Movies are important to me. They suck me into other worlds and help me forget about the harsh realities of my own life.

Oftentimes, I like myself a good war movie. These depictions of heroism, violence, turmoil, brutality and sadness inspire me to count my blessings. I watch movies like Clint Eastwood's "Letters From Iwo Jima," or Spielberg's "Schindler's List," thinking how easy it could have been for me to be born two or three generations earlier, and have been a Jew in the Holocaust or a private in the Imperial Japanese Army. My top three war movies, which I highly suggest to all of you are:

1. "Saving Private Ryan" (1998) Directed by Stephen Spielberg

Starring Tom Hanks as the ranking leader of a small team of soldiers, Captain Miller must make his way through Nazi Occupied France in order to rescue a young American soldier whose three older brothers were killed in action. But first Hanks has to survive the disturbingly realistic opening scene on Normandy's Omaha Beach.

2. "Letters from Iwo Jima" (2006) Directed by Clint Eastwood

Starring Ken Watanabe as Japanese General Kuribayashi, one of the last holdouts in the war in the Pacific must defend itself to the last man. It is the story of the battle of Iwo Jima between the United States and Imperial Japan during World War II, as told from the perspective of the Japanese who fought it. This movie is far superior to its American oriented counterpart "Flags of our Fathers," and Eastwood's latest war movie, "American Sniper."

3. "The Hurt Locker" (2008) Directed by Kathryn Bigelow

Starring Jeremy Renner as a headstrong and risk-taking leader of a bomb squad, this movie depicts the stark reality of the Iraq War, and the effect the new kind of warfare had on the soldiers who fought in it. Renner steps in to take the place of his predecessor who is killed by an IED. Renner's unconventional way of getting things done puts him at odds with the other members of his team. Better than Bigelow's movie "Zero Dark Thirty," "Hurt Locker" is the next movie you should see.

But war movies aren't the only ones I enjoy. Crime and mystery movies are just as good! Here are my top three picks for the crime and mystery:

1. "Se7en" (1995) Directed by David Fincher

Fincher, the same guy who did "Gone Girl" and "Fight Club," brings to you "Se7en," a gritty crime movie starring detective team Morgan Freeman and Brad Pitt. The former being close to retirement, and the latter being a recent transfer, the two begin tracking down a serial killer who chooses his victims based on their guilt of committing one of the seven deadly sins. Action-packed and full of murder, violence and shocking turns, this should be high on your to-do list.

2. "The Usual Suspects" (1995) Directed by Bryan Singer

With Kevin Spacey as the smooth talking Verbal Kint, Detective Kujan has his work cut out for him when Kint is the sole witness to a boat fire where 200 pounds of cocaine suspiciously went missing. Flipping between interrogation scenes and flashbacks to the real events, Spacey tells the story of how five crooks banded together to keep themselves safe from the mysterious drug kingpin, Kaiser Soze.

3. "L.A. Confidential" (1997) Directed by Curtis Hanson

An all-star cast including Kevin Spacey, Russell Crowe, Guy Pierce, Kim Basinger, Danny DeVito and James Cromwell, this 1950s LA crime syndicate drama tells the story of Jack Vincennes, Bud White and Edmund Exley, who uncover the disturbing truth behind the disappearance of a large quantity of drugs. Dealing with corruption, race, love and loss, everything is very hush hush before these three policemen stumble onto an odd murder scene.

I could add many, many, many more movies to this list. And perhaps at a later date, I will write the sequel to this post. But for now, I will end with my top three science fiction movies, because who doesn't like being taken off planet Earth, or the Milky Way galaxy?

1. "Interstellar" (2014) Directed by Christopher Nolan

Starring Matthew McConaughey as Cooper, a team of astronauts are sent through a wormhole into another galaxy, to find a new home for the human species. Earth is dying from being used as a means of human production. Corn is the only plant that remains cultivated. But like the great potato famine in Ireland, corn will not last. It's up to Cooper to find a new home. Alongside McConaughey is Michael Caine, Anne Hathaway, John Lithgow, Jessica Chastain and Casey Affleck. The special effects are amazing, the story is driving and be on the lookout for a surprise guest appearance as the villain of the movie.

2. "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" (2011) Directed by Rupert Wyatt

Starring James Franco as a medical researcher on the hunt for the cure to Alzheimer's disease, "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" is the first movie of the franchise reboot. It narrates the first installment of the story of how Lady Liberty ended up buried to her waist. With Andy Serkis incognito as Caesar, the incredibly intelligent chimpanzee, Franco's discoveries in the medical field inadvertently pave the way for an animal revolution.

3. "Equilibrium" (2002) Directed by Kurt Wimmer

Set in a dystopian future where you can be executed for feeling happy, jealous, sad and angry, Preston, played by Christian Bale, struggles with the way his government works. Being one of the new world's top policemen, Preston finds himself in the perfect position to play double agent for the rebellion who aims to topple this new totalitarian administration, at the head of which is the man known as Father. One of the more underrated science fiction movies, "Equilibrium" is definitely worth the time to watch it.

Let these satisfy your boredom! Let me know if you enjoy them!