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A film doesn't impress me if it's laden with explosions, for the record.

As far as artistry goes, 2001: A Space Odyssey can be put forth as an example of cinematic artistry at it's finest. Regular viewers often lament about it's slow pace and confusing visuals but for me, it's the finest example of cinematic creativity anyone has put forth till now. That doesn't mean I rank it above The Godfather - it's just in a different plane of cinematic existence for me.

I have met people who swear by Citizen Kane, Casablanca, Gone With The Wind, etc., but I am sorry folks, those films don't make the cut for me. I would rather have Rashomon, Vertigo, To Kill A Mockingbird, etc., at my disposal.

Each one of us is unique, and has his/her own separate tastes. I don't expect anyone else to love Mockingbird as much as I did (and still do), or Glengarry Glen Ross, or Platoon or even A Few Good Men. Those are my choices and I stand by them, and if you ask me reasons then I can give you 20 or more.

Others may hail The Remains of the Day as a true cinematic masterpiece, but the fact remains that I fell asleep 15-20 minutes into the film. Never popped it back in, since.

On the other hand, I love the heck out of films such as Stand by Me, Serendipity, A Night at the Roxbury, The Goonies, etc., but do I consider them my Top 20 material? Nope.

The Godfather by the way was made by Francis Ford Coppola. And in Coppola's case, I rank Apocalypse Now as his finest film till date, and yes, I rank it above The Godfather and it's sequels. Scorcese is the man behind Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, Goodfellas, After Hours, Gangs of New York, Hugo, Shutter Island, etc.