Everyone has that one movie. That one experience that they just can’t get enough of. Unlike various other addictions such as chocolate and crack cocaine though, the only thing that movies will kill is some time. These are the films that we love, that we quote by heart and never get tired of watching.
Here’s ten such movies that have been burnt into our sub-conscious. And VHS tapes.
True story: Scientists developing new formats with which to store movies need to pass a “Kervyn” test to see how much their film can be watched over and over again before sending it off into the market. Braveheart just hit all the right notes when it was released. Mel Gibson was crazy enough to pass as Scotsman, the historical inaccuracies were swept under the rug and the film was home to some of the most incredible battle scenes yet commited to celluloid.
And it also made s fearful that on our wedding days, someone would claim the right of Primae Noctis.
I loved that Starship Troopers, just did not give a crap about the source material and it’s hidden messages about fascism. This was a war movie, and it was good for something. For once, there was no grey area when it came to humanity fighting a never-ending war against the buggy inhabitants of Klendathu, as several storylines about young soldiers enlisting to save their species.
And it’s the kind of movie that just never gets boring. From the outpost battles, boot camps and spaceship wars, Starship Troopers kept the action constant and the visual effects from back then still look fantastic today. Do you want to know more?
Jay and Silent Bob strike back
Quite simply my favourite film on this least, for the fact that I always find something new to chuckle at when I watch it. Fourth wall breaking, crude humour, clever humour and a stick that director Kevin Smith firmly uses to poke fun at everything he has ever done or Hollywood itself, Jay and Silent Bob strike back is the kind of movie that is always welcome amongst friends and will have your group shouting random quotes at the screen during its run.
Nowadays, Guy Ritchie is still known as that bloke who directs gangster movies, but when he unleashed this gem in the previous decade, it’s hard to see why he couldn’t exactly distance himself from that crime legacy. Snatch is a masterpiece, filled with various threads, characters and situations that combine into one payoff that is worth the time and effort to sit through. And it just gets better with each return to ye olde London.
This was a hard choice. While Rambo films are fantastic in general, First Blood and Rambo 3 are definitely the best of the franchise. But Rambo 3 wins, because it just encompassed the best of the 1980s action scene. It’s balls to the wall action with a reluctant hero, sent to rescue a friend and free a nation from the Soviet grip of terror, one explosive arrow at a time. But it’s just so damn well shot, from the Muhajadeen horse battles through to that final stand-off where Rambo himself uses a tank to joust with a Russian HIND-D gunship, amidst that iconic orchestral theme.
It was the most violent Rambo film at the time, with the 1990 Guinness book of world records saying that it had 221 acts of violence, 70 explosions, and over 108 characters killed on-screen. A record that would stand…until John Rambo surpassed it completely.
Tenacious D: The Pick of Destiny
If you happen to call yourself a fan of rock music and don’t listen to Tenacious D, then you’re missing out on one of the very best rock duos in history. But how did Kyle Gass and Jables come together in order to redefine a genre with slick licks and radical riffs? Why, The Pick of Destiny answered that question.
Part comedy, part musical and all rock, it’s a solid film that was made with passion and the amount of fun that the actors had onscreen directly translated into the movie itself, making it an underrated cult hit.
If there’s one thing that I blame Eurotrip for, it’s for making European train trips a terror-filled journey where I remain cautious that a well-dressed Italian man might try and rape me. But if you’ve been to Europe, then this is the kind of film that’ll have your eyes scanning every single detail. And I love it. Beyond the educational tour though, it’s just plain fun and the cast if cameos and extras never disappoints.
Mi scusi!
If there’s one martial arts flick that defined my childhood, it was Bloodsport several years after it was released. Sorry The Quest. But this was Van Damme in one of his finest breakout roles. Lean, mean and not sporting that wierd knob on his temple, Bloodpsort is the rock concert of martial arts films as it trades convoluted story aspects for radical spin kicks and some slick tournament action.
Indiana Jones: Raiders of the lost ark
Everyone has their favourite Indiana Jones film (The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is mine and wait Kervyn put down the crowbar NO HELP AAAARGH HELP ME!), but everyone will most likely have seen the first film at least a couple of times. It set the benchmark for the Indiana Jones films, before annoying sidekicks and bastard children watered down the experience. Harrison Ford as a snake-hating archaeologist with a whip was never better than in this debut adventure, from a time when Hollywood valued original film ideas.
I think until Independence Day came along, movies had been in a dazed lull for a couple of years. Sure, Jurassic Park had brought back the summer blockbuster, but everything from then on felt…boring. And then Independence Day arrived. Brash, loud and not needing a viral marketing campaign in order to drum up hype, it was clear that the majority of the budget had been spent on the film and not actor salaries. It’s still one of the best disaster movies ever made, and it set the tone for big summer movies for years to come.
Last Updated: July 11, 2013
Jonah Cash
July 11, 2013 at 15:49
Hahahaha!! Watched Starship Troopers on Monday!!! I would add Maverick!! My wife hates this movie by now, whenever I work in front of the TV I have this on…. And then also my favourite movie of all time…… Gladiator…. Yeah I know…..
Trevor Davies
July 11, 2013 at 15:50
Don’t feel bad, it’s one of my favourites too.
Major Commodore 64 Darryn B
July 11, 2013 at 16:04
Maverick was there, believe me. If I had time to expand the list, I would have included it easily.
Trevor Davies
July 11, 2013 at 15:50
Hot Shots 1 & 2!
Captain Minion TallTwit
July 11, 2013 at 15:51
Tenacious D: The Pick of Destiny!!!!!
Skyblue
July 11, 2013 at 15:51
Scotty doesn’t know!
Need to add a few which I can never turn off if they’re screening and I accidentally tune into the channel:
Aliens
The Wedding Singer
Predator
Gladiator
Blade Runner
Goodfella’s
Scarface
Slade Boender
July 11, 2013 at 16:13
Defo Blade Runner.
Slade Boender
July 11, 2013 at 16:12
I’d do 4 of em. But massive big’up on JAY AND SILENT BOB. MACK MACK MACK…
KingKappie
July 11, 2013 at 16:19
you all missed the best one
the boondocks saints 1 & 2
Kervyn Cloete
July 11, 2013 at 17:12
BS1, yes. 2? Hell to the no!
James Francis
July 12, 2013 at 12:51
I like to watch the second one as a reminder on how to make a terrible movie.
Kromas
July 12, 2013 at 07:38
I need to go get a flux capacitor so I can get the 1.21 Gigawatts of power for my time machine to go back in time and change your list. WHY NO BACK TO THE FUTURE!
Jonah Cash
July 12, 2013 at 08:21
That was a fun series of movies!!!
Kromas
July 12, 2013 at 08:53
You know MJF is making a comedy TV series.
James Francis
July 12, 2013 at 12:50
Damn, we’ll have to agree to disagree on some of these… Also, I’m peeved that you didn’t put Caddyshack and Don’t Be A Menace in the first two spots…