Ugh, Fave.
Woah. It’s been a minute.
When I logged onto the site and realized I hadn’t written a blog post in 5 months it felt pretty shocking - both in the “wow has it really been that long?” and in the “the past 5 months have felt like 5 years” sort of way. So much has happened in that time. Coronavirus graduated from “inconvenient and unusual” to “terrifying and life altering.” Summer came (at least I think it did?) and went. Sports came back, only different. I lost 40 pounds! Our country found itself in the midst of a racial reckoning as millions of people took to the streets to stand for what is just.
So, so much has happened.
And I think that’s mostly the reason I haven’t written much lately. The world has felt like such a scary place, such a serious place, for a while now, and I just mostly haven’t felt like I have had much to say about movies. I typed out a really long blog post about what happened to George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25th. I edited it and rewrote it and rewrote it and rewrote it and sent it to a friend I trust for major critiquing. And then, I never posted it. I’m not sure why and maybe I will one day. I think I just looked around at all of these amazing people - people that have been oppressed and beaten down - that were leading the charge in the midst of impossible circumstances and thought “I think I should just listen.” But like, really listen. I want to be a mouthpiece for bringing about rightness in the world. I’m certainly not afraid to speak up. I just wanted to listen, not speak.
None of that has really changed at all. Watching the debate this week only underlined how scary the world has felt.
And yet, today I woke up wanting to write about something that makes me really happy. Not for escapism, but because there are still good things in this world and I think we should celebrate them.
Sometimes when we’re at parties (holy shit, remember parties?) my wife will tell someone that I’m a “big movie guy.” I’d like the record to show that I am not a “big movie guy” and instead belong to a very prestigious club. We are very pretentious, so much so that we call ourselves “cinephiles” and on Fridays we wear pink. Regardless, whenever someone hears that I love movies, the first thing out of their mouth is almost always: “What is your FAVORITE movie?!”
The answer to that question changes often. It tends to be whatever is my most recently watched out of a list of my most beloved films. It’s funny, though, how I keep coming back to some of those same movies over and over and over again. Some movies reveal their secrets and tricks as they reward a second viewing, like say, Shutter Island or The Usual Suspects. Other films immerse you in a world that feels worth returning to repeatedly just to hang out with its characters, like Dazed and Confused. Some movies are just so masterclass that you feel like you could never fully wrap your head around all the genius that is going into what you’re seeing, but you may as well try. I’ve watched Pulp Fiction more times than I can count for that specific reason.
I don’t know the answer to the question of favorite, but I can provide a list of 10 movies that I find myself returning to over and over and over again for one reason or another. I figure that if you haven’t seen one, you may just be a viewing or 6 away from having a new favorite.
A couple ground rules for this list:
No big franchises. Everyone knows I’m not a huge superhero movie person, but even things like The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter were excluded from consideration.
Only one film per director. I’m not going to suggest that you just go watch the entire filmography of Quinten Tarantino or something. Actually, I do suggest that in life. Just not on this list of favorites.
I have to have seen the movie no less than 5 times.
Alright, them’s the rules. Here we go. In no particular order.
1. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (2010)
What keeps me coming back: The cast is jaw dropping. This movie catches Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Chris Evans, Jason Schwartzman, Aubrey Plaza, Alison Pill, Anna Kendrick, Brie Larson, and Brandon Routh before the majority of their careers blow up. It’s before Plaza rises to fame in Parks and Rec, before Evans becomes the most recognizable movie star on the planet, before Kendrick perfectly pitches her way to stardom, before Brie Larson ever wins an Oscar, and because of that the movie was a pretty big flop at the box office. But Edgar Wright created a movie that speaks to every single nerd interest I have ever had in my life all centered around a character that’s just trying to figure out if he really even likes himself. Sound like a weird premise? It is. And it’s awesome.
2. A Few Good Men (1992)
What keeps me coming back: The Aaron Sorkin script. This is among the most quotable movies ever filmed.
3. Rushmore (1998)
What keeps me coming back: The dynamic between Bill Murray and Jason Schwartzman’s characters is so much fun, even if they are determined to destroy one another.
4. Before Sunset (2004)
What keeps me coming back: There may not be a movie that more invokes the old cliche of “aging like a fine wine”. These movies meant something different to me when I was 22 than they did when I was 25 than they do now. The second one just happens to be my favorite. Meaning if you’re going to watch this one, you have to watch the first. And once you’ve watched the first two you might as well finish and watch the third, ya know? Seriously, go watch the Before Trilogy… I’m never going to let it go
5. Catch Me If You Can (2002)
What keeps me coming back: The list of characters I enjoy hanging out with for two hours of my life has Leonardo DiCaprio’s Frank Abagnale Jr. really close to the top. Just absolutely magnetic performance.
6. Rear Window (1954)
What keeps me coming back: This movie serves as a Rosetta Stone of sorts for movie making. Watching this makes you realize how many filmmakers have borrowed, paid homage to, or downright ripped off Hitchcock. Sometimes it’s just nice to revisit the master.
7. Moonlight (2016)
What keeps me coming back: Though this is among the saddest movies I’ve ever seen, there may not be a movie I’ve watched in my entire life that treats its characters with more warmth and care. This movie is the embodiment of a long hug after a good cry.
8. Inglourious Basterds (2009)
What keeps me coming back: The performance from Brad Pitt. The script. The absolutely electric 15 minutes from Michael Fassbender. And that iconic Christoph Waltz character. My favorite scene in movie history is the scene above.
9. Almost Famous (2000)
What keeps me coming back: What if you got to skip school like Ferris Bueller except instead of your bummer of a best friend you got to go on the road with rockstars? That sounds fun to me too.
10. Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008)
What keeps me coming back: It’s just a movie full of some of the funniest people on the planet doing what they do best. I smile for every second.
BONUS. 12 Angry Men (1957)
What keeps me coming back: The pacing of this movie is flawless. This is a black and white film from the 50’s and yet there is never a single moment wasted. Pure entertainment.
Love any of these movies as much as I do? I’d love to hear from you! Email me or tweet me!
Hoping to have another post up in the next week or two and keep them more regular from now on.
Until then, happy watching!
Collin
