Jamie's Top 5 Movies of All Time (For now)

1. Star Wars: Empire Strikes Back

Few Movies have EVER had the impact on me the entire Star Wars franchise has. Like many young nerds, I was born well after the release, but when I did see it, man, did I fall in love with it. Empire, more than any other Star Wars remains what made me dream of

worlds. I profess my love, and credit Neil Gaimens Sandman with making me desire to become a writer, but the truth is I probably wouldn't have given a shit about Sandman had the idea of an amazing world in a galaxy far away not been put in my head.

From start to finish, Empire Strikes Back is formulaic, and it's eastern influences very apparent, the direction, delivery and writing still makes me wish I could be in that world.

2. Transformers: The Movie

I don't mean the terrible live Action flicks. I honestly mean the 1986 movie. I am a huge trans-nerd. Not so much as I used to be (Growing up, a yearning for something as good at Transformers, or even Beast Wars!). But I have seen this movie almost as many times as I've seen

Star Wars, I can almost recite it word for word. I also still rock the bad ass Stan Bush and Vince DiCola soundtrack every now and then. Hell, even just the soundtrack

makes me all giddy with nostalgia, and despite my best efforts, I can't help but cry every time Optimus dies (spoiler).

It rang true even in the latest (second) live action flick, it wasn't so much the scene itself (while I maintain it was probably the only part of the movie that made it watchable) as the memories of the original death scene in TF:TM. If you are even a little bit the fan of Transformers (past or present) peep this flick (because I didn't use enough parenthesis in this post already.)

3. Die Hard

John McClane is a hero. Hands down. Much like Kevin Smith, I would watch John McClane in anything. Die Hard and Lethal Weapon sort of defined the new style of Action hero. In the early 80s and late 70s, we had the jacked awesome action hero who was impervious to bullets, often silent, and an amazing killing machine. Then Lethal Weapon films introduced us to a wise cracking hero, while Die Hard gave us the everyman. Against all odds, this one man defeated an international bank heist against a very well trained team, and well armed, and he did it in a wife beater and barefoot. The movie showed us our heroes can bleed, and still win. I can't say it enough, if you like action movies, and you haven't seen the VERY first Die Hard, you don't know shit from sunshine.

4. Super Troopers

Hands down the funniest movie I think I have ever seen. I can quote this movie endlessly in almost ANY situation. I can watch it over and over again, and still love it. It's cult status means most people saw it after its theatrical release. I don't think I'd ever heard of it until I went to a party where everyone was getting drunk or High. I stayed sober and actually watched the flick because I was enraptured, the characters are so over the top funny, and their interaction even better. Up until that point, I think my favourite Comedy had been American Pie, while a great movie, I don't think there is any contest in sheer laugh volume.

5. Clerks

I don't think I could honestly post this without Clerks being on the list. I love it, it's funny, edgy (for it's time) and it's still a fantastic watch. Kevin Smith proved to me that an awkward writing style could be successful, if not an outsider, in the film industry, and has birthed a generation. Sadly, I'm on the tail end of that generation, but I look towards his movies for inspiration when I'm feeling down, his tight adherence to formatting make it easy to see why his movies are, while not as successful as a Hollywood blockbuster, still loved and admired by his fandom. If I ever win any award, he will be thanked as one of my major influences.

Honorable mentions:

I like a lot of movies, And I felt these 5 represented my tastes the best, but there are some that just need to be said, because without them, I don't know that i'd have the same love of film I have now.

Grandmas Boy, Fifth Element, Star Trek II: Wrath of Khan, Gremlins, Aladdin, Batman, V for Vendetta, Last Boy Scout, Hellraiser, Empire Records, Reality Bites, Fame.