The Cinematic Life

My blog brother Samurai Frog said he'd love to see someone else do the list of your favorite movies for every year you've been alive meme he saw on the Onion's AV Club blog so I thought I'd step up and do it. Here's what I came up with:


1962-Manchurian Candidate-Great cold war paranoia film. Angela Lansbury is chilling in her role as the villaness.
1963-The Birds-Tippi in trouble! Oh no! It looks cheesy by today's standards but back in the day it scared the poop out of me.
1964-Dr. Strangelove-Simply the greatest cold war black comedy ever made. It made both superpowers look like the idiots we were. Peter Sellers was a acting genius.
1965-Cat Ballou-Jane Fonda and Lee Marvin got upstaged by a horse and the whole darn thing is still funny today. A truly under appreciated comedy.
1966-Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?-In a not very good year for films this one stands head and shoulders above everything else. It showed Liz Taylor's range for the first time ever and every actor should be required to attend the clinic on film acting Richard Burton gives in his performance.
1967-Bedazzled-Dudley Moore and Peter Cook are brilliant in this deadpan comedy and Raquel Welch was some great eye candy. I love this version and I really like the remake as well.
1968-Planet of the Apes-You thought I'd pick another film from this year? Oh hell no. "Get your hands off me you damn dirty ape," is one of the best movie lines ever.
1969-Take the Money and Run-One of the first fake documentaries ever and still one of the best. I saw it again a few months ago and it made me remember how funny Woody Allen used to be.
1970-M*A*S*H-An anti war comic gem. One of Robert Altman's best.
1971-Billy Jack-Only a dam dirty right wing religious nut job Republican wouldn't love a movie about an Indian guy who kicks ass to protect some hippy kids and his ol' lady. I loved this one and The Trial of Billy Jack as well.
1972-The Godfather-I'd watch this one every day if I could.
1973-It's a tie between Paper Moon and The Wicker Man. I love movies about con men, especially funny ones, but I also love creepy British horror movies co-starring Britt Ekland's boobs too.
1974-Lords of Flatbush-I must have seen this one about 10 or 15 times when it came out. I saw it that much mainly to escape Aunt Rageholic's farm in Howell, MI, but I also saw it that many times because I liked it, despite it having Sly Stallone in it.
1975-Monty Python and the Holy Grail-No matter how many times I see it I still laugh in all the same places. This film helped shape my sense of humor like no other for many years.
1976-Bad News Bears-I'll admit it, I had a school boy crush on Tatum O'Neil. And the fact that she played baseball in this movie was doubly sweet.
1977-Star Wars-One of the greatest sci fi movies ever made. I have yet to see the newer ones but I'll watch the older ones any time.
1978-Lord of the Rings-Back before Peter Jackson made his great films from the books Ralph Bakshi made this animated version and despite what the critics said, I loved it. Yes they compressed it and cut it to shreds but it looked so damn cool and for a time it looked like this was going to be the only version ever. And it was a great movie to watch while stoned.
1979-The Jerk-Steve Martin was my stand up comedy idol in the late '70's and I ran to see this when it first came out. It didn't live up to my expectation at first but it's grown on me since then.
1980-Airplane!-One of my favorite movies of all time. It's in my top ten easily. I saw it the night I got dumped by a girl and by the end of the film I was laughing go much that I forgot all about how sad I had been just a few hours before I saw this. It's a Monkey certified classic.
1981-Excalibur-John Boorman's take on the Arthurian legend. My college friend Lou took me to see this one and I am eternally grateful to him for it. Lou opened my eyes to all the great films that were out there and if not for him I would have missed many many great movies. Helen Mirren is smokin' hot in this movie too.
1982-Eating Raoul-Paul Bartel's droll black comedy about one man's quest to open his own restaurant called Chez Bland. It's a very funny satire on swinging, the emerging California cuisine, and white people in general. Plus it had the super sexy Mary Wornov in it. Hubba hubba.
1983-Flashdance-I'll admit to seeing this one way more than I should admit to. I can't help it, I adore Jennifer Beals in it and I wanted to be that short order cook character who thought he was a great comedian.
1984-Repo Man-One of my cult favorites. Alex Cox's best film for my money.
1985-Brazil-A masterpiece of film making. Looking back at this film it's kind of scary how much Terry Gilliam got right. And who didn't love Kim Griest in this film as well?
1986-Blue Velvet-For me this was David Lynch's break through film. It's creepy and believable at the same time. And it's got a nude Isabella Rosselini in it. Hubba hubba squared.
1987-My Life as a Dog-One of the sweetest films ever made.
1988-The Adventures of Baron Munchausen-A personal favorite of mine. I finally bought a DVD copy of this movie and I need to watch it again soon to remind myself how great it is. That Terry Gilliam fella makes some damn fine movies and this is not the last one you'll see on my list.
1989-Heathers-The first time I saw this film I saw it with my then girlfriend, a horrid female who shall remain nameless, and she kept punching me in the arm and telling me to stop laughing so much because she didn't think what I was laughing at was funny. I should have broken up with her right then. This pitch black comedy is still funnier than 90 percent of filmed comedies released after it.
1990-The Krays-The best British gangster movie ever made in my opinion. Billie Whitelaw as the mother of the brothers Kray is mesmerizing.
1991-The Commitments-A great movie about an bunch of Irish kids who want to be rock and rollers. It's one of the most underrated films of the past 20 years.
1992-Glengarry Glen Ross-"First prize is a Cadillac. Second prize is a set of steak knives. Third prize is you're fired." Having been in sales for the last 15 years of my working life I really identified with this movie. I knew someone like all the guys in that office and I hated working with all of them too. One of Mamet's best films.
1993-Groundhog Day-Bill Murray is one of my favorite actors and he's brilliant in this film.
1994-Heavenly Creatures-One of the most compelling creative films I have ever seen. This film alone qualifies Peter Jackson a place in the Monkerstein Movie Hall of Fame.
1995-Twelve Monkeys-Another Terry Gilliam film, another great movie. Brad Pitt and Bruce Willis were fantastic in this. My friend Allan took me to see this film just after I had been laid off from work for the second time that year. Despite the movie being a bit of a downer his friendship that day cheered me up immensely.
1996-The Craft-Yes, it's cheesy. Yes, it's a teen age horror flick. Yes, I could care less. I loved this movie. I loved Robin Tunney and all the other young ladies in it. It's pure popcorn munching escapist fun.
1997-Austin Powers International Man of Mystery-I was a sucker for these films until the last one. This one is still the funniest of the lot and it's got Liz Hurley in it, grr baby grrr.
1998-Pleasantville-A great concept that was brilliantly executed. Reese Witherspoon and Joan Allen shine like twins suns in this film.
1999-Fight Club-I resisted it when it first came out and then I finally saw it. And I loved it. And I love the book it's based on.
2000-Bring It On-If you think I'm ashamed to say I love this movie then you're wrong. Hell, I just admitted I loved The Craft didn't I? I've got "spirit hands" just thinking about seeing this movie again.
2001-Harry Potter-I love this film so much because I identify with young Mr. Potter so very much. I know what it's like to be a third class citizen in the home of the people raising me, just like Harry does. However I had no Hogwarts to escape to so I'd get lost in movies, sports, books, and my imagination.
2002-About a Boy-A perfect movie about modern love, relationships, and families.
2003-Goodbye Lenin!-Probably the best movie about the aftermath of the fall of Communism on East Germany ever made. It's sweet, funny, and surprisingly touching. If you have never seen it, you really should.
2004-Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle-Those who dismiss this movie as just a stoner comedy do themselves little justice. This movie is hilarious and Neil Patrick Harris and Anthony Edward's cameos are priceless.
2005-The 40 Year Old Virgin-It's a little long but still it's funny as anything. The comic turns by Janet Lynch and the old Indian guy who works in her store are hilar squared as Katie Schwartz would say.
2006-Art School Confidential-One of my new favorites.
2007-Death at a Funeral-It's a droll British comedy that has some funny lines, some great slapstick, and my current imaginary British girlfriend Keely Hawes is in it too. What's not to love?
2008-The year's not over yet to I'll wait until it is before I pick my favorite.