Let There Be Movies

Full disclosure, I’m well aware that my top ten is a pretty cliché list of dude movies with a couple of exceptions. I don’t know any man who doesn’t have Braveheart, for example, in their top ten (hear that Derek… any man). So at the risk of being extraordinarily… ordinary… here’s my all-time top ten favorite movies.

1. The Matrix: Believe it or not I first saw this movie as a rental at a friend’s house with like 8 other people on about a 26″ tv screen. How on earth did I miss this released in theaters? Mind. Blown.
2. Braveheart: Mel Gibson’s best movie, period. I will not be entertaining any arguments contrary to this fact. Also, this movie inspired my rock solid argument to get my wife to watch any movie by telling her it’s actually a love story. Always works… sometimes.
3. The Shawshank Redemption: No explanation needed here. If you haven’t seen this, why are you reading a movie review blog?
4. Big Fish: One of the few movies I have cried at while watching… as an adult… at the age of 24… in October  
5. Fight Club: Who wouldn’t love a split-personality, define your toughness, revolutionary anarchist, self-manipulative flick?
6. The Avengers: I typically would never consider any recent release for a top ten list. But I’ll make an exception here. This movie (along with Captain America), set the bar for any future superhero movies.
7. Anchorman: I’ve always maintained that seeing comedy’s at the theater is a waste of money. The big screen doesn’t make things funnier. Having said that, I’ve never laughed so hard in a theater in my life!
8. Saints and Soldiers: A little known independent film set in WWII. The acting is about to be expected from most low-budget movies, but it’s enough to suffice and the storyline is terrific.
9. A Christmas Story: If any television station were to ever need a government bailout, TBS is the only one I’d be fine with if for no other reason than to keep playing this movie for 24 hours on Christmas Day. Thank you Ted Turner.
10. Inception/Schindler’s List/The Godfather Pt. 1/Master and Commander/Million Dollar Baby/O’ Brother Where Art Thou/The Dark Knight: Really, you actually expected me to keep this to just ten?