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I’d like to add the original Blair Witch film. At the time, and probably still, the movie that scared me the most.

 Vermis wrote:

The Carry On films. Just because.

OOooh Matron!


Which reminds me - do we have any Python in the list? Something like the Meaning of Life or such is great (honestly though the best bit of the Meaning of Life is the short sketch at the start - freaking heck that was fun to watch! Pirate accountants on the high seas of commerce.).

 Overread wrote:

 Vermis wrote:

The Carry On films. Just because.

OOooh Matron!

Which reminds me - do we have any Python in the list? Something like the Meaning of Life or such is great (honestly though the best bit of the Meaning of Life is the short sketch at the start - freaking heck that was fun to watch! Pirate accountants on the high seas of commerce.).

Prefer Life of Brian

Carry on films - there are some turly brilliant ones - Kyber, Cleo, Screaming, Follow that Camel (usually the ones with Angela Douglas in) but there are some.....less good ones

 greatbigtree wrote:
I’d like to add the original Blair Witch film. At the time, and probably still, the movie that scared me the most.

That's one of those ones that I think a lot of people mention as incredibly formative, but that doesn't tend to translate quite as well when someone comes in.

It's kind of like - I watched the original Predator with my dad, back in high school. And one of the things that he told me was that a huge fraction of the audience, himself included, were TOTALLY blindsided by the fact that these big beefy action hero dudes were going to get ripped to shreds by an alien. I went into that movie basically expecting a sci-fi/war movie themed slasher flick, and it was very fun, but I can't imagine it compares to the shock and amazement at that twist that came from seeing it when it released in the heyday of "Invincible Burly Action Man Destroys All Who Oppose Him For Murica" movies.

Blair Witch (I've heard at least) was far scarier to an audience who did not see other found footage films as they came out. As someone who watched movies like Cloverfield when they came out and watched Blair Witch when found footage horror was becoming kind of a trope, it didn't hit particularly hard for me.

I think that's part of the reason I was so blown away by The Witch, despite it being so similar in terms of "monster identity" to Blair Witch that didn't really get me spooked at all. It was so different, and really forced me out of my comfort zone with how even the basic interactions between the people in the story were an extra layer of foreign to me. I'd never seen anything like it.

 greatbigtree wrote:
I’m going with the movie Dogma, by Kevin Smith. Yes, the one with a literal gak-Daemon in it.

The movie had a weirdly profound impact on me. The point of people having *ideas* that can change, instead of *beliefs* that become fixed.

For myself [glancing off religious belief here, not trying to derail or enter the forbidden zone] I was an atheist, *believing* in a lack of divine presence in the world. But over time the *ideas* presented in the movie helped me to mentally frame my own realization that my own understanding of the universe is imperfect. Just because I don’t see a likelihood of divine existence doesn’t mean it’s not there. I could be wrong.

So when I discuss with others, I try to be respectful of another point of view. My sense of smell comes and goes, my Dad lost his altogether at a youngish age. Just because we can’t smell something, doesn’t mean it’s not there, we just can’t perceive it. This movie helped me to understand that, in its own way.

I think everyone should see it, for exposure to the *ideas* it presents. To take a moment and reflect on them.

A lot of what makes Smith's early work so great is he's often literally just thinking out loud with the audience. Dogma's definitely one of my favorite films in that regard. It's one of the few things out there that walks in the space between challenging.... well, Dogma, and attacking faith. The movie was released at a time in which the inability to discern the two was driving me away and really helped me find a compromise I was happy with.

@ Scotsman: That's likely true. I've never rewatched Blair Witch... I expect it would have much less impact now than it did then, especially with the glut of found footage that followed... but man did it hit like a truck when I first saw it.

@ LunarSol: Yeah. I think it did a decent job of mocking the institutions, rather than the believers / idea-er's.

Beginner/Advanced

Lock, stock and two smoking barrels/Gangster no1
Fistful of Dollars/Yojimbo
Gangs of New York/City of God
Event Horizon/Astartes
The Matrix/Bladerunner
Hot Fuzz/Loaded Weapon
Zombieland/28 Days Later
Saving Private Ryan/Letters From Iwo jima
Ghostbusters/Star Trek: the motion picture
Megamind/A Scanner Darkly
Cowboy Bebop: the movie/Ghost in the Shell 2: innocence

Office Space. Just for the printer murder scene.

One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest. Not as good as the book but still a phenomenal film. Powerful and heartbreaking.

Hero. Absolutely gorgeous film. The colour palettes of each scene and the cinematography are striking.

You mean Hero with Jet Li, or the plane crash one?

 BobtheInquisitor wrote:
You mean Hero with Jet Li, or the plane crash one?

The Jet Li film.

Oooh! One flew over the cuckoo’s nest was probably the second best book I read for schoolwork! Movie was mostly true to the book, and movies never fully capture the books, but Damn! That’s a good movie / book. Another highly formative piece of fiction for me.

I got now that i think back to my Film Class
Boyz N The Hood: Im not sure about a white guy recommending this movie, but it is good.
THX 1138: Very Slow, but you can see how Lucas eventually becomes the bane of Star Wars

The Dollars trilogy would be my immediate recommendation.

Krull.

Enemy Mine.

Alien Nation.

Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan.

 greatbigtree wrote:
Oooh! One flew over the cuckoo’s nest was probably the second best book I read for schoolwork! Movie was mostly true to the book, and movies never fully capture the books, but Damn! That’s a good movie / book. Another highly formative piece of fiction for me.

Talking about films-based-on-books-with-a-bird-in-the-title-that-I-read-for-school: To Kill A Mockingbird.

Just because I don't think it has been mentioned yet, will say the Big Lebowski.

The characters, the narrative, the level of comedy. Some perfect casting with Jeff Bridges, John Goodman and Steve Buscemi (not to mention the supporting cast), and probably one of the best soundtracks ever (I often still listen to the Gipsy Kings version of Hotel California, and Kenny Rodgers 'Just Dropped In'.)

I must have watched the film a dozen times, and still notice new things each time I watch it.

 Just Tony wrote:
The Dollars trilogy would be my immediate recommendation.

Krull.

Enemy Mine.

Alien Nation.

Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan.

All great films! Wrath of Khan especially, damn it is just so hammy when Shatner and Montelbahn are gurning at each other, but it is just a brilliant piece of film making.

I had read that Nicholas Meyer, creator of the film, had had very little exposure of Star Trek before making the film. But he sat down and went through all of the series, picking out what he thought was the best antagonist of the original series (Khan) and the biggest bro-mance between the cast; that of Kirk and Spock. Tied those together with a great script, scenes that are essentially lifted from the greatest submarine movies (when they are fighting blind in the Nebula). Damn just makes me want to watch it again just typing these words

The original "Failsafe".

This movie was arguably one of the best nuclear war thrillers, sadly due to Stanley Kubrick doing a rare deplorable act it never got the recognition it deserved.

Kubrick was making Dr. Strangelove, a true classic in its own right and knew the nuclear war movie era was coming to and end, hence he subtitled it "or how I stopped worrying and learned to love the bomb." Well, failsafe was in production and Kubrick's ego didn't want another nuclear war movie stealing his limelight so he pulled some cheap and sleazy legal tricks to delay the release of failsafe until some months after Dr. strangeleove more or less killed the genre or t least relegated it to cheap scifi movies.

When failsafe was released it didn't get much of the box office love which it deserved. Of coure some people hated it because it dared to imply a nuclear wart may not be all "the commies" fault and portraying russians as human beings even if only heard over a phone.

I generally like and respect kubrick, much in part due to his defiance of the blacklist when he made Spartacus, but this was one of a coupe times in his career he acted like a donkey cave. (The other was trying to kill "space:1999" because he decided putting a year in a scifi title was his idea and no one else could use it.)

Failsafe is still a great movie and should be watched at least once by people. I personally liked Walter Matthau's character, Professor Groeteschele, who really represented the kind of people who talked of "winnable" nuclear wars and "acceptable" casualties. His character became what he accused the soviets of being and in the end seemed to realize what he had become.

Dom Deluise, known as a buffoon, played a rare and very serious dramatic role. Larry hagman may be remembered as the evil J.R. Ewing, but in this case he conveyed a real sense of humanity in the face of absolute horror. As for Peter Fonda's president, we can only weep.

Don’t look up how Kubrick treated Shelly Duval if you want to believe he wasn’t always a massive donkey cave.

 BobtheInquisitor wrote:
Don’t look up how Kubrick treated Shelly Duval if you want to believe he wasn’t always a massive donkey cave.

Wow, I read the article about how Duvall was nearly driven insane doing 'the shining' and saw that stephen King complained that she "was just there to scream and be stupid, that's not the character I wrote about.,"

As I read Kin'g comments I couldn't help thinking about "indiana Jones and the temple of doom." Duvall's character was far better than the helpless screaming object in that movie.

 Pacific wrote:
Just because I don't think it has been mentioned yet, will say the Big Lebowski.

The characters, the narrative, the level of comedy. Some perfect casting with Jeff Bridges, John Goodman and Steve Buscemi (not to mention the supporting cast), and probably one of the best soundtracks ever (I often still listen to the Gipsy Kings version of Hotel California, and Kenny Rodgers 'Just Dropped In'.)

I must have watched the film a dozen times, and still notice new things each time I watch it.

 Just Tony wrote:
The Dollars trilogy would be my immediate recommendation.

Krull.

Enemy Mine.

Alien Nation.

Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan.

All great films! Wrath of Khan especially, damn it is just so hammy when Shatner and Montelbahn are gurning at each other, but it is just a brilliant piece of film making.

I had read that Nicholas Meyer, creator of the film, had had very little exposure of Star Trek before making the film. But he sat down and went through all of the series, picking out what he thought was the best antagonist of the original series (Khan) and the biggest bro-mance between the cast; that of Kirk and Spock. Tied those together with a great script, scenes that are essentially lifted from the greatest submarine movies (when they are fighting blind in the Nebula). Damn just makes me want to watch it again just typing these words

The Ham in Khan is old fashioned Stage Ham. Two blokes overly emoting so those in the cheap seats can follow the plot. It’s perfectly TOS Trek.

 Matt Swain wrote:

As I read Kin'g comments I couldn't help thinking about "indiana Jones and the temple of doom." Duvall's character was far better than the helpless screaming object in that movie.

You mean Mrs Spielberg?

How is this thread on page two without anyone having mentioned tge Shawshank Redemption?

I'll add "A clockwork orange" to the list.

I watched Who Framed Roger Rabbit last night and you should too.

Watching it last night might be a bit difficult. Can I do it in a day or two?

 Turnip Jedi wrote:

 Mr Morden wrote:
Really enjoyed Dark City and still do - not seen the others

its one of those films i regret not seeing on the big screen it was only on one maybe two days locally and clashed with some top level drinking back when i was capable of such things

I was in university at the time of release and wandered into a showing in Aberystwyth's local cinema not really knowing anything about the film.

Next evening I had dragged as many friends as I could convince to see it again

 Jadenim wrote:
I watched Who Framed Roger Rabbit last night and you should too.

Had to go see WFRR against my will back in the day but ended up enjoying it. Must say that the effort that went into lighting the animated characters in the "real world" was admirable.

"Hey Eddie its a SPY HOLE!!!"

SamusDrake wrote:

 Jadenim wrote:
I watched Who Framed Roger Rabbit last night and you should too.

Had to go see WFRR against my will back in the day but ended up enjoying it. Must say that the effort that went into lighting the animated characters in the "real world" was admirable.

"Hey Eddie its a SPY HOLE!!!"

Yeah, knocking the overhead light is one of the most insane attention to detail sequences in film history.

Moon is an hour and a half of pure hard-scifi perfection. Tiny cast, tiny budget, awesome movie.

 Duskweaver wrote:
Moon is an hour and a half of pure hard-scifi perfection. Tiny cast, tiny budget, awesome movie.

Its flipping awesome indeed, and it figured how to make a Sam Rockwell film better simply by adding more Sam Rockwell

Was watching some Georg Rockall-Schmidt on youtube and he mentioned one of my favourites which I feel definitely belongs in this thread.

Brazil

Very funny, incredibly dark and surreal, and the ending (the real one, not the one Universal tried to give it) hits like a punch to the gut from Joe Frazier.

And in what other film do you have Robert DeNiro playing a vigilante plumber-handyman?

Also, the best walk and talk scene in cinema history