Gimmie the remote, watch this instead! (Top 10 Films in general)

Member Name: mykp

Product:	Top 10 Films in general
Date:	23/02/02 (56 review reads)
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Advantages: Its my top 10

Disadvantages: You'll have your own opinions

These are my top ten films in reverse order. They are my opinion of the films why I like them and a brief overview of the plots, actors and actresses. I know others have their own opinions as I have read a few of them, but these are mine :)

10. Firefox (1982)

I can already here people saying ?What the ?? but this is my top 10 remember and to me this is one of the best films that Clint Eastwood ever made. Released in 1982, this is not the usual Clint Film where either everyone gets blown up, shot or ends up in a fist fight, this is a story of cold war espionage.

Taken from the book by Craig Thomas, the plot of the story revolves around a plane, the MIG 31 nicknamed the Firefox, which is a super fast fighter interceptor capable of speeds in excess of Mach 5. Another thing which makes this plane stand out from others is its brand new control system which is controlled by thought.

Clint Eastwood plays Major Mitchell Gant who was a top US pilot in the Vietnam war, but is now a washed out veteran who suffers from flashbacks due to his experiences of the War, who has been given the task of stealing this plane from under the nose of the Russians.

The plot does take time to get going but this is one of the best Directorial and Acting performances of Clint Eastwoods Career.

The film also stars, Warren Clarke and Nigel Hawthorne in minor support roles.

9. The Killing Fields (1984)

This is perhaps one of my most outrageous choices but if you had seen this film you might understand why.

Based on a true story based around the historical events which surround the US evacuation of Vietnam. The story follows Dith Pran a local Cambodian journalist who stays behind with his New York Times reporter friend Sydney Schanberg, played by Sam Waterston. During the US evacuation of Vietnam Dith Pran?s family are evacuated but when the time comes for Dith and Sydney to leave only Sydney is allowed on the evacuatio
n chopper.

This leaves Dith at the mercy of the communist Khmer Rouge regime. The plot then follows both Sydney who is trying to find and get his friend back to the US and Dith as he has to experience the harsh regime of the Khmer Rouge.

This film might appear very violent in places but the point has to be explained so this is entirely necessary and it does show how bad the Khmer Rouge regime was.

This film might be consigned to the annals of late night minor channel TV but this for me is one of the most emotional films I have seen.

8. Highlander (1986)

If you havent seen this then which planet have you been living on. Over repeated to extinction on minor channel TV this is one of the best sword fighting films ever.

Staring Christopher Lambert as Connor MacLeod a 14th century Scottish tribes man who is mortally wounded in battle. His injuries heal and superstitious villagers cast him out from their village. Sought out by Ramirez a Spanish nobleman, MacLeod is informed he is immortal and teaches him the way of the sword. Time goes on and we next find MacLeon in the 20th century living as Russell Nash a wealthy businessman who leads double life, fighting other immortals for the prize. The prize is explained in the film so youll have to watch it!

Written by Gregory Widen this is a superb fighting film without the usual senseless violence of a million bullets.

7. Apocalypse Now (1979)

Surely this has to be one of the best movies ever by Francis Ford Coppola but in my opinion it is also the best acting performance of Martin Sheen, I would say Marlin Brando as well but that honour has to go to his role in the godfather.

The film focuses on the two main characters, Colonel Walter E. Kurtz played by Brando and Captain Benjamin Willard played by Sheen. The dark plot of this film is based around Brandos character, whom having taken one mission too many, has sent him over the edge and
into insanity. Sheen character is sent to find him and kill him by his US Army superiours.

Okay that?s a very brief overview but the plot of the film is fairly simple but what makes this film stand out from other is the sheer performance by all the other part actors in this film, Such as Robert Duvall, Laurence Fishburne, Dennis Hopper and Harrison Ford.

With immortal lines such as ?I love the smell of Napalm in the morning? this is truly a classic and I await Apocalypse Now Redux DVD with baited breath.

6. Ronin (1998)

Staring Robert De Niro as Sam who is a freelance intelligence agent who when placed with a group of other agents try to steal mysterious package. Also staring Jean Reno, Sean Bean, Jonathan Pryce and Natascha McElhone this film has everything to have you sat on the edge of your seat. This film has perhaps one of the best car chases to have been captured on film which must last a good 10 minutes and wrecks littlerly hundreds of cars.

The story has to be followed for ultimate enjoyment (it?s a thinking mans film) with lots of twists and turns which will make you say ?Oh?

The title of this film is explained in the film so watch out for it, otherwise you wont get the point.

5. Mr Baseball (1992)

Now, I love this film not because of its story line or because of Baseball (personally I don?t understand the rules) but because of the relationship between Tom Sellecks character in the film and my own experiences of Japan. Ironically I saw this film for the first time in Japan whilst staying in Tokyo.

So the film revolves around Jack Elliot played by Tom Selleck who is a fading baseball player who is transferred by his team to a Japanese baseball team. The film revolves around how Selleck copes with his new life and Japanese society.

Most of the other actors in this film are Japanese and you wont have heard of them except for Ken Takakura who is perhaps more famous for h
is role in Black Rain with Michael Douglas.

Although this may not be every bodies cup of tea it is very amusing and but sadly only if you understand something of Japanese culture.

4. Goodfellas (1990)

Behold the definitive work of one Mr Martin Scorsese esq.

This to me is the ultimate gangster film. We follow Henry Hill played by Ray Liotta who from his youth is an aspiring mobster. As time goes by we watch as he goes from a punk kid to a major player in the mob scene.

Also staring Robert DeNiro, Joe Pesci and Paul Sorvino who all go together to help Scorsese produce this masterpiece of film making.

This film for me is far better than such films as Casino or the Godfather although some might mark these as the same type of film. The godfather might have been the first but in my opinion this the best.

3. 2001: A Space odyssey (1968)

For me this is the definitive Sci Fi film, Very few have come close to this even today for its stunning special effects and gripping story line. The story was originally written by Arthur C Clarke, and this story is skilfully converted to the screen by Stanley Kubrick.

The story begins when humans find a mysterious object on the moon and then are sent off into space to investigate further.

Remember that this film was released in 1968 one year before Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon and just how accurate did Kubrick get it!? But, that aside how good are the special effects in 2001. They are absolutely superb especially the space station docking scene. Again remember this was 1968 before any computer had even though of generating special effects. That is unless HAL, the computer in the film was real!?

2. Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987)

John Candy and Steve Martin star as Dell Griffith and Neil Page in this hilarious comedy. Steve Martin is a Advertising Executive who is trying to get home to have thanksgiving dinner with his w
ife and kids and will do anything or use any means of transport to get there. Enter John Candy a travelling curtain ring salesman who both help and hinders, well more hinder than anything else.

This is comedy right from the very moment these two stars meet on screen and in some places will have you rolling on the floor especially the part where John Candy drives the car the wrong way down the freeway and in between two articulated trucks. The aftermath of this accident is hilarious.

This is my number two as there are a few bits in the film that kind of make you cringe but the comedy isnt far behind and you?ll be laughing shortly.

1. Police Story (1988)

Okay this is my number one film as 1. It?s a Jackie Chan film (My favourite actor). 2. Its funny. 3 it has superb stunts and 4. It?s a martial arts film with a plot.

Jackie Chan plays Kevin Chan a Hong-Kong policeman, who captures a big drug lord single handed, who is none to pleased and frames Jackie for the killing of another officer. Jackie must capture the drugs boss again, save the girl they have captured who has evidence against them and clear his own name. Oh and just for good measure has to keep his girlfriends sweet as well as who thinks he is having an affair with the woman he is trying to save.

The film ends with one of the best fight and stunt scenes that has been captured on film, With this crazy stunt where Jackie jumps off the upper balcony of a shopping mall, slides down a pole lit with Christmas lights but before the bottom he jumps off and smashes through a gazebo roof!

From the moment this film starts to the moment the credits finish this is a superb film and if you are going to watch it make sure you see the undubbed film with subtitles, In my opinion its better as you get Jackie Chans real voice and not the dubbing artist.

So that?s it my top 10 films. I am sure some of you will disagree or having differing opinions but remem
ber this is my top ten. Where is yours?

© copyright 2002, Mike Porter.

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