Does your "Favorite movie" differ from your "Best Movie"

[GreatAmericanZero]

Ok, for years I always said my favorite movie...and the best movie of all time was "A Clockwork Orange"

I think I saw "A Clockwork Orange" when i was 13. I remember the day. My older brother and his friend rented it from Blockbuster but for some reason, his VCR wasn't working so they had to watch it in my room (cuz my VCR worked). So i sat there and watched this movie

This movie changed my life...it was the first movie that got me interested in seeing classics, older movies, what are normally considered "the great movies". It completely changed my pallet. Before "A Clockwork Orange" i only watched dumb comedies staring comedy stars of the day and whatever would be hyped and marketed to a 12 year old. After "A Clockwork Orange" i started renting and watching the older films

However, since then, through my years...i can't stop my admiration for "Taxi Driver". For awhile i was saying "I think "A Clockwork Orange" is the best movie ever made, but "Taxi Driver" is the best screenplay ever" (to give credit to kubrick). But on the "Taxi Driver" dvd, they have a script/film comparison and the script is as brilliant as can be, but what De Niro does with the character and Scorsese does with the direction...brings it to a new level.

"Taxi Driver" is the best written film of all time..the scene with Travis and Betsy at the diner is the best dialogue between two characters ever in films (in my opinion). But when you just read it from a script standpoint..they almost portray Travis Bickle as a confident everyman...Deniro and Scorese made Travis into the creepy, isolated lonely man...it was a joint effort in every aspect that makes me think its the "best movie ever made"

However, when i watch "Taxi Driver" i don't get that same feeling of excitement and nostalgia that i do when I watch "A Clockwork Orange'. watching "A Clockwork Orange" instantly gives me my feeling of my favorite movie of all time


Film critic Gene Siskel famously bought the outfit from "Saturday Night Fever" (before he became ol' Pudding Head). After his death, Ebert wrote an article saying how Siskel believed that "Citizen Kane" was what he considered the best movie...however..."Saturday Night Fever" was his favorite. He watched it more than any other movie. It represented a life he wanted to live...a dream he always imaged.

It is definitely possible and logical for someone to have a "favorite movie" differ from what they believe is the "best movie". I was just wondering if anyone else had the same thoughts

Now lets DISCUSS in the DISCUSSION FORUM!

[BeerBandit]

Absolutely, unless i missed a critic declaring Pee Wee's Big Adventure to be a classic of our time. But I know personally, it's not one of my "Best' movies of all time. But owing probably to when it came out, Tim Burton as director, and co-written by the great Phil Hartman, I consider it my favorite movie ever.

[danner1515]

Yeah, I think there's definitely a difference between "favorites" and the "best." Citizen Kane is a "better" movie than Repo Man, but most days I'd rather watch Repo Man.

[mongothetrucker]

"Best" describes what you appreciate as art. "Favorite" is what entertains you the most. Definately two different things.

Best to me is Godfather, but favorite is harder to nail down.

[realmenhatelife]

There is a really interesting struggle in art. On the one side art needs to be challenging in some way, and on the other it needs to entice an audience to participate in it. There is a gap (a gee gee gee) between you and anything you look at, and in that gap is where the actual 'art' happens. No matter what is represented by the artist it is still completely inanimate, and the audience adds the actual life in which a question can be considered, or a theory examined. I like this effect because it makes all artistic ventures equal. Good Burger and Citizen Kane are peers here, which is how it should be. I can watch both with the same amount of interest, and watching one instead of the other doesn't make me stupid or smart. Granted, most people will find much more artistic action in Citizen Kane than in Good Burger, but some people aren't going to sit through Citizen Kane so to them it is the poor movie. You cant objectively say they're wrong.
And just like you can say a movie is so vapid it is unwatchable, a movie can be so challenging or esoteric it is unwatchable. People sometimes act like: Because I cant watch it, because I dont understand it, because I think its boring it is unapproachably good. Which is total bullshit, a critically great movie that noone wants to watch fails just as hard as a shitty movie noone wants to watch.

So I guess what I'm saying is that I disagree. Your favorite movie and your best movie should be the same. If you find yourself thinking "wow that movie is great, but I dont want to watch it" then it isnt really great, because it isnt doing shit artistically when you're not watching it. You can canonize art, but you should never make your own opinions inferior to that canon, which is what you do when you say 'well this one is my favorite but this other one is better.'

[RingWraith]

Just look at my screen name and it's obivous what's my favorite and best.

Yes, I am a nerd.:happy: