Top Ten Favorite Films

While my music is influenced by, well, music, my lyrical influences are not usually songwriters but films and literature.  If you ask me tomorrow, this list might be a few films different, but these are ten of my favorite films of all-time.  

In no particular order:

Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story

One of the greatest moments of my life was meeting Margo Martindale at a cast dinner before the L.A. Film Fest premier of The Hollars.  When I expressed my appreciation for her career and got to her role as Ma Cox, she just lit up and said, “Wrong kid died!” and we spent 5 minutes discussing the film and doing dialogue from it.  Absurdly hilarious, if you’re a music nerd like I am, this checks every box.

The Apostle

I never saw a Robert Duvall movie I didn’t like, but this is my favorite.  Too many people in church leadership allow the power of their positions to consume them, but in this case, he goes back to what’s most important and builds something good before accepting responsibility for his actions.  

Unforgiven

Last night I watched The Critical Drinker’s review of this film and he nailed it.  This is not a western fantasy, this is a western reality.  Lies and myths, false bravado and the truth of what those things are, bullies and true evil.  It’s a dark film, but it’s one of the best ever made.

Miracle

Although I was born a few weeks after the Miracle on Ice, I’ve always been obsessed with it.  I own every book, documentary, etc. associated with this team.  It takes liberties with the truth, as Hollywood is known to do, but it’s an incredible story of a monumental achievement accomplished by ordinary men doing extraordinary things.  

Beverly Hills Cop

I don’t know how many times I’ve seen this movie, but it’s gotta be 100 or more.  This was the movie that let us all know what a genius Eddie Murphy is.  This is definitely one of those movies where I know practically all the dialogue.  And while the sequels aren’t as good as the original, they’re all really good and I was especially impressed with Netflix’s Axel F.  

Rebel Without a Cause

Three kids with three different kinds of bad parents.  People have read a lot into this film over the years, some of it true, some of it I doubt, but it’s an inherently human story about needing to find our place in this world and the world not offering that to us.  Usually our attempts to make it ourselves fail.  

Sling Blade

Much like his mentor, Robert Duvall, I can’t think of a Billy Bob movie I don’t like.  Incredible story about our selfishness, the way we treat those different from us and the effects it has on those around us.  

Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me

I could have put Blue Velvet, Lost Highway or Mulholland Drive here as well, I love David Lynch.  However, I chose this one because it directly influenced “Enemy Inside the Mirror” and “It’s a Strange World, Isn’t It?”, songs off my forthcoming record.  And yes, I know, “it’s a strange world” is a quote from Blue Velvet, not Fire Walk With Me.  

Mildred Pierce

So many great film noirs, but this one is slightly different than most in the genre and Joan Crawford was incredible in this.  It ventures away from the book, great in its own right, but the characters and story is one we still see repeated today.

Sunset Boulevard

Another movie that still holds true today, and generally accepted as one of the greatest films of all-time.  An all too honest look at fame and Hollywood and the things people will do for attention.  

Honorable Mentions: A Clockwork Orange, Braveheart, Eddie & the Cruisers, Hoosiers, Jeremiah Johnson, every other David Lynch film and many more.