After seeing this film at Hot Docs this year my immediate response to it was, “This needs to be on My 10,” but I never add a movie to My 10 right away. Otherwise it would change constantly and I would have horrible reasons for it like, “Ooooh, but it was SOOOOO funny.” In this case, however, the film has stuck with me so much that I believe everyone should, in fact, see this movie, even if I need to accept that not everyone will be able to.

The Cove is a brilliant film for a lot of reasons, but none so much as the fact that the filmmakers did not expect you to immediately stop eating fish of all kinds, join the OPS  (Oceanic Protection Society) and start boycotting all things Japanese. In fact, I think that the filmmakers would believe that to be a failure. Instead it aims to educate you about this particular issue (in this case the slaughter of 23,000 dolphins per year for no purpose whatsoever) and asks that you look at your own life to see what you’re passionate about, what you think is wrong and then go do something about that. Instead of forcing down your throat the mentality that this-is-an-issue-why-are-you-still-sitting-there-stpuid-people-go-do-something. It is simply a film about a something. Come. Sit. Watch. Be educated. What you decide to do is your own business.

The Cove is a moving and heartbreaking story with some very real, very passionate people in it. I firmly believe that this film is groundbreaking in what it achieved and what it brought out to be seen by thousands. Rather than the “I’ll get you this time…” fist-shaking posturing of documentaries made by the likes of Michael Moore, this film simply leads you down the garden path until you’re ready to see that what’s happening is bad. Really bad.

Now, not everyone will be able to see this movie. While I didn’t watch the footage at the end, I know that there were some very heartbreaking and graphic scenes that not everyone will be able to handle, even if you avert your eyes for the last 20 minutes. And that is why, this is one of 10 movies I believe you should see before you die.

Dogtown and Z-Boys is the movie that ‘Lords of Dogtown’ wanted to be. It’s the documentary by Stacy Peralta, one of the Z-Boys of the title, that explores how the skateboarding movement started. It’s brilliant.

Being created by one of the “original three” (Stacy Peralta, Jay Adams and Tony Alva) it has the most unique quality: It can make someone who doesn’t know anything about skateboarding *care* about skateboarding. Let me say it again: This movie made me CARE about skateboarding! No, I didn’t go out and buy a board, I don’t have a death wish, but it moves with such tender momentum that can only come from someone who was there that you can’t help but fall in love with the passion, if nothing else. Beyond this, the movie is technically excellent. Well written and toned, it explores the birth of the movement in a way that it easy to understand for everyone, but technical enough to make you feel like an insider. Special attention was paid to the editing on this movie and it’s stunning. The kinetic feeling you get – even watching this on a 27″ tube TV – is incredible. I’m actually not sure why so few people have seen this movie, but it’s not just a favorite, it’s a must in my book, which is why it’s on this list. Go watch it. You’ll be surprised.

Don’t worry. I can hear your groan. Let me explain.

I feel that in the interests of fairness, there needs to be a movie from each genre on this list. I don’t have this expectation for the Lists of Others, only my own. In this case, it’s the ‘ROM-COM’, or more properly, the romantic comedy. There is literally a river of these movies from which I could choose and there were a number of candidates, but I had to choose the one that spoke to me the most.

I think that Notting Hill was probably the most realistic portrayal of what it’s like to fall hopelessly in love when you don’t intend to I’ve ever seen on screen. I realize that, technically speaking, we never ‘intend’ to fall in love, however, it’s a different experience when it simply happens, rather than putting your self out there for it.

The characters in this movie are, simply put, completely unrealistic and the circumstances are even more unrealistic, but if you can pull yourself back from the ‘devices’ for a moment, there is a very sweet, simple love story hidden in this movie. Everything from Hugh Grant’s family’s realities to Julia Roberts’ esteem issues rings true to many a relationship I’ve encountered. Life isn’t simple. It’s messy, it’s gory, it’s heartbreaking and it’s hilarious. It’s just that none of us are a bookseller and a movie star trying to make a go of it, we’re regular people who can absolutely relate to the words:

“I’m also just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her.”

The only possible competition for this film on my list would have been “Love, Actually”, but as beautiful as it was, it was an exploration of the different types of love that exist in the world and that it’s important to notice them. Notting Hill, however, is a movie about the pain and obstacles involved in loving another person, and so, when you watch see it through those eyes. But you *should* watch.

Zombie movies. There had to be one. At least.

You see, of all of the horror genre the zombie movie is the most subversive. It’s the most political and, often, it’s the scariest. Zombies eat human flesh not because they need to, but because they want to. But many zombie movies, when done well, are not actually about zombies. Often they’re about what humans do to one another in the face of such a horrible fate for mankind. George A. Romero started this best with Dawn of the Dead [author's note: Night of the Living Dead came first, but it was Dawn that captured America's imagination], the first of a great horror trilogy (Dawn, Day and Night of the Living), but at the heart of Romero’s great movie is that in the face of horrible circumstances people will do unspeakable things to one another. And those who can, will band together, but mostly everyone will die. Dawn of the Dead put a small group of people together in a shopping mall for better or for worse. During their time there they are attacked by people, not zombies, and it all ends very badly. But when you were done not only were you scared out of your gourd, but you also knew that the basic facts of the movie, while inflated and catalyzed, were likely to be true. Much like Mad Max and The Road Warrior, where the circumstances feel just a little too real while set in a completely unrealistic world. It hits us in a place we don’t often want to go.

28 Days Later took the best of what Romero created and built on it. It showed us something new and completely reinvigorated interst in a genre. For that reason alone, I’ve chosen THIS horror movie, from many, to be on my List.

So for those of you who not only know me, but have ready any of this blog, you’ll know that this is a no brainer. I saw this movie WELL after the buzz had died and it had been cruelly passed over by the Academy but as soon as I saw it I knew that it would be a staple in my life for always. Not only is this a film making masterpiece, it’s also the only post-apocalyptic movie I’ve seen in the last 10 years that gave me *hope* when I was finished. It was beautiful, haunting and is not to be missed.

This movie belongs on my list for no other reason than it made me realize the power of something as simple, beautiful and haunting as a child crying. As much as it sometimes interferes with our lives, what if we couldn’t hear that noise anymore? Wouldn’t the world be a darker place? We all need to get back to understanding the inherent beauty in the simple, meaningful things in life. That’s what this movie taught me and so, it’s on my list.

“They only met once, but it changed their lives forever.”

It really does say it all, doesn’t it? You see I think that everyone should see this movie not only because it’s an 80′s icon but because don’t we all wish it could be this way? That you could put a brain, an athlete, a princess, a basket case and a criminal in one room together and that they would find common ground. Of course this is preposterous, as evidenced by the talks that people have in English class after they are made to watch this movie together, but while I’m watching I WANT to believe. It is no cinematic achievement. It is not even John Hughes’ best work, but it is a fantastic movie that I think that everyone should have to watch at least once, if not only for their 80′s education but for the hope that if everyone WANTED to believe that this could happen, then maybe it could?

Did you just gag? Sorry. Me too. But I do love this movie and it’s on my list, so suck it up. You know you love Molly Ringwald. And Emilio before he got fat.

It’s amazing. It’s King Kong. It was a special effects trailblazer. It was nothing they’d ever seen before. YOU see it and then tell me *everyone* shouldn’t see this movie. I dare you.

Unfortunately, it makes Peter Jackson’s 2005 King Kong look a little self indulgent. There’s actually another word I’d like to use, but would prefer to keep this blog ‘PG’.

Peter was right about one thing though. Fay Wray was incomparable.

The movie is a masterpiece and Guillermo is a visionary genius, but that is not why I feel is belongs on my list. I’ve added it to my list for two reasons. The first is that I have found this movie reached a very wide audience. People in my life who are not as fanatic about movies as I am have enjoyed and been deeply touched by this movie, its characters, and its message. The second, and more compelling reason, is that Guillermo has specifically chosen to set his non-English movies during the Spanish civil war because he feels that this is a period in his people’s history the world needs to know more about. So rather than bash viewers over the head with his message a la Spielberg, he instead plans seeds of interest in his audience. Those who interest is not piqued still do a little learning along the way.

So because of its impact on its audience; its immaculate art direction; its incredible cast; its haunting music; and its political relevance, I believe everyone should see this movie before they die.

Note to Mr. Spielberg: This is how’s it’s done, sir. You may not win a Nobel Peace Prize, but you’ll reach a lot more people, so many more of them will care, and you’ll destroy less amazing Canadian novels.

For those of you who know me this will likely not be a surprise, however, I ask you to bear with me here as I make this argument. Star Wars (1977) — the original — later dubbed ‘A New Hope’ by its director George Lucas belongs on my list because it was truly the first of its kind. And it brought us a number of other ‘firsts’. The story remains iconic today as a perfectly woven mythical tale that appealed to millions because of its simplistic styling… and space guns. The genius matching of the ‘space western’ and the teachings of Joseph Campbell has never been duplicated and instantly captured the imagination of the world. In addition to its trailblazing in the story department, it also broke ground in many other areas. George Lucas created ILM (Industrial Light and Magic) to create its special effects and being a perfectionist, he pushed them to create new technology for film without which we may not have many of the film technologies we are reliant on today. And lastly, while this movie was backed by Fox, it was the ‘little indie that could’ of its time. George had to put in his own money and give up some of his rights in order to get the movie he wanted.

And so, whether its your cup of tea or not, it’s a movie that was created to tell a story someone was passionate about that had the side bonus of creating groundbreaking technologies we still use today. And so, no matter what you may think of it; no matter how perverted the franchise has become; and no matter how 70′s hokey it was, it will always sit on my list as a movie everyone should see before they die.