Movie Meme: My Life in Movies!

Got this meme from over at SamuraiFrog's blog and thought it looked like a ton of fun! So I think I have to try it!

So the idea behind the meme is to make a list of what you think was the best movie from every year since you were born. Of course this is really probably more like a list of my favorites and not really the gold standard of movie from each year so don't be surprised if there are some trivial or silly entries that make you laugh or puke. Mmmm puke....

Feel free to leave comments on any of my choices and be as positive or negative as you'd like. Also feel free to steal the meme I think it would be pretty neat to see what other people's choices are!

1976: The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane
The strangest Jodie Foster movie you'll ever see. Excellent weird movie about a 13 year old girl living on her own and being stalked by an adult Martin Sheen. See it if you haven't.

1977: Suspiria
Possibly my favorite horror movie of all time, worth seeing for the kaleidoscope of vividly colored gore. Brilliant Argento!


1978: Soldier of Orange
One of Paul Verhoeven's early Dutch movies he made before coming to the US and started making movies like Robocop. A really great WWII drama about a group of friends and how the war effects and separates them. Great performances from very young Rutger Hauer and Jerome Crabe

1979: All That Jazz
The bigger than life biopic of Bob Fosse is like watching candy dance and sing on a movie screen. I resisted seeing this for years, boy was I missing out!

1980: Flash Gordon
Ultra-cheesy but ultra-fun! You'd be surprised how much this movie looks like the old comic strip...filtered through the 70's of course.

1981: Time Bandits/ Excalibur
Oh man, oh man, oh man, oh man! How do I choose? I have seen both these GREAT movies soooo many times I've lost count! I think I have to pick both. My meme, my rules!


1982: The Last Unicorn
The animated version of one of my favorite books! The animation is beautiful (the team who made this movie later went on to work for Miyazaki at Studio Ghibli) and the voice casting is perfect (aside from Mia Farrow's singing of course).

1983: Return of the Jedi
Yeah, yeah I know hard-core Star Wars fans say that Empire is best but I've always had a weak spot for Jedi. It's got Jabba the Hutt and his menagerie, that really awesome speeder chase on Endor, Ewoks and that awesome Luke vs Vader vs the Emperor ending! I really miss the original Ewok song at the end of the movie instead of the recent jazzy thing they've added.

1984: Amadeus
This movie is enjoyable from beginning to end! Every time I catch part of it on TV I wind up sitting and watching the whole thing, mark of a great movie. Jeffery Jones as the king always cracks me up, gosh I love Jeffery Jones what the heck is he up to these days? I know there was that child pornography thing...is he still tied up in that battle?

1985: The Goonies
Every kid who saw this movie in 1985 wanted to be or thought of themselves as a Goonie. This might be the movie I've seen most in my life...


1986: Big Trouble in Little China/ Labyrinth
Oh god no again! How do I pick between Labyrinth and Big Trouble in Little China? Bowie or Russell? It's like having to choose between your children! Now I know how Meryl Streep felt in Sophie's Choice ;)

1987: Raising Arizona
Ear-Bending Cellmate: ...and when there was no meat, we ate fowl and when there was no fowl, we ate crawdad and when there was no crawdad to be found, we ate sand.
H.I.: You ate what?
Ear-Bending Cellmate: We ate sand.
H.I.: You ate SAND?
Ear-Bending Cellmate: That's right!

Great quote but what you don't see in the non-wide screen versions is that the Ear-Bending cellmate has a photo of Nixon right next to his bunk. CLASSIC!

1988: A Fish Called Wanda
Damn funny movie that gets funnier every time I see it!

Otto West: Don't call me stupid.
Wanda: Oh, right! To call you stupid would be an insult to stupid people! I've known sheep that could outwit you. I've worn dresses with higher IQs. But you think you're an intellectual, don't you, ape?
Otto West: Apes don't read philosophy.
Wanda: Yes they do, Otto. They just don't understand it. Now let me correct you on a couple of things, OK? Aristotle was not Belgian. The central message of Buddhism is not "Every man for himself." And the London Underground is not a political movement. Those are all mistakes, Otto. I looked them up.

1989: KiKi's Delivery Service
I always thought of this as one of the lesser Miyazaki movies (up there with Nausicaa and Laputa) but I recently sat down to rewatch it and really enjoyed it quite a bit! I've watched it a couple more times since and just appreciate it more and more every time.

1990: Mountains of the Moon
This completely overlooked biopic of Sir Richard Burton is filled with action, adventure and an amazing performance by Patrick Bergin. It's a must see.

1991: The Rocketeer
This movie has everything! Rockets, planes, Nazis, G-men, a cafe shaped like a bulldog, a zeppelin, and Jennifer Connelly before she got all skeletal thin.

1992: Army of Darkness
I think everyone has finally seen this movie now right? Bruce Campbell is a God among actors it's too bad he doesn't get more juicy roles.

1993: Groundhog Day
Every time I see Ned Ryerson I crack up.

1994: Heavenly Creatures
Gosh 94 is a big year too! The Crow, Ed Wood, Clerks, Leon, Little Women, Sirens, Treasure Hunt! What a great year for movies! But I think my favorite from this year is Peter Jackson's Heavenly Creatures I can't tell you how many times I've seen it and how well I can relate to it. Boy that's a terrible admission isn't it.


1995: Rob Roy
It's all about the amazing sword fight at the end of this movie! Great stuff. Liam Neeson is super sexy in his kilt. There I said it!

1996: The Frighteners
Horror comedies seem to be some of the hardiest films to make but Peter Jackson really does it well. Michael J. Fox is really good here but Jeffrey Combs steals the show as the crazy Dammers.

1997: Artemisia
A beautiful French movie about the youth of Artemiasia Gentileschi one of the first well-known female painters. Gentileschi is one of my favorite artists and I was thrilled to see a movie about her even if it isn't strictly 100% accurate. If I had seen it a bit too much lately and wasn't too over familiar with it right now I probably would have said Contact.


1998: The Big Lebowski
It really ties this list together.

1999: The Mummy
One of the best adventure movies ever made! There are not nearly enough good adventure movies being made today, gosh I really hope the new movie is as good as the other two.

2000: Quills
I'm a sucker for a movie about the Marquis De Sade one of those stupid obsessions I have and this one is maybe my favorite. Geoffrey Rush gives a perfect performance along with Kate Winslet, Joaquin Phoenix and Michale Caine ("Can't make a movie without Michael Caine" and if you know the source of that quote you have earned my respect and admiration).

2001: Brotherhood of the Wolf
Remember how I said The Rocketeer had everything? Well this movie has more everything! Werewolves, gypsies, kung fu, Indians, crypto-zoology, Monica Bellucci...

2002: Hero
Possibly the most beautiful movie I've ever seen. I love the way it tells the same story over and over but with different perspectives and takes.

2003: Lost in Translation
I think they planned to get together at the end of the movie...otherwise why were they smiling?

2004: Howl's Moving Castle
Another Miyazaki masterpiece, colorful, magical and romantic of course I love it.

2005: The Devil's Rejects
You can really tell that Rob Zombie is a giant movie fan and this one feels like an homage to dirty Peckinpahesque road movies. Zombie is one of my favorite filmmakers I can't wait to see what he does next!

2006: Clerks II
I love this movie not just because it's funny, it is...really funny...but because it feels like it's directed at my generation and I really can relate to Randall and Dante. This is definitely my favorite Smith film.

2007: Death Proof
Kurt Russell, Zoe Bell and Tarintino make a great team! And I love this movie, especially the extended cut they released on DVD.


2008: Iron Man
I know 2008 isn't over yet and there are a number of movies I haven't seen yet but so far my favorite has been Iron Man. It's really nice to see a thinking super hero movie for adults every once in awhile. I'm really looking forward to seeing the sequel they've been talking about making.