10 Movies I Am Thankful For

Here are 10 movies I am thankful for. Some of these have personal meaning for me and others introduced the world to some of my favorite filmmakers. So, in no particular order...

1. Shaun of the Dead - Before this movie, no one (at least in America) ever heard of Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg, or Nick Frost. Just one of these guys is pure gold, the combo of Simon Pegg and Nick Frost is a unstoppable, but put all three of these guys together and it is a force to be reckoned with.

2. American Beauty - The movie that changed the way I viewed movies. Which I explain in an earlier post, Taking a Look Closer. Also, the movie introduced me to one of my favorite directors, Sam Mendes. My all time favorite film. 

3. Reservoir Dogs - The film that introduced Quentin Tarantino to the world. One of my favorite directors and one of the most influential, modern directors.

4. Memento - He had Following two years earlier but I don't think it was until Memento, the film that introduced the world to Christopher Nolan. More on Nolan later.

5. Goodfellas - As far back as I remember, the film that introduced me to Martin Scorsese.

6. Star Wars - Thanks to George Lucas for this film.  My favorite film as a kid and one that spurred my imagination.

7. The Godfather - Francis Ford Coppola's masterpiece. In my opinion, the ultimate gangster film.

8. Dr Strangelove: How I learned to stop worrying and love the bomb - the film that introduced me to Stanley Kubrick, the director that inspires me to explore every genre I can. 

9. Cinema Paradiso - My favorite foreign film of all time. As a projectionist and as a filmmaker, it's a film I could highly relate to. 

10. Inception - In my lifetime, there is no other film that inspired so much conversation than Inception. People who I never talked about movies with were talking to me about this movie. It was a movie that was smart and action packed. Nolan is a filmmaker that is able to utilize every second available to tell a complicated story and plot. There is no wasted time in this movie. 

Thanks for reading! Happy Thanksgiving!