March 18, 2013

Top 10 Movies Blogfest: The Lion King to The Usual Suspects

According to the Ninja Captain, Alex J Cavanaugh: The first blogfest I ever hosted was The Movie Dirty Dozen on June 21, 2010, and fifty-eight people participated. I had less than two hundred followers at the time, so most of you missed it. Which is why I’ve decided to revisit it with:



Top Ten Movie Countdown Blogfest
List your top ten favorite movies! 

My kind of blogfest! I love movies. My taste in movies is as eclectic as my taste in books. I am all over the board, with the exception of horror. Not a scary-movie kind of gal.

So, don't expect any kind of rhyme or reason to these movies, other than...

1) They stayed with me long after the credits.
2) They had characters I couldn't shake.

Without further ado (and in no particular order)...

Shawshank Redemption
I was so shocked to find out this was based on a Stephen King novella, especially since I grew up with King movies such as Salem's Lot, Pet Sematary, Cujo, Carrie, and Christine. Who could ever forget the look on the warden's face when the rock went through the Raquel Welch poster?

Caddyshack
Bill Murray, need I say more? Not only is he endearing, but he's damned funny. (Groundhog Day is another great Bill Murray example.) Plus, Chevy Chase. Back in the day, he was quite handsome... and a great straight man. (Christmas Vacation is a part of my family's Christmas tradition.)

Dirty Dancing
Okay, I'm a creature of the 80s. But I was singing those songs and wishing I was rolling around on the floor with Patrick Swayze for years. (Patrick sealed the heartthrob deal with Ghost.)

Pillow Talk
My mom was a huge movie buff and loved to share favorites from her day. I loved Gypsy, West Side Story, Casablanca, and Gone With the Wind. And that's just to name a few. But nobody did sweet and sassy like Rock Hudson and Doris Day. 

The Usual Suspects
Rarely has a film surprised me as much as this one. When Keyser Soze was revealed in the last scenes, I sat there with my mouth wide open--unable to move. Brilliant.

The Lion King
I'm sure this pick has something to do with my now 13-year-old daughter's former obsession with it, but it truly is one of the best Disney movies. Family, heartbreak, survival, romance... it's all there. Plus, great music!

A Few Good Men
I could watch the Jack Nicholson/Tom Cruise courtroom scene over and over again. Intense and compelling... Nicholson nailed it. (And I have to admit I have a crush on Kevin Bacon... bet you thought I was going to say Tom Cruise!)

Steel Magnolias
I'm a Southern woman, and this movie felt like attending one of my family reunions. But it was more than that. It broke my heart... and what an amazing cast of female characters: Julia Roberts, Sally Field, Olympia Dukakis, and Shirley MacLaine. Best line: If you don't have anything nice to say about anybody, come sit by me.

The Princess Bride
Part grand adventure, part grand romance. As you wish echoed in my brain for years. So many amazing and memorable characters. This was one of those movies I couldn't wait to share with my kids, just like my mom shared movies with me. 

Please consider... I haven't watched many non-kid movies in the last thirteen years, I have never been a Woody Allen fan (so I tend not to agree with critics and all their acclaiming), and I don't like drama for drama's sake.

I'm looking forward to making the rounds. If you'd like to check out other top movies, please visit the participants here.

19 comments:

Tasha Duncan-Drake said...

The Princess Bride wins every time :) Also another vote for Shawshank I see, I keep seeing that pop up in people's lists, and I have to agree it is a superb movie.

Elise Fallson said...

The Lion King, Princess Bride, A Few Good Men, Shawshank Redemption, you make me wish my list was longer! Great choices, Tia. (:

David P. King said...

Princess Bride! Huzzah! I remember seeing Lion King before it was finished, an audience reaction kind of thing. Interesting when half the movie is still pictures. :)

Shah Wharton said...

Oh I adore Woody Allen :D

Some great choices, some off which we have in common, Tia. X

Dani said...

Love Lion King! I can't help but sing all the songs. I love your list, so many great classics!

Sus said...

Great list - I agree with so many of these. In college, the guys upstairs from me would recite the entire courtroom scene from A Few Good Men over and over and over...luckily I didn't find it annoying. That was also the year I saw The Usual Suspects and, like you, I was wowed by Kaiser Soze. Great film!

The Princess Bride is on my list, too. It's just a perfect movie.

Hopping through and had to comment. :)

Sus http://susreviews.blogspot.com/2013/03/top-ten-movie-countdown-blogfest.html

Pat Hatt said...

Awesome list and yeah Shawshank surprised me too that it was made off a King novel.

M.J. Fifield said...

I haven't thought about Pillow Talk for ages, but I loved that movie. That one, and That Touch of Mink. Love Rock Hudson and Doris Day.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

The Usual Suspects and Princess Bride just missed my top list. Too many good films.
Thanks for participating in my blogfest!

Jaime said...

I forgot about Princess Bride. Darn. Steel Magnolias is amazing, just amazing.

Carrie-Anne said...

I've only seen Lion King and Dirty Dancing. When I saw Dirty Dancing for the first time, I was in my early twenties and at university, watching it on VH1 on my little tv in my dorm room. Back in the Eighties, my parents hadn't let me see it in theatres or on tv thereafter. I've always been confused as to why they were so strict about what kinds of things I couldn't watch on tv or in the movies (at least with their knowledge!), while being so liberal about what I was allowed to read at the same age.

Rhonda Albom said...

I have non idea how many times I have seen Caddyshack. Love it! Fun list.
Rhonda
Laugh-Quotes.com

nutschell said...

Gosh. Shawshank and Princess Bride seem to be on everyone's lists. Can't blame em, though.
Nutschell
www.thewritingnut.com

Natasha Hanova said...

Unusual Suspects had the same effect on me. Great list!

LD Masterson said...

You made some great picks. I've seen all of these and loved them.

Mel Kinnel (@TizMellyMel) said...

These are some awesome picks! Every time Dirty Dancing comes on I just have to watch it. Unusual Suspects is a great one just for the reason you mentioned.

Jocelyn Rish said...

Some great picks here. If I'd known about this blogfest, The Lion King and The Princess Bride would definitely have been on my list.

And I'm not a Woody Allen fan either - I really don't get what the big deal is about his movies.

Tia Bach said...

SUCH a fun blog hop! Alex did it again. I'm still getting around to everyone, and my movie list is growing. Thanks for stopping by!

Anonymous said...

Just dropping in from the blog hop to say you have a great list. Much love for "Princess Bride" :3