Inception is named 2nd favorite film by IMDb founder

IMDb Founder Col Needham Reveals His Top 10 Favorite Films for First Time Ever (Exclusive)

Many of his favorites are older films, like 1944’s “Double Indemnity.” Some are in black and white, as is 1958’s “Touch of Evil.” And only one top pick is from this millennium, 2010’s “Inception.” “I hope to inspire younger people to see these films,” said IMDb’s CEO. “It’s my not-so-secret maniacal plan to inspire people around the world to be as big a film fan as I am.”

Here is Needham’s top 10 films of all-time list, annotated with his commentary from our interview:

1. Vertigo (1958)
“I fell in love with Kim Novak’s character and the ‘Oh no, that’s not what happened at all’ aspect of the movie.”

2. Inception (2010)
“I love a twist ending or a twist middle. I am a big fan of Christopher Nolan.”

3. North By Northwest (1959)
“The suave sophistication of Cary Grant’s character is unmatched. It also serves as a proxy for great Hitchcock films: ‘Spellbound,’ ‘Notorious’ and ‘Rebecca.'”

4. Double Indemnity (1944)
“It’s a Billy Wilder film where he does superb film noir.”

5. Bringing Up Baby (1938)
“In my opinion, this is the funniest movie ever made. It stars my all-time favorite actor, Cary Grant, and my all-time favorite actress, Katharine Hepburn (after whom I named one of my daughters).”

6. Aliens (1986)
“This is actually the film I’ve seen more than any other film — more than 60 times, including twice in French… ‘Aliens’ has relentless thrills and action. Once everything starts to go wrong on that planet it’s non-stop.”

7. Se7en (1995)
“That was one of my most tense viewing experiences. The conflict at the end is the best part: Should he dispense justice or not?”

8. Pulp Fiction (1994)
“It redefined cinema in the 90s… The non-linear timeline is great, as are the opening and closing scenes from two different perspectives.”

9. Eyes Wide Shut (1999)
“Hitchcock, Wilder, Stanley Kubrick is the order of directors I love… I was haunted by that film for weeks… People don’t realize it’s a Christmas movie. There’s a Christmas tree in virtually every scene. It’s one of two movies I re-watch every Christmas Eve — that and ‘It’s a Wonderful Life.'”

10. Touch of Evil (1958)
“This is the last great film noir and I remember being blown away by the famous single take opening shot. It also has one of my favorite endings of all time.”

Nolan, I love you forever!