Movies

Just including a list of some of my favorite movies, some that most people will know and a few others that might be new to some people. Like music, some movies are works of art that can help people forget about their problems, uplift their mood, and inspire them.

My favorite movie that I have shared with many people that they have not seen is “A Bronx Tale”. Very interesting movie that is based on a true story. Interestingly it is based on the life of Chazz Palminterri, who was the child (and young adult, as he aged) that the film is based on. Originally he was cast in the role of his own father with De Niro being the neighborhood mob boss, but they switched the roles and needless to say I think they got it right. Just a great film with a lot of heart and some good life lessons. I’ve recommended to probably 20 people, and everybody seemed to enjoy. Such a good story, true to life!

A bunch of my favorite movies that come to mind, some of my favorites near the top but not really a ranking:

  1. Gladiator
  2. A Bronx Tale
  3. Rocky
  4. The Matrix
  5. Avatar
  6. Scent of a Woman
  7. My Cousin Vinny
  8. Memento
  9. Erin Brokovich
  10. Hunt for Red October
  11. Management
  12. Spanglish
  13. American Beauty
  14. Ali
  15. Collateral
  16. Return of the Jedi
  17. The Last Samurai
  18. The Truman Show
  19. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
  20. Ace Ventura
  21. Stranger than Fiction
  22. Runaway Jury
  23. Crimson Tide
  24. A Few Good Men
  25. The Natural
  26. The Sixth Sense
  27. Gran Torino
  28. Say Anything
  29. Good Will Hunting
  30. The Crow
  31. The Color of Money
  32. Road to Perdition
  33. American History X
  34. Moneyball (overlooked baseball movie w/ a good message)
  35. Big George Foreman (Netflix)
  36. Into the Wild (beautiful but tragic)
  37. Rise of the Planet of the Apes

And these are not movies but very bingeworthy internet series.

The Queen’s Gambit (Netflix). An 8 episode series written by the same person who wrote the Color of Money. Really beautifully written and produced, it created a wave of renewed interest in Chess. I watched during the pandemic, it left me with the best feeling of anything I had watched in years. Gorgeous and very unique looking young actress named Anna Joy Taylor.

House of David (free on Amazon Prime). There will be additional seasons, but seasons 1 and 2 (8 episodes each) are available now. I absolutely loved this, based on the Biblical King David. Some really moving scenes, and I will say that you can almost feel the hand of God in the final product. Epic, esp season 1.

The Chosen (free on Amazon Prime). There are 5 seasons so far. It is about Jesus. I believe the budget was maybe not even half of House of David, so it is not a high budget endeavor, but very well done. Enjoyable, well written and acted, and undoubtedly has helped connect people to Christ and His message.

Better Call Saul and Breaking Bad (Netflix). 6 and 5 seasons, respectively. Better Call Saul was produced years later, but is actually the prequel for Breaking Bad. Both are very intense series that were well written. They are very much in the category of “guy movies” with a ton of strong and exceptional male actors. The main character of Better Call Saul is a somewhat despicable lawyer (Saul Goodman), which made for an interesting story in that you’re not really rooting for him the way you would the central character of a lot of stories. But the other characters are outstanding and more than make up for how cringe he can be. Anyway both series were unforgettable, some of the best and most memorable I’ve seen in years.