Austin's Top 20 Favorite Films of All Time! (Part 1)

Hello, my name is Austin Glidden, and I am president of the Cardinal Film Society. I have been a cinephile since fall of 2003 when I saw Jean-Pierre Jeunet's Amelie (2001). It changed my life. Since then, I have dedicated my time to studying movies from all generations. I love film and the power it has to make real change, and I'm happy to provide this Top 20 list to give you, the readers, more insight into my interests.

To preface my list I'd like to make it known that these Top 20 are not necessarily what I consider the most well-made films, but rather, my personal favorite films of all time; my desert island movies, so to speak. I had very little criteria going into this list. I simply chose the films that I'd watch over all others. If I could only have twenty, I believe these would be it.

#20 THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY (1968) 

#19 LET THE RIGHT ONE IN (2008) 

#18 THE THIN RED LINE (1998) 

#17 CITY LIGHTS (1931) 

#16 REAR WINDOW (1954) 

#15 THE GODFATHER (1972) 

#14 TAXI DRIVER (1976) 

#13 BLADE RUNNER (1982) 

#12 ON THE WATERFRONT (1954) 

#11 A CLOCKWORK ORANGE (1972)

Those are my 11-20, and are films that have contributed to my understanding of film, and influenced the lens in which I watch them. I wish I could have 50 titles so to bring in more variety, but if I'm true to my history, it all starts with these ten and the next.

The remaining Top 10 will be posted after our first podcast episode. They are deeply personal to me, and each one is attached to a story that is important to my personal journey through cinema. I have tried to recount some of those memories in order to better explain my reasoning behind my choices. I will add them here soon. Be sure to listen to our first show to find out!