Your ONE Most Favorite Film of All Time? (1 Viewer)

Did a search but nothing similar seemingly showed up. Sorry, if there was a similar topic. But I'd like to see how many people can name their single most favorite film of all time. It doesn't necessarily have to be a film you think is the best ever made.

Myself, I'm kind of hard-pressed to choose, so I was wondering if there are people who can confidently state what their favorite film is.

Ah, an oldie but goodie topic (that'll get moved to Polls).

Mine:

The Third Man

"Star Wars".

After nearly 30 years, 'A New Hope' is still my all-time favorite flick.

Just 1 ...

I have 2 that tie. On any given day, these 2 are interchangeable...

Star Wars, 1977
The Empire Strikes Back, 1980

So really it's just one

Hey All,

I have to go with Shawshank Redemption. I think it's the perfect film in every aspect of the craft of filmmaking. Everything down to the lighting, editing, sound design (and the obvious - acting, script, direction) - everything is just top notch. Hell - it probably even had the best craft services table in the history of cinema! It's the only film I can watch over and over and not find a single thing I wish were changed. I was blown away the first time I saw it and to this day I have the same reaction.

Cheers,

Jason

The Empire Strikes Back

No film has ever had the impact that this one did on my then 12 year old self. This is the film I have seen the most at the theater. It was the first film I rented when we got our first VCR and the first LD I purchased back in 1991. I've seen it well over 100 times and it still thrills me everytime I watch it.

At the moment, Pride and Prejudice (2005). I was absolutely blown away when I saw it for the first time.

It shouldn't get moved, as it's not exactly a poll. I'm sure we'd all like to see some reasoning for why a particular film is your one and only Most Favorite Film of All Time.

I'll think some more about mine and chime in later...

Amelie - I really wish I had seen this in the theater.

Shawshank Redemption - If I was only picking from American movies this would be the one.

Chinatown.

Oh god, this changes all the time, but usually, my answer since 2003ish has always been Lord of the Rings.

It strangely remains an unpopular choice amoung film studies students here at Carleton, but it holds a special place for me as a piece of cinematic accomplishment. Now of course, I choose to refer to it as an 11 hour epic, not to one individual film amoung the three. That's a decision I choose to make because of the way it was made and conceived.

For me it just gave me the greatest cinematic experience, akin to what Star Wars gave to the generation that came before mine. It starts off by introducing us to Hobbiton, a place of nature, of family, and above all, a place of pure innocent peace. Somehow, just from that introduction in the film, it already feels like home, or a home we would so much want to return to.

This pleasant atmosphere creates such a strong contrast to the terror that follows. The story of the War of the Ring becomes in essence, a story about the corruption, or the pollution of innocence, to a point where it cannot really be restored except in the act of passing onto a new generation. Rohan and Gondor were both strong kingdoms at one time, but have become a disgrace through fear and hostility. It is both a wonderous adventure in the vein of Indiana Jones, a good vs. evil tale similar to that of Star Wars, but it is also a tragedy, for in the process of saving Middle Earth, innocence must be sacrificed, and the victorious hero cannot come back from it to the simple happy joyous life he once had.

I enjoy grand epics that are told well, and while Star Wars is of a similar vein, and I imagine it would have had a similar effect on me had I had the chance to experience it for the first time in theatres as my parents did. For me though, Lord of the Rings remains more important to me. It takes itself more seriously, doesn't shortchange key dramatic moments with cuteness or campiness, and overall is just better performed.

So there.

My favorite is Halloween. Which beats out Star Wars by a hair.

The Outlaw Josie Wales


"Dyin' ain't much of a livin boy...."

Mark Kalzer said it all. Lord of the Rings.

Mine seems to shift around every time I make a top 10 list or something. My top three keep shifting positions among themselves. Raiders of the Lost Ark. The Empire Strikes Back. Casablanca. If I had to pick one, I'd go with the one in my sig.

Why did I pick The Third Man?

It's one of those serendipitous films where everything comes together, from its exceptional cast to its style to its offbeat score that works in spite of itself. It also holds up very well for contemporary audiences and compares favorably to any modern suspense thriller, has plenty of quotable lines and has that memorable ending (changed from the source material to better effect). But why is it my favorite? The Third Man was the first film I can remember seeing that conceptualized the notion of cinema as art AND entertainment, that is, it's the perfect blend of both. Oh, and I love the cuckoo clock speech.

The Shawshank Redemption

Gotta go with Dawn of the Dead (1978). It just made a huge impact on me when I was a kid and I still love it to this day.

The Godfather beats out Episode IV A New Hope, only because of Brando's performance as The Don.