I think that when you read a blog of someone about movies (yes, I realise I’m not the only one) it’s nice to know what movies that person likes. So here are my top movies (I don’t say top ten or something cause I’m terrible in narrowing things down).
(In no particular order
- Harry Potter.
Yes, I’m a Harry Potter fan, as in a Die-Hard fan. I read the books,
I have all the extended DVD’s, I’ve got the soundtrack and I know the spells. Maybe it’s just sentiment because my dad read the books to me when I was 7 and I saw the first movie when I was 8 or so, but HP has always been able to do the thing movies are supposed to do, transport you to a different world, let you forget everything and all that jazz. I think the cast is amazing, the whole look of the movie is fantastic and I never thought that ‘the last couple of movies were just a weak build-up to the grand finale’.
(Also, they really mastered that dark and smoldering look on all the merchandising, not that that is of any contribution to the movies).
- Lord of the Rings.
While we’re on the topic of successful movie franchises we have to talk about LotR. I know, I’ve got a thing for fantasy movies and next to HP these are my favourite ones. They are a little more mature and they got the right balance between humour (gotta love Pippin and Merry), adventure, sadness (Sam: I can’t carry the Ring for you, but I can carry you (yes, I cried) ) and excitement. Also, the beautiful sets/CGI and Cate Blanchetts creepy voice at the beginning helped a little too.
- Titanic.
I know that any man/boy that reads this will probably go; ‘Oh, ofcourse Titanic. She’s a girl and she’ll probably say Twilight too’. That’s why I included Die Hard in this list as well.
As for Titanic, come on, if you watched a movie close to a thousand times and everything at the end you’re still screaming to screen; ‘Why don’t you have enough boats! Why! Why!!’ then it’s a good movie.
Furthermore, Leo and Kate are great, there is just (well, maybe a little more than that) enough drama and they don't really overdo it (when you take in mind that the movie is about a sinking ship, it can never be completely without drama).
The only thing I can’t stand every time I watch is when the Old Rose throws the diamante into the ocean. Why? The treasure hunter dude got how sad the sinking ship was at the end, you could have given it to him, or to your daughter or just keep it in a vault or something. Don’t throw it where you can never find it again, that’s just a waist!
Aside from that, great movie.
- Lemony Snicket’s; A Series of Unfortunate Events.
I didn’t only choose this movie because of it’s ridiculously long name but because it is hilarious! I didn’t always think so though (warning: childhood tale coming up). I saw this movie in theatres when I was 9. There a couple things you have to know about me; I’m terrified of snakes and other biting slithering creatures from hell, and I was a very sensitive kid. I went to see the movie with my family because my best friend was a big fan of the books and said they were cool. Imagine this: You are 9 and you watch a movie about a dude trying to kill/marry children (to get their inheritance) whilst killing other people. There are snakes in it, leeches and creepy men with hooks. And on top of it all there is this man, who’s face you never really see, who keeps telling you to walk out of the theatre because you really don’t want to see this movie!As a 9 year old, I listened to that voice, I ran out of the theatre and it became my parents favourite embarrassing story to tell about me. That was then.
I saw this movie again when I was 15 and everything changed. Allright, the snake and the leeches aren’t my favourite things about it but now I saw the fun side. Jim Carrey playing several characters is hilarious, the kids (especially Emily Browning) are great and there are so may famous guest stars it’s almost sick.
I can still totally see why this movie freaked me out before but I like it more because of that, it shows how I changed (thank God) and how many different sides this movie has.
So my recommendation; unless you have the ‘as cool as cucumbers’ kind of kids, don’t take them. It’s more of a teenage and adult Jim Carrey lover type of movie.
- True Grit.
I’m talking about the 2010 version, obviously. I didn’t see the original, I don’t know the Duke, so I can’t compare, and I won’t.
True Grit is a western, one of the few I watched, and it’s good. The scenery is beautiful and it has that ‘western feeling’ without using all the clichés. What is probably most striking is the performance of newcomer Hailee Steinfeld, who, no question about it, is the lead (and she should have gotten a lead actress nomination!). She reminded me (as a foreigner) that not all the kids in America
Jeff Bridges was put forward as the lead role and I found him convincing, no doubt about it, but it is very hard to really like him when you can’t understand a word he is saying. I saw this movie without subtitles and if even English natives have trouble understanding him imagine how much I got out it.
Apart from that, I liked that no one was scared to be dirty, spitty, bloody or just ugly which made it feel very real.
My last word of praise is for the soundtrack, it’s simple piano music, it’s everywhere and it’s great. It enhances the feeling and I was able to play it on the piano so that’s a plus.
- In
America
In America
The one thing that is maybe a little bit weird is that the director insists that this movie is set in the 2000s while everything points towards 20 to 30 years ago.
And finally pay special attention to the ‘Desperado’ song, I know that the actress who sings that (Sarah Bolger) is two years older than me, but she was so cute there!
- Die Hard 4.0.
I’m writing this blog in English because 
I want it to have a wider audience,
and for that same reason I chose to include at least one guy movie I actually like in this list. My kind of action movies are the ones with an Ocean’s Eleven kind of slick, stunts which you know can’t really happen and a hero who can’t be stopped. Well, that’s Die Hard.
I want it to have a wider audience,
and for that same reason I chose to include at least one guy movie I actually like in this list. My kind of action movies are the ones with an Ocean’s Eleven kind of slick, stunts which you know can’t really happen and a hero who can’t be stopped. Well, that’s Die Hard.
Die Hard 4.0 was the first of the series I saw, which is terrible of course. In Die Hard the hero is John McClane (Duh), a man always at the wrong place at the wrong time who uses the phrase; Yippie-kai-yay motherfucker a lot. In this 4th instalment he has a funny sidekick/victim played by Justin Long, a charismatic villain played by Timothy Olyphant and a kidnapped but kick-ass daughter played by Mary Elizabeth Winstead. Everything is in it; great fights, somebody threatening to destroy America
It isn’t exactly a first date kind of thing but I think boyfriends should make their girlfriends watch more action movies (Mission
I mean, we made you watch Notting Hill.
- Inception.
For the record, I completely got this movie the first time I watched it.
My parents didn’t like Inception, they thought it was far-fetched and not well executed.
I think they are crazy.
Yes, the concept is a little difficult but besides the ‘we put you on some sort of machine and…BAM…you’re in a dream’ part they explained everything and made it believable. This movie is a rollercoaster. I loved the balance between all the action and excitement of the mission in the dream and the story of Cobb and Mal (Leo again and Marion Cotillard).
The only thing of which I’m not sure I like is the ending. It’s a good ending because it makes you think, wonder and scream to the screen. But it’s also an open ending which I don’t like because it makes me think, wonder and scream to the screen.
Damn you, Christopher Nolan.
- Paper Moon.
Allright, allright, this movie is only on this list because I want to look more mature than I am. And because I was so proud of myself for watching a movie in Black and White (!) while all my friends were going to ‘Chalet Girl’. But I also really liked this movie, and I didn’t see that coming. It was funny, there was good dialogue and if I fail at my exams I learned a couple of good tricks to make a living. Maybe they could have done a little more with the ‘is he her father or not’ story line (in real life he is) but it was entertaining and it’s a classic.
- Almost all Disney films.
So with the previous movie I tried to make myself more mature so to keep that up let’s talk about Disney.
The one common thing in every western Childs life is Disney (and let’s include Pixar too), they learn children valuable lessons, show them different worlds, let them hear catchy tunes and they really grow with you. I can now enjoy them just as much as I did when I was young only now I understand the references and jokes that passed by me when I was younger.
I have to explicitly say, by the way, that with Disney films I mean both old and new (Aladdin just as much as Bolt) but I’m excluding all sequels. Things like ‘the Little Mermaid 2’ or ‘Pocahontas 2’ or the ‘Lion King 3’ should be banned and never spoken of again. Especially when the Little Mermaid 2 is the exact same story as 1 but then reversed and when in Pocahontas 2 Pocahontas turns into some kind of serial dater (she’s has two love interests!).
- A lot of Movie Musicals.
I’m a fan of musicals and while there is of course no comparing between the real life experience in the theatre and seeing it on screen some movies do a pretty good job.
My favourites are the classic classics like the Sound of Music, Mary Poppins, Fame, the Wiz and Annie. Those are the musicals who are not afraid to end every song dramatically, do everything over the top and end happy. They are always stuffed with catchy songs and let’s be honest, that’s the most important thing in a movie musical.
