Movies, movies, movies

[Doug Nelson]

OK, we have a thread for books, a thread for music, an entire forum for cooking, it's about time we had a thread for my favorite subject: movies.

I'm a total moviephile. I have every movie channel our cable system offers, and netflix.com's biggest subscription package. And I wish I had more

I like "thinkers", not "stinkers". Big budgets don't impress me, in fact the worst movie ever made (IMO) was a big-budget summer smash.

Some of my current favorites are "Magnolia", "American Beauty", "Pay it Forward", and "As Good as it Gets". Some of my classic favorites are "The Stunt Man" and "Once Upon a Time in the West". Of course these just came to me as I typed this, I have thousands of favorites.

I'll watch about any genre, but my favorite favorites usually have an ambiguous touch of magic.

So, what are your favorites? (and of course, "why?")

[jerry]

Great question

I to have logged quite a few hours watching movies. I think my favorite movies stand out because of a line in the movie that I never forget and I seem to watch these movies over again when I need a little lift:

THE OUTLAW JOSIE WALES -- "Dyin aint much of a livin boy"

INDEPENDENCE DAY -- "We will not go quietlly into the night"

L.A CONFIDENTIAL -- "I guess this is Good cop/Bad cop" also Bud White is a great name for a cop.

LIAR LIAR -- "Short Shrivleled and to the left"

GLADIATOR, ROB ROY, BRAVEHEART -- All epic style movies with great stories. Some with sad endings.

Thanks
Jerry

[Ed_L]

A movie I really liked was "The Earthling" (not science fiction) as I described in another thread http://www.retouchpro.com/forums/sho...7706#post7706.
There are so many great movies that it's hard to name just a few. But I *very much* enjoyed "On Golden Pond", which most of you are familiar with, "The Godfather", and "Field of Dreams". There was a time when I thought "Abbott and Costello meet Frankenstein" couldn't be beat, but I have since changed my mind about that one.

Ed

[DJ Dubovsky]

OK I'll say it...Lord of the Rings. I have been waiting 20 years since I read the books for them to create a movie on that fantastic adventure. I'm glad they waited until technology could really do it justice.

I love Science fiction so those movies are right up my alley. My old time favorite Sci Fi was the Forbidden Planet with Walter Pigeon and another was The Fantastic Voyage. Of course The Wizard of Oz always brings out the kid in me to this day.

I also love comedies but not like Jim Carey type comedy. More like Grumpy Old Men comedy with Mathau and Lemon. And some scary suspenseful but not gory gross. I don't get to see as many movies as I would like. I also tend to stay away from the tear jerkers even though when I do watch them they are usually so good.
DJ

[chris h]

The Shawshank Redemption is always a pleasure to watch, strong storyline, excellent cast and revenge (always a good theme)followed by a happy ending. And in a similar vein the Green Mile. I hought Lord of the Rings was quite good, a vast improvement over the Harry Potter tripe.
I can't approve of the Scottish propaganda in the form of Rob Roy and Braveheart, amusing tales but biased against the benevolent rule of England !!

Almost forgot the 'Seven Samurai' by Kurosawa its a stand alone masterpiece.

[OhThatGirl2001]

I have to say - Hearts In Atlantis is my new favorite movie. Who would have guessed Steven King could write such a touching story!

Lisa

[G. Couch]

I'm with DJ on the Lord of the Rings! I have waited for that since I was a little kid.

Other science fiction movies I love - Metropolis, Things To Come, 2001, Blade Runner, Brazil.

Jerry mentioned The Outlaw Josie Wales ... I have not seen that, but I love the ""spaghetti westerns" Eastwood did- The Good, The Bad and the Ugly, A Fistful of Dollars... I love the off kilter style and Ennio Morricone's music.

just remembered another movie I saw recently, Das Boot. VERY tense movie about a German U-boat crew during WW2

[ItzRandy]

Young Frankenstein

Blazzing Saddles

The Godfather (First Movie)

The Exorcist

American Graffiti

Dirty Harry (The Original Movie)

10

High Plains Drifter (gotta love those Clint Eastwood flicks)

and the list goes on and on!

[CJ Swartz]

I'm glad to hear from DJ that "The Lord of the Rings" is a worthwhile rendition of the books - I've also been hoping for a good film version.

Right now I'm still impressed with the TV movie "Living with the Dead" - stellar acting, suspenseful and moving storyline.

Over the years, my favorites have included
"Holiday" - Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn - the first movie I ever taped (with a reel to reel sound tape recorder -- never dreamed in 1961 that there would be video recorders!)

"A Star is Born" - Judy Garland version; as well as "Meet me in St. Louis"

Any and all of the Nick & Nora Charles "Thin Man" series - suspense, sophisicated fashion and smart, witty dialogue, tippling, fun-loving detective who always gets his man, and of course -- Asta, the wire-haired fox terrier (usually hiding under the table when the bad guys start shooting).

Still love the "Andy Hardy" movies -- stern but loving father, fluttery softie of a mama, sparring sister and brother, Andy gets into mischief - learns a lesson - all is well at the end. (Why isn't life like that?)
I'm with DJ in still loving "The Forbidden Planet" -- Robbie the Robot and the magnified Id still get my attention.

Oh, something from the last 50 years? Hmmm, "The Music Man" will always be watchable to me; "1776" is a wonderful mix of music and historical characters; "9 to 5" always makes me smile; the first few minutes of "ET" were fantastic; "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" was mesmerizing the first 10 times; "Forrest Gump", "Amistad", "Unbreakable" and "The Sixth Sense".

[DJ Dubovsky]

Hey CJ, I was watching that Living with the Dead too. I really liked it. Shows that made for TV movies are pretty good too. Did you figure out who dune it?
DJ

[Doug Nelson]

I was enjoying "Living with the Dead" until the commercial came on halfway through it "Hi, I'm the man that this movie is based on, and these experiences really happened to me". (for those who don't know, the movie is about a psychic who talks to dead people and uses this talent to catch a serial killer)

I mean no offense to any psychicly-inclined members we might have here, but that was just a little over-the-top for my taste. I would have liked the movie just fine if it had been presented as totally fictional.

[DJ Dubovsky]

Yeah, I saw that too. Reminded me of a Miss Cleo ad. But I just put that aside and enjoyed it as a fiction. By the time they get done beefing up a true story to appeal to audiences, it usually bears little resemblence to the original story it was supposedly based on anyway. Which is ok for me because when I want a real story I will watch a documentary or the news. Movies are for fun.
DJ

[G. Couch]

I knew Doug was going to say that....

[Doug Nelson]

I should have predicted someone would say that...

[Jakaleena]

I have a few favorites -

The Magnificent Seven
Sommersby
Of Mice and Men (with Gary Sinise & John Malkovich)

(If you've ever seen them, you could probably guess why).

And Rancho Deluxe (Jeff Bridges/Sam Waterston) for no other reason than it made me roll on the floor laffin'