This is not as easy as you would think, I am probably missing things but this is a fair list of what I like, the reality is you can probably list 20 movies but I am trying to limit my list to 10 of my favorite Movies and TV Shows.
These are not in order, just a top 10, that said, I am a big Rome nuffy so anything Rome related will be very high on my list.
Movies
Gladiator
I am a real big Rome nuff nut, I love the time period and have done a great deal of study around it, I enjoy anything Roman, no surprise that Gladiator as on my list huh.
I went to the Cinema in Norwood with Olivia Lucia to see this, the opening sequence blew me away, always thought Russel Crow was a bit of a knob but in this he was perfect. I am really looking forward to Gladiator 2 coming in November 2024…
“Strength and Honor”
Saving Private Ryan
Probably no real surprise that a war movie has made it on the list of a male, I do like war movies but there are plenty I have seen that I have only seen once or twice, I would have watched this one at least 8 times, this is a genuine masterpiece and one of my all time favorite Tom Hanks movies, obviously when thinking Tom Hanks you have to put Forrest Gump in the thoughts, it did not make my list here but is right up there.
The beach scene is amazing sound wise, if you have a good surround sound set up this scene is insane.
“James..earn this. Earn it.”
Braveheart
This one is a pure masterpiece from Mel Gibson, lost count of the amount of times I have watched it, the kicker for this one I think is the action part mixed well with the love story and the struggle of oppression.
I still think to this day it is the best film Mel did, sure I liked MadMax, Gallipoli, the Lethal Weapon movies, Patriot and We Were Soldiers, but none come close to this one, Braveheart is just a once in a lifetime movie.
William Wallace : “Every man dies, not every man really lives.”
Dances with Wolves
I cannot count high enough to count the times I have watched this movie, this is just a magnificent movie, masterpiece actually sells it short.
Costner has done plenty of movies but kind of like Mel, he has this one movie that simply stands so far ahead of anything else he has done.
I would watch this and it makes you want to take up arms and fight alongside the Indians!
“Tatonka!”
For Love Of The Game
I grew up playing babseball so I do like a good baseball movie, I could argue The Natural should be in this place or Bull Durham, Field of Dreams, there are a few really good baseball movies, but I really liked this one for some reason.
The Natural is simply a great movie and Redford is awesome in it, I did consider a change here but I have stuck with this one because it is a little more modern and Costner really did perform in this one, the guy could actually throw a ball.
“Clear the mechanism!”
Apollo 13
Loved this movie the first time I saw it and have seen it easily 10 times now, most of the movies on my list have amazing sound tracks, this one is no different, simply great film making here and as usual Tom Hanks is fantastic.
I was never a big Kevin Bacon fan and Paxton like Bacon to me was a B grade actor at best, I truly believe Tom Hanks carries the entire cast in this movie.
It also has some awesome phrases that most people would know.
“Houston, we have a problem!”
Troy
When this came out I did not think I would like it, not a real Brad Pitt fan, I had considered him the pretty boy who cannot act, this however I felt he did a really good job in and I have seen this a few times, of my list here it is probably the one I could drop to add something else like Field of Dreams etc but as said I did want to stick to one baseball movie. I did not think much of Orlando Bloom in this, in fact I think his character and his acting really was the weak point, I think Eric Banna and Brad Pitt caried it well though.“Imagine a king who fights his own battles. Wouldn’t that be a sight?”
Wyatt Earp
Fair to say I do not mind Costner, I think he is a good actor, yes he has done some ordinary movies but there are plenty I really like, this being one of them.
I guess I have always liked Westerns and Wyatt Earp is a pretty good one, this came out when Tombstone came out, so two movies about the same people, I felt they both held up well as they had different angles.
Like the other movies on my list it gets the mention because I have seen it a lot, probably 6 times.
Wyatt Earp: “Not everyone who knows you hates you, Doc.”
Tombstone
To me this is arguably one of the best westerns of all time, it had everything, I really liked Val Kilmer’s version on Doc, Kurt Russell did a good job of Wyatt Earp and as usual Sam Elliot has the voice for this role.
Not sure how many times I have seen this, it is up there for sure, the bar scene where Doc uses the tin cup to mock Johnny Ringo was fantastic I think and like most good movies plenty of phrases, quotes came out of this one.
“I’m your huckleberry”
Pearl Harbor
I really liked this movie, ok yes I agree its a WW2 movie mixed in with a love theme and I generally do not go for the love theme movies but this one was really well done in my opinion, I am not an Afleck fan but in this he was good.
I have probably seen this 5 to 6 times I think.
The graphics in this with the planes and sinking ships is insane.
Admiral Yamamoto: “I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant”
TV Shows
Rome
I would have seen this at least 6 times, there was only 2 seasons, the storyline was based around a friendship between two Roman soldiers, this was mixed in with the well known story and characters of the Julius Caesar period.
The acting in this is exceptional but the best part to me was you got a good look at ancient Rome, the sets they designed had this title an expensive series to make but worth every penny I think.
Atia: “By the Five Furies, if I were not a genteel woman, I’d have you flayed and hung from a bracket at the door! Castor!”
Spartacus
Another TV series based around the ancient Rome period, this one was a story around a famous slave who rebelled against Rome.
Sadly the lead actor who played Spartacus (Andy Whitfield) died of cancer after season one and they had to bring in another actor for the following 3 seasons, 4 seasons would be created all up and spanned from Spartacus becoming a slave to him leading an army against Rome.
Sura: “You Were Always Destined For Great And Unfortunate Things.”
Band of Brothers
Without question the best war TV series ever created, I cannot think of anything that comes close, in fact if you rap the episodes into a couple hour blocks it would sit up next to Saving Private Ryan or maybe slightly in front.
I would have seen this series at least 8 times I believe.
This series really did give you an idea of what some soldiers endured in WW2, I often think if we put the youth of today in the same scenario how would they cop.
“It’s called ‘wounded,’ Peanut. ‘Injured’ is when you fall out of a tree or something.”
The 100
I did not expect to like this, initially it was kind of a teeny thing with all these teenagers, but as it progressed it changed a lot and soon became a really good series, I do think they ran it to long the final season was a bit stretched out and the direction was ordinary then it seemed to end abruptly so I assume the decision to end it was not planned in advance.
Still it ran for 7 seasons which is generally a sign of a good series.
Octavia: “There are people worth saving. Just not you.”
Vikings
Absolutely loved this series, I do feel it was a fair bit better before they killed of Ragnar but still it was a dam good series and I have seen this a lot, I am likely up around 5 times.
It ran for 6 seasons, the cast was excellent, Australian born Travis Fimmel was fantastic and I thought Kathryn Winnick was also just as good playing Lagertha. Later as Alexander Ludwig assumed the lead male role I also felt he was really good.
Ragnar: “In my world, I am constantly torn between killing myself or everyone around me.”
MASH
I grew up watching this and even to this day enjoy this show, it was funny and entertaining and you really did form a rapport with the characters, I did prefer it when it had those pictured in it, once Frank left it lost something, brining in Charles was ok but it was not the same as having Frank.
I actually prefered Sherman Potter over Henry Blake.
PA Announcer: “Attention, all personnel. Due to circumstances beyond our control, lunch will be served today.”
Happy Days
Another one I grew up watching, liek MASH I have kind of lost count of how many times I have watched this show, it was simply film in a period that I truly believe was a better time, or I should say, a more innocent time.
The characters each had a special appeal and had somethng unique they bought to the show.
Marion: “Sit on it, Howard!”
Star Trek: Voyager
Yes I have been accused of being a Trekkie!!
I never really got that much into the origianal series, I saw some of it, I watched the movies and they were ok. I started watched The Next Generation and that probably is what got me into Trek, when Voyager came out I really struggled to switch from TNG to Voyager but a season later I was hooked, I think the big thing for me was I really liked the Doctor, of course adding Seven helped 🙂
Seven of Nine: “You would deny us the choice as you deny us now”
Stargate SG1
I could argue this is my alltime favorite TV show, do not ask how many times I have watched it, I can probably do the dialogue for all 214 eposiodes .
The movie “Stargate” got me into this, I liked the movie and when the series came out it was so easy to pick it up and I was hooked from episode 1.
Ihated Macgyver so I did not think I would like Richard Dean Anderson but he quickly became the best part of the show in my mind.
Jack O’Neill: “Right. But they don’t know we know nothing”
Stargate Atlantis
Like SG1 before, I have watched this a lot, to me the move from SG1 ending into Atlantis was really well done, it became very easy to stay with the stargate franchise. I do think early on they had some character issues but they quickly sorted that out, adding Ronin was a good option.
I still do not understand why this ended or why the franchise has never been rebooted, its an awesome franchise.
Gen. O’Neill: “This isn’t a long flight, so I’ll be as succinct as possible.”