Best movie you've seen

[honold]

Gattaca would have to win "best concept for a movie" and also come in close to the top for acting and character dialogue.

i really liked gattaca but i wouldn't put it on top of anything.

your nick is from the fugazi song right? you've missed multiple references from me :<

 

[honold]

Movies I was supposed to like but never did even after multiple viewings:
Raising Arizona

that's the only coen bros movie i've seen (multiple times no less) and never got into.

a lot of it may be due to the fact that i think nick cage sucks though.

 

[honold]

the part where goodman scrapes his hands on the roof is very good though

 

[Mercutio]

Conversely, Raising Arizona is my favorite among the Coen Brothers movies.

Nick Cage was also in "Moonstruck", another movie I find intensely amusing (not "best list" material, but enjoyable nonetheless).

 

[honold]

to wit, the only nick cage movie i like is leaving las vegas

 

[Mercutio]

Er, because he dies at the end, right?

 

[Howell]

it's not a have-to-be-stoned thing, it's a have-to-appreciate-subtlety thing. everybody loved fargo (another coen bros movie), but unfortunately most of them seemed to love it simply for the accents. their skill is their subtlety, and that's where i find all the value in their movies.

The thing about Cohen Bros. movies is that they are so character driven. It almost doesn't even matter what the plot is. That's what's apealing about Christopher Guest's movies too.

I do enjoy a good John Woo flick though.

The worst movie I've seen Nick Cage in was FIREBIRDS.

 

[honold]

The thing about Cohen Bros. movies is that they are so character driven. It almost doesn't even matter what the plot is. That's what's apealing about Christopher Guest's movies too.

coen

and yeah, well-said. i would suggest the people that didn't get lebowski rewatch and try not to focus on the story so much, at which point the story will be more enjoyable.

similar to a 'hidden picture' thing. lose focus, and it comes into focus.

i think it's probably the most quotable movie i know.

 

[Howell]

i think it's probably the most quotable movie i know.

Have you not seen Fletch?!

 

[honold]

fletch is excellent (i like it better than all the vacation movies probably) but the quotes aren't as real-world...

'peter lemonjello. your house is on fire...'

 

[Dozer]

The worst movie I've seen Nick Cage in was FIREBIRDS.

I don't think this even can be classified as a movie. Complete waste of time.

My movies, in no particular order:

Life is Beautiful
The Green Mile
The Matrix
Meet The Parents
Ronin
Braveheart
Three Kings
Last of the Mohicans
The Usual Suspects (amazing performance by Kevin Spacey)
The Sixth Sense
Kelly's Heroes
The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
The Great Escape
The Hunt For Red October
Uncle Buck (favorite quote: "Here's a quarter, go downtown and have a rat gnaw that thing off your face!")

I'm sure there are lots of others, but these are my top of mind picks.

 

[SteveC]

Some more in random order:

The Sandlot
The Crow
Three Kings
Raiders of the Lost Ark
The Right Stuff
The Untouchables
Full Metal Jacket (the first half)

 

[Pradeep]

For a beautiful story, "Cinema Paradiso". Now available as a spec ed DVD with both the original theatrical and extended directors cut (DVD 18). Always brings a tear to the eye.

Most recent movie I saw at the theatre was "The Core". Excellent special effects (especially the Shuttle coming down), but in the middle there I was wondering when it was going to end, which is not a good thing. And no sex

 

[Mercutio]

Must... resist... urge... to... talk... about... pr0n...

Did "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" get a mention yet?

When "Pulp Fiction" was showing at the $1 theater while I was in college, I went to two showings a day, sometimes between classes. It was literally the cheapest way to kill five hours. I got to the point where I could recite the whole movie, verbatim, without prompting.

No one's mentioned horror movies yet, so let me mention "The Howling" and "Dawn of the Dead" (Night of the Living Dead is also great but there's real vision in "the day after"), and of course "Evil Dead 2" as the towering great of the genre. Peter Jackson - the LoTR guy - made what is quite possibly the vilest, goriest horror movie of all time - "Brain Dead", which rises up from a zombie movie into real absurdity. I had competing visceral sensations with that one. Put frankly, I wanted to hurl and yet I was laughing so hard I couldn't breathe.

jtr, have you seen Koyaanisqatsi on DVD yet?

 

[Fushigi]

1. Arsenic and Old Lace - Simply hilarious
2. The Court Jester - Also just plain funny & entertaining.
3. Raiders of the Lost Ark - The epitome of action/comedy
4. Star Wars (the original, not the hack job released later) - Resurrected and validated SF as a popular genre
5. Better Off Dead - One of the 2 best 80s comedies.
6. Airplane - Too many good lines to count. A former coworker and I could do the cockpit "Roger" Oveur" "Huh" "What's the vector Victor" routine endlessly.
7. Lupin III:Castle of Cagliostro* - One of the best anime films. Lupin puts Bond to shame.
8. Kiki's Delivery Service* - Miyazaki's best, IMO. A beautiful film suitable for all ages.
9. Princess Mononoke* - The best of Miyazaki's latest works. Better than Spirited Away (though that ain't bad either).
10. The Killer** - Woo's best, slightly edging out Hard Boiled.
11. Real Genius - The other best 80s comedy.
12. Drunken Master 2** - The ultimate Jackie Chan.
13. My Father is a Hero** - Jet Li kicks butt.
14. Office Space - Dilbert brought to life.
15. Highlander - Some of the best cinematography I've ever witnessed. Scene transitions are just breathtaking.

*In Japanese, subtitled.
**In Chinese, subtitled, Criterion Collection.

So many runners up. Too many to mention.

- Fushigi

 

[time]

Did "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" get a mention yet?

About 40 posts back ... :-?

I quite like Highlander too; the mood from Russell Mulcahy's great cinematography and the Queen soundtrack just can't be beat. It's a pity the sequels were so unbelievably bad.

Another good Christopher Lambert film (there aren't many) is Gideon. It seems to have received harsh reviews, but I don't believe the reviewers understood the film at all, particularly the mystical aspect. It's reminiscent of Being There, Peter Sellers' masterpiece.

 

[Mercutio]

There are good movies with Christopher Lambert?

ENG373 at Purdue was "Science Fiction in Literature". At one point we watched Highlander (outside of class. Mostly we read Joseph Campbell and talked about archetypes and symbolism)... the instructor was a big fan. Unfortunately, a few of us had seen it before and, well, you know things aren't going to go well when your class takes the opportunity to play "Dress Up as Your Favorite Character from MST3K"

We got a lot of mileage out of the "let me show you how much I love you by stabbing myself in the belly" scene.

 

[P5-133XL]

1. The Sound of Music
2. Lion in Winter
3. A Man for All Seasons
4. The Silence of the Lambs
5. My Fair Lady
6. The Americanization of Emily
7. Lawrence of Arabia
8. The Godfather (Pts. 1 & 2)
9. Titanic
10. LOTR #2: The Two Towers

 

[honold]

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

have you seen 'for a few dollars more'?

 

[honold]

When "Pulp Fiction" was showing at the $1 theater while I was in college, I went to two showings a day, sometimes between classes. It was literally the cheapest way to kill five hours. I got to the point where I could recite the whole movie, verbatim, without prompting.

i saw it 6 days in a row at a dollar show, stoned each time. i was probably 15 years old, not sure. (yes, those days are behind me)

jtr, have you seen Koyaanisqatsi on DVD yet?

i have i powasqatsi (sp?), baraka, etc...

 

[slo crostic]

A couple more I just thought of.......
Snatch - Probably Brad Pitt's best acting IMHO.
A Simple Plan - how many things can go wrong in one story?
U Turn - as above
and of course Kooyanisqatsi, Powaqatsi, Baraka

Best Aussie movies.......
Two Hands
The Castle
Malcolm

honold, I have picked up on a couple of your references but I can be a bit slo sometimes :eekers:
I liked your "the eyes have it, and the eyes always will" comment in the Iraqi crisis thread.

 

[fool]

For a beautiful story, "Cinema Paradiso".

Yes yes yes yes yes.

Also,
The seven samurai. So much better than the excellent magnificent seven that its almost painful.
Big night. but that could be just because I like cooking.
Heat.
and, damn, why cant I remeber the damn things names?

 

[Pradeep]

Is that pic from LOTR?

Just pre-ordered Buffy Season 6 from amazon.co.uk, can't wait till mid May Ahh the musical episode, mine at last.

 

[fool]

Pradeep, if you mean my avatar, then, no it’s from a sodding enormous photoshop doodle I did a while back.

Damn things names remembered (partially)

Weekend.
If...
The Italian job. Your only “sposed to blow the bloody doors off”
The usual suspects.

 

[Howell]

For a beautiful story, "Cinema Paradiso".

Yes yes yes yes yes.

Also,
The seven samurai. So much better than the excellent magnificent seven that its almost painful.
Big night. but that could be just because I like cooking.
Heat.
and, damn, why cant I remeber the damn things names?

Did you break into poetry there near the end? :-?

 

[fool]

Always a posibility old boy, always a possibility.
But if infer correctly, I meant the Deniro/Pacino flick ‘bout the cop v. the heistmeister & crew. Top. top film.

 

[LiamC]

I have to admit a liking for The Usual Suspects - though I think Gabriel Byrnes acting is the standout. And hey, he is in Stigmata (one of my faves) and Smilla's Feeling For Snow - damn, I sense a disturbance in the force.

Speaking of TUS, did Lock, Stock or Resevoir Dogs get a guernsey from anyone?

Merc, if you've seen Brain Dead, did you see Meet the Feebles?

 

[time]

Speaking of TUS, did Lock, Stock or Resevoir Dogs get a guernsey from anyone?

Yeah, about 30 posts back. I guess no-one reads my posts.

fool: That's a couple of interesting befuddled recollections you have there. The Italian Job is a classic; apparently that quote of yours is one of the most popular film quotes around. And the film's great entertainment; I get a kick out of watching the minis every time.

I'm intrigued that you dredged up If..., which must be one of Malcolm McDowell's first films? (I just checked, and it was his second, but he was edited out of the first. ) I found it surreal, and it's stuck in my memory ever since. Is that why you included it?

 

[jtr1962]

jtr, have you seen Koyaanisqatsi on DVD yet?

I wasn't aware they put it on DVD. Any differences or additions that make it worthwhile to buy? BTW, I'm glad somebody besides myself actually knows this film exists. It's definitely worth watching as it shows the sheer insanity of how we live nowadays without a single word of dialogue.

A couple of more to add to my list:

Dances With Wolves
The Silence of the Lambs
Full Metal Jacket
Last of the Mohicans
Robot Carnival
Gattaca
The Martian Chronicles
Starman
more subtitled Chinese films than I care to think about

I almost forgot to mention, yes, Mercutio, I did see Brazil and it definitely hit a few notes with me, especially the part where those bumbling technicians take apart the air conditioning system after it has already been properly but illegally repaired. The bureaucracy reminded me of the now defunct NYC Board of Education where you needed to fill out something like 42 forms to change a broken light bulb.

 

[Tannin]

What's a movie?

 

[Mercutio]

Merc, if you've seen Brain Dead, did you see Meet the Feebles?

Nope. One of my brothers is big on horror movies, and gave a screening of "Brain Dead". I haven't been able to find a copy of it or any of Jackson's other B-movie work (as opposed to "The Frighteners" which got wide theatrical release).

Heat has great moments. Great opening, great intense action sequences, but at times it also drags in places. I get a real charge out of watching it but I really feel like Michael Mann just needs to stick to the stylized action and gritty drama. The family/relationship stuff wasn't of the same caliber. Or maybe Ashley Judd needs to be up on the "Hugh Grant/Julia Roberts list", above.

 

[Mercutio]

Tannin, movies are like animated banner ads, only they try to sell you things through product placement instead of sheer obnoxiousness (actually - and I'm ashamed to admit this - has anyone else seen the flash-based ads for "The Real Cancun"? I hit aintitcoolnews.com this afternoon on a machine with IE and, hoolie doolie, I must've watched that thing five times. See bomber thread for related discussion of gender and shame).

jtr, I have the Koyaanisqatsi limited edition DVD that was made available on koyaanisqatsi.org in 1999. It's a film transfer. Sound is PCM stereo. Nothing special, except that it cost over $100 in donations to Reggio's project to get it. I also have the "2 pack" that's currently available for under $20 with both Powaqqatsi and Koyaanisqatsi. The transfer is the same, I think, but the sound is DD5.1 and there are about 40 minutes of interviews with Reggio and Glass on each disc. These are movies I think would move Tannin a great deal. The one image that sticks with me is of the beachgoers lounging in the sand just a few feet away from a chemical plant. No dialogue, just Glass's abstract postmodernist music. The modulated repetitions that characterize Glass work perfectly well with the emphasis Reggio places on the cookie-cutter regimentation of modern life (panning over a parking lot, hundreds of different cars, all the same; 18 lanes of LA freeways, dozens of cars, and it takes long seconds to realize that the image is a single stretch of road, not a tile of the same image three times). The movie is REALLY profound but very abstract. Everyone takes away something different.

 

[LiamC]

Nothing beats EdTV (Matthew McsomethingorotherthatIcan'tspell) for taking the piss out of product placement - mmm Jenna Elfman. Puts the Truman Show to shame. Another good comedy with Jenna is Keeping the Faith (Ben Stiller, Dude from Fight Club/American History X - Ed Norton?)

 

[Mercutio]

Coincidently, The Truman Show uses excerpts from Powaqqatsi in its score...

Honestly, Jenna Elfman (is there such a thing as an unattractive "Jenna"? I think not. I've never met an unattractive one, anyway) aside, I think Truman is the better film. Aside from the Philip Glass score, there's a more interesting social commentary (TV culture, god complex of the director, uniformity of American culture, hollowness of suburban life; Truman literally has zero understanding of the worl he inhabits. His is the only business, he has the only job etc), a much more compelling climax/resolution. Set direction was far better, and frankly I think Carrey (for perhaps the only time in his career) dug into that material and did an amazing job with it. Matthew "Plays Bongos Naked" McConaughnahey coasted through Edtv, and any other interchangeable aw-shucks Hollywood-type (Edward Norton, Nick Cage etc) could've done the same or better with the part.

 

[fool]

Well, If..., was filmed at Lancing College, which is just down the road from where I live. I like it because I’m never quite sure why I like it. hope that makes more sense to you than it does to me.

But if you want befuddled recollections of a fantastically surreal film, has anyone else seen El Topo? Strangest thing I’ve ever seen.

 

[Tannin]

Some random ones to come into my head.

Laurence of Arabia. Superb!
My Life as a Dog (The Swedes are so much better than Holywood!)
My Beautiful Village (bet you no-one has heard of it)
Casablanca & The African Queen (of course - from the days when Hollywood was good at making movies)

 

[Fushigi]

Robot Carnival

A good collection of shorts.

Have you seen Katsuhiro Otomo's Memories? Three shorts, each rather different from each other. Good social commentary. Gorgeous animation. Rumor is it has been licensed for US release, but the Japanese version has English subs. Memories is definitely an addition to my list.

- Fushigi

 

[Tea]

Merc, that sounds like my sort of thing. Tannin, essentially, is a sour old bugger who isn't interested in anything that doesn't keep his brain working at 110% - and by that I mean in a traditional rational-logical sort of way. Broader, more emotional and subtle things are lost on him. He just likes facts, facts and more facts. Everything else is wasted time.

Me, I'm much more flexible. I'd like to see that.

(PS: if you ever wonder if we don't take this imaginary person thing entirely too seriously, stop wondering. We do. Any day now I'm going to answer the phone and say "Red Hill, good afternoon, this is Tea" without realising. Even Tannin - my grumpy old other half - realises that it's a good idea to let me be in charge of the body for a while every now and then.)

 

[P5-133XL]

We NEED a picture of Tea/Tannin, in drag. I'm not picky, Tannin wearing a womans bathing suit in a nice suductive pin-up pose should be added to the "what do we all look like" topic. No, none of this monkey crap in diapers is acceptable; We want the real thing.

Yes let Tea access to the body. By all means, take pictures

All those in favor - vote here with your comments.

 

[Mercutio]

Ummm. I don't think "Ew" exactly carries the full weight of my sentiments, but it's a good start.