HK's 100 Favourites... Kinda

Great stuff HK, thanks for sharing.

"Why's he calling me meat? I'm the one driving a Porsche."

A lot of favorites from my list on here, which isn't real surprising. We've gone back and forth quite a bit the last few years but we seem to have each other pretty well pegged now. Couldn't agree with you more about Natural Born Killers. In fact, I've given up suggesting it to people. I'm more than happy to jump in a conversation if I see someone talking about it though. A movie like that almost defies description and explanation. You're going to watch it and most will hate it because it just doesn't "click" with them and that's fine. It sure as hell clicks with me though.

Das Boot is just terrific as well. Have you ever tacked down the big 5 hour version that's supposed to be available out there? I've seen one that was almost 4 hours long and I was still enthralled, I think I could sit through another hour if I ever find it.

Oh yeah...

"Jonathan... Jonathan... Jonathan"

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Thanks PW and thanks for your comments.

45. Flesh + Blood



I think this started to show on tv after Basic Instinct hit big, so I probably saw it '92-'93. Besides, Rutger Hauer and Paul Verhoeven? What was to hate? Nothing. It's a harsh, hard-bitten and violent medieval adventure/drama. Wonderfully over the top, but with solid performances, especially from Jennifer Jason Leigh (who I'm a big fan of) and Rutger Hauer, who plays the morally ambivalent Martin. In terms of theme and content, this could be the ultimate Verhoeven film.


44. Reservoir Dogs



Yes, this is above Pulp Fiction. Yes, I like it more than Pulp Fiction and, yes, I probably think it's better than Pulp Fiction. But the reason it's above it is because I like it more than Pulp Fiction. Obviously. I remember a lot of, what we now call, "buzz" in the film magazines around this film as it did the rounds at the festivals and was very eager to see it. I was not disappointed. The one thing that sticks in my mind about seeing this, apart from the girl I saw it with, is the amount of old people in the audience. Honestly, I can't remember seeing so many OAP's in a cinema at one time. I was too fixated on the screen to notice if anyone left, but I hope they got the film they expected.

43. Dawn Of The Dead (1978)



As I said before in the thread, this is a childhood fave and a comfort film for me. I was probably 10 or 11 the first time I saw this. It was a Sunday and I had school the next day, which was depressing and I also remember that the sky was a dark grey/purple when I went home which reminded me of the film. I know there's a whole generation coming up who'll disagree but, for me, this is a 'proper' zombie film. Slow shuffling, brain-eating and mindless and I love all the stuff at the mall. I also like the soundtrack in a Halloween III kind of way.

42. All Quiet On The Western Front (1930)



For some reason, the First World War seems so much more wasteful than the Second, even though many times more people died in the Second. Maybe it's the poetry? Maybe because it was the first truly mechanised modern war? Maybe it was because everyone died, regardless of class or wealth? I don't know, but it seems to be true. At least in Britain, it does. I think this may've been the first time I saw anything about WWI told from any other pov, let alone a German one and I was in my late teens at the time. I just love the humanity of this and the ending is classic.

41. Point Break



As with the other Swayze film on the list, this is just a big ball of "testosterone-fuelled fun". The sort of film you can joke about with a bunch of friends or sit and watch on your own and enjoy it just as much. The last film that used this many "bros" and "dudes" was probably another Keanu classic role, Bill & Ted.

One day I'd like to see this, too. Beware, if you're at work, there's some language that your boss might not like.

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I love Point Break. Also a fairly big fan of Reservoir Dogs and surprisingly for me (not being a huge horror fan) Dawn of the Dead.

And finally you've listed a film I don't know. That's one of the things I was hoping for from your list, obscure and cult films I was unaware of. Flesh and Blood is one of the first, if not the first film I've not heard of.

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For some reason I haven't made it all the way through Flesh+Blood. It's my kind of flick but the timing just didn't work out or something. Gonna give it re-watch now.

TBH, I don't really think of DotD as a horror film when I'm watching it. Maybe because I like it so much?

Glad to oblige. Sky used to show it quite a lot, so check the schedule and you might find it somewhere.

If you just want a list of cult/obscure films, I could do that anyway. Hell, ask Used Future to do you one, that list would really rock.

Yeah, give it another look, PW. As you like that stuff, I think it's well worth your time.

awesome list, HK!!!

Point Break is probably in my top 20 personal favourites. It's manically paced, exhilarating dumb fun action that died out in the late '90's. They don't make movies like that anymore.

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"George, this is a little too much for me. Escaped convicts, fugitive sex... I've got a cockfight to focus on."

Are you kidding? They make them all the time. They just really suck now. The A-Team, Centurion, The Expendables, The Losers, From Paris with Love, 12 Rounds, Gamer, Ninja Assassin, I'm sure there's plenty more. Those are all "maniacally paced, exhilarating dumb" without the fun. They've been trying to recreate those type of Die Hard feeling films forever. They just can't capture the lightning in a bottle anymore with that type of film. That's why Transformers and superheroes rule the box office. Because they are an action genre that is (arguably) fun.

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I'm with BB on this one. They make them a lot of them, the problem is usually the cast and/or director, along with a poor script mean they're really poor. That said, I liked The A-Team simply because it was tons of fun, though I was bored by the last set piece which really sucked, IMO. I liked Shoot 'Em Up for the same reason.

Ug, the final set piece to The A-Team is at a...shipping port? How many times have we seen that in action films? Are they aware that we've seen it dozens of times and done better at that?

Anyway, sorry to derail. On with the show!

Dawn of the Dead!!
I love the remake (2004) a little more than the original but I am SOOO happy that Dawn of the Dead made your list.

Damn, when will there be a zombie appoc.?!

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Nope, that's fine BB. All comments welcome.


+ repped for the oddest plea I've ever heard.

And we break into the top 40.

40. The Usual Suspects



I saw this the day it opened over here, and yet, thanks to a reviewer on a radio station, I was already confident I'd 'guess the twist' ending, as simply knowing there is one is usually more than enough. You have to remember that this was made before Shyamalan made it popular for every other film to have a twist ending, thereby rendering them pointless. Anyway, despite this, I was still blown away by The Usual Suspects. Superb performances and a great script make for a great hour and a half's viewing pleasure. This seems to be one of the 90's gems that's getting some blowback now, but I'm still a big fan. Hence it's rating here.

39. First Blood



Another film from my childhood. I was 11 or 12 when I saw this and it became an instant favourite. I got myself a copy as quickly as I could and wore that damn tape out. It might seem strange, but I've never really bothered with the rest of the series. I've seen bits of Rambo and most of Rambo III, but neither felt like First Blood. Maybe it's the script, maybe it's the calibre of the actors in First Blood, but this is a good film and one that I've never grouped with what followed.


38. The Breakfast Club



Another Sunday night and another film which captivated me and held me for 90 minutes before releasing me, changed forever. It was also another 'rites of passage' film for the friends I had at the time, who all saw this whether they were interested or not. If there's a perfect age to see this for the first time, I was, maybe, a year or two younger than that and it was certainly in my late teens that I loved this the most but, as you can see, it's still a much loved film and I dread to think how many times I've said "Don't mess with the bull young man, you'll get the horns", "Can you hear this? Do you want me to turn it up?" or "Ooh, obscene finger gestures from such a pristine girl" or a dozen other quotes I could list.

37. La Reine Margot



A bit like an historical arthouse version of Flesh + Blood, I can't remember how I found this film but I'm really pleased that I did, because I've loved it from that first viewing. I'm afraid I don't have much else to tell you. If you've not seen it, go and take a look. It's well acted, looks gorgeous and there's plenty of sex and violence. What more could you want?


36. 50 First Dates



Were this not such a wonderful film, having an Adam Sandler film on this list would really be too depressing for words. OK, so the only reason it makes the list is because Drew's in it (and she's so damn adoreable... But when isn't she?) but, I honestly think that even if she weren't in it, I would probably still like it. OK, so I'd like it in a "I'll watch it on tv if there's nothing else on" way, but that's better than all his other films, with the exception of Airheads, but that's not really an "Adam Sandler" film, so I try not to count it. I feel cleaner that way.

Love The Usual Suspects and First Blood, both I've watched numerous times and never get tired of them. 50 First Dates is a bit of a surprise, especially being that it's at a very high place. But I really like that film as well, probably because it has a great supporting cast and the fact that it is very funny.

Man that last ten was pretty disappointing. I'm honestly shocked you like The Usual Suspects and First Blood, and I know you love Drew but 50 First Dates isn't necessarily a highlight in her career.

You were doing pretty well up to this point

man. I can't believe you put a movie in your top 40 just cause you think a girl is pretty.

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I think I am going to go and cry for a bit.

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do you hate the remake, too? please say yes, please say yes!

I don't think I have ever hated a remake like Dawn of the Dead so badly, ZOMBIES ARE SUPPOSED TO BE SLOW (THEY ARE DEAD), where the hell is the helicopter, and you can't just add characters, I can't remember how many but it was quite a few.
Only thing good about Dawn of the Dead remake was ZOMBIE BABY!

we seem to have hated it for vastly different reasons, but at least i've finally met another person who does hate it. progress!

Breakfast Club is great, and First Blood has almost the exact same rating on my Top 50. I'll have to check out The Usual Suspects.

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