[Deepthinker]

Being an avid movie fan/self-appointed critic I'm very hard on movies and very critical thus my list is very exclusive save to about 10 films I absolutely adore and these are it:

One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest
Donnie Darko
Pan's Labyrinth
The Orphanage
Howl's Moving Castle
The Lost Boys
Near Dark
American Beauty
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

as you can tell from my list, my movie choices are rather dark subject matter, but subjects that make you think and look at the human condition inside of us. I'm looking for your favorite movies and what do these movies mean to you, what do you get out of them?

[Ned the Great]

My favorite films are:

1. The Iron Giant
2. Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl (not the others, they're bad)
3. LOTR Film Trilogy
4. 300
5. Holes
6. Iron Jawed Angels
7. Steamboy
8. Stardust
9. Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark
10. Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones (Because it has Natalie Portman in it)

This post has been edited by Ned the Great: 22 August 2008 - 03:02 PM

[Deepthinker]

Ned the Great, on Aug 22 2008, 01:37 PM, said:

My favorite films are:

1. The Iron Giant
2. Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl (not the others, they're bad)
3. LOTR Film Trilogy
4. 300
5. Holes
6. Iron Jawed Angels
7. Steamboy
8. Stardust

And out of curiosity, what do these movies speak to you about? Do you just enjoy their stories or was the action good, etc, etc. I like to hear what attracts people to certain movies.

[Sithis]

I have a very specific set of criteria for which films make my top ten. Among them is cinematography, script/plot strength, actors' performances, and direction. I also think that what determines a "good" film is if you think it will stand the test of time. Zulu was made over 40 years ago, and it is still a great film today, therefore I have no doubt it will be as good 40 years from now. I can say that it is definitely my favorite film, ever.

I could talk for hours about the films that are on my top ten list, so I'll spare you a long spiel :lol:

1. Zulu
2. Snatch
3. There Will Be Blood
4. The Big Lebowski
5. Rushmore
6. Donnie Darko
7. Heat
8. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
9. The Fox and the Hound
10. The Godfather Part II

This post has been edited by Sithis: 22 August 2008 - 12:02 PM

[Deepthinker]

Sithis, on Aug 22 2008, 02:01 PM, said:

I have a very specific set of criteria for which films make my top ten. Among them is cinematography, script/plot strength, actors' performances, and direction. I also think that what determines a "good" film is if you think it will stand the test of time. Zulu was made over 40 years ago, and it is still a great film today, therefore I have no doubt it will be as good 40 years from now. I can say that it is definitely my favorite film, ever.

I could talk for hours about the films that are on my top ten list, so I'll spare you a long spiel :lol:

1. Zulu
2. Snatch
3. There Will Be Blood
4. The Big Lebowski
5. Rushmore
6. Donnie Darko
7. Heat
8. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
9. The Fox and the Hound
10. The Godfather Part II

I'm glad to see another Donnie Darko fan but comon The Fox and the Hound? I mean, idk...it's a bit weak in the plot department, same with the themes they try and come across with. But Rushmore was decidedly hilarious.

[Ned the Great]

Deepthinker, on Aug 22 2008, 06:54 PM, said:

And out of curiosity, what do these movies speak to you about? Do you just enjoy their stories or was the action good, etc, etc. I like to hear what attracts people to certain movies.

Most of those films involve a few individuals in a conflict with the odds against them. For example, Iron Jawed Angels is about feminists vs. Conservative government officials and police in the early 1900's. Most of them also involve a moral dilemma, such as Steamboy's debates about whether science is here for all of mankind or just a select few. However, all of them have fast paced action that keeps you till the end.

[Carrick]

My list is always changing and evolving but these are my favorites at the moment. They are in order of films that really speak to me to those that I like just for fun.


Children of Men
Hotel Rwanda
Letters from Iwo Jima
The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly
Last of the Mohicans
The Dark Knight
Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
Kingdom of Heaven
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade



Looking at my list, the common thread seems to be that all these movies have a sweeping epic feel about them which involved either journeying or fighting. Pretty much without exception there is a goal (whether distinct or indistinct) that is made clear early on the film and which the protagonist(s) much reach. Upon the way they either learn more about themselves, their situation, or (in the case of the Last Crusade) get into hijinks

This post has been edited by Jagged Fel: 22 August 2008 - 02:02 PM

[Deepthinker]

Jagged Fel, on Aug 22 2008, 03:54 PM, said:

My list is always changing and evolving but these are my favorites at the moment. They are in order of films that really speak to me to those that I like just for fun.


Children of Men
Hotel Rwanda
Letters from Iwo Jima
The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly
Last of the Mohicans
The Dark Knight
Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
Kingdom of Heaven
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

Out of curiosity, how did Children of Men speak to you? Granted, I saw it a couple of months ago, it didn't strike me as mind-bending or opinion changing. I got away with it an appreciation for life and how far people will go in desperate situations.

[Carrick]

Deepthinker, on Aug 22 2008, 03:56 PM, said:

Out of curiosity, how did Children of Men speak to you? Granted, I saw it a couple of months ago, it didn't strike me as mind-bending or opinion changing. I got away with it an appreciation for life and how far people will go in desperate situations.

Well I don't mean "speaking to me" as changing my outlook, but rather more like touching a nerve. In these days of horror (and I think these are some of the worst days that humanity as a whole has experienced) and a future which looks to be dystopian (although not in the same way as the film) it was great to see such characters have hope and dreams in such overwhelming circumstances. I also felt the end with the screen fading to the title and laughter of children was profound.

I also edited my above post to explain the ties that all my favorite films have

Also it has top notch cinematography. Here's a great scene from the movie (which has spoilers)
http://www.youtube.c...h?v=7hrFEhd6tKc

This post has been edited by Jagged Fel: 22 August 2008 - 02:18 PM

[Drostan]

Deepthinker, on Aug 22 2008, 11:56 AM, said:

One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest
Donnie Darko
Pan's Labyrinth
The Orphanage
Howl's Moving Castle
The Lost Boys
Near Dark
American Beauty
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

For someone who claims to be a film buff you seem to have very domestic tastes. Donnie Darko slides in right after Garden State and Igby Goes Down in the "I want to be pretentious but I'm not smart enough" list.

I cannot make a hierarchy as such but here are some of the better films I have seen:

Citizen Kane (Orson Welles) <--- Orson Welles is the genius American never deserved and this film is proof.
M (Fritz Lang) <--- I prefer this film to the more famous Metropolis
Reservoir Dogs (Still Tarantino's Best)
Rashomon (Akira Kurosawa) <--- you almost never go wrong with Kurosawa
Blade Runner (Riddley Scott)
Winter Light (Ingmar Bergman)
Amadeus (Peter Schaffer)
The Producers (Mel Brooks' Best)
Barton Fink (Coen Brothers Best IMO) <--- there are several other great choices from them.
Taxi Driver (Martin Scorsese) <--- Raging Bull, Mean Streets also get mentions.
A Clockwork Orange (Kubrick's Best Despite 2001)
China Town (Roman Polanski)
Pi (Darren Aronofsky) <--- talk about bang for your buck... this film cost $60,000 total.
Life Aquatic (Wes Anderson) <--- some people just didn't like this one but I loved it. Check out Rushmore.
City Lights (Charlie Chaplin) <--- Also see Modern Times.
On the Waterfront (Elia Kazan) <--- Brando at his best.
Cool Hand Luke (Stuart Rosenberg) <--- Paul Newman, oh my!
The Deer Hunter (Michael Cimino)


Anyway, this could go on forever but I strongly suggest checking out some of these films/directors.

For the more adventurous souls out there check out something by Jan Svankmajer.

[Carrick]

Drostan, on Aug 22 2008, 04:39 PM, said:

For someone who claims to be a film buff you seem to have very domestic tastes. Donnie Darko slides in right after Garden State and Igby Goes Down in the "I want to be pretentious but I'm not smart enough" list.

Pi (Darren Aronofsky) <--- talk about bang for your buck... this film cost $60,000

And Pi slides in right after Donnie Darko in the same list. Don't be so arrogant

[Deepthinker]

Jagged Fel, on Aug 22 2008, 04:50 PM, said:

And Pi slides in right after Donnie Darko in the same list. Don't be so arrogant

Thank you, tho being a critic means everyone has different tastes, you gotta recognize that. What one person likes another may hate. etc etc, I'm asking more-so what these movies mean to you, individually. !@#$, the little mermaid may really strike a chord with someone, idk. that's why i ask.

[Drostan]

Jagged Fel, on Aug 22 2008, 04:50 PM, said:

And Pi slides in right after Donnie Darko in the same list. Don't be so arrogant

I was going to say that pretending to be above other people's movie choices was next in that list.


Please explain to me the continuity between the other three aforementioned films and Pi? Pi was a student film with a $60,000 budget. Are you going to say it is pretentious? The only real criticism of the film at large would be the facile ending. Overall though the bulk of the film does exceedingly well.

Pi has just become a target because people who love Alan Sokal think the same principle can be applied to all arts and social sciences. In terms of the mathematics in the movie Pi they're reasonable sound although clearly by the end merely a springboard for a rather clumsily delivered message.

Being pretentious is fine. It means you have some semblance of dignity and at least believe that you COULD improve. The difficulty is wanting to be pretentious but not having quality to back it up. There are worse things than arrogance as well... ignorance comes to mind. Today we are conditioned to take the educated and studied man's opinion on a given subject with equal shrift as that of a layman who just wandered into the conversation. Relativism gets boring. The only thing relativists seem unwilling to admit limits to... are the expanses of relativism.

Next you'll be telling me that I can't tell someone what is right and what is wrong.


EDIT: Specifically @ OP

Donnie Darko struck me as a feel-sorry-for-yourself movie. The title character is socially awkward and never seems to bother how to relate to others. In a typical angsty intellectual move we are supposed to view him as some sort of martyr above the !@#$%^&* that others have fallen prey to. They also decide to drop some random crap about time travel out of nowhere as a plot device worthy of a bad Italian opera (luckily no potions though there are pills). The only moment I really like Donnie is when he calls out that idiot lecturing at his school. Anyway, this ill-defined notion of legitimacy or authenticity that we are supposed to perceive in Donnie is supposed to make his life and death meaningful in some way. I will say that this film, although it strikes me as profoundly shallow, is much more well-made than Garden State and Igby Goes Down. I recommend Donnie Darko to the following people:

People who are depressed and want to delude themselves into believing that they too are martyrs for ... hrmph, you're on your own
People who are sociopaths and need cultural references to "fit-in" with normal "angsty" people
People who are insecure about their intelligence and so need to like weird stuff to make it seem like there's a lot of action behind the scenes so to speak
People who like to smoke pot and get "tripped out" by wacky films

Chances are though if you're one of the people who will enjoy this film you won't admit to these classifications so I can't really help you. Sorry.

This post has been edited by Drostan: 22 August 2008 - 03:26 PM

[Kiaron Hebleth]

Hmmm.... Lot's of films here that I like, but there are few that blew my mind or really affected me. Off the top of my head onlt one comes to mind: The Cider House Rules. I spent the first few minutes thinking about Spiderman and giggling, but few films affected me like this did.

This post has been edited by Kiaron Hebleth: 22 August 2008 - 03:49 PM

[Comrade Yev]

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly is my favorite movie. Other movies don't wave a stick at it.

[Samu]

My favorite movies are:
1. The original Star Wars Trilogy
2. Sin City
3. Friday Night Lights
4. WALL E
5. Pulp Fiction

[renegade4box]

1. Donnie Darko Trilogy

[deSouza]

Samu, on Aug 22 2008, 06:58 PM, said:

My favorite movies are:
1. The original Star Wars Trilogy
2. Sin City
3. Friday Night Lights
4. WALL E
5. Pulp Fiction

your parents probably dont love you because you liked Friday Night Lights

[Samu]

deSouza, on Aug 22 2008, 10:08 PM, said:

your parents probably dont love you because you liked Friday Night Lights

I don't know, Friday Night lIght really spoke to me on a primal level. I love the themes involved, like how being beaten by your parents can really alter your life, and also how football is the souths substitute for Jesus.

I also really liked how the end of the movie proves that Mexicans are better all around that Americans at everything.

[Carrick]

Drostan, on Aug 22 2008, 05:17 PM, said:

I was going to say that pretending to be above other people's movie choices was next in that list.


Please explain to me the continuity between the other three aforementioned films and Pi? Pi was a student film with a $60,000 budget. Are you going to say it is pretentious? The only real criticism of the film at large would be the facile ending. Overall though the bulk of the film does exceedingly well.

Pi has just become a target because people who love Alan Sokal think the same principle can be applied to all arts and social sciences. In terms of the mathematics in the movie Pi they're reasonable sound although clearly by the end merely a springboard for a rather clumsily delivered message.

Being pretentious is fine. It means you have some semblance of dignity and at least believe that you COULD improve. The difficulty is wanting to be pretentious but not having quality to back it up. There are worse things than arrogance as well... ignorance comes to mind. Today we are conditioned to take the educated and studied man's opinion on a given subject with equal shrift as that of a layman who just wandered into the conversation. Relativism gets boring. The only thing relativists seem unwilling to admit limits to... are the expanses of relativism.

Next you'll be telling me that I can't tell someone what is right and what is wrong.

Yeah, it's a convoluted movie that hits you over the head with "oh my god, Max Cohen has mental problems" which manifests itself with weird hallucinations. Yet, throughout the movie he deals with the two hallmarks of conspiracy theorists; a religious group that seeks to advance humanity into the next age, and a ruthless gun-toting business corporation that wants to dominate the stock market. If everything was a hallucination, then yes it would be a good film, but its a film that seeks to portray the horrors of mental affliction while having the protagonist be in a caricatured stereotypical situation (evil businesses and religious zealots) without any payoff or realization that everything around him is messed up.

You can, and I can tell you whether you are right or wrong. Seriously, you go on to tell Deepthinker about "who" likes this film while knowing nothing about Deepthinker at all or why he enjoys it. Oh and you throw in the caveat that if he disagrees with your analysis, he must be deluding himself. You are the height of preteniousness.