That Movie Meme

There’s a movie meme circling the interwebz (yes, another one) and I thought I’d give it my take. I tend not to watch sad or gross movies, so I removed those questions rather than leave them blank. I’ve also added some new questions that more closely fit my movie watching habits. And I removed the silly restriction that only one movie can be chosen per question, because…Really? I can only have one favorite? Sorry, no can do.

1. What’s your favorite movie of all time?
   Casablanca

   This one was a no-brainer for me. Casablanca has been my favorite film since I first saw a butchered version of it on TV as a kid many (many) moons ago, and the uncut version is even better.

2. What is your favorite romance movie?
   The Quiet Man

   Another no-brainer for me. I usually watch romantic comedies, not heavy drama-type romances, and The Quiet Man is my all-time favorite. In fact, it’s second on my list of Top 10 Favorite Movies, right below Casablanca.

3. What movie makes you truly laugh every time you watch it?
   The Hallelujah Trail and North to Alaska

   This question was more difficult to answer because I generally prefer movies that make me laugh (or at least smile). However, these are two movies that always make me laugh when I watch them.

4. What is your favorite science fiction movie?
   Star Trek: First Contact

   I had to think about this one. There are better movies (2001: A Space Odyssey comes to mind) and more popular choices (Star Wars, perhaps, though funnily enough I consider the Star Wars franchise to be fantasy rather than science fiction), but First Contact is the movie I’d choose 7 times out of 10 when asked if I want to watch an SF movie.

5. What is your favorite fantasy movie?
   The Lord of the Rings (The Complete Trilogy)

   Unfair? Perhaps. But Tolkien didn’t write a trilogy, he wrote a very long book that publishers broke into smaller chunks. I view the movies as the same thing–one very long movie broken into three parts for easier viewing.

6. What is your favorite musical?
   Shall We Dance

   Give me any of the Astaire/Rogers movies and I’m a happy camper, but Shall We Dance is my favorite of the bunch.

7. What is your favorite animated movie?
   How to Train Your Dragon

   It used to be Toy Story (which I still love), until this movie came along. I thought it might be “cute, but ultimately forgettable” when I saw the previews, but I’ve watched How to Train Your Dragon several times and the story gets me. Every. Single. Time.

8. What is the scariest movie you’ve ever watched?
   Alien

   I don’t generally do scary, but I got talked into watching Alien (I didn’t know anything about it before agreeing to see it — a lesson I’ve learned not to do ever again). I’ve only seen Alien once and I’ve refused to see any of the sequels. Sorry, they’re just not for me.

9. What is the most suspenseful movie you’ve ever watched?
   Wait Until Dark

   Forget the purportedly scary movies — if you want a movie that’ll give you a heart attack, watch Wait Until Dark.

10. What movie made you think? Wouldn’t leave you alone even days afterward?
    The Killing Fields

    This was one of the most intense movies I’ve ever watched and it still haunts me to this day.

11. What is your favorite western movie?
    Rio Bravo

    This is one of my very favorite of John Wayne’s movies. Add Dean Martin, Walter Brennan, Ricky Nelson, Ward Bond, Claude Akins and Angie Dickinson, and have it directed by Howard Hawks and you’ve got a winner.

12. What is your favorite action/adventure movie?
    Raiders of the Lost Ark

    The movie that started it all is still the best, as far as I’m concerned.

13. What is your favorite “guilty pleasure” movie? By guilty pleasure, I mean movies that other people have either never heard of, or that might be considered “B” (do they make “C”?) movies.
    This one’s a tie between American Dreamer and High Road to China.

    American Dreamer is pure escapist fantasy/wish fulfillment for me.

    High Road to China stars a devilishly handsome Tom Sellek (only a couple of years into his role of Magnum PI). It was released the same year (1983) Raiders of the Lost Ark was first re-released. And while I love Raiders, I only went to see it once in the theater during it’s first release–I didn’t go see it again when it was re-released. I saw High Road to China, however, 3 times in one month. It was the first movie I ever went to see more than once. To this day I still quote it and laugh: “Remember, the ox is slow, but the earth is patient.” I can only dream that this will get a DVD release soon.

There it is for all the world to see. I suppose it’s telling that the majority of my favorite movies are pre-1990–hell, most of them are pre-1960!