threevue

Here I am, back with the fruit of my blogging looms, My Faves. This is a good one, too, because now, after knowing my five favorite movies, and five favorite TV shows, you’ll know where 95% of the things that come out of my mouth came from (what goes in my mouth is a whooooole other story).

Lights! Camera! Action!

1. Jurassic Park (Steven Spielberg, 1993).

I remember being a kid watching this in the theater and being in complete awe of what I was seeing before me. There is yet to be a movie that has sucked me in as much as this one, and although it’s definitely aged a little in the past 15(!) years, it’s still looks and sounds great, and makes me feel 11 again.

Favorite quote:
Lex: “He left us. He left us!”
Dr. Grant: “But that’s not…what I’m gonna do.”
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2. Reservoir Dogs: (Quentin Tarantino, 1992)

I was too young (12-ish) for this movie when I first saw it, especially for the “Like a Virgin” opening scene. It stuck with me though, and it instantly became an all-time fave. I love the characters, the story, the dialogue, and how real it looks. The sets are very minimalist, and most of the action is left off-screen, leaving much to the imagination. Not many films contain this level of storytelling without resorting to cheesy FX or embarrassing one-liners.

Favorite quote:
Mr. Pink: “Where’s the commode in this dungeon? I gotta take a squirt.”
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3. Pulp Fiction: (Quentin Tarantino, 1994)

Two Tarantino films back to back, and actually either one could occupy either spot on the list. I love this one for all the same reasons that I love Reservoir Dogs. The star-filled cast fits perfectly into these characters’ shoes, and the ridiculous situations and dialogue are done so perfectly that it’s all completely believable. Extra credit added for the UC Santa Cruz Banana Slugs shirt Vincent wears in the bar.

Favorite Quote (actually my first two favorite quotes are inappropriate, so this is my third)
Jules: “Don’t be tellin’ me about foot massages. I’m the foot fuckin’ master.”
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4. Shaun of the Dead: (Edgar Wright, 2004)

My favorite type of movie is of the zombie variety. Actually, I love movies where humanity dooms itself resulting in death on a massive scale (God bless America), and that’s just what zombie movies are. Shaun of the Dead is different from the typical Romero-style “flick-of-the-dead” because it’s hilarious, romantic, and really makes you want the characters to make it out alive. Although it’s basically a comedy, it has one of the most intense and emotional endings of any movie in a long time.

Favorite Quote:
Pete: “It’s four in the fucking morning!”
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5. Fight Club: (David Fincher, 1999)

Number five was hard to decide on, but I think I made a solid choice. There is not much I can say about it other than that I really, really like it. It’s coarse and it’s dirty, but they make soap. I think Fight Club is a much more important film than it got/gets credit for. Plus, do you think anyone would have the balls to put that final building collapse scene in a film in this post 9-11 U.S.? I highly doubt it.

Favorite Quote:
Boss: “Is that your blood?”
Narrator: “Some of it, yeah.”
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Honorable mention:
Children of Men
Eagle Vs. Shark
Forrest Gump
The Matrix (the first one)

Editor’s note: I purposely left off the original Star Wars trilogy. They are their own thing.