Everyone has their favorite movie(s). A top 5, a top 10, a top 100, you name it there’s a top of it. My top movies are on a rotation that’s dedicated by the seasons and moods. When I set out to write this entry, I took a couple of days to think about the movies that I spend the most time indulging during the Holidays. Here they are:
STAR WARS TRILOGY It wasn’t the iconic light-saber or the galactic star fighters that enthralled me. It was the characters. Each one so distinctly carved (episode 6, 7 and 8) and boldly stamped in my memory that I can’t help but feel they were real and existed some place; A Galaxy far far away, maybe?
This was the first movie I’d seen that kicked the door down and introduced me to a World so immersive and far reaching that I wanted to learn more about the cultures that were within the lore. This continues to be my favorite movie of all time, holiday or not. The Force will be with me, always.
LORD OF THE RINGS TRILOGY I may have actually spent more hours watching all the special features
than the actual movie. I can’t help that I’m a sucker for all those of featurettes that allow me a glimpse of a passion/dream of mine. Similar to Star Wars, The Lord of the Rings had such a remarkably detailed depth in lore (thank you J.R.R. Tolkein) that I every time I watched it, I willingly let my imagination fill all of the landscapes, as if I were a denizen of Middle-Earth.
My eternal gratitude to Peter Jackson for bringing the richness in text to something so cinematically grand, and at times, beautifully subtle. This is a must watch for me on any holiday. The fact that pre-production started when I was still living on American Samoa (really close to New Zealand) always bugged me –as if, if I had any say in it, I would’ve been on set. A mere teenager (so was Elijah!) living the dream. Story for another entry.
THE FIFTH ELEMENT I know what you’re thinking, “Leelo Dallas, moolti-pass”, right? This movie seems synonymous with that quote, and rightly so! Who could resist the charm Mila Jovovich brought to that bandage strapped extra-terrestrial vixen? It seems to me that Luc Besson really knew what he was doing when he assembled this cast. Bruce Willis? Gary Oldman? Chris Tucker? Wait, Chris Tucker? -Hah, yes, the same Christ Tucker. But don’t worry, his role was of particular interest in this piece. Fitting, even.
This movie fits the bill for the movie I can start, pause, grab a bite to eat, unpause and resume enjoyment. Also note the masterful style of editing in this film. I don’t think it’s credited enough. (I wrote a paper on it in College, heh). If you haven’t seen this gem, I recommend you get your butt over to Netflix (or Redbox) and snag it. Super green?
Those are my top three Holiday movies (and to honest, probably just my top three in general). Upon further probing as to why I picked these three, a couple of interesting themes cropped up: Escapism, Fantasy worlds, epic journeys, outlandish heroes. Definitely noting it for future investigations.
These are my honorable mentions! They all have a special place in my heart.
Do you have your own list of favorite holiday movies? Or just movies in general? Leave a comment below and let me know. I’d love to talk about them!
Or poke me over on Follow @tasialabastro
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