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zwolanerd

I guess I just like liking things

Imagine this version of Jack in every role he plays. Not too difficult to see, is it?

Imagine this version of Jack in every role he plays. Not too difficult to see, is it?

In honor of  his 77th birthday today, here’s a list of my favorite Jack Nicholson movies. I’ll go ahead and warn you up front that I haven’t seen some of his most famous movies (Chinatown, Easy Rider), so there’ll be lots for you to disagree with today.

10. The Little Shop of Horrors (1960) – There’s no doubt in my mind that this one gets spillover love because of the 1986 musical version. Yes, I know this one came way before, but I watched it way after and only because of the musical.

9. The Departed (2006) – Everybody raved about this one, but I thought the original Hong Kong version (Infernal Affairs) was better. I know that makes me sound like a smug hipster, but I saw that one first, sorry.

8. A Few Good Men (1992) – Lots of yelling in this one.

7. Something’s Gotta Give (2003) – I have a soft spot in my heart for this one and I couldn’t exactly explain why. Diane Keaton and Jack Nicholson with some Keanu Reeves thrown in for good measure.

6. The Shining (1980) – “Iconicity” sometimes bumps a movie up on my lists.

5. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975) – A local theatre put on a production of this play a few years back so I decided I should see the movie. Nurse Ratched is the worst, man.

4. About Schmidt (2002) – One of Jack’s best performances, I think.

3. Mars Attacks! (1996) – I’m one of the few people I know who love this movie.

2. Batman (1989) – This is one of the few times you won’t see this movie at the top of one of my lists. It’s one of my favorites, certainly. As years have gone by, though, I’ve come to not like this portrayal of the Joker. Even at the time I thought it was more goofy than evil, and, well, Heath Ledger and Christopher Nolan showed us.

1. As Good as It Gets (1997) – One of my all-time favorite movies right here, and “You make me want to be a better man” is one of my all-time favorite movie lines.

 

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