My Top 10 Favorite Movies of All Time

For a short starting post, I figured I'd give you guys an idea of my taste in movies. Here are my top 10 favorite movies, with a brief explanation as to why they're on here.

10) Pulp Fiction

One of the best screenplays ever. An excellent character study.

9) The Wizard of Oz

If this movie wasn't a huge part of your childhood, or isn't part of your own children's childhood, you're not an American. Go rent/buy it, watch it, then ace that citizenship test!

8) Monty Python and the Holy Grail

Funniest movie of all time. No other comedy has made me laugh so hard so consistently with each viewing.

7) Inception

I know this one's REALLY recent, and trust me, I thought long and hard about whether I like it enough to consider it an all-time favorite. But it IS that good! Some movies get better each time you watch them; Inception gets better each time you think about it.

Okay, I know most of you will want to stop reading once you read this next one, but PLEASE HEAR ME OUT!

6) Star Wars - Episode III: Revenge of the Sith

Yes, this movie has some painfully bad dialogue. Yes, Hayden Christensen is the worst thing to happen to film acting since Keanu Reeves started playing something that wasn't Ted from Bill & Ted.  Any negative argument you can make about this movie I can either agree with or understand where you're coming from. But in my opinion the good completely outweighs the bad. This particular entry in the saga has the best of both trilogies; the special effects and exciting fight scenes of the prequels, with the good old-fashioned, Saturday-morning-serial storytelling of the original. Call me an idiot if you want, but I love this movie, both the thrills AND the eye-rolls.

5) 12 Angry Men

The ultimate character drama. Proof that sometimes all you need to keep our attention is a room full of great actors playing well-written characters.

4) The Shawshank Redemption

A powerful, gripping story that never seems to drag and doesn't let go until it's over.

3) Gone with the Wind

The great romantic epic; stunning production quality.

2) American Beauty

This movie is PURE ART. I can't sum it up better than that.

And my favorite movie of all time is...

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

This was my Star Wars. This was my Citizen Kane. I saw this movie when I was in high school and I knew I would never have another moviegoing experience like this in a long time. This was the one movie in the trilogy that I had actually read the book before seeing the movie...and I was still at the edge of my seat. The acting, the writing, the visual effects, the story...everything comes together beautifully. And to those of you who make the complaint about the giant eagles, consider yourselves ignored; this one can't be ruined for me.

Agree? Disagree? Comment! Here's to more reviews coming soon!