Hi Hubski,
So I was wondering, out of any, which films are your favourites, and why is that? What makes a good movie experience, and what makes a film "one of your favourites"? I found myself asking myself this, and I discovered that due to the sheer volume of movies I'd seen, I was finding it more and more difficult to define a favourite. So, how do you fare?
First off, I highly recommend checking out FlickChart, which makes narrowing down your list of favorite films really easy. That said, here's my top 5: Ferris Bueller's Day Off / Back to the Future Part II / Raiders of the Lost Ark / Kil Bill Volume 2 / Almost Famous
1. The Godfather: This is the quintessential movie in my mind. Very few flaws in the first two movies, the cinematography is beautiful and it's an incredibly dense and complex movie. One that everybody should (and probably has) watched. 2. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind: Every time I see Jim Carrey in a serious role, I'm left amazed by his performance. An emotional film that tackles what would happen if you could simply erase part of your memory. 3. The Shawshank Redemption: How can you not sympathize with the performances from Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman? Incredible storytelling with a plot that didn't leave me wanting anything more. 4. Back to the Future: I'm immensely entertained by this movie every time I watch it. Tons of memorable scenes, with great acting by Michael J. Fox. 5. Jean de Florette/Manon des Sources: Two beautiful films that really capture the essence of rural France. Wonderful performance by Yves Montand, and the movie delves into what a dying family will to do regain some old glory.
I don't think they're available in English, but they do have subtitles available. That said, if they are available somewhere in English I don't think it would do the movies justice. The French is beautiful if you understand it.
I'd like to check them out too. My wife and I used to watch a lot of "international" films but haven't in the last couple of years. Honestly, I think we are just so damned tired by the time we watch a film that we don't feel like reading. But I'll throw those two on the "watch list" we have. Your choice of Back to the Future threw me for a loop. Don't get me wrong, I love that movie and it definitely takes me back to being a kid but top 5? I just heard Michael J Fox on Stern recently, what a fella. I really dig that guy. -You have a diverse list my friend.
Favorite: No Country for Old Men. It's my favorite because for me, it's so hard to find things wrong with it, and I love nearly every inch of the movie. Every time I watch it, I get sucked in, and every performance is perfect, exactly what it needs to be. An adaptation of one of my favorite books by my favorite author by my favorite directors (the Coens). The rest of my top 10(ish) moves around a lot, but this one has been the same since I saw it in 09.
In No Order:
American Beauty
The Shining -- If I have to pick one Kubrick
The Thing
The Evil Dead
Fargo
The Social Network Sorry it's hard to choose.
Top 5 movies I watched growing up: (threw in a curveball) 1. Star Wars -not the prequels, they didn't exist (thank god) 2. Karate Kid 1 and 2 3. Indiana Jones franchise 4. Star Man 5. Red Dawn -by the way, kleinbl00 knows more about this film than any human being should HERE is the proof. Read the comments. -Great read.
Here are mine in no particular order: The Graduate, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Annie Hall, Reservoir Dogs, and Cinema Paradiso. There are several films that I wish I could add to this list, but these films came to mind first. Last second honorable mentions go to Double Indemnity, The Wolf of Wall Street, The Godfather Parts I and II, Sleeper, Manhattan, uhh wow I'm missing a lot of my favorites, I feel terrible.
I would go for: 2001: A Space Odyssey / Inception / Good Will Hunting / Fight Club / 12 Angry Men I like things that are pretty easily watchable but also have something a little deeper going on behind the surface if you want to dig in a bit. It was hard paring out Pulp Fiction and The Shawshank Redemption. I haven't really watched a lot of the classic movies though because I usually feel they're too slow. They feel faster when watching with a group though, so I try to do that every now and then.
Those are all great films and they are all pretty different from one another. My favorite on your list is 12 Angry Men. We used to have a Hubski Film Club where we would pick a topic and watch a film or two in that genre/topic. We decided to pick the Director Sidney Lumet's first and last film to watch. They were quite different. His first was 12 Angry Men -such a wonderful film. He turns his limitations in to virtues. I think I started sweating during the film because of how convincingly he made it appear that it was scorching hot. -Wonderful work. We ought to resurrect the Hubski Film Club. I know kleinbl00 has a scifi club going. b_b, you were in on the film club. Those were good times.
Right now we've got an Anime Club. We're gonna have a fiction club and a non-fiction club. I'm firmly of the opinion that there shouldn't be more than one -club at any given time because fatigue sets in. For the next two weeks, it's Anime Club. Watch Madoka Magica. Do it. It's that good.
1) Alien (2001 Director's Cut): it seems like a much smoother running version of the movie as compared to the original. 2) Event Horizon: i think what i love about this movie is that it's essentially a cabin fever story wrapped up in a bloody and slightly campy sheet. 3) the matrix trilogy: i usually get a lot of shit for mentioning this trilogy but i have to admit it's fun to go through it and find all of the little details that point to Neo (spoilers). 4) Silence of the Lambs:
OK with the Matrix Trilogy this is like seven films.Hello Clarice.
need i say more? Seriously though this movie made me shudder because of the performance of every one involved, cheers all around for what seems like a timeless movie.
5 favorite films:
Blade Runner
Pi: Faith in Chaos
Alien
Spriggan
Full Metal Jacket 5 favorite flicks:
Star Wars (original trilogy)
Resident Evil series
Live Free or Die Hard
Harry Potter series
The Dark Knight series Edit: I guess my five favorite flicks list actually amounted to >20 movies ... Ooooops.
This is hard, but here goes, and in no particular order: 1. Requiem for a Dream: I watched it at 14. It was the first time I realized the immense impact film can have on a person, and also the first time I've cried because of fictional characters. It led me to both interest in film and slight drug-paranoia, especially the harder drugs. 2. Synecdoche, New York: a masterpiece of cinema. Every shot impeccably-crafted, and every actor incredibly emotive and expressive. This is, compared to Requiem, much more into the intellectually-stimulating end of the scale. Also very satisfying to re-watch, as you could easily miss out on some things. 3. Primer: speaking of re-watching, this one is just one big mindfuck. It's about time travel, but more about regret and the lengths one will go to amend what was broken. Warning: you will not understand what the hell is happening on the first viewing. Also not on the second. 4. Shame: the sophomore effort of director Steve McQueen, featuring the best performance of my favorite actor Michael Fassbender, deals with sex-addiction, pornography, and relationships in that context. Very sad, extremely beautiful. 5. 2001: A Space Odyssey: favorite from Kubrick's. I guess the only flaw in this one is the slow pace, and I guess this is not a catch-all recommendation, only for the patient. These are just off the top of my head. Not exactly my top 5, but certainly five of my favorites.
I made the mistake of going to see Requiem stoned completely off my ass. Only movie I've ever wished I had been sober for!
No wonder that my favourite ones I've seen more than a couple of times. 1) Braveheart. Even though it's historically inaccurate (as Scotts themselves say) the conept of freedom, not only physical, but mental is amazing for me. That became one of my own life philosophies and I'm happy I could trully understand the message from that film. It goes pair to pair with the second one 2) Into the Wild. Same concept, more modern days. Freedom of materialistic, distracting things in life which distract you from you and the world around you. 3) Pulp Fiction. The most fun I ever had watching a movie. Simply amazing. Purely because of Tarantino's way of directing.
In no particular order: Psycho: I've lost track of how many times I've seen this film. The noir vibe, the strong performances, great soundtrack and Hitchcock's manipulation of the audience make me keep coming back to this film. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid: The chemistry between Newman and Redford is amazing. I love the soundtrack and it's a beautifully shot and edited film. Miller's Crossing: Gabriel Byrne's Tom Reagan is my favorite anti-hero. Also, it has a great soundtrack, cinematography and performances (esp. Turturro and Harden). In the Mood for Love: I feel that every frame of this film is a feast for the eyes. Reservoir Dogs: This was the first movie I saw in the theater that I immediately wanted to watch again.
May be unpopular for this but I've seen neither Psycho nor Resevoir Dogs. I love both Hitchcock and Tarantino, so I have no excuse as to why I never watched them apart from "never got round to it". Every time someone asks if I've seen these films and then look astounded I haven't a little part of me dies inside, yet I keep forgetting to bloody watch them!
#hubskifilmclub -This never really got the momentum it deserved. Feel free to run with it if someone wants...
In no real order apart from 2001 a space odesy always being #1 #1. 2001 a space odesy
Simply the best film ever made by man amazing cinimatography amazing sound throught provoking plot and vieual effects that have not aged and look amazing considering the technology used. #2. The Matrix
This film has so many layers its crazy the social comentry is spot on. it is well made and highly thought provoking #3. Star Trek II the wrath of khan - The best villian ever to grace the screen a truely masterfull performance from Ricardo Montalbán #4. Jaws
I would argure that in some way it's an adaptation of moby dick (or has some influence from it) but none the less it is a great film. It is a text book film its like a manual on how to make a film its near perfect execution and great cinimatography and good colour grading and some really nice camera work. Its a classic #5. Koyaanisqatsi Life Out of Balance
not so much a film as an awe inspiring and deeply thought provoking peace
I don't have a list, but I can definitely tell you what my favorite film is. (500) Days of Summer: I watched this movie for the first time when I fairly young and it spoke to me on every level that a movie could. This movie more or less changed the foundation for how I saw and treated other people (in a good way). If you're a fan of Joseph Gordon-Levitt and haven't seen this, go correct your mistake right now!