Guest zaphod Posted November 10, 2009 Share Posted November 10, 2009 in this thread we post our top five films. please provide reasons why instead of just posting a list. akira kurosawa made this right before seven samurai and it remains his strongest and most emotional film. it's about a bureaucrat who finds out he has stomach cancer and realizes his life up to that point has been meaningless. roger ebert wrote a very good review of it for his great movies series of articles, so i'll just quote that: I saw "Ikiru" first in 1960 or 1961. I went to the movie because it was playing in a campus film series and only cost a quarter. I sat enveloped in the story of Watanabe for 2 1/2 hours, and wrote about it in a class where the essay topic was Socrates' statement, "the unexamined life is not worth living."' Over the years I have seen "Ikiru" every five years or so, and each time it has moved me, and made me think. And the older I get, the less Watanabe seems like a pathetic old man, and the more he seems like every one of us. the most deeply flawed movie on my list. i read the moebius comic "the long tomorrow" when i was in elementary school and was always taken by its aesthetic. when i picked up the blu ray of blade runner, i realized just how indebted to those illustrations it actually is. i've never really figured out why i love this movie. it has an extremely weak story and characters and nothing about the writing really draws me in. but then there's the score, the look of it, the perfect distillation of the noir sensibility in a future world. it has everything in common with neuromancer. both are basically empty surface works presented in an elegant and interesting way. and in much the same way that i can open to any page in neuromancer and feel like i've just taken a hit of polluted sprawl air, i can watch a minute of blade runner and get overwhelmed by the desire to live in that world, however imperfect it is. as a kid i was always obsessed with paths in forests. i'd see them out a car window winding off into the woods and inevitably, if i walked down one, i'd be disappointed that i didn't find some kind of alternate reality waiting for me. spirited away encapsulates that feeling of wonder and manages to be moving without ever being sentimental. it's miyazaki's best film by some margin and one of the reasons i hope 2d animation never dies. the best movie about the holocaust because it's about a lot more than just that event. the main character is one of the great cowards in film, and the ending is about as tragic as it gets. the only action movie that every girl i've ever known has loved. there are few if any movies that can sustain tension for two hours straight, and this one does it best. it also fully develops ripley into a badass heroine and is probably the most quotable movie ever made. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Conor74 Posted November 10, 2009 Share Posted November 10, 2009 It's hard to put the finger on it - I guess it's just so eerie and unsettling. Can remember watching it for the first time 25 years back, and still love it - so maybe nostalgia colours my view a little. As for 4 others, BladeRunner is already taken. Let me think... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Velazquez Posted November 10, 2009 Share Posted November 10, 2009 Le Samourai - Jean Pierre Melville Gangsta shit, beautifully filmed, Alain Delon is bad ass and sauve. A bout de souffle - Godard's debut, immediate and energetic. Groundbreaking and deep without getting in the way of itself. Inspiring shit. Plus Jean seberg. Taxi Driver- Scorsese, Deniro, Bernard Hermann, can't ask for more in a film. Big Lebowski- not much too say, i just love watching this film. I'm only going to list 4 at this point because those all came to mind immediately. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blir Posted November 10, 2009 Share Posted November 10, 2009 This is really difficult... Probably the best action film ever made. One of the very few where I actually gave a shit about the characters and story. I love time travel plots in general so the concept always appealed to me as a kid, I've never stopped loving this film. Anyone else seen this? It's a classic. An insane mashup of genres that on paper sounded like ridiculous but shallow fun and somehow became quite an emotionally involving film. Quite funny too, but what got me was the backstory of his life being just miserable. Almost shed a tear at one point as silly as it sounds. Need to watch again. Probably my favourite Lynch movie. Quite divisive I've noticed but I adored it the first time I saw it. The acting was ramped up several times higher than the TV series thankfully and it was nice to see Laura Palmer more, because I'm in love with her. I used to rate Oldboy as my all time favourite film, but this kind of overtook it. It's the most bleak film I've ever seen, utterly depressing in every way. I love the long shots and lack of music, it creates this empty atmosphere that was almost suffocating in its nothingness. and this... The English dub is very jarring though. Considering most of the dialogue is paired with close up shots of Alice's lips. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BCM Posted November 10, 2009 Share Posted November 10, 2009 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goffer Posted November 10, 2009 Share Posted November 10, 2009 Nice choice for top film zaphod... same to Velazquez with Breathless... one of my favorite Godard film. Here are mine in no particular order... couldn't do five though: Barton Fink - Coen brothers '91 Nostalghia - Tarkovsky '83 The Exterminating Angel - Brunel '62 The Shining - Kubrick '80 Manhattan - Allen '79 The Thin Red Line - Malick '98 Lifeboat - Hitchcock '44 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Glass Plate Posted November 10, 2009 Share Posted November 10, 2009 European Vacation (1985) ¡Three Amigos! (1986) Funny Farm (1988) Caddyshack II (1988) Vegas Vacation (1997) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Npoess Posted November 10, 2009 Share Posted November 10, 2009 1. Blade Runnet 2. Children Of Men 3. Akira 4. Taxi Driver 5. There Will Be Blood Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goffer Posted November 10, 2009 Share Posted November 10, 2009 Caddyshack II (1988) you serious? How in the world could you prefer that to the original? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
essines Posted November 10, 2009 Share Posted November 10, 2009 you guys missed the part where you don't just list the movies but also explain why you listed them, otherwise this thread has been done once a week for the past 3000 years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sneaksta303 Posted November 10, 2009 Share Posted November 10, 2009 In no particular order. 1.) Gummo - I remember my dad showing me clips of this... I was hooked, fascinated, disgusted, and intrigued. Makes me proud to be white. 2.) Pee-Wee's Big Adventure - what can i say? This movie still makes me laugh, cry, and everything in between. 3.) Pulp Fiction - I was in 6th or 7th grade. Me and my friend bought tickets to see Forest Gump, then snuck into this. I got an education in film that day, say lawd have mercy. That being said I haven't seen this one in years. I should check it to see if it holds up. 4.) Alien - 3rd grade. I was spun from this. Seriously. Oh the implications of that monster! The possibilities! 5.) Mulholland Drive - I could only dream of making a movie this dense, layered, deep, and thought provoking. Runners up: The Thing (John Carpenter's 1982 Version) Kurt Russell rules, as do the practical fx in this film. Really makes me wanna hate on some CGI... The Godfather - Parts 1 & 2 I reckon. 3 was shit. Gotta love my roots! The Deer Hunter - Chris Walken + Bobbie D omg... This film ALWAYS makes me want to play Russian Roulette. Robocop - Aside from having half the cast of twin peaks this is just a classic. The Toxic Avenger IV (Citizen Toxie) - Probably the funniest movie I have ever seen in my entire life (no shit) Evil Dead 2 - Classic. Bruce kicking his own ass is seriously one of the best/silliest acting jobs ever. Being Different - Semi-exploitative documentary on "freaks". Classic. Slither Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perunamuusi Posted November 10, 2009 Share Posted November 10, 2009 ferris buellers day off. grace pretending to be principal rooney on the phone is pretty much the best thing ever. or weird science. totally fucking brilliant from start to finish poltergeist. peak of the Spielberg era for me (although maybe close encounters) wholesome horror for all the family. the first video played on our first ever video machine. the ladykillers the original. haven't seen the tom hanks version (thank God) Alec Guiness playing practically everyone in the film. What's not to like? Dr Strangelove Kubrick Genius. Peter Sellers playing nearly everyone in the film. What's not to like? also rans: synecdoche new york hard ticket to hawaii short cuts the player hudsucker proxy happiness waking life the straight story ghostbusters children of men repo man wicker man spirited away magnolia jacob's ladder 2001 brazil way too hard to choose just 5 edit : forgot Jacob's Ladder Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
awesomeperson Posted November 10, 2009 Share Posted November 10, 2009 Memento Fantastic story, great twists, for once a modern movie with a conclusion, well filmed and with great use of black and white for some of the scenes... not going to spoil. The Prestige Just a well crafted, good story and well performed movie. Mulholland Dr. One of Lynch's best movies, movie never gets old, seen it dozens of times. Der Untergang A movie about Hitler's last days, probably the best and most faithful representation of the fuhrer, Bruno Ganz performance was incredible. AKIRA To me, to this day, still the best anime. The score is also one of my all time favorites. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Conor74 Posted November 10, 2009 Share Posted November 10, 2009 Thought of a second... Its the way horror movies should be. Slightly off beat, with a growing sense that something is wrong and getting more wrong. The way the film builds up to the final festival is well done. Yet even still, despite knowing that it's going to be nasty, the ending still came as a surprise to me. The brutality of it all, it was like a slap in the face. And the expression on Sergeant Howie's face, the terror as he realises his faith and resigns himself...it's just so well done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fred McGriff Posted November 10, 2009 Share Posted November 10, 2009 Aliens This was my childhood favorite and then I revisted it a few years ago and was absolutely astounded with how well it held up suspense-wise, action-wise, and just the overall look and feel. It's infinitely quotable, it's got just the right amount of humor injected into it, it's dark, it's gorgeous, and there are several scenes where the way the aliens are framed blow away modern CGI as far as realism goes. The characters, while not overly deep, are memorable. The weapons are memorable, the sound is memorable, the noise the motion trackers make is one of the best sonic uses of suspense ever. Just an unforgettable film. In fact I'm pretty sure right before I die, instead of my life flashing before my eyes, I'm just going to rewatch aliens. Big Lebowski My favorite comedy of all time and different things get funnier every time. It's like the movie version of a fractal.. you keep drilling down deeper into subtlety and detail and there's still going to be something in there that's funny. It's not a perfect movie but as a whole it's original and I haven't belly laughed harder than some of the scenes in there. Everyone is brilliant in that movie and of course, it's also infinitely quotable. The rest of my list revolves a lot and is based on what I've recently watched. Most recently I really liked synechdoche, ny. My taste is movies is just slightly above pedestrian, which places PSH squarely on my favorite actor's pedastal. I like shit like the matrix, braveheart, pulp fiction, eternal sunshine... etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perunamuusi Posted November 10, 2009 Share Posted November 10, 2009 Plus Jean seberg. :wub: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perunamuusi Posted November 10, 2009 Share Posted November 10, 2009 which places PSH squarely on my favorite actor's pedastal we park our cars in the same garage Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Overand Posted November 10, 2009 Share Posted November 10, 2009 No order besides the first. I'll probably change my mind in a couple hours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Overand Posted November 10, 2009 Share Posted November 10, 2009 Fuck me, double post, didn't write my reasoning. Barry Lyndon. Totally perfect, absolutely beautiful, wryly cynical and dryly hilarious. The Epilogue wipes me out every time. The Cook, the Thief, his Wife and her Lover: I love this film deeply on an aesthetic level, Sacha Vierny and Michael Nyman's work compliment each other perfectly and the performances and dialogue are incredibly entertaining. The ending is one of the best cinematic moments of revenge ever, excepting of course - Oldboy: I think this flick is pretty well loved by most people on here. Gerry: Ambient cinema at its finest. Stalker: When I saw this I thought it might be the deepest film I've ever seen. It was like watching the film I'd always wanted to see, the pure beauty of it made me cry like a child. There, I said it. It's lost a bit on repeat viewings but it was probably my best first viewing experience of a film next to A Clockwork Orange and Herzog's Nosferatu. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Braintree Posted November 10, 2009 Share Posted November 10, 2009 Blade Runner - Just look at it. Great direction, environment, and story. Rutger Hauer is great in it. Ghost in the Shell - The animation is good. The story is great. I like scifi movies where they don't explain every little piece of technology. This movie actually explains very little about what's happening in those terms, but it's very technical in the political/militaristic aspects. Office Space - Pretty much every scene in this movie is comedy gold. Fight Club - I didn't care for Edward Norton's performance, but everything besides that is really good. A Scanner Darkly - I like rotoscope, and the story has a lot of depth. The cast has a couple weak links on paper, but they manage to pull through. I'm a PKD fan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redruth Posted November 10, 2009 Share Posted November 10, 2009 in no necessary order..... -Network (1976) !!!! -Se7en -12 Monkeys -The Matrix (mostly just the first one in the trilogy) -Jesus Of Nazareth (Franco Zeffirelli) (1977) -The Lord Of The Rings 1,2,and 3 -The Beautiful Truth -The Garden -Bladerunner -Constantine -Momento -Into Great Silence -The Devils Advocate -Fallen -Children Of Men -Magnolia -Blood Diamond -Amadeus -Amazing Grace -Stranger Than Fiction -Minority Report -A Beautiful Mind -Michael Clayton -Traffic -The Bird Man Of Alcatraz -Legend -Dune -They Live -The Sixth Sense -Gangs Of New York -True Romance -Jacob's Ladder -There Will Be Blood -City Of Angels -The Crow -Glengarry Glen Ross -The Boiler Room -Wall Street -Blow -American History X -Robocop -Training Day -Fight Club -Lost In Translation -300 -Braveheart -Gladiator -Unbreakable -Black Snake Moan -Pulp Fiction -Dancer In The Dark -Snatch -Star War's Trilogy -A Man And His Dog -Brother from Another Planet -Casino -Night On Earth -The Godfather Trilogy -Rain Man -Rushmore -The Game -Zodiac -Ghost Dog -The Fall -Amelie -π -Requiem For A Dream -Lost Highway -Frida -The Usual Suspects -Barton Fink -E.T. -Naked Lunch -The Worlds Fastest Indian -Fargo -Miller's Crossing -Meet Joe Black -The River Runs Through It -King Kong -Bourne Identity Series -25th Hour -Rounders -Sent Of A Woman -Carlitos Way -Hunted -Catch Me If You Can -The Departed -Blindness -The Abyss -Terminator Movies -Naked -Name Of The Rose -Excalibur -The Emerald Forest -Planet Earth (BBC) -The Man Who Fell To Earth -The Dark Crystal -Labyrinth -Basquiat -Before Night Falls -Edward Scissorhands .......and a list that go's on longer then i care to write, thats a good start though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goffer Posted November 10, 2009 Share Posted November 10, 2009 Forgot to add why: Barton Fink - Coen brothers '91 A deep endless abyss of satire and raw humor... the first Coen film to show their ingenious modus operandi. Nostalghia - Tarkovsky '83 This film continues to haunt me to this day... its static shots engraved into my matter... its atmosphere forever apart of my dreams...the most patient film I have witnessed. The Exterminating Angel - Brunel '62 This film was executed so well.... it's characters and placement so minute yet so mighty. The way it made me feel, as if I was stuck there with them. The Shining - Kubrick '80 Kubrick's best work in my eyes. Tragic, beautiful, thrilling, and moving. Manhattan - Allen '79 One of those films I can watch anytime despite my mood... it's raw subtle nature and truth just bleed right into me. The Thin Red Line - Malick '98 A beautiful character film... it feels so alive and real... so poetic and profound. I love Malick. Lifeboat - Hitchcock '44 Such an important film... the way Hitchcock could thrill, provoke, and entertain in such a small setting. Every bit of this film is brilliant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goffer Posted November 10, 2009 Share Posted November 10, 2009 the ladykillers the original. haven't seen the tom hanks version (thank God) Alec Guiness playing practically everyone in the film. What's not to like? it's a coen film... definitely check it out if only for Roger Deakins brilliance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Overand Posted November 10, 2009 Share Posted November 10, 2009 Nostalghia - Tarkovsky '83 This film continues to haunt me to this day... its static shots engraved into my matter... its atmosphere forever apart of my dreams...the most patient film I have witnessed. This holds up a lot for me in repeat viewings but the ending bit with the candle never really gelled with me. I get it on a literary and aesthetic level but not on an emotional one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Z_B_Z Posted November 10, 2009 Share Posted November 10, 2009 impossible to pick 5 heart of glass - herzog at his most mystical. i love most of his 70s output but this one really stuck with me. the ending gets me every time even tho i have no idea what it means. the shining - probably the best horror film ever made. the way kubrick uses music is unparalleled. plus nicholsons performance is one of the funniest ive ever seen. barry lyndon - someone summed this up quite well earlier in the thread. amazing film in every respect that just might be kubricks best. cruising - my favorite william friedkin film (with 'to live and die in la' following closely behind). i love how he uses music here and the editing can get really intricate and meaningful. also a pretty strange film that at times leaves you with more questions than answers.. plus its hilarious to see al pacino milling around a gay s&m club. they live - i love most of carpenters films and my favorites change over the years.. id say that currently i like this one the best.. i love it, never gets old. the assassination of jesse james by the coward robert ford - a beautiful film that has an authentic aura of sadness that permeates every frame. beautifully shot with a great score by nick cave and warren ellis. two lane blacktop - THE american road film. warren oates gives a performance thatll stick with you. also, the four films by the french director leos carax are all essential. theres a crackling life to most of his films that cant be denied. also, caraxs short for the film tokyo! is a must see. others that i cant be bothered to write about- gummo stalker the piano teacher barton fink vertigo the last temptation of christ eraserhead fire walk with me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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