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Topic: All-time favourite films Posted: October 27 2016 at 10:43
Aside from music, cinema is probably my favourite form of artistic expression. I was curious as to know what people who relatively have the same taste as I do musically like in movies, so I'd like to start a discussion about cinema in general on this forum. It can develop in anything whether it be cinematography, directing styles, plot structures, etc. I'll start this off (unoriginally) by posting my top 10 all-time favourite films.
Here it is (in a loosely arranged order):
1. 2001: A Space Odyssey
2. Eraserhead
3. A Clockwork Orange
4. The Tree of Life
5. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
6. El Topo
7. Lawrence Of Arabia
8. Aguirre: The Wrath of God
9. It's Such a Beautiful Day
10. Eyes Wide Shut
Keep in mind this list could change any day. I have seen most of these films a long time ago. Here are movies I watched recently that I found excellent: Upstream Colour, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Synechdoque: New York, Mommy, Trainspotting, Yojimbo, American Beauty, Days of Heaven and Monthy Python: The Holy Grail.
As you can see, I particularly like the directing style of Stanley Kubrick. Other directors I am especially fond of include David Lynch, Terrence Malick, Charlie Kaufmann, Orson Welles and a few others.
I personally like pretty much anything in terms of plot from emotional/inspiring (Shawshank Redemption, Forrest Gump, Tree of Life...), to "mindbending" (Primer, Mulholland Drive, Eraserhead...), with historical/socially important (Paths of Glory, A Clockwork Orange, The Great Dictator, Lawrence of Arabia...) and from more traditional entertainment movies (Vertigo, Godfather, Taxi Driver) to clever comedy. But what I prefer above all is films that I consider to be "pure art" (this surely is confusing, I know, this is pretty subjective) like most Kubrick films. The perfect blending of the events, the visuals, the soundtrack, the lighting, the camera movement, etc. sometimes create absolutely stunning scenes. I am talking about the ape discovering how to use tools in 2001, Charles Foster Kane walking through a mirror-walled corridor during his downfall in Citizen Kane and the famous Odessa stairs scene from Eisenstein's The Battleship Potemkin among many others.
I was not planning on writing this much, but hopefully all this will get a discussion going . Don't hesitate to suggest me anything you think I might like!
Edited by Larkstongue41 - October 27 2016 at 10:45
"Larks' tongues. Wrens' livers. Chaffinch brains. Jaguars' earlobes. Wolf nipple chips. Get 'em while they're hot. They're lovely. Dromedary pretzels, only half a denar."
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Posted: October 27 2016 at 12:19
Larkstongue41 wrote:
Don't hesitate to suggest me anything you think I might like!
I took a look at my collection for any titles that would be of interest to fellow progger. How about getting some more from Hitchcock, as he certainly is the one not to be overlooked: costumes, indoors aesthetics, close-ups, light.. It's not all only about an intelligent plot. Vertigo is an absolute stunner, agree, but check out this killing scene from Topaz:
Emotional/inspiring: Little Big Man with Dustin Hoffman. Read Glenn Taylor's The Ballad of Trenchmouth Taggart then for a fully satisfying finish.
Pure art: more from Terrence Mallick, the master of light. Thin Red Line and, to me the best and the latest work of his - To the Wonder. Then Koyaanisqatsi followed by Baraka.
So called "noir": Payback, Triplets of Belleville, add to this A Scanner Darkly, why not.
Talking about animations, try not to overlook Grave of the Fireflies from Studio Ghibli. It will leave deep scars on your self.
If you're up for a challenge and have a little bit of time, reach for Walkabout. Enjoy.
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Joined: April 05 2006
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Posted: October 27 2016 at 12:39
I like the films you've listed, Larks. Stanley Kubrick is a particular director of mine, partially because he has the eye of a cinematographer and composes his shots so beautifully.
A favourite director of mine partially due to lush, beautiful cinematography is Zhang Yimou, especially for Red Sorgum, Raise the Red Lantern and Ju Dou. If you have yet to see the Tarkovsky films Solaris (makes an interesting companion piece in a way to 2001) and Stalker, I would recommend them. Kieslowski is another favourite of mine, though I know one person here who generally has very similar tastes to mine who dislikes The Three Colours Triogy: Blue, White and Red. The films are beautiful and very artistic. Oliver Oliver is another favourite of mine by a Polish born director.
I admire Lars von Trier, and particularly like The Element of Crime.
Since we're fellow Canadians, a few of my favourite films from Canadian directors are Denis Arcand's Jesus of Montreal, David Cronenberg's Dead Ringers, Atom Egoyan's The Sweet Hereafter, and Don McKellar's Last Night.
Not for the cinematography, but I would recommend O Lucky Man to someone who likes A CLockwork Orange. And I imagine that you have seen Terry Gilliam's Brazil, which is brilliant.
For a long time I was mostly into non-English language films, though I don't see as many of those now. I went through a Spanish, French, German, Chinese and Japanese phase. I'm a big fan of Wim Wenders for the artiness.
In modern films I loved Under the Skin, which I would highly recommend, and there's a film called the Bothersome Man from Norway that is a particular favourite of mine.
Oh, and I'm not ashamed to mention that I love Zardoz.
Soundtrack is also very important to me in a great many films.
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Posted: October 27 2016 at 13:20
Favorite is complicated. These have gotten under my skin in one way or another - and stayed there:
Providence (Alain Resnais)
Aguirre, The Wrath of God (Herzog)
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (Robert Wiene)
The Shining (Kubrick)
Andrei Rublev + Stalker (Tarkovsky)
Wild Strawberrys + Fanny and Alexander (Bergman)
Mulholland Drive (Lynch)
Life of Brian + the other two Python movies (Terry Gilliam)
Anrichrist + Melancholia (Von Trier)
The Jerk (Steve Martin/Carl Reiner)
Jules et Jim (Truffaut)
Songs From The Second Floor + A Swedish Love Story (Roy Andersson)
Profondo Rosso (Argento)
Inserts (John Byrum)
It Follows (David Robert Mitchell)
-That's fifteen directors (but 20 films). Could have added plenty more but gotta stop at some point.
I like all the canadian directors/movies Logan mentions quite a bit and like to add/reccomend Léolo, directed by the Montreal-based Jean-Claude Lauzon. If Logan meant me: oh yes a strong dislike towards Three Colours Trilogy but I loath The Double Life of Veronique even more.
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Posted: October 27 2016 at 13:57
I forgot about Léolo, I liked that a lot too -- some very memorable scenes in that film. And yes, I was thinking of you. I didn't like the Double Life of Veronique much either, and actually have not wanted to see the Three Colours Trilogy again in many years (my favourite was White for its black comedy) as I wrote a paper on it that was very stressful to prepare.
I like Jim Jamusch films considerably, and my favourite of his is Mystery Train.
Generally I used to mainly watch what is often called Art House film, but more recently I have been watching more genre films -- weird sci-fi and fantasy. I appreciate the strange.
Quite recently I saw a film I liked a lot called High-Rise.
One of my favourite directors that I neglected to mention is Peter Greenaway, especially for Drowning by Numbers and I'ma big fan of Jean-Pierre Jeunet for Delicatessan, City if Lost Children and Amelie, and those come very highly recommended.
Another modern film that would make my list is Pan's Labyrinth and I liked one called Time Crimes a lot. And I really enjoyed Never Let Me Go, based on a book I love.
And I also love 70s horror/sci-fi such as Invasion of the Body Snatchers with Donald Sutherland (that film made a really big impression on me as a kid).
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Posted: October 27 2016 at 14:26
^ what a great one that was....
mine.. pretty well set in granite as all but one are stone cold classics and modern films are generally for sh*t and not worth the time.. and damn sure not the money haha
1. Blade Runner 2. Doctor Zhivago 3. The Wild Bunch 4. Blazing Saddles 5. Melancholia
The Pedro and Micky Experience - When one no longer requires psychotropics to trip
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Posted: October 27 2016 at 14:40
micky wrote:
^ what a great one that was....
mine.. pretty well set in granite as all but one are stone cold classics and modern films are generally for sh*t and not worth the time.. and damn sure not the money haha
1. Blade Runner 2. Doctor Zhivago 3. The Wild Bunch 4. Blazing Saddles 5. Melancholia
Generally, okay....
Still want to say, although I know and like many more classic films, I think that there are many great modern films, although it does seem to require more digging than it used to (the internet sure helps). Here in Vancouver we have a pretty good film festival, so I have discovered some great for me ones that way.
Critics were divided on this one, but I loved it.
And even when it comes to mainstream cinema I think we have had some really good ones over the last decade. I'm a long-time James Bond buff, and would put Casiono Royale and Skyfall up there with the best of them.
Back to classics, this time a cult classic, as I keep on thinking of my favourites, and this one is very deserving of a special nod: The original Wicker Man.
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Posted: October 27 2016 at 15:34
All work in progress, but...
Cinematic favourites
Sidney Lumet's 12 Angry Men
Robert Bresson's [... hmm, Pickpocket at the moment, but I'd leave the slot open, just in case]
Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey
Dan Pița's and Mircea Veroiu's Nunta de piatră (The Stone Wedding)
Jean-Luc Godard's Week End
Ingmar Bergman's [...hmm, Persona at the moment, but I'd leave the slot open, just in case]
Béla Tarr's Satantango
Jafar Panahi's Dayereh (The Circle)
Paul Thomas Anderson's There Will Be Blood
Sentimental favourites
Eric Rohmer's Le genou de claire (Claire's Knee)
Stanley Kubrick's Barry Lyndon
Ridley Scott's Alien
Bob Fosse's All That Jazz
Akira Kurosawa's Dreams
Cameron Crowe's Almost Famous
Stephen Daldry's The Hours
Mike Nichols' Angels in America
Sofia Coppola's Lost in Translation
Alfonso Cuaron's Children of Men
Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis
Modern movies I'd consider highly praiseworthy or overwhelming sentimental favourites without the need to put them on the kubrickian/bergmanian/bressonian/kurosawan etc. pedestal
Park Chan-wook's Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance
Tomas Alfredson's Let the Right One In
Wes Anderson's Fantastic Mr. Fox
Andrea Arnold's Fish Tank
Eugene Green's A religiosa portuguesa (The Portuguese Nun)
Yorgos Lanthimos' Dogtooth
Abbas Kiarostami's Copie conforme (Certified Copy)
Nicolas Winding Refn's Drive
Nuri Birge Ceylan's Bir zamanlar Anadolu'da (Once Upon A Time in Anatolia)
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Posted: October 27 2016 at 15:38
Logan wrote:
micky wrote:
^ what a great one that was....
mine.. pretty well set in granite as all but one are stone cold classics and modern films are generally for sh*t and not worth the time.. and damn sure not the money haha
1. Blade Runner 2. Doctor Zhivago 3. The Wild Bunch 4. Blazing Saddles 5. Melancholia
Generally, okay....
Still want to say, although I know and like many more classic films, I think that there are many great modern films, although it does seem to require more digging than it used to (the internet sure helps). Here in Vancouver we have a pretty good film festival, so I have discovered some great for me ones that way.
Critics were divided on this one, but I loved it.
And even when it comes to mainstream cinema I think we have had some really good ones over the last decade. I'm a long-time James Bond buff, and would put Casiono Royale and Skyfall up there with the best of them.
Back to classics, this time a cult classic, as I keep on thinking of my favourites, and this one is very deserving of a special nod: The original Wicker Man.
yeah... I sort of walked into that didn't I Lumping mainstream Hollywood sh*t with the undergrand indie stuff
The Pedro and Micky Experience - When one no longer requires psychotropics to trip
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Posted: October 27 2016 at 16:43
My absolute favorite is Fight Club. One of those few times where I felt like the movie was better than the novel (and it was a great novel!) and also captured the feel of the book perfectly, from the casting to the cinematography, and most importantly, the soundtrack. Perfect in every way.
After that, I have a few favorites that I watch on a regular basis:
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Posted: October 27 2016 at 17:46
The Godfather The Godfather II Monty Python The Holy Grail Seven Samurai Lincoln Rocky Gran Torino Patton The Empire Strikes Back The Outlaw Josey Wales In the Heat of the Night
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All-time favourite films
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. Don't hesitate to suggest me anything you think I might like!
Larkstongue41 wrote:
