30 Day Challenges Day 10 - 10 of My Favourite Movies

Thanks for following along with Kate and I. We're one-third of the way done now. 

Today I'm going to pick the first 10 movies that come to mind. These are movies I can watch over and over and over without ever getting sick of them. 

1. The Princess Bride

I can't wait until DD is a little older and I can watch this with her. This is my favourite movie of all time and has been since I saw it in the theatre when I was 11. My parents took my younger brother and I and I am sure we drove them crazy with the rhyming all the way home (1/2 hour). 

And has there ever been a better sword fight in any movie ever? 

2. Return to Me

This movie isn't as well known, which is too bad. It's a great movie and I love the pairing of David Duchovny and Minnie Driver as the love interests. I don't want to discuss the movie too much because it ruins some of the early scenes, but if you haven't seen it and you like great storytelling, humour, tragedy and heartbreakingly touching scenes, watch it! David Alan Grier is a fantastic foil for David Duchovny and John Belushi has some very memorable scenes. It is a romantic comedy, but it's not the typical story at all. 

3. Get Smart

I was a fan of the old TV show when it was played in re-runs and this is a great update of a classic. Steve Carrell is at his comedic best in this movie and Anne Hathaway plays the straight man so well. Plus you get Dwayne Johnson's great comedic timing as an added bonus. 

4. The Fifth Element

I've forgotten if I saw this in theatres or not, but I've definitely loved watching it since I bought the DVD years ago. I'll even watch it when it's free on Netflix despite owning the DVD. Gary Oldman continues to be an awesome villian and it's fun to watch Ian Holm scurry around and Milla Jovovich kick butt pre-Resident Evil. Bruce Willis has some great comedic moments in this action film as well. 

5. Stardust

I loved the Neil Gaiman book and this movie is everything I could have hoped for. They took a risk on a complete unknown as the star, Claire Danes pulls out a fantastic performance as the love interest, and Robert DeNiro is in a dress at one point. How could it possibly be better? :)

This is a great fairy tale movie that has some violence, so PG-13, but I think it would be a good family movie. Tristan is off on a quest to find a star for his crush Victoria, but he has to enter the land beyond the Wall. He's thwarted by a feisty guard, a fantastic cameo by David Kelly, but manages to get there in the end and discover a world full of magic and that maybe things are better beyond the Wall. 

6. The Punisher (Tom Jane version)

I always enjoyed the Punisher comics, something about bad guys getting their just desserts maybe? The original Punisher movie with Dolph Lundgren is okay, but this one was really, really good. I watched it in theatres, and although I thought some of the Travolta scenes were a little overdone, I really enjoyed Tom Jane's version of the Punisher. 

This is a violent movie. It is not for the faint of heart. There is a great supporting cast and the modifications Tom Jane makes to his apartment and vehicle are interesting if you have a mechanical mind. The story begins with Frank Castle's work as an undercover agent on his last job. Someone dies and that family decides to take revenge by killing Castle's entire family and Castle, as they believe. They're wrong, and Castle comes back as the Punisher to deliver punishment to the evildoers. 

I will admit I don't watch this over and over since it is a violent movie, but I still like to watch it every so often. 

7. Total Recall

This is a very cheesy sci-fi movie and it's funny for the wrong reasons a lot of the time. There is a lot of violence in this one as well, some of it pretty gruesome. This is one of the '80s movies that had a ton of killings for no good reason. The more I think about it, I'm not sure why I like this one unless it's nostalgia? One of those guilty pleasures I guess. There are a couple of kick-ass female characters in this one though, including a young Sharon Stone. 

8. The Pirates of Penzance

Now this one I could watch every day if I had to. Even if it meant I would finally memorize the "Major General" song. Frederick's tale of being apprenticed mistakenly to a pirate band that doesn't capture orphans, then being free of his indentures to fall in love with a woman with 13? sisters and a Major General father who feels it his bounden duty to hunt down his former pirate comrades, only to re-join the pirates when it turns out he has to be an apprentice until he's 84 because he was born on February 29. What could be more fun that this? 

Kevin Kline makes an outstanding Pirate King, the police chief is wonderful and Angela Lansbury is fantastic as Ruth. Linda Ronstandt and Rex Smith showcase how massive their vocal range is in this awesome musical. I even have the CDs and listen to them at work when I can. If you've never seen this, you're missing out. 

9. Groundhog Day

I love this movie. Bill Murray is at his best in this difficult-to-describe-genre movie. I hope everyone has seen this one, it's such a classic and deserves to be watched every year at least. A tale of redemption, of how to live your life to the fullest, it's all here. 

10. Labyrinth

I first watched this at my cousins' house when my parents were having a huge party. It imprinted itself on me then and I still enjoy watching it whenever I can. This is another one that I look forward to sharing with DD when she's older. 

David Bowie is wonderful as the Goblin King and the puppet work is extraordinary. I hope everyone has watched this one too, it's a great tale of a young girl realizing her potential as a person. 

I hope you enjoyed the list and I gave you a few movie ideas for the weekend. Have a great Memorial Day Weekend if you're in the US, and just a great weekend if you're elsewhere. 

Happy Stitching,

Tiffstitch