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A Night at the Oscars

In honour of my mis-spent youth in darkened cinemas, below are my Top Ten favourite movies.

1. Goodfellas  (1990) Scorcese’s masterpiece never fails to entertain. The tension. The drama. Tommy’s volcanic rage at the world. If you had shoes like Henry’s, wouldn’t you want to be a gangster!                                                                                                           Director: Martin Scorsese

2. Withnail and I  (1987) More Shakespeare than the Bard himself! A poignant, irreverent tale of chemical excess. Miss out on Monday and come up smiling Tuesday morning!                                                                                                                                 Director: Bruce Robinson

3. Mississippi Burning  (1988) Thought provoking and compelling. Hackman’s simmering resentment is magnificent. The cast, the photography, the script are all flawless.                                                                                                                                  Director: Alan Parker

4. All the President’s Men  (1976) This film proves you don’t need gunshots and explosions to convey drama. Redford  and  Hoffman are superb.                                    Director: Alan J Pakula

5. Waterloo  (1970) Rod Steiger must have read the script in bed and woken up in character as a brooding Napoleon. Christopher Plummer’s Wellington sparkles with intelligence, wit and pathos.                                                                                                Director: Sergei Bondarchuk

6. The Godfather  (1972) I watched it again after many years and was amazed at the quality. Francis Ford Coppola was only 29 when he directed it. Inspired.                                                                                                                                  Director: Francis Ford Coppola

7. The Godfather II  (1974) Revenge is a dish best eaten!                                        Director: Francis Ford Coppola

8. The Hill  (1965) Obscure British miltary drama. Inspired casting and bleak desert setting make for a tense and murderous atmosphere. Sean Connery was never better.                                                                                                                                     Director: Sidney Lumet

9.  Reservoir Dogs  (1992) Anarchic and bloody. Full of snarling testosterone and cool one-liners. Edward Bunker vetted the script and took a minor role as Mr Blue. Where d’you put the diamonds, motherf…!                                                                                    Director: Quentin Tarantino

10.  Jaws   (1975) Awesome lead role for a fish! Quint’s reflections on the sinking of the Indianapolis are worthy of the entrance fee alone. Spielberg’s genius in its infancy.                                                                                                                                   Director: Steven Spielberg

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