1. Fight Club (1999)

This is one hell of a film. Fight Club is a violent, trippy, brutal and stylishly cool film that came out of nowhere and has stayed in the cult movie mindset ever since. There's no doubt in my mind that out of all the films in this list I've seen it the most and strangely its the one that I can watch above all other movies and never get sick of it. It's almost hard to explain after being so in love with this film for so long to actually explain the reasons behind its placement in this list. I saw it after Se7en so I kind of had high expectations from director David Fincher but whilst Fight Club was nothing like what I'd expected it still totally blew my mind and was better than I ever could of imagined.

I bought the film after discovering that buying R rated films when you're under the age of 18 was an achievable feat in high school due to the local Target's inability to really care. This was 2003 and I'd been trying to see the film for years, I was so desperate in fact that I went out and bought the DVD even though my friend had already got me a copy off E-bay. I simply couldn't wait that long to see this movie I'd heard so much about. It wasn't successful on release and was naturally criticised by many critics due to its supposed excessive violence. It eventually gained a large and loyal following on its video release as all great films do and went on to be a classic.

David Fincher manages to pull off some of the sleekest camera work you'll ever see and this aspect alone is worth watching Fight Club. Thankfully however it's got plenty of substance as we follow the less than sane character simply credited as Jack. Edward Norton is perfect in this role and its a travesty that he didn't receive some form of recognition by the academy for his work. Brad Pitt has had some good roles, he's also had his fair share of average ones, his Tyler Durden is undoubtedly his most memorable character.

Fight Club is so absorbing and the story is told in such a different and exciting manner that its always hard to stop watching the film once you've started. From its innovative opening credits, its atmospheric and utterly cool soundtrack performed by the Dust Brothers to its ultra-smart dialogue, Fight Club is a blast from start to finish. Number 1 by a long way in my book.

Here's a scene from Fight Club...

2. Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)

Ferris Bueller was my hero during high school, as he was for many others especially during the 80s era in which the film is so obviously set. I was never that rebellious during my high school years, and how could I have been when my dad was the school truancy officer? I could only ever dream of coming close to what Ferris does by wagging a day of school, borrowing his best friends ferrari, screwing over the villainous Mr. Rooney and somehow not getting caught. Ferris Bueller was an icon for his generation becuase he did what everyone wanted to do but knew they never could, and damn did he do it in style.

I found the film very entertaining from the first time I saw it and although many of the clever jokes would have gone over my head when I was 14 years old, the fun nature of the film sucked me right in. It's fair to say that Matthew Broderick was typecast following this film but there's no denying that Ferris Bueller will always be his most memorable role. The cheeky manner in which he delivers Ferris' monologues to camera are wonderfully handled and this playful manner is carried through the entire film ensuring that it becomes utterly impossible not to love Ferris.

It must be said that Ferris Bueller is also greatly enhanced by the skillful direction of John Hughes, a legend of this genre during the 80s, who never came close to matching the dizzying heights of this mini teen masterpiece. Hughes showcases a precise use of the camera and a wonderfully written script with extremely well defined, memoralbe characters. This lifts the quality of the film to a level above all other teen comedies and whilst you won't see it in many other top tens, I consistently watch it and find it to be supremely enjoyable on each viewing. Make no mistake, Ferris Bueller's Day Off is a perfect film, both of its genre and in general...

Here's a scene from Ferris Bueller's Day Off...

3. Donnie Darko (2001)

Now this is one entry amongst my top ten that truly deserves cult film status. During the film's theatrical release it was barely noticed. Being an avid reader of the film geek magazine Empire, the five star review of Donnie Darko made me stand up and take notice. Unfortuntely living in a country town has many disadvantages, one of which being the inability to see any independent cinema and seeing as Donnie was on limited release for a very limited time I missed my opportunity to see it on the big screen. I was quite distraught. Satisfaction wouln't come until a couple of months down the track when to my great surprise I discovered the DVD on the shelves at the local Video Ezy.

Adjectives just don't cover how I felt after watching the film for the first time. I was frightened, bewildered, exhilerated....and very confused. So I did the only logical thing: I made a VHS dub before it had to be taken back to the video store. Over the next few weeks I would watch the film again and again, studying every scene to pieces and my appreciation for director Richard Kelly's sci-fi masterpiece only grew with time. As word spread, Donnie Darko, like the Shawshank Redemption before it, became a true cult classic thanks to home video and DVD.

There are many reasons why I love this film. When it first came along it was fresh and exciting, it felt like a throwback to the teen angst films of the 80s, the film is actually set during the 80s and Kelly portrays this beautiful, transporting us back to the era through way of music, costume and key political events of the time. As Donnie Darko, Jake Gyllenhaal gives us an angsty teen we can root for, he was such a great choice for the film which ended up catapulting him into the A-list, likewise for his talented sibling Maggie whom also plays his sister in the film.

The best thing about Donnie Darko is that it's so refreshingly weird. This, and the effortless combination of so many different film elements and you've got yourself one big, enthralling mind trip. It's equal parts funny, scary and sad and by the end you really feel like you've been a part of a compelety different kind of journey.

It is true that I may never be able to fully understand the film, however, the fact that the first time I saw it I had absoloutely no idea what was happening and yet was still taken in by it speaks volumes about the kind of unique experience this piece of independent cinema was. In my opinion the film is timeless and will continue to be discovered by people on DVD for years to come, it's always been this way for films of this nature. It is the greatest accolade a film can get to be remembered long after it's release as apposed to audiences flocking to it upon release and then have it dissapear into the void. Bombing at the box office was probably the best thing that could of happened to Donnie Darko.....did I mention it has the best bunny rabbit in film history?

Here's a scene from Donnie Darko...

4. Goodfellas (1990)

A film contained on many critics top 10 lists, Goodfellas is without a doubt my favourite gangster film and gives a truer account of the mafia life than The Godfather achieved. This isn't to say that the Godfather is a lesser film, on the contrary its a cinema classic, however Martin Scorsese's masterful work here conjures up so much more excitement for the audience.

As with most of his great films Scorsese casts Robert Deniro as one of his main characters, the two becoming more than simple muses but a true team whom through their collaborations create pure gold. Real life mobster Henry Hill's rise from childhood up through the ranks of the Italian family and his subsequent fall from grace are accounted here with style, humour and grace. It must also be said that actor Ray Liotta gives the performance of his career in the film and it's one the reasons Goodfellas dragged me in to begin with. This, along with the casting of Joe Pesci, represents an ensemble cast of lengendary actors that Scorsese is now able to create with great ease thanks to his high class reputation. It's interesting to note that, in this film and in many other classic gangster films like it, there are quite a few minor cast members present whom would later go on to be a part of the mafia television show The Sopranos.

Despite Goodfellas being almost two and a half hours long it never feels anywhere near that long due its rapid fire pace as if we skimming through images of Henry's life with his narration guiding us the whole way. It's the most entertaining film I've ever seen because of its pace and the energy of the voice over and I think any viewer would find it hard once they start watching the film to stop it at any point. It has just the right balance of dramatic and humourous moments of which there are many and once again like all Scorsese films we are not asked to sympathise with these criminals but to simply enjoy there company for the duration of the film and that we certainly do. Along the way we are given bursts of violence, drug deals, genre defining tracking shots, freeze frames and a cool soundtrack, all of which adds up to a true classic of the art form which has not only been talked about and often emulated since its release but will continue to do so for decades to come. Goodfellas almost made me wanna be a gangster, but then Scorsese's ending whacked that fantasy off the face of the earth.

Here's the classic tracking shot from Goodfellas...

5. Scarface (1983)

Is there a film I quote more frequently than Scarface? Very unlikely, although Star Wars would come close I'd reckon. Let's face it though everyone loves talking like Scarface's hero Tony Montana, I mean he's Cuban and he loves to swear, I've heard the band Blink 182 based their name on the number of times the F word is uttered during this film. Al Pacino really does shine in this film and you can never fault his accent or his performance as the ambitious Tony whom is brought to Miami from Cuba as a refugee. The power hungry Tony not only became an icon for many thanks to his carefree "the world is yours" attitude but also gained a firm spot in the pop culture mindset, a spot which has strengthened over time.

Scarface wasn't recognised by the academy or given any outstanding accolades on its release, in fact according to many critics the 1932 original was far superior to this 80s rehash. Despite all this it's still recognised as a classic by audiences who can't get enough of director Brian De Palma's vision. The fact that the violence is so over the top makes it impossible for censors, though they did try, to have a case against the film. For me Scarface defintely shouln't be taken seriously and its beyond me how anyone could when considering the amount of excess within the film, everything is over the top and that's what makes it so damm entertaining to watch.

Scarface isn't realistic or hostorical in any way, shape or form, nor is it trying to be. It's a heavily quotable, laugh out loud film that is bursting with energy and I think these are the reasons as to why I can watch it repeatedly. Unfortuntely I don't think the mojority of female audiences really get this feeling when watching the film and it's pretty hard for them not to take offense to the words and actions of Tony Montana. Primarily I think it's a guy's film and I'm defintely okay with that. I can only hope that I will someday be capable of making a movie that comes even close to Scarface's timeless pop culture status.

Here's a classic scene from Scarface...

6. Taxi Driver (1976)

If I had to choose one word to describe Taxi Driver it would be atmospheric, it's a film that places you firmly in a world, and what a dark world it is. The film shows the sleazy side of New York in a way that had never been acheived before on film and the first time I saw it, regretably only very recently, I was astonished to see just how unappealing New York looked when comapared to other films based in the city. Granted during the 70s New York would have been very much like this and has improved greatly over time, but it's still astonishing how director Martin Scorsese portrayed the neighborhoods in which he grew up in all their seedy glory. This succesful portrayal can be put down to down three important ingredients: the chracters, the cinematography and the soundtrack.

It's scary how real some of Taxi Driver's characters feel and it seems at times as though Scorsese simply hit the ghettos of New York and pulled the scummiest individuals he could find straight off the street and shoved them in front of a camera. We are introduced to pimps, gun dealers and child prostitutes but none are more sinister than our main character Travis Bickle, the Taxi Driver suffering from insomnia among other things. Robert Deniro gives a powerhouse performance, one of his first, as he portrays Travis' downward spiral into insanity perfectly and somehow still manages to force the audience to sympathise with his character: the very definition of an anti-hero. The cinematography is drmatically atmospheric with an array of shots giving New York that nightmarish look whether it be day or night. The shots in which Travis is driving through the night amongst the thick city smoke are some of the best and have become iconic over the years. The final key component is that of the soundtrack perfomed by master composer Bernard Hermann who was reponsible for much of Alfred Hitchcock's film music. The soundtrack for Taxi Driver is full of dark, thumping jazz style pieces that really drive the film and complement the images we are seeing whilst strengthening their impact at the same time.

I believe Martin Scorsese to be the greatest filmaker of all time and I'm sure this won't be the last entry from him amongst my top 10. Taxi Driver was one of his earlier films and whilst he would go on to make many more classics Taxi Driver will always be one of his most accomplished works. It's a true gem amongst the era of independent cinema in which filmmakers could be as bold and unpredictable as they wanted. It's a dark and daring piece of cinema that will be remembered by audiences and critcs alike for a long time.

Here's a famous scene from Taxi Driver...

7. Se7en (1995)

Do I realise the irony of this film being number 7 on the list? Well yes. Was this done on purpose? Absoloutely not, this isn't an attempt to be clever (believe me I'm not clever), this film just happens to fall at number 7 because thats where it ranks with my other favourites. Se7en was the second feature film directed by David Fincher after years of working in the music video business. His first film, Alien 3, was plagued by pressure from the studio and endless script changes and was critcally bashed on release. Although that experience may have left a sour taste in Fincher's mouth, it certainly showed he had promise as a director, especially in terms of his gift for the visual.

So along came Se7en years later and shocked audiences and critics alike, a twisted serial killer story with nightmarish visuals, an intrguing plot and two oscar worthy performaces from actors Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman. Considering I was only 9 when the film was released it would be some time before I discovered it's brilliance...7 years to be exact (and once again I'm not trying to be clever, this is just one of those coincidences). I remember when I first saw the film I was shitting myself, I mean there certainly were jump-worthy moments thoughout the movie but it was more the pure evil of the killer (Kevin Spacey in career best form) that really got to me. It was a twisted film and back then I wouldn't have put it down as one my favourites because how could you truly love a film where people get brutally tortured then murdered in a variety of ways by a psycho killer?

It wasn't until I saw Se7en for the second time that I realised there was a lot more going on in the film than what I'd first thought. It was as much a character study as a murder story, with the two main characters being forced to work together despite them being complete opposites. It's a fantastic idea, teaming a detective whos all but retired and has seen all the ugliness the world has to offer with the bright-eyed, trigger happy rookie and forcing them to work together to solve a case such as this. As the film progresses we learn much about these two characters through their contrasting methods and motivations and just when we think they've learnt something from one another along comes the breathtaking conclusion which must surely be one of the classics of cinema. Without this relationship at the center of the film it would be just another serial killer movie, albeit a very stylish one. I can watch it again and again, even though it's lost the mystery aspect it had the first time around it's still enthtralling to watch.

Here's the creepy opening credits from Se7en. Brilliant...

8. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

Out of all my top 10 this is the most recent to be released at cinemas, I first saw the film on DVD in early 2005 and fell in love with it straight away. For a while there it felt like my own little secret until I realised many others shared my appreciation of this compelling piece of filmaking. I now encourage as many people as I can to watch the film and as long as they go into it with the knowledge that its not your conventional love story than they, like me, have a great experience watching it.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is the brain child of screenwriter Charlie Kaufman who has become well known for his concepts that at first appear very strange but are in fact original and pure genius when they are put into practice on screen. This film not only added to his respected status but showed that he was capable of displaying real heart in his stories. Teamed with music video director Michel Gondry, whose clips have a similar style of strange genius to Kayfman's stories, and you have a classic love story that is equal parts comedy and drama. It's no secret that Jim Carrey has been typecast over the years but even today when I watch this film it amazes how skillfilly he makes the audience forget all about his previous roles and allow them to concentrate on self-depreciating everyman Joel Barish, the main character whom he plays so well. The job was however made pretty damm easy by the strength of the material he's working with, his partnership with actress Kate Winslet in her best role yet doesn't hurt either.

The main reason to watch this film is for the eye popping sequences in which we revisit the fragile couples memories which literally crumble before our eyes as they attempt to erase each other from their thoughts. Most of these sequences were filmed without the aid of computer imagery and this makes the final product even more of an achievement because they are some of the most inventive scenes caught on film. These scenes are held together thankfully by honest, heartbreaking moments between the couple, this is not your typical relationship: they fight often and aren't compatible on the surface but in truth they are perfect for each other, the moments between them are real and this kind of releationship is rarely seen in cinema.

Here's a scene from Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind....

9. Clerks (1994)

In some circles this film would be considered nothing but utter smut, a film littered with bad language and unlikeable characters whom particpate in activities that hold absoloutely no interest to any audience. Well apart from the fact these naysayers have to loosen the fuck up they also need to appreciate Clerks for what is: a very honest account of a day in the life of conveniance store clerks who must particpate in a large array of bizzare conversation topics and even more bizzare physical activities just to get through the day.

Clerks really makes you wonder about the kind of conversations real people have in these kinds of jobs when they're doing those long shifts and quite obviously want to be somewhere else. The film works so well because the two main characters, Dante and Randall, have two very different opinions on any given subject and this gives director Kevin Smith the opportunity to construct many interesting arguments between the two. To the casual viewer this may seem trivial and stupid but to anyone else who appreciates truly inspired dialogue they will savour every last one of Dante and Randall's seamingly meaningless conversations. This is a heavily quotable film and has some classic scenes that have been remembered over time by film buffs. Everything from contractors on the death star to man's lifelong mission to suck himself off are topics discussed in length during Clerks and they are utterly hilarious.

This is of course the first film in which the well known characters Jay and Silent Bob appeared, one of which is director Kevin Smith, and even though they provide some genuine laughs in between Dante and Randall's rants they are heavily toned down compared to what they would eventually become. These two would appear in 5 more of Smith's films but Clerks remains his crowning achievement not only because its his funniest but also because it has the most heart. I fell in love with Clerks because it disguised mundane subjects as great philosophical studies and this is the way I talk with friends when I'm as bored as Dante and Randall are. I would pick these guys as my film heroes over any other supposed action stars.

Here's a scene from Clerks...

10. Pulp Fiction (1994)

Well well, I surprised even myself when I realised this was my 10th favourite film. I thought for sure this would appear further up in the list, top 5 atleast! But lists are tricky things and something has to be number 10, in this case its Quentin Tarantino's groundbreaking and most well-loved film Pulp Fiction.

Funnily enough when I first saw the film I failed to see what all the fuss was about. I was too young when Pulp Fiction first hit the screens and as such didn't end up seeing it until a long way into my teens, maybe 15 or 16. Following this viewing I remember feeling a deep sense of unfulfilment. At one point I even thought I'd missed the real ending becuase the film concluded so suddenly, I don't know exactly what I was expecting, a resolution maybe, anything. But as I grew older and wiser I appreciated the film for exactly what it was, and wouldn't want it to end any other way.

I think part of the reason why the film didn't quite sit right with me when I first saw it was that it was non-linear in structure with several, interconnecting stories which at the time was something I just wasn't used to. The beauty of Pulp Fiction is that if it was told in a more traditional, linear way it wouldn't be anywhere near as good, it's what made the film so unique to begin with. That coupled with the fact that we'd never heard long passages of dialogue so entertaining on screen as this. All the pop culture references and the cool soundtrack are the icing on the cake. What a fucking awesome cake too, this film was extremely influential and is not only a classic of the 90s but also sits up there with the best of all time.

Here's a scene from Pulp Fiction...

The Top Ten

Well I'm not gunna lie to anyone, I have been stuck for inspiration these past few weeks as to what exactly to write about on my blog but I think I finally have the answer....a list. I, like many others, constantly feel the need to make lists of my favourite things and what better list than my all time top 10 favourite films. So from here on in I will be posting this list one film at a time, from 10 through to 1. What will be numero uno? Hell I don't even know yet.

Music fan gone wild!!

I'm not usually one to tell people about a band I'm really into. Well...not on public display like this, usually just in general conversation. The reason for this is everyone has different musical tastes and thats cool but I'd hate it if this band I'm about to mention went by unoticed. The band is called Arcade Fire and if you listen to Triple J you might have already heard of them.

I first discovered them on Triple J when programmer Richard Kingsmill indicated their album as his favourite of 2005 prompting me to buy the debut effort entitled Funeral. It was such a beautifully made album and if your wondering about the genre in which they fall best into I would say indie rock but saying this is giving them a great disservice because they really are a one of a kind thing. They sort of resemble the early albums from Augie March I'd say: that is they combine brilliant, hearfelt lyrics with a host of interesting instruments which creates a rich, sometimes haunting sound. Funeral impressed me in ways that few albums do because it was a complete album, not just a collection of singles and some filler, an album where one song isn't complete without the other. I might be rambling a bit here (hell I know I am) but this album did crazy things for me and I just found it hard to believe that music could sound this good.

But you can't truly love a band until their second album, I mean it will either prove that the band was only ever a fad or it will confirm what your initial beliefs were: these guys are the real deal and have earnt there place in the music scene. The second album, titled Neon Bible falls into the latter scenario and I'm happy to report its equally as brilliant as the first. I'm not the only one who thinks so either as you'll find at sites like Triple j and NME.

So why am I even bothering blabbering on about this band for no good reason other than my own personal satisfaction? Well because its refreshing to know that there are still fucking geniouses in the music world who put their heart and soul into their work and come out with something other than disposable shit that Star FM 106.6 or whatever can chuck on high rotation for a couple of weeks until everyone gets sick of it. These guys are here to stay and I'd gladly be buried with both these albums.