Get Your Popcorn Ready: One Film Buff’s Favorites
In an effort to make this blog more fun and personal – and show there’s much more to security professionals than just DVRs, RMR and ROI – I have added this section to talk about all things not security, mostly pop culture, art, sports and entertainment. To get us started, I thought I would share some top 10 lists of my favorite films by category. Keep in mind that I studied film in college, worked in the entertainment industry and was a movie critic prior to getting into the electronic security industry in 1998. From the late 1970s through 2003, you’d find me in a movie theater at least twice a week. And that celluloid intake only grew with the advent of VCRs, pay TV and later DVDs. What changed after 2003 you ask? I finally became a father! Since then, I am fortunate to get out to the movie theater at all unless it’s a kids flick. Thank goodness for home theater, but it’s even challenging nowadays to find the time for that.
Well, time marches on … speaking of which, here are my top 10 picks (that I can think of at this moment), by category and in no alphabetical order:
DRAMA
American Beauty (1999)
Apocalypse Now (1979)
Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
The French Connection (1971)
The Godfather (1972)
The Godfather: Part II (1974)
Goodfellas (1990)
Pulp Fiction (1994)
Scarface (1983)
Taxi Driver (1976)
SCI-FI / FANTASY
Aliens (1986)
The Dark Knight (2008)
A Clockwork
The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Road Warrior (1981)
The Terminator (1984)
Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
The Warriors (1979)
HORROR / SUSPENSE
Dawn of the Dead (1978)
Evil Dead 2 (1985)
Hellraiser (1987)
Jaws (1975)
A Nightmare on
The Omen (1976)
Re-Animator (1985)
The Ring (2004)
The Shining (1980)
The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
COMEDY
Airplane! (1980)
Blazing Saddles (1974)
A Fish Called Wanda (1988)
The Jerk (1979)
Life of Brian (1979)
Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
Office Space (1999)
Ruthless People (1986)
Superbad (2007)
Trading Places (1983)
That’s it. Agree or disagree? Yeah, I know, none of them date back further than 1968. As you can see, I tend to favor dark themes and intensity rather than mindless entertainment or wildly successful mainstream hits. At the same time, I am not obssessed with small, independent art films either. So then, what would be your choices?
As always, thanks for reading.
Scott Goldfine
Editor-in-Chief
SECURITY SALES & INTEGRATION
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