5.09.2007

Here it is, the top ten.

10. A Shot In the Dark (1964) || IMDb
Last year: 7, down 3

Much better than any of the Pink Panther movies, this somewhat of a spin-off is Clouseau at his best. A perfect blend of slapstick and traditional comedy, Peter Sellers controls the whole movie, even when he's just walking/stumbling. Memorable quote (there's so many to choose from and obviously they're much better with a French accent):

Clouseau: Facts, Hercule, facts! Nothing matters but the facts. Without them the science of criminal investigation is nothing more than a guessing game.

9. A Streetcar Named Desire (1951) || IMDb
Last year: 3, down 6

It's rare when a play-turned-movie is taken word-for-word from its source material, but then again, if it isn't broken, don't fix it. Plus, Marlon Brando is pretty much the best actor ever, and then we have the lovable Vivien Leigh as Stellaaaaaaaaa! Memorable quote:

Blanche DuBois: Whoever you are, I have always depended on the kindness of strangers.

8. The Shawshank Redemption (1994) || IMDb
Last year: 4, down 4

Some serious movement for the top ten. I don't like this movie any less than last year, I just like the others that moved ahead more. Shawshank is one of those movies that was horribly overlooked in 1994/5, being shut out of the Oscars; yet over ten years later, it's seen as the best movie from '94 (and if not, then it's Pulp Fiction. Not Forest Gump, ugh). Morgan Freeman is at his best, and the way we see Tom Robbins' character from his perspective is what makes this story unique, and what makes us sympathetic. Memorable quote:

Andy Dufresne: Get busy living, or get busy dying.

7. The Princess Bride (1987) || IMDb
Last year: 5, down 2

This has been a favorite for longer than any of the others, I think. Definitely the best sword fight of all time. Also, the abundance of subtle comedy and traditional romance blends sweetly. Memorable quote:

Inigo Montoya: Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father prepare to die.

6. Some Like It Hot (1963) || IMDb
Last year: 8, up 2

Even more Billy Wilder. Jack Lemmon is great, but of course so is Tony Curtis. Cross-dressing is always funny when done right. Then, we have Marilyn Monroe, who makes any movie twenty times better. I'm chipping away at the AFI movie list, and on their separate list for Comedies, this was ranked number one. Good call. Memorable quote:

Sugar: I come from this musical family. My mother is a piano teacher and my father was a conductor.
Joe: Where did he conduct?
Sugar: On the Baltimore and Ohio.

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