Sir Elton John has never hidden his passion for film. In a candid interview with Rotten Tomatoes, the Rocket Man shared the five movies that have most inspired and delighted him - ranging from razor-sharp satire to psychological thrillers and some of Hollywood's most iconic dramas.
His list offers a fascinating window into his creative mind, as well as a few surprises - including the gangster sequel he rates above even The Godfather.
Below, we count down Elton's choices from fifth to first, with his own words explaining what makes each film so unforgettable.
5. The Lives of Others (2006)
Considered one of the best German films of the 21st century, this Oscar-winning thriller explores the tricky moral issues surrounding surveillance and individual morality in Cold War East Berlin. It tells the tale of a Stasi agent whose increasing sympathy for the writer and performer he's monitoring causes him to doubt his allegiance to the government.
Elton calls it "just an amazing movie," highlighting its beauty and emotional depth. He reflected: "The Lives of Others would go in there. It's just an amazing movie... [It] was just a beautiful film." He also praised Germany's cinematic output: "So many great movies coming out of Germany... Well, The Reader was a Stephen Daldry film, but it was all about coming to terms with their past. And also Downfall as well."
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4. Blazing Saddles (1974)
Mel Brooks' irreverent western comedy skewers racism and Hollywood conventions with outrageous humour and sharp wit. Set in a frontier town threatened by corruption, the arrival of a black sheriff sparks chaos - and some of the most iconic comic set pieces in film history.
"Let me choose a comedy", Elton said. "Let me choose Blazing Saddles, because I just thought, at the time when that came out, it was just so ahead of its time... You couldn't get away with that now. There's no f-ing way you could get away with it." He adds that comedies deserve more recognition: "It's always nice to put a comedy in the mix because they never get nominated, do they?"
3. The Exorcist (1973)
Widely regarded as one of the scariest films ever made, William Friedkin's supernatural horror follows the harrowing possession of a young girl and her mother's desperate quest for help from two priests. Groundbreaking special effects and chilling performances made it a genre-defining classic that still unsettles audiences worldwide.
Elton remembers: "The Exorcist... frightened the s**t out of me. I remember going to see it in London - I went with a friend - and I said, 'Well, that wasn't too bad after all, was it?' And we both said, 'Well, I don't want to go home quite yet.' So we went out for a meal. That is an incredible movie."
2. All About Eve (1950)
This backstage drama is renowned for its razor-sharp script and legendary performances from Bette Davis and Anne Baxter. The film chronicles the rise of an ambitious young actress who insinuates herself into the life of an ageing Broadway star, exposing ambition and betrayal behind theatre's glittering façade.
Elton clearly admires these qualities: "All About Eve... I just think the dialogue in that film is incredible and so brilliant, and I never get fed up with watching it. It's just brilliantly acted; it's b--iness at its best."
1. *The Godfather Part II*, released in 1974.
Francis Ford Coppola's epic sequel deepens and expands the saga of the Corleone family, weaving together Michael Corleone's ruthless consolidation of power with flashbacks to Vito Corleone's early years in America. With career-defining turns from Al Pacino and Robert De Niro, this film is widely hailed as one of cinema's masterpieces.
For Elton, it surpasses even its genre-defining predecessor: "Godfather II. Just riveting. It's just incredible. At that time there weren't usually sequels to films... When they said they were going to do Godfather II I groaned. And of course it was better-I think-than Godfather I. I think it's an amazing piece of filmmaking. He was an amazing director, Coppola."
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