Ninja Captain Alex's Top Ten Movie Countdown / Music Monday

I thought this was one of the most devious ideas yet, for a blog hop!

Yes, I said devious....I mean, think about it...having to narrow down years of movie experiences down to just ten films?? I'm sure Alex is just sitting there...cackling in maniacal glee at the quandary he's put me in!

O.k, I'm sure he's not...but still...this is a toughie. All the particulars, as well as a list of others doing this hop, can be found HERE.

I think it's going to take some thought so, while I do that, I'll leave you with a little tie in Music Monday selection from The Statler Brothers. An old country classic...The Movies. (And you thought I just liked surf music....)

O.k, I think I've had some time to think and here's my top ten movies, in descending order:

10. Trancers-- I loves me some cheesy, "B" movies and no studio does them better than Full Moon Pictures. Trooper Jack Deth, trancer hunter extraordinaire, is sent back in time to stop a madman from murdering the ancestors of The Council and sending Angel City (Old Los Angeles) into turmoil. The only catch...he has to inhabit the body of an ancestor to complete the trip. And the other catch....the ancestor of the madman is a respected police chief. Cult movie icon, Tim Thomerson stars with a very young Helen Hunt (before Mad About You) and Telma Hopkins (Tony Orlando and Dawn, Family Matters). While not really Oscar worthy, it still remains one of my most favorite 'fun flicks'.

9. Armageddon-- I really can't tell you why this movie is on my list....it just is. Every time, without fail, that I see this on t.v., I stop what I'm doing and watch it. Maybe it's just the idea of a bunch of misfits getting together to save the world, or maybe it's just the Bruce Willis/Ben Affleck dynamic, I'm not sure. This movie even made me stomach Billy Bob Thornton who plays a great role as a NASA coordinator, tasked with saving the world. This movie also has one of my most favorite quotes from a movie.

 Dr. Banks: [going through the roughnecks' medical reports] Fail. Fail. Depressively fail! One toxicology analysis revealed ketamin, that is a very powerful sedative!
Harry: Sedatives are used all the time, doctor.
Dr. Banks: Well this one's used on horses.
Harry: Some of these guys are pretty big.

8.  Charlie Chan-- This really encompasses any of the films made back in the 1940s and featuring the famous oriental sleuth created by author Earl Derr Biggers. I always enjoyed Charlie's little bits of wisdom "Mind like parachute...only works when open." and the bumblings of his well meaning, but inept, Number One Son. Again fun films from a simpler time.

7. The Thin Man-- Another film series that I've always enjoyed. William Powell and Myrna Loy had incredible chemistry which, in my opinion, was most of the reason for the series' success. Powell plays famous detective Nick Charles who marries the wealthy Nora, played by Loy, and try as they might, they just can't seem to stay out of trouble. Mysteries and snappy patter abound in these clever movies.

6. Casablanca-- A timeless classic that has it all. Romance, action, adventure, Nazis...the works. Humphrey Bogart plays the American expatriate, Rick and Ingrid Bergman is his long lost love, Ilsa. For me, though, some of the best parts are played by Claude Raines, Sidney Greenstreet, and Peter Lorre at his creepiest.

5. The Avengers-- The movie that I didn't have a lot of faith in before it came out, but hit it out of the park when I saw it. I found it simply amazing how Whedon took such an ensemble cast, gave them each screen time, and still told an all encompassing story. Marvel really did it right with this one, I have to say. From the teasers in the separate films to the finished product, this movie really made it feel like I was watching a comic book come to life...and that's saying something.

4. Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins-- Based on the old Destroyer novels and starring Fred Ward and Joel Gray, this action/adventure tale didn't fare well at the box office, but I've always found it to be just one of those 'fun' films I can watch over and over. I've tried giving the novels a read, but never got very far so I have to wonder just how well the film sticks to the original source material. Either way, though, I guess you could classify this as a 'cheesey' sort of movie, but I'm good with that. It does one of the things I feel movies should do, if nothing else, and that's entertain.

3. Back to the Future-- I've always loved time travel movies...especially one with as many twists and turns as this movie had. While I was never a huge fan of Michael J. Fox, I thought he was outstanding as the awkward teen who had to travel into the past to find the confidence to face the future. For me, though, the true star was Christopher Lloyd who played the 'slightly' eccentric, but father like figure of Doc Brown. This movie hit a lot of the right spots for me as far as blending action, sci-fi, romance (a tiny bit), and even teen angst into one great film.

2. Star Wars-- O.k, come on now...what self respecting, self professed, geek wouldn't have this one in their top ten? This came out at a time when sci-fi films weren't taken all that seriously. It started an almost cult like following among sci-fi fans as well as launched one of the biggest franchises in movie history. The hero's journey of Luke Skywalker is one I can watch again and again. Granted, I haven't been so enamored with the newer offerings as I was with the original but, to paraphrase Obi Wan Kenobi, 'a more elegant movie for a simpler time'.


And my number one movie is.......

1. Raiders of the Lost Ark-- Ever since I was a kid, I've loved the old movie serials. Having seen quite a few of them overseas, I fell in love with the weekly cliffhangers and the larger than life heroes (and villains) who escaped dire peril week after week. This film was all that and more....on steroids. Harrison Ford is just awesome as adventurer/archaeologist Henry "Indiana" Jones. Initially, I wanted to see this movie because 'Han Solo was in it'....but it wasn't long before Raiders surpassed Star Wars as my favorite film. It has all the elements I love in a film....except for time travel...and I can forgive that because it's just that good a movie.

I always wonder how this movie would have done if the original choice to play Indy, Tom Selleck, had taken the role?





So, there you have it....my top ten films....and, let me tell you..this wasn't easy. Thanks, Alex, for hosting this and I'll look forward to seeing everyone else's entries.

As they used to say in the old movies...."See ya in the funny papers"