Saturday, November 21, 2009

My Five Favorite Movies of All Time

There are very few movies I like enough to watch more than once. These five, in no particular order, are exceptions:

1. Psycho (1960) -- That shower scene with Janet Leigh will haunt me forever, and yet, every five years or so, I watch the film again.

2. Love Me or Leave Me (1955) -- Doris Day sings wonderful songs in this drama about a dance hall girl who loves a piano player but can't break free of the mobster (James Cagney) who wants her. This movie isn't always easy to find, but it occasionally runs on television.

3. Jesus Christ Superstar (1973) -- I've loved all the filmed versions, and already have my ticket to see it on stage (in Northern Colorado) in April 2010. There are quite a few filmed stage musicals I can watch again and again, including The Phantom of the Opera, Showboat, South Pacific, and The King and I. However, Jesus Christ Superstar tops the list.

4. Overboard (1987) -- Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell in my favorite frivolous, fun, and charming romantic comedy. I always laugh, no matter how many times I see it.

5. Key Largo (1948) -- Humphrey Bogart, Edward G. Robinson, Lauren Bacall. I enjoy watching this film a lot more since moving away from hurricane country.

Do you love movies as much as I do? What are your all-time favorites?

14 comments:

Elizabeth Spann Craig said...

Good movies, Patricia!

I liked "Pride and Prejudice," (the A&E version), "Breakfast at Tiffany's," "North by Northwest," "Vertigo," and "Psycho."

Elizabeth
Mystery Writing is Murder

Jennifer Shirk said...

Those are great choices!

Hmmmm... my all-time favorites? That's tough.

The original Halloween. (I'm not "in" to scary movies but I thought this was one is really such a classic)

Jaws

Young Frankenstein

Some Like it Hot (Tony Curtis dressed as a woman. Too funny)

Guys and Dolls

Mason Canyon said...

There are so many good movies I keep going back to. Here are five of my favorite:
Pirates of the Caribbean, the Curse of the Black Pearl (Johnny Depp)
Independence Day
Bishop's Wife (Cary Grant makes a wonderful angel)
His Girl Friday
The Abyss

Sylvia Dickey Smith said...

Princess Bride
The Gods Must Be Crazy
Chicago
O Brother Where Art Thou
Second hand Lions
The Bear

All number one in my book!!

Gary said...

Several of those already mentioned are great movies, but I doubt anyone will have any of mine on their list.

North to Alaska...my all time favorite. And here are the ones that probably reveal the fact that I spent 24 years in the military:

Twelve O'Clock High
No Time for Sergeants
Strategic Air Command
A Gathering of Eagles (the most accurate Air Force movie ever made)

Paul D Brazill said...

The Lavender Hill Mob
Goodfellas
one from the heart
Two Lane Black top
The Rebel

Unknown said...

I'll have to go with movies I watch repeatedly on DVD. I haven't been to a movie in a theater since the last Harry Potter.

Smoke Signals
Pride and Prejudice (A&E version. Not strictly a movie, but I think it's the best rendition I've seen.)
Lord of the Rings
Breakfast at Tiffany's
The Lion in Winter

Jeanie said...

I just don't seem to ever sit still long enough to watch a movie these days. I've seen a few of your favorites, and will keep the others in mind. One of my all-time favorites is "Shawshank
Redemption."

Patricia Stoltey said...

What great lists (including some I might have to watch again now that I've been reminded they exist). There are a couple I haven't seen (Halloween, Two Lane Black Top). I'll check 'em out, although I suspect Halloween is too scary for me.

Anonymous said...

Hmmmm.. my favorite movies.. Here goes (and in no particular order)

Rainman
The Big Chill
Shadow of a Doubt
The Graduate
Amadeus

Anonymous said...

In no particular order, and I'm sure I'm forgetting a few -

American Beauty
Amadeus
Once
Lord of the Rings
Amelie
About a Boy
The Incredibles

Stephani said...

What a great and ecclectic list you've elicited from your fans, Patricia! Only 5?? I can't do it. Some of my favorites:

Rebecca (Great suspense!)
Wings of Desire (I love the soulful angels.)
Kolya (A heart-warmer if there ever was one.)
Kind Hearts and Coronets (An Alec Guinness special.)
Raising Arizona (Lots of layers and funny to boot.)
I Remember Mama (Great character development.)
Spirited Away (Imagination at its finest.)
Henry V (Kenneth Branagh's Saint Crispen Day's speech makes ME want to go into battle.)

Anonymous said...

Mine are mostly rock and roll:
Help! The Beatles
The Last Waltz - the last concert by The Band
Gimme Shelter - the Rolling Stones' disastrous concert at Altamont
Performance (a weird movie starring Mick Jagger - can't remember the director)
Don't Look Back (gorgeous mystery set in Venice)
Fellini's 8 1/2 - I'm looking forward to "Nine" this Christmas - it's supposed to be an homage to 8 1/2

Julie Lomoe's Musings Mysterioso
http://julielomoe.wordpress.com

Anonymous said...

I loved Overboard - I haven't watched it in ages but seeing your list reminded me about it. My favourite movies of all time are the movies I watched as a kid (The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth) but I haven't seen a movie I really enjoyed for quite awhile - though The Imaginarium of Dr Parnasis was quite interesting.