Favourie movies

[speed]

I watch movies I feel like going to see. I'm a very eclectic movie watcher, I feel no need to seek out and watch movies that are of philosophic value. I can like almost anything.

I also get tired of having to think so damn much, so explosions and laughter are good therapy.

Adaptation was is, however, one of my utter favourites

I agree with you here. I like movies for pure entertainment value as I stated, but my point is that surely everyone has favorites that touched them on a artistic, philosophical or spiritual level?--and Predator, Adam Sandler movies and Conan the Barbarian cannot do so. Movies can be a means for philosophical investigation. I offer this seminal book by Andrei Tarkovsky, to illuminate the power cinema can have in the hands of a master: http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0292776241/203-6110288-1285537

 

[Dän]

Mel Brooks' Movies. Spaceballs, Blazing Saddles, Robin Hood: Men in Tights, Dracula: Dead and Lovin' It.
Snatch
Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels
Kevin Smith Movies. Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, Mallrats, Dogma, Clerks.
The Boondock Saints
Office Space
Gladiator
Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas
Crossroads (The Original one with Ralph Macchio)
The Blues Brothers
The Truman Show
Adam Sandler Movies. Mr. Deeds, 50 First Dates, Big Daddy, The Longest Yard, Little Nicky, The Water Boy, Billy Madison, Happy Gilmore, Anger Management, The Wedding Singer.

I love all kinds of movies.

oh yeh the truman show - that rocks, imagine what that would be like to live essentially in a manufactured world your whole life.
Blade runner is another cool movie i rekon.

 

[Pitiless Wanderer]

My favorite movie is incident at loch ness. Be sure to follow that link.

I like it because it is funny and smart.

on a similar note which's close to home, a movie I've not yet seen, Willatuk. Be sure to follow that link and let the intro play out. It too is credited with favorable authorship.

as for deep waters, we dive here: Flight from Death. Be sure to you know what.

i watched those...theyre cool...

 

[speed]

oh yeh the truman show - that rocks, imagine what that would be like to live essentially in a manufactured world your whole life.
Blade runner is another cool movie i rekon.

Blade Runner is fantastically good. The story, the cinematography, the art design; and Rutger Hauer is the meanest, most menacing, yet empathetic antagonist in film.

 

[Norsemaiden]

Yes I really like Blade Runner and two favourites that are more intellectual than my previous choices are The Seven Samurai by Kurusawa (is that spelt right?) and Dune. Dune is quite hard to understand on a first viewing. I don't exactly know why it is one of my top five films. I think it is the idea of the voice as a sound weapon and the saviour idea. The Seven Samurai has been very influential on other filmmakers as the basic theme has been repeated: a village is threatened by bandits and the villagers seek out a bunch of heroes who will help them. The Magnificent Seven film was based on this and so was Disney's Bug's Life for example.

I know I should watch some more arty films but they tend to come across as being really pretentious.

 

[Hubster]

Jeez, favourite movies. Where do I start?

I have a reasonably varied taste I guess.

All the Star Wars films, all the Indian Jones films... All of the Aliens films.

Life is a House - I dont know how bad I cried when I watched it, simply fantastic.

Shipping News, Pay It Forward...

Trust, Flirt (or anything by Hal Hartley), El Cid, Ten Commandments, Cleopatra, Amelie, Sliding Doors (yes, yes I know, it's Paltrow, but really, its a good film about making choices), The Cell, Hellraiser I-III, House I-III, The Omen Trilogy, Brahm Stokers Dracula, Interview with the Vampire, Mary Shelleys Frankenstein, ... jeez, really, I could go on forver... there's a plethora of things I've left out here...

On a more serious level though, City of God, Loose Change (9/11), Evita (while not so serious, an amazing story about an amazing woman, played by an another amazing woman), Paradise Lost (Doco), Monster, Saving Private Ryan, Excalibur (old 80s film), Turtles Can Fly, Brokeback Mountain, Walk The Line...

Films for me have to provide many things, and it all depends on my state of mind. Knowledge, explosions, laughter, admiration, hate, love, fear... you name it, I love watching films, but am by no means a film buff or anything.

Oh - and I *HAVE* to mention my favourite of some time now "Amadeus". An absolute MASTERPIECE.

 

[Anvil]

Waking Life. Great movie. Waking Life follows the dream(s) of one man and his attempt to find and discern the absolute difference between waking life and the dreamworld.

 

[speed]

I know I should watch some more arty films but they tend to come across as being really pretentious.

Yes, you are totally right. There are only a few really good artistic filmakers: Tarkovsky, Kieslowski, Fellini, Bergman, Kurosawa, Godard, Antonini, Buneul, Bresson. Most attempts to make artsy movies, are preachy, or pretentious, and forget the artistic part, and instead worry about proving some political or ideological point. These guys listed are poets and sculptors. And not one of them was or is American; but I do think whatever movie Charlie Kaufman is writing for, will be a piece of art.

But American and English filmakers spin some wonderful tales and epics that turn into perhaps even greater pieces of art: David Lean, Coppola, Scorcese.

Its such a shame Cinema is so crass and possessed with money (A common complaint about everything I know, but in the case of Cinema, I truly think it is the case). There havent been many truly good movies made in some time--and few art films have been any good since most of the masters died.

 

[IOfTheStorm]

I wonder why people classify films as "arty". I mean.. what does it supposed to mean? Also..a film becomes pretentious when it has no point, i have a sense that most people call every single film with slow rhythms and few dialogues, various symbolisms and focusing on the power of intense images, rather than words (call me Tarkovsky or Bergman) "pretentious".

 

[Norsemaiden]

To me Conan the Barbarian is philosophical. He is a Nietzschean superman and the embodiment of "what does not kill me makes me stronger". I bet that would be Nietzche's favourite film. There is even a quote from him at the start.

 

[IOfTheStorm]

I doubt if that was the purpose behind it..although the movie rules..Anyway.. the word "philosophical" sucks.

 

[speed]

I doubt if that was the purpose behind it..although the movie rules..Anyway.. the word "philosophical" sucks.

The director and writer of that film, John Milius who wrote Apocalypse Now, Red Dawn, etc, is a pretty extreme libertarian.

 

[IOfTheStorm]

He did not show that aspect of him in Conan..that's for sure.

 

[speed]

I wonder why people classify films as "arty". I mean.. what does it supposed to mean? Also..a film becomes pretentious when it has no point, i have a sense that most people call every single film with slow rhythms and few dialogues, various symbolisms and focusing on the power of intense images, rather than words (call me Tarkovsky or Bergman) "pretentious".

True--although there is plenty of dialogue in Bergman, Fellini; well all of them really. But every director Ive listed, has been declared classic, or artistically influential by film experts, writers and professors. But, if you have seen one of these men's movies, you should be able to spot the art of even a five minute long scene of a running stream with no cuts.

When I think of todays pretentious movies, Im thinking of things like Crash, this movie Yes (which should be a No for anyone who wishes to watch it), Bertolucci's The Dreamers, Dogville, Vera Drake-- the list goes on and on. Its just all my subjective opinion anyway.

 

[Miss*Li]

He did not show that aspect of him in Conan..that's for sure.

completely agree

 

[speed]

He did not show that aspect of him in Conan..that's for sure.

I disagree. Conan is almost a one man army; he defeats the state and its snake religion; he frees the people from their bondage--I think. I'd say thats pretty libertarian. And libertarian is a American political movement that is akin to classical liberalism: laissez faire, little state involvement, individualism.

 

[IOfTheStorm]

When I think of todays pretentious movies, Im thinking of things like Crash, this movie Yes (which should be a No for anyone who wishes to watch it), Bertolucci's The Dreamers, Dogville, Vera Drake-- the list goes on and on. Its just all my subjective opinion anyway.

"David Lynch" is what first comes to my mind when talking about pretentious directors. Not all of his movies (i like "Elephant Man" and "Straight Story" a lot).
I loved both "Dogville" and "Vera Drake", i can understand why you might call "Dogville" pretentious, but not why you call "Vera Drake" like that, i'm curious why you found it to be pretentious.

 

[IOfTheStorm]

I disagree. Conan is almost a one man army; he defeats the state and its snake religion; he frees the people from their bondage--I think. I'd say thats pretty libertarian. And libertarian is a American political movement that is akin to classical liberalism: laissez faire, little state involvement, individualism.

Conan actually works for the state (king sends him to free his daughter), cares little about freeing others (except Valeria maybe) and what he does is just about "i do what the fuck i want". I agree about the "individualism" part, but first and above all, Conan is mainly about revenge. Can't see how that is libertarian.
EDIT - Not to mention that the element of disinterestedness is absolutely absent from the film

 

[speed]

Conan actually works for the state (king sends him to free his daughter), cares little about freeing others (except Valeria maybe) and what he does is just about "i do what the fuck i want". I agree about the "individualism" part, but first and above all, Conan is mainly about revenge. Can't see how that is libertarian.
EDIT - Not to mention that the element of disinterestedness is absolutely absent from the film

Well I bow out, as Ive only seen the movie once or twice--and not since I was a teenager. All I can remember is snakes, James Earl Jones, ivory clad maidens, and Arnold with biceps that looked like melons.

 

[speed]

Conan actually works for the state (king sends him to free his daughter), cares little about freeing others (except Valeria maybe) and what he does is just about "i do what the fuck i want". I agree about the "individualism" part, but first and above all, Conan is mainly about revenge. Can't see how that is libertarian.
EDIT - Not to mention that the element of disinterestedness is absolutely absent from the film

Hm, I actually very much enjoy David Lynch, especially Mulholland Drive. I think he may be deemed a classic. But its all subjective opinion I suppose.