TOP TEN Lists - This Week: "Blank Check" Media Projects.

This is just a quick assemblage of some dramatic movies I like. I'm woefully weak in this category. I'm embarrassed to confess that I haven't seen many of the classics, like The Godfather, Good Fellas, Ben Hur, or Schindler's List. I would like to see them. I just spend (waste?) my time watching action movies and the like more often. Sorry, these really aren't in a ranked order, but I was trying to put together a list by looking online and at our DVD shelf. I recognize that some of these could be "action" movies as well.

Rocky I - III - The original Rocky is so good. The character interaction and development is great. Rocky III is awesome (just for the soundtrack), but I think it starts to fall more into "big movie franchise" than a traditional "drama" (whatever that means).
Braveheart - Possibly more "action," but pretty dramatic. A great performance from Gibson.
First Blood (Rambo) - Again, maybe more "action/thriller", but another strong performance from Stallone and Brian Dennehy.
Inception - Another possibly more "action" movie. A confusing movie that is so well-acted and well-shot.
Forrest Gump - I agree that this movie gets a bit spoofed, but a good movie for all of that.
LA Confidential - A great cop drama. Really good performances from Russell Crowe and Guy Pierce.
Last Samurai - Again, maybe more "action", but I love the story and the cinematography. The performances from Ken Watanabe, Hiroyuki Sanada, and Koyuki are great, as is Cruise.
The Patriot - Maybe a bit of a "Braveheart copy", but a good movie. Also I might be a bit biased being an American.
Shawshank Redemption - What a terrific film! Maybe my favorite on this list? The whole cast is excellent and it has a great twist.
Steel Magnolias - Chic flick that will make you cry like a baby.
Titanic - I agree that is movie gets a little unfairly lampooned. I wasn't much of a Leo fan back then, but it is a very good movie.

These maybe aren't my only "dramas", but this is what I came up with. I'm sure if I were to really think harder I could come up with more.

 

I have pondered about my list for this one, your lists helped to remind me of some films I liked but somehow had forgot about

1. Amadeus
2. Ben Hur (1959)
3. Spiderwick Chronicles
4. Rain man
5. Shawshank Redemption.
6. Fight club
7. Shintler’s List
8. Bohemian Rhapsody
9. Bad Times at the El Royal
10. Forrest Gump

Honorable mentions:

American made, Darkest Hour, Fistfull of Dollars, Hamilton (the musical), Passengers, Peral Harbor, Rain man, Scarface, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.

Exactly that!

Grrr, Imrahil

 

Forrest Gump getting some serious recognition. It made your top ten AND got an honourable mention!

 

Lol, I start out with an Honorable mention list and then copy names to the actual list

I have forgotten to remove this one from the Honorable mentions

Grrr, Imrahil

 

The subconscious mind works in mysterious ways!

 

Topic #4 - Top Ten Science Fiction movies.

Last week's Drama genre was not exactly a crowd pleaser, as promised, this week makes up for it. Science Fiction!!!

Same rules as before:

Genres will always have a bit of wiggle room. Many movies will fall into multiple genres. You can google the genre of a movie as a quick guide (it is okay to deviate from this if you feel the movie belongs in a different genre). This is what I did for the most part, and then slotted the movie into the genre that felt best for me. Use your best judgment and a remember that is your subjective list. The only hard fast rule is that if you list a movie under one genre, don't list that movie under a different genre in a future weeks list. For example, if you put Rocky in your Action list, don't also list it in your Drama list a few weeks down the line. Choose the genre for the movie that feels right for you.

You can condense a movie series into one single selection if you want to (i.e. Rocky series or Rocky I-IV, etc) or choose a specific movie out of a series (i.e. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade ) as you see fit. It's your choice for each of your entries.

1. Star Wars (OT) - Honestly, is anybody surprised? With all the Star Wars content I dump on this website, I'm going to assume that no further explanation is required. It also takes my top spot across all genres!
2. Terminator 2 - Arnold's best movie and a rare movie where the sequel manages to surpass the original. A great transformation, where we get to see the villain from the original now play the part of the hero. This is James Cameron at his very best. The T1000 was a superb villain, both in terms of special effects and acting. Speaking of special effects, they were so good that they still hold up today.
3. Inception - a fun and well thought out mind-bending film. It's the kind of movie that you really have to experience and enjoy the ride as it goes deeper and deeper. It's also the movie where I finally caved and had to admit Leonardo DiCaprio's brilliance.
4. Star Trek First Contact - this is literally the movie that go me into Star Trek. I never watched any Trek before watching this film. I just kept seeing the commercial on TV over and over: "The line must be drawn here, his far, no farther!". One day I finally gave it a chance and the rest is history. TNG is my favourite Star Trek and the borg are my favourite Star Trek villains (outside of Q of course). Put them together and you have one hell of a film.
5. Contact - I find it to be such an inspiring movie. It stimulates the imagination but at the same time remains fully grounded. It explores perhaps the most profound question facing humanity: Are we alone in the universe?. The pursuit of science, religion and politics all come crashing into one another. A great assemble of acting performances, but Jodie Foster steals the show. By far her best work.
6. Jurassic Park - Lizardmen players know... Dinosaurs! In a way like we had never seen Dinosaurs before. It's easy to take it for granted today, but when it hit theaters back in the day, it was ground-breaking. That feeling that they could do anything with special effects. And don't get me started on the film score... masterpiece. Who wouldn't want to go and see the Dinosaurs?
7. Infinity War - the best MCU film in my opinion. It was the last film before the wokeness truly infected it. Thanos really steals the show and the movie manages to really pull at the heart strings (even though you knew that shenanigans would erase most of it in Endgame). What the movie does best is juggle so many characters without feeling disjointed... and all leading up to the big ending!
8. Interstellar - a dying planet, a wormhole, a daring space journey, a black hole and time dilation goodness... if that's not Science Fiction, then I don't know what is. All put together with great story telling, acting and a very memorable film score. A+
9. The Matrix - get transported to a world within a world, all presented with an intermix of some of the very best action scenes. The camera work is unreal and coloration of the movie feel very unique. Sure the central premise of human's being used as batteries is "wonky" to say the least, but the movie manages to make up for it. Aside from that, the Simulation Hypothesis is something that is brandied about by scientists. This is just a super exciting version of that.
10. Predator - 80's action sci-fi gold. It spawned a huge franchise for good reason, but the original remains the best. It's Arnold versus the predator! The dialogue and one-liners are on point throughout the film. Maybe it's a generational thing, but I love it.

Honourable Mentions: Star Gate, The Abyss, Sphere, Planet of the Apes (1968)

 

+1

This is probably my favourite genre.

For me, any superhero movie comes into this category. Agree/disagree @NIGHTBRINGER ?

 

I'd probably place the vast majority of them into this category. Genre categorization will always be partially subjective, so go with what feels right. I got Infinity War in my Sci-fi list, but something like The Dark Knight felt more like action to me, so it made it into my action list.

 

I surmised that "Sci-Fi" would be the category this week. I could almost copy and paste this list for me, but I'll probably still post my own list with a couple changes. Bravo, good sir!
Yeah, I feel like I submitted my "Drama" list without enough thought. I know we're not really supposed to comment on movies choices, but Inception probably should/could be on a "Sci-Fi" list or maybe even "Action/Adventure", instead of "Drama" as I have it.

 

SCI-FI MOVIES
1. Star Wars (OT): My favorite sci-fi/adventure movie series. Star Wars made such an impact on me as a kid, like it did for many other people. A great combo of sci-fi, heroes, aliens, spaceships, and adventure. The music is tremendous and is so integral to the movie that I can play whole scenes in my head just listening to Williams's score. For me, everything else Star Wars has just been a pale imitation. - The Force will be with you... always.
2. Star Trek II, III, IV & First Contact: Frankly, I'm cheating by lumping so many movies into one slot. I'm not as big a Trek fan as I am a Star Wars fan, but I can't list one without the other. It's such a classic sci-fi property with a great legacy and that's the main reason it's so high on my list. I have a soft spot for Star Trek II and IV. It was cool move to bring back a classic villain from the TV series, and advance his story through Wrath of Khan (II). Montalban chews the scenery and Nimoy is terrific, as always. Likewise, I enjoyed the silly slingshot time-travel that takes the Enterprise crew back to rescue some blue whales, in The Voyage Home (IV). Sure, the eco-message was a little obvious, but effective, and it didn't interfere with the story. Search for Spock (III) is in between, and just okay, but still watchable. But, my favorite Trek movie is First Contact with the TNG cast. Despite going to the time-travel well again, this is a good movie. It has some great visuals and terrific performances from my favorite Trek characters. A nice mix of serious Trek action on the Enterprise and classic Trek cheesiness with the planet-side shenanigans. - The line must be drawn here! This far, no further!
3. The Matrix (original, not the sequels): I think this was actually the next "Star Wars"; It came out of nowhere. Classic hero's journey story. Good cast with a memorable villain. It had great visuals that pushed film technology, or at least utilized techniques not seen in movies much before. "Loosey-goosey" science elements that didn't matter as much to me as the heart/story of the movie. Similar to Star Wars, it's about the human spirit/nature triumphing over authoritarian rule/the machine. Plus, the great production design and the seriously cool wire-fu fight scenes. Sadly, the trilogy lost steam pretty quickly for me. - There is no spoon.
4. Terminator/T2: Terminator/T2 follow similar trajectories to Alien/Aliens to me. The first movies are more about suspense and a stalking menace. The sequels have more ramped up action, better effects, and (fortunately) good story development too. I think T2 is the better Terminator movie, but that's a bit unfair b/c they are different kinds of movies. I miss Arnold as the bad guy in T2, but Robert Patrick's emotionless T1000 is a sleek counter point to Arnold's bulk. It was a clever and logical choice, since tech naturally seems to get smaller and sleeker. The character development of Sarah Conner feels very believable and Linda Hamilton kicks @$$ in T2. John Connor was an annoying kid (ha ha). I also like how it advances the story's concept about time travel and if our future is set or in our own hands. - I'll be back.
5. Aliens: Whereas the original Alien movie is more sci-fi/horror to me (and also great), Aliens is more sci-fi/action. Despite Aliens being a change in tone compared to the Alien, it's arguably better than the first movie. Again, that may not be a totally fair comparison, but Aliens definitely keeps me watching. The cast, the dialogue, and the performances are so much fun. I can't help but feel that "gung ho" mentality of the marines who go in, guns ablazin' and it all falls apart. Bill Paxton is worth the price of admission. Ripley is a great character with a believable arc, and Sigourney Weaver is so good in that role. - Game over, man!
6. Jurassic Park: What kind of lizard would I be if I didn't include this? Such an exciting movie with a great premise; what if we could resurrect dinosaurs? The story also raises some interesting questions about ethics, genetics and stewardship of our planet. Plus, it has dinosaurs! The effects are still pretty amazing to me. Great performances all around. Great visuals. Brilliant musical score. - Clever girl... Pounce!
7. Predator: This was SO close to being in my belated "action movie" list, but I never got around to it. Plus, I was tempted to save it just for this list. Schwarzenegger makes some good sci-fi movies and this is a favorite of mine, too. The action, effects, and dialogue are great. I even like how the story kind of tricks you into thinking this movie is going to be a macho gun show (in more ways than one), but flips that when the Predator gets to hunting the mercs; not unlike Aliens. It's not rocket science that Arnold is the star, but I still like how the Predator gradually whittles it down to just one guy. That guy has to tap into his primal hunter mentality to match the advanced alien. Some of the sequels are decent, but Predator is still king of the jungle. - If it bleeds, we can kill it.
8. Back to the Future I-III: The only reason these movies are as low on the list is because I'm hesitant to call them sci-fi in the truest sense. I mean, they fit, but they're probably more adventure movies or maybe even comedies. Still, they're going on my sci-fi list today. II & III are good, but the original Back to the Future is classic to me. The design of the DeLorean time machine was so cool and the time travel effects still work for me. All of the cast is good, but Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd are terrific in these movies. Fox has such likeable charm and energy about him, and Lloyd is so goofy and nerdy that it really sells it. - You built a time machine... out of a DeLorean?
9. Galaxy Quest: A fun "Star Trek" parody movie, that is just a cool movie, in it's own right. The movie spoofs Trek through it's own classic sci-fi series called "Galax Quest", naturally. The cast is terrific; Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Alan Rickman, and Tony Shalhoub. I think this was also the first movie in which I saw Sam Rockwell, and he's golden as Guy "the extra/red shirt". There are several nods and send ups to Trek, as well as a group of geeky fanboys who help the crew. This movie just makes me laugh and smile. - Never give up! Never surrender!
10. The Fifth Element: A neat and wacky sci-fi/action/comedy. I really enjoyed the brightly colored visuals and wild costumes. Plus, there were a lot of practical effects and make up. Willis plays his classic charming and sarcastic character. I like Mila Jovovich in this. Plus, she's easy on the eyes while she kicks butt. Chris Tucker is both annoying and hilarious. Oldman is always fun to watch. - Leeloo Dallas. Multi-Pass.

Honorable mentions (that deserve to be on my list)
Oblivion: I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this movie. I didn't expect it to be that great, because it wasn't that hyped. But it has a good story, with an interesting twist, as well as some good action scenes. The cinematography and sweeping empty landscape shots are really beautiful. I guess I'm a bigger Cruise fan than I like to admit.
Interseller: A really good, and more "serious" sci-fi movie. Another movie I didn't think I was going to like b/c I was afraid it was going to be boring. Wrong! It has a compelling story, beautiful visuals and good performances. Some questionable science, but that's what makes it science "fiction", right? It is a bit slow, but that's not unusual for more classic sci-fi.
Dune (1984): I have a soft spot for the 1980s Dune. I know many people hate it, but I like it. The costumes, make up and sets all feel so "sci-fi" and "fantastical" that it really set the right mode to me. I know many of the visual effects are not that strong, but it doesn't totally distract me. I thought the acting was good, despite being a bit over the top at times. I still enjoy re-watching it when it's on. I haven't seen the new Dune, but it just looks a bit bland to me. Still, I'll try to watch it soon.
Akira: If there's an animation list later, this would be in there. Still it's a great sci-fi anime that really opened up anime to me.
Starman: Another movie that's better than I thought it was going to be. A great performance from Jeff Bridges as an alien who comes to earth and recreates and inhabits the body of a woman's (Karen Allen) dead husband. As they try to get him back to his people, the alien learns what it's like to be human and sort of falls in love with Allen's character. It feels kind of like a grown up E.T.
E.T.: Speaking of E.T. I loved this movie as a kid and even enjoyed it as a nostalgia re-watch as an adult. It didn't hold up perfectly to my imagination, but it's still a great Spielberg sci-fi movie.
Blade Runner: This movie is slow, but the visuals and acting are great. An interesting storyline and thought provoking.

Honorable mentions: Edge of Tomorrow (another Cruise flick, and fun to watch), Close Encounters of the Third Kind, The Last Starfighter (I loved this movie as a kid), Contact, Tron, MIB, They Live, Lucy, Short Circuit (I'm looking at you, Walle), Buckaroo Banzai, Flash Gordon (with an awesome performance from Max von Sydow and a great Queen soundtrack, it's so over the top, how could you not like it?), Battle Beyond the Stars

 

Agreed. That's the one criticism I have about the film. Everything else is amazing.

 

Great movies. I need to edit my "honorable mention" list to add Edge of Tomorrow at least. It is good.

BTW, sorry for being so wordy. I really appreciate your succinct descriptions.

 

We appreciate detailed dissertations. Feel free to be wordy!

 

Nice! One of my favorite genres!

1. Star Wars (the whole original trilogy)
2. Star Trek: First Contact
3. Stargate
4. War of the Worlds
5. The Terminator
6. Tron
7. The Abyss
8. Guardians of the Galaxy
9. Flash Gordon
10. The Forbidden Planet

Star Wars has and always will be my favorite sci-fi franchise. The abominations that Disney has created since buying the IP I hate with a passion, but they don't invalidate my love for the original and prequel movies and the massive expanded universe that was created around them.

Star Trek is another series I really love that has been completely desecrated by it's current rights holders. But The Next Generation with Captain Picard has always been my favorite, and First Contact is probably the best movie in that era.

Stargate is a pretty good movie on it's own, but I have to admit I mostly like it because it started the Stargate: SG-1 series, which is another favorite franchise of mine.

The rest on the list are just movies I like a lot