Movie Magic

I love movies, as long as I can remember I've always been fascinated by movies. While I can admit, I'm a sucker for superhero or fun adventure movies, I also enjoy dramas and really unique film experiences. For a long time I've had a list of my 50 favorite movies, the list is constantly evolving. While there are obviously many components that go in to making a film great from the director, to the writers, to the actors, I think the most important factor of good movies comes from a combination of all of those which is, the ability to make the audience feel like they're not watching a movie, when the audience fully believes they are in this new world for a certain amount of time it is amazing. I'll use two very different films that have impacted me as examples of when I've felt the ability to suspend my disbelief and live in the movie

The first movie I'll discuss is Sing Street, a 2016 Irish movie directed by John Carney and starring Ferdia Walsh-Peelo. This movie did not do well at the US box office, it made just over $3 million, but of those who did see it, practically everyone loved it. It has a 95% on Rotten Tomatoes. The directing is not groundbreaking, and the acting is not Oscar worthy, but you can tell everyone that was making this movie, wanted to be making it. The actors

and producers and writers were clearly putting care into their film, and it payed off. The story follows Cosmo, a boy who wants to impress this girl with music.The film does such a good job of making Cosmo seem real and the music in the movie seem natural, that if feels like you're watching real events take place in front of you, if you haven't seen or heard of Sing Street, I heavily recommend it, it's on Netflix.

The other movie, is one everyone who hasn't been living under a rock knows about, Star Wars (1977) (the original) (I'm not calling it A New Hope). Unlike most people who have experienced Luke Skywalker's story as a child growing up, I did not. When I was ten, the perfect age to experience Star Wars, my dad decided to start me at the "beginning", he showed me Ep. 1 The Phantom Menace, I absolutely hated it, I thought it was boring, slow,

and filled a CGI slopfest. I did not watch any more Star Wars for seven years, when I heard of this movie called, The Force Awakens, people told me I should watch the original Star Wars. I was floored, it amazed me I felt like I was truly in another galaxy, I didn't think I was watching a movie for a second, now Return of the Jedi is still one of my favorite films ever.

Austin Aga's Top 50 Movies of All Time

(as of July 7, 2017)

1. Back to the Future

2. Guardians of the Galaxy

3. Aladdin

4. Wreck-It Ralph

5. Spider-Man: Homecoming

6. La La Land

7. X-Men: Days of Future Past

8. Star Wars VI: Return of the Jedi

9. Mean Girls

10. The SpongeBob Squarepants Movie

11. Spider-Man 2

12. Whiplash

13. Sing Street

14. Back to the Future Part II

15. Ferris Bueller's Day Off

16. The Lion King

17. 17 Again

18. Shrek

19. The Incredibles

20. Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure

21. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

22. Ghostbusters

23. Big Hero 6

24. Paper Towns

25. The Lego Movie

26. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

27. Logan

28. Star Wars V: The Empire Strikes Back

29. Star Wars IV: A New Hope

30. The Muppets

31. Night at the Museum 2

32. Cars

33. Baby Driver

34. Star Wars VII: The Force Awakens

35. WALL-E

36. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

37. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

38. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

39. Ratatouille

40. High School Musical

41. Ant-Man

42. The Way Way Back

43. Spider-Man 3

44. Spider-Man

45. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory

46. X2: X-Men United

47. Captain America: Civil War

48. The Internship

49. Iron Man

50. The Sandlot