Hiding fandom in the underwear drawer since 1977

For teratornis, here is my answer to their question about my all-time favorite movies. For this list, I picked material I have seen multiple times (preferably at very different points in my life), and which tangibly improved with each watch - as opposed to something like Die Hard, which has comfortably plateaued and is unlikely to get "better" the next time I view it. Arranged in chronological order.

Casablanca (1942)

This is a perfect film. This should be used to explain what "cinema" is. The perfect balance of feelgood and tearjerker. The direction never puts a foot wrong, the performances are splendid, the script has a touch of wry wit that makes it insanely quotable, but never makes the mistake of being ironic. No, it is passionate and earnest and incredibly romantic. It's a cliché pick for a list like this, but that's because it's so darn good.

The Third Man (1949)

That score. Those angles and shadows. The bombed out ruins of post-war Vienna. The craggy faces of a majestic panoply of character actors. The concise script, of morality at odds with loyalty. Joseph Cotten's permanently sorrowful features. Orson Welles' roguish charm and chilling sociopathy. The final shot among the autumn leaves and emptiness. The story grows and deepens as the years go by, and I always soak up the atmosphere.

Hard Core Logo (1996)

The one film I am truly fannish about, where I want to write crossovers (I've got three potential ones mapped out) to save this doomed band from themselves. Yes, a lot of that is because it happens to feature John Pyper Ferguson, but it's also because each member of the band feels like a real person, fitting the documentary style. The structure is an enormous part of the film's hold on me, as it crafts a brash and vulgar, yet enigmatic narrative, filled with lies and partial truths. It's about art, about compromise, about selling out. It's also full of great punk music, and introduced me to the Headstones.

Prospero's Books (1991)

A love letter to Shakespeare and the arts of the Renaissance. Sir John Gielgud had always wanted someone to make a film of The Tempest, and Peter Greenaway fulfilled his request with this avant-garde fantasia, which is by no means to all tastes, but which really does feel like getting lost on an isle of enchantment. The plot of The Tempest is spoken into being, all the while recreations of paintings on classical subjects, mime, dance, image overlays and an amazing description of Prospero's library cross the screen. It is an incredible work of artistic expression, and features my favorite piece of film music of all time.

Mulholland Dr. (2001)

This is inarguably the most successful failed TV pilot in the history of cinema, and will never be outdone. The origin of the film explains part of why I love it so much, as it was designed to be spacious, filled with strange occurrences, quirky characters and dangling threads of mystery (like Twin Peaks, in fact). There are so many strange stories within this single film, presented without explanation beyond what the viewer wishes to bring to it. It engages my mind in a very satisfying way, because while parts of the film are indeed very disturbing, it covers crazy amounts of ground with its neo-noir fairy tale vibe, and is hauntingly beautiful and even humorous at points, combining disparate elements into a singular dreamlike mood in a way only Lynch could manage.

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This selection of favorites probably says something about me, but I'm not sure what!