Your All Time Favourite Movies

Someone recently asked me what my all time favourite movies were. I've watched a whole lot of movies in my fifty years so I had to think about this for a bit.

To qualify as an all-time favourite for me, the movie has to be special from several different perspectives - have a very good story and characters, excellent cinematography and effects, be highly entertaining and have an overall message that touches the heart. I also find myself drawn to storylines that are somewhat historic or have some historical leaning.

Based on these criteria. I reckon my top 3 English-language movies (not necessarily in order) are:

*  Gandhi

*  The Shawshank Redemption, and

*  The Last Samurai

I must say that a close fourth for me is Bernardo Bertolucci's "The Last Emperor". And if I could squeeze in a fifth, it might be either "The Day of the Jackal" or "Spartacus" that might just make it.

Well, at least at this point in time, I think these are my favourites. If I think of some other great movie tomorrow, I might still revise my list ;-)  

What about you? Share YOUR all-time favourite movies.

Soundtrack of Your Life

Movies have soundtracks, the background music or score that accompanies the visual action. Sometimes it is referred to as the theme music.

When it is done well, we tend to remember the soundtrack from a movie for a long, long time.

For instance, from the classic "The Wizard of Oz" (1939), I'd say many of us would remember the song "Somewhere over the Rainbow".

I also bet you can whistle the theme music from the war movie "The Bridge over River Kwai" (1957) or the western "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" (1966).

And what about that tearjerker "Love Story" (1970) ? Then there's the theme music of "The Godfather" (1972), "Star Wars" (1977) and "Forrest Gump" (1994) which are so memorable.

Your children would probably know the theme music from the Harry Potter movies.

Someone once asked me: what is the soundtrack of your life? Like the soundtrack of a movie, the music might go high or low, faster or slower, louder or softer based on the significant events of your life. Think about it for a moment. What is the soundtrack of your life?

Action Stars from TV ?

Take a look at this old photo from 1973.

Doesn't it remind you a little of a popular TV series that we used to watch in the 70's ... (and which also got revived in a recent movie)  ?

Do you know which one I'm referring to ?

Cast your mind back to popular TV series from those days - the one with two guys and a car ... a cop series ... lots of action ... lots of shootouts ... lots of car chases ...

Yes, I'm referring of course to Starsky and Hutch ...

Here's the original with David Soul and Paul Michael Glaser ...

Or even the new 2004 movie with Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson ...

Now turn up your computer volume and enjoy this short video clip, which is bound to bring back memories ...

So John & Jensen, which one of you is Starsky and which Hutch ?

Remembering BRUCE LEE

Yesterday was the 36th anniversary of the death of Bruce Lee Xiao Loong. His untimely death on 20th July 1973 shocked his fans all over the world.

xx

Bruce Lee was a martial artist extraordinaire, philosopher, actor, director, and writer. He made five movies - The Big Boss (1971), Fist of Fury (1972), Way of the Dragon (1972), Enter the Dragon (1973) and The Game of Death (1978). I'm sure many of us have watched each of these classic films umpteen times. He was also the creator of a new martial arts style called Jeet Kune Do, and had many celebrities as his students.

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In short, Bruce Lee was a cultural icon of our time. Many of us boys were fans back in the 1970s, and even today many still hold him in high esteem. (C'mon, admit it now - how many of you still have his poster on your wall or somewhere?)

xx

He is buried at Lake View Cemetery, Seattle, USA.

xxx