No. 42- Crash

Film: Crash


Starring: Don Cheadle, Sandra Bullock, Matt Dillon
Directed by: Paul Haggis

Released: 2004


I first saw this movie...
Movie theater, 2004

Why I love it...
This movie is intense. It's by far the most gut-punching movie to come in the last decade. Want to know the sign of an amazing movie? You are different after seeing it. You have to talk about it to your friends and family afterwards. That's this movie in a big way. And so many catch-my-breath moments.
Seriously- go see it. It'll change your world.

No. 43- Fight Club

Film: Fight Club


Starring: Edward Norton, Brad Pitt, Helena Bonham Carter
Directed by: David Fincher

Released: 1999


I first saw this movie...
On TV, circa 2003

Why I love it...
I always admired how cool Ed Norton and Brad Pitt can be. And this movie is the epitome of it. It's edgy, it's funny (in a bizarre way), and it somehow makes you relate to Norton's character that makes you concerned that you may have serious mental issues. And without a doubt Pitt's best performance.

No. 44- Sleepless In Seattle

Film: Sleepless In Seattle


Starring: Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan
Directed by: Nora Ephron

Released: 1993


I first saw this movie...
On TV at home

Why I love it...
Yeah, I can go for a good chick flick. But only when it has solid male representation (such as Tom Hanks, Rob Reiner, & Victor Garber). But I mostly love it because it's such a classic chick flick yet it totally makes fun of chick flicks and those who love them. And the scene where Rita Wilson describes An Affair To Remember is pure entertainment.

No. 45- Frost/Nixon

Film: Frost/Nixon


Starring: Frank Langella, Michael Sheen
Directed by: Ron Howard

Released: 2008


I first saw this movie...
At home, borrowed it from a friend

Why I love it...
It's just an intense movie. And it's so real. Cause it's real. Seriously. I heard a great deal about how amazing Frank Langella is for his portrayal of Richard Nixon, and he certainly lived up to the hype, but to me it's Michael Sheen (who plays David Frost) who makes the movie so special.

No. 46- Harry Potter & The Order of the Phoenix

Film: Harry Potter & The Order
of the Phoenix


Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Gary Oldman
Directed by: David Yates

Released: 2007


I first saw this movie...
Midnight showing, AMC Theater

Why I love it...
I'm not a huge Harry Potter fan. Before this movie I had very casually seen each of the HP films and liked them alright. But this movie is so much more than a Harry Potter movie. There's a depth and heart completely unexpected. You can see a lot of effort from the direction of Yates, and Gary Oldman's performance is perfection. I'm also a big fan of the fight scene between Dumbledore and Voldemort at the end. Pretty epic stuff.

No. 47- Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope

Film: Star Wars Episode IV: 
A New Hope


Starring: Mark Hamill,Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher
Directed by: George Lucas

Released: 1977


I first saw this movie...
Circa 1986, being held by mother in our home.

Why I love it...
The Star Wars saga is the greatest story ever told. And the first film, A New Hope, is the classic hero story. The characters are vibrant, the scale is epic, and it stills maintains heart.

No. 48- The Lion King

Film: The Lion King

Starring: Matthew Broderick, Jeremy Irons, James Earl Jones

Released: 1994


I first saw this movie...
1994, in the theater

Why I love it...
This movie is definitely one of the most important animated films ever. It took this genre of kids films and made it deep.
And there are few moments in movies that are more intense than when the spirit of Mufassa speaks to adult Simba.

No. 49- Mystic River

Film: Mystic River


Starring: Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, Kevin Bacon
Directed by: Clint Eastwood

Released: 2003


I first saw this movie...
Around 2007, on TV

Why I love it...
This was my introduction to Clint Eastwood as a director. The man makes everything intense. It's quite the heavy, unpredictable movie with a cast perfect for Eastwood. It shows on TV a lot- I think I watch it every time.

No. 50- Unbreakable

Film: Unbreakable


Starring: Bruce Willis, Samuel L. Jackson
Directed by: M. Night Shyamalan

Released: 2000


I first saw this movie...
Circa 2001, at home with my family

Why I love it...
Bruce Willis is so subtle, it's beautiful.
Combine that with Jackson's intensity and Shyamalan's great storytelling- makes for a really great movie.

The List

My 50 Favorite Films.

Listed in order.

That's the concept of this blog.

I’ll be counting down my 50 Favorite Films.
Each post will feature the next movie on the list until we reach #1.

Please recognize that these are my favorite films- not the greatest, not the most important, not the must-see movies of all time. Rather, it’s a list of my favorites. The movies that over time I’ve enjoyed and have meant a great deal to me. These are movies that changed my view of art, changed my view of others & the world, and inevitably changed who I am.

If you've never seen any of these movies, I’d certainly urge you to check them out.
But fair warning- just because they’re each special to me doesn’t mean they’ll have the same impact on you.

I'm Tyson and these are movies that I like.