Some Great Movies

[megabyteme]

I love that scene!

You are bad.

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

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.

[MacGyverSG1]

Like I said, Little Big Man.

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

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.

(Thought I was hallucinating again.)

[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.



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