NationStates Jolt Archive

My suggestion is Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf starring Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor. It's smart, funny, bitter, and emotional. Watch it if you get the chance.

Love Actually

memento
story of a man who has lost all short term memory so he has to make notes to himself about whats going on in his life.
amazing movie.

The Matrix

memento
story of a man who has lost all short term memory so he has to make notes to himself about whats going on in his life.
amazing movie.
That was a neat film. Kept you guessing until the end.

Apocalypse Now Redux

The Usual Suspects (its one of those movies that I wish I had never seen just so that I could watch it again for the first time)

team america world police,


it's funny because it's true :D

The Usual Suspects (its one of those movies that I wish I had never seen just so that I could watch it again for the first time)
Also a great choice. Fenster was a fucking great character.

The Third Man.

Aaww, just one?

I'll go with Pi. Probably the movie I have watched the most times, partially because of the kiss ass soundtrack.

Salò o le 120 giornate di Sodoma
Pablo Passolini's last film, its pretty faithfiul to the book and I see it as an allegory on the how the powerful abuse the weak

Once Upon a Time In the West
Directed by Sergio Leone (Man with No Name Trilogy)
Starring- Henry Fonda, Charles Bronson, Jason Robards

The Western. It has a slow pacing as Leone meticulously sets up every scene, but the story is terrific and the cinematography is magnificent. If you like the actual "art" of making movies at all, this is a must.

Once Upon a Time In the West
Directed by Sergio Leone (Man with No Name Trilogy)
Starring- Henry Fonda, Charles Bronson, Jason Robards

The Western. It has a slow pacing as Leone meticulously sets up every scene, but the story is terrific and the cinematography is magnificent. If you like the actual "art" of making movies at all, this is a must.
You can't go wrong with spagetti.

Salò o le 120 giornate di Sodoma
Pablo Passolini's last film, its pretty faithfiul to the book and I see it as an allegory on the how the powerful abuse the weak
Is it available with English subtitles (not dubbing, I really cannot stand dubbed films)?

Once Upon a Time In the West
Directed by Sergio Leone (Man with No Name Trilogy)
Starring- Henry Fonda, Charles Bronson, Jason Robards

The Western. It has a slow pacing as Leone meticulously sets up every scene, but the story is terrific and the cinematography is magnificent. If you like the actual "art" of making movies at all, this is a must.

As a bit of trivia, it was also shown the night [before] Charles Bronson died.

But you are right, Leone is an absolute master.

Garden State.

Written, Directed and Starring Zach Braff with Natalie Portmann.

One of if not the best film I've ever seen, definitely a big statement on the life of my generation.

Once Upon a Time In the West
Directed by Sergio Leone (Man with No Name Trilogy)
Starring- Henry Fonda, Charles Bronson, Jason Robards

The Western. It has a slow pacing as Leone meticulously sets up every scene, but the story is terrific and the cinematography is magnificent. If you like the actual "art" of making movies at all, this is a must.
Best western has to be "The Magnificent Seven". Certainly has the best score for a western.

American History X
"We are not enemies but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic cords of memory will swell when again touched, as surely they will be by the better angels of our nature."

The Killers (1964)

Scum.

The story of a teenager sent to borstal staring Ray Winstone as the young thug Carlin. Rape, suicide, bullying, rebellion, racism, violence. The UK has a very different idea of what constitutes a teen movie to the USA.

Best western has to be "The Magnificent Seven". Certainly has the best score for a western.

That is a classic. But I will disagree with you. As for the soundtrack, each major character in Once Upon a Time has a different score, but I haven't heard The Magnificent Seven's soundtrack.

Also a great choice. Fenster was a fucking great character.

Thats because he was played by Benicio Del Toro *swoons* and because it was just a great movie.

I also suggest "Garden State" amazing film, can't wait to get it on DVD.

Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle.

Scum.

The story of a teenager sent to borstal staring Ray Winstone as the young thug Carlin. Rape, suicide, bullying, rebellion, racism, violence. The UK has a very different idea of what constitutes a teen movie to the USA.

HAve you ever seen Made in Britain, also by Alan Clarke?

Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle.
I'd heard the title of that one several times. What's it about?

HAve you ever seen Made in Britain, also by Alan Clarke?

Yeah, but I didn't find it quite as good. While typing out the description of Scum I started thinking about Lyndsay Anderson's If - I think it is that interface between the institutionalised system and the rebel that works better in that pair of films than in Made In Britain. I certainly like MIB but it just doesn't quite touch me so deeply.

The Shawshank Redemption

That is a classic. But I will disagree with you. As for the soundtrack, each major character in Once Upon a Time has a different score, but I haven't heard The Magnificent Seven's soundtrack.

I don't want to enter into the whole "which is THE western?" argument, but the Magnificent Seven has one of the all-time great scores in any genre.

(Oh, yeah. Far as I can tell, Red River; The Searchers; Magnificent Seven; Good, Bad, and Ugly; High Noon; Once Upon a Time in the West; Josey Wales; Unforgiven; and The Wild Bunch are all in contention :D )

Get *12 angry men* 1957 that is an excellent movie!

I don't want to enter into the whole "which is THE western?" argument, but the Magnificent Seven has one of the all-time great scores in any genre.

(Oh, yeah. Far as I can tell, Red River; The Searchers; Magnificent Seven; Good, Bad, and Ugly; High Noon; Once Upon a Time in the West; Josey Wales; Unforgiven; and The Wild Bunch are all in contention :D )

Yes, I will agree that a "THE western" argument would pretty much come down to a personal preference argument that shouldn't even take place.

That was an excellent list, but can you believe I have never seen The Searchers all of the way through. :eek:

That is a classic. But I will disagree with you. As for the soundtrack, each major character in Once Upon a Time has a different score,
Kind of like Peter and the Wolf?
but I haven't heard The Magnificent Seven's soundtrack.
You probably have. It was the theme for Marlboro or Winston cigarettes.

It's so hard to pick just one, but I guess I'll have to go with... Adaptation.

Get *12 angry men* 1957 that is an excellent movie!
Yes it is. They don't make 'em like that anymore.

I don't want to enter into the whole "which is THE western?" argument, but the Magnificent Seven has one of the all-time great scores in any genre.

(Oh, yeah. Far as I can tell, Red River; The Searchers; Magnificent Seven; Good, Bad, and Ugly; High Noon; Once Upon a Time in the West; Josey Wales; Unforgiven; and The Wild Bunch are all in contention :D )
Copied and pasted into my netflix queue.

Citizen Kane

I mean, come on! It's one of the great classics.

Kind of like Peter and the Wolf?

I suppose so, the "Man with the Harmonica" has one of the ugliest sounding scores I have ever heard (perfect for the character), and the central theme is just about perfect as well.

You probably have. It was the theme for Marlboro or Winston cigarettes.

I have actually heard it, but I have never paid attention to it. I should have made the distinction.

Yeah, but I didn't find it quite as good. While typing out the description of Scum I started thinking about Lyndsay Anderson's If - I think it is that interface between the institutionalised system and the rebel that works better in that pair of films than in Made In Britain. I certainly like MIB but it just doesn't quite touch me so deeply.

I think I get your point.

When I watch Made in Britian I get the feeling that I am missing something. Which I always put down to age. And the fact that I cannot remember anything important from the mid-eighties. I still think it is a fantastic film though, and Clarke did well by casting Roth imo since the film was driven more by character then plot. Scum seems to be a bit less 'of its time though' (I don't know if I am explaining this well), so can be easily accesable to people of all ages.

Although, If... propably does go better with Scum that MIB.

btw, in the version of MIB you saw, did Trevor end up in borstal? Just that my copy finishes with him in the police station with the officer explaining to him what the rest of his life will be like. But on the back of the case you can clearly see him in borstal uniform with other boys in uniforms

Copied and pasted into my netflix queue.

Short and sweet: How does NetFlix work, how expensive?

Yes, I will agree that a "THE western" argument would pretty much come down to a personal preference argument that shouldn't even take place.

That was an excellent list, but can you believe I have never seen The Searchers all of the way through. :eek:

I mean, those movies are all so different: Something like High Noon is almost like a stage play or romanticized matinee fare (not quite); while your Searchers or your Wild Bunch represent total disillusionment with the myth; while Magnificent 7 is somewhere in between. These movies aren't even trying to do the same things. It's like comparing perfect rottweilers with perfect pommeranians at the kennel club.

On the western note, I've heard rumblings about a Blood Meridian adaptation. Anybody heard anything there?

Shichinin no samurai (Seven Samurai)

Is it available with English subtitles (not dubbing, I really cannot stand dubbed films)?

Yes, Salo is subtitled, and is quite rare, I've seen it go for 40-150 USD. I have to warn you that the film can be a bit hard to take which is understandable given its source material.

I mean, those movies are all so different: Something like High Noon is almost like a stage play or romanticized matinee fare (not quite); while your Searchers or your Wild Bunch represent total disillusionment with the myth; while Magnificent 7 is somewhere in between. These movies aren't even trying to do the same things. It's like comparing perfect rottweilers with perfect pommeranians at the kennel club.

Yes, Leone completely eschewed the status quo of the Western when he started the Spaghetti western trend. Not only did he turn them into art peices but made them into almost psychological studies. Once Upon a Time accentuated this, more attention was placed on the setting than the story. There was even a major woman character that had no real romantic part in the story. Both it and the Magnificent Seven got rid of the good vs. evil idea altogether. There wasn't a single good character in all of Once Upon a Time after the opening scene.


On the western note, I've heard rumblings about a Blood Meridian adaptation. Anybody heard anything there?

I don't even know what Blood Meridian is.

Copied and pasted into my netflix queue.

I hope you get them soon and in clusters. There's nothing quite like squandering a whole weekend on Westerns.

On the downside, netflix has kept me waiting months for the original Get Carter. Cheap bastards need to buy some more copies.

Wow, I cant state just one, so Ill build a current list:

Garden State - I just dowloaded and watched this a few days ago, Excellent movie, a bitter but beautiful and true to life film if ever Ive seen one

The Good the Bad and the Ugly - well, if we can include spaghetti, I want to include this one, its cheesy in spots, and yet - so amazing.

La Vita è Bella - Theres a damn good reason Roberto Benigni gained so much respect for his role in this movie, pure brilliance.

Platoon - a concept that is very dear to me, because this movie deals with the duality of man.

A River Runs Through It - this movie gets to me on so many levels, my grandfather grew up in the same general location as a child, and at about the same time - so it becomes nostalgic to me. And the feeling that comes fom losing a brother... this applies to "Legends..." as well.

Sabrina (original) - does anyone else wish they could go back in time just to fall in love with Audrey Hepburn and the song "La vie en Rose"?

Legends of the Fall - *braces for insults* ok, ok, I know it was a bit over the top, but this was an amazing portrait of both the times and of a family's quest through them. Insult me if you will, I like it anyway.

The Usual Suspects - A brilliant movie, and I'm glad its been posted so many times here. Kevin Spacey is immortalized in this film.

Morena - Monica Bellucci, and its such a truthfull depiction of fantasy - need I say more?

The Godfather - Please, do I even need to give my reasons? This one speaks for itself.

Casino - See coment for "The Godfather"

Im forcing myself to stop here, and I could go on forever... but theres one more I have to list...

last but certainly not least:

The Fox & The Hound - Its the only movie that will make me cry every time I watch it. This is so sad it breaks my heart just thinking about it.

Citizen Kane

I mean, come on! It's one of the great classics.

yes, agreed 100%

Wow, I cant state just one, so Ill build a current list:

Garden State - I just dowloaded and watched this a few days ago, Excellent movie, a bitter but beautiful and true to life film if ever Ive seen one

The Good the Bad and the Ugly - well, if we can include spaghetti, I want to include this one, its cheesy in spots, and yet - so amazing.

La Vita è Bella - Theres a damn good reason Roberto Benigni gained so much respect for his role in this movie, pure brilliance.

Platoon - a concept that is very dear to me, because this movie deals with the duality of man.

A River Runs Through It - this movie gets to me on so many levels, my grandfather grew up in the same general location as a child, and at about the same time - so it becomes nostalgic to me. And the feeling that comes fom losing a brother... this applies to "Legends..." as well.

Sabrina (original) - does anyone else wish they could go back in time just to fall in love with Audrey Hepburn and the song "La vie en Rose"?

Legends of the Fall - *braces for insults* ok, ok, I know it was a bit over the top, but this was an amazing portrait of both the times and of a family's quest through them. Insult me if you will, I like it anyway.

The Usual Suspects - A brilliant movie, and I'm glad its been posted so many times here. Kevin Spacey is immortalized in this film.

Morena - Monica Bellucci, and its such a truthfull depiction of fantasy - need I say more?

The Godfather - Please, do I even need to give my reasons? This one speaks for itself.

Casino - See coment for "The Godfather"

The Usual Suspects - A brilliant movie, and I'm glad its been posted so many times here. Kevin Spacey is immortalized in this film.

Im forcing myself to stop here, and I could go on forever... but theres one more I have to list...

last but certainly not least:

The Fox & The Hound - Its the only movie that will make me cry every time I watch it. This is so sad it breaks my heart just thinking about it.
Man you must really love that one... ;)

I don't even know what Blood Meridian is.

It's a Cormac McCarthy novel that makes The Wild Bunch look like All Dogs Go to Heaven. Basic premise is that a crew of Indian fighters are collecting scalps for government bounties. They come to the conclusion that Mexican scalps look a lot like Indian scalps, so they cross the border. It just gets uglier from there.

Man you must really love that one... ;)

Not only did he ignore the rules included in the title of the thread, he waved his unabashed refusal in our face by listing the same movie twice. ;)

Not only did he ignore the rules included in the title of the thread, he waved his unabashed refusal in our face by listing the same movie twice. ;)
That's it. He's out of the will.

It's a Cormac McCarthy novel that makes The Wild Bunch look like All Dogs Go to Heaven. Basic premise is that a crew of Indian fighters are collecting scalps for government bounties. They come to the conclusion that Mexican scalps look a lot like Indian scalps, so they cross the border. It just gets uglier from there.


That would be a crazy movie. Tarantino should do a spaghetti western of that.

Yes, Salo is subtitled, and is quite rare, I've seen it go for 40-150 USD.

:eek:

I have to warn you that the film can be a bit hard to take which is understandable given its source material.

I looked on Amazon and they only seem to have the book, so I might content myself with that. (more likely now I've seen the price).

Maybe when I have finished the book I might petition Film 4 to show it.

(I assume the price for copies is more related to rarity rather then it just being an expensive film)

Not only did he ignore the rules included in the title of the thread, he waved his unabashed refusal in our face by listing the same movie twice. ;)
yeah, like I said I couldnt stop! haha! I needed to sort of organize my list (I couldnt pick just one!) and I missed that error!

*notes*
second posting removed from list... ;)

That would be a crazy movie. Tarantino should do a spaghetti western of that.

Or Rodriguez. Both those guys are Leone fanatics. It would be a natural.

Or Rodriguez. Both those guys are Leone fanatics. It would be a natural.

I guarantee there would be a guitar case with a gun in it if Rodriguez made it.

btw, in the version of MIB you saw, did Trevor end up in borstal? Just that my copy finishes with him in the police station with the officer explaining to him what the rest of his life will be like. But on the back of the case you can clearly see him in borstal uniform with other boys in uniforms

I honestly can't recall, I probably haven't seen it in 10 or 15 years.

Morena - Monica Bellucci, and its such a truthfull depiction of fantasy - need I say more?


Interesting you bring that up.

I was looking through my Amazon recommendations and that film came up. Why? Because I considered buying Brotherhood of the Wolf as a Christmas present for a friend and hadn't taken it out my basket.

What do Malena and Brotherhood of the Wolf have in common?

Monica Bellucci gets naked in both of them. Never mind the fact that this is besides the point of each film and in Brotherhood of the Wolf it is a 'blink and you'll miss it' moment (not quite sure about Malena though, never seen it).

Please I don't choose my films based on the amount of nudity in them (and if I did I would by a porno).

This is what gets annoying about Amazon's recommedations, I am given suggestions based on flimsy links like that. And that type of in your face adviretising is really annoying.

Also apparently I would like the Star Wars boxed set because I like SF, regardless of the fact that the sf I have bought from them is completly unrelated to Star Wars[/rant]

Sorry, needed to get that off my chest

I guarantee there would be a guitar case with a gun in it if Rodriguez made it.

I'm not going to take that wager till I see Sin City. After all, only three of the five Spy Kids movies featured guns in guitar cases. Maybe he's gotten it out of his system.

I'm not going to take that wager till I see Sin City. After all, only three of the five Spy Kids movies featured guns in guitar cases. Maybe he's gotten it out of his system.

Maybe he thinks half a dozen times is enough.

Whoever does the next major western should use T Bone Burnett on the soundtrack. I think Tarantino and Eastwood would both be able to incorporate the music very well. Rodriguez, maybe, I don't know, I'm not as familiar with his work.

Short and sweet: How does NetFlix work, how expensive?
It is every bit as easy as their ads say. They mail you dvds. You watch them and send them back in a prepaid envelope. I think the basic rate is $18/month. For that, you may have three dvds in your possession at any one time and as many as you can watch in a month.

It is every bit as easy as their ads say. They mail you dvds. You watch them and send them back in a prepaid envelope. I think the basic rate is $18/month. For that, you may have three dvds in your possession at any one time and as many as you can watch in a month.

FANTASTIC!!!!!

Whoever does the next major western should use T Bone Burnett on the soundtrack. I think Tarantino and Eastwood would both be able to incorporate the music very well. Rodriguez, maybe, I don't know, I'm not as familiar with his work.

Is Burnett the Cohens' soundtrack guy?

The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension

Is Burnett the Cohens' soundtrack guy?

He did a lot of the work for O' Brother and the Big Lebowski. He also did a great deal of work for the Cold Mountain soundtrack.

Plan 9 From Outer Space

It is every bit as easy as their ads say. They mail you dvds. You watch them and send them back in a prepaid envelope. I think the basic rate is $18/month. For that, you may have three dvds in your possession at any one time and as many as you can watch in a month.
What's the turnaround time for sending back and getting a dvd?

Donnie Darko or The Big Blue or oo oo Spirited Away or Battle Royale or Casshern or Rules of Attraction of The Doom Generation DAMN YOU FOR MAKING ME CHOOOOOSE.

Battle Royale

Battle Royale's a cracking film.

Battle Royale's a cracking film.
Does cracking mean good? And what's Battle Royale about?

42 or so school children are bundled off by the japanese government on a school trip. They are taken to a smallish isand and told that they must kil each other or have their necks blown up.

Though wierdly the violence is not an important part of the film.

What's the turnaround time for sending back and getting a dvd?

All depends on where you are in relation to their distribution centers. In New York City, they can turn them around in three days (if you hit the morning postal pickup). I used to use a competitor service that operated out of Maryland. It was only $14.95 a month, but it took an extra day each way. So in the average month, it really wasn't that cheaper in terms of number of movies vs. cost.

Plan 9 From Outer Space
While every cinema student should watch it as a example of "what not to do", I wouldn't classify it as an excellent movie.

Why not suggest Attack of the Killer Tomato while you're at it?

Does cracking mean good?

No it is better then good

And what's Battle Royale about?

In a dystopian near future youth crime has spiralled out of control and the adults are frightened so pass the Battle Royal Act. Every year, a school class is chosen at random and put on a deserted island. The object is to kill your classmates. Last man standing wins.

Does cracking mean good? And what's Battle Royale about?

Cracking means good. I really recommend it. Basically in the future the Japanese government sends one class of schoolchildren to this island every year to kill each other. They've got these little explosive collars, which will all explode if there's more than one kid alive at the end.

Cracking means good. I really recommend it. Basically in the future the Japanese government sends one class of schoolchildren to this island every year to kill each other. They've got these little explosive collars, which will all explode if there's more than one kid alive at the end.
Have you read the book?

North by Northwest.

42 or so school children are bundled off by the japanese government on a school trip. They are taken to a smallish isand and told that they must kil each other or have their necks blown up.

Though wierdly the violence is not an important part of the film.

That sounds really stupid, why not just watch "Lord of the Flies?"

That sounds really stupid, why not just watch "Lord of the Flies?"
Because Lord of the FLies is a crap piece of crappy crap which having watched rad and acted in i hate with a passionate passion.

Battle Royale on the other hand is NOT a tale of mass murder its a tale of something subtler than that, but ive no idea what it is. You have to watch it to understand, and many of those who watch it, don't.

That sounds really stupid, why not just watch "Lord of the Flies?"
It doesn't sound that good to me either. There has to be more to it than Japanese schoolkids killing eachother and getting their heads blown off. Otherwise I can't imagine why anyone would reccomend it.

North by Northwest.

Top notch choice

Donnie Darko

Have you read the book?

Nope. Is it better than the film? I had no idea there was a book.

Because Lord of the FLies is a crap piece of crappy crap which having watched rad and acted in i hate with a passionate passion.

Battle Royale on the other hand is NOT a tale of mass murder its a tale of something subtler than that, but ive no idea what it is. You have to watch it to understand, and many of those who watch it, don't.

It sounds like it explores all of the same topics as Lord of the Flies, only with an idiotic premise.

Donnie Darko

I don't understand the draw to that one, either. Watched it, didn't like it.

Because Lord of the FLies is a crap piece of crappy crap which having watched rad and acted in i hate with a passionate passion.

Battle Royale on the other hand is NOT a tale of mass murder its a tale of something subtler than that, but ive no idea what it is. You have to watch it to understand, and many of those who watch it, don't.

It certainly *sounds* more subtle than Lord of the Flies. [Insert universal sarcastic emoticon here.]

Donnie Darko
I too am a huge Donnie Darko fan, but a few nights ago I watched Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf again and it's now my favorite movie in my collection.

Donnie Darko
Very good, very very good.

Yes its about more than that, i have discerning taste and i damn well recomend it. Do not question me of Chick will smite you and you will live in ignorance of true truth and beauty. (as oposed to untrue truth? i dunno)

Never read the book because ive never seen the credits or begining fo the movie so ive never caught its name :P.

Oh and please Spirited Away really is good, everyone get out to watch Howls Moving Castle asap.

Gormenghast on BBC DVD, get oot of your hooses now and buy it.

Lord of the Flies is crap? its a classic , i hope you don't mean the original b/w film

I don't understand the draw to that one, either. Watched it, didn't like it.
It's kind of like a story about Jesus. Well it is to me anyway. A miracle occurs, then a boy finds out he's special. He has the fate of the people he loves in his hands. In the end it's his choice whether to sacrifice himself for them or not.

It certainly *sounds* more subtle than Lord of the Flies. [Insert universal sarcastic emoticon here.]
Look, seriously, i know Lord of the Flies inside out, its a load of bollocks, trust me on this. Have you seen both, no, then shut up.

Lord of the Flies is crap? its a classic , i hope you don't mean the original b/w film
Urgh, the only thing i disliked more than that was acting in the play.

It certainly *sounds* more subtle than Lord of the Flies. [Insert universal sarcastic emoticon here.]

Well, it is. It's no slaughterfest, most of the kids in it don't actually want to kill each other. Most of the time they're driven to it by suspicion, anger, fear or whatever.


Actually, I just thought this through again. It's a slaughterfest, but not a dumb slaughterfest.

My needless sex and violence choice was The Doom Generation.

And even thats still a very good film... well i like it anyway :P.

Every discription of the plot line makes no sense? Why the hell do they ship them off to the island in the first place? It was also released with the intent to show kids that there is still authority over them and to not act up. What the hell is that all about?

Every discription of the plot line makes no sense? Why the hell do they ship them off to the island in the first place? It was also released with the intent to show kids that there is still authority over them and to not act up. What the hell is that all about?
One, they were driven on a bus, and two, go watch it for Chicks sake, its not going to harm you in any way.

Look, seriously, i know Lord of the Flies inside out, its a load of bollocks, trust me on this. Have you seen both, no, then shut up.

I'm not questioning your tastes, though I think anyone who calls Golding's novel "a load of bollocks" is a knuckle-dragger. I'm questioning your grasp of the word "subtle." Generally speaking, no matter how thinky a thinkpiece is, it isn't subtle when it has to rely on outrageous plot devices for fuel.

Lord of the Flies is a subtle work because it takes the routine and reexamines it through the lone (and completely plausible) twist of a wreck.

"Hell in the South Pacific" is subtle because the interdependence of the castaway American and Japanese soldiers is not based on exploding necklaces, which is a gimmick out of the "subtle" Rutger Hauer classic "Wedlock."

12 angry men

Its not a subtle work because it merely plays to Goldings predjudices and has an implausable and frankly ridiculous symbolic storyline. (not that im saying BA's isnt a bit whack) BA merely builds a setting and works from there. I have read undertsood and disliked quite a number of classic works, Lord of the Flies just happens to be among them.

Its not a subtle work because it merely plays to Goldings predjudices and has an implausable and frankly ridiculous symbolic storyline. (not that im saying BA's isnt a bit whack) BA merely builds a setting and works from there. I have read undertsood and disliked quite a number of classic works, Lord of the Flies just happens to be among them.

Did you have to study it as a set book at school?

I did, and I still hate it.

Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
Directed by Stanley Kubrick
Multible Roles played by Peter Sellers

Utterly a classic. Hysterical and somewhat satyrical look at the cold war.


all NS players should watch this movie.

Guardian review of Battle Royale:

Moments before she is machine-gunned down, a teenage girl calls out to Nanahara that she has always had a crush on him. And confronted with the near certainty of death, another boy suggests losing his virginity with a female classmate. She, however, carries a candle for another boy (who in turn is in love with another girl) so she stabs her would-be suitor in the groin instead. It's that kind of movie.

Sure it isn't a bloodbath.

This movie is just what I need, a ultra-violent metaphor for the idiocy of high school romance and friendships.

DR Strangelove is good :D

I did not study Lord of the Flies as a set book, i took that upon myself

And yes BA IS a bloodbath, but if you can find the time to look past that its not really as violent as it seems. I personally thought it was quite tame, but then i was bored during kill bill and found The Doom Generation merely entertaining, a film which outraged and disgusted at the time for its needless violence and sex scenes culminating in the (the threat of) rape with a small statue of the virgin mary, and emasculation with a pair of shears, but thats the kind of guy i am :D.

A Beautiful Mind.

Fascinating story of a brilliant mathematician who developed his own techniques of telling whether what he was experiencing at any given point in time was reality, or just delusions from a mental condition ( I think it was schizophrenia, but I'm not sure ).

EDIT: Some others are Dr. Zhivago, Enemy At The Gates, The Longest Day, Saving Private Ryan, Patton, etc.

My suggestion is Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf starring Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor. It's smart, funny, bitter, and emotional. Watch it if you get the chance.
I was a dramaturg on a production of that show this summer. That show is denser than you can possibly imagine. Like really really dense. You also should have warned people to put away sharp objects before viewing. Not because it is bad, just emotionally draining.

Look, seriously, i know Lord of the Flies inside out, its a load of bollocks, trust me on this.

I have read undertsood and disliked quite a number of classic works, Lord of the Flies just happens to be among them.

Would you look at the progress between these two quotes! Feeney, old bean, you've moved from issuing edicts to putting your opinion in perspective. I, for one, am proud!

Sorry. Couldn't resist. But I think you're misusing subtle. One of the definitions is "insightful." It seems that more insight arises from making a single change and pursuing it through. Golding takes the single change, the wreck, and then examines how school culture might look if allowed free reign in a vacuum (this is to say that after the wreck, the story is driven by Golding's insights on school culture). You might not find him particularly insightful, but I find that his vision more or less lines up with all others I've seen. Roald Dahl's biography jumps into mind. Not being alive in that era, I'm inclined to take these two at face value rather than assume that Golding is talking out his ass.

On the surface, "They have to kill each other because otherwise their necks explode" lacks this sort of insight because it offers no examination of what we'd do to ourselves if given the chance (in a boarding school or on an island), but rather what we'd do rather than have our necks exploded.

On the other hand, Beat is in that movie you're talking about.

This movie is just what I need, a ultra-violent metaphor for the idiocy of high school romance and friendships.
As well as a comment on how grown ups will readily sacrifice their children just for a bit of security.

Look past the set up for the story, its like an RP device.

And im ok with what you say, just dont call me Feeney :P.

As well as a comment on how grown ups will readily sacrifice their children just for a bit of security.

Does it get any deeper into that issue than just the initial set up?

I also don't personally think that is true in the least bit.

On the surface, "They have to kill each other because otherwise their necks explode" lacks this sort of insight because it offers no examination of what we'd do to ourselves if given the chance (in a boarding school or on an island), but rather what we'd do rather than have our necks exploded.

On the other hand, Beat is in that movie you're talking about.

Man, you should watch it (I apologise if you have watched it).

it's not just like "OMG, exploding collar!!" *stab stab stab*

There is some depth to the story. Watch it and you'll find out.

Look past the set up for the story, its like an RP device.

And im ok with what you say, just dont call me Feeney :P.

How about Mr. Feeney?

How about Mr. Feeney?
*pokes eyes*

Why cant we discuss the merits of Spirited Away... fly my prettys, and watch Spirited Away.

Man, you should watch it (I apologise if you have watched it).

it's not just like "OMG, exploding collar!!" *stab stab stab*

There is some depth to the story. Watch it and you'll find out.

Kitano being in the movie is enough for me to rent it. But if it ain't subtle, I'm coming back here and kicking ass.

Kitano being in the movie is enough for me to rent it. But if it ain't subtle, I'm coming back here and kicking ass.
Not all people get it

Does it get any deeper into that issue than just the initial set up?

No, that is more the province of the (suckier) sequel.

I also don't personally think that is true in the least bit.
Well the original book, and I think by extention the film was based on what was happening in Japan. However, since I haven't been to Japan, let alone seen first hand how its society works I couldn't possibly comment.

However the major aspect of the book and the first film is what would it take for someone to shoot their classmates (the book does this better since it doesn't just focus on Nanahara but goes into the minds of nearly everyone involved).

Although i doubt its enough to make the basis for the movie, Japan does have some really creepy child crimes going on. One girl killed her classmate for calling her "heavy" on the internet. Antoher pushed a young child (her brother?) off a building because he threatened to thell their mother she'd been to a games arcade... various otehrs that im afraid i forget :P, quite worrying.

Kitano being in the movie is enough for me to rent it. But if it ain't subtle, I'm coming back here and kicking ass.

Any dissatisfaction that you may experience with that particular movie is entirely the fault of The Emperor Fenix

Any dissatisfaction that you may experience with that particular movie is entirely the fault of The Emperor Fenix*
*Should you experience any dissatisfaction take it up with your local MP.

Kitano being in the movie is enough for me to rent it. But if it ain't subtle, I'm coming back here and kicking ass.

I shall watch it as well, and for every ridiculous killing with little purpose, I will kill Mr. Feeney. Also if there are a great deal of ridiculous killings, I will be taking notes and I will return here to try them out on NS.

Although i doubt its enough to make the basis for the movie, Japan does have some really creepy child crimes going on. One girl killed her classmate for calling her "heavy" on the internet. Antoher pushed a young child (her brother?) off a building because he threatened to thell their mother she'd been to a games arcade... various otehrs that im afraid i forget :P, quite worrying.

A few months back, Harper's ran a selection of suicide notes from Japanese grade schoolers in their Readings section. I remember a similar "heavy" thing in those excerpts. They were pretty creepy.

Not all people get it

Jesus, I got enough of that after watching "Donnie Darko" and the second and third "Matrix"'s ("Matrices?"), so let me tell you this now:

"I GET IT"

I shall watch it as well, and for every ridiculous killing with little purpose, I will kill Mr. Feeney. Also if there are a great deal of ridiculous killings, I will be taking notes and I will return here to try them out on NS.
*eases collar a little*

Oh wait, lucky for me Not only am i Akhun-Chick but there's no-one around called Mr Feeney, cos that would be stupid.

*Should you experience any dissatisfaction take it up with your local MP.

We're certain of the quality of this movie, aren't we!

*eases collar a little*

Oh wait, lucky for me Not only am i Akhun-Chick but there's no-one around called Mr Feeney, cos that would be stupid.

I was referring to Mr. Feeney from Boy Meets World, I shall kill him.

Jesus, I got enough of that after watching "Donnie Darko" and the second and third "Matrix"'s ("Matrices?"), so let me tell you this now:

"I GET IT"
Yeah, people not understanding Donnie Darko was a little peeving... but then some of the more detailed explaination is only available once youve read the book of time travel, not that that changed my mind about anything. And for those that though Donnie was crazy... SUCKS TO YOU FOO'S :P.

Martin, a film by George A Romero.

This is quite an old film (1977) but possibly one of Romero's best.

It's a great take on the old Vampire genre except that there is none of the old cliche's.
Martin is actually just a young man with a blood lust but his uncle knows he's a nosferatu.
Anyhoo, it's a really terrific movie and well worth a watch.

I was referring to Mr. Feeney from Boy Meets World, I shall kill him.
That is a satisfactory answer, particularly as i dont like Boy Meets World... you could go kill he/she/it anyway.

Martin, a film by George A Romero.

This is quite an old film (1977) but possibly one of Romero's best.

It's a great take on the old Vampire genre except that there is none of the old cliche's.
Martin is actually just a young man with a blood lust but his uncle knows he's a nosferatu.
Anyhoo, it's a really terrific movie and well worth a watch.
Ill make a note of it... but its has reminded me of.

The Great Race (196(5?))

I love the random dresses the lead female keeps changing into.

I was accused of not understanding Donnie Darko, because I didn't like it. It makes little sense without the book, but I read all of that, and I still thought it sucked, although the silly logic was explained.

That is a satisfactory answer, particularly as i dont like Boy Meets World... you could go kill he/she/it anyway.

I'm sure a movie called "Battle Royale" will not disappoint and should give me reason to kill him.

I was accused of not understanding Donnie Darko, because I didn't like it. It makes little sense without the book, but I read all of that, and I still thought it sucked, although the silly logic was explained.
It makes entire sense without the book, it made perfect sense to me when i left the cinema let alone some years later when i read the book on the dvd.

It makes entire sense without the book, it made perfect sense to me when i left the cinema let alone some years later when i read the book on the dvd.

I haven't watched it for about a year, so I can't really argue about it, but I do remember that I thought it was a cool looking movie that was utterly pointless, i.e. The Matrix 2 and 3

Never saw the trailer so i didnt think it looked cool in advance but it certainly did afterwards, and its very pointful... matrix 2 and 3, well theyre not like the first 1 and theyre certainly not as good, but theyre not as mind numbingly aweful as people made them out to be.

And again:

Edward Scissorhands anyone :P

Begotten







Alright, don't do that to yourselves. Recommending that film is like trying to get someone to put on Icey Hot-you're really only doing it to see thier reaction.

Like character driven studies?
Smoke written by Paul Auster and directed by Wayne Wang. Two great tastes that taste great together. They really need to do another movie together.

Want an early verte style documentary that also revials character?
Salesman by the Maysles brothers. Soul crunching.

Italian realism?
The Bicycle Thief I know that's the go to film if you want to make fun of someone being a film snob, but dammit it's good. I guess if you wanted a real example of that you'd watch Rome:Open City, but I haven't actually seen it so it would be disingenious of me to recomend it.

A David Lynch movie that isn't all unneccisary?
The Straight Story

Italian realism?
The Bicycle Thief I know that's the go to film if you want to make fun of someone being a film snob, but dammit it's good.

This is becoming a recurring theme, but I hated that movie, too.

Can't you guys mention any good movies? ;)

I was accused of not understanding Donnie Darko, because I didn't like it. It makes little sense without the book, but I read all of that, and I still thought it sucked, although the silly logic was explained.
There's a book? Is it titled Donnie Darko like the movie?

Hey, the western thing before was fun. This really should be by genre. Otherwise the field is too big.

"Hero".

Just the most gorgeous movie, with some truly lovely fight sequences... it's art, not violence.

A film on multiple levels.

American Beauty or maybe Oscar. i encourage you to see them if you havent already

I was a dramaturg on a production of that show this summer. That show is denser than you can possibly imagine. Like really really dense. You also should have warned people to put away sharp objects before viewing. Not because it is bad, just emotionally draining.
Really? It always struck me as an airy, light romp.

There's a book? Is it titled Donnie Darko like the movie?

I think there is a book the movie is based on, but the book I was referring to was the book in the movie about time travel or something. It's contents are revealed in the bonus material and on the internet. It explains quite a bit about a lot of it. If you listen to the commentary, the director doesn't even really have an explanation for the ending either, so it is obvious they added the contents of the book after the movie was made.

Hey, the western thing before was fun. This really should be by genre. Otherwise the field is too big.

True, but my tastes are not solely for westerns.

For example I really enjoyed American Beauty, way to go Mildrid.

I think there is a book the movie is based on, but the book I was referring to was the book in the movie about time travel or something. It's contents are revealed in the bonus material and on the internet. It explains quite a bit about a lot of it. If you listen to the commentary, the director doesn't even really have an explanation for the ending either, so it is obvious they added the contents of the book after the movie was made.
Oh, The Philosophy of Time Travel.

"Hero".

Just the most gorgeous movie, with some truly lovely fight sequences... it's art, not violence.

A film on multiple levels.

I thought Hero was almost like an update of Rashomon. A little fighting, a little lying, a little reflection on the nature of telling a story. Yet I walked out feeling like Darth Vader just cut off Luke's hand.

Long Engagement kind of plays the same games, swapping WWI for China.

I thought Hero was almost like an update of Rashomon. A little fighting, a little lying, a little reflection on the nature of telling a story. Yet I walked out feeling like Darth Vader just cut off Luke's hand.

Long Engagement kind of plays the same games, swapping WWI for China.

I know what you mean about the 'feeling' you had walking out of Hero... but, I see that as part of it's appeal... like you say it mixes fighting/reflection and lying together... but, I think it stirs all of that around an exploration of what 'betrayal' means... and, a feeling of 'betrayal' at leaving the movie is actually complimentary - I feel.

But, I find it one of the most deliciously scored, palletted and textured films I have ever seen. So - I think it packages depth in beauty, and I find that an irresistible combination.

True, but my tastes are not solely for westerns.

Of course. There's nothing saying that you have to be limited to a single (or any number of) genres. I just find that when thinking about the shortlist of a given type of movie, there's more to talk about in how they compare to each other, in who learned what from whom, than there is in "movies" at large.

Speaking of leaving a movie with a feeling, I absolutely loved Mystic River, but I cannot bring myself to watching it again for the simple fact that I know what is going to happen and I know it is going to suck.

Really? It always struck me as an airy, light romp.
Har d har har

This is becoming a recurring theme, but I hated that movie, too.

Can't you guys mention any good movies? ;)
Well, it looks like a lot of things blow up in Alone in the Dark...I was recomending film to people who actually like film and not just spectical...

Well, it looks like a lot of things blow up in Alone in the Dark...I was recomending film to people who actually like film and not just spectical...

Oh, no reason to get condescending.

My suggestion is Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf starring Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor. It's smart, funny, bitter, and emotional. Watch it if you get the chance.

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf is rivaled only by The Lion in Winter as the best ever husband-wife slug fest film.

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf is rivaled only by The Lion in Winter as the best ever husband-wife slug fest film.
The Lion in Winter? I'll have to check that one out.

Oh, no reason to get condescending.
Sorry, I got punchy when I saw that you would dismiss one of the finest films in history (and one that hammered down the Hayes commission) and then praise Mystic River.

Clint Eastwood, while a fine actor for what he does, is a terrible director. His technique is "if the camera doesn't fall over, it's a print." Wraping before 4pm is not good filmmaking. And what was with that Lady Macbeth turn at the end? Women are either cowardly benedict arnolds or hissing macbeths? Can we get a Sean Penn role where he doesn't slobber?

Anyway, that movie is a sore spot for me. And The Bicycle Thief is one of the special ones, one of those things that made me re-assess what this thing 'film' is.

Has anyone seen "The Woodsman" yet? Is it any good?

I'll go with a few others and say 'Garden state'

Starring - Zach Braff and Natalie Portman

Directed/Written - Zach Braff

Garden state is a very nifty film, definatly my favourite of 2004, I have the dvd and the soundtrack is fantastic ! (also chosen by Zach Braff).

My advice. Watch it.

Interesting you bring that up.

I was looking through my Amazon recommendations and that film came up. Why? Because I considered buying Brotherhood of the Wolf as a Christmas present for a friend and hadn't taken it out my basket.

What do Malena and Brotherhood of the Wolf have in common?

Monica Bellucci gets naked in both of them. Never mind the fact that this is besides the point of each film and in Brotherhood of the Wolf it is a 'blink and you'll miss it' moment (not quite sure about Malena though, never seen it).Sorry, needed to get that off my chest

Malena and Brotherhood of the Wolf share nothing in common (thankfully so I might add), and Monica is naked in Malena only for a tiny bit - but it is not gratuitous, it has a lot to do with the movie. I liked the movie because, although I think it was overplayed, it did identify a very common affliction of young boys (which of course is lust and obsession). I recommend it, but its the type of movie that requires you to keep an open mind as well.

I'll go with a few others and say 'Garden state'

Starring - Zach Braff and Natalie Portman

Directed/Written - Zach Braff

Garden state is a very nifty film, definatly my favourite of 2004, I have the dvd and the soundtrack is fantastic ! (also chosen by Zach Braff).

My advice. Watch it.
But you have to make sure and stop the film where Braff should have, right when he goes to the airport. Braff overwrote that movie (and dropped the ball on the father/son thing) but a superb first effort (if it really can be considered that with his previous experience)

Black Hawk Down

arguably the best war movie ever. like other Ridley Scott movies, strangely dream-like, and yet extremely accurate both historically and in technical details due to extensive help from the US Army. it has a "point", but it doesn't beat you over the head with it. rarely slows down, two hours of unrelenting mayhem, and yet... you will want to watch it a second time right after you finish the first.

the score is absolutely outstanding, containing both ethnic and western musical elements counterposed in a way that parallels exactly the fighting. actaully, there are three themes in the score: the warlords (drums), the americans (rock guitar/techno) and everyone caught in the crossfire (traditional vocals).

Sorry, I got punchy when I saw that you would dismiss one of the finest films in history (and one that hammered down the Hayes commission) and then praise Mystic River.

Clint Eastwood, while a fine actor for what he does, is a terrible director. His technique is "if the camera doesn't fall over, it's a print." Wraping before 4pm is not good filmmaking. And what was with that Lady Macbeth turn at the end? Women are either cowardly benedict arnolds or hissing macbeths? Can we get a Sean Penn role where he doesn't slobber?

Anyway, that movie is a sore spot for me. And The Bicycle Thief is one of the special ones, one of those things that made me re-assess what this thing 'film' is.

I feel like an idiot now. I confused The Bicycle Thief with Breathless, which is also considered a classic. I watched them both in a film appreciation class and I was thinking that The Bicycle Thief was the French new wave movie that I couldn't stand. Silly me.

I won't argue about Eastwood's directorial skills because I have only watched it once and didn't pay attention to that, but I do know that the women are another aspect of how the events of the past come back to haunt you. Each man in it ended up with a wife that accurately represented their pasts and personalities. Robbins, who has a passive personality and lives in fear do to his past, ends up with a cowardly and weak wife. Bacon, who turned his back on the community instead of facing the trauma he left there, gets a wife who would rather divorce him than work things out, and eventually comes back to him after he gets some resolution with the old neighborhood. Penn, who is the aggressive, type A personality, ends up with a wife who is also very type-A and helps him justify his immoral actions. As for Sean Penn, I think he is pretty decent.

Pink Floyd's The Wall.

Paycheck

I don't usually like Ben Afflack, but this one is pretty good.

This thread is very awesome.

If I had to pick just one to reccomend to people, I'll have to go with The Professional. It sucks that I have to pick one though :)

Honourable mentions : Boondock Saints and ofcourse AKIRA (BTW I'm a bit of an action fan if you hadn't noticed)

I feel like an idiot now. I confused The Bicycle Thief with Breathless, which is also considered a classic. I watched them both in a film appreciation class and I was thinking that The Bicycle Thief was the French new wave movie that I couldn't stand. Silly me.

They're confusable, I guess... but I liked (just liked) The Bicycle Thief and despised Breathless.

A classic artsy, filmic movie I can recommend, however, is Truffaut's The 400 Blows. It's a very moving comment on the rebellious nature of youth and its consequences.

Really like "Leon" aka "The Professional" with Luc Besson, I am a big fan of his, can I also squeeze in "Ronin" if you don't mind 2 suggestions.

Thanks

Amélie Poulain

Empire of the Sun.

Few old ones first

Das Kabinet des Dr Caligari
(also Jean d'Arc, Sunrise, Battleship Potemkin)

Ugetsu Monogatari
(and of course Seven samurai, Rashomon, Yojimbo etc)

Breathless
(awwww....free cinema)

and few ones easier to find
Motorcycle diaries
City of God
Delicatessen
Todo sobre mi madre

Someone said Salo is hard to find. Really? here you can find it in supermarkets for 15€.

Black Hawk Down

arguably the best war movie ever. like other Ridley Scott movies, strangely dream-like, and yet extremely accurate both historically and in technical details due to extensive help from the US Army....
I fell asleep. I think it's the worst movie Ridley has done (seen only 7 of his films).
Not bad, don't get me wrong, just not as good as other movies he has done.

And of course, it's just my opinion. I'm not surprised it's someone's favourite (war) movie. My favourite war movie has to be Apocalypse. Now. -or Paths of Glory.

Few old ones first

Das Kabinet des Dr Caligari


I was all excited to get Cabinet of Dr. Caligari last month only to find out that the translated cards weren't the surealistic cards of the German original.

Dammit.

They're confusable, I guess... but I liked (just liked) The Bicycle Thief and despised Breathless.

A classic artsy, filmic movie I can recommend, however, is Truffaut's The 400 Blows. It's a very moving comment on the rebellious nature of youth and its consequences.

Yes, I remember Bicycle Thief now, and the plot line, although, it couldn't have been that good, as I don't particularly remember what I thought of it. Now, Breathless, on the other hand, I do remember walking out thinking, "Lord, what a waste of my time." They didn't spend anytime discussing the cinematography, and since the plot line is nearly non-existent and the characters are miserable, I got nothing from the movie.

I would like to mention the first Batman also, set the standard for all of these comic book movies.

Don't know if it's mentioned. But what the hey,

American History X

One Flew Over the Coo Coo'S Nest

Paths of Glory.

That is an excellent choice, pre-pretentious Kubrick. (Actually, I suppose he was still pretentious, it just didn't show because of the times)

Don't know if it's mentioned. But what the hey,

American History X
Romper Stomper > American History X imo.


Who thinks they should have left the other ending in?

This thread is very awesome.

If I had to pick just one to reccomend to people, I'll have to go with The Professional. It sucks that I have to pick one though :)

AKA Leon?

Yeah, a good film. The irony of it is that the American version had certain scenes edited out so as do emphasise the growing sexual tension between Leon and the girl: it seems that cold bloodedly murdering people is good wholesome entertainment, but a faint whiff of desire for pubescent girls is just too much to stomach.

Top Secret.

Motorcycle diaries
City of God

Wow, great - great movies! City of God is the first movie since the original Lord of the Flies to truly scare me into thinking what children are really capable of, worse yet because this is a true story.

One Flew Over the Coo Coo'S Nest
One of Jack Nicholsons greastest (after the shining of course!)

American History X
Its sad to me how truthful this movie is. :(

Finding Neverland

Millers crossing

Motorcycle diaries
City of God

Whooohoo!


I would also like to mention In China They Eat Dogs

Platoon.
So good.

Black Hawk Down

arguably the best war movie ever. like other Ridley Scott movies, strangely dream-like, and yet extremely accurate both historically and in technical details due to extensive help from the US Army. it has a "point", but it doesn't beat you over the head with it. rarely slows down, two hours of unrelenting mayhem, and yet... you will want to watch it a second time right after you finish the first.

the score is absolutely outstanding, containing both ethnic and western musical elements counterposed in a way that parallels exactly the fighting. actaully, there are three themes in the score: the warlords (drums), the americans (rock guitar/techno) and everyone caught in the crossfire (traditional vocals).
Please. Accurate only so far as the American military let them so they could use the Black Hawk copters. If you ignore the rabid pro-American and anti-UN theme throughout the movie, it was ok. They imply the UN was stopping the deployment of more troops - but forget to mention it was the US who vetoed the deployment.
And that bit at the end when the UN turn up to rescue them and then tell them they have to run out. What soldier would go in to rescue a unit trapped under fire for more than a day and then tell them to run?

For a GREAT war movie, watch "Full Metal Jacket"
Absolutely bloody briliant.

<Off the top of my head>

"How tall are you soldier?"
"Sir! 5'9" sir!"
"5'9"? I didn't know they stacked shit that high! You're not trying to squeeze an inch on me? Where you from soldier?"
"Sir! Texas sir!"
"Texas? Holy dogshit! Only steers and queers come from texas and you don;t look much like a steer to me, so that kinda narrows it down a bit. You suck dick?"
"Sir! No sir!"
"Bullshit! You look like you could suck a golfball thorugh a garden hose! You look like the sort of man that when he's buttfucking another man he won't even give him the common courtesy of a reach around."

"Pyle, you climb obstacles like old people fuck."

"The best part of you ran down the crack of your mama's ass and ended up as a brown stain on the mattress."

"Private Pyle I'm gonna give you three seconds; exactly three-fucking-seconds to wipe that stupid looking grin off your face or I will gouge out your eyeballs and skull-fuck you!"
"Private Pyle you had best square your ass away and start shitting me Tiffany cufflinks or I will definitely fuck you up."

"You had best un-fuck yourself or I will unscrew your head and shit down your neck."

(Private joker does a John Wayne impression)
"Who said that? Who the fuck said that? Who's the slimy little communist shit, twinkle-toed cocksucker down here who just signed his own death warrant? Nobody, huh? The fairy fucking godmother said it. Out-fucking-standing. I will PT you all until you fucking die. I'll PT you until your assholes are sucking buttermilk."

"Were you born worthless, or did you have to work at it?"

So many, so many.
What a bloody fantastic movie.

"Hard core man, hard core."

Whooohoo!


I would also like to mention In China They Eat Dogs
Brilliant! have you seen Old Men in New Cars too?

How the west was fun. Great movie.

Motorcycle diaries
City of God

Whooohoo!
Let me second that.

Brilliant! have you seen Old Men in New Cars too?
Nope

*writes it down*

Let me second that.
I've noticed before that you have a good taste... :D

Rushmore

Full Metal Jacket is nothing more than a collection of good scenes. I can watch it because it is at least entertaining. But it is way too disjointed and has the minimal in plot line.

I was all excited to get Cabinet of Dr. Caligari last month only to find out that the translated cards weren't the surealistic cards of the German original.

Dammit.
I hate when they do that.

I was really pissed with Stalingrad DVD. It was dupped in English, no subtitles. Yet they had not translated the cards at all. So I had to freeze the picture to read the cards in German (I understand it, but it takes longer to read it)

12 angry men. An absolute all time classic. Brilliant script, excellent direction, fantastic acting. What more can I say?

and you can't forget
The Big Lebowski

Full Metal Jacket is nothing more than a collection of good scenes. I can watch it because it is at least entertaining. But it is way too disjointed and has the minimal in plot line.

I'd have to say I agree with the description, but that the disjointed structure is part of what makes the movie great. If you look at a lot of Vietnam film and lit, the lack of cause-and-effect narration is sort of used to capture the lack of cause-and-effect reasoning the writers/filmmakers saw in the war. Apocalypse Now is similarly episodic (the connection being Michael Herr, who worked on both screenplays. His Dispatches is an awesome book as well). Or, for the lit example, in O'Brien's The Things They Carried, we see a character die in one story, but don't get how or why until much later. Same goes for the lack of plotline: Herr's own experiences do not give him grounds to write a plot- and heroics-driven flick like Private Ryan.

and you can't forget
The Big Lebowski

You'd be interested to note that Oxford UP's "After Modern Art" identifies Lebowski not just as a great movie, but as a seminal event in art after WWII. It's one of like only five entries on their timeline for the 1990s.

Vanilla Sky
Pissed me off at the end....

I want to do another so i will and risk the flaming....

Donny Darko.....

and you can't forget
The Big Lebowski

My intramural softball team was called the Little Lebowski Urban Achievers. That is one of my three favorite movies.

Really like "Leon" aka "The Professional" with Luc Besson, I am a big fan of his, can I also squeeze in "Ronin" if you don't mind 2 suggestions.

Thanks
Ronin had Bad Ass car chases.

AKA Leon?

Yeah, a good film. The irony of it is that the American version had certain scenes edited out so as do emphasise the growing sexual tension between Leon and the girl: it seems that cold bloodedly murdering people is good wholesome entertainment, but a faint whiff of desire for pubescent girls is just too much to stomach.

[QUOTE=Cahoona]Really like "Leon" aka "The Professional" with Luc Besson, I am a big fan of his, can I also squeeze in "Ronin" if you don't mind 2 suggestions.

i agree totally, not that i endorse that side of it, it's the principal of it. Also, have you seen "Les Visiteur" or "The Visitors" it is like Monty Python meets Back to the Future, very funny

Ronin had Bad Ass car chases.

My first quotation, thanks Drunk Commies

Thinking of Ronin and decent gun fights...

Heat is a pretty good bank job film. I mean De Niro and Al Pacino, pretty good combination me thinks.

Ronin had Bad Ass car chases.

Did you know that they actually recorded the sounds of the correct cars etc. so that it sounded accurate!! They didn't want the "tyres squeeling on grass" problem with many car chases. Quality!!

mind you, if we're going down the car chase route then it's Bullitt (coolest car chase) or Blues Brothers(most mindless destruction & weird ending)

My first quotation, thanks Drunk Commies
No problem. I respect people with the good taste to watch Ronin.

Vanilla Sky
Pissed me off at the end....


Have you seen Abre los Ojos? (the original)

I saw it first and think it's better, but usually the one you see first, is always better. So maybe you (anyone?) prefer Vanilla Sky?

Or what everyone else think? Are original version generally better, vice versa or does it depend on which one you've seen first?

No problem. I respect people with the good taste to watch Ronin.

Quotes and compliments, aw shucks

Its probably been mentioned but i haven't checked the pages before me but Pulp Fiction is a very very good film... Samual L. and Travolta are damn good in that...plus the immortal scene with marvin gettin accidentally shot for not having an opinion...

i agree totally, not that i endorse that side of it, it's the principal of it.

I wasn't saying that the hints of inter-generational desire involving a 12 year old were unacceptable to myself, but instead noting that they were deemed unacceptable with respect to the American viewing public.

mind you, if we're going down the car chase route then it's Bullitt (coolest car chase) or Blues Brothers (most mindless destruction & weird ending)

Total agreement.

I wasn't saying that the hints of inter-generational desire involving a 12 year old were unacceptable to myself, but instead noting that they were deemed unacceptable with respect to the American viewing public.
It's nice that someone makes those decisions for us thus saving us the hard work of thinking for ourselves.

It's nice that someone makes those decisions for us thus saving us the hard work of thinking for ourselves.


agree with both of you

Vanilla Sky
Pissed me off at the end....

I want to do another so i will and risk the flaming....

Donny Darko.....
*insert witty flame about only one movie* , especially since Donnie Darko was mentionned earlier. ;)

I DISLIKE PEOPLE WHO START STUFF WITH EACH OTHER :mad: :headbang: :sniper: :mp5: :gundge:

I DISLIKE PEOPLE WHO START STUFF WITH EACH OTHER :mad: :headbang: :sniper: :mp5: :gundge:

Yeah, well, you use to many smilies.

I DISLIKE PEOPLE WHO START STUFF WITH EACH OTHER :mad: :headbang: :sniper: :mp5: :gundge:

you starting??

them's fighting words boy :sniper: :mp5: :mp5: :mp5: :mp5:

Pink Floyd: The Wall

Jacob's Ladder

Did you know that they actually recorded the sounds of the correct cars etc. so that it sounded accurate!! They didn't want the "tyres squeeling on grass" problem with many car chases. Quality!!
My favorite bit of Ronin trivia is that those cars where right hand drives with 'fake' left hand gear put in. The actors where pumping a fake steering wheel while the stunt men drove them through the routes, so when they looked freaked it's because they are freaked.

Bullitt rules. Steve McQueen rules. Fun things to do in the chase-
Count the hub caps that come of the Charger.
Spot the Beetle. They pass the same green beetle a bunch of times. What's going through the guy driving that cars head?
Pretend that the Charger is being driven by Paul Desmond and Don Rickles, cuase it looks like it is.

The original Gone in 60 Seconds is a bad movie technically, but has a 45 minute car chase at the end where the experiment was to see how messed up they could get the car and how many other cars they could destroy. Worth watching.

For car chasing and El train, The French Connection

About Black Hawk Down...

Please. Accurate only so far as the American military let them so they could use the Black Hawk copters. If you ignore the rabid pro-American and anti-UN theme throughout the movie, it was ok.

The US politicians definitely do not look too good in that movie. Quote: "Washington, in their infinite wisdom, decided that it would be too high profile". There's a pretty good dig at Clinton too:

Ito: "A future without a lot of white boys from Arkansas's ideas in it."
Garrison: "Well, I dunno about that, Mr. Ito. I'm from Texas."

The UN looks about as bad as it is in reality.

And that bit at the end when the UN turn up to rescue them and then tell them they have to run out. What soldier would go in to rescue a unit trapped under fire for more than a day and then tell them to run?

Right, except that really did happen. The wounded were loaded on vehicles, everyone else was on foot: http://www.ranger.org/somaliaHistoryNightstalkers.html

For a GREAT war movie, watch "Full Metal Jacket"
Absolutely bloody briliant.

Yeah, it was pretty good, but that's a conscript army.

M'kay, since it hasn't come up yet,
Fight Club
And since they have come up, i'll reiterate to suit myself ....
Ronin rocked.
Donny Darko rocked.
The Usual Suspects rocked.
The Wall rocked.
American Beauty rocked.
Jacob's Ladder rocked.
American History X rocked.
One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest rocked.
Top Secret rocked.
Apocalypse Now rocked.
Vanilla Sky was really good and a mature stone for Cruise IMHO.
Spirited Away was good but REALLY DISTURBING.
Not that, obviously, i don't like disturbing movies. It's usually who's involved that means the level of disturbance for me to like it more or less.

Withnail and I

nuff said

Plan 9 From Outer Space

ROFLMAO! That is the funniest piece of crap on the entire planet. An Edward D. Wood classic. Poorly written, poorly directed, poorly acted and poor cinematography all round. So bad, it's funny

could someone please do the the favour of giving me a summary of donnie darko as I couldnt find it at my local video store

Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou.

Heavenly Creatures and SLC Punk are two great movies.

Doom Generation if you prefer the strange, semidisturbing movies

could someone please do the the favour of giving me a summary of donnie darko as I couldnt find it at my local video store
A boy, Donnie Darko, is in therapy because he burned down an abandoned house.
He has a problem with sleepwalking.
One night he sleepwalks onto the local golf course and meets up with an apparition in a disturbing bunny costume.
The bunny's name is Frank.
Frank tells Donnie that the world will end in 28 days 6 hours 27 minutes and 12 seconds.
While Donny is talking to Frank a jet engine from an airliner falls through the roof of his house crushing his unoccupied bed.
Donnie must get used to his strange fate and newly aquired powers while dealing with being a maladjusted teenager in the late 1980's.

I don't know if it's been mentioned or not...

Waking Life by Richard Linklater.

Its an incredible movie, all about dreams, all animated from start to finish. Tackles some pretty big philisophical questions... Plus its super trippy.

Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou.

Really?

Oh yeah, and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind was also an incredible movie. Very well done.

Brilliantly intertwined film of coincidences. Takes a few watches to fully comprehend, that's if you no longer wish to be baffled, but you probably still will be :)

For car chasing and El train, The French Connection

also 'taxi' french film with brilliant end sequence... in fact i've only seen the end sequence, but it's very good. wow, 'very good' i make it sound so street :rolleyes:

For car chasing and El train, The French Connection

French Connection is a great movie, but I don't know if I'd include that car chase in my list of great chases. However, the scene where Doyle barges into the bar with "Popeye's here!" and then rousts all the hoods--phenomenal.

While we're on the Hackman note, lemme toss The Conversation into the mix.

French Connection is a great movie, but I don't know if I'd include that car chase in my list of great chases. However, the scene where Doyle barges into the bar with "Popeye's here!" and then rousts all the hoods--phenomenal.

While we're on the Hackman note, lemme toss The Conversation into the mix.
How 'bout Mississippi Burning? Hackman was cool in that.

How 'bout Mississippi Burning? Hackman was cool in that.

Or Unforgiven. I can't think of many bad roles he's had.

And yet, after this career, he's doing voiceovers for Lowe's commercials.

Or Unforgiven. I can't think of many bad roles he's had.

The Quick and the Dead
Was quite dire imo.
Nothing like ol Serg'

Well, breaking the rules of the threada bit, but for good reason... this is my

TRINITY OF AWESOMELY DEPRESSING CONTEMPORARY FILMS

Requiem for a Dream - the only one of the three where nobody dies, but really, it doesn't matter. Drugs, legal and illegal, wreak havoc on a young man (Jared Leto), his girlfriend (Jennifer Connelly), his best friend (Marlon Wayans), and his mother (Ellyn Burstyn). Beautiful cinematography and music highlight... amazing direction by Darren Aronofsky (Pi).

House of Sand and Fog - also starring Jennifer Connelly, along with Ben Kingsley and Shohreh Aghdashloo. A woman is wrongly evicted and an Iranian family buys her house, and the ensuing struggle for the house shocks and grips. The first movie by Vadim Perelman.

Grave of the Fireflies - The semi-autobiographical story of author Akiyuki Nosaka, who grew up in the perils of World War II. This story of a 13-year-old boy and his 4-year-old sister trying to find food, shelter and compassion in their war-ravaged country prompted Roger Ebert to call it "one of the greatest war films ever made." Directed by Isao Takahata (who, strangely enough, also did the goofy TV series Lupin III).

French Connection is a great movie, but I don't know if I'd include that car chase in my list of great chases. However, the scene where Doyle barges into the bar with "Popeye's here!" and then rousts all the hoods--phenomenal.

While we're on the Hackman note, lemme toss The Conversation into the mix.
Oh man, The Conversation!!! What a film. They couldn't make that today. That film floors me everytime I watch it. And it as Lavern and Harrison Ford in it. Great call.

Michael Collins - Liam Neeson, Julia Roberts and many other great actors. Directed by Neil Jordan. This is a great film.

Top Gun.

Michael Collins - Liam Neeson, Julia Roberts and many other great actors. Directed by Neil Jordan. This is a great film.
imo it is a sacarine sweet piece of revisionist history on a grand scale.

Withnail and I
Shit! How could I forget that brilliant bit of british cinema
"Even a stopped clock tells the correct time twice a day"

Top Gun.
Either you're kidding or you're really camp.
"You can be my wingman any time."

I wasn't too impressed with Donnie Darko, but I think that was due mostly to falling for the massive hype of how it's "the greatest movie of the last (fill-in-the-blank) years". It was good, but not great. But cause I had my expectations set so high, I left disappointed.

Anything by Peter Jackson. Anyone here seen Bad Taste? What about Meet the Feebles?
"Head for the light Colin!"

Anything by Kubrick. Even his worst movies are far superior to the best most directors could hope to make. And fascinating to watch just for the quality of the production and direction.
Anything by Lars von Trier, for similar reasons as for Kubrick. Here's a man not afraid to experiment. Anyone seen Dogville? There's a awesome movie that made me uncomfortable throughout the whole 2+ hours, cause I just knew what was going to happen. Still made it disturbing when it happened. 3 ppl left the theatre I was in, which is a good sign.
"There's a family with kids. Do (kill) the kids and make the mother watch. Tell her you'll stop if she can hold back her tears. I *owe* her that."
Also one of the most moving and interesting end-credits sequences I've ever seen.

MacCabe and Mrs. Miller, the great early 70s western virtually no one has seen.

I can't believe someone likes Bad taste enough to say it's the best movie in the world.
It's nice enough but you can only watch it, say, once in 5 years? No 10!

I liked the part where they shot the sheep with a bazooka.

I can't believe someone likes Bad taste enough to say it's the best movie in the world.
It's nice enough but you can only watch it, say, once in 5 years? No 10!

I liked the part where they shot the sheep with a bazooka.
What movie are you talking about? Oh, and on the subject of shooting livestock with anti-tank rockets, One of my friends went to south east asia on vacation recently and said that at an army base in either Cambodia, or Vietnam (I forget which) you can pay $100 to shoot at a cow with an RPG.

Titus - directed by Julie Taymor

What movie are you talking about? Oh, and on the subject of shooting livestock with anti-tank rockets, One of my friends went to south east asia on vacation recently and said that at an army base in either Cambodia, or Vietnam (I forget which) you can pay $100 to shoot at a cow with an RPG.
He's talking about BAD TASTE, one of the coolest movies ever, and so it happens Peter Jackson's first movie. It took him 7 years to make, as he could only do in his spare time and when he had raised enough cash.
About some Aliens who come to Earth to harvest humans for their inter-galactic fast-food business. But the Alien Invasion Detection Squad ('I wish they'd change the name!') steps in and procedes to kick butt. Derek is there, but he falls off a cliff and his brains fall out, so he straps his skull together with a belt and goes loopy with a chainsaw. And later they blow up a sheep.
After that he went onto do a muppets-on-acid film ('Meet the Feebles') which is seriously sick. As in a junkie 'gator sick, or a car driving out the arse of a whale sick.
Then came 'Brain Dead' about zombies in 1950s Wellington, NZ. An intestine crawling up your leg or a lawn-mower in the face of a zombie type movie.
Now Jackson's winning Oscars and making a bucket-load of money.
But check out his earlier movies to see what sort of humour he really does have.

On another note, about the RPG - cow thing, in China at a zoo, you can pay the 'keeper to throw live chickens to the lions.
Which I often wonder why they don't let sheep or lambs into the lion or tiger enclosures. These are hunting animals - so surely it's better for them to use their instincts than just be thrown dead meat. And it would be no more painful for the lamb being killed that way than how us humans kill it. Probably less so. You could even drug it a bit so it doesn't feel the pain.