Focus Features

Stanley Kubrick’s sci-fi comedy masterpiece is absolutely the greatest film ever made. It is a thrill to watch and a thrill to discuss. It has everything you would ever want in a film: great music, beautiful cinematography, social impact, comedy, deep drama, and, of course, Malcolm McDowell. The impact it made on cinema and the impact it has made on me is the beyond words. SEE IT.

One of Werner Herzog’s many masterpieces, this is the quest for greed and gold at its finest. And Klaus Kinski at his greatest. The ending is unforgettable. Herzog stole a camera from a school to make this film. He also hired many locals to act and filmed one of the greatest opening sequences in history, barefoot. Herzog may be the finest and most interesting filmmaker alive.

François Truffaut’s most personal film, a film that launched a new wave of cinema throughout the entire world. Antoine Doinel, the main character throughout the film and the four films to follow, is a hopeless romantic, a lover and a dreamer. He just needs a chance to break from the struggles of everyday life. My favorite scene is when Antoine and his buddy skip school to sneak into a movie theatre. Reminds me of my school hood days. Maybe one of the most inspiring endings in the history of cinema.

"All right, Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my close-up." My favorite film noir. Billy Wilder is one of the greatest filmmakers that ever lived and this to me is his finest work. The acting by Gloria Swanson is one of most memorable performances ever put on screen. There are so many great scenes to talk about, but my favorite has to be the funeral for Norma Desmond’s monkey.

David Lynch’s first feature film. A midnight movie classic. It has to be seen to be believed. There is simply nothing in cinema like it. Except, of course, Lynch’s other films. The highlight for me is the dream sequences with the chipmunk girl singing “In Heaven everything is fine.” I also love the dinner scene with the little chickens.