Top 10 Lists

I know you have done it. I don't know a person that hasn't. You and some friends sat around and came up with your top 10 list of movies, music, etc. Hell the movie High Fidelity had that as a running theme, well top 5 lists, but anyway everyone has done it in some way shape or form. You may not care, but here is my top 10 lists:

Of all of the lists I have every created, this was the hardest. I have several movies that I like and watch regularly but these, are my top 10. Just so you know, I do not consider a trilogy as 1 movie. Every movie was counted in and of itself.

1. Citizen Kane (1941)

Starring

Orson Welles

Joseph Cotten

Director

Orson Welles

Elegant cinematography, great acting and a truly great story. Simply one of the greatest movies of all time. How it could not be on everyone's top 10 is beyond me.

2. The Godfather (1972)

Starring

Marlon Brando

Al Pacino

Diane Keaton

James Caan

Talia Shire

Director

Francis Ford Coppola

The movie that set the standard for all other mob related movies.

This movie made the careers of Al Pacino, Diane Keaton, James Caan and Talia Shire.. This is quite possibly the best Coppola movie ever.

3. Star Wars (1977)

Starring

Harrison Ford

Mark Hamill

Carrie Fischer

James Earl Jones

Director

George Lucas

Give me a break, this is Star Wars.

4. To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)

Starring	Gregory Peck
Director	Robert Mulligan

One of the best adaptations from a book ever. It also helps that this is an excellent book.

5. The Usual Suspects (1995)

Starring

Gabriel Byrne

Kevin Spacey

Director

Bryan Singer

One of the best stories, with twists and turns. This will leave you guessing till the very end. A greater surprise than The Sixth Sense.

6. Die Hard (1988)

Starring

Bruce Willis

Alan Rickman

Director

John McTiernan

The movie that all action movies should be measured against.

7. Seven (1995)

Starring

Morgan Freeman

Brad Pitt

Director

David Fincher

A dark and twisted movie that can be a study on morals and beliefs but also contrast. Not only in characters but in styles and locations.

8. Blazing Saddles (1974)

Starring

Cleavon Little

Gene Wilder

Harvey Korman

Madeline Kahn

Slim Pickens

Mel Brooks

Director

Mel Brookes

Quite possibly, the funniest movie of the decade and of Mel Brooks' career.

This movie has the best ensemble cast ever assembled and should have given Mel Brooks an Academy Award for writing.

No matter what mood you are in, this movie will make you laugh.

9. Fight Club (1999)

Starring

Brad Pitt

Edward Norton

Helena Bonham Carter

Director

David Fincher

Not only is the film visually stunning, it is also very thought-provoking, wickedly funny and, above all, extremely entertaining.

This is quite possibly David Fincher's best work

10. Heat (1995)

Starring

Al Pacino

Robert DeNiro

Val Kilmer

Director

Michael Mann

While this movie almost was bumped by Breakfast Club, it wins for two reasons.

1. Michael Mann knows how to visually set a mood and did a great job with this movie.

2. Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro sharing screen time.

I know that I have not listed many of the classics, but honestly, I am not a fan of the works of many of the 19th century and earlier authors. Now, if we are talking about plays and theatrical works, that is a different story, but when it comes to books, I am a fan of American Literature.
1. To Kill A Mockingbird	Written By: Harper Lee	A classic American book that was truly a work of love. Any person that has ever spent time in the south or lived in a small town can relate to the characters and some of the events.
2. The Godfather	Written By: Mario Puzzo	I saw the movie before I read the book and while the movie is on my top 10 list, the book made it for different reasons. The book was able to make the characters real. I did not necessarily see the characters as the actors who portrayed them and even though they were "bad guys" I still cared about them and the "family."
3. The Exorcist	Written By: William Peter Blatty	This book scared the shit out of me. A book has never done that before.
4. The Legend Of Huma	Written By: Richard A. Knaak	Back when I was 15 and into Dungeons and Dragons, I read this book and was amazed. It was the first book that I had ever read that I could not put down. I read it again recently and found it to be the exact same way. The story is well written and keeps you wanting more
5. The Hot Zone	Written By: Richard Preston	Much like the Exorcist, this book scared me. Not nearly as bad, but in a different way. This book scared me because it is based upon reality. The events that took place in this book are real, and when you read what some of these viruses can do, it will scare you to.
6. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer	Written By: Mark Twain	This is what classic American literature is all about. Loveable characters and a good story. Everyone should be required at some point in their life to read this book.
7. The Stepford Wives	Written By: Ira Levin	This is a book that I normally would not have read, but I was in the mood to read something and my wife had it laying around the house. I think this book epitomizes the paranoia of the 70's. While the writing is average, there is something dark and twisted about it that appeals to me.
8. Different Seasons	Written By: Stephen King	I am not a big fan of Stephen King. He is long winded and many times gets off the subject, but when it comes to his short stories, he gets it just right. This, in my opinion, is his best four stories ever.
9. The Pledge	Written By: Rob Kean	If you went to college in a small town, this book will be very familiar to you. I went to school in a small town at a selective university, and many of the people, places, etc. are all familiar, making this book a very good and easy read.
10. The Cobra Event	Written By: Richard Preston	If you like "The Hot Zone", you will really like this book. It is Richard Preston's first attempt at fiction and it is a good one. When President Clinton read this book, he called the NSA to ask them if the plot in this book was possible. Want to know what the scary part is. It is.