Tim Wick's Top Ten Movie List

1. "Raiders of the Lost Ark"
   I love everything about this film. I think I have watched it over 200 times. No line is out of place. No shot is wasted. It is the perfect action picture in my mind. This is what popcorn movies should be.
   
   

• "The Shawshank Redemption"
  If I had to pick a #2, this would be it. Tim Robbins is the most underrated actor in Hollywood and his performance here was brilliant. That final line gets my eyes wet every time. What a perfect film.
  
  
• "Young Frankenstein"
  Mel Brooks' high water mark. Brilliant satire and fantastic acting. I don't know who I enjoy more, Marty Feldman or Teri Garr. "Blazing Saddles" would be Brooks' other masterpiece, but the ending gets a little bogged down where this one just keeps going strong straight through the credits.
  
  
• "The Abyss"
  Best thriller I've seen. Takes you to a peak, lets you down,then starts climbing again almost immediately. Ed Harris gives a performance that is heartbreaking. Wow.
  
  
• "Inherit the Wind"
  Great courtroom drama starring Spencer Tracy. I love the Scopes Monkey trial and this is a wonderful dramatization of it.
  
  
• "Apollo 13"
  Not so much for the filmmaking as the acting. I think this is the best ensemble ever put together for a film. The actors made this movie work for me and that is why I love it. The DVD only serves to improve this movie because of the excellent commentary track by Jim and Marilyn Lovell.
  
  
• "Four Weddings and a Funeral"
  I hate Andie McDowell, but I love this movie. It is a comedy that makes you laugh until you hurt and it makes you cry because you have been there yourself. The cameo by Rowan Atkinson is easily one of the ten funniest scenes ever created.
  
  
• "The Sting"
  The granddaddy of all "surprise endings" and still the best. There are tons of other reasons to recommend this movie as well, but the ending stands out as the best reason of all.
  
  
• "The Matrix"
  I was blown away by this film. I love it from beginning to end. Keanu Reeves is another actor I hate, but he didn't ruin this one at all. The DVD kicks serious butt. If you don't have a DVD player yet, this movie gives you a really good reason to buy one.
  
  
• Star Wars trilogy (4, 5 & 6)
  I know "Jedi" is flawed, but this one must be chosen as a trilogy. They all have their merits (I think that "Empire" is the strongest of the three), but they can no longer stand alone. Had the sequels never been made, "Star Wars" would have still made this list. The other two just make it even easier to include the trilogy.