Alright, so I’m sitting here, and trying to think up some clever title that means to say “here are some movies that I really, really like”, without being so dry and bland. It isn’t possible, not today at least. Perhaps this coffee will turn things around for this post that already seems doomed to get the persistent draft award.
I’m a big fan of movies. I love going to the theater when a movie I’ve been waiting for is released and catch the show on the opening night. There’s something special about opening night atmospheres that I really enjoy. However as fate would have it, my girl feels quite the opposite as she’s stuck on the sound of people chewing, obnoxious kids and that one bastard that can’t seem to get that last Mike & Ike from the box.
Yes, I’m with her on the “kids in theaters” thing, but I can’t let that stop me from putting on my horse-blinders and becoming deeply engrossed in the white screen and the images they flash on there. Nor the high-tech sound systems that theaters have these days.
So in response to a question from Roger Green who asked a multi-part question on my “Ask me anything” post, here’s a list of movies that have influenced me and my life, and have helped shape who I have become.
Also in response to Roger’s question, I’ve started a new page called favorites where this post will be linked to. I did this so anyone that might be interested in knowing more about the person behind the curtain can go and find out more about me, in fact I should make it a sub page to the About page, now that I think about it.
Why bother with copyrights?
One thing I want to point out is that even though every single image on this page might be copyrighted, I can still use them due to the Amazon Associates program. Get it? If you are an Amazon Associate, you can then use any image you want from their catalog in your posts and pages.
So the next time you want to use an image in your post, but are concerned about copyrights, perhaps you can find one on Amazon and use it due to your being an Amazon Associate!
I also want to point out that it isn’t my intent to use the Amazon items here in some attempt to make money, in fact I don’t expect to make anything with this post at all. However, the images are links that will take you to Amazon should you want to learn more about the movie.
Do you agree or disagree?
I didn’t bother writing a reason why I chose any given movie, that would take just too darn long. But, what do you think? Anything in here that you agree with or disagree with? I think each one of these should be given an award if they weren’t already.
Star Wars (Episodes I-VI)
Rocky Horror Picture Show
Love Story
Willie Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
Harry Potter Series
Lord of the Rings
Caddyshack
The Shawshank Redemption
Pulp Fiction
Raiders of the Lost Ark
The Matrix
Se7en
American Beauty
A Clockwork Orange
The Shining
Monty Python – The Meaning of Life
Amadeus
Braveheart
300
Kill Bill Vol. 1 and 2
Gandhi
The Princess Bride
The Adventures of Baron von Munchausen
The Exorcist
Rocky
Fear and loathing in Las Vegas
Labyrinth
Nightmare Before Christmas
The Fifth Element
Young Frankenstein
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
National Lampoon’s Animal House
The Blues Brothers
Trading Places
A Christmas Story
The Usual Suspects
Conan the Barbarian
Pink Floyd – The Wall
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Wayne John is a web developer in Southern California that shares his 25+ years of programming and web development experience freely and happily to anyone willing to learn. He also loathes speaking in the third person. If you enjoyed this post, make sure you 
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Totally serious, never remember actually watching any, although, I bet I’m lying and don’t know it yet. How could I not, right?
Wayne JOhn has not seen John Wayne movies??? Are you serious?
LIndsayanng´s last blog ..Happy (be-lated) Halloween!
Some good choices you have there. I’d add Blues Brothers 2000 because the ending had the blues greats.
Demeur´s last blog ..Flash is???
hmm..Ovaltine…
If your looking for good John Wayne movies, I always like “True Grit” and “The Quiet Man”.
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I think its a great idea to use amazon’s website to be able to use images of movie covers legitimately. I think a LOT of people dont even consider the possibility of getting sued for copyright, but it DEFINITELY happens.
I also see absolutely NO reason why you shouldn’t link back to amazon. Its always good to link products to a place where you can buy them – MOST people understand this, some thing you are just selling out.. but the people who know you and what you are about will not feel like you are doing the hard sell.
GREAT idea
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Ah Clint…I forgot some of those westerns didn’t I? Funny thing about John Wayne is that I’ve never really watched any of his movies. I have something cooked up that will change that though, you’ll have to wait to find out more about it, but it should be interesting.
Perhaps some Ovaltine?
Quite a few of those would be on my list…no John Wayne movies on your list?
I would have to include some old westerns, Clint movies, and oh, and my all time favorite “Cool Hand Luke”
Haven’t done opening night since the Twilight Zone premiere back in 1984. Opening weekend’s tough enough.
I love Gandhi next to Kill Bill! Never saw Star Wars 2 or 3, after 1 bored me, not to mention Jar Jar. But love 4-6. I could dispute some films (Jack looks crazy in THE OPENING SCENE, which ruined it for me.), but Young Frankenstein is a top 10 film for SURE!
Thanks!
Roger Green´s last blog ..Vote Because, Well – Just Do It
You wouldn’t get me anywhere near an opening night! I’m with your smart girl on that issue!!
That’s now though – at one point I saw EVERYTHING at the cinema – but I did work at one for 5 years
Manz´s last blog ..Giant ‘Sea Monster’ Skull Found
I bet you might be 50% right. One thing I realized while writing this was that I could sit on this post for a good long time, and still not be satisfied with it. There are many movies that I’ve thought of since posting this list.
But when do you call it good? lol I guess I could keep coming back and updating the list. In fact, maybe it should look completely different. I fought a little with the layout…perhaps a personal preference of mine to be overly picky…
2001 A Space Odyssey comes to mind…I have two Kubrick’s, Shining and Clockwork!
Wayne – I would put 21 of your 50 in my personal 50, so that means if we were movie buddies and we went to the movies once a week, we wouldn’t fight over what to see 21 times a year. Seriously though, some interesting choices and always nice to know what a persons likes and dislikes are. You might have inspired me to take a break from my normal blogging discourse and do something similar. What only one Kubrick, no David Lean, no Hitchcock . . . See what I mean, this could run and run . . .
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I think Jar Jar being the blithering idiot, made the fact that he was soley responsible for FN’ up the galaxy for the next 20+ years, so poignant. Now I’m starting to think who I could’ve done without throughout all 6 episodes….LOL, I’ll have to get back to you on that.
I have “instant access” on Netflix, I’ll have to watch Lovestory & Conan on it.
*correction*, Han shot first originally, the re-vamped version shows Greedo shooting first…..WRONG!
Holy Crap, we have alot of favorites in common. In fact we have more in common than the ones that I’ve never seen, but want to (Gandhi, Labyrinth), those I can pass on (Charlie & the Choco Factory) and some that I may just b/c you suggested them (Conan, Lovestory) combined.
You are probably going to get some flak for including “The Phantom Menace” for the whole Jar Jar thing, but I’m sure you know as well as I, that he was crucial to the whole saga in suggesting the appointing ol’ Palpy-the Supreme Chancellorship in which led to the creation of the clones (Stormtroopers) to help the Sith rise again. Since I’m on the SW topic, I need to point out that I much favor the ORIGINAL THEATRICAL releases of IV, V & VI than the later released ones. Han shot first, making the Sarlaac pit look like a Venus Flytrap and the abomination of that song by Jabba’s band on the sailing barge that never existed on the orginal ROTJ release.
I liked the first Matrix, but got a little lost after that. I may have to revisit it again, but overall….there is nothing in your list that would make me say “Are you nucking futs”?
Jar-jar annoyed the hell out of me too, but like you said, he was crucial to the story, but did he need to be such a blithering idiot Gungan?
Love Story will rip your heart out, stomp on it, then ask you if you’d like to hear that Mancini tune again.
Conan is just awesome. I actually used to work-out to the soundtrack…good, inspirational music for that.