Your five faves

Last week I kickstarted this blog with the five films I could not do without. They were the DVDs I would take with me if I was going to be stranded on a desert island.

I asked for your desert island DVDs as well. It was a great response, with about 100 people picking their five essential films. So, I gathered the suggestions and compiled your top five. As a teaser, here is a word cloud of all your suggestions. The more a film title appears in the list, the bigger the word in the cloud:

In order of popularity, here are the five films that readers of this blog cannot do without:

1. Shawshank Redemption

There is something about this film.

We all know the story, it flopped at the box office, but later found a loyal and loving audience on DVD. Now, it is quite rightly considered a popular classic.

It endures because it speaks optimistically about the power of hope and the resilience of the human spirt.

2. Star Wars

This was on my list too.

It's a touchstone for a generation. The dialogue, imagery and philosophy have been absorbed by a generation. If you're of a certain age you probably know this film better than any other. For good or bad.

3. The Princess Bride

Funnily enough, I watched this film again just the other day.

I love the fact it came up on this list. It's funny, smart and sweet. There is something heartwarming about this simple tale that transcends the fantasy setting. A unique film.

4. Aliens

A kick-ass science fiction romp that took the arthouse monster movie original and amped it up into a steroidal action treat.

It is a textbook example of how a sequel should take the original idea to the next level. The climactic fight between the alien queen and Ripley's powerloader is still stunning all these years later.

5. The Matrix

There is a mind blowing moment in the opening minutes of The Matrix.

The police are closing in on Trinity and she is trapped in a room. As she jumps to dispense a cop with a kick to the head, everything slows down and we are introduced to bullet time.

It was one of those moments where you could hear people gasp in the cinema.

For that moment alone, The Matrix will always be a classic. Here it is:

So, there you go. Those are your five faves. The list was rounded out with Terminator 2, Empire Strikes Back, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Pulp Fiction, Jaws and The Big Lebowski.

But what do you think? Personally, I love this list.

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