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It's in the film's final 20 minutes, as Andy escapes his physical and mental prison, and uses a pinup poster of Rita Hayworth, rocks, and a tiny hammer to get out of Shawshank Prison. As he exits the film, for the most part, we're left with Red, as he inadvertently gets an unexpected parole and follows the mythos of his best friend to a secluded tree somewhere in Maine, all the way to Zihuatenejo. Watching this sequence, seeing Morgan Freeman amble along the road to the tree, seeing the fear in his eyes at possibly being spied on for taking Andy's last gift; there is an inexplicable joy I get from this scene, which at first seems out of place because it finally puts Red center stage. By the time Red says the memorable line, "Get busy living or get busy dying. That's Gdamn right", I smile as he does, and I hope as he does that he will not only find his friend in good spirits, but that their friendship will live on.

Monty Python and the Holy Grail

The first time I saw the 1975 comedy Monty Python and the Holy Grail", I had a fleeting awareness of the famous comedy troupe. I was in summer camp, preparing to perform the classic Dead Parrot sketch, in which one man brings a recently purchased and deceased parrot to the pet store clerk who sold it to him and has to convince the clerk that the parrot is dead to begin with. One of the other campers asked if I'd seen Holy Grail; when I said I hadn't, she told me I had to see it, and I had to see it immediately. That night, I rented the film and spent the next 90 minutes laughing so hard, I was crying. I had never imagined such silliness as the scene where King Arthur does battle with the Black Knight, so courageous that he doesn't mind losing an arm.

I had rarely seen wordplay as deft as when the patriarch of a swampy castle has to explain in no uncertain terms to two daft guards that they need to keep an eye on his roving son. The taunting Frenchman, the killer rabbit, and even the dreaded five questions - three, sir! - three questions one must answer to cross the Bridge of Death; all was not only hilarious the first time around, but the second, third, and the many other times I've watched this movie. I have had the pleasure of watching this film with my wife, my parents, and even a theater full of Python idolizers, some even dressed as the film's characters, quoting the film as it played to them. Monty Python and the Holy Grail isn't just my favorite comedy, but probably one of the best of all time.

Toy Story

It's hard to tell you why 1995's Toy Story, the first film from Pixar Animation Studios, is the best from John Lasseter and his bunch of wildly creative artists. Most days, I'll tell you that my favorite overall Pixar film is Ratatouille, closely followed by WALL-E and Up. But for its introduction to some truly beloved characters, the beginning of a new style of animation, an iconic song, and sharp, witty dialogue, I can't ignore Toy Story. It's the shortest film from Pixar, clocking in at 81 minutes with end credits, but in terms of concise storytelling and character development, there's nothing lost. The story you must know by this point, especially with the third film in the trilogy coming next summer. Woody and Buzz start as enemies vying for their owner's attention and end as best friends. But, then again, saving each other's lives does that to you.

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