Five Movies

I got bitten by the meme bug. Blame the whole crazy blogosphere that I've become part of these days. These are my five favorite movies, the ones I could watch over and over again:

Iron Man - Yes, I'm a geek. Yes, I love comics. I've never really been a huge Iron Man fan, though. I don't collect his comics at all, but I love the portrayal of his character in The Ultimates. Not surprisingly, I saw a lot of that come through in this movie. It was funny, well written, well cast (I didn't even realize that was Jeff Bridges until halfway through the film), and portrayed the perfect "secret origins" movie to set up the franchise. I can watch it from beginning to end, even now, and still love it. Well done, Jon Favreau!

Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl - Who knew that a movie based on a Disney ride would be such a hit? This movie has everything I love: Awesome swordplay, great humor, Easter eggs for the die-hard fans (Can you count how many pieces of the ride ended up on film?) and compelling characters that bend the usual pirate archetypes... and one who exemplifies every pirate archetype. And while everyone goes on about Johnny Depp, my initial draw to the film was Will's Hero's Journey as he steps out of his Ordinary World and grows into Captain Jack's world of adventure.

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade - I may get some flack for choosing this Indy movie instead of Raiders of the Lost Ark, but I'll defend this choice until I'm blue in the face. Raiders was a great movie, no argument there, but Last Crusade has the more compelling story where Indy is active instead of reactive. Plus, you get a glimpse at Indy's first adventure in "archeology" and Sean Connery tags along as his dad! All of this, and the usual action/adventure staples that make the Indiana Jones franchise, all combine to make for an awesome movie experience.

The Princess Bride - My mom first introduced me to this movie when I was a kid, and we watched it so much, we could recite the whole film quote for quote from memory. In addition to being so insanely quotable, it's also the best film adaptation of a book I've ever seen. Not surprising, since the author of the novel also wrote the screenplay. It also has a wonderful Hero's Journey in it as well, as the title character embarks on an amazing adventure thanks to Prince Humperdinck's search for a bride. Amazing cast, awesome story, and the greatest swashbuckling swordfight ever filmed.

Dream for an Insomniac - No, I don't have a secret romantic side, and I'll keep denying it until the day I die. That said, this movie has a special place in my heart. During a time in my life when I was a writer who couldn't write, I came across this movie that featured a writer who couldn't write, and the woman who takes it upon herself to become his muse. Damned if I didn't wish I could take David Schrader's place and have a Frankie of my very own to inspire and fall in love with me... Er, I mean, uh... Hey, Jennifer Aniston is in here, too, pretty early on in her career.

So, what are your five?