So this is kind of experimental as threads go. It will rely heavily on audience participation. And could be seen/read as “film studies for idiots”. And yes. I am an idiot so please don’t think I’m being snarky.
What I’m looking for are folks to, well, champion a movie they feel is cinematic perfection. Doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks (and no dunking on the opinions of others, thankyouplease). Provided you hold it in high regard, I only ask you do what you can to sell it to others.
I’ll go first. And it’s some low hanging fruit.
Robocop
This is a film which keeps on giving. On its surface, it’s an entirely competent and indeed notable 80’s action flick. Lots of guns, lots of swearing, lots of gore. Luvverly. But….if you’re of a mind and leaning to dig beneath the surface? It’s a very positive rabbit hole of competent film making. I won’t go into it here, as much of what I’ve come to appreciate was first pointed out by various YouTube’s (particularly FactFiend, which you should absolutely check out)
Now, there are many, many films which require some level of media awareness/further viewing to properly understand. But Robocop absolutely can be enjoyed as a stupid action flick, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Pacing is good. Plot is kind of simplistic but well delivered, and the acting is above par for its genre. But if you care to dip your toe into the realm of film studies? As mentioned it just keeps giving.
Given I’ve praised it as an 80’s flick? That’s quite remarkable.
Whenever discussions like this come up I always mention:
Goodfellas
For me Goodfellas is true cinematic perfection. Whenever I watch it the time just flies by, not bad for a film that's almost two and a half hours long. The reason being that each scene is just crafted so well, there is no redundancy.
A lot of people talk about Joe Pesci (specifically "Why am I funny?") or the walk into the Copacabana on Henry and Karen's first date. There are so many more scenes that could be used as examples of cinematic masterpiece though. From the prison scenes, to the wedding, to the scene at Tommy's mother's house. There simply isn't a scene I would want to cut from the entire film.
Scorsese is no slouch when it comes to cinema, he excelled even himself with Goodfellas though, and has not made a better film since.
Romeo + Juliet.
The cast is magnificent, the costume design phenomenal, the musical score- it just hits on so many levels. Even better, it is just flat out entertaining and a fun, wild ride- that happens to be outstandingly made.
It also helps preserve an era and a locale. By staying so true to its 90s Miami aesthetic... the thing became a period piece as time marched on and left that style behind. I haven't seen anything get South Florida so right since Romeo + Juliet until Burn Notice.
Perfect family entertainment. The characters are so over the top, and so perfectly suited to the film. The fight scenes are well crafted and hugely enjoyable. Its totally safe for kids, but enough in there for adults as well.
Infinitely quotable. Its inconceivable that anyone would not enjoy this film.
This movie was amazing and a really fun ride. Colorful characters and a happy ending. Terrance Hill plays Joe Thanks who might actually be the Coyote spirit.
so, spoilers?
It's an adventure to make some money and screw the government, by way of the U.S. cavalry, in the process.
It's easily as good as My name is Nobody. But thankfully the soundtrack isn't played at full blast in this film. I believe I read this was either a prequel or sequel to My name is Nobody. Terrance Hill seems to be playing the same character.
Memorable characters and a strange reversal of the hero/sidekick dynamic (the hero is the bumbling fool while the sidekick is the badass) are a big part of why this movie is great. The music is very '80s and I mean that in a good way (most if not all of John Carpenter's movies have great music, and he did a lot of it himself!). There's lots of action scenes but no over-the-top blood and gore (other than the one dude exploding). And like The Princess Bride, mentioned above, this movie is extremely quotable.
Without a doubt, one of my all-time favorite movies!
I'm gonna go for a (possibly) lesser known film, that is probably gonna be like marmite.
Another Earth (2011)
Brit Marling plays an aspiring astrophysicist, about to start at MIT, who has a life changing event. This is one of those great movies that uses a sci-fi concept (a duplicate Earth is discovered) to talk about real life concerns - what would you do if you could start your life all over again, redemption, forgiveness etc.
However, don't expect a sci-fi movie. It's slow, emotional and the sci-fi elements are very much in the background in this one, but it's a great movie. Bit depressing though, lol.
Aliens, Pulp Fiction and The Good, the Bad, the Ugly.
I have a lot of favorite movies and favorite directors but when I think about one movie from those trio the first thing that comes to my mind is the very same thought: absolute perfection. Even if they are three very different movies. But they're all perfect examples about how cinema should be done.
The most notable works from John Carpenter, including the already mentioned Big Trouble in Little China, also fit this category with also an interesting feature: they're all low budget movies and yet so damn close to perfection. That's why I'd give them some notable mention even if they do have immediately recognizable flaws.
The best films should have tight themes that are portrayed through excellent script, a consistent environment, characters that develop and make sensible decisions and that, whether they be good or evil, we have empathy for.
Groundhog Day does all this and is bloody funny too.
Its clever, cool and funny - great acting by all involved - some excellent fight scenes and great dialogue and just a wonderful movie to enjoy throughout.
Its clever, cool and funny - great acting by all involved - some excellent fight scenes and great dialogue and just a wonderful movie to enjoy throughout.
Parasite, and better, Snowpiercer.
Snowpiercer can be mapped to Plato’s Allegory of the Cave in a fine grained way, movement to movement. Flat genius.
Parasite is, as one major character suggests openly, a metaphor for the codependency of the rich and working poor in neo feudal latter day capitalism. For instance, the old man living in the basement of the house, worshipping the rich icon, having borrowed himself into living in hiding in a cave in the bowels of the home while still worshipping the rich icon, though his devotion to this dream keeps his wife a slave and he as well, without hope, all of them desperate…
And another metaphorical movie, this one lighter and newer, on Netflix, Don’t look up! Is a metaphor for how selfish short sighted egoist cult of personality type politicians and big tech “leaders” are destroying the world… the asteroid is only a literary device. The real danger is from high offices, not outer space, as the actual story does make clear by the end.
This is perhaps timeline contextual. It’s an Arnie film when Arnie was absolutely at the top of his game, as were action movies.
If you try to purge your memory of your wider experience, this is a Stand Out offering.
We get to see Arnie Arnieing. Cheesy one liners. Feats of kind of realistic strength. Frankly unfeasible bullet repelling. Up to and including the attack on the Gueruilla camp it’s all 80’s action flicks by the numbers, and a decent example of that dubious craft.
But…then it kind of inverts itself. All that time spent building his squad as ultimate, take no prisoners, take even less poo and ask only the most pertinent questions badasses is….solidly challenged.
This is writ most large when Jesse Ventura gets all ded, as we see the Usual Action Movie Solution, applied by those of pretty high skill just…..fail. They barely graze the beastie.
And it’s that (again if you do your best to watch it with fresh eyes) inversion of the trope that makes it so effective.
The finale showdown is again back to classic Arnie, but with him as the underdog literally living by his wits.
Love your synopsis of Robocop and Predator there MDG! I agree wholeheartedly. Both films for me are absolute cinematic excellence, and I try to revisit them every year or two.
My film will be The Matrix (1999)
I'm not ever going to be able to give justice to how much I love this film or how great it is.
Think back to 1999.. you have to remember everyone was almost soiling their pants over the forthcoming new Star Wars prequel. (One film's takings were massive because people were seeing it, just because it was the first film to include the Phantom Menace preview!)
Then out of the left-field came a film that took everyone by surprise, and blew them all away.
Where do I start? The cast (everyone was perfectly cast.. Keanu, Hugo Weaving, Carrie-Ann Moss, Laurence Fishburne).
The action sequences - the fighting, combined with some of the new special effects (the now ubiquitous bullet time)
The drama! I still remember the audience letting out a groan as Laurence Fishburne's Morphius is getting beaten up by A Smith, and it becomes obvious he is going down. The first time Neo finally decides to not run and try and take on an Agent (really the moment the whole movie has been building up towards). The music drops several octaves and you just know something special is about to happen. And then, that scene..
The sequels could never ever match the impact that the original made. They had their moments, but they could never ever be the cinematic bombshell that landed with the original film in 1999.
Just writing this makes me want to watch the original again, and I have just got hold of a 4k remaster of it
For me it’s „Prestige” - just the right amount of Nolan in a Nolan movie. Thick atmosphere, great cast and acting all around (and a cherry on top - Bowie as Tesla), and a spot on depiction of two major psychiatric disorders - the best I saw anywhere.
For me it’s „Prestige” - just the right amount of Nolan in a Nolan movie. Thick atmosphere, great cast and acting all around (and a cherry on top - Bowie as Tesla), and a spot on depiction of two major psychiatric disorders - the best I saw anywhere.
I second this - a great and absorbing watch, with a couple of real twists - one you may have seen coming, the other totally not!!
Valkyrie wrote: Interstellar. Some of the best visuals and music I've ever seen on the screen.
Nolan can do striking visuals - but his characters and story are (IMO) empty, souless relying purely on the imgery. style but no substance.
Goodfellas - agree fantastic movie.
Black Hawk Down
From another director who is the master of light, image and style but also has much more in his films - its looks fantastic sure but the action scenes are brilliant, the characters work well and excellent unforgetable moments
Valkyrie wrote: Interstellar. Some of the best visuals and music I've ever seen on the screen.
Nolan can do striking visuals - but his characters and story are (IMO) empty, souless relying purely on the imgery. style but no substance.
Try, if you haven't already seen, The Prestige, Insomnia and Memento, IMHO the best works from Nolan. Maybe Inception too. I think those movies got a lot of substance and characters are great. I agree about his most mainstream movies being primarily oriented on the imagery.
Valkyrie wrote: Interstellar. Some of the best visuals and music I've ever seen on the screen.
Nolan can do striking visuals - but his characters and story are (IMO) empty, souless relying purely on the imgery. style but no substance.
Try, if you haven't already seen, The Prestige, Insomnia and Memento, IMHO the best works from Nolan. Maybe Inception too. I think those movies got a lot of substance and characters are great. I agree about his most mainstream movies being primarily oriented on the imagery.
Tried 'em both - hugely underwhelmed. Especially Inception - looked quite pretty but that was about it (IMO) - he especially has an issue with making any kind of female character,
I would go for...
Starship troopers.
Because it upsets so many American's 'I love the book'? No!
Because its the best fascist propaganda film I have ever seen. It follows the structures of the old Nazi and similar films. Really should be a text book film at film school demonstrating how the formula works.
It probably would have got less flak if it didn't have the name of the book, but hey. Even the story of how they got it past the exec's that would periodically enquire is brilliant.
Then on a personal note
District 9. As a former refugee camp worker the attitudes of the staff were spot on. For the rest its just a great sci fi action film. And undoubtedly South Africa's greatest cinematic achievement
I hate questions like these because when I think about it, there's not many films I truly love. I've seen lots of great films but very few that I think were genuinely spectacular.
The Godfather is certainly up there, as is Deerhunter. Princess Bride also a classic.
But for cinematic perfection? School of Rock. Fantastically enjoyable film, its a good laugh, great soundtrack and it's a warm and daft to watch.
I tried to Watch Deerhunter again recently (my partner hadn't seen it at all and I hadn't for many years). It's still an extremely powerful film and parts of it leave you in shock, and I admire how it was filmed, but my goodness is it slow to watch these days. One of the opening sequences of the wedding in the church and people just dancing around with a medley of music and half-heard dialogue. The scene lasted 25 minutes!
It definitely shows how films have changed - if it was filmed nowadays, De Niro would be setting people on fire with a flamethrower within the first 10 minutes..
Valkyrie wrote: Interstellar. Some of the best visuals and music I've ever seen on the screen.
Nolan can do striking visuals - but his characters and story are (IMO) empty, souless relying purely on the imgery. style but no substance.
Try, if you haven't already seen, The Prestige, Insomnia and Memento, IMHO the best works from Nolan. Maybe Inception too. I think those movies got a lot of substance and characters are great. I agree about his most mainstream movies being primarily oriented on the imagery.
All fantastic films. Watched Memento again recently and it still holds up pretty well today, again very good casting.
The Prestige is just thoroughly entertaining; Bale and Jackman are exceptional in it, was utterly enchanted by David Bowie!
Olthannon wrote: But for cinematic perfection? School of Rock. Fantastically enjoyable film, its a good laugh, great soundtrack and it's a warm and daft to watch.
I think that's a good point and a good film to raise it on. School of Rock is not an amazing film. There are certainly many a film that would beat it in terms of critical reception. But for what that film set out to achieve it was perfect, and that's the standard that perfection should be judged by.
For me, Aliens is almost flawless. Everything about it, from the tight characterisation to the action sequences. The underlying theme of motherhood drives things forward without becoming preachy.
The Matrix: it's hard to go back to 1999 and remember how good a film this was. Not just bullet time, but gripping action sequences, and a light philosophical dusting that enlivens the movie without weighing it down like the sequels. The scene where Neo wakes up and sees the world as it really is remains as unsettling as it was then. A million times better than the soggy wet fart that was The Phantom Menace in the same year.
Ok, mine. The Descent. The friendships are realistic, with tensions just under the surface that rise later on. The series of small mistakes and character flaws that compounds to really screw the team over. Most of all though, the slow, careful progress and sweaty claustrophobia of the cave system are pitched perfectly. British ending, of course.
Lilo and Stitch is my favourite Disney. It manages to combine a broken-then-reunited family tearjerker, several redemption stories and a fish-out-of-water plus new-pet-with-a-history comedy.
Every scene hits its note - the tears are for real, the family stuff is gritty, the SF and comedy scenes are outrageous fun. The characters are tough on the outside, but fragile and damaged on the inside, constantly butting heads in their attempts to bond. They come together to heal at just the right pace.
My Neighbour Totoro deals with heavy issues lightly, and the way the hidden world slowly works its way into the sisters' lives is magically done. Mononoke and Spirited Away may deal with weightier themes, and bring the mythical and the everyday together powerfully, but Totoro is a hearty bowl of soup for the soul.
Mr Morden wrote: he especially has an issue with making any kind of female character,
That's a generic problem cinema has had for decades, not just Nolan's. Before the 90s pretty much every movie had 90% of the cast reserved to males and pretty much every single protagonist was a male. Think about all the greatest directors in history and all the most famous movies, not many female characters there and mostly sidekicks or love interests.
That's why we have so many great actresses today and not many actors: not that women are currently better in acting than men, they just have tons of roles that aren't copy/paste of something that was already done. I for example currently have 6-7 favorite actesses and maybe 1-2 favorite actors.
From Nolan's works I remember a great Carrie Ann Moss in Memento, Hilary Swank in Insomnia and Marion Cotillard in Inception. The latter is certainly my favorite character in that movie.
Lilo and Stitch is my favourite Disney. It manages to combine a broken-then-reunited family tearjerker, several redemption stories and a fish-out-of-water plus new-pet-with-a-history comedy.
Every scene hits its note - the tears are for real, the family stuff is gritty, the SF and comedy scenes are outrageous fun. The characters are tough on the outside, but fragile and damaged on the inside, constantly butting heads in their attempts to bond. They come together to heal at just the right pace.
Olthannon wrote: But for cinematic perfection? School of Rock. Fantastically enjoyable film, its a good laugh, great soundtrack and it's a warm and daft to watch.
I think that's a good point and a good film to raise it on. School of Rock is not an amazing film. There are certainly many a film that would beat it in terms of critical reception. But for what that film set out to achieve it was perfect, and that's the standard that perfection should be judged by.
By that metric, Bikini Carwash Company 2. It’s one of those rare sequels that surpass the original.
But really, Clue. Clue is the perfect murder mystery comedy.
I have a really hard time finding any faults with Commando. It's pretty perfect for the genre and paced in such a way that even when it slows down, it doesn't really drag.
To steal a quote "Fellowship of the Ring is so good it makes me angry", especially as it came out shortly after George Lucas was going through the motions of spooning warm vomit into my eyes and ears with those prequel efforts (but hey at least he warmed it up looking at you JJ and Ryan), pitch perfect cast, stunning cinematography and a cracking adaption of the source material, yes there are tweaks but not even classics can dodge that these days, and yes it was diminishing returns with the other two and the less said about The Hobbit the better but Fellowship is awesome sauce
The filming and casting are absolutely spot on. It doesn’t matter that Arnie is monosyllabic, as it suits his character (arguably redefined the character).
The theme musics are spot in and absolutely out of this world.
If it was just the awesome theme tune - that would almost be enough but then we have the building tension throughout, the great camera work and angles when it follows characters or the Dog - yeah the dog - never looked at dog the same way again. The Ending is also genius
Also one fo the rare films with a excellent sequal which takes the time to enact all the elements that we see "later" in the original film at the Norwegians base.
@ Mr Morden, I agree on The Thing, it's most likely his best film (although I've a soft spot for Big Trouble) is that the one where the commentary is basically Kurt and John getting boozed right up ?
One of my genuine passions in life is following a thread back to its origin. And oh my, The Thing is the start of the thread for a great many special effects - and like many, many other ground breaking movie special effects, all done on a tight budget.
As documented in other threads, that sort of “OK, boss man wants this…how the bloody hell do we do it” experimentation (and the associated craft of lighting and filming it so it looks as not crap as possible) is something I feel pure CGI is a cop out over.
Don’t get me wrong. I’ve nowt against CGI as a thing. It is absolutely an art form unto itself. But for me, it’s just Not As Good, on its own.
Practical effects with CGI nip and tuck? Awesome.
On a tight budget and can’t afford practical effects, but restrain your vision to what pure and perhaps necessarily CGI, all good with me.
But……
Can’t afford owt, so turn to crappy CGI in place of a plot? GTFO. Then in the bin. Then on fire. Then in a concrete block. Then in the sea. Cinema does not need you.
Maybe one of the most underrated Disney movies made. Made at a time when Disney was changing its image a bit, it didn't have a great Box Office response. However, it killed it in DVD releases. Most Disney movies around the time were funny, yes. But many of them were morals with humor added to them. The Emperor's New Groove was not that, this was a straight up comedy.
David Spade, John Goodman, Eartha Kitt, Patrick Warburton, Wendie Malick. What an amazing cast. Sting got an Academy Award nomination for the song "My Funny Friend and Me" and lost to Bob Dylan that year.
Sadly I suspect the opinions of many will be tainted by its increasingly awful sequels. But this first one? It’s really, really good. Kind of claustrophobic, but from a voyeuristic view. We’re not so much scared for ourselves, but for the cast members.
Overall it’s a very effective horror/thriller. Certainly it was impressive enough to breathe life into its own niche genre, with a great many imitators of varying worth.
Mad Max: Fury Road. A beautiful, operatic, OTT wonder of a movie which surpases the already excellent pror trilogy. Not a beat missed or a moment wasted. A joy to watch.
And Krull also loses points for dubbing over a perfectly understandable English accent (with a voice at least 20 years older), not even Neeson and Tucker Jenkins cover the lost points
1987 was an excellent year for cinema and this one lived up to its message; "Never stop. Never stop fighting until the fight is done." From the opening harmonica to the closing theme, this is a production which never gives up and fights for every scene and every shot. As a result it is one of the greatest films of all time.
Unlike most other mob'n'gangster films( a genre I have little time for ), The Untouchables brings to the table as much heart as it does violence. The young bomb victim isn't only collatorial damage, but someone's daughter, Wallace isn't just an accountant but a lost Musketeer. Malone...well, go and watch the film.
Each of the Federal team is a memorable character, while Billy Drago and Robert DeNiro deliver villainous performances that we certainly don't forget in a hurry.
And above all else, the music is perfect. Ennio Morricone's finest score, and that is not said lightly after all the masterpieces he has contributed to cinema over the decades.
Army of Darkness is just a perfect movie. It works beautifully as sequel to Evil Dead 2 but also stands alone as a movie set in the same universe but separate from the earlier films (although it is directly referenced in Evil Dead 2).
It has all of the same humour of Evil Dead 2, but it feels like Bruce Campbell had really grown into the role. Some people might bemoan the special effects, but it's a great nod to classic films of the Ray Harryhausen era. It also references so many other classic movies (A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, Robin Hood, to name a couple) and pop culture references.
It was also the first film I remember seeing that had alternate endings and post credit scenes.
It's not up there in terms of cinematography, script writing, performances as some of the other titles in this thread, but for me it is perfection.
Sadly I suspect the opinions of many will be tainted by its increasingly awful sequels. But this first one? It’s really, really good. Kind of claustrophobic, but from a voyeuristic view. We’re not so much scared for ourselves, but for the cast members.
Overall it’s a very effective horror/thriller. Certainly it was impressive enough to breathe life into its own niche genre, with a great many imitators of varying worth.
Loved that film when it first came out - I recommend the original version and ending, rather than the Spielberg one (not quite sure why he felt he had to get involved and change it).
Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:Conan The Barbarian
Oh. Oh my. What a slice of odd perfection.
The filming and casting are absolutely spot on. It doesn’t matter that Arnie is monosyllabic, as it suits his character (arguably redefined the character).
The theme musics are spot in and absolutely out of this world.
But just a supremely confident bit of Easy Watching (cinema equivalent of Easy Listening) without flaw.
Those films are so great. If you haven't yet read it, I definitely recommend reading Arnie's biography - there is a really interesting section on those films and some of the characters that were involved in the production. It does make you actually wonder how some of these films ever get made as there are so many stumbling blocks!
Army of Darkness is just a perfect movie. It works beautifully as sequel to Evil Dead 2 but also stands alone as a movie set in the same universe but separate from the earlier films (although it is directly referenced in Evil Dead 2).
It has all of the same humour of Evil Dead 2, but it feels like Bruce Campbell had really grown into the role. Some people might bemoan the special effects, but it's a great nod to classic films of the Ray Harryhausen era. It also references so many other classic movies (A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, Robin Hood, to name a couple) and pop culture references.
It was also the first film I remember seeing that had alternate endings and post credit scenes.
It's not up there in terms of cinematography, script writing, performances as some of the other titles in this thread, but for me it is perfection.
Along with Aliens it's the movie that I watched the most, more than 10 times for sure. Probably my favorite comedy as well. Ash was my childhood superhero .
A movie that I'd put up alongside Princess Bride for just being a fun couple of hours, especially if youve got no/older kids:
The 5th Element. It's sci-fi, its a bit of mystery, its a bit of action, its got comedy and drama, and it even has a romantic thing thrown in there. It's got big budget, blockbuster effects and "mindless popcorn eating" appeal as well.
Gary Oldman is perfect as well. . . Gary Oldman's character (I mean, was there anything he was terrible in???), Bruce Willis as Corbin Dallas was about as perfect a cast as you could get for that particular film as well.
Yeah, its just a fun flick to return to over and over again
Gary Oldman is perfect as well. . . Gary Oldman's character (I mean, was there anything he was terrible in???), Bruce Willis as Corbin Dallas was about as perfect a cast as you could get for that particular film as well.
Apparently just "The Woman in the Window" who had terrible reviews and got plenty of nominations at razzie awards, although Oldman's wasn't directly nominated. I thought it was a solid movie instead, and certainly a solid performance by Oldman so I'd say no there isn't anything he was terrible in .
I would have made one change… a scene at the end of a rescue team searching wreckage and one guy shouting ‘over here…’.
I don't know - I really like that we don;t know what happens or even if either / both of them are the Thing.
Me too, I love the ambiguous ending. There has been loads of commentary on whether either one of them is the Thing (I read one a while ago saying the chap sat opposite McReady isn't exhaling any warm air when he breathes - I don't know if anyone has asked John Carpenter if that was intentional!)
It has for me I think the single most tense, uncomfortable scene I have ever seen in any film. The part when McReady has everyone tied to chairs and is going through one after the other testing the blood with a hot wire. I think I held my breath through that entire sequence. It then dispels manages to dispel tension before (quite literally) jumping out at you with the scare. I think it has to rank as one of the finest bits of film making I have ever seen, and definitely a high point from Carpenter.
Also the bit with the stoner guy witnesses the head detaching, falling to the floor and walking off "you've got to be fething kidding me"
"Gentlemen. I understand you've all been through a lot lately. But if its all the same to you I'd rather not spend the rest of this winter...TIED TO THIS ****ING COUCH!!!"
Big Fish is a great movie, but a bit too emotional for me to rewatch it often. It’s probably also the reason the narmtastic original ending for Secondhand Lions was cut and replace with a more subdued and tasteful ending.
Secondhand Lions is not quite a perfect movie, but it’s like a blend of two movies that are: Big Fish and Princess Bride.
Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure is quite possibly the best time travel movie ever made. Also, quite possibly the best buddy movie ever made. Arguably the most wholesome movie ever made.
Blade Runner. I'm not even gonna explain this one, I don't have to.
The Mummy (1999) the first one - CGI was just good enough to pull it off, the cast has amazing chemistry. One of the best pulp movies ever made.
The Empire Strikes Back - This is IMO the movie that truly made Star Wars and arguably changed film making in many ways (true serialization of film, bad guys ascendant, etc).
Tremors - this movie takes what 'should' be a low budget horror movie and somehow turns a turd into a perfect diamond with a combination of fantastic casting and NOT making the protagonists horror movie stupid.
Now this might seem low hanging fruit, given it’s a broadly well received cash juggernaut. But to me it’s extra special, because some of early scenes are set in my home city of Edinburgh.
Given Edinburgh is a capital city of the world, it’s oddly rare for it to feature in a movie. Even Trainspotting filmed certain scenes in Glasgow.
That in itself is a treat to me. Pretty much everywhere, barring rooftops, I can say “I’ve been right there!”. Which is pretty rad in my book.
It’s also such an excellent pay off on everything that came before. Sure it’s somewhat trope based, but I figure they earned it.
Every Avenger gets their chance to kick someone’s arse, and none of it feels forced. And more impressively to my mind, it captures the feel of each movie that came before. When it’s a GOTG scene, it feels like a GOTG scene. Thor’s scenes kinda of straddle his three solo outings, so forth and so on.
Nothing feels forced, or compressed, or skipped over.
And let us all be completely honest. The MCU has been not just a box office juggernaut (I do like that word!), but a cultural one. Often imitated, but no-one coming even close. This could’ve been phoned in, and like the slags we are, we’d still have shelled out. To borrow from other movies, it’s still a Slice of Fried Gold through and through,
That it’s sequel, in my opinion, topped it is another thread entirely - because End Game came off a series High and somehow climbed higher.
It’s just a very, very satisfying movie. A bit dumb and certainly not exactly perfect. But it’s still a genuine Chef’s Kiss of a blockbuster, precisely because we’re all media slags and would’ve paid to see it regardless.
The Three Musketeers ('73)/The Four Musketeers ('74). Shot as one movie, divided into two in post-production, and simply excellent at everything it does. The casting is perfection, the acting is superb, the writing has just the right mix of pompous period drama and down-to-earth wit, it slides from heart-rending drama to side-splitting comedy with a seamless ease that more recent imitators have often tried and failed to manage, and there is a tension and a drama to the action that movies with twenty times the budget often fail to achieve.
Another rare example of a sequel arguably topping the original.
Given its tooled up and trained soldiers vs the star beast, this could’ve been a massively dumb mess. A movie made In The Kwest 4 Kash.
Instead we get a movie which only builds on the original - and importantly not only keeps the beastie terrifying, but (again arguably) makes it more terrifying, when we see it’s part of a Hive Mentality, and capable of complex team work.
The final scenes are kind of a retread (yeeted into space), but don’t really feel like a retread. It’s the same death, but on a different scale.
The Power Loader could’ve felt like a convenient contrivance. But thanks to its intro scene, where we find Ripley is trained in its use, unless you’ve already seen the film it doesn’t land as a Chekov’s Gun. It has a clear civilian use, so Ripley being trained makes sense. We see it put to its intended purpose, so it’s mere existence makes sense. It’s eventual use feels suitably desperate thanks to some excellent tension building.
The entire cast are great. The Colonial Marines we get to know feel like distinct characters. Their banter feels natural (Vasquez, you ever been mistaken for a man? No, have you?). Gorman in particular is one of my favourites, simply because we see some level of redemption. And one can argue The Company chose him because he was a bit green, therefore more likely to make mistakes and get more people implanted through mistakes. Yet at his demise, he’s a Good And Loyal Comrade. He doesn’t leave his soldier behind. He fights as hard as he can.
Just all of it is superb. So, so many nice little touches, including things the cast wouldn’t see as out of place (sticky goo on the dropship ramp, in a harsh and damp atmosphere) which gives us the audience a sense of foreboding.
Surprised no one has mentioned LotR yet, but I'm nonetheless going to take that as read and go for something a little less epic and a lot more recent:
Knives Out.
On a surface level, it's a flawless execution of a modernised Whodunnit format, bringing with it a charismatically odd detective, a cast of suspects and supporting characters that transcend just being Cluedo pieces, and a knowing nod-and-a-wink appreciation of the genre's long history, from Holmes through Poirot to where we are now. Fantastic performances from a stellar cast, and most importantly a mystery that is by no means easy to solve, but when viewed from the end of the movie with all the information, makes perfect sense and doesn't rely on any sudden rug-pulls or facts that aren't largely apparent with hindsight.
But what elevates it beyond a very saturated genre and makes it one of my all-time favourites, a cosy armchair of a film I can fall into again and again, is the sheer style and flair with which it's executed. The camera work, set design and score turn scenes of static investigation into compelling, evocative theatre (incidentally, it'd work perfectly adapted to stage, I do hope that happens one day), and the subtlties of structure and attention to detail render the film impeccably coherent. Not a single moment goes wasted, not one character irrelevant except, amusingly, the handful whose irrelevance is their whole purpose. The script just bursts with wit, charm and smirking judgement of the more reprehensible characters whom it lets hang themselves with their own dialogue throughout, leaving you in no doubt who's good, who's bad and who's neither.
Spoilers ahead as I continue to wax lyrical
Spoiler:
It subverts the genre by having the typical detective slowly shift from simply 'solving' the case to arriving at genuine justice, an important distinction, and conversely manages to make its true villain stand out as utterly vile even amongst a cast of dislikeable and flawed individuals. Meanwhile, you're shown all this from the perspective of a character who has (or thinks she has) all the answers, who you root for even as she attempts to get away with what looks like murder.
And when it all comes together at the end, it's with a wonderful sense of relief that everyone gets exactly what they deserve, rendering this a modern-day An Inspector Calls where those who have lived via lies, intimidation and spite find themselves at the mercy of a fate they brought wholly upon themselves. The movie's commentary of class, on politics and on society in general feels completely earned, again in a way that is atypical in a genre that often deals in well-to-do victims and lowly, working-class villains. It is a genuinely satisfying, feel-good finish to a narrative that at times, has you fooled towards thinking the wrong people are coming out on top.
And if all that's not enough to convince you, just google a trailer, behold Daniel Craig's... unique... accent choices for this one, and let that be all the proof you need!
Another rare example of a sequel arguably topping the original.
Now, Aliens is very good, but those are fighting words!
Alien, The Thing (1982) and Event Horizon are my perfect trifecta of atmosphere horror films.
Ahhhh, hence the key word arguably.
I know which I prefer, and I know it couldn’t be what it…erm….be, without its very excellent predecessor. But for me, the sequel pips the original, thought there’s barely a Gnat’s Chuff between them,
I know which I prefer, and I know it couldn’t be what it…erm….be, without its very excellent predecessor.
I think what I love about the pair of them is that even though they are in the same universe, with the same lead character and the same gruesome monster, is how distinct they are from each other. Which makes arguing over which is the better pointless as, for all their similarities, they're trying to achieve different things.
(and there's also no point arguing as Alien is clearly the better of the two)
Exactly. Aliens is t an atmosphere horror film, it’s a straight up war film, and I love it so. I can also highly recommend Alien elite fireteam if you feel the need to revisit the universe. It’s just perfect!
(and there's also no point arguing as Alien is clearly the better of the two)
There is a point. They're very different movies, written and directed in a very different way. It's perfectly fine to prefer the sequel over the first episode, it's actually the consensus.
I for example have never understood all the hype towards Terminator 2, since the first one was IMHO the absolute perfection and one of my favorite movies of all times and the sequel "just" a wonderful action movie. But I get that it's just my opinion.
I know which I prefer, and I know it couldn’t be what it…erm….be, without its very excellent predecessor.
I think what I love about the pair of them is that even though they are in the same universe, with the same lead character and the same gruesome monster, is how distinct they are from each other. Which makes arguing over which is the better pointless as, for all their similarities, they're trying to achieve different things.
(and there's also no point arguing as Alien is clearly the better of the two)
One of the wonderful things about people. They can watch the same things and come away with different opinions, and each opinion will be equally valid.
Yes, I know this sounds funny coming from me, after I trashed Disney Star Wars so often and so virulently. I've grown up a bit since then and moved on, and realized the wisdom of not fighting over matters of opinion.
I prefer Aliens over Alien. But I won't argue that you should too; your opinion is just as valid as mine.
AnomanderRake wrote: The Three Musketeers ('73)/The Four Musketeers ('74). Shot as one movie, divided into two in post-production, and simply excellent at everything it does. The casting is perfection, the acting is superb, the writing has just the right mix of pompous period drama and down-to-earth wit, it slides from heart-rending drama to side-splitting comedy with a seamless ease that more recent imitators have often tried and failed to manage, and there is a tension and a drama to the action that movies with twenty times the budget often fail to achieve.
I'm going to add another, which I had forgotten about but it happened to be on TV last night and I rewatched it for the umpteenth time and it still didn't disappoint.
Cube (1997- not the new Japanese remake)
6 complete strangers wake up in a cube shaped room with 6 doors, one on each face of the cube. They don't know how they got there, or why, but to escape they must pass through more and more rooms in a trap filled, deadly, maze.
This was a very low budget sci-fi movie that has become somewhat of a cult classic, and elements of the movie have been copied or referenced in other movies.
It works so well because they only had to build one set, and they just relit it to represent different cubes.
But it's more about human nature. Think of Hitchock's Lifeboat and you will know the type of thing.
Anyway, I had forgotten how much I loved this movie and it still holds up pretty well for a 25 year old movie. I haven't seen the recent Japanese remake so can't comment on that one, but I might give it a watch to see how faithful it is to the original.
Cube is pretty excellent. Particularly for me, as we the audience never know anymore than the characters. Yes we see someone get trapped before they do, but the rest is played very close to the chest.
Hyper cube is to be avoided, on account it’s utter cack. But, the prequel Cube Zero? Not essential watching, but if you do watch it after Cube.
Yeah, HyperCube is an example of how cheap CGI just doesn't age well, whereas competent practical effects seem to hold up pretty well.
But also HyperCube just seemed to have forgotten what it was supposed to be (and end product was allegedly completely different to what was planned due to the producers rewriting it....)
I actually really enjoyed Cube Zero though, but definitely watch it after Cube.
Should probably be part of a hypothetical “greatest films you’ve never seen” thread. And it might be yet.
Anyways. Relatively low budget British movie. Background is the near future, and a near total societal collapse because Humans Can’t Have Babies Anymore.
Like the best Zombie movies (though this isn’t a Zombie movie!) the cause isn’t the thrill. The situation is.
It’s so good I don’t want to say anymore. Just watch it by hook or by crook. Just be aware it’s one to pay attention to!
“The cause isn’t the thrill, the situation is.” If that means what I think it does, hard pass. We stopped watching zombie movies when they became all about man’s inhumanity to man. We’d rather watch humans band together to overcome. If we want to see rapes, killing and brutality, we have the news.
I'll second Doc on Children of Men, its one flaw is like he says it requires watching but the soporific dullness of Clive Owen makes that a challenge (i only got through King Arthur due to Mr Winstone's quality accent work along with Kiera's string and paint get up)
Turnip Jedi wrote: I'll second Doc on Children of Men, its one flaw is like he says it requires watching but the soporific dullness of Clive Owen makes that a challenge (i only got through King Arthur due to Mr Winstone's quality accent work along with Kiera's string and paint get up)
Here I would argue his dullness is the key. At all times, his character is Just A Bloke, on a Moral Journey. At no point is he even vaguely in control. And initially he has my own approach of “can I not just go for a pint instead?”
That his character is only a cypher really works here. And I like him. It’s almost, if not exactly, the Les Dawson Piano. Where in order to play that badly, you need to be a serious talent. Perhaps the same? This is solely a suggestion.
But for those poor sods that don’t know Les Dawson (a staple of my childhood)? Here’s what I mean about playing so badly, you first need to know what you’re doing. Apologies for any upsetting words or language, as I’ve not listened to the whole thing.
Flinty wrote: It’s a pretty tough film to watch though, and I cried so hard reading the book. Almost as hard as at Up! I can’t take that level of tragedy any more
That’s where we’re at. The first ten minutes of Up ruined our day. We don’t want any more heartbreak or drama in our lives, and not in our entertainment either.
Oh yes, Children of Men. A movie with probably the best soundtrack ever, with one of my favourite scenes ever (I don't want to spoil it to anyone who hasn't seen it yet, but it's towards the end, during the gunfight in a building). Definitely worth a watch.
I second Cornetto Trilogy, however I would only give top rates to Hot Fuzz.
And while we're at old cult movies, The Boondock Saints and a movie none of you probably saw, Kontroll (2003), a one of a kind hungarian movie about ticket inspectors in a subway.
Automatically Appended Next Post: A'propos zombie movies - while not a champion of a movie, I recommend watching The girl with all the gifts. Very fresh take on the trope.
You know, I started writing another post about an absolutely amazing sports comedy, Blades of Glory, which has managed to age well, despite its ridiculous premise.Will Ferrell is at his scene chewing best, and Amy Pohler and Will Arnett are worth the price of admission all on their own as the incestuous villains.
But as I was writing it I was reminded that there is another, even more perfect comedy film out there- Tropic Thunder.Mocking war movies, actors, and producers it defies explanation. It is a mockumentary that makes blackface not only work, but serve as a significant plot point.I would never have picked them for the roles, but cannot imagine a more perfect cast.
Tropic Thunder is one of my favourite comedies, I can come back to it time and time again. The cast is just excellent. For some reason I feel like it is under-appreciated, although not sure if that is actually the case.
On the Alien/Aliens topic on the last page, I don't think its fair to say one is better than the other as they are quite different films and I would place them in different categories; The original is a horror/thriller/mystery, the sequel an action/horror. Even James Cameron said he knew he would not be able to match the impact and style of the first film and so did something different with the sequel.
They both excel and are standout releases in their own field. I sometimes watch one or the other if I'm in the mood for a particular type of film. I wouldn't say one is better (or even better made) than the other, although they do have their stylistic differences.
Pacific wrote: Tropic Thunder is one of my favourite comedies, I can come back to it time and time again. The cast is just excellent. For some reason I feel like it is under-appreciated, although not sure if that is actually the case.
On the Alien/Aliens topic on the last page, I don't think its fair to say one is better than the other as they are quite different films and I would place them in different categories; The original is a horror/thriller/mystery, the sequel an action/horror. Even James Cameron said he knew he would not be able to match the impact and style of the first film and so did something different with the sequel.
They both excel and are standout releases in their own field. I sometimes watch one or the other if I'm in the mood for a particular type of film. I wouldn't say one is better (or even better made) than the other, although they do have their stylistic differences.
This is why I prefer Resurrection to Alien3.
It’s kind of a rehash of Aliens, in that it’s another action/horror, but at least takes it in a new direction, that being “and this is precisely why The Company could never have been trusted with the Starbeast”. No it doesn’t quite land, the hybrid in particular was quite disappointing. But there is a lot to enjoy in it regardless. Most importantly it doesn’t attempt to retcon anything, which is pleasing.
Alien3 however is an attempted rehash of Alien, but for me completely falls flat. One day I’ll watch the Directors Cut I guess.
A film from the 70’s about nuclear war. I Was shown it in school no less, and it is a brutal depiction.
You will have an emotional response to watching it, which emotions will depend on you.
There was a predecessor to Threads which has very, very peculiar ties to my family,
That was The War Game, where Dead Old Mumsy’s cousin had a bit part. Filmed in 1966, it included a no-mark Kentish Town call Tonbridge. A town my family would ultimately relocate to Circe 1991.
Now. I’m not saying Tonbridge is, was, and will forever be a gakhole of inbreeding and stupidity? But I was instantly ostracised on account Mumsy and Daddykins weren’t related before marriage, had a mere five digits on each extremity, and have most definitely never worshipped a lamppost as The Great Night Sun.
But imagine that. Mum’s cousin from Edinburgh visited an awful craphole a good 25 years before I was forcibly moved there.
Not that I have a particular loathing for that “town”.
Gonna break my own rules a bit. Or least bend them to breaking point…..
Van Helsing
The Hugh Jackman one.
Now. This is far from Cinematic Perfection as such. But, it is a whole lot of fun, and very competent in its own way.
As a follow up to the first two Brendan Fraser Mummy movies (which are cinematic gold, and I probably should’ve lead with that, but here we are all the same!) it’s really rather good.
We get Dracula, Frankenstein’s Monster and the Wolf Man in a largely self contained and self knowingly silly cinematic romp.
Now. Compare its imperfections to the latest efforts by Universal to work its ticket. The latest offerings all just a bit too try hard. Too undeserved edgy. And the less said about anyone giving Tom ‘mentalist’ Cruise any work ever, let alone a wider say on your project the better.
Van Helsing to me feels like an Avengers Movie before it’s time. Indeed I kinda suspect the high heedyins of the MCU have studied Van Helsing. At its core, it’s a fantastic idea. And whilst really quite flawed, it’s still a Fun Film.
The only difference is that the MCU gave its constituent parts their own movies before going for the, well, cinematic gang bang.
I find Van Helsing fits my definition of so-bad-it’s-good perfectly. There is no aspect of that film that isn’t bad—the plot, the characters, the acting, the special effects, all bad—yet they voltron into a glorious trainwreck of a film. Between Frankenstein’s Monster’s “I want to liiiiiiive” and Dracula’s “I have no joy” you’ll be imitating this film for weeks. And if you spot him, you’ll laugh every time you remember the little ugnaut guy going in circles on the wire trolley in the back of Dracula’s lab.
Gonna threadomancy, because I want to get this topic going again.
The Devil’s Rejects
Rob Zombie’s sequel to Rob Zombie already pretty ace House of 1,000 Corpses.
And it’s not a lazy sequel. It’s a proper proper “take the original premise and build upon it” sequel ala Aliens and ESB.
Somehow, it makes the Firefly Family even more awful. Beyond the merest despicable. And we see them get some Just Desserts. A bit of The Boot Being Firmly On The Other Foot. We’re encouraged to hate them. We’re encouraged that they finally face a taste of their own medicine.
And yet….and yet……the finale? What. A. Finale.
We see them having escaped said Just Desserts. At least two of them at death’s door, and I’m pretty sure when they knocked he called them rude names. But….that final scene?
We kind of, against all sense….respect them and their awful lifestyle. They don’t go into the night quietly. Lived by the sword, died by the sword. They’re sick, they’re twisted. Everything about them is wrong. But the following scene? We….kind of route for them. And dare I say it’s a pretty Orky exist from the world?
I mean for those who don’t read my waffle (and I don’t blame you to be honest. Purple is my prose)…to watch this entirely devoid of context you might think they’re Justified Outlaws Finally Brought Low By The Man.
I’ll add Everything Everywhere All At Once. It doesn’t seem to resonate for everyone, but for me it was a moving, mind expanding experience. There are no wasted seconds in the film. Even the dumbest-seeming throwaway gag comes back with some kind of payoff later. The conclusion has like, 5 satisfying character arcs, including one for the audience perspective! The film is a masterclass in set ups and payoffs that aren’t telegraphed. The film tackles many subjects, themes and subgenres that it gave me a lot to think about even weeks after I’ve seen it.
Plus the “villain” has one of the most disturbing, badass intros in decades. I’m not sure I can post it here because it is nsfw.
There’s also a deleted scene alternate intro that really makes more sense later in the film, but is pretty wicked.
