Top 5 Action Movies

The tough thing about this one is defining “Action”. To me, there are “Adventure” movies, there are “Comic Book” movies, and then there “Action” movies. Lethal Weapon movies are “Action”; Indiana Jones movies are “Adventure”. That said, I can’t really lay out the necessary characteristics of “Action”. I just know it when I see it.

5. Die Hard With A Vengeance

Wow, this was hard. So many good choices. I almost went with a Bourne or Lethal Weapon movie, but in the end I remembered how much fun I had watching the 3rd Die Hard.

4. The Rock

Nic Cage’s best action movie. And speaking of Nic Cage, you know what wouldn’t make my Top 500 Action Movies list? “Face-Off”. That movie sucks.

3. Speed

Spectacularly tense. If only they hadn’t made the “bus jump” look so silly. Just put down a ramp right before the gap, or something.

2. Terminator 2: Judgement Day

Pioneering special effects, a great story, Arnold…this one had it all.

1. Die Hard

Of course.

Top 5 Tom Hanks Movies

So I thought of this idea and then went to his IMDB page. Yikes! That’s a lot of very good movies. This is virtually impossible.

[ELIMINATED]. Splash

I had to take one of his early movies, before he turned all “serious actor”. It was either this or “Joe Vs The Volcano”. Lots of solid comedy in here.

5. Philadelphia

I haven’t seen this one since the theaters, but I remember it being very good and very sad.

4. Forrest Gump

May have stolen the Best Picture award, but it’s still an excellent movie. “…jumped up and BIT me!”

3. A League Of Their Own

If I stumble across this on TNT, I’m watching it.

2. Saving Private Ryan

The first 30 minutes alone could have earned it the top spot.

1. Big

I can’t believe I initially forgot about this. Shocking.

Top 5 Movies I Like Way Too Much

Everyone has movies that they know are bad and/or cheesey, but always enjoy watching anyway. These are mine.

5. Rocky 4

Delightfully bad. Rocky’s battle to end the Cold War is half classic one-liners and half musical montage. What more could you want?

4. Overboard

Rich and obnoxious Goldie Hawn falls overboard (get it??) and loses her memory. So Kurt Russell basically kidnaps her and tricks into being his wife and the mother of his four boys. Hijinx ensue.

3. On Deadly Ground

I couldn’t put a list like this together without Steven Seagal, who was both the star and director of this epic. Two staples of any Seagal movie that were particularly enjoyable in this one:

• The first appearance of Stevie’s character is accompanied by the type of dramatic music usually reserved for religious miracles.
• The bad guys “find” his resume and despondently list off his military accomplishments. (“He’s an expert in weapons and tactics?!?!”, “He has 7 bronze stars!??”, “He conquered Portugal with a broken collarbone?!??”)

2. Feds

A random action-comedy from the late 80s, in which Rebecca DeMornay and Mary Gross play FBI trainees. I watched this all the time when I was a kid…yeah, I have no idea either.

1. Footloose

I love this movie.  I love the tractor game of chicken. I love the pure 80’s soundtrack. I love how Ren kicks the door of his car shut after politely opening it up for his date. I love when he goes to the empty barn and blows off steam with an elaborate combination of dancing and gymnastics. I love when Chuck Cranston screams, “I treated you decent!!” And I love how that kid at the prom has apparently been practicing the “robot” in secret for years, waiting until just this moment.

The Inaugural List – Top 5 Movies

I figured I’d start things off with an old classic. Who doesn’t like to figure out their favorite movies? I always find the balance of “re-watchability” and “awesomeness” to be tricky. On one end of the spectrum, there’s a movie like “In The Bedroom” – phenomenal, intense, and gut-wrenching, but I never want to see it again. Conversely, I would always watch “Overboard” but it’s not exactly a cinematic masterpiece.

5. Pulp Fiction

Dialogue is very important to me and this one has some of the all-time great conversations. The “a pig is a filthy animal”, “foot massage”, and “royale with cheese” scenes are classics, not to mention Christopher Walken’s monologue.

4. Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy

I swear I could watch it every day. Will Ferrell has yet to approach this one in terms of consistent comedy and a watchable plotline.

3. The Silence of the Lambs

Creepy. Start to finish, creepy. Plus it’s always nice to think of Buffalo Bill whenever I hear “American Girl” by Tom Petty.

2. Good Will Hunting

It’s not just because I’m a math geek. More great dialogue in this one (“I don’t care if Helen of Troy walks into the bar!”) and the fantastic scene where Ben Affleck tells Matt Damon how it is.

1. The Shawshank Redemption

I know, I know…it’s such a standard pick. But I swear I was ahead of the curve on this one. My dad and I watched this back when it first came out on DVD and couldn’t believe how good it was. 

(You may have noticed that two of these came out in 1994…and both lost the Best Picture Oscar to “Forrest Gump”.  Eesh.)