Quinn's Top 10 Favorite Films

I think it's pretty obvious that whatever your favorite movie is, it’s probably the movie that got you into cinema in the first place. Considering how much my number one pick played with my mind when I first saw it, I can definitely say that it’s responsible for me having the love and passion for cinema that I have today. Once you’ve found that one film, you find many others that get you to love the world of cinema even more, and Lord knows if I love something I can’t and won’t shut up about its praises!
So with that said, here are what I consider to be my favorite movies of all time:

10. The Dark Knight (2008)
This is the film that got me to love superhero films. The Dark Knight is also the film that proved for a lot of people, myself included, that superhero films can be serious and even tackle certain aspects of everyday life on par with other genres. I did get sick and tired when everyone decided to make every other superhero film dark and edgy, but as the original, The Dark Knight still ranks as one of the best.

9. The Avengers (2012)
But then of course you have the superhero movie that proved that even if a movie embraces the wackier side, it can still become a great film. Yes, The Dark Knight might have the better, gripping story, but The Avengers is just so much fun and knows what it's trying to be. 

8. Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
Did I mention I love superhero films? Because Guardians of the Galaxy made me cement it in my head that yes, this is a genre I love and want to stay. The cast and characters (barring Ronan) were great and got a laugh out of me. Not only that, it managed to take a stupid concept and make it funny AND emotional. I didn’t go in thinking I would tear up at certain moments, but the film was done so well that I could easily buy the more dramatic elements.

7. History of the World Pt. 1 (1981)
Out of all the Mel Brooks movies I’ve seen (which sadly I still have quite a few to go) History of the World Pt. 1 was my first and definitely one of my favorites. It helps that I’m into history and just appreciate how much Brooks messes with historical figures, events and places. The jokes are always spot-on, the timing is great, and honestly, The Inquisition scene is probably one of my favorite scenes in cinema. Taking an event like that, turning it into a giant musical number and making it hysterical takes talent.

6. Blazing Saddles (1974)
Blazing Saddles is without question probably the best film Mel Brooks ever made. The jokes and characters in this film are just so laugh-out-loud hysterical that I couldn’t help but laugh at almost every scene. Not only that, but the fact that Mel Brooks decided to break from Western conventions and actually cast a black actor as the main hero, something we’d never see again until a couple decades later is remarkable, especially given the time period it was made in.

5. Pacific Rim (2012) 
Guillermo del Toro’s foray into Kaiju movies is not only a great love letter to the genre, but also films in general. The cast and characters were all fantastic (especially Ron Perlman and Idris Elba), and the Jaeger vs. Kaiju fights were some of the best action scenes I’ve seen in film. Plus, it’s the film that introduced me to Mako Mori, a character I love dearly! Here’s a character who in almost any other film would’ve been a love interest or side character, but instead she got to be one of the big focus points of the film. Not only that, but she has her own great personality, gets to have scenes of badassery AND has her own great character arc. She’s what I consider the bar for great female characters in film, and I hope more films can try and pass the Mako Mori test in the future.

4. Spider-Man 2 (2004)
Are the Sam Raimi Spider-Man films campy as all get out? Yes, yes they are. Does that make them any less of films? No, no it doesn’t. Compared to some of the newer superhero films it’s not the best when it comes to story (and even sometimes acting) but it definitely still holds up in other regards. The characters start to develop more, Doc Ock is a very tragic and reluctant villain, and the fight scenes and choreography were great.

3. True Grit (2010) 
If there’s one thing I love about this movie, it’s that it takes the Western genre and flips it on its head. The brave renegade hero is a stumbling drunk, the lawful protector an in-over-his-head goof and the star of the film Maddie is just so deliciously cynical and vengeful. The theme of revenge in this film is so well done that you can’t help but feel for Maddie and all involved once it’s over. It’s the perfect combination of cynicism and slapdash.

2. Django Unchained (2012)
Tarantino has always been my favorite director. I consider him to be the person that got me to love cinema and all that it can be. And it comes as no surprise that when Django Unchained came out that not only was I going to see it, but also love it. The acting was great from all involved, the comedy/drama/suspense/thrills/etc. were fantastic and memorable and the action scenes were brutal but exciting.

1. Pulp Fiction (1994)
Not only is Tarantino my favorite director, but he’s also responsible for making my favorite film of all time. Every performance is great, the jokes and drama get me every time, the dialogue is some of the best I’ve heard in a film, and the philosophy and teachings of the film stick with me to this day.