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alecthemovieguy · 1 year

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40 years, 40 movies: My life through film

On Feb. 16, I’m turning 40. In honor of this milestone birthday, I chose my favorite movie (and a runner-up) for each year of my existence.

Some years were easy, as there was an obvious personal choice. Others, like 1994 or 1999 which are among the greatest years in film history, proved far more difficult.

What I discovered was there’s literally hundreds of movies I love from the past 40 years but my favorites are the ones that made the most impact and I, unequivocally, adore. The results are deeply autobiographical, so join me on a four-part journey exploring the movies that shaped who I am.

COURTESY OF 20TH CENTURY FOX

1983: “Return of the Jedi”

It was perhaps inevitable that I would become a “Star Wars” fan. I was named after Obi-Wan actor Alec Guinness. As my parents only had a VHS copy of “Return of the Jedi,” it was my first introduction to “Star Wars.” Given the episodic, serialized nature of the movies, I was able to just drop into the next adventure and fall in love with R2-D2, C3PO, Luke, Han and Leia. (Runner-up: “National Lampoon’s Vacation”)

COURTESY OF SONY PICTURES

1984: “Ghostbusters”

“Ghostbusters” remains one of the defining franchises for me. Movies, cartoons, comics, toys, clothes, it has been an obsession since I was a little boy. My baby teeth marks were on the box of the VHS tape my parents owned. My first day of kindergarten became less traumatic when I found two boys playing Ghostbusters and they invited me to join them. They already picked Peter (Bill Murray) and Ray (Dan Akyroyd), leaving me with the nerdy Egon (Harold Ramis). I was disappointed. Now I’m totally Team Egon. (Runner-up: “The Neverending Story”)

COURTESY OF UNIVERSAL PICTURES

1985: “Back to the Future”

This is another seminal film from my childhood and typically my default answer for my favorite movie. The idea of time travel sparked my imagination as a child. I used to run around my backyard as a kid, humming Alan Silvestri’s theme, imagining I was traveling through time with Christopher Lloyd’s Doc Brown. I’ve lost count how many times I’ve watched the film, but the final act still fully engages me every time. (Runner-up: “The Breakfast Club”)

COURTESY OF PARAMOUNT PICTURES

1986: “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”

Any child coming of age in the 1980s and 1990s was hugely affected by the teen films of John Hughes, who was able to perfectly capture the angst of growing up. “Ferris Bueller” was the ultimate kid fantasy: Skipping school for a day in the city with your friends. Better yet, Ferris manages to outsmart all the adults, including snooty waiters, parents and the principal. As a kid, Matthew Broderick’s Ferris felt like the embodiment of cool. As an adult, it is undeniable that the anxiety-ridden Cameron (Alan Ruck) is my avatar. (Runner-up: “Labyrinth”)

COURTESY OF MGM

1987: “Spaceballs”

I had a major Mel Brooks phase in my adolescence. I even held a party dedicated to watching Brooks films. I vividly remember my friend Rebecca Howland telling me “The Producers” was good, but not as good as “2001” (the film it beat for Best Original Screenplay). Only four Brooks films have been released in my lifetime. Of those four, “Spaceballs” is the one I’ve revisited the most because its inspired lunacy is perfectly delivered by its cast, including Bill Pullman, John Candy, Rick Moranis and Brooks, himself, in dual roles. (Runner-up: “The Princess Bride”)

COURTESY OF TOUCHSTONE PICTURES

1988: “Who Framed Roger Rabbit”

This was a mind-blowing film for a kid. It was the first and only time Disney and Warner Bros. characters interacted together. It remains the definite seamless blend of live-action and animated characters. But the biggest mindfreak to my little brain was that Christopher Lloyd, my beloved Doc Brown from “Back to the Future,” was the evil Judge Doom. Years later, while studying film in college, I would write an essay exploring the film’s take on the film noir genre. (Runner-up: “Beetlejuice”)

COURTESY OF 20TH CENTURY PICTURES

1989: “Say Anything”

Anyone who knows me, knows that I’m a big Batman fan, so it probably seems insane that my No. 1 choice for 1989 isn’t Tim Burton’s “Batman.” Here’s the thing, I’m also a huge fan of actor John Cusack and writer/director Cameron Crowe. If you need any indication of how much I love this movie, “Say Anything” is tattooed on my right arm. “Say Anything” is the definitive 1980s teen romance with Lloyd Dobler being the ideal model of a boyfriend. (Runner-up: “Batman”)

COURTESY OF NEW LINE CINEMA

1990: “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles”

There was a time when the ninja turtles were my everything. I had a tape with a couple of episodes of the cartoon that featured a trailer for the live-action film. I loved the cartoon but this was different. It was dark and atmospheric like the comic books that inspired the cartoon and toys, and the Jim Henson-created turtles looked real. The film deepened my love. I had a cassette of the film’s theme song, “Turtle Rhapsody” that I danced to constantly in my room. (Runner-up: “Tremors”)

COURTESY OF ORION PICTURES

1991: “Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey”

I vacillated on what my first choice and runner up would be for 1991. I nearly chose “Addams Family,” but I prefer its 1993 sequel “Addams Family Values.” Alas, a certain dinosaur movie claimed that year. Ultimately, I went with another sequel that actually improves upon its predecessor. Sequels almost always just repeat the formula of the original, but “Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey” largely throws out the time travel antics of “Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure” and goes on a bonkers adventure through heaven and hell featuring evil robots and an alien named Station. (Runner-up: “Addams Family”)

COURTESY OF PARAMOUNT

1992: “Wayne’s World”

On the surface, Wayne and Garth (Mike Myers and Dana Carvey) are clones of the dim-witted headbangers Bill and Ted, but “Wayne’s World” has more of a satirical edge than the “Bill and Ted” movies, with Wayne providing fourth-wall breaking commentary throughout that mocks filmmaking cliches. I’m a big “Saturday Night Live” fan, and this was my gateway to the show. My friend, Caleb Ring, had a camera and we recreated scenes as “Caleb’s World” and “Alec’s World.” Maybe they still exist in a dusty box somewhere. (Runner-up: “Reservoir Dogs”)

COURTESY OF UNIVERSAL

1993: “Jurassic Park”

At 10 years old, I remember a mixture of excitement and nervousness about seeing Steven Spielberg’s adaptation of Michael Crichton’s sci-fi novel about a dinosaur theme park gone awry. I wanted to see, but would it be too scary? I vividly remember sitting in a darkened theater watching the T-Rex attack. I was scared but also mesmerized by the groundbreaking dinosaur effects. It was also my introduction to Jeff Goldblum, and he has made my life better ever since. (Runner-up: “Mrs. Doubtfire”)

COURTESY OF MIRAMAX

1994: “Clerks”

“Clerks” wasn’t my first introduction to writer/director Kevin Smith (that was 1999’s “Dogma”), but working at both a convenience and video store, the plight of its New Jersey clerks spoke to me. I would even write my own script set in a video store that years later I would convert into a play that was performed in a New York theater festival. Last year, I was lucky enough to interview Smith and tell him that. (Runner-up: “Pulp Fiction”)

COURTESY OF DISNEY

1995: “A Goofy Movie”

Goofy has always been my favorite Disney cartoon character. This movie is significant because it is the first movie review I ever wrote. It was an assignment for sixth-grade English. I received an A, which sent me down the path to where I am today. It still remains one of my favorite movies for its strong father-son story, offbeat humor and the excellent songs by the fictional popstar Powerline. (Runner-up: “Before Sunrise”)

COURTESY OF DIMENSION

1996: “Scream”

Growing up, I wasn’t a horror kid. I was more likely to watch the Muppets take Manhattan than Jason. But by 1996, I was already a fan of Mel Brooks and Monty Python and had a growing understanding of parody. The idea of “Scream” being both a satire and an example of the slasher genre intrigued me. The humor made the scares more palatable and piqued my interest into further exploration of the horror genre. (Runner-up: “Jerry Maguire”)

HOLLYWOOD PICTURES

1997: “Grosse Pointe Blank”

For years, John Cusack was my celebrity man crush because he was the perfect balance of vulnerability, sarcastic wit and nonchalant coolness. All of that is on display here as Martin Blank, a hitman who decides to go to his 10-year high school reunion. Also, I often discover music from movies, and this film’s killer soundtrack (pun intended) introduced me to a lot of great punk and New Wave music, including The Clash’s “Rudie Can’t Fail,” The Violent Femme’s “Blister in the Sun” and The English Beat’s “Mirror in the Bathroom.” (Runner-up: “Good Will Hunting”)

COURTESY OF PARAMOUNT

1998: “The Truman Show”

Like many ’90s kids, I became obsessed with Jim Carrey’s style of comedy. I drove my family crazy shouting catch phrases like “allllll righty then” and “ssssssmokin’.” But ‘The Truman Show” was different. It was still funny, but in a more subtle, satirical way, and showed that Carrey had dramatic range. I was 15 when it came out, and it made me feel clever that I was able to pick up on the film’s commentary. (Runner-up: “The Wedding Singer”)

COURTESY OF FOX 2000 PICTURES

1999: “Fight Club”

My love of social critique and satire continued to grow with “Fight Club.” I clearly remember watching “Fight Club” in a theater and my jaw literally dropping upon getting to the big twist. Not many people saw “Fight Club” in theaters, so my friends didn’t believe me when I said it was great, especially since I couldn’t explain why without spoiling it. It’s a film that not only holds up to repeat viewing but benefits from it as there are Easter eggs hidden throughout. (Runner up: ”Dogma”)

COURTESY OF COLUMBIA PICTURES

2000: “Almost Famous”

Around this time, I made a decision that I wanted to be a film critic, so Cameron Crowe’s autobiographical film about a teenage rock journalist in the 1970s hit me in all the right places. The protagonist is an awkward, geeky kid in love with and in awe of the rock world and that was me with movies. When I became a journalist, I only learned to love this movie more for everything it gets absolutely right. (Runner up: “High Fidelity”)

COURTESY OF UNIVERSAL

2001: “Josie and the Pussycats”

There are absolutely better films that came out in 2001 but I continue to stand by this silly satire of the music industry and consumerism. I’ve been a defender of this film since it came out. I even had the poster up in my college dorm room. It did not make me cool but, in a just world it would have. The original songs are genuinely great, and the cast, especially Alan Cumming as a villainous record label flunky, is perfect. (Runner up “The Royal Tenenbaums”)

COURTESY OF UNITED ARTISTS

2002: “Igby Goes Down”

Growing up in rural Maine, I didn’t have access to a lot of independent films, but that changed when I went to Keene State College to study film. Keene had two theaters that showed indie films: The Colonial Theatre and the on-campus Putnam Theatre. “Igby Goes Down” was one of the films I fell in love with while at KSC. It’s essentially a modern riff on “The Catcher in the Rye,” but with a more likable lead played by Kieran Culkin. There’s also an amazing supporting cast, including Susan Sarandon, Jeff Goldblum, Bill Pullman, Claire Danes, Ryan Phillippe, Amanda Peet and Jared Harris. (Runner up: “About a Boy”)

COURTESY OF LIONSGATE

2003: “Shattered Glass”

While at Keene State College, I was able to go to collegiate journalism conventions. At one of them, there was an early screening of “Shattered Glass,” which tells the story of Stephen Glass (Hayden Christensen), a journalist who fabricated dozens of articles while working at The New Republic. The film instilled in me a desire to be an ethical journalist with integrity. It also has one of my all-time favorite lines: “If I were to throw a party where all we did was play Monopoly, would you guys come?” It’s absolutely something I’d say. I just wish that it wasn’t said by Glass. (Runner-up: “Lost in Translation”)

COURTESY OF WORKING TITLE

2004: “Shaun of the Dead”

Edgar Wright has become one of my favorite directors for how perfectly constructed all his films are. His first film, a zombie movie set in England that he co-wrote with star Simon Pegg, is the ideal genre blend of horror, comedy, romantic comedy and drama. This is the first film in what became dubbed the Cornetto trilogy, a trio of genre-bending films directed by Wright and starring Pegg and Nick. While it is mostly played for laughs, the dramatic moments hit hard every single time. (Runner-up: “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind”)

COURTESY OF DREAMWORKS

2005: “Wallace and Gromit and the Curse of the Were-Rabbit”

I was already a big fan of the stop-motion animation Wallace and Gromit shorts, so I was thrilled the English human and dog duo were making their feature film debut. I was in England getting my master’s in journalism at the University of Westminster when the film was in theaters. I went to visit my friend Natalie Toy in Hull to see it, and watching a film that is so thoroughly British in England is a memory I cherish. (Runner-up: “Batman Begins”)

COURTESY OF SONY PICTURES

2006: “Stranger Than Fiction”

This is a film that takes a high-concept — a man (Will Ferrell) suddenly finds his mundane life the subject of a voice-over narration only he can hear — and executes it with humor, heart and intelligence. A dialed back Ferrell gives one of his best performances, and he’s surrounded by a great cast, including Emma Thompson, Dustin Hoffman, Queen Latifah, Tony Hale and Maggie Gyllenhaal. The film features some of my favorite romantic moments, including Ferrell playing and singing “Whole Wide World” on guitar and giving “flours” to Gyllenhaal’s baker character. (Runner-up: “Little Miss Sunshine”)

COURTESY OF DREAMWORKS

2007: “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street”

Tim Burton’s film adaptation of Stephen Sondheim’s musical about a vengeful barber (Johnny Depp) and his partnership with the baker Mrs. Lovett (Helena Bonheim Carter) was my first introduction to the material. While liberties were taken, Burton was the perfect person to transition it from the stage to screen. I immediately fell in love with it. I’ve since seen it on stage three times and had a Sweeney Todd movie marathon with my friend Brian McElhiney in which we uncovered other obscure versions of the story, including one from 1936. (Runner-up: “Juno”)

COURTESY OF WARNER BROS.

2008: “The Dark Knight”

Christopher Nolan's second film in his Batman trilogy is the strongest and is not only one of the best superhero films ever made but a great film regardless of genre. Heath Ledger’s Joker is an iconic film performance for the ages. His performance is the glue that holds the film together, but the rest of the cast, including Aaron Eckhart as Harvey Dent, and the slick storytelling proved that a comic book movie could and should be taken seriously. (Runner-up “Iron Man”)

COURTESY OF PIXAR

2009: “Up”

Pixar has a history of making animated films that make adults cry, but with “Up” they weren’t messing around. The first 10 minutes, which shows the entire course of a relationship, has the power to crack even the most stone-faced viewer. The rest of the film is the charming adventure of a balloon salesman (Ed Asner) who attaches thousands of balloons to his house so he can fly to the mythical Paradise Falls. This film will always have a special place in my heart because it was the theme of my wedding. Adventure is out there everyday with my wife, Ashley. (Runner-up ”Inglourious Basterds”)

COURTESY OF UNIVERSAL

2010: “Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World”

Director and co-writer Edgar Wright’s adaptation of Bryan Lee O’Malley’s six-part graphic novel — a pastiche of comic books, video games, anime, romantic comedies, rock musicals, sitcoms, kung-fu movies and even a dash of Bollywood — immediately spoke to me. I became obsessed. I read the books, played the games, bought the toys, listened to the soundtrack and even got a tattoo of Scott Pilgrim and Ramona Flowers. I connected with it in a way that put it alongside my childhood favorites. As I get older, it only becomes more emotionally resonant. (Runner-up: “TRON: Legacy”)

COURTESY OF SONY PICTURE CLASSICS

2011: “Midnight in Paris”

My relationship with Woody Allen films has become a complicated one. What he may or may not have done in his personal life colors his work, but can you separate the person from the art? I have to because so many of his earlier works helped shape me. This whimsical time travel comedy with Owen Wilson hobnobbing with literary and artistic idols in 1920s Paris is Allen’s last truly great film. It is a funny and thoughtful exploration of nostalgia. (Runner-up: “The Muppets”)

COURTESY OF MARVEL

2012: “The Avengers”

Marvel Studios experiment in creating a shared universe of superheroes paid off with Joss Whedon’s “Avengers,” which brought together Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Captain America (Chris Evans), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) for the first time. For better or worse, Marvel has continued to further expand their cinematic universe and experiment with serialized storytelling in film, but this first crossover event still holds up and is wildly entertaining. (Runner-up: “Looper”)

COURTESY OF WORKING TITLE

2013: “The World’s End”

This the final installment of co-writer/director Edgar Wright’s Cornetto trilogy, a series of genre homages starring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. “The World’s End” lampoons alien invasion films but is also a surprisingly sincere exploration of alcoholism with Pegg’s Gary King trying to recreate the best day of his life: a pub crawl he did with his friends as a teen. This is Wright’s third film on my list. I adore his storytelling and visual style. Everything is carefully constructed and paid off. Plus, I regularly quote the “Let’s boo-boo” line from his film. (Runner-up: “Pacific Rim”)

COURTESY OF FOX SEARCHLIGHT

2014: “The Grand Budapest Hotel”

Idiosyncratic filmmaker Wes Anderson has a style all his own, including eccentric characters, deadpan humor, absurdist flourishes and a mise-en-scene in which everything is framed symmetrically. “Grand Budapest Hotel,” which centers on the misadventures of a hotel lobby boy (Tony Revolori) and a concierge (Ralph Fiennes), is possibly the most distilled version of Anderson’s particular brand of filmmaking. Anderson embraces the ridiculous and finds the beauty in it. (Runner-up: “The Lego Movie”)

COURTESY OF WARNER BROS.

2015: “Mad Max: Fury Road”

Director George Miller returned to the “Mad Max” franchise 30 years after the previous installment, but this is not a shameless cash grab. This is pure action filmmaking of the highest order. “Fury Road” is a visceral, nearly non-stop chase. But this isn’t faceless or mindless action. The film has personality to spare, including a character playing a flame-throwing guitar. As there’s little dialogue, this is also an example of strong visual storytelling. (Runner-up: “Inside Out”)

COURTESY OF SUMMIT

2016: “La La Land”

After coming out of “La La Land,” I posted this on Facebook: “For anyone who has ever created something, done something artistic or has simply been passionate about something, ‘La La Land’ will speak to your soul.” After seeing writer/director Damien Chazelle’s exuberant, funny and ever-so-slightly heartbreaking musical about a jazz musician (Ryan Gosling) and an actress (Emma Stone) trying to find success and love in Los Angeles, I wanted to create. I began rewriting an old script that would eventually be performed in New York City in 2018. (Runner-up: “Yoga Hosers”)

COURTESY OF MARVEL

2017: “Thor: Ragnarok”

This is my favorite film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe thanks to director Taika Waititi providing a much-needed tonal shift to the Thor (Chris Hemsworth) character. Waititi is a quirky filmmaker with an offbeat sense of humor that managed to shake things up at a time when the Marvel formula was starting to become a bit too familiar. “Ragnarok” remembers that comic book movies are supposed to be fun. It is colorful, funny and ridiculous, but also has strong character moments. Plus, Jeff Goldblum at his most Goldblumiest.(Runner-up “Baby Driver”)

COURTESY OF WARNER BROS.

2018: “A Star is Born”

Co-writer/director/star Bradley Cooper’s “A Star is Born” is the fourth filmed version of the story of a fading star meeting and falling in love with an undiscovered talent (Lady Gaga), and using what pull he has left to make her a star. The first 30 minutes are pretty much perfect and the rest of the film builds on that promise. I’ve only seen the film once and I can still vividly visualize scenes and the emotions attached to them. (Runner-up “A Simple Favor”)

COURTESY OF COLUMBIA PICTURES

2019: “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”

Writer/director Quentin Tarantino is one of my favorite filmmakers. I even taught a class on him for the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. “Once Upon a Time,” Tarantino’s love letter to Hollywood in 1969, is basically a hang-out movie centered on a has-been TV actor (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his stuntman (Brad Pitt). In the background, Tarantino offers a revisionist history of the Manson family. It’s rich with location and character detail, and is both hilarious and unexpectedly poignant. (Runner-up: “Booksmart”)

COURTESY OF WARNER BROS.

2020: “Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn”

Margot Robbie’s portrayal of Harley Quinn was the best thing in 2016’s “Suicide Squad,” but this film is what made Harley one of my favorite DC characters and led to a further exploration of the character. Robbie is joined by an assortment of strong female heroes, including Black Canary (Jurnee Smollett-Bell), The Huntress (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) and detective Renee Montoya (Rosie Perez) to face off against the sadistic Black Mask (Ewan McGregor). This is the first comic book film directed and written by women, and the strong female perspective makes it unique and vital. (Runner-up: “Freaky”)

COURTESY OF SONY PICTURES

2021: “Ghostbusters: Afterlife”

As previously mentioned, “Ghostbusters” has been a huge part of my life, so I was thrilled when this long-awaited second sequel was announced. (For the record, I do genuinely love the 2015 remake). While the original ghostbusters only make a cameo appearance, this is a loving tribute to the late Harold Ramis (who co-wrote the first two films and starred as Egon) that passes the torch to a group of kid ghostbusters led by the amazing Mckenna Grace. This is nostalgia done right. Plenty of laughs, action and, yes, tears. (Runner-up: “The Mitchells Vs. the Machines”)

COURTESY OF A24

2022: “Everything Everywhere All at Once”

This completely bonkers multiverse adventure is difficult to describe but is a fully engrossing mix of sci-fi, martial arts, comedy and family drama. It is a terrific showcase for Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan and Stephanie Hsu. Its sincerely sold themes of optimism, kindness and love gives it weight and heart. Quan was in “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom” and “The Goonies” in the 1980s, but hadn’t acted in 30 years. He’s so good here, it makes me sad that we missed on decades of performances from him. (Runner-up: “Glass Onion”)

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