My Top Three Favorite Movies

Uphill, Both Ways, Through The Snow

It used to be that if you wanted to watch a movie more than once, you had to go to the theater to do it. It was sometime during my adolescence that someone came up with the smart idea of putting movies on VHS tape, so they could be watched at home. Then, you could watch and rewatch your favorites until the tape wore out.

A lot has changed since then. Now, not only can you watch a movie from the comfort of your own home, you can do it on a big screen, with surround sound, and see it in 1080P, 4K or even 3D if you like. Best thing about that is, the money you can save on movie tickets, popcorn, sodas and candy, will probably pay for your home theater set up over the life of the equipment. And this way you don't have to worry about the talkers, the hackers or the fatheads who invariably sit around you (unless your family and friends are full of those—then I don't know what to tell you, other than I'm sorry).

_{Image Source—Pexels}

I Guess I'm A Movie Fan

All I know is, I've watched a lot of movies over the years. And I've had plenty of favorites. Then, one would come along and it would replace another. That's hard to do, really, because I tend to watch movies for their spectacle, rather than for their tight plots, or their superb acting, or their messages about society and mankind. I like battles. I like car chases. I like action.

Then, when I began to write this post, I realized that, aside from there being a lot of movies to choose from, the movies that were coming to mind, the ones that I would consider favorites, weren't necessarily action packed. Not all of the Top 3, anyway. Or rather, the action, if any, was supplementary to the story. So, while I prefer to watch the blockbuster, they're not going to end up in my Top 3.

So, That's Not Confusing

I know. Surprised Me. Or rather, I hadn't really thought about it. Maybe it would be easier to just go through some movies that I really like, so you can see what I generally watch, then show you the ones I'm considering the Top 3.

The Competition

I've liked all the Star Wars movies—the latest two, the prequel sequels and, still most of all, the original trilogy. The Empire Strikes Back will forever be ingrained in my mind as the plot twist to end all plot twists.

I've watched all of the James Bond movies, many more than once. The latest ones with Daniel Craig, though, have been the best, with Skyfall and Casino Royale heads and shoulders above the rest.

The Indiana Jones movies—including the last one—are another series of movies I've enjoyed. As you've probably guessed by now, I don't have a hard time suspending reality for a couple of hours.

Musicals—The Sound of Music, The Music Man, Fiddler On The Roof, Singing In The Rain, even this latest The Greatest Showman and Hail, Caesar!, while not strictly a musical, all movies I've really enjoyed.

Every Marvel Studios movie—Of course, I have my favorites among those, the Top 3 being (in no particular order) the first Iron Man, first The Avengers and Captain America: Civil War.

The Apes Trilogy—I haven't seen the originals, and the earlier one with Mark Wahlberg was okay, but I mean the last three, with Caesar, the virus that virtually wipes out mankind, and the war and the personal struggles that break out among man and beast and beast and beast. It's pretty amazing when you actually start rooting for the apes. The last movie, War for the Planet of the Apes is especially good.

Practically anything Pixar has put out—I'm a fan of animation. Old school, CGI, new school. Animation can do a lot of things live action can't, and Pixar does it consistently better, with adults in mind, than everyone else.

In fact, for a taste of what's in my Top 3, one Pixar movie actually makes it in. But before I divulge them, here are four I really liked a lot, but which failed to go the distance.

The Runners-Up

The Sixth Sense

This was M. Night Shyamalan's first major movie, and arguably the best. I'm not normally a fan of scary movies, but this one wasn't a typical horror flick. There's so much more going on, more than you know, and it's got to have one of the best twist endings of a movie I've ever seen.

The Sting

This was the modern con caper back in the early 70s, but it was the camera direction and the plot twists that got me. The scene from the hotel room window looking down on the corner drugstore as a call comes in is one of the best set ups of cinematography I've ever seen.

O Brother, Where Art Thou?

Hilarious, sentimental, great acting, with great music. A lot of great lines. My favorite: "Ain't this place a geographical oddity. Two weeks from everywhere."

It's A Wonderful Life

Went way back on this one, but while it's considered a holiday classic, it's more about the struggle of a man trying to become more than he is, and in the process of doing the exact opposite of his natural instincts—staying in the small town he grew up in and helping people instead of traveling the world and making his mark—he becomes more than he ever could be otherwise. Surprisingly edgy. Maybe it's the black and white film.

My Top Three Favorite Movies Of All Time

And now, without further ado (how much more ado could there really be?) here are my Top 3 favorite movies of all time. In ascending order:

3. The Incredibles

What can I say? I love superhero movies. This is Pixar, though, so it's not just about the fight scenes. At least not the ones against the villain or his creations. This is a story about a family, struggling to fit into a world that no longer wants them (as superheroes), but one that will end up desperately needing them. The music is awesome, the voice acting superb and the reality of life imposed upon them (lawsuits, insurance claims, the awkwardness of teenage life, people not happy you exist) can't contain them in the end. The biggest thing is, though, I identify with Mr. Incredible when he says, "I'm not strong enough."

2. Field Of Dreams

It's quirky, it's kind of lame at times, you never really know who or where the voice comes from, but in the end, it doesn't matter. Instead of doing the sensible, expected thing, Ray mows down the corn and builds a baseball field right in the middle of Iowa.

This one is a tough one to tell you why I like it so much. The easiest part to describe is that I readily identify with characters who are misunderstood, who want to do things that don't make sense to anyone else but themselves, people who listen to an inner voice.

I also identify with characters who always seem to have something keeping them from achieving their greatest potential. This movie has that, too.

Ironically, I'm not that big a fan of baseball, and I consider my relationship with my father to be pretty good. I think at the time of my life when this movie came out I wished I could be closer to him, though I'm not sure how. I was also becoming a new father, which probably played into it. At any rate, I believe my Dad and I are good, (as well as me and my oldest son) but I still love this movie.

Forrest Gump

This is one of two movies I've watched by myself in a movie theater (I can't remember the other one), and the only movie I've seen twice (in theaters).

Again, this is a movie where the character is misunderstood, chastised, derided, ridiculed, but despite all of his so called mental deficiencies, he ends up being the smartest and greatest of all. Why? His innate simplicity, the way he is, turns out to be the way we all should be—caring for others more than ourselves, and doing the right thing.

This movie also has some of the best seamless integration of CGI I've ever seen. It augments the movie, rather than overpowers it.

There you have it

Those are my Top 3 favorite movies of all time. As you can see, they've stayed in my Top 3 for quite a while. Funny thing is, if they were new now, I might not consider them as my Top 3. Each one has a special place because of where I was in my life when they came out.

---

This post was inspired by @dragosroua's Day 19 prompt from his ongoing May 30 Days Writing Challenge.