Damn fine thread, and reading other picks brings back good memories of boodks gone by.
Now, as to movies that were better than books, I'd say the Godfather movies (I and II) were better than Puzzo's novel. Also, the Silence of the Lambs flick beat the crap out of the book. And, I always thought the Lord of the Rings trilogy was ponderous and enjoyed the movies much more than reading Tolkien.
Next topic, yes, Red Storm Rising was cooler than the Hunt for Red October, and I'm surprised that hasn't been done as a movie.
Finally, top five books is tough, tough, tough. I'm going to limit this to post 1960 fiction that other folks haven't listed:
Gravity's Rainbow So hard, but so worth it. You have to work at this one, but man, it makes you wonder at how brilliant a mind can be.
Possession What's not to like? Drives home the point that "nothing is as it seems."
Gorky Park If you're of a certain age, and have a love for the great Russian novels, you can't resist this modern incarnation of the tortured Russian soul. Plus it has KGB dudes doing KGB stuff!
Winds of War/War and Remembrance Melodramatic, sure, and a crappy TV series. But if you want to get a sense of the horror of the holocaust and of the honor of US warriors, then these books are tough to beat.
Slaughterhouse-Five Whoa. Strap in for a disturbing ride with Kurt V.