ROCKET TO PLANET SHANK. THE INFLIGHT MOVIE IS…: There’s a (strong) possibility that I won’t post all the stuff I promised. Stuff over here is crazy. So instead here’s my 10 Favorite Movies list, as promised; plus I’ll post some reader email on “Braveheart,” “Star Wars,” and Calvinism (separate emails, sorry). Click here for Ben Domenech’s list. Note that this is a “favorites” list, not a “best movies ever” list. I excluded guilty pleasures (“Lair of the White Worm” and “Labyrinth”…), but basically this is a list of the movies I like best. Because 10 is too few, I did give some movies points for diversity–there would be too many screwball comedies otherwise, so I tried to pick films that were in some way representative of my tastes. I know ties are cheating; I cheated. Twice.

10. “Grosse Pointe Blank.” I love this movie. So many great lines (“I sell couch insurance”); man’s search for meaning; ’80s music. Poignant, fresh, and very funny. I especially appreciate the way this movie respects its audience: It doesn’t explain every nuance, every aspect of Martin Blank’s crisis, every joke. “You’re a handsome devil–what’s your name?”

9. Tie: “Sabrina,” original Audrey Hepburn version/”Night of the Hunter.” “Sabrina” is a sweet, funny, big-hearted movie that manages to work in both a stirring defense of capitalism and a reactionary with a slew of great lines. (“The 20th century? I could pick a better century out of a hat!”) There’s a recurring theme of maturity and the need to take responsibility, but it’s all presented in a light souffle. Oh, and Bogart plays a Yale man; that had to affect my reaction!

“Night of the Hunter” is a dark fable of a murderous preacher (played by the inevitable, terrific Robert Mitchum). It gets on my list for the stunning sequence showing two children’s trip down a river (fleeing the preacher), for the beautiful use of the hymn “Leaning on the Everlasting Arms,” for the sheer horror of Mitchum’s character, and for the tough woman who takes the children in.

8. Tie: “Farewell My Concubine”/”Memento” The first is an epic take on the Cultural Revolution, following two Chinese opera performers and their love/hate interest, Gong Li. A very, very difficult movie to watch, with many scenes of brutality both physical and psychological, but the acting is great and the twists of political and romantic betrayal are ferocious.

“Memento” you’ve probably read about already. Suffice it to say that if Richard Rorty stopped being such a sunshine boy and started writing jagged, experimental film noir, this is what would happen. The woman’s character is not at all well developed, but leave that aside; “Memento” is an extraordinary movie.

7. “Sweet Smell of Success.” A rancid noir. The script is overripe, but give it time–I disliked this movie right after I turned off the TV, but since then I haven’t been able to get it out of my mind. Tony Curtis is fantastic.

6. “The Philadelphia Story.” The dream cast: Cary Grant, K. Hepburn, and Jimmy Stewart. Great script. A paean to drinking, vulnerability, promises, and honor. And it is beyond funny. Oh, and it’s got tabloid reporters. And did I mention that Jimmy Stewart is really funny when he’s sloshed?

5. “Gone With the Wind.” I know. I know. It’s racist (and strongly influenced white American attitudes about race and slavery). It’s not as good as the book (some of Scarlett’s edges have been sanded down). But it’s still a hell of a show–a true epic. Scarlett’s character also changes more (and more believably) than almost any other character in movies.

4. “The Lion in Winter.” Another dream cast: K. Hepburn, Timothy Dalton, Anthony Hopkins, Peter O’Toole (playing Henry II for the second time). Brilliant script, soundtrack, photography. Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine spend Christmas feasting on one another’s vitals as they scheme for the throne of England. A family that has long ago lost the ability to drag itself away from disaster–yet still keeps rolling on. Only sour note: The anti-war speech, which is cliched and too easy (and perhaps influenced by Vietnam). Anyway, this movie is so good it hurts.

3. “The Godfather, Part I”: I don’t really think I need to justify this choice….

2. “The Last Unicorn”: This has been my favorite movie since as far back as I can remember. It’s based on a fantastic novel by Peter S. Beagle. The animation is much more fluid and more distinctive than Disney’s; the drawings express and provoke fear and empathy really well. The story is very dark, and even the ending is not unmitigated happiness–it’s about love, and it’s honest about what that requires. This is a movie for children, but it doesn’t pull any punches or talk down to its audience. Any movie that includes the lines, “Men don’t always know when they’re happy,” and, “Of all unicorns, she is the only one who knows what regret is–and love,” is not a children’s movie to be taken lightly. It’s also got a lot of very funny lines (“I am Schmendrick, the Last of the Red-Hot Swamis!”). Go rent it.

1. “Vertigo.” This is the best movie ever made. It’s too painful to watch repeatedly, so it’s a little strange to call it a “favorite”; but click here for an excellent summary of why this movie is #1.

Let the carping begin! (I guess it would be even more controversial if I explained why certain movies aren’t on this list–like “Casablanca” or “Star Wars.” Of which more presently….)