Your top ten movies!

[Sam]

What are your 10 most favourite movies. Doesn't have to appear in particular order, just any you think are brilliant.

Here's 10 I watch all the time and couldn't live without.

Days of Heaven (Terrence Malick, 1978)

A genuine feast for the senses featuring some of the most beautiful cinematography ever put to film. Wonderful score from Ennio Morricone and understated realistic acting, with a haunting voice over from Linda Manz, all giving the film the impression of a dream, that unfolds serenely and with majesty. Just awesome.

Manhattan (Woody Allen, 1979)

This was the first Woody Allen I saw and I watched it in awe, revelling in the incredible dialogue (had never seen a film with dialogue like this) and beautiful images of New York. I love Gershwin so the soundtrack was the icing on the cake. Of all the 20 + Woody Allen films I've seen this remains my favourite, surely his best work.

Zerkalo (Mirror) (Andrei Tarkovsky, 1975)

I saw this 3 years ago and I was baffled but also blown away. "Beguiling" gets thrown about all to easily but I have never seen such inscrutable images that resonate with such hypnotic beauty. Scenes like the long take of the camera panning around indoors before roving outside to see the burning house) are incredible. Every time I watch this film I understand less but appreciate more, if that makes any sense.

Fitzcarraldo (Werner Herzog, 1982)

"Aguirre" was the first Herzog film I saw, but this second one was even better. It was completely engrossing, barmy and totally unique. It remains one of the most audacious films ever made, for the boat over the mountain scenes alone.

The Thin Red Line (Terrence Malick, 1998)

Yes, another Malick film! Why? Because he's my favourite film maker ever and there are moments in his films that are transcendentally beautiful. Scenes like the whole first 8 or 9 minutes, especially the Melanesian children swimming under water, Miranda Otto on the swing, the storming of the Japanese camp, the various deaths of characters and the final shot of the plant in the lagoon are among the most beautiful things I've ever seen.

Brazil (Terry Gilliam, 1985)

No explanation needed here I'm sure this forum abounds with Gilliam lovers who treaure this film.

Twenty Four Seven (Shane Meadows, 1997)

The third film I saw by him, after Dead Man's Shoes and A Room for Romeo Brass. On the strength of those two films alone Meadows was immediately one of my favourite writer/directors so seeing his first film completely sealed the deal. I think it's his best film, Hoskins has never been finer and it's a film that makes you proud of British cinema. Oh dear, TC's not gonna like me for this one!

Vozvrashcheniye (The Return) (Andrei Zvyagintsev, 2003)

Another Russian film! Easily as beguiling as anything Tarkovsky conceived (a bold claim!) but with the abstruseness, making it much more accessible. The stark beauty of the photography and the sparing music, the wealth of silent unspoken moments telling the story, the subdued but masterful acting of the child actors, and the sense of mystery and sadness that pervade the film make it one of the best films I've ever seen. Really beautiful and I'm sure anyone who has seen it will back me up on this.

Road to Perdition (Sam Mendes, 2002)

Superior to "American Beauty" in my opinion. Conrad L. Hall outodes himself yet again, sadly this being the last film he shot. Thomas Newman proves yet again why he is one of the best film composers working today, writing poignant and heartfelt music, often fairly simple, but always beautiful and perfect for the film. I've always thought Tom Hanks was a great actor, and am baffled by people who don't rate him, perhaps on the basis of his comedy films and appearance in generic dramas and romcoms. I love his performance in this, and the supporting cast of Daniel Craig, Paul Newman and Jude Law are wonderful too. I thought Mendes' captured the 1930s beautifully and his direction is fluid, masterful and seamless.

The New World (Terrence Malick 2005)

Yes!!! More Malick!!!! Well, I really like him. :)

This film was understandably maligned upon its release by many moviegoers but most critics loved it. I don't blame people for hating this movie because it's Terrence Malick to the nth degree, expanding on the tone he set in TTRL and becoming even more abstract, even more ponderous and meditative. It's a far cry from Badlands. I think it's his best work. Emmanuel Lubezki is probably the best cinematographer in the world right now (another bold claim!) and his work on this film rivals the superlative photography of "Days of Heaven". The use of Wagner is ingenious and James Horner (hack alert!) even turns in some pleasant music, which is pretty and non-intrusive). Christian Bale completely out-acts the annoying Colin Farrel, making the second half of the film all the better for his presence. Q'Orianker Kilcher shows a depth and maturity far beyond her years.

Ok, there's my ten. Over to you.

[thugler]

Okay, not a definitive ten this, since I would probably have to remind myself of loads of films, so just 10 that come to mind as ones I love.

1. Withnail and I (Bruce Robinson, 1987) - Really great performances, incredibly funny lines, oddly moving, and infinitely rewatchable.

2. Pans Labyrinth (Guillermo del Toro, 2006) - For me, probably the best film of last year, engrossing storyline and an inventive use of fantasy which doesn't get annoying and is integral to the plot.

3. Dawn of the Dead (George A Romero, 1978) - One of my favorite horror films of all time, and probably the best zombie flick ever, exciting, funny, gory, and a little bit scary, with some social commentary thrown in for good measure.

4. Glengarry Glen Ross (James Foley 1992) - Probably the best ensemble cast ever, hilarious and it's the script and performances that drive the film rather than much action. Adapted from a play and simply executed, allowing the focus to stay with the characters, each of them fully explored. Contains my favorite Al Pacino performance ever.

5. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (Michael Gondry, 2004) - An original script vividly directed, the scenes of dreaming are highly innovative, and it's sweet and funny without being cloying.

6. Fitzcarraldo (Werner Herzog, 1982) - Have to agree with Sam there, it's not quite as intense as Aguirre, but it's a better more cohesive film. visually stunning and a stupendous lead performance.

7. Metropolis (Fritz Lang, 1927) - Incredibly influential and way ahead of it's time. Stunning visuals which still stand up today even if the performances are rather old fashioned. The best non comedy silent film I've ever seen.

8. Taxi Driver (Martin Scorsese, 1976) - Powerhouse performance from De Niro, probably his best. Builds tension from the start right up until the explosive finale, De Niro's descent into madness and paranoia is intense.

9. Heavenly Creatures (Peter Jackson, 1994) Couldn't decide whether to put this or Brain Dead in since I love them both, but this is the better film I guess. The fantasy scenes are wonderfully shot, and the final scene is shocking to say the least.

10. The Big Lebowski (Coen Brothers, 1998) I've heard it criticized a lot but I can't see whats not to love about this, it's really funny, has great music, and is just a really fun film.

I didn't like Road to Perdition for some reason.

[surreal]

Top 3, then no particular order:

Fight Club
I'm a huge David Fincher fan, have loved everything he's ever done but this is the one movie that really moves me every time I watch it.  Everything in it is electrifying, from the music, to the performances to the overall atmosphere.

Star Wars
I'm obviously talking about "Episode 4 - A New Hope" here.  I saw it first time round when I was about 8 and it really is one of those things that sticks with you and defines your generation.  For me its a perfect "good vs evil" story and they should have left it at that.

Dirty Harry
My favourite Clint Eastwood movie, defines the word "iconic". 

When Harry Met Sally
Not a fan of chick-flicks or rom-coms, but this consistently makes me laugh.  Its Billy Crystal's non-stop one liners that do it, a lot of them improvised. A pretty perfect comedy, and one of my "Christmas Movies"

Office Space
This isn't the greatest film in the world but its one I can always, always put on on a Sunday afternoon if I'm bored and it entertains me.

Die Hard
Best of the 80s action movies, hands-down, no contest.  Another of my "Christmas Movies" (along with "Gremlins", "Scrooged", "Bad Santa")
 
Battle Royale
This film stunned me.  I read a lot about it, and was intrigued by the premise.  It was one of those movie experiences where I was tense all the way thru watching it, partly from expectation and partly from the actual film itself. 

The Terminator
I like the purity of this film.  Arnie as the unstoppable killing machine.  They should never have made him the good guy, I hate Terminator 2 with a passion.  I quite like T3 as it had a similar feel to the first, but for me this takes a lot of beating.

The Incredibles
Its tough picking a single Pixar movie, but I think that Brad Bird did wonders with this - I'm very much looking forward to seeing Ratatouille today (directed by Bird again) so this may be dislodged.

Poltergeist
This was a tough choice, it was either this or Alien - I think Alien is the better movie but I watched and loved Poltergeist so much that it has to come out on top.  Cannot wait for the DVD, haven't watched the film in years.

[wherearethespoons]

4. Glengarry Glen Ross (James Foley 1992) - Probably the best ensemble cast ever, hilarious and it's the script and performances that drive the film rather than much action. Adapted from a play and simply executed, allowing the focus to stay with the characters, each of them fully explored. Contains my favorite Al Pacino performance ever.

Great film and great performances all round. If you don't have the right actors a Mamet script really sounds awkward. Worth watching for Pacino's delivery of the C word alone.

[BJB]

The Rocky Horror Picture Show
Just uninterupted brilliance from beginning to end. It dosen't matter how many times i see this movie, it will ROCK every time.

Brazil
Another vote for Brazil here. Doses a better job at 1984 then Radfords version.

Monty Pythons The Meaning Of Life
I love all the python movies but this is definitly the best. It goese in a million places at once and like most good movies, is dark as FUCK.

Waynes World
PARTY TIME! EXCELLANT! No more needs to be said.

The Bond Movies
Apart from a few duffers, these just define cinema.

South Park Bigger Longer And Uncut
Mainly for the songs.

The Shining
Whilst i admit it gets less scary the more you watch it, it certainly is a fine peice of filmaking.

I'm going to include two tv movies here for the sake of laziness.

The Woman In Black
This is PURE horror. I can't watch this after 7:00. Nightmares you see. That scene in the pub bedroom actually FUCKING happened to me.

Threads
Another one that doesen't fail at scaring you shitless.

And finally a short movie

The Sandman
[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjgHbRrnjhU[/youtube]

Just sit back, and let the pure brilliance unfold.

[Tom The Funkee Homosapien]

Threads
Another one that doesen't fail at scaring you shitless.

Scary? You women I might understand if you think that at any time of any day we might get an atomic bomb dropped on us but this is defiantly not scary. But I agree with it being a good film and the sandman that is a good little film. And most of other films you say.

[surreal]

The Woman In Black
This is PURE horror. I can't watch this after 7:00. Nightmares you see. That scene in the pub bedroom actually FUCKING happened to me.

never heard of this one - but could you elaborate on your experience in the "spooky stuff" thread?

[brrrr]

I'm sure i'm missing loads out but for now:

IF (Lyndsay Anderson,1968)
The best anti-authority film ever made interspersed with frequent weirdness.Malcolm Mcdowell's Mick Travis should be a hero to every disgruntled teen

Coogan's bluff (Don seigal,1968)
Clint Eastwood's prototype Dirty Harry,and in my opinion he was never cooler than in this film,plus late 60's New York looks amazing.

Beetlejuice(Tim burton,1988)
The quintessential Burton movie before he went too Hollywood.whatever happened to Micheal Keaton?

The 5000 fingers of Dr.T(Roy Rowland,1953)
Dr.Suess's presents a child's fear of Mom's new boyfriend in his usual surreal brilliance.a favourite of mine since I was 6.

Strangers on a train(Alfred Hitchcock,1951)
If I had to pick one Hitchcock it would be this,Robert Walker's Pampered richboy Bruno freaking out Farley Granger in glorious black and white.

On her Majesty's secret service(Peter R.Hunt,1969)
I've always  held the unpopular opinion that George Lazenby is the best Bond,even if you don't agree  this is still probably the best bond film.The swiss alps,Diana Rigg,Telly Savalas,Bond in disguise,"this never happened to the other fella" what more could you possibly want?

Blue Velvet(David lynch,1986)
The only David Lynch film you ever need to see.


The Graduate(Mike Nichols,1967)
The original MILF Anne Bancroft and Dustin Hoffman and Simon and Garfunkels perfect soundtrack make this a must for me .It is1967.better than owning a time machine.

Being there(Hal Ashby,1979)
A simpleton misunderstood as a genius. Surely Peter sellers best work.

The king of comedy(Martin Scorsase,1983)

A Scorsese movie that should be mentioned amongst his best ,because it is. I'm sure many people on this board will agree with that.It is hilarious with a real target:the modern celebrity.

Batman(Leslie h.Martinson,1966)
The movie of the tv show is for me the definitive Batman. Funny, imaginitive ,californian sunshine.not a brooding Bruce wayne in sight.

Whoops! that was eleven,nevermind ,hmmm that's funny... none of my favourite's were released in the last ten years.

[drberbatov]

One flew over the cuckoo's nest -
Nurse Ratched still gives me nightmares

Taxi Driver -
A lovely shot film

American Psycho -
One of the best book to film adaptations

Good Morning Vietnam-
I like Robin Williams

The Great Escape -
Hilts in the cooler....

Apocalypse Now -
Brando's finest hour

North by Northwest -
gotta have Hitchcock in there

Zulu -
the classic Sunday afternoon film

Wayne's World 2-
a sequal thats better than the original

The Departed -
great cast, good cop film

[Neville Chamberlain]

1. The Seventh Continent - Michael Haneke

2. Hidden - Michael Haneke

3. Funny Games - Michael Haneke

4. The Shining - Stanley Kubrick

5. The Wicker Man - Robin Hardy

6. Spoorloos (The Vanishing) - George Sluizer

7. Christiane F. Wir Kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo - Uli Edel

8. Blue Velvet - David Lynch

9. The Elephant Man - David Lynch

10. Nuts in May - Mike Leigh

It's all fun and games round my house!

[Regular Chicken]

City of God
Big Lebowski
Blade Runner
Jurassic Park
The Royal Tenenbaums
Raging Bull
Dawn of the Dead
Miller's Crossing
Pulp Fiction
Leon

[BJB]

never heard of this one - but could you elaborate on your experience in the "spooky stuff" thread?

Maybe this will clear things up

[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cu0DaxdnXck[/youtube]

I am never going to revist this post.

[Ronnie the Raincoat]

This list changes from time to time.

1. Withnail and I

My favourite film of all time.  It's just perfect.

2. Brazil

It's an amazing, depressing, uplifting, funny film that either chills me or amuses me, depending on my mood.  The performances in it, especially from Palin and Pryce, are so English and so brilliant.

3. Charade and Breakfast at Tiffanys

I love Audrey Hepburn and these two films are on a level in my estimation.  I sometimes wonder about what are now family classics.  Breakfast at Tiffanys had quite dark undertones with "Fred's" sugarmummy and the criminal overworld that Holly is involved in.  Yet it's portrayed as this frothy little film!

4. Ghostbusters

C'mon.

5. Life is Beautiful

It's such an odd, lovely, jarring, bizarre film.  I am a bit of a WW2 spod so I like most films that deal with the concentration camps, just because they try to.  This does it in unique way. 

6. Monty Python's Quest for the Holy Grail

My favourite Python film.

7. Leon

Almost solely for Jean Reno's performance.

8. Airplane

One of the funniest films ever made.

9. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

Powerful stuff.

10. Some Like It Hot

Again with the frothy film stuff that is actually slightly sinister.


Being There with Peter Sellers would sneak into the top 10 from time to time.

[Marty McFly]

nice to see someone else thinks Wayne's World 2 is better than the original. and you beat me to it with Ghostbusters, miss Raincoat..

I don't know if I could actually narrow it down to just ten, so here are some of my favourites, in no particular order..

Psycho
Back To The Future
Ghostbusters
That Thing You Do!
Mulholland Drive
National Lampoon's Vacation
The Naked Gun
La Bamba
The Green Mile
Quadrophenia

[thugler]

Waynes World 2 should probably have been in my top ten actually. Adore that film.

[Saucer51]

Currently:

Godfathers I and II
Pulp Fiction
Goodfellas
Quadrophenia
Dumb and Dumber
Conspiracy
Schindler's List
Harry Potter
Warriors
Day of the Jackal

[Marvin]

Kind Hearts and Coronets
The Shining
The Princess Bride
The King of Comedy
Withnail and I
This is Spinal Tap
Dancer in the Dark
Labyrinth
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
The Wicker Man

[amputeeporn]

1/ Casablanca
I love how the characters are so divided and not really one thing or another, summed up best in Rick who I believe to be the greatest character in any film ever.
2/ Withnail and I
I'm in awe of what was captured here. There's no point at all where I think "this is a film and these are actors", which is rare.
3/ Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
A modern day classic, lovely stuff.
4/ Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas
My favourite 'party film' before I discovered Withnail.
5/ Spirited Away
A really wonderful and melancholic wave goodbye to childhood.
6/ Amelie
There's a lot of criticism of this film because it's always cited as some work of wonder, but it just makes me feel great.
7/ The Big Lebowski
Only saw this recently, but it really is fun.
8/ Pans Labyrinth
Another modern classic...will probably crawl up my list as time goes by.
9/ Some Like it Hot
Brilliant film that's only fallen down the list from being overwatched.
10/ Spider-Man 2
Guilty pleasure - great effects, action and a nice story at the center about a divided young man.

[brrrr]

Should have included Airplane on my list aswell and It's a Mad,Mad,Mad,Mad world.both hilarious.

[surreal]

Maybe this will clear things up

Bloody hell, you had THAT happen to you in a hotel room?  Well, that'll teach you to order in a hooker, won't it...

[wearyworld]

Kind Hearts and Coronets

Ahh that's great. I was shocked at how 'black' it was; silly me with my "old black-and-white films are all like Brief Encounter" prejudice.

Magnolia
Apparently Kevin Smith thinks it's self-indulgent. Make of that what you will. In loving it so much, am I feeding P.T. Anderson's narcissism? I do hope so.

Do The Right Thing
It always makes me chuckle thinking about Spike Lee's spat with Tarantino... It's baffling that somehow the mainstream finds Tarantino more interesting. Anyway this is superb.

Planes, Trains and Automobiles
I think this is wonderful. Perhaps John Hughes writes saccharine, but it really works in this instance and the pairing of Steve Martin and John Candy is terrific.

Halloween
Perfectly paced, extraordinarily creepy score and deceptively simple. Just very scary and loaded with suspense.

This Is England
It's about the corruption of youth and so much more. Lots to discuss here, if the occasion demanded. Like a deeper and more powerful Made In Britain.

The Naked Gun
Airplane is brilliant but Leslie Neilsen's omnipresence here gives this the edge.

The Godfather Part II
Err... brooding Pacino.

Withnail and I
See: other people's comments.

Mulholland Drive
Like the best and worst dream ever.

Welcome To The Dollhouse
Honest, unsentimental, funny, 'difficult'. The quintessential anti-"coming of age" film.

You don't know me. But hi.

[wherearethespoons]

Magnolia
Apparently Kevin Smith thinks it's self-indulgent.

Because his films never are, are they? Fuck, I hate that twat. That aside, I'd rate Anderson's Punch Drunk Love over Magnolia. It's a wonderful film.

[Regular Chicken]

Do The Right Thing
It always makes me chuckle thinking about Spike Lee's spat with Tarantino... It's baffling that somehow the mainstream finds Tarantino more interesting. Anyway this is superb.

Ooh good one. Easily Lee's finest work.

[aaaaaaaaaargh!]

Ok, in no particular order (and they're all really bloody "obvious" films now I'm reading this post back!), and I've only got time to post 7 at the moment...

Vozvrashcheniye (The Return)
Flipping heck, what suspense.  Great acting by the young lads in the film; you really hope they're going to survive their holiday with their father who has "returned" from an unexplained place.  Magnificent acting by Konstantin Lavronenko as the father, broody and extremely cruel to the boys. Vladimir Garin, who played Andrey, the older brother, in the film died just before the film was released.  He drowned in the lake which featured in the film, which gives it even more of an intense atmosphere.

Das Leben der Anderen (The Lives of Others)
Oh, I don't want to write too much about this as it's relatively new and I don't want to spoil it for people on here who might want to see it, so:

Spoiler alert

It's fucking brilliant, that's all you need to know.

[close]

Goodfellas
Could've picked several Martin Scorcese films, but had to plump for this one.  Everyone on here has seen it (surely?), and I just love the way it flows through Henry Hill's life, from being a boy obsessed with the men in smart suits down the road all the way to his snitching on his former pals.  Bloody great, with a great soundtrack which really adds to the film.

Bullitt
Was a toss up between this and Papillion for my favourite Steve McQueen film.  Fairly intricate plot (by Hollywood standards anyway), with the best car chase evarrr^tm.  I just love Steve McQueen's sheer fucking attitude in this film.

The French Connection
Another cop film, another great car chase.  Lovely shots of a desolate New York.  Gene Hackman does a great job as a policeman who menaces people and goes on his hunches to get results. 

Blue Velvet
Along with Joe Pesci's performance in Goodfellas, Dennis Hopper is the most realistically scary performance I've seen in a film.  It has such a really weird, unreal atmosphere which made me feel on edge throughout the whole thing.  I haven't seen very much of David Lynch's stuff, but people have told me I need to see Twin Peaks.

Chinatown
Another obvious one, but I don't care.  I love Jack Nicholson's smarminess in this film.  I love the way the plot twists unexpectedly.  I love the ending.  Watching this film makes time fly, I'm able to shut the rest of the world out so easily whenever I put it on.

[Glebe]

Yep, The Lives Of Others is very good. Sadly, Ulrich Muhe (who plays Wiesler) died a little while ago. Also saw Martina Gedick in The Good Shepard recently, and Sebastian Koch in Zwartboek (Black Book). Wearyworld, Naked Gun was on E4 last night. Still makes me laugh.

I always find it too difficult even to come up with rough lists of movie favorites.

[Emma Raducanu]

Play Time (1967) Jacques Tati

I bought this film right after investing in a projector because I understood it needed a massive screen to be fully appreciated. It's true; there's so much going on all the time, all over the place and it can be watched dozens of times and you'll still notice new things.

Taxi Driver (1976) Martin Scorsese

My favourite performance by any actor I think. I try and find a bit of Travis in me every day God love him.

The Breakfast Club (1985) John Hughes

A film of medicinal qualities, it helped keep my head straight one time. Now look at me.

Withnail & I (1987) Bruce Robinson

Not as good as Argos adverts but still pretty decent.

Omohide poro poro Only Yesterday (1991) Isao Takahata

Isao pisses, jizzes, pukes and shits all over his previous effort (Grave of the Fireflies) with this touching story of girls going through their periods and other things. Hey Sam, I see you're into beautiful films, if you see this let me know how highly it rates on the Samutiful scale. I nearly had a wank over it because it is stunning.

Chung Hing sam lam Chungking Express (1994) Kar Wai Wong

Aah the most lovely of all love stories and two for the price of one. Is it true most people prefer the second story? Because for me, the first just beats it - I think it's consistantly iconic and I love the jogging, pineapple, takeaway theme, always makes me  laugh.

The Shawshank Redemption (1994) Frank Darabont

Gave me a right old lump in the throat and argovates the anarchic in me.

The Straight Story (1999) David Lynch

I quite enjoy watching a film late on and I always found this the most arresting, relaxing, sweet and yet complex movie available. Alvin's troubled past concludes with a scene played alongside Harry Dean Stanton, which I found a little breathtaking.

American Splendor (2003) Robert Pulcini

Not sure why, I just love it!

Être et avoir To Be and To Have (2002) Nicolas Philibert

It's charming all the way through and always a little fascinating to see the children interact with one another and also to see how the teacher lends his delicate hand to mediate things. But the only reason it's in the list is because theres a scene right at the end when the teacher and children part for the final time and Georges stifles his tears and instead left me to cry for him. Just that split second for me is one of the most moving and magical moments and I'm a gorilla man.

[phantom_power]

It always makes me chuckle thinking about Spike Lee's spat with Tarantino... It's baffling that somehow the mainstream finds Tarantino more interesting.

regardless of the quality of their respective works, lee can be a complete twat and was wrong in his spat with tarantino. on the do the right thing commentary he makes much mention of people (well, white people) asking if it was right for his character to start the riot while making no mention of radio raheem being murdered by the police, suggesting this is some form of racism that white people see the destruction of a pizza shop as worse than the death of a black man. this is patently ridiculous and it is obvious to anyone without a bit of a chip on their shoulder that most people take it as read that raheem's death was bad while the pizza shop incident is more of a talking point

[Regular Chicken]

The bit where Mooky throws the bin through the pizza shop window is such a 'what the fuck' moment.. brilliant. I agree about Lee having a chip on his shoulder in some ways though, he seems a little, I don't know, militant sometimes?

[El Unicornio, mang]

He is a bit of a tool, remember when he tried to sue Spike TV for using "his" name without permission?

OK, here goes:

Goodfellas (Martin Scorsese, 1990)

I could watch this film every day. There's so much to it. The great soundtrack that plays throughout, the wonderful performances (especially from Pesci, of course) and just the general feeling of being sucked into this glamorous world which turns out to be horribly violent and frightening. The fact that it's all true (and was apparently toned down somewhat for the movie) makes it even more powerful.

Planes, Trains and Automobiles (John Hughes, 1987)

I watched this the other night, and it still stands up as one of the best comedies ever. Great physical comedy (the redneck with the bizarre facial tic, the car going between the two trucks, Steve Martin falling over all over the place), brilliant lines ("Her first baby...come out sideways. She didn't scream or nuthin'") and Martin and Candy on top form (Candy in particular manages to nail the character perfectly). And if you don't have a lump in your throat at the end you have a heart of stone.

Withnail & I (Bruce Robinson, 1986)

By far the most quotable film ever. I don't think there's a bad line in the whole script, and it's just a great story about friendship and escape. Great use of Hendrix, I can't listen to 'All Along the Watchtower' without thinking of that wrecking ball. Plus it's one of the few films to contain an original Beatles song.

The Insider (Michael Mann, 1999)

I'm a big fan of Mann and he handles the subject matter here brilliantly. Crowe should have won the Oscar for his turn as Wigand, you really feel the pressure building in him as the film progresses and there's a wonderful hallucinatory scene in a hotel room around the middle of the film. Excellent cinematography from Spinetti, as always.

Taxi Driver (Martin Scorsese, 1976)

Not my favourite Scorsese film (see above) or favourite DeNiro performance (see below), but definitely the most exciting, visceral, powerful film that the two have made. Unusual for Scorsese to have an original score, but it works here to set up the brooding atmosphere. New York in the 70s was a nasty, dangerous place, and you really get the feeling of that through the intricate direction and editing. And that slidey gun thing he has is well cool.

Raging Bull (Martin Scorsese, 1980)

My third Marty/Bobby film. This one has quite a strange atmosphere, helped a lot by being in black and white. Of course there's De Niro fighting round after round and getting in amazing shape to play LaMotta, then putting on the 60lbs for the last reel, but for me the film is about the direction of the wonderfully choreographed fights, and the sound, which uses all sorts of animals noises and other innovations to create the atmosphere of being in the ring.

The Godfather Part II (Francis Ford Coppolla, 1974)

Managing to make a film that is better than The Godfather shows just how much of a genius Coppolla is (or was). The 1950s scenes have Pacino on top form as he becomes the slicked back, ruthless killer that's in such contrast to the character of Michael in the first half of the previous film. But the best bits for me are the flashbacks to the 1900s. Beautiful recreation of old Little Italy, the light sepia tint to the picture, and De Niro's wonderfully understated performance (the two times you see him kill are all the more powerful for this).

Back to the Future (Robert Zemeckis, 1985)

I was pretty much obsessed with this film as a kid, and it's still a joy to watch now. Great idea for a story, perfectly realised. And despite having seen it about 100 times, I still get sweaty palms thinking that Doc's not going to get those damn cables connected in time.

Alien (Ridley Scott, 1979)

It was hard to choose between this and Aliens, but I think this has the edge. From the opening titles it sets up this really creepy atmosphere that has yet to be equalled. I love to watch this film in the dark with headphones on because it really draws you into the claustrophobia of being on the ship with this barely seen creature running around killing everyone. The mystery of the alien (what's the story with the giant alien pilot?)makes it even more interesting. And having Ripley as a woman was inspired.

The Shawshank Redemption (Frank Darabont, 1994)

It's gotten a bit of backlash since being praised as one of the best films of all time, but it really is a great film. The awful brutality of the first two hours is lifted by the fantastic final moments. A great story of hope and not giving up, and Morgan Freeman is always a joy to watch.

[Cack Hen]

Planes, Trains and Automobiles (John Hughes, 1987)

I watched this the other night, and it still stands up as one of the best comedies ever. Great physical comedy (the redneck with the bizarre facial tic, the car going between the two trucks, Steve Martin falling over all over the place), brilliant lines ("Her first baby...come out sideways. She didn't scream or nuthin'") and Martin and Candy on top form (Candy in particular manages to nail the character perfectly). And if you don't have a lump in your throat at the end you have a heart of stone.

I never cry at films, and I'm always slightly confused when I see people doing it, but I actually did cry at the end of that. I don't know why, but the way you see Candy clutching his hat with his mittens on. God. Kills me.