From: Leti Romero Stormoen
Subject: Leti's Top Favorite Films (notice there is no 10)
Date: Fri, 16 Jul 1999 08:49:17
These are in NO WAY in any kind of order. I'm a fickle person by nature, and the whole list might be different next week...
To Have and Have Not - Lauren Bacall. Howard Hawks. Lauren Bacall. Howard Hawks. Lauren Bacall. Her acting was stiff, nervous, and she never looked cooler! Damn, can that woman light a cigarette! I love Howard Hawks' style of directing good dialogue - Tarrantino only comes close. And Bogart wasn't half bad either. "I'm hard to get Steve. All you have to do is ask me."
Thelma & Louise - remember the back-lash this film generated about it having a "man-hating" theme? I laughed to 2 weeks about it! This was to me what Steven Segal is to dumb frat-boys: two people who weren't going to take anymore shit from anyone and with no regrets either. I long to be as strong... "I don't ever remember feeling this awake."
Like Water For Chocolate - This will forever haunt me because it was the first time I truly was able to recognized myself in a movie character - who wasn't white. If I still had my Barbie dolls, I would have dyed them dark brown and crocheted little huge blankets for them...
Cinema Paradiso - "For anyone who has ever loved working in a movie theater, there is no better film. Impossible not to smile while watching this one." Eli Cotham I couldn't have said it better myself. (And believe it or not, I did enjoy working in a movie theater! Just not anymore...) I always start to cry when Toto crosses himself the first time he walks into the projection booth... I've gone through a whole box of Kleenex by the end of the movie.
Spielberg - (Okay, I'm cheating, but how much time do you have to read a list of 28 + 10?) Until Eric makes his directorial debut, this man is God. So okay, 1941 was dumb, Temple of Doom had nothing to do with archeology, and The Color Purple was nothing like the book. You got a problem with that? For the most part, Stevie has an incredible heart and vision that shows in every frame of every picture he's worked on. Can you imagine what kind of film Empire of the Sun would have been if Max had been born after principle photography? Sorry. I'll stop now before I'm put away...
JesusChrist SuperStar - Best Musical. Ever. I was raised an impressionable Mormon, and had the entire Broadway album memorized when I was 7. When I was 8, my parents took me to see it at the Cinerama Dome. This film rocked my world (and forever scared my then 3 year old sister). I finally understood. Carl can kiss my black ass.
Star Wars Saga - Rob Woods was right, you can't pry apart the Trilogy easily, so why bother? Nay- sayers of Menace be damned - it is the ENTIRE story, starting back in 1977, that convinced me that there was more to movies than something to do on the weekend. It has been a life choice and commitment. Sure you can pick one as a favorite, but how could I pick which parent is my favorite? "I find your lack of faith disturbing."
SEVEN - Andrew Kevin Walker is one sick but brilliant mofo. And David Fincher is exceptional at making you feel you've just witnessed something incredibly horrific, without actually seeing the acts. I can not fathom a person who has the skill to mess with a person's mind, and not apologize for it. (Well, maybe Sean can...) I went numb the first time I saw this. "And what I've done is going to be puzzled over, and studied, and followed... forever."
Chasing Amy - I love this movie for the same reason Kevin Smith wrote it - he finally had something personal to say. I admire any story teller who isn't afraid of reveling much of his own soul in his art. Now we're back to Speilberg... "Hey, I always notice that bored look in their eyes."
Princess Bride - having read the book years before, I was down-right appalled that anyone would have the audacity to try and translate this fabulous story to film! How the hell are they going to convince me that some Jewish guy is the greatest sword fighter in the world?! Reiner's tongue-in-check directing, Goldman's script, it all made a wonderful story a damn good movie. Mandy, you were incredible. Too bad you didn't sing and/or were naked... "I am waiting for Vizini. Keep your hoder..."
Man from Snowy River - It wasn't the story that draws me to this title, although it wasn't half bad, and Kirk Douglas did a cool job as twin brothers. It was the cinematography. No place on earth could ever be as beautiful as the Australian Outback was in this film. The landscapes and sky was a character all it's own, and this story could not be told without it.
Sound of Music - I love Austria, I love Julie Andrew's voice, I love Cinderella stories of all kinds, and I love that my sister went to high school in Salzburg, which makes her (and the movie) extra-special. "I Have Confidence" is my theme song.
Sleeping Beauty - Don't you just hate it when someone writes lyrics for music that's hundreds of years old? I do. With the exception of Tchaikovsky's ballet turned wondrous Disney film. Who here DOESN'T like Maleficent?
What else? My God, I could go on and on...
Huson Hawk - it was funny! Damn it!
Piano
Wings of Desire
My Fair Lady - I love musicals...
Heat - Who'd have thought that Michael Mann would be the lucky cuss to direct two of the greatest actors of our time - and not mess it up?
Billy Budd - High Five, Mike!
Lawrence of Arabia - Freddie Young rocks!
The Cohen brothers - they can do little wrong.
His Girl Friday - Howard Hawkes is cool.
Charade - I just love Audrey Hepburn in a spy thriller!
Hunt for Red October - John McTiernan is one of my favorite directors - I even saw Medicine Man! ";