My Favorite Movies
What’s your favorite movie? I’ve asked a number of my friends over the past few weeks. Except for the occasional Godfather, their responses were all over the map. No logical patterns. Hence, the “movie issue.”
For most of us, sports and entertainment consume our leisure time. For me it’s golf and football, and lately I’ve been watching all kinds of great programs streaming on Netflix, Paramount and Peacock. All of the teams I loyally root for have sucked in recent years. I’m hoping this fall my teams, the Giants, Jets and Miami Hurricanes will return to being competitive! It was very exciting that Miami made it into the NCAA’s men’s basketball Final Four for the first time in our history.
When I think about the movies I enjoyed while growing up in New Haven, Connecticut, my memory is pretty clear. I vividly remember waiting in line
for Saturday matinees at the Rivoli Theater on Campbell Avenue in West Haven. The cost for a show (including three to four cartoons, plus a feature) was 10 cents! Disney movies and cowboy movies were my favorites. Randolph Scott was my hero, but The Lone Ranger was close behind. The scene in Dumbo where the mother says goodbye still stresses me out. And it still makes me tear up.
When I started to compile my Top 10 all-time favorite movies, I realized how hard this was. I began with a list of about 40 movies I enjoyed. Then there was the very tough job of whittling the list down to 10. And then putting them in order. Especially selecting my number one. Very challenging!
I don’t expect many of you to agree with me as these are all very personal choices. But personal choice is what makes this exercise so much fun. And, hopefully interesting for you to read.
Like so many of you, the way I’ve enjoyed movies has changed dramatically over the years. As a boy and a young man, movies were always something to watch in a theater. With changing technology—the advent of streaming services, better home theater equipment and so many other changes—nowadays I watch nearly all of my movies at home. So much of my entertainment is from the world of television, as TV shows have risen in quality. Over the past 20 years most of us have been hooked on various TV series, especially on HBO and Showtime. Sunday nights became the highlight of our weekend calendar. Many of these shows ended up with their leads becoming covers of Cigar Aficionado.
While this article is about movies, since we spend so much time watching TV, I am adding my favorite TV shows as a bonus. I would be remiss if I didn’t give a huge shout out to “24,” “The Sopranos” and “Succession,” which deliver endless hours of joy. Gracing Cigar Aficionado covers were Kiefer Sutherland (“24”), James Gandolfini and nearly the entire male cast of “The Sopranos,” and Brian Cox of “Succession.” Not to be ignored are “Homeland” (with stars Damian Lewis and Claire Danes), “Billions” (Lewis again, plus Maggie Siff and Paul Giamatti) and “Yellowstone” (Kevin Costner, who appeared on our cover twice, both times before the show). All of those stars were on our cover except Danes. These are all sophisticated, engaging shows that deliver the kind of drama and excellence that once could only be found on the big screen. And when it comes to streaming, there are many new series worthy of recommendation. My favorites include “Money Heist,” “Fauda,” “Outlander,” “Velvet,” “Virgin River” and “Tulsa King.” An eclectic group!
But this story is about movies—great movies—and there are so many that I love that it was hard to boil it down to only 10. I had to share the great movies that didn’t make the final cut.
Here are my honorable mentions: Beverly Hills Cop, starring Eddie Murphy (1984); Road House with Patrick Swayze (1989); Sylvester Stallone’s Oscar-winning masterpiece Rocky (1976); director Steven Spielberg’s unforgettable Schindler’s List, starring Liam Neeson (1993) and The Producers (2005) from Mel Brooks. Also, a special mention from my teenage years, The Mouse That Roared (1959) with Peter Sellers. Now the drum roll for my top 10, in descending order:
10 - Django Unchained (2012)
Brilliant directing by Quentin Tarantino, supported by a great cast lead by Jamie Foxx. Leonardo DiCaprio and Christoph Waltz, with the unforgettable, visceral story of a freed slave turned bounty hunter squaring off against his former captors. If ever there was a powerful story about justice prevailing, this is it. The final scene of revenge is extraordinary.
9 - Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)
Touching and powerful. I never knew the music of Queen or who Freddie Mercury was—or for that matter the actor Rami Malek—until I saw this film, which shows the rise to fame of one of the rock world’s most powerful and engaging singers. The movie and music and story had a profound impact on me.
8 - Pulp Fiction (1994)
Quentin Tarantino again! A legendary cast with John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Bruce Willis and Uma Thurman told in Tarantino’s trademark out-of-order way. A movie that defies gravity in its unique gangster-themed tale. Riveting.
7 - Kill Bill (2003)
I guess I shamelessly love Quentin Tarantino’s work. Who cannot fall in love with Uma Thurman in her incredible portrayal of a bride and mother seeking revenge from someone out to destroy her? Uma’s work in both Kill Bill movies (it’s split into two parts; Vol. 2 came out in 2004) are among the greatest acting efforts I’ve ever watched on film. Powerful. Memorable.
6 - Braveheart (1995)
While I am not a fan of Mel Gibson on a personal level, I must give credit where credit is due. Gibson produced and directed Braveheart, and was also the lead actor, portraying the Scottish patriot William Wallace. An engaging story set in Scotland in the late 13th century, it’s a gripping tale of the lords versus the people seeking freedom. I’ve watched it many times.
5 - Gladiator (2000)
The brilliance of Russell Crowe and Joaquin Phoenix penetrates your mind in this heroic saga set in the days when Rome was the center of the world. Gladiator is more than just warriors fighting for their lives in the Roman Colosseum, but the story of a hero betrayed by those he served so loyaly. The cinematography of director Ridley Scott only adds to the expressiveness of the two-and-a-half-hour film. Epic battles and endless agony for the men in the arena. An engaging story of family pain.
4 - Coming to America (1988)
The genius of Eddie Murphy is on display throughout this movie from director John Landis that was written by Murphy himself. It is both original and heartwarming. Murphy shows his impressive talents by playing a host of different characters, which only adds to the movie’s fun. It makes me smile just thinking about it. A wonderful comedy.
3 - The Godfather (1972)
Who cannot love The Godfather? Directed by Francis Ford Coppola, and with an all-star cast led by Marlon Brando and Al Pacino, the movie offers an authentic look inside the world of the Mafia. It was celebrated on the cover of Cigar Aficionado in April 2022, an issue that deserves another read. The brilliant directing of Coppola cannot be overstated. One of a kind. Epic. Coppola was also interviewed on his life and his thoughts behind The Godfather in the October 2003 issue of Cigar Aficionado.
2 - Animal House (1978)
A tough call, almost my number one. No other movie reminds me of my college fraternity (TEP) days at the University of Miami, class of 1965, like this one film, a wild, comedic ride that is one laugh after the other. From food fights to out-of-control parade floats to fraternities gone wild, John Landis directed this over-the-top, real life memory, and it seemed like he was making it just for me. It starred the brilliant John Belushi. Sadly, he died much too young at the age of 33, only four years after the movie was released. Animal House was our cover story in February 2018 when it turned 40. And kudos to The Blues Brothers, with Belushi and Dan Aykroyd (1980), which was also directed by Landis.
1 - Once Upon a Time in America (1984)
How I love this film, the story about struggling young boys growing up in lower Manhattan in the 1930s. Directed by Sergio Leone (the final film in the man’s remarkable career) and starring Robert DeNiro and James Woods with an all-star cast, the movie touched my heart like no other. This is a story of deceit and betrayal, a look at four gangsters spread over 50 years. It’s a masterpiece that never received the acclaim it deserved. One night, grab a bag of popcorn and your favorite friend, and enjoy what will be a special evening.
