|
Post by Emperor Cupcake on Jan 23, 2004 0:39:55 GMT -5
Forgive me if this subject has been broached before, but I figured that we, as MSTies, spend an inordinate amount of time discussing films at the bottom of the cinematic bell curve. And while these are enjoyable in their own grotesque way, I couldn't help but wonder what people here considered GREAT films, their favorites ever. So, not including "MST3K: The Movie" (which I'm sure would be on everyone's list ), what are YOUR top ten favorite films EVER, and why? Here are mine, in no particular order: 1. A Clockwork Orange - No explanation necessary here, is there? A revelation. Malcolm McDowell is brilliantly evil, but eminently lovable as well. 2. Amadeus - I never get tired of the intrigue between bratty Mozart and grumbly no-talent Salieri. I know this rivalry probably never happened, but really, it should have. 3. 24 Hour Party People - An offbeat choice perhaps, but oh, do I love this film. Michael Winterbottom's documentary-esque love letter to the post-punk and rave scenes in Manchester, England. I'm a huge Joy Division fan, so the stuff about them is great, but what makes the film for me is Steve Coogan, who plays Factory Records guru Tony Wilson. Hilarious in an underhanded, very British way. 4. Life Is Sweet - I'm addicted to British cinema, and I think this is Mike Leigh's best film. Jim Broadbent, Alison Steadman, Jane Horrocks. Funny and insightful. "I brought you a pineapple." 5. Amateur - I love all Hal Hartley's stuff, but this is my favorite film of his. A bizarre, stylized crime thriller as made by a nerdy intellectual. I particularly love Isabelle Huppert as a nun who aspires to write pornographic novels. 6. The Haunting - Not the crappy remake with Catherine Zeta-Jones and that dude with the crooked nose, but the original film starring Claire Bloom. A great adaptation of Shirley Jackson's "The Haunting of Hill House," which showed that a film could be scary without showing anything. 7. Raising Arizona - Pre-lunkhead Nicholas Cage in Coen Brothers' most enduring film. Still funny after millions of viewings. "He had on his damn jammies!" 8. Repulsion - Gorgeous young Catherine Deneuve goes stark raving bonkers. All a film needs really. Fascinating study of madness. 9. Fantasia - Beautiful, fantastic, epic. "Rites of Spring" and "Night on Bald Mountain" are the best sequences, but I could watch this thing over and over. 10. The Hunger - Yeah, yeah, it got a lot of flack for being "style over substance," but what style! Tres gothique. Plus Bauhaus was in it, so of course I have to love it. And it was better than the book, one of the few films that can make that claim. Now your turn!
|
|
Torgo
Moderator Emeritus
-segment with Crow?
Posts: 15,420
|
Post by Torgo on Jan 23, 2004 0:48:29 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by fubisd on Jan 23, 2004 1:34:59 GMT -5
top 10.. well, lesse...
10 - Titannic - I've never seen the movie, EVER... But I get a kick outta fastfowarding to the part where Leo DeCraprio sinks into the cold water. Don't like him.
9 - Lilo n Stitch - I dunno, Stitch just gets to me. He's to cute! Plus, who can forget Agent Bubbles.
8 - John Carpenters Vampires - James Woods is a quip machine! He's just hilarous, and his timing is perfect. It's one of those movies that you just sit back with 3 friends and eat popcorn too.
7 - Freddy vs Jason - This movie rocked my world in the theater, and on DVD, with all the extras, it's even better! Jason kicks ass.
6 - League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen - What a great mish-mash of some awesome legends. Dracula, Tom Sawyer, Jeckle n Hyde, Sherlock Holmes... great story backed up by some great actors. The eyecandy and DVD extras were also a big hit.
5 - Hamlet - NO, not the German one. The one with Mel Gibson. Amazing acting... and it got me through Shakespear class in college. Glenn Close does a wonderful job as well!
4 - Rocky Horror Picture Show - Guilty pleasure. I'm a big Tim Curry fan, and THIS is his best movie. If you've never done a "theater" show on Halloween, your missing out!
3 - Weird Science - So, Kelly Lebrock CAN act... sorta... It's just a hilarous movie. Where else can you see Bill Paxton turned into a steaming pile of blech!
2 - Pirates of the Carribean - Johnny Depp as Captian Sparrow. My dad asked if he was "gay". I'm like "No dad, he's swarthy... there's a big difference."
1 - Underworld - I'd be the last to tell you skin tight leather looks good on a chick... but it looks good on THIS chick. Lotta 2 fisted gun action... and 2 fisted guns were the only reason I bought Max Payne... so, it stands to reason. Vamps and Werewolf movies are total camp these days... it was refreshing to see a new twist on the old genre. And, it's nice to see some awesome looking Werewolves, and not the Werebats from "Werewolf".
Well, ya asked for it!
|
|
|
Post by losingmydignity on Jan 23, 2004 2:35:18 GMT -5
Some good choices Cupcake! The original Haunting is one of my favorites too. I never get sick of seeing it...and I still get scared even too...Nice to see someone else appreciates Wise's spook little masterpiece. No computer effect will ever beat that shot of the wallpaper in Bloom and Julie Harris's room...
I have to divide my top tens into Comedy and Serious Stuff or else it will drive me crazy trying to decide.
1. Mirror (Tarkovsky's masterpiece) 2. A Gentle Woman ( director, Robert Bresson--the closing shot is the most incredible last image in any film I've seen) 3. Au Hazard Balthazar ( Bresson---the most moving film I've ever seen---story of a donkey inspired by The Idiot, though mostly it tells the story of the people around the poor animal 4. Money (Bresson again--people don't like this film because it does seem a bit cynical, but...tells it like it is) 5.Vertigo 6. Stella Dallas (unforgettable Stanwyck tearjerker) 7. The Devil, Probably (get the feeling I like Bresson?) 8. The Good Bad and the Ugly 9. A Man Escaped (Bresson again! All you like is Bresson!?) 10. Stalker (Tarkovsky) There are so many more I love...from the Great Escape to the Graduate to The Bride of Frankenstein to Persona to A Clockwork Orange to Taxi Driver to Badlands to Straw Dogs...I could go on forever but the above are the ones I keep coming back to...
The Funny stuff:
Monty Python and The Holy Grail This is Spinal Tap! Some Like It Hot Duck Soup Sleeper Singing In The Rain Annie Hall Life of Brian The Lady Eve What's New Pussycat!
|
|
|
Post by losingmydignity on Jan 23, 2004 2:42:48 GMT -5
Oh, and Repulsion is pretty cool too, ECC, but I think the best Catherine was when she was Belle De Jour.
|
|
|
Post by Ator on Jan 23, 2004 3:35:28 GMT -5
I can't seem to find the movie, but there is one that I really, really enjoyed, that was called "October Sky".
|
|
|
Post by Tranq on Jan 23, 2004 11:45:00 GMT -5
10. Dawn of the Dead 9. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas 8. Julian Po 7. Let's Scare Jessica to Death 6. Monty Python's Life of Brian 5. ALL of the Godzilla movies 4. Henry, Portrait of a Serial Killer 3. Pink Floyd's The Wall 2. Night of the Living Dead 1. Niagra Niagra
(the order and movies change with my mood)
|
|
Torgo
Moderator Emeritus
-segment with Crow?
Posts: 15,420
|
Post by Torgo on Jan 23, 2004 13:49:55 GMT -5
I can't seem to find the movie, but there is one that I really, really enjoyed, that was called "October Sky". Try Amazon. They got it for $13.
|
|
|
Post by Gorphax on Jan 23, 2004 14:09:13 GMT -5
I don't know if my list is filled with typical or pretentious fodder or is the opinion of an ignorant, American kid, but here is my list.
10. Lobsterman from Mars 9. JFK 8. Eraserhead 7. The Empire Strikes Back 6. Amelie 5. Return of the King 4. Fight Club 3. Monty Python and the Holy Grail 2. Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho 1. Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey
|
|
|
Post by losingmydignity on Jan 23, 2004 14:32:01 GMT -5
10. Dawn of the Dead 9. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas 8. Julian Po 7. Let's Scare Jessica to Death 6. Monty Python's Life of Brian 5. ALL of the Godzilla movies 4. Henry, Portrait of a Serial Killer 3. Pink Floyd's The Wall 2. Night of the Living Dead 1. Niagra Niagra (the order and movies change with my mood) yeah, I bet "Henry" changes your mood. A lot. I watched that one with a friend and, maybe it was the beer i was drinking, but I started laughing my head off, and he looked at me real strangely. He claims when he saw it in the theatre the place was dead silent. "What?" I said to him. "This isn't a comedy?" so, tranq, is Henry a comedy or not?
|
|
TomServo69
Moderator Emeritus
Gone but not Forgotten
Nothing ever changes........
Posts: 5,467
|
Post by TomServo69 on Jan 23, 2004 15:16:34 GMT -5
Here's a copy of the first time I did this. Read, enjoy, comment.
Hmmm, here we go, something for the ages:
10. Harlem Nights- I mean, come on, this is obvious. Any movie that has Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy, and Redd Foxx along with a superb supporting cast has to be up there.
9.The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly-Sure, it's cheese, it's over-the-top, but, who cares Eastwood at his best. Even though it is an Italian-Western.
8.The Stoned Age-Another bit of cheese but, a satiric piece of cheese. A great look at slacker life in Lo-Cal. Man, these aren't the talls!!!!
7.Psycho-Hey, what would this list be without a bit of the old Hitch"Rowsdower"ian flavor. The best of suspense by the master of suspense.
6.Star Wars:Episode VI:Return of the Jedi-Yeah, yeah, I know everyone LOVES Empire because "It has the down ending". I don't like down endings. I like Tattooine and Jabba blowing up.
5.Saving Private Ryan-It's not a list without a war movie and well, while not classic this is probably the most realistic depiction of war ever on film.
4.Monty Python and the Holy Grail-I mean, just watch it. If you don't get it, I don't know how you can understand the subtlety of MST3K.
3.A Bronx Tale-If you haven't seen this Mafioso classic with Deniro, then you need to, now. Not that it's the best but, with Deniro directing, there are few better.
2.MST3K:The Movie-You know, I wouldn't even be here if I didn't like this one. I know I didn't make it number one but, with good reason.
Becauuuuusssseeeeee......... 1.2001:A Space Odyssey-The movie upon which sci-fi takes its cues. What can I say that hasn't already been said, perfect visual effects, great symbolism, waaaayyyy ahead of its time.
Well that's it, hope you all enjoyed my list and maybe I've suggested some things some of you haven't seen.
Servo
|
|
|
Post by Tranq on Jan 23, 2004 15:36:56 GMT -5
yeah, I bet "Henry" changes your mood. A lot. I watched that one with a friend and, maybe it was the beer i was drinking, but I started laughing my head off, and he looked at me real strangely. He claims when he saw it in the theatre the place was dead silent. "What?" I said to him. "This isn't a comedy?" so, tranq, is Henry a comedy or not? No, my friend, Henry is NOT a comedy. You laughed, eh? Hmmmmmm Damn!! I also left out a movie from my list. One of them has to go!!! THX 1138 should be in the top 5. At one time I hade a copy of THX 1138:4eb which was the original 15 minute feature that Lucas did in college. But hey, I lost it somewhere along the way.
|
|
|
Post by TV's Cowboy on Jan 23, 2004 16:15:46 GMT -5
A little hard for me to rank them so I'll just list the 10 movies that I really like without going by a numerical ranking
Return of the Jedi Empire Strikes Back Taxi Driver Forrest Gump Animal House Monty Python and the Holy Grail To Kill a Mockingbird The Shining The Elephant Man King Kong vs. Godzilla(Got to have at least 1 Japanese monster movie in there)
|
|
|
Post by losingmydignity on Jan 23, 2004 18:19:42 GMT -5
No, my friend, Henry is NOT a comedy. You laughed, eh? I better expain before I get run out of town: A. I was not sober B. I have a very dark sense of humour e.g. the "it's only a flesh wound" scene in MP and the Holy Grail C. The movie is quite over the top at times despite its sicko nature I do think parts are quite funny... D. I don't have the courage to watch it again...sober
|
|
|
Post by Tranq on Jan 23, 2004 18:26:45 GMT -5
I better expain before I get run out of town: A. I was not sober B. I have a very dark sense of humour e.g. the "it's only a flesh wound" scene in MP and the Holy Grail C. The movie is quite over the top at times despite its sicko nature I do think parts are quite funny... D. I don't have the courage to watch it again...sober Good Heavens! Then perhaps I should explain why it's on my list of favorites!!!!! Nah.
|
|