One of the most frequent questions I am always asked being the host of the greatest movie podcast ever (opinions may vary) is “What’s your favorite movie?” That answer has been the same since I was 11 years old. But it also isn’t as easy to explain why I love some movies more than others.

As an art form, movies are by their nature interpretative. Some people will point to a film’s box office total as a barometer for a film’s quality, this might not be true again because although it might be popular to the masses it might not appeal to you. I am looking at you Avatar, which is not one of my favorite films, not by a longshot.  

Also, if the film wins an Academy Award for Best Picture, that hardly means it’s one of my favorite films, looking at you The English Patient, in fact I hardly agree with the Academy. Having said that, I am sure that some people love Avatar and The English Patient. And that’s what makes movies so great.

I, also am not a professional critic. I love film. I try and find merit in all film. As a host of a podcast that attempts to give every movie a chance, I believe that is the best way to approach movies, let the lights go out and try and enjoy yourself. You might find a “diamond in the rough.”

When thinking of my favorite movies to share with you, my loyal listeners, I thought 100 wasn’t going to be enough. So, I am proud to present my 150 Favorite Films, right now. These will change, I know they will.

See you at the movies!

113. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) Directed by Gore Verbinski

The Movie: Encountering a shipwreck, the crew of HMS Dauntless, find a boy floating in the water. He is brought aboard. The boy, Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) has a gold medallion around his neck. The medallion is taken by Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley).

Eight years has now passed and Elizabeth is proposed to by the newly promoted Captain James Norrington (Jack Davenport). At that moment, Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) has arrived in Port Royal, quite spectacularly on a sinking ship. Elizabeth has passed out after the proposal, not because she is in love with Norrington, her corset is too tight. She falls into the water. The medallion around her neck pulses. Elizabeth is saved by Captain Jack, but Norrington, who recognizes him as a pirate orders his capture. Sparrow eludes the British forces for a moment and stumbles into Will’s blacksmith shop. They duel and Captain Jack is captured.

As fog rolls into Port Royal, it brings with it the Black Pearl and some rather unsavory pirates. They are looking for the medallion and chase Elizabeth around her home. When they capture her, she tells them that her last name is Turner and she demands “parlay”. The pirates reluctantly take Elizabeth aboard the Black Pearl, where she meets Captain Barbosa (Geoffrey Rush).

Elizabeth learns that the crew of the Black Pearl are cursed. The medallion that she has in her possession is a piece of treasure that belonged to Hernan Cortes. Cortes accepted the payment to prevent the Fall of Tenochtitlan. Cortes did not end up fulfilling his end of the bargain and the Aztecs cursed the gold. The curse makes anyone who takes the treasure to become undead, always hungry, always in pain. The true form is exposed in the moonlight, which reveals them to be skeletal remains of the men they once were. Barbosa tells Elizabeth that he must return all the treasure to Isla de Muerta to lift the curse and they set sail.

Will enlists the help of Captain Jack to assist him in saving the woman he loves. We learn that Sparrow is the previous Captain of the Black Pearl and was ousted by Barbosa. Sparrow knows he needs a crew, commandeers a ship and sails to Tortuga.

With a crew in tow, Sparrow and Will track down the Black Pearl at Isla de Muerta. At the island, Elizabeth’s hand is cut and her blood falls onto the treasure. Barbosa soon realizes that Elizabeth is not a Turner and he is still cursed. Enraged he attacks Jack and Will. Will is able to escape with Elizabeth, but Sparrow is captured and taken to the Black Pearl.

The Black Pearl soon chases down Will’s ship, destroys it and takes the crew hostage. Will makes a deal with Barbosa. His life for Elizabeth’s. Barbosa agrees, but he double-crosses Will and maroons Sparrow and Elizabeth on a deserted island. Elizabeth makes a smoke signal which brings the Dauntless to the island. She tells Norrington she will marry him if he will chase down the Black Pearl and save Will. Norrington agrees.

At Isla de Muerta, Sparrow tells Norrington that he will go to the island and lure the pirates out and the crew of the Dauntless can ambush them. Norrington agrees. On the island, Sparrow betrays the British. He tells them to not lift the curse yet, but to attack the Dauntless while they are still immortal. Barbosa agrees and his crew sets out to attack the Dauntless. Elizabeth leaves the Dauntless and rescues Sparrow’s crew, who refuse to help Sparrow or Will. Elizabeth realizes she will have to save them herself. Because he is a pirate, Captain Jack again betrays Barbosa dress Will and duels the Captain of the Black Pearl. Jack is stabbed by Barbosa, but he too is cursed and does not die. Jack shoots Barbosa, Will returns both coins to the treasure and with his blood and Sparrow’s, the curse is lifted, this time truly killing Barbosa.

All the living pirates are captured by the British and returned to Port Royal. There, Sparrow is sentenced to die by hanging. Before Jack is hung, Elizabeth attempts to distract Norrington while Will tries to save him, to no avail. Jack and Will are surrounded by the British. Elizabeth pleads with them that she loves Will. Her father, Governor Weatherby Swann (Jonathan Price) pardons Will and gives his blessing on their marriage. Sparrow dives into the ocean and onto the Black Pearl, where he is Captain once again. Norrington gives Captain Sparrow a days head start before they chase.

Why I Love Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003): Count me as one of skeptics when it was announced that Disney was taking one of its most beloved rides and making it a feature length movie seemed crazy. To say Pirates of the Caribbean was a pleasant surprise would be an understatement to how good it turned out.

By blending adventure/horror/comedy/action into a solid picture is nothing short of miraculous. The directing, the cinematography all work. The music is now iconic. Speaking of iconic, Johnny Depp’s Captain Jack Sparrow is one of the all-time cinema great characters. My favorite thing about him is he is not a good guy. He demonstrates throughout this film and all of its sequels that he is a pirate almost through and through. Every so often he is the hero, but only when it suits his needs. And while the sequels also lessened the impact of Captain Jack through overexposure, the first film works so well because he is so good that when he leaves the screen you yearn for him to come back.

Keira Knightley is not a damsel in distress but a resourceful heroine. Orlando Bloom is handsome sure, but he gets his hands dirty and is up to the challenge for the pictures true hero.

Pirates of the Caribbean deftly dances between movie genres, delivering one hell of a good time.