My Top 10 (+1) Movies

1: Shaun of the Dead

This is really just my favorite movie of all time. Every time it's on the TV I have to watch it. I have it on my phone, on DVD, on my PC, on my iPod, anywhere I go I can watch it. It's a terrific movie.

A loser (Simon Pegg) is having a hard time of things. His best friend is mooching off of him, his girlfriend just dumped him, and oh yeah - Zombies have invaded London. Can he gather his friends, win back his girl, and stop the zombie menace threatening his town?

2: Seven Psychopaths

Oh wow, this movie is amazing too, it's brilliantly done, features Christopher Walken being a relaxed badass, and references itself so many times. It's a close second to Shaun of the Dead.

The movie follows Marty(Colin Farrell) as he struggles to write a successful movie about seven murderous psychopaths, but gets sidetracked by his friend Billy's(Sam Rockwell) attempts to help out, as well as Billy's dog-napping scheme gone wrong. Woody Harrelson and Christopher Walken also give stellar performances.

3: Hot Fuzz

Another great Simon Pegg/Edgar Wright collab. Much better shot than Shaun of the Dead, but it's not good enough to dethrone my top pick.

Nicolas Angel (Simon Pegg) is a good cop. A damn good cop. TOO good, in fact, and so he gets sent to a peaceful town in the middle of nowhere so the rest of the London officers stop looking bad. But just because he's in an idyllic town in the middle of nowhere doesn't mean he can't root out a sinister cult. Or maybe the job's just got to him and he needs to learn to relax.

4: Blazing Saddles

This is such a classic film. It's a dirty movie, it's a clever movie, it's got slapstick and subtle humor and a good story. One of Mel Brooks' best films. It's a parody an an homage to the western genre.

The evil Hedly Lamarr(Harvey Korman) wants to buy up the land where a town called Rock Ridge is, because he needs to build his railroad through the town to make money. So he kills the sheriff of the town and sends them a new one, named Bart(Cleavon Little). Unfortunately for Bart (and the town) most of them are extremely racist and hate the idea of having a black sheriff. Can the washed up Waco Kid(Gene Wilder) help Bart turn their opinion of him around?

5: Triangle

This one's a bit of an indie film, but it's a good mindfuck movie, well acted, and will have you coming up with your own theories when you watch it.

Jess(Melissa George) is a single mom with an autistic kid who just wants to get away for an afternoon with her friend and his small group of friends, aboard his boat. But when things take a turn for the worse, all she can think about is trying to get home to her kid.

6: John Wick

Pure, amazzing action. Shootouts, more shootouts, and Keanu Reeves being pissed off and a badass. All the action scenes are amazingly choreographed, and Willem Dafoe makes a few appearances as well.

John Wick(Keanu Reeves) is a man who just lost his wife to a horrible illness. She's set up for him to get a puppy after she passes away, and he loves the little thing. However, a group of mobsters break into his house, beat him up, kill his dog, and steal his car. After that, all he can think about is revenge, and nothing will stand in his way to kill those responsible.

7: Wristcutters: A Love Story

This is another good indie film. I originally stumbled across it in the $2 bin at a Blockbuster, decided it looked good enough to pick up, and loved it when I watched it. Tom Waits and WIll Arnett are the only "big" stars in the movie, and they aren't the main characters.

A teenager named Zia is upset that his girlfriend dumped him, so he kills himself. When he wakes up he realizes he's in a world that's just slightly worse than where he was before. He finds out his ex killed herself too and decides to try and find her, picking up friends along the way.

8: One Hour Photo

I LOVE movies where comedic actors play serious roles. From Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind to Good Will Hunting, seeing someone who normally tells jokes give such a dramatic, stirring performance is the best, and this one is no different.

Seymour Parrish(Robin Williams) is a photo tech in a Wal-Mart equivalent store. He's seen so many strange photos come through his lab, but starts to develop an attachment to the family of one of his "regular" customers, the Yorkin family, since he lives a lonely existance by himself. His obsession with the family keeps growing and festering until it hits a breaking point.

9: Donnie Darko

This movie is another great mindfuck movie. It's shot well, it's very creepy, and it makes you sit and think. I can't recommend it enough.

Donnie Darko(Jake Gyllenhaal) is a teenager with a dysfunctional family and a sleepwalking problem. This proves to be a good thing however, because one night an airplane engine crashes into his room. Donnie spends the rest of the movie wrestling with his own mortality, and dealing with a hallucination named Frank the Bunny. But is Frank really a hallucination?

10: Stranger Than Fiction

I can't stand a lot of movies that Will Ferrell has done, but this one is my absolute favorite of his. He plays serious very well, but still manages to add in just the right amount of comedy. It's a brilliant film.

Harold Crick(Will Ferrell) is an IRS auditor who finds himself going crazy. He's hearing a disembodied voice narrating his entire life, every single detail. Worse still, it's the voice of a famous author. He tries to hunt down the author before the voice drives him crazy - or worse.

BONUS: Mr. Nobody

I'll be honest, I still haven't seen this film, but Netflix constantly recommends it to me and it's on nearly every "Good movies to watch" list I've seen here so I figured I'd include it too.

Jared Leto has an awful haircut and likes to stare blankly at the camera. Also he's apparently the last mortal human alive. He probably reflects on his life while doing cool futuristic shit. I dunno, you should go watch it yourself and tell me about it instead.