Some Great Movies

[ShinShin]

I have been fortunate to stumble upon some stellar full-feature pictures in recent times.

If you like movies with substance, regardless of their age, but have run out of ideas regarding what to watch, then this list is for you.

In no particular order:

High Noon
Possibly the best Western ever made, because of an immaculately conceived storyline with no gaping holes or inconsistencies, despite an unexpectedly positive denouement. Short, slightly less than 1.5 hours, with one of Gary Cooper’s best performances.

Loves of a Blonde
One of Milos Forman’s first films, tells the story of a Czech concert pianist’s dalliances. A refreshingly honest look at a failed and a successful seduction, portraying life in mid-1960s USSR Czechoslovakia. A subtle and hilarious humor permeates the telling of the tale, which also shines a nonjudgmental light on human nature.

Children of Paradise
A gem made during Vichy occupied France in 1943 by a French Jew, no less, this 3-hour picture retells the lives of theater actors and brigands in 1820s France, centered around the sultry courtesan Garance, played by the inimitable Arletty, and her suitors, Baptiste Debureau, Frederick Lemaitre, Pierre-François Lacenaire, and Edouard de Monteray.

Lawrence of Arabia
Be sure to watch the Director's Cut digitally restored version, released a few years ago, running at almost 4 hours. Peter O'Toole gives a fine performance as T. E. Lawrence, but so do Alec Guinness as Prince Faisal, Omar Sharif as Sherif Karish, and especially Anthony Quinn as Auda abu Tayi. A romping epic which, if you're willing to ignore the blatant British propaganda, is worth sitting through as you'll be feasted with fantastic desert crossings and skirmishes.

Nosferatu
A Dracula like you've never seen before, this silent film shows us a shy and subdued Count, awkward in his movements, for whom you feel pity, as it is clear he is cursed but that there was (and still is?) some good in the man, despite his hungers.

Funny Games
I recommend the German version, released in 1998, not the American one, from 2008. In this movie the German director, Michael Haneke, is poking his finger at what he already felt, 20 years ago, were the potential perils of an excessively PC culture. In the movie he is playing non-stop games with you though, which can get a little unnerving towards the end.

Shot Caller
While this movie may not have gotten huge distribution or notoriety, it sports great acting, and a very well told story. It shows how a picture-perfect life can be derailed because of one single mistake, and shows a man's descent into the at first impression lawless world of prison gang killings.

To Live and Die in L.A.
A great 80's crime caper-action crossover with a charismatic lead William L. Peterson LA cop who is addicted to taking risks, with the one and only Willem Dafoe as the counterfeit-moneymaking bad guy.

Naked
A crudely realistic look at a brilliant cynical young adult artfully played by David Thewlis, who goes around seducing girls and engaging in philosophical rants in early 1990s London.

Apocalypse Now
The Redux 3.5-hour digitally-remastered version is the one I saw. Visually stunning, emotionally jarring, about the futility of war, with a breathtaking performance from Marlon Brando as the morally bankrupt American General-cum-savage.

On the Waterfront
Brando carries this 1950s film where you can see his naturalistic/realistic style marking a transition from the overtly melodramatic performances which were until then the norm.

A Streetcar Named Desire
Another brilliant early Brando film worth watching.

Ferris Bueller's Day Off
Matthew Broderick's best role, this is a day in the life of an emotionally and psychologically healthy high school senior, who enjoys bringing good energy to those around him. A pleasure to watch his funny and oft daredevil-like antics.

Badlands
A young Martin Sheen macks on a late-teenage beaut in a small town in the Midwest, and after confronting her father they go off on an adventure. The wide shots of the US's vast unblemished nature 'scapes make this a sumptuous treat.

Days of Heaven
Terrence Malick's second film after Badlands, this is his best. Perfect acting from a young Richard Gere, as well as the narrator girl Linda Manz. The story of a nefarious love triangle, set in early 20th century rural America. Visually the movie immerses you to a great extent.

The Square
A Swedish comedy released last year which also looks at the perhaps excessive indulgence in PC in that Scandinavian country. This statement is made through the story of a Contemporary Art Museum Director and the theft of his cellphone which he suffers at the start.

[EriTay]

High Noon really is a classic. I'm looking forward to what you will add to the list later!

[IdolEyes787]

The best Best Western is in Moss Point Mississippi but the best Western, with all due respect to High Noon, Shane, The Searchers , Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Man who Shot Liberty Valance, Unforgiven and The Wild Bunch is obviously The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.

If you wish to disagree you may but I must warn you, them's fighting words. Pilgrim.

Also no The Wages of Fear. What are you non-existentialist or something?

[megabyteme]

You seem to have forgotten Once Upon a Time in the West.

[IdolEyes787]

You seem to have forgotten Once Upon a Time in the West. Like I said, Little Big Man.:argue:



To Live and Die in L.A.
A great 80's crime caper-action crossover with a charismatic lead William L. Peterson LA cop who is addicted to taking risks, with the one and only Willem Dafoe as the counterfeit-moneymaking bad guy.

Remember when car chases made you feel something besides "Gee that was dumb"? Remember when characters in movies shot with something approaching realistic accuracy?

Second best driving against driving scene ever.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxxH0lZSYgU

[megabyteme]

Remember when car chases made you feel something besides "Gee that was dumb"?

I can even remember far enough back to say the same of De Niro.

[IdolEyes787]

Little did we know at the time but Analyze This was a gateway drug.

[megabyteme]

He's been Focked ever since...

[shaina]

Little did we know at the time but Analyze This was a gateway drug.

I think we should Analyze That :drummer:


He's been Focked ever since...

Now that was a Gaylord comment :P

[Stehle]

I love this thread... I think it is relevant especially in this day of CGI too.

I will comment on it after some deep pondering. :)

(Great list and topic ShinShin!) :alien:

[IdolEyes787]

Spartan.

Who ever rates this stuff on websites is clearly insane as there isn't anything about this movie that isn't fantastic. Even the title is perfect once you know that it means.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sNedp_27B0

[megabyteme]

Spartan.

I'll give it a try (maybe rewatch, I can't remember), but it looks quite lacking in special effects, so I don't know how good it can be... :idunno:

[IdolEyes787]

It doesn't star The Rock so it's a glass half full situation.

[ShinShin]

Thanks for your contributions guys!!

Am building a list of movies to watch already! Excited especially for Spartan, as I really enjoyed The Untouchables and Glengarry Glen Ross from the same writer, though can't say The Spanish Prisoner was all that great, mostly because Steve Martin was miscast. Also read one of his plays which was excellent, Oleanna.

[decoradosmoya]

What do you think of the shape of water film?

[IdolEyes787]

Meg says that except for sheep and the occasional cow, he's firmly against inter-species sex.


Thanks for your contributions guys!!

Am building a list of movies to watch already! Excited especially for Spartan, as I really enjoyed The Untouchables and Glengarry Glen Ross from the same writer, though can't say The Spanish Prisoner was all that great, mostly because Steve Martin was miscast. Also read one of his plays which was excellent, Oleanna.

I rewatched Spartan and was kinda struck by how in structure and somewhat in execution it resembled a play. More staccato than frenetic.

You should also consider Redbelt. Mamet's again slightly off kilter take on this time martial arts films.

If you find you like that then maybe another auteur's look at the spy game in Steven Soderbergh's Haywire.

[Stehle]

So many great ones! I will also look at the films I may have missed.

(More of a book worm now, but still pondering ShinShin.) ;) :alien:

Umm... certain parts or scenes of some films create classics, but their in another thread thanks to Meg, I'll "bump" it so its easy to spot. Remember ShinShin they are not all classics in the film clinical sense, but more of an action or violence noir. Though some I found VERY good! ;)

Example: "Untouchables" that you've already watched. [Train station Stairway Scene] Classic! :)

WARNING! Many Spoilers!

[megabyteme]

"Untouchables" that you've already watched. [Train station Stairway Scene] Classic! :)WARNING! Many Spoilers!

I love that scene!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdNen5223RA

[Stehle]

"Untouchables" that you've already watched. [Train station Stairway Scene] Classic! :)WARNING! Many Spoilers!

I love that scene!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdNen5223RA

You are bad. :lol::blink::wacko::whistling:yup:

(Umm... was that O.J. in the white hat?) :alien:

[shaina]

You are bad. :lol::blink::wacko::whistling:yup:
(Umm... was that O.J. in the white hat?) :alien:

Yup :yup: Murderer Character name Nordberg

[megabyteme]

I love that scene!

You are bad. :lol::blink::wacko::whistling:yup:

(Umm... was that O.J. in the white hat?) :alien:

Seriously one of the very best parody/homage scenes ever done. It really has the same dramatic feel, the setup, camera angles interwoven with the over-the-top comedy.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nzp2kPQcg7I

[MacGyverSG1]

Like I said, Little Big Man.:argue:



To Live and Die in L.A.
A great 80's crime caper-action crossover with a charismatic lead William L. Peterson LA cop who is addicted to taking risks, with the one and only Willem Dafoe as the counterfeit-moneymaking bad guy.

Remember when car chases made you feel something besides "Gee that was dumb"? Remember when characters in movies shot with something approaching realistic accuracy?

Second best driving against driving scene ever.

"Bullitt" (1968) being the best.

[IdolEyes787]

True but what I really meant to say was "driving against traffic" car chase. ie like in To Live or Die in L.A.

As for car chases I always liked The French Connection's and the original The Italian Job's or the even the one from The Bourne Identity although none are mano a mano and more about flash than tension.

[megabyteme]

Rewatched Spartan last night. Yeah, solid 8/10 movie. I predict we'll be seeing more of the blonde girl in years to come.

[Stehle]

You are bad. :lol::blink::wacko::whistling:yup:
(Umm... was that O.J. in the white hat?) :alien:

Yup :yup: Murderer Character name Nordberg

Thank you shaina! ;) Meg is right though, as it is a great... very funny parody. I laughed.

Even today certain imagery is disturbing. :ermm:

(Thought I was hallucinating again.) :alien:

[megabyteme]

I was very pleasantly surprised with Hands of Stone http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1781827/

I often don't enjoy 'historical' movies that place one event square in the center of world events. This one was compelling, I felt.

[ShinShin]

I'm currently in the process of arranging for the viewing of pretty much everything that has been recommended here thus far!

Should make for some enjoyable after-work relaxation sessions, Bulleit in hand.

Meanwhile I've remembered a few more epic pictures I saw in the past year or two:

Porky's
The inspiration for American Pie, this 1981 high school flick is set in 1954, and once again offers up a candid view of the realities of those hormone-filled years we all go through. The movie was a ton of fun to watch, with great acting, which is surprising considering the hard time it has been given by critics!

Pandorum
Not a blockbuster by any means, but this was an engrossing sci-fi tale with an unexpected The Usual Suspects-like twist at the end, and showcasing one of Dennis Quaid's better roles.

Citizen Kane
A very well told Barry Lindon-style rise and fall story, Kane takes us through a young man's quest to obtain great power, before his ego leads him to isolation and disappointment.

Rebel Without a Cause
A freshly honest look at how men were becoming domesticated, as James Dean's relationship with his father shows, already in the 1950s, the movie, even though it is a high school story, depicts an unexpectedly mature and responsible bunch!

Kafka
I was a huge admirer of Franz Kafka's literary oeuvre as a troubled teenager, and this is the best movie you will find attempting to weave some of the material from his stories with his own biography. A masterful title role played by Jeremy Irons, it also has the Soderbergh touch.

Witness
Stellar action takes Harrison Ford deep into an Amish community to protect a child witness to a ruthless murder. There is sexual tension between Ford and a sexy Amish girl.

Frantic
Top-notch John Grisham-style courtroom drama/thriller with Harrison Ford as the title role.

The Fugitive
The very finest action movie with Harrison Ford at the helm I have seen, and possibly one of the finest, alongside the Bourne Trilogy, of all time.

Giant
A sprawling epic story of a Texas cattle rancher, with James Dean playing a rival who strikes oil and becomes hugely rich but with unresolved internal issues which complicate matters.

Thief
One of the few crime capers I have seen in which morals do not enter, this early Michael Mann picture shines a light on the workings of the underworld of grifters.

Rebel in the Rye
A more recent movie but which was worth watching, taking us through the creativity process of J. D. Salinger. Having read The Catcher in the Rye in my younger days it was interesting to learn more about the famously reclusive author. Probably the last picture we'll see with Kevin Spacey.

Drugstore Cowboy
One of Matt Dillon's earlier projects, tells the story of him and a gang of followers as they go around pilfering morphine and other drugs from pharmacies. Again, a non-judgmental perspective, with an ending you don't anticipate. I don't know that Matt Dillon has done anything as good since.

The Experiment
Watch the German version of the movie which came out in 2001. Gets under your skin, very interesting look at how our surroundings and situation can influence our behavior.

Downfall
An intimate look at Hitler's last days.

The Lives of Others
German story about the East German Soviet-controlled police and its spy activity. It has now been revealed that it spent more resources and employed more operatives than were spent by the Nazis during the entire Third Reich.

The Wave
A school experiment for the students to see what fascism is like, this is another take on how tribal human brings instinctively are.

I'll write some more when I get the chance.

[megabyteme]

I believe Giant is actually a better movie than Citizen Kane.

[IdolEyes787]

Giant is also a movie? Who knew?

Next thing you'll be telling me Hudson is also a river or something ridiculous like that.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0p1t-dC7Ko

Meg says they had him at sick and twisted.

Btw I liked Rebel With a Cause much better as it had more point to it.

[ShinShin]

Another batch of recents:

Sunday in New York

Stagecoach

Big Jake

Hondo

La Piscine

Casino

District B13

Full Metal Jacket

Gladiator

The Great Silence

Le Trou

Nightmare Alley (1947, not 2021 trash)

Point Break

The Pick-Up Artist

Weird Science

Stargate

The Big Country

Il Gattopardo

The Samurai Trilogy (1954-6)

Harakiri

Rashomon

The Seven Samurai

The Hidden Fortress

Kagemusha

Throne of Blood

Yojimbo

Sanjuro

Ran

13 Assassins

Tales of Ugetsu

Rambo 1

Rocky 1

Dawn of the Dead (1978)

Caddyshack

Spring Break (1983)

Lord of the Flies (1963)

Written on the Wind

To Kill a Mockingbird

Woman in the Dunes

Uncut Gems

Spartacus

[IdolEyes787]

Reign of Assassins is good if you haven't seen it.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRWpX72Bhag

Also Dragon with Donnie Yen.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fe6xIOCbcR8

[gmahmood88]

First time I watched this movie was in high school. Love it!

[peppynite]

Hey, i am new here and join this discussion now. From my point of view here I mention some great movies below:
1. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
2. The Godfather (1972)
3. The Dark Knight (2008)
4. The Godfather: Part II (1974)

[IdolEyes787]

You literally just copy/pasted the first four on the IMDB page.:mellow:

https://www.imdb.com/chart/top/

Kewl.

[anon]

The Room was very good, but my favorite movie is Sylvester Stallone.

[IdolEyes787]

Four Rooms was also great. It seems that any movie with "room" in the title is worth watching. Hopefully one day Stallone will make a movie about a room.

[anon]

Four Rooms was also great. It seems that any movie with "room" in the title is worth watching.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0258000/ :unsure:


Hopefully one day Stallone will make a movie about a room.

Why not. He already made five war documentaries, it's time for something new.

[megabyteme]

Four Rooms was also great. It seems that any movie with "room" in the title is worth watching. Hopefully one day Stallone will make a movie about a room.

They could do a sequel to Being John Malkovich, but with Stallone. Granted, it would lack the dimensions of the original but most sequels fail in that.

[IdolEyes787]

I have this great idea for a movie. They should take all the old action stars like say Stallone and Statham and maybe Chuck Norris and Van Damme and put them all in one movie and we could call it "The Expandables" 'cause their all fat now.

Also I couldn't think of a way to work "bald" into the title.

[anon]

They should take all the old action stars like say Stallone and Statham and maybe Chuck Norris and Van Damme and put them all in one movie and we could call it "The Expandables" 'cause their all fat now.

It will be like Terminaterer Dark Fate, but even better.

[IdolEyes787]

The problem with movies today is that too few feature werewolves fighting zombies.

[anon]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WRf6Q1o7PE

Despite the "ass like a 10 year old boy" line, Funkin' was not credited as assistant writer.

[ShinShin]

Some more recents:

Vatel (2000) - story of a chef in the France of Louis XIV

Cyrano de Bergerac (1990) - takes place in 17th century Paris

The Earrings of Madame de... (1953) - beautiful black and white photoplay set in late 19th century Paris

The Man in the Iron Mask (1998) - seems a bit out of place here with the others, but still, features a stellar cast that ultimately carries it through

Ridicule (1996) - set in France at the time of Louis XVI. Some historical inaccuracies, but still worth watching

Carlito's Way (1993) - great Pacino picture

Dressed to Kill (1980) - well-built thriller worth a gander

Platoon (1986) - portrayal of May Lai with a group of young stars-to-be

Manhunter (1986) - very good early Hannibal flick

Mean Streets (1973) - great Scorsese picture

Point Blank (1967) - great flick about an assassin

Straw Dogs (1971) - nice early Dustin Hoffman picture

Tampopo (1985) - great about Japanese noodles

The Emerald Forest (1985) - great about the Amazon rainforest

Klute (1971) - about a call girl in NYC

Sisters (1973) - crazy but totally worth it

[cosimo]

bladerunner

[anon]

One thing that both the original Blade Runner and its sequel got absolutely right is the scenography. They show a future that's somber and destitute, yet also alluring at the same time.

190914

Apparently there'll be a threequel in the form of a TV series?

[SantaKlaus666]

One of the greats, never getting old: Dr. Strangelove

[MUNFAQQIHA]

I was very pleasantly surprised with Sleepy Hollow (1999) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0162661/).