As of today, I've watched and rated 3,800 movies, assigning each a numerical rating 1 (a waste of life) and 9 (loved it). Of course, this rating took place over many many years and I can't claim that my ratings have been consistent over the long haul; I'm sure that my tastes have changed during this journey. But although I'd like to, I can't watch all 3,800 movies over again to try and be more consistent, so for what it's worth, here is the list of the 70-or-so movies I've rated 9, followed by the 320-or-so-next-best films I've rated as 8.
I generally favor movies that are heavy in the plot department, but have slowly moved toward art-house films in recent years.
To rate a movie highly (that is, rate it as if I'd really enjoy watching it again, which is what my rating of 8 means), it has to have at least one of the following: a great plot, gorgeous photography, be a musical, contain beautiful music such as the way Kubrick used music, be a great science-fiction movie, or include anything about Italy, or especially Rome, for which I'm a total slut. I'm not at all adverse to non-American films; many of my 320-or-so-next-best films are black-and-white subtitled films. So if you're still reading and these things also tickle your fancy, here are my favorite 390-or-so movies out of the 3,800 I've watched.
I welcome you to email Jeff.Bondono@gmail.com with any comments on my choices.
My Favorite 60 or so Movies, listed alphabetically
(subtitled) Cinema Paradiso: A sweet love story to the movies, about a very young boy whose father was killed at war but was given fatherly love by Alfredo, the movie theater projectionist in his small town in Sicily. He idolizes Alfredo and the movies he shows and grows to replace him as projectionist after an accident forces Alfredo into retirement. He finds love but it’s ended abruptly by the girl’s parents who don’t think he’s good enough for her. He serves in the military and comes back to town disillusioned. We jump forward 30 years to when he’s a successful film maker in Rome and receives a call that Alfredo has died, whereupon he returns to his hometown to attend the funeral, reminisce and receive a gift from Alfredo. Bring kleenex. If you're reading this you probably love movies, as I most assuredly do, so you owe it to yourself to watch this love story to the movies.
(subtitled) La Dolce Vita: Just a great glimpse of 1960's Rome, the story of a stale reporter attempting to enjoy 'the sweet life', but not really enjoying anything at all. Great Italian music, plus, a thousand bonus points just for being an Italian movie set in Rome.
(subtitled) The Great Beauty: You've made it to my absolute favorite movie of all time (so far). It's a love story to Rome, with gorgeous cinematography, an incredible soundtrack, and all-to-brief visits to many of the incredibly beautiful places I love in Rome. I wish I could meet Stefano, who has the keys to all the best places in Rome. And if none of this was enough, this movie has the best, most peaceful closing credits in any movie from any era. This is modern Italian cinema at its very best. Plus, a thousand bonus points just for being an Italian movie. If I've convinced one reader to watch this movie, then I'm happy, because this movie deserves to be watched over and over again.
In case you agree with my list of favorite movies, here are my 300-or-so-next-best films that you might also enjoy, again listed alphabetically (The best 34 in this bunch are in bold font)
(subtitled) The Adventure (L'Avventura): First movie in the series about alienation (L'Avventura, La Notte, L'Eclisse, Red Desert) by Antonioni. A group of friends takes a yacht to a small uninhabited volcanic island. One of the women disappears. Her girlfriend and boyfriend hook up, but he's unwilling to commit. Loaded with gorgeous photography, superb compositions, and a quite beautiful leading lady.
(subtitled) The Bicycle Thieves: Great story of the desperation of a man struggling against society in post- WW II Rome.
(subtitled) Divorce Italian Style: A 40-year-old Sicilian man wants to divorce his wife since he now loves a 20-year-old hottie, but of course, divorce is not allowed in Catholic Italy. So he sets her up to cheat on him with the intent to kill her in a fit of rage and get a short jail term for the crime of passion, then marry the hottie.
(subtitled) 8 1/2: The surrealistically-told story of a film director with director’s block, who is under pressure to make a movie but has no idea what it’s about, who the characters are, who the actors will be, or what they will say, constructed from episodes from Fellini’s lifetime, with dreams and fantasies seamlessly interwoven with reality.
(subtitled) Le Notti Bianche: Romantic story of a love triangle, with superb filming and compositions, beautiful sound track, and some unforgettable scenes, set in a small neighborhood of Venice.
(subtitled) Il Postino: A simple Italian postman develops a friendship and learns to love poetry while delivering mail to a famous poet, and then uses this to woo local beauty Beatrice.
(subtitled) Seduced and Abandoned: Superb Italian comedy about a Sicilian father whose 15-year-old daughter was impregnated by his older daughter’s fiance, and tries to salvage the family’s honor.
(subtitled) Il Sorpasso: A loud-mouthed intensely dislikable braggart takes a shy introverted law student on a very humorous 2-day road-trip through Rome to the Tuscan countryside, visiting relatives and friends, convincing him to enjoy life the way the braggart does. Will they ever make it back to Rome?
(subtitled) The Tree of Wooden Clogs: A gorgeous and very slow-paced view of a year in the life of several families of Italian farm peasants who live in landlord-provided housing at the end of the 1800s. Their daily routines are shown in detail, one young son becomes among the first sent to school, a marriage and wedding night in a convent results in an orphan being adopted the next day. They gather at night to tell horrific stories and scare each other silly, breaking out in laughter. I found their lives fascinating to learn about, and felt at the end like I knew these people very well. A second watching 4 years later made me like it even more.
(subtitled) Umberto D: A retired man apparently cast-out by society struggles to survive financially in Rome, along with his dog Flick.
(subtitled) The White Sheik: An early Fellini comedy, in which a newlywed wife leaves her husband for an hour to meet a movie star she admires, until it turns into much more than an hour.