by Michael Frissore

Created on: April 22, 2008

With apologies to fans of great films like "Amelie," "Apocalypse Now," "American Beauty," and "Airplane!" here are my top ten films beginning with "A."

A Clockwork Orange -

Adapted from Anthony Burgess's brilliant novel, Stanley Kubrick's futuristic thriller is one of the greatest films of all time. Malcolm McDowell would never top his performance as Alex DeLarge, the arrogant leader of a gang of ruffians in Britain. A film that is not for the easily offended, it is Kubrick's best, which is saying quite a lot. Rarely does a movie even come close to matching the book, but "A Clockwork Orange" certainly approaches this feat.

American History X -

Amazing performances all around from Edward Furlong, Fairuza Balk, Beverly D'Angelo, et all. But it is Edward Norton, as always, who is the most impressive in this masterpiece about a former neo-Nazi skinhead who tries to stop his brother from making the same mistakes he made. Featuring an absolutely brutal curb job scene, this film does not portray skinhead in a great light.

Amadeus -

Milos Forman's Academy-Award winning film is perhaps the best movie ever made about a composer. And, like McDowell above, Tom Hulce's absolute greatest performance is as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Mozart's story is told by the jealous Antonio Salieri, played by F. Murray Abraham, via flashbacks. An amazing film, even if you have no interest whatsoever in classical music.

Arsenic and Old Lace -

A hilarious 1944 adaptation of Joseph Kesselring's stage play, directed by Frank Capra and starring Raymond Massey, Peter Lorre, and the brilliant Cary Grant. Among the many wonderful comedies Grant made, this dark comedy may indeed be the funniest. Grant as Mortimer Brewster discovers his aunts are poisoning elderly men and burying them in the basement. The result is comic genius.

All About Eve -

1951's Best Picture, Director and Screenplay awards all went to Joseph Mankiewicz's drama about an aging actress, played by Bette Davis, whose career is threatened by the ambitious young Eve, played by Anne Baxter. It's one of the classics of all time, and Davis and Baxter have hardly been better.

Annie Hall -

Sandwiched between Woody Allen's hilarious comedies of the early 70s and his comedy-dramas of the 80s is Annie Hall, it is one of the only comedies ever to win the Academy Award for Best Picture, and deservedly so. Allen himself, and Diane Keaton as Annie, shine in one of the most wonderful comedies ever filmed. Great supporting performances from Carol Kane, Paul

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