My favorite movies of all time and why.
These are my personal favorite movies of all time. They aren't movies that I consider to be the best but ones that I like very much for one reason or another.
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- DirectorRobert ZemeckisStarsMichael J. FoxChristopher LloydLea ThompsonMarty McFly, a 17-year-old high school student, is accidentally sent 30 years into the past in a time-traveling DeLorean invented by his close friend, the maverick scientist Doc Brown.Everything about this movie I LOOOOOVE. The characters are great, from Biff the bully to the crazy Doc Brown, not to mention Marty McFly and his hilarious parents. The plot is great and it has since established a lot of important "rules" movies about time travel follow. There is nothing I enjoy more than see this Marty get into these hilarious and awkward situations involving his parents. Something about this movie just works perfectly, especially regarding my own cinematic tastes. It is one of the few movies that literally, never gets old... Every time I pop this movie on, I know exactly what I am in for and it always delivers.
Note: No movie character is cooler than Marty Mcfly, except perhaps... - DirectorJohn MiliusStarsArnold SchwarzeneggerJames Earl JonesMax von SydowA powerful warrior seeks to avenge the genocide of his people and the murder of his parents at the hands of a snake cult.The most badass movie ever made. This is Arnold at his rawest... fresh off Pumping Iron and still sporting a huge gap in between his 2 front teeth. This movies got it all... lots of sexy babes, manly bros, bloody sword fights, evil sorcerers, giant snakes and so much more. It also has the finest soundtrack ever. If your a macho man, or aspire to be one... you understand why I regard this movie so highly.
- DirectorSean S. CunninghamStarsBetsy PalmerAdrienne KingJeannine TaylorA group of teenage camp counselors attempt to re-open an abandoned summer camp with a tragic past, but they are stalked by a mysterious, relentless killer.Friday the 13th is my favorite slasher... I have many friends who have to fight off the urge of slapping me upside the head when I tell them that... but I don't care, they wont convince me otherwise (they can take their Screams, their Black Christmas's and their Halloweens and shove them for all care). To me, Friday the 13th is THE all American slasher, a genre of horror America created... The summer camp feel, the wholesome kids, and the craziest mother in movie history... I don't need to say more cause saying this is the best slasher movie is just asking to get attacked.
- DirectorYoshiaki KawajiriStarsKôichi YamaderaEmi ShinoharaTakeshi AonoA vagabond swordsman is aided by a kunoichi and a spy in battling a demonic clan of killers - led by a ghost from his past - who are bent on overthrowing the Tokugawa Shogunate.I am not a huge anime fan, so it's not surprising that one of my favorite anime movies is also one tailored for American audiences. Yes, it is a pretty shallow movie... the plot is simple and the characters are straight forward so that the movie can shift it focus on 2 things... sex and violence... and boy does it do these things well... but the thing that I really love about the movie is the art. The characters designs, the gorgeous backgrounds and some of the slickest animation to come out of Japan. I saw this movie at a very young age and since then it has been one of the biggest influences on my own artwork. This is also the movie that I have probably watched more than any other movie on the list. It is a great one just to pop on and enjoy at any time (unless your parents are in the room).
- DirectorAmando de OssorioStarsLone FlemingCésar BurnerMaría Elena ArpónMedieval knights executed for their black magic rituals come back as zombies to torment a group of vacationing college kids.Tombs of the Blind Dead is a masterpiece of atmospheric horror. The run down castle, the foggy graveyard and the mannequin factory are just a few of the movie's memorable locations sure to send shivers down your spine. The zombies in this movie are so creepy... the director doesn't rely on jump scares to startle the viewer... instead these baddies make themselves known far before they get to you, it is just a matter of stopping them from biting you to death (Hint: you aren't going to stop them...). I will never forget the first time I watched it, it started so cheesy then once it got to the castle, things got seriously scary... my heart was pounding, which isn't a good thing considering the zombies in this movie can track down their victims by listening to their pounding hearts!! Lone Fleming quickly turned into a huge crush of mine... She is just so beautiful and voluptuous in this movie.
- DirectorSam RaimiStarsBruce CampbellSarah BerryDan HicksAsh Williams, the lone survivor of an earlier onslaught of flesh-possessing spirits, holes up in a cabin with a group of strangers while the demons continue their attack.For a while, this was my favorite movie ever made. It is the movie that introduced me to the splatter genre and it will always hold a special place in my heart. There is so much that can be said about the film but I think Roger Ebert summed it up best in his review of the film...."I'm not suggesting that "Evil Dead 2" is fun merely because you can spot the references to other movies. It is because (a) the violence and gore are carried to such an extreme that they stop being disgusting and become surrealistic; (b) the movie's timing aims for comedy, not shocks, and (c) the grubby, low-budget intensity of the film gives it a lovable quality that high-tech movies wouldn't have." Nicely put Mr. Ebert :)
- DirectorGeorge A. RomeroStarsDavid EmgeKen ForeeScott H. ReinigerDuring an escalating zombie epidemic, two Philadelphia SWAT team members, a traffic reporter and his TV executive girlfriend seek refuge in a secluded shopping mall.Dawn of the Dead is the finest zombie movie ever made. The tone of the movie is so ahead of it's time. Usually, horror from that era had a certain dark and brooding atmosphere. Things were always taken pretty seriously. Dawn changed all that though, the movie had this strange, light tone to it... don't get me wrong, things in the movie get heavy. Not to mention, it was the gorriest movie of the time and still is one of the goriest to this day... but still, there is this fun nature to the film... maybe that's just me though, cause I know some people find it rather disturbing. Still this movie is a zombie movie done right... it focuses on the characters and makes them both the bad guys and good guys, instead of making the zombies the bad guys... cause why would zombies be bad guys? they are just trying to survive like every other creature on this Earth.
- DirectorHarold RamisStarsChevy ChaseRodney DangerfieldBill MurrayAn exclusive golf course has to deal with a flatulent new member and a destructive dancing gopher.You may have noticed a lack of comedy on my list... I am just not a huge fan. I enjoy a good comedy every once in a while but they never stand out to me like a good horror or action movie does. Needless to say, their are some that transcend just being a good comedy and Caddyshack is one. Everything about this movie is fantastic, I especially get enjoyment watching this with my dad, as we both seem to find this movie funnier that anyone else we know. While the movies most famous moments are what most people seem to remember it for (the Baby Ruth in the pool, The explosive ending, the yacht club scene... etc.). I always find myself laughing hardest at the movie more subtle moments... remember when Bill Murry is talking to the caddy while holding a pitchfork to his neck? or the part where he threatens to fill the groundskeepers bagpipes with Wheatena? Now that's my kind of humor.
- DirectorLucio FulciStarsTisa FarrowIan McCullochRichard JohnsonStrangers searching for a young woman's missing father arrive at a tropical island where a doctor desperately seeks the cause and cure of a recent epidemic of the undead.I enjoy a good gore-fest every once in a while but I still like to have fun when I do so... I think Zombie teeters right on the edge of being so totally vile that it is hard to watch and so goofy and over-the-top that it impossible to take seriously. The gore is what makes the movie famous but there are many other fine things this movie offers that get overlooked... an amazing soundtrack, beautiful sets and locations, wonderful cinematography and the most impressive looking zombies to name a few. This is a great film to watch with a bunch of friends just to see them squirm as a lady gets her eyeball shoved into a splinter then immediately watch them as they break into laughter at the over-the-top nature of it all. loads of fun.
- DirectorLucio FulciStarsCatriona MacCollDavid WarbeckCinzia MonrealeA young woman inherits an old hotel in Louisiana where, following a series of supernatural "accidents", she learns that the building was built over one of the entrances to Hell.Another Fulci Masterpeice.... I don't like this one as much as Zombie but that is just for personal reason... I don't think there is any denying that The Beyond is his Magnum Opus. There is something so wonderfully sinister about this movie. Maybe it is just me... but I feel like, under all the gore, the dank Louisiana atmosphere and the nightmarish, unhinged plot... there lies a certain quality that is truly evil... and for a horror film, that is perfect!
- DirectorKatsuhiro ÔtomoStarsMitsuo IwataNozomu SasakiMami KoyamaA secret military project endangers Neo-Tokyo when it turns a biker gang member into a rampaging psychic psychopath who can only be stopped by a teenager, his gang of biker friends and a group of psychics.This anime is great. At first it starts out like a cool neo-punk action/sci-fi movie with one of the most incredible motorcycle chase openings... but it quickly evolves into something deeper and more profound. It took me a while to understand the plot... I actually had to read the entire manga series to totally understand what was going on... but even before I could completely comprehend it, I was still blown away by Akira. Also, the animation in this movie is like no other, it puts a lot of classic Disney animated movies to shame.
- DirectorJoe D'AmatoStarsKieran CanterCinzia MonrealeFranca StoppiA disturbed young taxidermist exhumes his recently deceased girlfriend, brings her body to his family villa and proceeds to embalm her corpse, with help from his strange housekeeper. But his bouts of insanity are just beginning.Such a nasty movie... but so much fun. This movie is wacky, over-the-top but totally a joy to watch and I think that all comes from the fact that Director Joe D'Amato tried soooo hard to make an impossible to watch and supremely disturbing movie... and while he fell short of his goal, he ended up creating a twisted little love tale that just wins my heart over. That isn't to say that Beyond the Darkness isn't without its disturbing merits though... this movie is not for the weak stomached... but for every gross out gag, there is an unintentional moment of hilarity. Not to mention, my favorite shock ending in movie history (sorry Carrie). It is all enhanced by an incredible soundtrack from Goblin. It's these kind of mixed bags that I enjoy so much and probably the reason I am constantly revisiting and seeking out new Italian horror movies from the golden era of Italian horror movies.
- DirectorMeir ZarchiStarsCamille KeatonEron TaborRichard PaceAn aspiring writer is repeatedly assaulted, humiliated, and left for dead by four men she systematically hunts down to seek revenge.I went through a stage where I had to watch all the loathed rape/revenge movies that littered drive-ins of the late 70s and early 80s. For the most part.. they are unlikeable and hard to watch... often leaving you feeling pretty dirty and ashamed afterwards. I was surprised when I finally got to see this infamous movie though because I ended up loving it... i mean, really loving it. The rape in the movie is horrendous and I know that some people feel the brief revenge doesn't really justify all the nasty, long rape... but neither the rape or the revenge had the most profound impact on me. In the end this is the story of a person who has some of the worst things happen to her... and with no help at all (unlike other rape/revenge movies like Last House and House on the Edge of the Park), she is able to pick herself up and put her life back together. Eventually she sheds the emotional shackles that bound her down before and she is able to reap sweet, sweet revenge on the monsters that did her wrong... it is the story of independence and overcoming obstacles. It's also the only rape/revenge movie that left me feeling a little hopeful... and I am a guy....
- DirectorJohn McTiernanStarsArnold SchwarzeneggerCarl WeathersKevin Peter HallA team of commandos on a mission in a Central American jungle find themselves hunted by an extraterrestrial warrior.Predator is almost as manly as Conan... ALMOST. It's one of Arnold's best and it is a movie that absolutely seethes with testosterone. It is enhanced by a cast of some of the most disgustingly ripped men of the era, all wielding badass weapons and fighting one of the most wicked aliens ever seen. The movie wastes no time at all getting to the point, and there is nothing in it's way slowing it down... Once the ball starts rolling, it doesn't stop and it's one hell of a ride. I think that it why I like it, to me it is a solid action movie, that isn't concerned with anything but giving the audience what they want. Some people don't understand why I would like this more than the directors next movie, Die Hard... and while I do love Die Hard, In the end I prefer Predator more because of the predator itself. He is a cool and frightening bad guy, played to perfection by Kevin Peter Hall.
- DirectorJon McBrideStarsJon McBrideDenice EdealTom CasielloThree siblings begin to kill people with a woodchipper while their father is away.Everything I say about Slime City, applies here (so read my Slime City description before this one). Except this is even lower budget and shot on video! Wow, for most people... that equals crap. But if you are somebody (like me), who can look past all the unavoidable flaws like amateur acting, no budget for special effects and poor camera quality... what you will find is one of the most clever and charming movies ever. The late 80s aesthetic of it all is the cherry on top... forget movies like Breakfast Club, 16 Candles and all those other Hollywood movies that had professional wardrobe departments and scripts, if you want to see the actual way that kids in the 80s talked and dressed, watch Woodchipper Massacre.
- DirectorGregory LambersonStarsCraig SabinMary HunerT.J. MerrickA student moves into a run-down building in New York City. His bizarre neighbors make a concoction in their apartment they call wine, but when he takes some of it, he turns into a deformed, murderous monster.Slime City is an underrated Gem of the late-80's splatter era. There is just something so honest and respectable about these movies, maybe because they haven't been tainted by Hollywood glamorization... they are made by youngsters with little or no money, and little or no help at all... but they still manage to burst with all sorts of creativity and fun. Other people who are into these kinds of films might say Street Trash, or Toxic Avenger are the best... but Slime City is my favorite for one simple reason... it has some really interesting and likable characters throughout the entire movie that manage to keep it moving along nicely until it all culminates in a gooey and over-the-top climax. I have also had the chance to talk with the director and he is a great guy that loves to hear from Slime City fans!
- DirectorDario ArgentoStarsAnthony FranciosaGiuliano GemmaJohn SaxonAn American novelist visiting Rome to promote his latest book is stalked and harassed by an obsessed fan who is committing a string of murders that appear to be tributes to his work.A fast-paced and vicious giallo from one of my favorite directors, Dario Argento. Tenebre moves at a breakneck pace and sports some of the most creative (and brutal) deaths seen from a director known for his creative and brutal deaths! I think the plot is wonderful... the first time I watched it, I didn't get it at all... the second time, I did and realized it is a masterpiece... it just requires a little more attention than normal. While the movie doesn't have the style and atmosphere as some of the directors other giallos, like Deep Red and Bird with the Crystal Plumage... Tenebre still feels like his most well constructed film. Enhanced by an incredible disco score by Goblin.