psychotic murderers, and they scare me. I remember seeing this movie at the old Village 4 with 3 friends, all of us in our early 30s. After the movie, the parking lot was dark and empty, and we were all looking over our shoulder. Although Anthony Hopkins is an excellent actor, I can't watch him in anything now without thinking of Hannibal Lecter.
8. Sixth Sense. I remember the moment when I realized that things weren't as they appeared. Great movie.
9. Indiana Jones. The best action flick of all time.
10. Not sure about this one. The first 9 were easy. Maybe "The World According to Garp" or "An American Werewolf in London".
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