One of the most famous movie scenes of all time is when Burt Lancaster and Deborah Kerr embraced themselves on the beach while being engulfed by the water. It's simply breathtaking. If that's all anybody can remember about From Here to Eternity, then so be it. The performances, especially by Montgomery Clift, Burt Lancaster, and Frank Sinatra, are unforgettable.

Reminding me of From Here to Eternity, it's a wonderful picture with well-developed characters and remarkable performances. Their chemistry is the key in making it a lasting success. The biggest asset is Louis Gossett, Jr., who becomes the first black Oscar winner for Best Supporting Actor. If some of his lines sound familiar, it's because R. Lee Ermey repeated them in Full Metal Jacket. The truth is Louis was coached by him in preparation for his role as Drill Sergeant Emil Foley.

The editing work of the dogfighting scenes is the best in any film. There are many great movie moments: Tom Cruise on his bike while an F-14 Tomcat is taking off, when he arrives at the female instructor's house, the whole volleyball match with Rossovich flexing his muscles, the piano scene at Kansas City Barbeque, and an F-14 Tomcat buzzing the tower. Top Gun makes joining the U.S. Navy to be a fighter pilot a very cool thing to do.

Thanks to Aaron Sorkin's outstanding screenplay, the performances are thoroughly outstanding. As Colonel Nathan Jessep, Jack Nicholson has a Oscar-winning clip when he yelled after being pressed by Tom Cruise: "You can't handle the truth!"

Based on Charles Fuller's Pulitzer Prize-winning play, A Soldier's Story is one of the most remarkable pictures made with a top-flight black ensemble cast. Howard E. Rollins is terrific and has a powerful screen presence while Adolph Caesar gives a performance that's timeless. Not to miss is the outstanding job by Denzel Washington.

The Manchurian Candidate is a brilliantly made political thriller picture with the most complex editing imaginable. Now, remember the book was written in 1959 and the film was released in 1962 which was more than one year before JFK's assassination. The President knew all about it and gave the filmmakers his expressed approval to go ahead with the project. Hence, there's no telling if Lee Harvey Oswald saw the film or was inspired by it. Pretty chilling stuff.

The best Pat Conroy film made, The Lords of Discipline is superior to Taps in every respect. It's also realistic and has a lot to say about racism, backwards thinking, and misplaced male superiority. The author attended The Citadel, and the story is based on his experiences and what he witnessed during four years there.

Nearing the end of Humphrey Bogart's career, The Caine Mutiny is another proof of his greatness. José Ferrer is brilliant as Greenwald the lawyer. They help transform it into an intellectual picture, dealing with the aftermath of a mutiny. Greenwald's drunken words at the end put each of the characters in perspective.

Not exactly a comedy, The Pentagon Wars is an eye-opener of how the U.S. military wastes taxpayers' money. Based on United States Air Force Colonel James G. Burton's book The Pentagon Wars: Reformers Challenge the Old Guard, it's a description of what went on during the Bradley Fighting Vehicle project.

Breaker Morant is perhaps the best Australian film made. The reasons are two: excellent acting and striking cinematography. To this day, nobody knows the full story of what happened, but one thing is for sure: the soldiers were guilty. Like always, war blurs the line between right and wrong.

An epic of Ron Kovic's life with lots of highs and lows, Born on the Fourth of July is the one Tom Cruise will be remembered for eternity. It's to Oliver Stone's credit for making the film seamless and moving. He also takes advantage of Ron Kovic's autobiographical story to tell how one disabled Vietnam veteran went from an idealistic patriot to a cynical, jaded hater because of the lies that were spoon-fed to him.

Two Navy servicemen transport a prisoner from Norfolk, Virginia, to Portsmouth Naval Prison. On the way, Jack Nicholson's Buddusky, aka Badass, has ideas of his own and wants to make it specially memorable for the prisoner in a coming-of-age way. It's odd because why do the two men care about him? Well, dammit...Badass has feelings and wants to prove he's a human being, not a robot.

Kevin Costner is the show and looks great in whites. He has a famous movie moment with Sean Young when they start making love in the back of the limo, but once her character is killed, that's when the movie starts to take off. From there on, the race is on to see who will be left holding the bag which is fun to watch.

Tunes of Glory is a complicated British picture about the battle of personalities between two leaders in the Scottish Highland Regiment. Alec Guinness shows why he was an outstanding actor of his time, and John Mills is equally at his level, too.

Mutiny on the Bounty is an expertly made picture given the year it was filmed in, and it features a sweeping story. It's highly watchable because of Clark Gable who steals the show in every scene. And Charles Laughton is mesmerizing as Captain Bligh.