Favorite Film Master List - The First 25

I have been looking back through my archives this week because all my posts are so damn entertaining and thinking about doing a master list of all my favorite films. I decided to collect links and trailers as I go. These are the movies that are CERTIFIED cool by our crack staff here at Cave of Cool Inc.  These are the first 25 I came up with and I have been working on this post the better part of a week. It has become a monster. It's own creation. I just have to post it and let it go.

I have talked about many of these films before because these are the movies that I keep returning to when I need some comfort. If I come across them on the satellite I will watch them to the end regardless of what point I come in on.

I apologize for that fact that many of the past posts are unpolished and contain mistakes I would go back and fix if I cared. However, since that would only slow down my journey through the vast Cave of Cool Archives, I hope you will forgive the failings but enjoy the recommendations. Some of the videos no longer work but you can still find them on You Tube if you are interested in the movies. Some films can even be watched on the You Tube in their entirety.

It's impossible for me to arrange the films from one to twenty five so I list them in random order.

I have linked back to other posts I have written about these movies.

 Jumanji

I still contend there is nothing funnier than the adventures of David Allen Greer and that poor police car of his. It's such an important part of the plot that I think of that vehicle as it's own character. I laugh every time I see it get all bashed up until finally it is swallowed up by the crushing jungle vines.

Zathura

How can Kristen Stewart be so pretty yet so dislikable. She can't even ACT pleasant. This is Jumanji only in space.

Resident Evil

Tombstone

I have said it before and I will say it again - the greatest robbery in Oscar history was not giving Val Kilmer the best supporting actor for this movie.

Silverado

A modern western with modern sensibilities and a fantastic all star cast.

The Right Stuff

I was already a huge fan of the space program when this movie was released. Linking Chuck Yeager (rightfully) to man's quest for the stars was a brilliant juxtaposition.

Donnie Darko  or HERE

City of Lost Children

Haunting and more proff that Ron Perlman is one of the great actors in cinema history. This one is unlike anything you have ever seen before - like Pan's Labrynth, a true fairy tale brought to life, albeit a dark European fairy tale - and aren't those really the best kind?

The One

In the action/adventure genre there are few movies that bring together a great list of cool guys to tell a fantastic science fiction story. Delroy Lindoh and Jason Statham lead a strong cast. Both the good Jet Li and bad Jet Li characters are believable and separate thanks to some nifty special effects. The ending is one of my favorite final scenes ever. "I am Yu Law! I am NOBODIES bitch! YOU are mine!"

The Fountain

This trailer is the worst one I have ever seen for a movie I absolutely love. This trailer should only be watched AFTER you have seen the movie. The film is much more lyrical and magical than the trailer makes it out to be. The music throughout is beautiful as are the visuals. I get what the director was going for and the overall impact is stunning. This one haunts me and makes me wonder what Aronofsky could have made of The Wolverine, had he not left that Hugh Jackman project. Based on a graphic novel that is also worth your time to read.

Golden Voyage Of Sinbad

Of course the greatest matinee movie of all time. Classic good vs evil tale that has everything you could ever want in an adventure tale - a dashing hero, a dastardly villain, a beautiful slave girl, a quest for mythical treasure and fantastic stop-motion animation by the legendary Harry Harryhausen. I know the entire movie from memory. Remember - "Trust in Allah, but tie up your camel."

The Warriors

I saw the Warriors in a big city (Winnipeg) theatre the same week that news was circulating that several real world acts of gang violence had occurred at other screenings of the film. I felt so bad ass to be out at night in that kind of environment. This was one of the first video tapes that I bought to watch with my new BETA machine. Another example of a great concept meeting great execution. The variety of gangs to cheer for or despise is impressive and turns an ordinary actioner into a live action comic book. The music here is stark and electric - no room for frills or celebration until that final great tune by Joe Walsh. So many actors is this movie should have went on to become larger stars but for some reason never did. Maybe that is what works to make The Warriors so timeless.

Sugar

Of all the sports movies I have seen, this one is the most honest. Mixing in baseball with an immigrants search for the American Dream is a little movie that deserves a larger audience. Like few other films this one left me enlightened because I didn't get everything I wanted or expected. The cast of unknowns further draws you into the story and makes the characters and their struggles seem all the more noble and real. Not a false note throughout.

Second Hand Lions

I used this one when I taught Junior High English. It's such a great memorable coming of age story with real laughs and genuine tears. The ending is beautiful when you put everything together in your head. A very rewarding experience with two old pros who in no way are 'phoning in' their performances.

The Rocketeer

Streets of Fire

Red Cliff , Red Cliff 2

I have a weakness for these historical Chinese epics and few are bigger than this five hour epic that was cut into two movies for North American release. Do yourself a favor and watch the complete director's cut. The characters and story are easier to follow when the sprawling adventure get it's full running time to play out. The final battle is among the greatest ever filmed. There are some things that you can't replace with digital effects and a 100,000 man army attacking a citadel is one of them. I like the subtitles on these films because they force me to pay attention to all the beauty going on in front of me.





Similar excellent examples from this genre include -  Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Hero, Curse of the Golden Flower, House of Flying Daggers

Ice Station Zebra

A Cold War action/adventure movie set at the top of the world? Around here we call that a Tuesday.

Similar excellent examples from this genre include - The Dirty Dozen, The Magnificent Seven, Where Eagles Dare, The Guns Of Navarone

Lost in Space

Great adventure based on the classic TV series. All the things that made the TV program so great are crammed into this classic. The production design and effects are first rate and often thrilling. Tell me you don't squeal a little when Major West's body armor kicks in as those freakin' spiders attack. Gary Oldman delivers one of the great villain lines of all time and his deliciously evil Dr Smith gives this one it's moral center. Smith is a bastard but they just can't kill him. That would be against the rules somehow. Also this is Matt LeBlanc's greatest role. He went full retard on action hero and pulls off a guy who actually is heroic. "And the monkey flips the switch".

Glory

A spectacular Civil War drama that works as well as a history lesson as it does as an action movie. The performances are spectacular but none more so than a young Denzel Washington as a runaway slave to enlists to fight for the Northern Army. He deservedly won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.

The Core

I love me a good 'end of the world' adventure. This one combines a great cast and great effects to make something crowd pleasing. The Earthship Vigil is a cool vehicle that I believed could travel to the center of the Earth. I choose this one in favor of other similar members of the genre like Independence Day, Armageddon, and Deep Impact.

District 13

This film and it's sequel are what action movies SHOULD be all about. After you have seen the elegant parkour-related choreography you will never look at the Hollywood product ever the same way again. The sport of parkour is so visually exciting that it should be a staple of all future action films. Finally something that moves so fast that even I can't keep up with it.

3 O'Clock High

Oh Gary Mitchell. What shenanigans have you gotten yourself into this day? I love this one because it takes a simple concept - a fight after school - and turn it into an insane Greek epic. They went full retard on the execution and I think it works. Casey Shemasko (what ever happened to him?) is an everyman geek that we all can relate to and cheer for. The book report scene is alone worth the price of admission.

The Cutting Edge

Some movies just come along and hit you over the head. You are almost embarrassed to admit how much you love what you just saw. I feel that way about The Cutting Edge. When I was teaching in Yellowknife, a few of us would go out for dinner and catch a movie every Tuesday. There were only two choices because the number of theatres were limited and you had to catch a film in the few days it was in town or you missed it.

One of those Tuesdays, The Cutting Edge was playing. I fell in love with the whole story because of two very appealing leads (D.B. Sweeney and the LUMINOUS Moira Kelly) and the cute love story. The mismatched pair works and the romance leaves all other RomComs in the dust. I went back ever night after that until the movie left the theatre on the weekend.

I paid 100 dollars for my own copy of the video and ordered it special when it became available. That's how crazy it was back in the early nineties. Everyone rented because you couldn't afford your own copy of any new film.