5 Favorite Films of Really Interesting Me

 The first two will ALWAYS be my first two but the other three are on a constant rotation.  This just happens to be how I feel right now and for some reason, they're all classics.  Sorry.

1. The General (1927) - Truly a masterpiece.  Long before special effects and fancy things like sound, Buster Keaton paved the way for generations to come with a comedy that's also a love story and an action film.  His stunts are breathtaking and all the more powerful when you realize that's actually him on a moving train.

2. It's a Wonderful Life (1946) - I have long contested that should aliens visit our planet, this would the be the one movie I would show them to represent mankind.  It's about family, love, heartbreak, greed, corruption and ultimately, redemption.  While maybe not my favorite movie ever made, I do believe it's the best movie ever made (and that's a whole other list).

3. 12 Angry Men (1957) - Anyone who liked the movie Crash should re-watch this movie (or In the Heat of the Night) as an example of how to make a movie about prejudice without hitting you over the head with it.  But story aside, watching the actors go toe-to-toe for an hour and a half is the real beauty of this film.  One of the best casting in a film ever (again, another list).

4. Casablanca (1942) - The best screenplay ever written.  Period.

5. Rope (1948) - I owe most of my cinematic love to P. Jenks but this will forever be the best gift he ever gave me.  I'm not gonna lie, Rear Window and Vertigo are tied for my top 3 favorite Hitchock films and since the previous two have already been used, and since I do not like to repeat, I went with this one.  But that shouldn't lessen the value of this brilliant film.  Shot as 'one take', Al Hitch made the tension so palpable you almost find yourself yelling at the screen.  In fact, I'm going to watch this today.