I’ve enjoyed too many films to list them all, so I’ve listed some of them into four categories:

Erik’s Favourite Hollywood Films Made in Toronto

Erik’s Favourite Canadian Films

Erik’s Favourite U.S. Films

Other Favourite Films

Erik’s Favourite Hollywood Films Made in Toronto

Searching for Bobby Fisher
Max Pomeranc, a youth chess champion, struggles between having fun with speed player Laurence Fishburne or studying hard under Ben Kingsley. 1993

The Paper Chase
A law student, Timothy Bottoms, becomes involved with the professor's daughter, Lindsay Wagner, amidst being buried in school work — which is more important? 1973

Little Man Tate
A single mother, Jodie Foster, has to face losing her brilliant child who has the opportunity to go to university. 1991

The Big Hit
Oops, Mark Wahlberg and other bad guys kidnap their boss's goddaughter, China Chow. 1998

Harriet the Spy
A girl, Michelle Trachtenberg, writes what she observes into her secret diary — until her friends read it. 1996

Adventures in Babysitting
Babysitter Elisabeth Shue takes the kids downtown and gets into big trouble. 1987

The Silent Partner
Bank clerk Elliot Gould tricks bank robber Christopher Plummer in the new Eaton Centre. 1978

The Santa Clause
Tim Allen unwillingly inherits the job of Santa Claus. 1994

Frequency
James Caviezel bonds with his father, Dennis Quaid, who lives 30 years in the past, and they try to stop a serial killer. 2000

Head Office
Danny DeVito shows Judge Reinhold how to get ahead in the office. 1986

Dirty Work
Norm McDonald runs an agency that does dirty work (like revenge) for other people. 1998

and interesting cinematography by Paul Sarossy in Jerry and Tom
Car salesmen Joe Montegno, Sam Rockwell and Maury Chaykin sideline as hitmen. 1998

Erik’s Favourite Canadian Films

Cold Comfort
Paul Gross is taken to a farm and has eyes on the daughter, Margaret Langrick, as does the father, Maury Chaykin. Alberta 1989

H
Two people lock themselves in a basement to end their heroin addiction. Toronto 1991

Life Classes
A young artist, Jacinta Cormier, struggles to put on her first show. Halifax 1987

The Dead Zone
Christopher Walken has flashes of the future, including rising politician Martin Sheen, after having sexual feelings. Ontario 1983

P4W
Documentary on women in prison. Kingston 1981

Narmada: A Valley Rises
A documentary crew follows a mass protest over a dam that will flood many villages. India 1994

La Fiction Nucléaire
NFB documentary reveals how the public is subsidizing large factories through building expensive nuclear power plants. Quebec 1979

Manufacturing Dissent: Noam Chomsky and the Media
NFB documentary on the anarchist intellectual who is critical of business owned news media coverage of world conflicts. 1992

Picture of Light
Documentary attempts to photograph the northern lights. Manitoba 1994

Who’s Counting? Marilyn Waring on Sex, Lies and Global Economics
Economist from New Zealand lectures on how to change economic analysis to include housework as positive and pollution as negative. NFB 1995

I Heard the Mermaids Singing
Young woman, Sheila McCarthy, works at an art gallery, hoping to get recognition as a photographer. Toronto 1987

Gripping opening shot in Family Viewing. Man sits in a funeral home watching a video of his deceased. Toronto 1987

and great cinematography by David H. Makin in Kids in the Hall: Brain Candy. Toronto 1996

Erik’s Favourite US Films

Lost Horizon (1937)
The Wizard of Oz (1939)
The Terminator (1984)
The Warriors (1979)

Annie Hall (1977)
Being There (1979)
Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989)
The Cider House Rules (1999)
Cocoon (1985)
Desolation Angels (1995)
Gladiator (2000)
The Producers (1968)
RoboCop (1987)
Sick: The Life & Death of Bob Flanagan, Supermasochist (1997)
South Park: Bigger Longer & Uncut (1999)  
Speed (1994)
Star Wars (1977)
What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993)

Almost Famous (2000)
Big Trouble in Little China (1986)
Clerks (1994)
Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982)
Fried Green Tomatoes (1991)
Galaxy Quest (1999)
Glory (1989)
Groundhog Day (1993)
The Ice Storm (1997)
Liquid Sky (1982)
The Lonely Guy (1984)
Penn and Teller Get Killed (1989)
Private Benjamin (1980)
Thelma & Louise (1991)
Westworld (1973)

Other favourite films not shot in the US

Alien (U.K. 1979)
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (Italy 1966)
The Legend of the Drunken Master (Hong Kong 1994)
Monty Python's The Meaning of Life (U.K. 1983)
Quackser Fortune Has a Cousin in the Bronx (Ireland 1970)

Aliens (U.K. 1986)
Bend It Like Beckham (U.K. 2002)
Ermo (China 1994)
The Fourth Man (Netherlands 1983)
Jean de Florette (France 1986)
The Go Masters (China/Japan 1983)
La Femme Nikita (France/Italy 1990)
The Man Who Knew Too Little (U.K. 1997)
Schindler's List (Poland 1993)
The Secret of Roan Inish (Ireland 1994)
Shakespeare in Love (U.K. 1998)
Tampopo (Japan 1986)
Unforgiven (Alberta 1992)

The Bride With White Hair (Hong Kong 1993)
The Crying Game (U.K. 1992)
Erik the Viking (Norway 1989)
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (UK 2002)
I, You, She, He (Belgium 1974)
Jesus Christ Superstar (Israel 1973)
The Journey of Natty Gann (B.C. 1985)
The Magic Christian (U.K. 1969)
Man Facing Southeast (Argentina 1986)
Monsieur Hire (France 1989)
Nightwatch (Denmark 1994)
Predator (Mexico 1987)
Show Me Love (Sweden 1998)
Wings of Desire (Germany 1987)

Erik’s Favourite Hollywood Films Made in Toronto

Send me a list of your favourite Toronto films and ideas for this page.

Erik Malmsten jerik@idirect.com