DAVID SMAIL

THE CINEPHILIST

I used to have one of the greatest jobs on the planet. That of a video store clerk.
These were the days before Netflix, when I had pretty much any movie I wanted at my fingertips. For free.

Weekend nights were great fun, as our eclectic mix of south Denver regulars would stream in seeking out recommendations.

I also worked in Ketchum, Idaho for a while, where one of the stars of 'Jaws' referred to one of my recommendations as 'boring'. Should I take ‘Jaws’ off the list?

Since then, I've always kept somewhat of an informal go-to list of flicks that I might consider mandatory viewing. These are they. Please enjoy. But keep them to yourself, yeah?

Also, there's a long list of give-it-a-go movies that didn't make the list. Please feel free to ask.