My Favourite Movies
General Movies
| Rocky Horror Picture Show |
| Leon |
| Star Wars films (all six) |
| Matrix films (all three) |
| The Shawshank Redemption |
| Nikita |
| The Three Colours (French trilogy of films - Blue, White and Red) |
| The Italian Job (original version) |
Comedy Movies
|
1. Monty Python's Life Of Brian, 1979 Despite the numerous Biblical references, the film is not about Christ, but a nearly-messiah named Brian whose misfortune sees him worshipped by three wise but lost men, accrue disciples, and ultimately crucified for his efforts at pursuing a simple life. |
| 2. Hot Fuzz! Simon Pegg as an “over achieving city Super Cop”, sent to a tranquil village in the country by his Metropolitan superiors because he makes the rest of the Police Service look ineffective. However, once there, all is not as it seems and the film builds to an unbelievably long, comedic, blood-fest-shoot-out! |
|
3. Shaun Of The Dead, 2004 Simon Pegg and friends find refuge from flesh-eating zombies in their local pub, and batter the mutants to death with pool cues whilst listening to Queen. Classic! |
|
4. Blues Brothers, 1980 John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd play it once more, with feeling as the Blues Brothers, determined to raise the $5000 needed to keep the orphanage that raised them from closing. With a cast including James Brown, Aretha Franklin and Ray Charles, and an hilarious performance from Belushi, this film deserves its cult status. |
|
5. South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut, 1999 Deeply un-PC, crude, rude, and crushingly funny, Parker and Stone's extrapolation of the similarly filthy TV show South Park manages to avoid the typical pitfalls of the small to big screen graduation process, and even gets Saddam Hussein into a homosexual relationship with Satan. Prudes beware, this is not for those of a sensitive disposition. |
|
6. National Lampoon's Animal House, 1978 Occasionally mooted as the John Belushi college biography that never was, Animal House is easily the Queen Bee of gross-out movies. Running the whole spectrum of college stereotypes, which were later raided by the mid 90s flurry of Lampoon pastiches, this anarchic beer-soaked riot sees two rival fraternities, the Deltas and the Omegas, at war on campus, getting through more drugs and booze than Belushi did in real life. Perhaps... |
|
7. There's Something About Mary, 1998 Men having trouble with their zips, unusual hair gel – the Farrelly Brothers are at it again in this anarchic, bad-taste comedy that has the dazzling Cameron Diaz as the object of geeky Ben Stiller's affections. Unable to forget his teenage object of lust, Stiller hires a private detective to track her down – who promptly falls for her too. Gross-out shenanigans ensue, most notoriously in a scene where Mary mistakes semen for hair gel. Like the rest of the film, the scene is puerile, politically incorrect, rib-achingly funny and strangely insightful. |
|
8. The Naked Gun, 1988 Relentless punnery and incessant slapstick are what make this small-to-big screen graduation the treat that it is. Naked Gun: From the Files Of Police Squad serves as an effective foil for Zucker's double entendre and visual absurdity, impeccably distilled by Nielsen's flawless comic timing and obliviousness, which will ensure the rewind button on your remote is worn out by the end of your viewing. |
|
9. A Fish Called Wanda, 1988 Veteran high comedian and ex-Python John Cleese has never performed by halves, and this fast-paced all-star hoot combines bullseye comic timing with high-energy farce. Jamie Curtis, Cleese and Kevin Kline pull off a jewel heist which results in a flattened psychotic, and a number of ex-dogs, while Michael Palin delivers a stunning, Oscar-winning performance as a clumsy, stuttering sniper. This is British comedy at its pinnacle. |
|
10. Groundhog Day, 1993 Bill Murray excels in a part tailored for his ultra-cynical persona, as a jaded weatherman forced to relive the worst day of his life over and over again. As well as a perfect star vehicle, the film is a brilliant analysis of the implications of the film's simple conceit, and is ultimately a classic tale of redemption, reminiscent of Capra's It's A Wonderful Life. |
|
11. Airplane!, 1980 The Zucker brothers' riotous send-up of 50s B-movies and 70s disaster flicks not only spawned a whole legion of sight-gag-laden spoofs but also introduced the world to the concept of Leslie Nielsen as a comic actor, delighting with a volley of comic potshots at everything from Saturday Night Fever to From Here To Eternity. |
|
12. Bill And Ted's Excellent Adventure, 1988 A totally excellent film with Keanu Reeves as Ted Theodore Logan, one half of a rock 'n' roll band destined to bring about world peace with their music - if they don't flunk out of high school first. Equipped with a time-travelling phone box, they manage to assemble a host of historical figures, including a bodacious Socrates, to save their bacon. Glorious entertainment from start to finish. |
|
13. Team America, 2004 Team America: World Police sets its sights on the "War On Terror" with a group of 'Thunderbirds'-style marionettes emerging from their secret headquarters inside a hollowed-out Mount Rushmore to battle terrorism around the globe. Only the twisted geniuses behind 'South Park' could come up with a project so shamelessly designed to cause offense. Offensive, funny and foul-mouthed, this manic marionette comedy has its finger on the pulse, its mind in the gutter and its politics firmly in the White House. |
|
14. Ferris Bueller's Day Off, 1986 Matthew Broderick vibrates with charisma in John Hughes' portrayal of one wily teenager's epic day off high school. Sweet talking and swindling his way round Chicago, Ferris is an unexpected icon of 1980s individualism, and there are some great comic set pieces with a seize-the-day vibe for teens. |
|
15. Ghostbusters, 1984 "Who you gonna call?" Bill Murray wisecracks, puns and deadpans his way through this cracker of a movie, ably helped by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis. Together, the trio form a team of paranormal investigators, ridding New Yorkers suffering from pest infestations of the supernatural kind. A great idea, top notch cast and lively script gelled to create an 80s blockbusters. |
| David's Index |
Email the webmaster |