As you read this, remember, this is just one man's opinion, albeit the opinion of an erudite, very knowledge film fan who's been writing about movies and movie-related topics on and off for decades. If you don't like my choices, feel free to compile your own Top Ten List. Hell, I think every film fan should have one. With that thought in mind, here are my top 10 films of all time. (Cue the triumphal trumpets off screen).

The Best Science Fiction Film of All Time:

2001: A Space Odyssey

Why? I've loved this film since childhood. I first saw it in 1968 and walked out the theater wondering what it all meant, yet I knew that I had seen greatness. Since it was first released, Stanley Kubrick's intellectual tour de force meditating on the nature of intelligence has had many competitors for the title of Best Science Fiction Film Ever, but no equals. The brilliance of the concept, which shows mankind evolving from apelike creatures to modern homo sapiens forced to do battle with an artificial intelligence of their own creation, coupled with the stunning visuals (courtesy of Douglass Trumbull, et al.), to say nothing to the trend-setting musical score and the technical advancements in film that it established, all make 2001 a recognized classic in the genre, and my pick as the Best Science Fiction Film of All Time.

Coming in at second place is Blade Runner, Ridley Scott's own rumination on the nature of what it means to be human is surrounded by what may be the best production design ever, amazing leaps in special effects techniques (courtesy of Douglas Trumbull, et al. yet again), and a superb score by Vangelis, make this my #2 Science Fiction Film. Coming in at #3 is Star Wars, George Lucas's bold reimagining of sci-fi swashbucklers like the Flash Gordon serials. This film broke new ground technically, was brilliantly directed, and gave new life to the space opera genre. Holding it back however, are cardboard characters, bad dialog, and several amateurish performances in lead roles. Still, this is a film that captivated millions and helped create a film empire for George Lucas.

My #4 pick is Steven Spielberg's Close Encounters of the Third Kind, possibly the best film about alien encounters ever made. It, too, broke new ground technically, thanks to Douglas Trumbull's magnificent special effects and some truly original model designs. Its story of an everyman (Richard Dreyfuss) who longs to journey to the stars is a story that almost anyone can relate to. John Williams' score is also one of his very best. Spielberg's script is definitely among his finest work, and this film is absolutely one of his best films ever, far better than the saccharine and obvious E.T. or the cold, and rather boring A.I. My #5 pick is another one by Ridley Scott, the boldly designed and terrifying Alien. Really more of a horror film than straight sci-fi, Scott's grisly masterpiece definitely made waves when it was released in 1978, and has been influencing production design in both horror and science fiction films ever since.

My numbers 6-10 include: The Empire Strikes Back (probably the best film in the series), Robert Wise's intelligent and thought-provoking The Day the Earth Stood Still, the visionary Things to Come, Luc Besson's The Fifth Element (One of those rare films that never run out of ideas. Even the costumes are funny!), and Clockwork Orange, another meditation by Stanley Kubrick on what it is that makes us human and moreover, what makes us choose good or evil.

Now when it comes to horror films, many people think The Exorcist is the greatest film of all time, and while I agree that it does offer some genuine shocks and is well-made and well-acted, I think it's rather overrated, based on the shock effects it had at the time. It's certainly in my top 10, but not in the top slot.

Best Horror Film of All Time

Bride of Frankenstein

James Whale's immortal Bride of Frankenstein is one of those rare sequels that are actually better than the original. This film has it all, incredible production design, good performances, especially by Karloff, Ernest Thesiger and Elsa Lancaster, superb mood and atmosphere, and a macarbrely witty script that still manages to shock and offend after all these years. It's a classic that has stood the test of time and will still be scaring the pants off people 100 years from now. For my second through tenth-best horror films, I've selected, The Omen (the original, not the remake), Robert Wise's restrained, intelligent and genuinely frightening The Haunting, Clive Barker's Hellraiser, the original Frankenstein, Karl Freund's Mad Love with Peter Lorre (You just can't get away from this guy, it seems). These are all horror films worthy of note, as is the first Exorcist, Hitchcock's Psycho, and George Romero's Dawn of the Dead, (Not only one of the best horror films, but also a savage satire of America's consumerist culture.).

Best Musical of All Time

Singin' in the Rain

Jumping from films designed to give you the shivers, let's look at the best musicals of all time. My pick should be an obvious choice to anyone: Gene Kelly's classic, Singin' In the Rain. What's not to like? It's got great songs, Gene's Kelly's signature dance number (in the rain, "natch), a terrific story, gorgeous color cinematography, Donald O"Conner's hilarious “Make "Em Laugh” dance number, plus Jean Hagen"s Lena Lamont is one of the funniest, and least talented villains in screen history. This is a film that just gets better every time you see it, and is worthy of the top slot in the musical category.

Rounding out the top ten, I chose: Cabaret, The Commitments (hilarious, moving, with a great ensemble cast of unknowns), Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (Possibly the best dance sequences of all time, plus great cinematography), Oklahoma, On the Town (The first musical filmed outdoors on location), The Wizard of Oz, Chicago, West Side Story (Another triumph by Robert Wise), Meet Me in St. Louis (old-fashioned yes, but moving, and with terrific songs), and The Gay Divorcee (Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers dancing. "Nuff said).

Best Western of All Time

The Great Train Robbery

The western has been one of the most important genres since the beginning of films, when Edwin S. Porter made The Great Train Robbery in 1903 (Shot in the wilds of New Jersey, no less!). And although the genre has fallen out of favor with producers and audiences in recent decades, the classic westerns are among the best films of all time. But towering over them, in my opinion, is one classic film: The Wild Bunch. This film is Peckinpah"s masterpiece, a moody, violent film with surprising moments of poetry and eloquence amid the shocking carnage. It's an example of world-class film-making, where the script, direction, acting, music, cinematography and editing all combine to produce a staggering impact that, despite many, many imitations and ripoffs, still leaves viewers breathless at the cathartic ending.

My runner up is John Ford's classic, The Searchers, a sprawling epic about loyalty, family, and the corrosive effects of vengeance. It features superb location photography, an excellent script, and the great John Wayne at the top of his game, backed up by a wonderful cast, including Jeffery Hunter, a very young Natalie Wood, Ward Bond, Ken Curtis, and the rest of John Ford's ever-reliable stock company. My third choice is another film from Peckinpah, Ride the High Country, which not only deserves to be ranked among the best Westerns of all time, but among the best films of all time. It's Peckinpah's other masterpiece in the genre, less violent than The Wild Bunch, but imbued with a quiet poetry all its own as it tells the story of two over-the-hill gunmen, Randolph Scott and Joel McCrea and their attempts to hang on to their dignity in a quickly-changing western landscape.

This is Class-A filmmaking all the way, with superb Lucien Ballard cinematography, a script that bristles with trenchant dialog, and an unbeatable cast of Western regulars, including Warren Oates, R.G. Armstrong, L.Q. Jones, James Drury, and Edgar Buchanan, superb as a drunken judge. My other choices for the top ten Westerns of all time include: John Sturges' The Magnificent Seven, Clint Eastwood's best film as a director, Unforgiven, Sergio Leone's epic and unforgettable Once Upon a Time in the West, John Ford's Stagecoach, High Noon, Blood on the Moon (Another classic from Robert Wise), and the TV miniseries, Lonesome Dove.

Best War Movie of All Time

Apocalypse Now

Depending on the world's political landscape, the popularity of war movies waxes and wanes, yet Patton, one of the very best war movies of all time, was made during the Vietnam era, which proved to be tremendously popular with both audiences and critics. And although Patton is a true classic, worthy of a place in my list, my choice for this honor goes to Francis Ford Coppola's beautiful, horrifying magnum opus, Apocalypse Now. Although it's not a perfect film, it comes close to capturing what Coppola referred to as, “the sensuousness of war.” More of a total sensory experience than a tightly structured narrative, it still commands the viewer's attention with its parade of gorgeous visuals, funny and grotesque characters, and a string of brilliant performances, including Martin Sheen's, Marlon Brando's, Dennis Hopper's, and the always-underrated Frederick Forrest.

Aside from Apocalypse Now, there are so many great war movies out there that it's almost impossible to narrow my list down to another nine contenders, but here goes. Among the greatest war films of all time, there's Patton, of course. Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan is a shattering epic with some of the most realistic combat sequences ever filmed, Kubrick's Paths of Glory is one of the most powerful anti-war films of all time, boasting superb performances, an intelligent script, and stunning war sequences that leave one in no doubt that war is, in fact, hell.

Rounding out my list of the top 10 war movies, I vote for Kubrick's funny and harrowing Full Metal Jacket and Das Boot, the ultimate film about submarine warfare, with no glamour, but plenty of tension, terror, and death to spare. Platoon remains Oliver Stone's best film, and one of the best Vietnam films, ever. And of course, no list of best war films would be complete without including the truly epic scope of The Longest Day, and Edward Zwick's epic and heartbreaking Glory.

Picking the Best Film Noir is nearly as impossible as selecting the best war movie, but let me slip my rod into my shoulder holster, don my trench coat and fedora, and I'll make a stab at it. For best film noir thrills, suspense, and world-class movie making, I nominate, M, Fritz Lang's classic about the last doomed hours of a child molester who's marked for death by Berlin's underworld. Peter Lorre's performance here is one of the great film performances ever, and brought Lorre (and Lang) international acclaim. Filling out my lineup of the best Film Noirs, I must absolutely include The Maltese Falcon, certainly among the finest hours for director John Huston and stars Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, Sydney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre (what, again?!) and the immortal Elisha Cook, Jr., one of the twitchiest, most dangerous gunsels ever.

By the way, although it's often been misused, the term gunsel is old-fashioned slang for a homosexual; it does not mean a gunman or gangster. Okay? Now get it straight. Anyway, I must also doff my fedora in the direction of Orson Welles' Touch of Evil, John Huston's The Asphalt Jungle (Sterling Hayden, Louis Calhern, and Sam Jaffe, at or near their peaks), the outrageous and trend-setting Kiss Me Deadly (the best Mickey Spillane adaptation of all time, and a career highlight for the talented Ralph Meeker). Also worthy of note in my ten best film noir lineup are Roman Polanski's Chinatown, a rare color noir, with great acting by Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway, and John Huston (a superb character actor when the mood struck him), and a brilliantly twisty script by Robert Towne that every aspiring screenwriter should be forced to read (at gunpoint, if necessary), The Big Heat, Fritz Lang's sadistic masterpiece of mob violence and equally tough police retribution, starred Glen Ford, Lee Marvin (pass the coffee, Lee!), and Gloria Grahame (another one of the greatest film noir dames).

I also nominated the lesser-known The Narrow Margin, a real nail-biter set aboard a train, with first-rate work by Charles McGraw and Marie Windsor (another of the all-time great film noir dames. See below for The Killing). Rounding out my top ten noirs is Kubrick's The Killing. Great story, ingenious editing, and an incredible noir cast that includes Sterling Hayden, Elisha Cook, Jr., Joe Sawyer, Marie Windsor, Timothy Carey, Ted DeCorsia, Vince Edwards and Joseph Turkel. My final top ten film noir is John Boorman's visionary Point Blank, one of the most influential and imitated films of the 60s, with great editing, icy cool cinematography, and a lead role tailor-made for the great Lee Marvin.

Best Fantasy Film

King Kong

Well, let's leave the seedy urban underbelly of the film noir universe for the world of Fantasy to name the Best Fantasy Film of All Time. Leading the pack is the immortal King Kong, the 1933 version, of course, though I really liked Peter Jackson's sumptuously mounted (albeit much too long) remake. Kong has it all: a terrific story, a beautiful heroine, a tall dark and scary leading man, and, once they get to Kong Island, almost non-stop action, with some of the most innovative special effects ever filmed. Even in the days of breathtakingly beautiful CGI, these old-school effects still have the power to thrill and astonish. Oh, and did I fail to mention Max Steiner's classic score for this masterpiece? One of the best films ever made, King Kong will live forever in minds of anyone who's ever seen it.

Next up on my list of best fantasy films is The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Although each of them is superb, taken in toto, Peter Jackson's three films rank as one of the greatest achievements ever in fantasy film and a unique and powerful piece of filmmaking. Not only are these films excellent realizations of J.R.R. Tolkien's detailed vision of a completely imagined fantasy universe, they're all technically innovative, boast great acting, art direction, editing and music. This series is a winner from the first moments of The Fellowship of the Ring down to the closing credits of The Return of the King. Done on a lesser scale, but still powerful, Frank Capra's It's a Wonderful Life has been making audiences laugh, cry and applaud for decades. It's so popular it's become a holiday perennial, with annual showings on TV at Christmas. Ridley Scott's Legend lost money when it was first released, but over the years, it's been acknowledged as a classic in the genre, less for its thin story and Tom Cruise's wooden acting than for its grand production design, Tim Curry's delicious performance as the demon Darkness, and the incredible atmosphere it creates.

Legend literally transports you to a fantasy world, and it's one of the most fully realized fantasy worlds ever put on screen. This is a film whose reputation, like Blade Runner's will only grow in the future. The Princess Bride may be the wittiest, best-written film on this list. This original, funny and engaging film, based on William Goldman's novel of the same name, proved that you could make a fantasy film for all ages. It's one of those films that never run out of ideas or witty banter. It is a delight.

The other films on my list of Top 10 Fantasy Films include two by Disney: Pinocchio and Fantasia, two of the most beautiful animated films ever made. Nightmare Before Christmas has finally attained classic status, and why not? It's got great songs, a truly innovative production design, and an original story that's sure to please audiences of all ages, though it might be a bit too intense for the smallest of small fry. Interestingly enough, Nightmare is still a merchandising powerhouse, spawning new products almost every week, and even inspiring certain demented fans (like AFI's Davey Havok) to have Jack and the other characters tattooed on their bodies. What a world! What a world! However, no list of the best fantasy films of all time would be complete without including Beauty and the Beast. No not the Disney musical, but Jean Cocteau's mesmerizing, dreamlike realization of this ancient fairy tale. It remains a treasure of world cinema, a film that every lover of fantasy must see at least once in his or her lifetime.

My final entry in this list is another classic, Douglas Fairbanks' silent version of The Thief of Baghdad. See it once and you'll understand why, especially if you can see it with the original tinting sequences restored and with a live orchestra playing the soundtrack. Now that's moviemaking!

Best Comedy of All Time

The General

Finally, what's life without a few good laughs? I mean laughter is the best medicine for what ails you, so let's take a quick look at THE BEST COMEDY OF ALL TIME. Rather than choose one of the modern classics, I vote for Buster Keaton's immortal tour de force, The General, surely one of the funniest, and best-directed comedies ever. With this action-packed Civil War comedy, Keaton showed himself to be a consummate filmmaker. The script, editing, and gags are all incredibly good. Keaton gives one of his best performances as a trouble-plagued engineer determined to get his train back from those villainous Yankees. Next in line is yet another film by the great Stanley Kubrick, Dr. Strangelove, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb.

Like other films listed in my top 10, this is one of those films where everything clicks, from the script to the cinematography and production design to the casting, even the timing of when it was released. It's one of the funniest films of all time about a very unfunny subject: nuclear warfare, and yet it's hilarious thanks to the dead-on script by Stanley Kubrick and Terry Southern, that is acted to a tee by Peter Sellers (in triple roles), Sterling Hayden, George C. Scott (superb in a rare comedy role), Keenan Wynn, Peter Bull, Slim Pickens (his best role ever!), and James Earl Jones in his film debut. Among the also-rans in my TOP TEN COMEDIES are: Duck Soup (It's the Marx Brothers in their absolute funniest film. Any questions?), Stanley Kramer's elephantine, but sidesplittingly funny It's a Mad, Mad, Mad World. (A note to my readers: Any time I'm in a really bad mood, all I have to do is watch the scene where Jonathan Winters demolishes the gas station single-handedly and my bad mood evaporates).

Norman Jewison's The Russians are Coming, the Russians are Coming is too long, but it's also a real hoot, probably the second-best Cold War comedy of the 60s, and it's got Jonathan Winters, to boot, as well as Carl Reiner in his funniest film role, and Alan Arkin's excellent debut. I also really like Monty Python's Life of Brian, though many religious people think this film is highly offensive. Fuck "em if they can"t take a joke, I say. Brian is not only the funniest Monty Python film; it also has some very perceptive things to say about human gullibility and the silliness of organized religion. (You've got to work it out for yourselves, people!) It's almost an understatement to call Billy Wilder's Some Like It Hot a masterpiece, but like many of the other films on this list, it's nearly perfect in every frame, and certainly ranks among the career highlights of Tony Curtis and Marilyn Monroe. My final comedies are the madcap Nothing Sacred and Harold Lloyd's eyepopping and hilarious Safety Last!

Best Drama

Gone With The Wind

I've got to wrap this up, so let's bounce on over to the last two categories. For the Best Drama of All Time: I vote for Gone With the Wind. It's got scope, it's got sweep, it's got Rhett and Scarlett, and was directed by Victor Fleming the same year he directed The Wizard of Oz. (Man, what a year, he had!) Citizen Kane deserves to be listed here for reasons that should be obvious to anyone who's ever seen it. My other runners up for Best Drama are: A Streetcar Named Desire (Tennessee Williams and Marlon Brando, need I say more?), Coppola's The Godfather I & II, and The Conversation (A brilliant and underrated film about paranoia and spying, with a superb performance by Gene Hackman), Spielberg's epic of the Holocaust, Schindler's List, Michael Curtiz's fabled Casablanca, 12 Angry Men, Otto Preminger's Anatomy of a Murder (his best film), and finally, To Kill a Mockingbird, a beautiful classic with a gentle soul and a wonderful message of tolerance and the hateful effects of racism.

Best Historical Epic

Lawrence of Arabia

I have no choice but to offer up David Lean's magnificent Lawrence of Arabia. This is another film that just gets better each time you see it, and I try to see it every few years because I like it so much. It may take liberties with historical fact, but in its artistry probably gives audiences a greater insight into the character of T.E. Lawrence than any mere documentary ever could. Superlative performances by Peter O'Toole in the lead role, with equally fine work by Anthony Quayle, Arthur Kennedy, Omar Sharif, Anthony Quinn, Jack Hawkins, and Alec Guiness. The cinematography by Freddie Young, rarely equaled and never surpassed, is one of the things that give this film its epic sweep and sense of scope. A tour de force by all concerned.

Next, I nominate Kubrick's Spartacus, one of the best directed and most intelligent of the cycle of epics from the 50s and 60s. Kirk Douglas is nearly perfect and heads a powerhouse cast that includes Lawrence Olivier, Charles McGraw, Jean Simmons, Charles Laughton, Peter Ustinov, Woody Strode, John Ireland and Herbert Lom. My other choices for runners-up for the best Historical Epic include: David Lean's Bridge on the River Kwai, and Dr. Zhivago, both are excellent. And, as much as it pains me to say anything nice about Mel Gibson, his Braveheart is one of the most stirring and exciting epic films ever made. Rounding out my list of Best Historical Epics, I choose Peter Weir's Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, Franklin Schaffner's Papillion, Warren Beatty's ode to Commies, Reds, Richard Attenborough's breathtakingly good biography of Ghandi, and finally, two films from the great D.W. Griffith, Birth of A Nation and Intolerance, the latter of which boasts some of the best editing and acting in any silent film.

Well, folks, love "em or hate "em, those are my choices for the 10 Best Films of All Time. If you disagree with my choices, then I strongly encourage you to make your own list. It's one of the most fun aspects of being a film fan, picking favorites and then arguing your choices with other film lovers. See you at the movies, folks.