Kirk's Favorite Movies

FAVORITE MOVIES

LAST OF THE MOHICANS / This movie has a lot of my favorites - Director - Michael Mann , Actor - Daniel Day-Lewis and location - it was filmed in the mountains of Western North Carolina which has some of the most beautiful scenery in all of the United States and is one of my favorite travel destinations. A small-scale epic western, exciting and visceral with a magnetic turn by Day-Lewis and a propulsive soundtrack.

THE RIGHT STUFF / A captivating and dramatic telling of the early days of NASA with a great cast and a brilliant screenplay based on the book by Tom Wolfe. Beyond the historic aspects of the story it is a tale of adventure centered on the heroic and indomitable will of the human spirit.

AMADEUS / A dramatic and often darkly funny movie about the bad boy of classical music - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Entertaining, enthralling and moving with great set pieces, costumes and music by the greatest composer of all time.

SCHINDLER'S LIST / Stephen Spielberg is one of the rare film artists to get better with age. This poignant, thought-provoking movie is his best and a true masterpiece deserving of all the accolades it's received. Absolutely heart-breaking and haunting. I believe this to be the best movie of the 90's.

THE PIANO / Every frame of this movie would make a gorgeous painting. Jane Champion's masterpiece is a haunting tale of romance and alienation deepened with often surreal imagery and bold, brilliant acting turns by Holly Hunter, Anna Paquin and Harvey Keitel. The beautiful soundtrack is my favorite.

WEST SIDE STORY / I first saw this film at a showing in Junior High and immediately fell in love with the energy, the scope, the stylized action-meets-dance sequences and yes - the music. It didn't hurt that I had a major crush on Natalie Wood. The best example of film adapting theater.

APOCALYPSE NOW / I saw this movie in one of the first surround-sound theaters in D.C. and walked out completely overwhelmed, unable to talk. The sheer power of the artistry that went into making 'Apocalypse' is incomprehensible. Dark, moody, vague, funny, horrific - there aren't enough adjectives to describe the best war film of all time.

THE WIZARD OF OZ / Childhood memories - anxiously waiting for that one night each year when the network would show this magical movie and the entire family would gather around the Television, completely captivated and entertained no matter how many times any of us had already seen it. Judy Garland singing 'Somewhere over the rainbow' is the greatest musical moment in any movie and watching the journey to Oz as a grown man is still as fun and scary and exciting as it was when I was a kid. It helps also to now be sharing the experience with my equally enchanted daughter.

THE ROAD WARRIOR / I always had an affinity for movies about the end of the world or the last days of civilization and this is a masterpiece of the genre. Mel Gibson was not yet the international superstar that he would become but you could tell by his grim, charismatic performance as Max that he was destined for big things. This is really a western told in a futuristic setting. The vast Australian outback doubles for the American west. Max is the strong, quiet loner-hero. The 'fort' he is protecting is an oil-refinery with gasoline as the 'gold' and the attacking 'indians' a gaggle of frightening, motor-cyle riding freaks. The all-vehicle chase scene that comes at the final third of the movie is an exciting, edge-of-your-seat thrill-ride and one of the best motorized chase sequences ever put to film. In fact, this scene more than influenced the Wachowski brothers direction of a very similar chase sequence in 'Matrix Reloaded'.

BLADERUNNER / A dark, moody, sci-fi classic that has inspired more movies of it's genre than any other, except perhaps 'Alien', both directed by the brilliant Ridley Scott. 'Bladerunner' is a like a sad but beautiful story-poem put to film with it's rain-soaked sets and perpetual nighttime cinematography. Harrison Ford is totally believable as the lonely, haunted Deckard and Rutger Hauer gives his best performance as the dangerous, disturbed Roy Batty, leader of the escaped replicants that Deckard must hunt down. Based on a novel by Philip K. Dick, 'Bladerunner' was unnappreciated by both the critics and the public when it was first released but is now considered a masterpiece and a milestone of the sci-fi genre.

MORE:

BUTCH CASSIDY & THE SUNDANCE KID
THE GETAWAY (the original with Steve McQueen)
PLATOON
YOU CAN COUNT ON ME
KELLY'S HEROES
RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARC
THE WOLF AT THE DOOR
CRIMES & MISDEMEANORS
SILENCE OF THE LAMBS
IT'S A MAD, MAD, MAD, MAD WORLD
THE GOOD, THE BAD, & THE UGLY
THE WILD BUNCH
NOTTING HILL
A CLOCKWORK ORANGE
SAVING PRIVATE RYAN
THE UNTOUCHABLES
SAY ANYTHING
THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD
BULL DURHAM
JASON & THE ARGONAUTS
THE NATURAL
A SHOT IN THE DARK
BASQUIAT
THE INCREDIBLES
JURASSIC PARK
IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER
MY LEFT FOOT
TRAINSPOTTING
ALIEN
ALIENS
TOMBSTONE
SEVEN
DIE HARD
MONSTERS INC.
THE MATRIX
ANIMAL HOUSE
WHO'LL STOP THE RAIN?
THE GODFATHER II
LORD OF THE RINGS TRILOGY
ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK
EDWARD SCISSORHANDS
ELIZABETH
SCARECROW
GROUNDHOG DAY
DOG DAY AFTERNOON
THE GREAT ESCAPE
THE INSIDER
HEAT
MAGNOLIA
FIGHT CLUB
THE WARRIORS
PAT GARRETT & BILLY THE KID
ROB ROY
THE SONS OF KATIE ELDER
UNFORGIVEN
2001: A SPACE ODDYSEY
MIRACLE
HIGH PLAINS DRIFTER
THE LONG HOT SUMMER
THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN
ALMOST FAMOUS
AMERICAN BEAUTY
SPIRITED AWAY
BADLANDS
EAST OF EDEN
THE BOURNE IDENTITY/ THE BOURNE SUPREMACY
RONIN
JERRY MCGUIRE
THE FUGITIVE
THE GUNS OF NAVARONNE
MYSTIC RIVER
COOL HAND LUKE
THERE WILL BE BLOOD
BOOGIE NIGHTS
THE THIEF OF BAGHDAD
PAN'S LABYRINTH

OVER-LOOKED PERFORMANCES

MARK RUFFALO IN 'YOU CAN COUNT ON ME'
SEAN PENN IN 'CARLITO'S WAY'
VAL KILMER IN 'TOMBSTONE'
JOHNNY DEPP IN 'DONNIE BRASCO'
NICK NOLTE IN 'WHO'LL STOP THE RAIN'
JESSICA LANGE IN 'ROB ROY'
NICOLE KIDMAN IN 'THE OTHERS'
KEVIN BACON IN 'MURDER IN THE FIRST'
TOM HANKS IN 'PUNCHLINE'
JIM CARREY IN 'MAN IN THE MOON'
NICK NOLTE IN 'LIFE LESSONS' FROM 'NEW YORK TRILOGY'
JACK NICHOLSON IN 'IRONWEED'

FAVORITE ACTORS

DANIEL DAY-LEWIS
STEVE MCQUEEN
RUSSELL CROWE
CATE BLANCHETT
JOHNNY DEPP
PAUL NEWMAN
SEAN PENN
JOHN CUSACK
MORGAN FREEMAN
AL PACINO
JODIE FOSTER
MARK RUFFALO
JIM CARREY
NICOLE KIDMAN
LAURA LINNEY
JACK NICHOLSON

FAVORITE DIRECTORS

MICHAEL MANN
STEVEN SPIELBERG
CAMERON CROWE
DAVID FINCHER
RIDLEY SCOTT
PAUL THOMAS ANDERSON
SAM PECKINPAH

BEST OF 2007

CHILDREN OF MEN
PAN'S LABYRINTH
CASINO ROYALE
V
CARS
THE DEPARTED
UNITED 93
THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA
MISSION IMPOSSIBLE III
MONSTER HOUSE

WORST: LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE, BORAT


		Anyone who knows me personally knows that I am nuts for movies. I always have been, ever since I was a kid. My head is chock full of useless trivia centered around movies. If I had to do it all over again, I would go to film school and be a Director. These are in no particular order. It's too hard for me to decide on a favorite movie. My favorite changes with whatever mood I'm in when asked. The list below is comprised of movies that strongly effected me emotionally or left a lasting impact.
			FAVORITE MOVIES LAST OF THE MOHICANS / This movie has a lot of my favorites - Director - Michael Mann , Actor - Daniel Day-Lewis and location - it was filmed in the mountains of Western North Carolina which has some of the most beautiful scenery in all of the United States and is one of my favorite travel destinations. A small-scale epic western, exciting and visceral with a magnetic turn by Day-Lewis and a propulsive soundtrack. THE RIGHT STUFF / A captivating and dramatic telling of the early days of NASA with a great cast and a brilliant screenplay based on the book by Tom Wolfe. Beyond the historic aspects of the story it is a tale of adventure centered on the heroic and indomitable will of the human spirit. AMADEUS / A dramatic and often darkly funny movie about the bad boy of classical music - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Entertaining, enthralling and moving with great set pieces, costumes and music by the greatest composer of all time. SCHINDLER'S LIST / Stephen Spielberg is one of the rare film artists to get better with age. This poignant, thought-provoking movie is his best and a true masterpiece deserving of all the accolades it's received. Absolutely heart-breaking and haunting. I believe this to be the best movie of the 90's. THE PIANO / Every frame of this movie would make a gorgeous painting. Jane Champion's masterpiece is a haunting tale of romance and alienation deepened with often surreal imagery and bold, brilliant acting turns by Holly Hunter, Anna Paquin and Harvey Keitel. The beautiful soundtrack is my favorite. WEST SIDE STORY / I first saw this film at a showing in Junior High and immediately fell in love with the energy, the scope, the stylized action-meets-dance sequences and yes - the music. It didn't hurt that I had a major crush on Natalie Wood. The best example of film adapting theater. APOCALYPSE NOW / I saw this movie in one of the first surround-sound theaters in D.C. and walked out completely overwhelmed, unable to talk. The sheer power of the artistry that went into making 'Apocalypse' is incomprehensible. Dark, moody, vague, funny, horrific - there aren't enough adjectives to describe the best war film of all time. THE WIZARD OF OZ / Childhood memories - anxiously waiting for that one night each year when the network would show this magical movie and the entire family would gather around the Television, completely captivated and entertained no matter how many times any of us had already seen it. Judy Garland singing 'Somewhere over the rainbow' is the greatest musical moment in any movie and watching the journey to Oz as a grown man is still as fun and scary and exciting as it was when I was a kid. It helps also to now be sharing the experience with my equally enchanted daughter. THE ROAD WARRIOR / I always had an affinity for movies about the end of the world or the last days of civilization and this is a masterpiece of the genre. Mel Gibson was not yet the international superstar that he would become but you could tell by his grim, charismatic performance as Max that he was destined for big things. This is really a western told in a futuristic setting. The vast Australian outback doubles for the American west. Max is the strong, quiet loner-hero. The 'fort' he is protecting is an oil-refinery with gasoline as the 'gold' and the attacking 'indians' a gaggle of frightening, motor-cyle riding freaks. The all-vehicle chase scene that comes at the final third of the movie is an exciting, edge-of-your-seat thrill-ride and one of the best motorized chase sequences ever put to film. In fact, this scene more than influenced the Wachowski brothers direction of a very similar chase sequence in 'Matrix Reloaded'. BLADERUNNER / A dark, moody, sci-fi classic that has inspired more movies of it's genre than any other, except perhaps 'Alien', both directed by the brilliant Ridley Scott. 'Bladerunner' is a like a sad but beautiful story-poem put to film with it's rain-soaked sets and perpetual nighttime cinematography. Harrison Ford is totally believable as the lonely, haunted Deckard and Rutger Hauer gives his best performance as the dangerous, disturbed Roy Batty, leader of the escaped replicants that Deckard must hunt down. Based on a novel by Philip K. Dick, 'Bladerunner' was unnappreciated by both the critics and the public when it was first released but is now considered a masterpiece and a milestone of the sci-fi genre. MORE: BUTCH CASSIDY & THE SUNDANCE KID THE GETAWAY (the original with Steve McQueen) PLATOON YOU CAN COUNT ON ME KELLY'S HEROES RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARC THE WOLF AT THE DOOR CRIMES & MISDEMEANORS SILENCE OF THE LAMBS IT'S A MAD, MAD, MAD, MAD WORLD THE GOOD, THE BAD, & THE UGLY THE WILD BUNCH NOTTING HILL A CLOCKWORK ORANGE SAVING PRIVATE RYAN THE UNTOUCHABLES SAY ANYTHING THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD BULL DURHAM JASON & THE ARGONAUTS THE NATURAL A SHOT IN THE DARK BASQUIAT THE INCREDIBLES JURASSIC PARK IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER MY LEFT FOOT TRAINSPOTTING ALIEN ALIENS TOMBSTONE SEVEN DIE HARD MONSTERS INC. THE MATRIX ANIMAL HOUSE WHO'LL STOP THE RAIN? THE GODFATHER II LORD OF THE RINGS TRILOGY ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK EDWARD SCISSORHANDS ELIZABETH SCARECROW GROUNDHOG DAY DOG DAY AFTERNOON THE GREAT ESCAPE THE INSIDER HEAT MAGNOLIA FIGHT CLUB THE WARRIORS PAT GARRETT & BILLY THE KID ROB ROY THE SONS OF KATIE ELDER UNFORGIVEN 2001: A SPACE ODDYSEY MIRACLE HIGH PLAINS DRIFTER THE LONG HOT SUMMER THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN ALMOST FAMOUS AMERICAN BEAUTY SPIRITED AWAY BADLANDS EAST OF EDEN THE BOURNE IDENTITY/ THE BOURNE SUPREMACY RONIN JERRY MCGUIRE THE FUGITIVE THE GUNS OF NAVARONNE MYSTIC RIVER COOL HAND LUKE THERE WILL BE BLOOD BOOGIE NIGHTS THE THIEF OF BAGHDAD PAN'S LABYRINTH OVER-LOOKED PERFORMANCES MARK RUFFALO IN 'YOU CAN COUNT ON ME' SEAN PENN IN 'CARLITO'S WAY' VAL KILMER IN 'TOMBSTONE' JOHNNY DEPP IN 'DONNIE BRASCO' NICK NOLTE IN 'WHO'LL STOP THE RAIN' JESSICA LANGE IN 'ROB ROY' NICOLE KIDMAN IN 'THE OTHERS' KEVIN BACON IN 'MURDER IN THE FIRST' TOM HANKS IN 'PUNCHLINE' JIM CARREY IN 'MAN IN THE MOON' NICK NOLTE IN 'LIFE LESSONS' FROM 'NEW YORK TRILOGY' JACK NICHOLSON IN 'IRONWEED' FAVORITE ACTORS DANIEL DAY-LEWIS STEVE MCQUEEN RUSSELL CROWE CATE BLANCHETT JOHNNY DEPP PAUL NEWMAN SEAN PENN JOHN CUSACK MORGAN FREEMAN AL PACINO JODIE FOSTER MARK RUFFALO JIM CARREY NICOLE KIDMAN LAURA LINNEY JACK NICHOLSON FAVORITE DIRECTORS MICHAEL MANN STEVEN SPIELBERG CAMERON CROWE DAVID FINCHER RIDLEY SCOTT PAUL THOMAS ANDERSON SAM PECKINPAH BEST OF 2007 CHILDREN OF MEN PAN'S LABYRINTH CASINO ROYALE V CARS THE DEPARTED UNITED 93 THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA MISSION IMPOSSIBLE III MONSTER HOUSE WORST: LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE, BORAT

	FAVORITE MUSIC • FAVORITE BOOKS • FAVORITE ARTISTS
KIRK'S BLOGS: 'SANCTUARY ART' - previewing and commenting on KIrk Art 'fresh off the easel' 'GHOSTS OF AUTUMN' - online exhibit celebrating the mountains of NC