Post #106665 by AquaZombie on Fri, Aug 6, 2004 12:49 PM

I can only offer totally subjective choices. They're not to everyone's tastes, naturally, since they're strictly reflective of my own sensibilities, though a couple would most likely have relatively wide appeal, especially for people who visit this site:

1. I WAS A TEENAGE WEREWOLF (1957)
   Michael Landon as the JD battling a lot more than a case of ance. It was my favorite as a kid and remains so for reasons not even I fully understand, though I do appreciate the moody photography and score by Paul Dunlap.

2. SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS (1957)
   This film noir master piece starring Tony Curtis and Burt Lancaster has one of the wittiest screenplays of all time. Favorite line: "The cat's in the bag, the bag's in the river." Highly recommended to just about anybody who likes movies.

3. ANGELS WITH DIRTY FACES (1938)
   Along with "White Heat," also starring James Cagney, one of the greatest gangster films in history. "Whaddya hear, whaddya say?" Quintessential viewing and again, will appease a wide variety of tastes due to superior high quality of filmmaking.

4. GUYS AND DOLLS (1955)
   Brando sings! My favorite Sinatra flick too. So colorful and vibrant, it just puts me in a good mood whenever I see it. Damon Runyon remains one of my favorite writers, too.

5. BATMAN (1966)
   The movie of my favorite TV show. Just showed it to a sold out crowd last night. Nothing comes closer to expressing my world view.

a few others (you said 5, but I have about a 1,000 favorites:)

GOLDFINGER (1963 - I know, I know, it's everyone else's favortie Bond, too)

FASTER PUSSYCAT KILL! KILL! (1966- three reasons: Tura! Tura! Tura! Also love Russ Meyer's UP!)

KING CREOLE (1958), BLUE HAWAII (1961) and VIVA LAS VEGAS (1964) - my three favorite Elvis flicks, the best of the Good, the Bad, and the Beautiful, respectively

OCEAN'S 11 (1960) - the Rat Pack cavorting in Classic Vegas, who cares if the plot sucks? The last scene is a beut, though.

FORBIDDEN PLANET (1956) - the most visually arresting sci fi flick ever

ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN (1948) - their funniest, and still the best horror spoof ever

THE WILD BUNCH (1969) - Peckinpah's masterpiece, the greatest Western ever, along with Leone's ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST (1968)

7TH VOYAGE OF SINBAD (1958) and JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS (1964) - Harryhausen's best, though they're all great

THE CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON (1954), REVENGE OF THE CREATURE (1955) and THE CREATURE WALKS AMONG US (1956), all coming out Oct 5 on DVD....

then there's BLUE VELVET, Woo's THE KILLER, INVASION OF THE SAUCER MEN, MAD DOCTOR OF BLOOD ISLAND, THE INCREDIBLY STRANGE CREATURES WHO STOPPED LIVING AND BECAME MIXED UP ZOMBIES, RE-ANIMATOR, Romero's DEAD trilogy (the fourth one is on the way!), 40s seminal noirs CRISS CROSS and THE KILLERS, and...

aw man, forget it, there's just too damn many....