Making Lists: Film

I absolutely love cinema. Films can often drive a point home better than any other artistic medium, and I have learned a great deal about myself and the world through them. In fact, I watch and rewatch the movies I love so much that I begin inserting quotes and references into everyday conversation. So much so that its probably a bit obnoxious. But I digress.

This 'list making' will be of the ten films I love the most. This is certainly not a greatest or most important films of all time list; you will not find The Wizard of Oz or The Godfather listed below. Instead, these will be the films that have stuck with me the most, be it because of their message, content, acting performances or sense of humor. I would love to hear what some of your favorites are that did not make my list; leave your list in the comments section below (I have set it so that you do not have to be logged in or have a profile to leave a comment).

Spoiler alert: some of the scenes I link to will give away plot points or the ending of the film. Don't watch them if you haven't seen the movie before or if you don't want the end ruined for you.

1. The Shawshank Redemption
This movie is, in my opinion, the greatest film of all time. I'll be brief here as I plan on a future post concerning Shawshank. The message of hope and perseverance is powerful and the story is riveting. Plus, Shawshank has the greatest bromance this side of Scrubs. Can you go wrong with Morgan Freeman? Perfect story, perfect characters, perfect ending. I could watch this again and again and never get sick of it (and I do).
Most memorable scene(s): Andy Escapes, I Hope

2. V for Vendetta
My clear cut number one for a long time until recently. Now V and Shawshank are virtually 1A and 1B for me. I love the political undertones and overtones throughout this film. The visuals are stunning as well, and having Natalie Portman certainly doesn't hurt. Spending a semester living in London allowed me to interact with the setting of the film on a regular basis, which was pretty cool. Seeing the Old Bailey and Trafalgar Square daily was special for me considering how much I enjoy this film. Not that seeing those things wouldn't have been exciting anyway, but you get the point.
Most memorable scenes: V's Introduction, "My Turn", Dominos

3. The Prestige
Christopher Nolan never fails to impress. The director of Memento, Batman Begins, The Dark Knight and now Inception made his biggest impact on me with The Prestige. Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman play dueling magicians in this film, with major roles played by Scarlett Johansson, Michael Caine and David Bowie. The mantra of the movie is "Are you watching closely?", and it certainly rings true throughout the film. Fantastic ending that will keep you on the edge of your seat and not dissapoint.
Most memorable scenes: The Real Transported Man, Goodbye

4. Fight Club
I could write all day about this film, but I'll limit myself here. If you have read this blog for a while, I'm sure you have noticed that I reference Fight Club a great deal. And for good reason. Many who see the title of the film assume that it is a mindless bloody action flick, with no real purpose or message. They would be wrong. This movie is filled with thought and philosophy, much of which has influenced my own views on society. Anti-consumerism, the destruction of masculinity, the folly of advertising, individualism...all these are ideas brilliantly woven into Fight Club through the character Tyler Durden. There is little I can mention about the actual story without betraying important plot points, so I won't. Just go see it if you haven't already.
Most memorable scenes: Middle Children of History, Human Sacrifice, Homework Assignment

5. The Life Aquatic: with Steve Zissou
Wes Anderson plus Billy Murray equals funny. This is one of the quirkiest films I have ever seen, but the dry humor and subtlety of the plot is brilliant and right in my comedic wheelhouse. Wes Anderson uses music brilliantly throughout the film, with the highlight being Seu Jorge's everpresent acoustic picking of David Bowie songs in Portugese. And strangely enough, I really connected with Murray's character Zissou in a fairly significant way. The climactic moment of this film is perhaps my favorite scene in all of cinema.
Most memorable scenes: Jaguar Shark
It's not even worth mentioning any other scenes.

6. Good Will Hunting
Troubled but smart kid gets discovered and has emotional problems. Or something like that. Robin Williams gives an incredible performance in this film, and Matt Damon turns in a fine performance as well. But beyond the acting, the story itself is riveting and makes you root for Will Hunting to figure himself out.
Most memorable scenes: Park Scene, How do you like them apples?

7. The Last of the Mohicans
I maintain that this is the ultimate chick flick/guy movie combo. Great story, beautiful scenery throughout the film and my favorite soundtrack of any film (O Brother Where Art Thou? is a close second). For the ladies, there is a fairly sappy and slightly predictable love story that permeates the film; for the guys, the French and Indian War is the backdrop and driving force behind the plot.
Most memorable scenes: Waterfall, End Scene

8. Gladiator
Historically inaccurate but historically entertaining. Ridley Scott does a great job setting a worn feeling to the film, giving it a roughness and level of grit that is fun to watch. The lasting mark of this film is Joaquin Phoenix's character, Commodus. I hate Commodus more than any other character in film. I can't stand the sight of him, his whiny voice, his cowardly actions. And the fact that the writers created a character that I vehementely hate is quite an accomplishment. Oh yeah, and Russell Crowe.
Most memorable scenes: Are you not entertained?, Maximus

9. Braveheart
Say what you want about Mel Gibson, but the man knows story structure. Braveheart is a fantastic action/war epic that contains a worthwhile message (freedom) and combines the two with Scottish accents and blue warpaint. Doesn't get much better than that. Plus, this is one of the last times society considered Mel Gibson to be a fairly normal person. So there's that.
Most memorable scenes: Sons of Scotland, Betrayal

10. The Dark Knight
Heath Ledger gives the single greatest acting performance I have ever seen. His portrayal of the Joker is one that hides Ledger completely within the role; when Jack Nicholson played the Joker, you were never unsure of who the actor was. With Ledger's Joker, you actually begin to believe that this character might exist. Christopher Nolan delivers the goods as usual, and Christian Bale's Batman is as flawed but realistic a portrayal of the superhero that we have been presented. A trifecta that stands out.
Most memorable scenes: Pencil Trick, Why So Serious?

So close: O Brother, Where Art Thou?; The Boondock Saints; Lord of War; American History X; Anchorman; Memento; The Matrix (trilogy); Bourne (trilogy); The Departed; Caddyshack; Forrest Gump; Saving Private Ryan; Amistad; Stardust; The Princess Bride

Making Lists: Albums

Part of my personality leaves me prone to creating lists, as many people close to me are well aware. I’m not sure why or what it is, but grouping or ranking things comes naturally to me. In an effort to provide new content in this space more often, this will be a new series of sorts; expect more of these posts on a fairly regular basis.

The first list I want to share is musically based. While I may not be as knowledgeable about music or as skilled in creating it as some of my friends (such as Tessa and Shelby respectively), I enjoy sound creations as much as anyone. Below I will lay out the ten albums which I am currently enjoying the most, and hopefully be convincing enough to nudge you in their direction. If I sound ignorant, it is because I am. So cut me some slack, if you would be so kind. Happy hunting.

De-loused in the Comatorium – The Mars Volta
This album is one of my favorites for popping into the car stereo and driving with. The uniqueness of sound created by the Mars Volta is fantastic; even after having listened to this album on and off for a few years I am always discovering new layers to the music. The concept album aspect intrigues me as well (the songs tell a story based on the death of a friend of the band). While the band has put out a good deal of new material since this studio debut album (and solid material at that), none of it has stuck with me like this one.
Songs that stick: Son et Lumiere/Inertiatic ESP, Drunkship of Lanterns, Cicatriz ESP, Televators

OK Computer – Radiohead
I ran across this album a bit later than most; despite its release in 1997, I didn’t hear it until ten years later. This album, similar to De-loused, is one that I have listened to off and on for the last few years, but I still haven’t grown sick of it. While Radiohead is certainly a rock band, they don’t fall in the trap of writing music that all sounds the same (ala Nickelback). Each song on the album carries a unique feeling with it, and that diversity between tracks is a large part of the joy I take from the album.
Songs that stick: Paranoid Android, Exit Music (For a Film)

O – Damien Rice
As I said when I profiled him in the most recent Art and Artists post, Damien may be my favorite musician at the moment. He writes and plays with passion and honesty that I have not often run across. His debut album, O, is a fantastic piece of music. So many of the songs deal with heartbreak and lost love, such a relatable thing for many of us. The contrast between his less polished vocals with Lisa Hannigan’s beautiful singing voice provides a constant reminder of the separation they often sing about. This album is folk music at its finest, and one that I enjoy greatly.
Songs that stick: Blower’s Daughter, Older Chests, I Remember

Greatest Hits I – Queen
Yes, I realize that choosing a greatest hits album might be cheating. I don’t really care. This album is one of the best collections of music I have ever heard, and nothing is more fun to listen to in the car with friends, belting out each song louder than the last. I have many great memories associated with this album, which might contribute a bit to how much I enjoy it.
Songs that stick: Bohemian Rhapsody, Killer Queen, Don’t Stop Me Now

Word of Mouth – Timmy Curran
Curran is a retired professional surfer turned musician, something that you might expect from the free feeling that comes with this album. The lyrics don’t strike me as terribly deep or challenging, but the music is quite positive and flows well.
Songs that stick: Comatose, Slow, Joan

Amethyst Rock Star – Saul Williams
Saul is another artist I have profiled in the Art and Artists series, and beyond being an incredible poet he is a talented musician. This album contains a number of Saul’s poems put to music or shaped in a new way, and the results are breathtaking. Instead of mindless lyrics combined with a hip hop beat, Saul presents the listener with pure poetry as lyrics, intelligent and surprisingly well suited to the drum and bass or hip hop background the words are placed on. I rarely ventue into the hip hop genre, but this is a grand exception. This album is one that will definitely make you think, but the beat is enough to make your head bob and knee bounce all the same.
Songs that stick: Tao of Now, Coded Language

We Were Here – Joshua Radin
Another folk album that I greatly enjoy. Radin’s music is fairly subdued, volume control is certainly not an issue with this album. However, listening to these songs evokes some sense of familiarity with who Joshua Radin is despite my never having met him. There is a great deal of relatability contained in the lyrics, and the acoustic guitar/string pairings make for beautiful, soothing music.
Songs that stick: Everything’ll Be Alright (Will’s Lullaby), Winter

Wish You Were Here – Pink Floyd
Old, yes. From a different era, certainly. But a fantastic album nonetheless. This album contains one of my favorite individual songs of all time, some of the best synthesizer work I’ve come across, and an altogether fantastic combination of sounds. Wish You Were Here only contains five songs, two of which last over twelve minutes each, and three shorter songs. Something about WYWH makes me want to listen to it again and again, and so I do.
Songs that stick: Welcome to the Machine, Wish You Were Here

Narrow Stairs – Death Cab for Cutie
I don’t have anything profound or special to say about Death Cab or this album. I just greatly enjoy the sound, the cadence and the content. This another one of those albums that I could turn on and never reach to skip a song.
Songs that stick: I Will Possess Your Heart, Grapevine Fires

9 – Damien Rice
You didn’t really expect me to leave off Damien’s other album, did you? This effort has a distinctly different feel from O, but I love it all the same. 9 tends to be a faster, more upbeat album musically, while hitting on the same topics of love and loss. My only wish would be that Damien put out a third full length album; this one leaves me wanting more from him.
Songs that stick: 9 Crimes, Dogs, Coconut Skins

Certainly there are other albums that I enjoy and enjoy greatly. These include: X&Y by Coldplay; Whatever and Ever Amen by Ben Folds Five; Everything in Transit by Jack's Mannequin; Till the Sky Turns Black by Ray LaMontagne; I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning by Bright Eyes; The Wall by Pink Floyd; No Sir, Nihilism is Not Practical by Showbread; Strange and Beautiful by Aqualung; In Rainbows by Radiohead; Under the Iron Sea by Keane. I'm sure I am overlooking many great albums; feel free to add to the list in the comments below.