SuperStuff

1: Chinatown (1974) – How does one identify their favorite movie? Not easily, to be honest. The top spot alternates between Chinatown and Big Lebowski frequently. For the time being, I have decided on Chinatown as my number one. I arrived at this after several switches between the two. After my last viewing of this film, I decided that the matter was settled. The acting, cinematography, amazing script, & music all come together to produce what might be the best film of the 1970’s, if not of all time. This is one I return to often, despite the controversies concerning the director. In the end, I separate the art from the artist and look to the art. This made Nicholson the star he is.

2: The Big Lebowski (1998) -This one is pure comfort food. I could watch this movie every day and never get tired of it. With each viewing some new insight or detail comes to my notice. I find it amusing that my top two films are detective stories. Chinatown is much more straight-forward while this one replaces the hard-boiled detective with a hippie stoner. They are both set in LA too, in the Raymond Chandler style. This is the film that Jeff Bridges will be remembered for. It is easily the best from the Cohen brothers as well. Hell, a damn “religion” sprouted from it (of which I am a card carrying minister). This is a true classic that is worthy of all the acclaim. I will never look at a tumbleweed the same way. Hell of a soundtrack too.

4: Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982) – This is a big one. If you had polled me as an 8 year old this would be my #1. Hands down. Like ESB before it, this is a high that Star Trek has rarely, if ever, matched. Much has been written on this movie; the question of whether Nimoy would consider returning, Nicholas Meyer writing the script over a long weekend, bringing on Harve Bennett to keep costs down. All of these elements combined, with some help by Ricardo Montalban and Industrial Light & Magic to make the best Trek movie. The score by James Horner remains the best of the series. I will never tire of this movie. Ever.

5: The Goonies (1985) – When there is talk of touchstone movies for people my age, The Goonies must be in the discussion. I’ve heard that this movie does not hold up as well if you didn’t grow up with it. While that is certainly a possibility, I cannot imagine it. This film is the perfect blend of charm, adventure, comedy, action, and fun. There are few movies that have prompted me to make pilgrimages to its shooting locations. This makes that list. When I found myself in Oregon, Cannon beach and Astoria were must visit locales. A highlight was standing on a hill overlooking haystack rock, looking down at the beach seen in the film. A young woman walked by with “Good Enough” by Cyndi Lauper playing on her phone. It was perfect.

6: The Godfather Part I & II (1972-74) – I admit, this one is a cheat. When adding Empire Strikes Back to #3, I considered making it the “Star Wars Trilogy”. I decided against it as all three films, while created by Lucas, were directed by different men. That does not hold here. Mario Puzo’s The Godfather directed by Francis Ford Coppola is rightly regarded as one of the greatest films ever made. It was my father’s personal favorite. I recall watching it in his memory on the day he died. Part II is just as good, if not superior. Pacino has never been better; the quiet calculating rage of Corleone was fantastic to see. I cannot add Part III to this section, but I do still enjoy it. Set aside several hours and binge the whole thing. It is always time well spent.

7: The Pink Panther Strikes Again (1976) – One would not expect the fourth Pink Panther movie to be on any “best of” lists, but I cannot imagine leaving this off. While I enjoy the entire series, this is the one that stands at the apex. By this point, all of the elements were in place: Clouseau, Dreyfus, Cato and the Kung Fu scenes, the silly disguises; all were at their best here. After the two previous films of Herbert Lom’s slow burn into becoming a maniac, he goes full Bond villain in this movie. It was wild, silly, and simply wonderful to watch. “Excuse me, does your dog bite?” “No” replies the clerk. The dog then bites Clouseau. “I thought you said your dog did not bite!” the clerk replies “That is not my dog”. Perfection.

8: Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) – It is odd to place this movie so far down the list, but considering I’ve seen maybe 1000 movies in my life, this is excellent positioning. Every boy, and probably more than a few girls, in the 80’s wanted to be Indiana Jones. I had, and still own, a brown fedora. Still working on the bullwhip. Harrison Ford carved his place in motion picture godhood when George Lucas and Steve Spielberg joined forces to create their own James Bond style character. Last Crusade might be a better entry, but this is my favorite of them all. It sparked a life long love of egyptology and will eventually lead me to visit the country myself. It all started here. This is a movie that will never go out of fashion.

9: It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963) – This is a film that I grew up with, it being almost impossible to avoid. My parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, friggin’ EVERYONE loved it. All of them seemed to own the video tape and watched it frequently. If you are a fan of this era of comedy, and I am, there is no greater example of its brightest stars. The idea is simple: create a treasure hunt movie starring the greatest comedic actors of the era. Sid Caesar, Milton Berle, Micky Rooney, Buddy Hackett, Ethel Merman, Phil Silvers, Jonathan Winters, and Dick Shawn stealing every one of his scenes, Even Jerry Lewis and the goddamn Three Stooges show up for cameos. The great Spencer Tracy stars as the “straight man” police chief. There may never be another film like this, though Rat Race came close.

10: The Shining (1980) – Below you can see entries 11-25 on my favorite movie list. There are some heavy hitters in there. The final spot goes to “The Shining” though. This is a movie that has slowly risen through the rankings over the years. As I get older it may go higher, tough to know for sure. Kubrick directs Jack Nicholson and Shelley Duvall in this adaptation of Stephen King’s novel. King hated it, but it has risen in estimation as time passes. I first began to appreciate this in my late 20’s. I’d previously thought it was ok, but each time I’ve subsequently viewed it my opinion rises. Kubrick was a prick on set, but MAN did he get an amazing film made. Every frame of this movie is perfection. Every little nuance just sizzles. An easy choice to round out my top ten.

Issac Asimov – One of the greatest sci-fi writers to have ever lived. His Robot/Empire/Foundation novels still stand as some of the best ever written in the genre. He has come back into vogue recently with the Apple TV adaptation of Foundation. I’ve yet to see it, and am afraid to do so. I may sink back into an Asimov reading binge which will never release me!

Charles Bukowski – His prose was neither flowery nor sentimental, but was instead tough, and memorable. I’ve not read enough poetry to say this is the best poetry you ca read. It probably isn’t, but I enjoy him immensely. His novels were good too. There is an element of truth in them that appeals to me. Were they true? Probably not, but he is a good enough writer to make it seem that way.

Tom Clancy was the best political thriller writer of the late 20th century. The Jack Ryan/John Clark novels were superb. His attention to detail, particularly with military procedure and technology added tremendous authenticity to his work. Patriot Games remains my favorite of the series. I hate that he has gone the way of Clive Cussler and so many others with the proliferation of writers carrying on his series. Teeth of the Tiger was the end of the story.

Arthur C. Clarke – for my money, the best hard science fiction writer of the 20th century. Strong words, I know, but warranted. 2001 stands tall over his other works, though I personally prefer 2010 in the series. Of everything he wrote, and he was prolific, the one I re-read often is Rendezvous with Rama. His follow ups with Gentry Lee were ok, a bit melodramatic, but I liked the world building.

Michael Crichton was the best writer of my teens. I got into him right around 1993 when Jurassic Park was exploding. The king of the techno-thriller, and still the best. His ability to take scientific topics and imagine them in thrilling ways was unmatched. Sphere is my personal favorite of his bibliography, but one should not sleep on his autobiography – travels. It was fascinating to see into the man’s mind.

F. Scott Fitzgerald – A great writer, but he is listed here for The Great Gatsby; my favorite novel since I was 16 years old. I re-read it almost every summer.

Frank Herbert – My second favorite novel and my favorite sci-fi book is Dune. I read it every couple years and am due for a re-read. I’ve LOVED to see it get so much love with the new film series these past few years. His other novels are worth reading as well, but the Dune cycle is where its at.

Stephen King – the true king of horror for our times. Some are better than others, but every one of his novels entertained me. Every one of them. I could do a whole segment on favorite King novels, but Dead Zone, Shining, It, Duma Key, and The Stand are my favorites. I add the entire Dark Tower series as his best. I love those books.

Colleen McCullough – A fantastic writer who is primarily remembered for “The Thorn Birds”, a book I own but have yet to read. She makes this list for the seven novels that comprise the “Masters of Rome” series. I’ve read a few different fictionalized accounts of the end of the Roman Republic, but McCullough’s is the best. The attention to historical detail has yet to be matched.

Carl Sagan – The voice of science during my younger days. Cosmos was my first introduction to the man, and his writing followed in my teens. Demon Haunted World is still my favorite examination of science as it applies to culture. He is missed.