here's a list of my top 15 favourite films. i couldn't narrow it down to just 10. and it actually hurt to pick just 15  :P  now, i'm not saying these are the GREATEST films ever made, just that they are my favourites. i went to film school, so i know a good film when i see one. these are films that i can watch over and over again. the kind of film that, whenever i catch it on tv, i can't shut it off until i see it until the end. the list is in no particular order:

CONTACT (Contact (1997) (d. Robert Zemeckis, w. Carl Sagan)
i recently chose this as my favourite film of all-time. THE PRINCESS BRIDE was my previous choice. jodie foster (a long-time favourite actress of mine) carries the film. stunning special effects (for it's time) and a wonderful script based on astronomer carl sagan's novel.


THE PRINCESS BRIDE (1987) (d. Rob Reiner)
for the last ten years i always said this was my favourite film. it has everything: romance, comedy, action... robin wright (the future ex-mrs. sean penn) is beautiful in this one. cary elwes stars as the farmboy/dread pirate roberts.


MEMENTO (2000) (d. Christopher Nolan)
this is the only film i've ever seen more than twice on the big screen. it makes more sense every time you see it. (if you've ever seen it, you know what i mean.) lenny is a lost soul who, due to an accident, has no long-term memory. he can't remember anything for more than a few minutes. every day he wakes up, he feels like it's the day after his brain injury. what is so unique about this film, is that the director unfolds the scenes in reverse order, where the first scene is the finale, and the last scene is the beginning of the "story." he did this so we would be just as temporally disoriented as lenny is.


KALIFORNIA (1993) (d. Dominic Sena)
a lesser known film about an ivy league yuppie couple going on a cross-country road trip with a white trash couple. juliette lewis gives a stunning performance as a good-natured simpleton and brad bitt (who she was dating at the time) as a sociopathic serial killer. very dark, smart, and beautifully filmed.


KILLING ZOE (1994) (d. Roger Avary)
another lesser-known indie film (an american-french production), starring eric stoltz and french actress julie delpy. director roger avary was an old buddy of quentin tarentino's. this movie is a bit more raw than tarentino's polished films. about a bank heist in paris gone terribly wrong.


RAPA NUI (1994) (d. Kevin Reynolds)
this film, unfairly skewered by the critics upon its release, blew me away the first time i saw it. the story can be seen as an analogy of modern day society: a microcosm our our own environment. easter island, before the white man discovered it, was a paradise. it was eventually turned into a barren land, due to the use of all the trees to build the stone heads. stars jason lee and the gorgeous sandrine holt.


THE BEACH (2000) (d. Danny Boyle)
another film generally panned by critics, stars leonardo dicaprio as a typical  arrogant, american asshole. the drop-dead gorgeous french actress virginie ledoyen plays his object of lust. leo happens upon a secret, tucked away island, but the utopian veneer soon peels away to cold realities.


MONTY PYTHON'S LIFE OF BRIAN (1979) (d. Terry Jones)

this may be the funniest movie i've ever seen. i first saw it as a teenager, and i can still appreicate its comic genius today. the british comedy troupe tells the story of an ordinary jewish boy, living during jesus' time, who unwittingly becomes a messiah. needless to say, conservative christian groups thought this film was blasphemy and it was very controversal upon release. i tend to like any film that pisses of fundamentalists. so many classic and hilarious scenes...


GROUNDHOG DAY (1993) (d. Harold Ramis)

this is a film people seem to either love or hate. if you cannot stand repetition, you may want to skip this one. i actually saw this film on my first date. bill murray plays an obnoxious, sarcastic, yet funny and charming new anchorman who keeps reliving the same day, over and over again, for years on end. he moves from disbelief, to denial, to anger, to suicide, to acceptance. andy macdowell plays his lovely object of affection.


OFFICE SPACE (1999) (d. Mike Judge)
mike judge, of BEAVIS & BUTT-HEAD fame, created this mini-masterpiece of office politics. an average guy is awakened out of his day-to-day slumber and starts living his life as if there's no consequences. based on his MILTON shorts that originally aired on "saturday night live."


SLC PUNK (1998) (d. James Merendino)
the role matthew lillard was born to play, in my opinion. about a group of anarchist punk rockers in the 1980s, living in the very conservative and close-minded town of salt lake city, utah (the mormon capital of the world). lillard's rebellion of the establishment starts to crack as he slowly realizes that he needs to make a future for himself.


SWIMMING WITH SHARKS (1994) (d. George Huang)
another corporate office film, this time as a dark comedy. frank whaley plays a country bumpkin, recently relocated to los angeles, who works for the boss from hell. kevin spacey steals every scene as the cold-hearted, abusive bastard. michelle forbes (also in KALIFORNIA) plays a supporting role.


GARDEN STATE (2004) (d. Zach Braff)
zach braff wrote, directed, and stars in this drama-comedy about a tv-movie star revisiting his home town in jersey. he decides to leave his medication for depression in los angeles, and slowly emotions he hasn't felt in years come to the surface. natalie portman (wonderful, as always) plays his wacky, but beautiful new love interest. one of those films that captures the feelings of falling in love. a refreshingly unique film.


MATRIX (1999) (d. Andy & Larry Wachowski)
okay, keanu reeves isn't the greatest actor, but he plays his part well. a great nothing-as-it-seems film that makes you question reality, a great story, stunning special effects, exciting action sequences, and love story. remember how blown away you felt after neo took the red pill?


THE LORD OF THE RINGS (2001-03) (d. Peter Jackson)
if you're a fantasy, dungeon & dragons geek, this film is automatically on your list. is there anyone left in america who hasn't seen this trilogy yet? director peter jackson faithfully brings the tolkien books to life, and we are all greater for it.

i may have to make a top 15-25 list of the movies that almost made it into this list. thanks for reading...