Top 10 Movie List

 Today I'm doing Alex J. Cavanaugh's blog hop to blog about my favorite movies. Been mulling this over almost a week now. I was going to research and plan, and go through my DVD cabinet for inspiration, but then I kept thinking of more and more movies I love, for different reasons, and I didn't see how I could ever cut it down to 10. So I decided to just wing it and see what pops out of my head. My only criteria: It has to be a movie I never get tired of watching - as in, if I run across it on cable, I automatically stop and nothing gets done until it's over.

1. Star Wars
  I prefer to take the Star Wars series as one giant mega-saga. I refuse to pick one favorite movie out of the six - when asked, my answer changes from day to day anyway, depending on my mood. I even enjoy the much-maligned "Phantom Menace." (Although, confession time, I find "Attack of the Clones" almost unwatchable. Jango Fett is its only redeeming feature.) The original Star Wars is timeless. I was almost seven when it came out, and I can't think of one other movie from my childhood that has made as big an impression on my adult life.

2. Lord of the Rings
 Once again, treating the trilogy as one epic saga for the purposes of this list, (although "Return of the King" is my favorite of the three). Everything about these movies is perfect - the actors, the costumes, the special effects, the music - all work seamlessly together to immerse the viewer in another world, one that seems as real as the "real" one.

3. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
 Although I enjoy all the Harry Potter movies, this one is my clear favorite. I think it's the best cinematic interpretation of a Harry Potter novel, without trying to copy the book exactly. Which is funny, because it's one of my least favorite of the books.

4. Galaxy Quest
 An hilarious "Star Trek" parody, but it also works on its own terms - you don't need to be familiar with Star Trek to find it funny. The talent involved - Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Alan Rickman, Tony Shaloub - makes this one of the best ensemble comedies ever.

5. The Hunger Games
 It's rare that a movie is just as good as the book, but this one nailed it. Almost everything was as I envisioned it in the book,  and it didn't matter that I knew the ending, I still felt the heart-pounding suspense. I hope they didn't set an impossible standard for the next movies - it's going to be difficult to live up to this one.

6. Airplane
 A movie that has aged with me. I find it just as funny now at 40-something as I did at age 10 - I just process the jokes a little differently. Has lines that have become such a part of my every day life, I sometimes forget where they originally came from. It was such a proud moment when I told my 6-year-old son, "Surely you're not going to throw that at your sister?" and he responded, "Of course not mommy. And don't call me Shirley."

7. The Princess Bride
 The best fairy tale movie ever. Princes, pirates, sword fighting, witty dialogue, plenty of quotable moments and appropriate for all ages. Plus, the first movie my now-husband and I ever saw together.

8. The Incredibles
 The best animated movies are the ones that can be enjoyed equally by all ages, and this is right at the top. A great story about family being the most important thing - but they don't beat you over the head with the moral. Aesthetically, I love the mid-century modern feel to the design. And Edna Mole: best scene-stealer ever!

9. Toy Story
 Another animated move that works for all ages. I think every kid suspected his toys came alive when nobody was looking - this movie just confirmed it.

10. Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl
 When I heard about this one, I was highly skeptical of any movie based on a theme-park ride. Luckily, I was proven wrong. The time was just right for an old-fashioned swashbuckling movie, and you can't go wrong with pirates, a poor but plucky hero and a curse. Personally, I prefer to pretend this movie doesn't have sequels, since each successive "Pirates" movie seemed to get worse. Hopefully, they've given up beating that dead horse.

 So here it is, as of today. Any other day and the movies and their order might change, but this will do for now. Might be interesting to do this every year, just to see what changes...

Now, go check out some of the other participating bloggers, and find some new favorite movies!