Also, anything with Cagney, Bogart, or the Duke
I don't want to repeat movies that have been mentioned already, such as The Lord of the Rings ( no surprise there, eh?
) or The Godfather.
Each of the following 10 favorites demonstrates at least one outstanding characteristic in filmmaking*:
The Magnificent Seven (best theme music ever)
Big Jake (best "waning days of the Old West" concept)
Planes, Trains & Automobiles (best non-Christmas holiday movie)
Wonder Woman (best superhero movie because it favors plot over action)
Back to the Future (best time travel paradox)
The Terminator (best thriller, plus brilliant time travel paradox)
Borat (best candid camera movie)
American Graffiti (best use of soundtrack)
The Exorcist (greatest horror concept possible)
Fiddler on the Roof (best Musical)
I know these are among my favorites because I have watched them time and time again.
* Notice how I used the word "filmmaking"? I'm such a geek! You folks will never know how fiercely I had to restrain myself from hijacking the thread into a discussion of abstruse movie topics of interest to no one else: character, motivation, lighting, foley, staging, etc. No wonder I'm a thread killer!