Top Ten (Well, 25)

When posed with the task of creating a top ten, I quickly realized I couldnt leave it at just that. I undertstand the top ten are the only ones to be counted, but being a huge fan of film, I had to expand.

1. Halloween
This has been my all time favorite film since my first viewing of it, in the sixth grade. Horror is my favorite genre, but it's not exactly known for it's aesthetics. It's usually about the body count, the scares, and the gore. But Halloween is a powerfully made horror film that is the grandfather of the modern slasher.
(Had I gone to create a top hundred films, They Live, The Fog and The Thing would also be included from this director)
2. American History X
3. Fight Club
(In case of a top hundred, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Zodiac, The Social Network, and Se7en would be included from this director)
4. Inglourious Basterds
For most, Pulp Fiction is their top Tarantino pick. But the writing in a film is typically my favorite aspect, and I can't think of a better written film
5. The Dark Knight
I believe this is the first superhero film to completely transcend the genre. Every aspect of the production of this film is flawless, and has one of the best performances of all time, of course attributed to Heath Ledger.
(In a top hundred, Inception, Batman Begins, The Dark Knight Rises, The Prestige, and Memento would be included from this director)
6. Pulp Fiction
7. The Royal Tenenbaums
(In my top hundred, Moonrise Kingdom and Rushmore would be included from this director)
8. Eraserhead
(In case of a top hundred, Mullholand Drive, and Blue Velvet would also be included from this director)
9. The Departed
(In a hundred, Hugo and Goodfellas would be included from this director)
10. Boogie Nights
(In case of a top hundred, There Will be Blood, Punch Drunk Love, and Hard Eight would be included from this director (also The Master, coming out later this month, looks incredible))
11. Hausu
12. Scream
13. The Big Lebowski
(I felt strange not including a film by the Coen Brothers in my top ten, but it was close(In a top hundred Barton Fink, Millers Crossing, Oh Brother Where art Thou? and Burn After Reading would be including from these directors))
14. Synechdoche, New York
(Kauffman is an incredible writer, and in a top hundred, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Being John Malkovich, and Adaptation would be included)
15. Night of the Hunter
16. The Shining
(It was close between this and A Clockwork Orange)
17. Evil Dead
18. Funny People
19. Night of the Living Dead
20. Cabin in the Woods
21. Videodrome
22. Raging Bull
23. Drive
24. A History of Violence
25. No Country for Old Men


Note: This is MY top ten. Can I pose an argument that The Royal Tenenbaums is a better film than The Godfather II? Or that Halloween is better aesthetically than Citizen Kane? The answer is, no. But these are the films that personally lead me to inspiration. While I do love both the forementioned films, they  (and numerous others similar) didn't make my list, because for me personally, these other films speak much more clearly to me.