Rant #1,802: Saturday Night At the Movies (Part 2)

There was some nice discussion on Facebook about my first five choices for my favorite movies of all time.

Remember, I did not say the best movies of all time ... I said my favorite movies of all time.

We all have our preferences, and those were mine.

And they have probably changed over time, too. What I might have liked at one time I don't like as much any more, or at least not to put on a Top 10 list.

So, moving on, here are my favorites from six to 10. These are all great movies, in my estimation, and I have loved these films seemingly forever.

6) March of the Wooden Soldiers: I don't think that any other movie heralds in the season as much as this film, which, along with "The Wizard of Oz," was probably my first favorite movies when I was a little kid. Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, who clearly set the template for comedy duos during their long career as a team, shine in this film, but to me, the funniest part of the movie, and the part I have always laughed at, is the part near the end where the soldiers are unleashed, and the one soldier barges through the door, and his head is ripped off in the process. And the film must be seen in black and white to truly appreciate it.

7) Young Frankenstein: Taking a page from "Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein" and going one step further with the concept of a comedy revolving around the monsters we love to be scared by, this is probably Mel Brooks' best all around film. There are laughs galore in this movie, the movie has a great cast, and the one liners and zingers are so clever and funny that you laugh and laugh even after seeing the film over and over. Gene Wilder, Teri Garr, Marty Feldman ... I mean, is this a great cast or what?

8) Shrek: The one, the only, the original, this has to be considered one of the greatest animated films of all time--computerized, of course--and certainly one of the funniest films of all time. Don't mistake this for a kids' film--yes, it is that, but watching it as an adult, it is so much more than that. The voice actors are perfect--including Eddie Murphy as the wise, wisecracking donkey--and you really cannot go wrong with this movie. Yes, to me, it was a complete surprise, and yes, I just love to be surprised. The sequels were OK, but go with the original.

9) Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man: I love comedies, and I have no problem putting two Abbott and Costello/monster vehicles in my Top 10 list. Although not nearly as good as their pairing with Frankenstein, this film, nonetheless, stands on its own as one of the comedy duo's greatest films. It is funny, has a good story, and is very coherent. The special effects are also pretty good for their time period, but as usual, Bud and Lou steal the show. Simply an excellent movie.

10) The Birds: And yes, I have no problem putting two Alfred Hitchcock films on my list, too. This film, again, is not as highly regarded as "Psycho" is, but the story has so many U-turns that I love to watch this movie just to see where the story is going to veer off to. And that scene with Tippi Hedren stuck in the phone booth being attacked by birds is nearly as scary as that shower scene I was talking about. I also like that the story really has no formal end, no clear end to the dilemma. It makes you think for yourself.

There are plenty of honorable mentions here, such as "Close Encounters of the Third Kind," "Blazing Saddles," "The Time of Their Lives," "A Hard Day's Night," and plenty of others, but they all just missed the cut, barely.

What are your top 10 movies? Do you agree or disagree with my choices?

Please let me know.

I have a major appointment with my retinologist tomorrow, so I am going to take Friday off from writing this column.

Speak to you again on Monday. Have a great weekend.