Estimated read time: 5-6 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
Editor's Note: Week in and week out our Pics, Flix and Other Diversions writers give you movie news and insights, but what do they know? This week we're taking a look at the 5 favorite films from our writers. Day 2 features the picks from the writer of the weekly Box Office Prediction articles, Joseph Irvine. SALT LAKE CITY -- In the words of Friedrich Nietzsche, "All of life is a dispute over taste and tasting."
My task is to provide a treatise on a few of my favorite things. In this case, that is my top five favorite films.
The good news is that readers will have a new lens to view my weekly column as they attempt to understand the biases and perspectives that permeate my writing.
#poll
The bad news — well, that will be left to the astute reader to surmise. For now, just assume I will not be including a link to this article on my Facebook page. Pablo Picasso made an assertion that I will use in staging my defense, "Ah, good taste! What a dreadful thing! Taste is the enemy of creativeness."
Here are the Top 5 all-time greatest films, in the eyes of Joseph Irvine:
1. "Titanic"
One of the complaints I have with Hollywood is the ever increasing lack of realism. I tend to prefer a realistic film with a depressing ending that more closely models real life than one where everything ends happily ever after with little to no effort.
James Cameron did a fantastic job sensitively portraying real people and their real responses to this disaster as it began. The production was of the highest quality. "Titanic" received a PG-13 rating.
2. "The Sound of Music"
The hills are alive in this vibrant adaptation of the Rodgers and Hammerstein Broadway musical. The reason that "The Sound of Music" earned a place on my list is the message that is interwoven throughout this production. It embodies a mantra for which I mold every action in my life. This truism was paralleled by President Theodore Roosevelt who declared, "Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs than to rank with those timid spirits who … know neither victory nor defeat."
I find this exhibited in Julie Andrews' character, Maria. There is realism in a young woman who finds herself lost. She accepts a challenge, accomplishing that which others were incapable of through hard work and dedication. Maria discovered this recipe for success by accepting the challenge to climb every mountain. The movie’s scenery is gorgeous and the production is extremely well done. "The Sound of Music" received a G rating.
3. "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World"
This film is a quintessential comedy that everyone should see at least once. I fall into the category of avid fans who are hoping to uncover the original 210-minute version from the preview showing. The common version in distribution is only 161 minutes long.
"Mad World" features an ensemble cast of many of the Hollywood stars of the time. A series of unconnected individuals arrive at a crash scene. The victim of the crash has enough time before dying to reveal that there is a pile of money buried under the "Big W." The disparate groups of individuals engage in a fierce and comedic competition to be the first to the treasure.
4. "Now You See Him, Now You Don't"
This is an older comedy that few will recognize. It earns a spot on my list because of its charming innocence, a rare trait. Sadly, there are no great morals that one can pull out. The special effects are laughable and the quality of the production is mediocre.
I use this as a placeholder in which I can include an entire range of live-action Disney films from the ’60s and ’70s, such as "That Darn Cat," "The Love Bug," "The Absent-Minded Professor" and others. These are all G-rated films that can be watched carefree.
Contrary to my own standard and in true Disney fashion, everybody leaves in a state of perpetual happiness as the credits start to roll. Yet, the films have humorous stories that are worth watching. "Now You See Him, Now You Don't" revolves around a cadre of college students who inadvertently discover a formula that can turn any object or person invisible. Comedic antics ensue as students use the formula to protect their college from being shut down due to budget deficits.
5. "Firewall"
"Firewall," the oddball of my list, was heavily panned at its release. A technologically based action-thriller, "Firewall" I enjoy because I share the same profession as the title character, played by Harrison Ford, a favorite actor. Ford's character plays a bank executive in charge of securing computer assets. His family is taken hostage, and Ford is forced to hack into his own impenetrable security system to steal millions of dollars. An exciting thriller, "Firewall" was rated PG-13 for language and violence. There is no sexual content present.
Joseph Irvine is an information assurance engineer in Madison, Ala. Joseph has been a consultant for ClearPlay and is author of the weekly box office predictions column. Joseph someday hopes to complete a degree in law at BYU.
