There's also stuff like the Cap. A movies, yes, I fell asleep while watching the first one, so I am not even thinking of watching the second one.
Second one was about 100x better than the first in my opinion. The first was mediocre, the second was one of my all time favorite superhero movies (Probably only trailing The Dark Knight and about even with The Avengers
CrevsDaak I'm coming to Argentina and we are having a slumber party, eating ice cream, complaining about girls and then watching this movie. Also want to see these two movies (which is crazy considering so many say they are the best ever)
Sniff… Are girls allowed? I promise not to listen while you complain about girls. I’ve never seen Citizen Kane and it has been so long since I watched Gone with the Wind, or eaten ice cream…
That really does sound like fun!
@Ravenslight we'll make an exception if you bring popcorn!
About Star Wars... I really didn't mind Jar Jar that much, though he had too big of a role for my taste. I think a lot of the criticism for The Phantom Menace comes from people who watched the original trilogy as kids and never realized that Star Wars is actually a family series meant for younger audiences. A lot of people say Jar Jar was too silly and that they didn't like Anakin as a kid since it took away from his "badassness" but, really, the originals had a LOT of fun goofy stuff (Ewoks, little goofy henchmen for Jabba and R2 and C3PO were also comic relief) and everybody loves those.
I mean, Episode One was the worst of the six for sure, but its not the travesty that everyone makes it out to be. Actually, in my opinion the dumbest character wasn't Jar Jar but Qui Gon Jinn. Let's see... he bets the entire future of his friends by waging their ship (that he didn't even own, lol) on a little kid winning a pod race (imagine if everyone on their ship knew what he did!) then he insists on training a kid against EVERYBODY'S completely well founded objections (who ended up pretty much ruining... the entire universe!) and then after ignoring the warnings of infinitely wiser Jedi like Yoda and Samuel L Jedi by insisting that Obi-Wan train Anakin, rather than having to live with the consequences of his decision, he just went died to a Sith that his own Padawan could beat single handedly (but couldn't when Qui Gon was fighting with him, lol). Leaving everyone else to suffer under an Empire for like 20 years of darkness and evil. He basically destroyed the entire Jedi Order and didn't even stick around to see it happen. Way to go buddy!
And this video leaves out the best part. After failing to use his mind tricks on Watto the guy literally says "What you think you are some kinda Jedi or something?"
Ep 1 wasnt truly great cinema, but I was much more disapointed by Ep 3. That movie was atrocious. I have seen no more epic a fail than the newlu minted Vader's utterly emotionless (yet also utterly over the top) 'Noooo!'
Lucas made no secret that 4-6 were just plain better, thats why he made them first. 1-3 are like the Silmarilion, background required for the real story. The racial stereotypes as aliens would have been poor taste in the 80s, but in Ep 1 we actually had a covetous space Jew, an anthropomorphic space caribean frogman, and of course, the crooked Chinese businessmen. Yeesh!
Its pretty much true that SW movies are family oriented, but for a good while, SW was for grown ups... or at least late teens; the novels were a bit more 'adult', though still very conservative morality-wise. Fans got used to this stuff, and 'bam!' We get very uninspired storytelling packaged with breath-taking effects, and several very good wooden replicas of some really talented actors. That said, if not being compared to 4-6, the prequels would seem like decent scifi movies.
The Expanded Universe. Some was truly awful imho, but as a rule it was grittier and darker. If you only watched the movies, even then you gotta admit Empire was fairly grim and dark. Everything truly awful is done offscreen though.
@meagloth It's not just superhero movies, that's just a very obvious and current example. You have the same in any genre and often sub-genre, too.
Monster Horror: (Ancient Evil) in (Unsuspecting Location) appears, (City) is in panic. A team of (Scientists/Military Expert) has to find a solution, while going against the higher ups (Scientists/Military Experts). It turns out (Ancient Evil) is there because (Curse/Punishment of Deity/Pollution). In the end, (Scientist/Military Expert) saves the day and the higher ups (Scientists/Military Experts) were wrong all along.
Zombie: A (virus/curse) makes that the dead walk. A small group of (Stock Characters) survives and tries to make their way to (Scientist With Cure/Remote Location Safety). Some (Usual Victims) get eaten. Someone has to kill a (Loved One). In the end, (Scientist With Cure/Remote Location Safety) is not what they expected. Everything is (Doomed).
Torture Porn: A group of (Stock Characters) gets captured by (Mad Sadist) in a (Remote Location). They are (Sadistically Tortured) for (Vague Reasons/Fun) by (Mad Sadist). (Hero) manages to escape. Either (Hero), after failing to save (Friends), takes (Bloody Revenge), or (Mad Sadist) one-ups and kills (Hero), too.
This can be applied to nearly every genre and sub genre. And the formula only varies in details. If you have seen enough in this genre, the things hailed as "ground breaking" are just regular deviations of the default. For example, I often hear how exploitation is "Innocent girls get slaughtered by crazy maniacs" and how fresh and new Hostel was for having male victims. The subgenre is decades older than Hostel, and while the very first movie (Gore Gore Girls) had indeed female victims, it took less than 3 more movies to "shake things up" and have male victims. It's nothing special anymore for a long time. The actual exceptions to the formula change major things - as example in this gory area, "Martyrs" changes the "Vague Reasons/Fun" in a way no other movie has, though the first "Saw" has a similar reason (and then used this very reason as an excuse to keep adding more and more absurd gore, which is why I only like the first two).
I have a whole stack of reviews written that I mean to post on my blog, and always postpone because "it all sounds like I hate movies anyway". There are so many instances where I blame the story for going nowhere or being boring to begin with and say it probably has to do with my short attention span. Sometimes, that's probably it. In other cases, it's really that I have seen far too many movies to not see the "twists" from miles away, but someone who has seen less would find it refreshing and different. I only watch movies now (and much less than I used to) to find the rare gems that break the monotony. In a way, it's really sad because I used to love movies.
Interesting varied and impeccable tastes by all, as expected...here are my 2 cents...or twenty or so picks, as the case may be...
The Maltese Falcon Casablanca Apocalypse Now Taxi Driver Near Dark Before Sunrise & Sunset Dazed and Confused A Scanner Darkly Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas Dead Man Withnail and I Pulp Fiction Fight Club Zodiac Memento Ghost World The City of Lost Children Blue Velvet The Proposition Gone Baby Gone Step Brothers Melancholia
@CrevsDaak yes, boo is right. Captain A. Two was far better than one. And (though I do intend to see 300 one day ) I didn't mean blood and guts, I'm not really about that(though it certainly has it's place) I meant exactly what I said. The fight choreography. See, when you watch a movie like this, you have too look at the fighting like a dance, not a fight. You see, every single motion is carefully plotted and practiced, and I think they did very well in the second movie.
Miss Boo and I recently watched American Hustle. Though it was a highly regarded movie we were both left disappointed. I would like to see Sin City 2 sometime soon as well (though I also found the first one disappointing)
What did you guys think of Guardians of the Galaxy? It was pretty fun, I thought. I have read a lot of the comics a few years back, and didn't think it would ever be suitable for a film adaptation, but they did a good job. In fact, many people I know enjoyed it more than I did, which is a good sign for Marvel movies.
Anyone here see any movies currently in theaters? Are any of the current crop any good (like Sin City, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie or The Giver)?
When? The original trilogy ended with the main character throwing a bonfire party with living teddy bears!
Still though, in the original trilogy it was little things like that here and there. The prequels felt like they were really just written for children to me. Even if you did remove Jar Jar.
My favorite film is probably Tombstone, however. An excellent Western with a really great script, and is incredibly quotable. Also has an all star cast and features what was probably Val Kilmer's greatest performance.
Indeed, Tombstone is an awesome movie, and Kilmer stole the show with his portrayal of Doc. Too many great quotes to lift off him from it. "You know Ed, if I thought you weren't my friend... I just don't think I could bear it."
Here's my list off the top of my head. Warning, it's kind of big. (the list, not my head.. well, that too)
Babel Atonement Collateral Man On Fire Memento White Men Can't Jump The Cell Looper Minority Report Leon: The Professional The Departed The Matrix (1st one) The Patriot Gladiator Snatch. Casino Royale Blood Diamond 50/50 Remember Me Regarding Henry Point Break The Fast and the Furious Reservoir Dogs Django Unchained Ferris Bueller's Day Off The Bourne Identity Raiders of the Lost Ark A Beautiful Mind Drive Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves Awakenings The Three Musketeers (1993) Almost Famous Sandlot Turner & Hooch Cast Away The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo The English Patient Mission: Impossible II The Machinist The Dark Knight Bad Boys Beverly Hills Cop Coming to America Argo The Company Men Smokin' Aces Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back Young Guns Ocean's Eleven The Butterfly Effect Being John Malkovich The Crow Rain Man 3000 Miles to Graceland The Blind Side 28 Days (not the zombie movie) 28 Days Later (yes, the zombie movie!) Demolition Man Amelie Hidalgo Dick Tracy Jerry Maguire A Few Good Men Willow Legend Ladyhawke Labyrinth LotR trilogy Happy Gilmore Interview with the Vampire Fast Times At Ridgemont High The Fugitive Rush Hour Shanghai Noon Rumble in the Bronx Mars Attacks! Liar Liar The Shawshank Redemption Father of the Bride Jurassic Park Dangerous Minds Invictus Million Dollar Baby Weekend at Bernie's Bloodsport Double Impact Nell Man on the Moon Seven Pounds What About Bob? Groundhog Day The Last of the Mohicans The Prestige Hotel Rwanda Slumdog Millionaire The Painted Veil 16 Blocks John Q. Ted The Fighter Four Brothers Back To The Future Major League The Naked Gun Friday Blazing Saddles House Party Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure Clueless The Air Up There Throw Momma from the Train Zombieland
An American Tail The Fox and the Hound Hook Fantasia All Dogs Go To Heaven Honey, I Shrunk the Kids Rocketeer Homeward Bound The Land Before Time Shrek Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990) Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (Gene Wilder, not Depp!) Aladdin Jumanji Alice in Wonderland The Mighty Ducks The Nightmare Before Christmas Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964) Hocus Pocus White Fang The Pacifier Kindergarten cop Stand by Me My Girl Encino Man The Truman Show DragonHeart Troop Beverly Hills Edward Scissorhands Little Monsters The Wizard Field of Dreams E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial Beetlejuice Gremlins Who Framed Roger Rabbit The Goonies Adventures In Babysitting The Breakfast Club Short Circuit
Kenneth Branagh's films of Hamlet and HenryV, which I have watched many times.
I found "The Station Agent," with Peter Dinklage, to be a good one for sharing with friends.
Finally, "The Hour of the Pig," which I love partly because I was so happy to have discovered it (seems hard to find). Stars Colin Firth as a Medieval French lawyer who relocates to the countryside and represents a woman being tried as a witch, the case hinges on the testimony of a pig (I may be misremembering here). anyway, trust me, its amazing, if you live in America I think it isn't that hard to find on DVD. (Ian Holm, William Nicolson, Colin firth)
The Name of the Rose: A monastery is plagued with strange murders and the inquisition is summoned to investigate (throwing oil on the fire, if you like). Sean Connery plays a relatively rational monk in the middle of it all, trying to discover the truth!! (Christian Slater (yes, really (no tonsure though)), Sean Connery, Ron Perlman, F Murray Abraham and a host of European actors)
Robin and Marian: Sean Connery as Robin Hood and Audrey Hepburn as Marian. Set a couple of decades after most of the usual films end; An old, Robin returns from the crusades after the death of King Richard. This really is the best Robin hood film out there. (Sean Connery, Audrey Hepburn, William Nicolson, Ronnie Barker, Ian Holm, Robert Shaw, Richard Harris, Denholm Elliott)
@Daunt Impeccable taste for a canine! I salute you
@JLee I just found out the most INSANE piece of trivia today, and I feel like you are one of the few people who would appreciate it. Otto Preminger... was in the 1960s Batman television series (yes, the campy Adam West one)... as MR. FREEZE.
@JLee I just found out the most INSANE piece of trivia today, and I feel like you are one of the few people who would appreciate it. Otto Preminger... was in the 1960s Batman television series (yes, the campy Adam West one)... as MR. FREEZE.
Haha that to me is one of the greatest things about the Adam West Batman show, all those awesome villains played by celebrities of the day, especially when they changed actors just about every season! I think my favourite was Vincent Price as Egghead though: "Back I say! This is a radar egg, and the slightest vibration will make it ...(pause for extra evil emphasis) EGGSPLODE!"
Fair enough, not as big a jump from Laura to Mr Freeze, but he never fails to make me laugh. My only regret is that Orson Welles never got a gig...
I can recommend to watch Hayao Miyazaki's masterpieces, these are not *movies* but the animations done by Hayao feel so good - everyone, even those who doesn't watch anime, should watch them:
My Neighbor Totoro Spirited Away Howl's Moving Castle Ponyo The Wind Rises
For those who think that anime is not his cup of tea, just watch these 5 works. You'll be sold. The latest (and the last, Hayao won't work again due to his age) animation is "The Wind Rises". Complex, adult problems are touched there, the work feels like a film really.
This is a really hard question - because for me it depends so much on context. This is not going to be a thorough list as my memory is pretty bad tonight but here goes. Off the top of my head - The Shining Blade Runner LOTR trilogy (Pete Jackson) - just like the books I consider all three movies to be one. Excalibur - the 80s version Dr Strangelove - to me Peter Sellers at his very best The 1st Pirates of the Carribean - the Black Pearl
This might give you the impression I like lighter movies and/or escapism but I have liked some much more serious movies Older movies that blew me away, who's names I can remember tonight -
The Killing Fields The Piano The Draughtsman Whale Rider Coriolinus We Have To Talk About Kevin Brokeback Mountain Only Lovers Left Alive - The.Best.Vampire.Movie.Ever!
I've included a few kiwi movies, but I'll add one more that probably nobody else has heard of, as it never got international release. Boy- This made me laugh harder than any movie I have ever seen, and it also made me very homesick.
@meagloth I've got 2001 the book. The best thing to do is watch the movie, then read the book, then watch the movie again. So much more of it makes sense that way. I'm not so keen on the rest of the books in that series, but the first remains a classic.
@Ravenslight my hubby and I watch firelfy and Serenity the same way. We binge over a few nights on the whole series with Serenity to follow.
1. Gladiator 2. Mad Max: Fury Road 3. The Dark Knight 4. The Godfather 5. Conan the Barbarian 6. Excalibur 7. Silence of the Lambs 8. Seven Samurai 9. The Departed 10. Pulp Fiction
Crazy fact about Boo: I actually prefer For a Few Dollars more over The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.
Not so crazy, I feel the same way - GBU may have had more individually memorable scenes (like Eli Wallach's graveyard jog, or the final 3-way shootout), but I think FFDM may have been the better movie overall. In fact, it irks me a bit that FFDM seems to get "lost in the shuffle" among Leone westerns today, when GBU and OUT actually recycled some of the action and themes that were already in FFDM.
While we're on the subject of epic Leone movies, I would recommend the unedited version of Once Upon a Time in America, Leone's try at an epic Prohibition gangster-era film.
Almost all of my favorite movies are animated/kid films. I don't know why. There's just something about the art and the music and the plots that seem much more memorable to me than a lot of live-action films. Plus, I'm one of those types who doesn't think you need a lot of sex/violence/cursing to make a good movie, and children's animated films are pretty good at not-including it, but still telling an enriching story that both adults and kids can relate to.
Some of my favorites out of Disney include:
Mulan - Probably my favorite Disney movie of them all. Love the artwork, love the portrayal of ancient China, love the awesome female-empowerment, and the song "Be A Man!"
Atlantis: The Lost Empire - Again, beautiful animation and artwork, great cast of a variety of characters, and one super-duper-epic adventure about a city lost under the sea.
Treasure Planet - Reocurring theme? I LOVE GOOD ANIMATION. Plus, it's not often you watch a Disney movie featuring an angsty teenage boy just trying to find his place, and doing it well.
And since we're talking about good animation... Pixar films! Pretty much anything they do is drop-dead gorgeous, but my biggest favorites are:
Finding Nemo - It was not easy animating all of those little salt-particles in the ocean, let me tell you. Not to mention the super-heartwarming (and sometimes heart-wrenching) quest for a father looking for his son.
Up - AFJEIA;JFEIS;AJIE;SAMI;ESAJ I love this movie I love this movie oh my good golly Jesus I love this movie!! The animation, the story, the simple lines of dialogue that tell SO MUCH in SO FEW WORDS. "Phylis isn't my mom." Did you see that!? ALL OF THE FEELS IN JUST. FOUR. WORDS!
Toy Story 3 - Because what other movie makes you bawl your eyes out and play with your toys as soon as you get home?
@bengoshi Already mentioned the Studio Ghibli films, but he left my two favorites off the list. So!
Castle in the Sky - One of my first Ghibli films, and one that I've watched over and over again as a child. I adore this movie. Everything about it is just enchanting, from a girl falling from the sky, the magic blue crystal, the whimsical space pirates, and of course the castle itself. And the end is very bitter-sweet too.
Nausicaa and the Valley of the Wind - So many powerful images in this movie... The spore-riddled forests and towns, the gigantic bugs, and many needless explosions that all send the same message--war is bad. Like, super evil bad. Oh, and we should probably take better care of the planet and its creatures if we as a species want to survive. (Both of which are pretty reoccuring themes in Miyazaki's work...)
For anything that's not Disney, Pixar, or Ghibli (which...now that I think about it, are all owned by Disney... Uhhhh...) I'm also a huge fan of:
The Road to El Dorado - Another childhood favorite by Dreamworks, about a pair of Spaniard con-men who make an unexpected journey to the new world and become the "gods" of El Dorado, the city of gold. Awesome animation, as always. And a lot of really touching moments between two friends who desire different paths, but don't want to be without each other.
And, last but certainly NOT least, my newest addition to the list:
The Lego Movie - OH. MY. GOSH. This movie. THIS MOVIE! We went into the theater expecting a good time. We expected the goofiness, the nonsensical plot and characters, and the ever quotable one-liners that came with anything that had the Lego name stamped onto it. What we did not expect was the heart-wrenching twist that appeared about 3/4ths of the movie and the assault on our Feels. I don't want to give it away, and those of us who have seen it all the way through know what I'm talking about. If you haven't seen it yet, WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU STILL DOING READING THIS!? Go watch The Lego Movie! NOW!!
Big Hero was pretty entertaining, regarding animated stuff not strictly for kids. The opening bit could have ended up an entire movie of its own, but I loved Custom Robo. I wasn't strictly sober, but I rarely am for movies.
For non-animated, I really got a kick out of Welcome to Shanghai. Pretty different movie, and very full of ambience. Unique and entertaining.
I can't list my favourite movies from the best, because they're too different. I like some better than other, so no particular order, those are my absolute favourites: - Blood, Sweat + Vinyl: DIY in the 21st Century (2011) - documentary about my favourite bands, inspiring to create your own vision of art no matter what. - Beyond the Black Rainbow (2010) - extraordinary experience. - Journey to the Edge of the Universe (2008) - love the outer space, stars, black holes and beyond. - American: The Bill Hicks Story (2009) - biography about my biggest inspiration in life. - Valhalla Rising (2009) - if I were to choose only one favourite movie, it would be this one. The atmosphere is just ovewhelming. - Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012) - the slow pace was amazing, sinking in that amazing world. - The Man from Earth (2007) - I was in awe after this one, very thought provoking. - Equilibrium (2002) - I like the concept of utopia, like in 1984 by George Orwell. - The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) - probably my favourite fantasy movie. - Krull (1983) - loved it as I was a child, love it today as well, fantasy + sci-fi. - The Thing, by John Carpenter (1982) - the atmosphere and suspence is so well done in this one, not knowing who is human. - Conan the Barbarian (1982) - my favourite fantasy movie, until LotR showed up, still love it to this day. - Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1981) - the movie version of Fallout. - Highlander (1986) - didn't age very well, but still holds up in my opinion. - Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) - masterpiece by Monty Python. - Braveheart (1995) - love the medieval times, very emotional and just awesome overall. - Aliens (1986) - the movie version of StarCraft, just the Protoss are missing. - Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991) - I would say it is the closest to the perfect movie in my opinion.
Comments
I mean, Episode One was the worst of the six for sure, but its not the travesty that everyone makes it out to be. Actually, in my opinion the dumbest character wasn't Jar Jar but Qui Gon Jinn. Let's see... he bets the entire future of his friends by waging their ship (that he didn't even own, lol) on a little kid winning a pod race (imagine if everyone on their ship knew what he did!) then he insists on training a kid against EVERYBODY'S completely well founded objections (who ended up pretty much ruining... the entire universe!) and then after ignoring the warnings of infinitely wiser Jedi like Yoda and Samuel L Jedi by insisting that Obi-Wan train Anakin, rather than having to live with the consequences of his decision, he just went died to a Sith that his own Padawan could beat single handedly (but couldn't when Qui Gon was fighting with him, lol). Leaving everyone else to suffer under an Empire for like 20 years of darkness and evil. He basically destroyed the entire Jedi Order and didn't even stick around to see it happen. Way to go buddy!
This video sums it up best, and is very amusing
And this video leaves out the best part. After failing to use his mind tricks on Watto the guy literally says "What you think you are some kinda Jedi or something?"
Good question, Watto. Good question.
we'll make an exception if you bring popcorn!
You’ve got a deal!
Lucas made no secret that 4-6 were just plain better, thats why he made them first. 1-3 are like the Silmarilion, background required for the real story. The racial stereotypes as aliens would have been poor taste in the 80s, but in Ep 1 we actually had a covetous space Jew, an anthropomorphic space caribean frogman, and of course, the crooked Chinese businessmen. Yeesh!
Its pretty much true that SW movies are family oriented, but for a good while, SW was for grown ups... or at least late teens; the novels were a bit more 'adult', though still very conservative morality-wise. Fans got used to this stuff, and 'bam!' We get very uninspired storytelling packaged with breath-taking effects, and several very good wooden replicas of some really talented actors. That said, if not being compared to 4-6, the prequels would seem like decent scifi movies.
Monster Horror: (Ancient Evil) in (Unsuspecting Location) appears, (City) is in panic. A team of (Scientists/Military Expert) has to find a solution, while going against the higher ups (Scientists/Military Experts). It turns out (Ancient Evil) is there because (Curse/Punishment of Deity/Pollution). In the end, (Scientist/Military Expert) saves the day and the higher ups (Scientists/Military Experts) were wrong all along.
Zombie: A (virus/curse) makes that the dead walk. A small group of (Stock Characters) survives and tries to make their way to (Scientist With Cure/Remote Location Safety). Some (Usual Victims) get eaten. Someone has to kill a (Loved One). In the end, (Scientist With Cure/Remote Location Safety) is not what they expected. Everything is (Doomed).
Torture Porn: A group of (Stock Characters) gets captured by (Mad Sadist) in a (Remote Location). They are (Sadistically Tortured) for (Vague Reasons/Fun) by (Mad Sadist). (Hero) manages to escape. Either (Hero), after failing to save (Friends), takes (Bloody Revenge), or (Mad Sadist) one-ups and kills (Hero), too.
This can be applied to nearly every genre and sub genre. And the formula only varies in details. If you have seen enough in this genre, the things hailed as "ground breaking" are just regular deviations of the default. For example, I often hear how exploitation is "Innocent girls get slaughtered by crazy maniacs" and how fresh and new Hostel was for having male victims. The subgenre is decades older than Hostel, and while the very first movie (Gore Gore Girls) had indeed female victims, it took less than 3 more movies to "shake things up" and have male victims. It's nothing special anymore for a long time.
The actual exceptions to the formula change major things - as example in this gory area, "Martyrs" changes the "Vague Reasons/Fun" in a way no other movie has, though the first "Saw" has a similar reason (and then used this very reason as an excuse to keep adding more and more absurd gore, which is why I only like the first two).
I have a whole stack of reviews written that I mean to post on my blog, and always postpone because "it all sounds like I hate movies anyway". There are so many instances where I blame the story for going nowhere or being boring to begin with and say it probably has to do with my short attention span. Sometimes, that's probably it. In other cases, it's really that I have seen far too many movies to not see the "twists" from miles away, but someone who has seen less would find it refreshing and different. I only watch movies now (and much less than I used to) to find the rare gems that break the monotony. In a way, it's really sad because I used to love movies.
The Maltese Falcon
Casablanca
Apocalypse Now
Taxi Driver
Near Dark
Before Sunrise & Sunset
Dazed and Confused
A Scanner Darkly
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
Dead Man
Withnail and I
Pulp Fiction
Fight Club
Zodiac
Memento
Ghost World
The City of Lost Children
Blue Velvet
The Proposition
Gone Baby Gone
Step Brothers
Melancholia
And (though I do intend to see 300 one day ) I didn't mean blood and guts, I'm not really about that(though it certainly has it's place) I meant exactly what I said. The fight choreography. See, when you watch a movie like this, you have too look at the fighting like a dance, not a fight. You see, every single motion is carefully plotted and practiced, and I think they did very well in the second movie.
What did you guys think of Guardians of the Galaxy? It was pretty fun, I thought. I have read a lot of the comics a few years back, and didn't think it would ever be suitable for a film adaptation, but they did a good job. In fact, many people I know enjoyed it more than I did, which is a good sign for Marvel movies.
Anyone here see any movies currently in theaters? Are any of the current crop any good (like Sin City, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie or The Giver)?
Indeed, Tombstone is an awesome movie, and Kilmer stole the show with his portrayal of Doc. Too many great quotes to lift off him from it. "You know Ed, if I thought you weren't my friend... I just don't think I could bear it."
Here's my list off the top of my head. Warning, it's kind of big. (the list, not my head.. well, that too)
Babel
Atonement
Collateral
Man On Fire
Memento
White Men Can't Jump
The Cell
Looper
Minority Report
Leon: The Professional
The Departed
The Matrix (1st one)
The Patriot
Gladiator
Snatch.
Casino Royale
Blood Diamond
50/50
Remember Me
Regarding Henry
Point Break
The Fast and the Furious
Reservoir Dogs
Django Unchained
Ferris Bueller's Day Off
The Bourne Identity
Raiders of the Lost Ark
A Beautiful Mind
Drive
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
Awakenings
The Three Musketeers (1993)
Almost Famous
Sandlot
Turner & Hooch
Cast Away
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
The English Patient
Mission: Impossible II
The Machinist
The Dark Knight
Bad Boys
Beverly Hills Cop
Coming to America
Argo
The Company Men
Smokin' Aces
Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back
Young Guns
Ocean's Eleven
The Butterfly Effect
Being John Malkovich
The Crow
Rain Man
3000 Miles to Graceland
The Blind Side
28 Days (not the zombie movie)
28 Days Later (yes, the zombie movie!)
Demolition Man
Amelie
Hidalgo
Dick Tracy
Jerry Maguire
A Few Good Men
Willow
Legend
Ladyhawke
Labyrinth
LotR trilogy
Happy Gilmore
Interview with the Vampire
Fast Times At Ridgemont High
The Fugitive
Rush Hour
Shanghai Noon
Rumble in the Bronx
Mars Attacks!
Liar Liar
The Shawshank Redemption
Father of the Bride
Jurassic Park
Dangerous Minds
Invictus
Million Dollar Baby
Weekend at Bernie's
Bloodsport
Double Impact
Nell
Man on the Moon
Seven Pounds
What About Bob?
Groundhog Day
The Last of the Mohicans
The Prestige
Hotel Rwanda
Slumdog Millionaire
The Painted Veil
16 Blocks
John Q.
Ted
The Fighter
Four Brothers
Back To The Future
Major League
The Naked Gun
Friday
Blazing Saddles
House Party
Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure
Clueless
The Air Up There
Throw Momma from the Train
Zombieland
An American Tail
The Fox and the Hound
Hook
Fantasia
All Dogs Go To Heaven
Honey, I Shrunk the Kids
Rocketeer
Homeward Bound
The Land Before Time
Shrek
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990)
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (Gene Wilder, not Depp!)
Aladdin
Jumanji
Alice in Wonderland
The Mighty Ducks
The Nightmare Before Christmas
Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964)
Hocus Pocus
White Fang
The Pacifier
Kindergarten cop
Stand by Me
My Girl
Encino Man
The Truman Show
DragonHeart
Troop Beverly Hills
Edward Scissorhands
Little Monsters
The Wizard
Field of Dreams
E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial
Beetlejuice
Gremlins
Who Framed Roger Rabbit
The Goonies
Adventures In Babysitting
The Breakfast Club
Short Circuit
I found "The Station Agent," with Peter Dinklage, to be a good one for sharing with friends.
Finally, "The Hour of the Pig," which I love partly because I was so happy to have discovered it (seems hard to find). Stars Colin Firth as a Medieval French lawyer who relocates to the countryside and represents a woman being tried as a witch, the case hinges on the testimony of a pig (I may be misremembering here). anyway, trust me, its amazing, if you live in America I think it isn't that hard to find on DVD. (Ian Holm, William Nicolson, Colin firth)
The Name of the Rose: A monastery is plagued with strange murders and the inquisition is summoned to investigate (throwing oil on the fire, if you like). Sean Connery plays a relatively rational monk in the middle of it all, trying to discover the truth!! (Christian Slater (yes, really (no tonsure though)), Sean Connery, Ron Perlman, F Murray Abraham and a host of European actors)
Robin and Marian: Sean Connery as Robin Hood and Audrey Hepburn as Marian. Set a couple of decades after most of the usual films end; An old, Robin returns from the crusades after the death of King Richard. This really is the best Robin hood film out there. (Sean Connery, Audrey Hepburn, William Nicolson, Ronnie Barker, Ian Holm, Robert Shaw, Richard Harris, Denholm Elliott)
@JLee I just found out the most INSANE piece of trivia today, and I feel like you are one of the few people who would appreciate it. Otto Preminger... was in the 1960s Batman television series (yes, the campy Adam West one)... as MR. FREEZE.
lol, I was shocked.
Yes, ladies and gentlemen, this is one of the greatest, most respected directors in the history of film
You could say that is pretty "Wild!"
I think my favourite was Vincent Price as Egghead though: "Back I say! This is a radar egg, and the slightest vibration will make it ...(pause for extra evil emphasis) EGGSPLODE!"
Fair enough, not as big a jump from Laura to Mr Freeze, but he never fails to make me laugh. My only regret is that Orson Welles never got a gig...
wasn't good enough
I just looked up some of the guest stars...
Eli Wallach was also Mr Freeze???
Bruce Lee???????
Libarace and Cliff Robertson??
I never knew they had such pull. I guess Jesus musta been too busy to play Alfred or something
I can recommend to watch Hayao Miyazaki's masterpieces, these are not *movies* but the animations done by Hayao feel so good - everyone, even those who doesn't watch anime, should watch them:
My Neighbor Totoro
Spirited Away
Howl's Moving Castle
Ponyo
The Wind Rises
For those who think that anime is not his cup of tea, just watch these 5 works. You'll be sold. The latest (and the last, Hayao won't work again due to his age) animation is "The Wind Rises". Complex, adult problems are touched there, the work feels like a film really.
Off the top of my head -
The Shining
Blade Runner
LOTR trilogy (Pete Jackson) - just like the books I consider all three movies to be one.
Excalibur - the 80s version
Dr Strangelove - to me Peter Sellers at his very best
The 1st Pirates of the Carribean - the Black Pearl
This might give you the impression I like lighter movies and/or escapism but I have liked some much more serious movies
Older movies that blew me away, who's names I can remember tonight -
The Killing Fields
The Piano
The Draughtsman
Whale Rider
Coriolinus
We Have To Talk About Kevin
Brokeback Mountain
Only Lovers Left Alive - The.Best.Vampire.Movie.Ever!
I've included a few kiwi movies, but I'll add one more that probably nobody else has heard of, as it never got international release.
Boy- This made me laugh harder than any movie I have ever seen, and it also made me very homesick.
@meagloth I've got 2001 the book. The best thing to do is watch the movie, then read the book, then watch the movie again. So much more of it makes sense that way. I'm not so keen on the rest of the books in that series, but the first remains a classic.
@Ravenslight my hubby and I watch firelfy and Serenity the same way. We binge over a few nights on the whole series with Serenity to follow.
And you have a good list of movies
1. Gladiator
2. Mad Max: Fury Road
3. The Dark Knight
4. The Godfather
5. Conan the Barbarian
6. Excalibur
7. Silence of the Lambs
8. Seven Samurai
9. The Departed
10. Pulp Fiction
Same here, it easily ranks among the best movies of all time IMO. Same here, it can rival any movie for the unofficial title of "best western ever." Not so crazy, I feel the same way - GBU may have had more individually memorable scenes (like Eli Wallach's graveyard jog, or the final 3-way shootout), but I think FFDM may have been the better movie overall. In fact, it irks me a bit that FFDM seems to get "lost in the shuffle" among Leone westerns today, when GBU and OUT actually recycled some of the action and themes that were already in FFDM.
While we're on the subject of epic Leone movies, I would recommend the unedited version of Once Upon a Time in America, Leone's try at an epic Prohibition gangster-era film.
Some of my favorites out of Disney include:
Mulan - Probably my favorite Disney movie of them all. Love the artwork, love the portrayal of ancient China, love the awesome female-empowerment, and the song "Be A Man!"
Atlantis: The Lost Empire - Again, beautiful animation and artwork, great cast of a variety of characters, and one super-duper-epic adventure about a city lost under the sea.
Treasure Planet - Reocurring theme? I LOVE GOOD ANIMATION. Plus, it's not often you watch a Disney movie featuring an angsty teenage boy just trying to find his place, and doing it well.
And since we're talking about good animation... Pixar films! Pretty much anything they do is drop-dead gorgeous, but my biggest favorites are:
Finding Nemo - It was not easy animating all of those little salt-particles in the ocean, let me tell you. Not to mention the super-heartwarming (and sometimes heart-wrenching) quest for a father looking for his son.
Up - AFJEIA;JFEIS;AJIE;SAMI;ESAJ I love this movie I love this movie oh my good golly Jesus I love this movie!! The animation, the story, the simple lines of dialogue that tell SO MUCH in SO FEW WORDS. "Phylis isn't my mom." Did you see that!? ALL OF THE FEELS IN JUST. FOUR. WORDS!
Toy Story 3 - Because what other movie makes you bawl your eyes out and play with your toys as soon as you get home?
@bengoshi Already mentioned the Studio Ghibli films, but he left my two favorites off the list. So!
Castle in the Sky - One of my first Ghibli films, and one that I've watched over and over again as a child. I adore this movie. Everything about it is just enchanting, from a girl falling from the sky, the magic blue crystal, the whimsical space pirates, and of course the castle itself. And the end is very bitter-sweet too.
Nausicaa and the Valley of the Wind - So many powerful images in this movie... The spore-riddled forests and towns, the gigantic bugs, and many needless explosions that all send the same message--war is bad. Like, super evil bad. Oh, and we should probably take better care of the planet and its creatures if we as a species want to survive. (Both of which are pretty reoccuring themes in Miyazaki's work...)
For anything that's not Disney, Pixar, or Ghibli (which...now that I think about it, are all owned by Disney... Uhhhh...) I'm also a huge fan of:
The Road to El Dorado - Another childhood favorite by Dreamworks, about a pair of Spaniard con-men who make an unexpected journey to the new world and become the "gods" of El Dorado, the city of gold. Awesome animation, as always. And a lot of really touching moments between two friends who desire different paths, but don't want to be without each other.
And, last but certainly NOT least, my newest addition to the list:
The Lego Movie - OH. MY. GOSH. This movie. THIS MOVIE! We went into the theater expecting a good time. We expected the goofiness, the nonsensical plot and characters, and the ever quotable one-liners that came with anything that had the Lego name stamped onto it. What we did not expect was the heart-wrenching twist that appeared about 3/4ths of the movie and the assault on our Feels. I don't want to give it away, and those of us who have seen it all the way through know what I'm talking about. If you haven't seen it yet, WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU STILL DOING READING THIS!? Go watch The Lego Movie! NOW!!
For non-animated, I really got a kick out of Welcome to Shanghai. Pretty different movie, and very full of ambience. Unique and entertaining.
- Blood, Sweat + Vinyl: DIY in the 21st Century (2011) - documentary about my favourite bands, inspiring to create your own vision of art no matter what.
- Beyond the Black Rainbow (2010) - extraordinary experience.
- Journey to the Edge of the Universe (2008) - love the outer space, stars, black holes and beyond.
- American: The Bill Hicks Story (2009) - biography about my biggest inspiration in life.
- Valhalla Rising (2009) - if I were to choose only one favourite movie, it would be this one. The atmosphere is just ovewhelming.
- Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012) - the slow pace was amazing, sinking in that amazing world.
- The Man from Earth (2007) - I was in awe after this one, very thought provoking.
- Equilibrium (2002) - I like the concept of utopia, like in 1984 by George Orwell.
- The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) - probably my favourite fantasy movie.
- Krull (1983) - loved it as I was a child, love it today as well, fantasy + sci-fi.
- The Thing, by John Carpenter (1982) - the atmosphere and suspence is so well done in this one, not knowing who is human.
- Conan the Barbarian (1982) - my favourite fantasy movie, until LotR showed up, still love it to this day.
- Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1981) - the movie version of Fallout.
- Highlander (1986) - didn't age very well, but still holds up in my opinion.
- Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) - masterpiece by Monty Python.
- Braveheart (1995) - love the medieval times, very emotional and just awesome overall.
- Aliens (1986) - the movie version of StarCraft, just the Protoss are missing.
- Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991) - I would say it is the closest to the perfect movie in my opinion.
*lights office up with flamethrower guitar*
*drives away in war rig*
My actual favorite movie of all time is Iron Man. Other favorites are:
Dark City
The Shadow
The Last Unicorn
A League of Their Own
Clue
Megamind
The Crow
Casablanca
...and much, much more!
in no particular order:
Christopher Nolan batmans
One flew over the cuckoo's nest
Blade runner
Dirty Harry
Bullitt
The Great escape
The good the bad and the ugly
Gran torino
Gladiator
walk the line
Star wars (original trilogy)
Memento
Last samurai
terminator
Monty python's Life of brian
Monty python's holy grail (incidentally if anyone ever gets the chance to see Spamalot I highly recommend it)
Rocky horror picture show
Casino royale
The world is not enough
Goldeneye
Sharpe (everything but sharpe's gold) B******
Hornblower (nearly pood my pants watching 5 and 6, if you've seen them you'll know why)
Lord of the rings
The island
tron
Time bandits
Interstellar
Pitch black
Mrs doubtfire
dead poet's society
good will hunting
Harry potter
saving private ryan
castaway
a knight's tale
Love Actually (yes I know it's a bit naff).
too indecisive?