Favorite Movies

I am tonight sending out a rant about my 10 favorite movies in no
particular order, for no particular reason. This list looked different
a month ago and will probably look different a month from now. I like
a lot of movies and many of them have a lasting impact on me.

- The Big Lebowski: The Dude is one of my favorite characters. I think
I'm a lot like him, minus the pot and White Russians. This movie is
entertaining to me from start to finish. I like John Goodman as

Walter, the high-strung crazy counter to Jeff Bridges laid-back
character. And Donny, whose only job is to shut up and stop irritating
Walter. And the way The Dude continuously recycles dialogue that he
hears. Great movie.

- The Lord of the Rings: I've lumped the trilogy into one movie
because that's what it really is. An amazing, gorgeous epic story full
of swords and sorcery. As a nerd, I love that shit when it's done
properly. At its core, the story is about friendship, courage and
sacrifice. And Legolas is totally hot.

- Lost in Translation: I simply love this movie. There is no action,
no conflict, no build up, no climax (Jimbobs need not apply.) It's a
simple story about two strangers who are far from home both literally
(they're both visitors in Japan) and figuritively. They both seem lost
in their lives, trapped in floundering marriages and treading water,
waiting for something solid to grab on to. They find each other and
for a little while, their lives light up. They understand each other.
Bob and Charlotte are not simply characters in a movie. They're real
people.

- The Last Samurai: This is ultimately a story about redemption. Tom
Cruise plays a man tortured by his past who is captured by his enemy
and shown a new way to see the world. Japanese history and culture
play a large part in this movie. I found the Samurai code of ethics
particularly uplifting. Living with honor, courage, compassion and
conviction.

- Office Space: My all-time favorite comedy. This is one of those
movies that I am always happy to see. I make it a point to watch it at
least every few months. Anyone who has a job can relate to Peter
Gibbons, a man who hates his job and will go to great lengths to never
work again. Truly the american dream in action.

- Braveheart: I love big, sweeping, epic stories. Braveheart is the
first such movie I ever saw. It's inspiring, following a story of a
hero who fights for what he believes in and inspires others to do the
same. People watch movies to be inspired; Braveheart does so.

- The Matrix: The Matrix was just really damn cool. It was a
fascinating new world seen through the wide-eyed character of Neo. The
latter 2 movies of the trilogy had sort of a "been-there-done-that"
feel to them. The Matrix had me lost, then intrigued, then fascinated
but spellbound all the while. Agents were invincible beings to be
feared. Morpheus was a legendary, mysterious figure who placed all of
his hope (perhaps mistakenly so?) in Neo. This movie truly transported
me, the kind of movie where after 20 minutes you realize that your
eyes are dry because you haven't blinked.

- American Beauty: Another inspiring story. Kevin Spacey plays Lester
Burnam, a man who wakes up one day, realizes that he's 40 years old
and hates his life. And he decides that he isn't going to take it
anymore. He tells both his wife and boss to go fuck themselves and he
lives life on his terms. The dinner scene is one of my favorites.
"Whoops! Where'd my job go?"

- Back to the Future: This movie is simply fun. The time travel and
interaction with his parents makes for interesting possibilities in
the story. This movie is a blast and it has a certain sort of
innocence to it. Christopher Lloyd plays the wild eyed mad scientist
perfectly. This film, for me, really stood the test of time.

- Fight Club: I love movies about crazy people and people having
breakdowns. I love the way the movie morphs and changes. It's a movie
about support group junkies then about Real Men who find beating the
shit out of each other to be therapeutic, then about revolutionaries,
then about psychological disorders. The movie is especially good the
second time its watched.

That's it. This list has been kicking around in my head for
months, and I finally had the time and motivation to write it out for
no particular reason. The following movies are also-rans who would be
on my top TWENTY list: Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Rounders, Good
Will Hunting, The Shawshank Redemption, Shrek, The Silence of the
Lambs, The Whole Nine Yards, Tombstone, Seabiscuit, Identity.

I am a donut,

Bryan