Personal List: 10 Timeless Movies
At the suggestion of another of my fellow Klat writers, I decided that instead of doing my typical movie series review this week, I would present a list of some movies that I feel are timeless. And though this list is far from being a complete picture of all the films that I can personally watch over and over and over, it does attempt to at least bring to the table ten flicks that never get old. You may agree with me, you may not and, if you’ve been locked in the basement most of your life, you may have actually not seen some of these (I suggest you remedy that immediately!). But whatever your own opinion, mine is that these are films that will never get old, carrying on from one generation to the next to become forever part of movie history, for better or for worse. Enjoy.
1) Goonies (1985)
A true childhood favorite to a great many people, Goonies is a classic tale of a band of misfit kids seeking buried pirate treasure while fending off the terrors of a group of bank robbers intent on killing them. The acting isn’t great and the story is about as generic as they come, but it’s a fun time all around. The characters and the adventure really make this film one that I will continue to watch, every year, for the rest of my life.
2) Escape from
Back when John Carpenter was truly amazing and Kurt Russell was the king of sci-fi action films, Escape from New York emerged as a bleak vision of the future that had some poignant political undertones. Snake Plissken has, as a result, become a standard of bad-ass to compare other anti-heroes to. This film has a rich atmosphere and great but not over-done actions scenes that makes it easy and always exciting to watch.
3) Blade Runner (1982)
Arguably Ridley Scott’s best film ever (the 92/88 ratings at Rotten Tomatoes certainly seem to support this assertion), Blade Runner is a film that presents an incredibly immersive world (on par with movies like Star Wars) and challenges the viewer with some important questions about the nature of life itself. There are no truly amazing actors in this film, but Scott brought out the best of those who were there, even to the point of making Rutger Hauer look like a talent. Every time I view this flick, I see something new and it never loses its ability to inspire wonder in me and make me think.
4) Amelie (2001)
A creation of mastermind Jean-Pierre Jeunet (the brain behind such greats as Delicatessen and The City of Lost Children), Amelie is a fairy tale come to life. Following the story of one very imaginative girl named Amelie, the audience is brought along on a journey of make-believe and fantastic expectations realized. It is a romantic story in the end, but the path there is one that delves into the nature of the introverted dreamer and the way Amelie’s mind creates a world that suits her and how that takes shape in reality and affects all those that come to know her.
5) Pump Up the Volume (1990)
Perhaps one movie on this list that won’t have too many people agreeing with me, the message of free speech in Pump Up the Volume is one that remains eternally relevant, especially in the modern world of censorship and government surveillance. This movie is Christian Slater at his best and was, at least for me, a source of much inspiration. The story it weaves is honest and well-done and, in my opinion, appeals to dreamers and idealists of all ages.
6) Army of Darkness (1992)
There are few campy horror films that reach the level of amazing that is Sam Raimi’s Army of Darkness. Though it helps to watch the Evil Dead films first to get a bit of background, this movie stands on its own. The character of Ash, with his “boom stick” and his chainsaw hand, has become iconic in both the horror and the action world. No matter how many times I watch this film, it always manages to make me laugh with the cut-rate special effects and perfectly ludicrous dialogue.
7) Star Wars (1977)
What list of immortal films would be complete without at least one of the Star Wars flicks on it? The first one, though not as good as The Empire Strikes Back in my opinion, is still such a complete epic tale that one can watch it at pretty much any time without getting bored. The writing is impeccable, presenting a textbook tale of good versus evil, complete with a young hero finding his destiny. The characters, though perhaps not the most original, are memorable enough that they’ve inspired a whole cult following over the decades. And even more than 30 years later, the special effects still shine as a near-perfect example of what you can do with some well-crafted models and a lot of creativity.
8) Dr. Strangelove (1964)
Though Stanley Kubrick is known for a plethora of great films, Dr. Strangelove is one that I keep coming back to, time and again. Though its concept is somewhat outdate, being as how it’s a Cold War-era film, it still manages to carry enough relevance on the nature of man and war that even today it presents a genuine insight. And it is made all the better by the absolutely outstanding performances from its cast, particularly Peter Sellers who plays multiple roles in the film.
9) The Dark Knight (2008)
By far the best super hero movie to date, The Dark Knight not only presents a compelling story, but makes it even more engaging thanks to the acting job of Heath Ledger in what would, unfortunately for the world, be his last role. This movie is filled with great action, insight into the nature of man and a message of hope in the face of overwhelming chaos. One of Nolan’s best films by far (and with an amazing 94/93 on Rotten Tomatoes), The Dark Knight is, in my opinion, what all super hero films should strive to match in quality if not necessarily in content.
10) Happy Gilmore (1996)/Billy Madison (1995)
Yes, there was indeed a time when Adam Sandler was funny. And yes, I know I’m kind of cheating by putting two entries here, but both films represent the best of what Sandler and his Happy Madison crew have given us over the years. Both films are irreverent and filled with sometimes random hilarity. It is the chaotic nature of these films that made them so good and, as the years passed on, the lack of this very chaos that caused latter Sandler films to become mediocre. I can always turn on one of these and have a laugh and that is why I will continue to watch them until the day I die (or until Adam Sandler makes another funny movie…).
Photo Credits -
Goonies poster courtesy spielbergfanclub.com
Blade Runner poster courtesy of impawards.com
Dr. Strangelove courtesy of horrornews.com