Top Ten List

During sleepless nights, the brain wants to do something but, because it hasn’t slept, can’t manage what you would call actual thought. So it’s left with the mental equivalent of darning socks. On this particular night, it somehow seemed important to make a list of top 10 films. Maybe this arose out of that awkwardness that occurs whenever I’m asked what my favorites are. Yes, exactly. Next time I’m on a first date, I will be armed and ready with a more complete answer than anyone could have asked for.

Sherlock Jr.
Philadelphia Story
The Lady Eve
Casablanca
The Third Man
Sunset Boulevard
North by Northwest
The Conformist
Manhattan
Broadcast News
Cinema Paradiso
Midnight Run
Creature Comforts
Eat Drink Man Woman

It’s a risky thing, exposing one’s true self through film preferences. For one, you’ll notice that I’ve listed my favorites as opposed to films that I think are great in an objective sense. What does this list reveal about me? My self-observations show:

1.) An expected mix of high and low
2.) Not a single movie from the 1960s
3.) A willingness to be manipulated sentimentally
4.) There are actually 14 movies on the list—I’ll whittle it down, I promise; this is just a first stab
5.) I haven’t actually seen Midnight Run since it came out, so I have no idea if it really stands the test of time, but it sure did leave an impression back then