On Jul 5, 2005, at 11:36 AM, Will Means wrote:

Hey Ted,

I came across your site... here is my list.  I tried to limit it to only movies that I actually really enjoyed and not movies that I thought that I was supposed to like but didn't (see M.A.S.H., see anything by David Lynch) or that I appreciated historically but don't want to see again (see Seven Samurai, see Foxy Brown).  Also, my list is lousy with crime stories but, whaddya gonna do?, it's my genre.

Best Regards,
Will Means
Boston, MA

1) Le Cercle Rouge [I love the pace of this film. Very soft and quiet.  How refreshing to watch criminals who are not bumbling fools, although they still get capped in the end]
2) Jackie Brown [Yes Ted, this is Tarantino's finest work.  I partly attribute that to Leonard's great story although nobody else seems to be able to make a watchable movie out of Leonard's work (Soderbergh came close with Out of Sight)]
3) Rear Window [I've loved this movie since I was a kid. I'm fascinated when a whole story can unfold within the confines of a single apartment and still be captivating. Twelve Angry Men is also great in this way. Linklater did this with Tape but not nearly as well]
4) Adaptation [Charlie flips the script on us]
5) King of Comedy [My favorite DeNiro role. I love watching DeNiro play someone besides "Robert DeNiro" (See also Jackie Brown)]
6) Raising Arizona [The funniest movie ever made. Comic genius…but too much screaming.]
7) El Mariachi [Everything went downhill for Rodriquez after this, but El Mariachi is riveting and with a $7000 budget it is a masterpiece]
8) Rocky [Of course all of the sequels are crap but the original is awesome. But I'm kinda partial to boxing movies]
9) Friday [More comic genius. A series of hilarious events tied together in a very neat package. Like a gangsta fairy tale]
10) Shawshank Redemption [How can you not love this movie?  Seriously. It has everything. Well, except a hot chick]
11) Barfly [Hooray Mickey Rourke!]

Honorable Mentions:
-Paris, Texas
-The Big Lebowski
-Animal Factory (written by the great Eddie Bunker, directed by Buscemi, Hooray Mickey Rourke!) 
-Raging Bull
-Drugstore Cowboy (Van Sant kinda sucks, but not this one)
-Pulp Fiction (of course)

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