Top 50 Favorite Movies (10 - 1)

#10: Memento: For me, I didn't really know what to expect when I watched Memento for the first time. What I got was easily one of the smartest, most detailed, most confusing movies I've seen in my entire life. The idea of playing the whole movie backwards is a pretty original idea. I love the idea of exploring the main character, how you know as little he does, and you learn things as he learns them. I love the way this movie plays with the standard noir film, and the performances, particularly from Guy Pearce.   

#9: Serenity: Serenity is a movie that I didn't appreciate at first. In fact, I fell asleep. When I went back, and watched the tv show Firefly, and then came back to Serenity, I had a completely different outlook on the movie. The characters are all understandable, and the actors have a great chemistry together. Joss Whedon is one of my favorite filmmakers working right now, and the way he handles the script and direction with this movie are a good way of showing it.  

#8: The Usual Suspects: From the beginning to the end, The Usual Suspects is just one of those movies that went places I didn't expect. Kevin Spacey pretty much anchors the whole movie as Verbal Kint. The twist ending is one of the best I think I've ever seen, and this movie remains, in my opinion, Bryan Singer's absolute best film.

#7: Pulp Fiction: I am a big Quentin Tarantino fan, and Pulp Fiction is easily my favorite of Tarantino's movies. The writing and dialogue is very strong. Samuel L. Jackson and John Travolta have fantastic chemistry together, and this is definitely their movie, though the rest of the cast is just as strong. I love the way the movie is written. I love the non-linear way the story is told.

#6: Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back: It may seem cliche, but I definitely think Empire is my favorite in the Star Wars franchise. The story is at its darkest in this entry in the franchise, and the twist ending is easily one of the best ever, even if everyone knows it now. I like that this is the movie where things seem to be at there most hopeless for the heroes when it ends, and that is a fantastic cliffhanger in my opinion.

#5: Seven: Seven is harsh, gritty, and all-around uncompromising. John Doe is quite possibly of the best villains ever, and for good reason. The violence in the movie is very much an afterthought, and the climax still makes my stomach churn any time I watch this movie. I think that idea of only showing aftermath, and leaving some of the most gruesome elements of the movie is the most horrifying. Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman really work well off each other throughout the film.

#4: Fight Club: As I've said about a hundred times throughout my favorite movies series, the twist ending in the movie is one the best in my opinion. Brad Pitt gives what I think is his absolute best performance as Tyler Durden. Pitt has great chemistry with Edward Norton, who is also excellent in the movie. Fight Club is one of those movies that, at first glance may seem like your average movie about dudes punching each other face, but you realize its so much more as the movie goes on.

#3: Scream: Scream is the movie that made me fall in love with the horror genre because it was the first horror movie I was ever exposed to. To say just how much I loved this movie, I watched it so much when I was younger that it practically drove my family insane, and at a point I knew almost the entire thing by heart. I watched this movie that much.

#2: The Dark Knight: I remember when I first saw The Dark Knight in theaters. This movie was the first real exposure I had to Christopher Nolan. Of course, the late Heath Ledger steals the show as the Joker, and my personal favorite incarnation of the character. I admit, Bale's Batman voice sucks, but other than that I love this movie to death.

#1: Die Hard: It may seem a bit unexpected, but this was really the movie that put Bruce Willis and Alan Rickman on the map. It's one of the Christmas movies in my opinion. The action scenes are awesome, and John McClane is one of my favorite characters. Not much else to say but "Yippie-kay-yay, motherfucker."