<p>Top 10 Movies:</p>
<p>1.) The Godfather Part I
2.) The Godfather Part II
- These 2 movies need no explanation. Both have countless lines which are quoted over and over again. Both have outstanding ensemble casts (pretty much the same cast from one movie to the other). Perhaps the reason why I like these movies so much (and everyone else does for that matter) is the fact that when you see thse movies, you become connected to the characters more so than in any other film. You actually call the characters by their movie names and not their real-world actor names.</p>
<p>3.) Platoon
- It may not have the best special effects for a war movie, but it had the best story. Great music and great performances of by Willem Dafoe and Tom Berringer make this one of my favorites. It's all about good vs. evil and how you need to be both to survive war.</p>
<p>4.) Braveheart
- "The ultimate guy movie," this movie is full of action, yet still manages to stick to a plot. It has one of the greatest scenes in movie history when William Wallace yells out "Freedom!" just before he gets decapitated. Very good musical score which I think sounds a lot like the score for the Lord of the Rings movies at times.</p>
<p>5.) One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
- It is often said that the book is usually better than the movie. This movie is one of the few exceptions. I read the book and I liked it, but this movie was great. Jack Nicholson gives perhaps the best performance of his great career as Randle McMurphy. When The Chief picks up the sink, you can't help but cheer for him.</p>
<p>6.) Saving Private Ryan
- The best special effects of any war movie, the standard by which all future war movies will be held to. The first 30 minutes of it were the most powerful 30 minutes of any movie ever IMO. Not quite as good as Platoon IMO b/c Platoon had a better story and musical score, but nonetheless a classic. It was a travesty that this movie didn't win Best Picture.</p>
<p>7.) The Shawshank Redemption
- This is a greatly underrated film. The story was great and so was the acting. Every time Morgan Freeman is in a movie, it automatically gets better. It has some great quotes also and is one of those movies (at least for me) that you can watch over and over again and never get sick of it.</p>
<p>8.) Field of Dreams
- This is more of a personal favorite, but it still worth mentioning. I love baseball, but a lot of sports movies are crappy. This one isn't at all, mostly because it is about more than just baseball. It is about a father and son who never really got to know each other, but finally do in the end with baseball as the medium. If you haven't seen it, you really should, even if you don't like baseball.</p>
<p>9.) Schindler's List
- Perhaps the most powerful film ever made. This film depicts the horrors of the Holocaust in an interesting way in that it isn't from the point of view of a someone in a concentration camp. Ralph Fiennes plays the perfect scumbag a$$hole, making you as a viewer just want to kill him. The scene where the kids hide in the feces is a bit disgusting, but effective because it showed how terrible the concentration camps were.</p>
<p>10.) The Lord of the Rings - The Return of the King
- The last (and best) part of a truly great trilogy. The first 2 parts were both very good, but this one lifted the trilogy to legendary status. Incredible special and visual effects and the big finish everyone was anticipating make this a must-see. It doesn't hurt that it went 11 for 11 at the Oscars either.</p>
<p>Those are my 10 favorites, although movies 3-10 could always change places or be replaced when I see other movies I like. The only 2 that will never be removed are The Godfather I & II. They're in a different class. I can't decide which one is better, so I just put Part I first b/c it was made first. I really don't like one better than the other.</p>