You didn't ask, but here they are: my favorite films

I’m not a gambling man, but I’ll bet you $50 that I was the only student on campus who spent their mid-semester break updating a list of my top 10 movies (you can pay me later). My top 10, first established in early 2003, has gone through numerous changes over the years, but my particular taste remains firmly entrenched. A few films have survived (namely the top three), but I find that the more movies I see – for every “Chinatown” or “2001: A Space Odyssey” I find – the harder it is to narrow my favorites down to 10.

Please bear in mind that my list is completely subjective, and is not what I necessarily believe to be the greatest or most well-made films of all time. These are simply my favorite movies. I will list five now, and five next week. My list has never been publicly addressed … until now.

---

It's a fact: "Aliens" friggin' rocks.
---

10) Aliens (James Cameron, 1986): Ridley Scott’s “Alien” was a masterpiece in genre-bending filmmaking, a milestone in both horror and science-fiction cinema. With “Aliens,” James Cameron manages the impossible: he creates an action-oriented sequel that is equal in quality – nay, nearly superior – to Scott’s original groundbreaking film. “Aliens” echoes the numbing terror of its predecessor while intensifying the experience with a delicious dash of crazy action. It’s one of the most purely enjoyable films out there. Just steer clear of the sequels and please, for the love of God, don’t punish yourself with the atrocity that is “Alien vs. Predator.”

The Academy finally gets the jump on Clint Eastwood.
---

9) The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (Sergio Leone, 1966): Followed closely by Leone’s “Once Upon a Time in the West,” “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” is the absolute pinnacle of Spaghetti westerns. It’s a beautifully shot, atmospheric western, the hands-down greatest cowboy flick of all time. Clint Eastwood is at his best as the nameless drifter (the good) who clashes with a bounty hunter (the bad) and a thug (the ugly) in order to attain a fabled treasure, all leading up to one of the most climatic gunfights in the history of cinema.

Whoa ... James Stewart is totally trippin'.
---

8) Vertigo (Alfred Hitchcock, 1958): Though “Psycho,” “North by Northwest,” “Rear Window” and “Rope” are all indisputable masterpieces, Hitchcock’s greatest achievement is 1958’s “Vertigo.” It’s a mind-bending thriller, its plot warped with twists, turns and all manner of mysteries and reveals. Hitchcock regular James Stewart is fantastic as Scottie, a retired police detective with a paralyzing fear of heights, and Kim Novak gives a strong performance as his troubled love interest. Hitchcock’s innovative camera techniques amp up the tension ten-fold, and the result is “Vertigo,” possibly the greatest thriller of all time.

Martin Sheen infiltrates the set of "Two and a Half Men."
---

7) Apocalypse Now (Francis Ford Coppola, 1979): The troubled production of Francis Ford Coppola’s “Apocalypse Now” is legendary among film fans. Drunk actors, typhoons, suicides, drug use and an immensely overweight Marlon Brando all lent to a hellish 16-month shoot. But the resulting film presents no signs of its distressed creation, or if it does, it only succeeds in creating a deeper, darker, more involving cinematic experience. Set in Cambodia during the Vietnam War and based on Joseph Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness,” “Apocalypse Now” tells the story of a soldier’s (Martin Sheen) mission to kill the renegade Colonel Kurtz (portrayed wonderfully by Marlon Brando). The film is Coppola at his very best, and his use of shadow in the final act is superbly surreal. It’s truly a classic film.

In "Dark City," going to the dentists totally sucks.
---

6) Dark City (Alex Proyas, 1998): “Dark City” is one of those underrated gems that will someday be rediscovered and recognized for what it is: a masterpiece in modern filmmaking. It’s a criminally underappreciated science-fiction mystery flick with film-noir undertones, a fantastically innovative take on the gumshoe detective story. The story is that of a man who has lost his memory in a city where the sun never rises. The script is solid, the cinematography is remarkable, the performances from the likes of Rufus Sewell, William Hurt, Kiefer Sutherland and Jennifer Connelly are just superb. “Dark City” is a significant film for me because it was the first movie that really made me look at cinema as more than simple entertainment, as a valid art form.

---

You’ve been allowed a glimpse into my favorite films, but you’ll have to wait a week for the top five. So, stay tuned. Oh, and if you could get me that $50 you owe me by next week, that’d be great.