What are your favorite films?

[Aldenard]

I realize this may not directly relate to scriptwriting, but it is the same general field and i believe you can tell alot about a person by their favorite movies. So i was wondering what your favorite films are.

[tiny]

Now, Voyager
Raise the Red Lantern (Chinese subtitled)
Priscilla, Queen of the Desert
Punisher (I know, but I can't get enough of Thomas Jane)

-chris

[sspunisher]

Anything Quentin Tarantino, period.

Pulp Fiction, Resevoir Dogs, Kill Bill, True Romance etc etc.

Funny because I'm not really an action shoot em up/gangster movie buff (I've yet to watch the Godfather series, and I think I watched Scarface for the first time about a few months ago, and I'm 22.).

I have a thing for M. Night Shaymalan movies too (spelling). Sixth Sense was his masterpiece but I loved Unbreakable and even Signs. The Villlage was alright. I know most people groaned about the ending, but I'm the kind of person, if you surprise me, then I aint complainin.

Stigmata, Stir of Echoes, Terminator 2, Lord of the Rings. Man we've had some great movies over the past couple of decades lol.

[dpaterso]

Here's 10 DVDs I'd take with me onto a desert island if I got shipwrecked (and had a solar powered DVD player). They have high "watch over and over again" potential.

Forbidden Planet
The Big Country
Guys & Dolls
West Side Story
The Long Ships
The Vikings
Seven Samurai
The Warlord
The 300 Spartans
Troy

-Derek
Derek's Web Page - stories, screenplays, novels, insanity. (http://hometown.aol.co.uk/DPaterson57/scripts.htm)

[KTC]

10 DVDs on my desert island...no particular order...

1. Benny & Joon
2. The Wonder Boys
3. Waydowntown
4. The Royal Tenenbaums
5. To Kill a Mockingbird
6. The River's Edge
7. The Rocky Horror Picture Show
8. Clue
9. Terms of Endearment (GET IN THE CAR, HUNNY!)
10. The Fisher King

[scripter1]

The Princess Bride
Knights Tale
LOTR (all 3)
Man from Snowy River
The Black Stallion
Star Wars (first 3, wait, I mean the first episodes, the ones released first, 4,5,6)
Gladiator
The Sword in the Stone (animated)
The Bourne Identity
Maverick

[Joe Calabrese]

I don't know why and I just can't explain it, but I would drop anything if I find out that Tony Curtis' "The Great Impostor" is on. I love that film.

Some others I would watch over and over again are:

Ghostbusters
E.T.
Star Wars (all of them, even if to cringe at some)
Schindler's List
Jaws
Lawrence of Arabia
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Hitchcock's Notorious, Spellbound, The Birds and Psycho
Startrek 2, 4, 6
Stargate (film and TV)
Man Who Would be King
Batman Begins
X2
Spiderman

and...

My second all time favorite film.


is...


Doris Day and Rock Hudson's "Send Me No Flowers."

[NikeeGoddess]

i believe you can tell alot about a person by their favorite movies.

and you want to know a lot about me (and others) why?! what are you going to do with that information ;)

and what does my answer tell you about me?



now....what does this answer tell you about me?
answer: i have no favorites b/c there are so many. narrow it down to a decade (or even year) and genre and maybe i could select from that. :)

[Boo_Radley]

May as well be asking what my favorite sexual position is. Too many to name. But, I'll give it a shot.

Er, movies, not sexual positions. Heh.

Dawn of the Dead (the George Romero original, natch')
As Good As It Gets
Touch of Evil
To Kill A Mockingbird
Boogie Nights
Re-Animator
Beast Cops (HK flick starring Anthony Wong)
Hardboiled (Chow Yun Fat)
Police Story 2
Drunken Master 2
The Exorcist
Dumb and Dumber
Young Frankenstein
True Romance
A Nightmare on Elm Street 3
Halloween
Ong Bak (Thai martial arts flick recently released as "Thai Warrior" or something like that..I've got the original, m'self)
Knockabout (Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao)
American Beauty
Sixteen Candles
Jesus, I need to stop...

[MrJayVee]

Man, there are MANY films that I love. But three of my all-time favorites...

THE SOUND OF MUSIC
THE GREAT ESCAPE
MIDNIGHT COWBOY

And of course, all the Connery-Bond movies, and pretty much anything starring Steve McQueen.

[pstudios]

:faint:You're asking that. Yikes! Actually not a bad idea, except 4 there's so many. Anything either 1)Well written or 2)that has a theme or subject matter I find inspirational,maybe with a metaphysical bend, but may or may not be well written.

OK

Star Wars movies(the early ones)
Indiana Jones movies
Flatliners
Flashdance
The Sentinel
Moonstruck
Basic Instinct
When Dreams My Come
The Stupids
Platoon
Children of A Lessor God
Karate Kid Movies-the master teacher aspect
Godfather-the 1st 2, at the time,but the style seems old now.
Airplane
Splash
Saint Elmo's Fire
House of Long Shadows(British), has a cool twist.
Exorcist, at the time, but feels played out now.

and many many more, I just can't think right now.

OK I guess I can say I go for more character driven, emotionally moving type stuff. Don't get me wrong, I like to see stuff blow up like anyone else, but I like to see feeling, soul, heart and love. The stuff that's not out in the world we live in today. Bingo! I think a lot of what an audience wants is what they can't have and paying $$ for a ticket and going to a movie, they can have it for at least the 2hr. deration of movie.

Screenwriting 100: When the character grows, the audience grows along with them in some sort of strange way.

[pstudios]

:Smack: Oh and how dare I forget, what probably is #1 The Wizzard of OZ.


James Bond, so sauve and the women, so msyterious.
World according to Garp
Witness
Top Gun-Lot's of fun

Ok I don't agree with U. I think this has a lot to do with screenwriting, because if we can take apart and study the movies we love, maybe we can find what we need to make our own work "tick".

[Nicholas S.H.J.M Woodhouse]

Witness


I think this has a lot to do with screenwriting, because if we can take apart and study the movies we love, maybe we can find what we need to make our own work "tick".

One of the great things about Witness for me is the different plots. The romance between Book and the Amish lady. The romance between the cultures - he needs them; she needed him.
Also, I really always respected the way that the dirty cops find Book. I think thats the end of act 2, and takes us into our climax. Its this crisis point that really makes it work for me - he is found hiding in the Amish colours only because he breaks from their tradition. A sheep pretending to be a wolf. A dirty cop pretending to be clean. It was just a great moment.
Also at the end when

SPOILER







Danny Glover has to turn back and give up. He finds Book, gonna kill him. But the community come out to save him and make his shotgun impotent. It was a coming together of the theme of cultures and the specific plot - nice stuff if you can get it.

[triceretops]

Jurassic Park--all of em'

Journey to the Center of the Earth
The Time Machine
The Road Warrior
Blad Runner
Star Wars
Logan's Run*
The Birds
It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World
The Great Race
Edward Scissor Hands
Mad Max Beyond Thunderdomes
The Barbarians
Conan the Barbarian
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Jaws
Silent Running


Triceratops

[MitchJ]

Here's my 10, in no particular order:

Star Wars (the first one from '77)
Terminator 2
Back to the Future
The Hunt for Red October
Glory
Saving Private Ryan
Fargo
A Fish Called Wanda
The Sixth Sense
Toy Story

Okay, 11. I can't forget Unforgiven

[StephieM]

Movies I can watch a billion times and never get bored. :)

Young Guns
Stand by Me
The Lost Boys (my all time favorite- I know every line of it by heart.)
Anna and the King (Jodie Foster version)
Blast from the Past
Ocean's Eleven
The Italian Job
All of M.Night Shamalyan's movies. (I don't care what anyone says-The Village was an awesome movie!)
Forrest Gump
Face Off
Armegeddon
The Time Machine
AI
The Replacement Killers
Bullet Proof Monk - anything with Chow Yung Phat- he's hot! :)
Jaws
Lake Placid
The Faculty
Dracula (Wynona Ryder)

If I go on, I'll never stop.

Oh, and any old horror films-such as Halloween, Night of the Living Dead, Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th, The Exorcist, Phycho, ect. ect.ect.

Steph

[Laster]

You a screenwriter?

[three seven]

There are a handful of films that I'll watch over and over again, and many that I can't switch off if I happen to catch them.

For me, it has little to do with the actual quality of the film - some of my favourites are undeniably dreadful, but have a personal significance or bring back happy memories. I'm making no excuses.

Anyway, I'll try and keep it short...

Die Hard
Midnight Run
Fight Club
Memento
Airplane!
Jaws
American Werewolf In London
Dog Soldiers
Shaun Of The Dead
Monsters Inc
Speed
Gumball Rally
Gone In 60 Seconds (no, the 1974 one)
Hooper
Sharky's Machine

and, my absolute favourite films of all time:

Smokey And The Bandit 1 & 2. (But not 3, which is officially the worst film ever made.)

Of course, this'll change tomorrow.

[Aldenard]

I might as well post mine, being the bored person in the middle of the night that I am.

My Favorite Films of All Time: (in no order)
American Beauty
American Psycho
A Clockwork Orange
Collateral
Donnie Darko
Fight Club
Ghost in the Shell
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Lost in Translation
Magnolia
Memento
Mulholland Dr.
Oldboy
Pulp Fiction
Se7en
Sideways

[Rainy Night]

1. 3:10 to Yuma
2. Moulin Rougue
3. American Beauty
4. Star Wars Episode 4
5. Maganolia
6. Fight Club
7. Donnie Darko
8. Contact
9. Pink Floyd's The Wall
10. Dangerous Beauty

Here are my favorites - not for any reason, just that I like them.

[StephieM]

I forgot to add one. Glad I have the chance to set it right. :)

The Notebook. I cried like a baby.

Steph

[Green Chair]

In no particular order:

BENNY & JOON
CASABLANCA
THE BRAVE
THE USUAL SUSPECTS
AMERICAN BEAUTY
NORTHERN EXPOSURE, whoops that's a discontinued TV show....
AMERICAN PRESIDENT
AS GOOD AS IT GETS
ENCHANTED, uhh, that's actually a short (and if I get to add more shorts: DAS RAD, HIBERNATION, POWDER KEG, GRIDLOCK, I'LL WAIT FOR THE NEXT ONE, GEORGE LUCAS IN LOVE, DEADLINE)
GOOD MORNING VIETNAM
GATTACA
MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON
SIMON BIRCH
OCTOBER SKY
THE TRUMAN SHOW
DEAD POETS SOCIETY
BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM
WHAT'S EATING GILBERT GRAPE
THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION
A KNIGHT'S TALE
FREAKY FRIDAY
A LITTLE PRINCESS
TOY STORY
BREAKFAST AT TIFFANYS
MEN IN BLACK

So many movies, so little time!

Another great thing to ponder: what are your LEAST favorite movies and why? You can learn a ton from the ones that miss (or completely flop).

[StephieM]

Least favorite movies...hmm. This is tough, because there's very few movies I don't like.

These movies I just found really annoying and strange.

Hocus Pocus
Batman (hate me if you want)
Little Shop of Horrors
Toys
Labrynth (I think I spelled that right)
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory- the original (go ahead, hate me some more) Those oompa loompas scare me.

and...

That's all I think. I can probally think of some more if I thought long and hard.

Oh, my all time least favorite...

Child's Play and anything else with that corny ugly doll Chucky. :)

Steph

[zagoraz]

Might as well get in on this...

Bottle Rocket
Sling Blade
Waiting for Guffman
The Empire Strikes Back
Buffalo '66
The Big Lebowski
Lost In Translation
Election
The Cable Guy
The Royal Tenenbaums

[harrisbloom]

May as well be asking what my favorite sexual position is. Too many to name. But, I'll give it a shot.

Er, movies, not sexual positions. Heh.

Dawn of the Dead (the George Romero original, natch')
As Good As It Gets
Touch of Evil
To Kill A Mockingbird
Boogie Nights
Re-Animator
Beast Cops (HK flick starring Anthony Wong)
Hardboiled (Chow Yun Fat)
Police Story 2
Drunken Master 2
The Exorcist
Dumb and Dumber
Young Frankenstein
True Romance
A Nightmare on Elm Street 3
Halloween
Ong Bak (Thai martial arts flick recently released as "Thai Warrior" or something like that..I've got the original, m'self)
Knockabout (Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao)
American Beauty
Sixteen Candles
Jesus, I need to stop...


Why "natch?" Though I loved Romero's, I think the remake was better.

Here's a few of my faves

1. American Psycho
2. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
3. Silence of the Lambs
4. Fight Club
5. Rounders
6. Hellraiser
7. Field of Dreams
8. The Shawshank Redemption
9. A Few Good Men
10. Wall Street

[Green Chair]

Least liked flicks:

A PERFECT STORM (a perfect bore; liked the book, though, and love all Linda Greenlaw's books - she was the other sword fishing boat captain)
ANTZ
MINORITY REPORT
BEEVUS(sp?) & BUTTHEAD
ALL THE STAR WARS PREQUELS
PRINCESS DIARIES TWO
I AM THE CHEESE (though it did have a satisfying pay-off ending)

a few more I know...but I have to race out the door and get my daughter to her soccer game.

[williemeikle]

In no particular order, here's a top twenty

King Kong (1933)
The Maltese Falcon
The Big Sleep
Alien
Aliens
Psycho
North by Northwest
Kind Hearts and Coronets
The Lavender Hill Mob
Goldfinger
The Night of the Demon
Lawrence of Arabia
LA Confidential
The Blues Brothers
The Thing
The Exorcist
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Last of the Mohicans
Gladiator
Lord Of the Rings

Willie
http://www.willie.meikle.btinternet.co.uk (http://www.willie.meikle.btinternet.co.uk/)

[jen.nifer]

Here's mine - bit of a mix - some of them are for sentimental reasons. (I've got this list on my web site, so that's why they are already in alphabetical order)

A Fish Called Wanda
Adaptation
Amadeus
Biloxi Blues
Calamity Jane
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
Easter Parade
Ever After
Heat
Hello Dolly
Midnight Run
Notting Hill
Sense & Sensbility
Shawshank Redemption
Some Like It Hot
The Godfather
The Mirror Has Two Faces
The Thomas Crown Affair (remake)

[ANNIE]

Casablanca
The Great Escape
The Bridge over the River Quia(sp)
LOTR
StarWars
Mad Max
The Road Warrior
Robin Hood
The Princess Bride
The Time Machine

[FolkloreFanatic]

1. A Streetcar Named Desire
3. City Of Angels
2. LotR Trilogy (they all count as one to me)
4. Pirates Of The Caribbean
Impromptu
Monty Python & The Holy Grail
Clue
The Great Race
Copycat
4. Ever After
First Knight
The Blue Brothers
Fahrenheit 911
The Patriot
Apt Pupil
Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves
JFK
A Time To Kill
Labyrinth
The Hunchback Of Notre Dame (Disney)
Cape Fear (1991 version, although I liked the older one, too)
L.A. Confidential
Some Like It Hot
Kill Bill 1 & 2

Those are my top faves, but I have so many favorites where I wear out the discs I think they deserve some recognition:

The Mummy & The Mummy Returns
Peter Pan (2003)
Donnie Darko
The Phantom Of The Opera
Animal House
The Graduate
Quills
The Sound Of Music
Underworld
Pretty Woman
The Princess Bride
Bowling For Columbine
Far And Away
The Sheik & The Son Of The Sheik
Erin Brockovich
The Exorcist
Men In Black
The Godfather
Primal Fear
The Bride
Grease
Indiana Jones (1 & 3)
The Matrix (first two)
Gladiator
The Magdalene Sisters
Spiderman 1 & 2
Troy
Sleepy Hollow
The Corporation
Ghostbusters 1 & 2
The Fugitive
Thoroughly Modern Millie

I really can't narrow it down, and I'll probably add some that I forgot later.

[September skies]

So many great ones, but some of my favorites"

The Great Gatsby
Bridges over Madison County
Under the Tuscan Sun
Sabrina (w/Harrison Ford)
Serendipity
Notting Hill
The Rookie
Sandlot (first one)
The Man in the Iron Mask
Kill Bill (both of them)
The Notebook
Pearl Harbor
Titanic

[gp101]

The two I have to have on that island:

Casablanca
Cinema Paradiso


And if I could barter coconuts for more:

Godfather I
Star Wars (episode IV)
Jaws
Touch of Evil
Pulp Fiction
Something About Mary
Gladiator
Titanic
Manchurian Candidate (the Sinatra original)
Citizen Kane
Usual Suspects
Harry Met Sally
Indy Jones (Raiders)
M
King Kong
Chinatown
Basic Instinct
Terminator
Get Shorty
Psycho
Fish Called Wanda
Smoky and the Bear
Bronx Tale
Goodfellas
Il Postino

[Shiraz]

Wizard of Oz
Gone with the Wind
Funny Girl
Sound of Music
Nearly all Steven Spielberg films (never quite got into ET, tho)
Gypsy (With Natalie Wood)

[nganok]

I don't know why and I just can't explain it, but I would drop anything if I find out that Tony Curtis' "The Great Impostor" is on. I love that film.

Some others I would watch over and over again are:

Ghostbusters
E.T.
Star Wars (all of them, even if to cringe at some)
Schindler's List
Jaws
Lawrence of Arabia
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Hitchcock's Notorious, Spellbound, The Birds and Psycho
Startrek 2, 4, 6
Stargate (film and TV)
Man Who Would be King
Batman Begins
X2
Spiderman

and...

My second all time favorite film.


is...


Doris Day and Rock Hudson's "Send Me No Flowers."


I was about to barf until I saw your choices. what a relief

I think our preferences change over time but lately it's been anything I can (read) without snoring in the first ten pages. Though I have to say we are definitely past the golden age of movie making in my opinion.

[nganok]

The two I have to have on that island:

Casablanca
Cinema Paradiso


And if I could barter coconuts for more:

Godfather I
Star Wars (episode IV)
Jaws
Touch of Evil
Pulp Fiction
Something About Mary
Gladiator
Titanic
Manchurian Candidate (the Sinatra original)
Citizen Kane
Usual Suspects
Harry Met Sally
Indy Jones (Raiders)
M
King Kong
Chinatown
Basic Instinct
Terminator
Get Shorty
Psycho
Fish Called Wanda
Smoky and the Bear
Bronx Tale
Goodfellas
Il Postino




You had some good ones and some not so good ones in my opinion but any person who has Cinema Paradiso in their list is good with me.

[sandoz]

Days of Heaven
Koyaanisqatsi
Raising Arizona
The Doors

[brokenfingers]

I think, since this is the screenwriting forum, that we should also put down WHY a certain film is on our list. I’ll start with a film that is one of my favorites and I happened to see again the other night:

The Matrix.

One of the reasons is because it has what I believe is a good hook. To me, the best hooks are the ones that leave you asking questions – Why is this happening? Why is he/she like that? Why is he/she doing that? How are they going to do whatever it is they have to do? What the hell is going on?

The film begins with an unidentified woman being hounded by police and two unidentified men. Why are they trying to arrest her? Who are these people? What’s going on?

Even better – I noticed that the writers built up an anticipation in the viewer re: the protagonist. By the time they first show the protagonist, Neo, the viewer is dying to finally meet this guy who all the fuss is over. They can’t wait to know more about him.

Another reason I liked it is the theme. To me the movie was about belief. I love broad heroic themes in my books and my movies: Valor, Honor, Sacrifice, Love, Belief, Duty etc.

I feel they struck a common chord in many people with this and I believe that is another key ingredient in a great movie – striking a deep chord within your audience.

The thing I especially liked was that they (the writers) didn’t just depict a man who believes in himself – but the effects of others believing in you.

Any parent knows about this. Threaten their child and they become a demon possessed. Why? Not because they think they’re actually a demon, but because they know that little one believes in them – to keep them safe, to protect them from harm. It’s a powerful force. Even lovers feel this. Threaten a man’s wife or girlfriend and they become a lion. It can make the most timid of men become the most valiant.

Maybe it spoke loudly to me because I had a situation where this occurred. I was in the Marines. I was responsible for a small group of men – their welfare, their well-being, their very lives. A situation came up that was… crazy.

I remember thinking to myself:

What the hell am I doing here? I can’t do this. This is too much, I can’t get us out of here. I can’t save them. I can’t do this….

I looked at the other guys and they were just standing there, all calmly looking at me, waiting for me to tell them what to do, fully expecting me to get them out of there. Not only get them out of there but I could see they were expecting me to do it with the usual easy style and crack a wise-a$$ remark at the end of it all.

What could I do but the only thing I could do. Get us out of there. Not because I thought I could, but because they believed in me. Their belief in me caused me to pass my own boundaries and surpass myself, go beyond myself to do things I would’ve, could’ve never done if I’d been there by myself.

So those are two of the reasons why I love the Matrix. I think it’s got a great hook and it has a great theme: Belief in yourself and the power of others believing in you.

[dpaterso]

bf, valid points all, although--

The film begins with an unidentified woman being hounded by police and two unidentified men. Why are they trying to arrest her? Who are these people? What’s going on?

--one little thing to add here is that the truck smashes the phone booth to pieces, apparently crushing Trinity to death. But she's not there when it backs up. Oooh, let's keep watching.

Interesting story, it'll make a good film one day.

-Derek
My wittle web page - hack stories, failed novels, dud screenplays, terminal writer's block. (http://hometown.aol.co.uk/DPaterson57)
My evil self is at the door, and I have no power to stop it.

[brokenfingers]

bf, valid points all, although-- --one little thing to add here is that the truck smashes the phone booth to pieces, apparently crushing Trinity to death. But she's not there when it backs up. Oooh, let's keep watching. Technically, after the truck hits and the viewer see an empty phone booth, the Agent say: "She got out" (so yes, the viewer asks: what's going on?)

I specifically left out the super-human feats and the special effects because I wanted to highlight what a writer can use in any type story or script.

Making the reader/viewer ask questions.

[StephieM]

To me a movie is a good movie when I can remember it long after its been seen, wether it be that one scene, the characters, the unique way the director filmed it, the special effects, the fascination, or just the emotion.

In all the films I love, there is always that one scene that I will remember for as long as I live. In "Anna and the King" it was the moment where the King (Chow Yung Phat), approaches Anna (Jodie Foster), at the dinner party, and sweeps her onto the dance floor. At that moment you know the the King is deeply in love with her, yet you know there is no possible way for them to be together. In "Face Off" it was the moment when Castor Troy (as Travolta), enters the church and the flock of doves fly up around him. That was awesome.

In any movie you have to love the characters. To me a movie may not be a big block buster but the characters are great. It all depends on the actor/actress playing the part, and how well they do their job. A great character will make an impact. In "Lake Placid" I loved Hector (Oliver Platt) and Hank (Brendon Gleason). Their bickering and fighting like two old ladies had me rolling through the whole movie.

Direction is another key element. I can always tell when David Finchner directs a movie because of the unique angles he goes for. In "Panic Room", he had that one angle swooping through the keyhole that I will never forget. And who doesn't love Stephen Speilberg?

Great action is another thing I love, "Ocean's Eleven", "The Italian Job", "Face Off" all had me glued to the T.V. and at the edge of my seat the entire time because I didn't want to miss one single second. Every scene was as important as the next.

Movies like "The Time Machine" and "AI" fascinate me. The idea of what the future might look like or be like in a 1000 years or even 100,000 years is intriguing to me. Knowing I wont be alive that far in the future and yet being able to experience it, is one of the greatest aspects of film.

Very seldom a movie makes me cry, laugh out loud, or want to punch the T.V., so when it does you better believe it's going to be on my list of favorites. Emotion plays a big part in great movies, if I'm not feeling for the characters or the situation, then forget it.

The last and maybe the biggest reason I love movies, is the art of it, how all the pieces fit together, the finished product of what started out as merely words on paper and how all these people worked together to create this incredible vision we can all see and become a part of it. This is why I love screenwriting, the thought of seeing the finished product and seeing first hand how the movie effects the audience is what keeps me going.

Steph

[Shiraz]

I love different movies for totally different reasons sometimes. "Funny Girl" is a favorite because I adore Barbra and because it was a biography - I'm a sucker for history. "Wizard of Oz" because it brings back such great memories of when I first saw the film as a young girl. The fantasy element of over-the-rainbow had me hooked. "Indiana Jones" or any of the Steven Spielberg films because he's simply one of the most brilliant directors of his time - they're always full of adventure. "GWTW" - what a classic. How could you not like that movie? It introduced me to the world of the Civil War South, something I had never tasted before.

[nganok]

I believe a good movie is one that evokes emotions in the reader or watcher -well every emotion except boredom of course.

Seven - curiosity and suspense
Godfather I, II, and III - sadness and pitty- for the true head cases - admiration
Farenheit 911- anger
Ladder 49 and Million dollar baby- sadness (each a real tear jerker)
THe Punisher- A feeling of redemption or justice
A Beautiful Mind - A longing, also a brain teaser, and some sadness.

If any of you guys get to read Linda Seger's Book Advanced Screenwriting - there is a good section on this subject. I feel its worth the read.

[razormoney]

I got worried when I read the most recent post of everyone's favorite movies -- then I got to the later one's where several people mentioned the best movie ever transferred to celluloid --

USUAL SUSPECTS -- if you haven't seen it, do yourself a favor and rent it now!

I think all of my other faves are mentioned in the thread, but here goes anyway:

SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION
MEMENTO
GLADIATOR
THE REF (one of the best comedies ever -- watch it this Xmas, you'll thank me)
LORD OF THE RINGS (all 3 of course)
SIXTH SENSE
SNATCH (another movie I didn't see on many lists -- check it out)
ALIENS - Director's Cut
DIE HARD (the original)
BRAVEHEART

Guess that's enough. Need more comedies.

Thanks for making this thread -- there are definitely some movies I want to check out. Especially DONNIE DARKO -- anyone know if the Director's Cut is better or should I see the original first?

Razor

[Master Bedroom]

I would watch the original first and than the Directors cut.
Either way you will not have a clue what’s going on, but it is a great movie, just go with it.


My Favorite film although I have a hundred, the best is Solaris.

The first time that I watched this movie, I thought this is crap for I was expecting just another Sci Fi horror. For some reason though, it kept calling me, trying to get my attention whenever I went back to the video store. I would think, there’s that movie again and every time I went to the store, I just kept noticing it. This movie and I was having this private little thing together, it was so bizarre. So, after about a year of having this weird schizophrenic episode thingy with it, I gave in and picked it up again.

The second time I watched it, knowing what to expect I was able to soak it in, unfettered by my own need for something different, and I cried. The two times that I watched it after, that I have cried as well. It is a beautiful story, of a man who lost someone he love dearly and gets this second chance, by a strange act of fate to be with her agian. The catch was, that she was not the real person, just what he remembered of her. I love that line at the end when he says, “I am haunted by the thought that I remembered her wrong.”

That is a beautiful sentiment, which is also true of the tragedy and reality of death.

All we have are the memories; the real person is gone forever.

I think that anyone who has ever lost someone, been lonely, heartbroken or looking for that perfect fit will see in this movie a part of themselves and be able to relate to it.



The only other movie, I cried in was Return of the Jedi, when Darth Vader died in Luke’s arms, but I was very drunk at the time... so I don’t know if that counts.

[xhouseboy]

The Duelists
Barton Fink
Taxi Driver
Godfather part 1 & 2
Fargo
Fire Walk With Me
The Turn of the Screw
Raging Bull
The Longriders
Lawrence of Arabia
The Usual Suspects
Trainspotting
Starman
Body Heat
Scarface
Casino
Unforgiven
The Wizard of Oz

A question that someone may be able to help me with, please. I'm looking for the name of a film starring Jeff Daniels, as I want to see if I can get it on ebay. He's an air crash investigator, and his friend dies at a barbecue just as he's about to deliver the punchline of a joke. Daniels then becomes paranoid, thinking that he may also die unexpectedly, and it bugs him throughout the rest of the film that he never got to hear the end of the joke.

Anyone? Thanx.

[three seven]

He's an air crash investigator, and his friend dies at a barbecue just as he's about to deliver the punchline of a joke. Daniels then becomes paranoid, thinking that he may also die unexpectedly, and it bugs him throughout the rest of the film that he never got to hear the end of the joke.Checking Out.

[kohuether]

Some favorites:

Boondock Saints
American Psycho
Resevoir Dogs
The Usual Suspects
Pulp Fiction
oops, almost forgot Memento (thanks razormoney)

[matthewrobertblack]

There are a few I cannot live without:

The Shawshank Redemption
Goodfellas
Glengarry Glenross
Fargo

Hmmm, there are some other classics (Dumb and Dumber might be the funniest movie ever created), but for the most part those four listed above are essential to any collection in my mind, especially Shawshank and Glengarry Glenross (if you haven't seen this, it's quite possibly one of the best casted, best acted films of all time; get your hands on it!!!)

[SusanR]

On Golden Pond- because I love Katherine Hepburn, it's visually gorgeous, and I loved seeing an older couple.

The Fugitive because I actually yelled, "Run!" at one point in the movie.

Big Fish - because it was so strange and wonderful.

Shakespeare in Love - such a love knot!

The Water Boy because I think it's funny as hell.

SusanR

[Royale With Cheese]

<----------Take a wild guess

[Royale With Cheese]

Royale with cheese?

Yeah, yeah I spelled my screename wrong. Oh well.