What's your top ten movies?

[pete's montreux]

I don't think this has been done in a while and I haven't even thought about it in a few years. I used to think my top ten movies would consist of movies I liked the most but now I realize that can't be true because I watch other movies a lot more than the movies I used to think were my favorites. All of the movies listed below I watch on a semi-regular basis.

I can't put mine in order:

Unforgiven [obviously]
the Assassination of Jesse James...
Let the Right One In
Leon
No Country For Old Men [after disliking it for so long]
the Shining
Taxi Driver
Zodiac
Band of Brothers
Jaws

And that's it. I can't comfortably put movies in that I've only seen once or twice because I tend to overreact or under-appreciate like NCFOM. There are tons that I've seen once that I know I'll end up watching 100 times in my lifetime that will be in my top 10 or 20 but not now.

Can a movie be in your top ten that you've only seen once? How does everyone else do theirs? Your favorites no matter how many times you've seen it or a combination of favorite + number of viewings? Can a movie be in your top ten if you think it has no re-watch-ability factor?

[Gundress]

I love Band of Brothers but it's not movie so it's mini series.

[Scholar]

I can't put any of these movies in order, but my list would be as follows:

Saving Private Ryan
The Dark Knight
Training Day
Pineapple Express
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
The Day the Earth Stood Still
Horrible Bosses

Shit... I'm having a hard time picking 10 movies I'd put in my top 10. I'll just keep it as is.

[FatComputerNerd]

Leon is overrated. I never understood it's high ranking by so many people.

Good movie but it's ranked at #32 in the top 250 on IMDB. That's getting carried away.

[chains5000]

Hot Fuzz and Jurassic Park are the only movies I need.
http://i49.tinypic.com/358s494.gif

[glidedrxlr22]

The Karate Kid 1984
Terminator
The Road Warrior
Dawn of the Dead 2003
Predator
Master of the Flying Guillotine
Fist of the North Star 1986 animated
Scarface
Terminator 2
Shogun Assassin

[step_back]

Of the top of my head.

Shawshank Redemption
The Dark Knight
Good Will Hunting
Pan's Labyrinth
City of God
There Will Be Blood
Blade Runner
The Big Lebowski
My Left Foot
The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button

My top 10 always changes.

[Jasi]

Very tough...
I'll update this post as they come to mind.

The only thing I know for sure is the first spot:

1. Blade Runner (Ridley Scott)

others in no order:
Pi (Darren Aronofsky)
Twelve Monkeys (Terry Gilliam)
One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest (Milos Forman)
Dead Man (Jim Jarmusch)
2001: A Space Oddissey (Stanley Kubrick)
A Clockwork Orange (Stanley Kubrick)
The Shining (Stanley Kubrick)
The Truman Show (Peter Weir)
Dead Poets Society (Peter Weir)
Edward Scissorhands (Tim Burton)

...it may change soon.

[creepingdeath]

Blade Runner
Oldboy
Dawn of the Dead (Original)
Goodfellas
Mulholland Drive
Fight Club
Fellowship of the Rings
Pulp Fiction
Godfather II
Life of Brian

Although with me, such things tend to change... but I reckon Blade Runner, Oldboy and DOTD will always be in my top 10.

[tpols]

Taxi Driver
Goodfellas
Pulp Fiction
LOTR Series
Spiderman 1
Stepbrothers
Devil's Rejects[wouldn't watch again though]
No Country for Old Men
Dodgeball
Training Day

[alenleomessi]

forrest gump
scarface
city of god
back to the future
donnie darko
inception
dumb and dumber
stand by me
stir crazy
shaun of the dead/office space

not necessarily top 10, its just the first that came to mind

[Gundress]

Mine:

Inglorious Basterds
Goodfellas
Rear Window
Coming To America
Fright Night (1985)
Predator (1987)
A Christmas Story
The Prestige
Boyz N The Hood
Enter The Dragon

[pete's montreux]

Very tough...
I'll update this post as they come to mind.

The only thing I know for sure is the first spot:

1. Blade Runner

others in no order:
Pi
Twelve Monkeys
The Usual Suspects
One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest
The Silence of the Lambs

...it may change soon.

Blade Runner is one of the many movies I've seen once or twice that I know I'll revisit many times in the future. I'm constantly thinking about it. I'll watch it again soon, and then again soon after that and I'm sure it'll make It's way into my favorites.

[pete's montreux]

http://i49.tinypic.com/358s494.gif

I watched Hot Fuzz last night. Now I want to watch Point Break.

[MasterDurant24]

My 7 favorites:

Menace 2 Society
Pulp Fiction
Good Will Hunting
Saving Private Ryan
Terminator 2
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Fight Club

[glidedrxlr22]

Gulp..........:facepalm I've never seen Blade Runner. :confusedshrug:

[Shadynasty's]

If I had to bring only 10 movies with me to a deserted island, it'd probably be something like this, in no order...


Sideways
American Psycho
Casino
Dumb and Dumber
Fear And Loathing in Las Vegas
Full Metal Jacket
Lost in Translation
The Shining
Rushmore
The Big Lebowski

[rufuspaul]

In no particular order:

Goodfellas
Casablanca
The Godfather
The Conversation
2001: A Space Odyssey
Alien
Clerks
Witness
Apocalypse Now
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

[rufuspaul]

Gulp..........:facepalm I've never seen Blade Runner. :confusedshrug:

Great film. There are 2 versions out there, the theatrical release and the director's cut. Most people say the director's cut is better and they're probably right but I really liked the theatrical version because it had Harrison Ford narrating in a film noir-like fashion.

[JMT]

A Clockwork Orange
Amadeus
Pee Wee's Big Adventure
Pulp Fiction
Last Boy Scout
The Devil and Daniel Johnston
Terminator
Stepbrothers
Life of Brian
Jaws

[pete's montreux]

Great film. There are 2 versions out there, the theatrical release and the director's cut. Most people say the director's cut is better and they're probably right but I really liked the theatrical version because it had Harrison Ford narrating in a film noir-like fashion.

There's four:

U.S. theatrical
International theatrical
Director's cut
Final cut

[pete's montreux]

A Clockwork Orange
Amadeus
Pee Wee's Big Adventure
Pulp Fiction
Last Boy Scout
The Devil and Daniel Johnston
Terminator
Stepbrothers
Life of Brian
Jaws

Shit, I forgot about Jaws. I don't own it, that's why I forgot. :facepalm I've seen that at least 10 times.

[rufuspaul]

There's four:

U.S. theatrical
International theatrical
Director's cut
Final cut

Cool.

[JMT]

Shit, I forgot about Jaws. I don't own it, that's why I forgot. :facepalm I've seen that at least 10 times.

Saw it in the theater the day it was released. 13-14 years old. Buddy and I went back to the next showing to screw with other people.

"OH MAN, here's where that head pops out!"

We sucked. :roll:

[pete's montreux]

Cool.

Don't get test with me buddy. They're all different.

Final cut is the only one I'll ever watch because It's the only version Ridley Scott had complete artistic control over.

Scott was barely involved with the director's cut.

[pete's montreux]

Saw it in the theater the day it was released. 13-14 years old. Buddy and I went back to the next showing to screw with other people.

"OH MAN, here's where that head pops out!"

We sucked. :roll:

I've seen it more than any other movie in the last two years. I believe It's the greatest reviewed movie ever.

[rufuspaul]

Don't get test with me buddy. They're all different.

Final cut is the only one I'll ever watch because It's the only version Ridley Scott had complete artistic control over.

Scott was barely involved with the director's cut.

Oh quit gargling Ridley's balls.

[DaHeezy]

No particular order

Jerry McGuire
The Lost Boys
Troy
Sleepy Hallow
Ready To Rumble
Rules Of Engagement
Meet Joe Black

I gotta think about the rest

[A.M.G.]

In no order:

Goodfellas
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy
Leon: The Professional
Terminator 2: Judgement Day
Heat
Seven Samurai
Hot Rod
I Love You Man
Casino
City of God
Silence of the Lambs
Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark
The Departed
Back to the Future
Fargo
No Country For Old Men
O Brother, Where Art Thou?
Kick-Ass
The Bourne Identity (hated both sequels)
L.A. Confidential
Sleepy Hollow
Tommy Boy
Wet Hot American Summer
Happy Gilmore
Napoleon Dynamite
Princess Mononoke
Castle in the Sky
Nausicaa of the Valley of the Winds
Kill Bill Vol. 1
Zatoichi: The Blind Swordsman
Pulp Fiction
Reservoir Dogs
Lord of the Rings (count them all as one long ass movie)
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
The Godfather
The Godfather Part II

Some others I'm forgetting.

[pete's montreux]

Oh quit gargling Ridley's balls.

No idea what you're talking about

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v215/pete_rock/IMAG0250.jpg

[HylianNightmare]

not enough LOTR in here

[DaHeezy]

In no order:

Goodfellas
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy
Leon: The Professional
Terminator 2: Judgement Day
Heat
Seven Samurai
Hot Rod
I Love You Man
Casino
City of God
Silence of the Lambs
Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark
The Departed
Back to the Future
Fargo
No Country For Old Men
O Brother, Where Art Thou?
Kick-Ass
The Bourne Identity (hated both sequels)
L.A. Confidential
Sleepy Hollow
Tommy Boy
Wet Hot American Summer
Happy Gilmore
Napoleon Dynamite
Princess Mononoke
Castle in the Sky
Nausicaa of the Valley of the Winds
Kill Bill Vol. 1
Zatoichi: The Blind Swordsman
Pulp Fiction
Reservoir Dogs
Lord of the Rings (count them all as one long ass movie)
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
The Godfather
The Godfather Part II

Some others I'm forgetting.

Glad we know your top ten

[macmac]

Did no one mention Forrest Gump? Really? You guys think you're above Forrest Gump?

A great rewatchable movie needs to have memorable characters, great quotes, a solid story and most importantly, great pacing..all about pacing...

With that said, here's my 10....

Forest Gump
Leon
Casino
Training day
Fargo
The Town
Taxi Driver
Blow
Fellowship of the ring
12 monkeys
Fight Club
Goodfellas

(I know that's 12, couldn't do only 10)

[LJJ]

OUATIA
OUATIW
TGTBTU
2001
A Clockwork Orange
Dr. Strangelove
Barry Lyndon
The Shining
Blade Runner
Apocalypse Now

First place is shared between OUATIA and 2001, the rest is in no order I guess.

[A.M.G.]

Glad we know your top ten
You're not the boss of me!

[UConnCeltics]

The Usual Suspects
Glory Road
Gran Torino
Planet of the Apes (the real one)
Se7en
Forrest Gump
Saving Private Ryan
The Green Mile
Star Wars IV
Star Wars VI

[Waking_Life]

Pulp Fiction
Adaptation
Chinatown
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Cool Hand Luke
Goodfellas
Waking Life
8 1/2
Almost Famous
The Big Lebowski



Honorable Mention

Inception
Godfather I and II
The Fountain
Apocalypse Now
Oh Brother Where Art Thou
Good Will Hunting
Fight Club
Badlands
Mean Streets
The Matrix

[PullupJay]

matrix
inception
rat race
law abiding citizen
space jam
zohan
the punisher
x men 1st one
dodgeball
fghtclub

no order

[pauk]

my top 10 favorite movies:

1. monty python and the holy grail (i can watch this over and over and over and never stop laughing)

*gap*

2. Mel Brooks - Dracula, dead and loving it
3. Stir Crazy
4. Mel Brooks - Spaceballs
5. Evil Dead trilogy
6. Peter Jacksons - Braindead
7. The Matrix 1
8. Monty python, the life of brian
9. Predator 1
10. Indiana Jones trilogy

[Kensta]

No order

The Matrix
Six Sense
Mystic River
Rush Hour 1 & 2
Terminator 2
The Life of David Gale
Silence of the Lambs
Old Boy

[Qwyjibo]

- All this talk about The Assassination of Jesse James on here lately really makes me want to see it again. Loved it and haven't watched it since it first came out.

- Someone put Hot Rod on their list. Not one that I'd have but I admit it's one of the more underrated recent comedies. By all means it should have been a total failure but it had this stupid charm to it and some damn funny moments.

- I think I've watched Blade Runner 3 times now and it has never screamed "greatness" to me. It's a very good 8/10 but beyond the atmosphere, I just don't get the "best ever" hype.


1. The Shawshank Redemption
2. Magnolia
3. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
4. The Lives of Others
5. Trainspotting
6. The Station Agent
7. LA Confidential
8. Mulholland Dr.
9. Platoon
10. Almost Famous

Other "perfect" ones to me but just missing the cut: Closer, Schindler's List, Lawrence of Arabia, Apollo 13, Vanilla Sky, Man Push Cart, The Dark Knight, About a Boy, Amores Perros, Boogie Nights, Synechdoche New York, Into the Wild and a bunch of others.

[Bird]

My top ten is pretty much always revolving, but 5 movies will never leave it:

Ferris Buellers Day Off
Anchorman
Karate Kid (1984)
The Goonies
Casablanca

The other 5, RIGHT now, uh:

Boondock Saints
The Dark Knight
Caddyshack
Wedding Crashers
Fight Club

[JimmyConway]

in no order

raging bull
goodfellas
mean streets
taxi driver
the departed
the aviator
the godfather I and II
apocalypse now
city of god
there will be blood

[baseketball4life]

1. Good Fellas
2. Godfather 1
3. Godfather 2
4. Scarface
5. Casino
6. Once Upon a Time in America
7. A Bronx Tale
8. Carlito's Way
9. Reservoir Dogs
10. The Departed


yeah you know what my favorite genre is :cheers:

[Juges8932]

So hard because I'm sure I'm forgetting a bunch of movies. I will just list the ones that I consistently think of when these threads are brought up:

Remember the Titans
Gladiator
Troy
Braveheart
Gone in 60 Seconds
Australia
Mr. & Mrs. Smith

I have a hard time picking between favorite comedies, very stimulating movies, and superhero movies, so I just kind of have a broad group of those that I enjoy watching. But the list up there is a list of movies I have seen a lot of times and enjoy watching them still.

[Myth]

This is tough, but let me try (not in order):

Pulp Fiction
Inglorious Basterds
Being John Malkovich
Oldboy
Fight Club
Scarface
American Psycho
Dark Knight
Aliens
American History X

[Stuckey]

no order

pulp fiction
training day
big lebowski
in the loop
lost in translation
goodfellas
rounders

[code green]

No order:

1. The Lion King
2. Amadeus
3. Training Day
4. Sleepers
5. Scarface (hate to be that guy, but i can't deny it)
6. Billy Madison/Happy Gilmore
7. Godfather pt 2
8. Enter the Dragon
9. Wristcutters
10. Goodfellas

[KevinNYC]

I don't think this has been done in a while and I haven't even thought about it in a few years. I used to think my top ten movies would consist of movies I liked the most but now I realize that can't be true because I watch other movies a lot more than the movies I used to think were my favorites. All of the movies listed below I watch on a semi-regular basis.

I can't put mine in order:

Unforgiven [obviously]
the Assassination of Jesse James...
Let the Right One In
Leon
No Country For Old Men [after disliking it for so long]
the Shining
Taxi Driver
Zodiac
Band of Brothers
Jaws


Why did you dislike No Country for Old Men for a while? And what changed for you?

And why Zodiac? It was a well made movie, but ultimately (as in real life) a bit frustrating storywise and didn't have the impact of a, say, Silence of The Lambs.

[KevinNYC]

1. Good Fellas
2. Godfather 1
3. Godfather 2
4. Scarface
5. Casino
6. Once Upon a Time in America
7. A Bronx Tale
8. Carlito's Way
9. Reservoir Dogs
10. The Departed


yeah you know what my favorite genre is :cheers:

No Mean Streets? Also have you ever seen Bullets over Broadway, very entertaining even if it's not a full-on gangster movie, I would have both of those over Casino. No Raging Bull?

[RidonKs]

1. The Shawshank Redemption
2. Magnolia
3. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
4. The Lives of Others
5. Trainspotting
6. The Station Agent
7. LA Confidential
8. Mulholland Dr.
9. Platoon
10. Almost Famous

Other "perfect" ones to me but just missing the cut: Closer, Schindler's List, Lawrence of Arabia, Apollo 13, Vanilla Sky, Man Push Cart, The Dark Knight, About a Boy, Amores Perros, Boogie Nights, Synechdoche New York, Into the Wild and a bunch of others.
i've said this before, but i don't think anybody's taste in film is as similar to my own as yours. i'm surprised you don't have a few other Kaufman numbers, mostly Adaptation and Being John Malkovich. i also wasn't quite as impressed at The Station Agent as you were; i remember because i watched it on your recommendation. but the duality of movies on your list like Eternal Sunshine and Magnolia, alongside stuff like Almost Famous and About a Boy really reflects my own tastes, even if the titles don't match up perfectly.


every so often i go to youtube and watch the intro to Magnolia (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=px2peQrLCsk) because it's just so goddamn f*cking good. aimee mann's ost is spectacular and her cover of 'One' blows me away to the extent that i now actually prefer it to the original, probably in large part due to its association with the film. but the first time we see Cruise in his infomercial, the long sad personal ad of mr reilly who was at once the most boring and most captivating character in the whole damn movie, the life and times of donny the wiz kid... but mostly just the timing of the music in perfect unison with that blossoming flower. tragedy is rarely explored to such character depths as PT managed to construct. my panties get wet thinking about it, shits a masterpiece and no more need be said.

[pete's montreux]

What do you think about the singing montage in Magnolia?

[Myth]

1. Good Fellas
2. Godfather 1
3. Godfather 2
4. Scarface
5. Casino
6. Once Upon a Time in America
7. A Bronx Tale
8. Carlito's Way
9. Reservoir Dogs
10. The Departed


yeah you know what my favorite genre is :cheers:

Departed seems out of place because it doesn't have Pacino or DeNiro. Though, there was once a rumor of a Departed sequel with DeNiro as a corrupt senator.

[DaHeezy]

You're not the boss of me!

No, but if I was I'd fire you for not following basic instructions.

No offence but posts like yours are instant thread killers. It's like you want to take credit for the first person to name that film.

[Qwyjibo]

i've said this before, but i don't think anybody's taste in film is as similar to my own as yours. i'm surprised you don't have a few other Kaufman numbers, mostly Adaptation and Being John Malkovich.
I love them all. Eternal Sunshine, Synecdoche and Malkovich are all 10/10 for me. Adaptation being a tiny notch below as a 9/10. If I had to rank them, it would be in that order but honestly, they were all amazing to me.

I'm sure I totally overrate The Station Agent but everything about it just worked for me. It's a small (heh) and pretty much insignificant story about 3 different people who somehow come together. There's not much else. I loved the scenery and the really effective way the movie portrayed loneliness and overcoming that. I think Patricia Clarkson is a kickass actress. I enjoyed every moment I "spent" with the three main characters while watching this.

Oh and another random note, does anyone else who has seen The Lives of Others think the ending is one of the best they've ever seen?

[johndeeregreen]

Here goes nothing. My favorites. Off the cuff.

Platoon
Unforgiven
Road to Perdition
The Godfather
Dazed and Confused
Casablanca
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
Bull Durham
Once Upon a Time in the West
The Hustler

[johndeeregreen]

Oh and another random note, does anyone else who has seen The Lives of Others think the ending is one of the best they've ever seen?
I think it's one of the best films I've ever seen, nevermind best endings. Great, great story.

[RidonKs]

What do you think about the singing montage in Magnolia?
i love it to death lol

it takes a special kind of character depth to make something as notoriously cheesy as a sing along work to such perfection. using an addict as the first in a sequence that has characters delivering over and over again the line "it's not going to stop... til you wise up". that sort of thing really only works after you've built a foundation of relatability with the folks involved... and that pta did, as well as any movie i've ever seen.

so yeah, that scene has a very special place in my heart. especially because of how... attune i've recently become to the susceptibility of addiction. not just substance addiction, but... the difficulty of breaking routine, whatever it may be and however harmful its effects. and with the build of the music, the lyrics, it's just an unbelievably f*cking powerful scene. i've got it playing in the background right now just so it could remind me how i felt, and i definitely don't feel any differently.

err... how do you feel about it? :p



I love them all. Eternal Sunshine, Synecdoche and Malkovich are all 10/10 for me. Adaptation being a tiny notch below as a 9/10. If I had to rank them, it would be in that order but honestly, they were all amazing to me.

i just read his new one, still a ways away but both under his total control, will feature cage, carrel, and jack black. needless to say, it has potential to kick very serious ass.


Oh and another random note, does anyone else who has seen The Lives of Others think the ending is one of the best they've ever seen?

i can't say i was blown away by it, but it's been a while. what did you like so much about it? i'm going to watch it in a second.

matter of fact, considering the fanfare it had (and obviously continues to have) around here, nothing about the movie really blew me away. then again i was younger so maybe i'd appreciate it more now.

watching that ending and reading the wiki plot summary, i don't think i ever even took in the full impact of the plot upon first viewing. the artist realizing his life and career was saved, the stazi dude understanding the gift of art for which he had some small degree of fascilitation, etc. very neat... maybe not best, but i suppose it's where you come from. it wouldn't surprise me in the least if both Q and JDG led creepy undercover spy lives with no objective but lending the most minor of helping hands to strangers.

[pete's montreux]

Why did you dislike No Country for Old Men for a while? And what changed for you?

And why Zodiac? It was a well made movie, but ultimately (as in real life) a bit frustrating storywise and didn't have the impact of a, say, Silence of The Lambs.

I shrugged it off initially, I can't remember why. Then I saw it again and though maybe Chigur's motivation was the money, and was subsequently called an idiot by the likes of ridonks and RBA. While I still think that's a viable option, I know that's probably not the message the Coen's were sending, but at the same time the entire movie is up for interpretation and debate is exactly what they wanted with the ambiguous ending.

I can't really say why I love it so much now because like I said, I still think the money is a possibility. I love dark movies, I love westerns, and I love movies that make you think deeply and interpret. NCFOM hits all the right buttons for me.

As for Zodiac, I don't quite understand why you dislike the movie based on the unsolved case. Neither have anything to do with each other. Zodiac is just retelling the story.

[pete's montreux]

@ridonks. I've only seen it once and very recently so it hasn't had ample time to marinate, but my immediate reaction was disgust. Everything around it was magnificent and then out of nowhere the entire cast of the movie starts singing in unison. It seems so out of place.

[Qwyjibo]

Re: The Lives of Others, The whole "Sonata for a Good Man" book and the last quote of "No, it's for me." and how it applied to both characters and their actions in the movie. I thought it was a pitch-perfect ending.

I enjoy reading the Kaufmann scripts too. The sci-fi aspects of the Eternal Sunshine script were cool but I can see why some of those elements didn't carry over to the movie. Probably a smart business move.

[ROCSteady]

I can't really say why I love it so much now because like I said, I still think the money is a possibility. I love dark movies, I love westerns, and I love movies that make you think deeply and interpret. NCFOM hits all the right buttons for me.

As for Zodiac, I don't quite understand why you dislike the movie based on the unsolved case. Neither have anything to do with each other. Zodiac is just retelling the story.

I always see you rave about Zodiac but ultimately, it wasn't that transcendent to me. It had great direction and authenticity of the time but the pacing dragged for me. Wasn't as great as I had always heard. Although, the ending where Jake G was in that basement is one of the most tangible creepy and suspenseful scenes I can remember. I just feel like they could have cut like 25 min from the version I saw.

[RidonKs]

i gotta rewatch that shit keeping my mind on entertaining the idea of money as chiguhr's motivation... because at the moment, the only interpretation i can really remember working for me was that bell and chigurh were the ONLY two in the whole f*cking movie who weren't interested in money. it was on bravo the other night, caught a bit but mom wanted to watch criminal minds or some shit. ugh gag me with a spoon.


and that's interesting about the sing along, though i suppose not surprised. it was cheesy and oddly out of place. i saw this movie shortly after it was released, so my more matured and refined tastes had no opportunity to hate that particular aspect of it. it always just seemed 'normal', even though it very clearly isn't.

i think i like it most because it seems like such a no-brainer obvious choice of a song for every character to be singing... that's what makes it fit. it ties them together, acts as the common thread that a sporadic movie like this needs. surer the message is general, it'd damn sure have to be, but it forms the basis of the entire script. people are f*cked and they know it and they can't stop. heartbreaking.

[pete's montreux]

People are treating it like a stand-alone movie. I don't think it can be. It's the case from beginning to end in movie form. Either you like the case or you don't. It's interesting or it isn't.

[ROCSteady]

ROCSteady's Top Ten (not gospel, just a quick rundown)

These aren't really in order as I don't feel like internalizing such matters so I'll so ABC order.


American Psycho

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

City of God

The Godfather

Planet of The Apes (1968)

Scent of A Woman

The Shawshank Redemption

Slingblade

Taxi Driver

The Terminator

Honorable mention: The Omen (1976) wanted to throw a horror/thriller on there even tho Terminator could fit the bill

[pete's montreux]

i gotta rewatch that shit keeping my mind on entertaining the idea of money as chiguhr's motivation... because at the moment, the only interpretation i can really remember working for me was that bell and chigurh were the ONLY two in the whole f*cking movie who weren't interested in money. it was on bravo the other night, caught a bit but mom wanted to watch criminal minds or some shit. ugh gag me with a spoon.


and that's interesting about the sing along, though i suppose not surprised. it was cheesy and oddly out of place. i saw this movie shortly after it was released, so my more matured and refined tastes had no opportunity to hate that particular aspect of it. it always just seemed 'normal', even though it very clearly isn't.

Ahhhh what the f*ckkkkk

I was all ready to reply with two legitimate points but now I can't remember if they're true or not. When's the last time we see the sack of money? I can't remember. Shit.

I want to say the biggest red flag for me was the end when he bought the kids shirt for $100. Even after the kid said two or three times that he didn't want the money, Chigur insisted. That stuck out to me.

The minor one is Chigur taking out everyone who knew about the money. There isn't anyone left but him in the end. He was covering his ass.

[pete's montreux]

i gotta rewatch that shit keeping my mind on entertaining the idea of money as chiguhr's motivation... because at the moment, the only interpretation i can really remember working for me was that bell and chigurh were the ONLY two in the whole f*cking movie who weren't interested in money. it was on bravo the other night, caught a bit but mom wanted to watch criminal minds or some shit. ugh gag me with a spoon.


and that's interesting about the sing along, though i suppose not surprised. it was cheesy and oddly out of place. i saw this movie shortly after it was released, so my more matured and refined tastes had no opportunity to hate that particular aspect of it. it always just seemed 'normal', even though it very clearly isn't.

i think i like it most because it seems like such a no-brainer obvious choice of a song for every character to be singing... that's what makes it fit. it ties them together, acts as the common thread that a sporadic movie like this needs. surer the message is general, it'd damn sure have to be, but it forms the basis of the entire script. people are f*cked and they know it and they can't stop. heartbreaking.

I guess I wasn't paying attention to the lyrics enough to catch that. See? This is why I love movies. Movies are great!

[pete's montreux]

Jesse James seems to be getting universal love around here. brofist

[RidonKs]

i guess you might be right, even though i don't really want you to be. i read the book and, i dunno, the specifics are escaping me, but i thought i remembered something about... f*ck it, this conversation is worthless to have because i don't know enough. i wanna get back to you on this though because thematically NCFOM is outta this world and chigurh is the lead reason for that.


THE RBA SIGNAL!!! WHERES THE RBA SIGNAL??

another guy who might know is hippos iirc. and gobb was an avid fan as well. dooms and primey made their presence known in a number of the threads about it but they weren't offering much in the way of analysis. lol

[ROCSteady]

People are treating it like a stand-alone movie. I don't think it can be. It's the case from beginning to end in movie form. Either you like the case or you don't. It's interesting or it isn't.

That may be true of the case but most certainly not the film medium. You can't limit a complex visual storytelling format to, "You either are into it or not."

Lots of what Fincher did was excellent and deserves many many props for bringing that case to the silver screen, it had some memorable moments. I just felt it lacked some cohesion, probably due do it being a prolonged real-life case but it got too choppy in the middle act. It's the screenwriters/editors/Fincher's responsibility to smooth out a true story and make it a narrative that spreads like peanut butter

[ROCSteady]

i guess you might be right, even though i don't really want you to be. i read the book and, i dunno, the specifics are escaping me, but i thought i remembered something about... f*ck it, this conversation is worthless to have because i don't know enough. i wanna get back to you on this though because thematically NCFOM is outta this world and chigurh is the lead reason for that.


THE RBA SIGNAL!!! WHERES THE RBA SIGNAL??

another guy who might know is hippos iirc. and gobb was an avid fan as well. dooms and primey made their presence known in a number of the threads about it but they weren't offering much in the way of analysis. lol

I absolutely love NCfOM. Def one of the top 3 films of the 2000's. It was really close to getting a spot on my list but I tried to think back to movies that have really affected me my entire life and made me very interested in the elements of storytelling like Terminator, Planet of the Apes and The Omen

[Scholar]

I can't put any of these movies in order, but my list would be as follows:

Saving Private Ryan
The Dark Knight
Training Day
Pineapple Express
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
The Day the Earth Stood Still
Horrible Bosses

Shit... I'm having a hard time picking 10 movies I'd put in my top 10. I'll just keep it as is.

I'm going to add:

Blood In, Blood Out
The Godfather
The Castaway

[pete's montreux]

It's a large case that spans over 45 years. I just don't see the choppiness you're referring to. It may be the fact that the movie is also telling the story of Robert Graysmith, and the middle act is right around the time the case goes from part-time obsession to life altering. It ruined his marriage, it consumed his life. He's at a point where he's exploring avenues he never did before. The movie isn't all over the place, It's his life that's all over the place.

You can't skip anything because then the movie doesn't make sense. It would be incomplete.

[baseketball4life]

No Mean Streets? Also have you ever seen Bullets over Broadway, very entertaining even if it's not a full-on gangster movie, I would have both of those over Casino. No Raging Bull?
I have not seen Mean Streets or Bullets over Broadway, I should watch those soon, in fact going to DL the torrents right now.

Raging Bull I've seen its a great movie but doesn't quite crack the list

[ROCSteady]

True. I mean I've literally seen it fully only one time but that one time I was in a great 'audience mode', no distractions, fully awake/aware, etc.


I just remember thinking on a story-telling level relating to the Hollywood film context would have better served if they cut like 20-25 minutes. The ending was really superb but it felt like it was plodding along at times and didn't lend that great anticipation because I felt a little tedious watching after the Television Station stuff and when Robert gains that new angle on the identity which makes him obsess even further.



I dunno :confusedshrug: , I should probably watch it again Pete

[pete's montreux]

I'd like to list the movies that I personally disqualified because I haven't seen them enough:

Alien
Apocalypse Now
Blade Runner
Boogie Nights
Casino
the Conversation
the Exorcist
the French Connection
Gladiator
Goodfellas
the Hustler
Platoon
Godfather I+II

These are good enough to be in my top ten but I haven't seen any of them more than twice. I overreact too much.

[pete's montreux]

True. I mean I've literally seen it fully only one time but that one time I was in a great 'audience mode', no distractions, fully awake/aware, etc.


I just remember thinking on a story-telling level relating to the Hollywood film context would have better served if they cut like 20-25 minutes. The ending was really superb but it felt like it was plodding along at times and didn't lend that great anticipation because I felt a little tedious watching after the Television Station stuff and when Robert gains that new angle on the identity which makes him obsess even further.



I dunno :confusedshrug: , I should probably watch it again Pete
I've seen it 6 times now. You should ASAP.

I think Fincher's goal was for the audience to share Graysmith's obsession. To make the viewer part of the team, like we're helping him with the case personally. In the end, even though Graysmith believes he has his man, he'll never know. And neither will we. We also share the frustration.

I think that's why I keep going back to it. It's like I think I'm going to solve the case. It also ties the entire case up into a nice box with a bow on it. It's gift-wrapped for us. I think I tend to forget Robert Graysmith spent half his life obsessed with the Zodiac killings.

[Fatal9]

Oh and another random note, does anyone else who has seen The Lives of Others think the ending is one of the best they've ever seen?
Recently rewatched it. Almost a 10 for me. Yea, the ending was really well done, wouldn't have been the same if *spoiler* he got out of the car and met/talked with him *spoiler*.

[KevinNYC]

I shrugged it off initially, I can't remember why. Then I saw it again and though maybe Chigur's motivation was the money, and was subsequently called an idiot by the likes of ridonks and RBA. While I still think that's a viable option, I know that's probably not the message the Coen's were sending, but at the same time the entire movie is up for interpretation and debate is exactly what they wanted with the ambiguous ending.

I can't really say why I love it so much now because like I said, I still think the money is a possibility. I love dark movies, I love westerns, and I love movies that make you think deeply and interpret. NCFOM hits all the right buttons for me.

As for Zodiac, I don't quite understand why you dislike the movie based on the unsolved case. Neither have anything to do with each other. Zodiac is just retelling the story.

The ambiguous ending is straight out of the book. I never for one second thought about Chigur's motivation. I think he is more a symbol than a real character. He's a monster...just chaos and evil and chance. Hence the coin flip.

I was just primed to see that movie and fell into the rhythm and the style of it. The soundtrack with no music helped a lot in this regard. I think I mentioned this before, but watching that movie I suspended my disbelief so easily and totally right from the beginning in a way that I probably haven't done since Raiders of the Lost Ark as a kid (Even when I was young, Star Wars never did it for me, because I kept poking holes in the logic of it.....so they have laser weapons, but you can just stand behind a door and the lasers are useless, really?) That scene where he is out hunting....I just felt like I was right there in the movie....also I was up close in the theater..might have been front row and it just swept me up.

I don't dislike Zodiac, I really enjoyed it and thought it was well-made But it just doesn't rise to epic for me. I was just surprised that if someone mentioned a David Fincher movie, it was that one.

[KevinNYC]

Originally Posted by Qwyjibo
Oh and another random note, does anyone else who has seen The Lives of Others think the ending is one of the best they've ever seen?

You know, I really remember liking this movie, but I don't remember the ending at all.

[KevinNYC]

I'd like to list the movies that I personally disqualified because I haven't seen them enough:

Alien
Apocalypse Now
Blade Runner
Boogie Nights
Casino
the Conversation
the Exorcist
the French Connection
Gladiator
Goodfellas
the Hustler
Platoon
Godfather I+II

These are good enough to be in my top ten but I haven't seen any of them more than twice. I overreact too much.

Of those, I don't think Casino is in the same class. I think they never got a handle on the story and three person narration is just muddled. Especially compared to the masterwork of Goodfellas, one of the most compulsively watchable movies I know of. That movie is like popcorn drizzled with dark chocolate to me. If I have a little of it, I'm going to finish it. You could make six movies out of the detail and narrative bits of Goodfellas. That movie is so dense with good parts, it's unreal.

Pete, where do you live? I'm surprised you haven't seen Goodfellas. Here in the states it's on some channel all the time. It was even playing on Lifetime, the women's network, for months.

I used to work in a nightclub that where the real off-the-books owner was a Mafia capo and there was one section of the place that a lot of wiseguys used to hang out there. I remember the first time I saw Mean Streets. It's was like nothing changed in 20 years. Everyone was acting just the same. The day before I saw Goodfellas, I ran into one of the bartenders there who was an ex-con. It was a true nice guy and the story I heard which I believe was that a friend asked him to hold a box for a while and it turned out to be filled with stolen property and he got caught by the cops. He kept his mouth shut and did some time. He was all broken up and when I asked him what happened, he said his best friend in the world was just arrested on suspicion of being a hitman with over a dozen murders. He had not idea, the guy kept it totally secret and that the cops had just ripped up all the plumbing in this guy's catering business looking for forensic evidence because they suspected that's where he dismembered the bodies. My friend was in tears. And that's what I had in my head the first time I saw Goodfellas and all the people I saw it with were seeing it for the second time, so they were laughing their heads off. A very odd experience.

The first two thirds of Apocalypse Now is as good as any movie ever made, but the ending is a bit off.

[Myth]

It's a large case that spans over 45 years. I just don't see the choppiness you're referring to. It may be the fact that the movie is also telling the story of Robert Graysmith, and the middle act is right around the time the case goes from part-time obsession to life altering. It ruined his marriage, it consumed his life. He's at a point where he's exploring avenues he never did before. The movie isn't all over the place, It's his life that's all over the place.

You can't skip anything because then the movie doesn't make sense. It would be incomplete.

Hate to jump in, but I hated the Zodiac for its choppiness as well (just mentioned this in the last movie watched thread earlier today). The movie wanted to be accurate to the case notes, which the case notes in real life were a new clue here and a new clue there as the years dwindled away. Without filling in those gaps by taking some liberties with the story, it just seems like random updates such as "then years later this happened...... then many years later this happened..... then many more years later...." Was not a cohesive way of telling the story IMO.

[KevinNYC]

Departed seems out of place because it doesn't have Pacino or DeNiro. Though, there was once a rumor of a Departed sequel with DeNiro as a corrupt senator.

The Departed's not out of place. It's just a mob movie about the Irish mob.

Also I forgot Donnie Brasco which I think is a great and underrated mob movie and it's an offense to the cinema gods that Al Pacino won an Oscar for one of his worst performances in Scent of a Woman (actually it was a make-up Oscar for Godfather I and II) and not for the very good an subtle work he did here.

I always think about the devolution of mob movies as they start getting more realistic. You start with the Godfather in the 40's where they are like kings and control the country and hobnob with senators and only kill those who have wronged them. However, the movie is not very realistic. It's like a myth Puzo didn't know that much about the mob and Coppola certainly didn't know them, he's from a middle-class artistic family. (Which might be why mobsters love this one the best. One of the bartenders in that club I worked in watched one of the Godfathers every single week. He would turn to me and go, "Kevin, we're bigger than US Steel.") Then you go to Goodfellas which is dealing with the Queens mob in the 50's and 60's and they control the airport. They start off having everything and end up killing each other so that they don't have to split their robbery money or testifying against their friends. Then you go down to the Brooklyn mob in Donnie Brasco in the 1970's where the main mob character lives in a shitty apartment and is always in debt and at one point is trying to bust open a parking meter to get money. It kind of tracks the life of the mob in this country. (One thing that Donnie Brasco got fake, was Pacino dressed like a clown. Those guys tend to dress pretty sharp and the real guy was no exception.)

[Myth]

The Departed's not out of place. It's just a mob movie about the Irish mob.


I was just pointing out that in addition to the theme of him liking mob movies, there was also a theme of every movie having either Pacino and/or DeNiro with the exception of The Departed, thus if we were playing "one of these is not like the other," Departed would be the answer because of the absence of one of those actors. Otherwise, I'm more than aware that it is a mob movie, and a good one at that.

[KevinNYC]

For mob movie completists, I just saw Kill the Irishman on Netflix and it's just so-so, the best part of the movie is seeing the guys from all the other mob-movies in bit parts and seeing how much the cleveland mob used to like to use bombs.

[Kobe Jnr]

tough list to make, I don't even know where to begin..

[RedBlackAttack]

I literally am unable to narrow a list down to 10... Even 20 would be extremely difficult for me. There are just so many films that I love for so many different reasons, rating one ahead of another just doesn't feel possible.

However, I will list a few that probably haven't been mentioned (or they may have been; didn't read the whole thread)... I'll add notes where appropriate.

Motorcycle Diaries
Sideways - I just f#cking love this movie. I really enjoy watching it regardless of how many times I've seen it. It is just beautifully done. This was a rare case of 'Oscar' getting it right (won for Best Screenplay, should have won best picture). I can't even really explain why I love it... I just do.
Network - This movie was incredibly on-point and ahead of its time it is scary. Watching it now in light of how 24 hour news networks have shaped the country, it is pretty f#cking amazing.
The Pianist
American Beauty
Road to Perdition
Fargo
Eyes Wide Shut - I don't care what anyone says. I know that it is widely accepted that this did not meet the Kubrick standard, but this is a fantastic movie. I really liked it when it first came out, but through all of the negative attention over the years, I began to second guess myself on whether or not I really liked it or if I just forced myself to like it because of my respect for Kubrick. So, I rewatched it again recently... Blown away and I was even able to overlook Cruise's current insanity. It is one of the most tension filled movies I have ever seen and that is a high compliment, because tension is the thing that film-makers strive for... Maybe moreso than any other trait.
28 Days Later
A Serious Man
Jacob's Ladder

I'll expound further on these or other movies if anyone feels like discussing them.



The ambiguous ending is straight out of the book. I never for one second thought about Chigur's motivation. I think he is more a symbol than a real character. He's a monster...just chaos and evil and chance. Hence the coin flip.

I was just primed to see that movie and fell into the rhythm and the style of it. The soundtrack with no music helped a lot in this regard. I think I mentioned this before, but watching that movie I suspended my disbelief so easily and totally right from the beginning in a way that I probably haven't done since Raiders of the Lost Ark as a kid (Even when I was young, Star Wars never did it for me, because I kept poking holes in the logic of it.....so they have laser weapons, but you can just stand behind a door and the lasers are useless, really?) That scene where he is out hunting....I just felt like I was right there in the movie....also I was up close in the theater..might have been front row and it just swept me up.

I don't dislike Zodiac, I really enjoyed it and thought it was well-made But it just doesn't rise to epic for me. I was just surprised that if someone mentioned a David Fincher movie, it was that one.

We had an epic thread on this site back when the movie initially came out. There were some really interesting ideas bouncing back and forth, from Chigurh's role to the meaning of different scenes to the overall themes...

If I were to make an actual list of my favorite movies of all-time, this would be at or near the top. I've now seen it probably over 25 times and I'll throw it on every now and again just to remind myself how incredible it is.

I sort of agree with you on Chigurh. He was definitely representative of the argument of chance vs. fate (he could be argued either way) and the inevitability of death. That really stuck out to me more than anything else.

Different people tried different approaches to get out of the inevitability that he personified. Not many survived, but a few did....

There were four characters that came into direct contact with Chigurh and lived. One was the gas station clerk who survived the coin toss. The other was the woman that refused to tell Chigurh where Lewellyn worked. The last two were the kids on the bikes at the end.

I've seen the claim several times that the clerk that won the coin toss was a coward; I disagree. While he was certainly afraid, who wouldn't be in the face of death? But, even after he knew that his life was on the line, he stood his ground and even challenged Chigurh on whether he 'married into' the gas station.

While he didn't overtly confront Chigurh, he didn't allow him to completely dominate him either. He never begged for his life (which we know Chigurh hates). He didn't try to run, either. He stood his ground and accepted what was in front of him (death). That EARNED him the coin flip, imo.

The lady that refused to tell Chigurh where Lewellyn worked was pretty aggressive (all of Chigurh's other victims seemed passive... like the guy that allowed him to blow his brains out with the cattle thing). While a toilet did flush, noting that there was someone else in a back room, when had something like that ever stopped Chigurh from killing someone?

He allowed her to live because she stood her ground, faced death, and didn't flinch. I truly believe that, had she given up Lewellyn's workplace, he would have killed her.... because that would have shown weakness.

Then, there were the two kids on the bikes at the end. They also had direct contact with Chigurh. Was the $100 that he gave them symbolism for him buying their soles? Maybe it just wasn't their time, being so young? Maybe it has something to do with the innocence of youth? These kids sort of break from the other confrontations that Chigurh has throughout the movie. Almost anyone else that got that close to him, died. But, he showed no interest in hurting them.


The other characters who survived a direct confrontation with Chigurh stood in front of him and didn't beg for their lives. They accepted their fate and that allowed both to live.


I think if you can solve this riddle of why the survivors weren't killed by Chigurh, you will find the mystery of what, exactly, he represents.

[Lebron23]

1. Inception
2. Back to the future
3. Frequency
4. No Country for old men
5. Platoon
6. Saving Private Ryan
7. Gattaca
8. Jacob's Ladder
9. The Darknight
10. Lion King

[Myth]

For mob movie completists, I just saw Kill the Irishman on Netflix and it's just so-so, the best part of the movie is seeing the guys from all the other mob-movies in bit parts and seeing how much the cleveland mob used to like to use bombs.

I was a bit disappointed in it too (high expectations), but it was good, just not superbly awesome as I was hoping.

[Mamba]

1. Batman Begins
2. The Dark Knight
3. Spiderman 2
4. Bill and Ted's excellent adventure
5. Constantine
6. Inception
7. Casino
8. Rounders
9. Dogma
10. Billy Madison / Waterboy

[sawyersauce]

Mulholland Drive
Picnic at Hanging Rock
The Shining
2001: A Space Odyssey
The Barbarian Invasions
Oldboy
Alien
Goodfellas
Pulp Fiction
Monty Python and the Holy Grail

HM: Apocalypse Now, Almost Famous, Schindler

[alenleomessi]

1. Inception
2. Back to the future
3. Frequency
4. No Country for old men
5. Platoon
6. Saving Private Ryan
7. Gattaca
8. Jacob's Ladder
9. The Darknight
10. Lion King
i love that movie, very underrated

[Lebron23]

i love that movie, very underrated


It's a good time travel, and psychological thriller movie. Love the acting by Caviezel, Quad, and Doyle.

[Riddler]

2. The Dark Knight
8. Rounders



I got these two in my top 10... that's for sure.


There are some strange top 10's in this thread... I'll try to narrow mine down to 10 later...


But don't you have to include Die Hard in your top 10? Or does it not make the list because they decided to make a Part 2,3,4 and potentially a 5th...

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1606378/

[RidonKs]

last night i wasn't thinking too clearly, in spite of my total sobriety, but that was more or less why i couldn't imagine Chigurh being 'after the money'... because of the fact that his character was portrayed as barely human and almost entirely symbolic. great post though rba. though the gas station attendant wasn't exactly standing his ground in the face of death when he refused to admit that he married into it... he had no idea what he was facing at that point in the conversation and he gave ground immediately with 'if thats the way you wanna put it'. it was indifference to me as opposed to strength or courage... frightened out of his mind indifference but the same nevertheless. i only remember that particular scene because i saw it on tv a few nights ago.

great post though, that refreshed a lot in my mind

[ALBballer]

Godfather
Godfather 2
Fight Club
The Believer (underrated movie)
Taxi Driver
American Psycho

Now it's getting tough.......


Shaun of the Dead
The Town
A bronx tale
Inglorious Bastards

[KevinNYC]

I was a bit disappointed in it too (high expectations), but it was good, just not superbly awesome as I was hoping.

Yeah, I may seek out the book that Kill the Irishman is based on because it seems like a pretty good story. One of the problems with the movie and there are several is that main actor physically looked big and strong enough for the role, but wasn't a strong enough actor to pull it off. Also what the f*ck was up with his hair? They gave him some sort of wig/haircut to make him look like the real guy, but who cares? How many people actually knew what Danny Greene looked like.

The characters that Joe Pesci played in Goodfellas and Johnny Depp played in Donnie Brasco were much, much bigger than the actors, but that ultimately didn't matter because they could pull off the emotions.

[Andrei89]

The lord of the Rings 1
The lord of the Rings 2
The lord of the Rings 3
Casino
Goodfellas
The Departed
The Dark Knight
Snatch
Rock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels
Schindlers list

[step_back]

I completely forgot about Gangs of New York!!!!!

Thanks Pete :facepalm

[markymark]

In no particular order...

The Departed
Pulp Fiction
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Requiem for a Dream
Trainspotting
Training Day
Fight Club
The Virgin Suicides
American Beauty
Snatch

F*ck, that was tough. Wanna include at least 10 more.

[East_Stone_Ya]

actually i have too many but anyhow here is my list

For a Few Dollars More
The Usual Suspects
Face Off
Apocalypto
Abre los Ojos
La Haine
Seven
Predator
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Fight Club

[Jackass18]

I won't do top 10 favorites since it would change on a daily/weekly basis. Top 10 best movies:

10. Raiders of the Lost Ark (**** you if you don't like it)
9. The Third Man
8. Platoon
7. Ran
6. Psycho
5. Goodfellas
4. The Godfather: Part II
3. The Godfather
2. Citizen Kane
1. The Seven Samurai

[pete's montreux]

Of those, I don't think Casino is in the same class. I think they never got a handle on the story and three person narration is just muddled. Especially compared to the masterwork of Goodfellas, one of the most compulsively watchable movies I know of. That movie is like popcorn drizzled with dark chocolate to me. If I have a little of it, I'm going to finish it. You could make six movies out of the detail and narrative bits of Goodfellas. That movie is so dense with good parts, it's unreal.

Pete, where do you live? I'm surprised you haven't seen Goodfellas. Here in the states it's on some channel all the time. It was even playing on Lifetime, the women's network, for months.

I used to work in a nightclub that where the real off-the-books owner was a Mafia capo and there was one section of the place that a lot of wiseguys used to hang out there. I remember the first time I saw Mean Streets. It's was like nothing changed in 20 years. Everyone was acting just the same. The day before I saw Goodfellas, I ran into one of the bartenders there who was an ex-con. It was a true nice guy and the story I heard which I believe was that a friend asked him to hold a box for a while and it turned out to be filled with stolen property and he got caught by the cops. He kept his mouth shut and did some time. He was all broken up and when I asked him what happened, he said his best friend in the world was just arrested on suspicion of being a hitman with over a dozen murders. He had not idea, the guy kept it totally secret and that the cops had just ripped up all the plumbing in this guy's catering business looking for forensic evidence because they suspected that's where he dismembered the bodies. My friend was in tears. And that's what I had in my head the first time I saw Goodfellas and all the people I saw it with were seeing it for the second time, so they were laughing their heads off. A very odd experience.

The first two thirds of Apocalypse Now is as good as any movie ever made, but the ending is a bit off.

No no, I've seen all those, just not enough to be on any of my lists. I like to watch movies at least 4 times. I'm compulsive when it comes to movies because I tend to overrate.

[pete's montreux]

Hate to jump in, but I hated the Zodiac for its choppiness as well (just mentioned this in the last movie watched thread earlier today). The movie wanted to be accurate to the case notes, which the case notes in real life were a new clue here and a new clue there as the years dwindled away. Without filling in those gaps by taking some liberties with the story, it just seems like random updates such as "then years later this happened...... then many years later this happened..... then many more years later...." Was not a cohesive way of telling the story IMO.

I didn't think it was a problem. :confusedshrug:

[pete's montreux]

long post about NCFOM

And this is why I watch movies over and over again obsessively. I have a completely different point of view than you. You've seen it more than I have, maybe your opinion has changed and evolved, maybe you've gone through the process of noticing new things each viewing that I haven't quite seen yet.

[pete's montreux]

last night i wasn't thinking too clearly, in spite of my total sobriety, but that was more or less why i couldn't imagine Chigurh being 'after the money'... because of the fact that his character was portrayed as barely human and almost entirely symbolic. great post though rba. though the gas station attendant wasn't exactly standing his ground in the face of death when he refused to admit that he married into it... he had no idea what he was facing at that point in the conversation and he gave ground immediately with 'if thats the way you wanna put it'. it was indifference to me as opposed to strength or courage... frightened out of his mind indifference but the same nevertheless. i only remember that particular scene because i saw it on tv a few nights ago.

great post though, that refreshed a lot in my mind

so you're gonna watch it ASAP like me? :roll: Probably tonight or tomorrow

[Jasi]

A propos, is there a thread about Donnie Darko?
I have just seen it for the first time (yeah late, I know) and of course I'd like to exchange views :D

[pete's montreux]

A propos, is there a thread about Donnie Darko?
I have just seen it for the first time (yeah late, I know) and of course I'd like to exchange views :D

Rate the last movie thread will definitely garner replies. Post it anywhere if you want. I'll reply and I'm sure many others.

[pauk]

Who am i kidding... **** top 10, here is my favorite movies of all time... deal with it! :pimp:

The Jerk
Gladiator
The Dark Knight
Batman 1
Predator 1
Predators (2010)
Three Amigos
Life
Terminator 2
Goonies
Ong Bak
Fearless
Hero
Yip-man
First of Legend
Kung Fu Hustle
Police Story
Bad Taste
Braindead
One flew over the cuckoos nest
Coming to America
Lord of the Rings trilogy
O Brother, Where Art Thou
Back to the future trilogy
Indiana Jones trilogy
The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button
Star Wars trilogy
Evil Dead trilogy
Blade Runner
No Country for Old men
Dr Strangelove
Drunken Master 1 & 2
Snake in the eagles shadow
Armour of God (Operation Condor) 1 & 2
Master of the flying Guillotine
Kick-Ass
Heat
Rush Hour 1 & 2
Monty Python, Life of Brian
Monty Python and the holy grail
Dracula Dead and Loving it
Robin Hood Men in Tights
Full Metal Jacket
Frequency
12 monkeys
The Matrix
Hellraiser
Pans Labyrinth
Fear And Loathing in Las Vegas
Taxi Driver
Big Trouble in Little China
Cube
Kill Bill Trilogy
SpaceBalls
Trading Places
Tango & Cash
Dragons Forever
Wheels on Meals
Casino
ScarFace
The Lost Boys
Cit of God
Godfather 1 & 2
Saw 1
Apocalypto
Gangs of New York
Inception
The Good, The Bad & The Ugly
Enemy at the Gates
Rocky 1-3
Rambo 1 First Blood
Alien
Zoolander
Anchorman
Office Space
The Shadow
Leon
Ninja Scroll
Reservoir Dogs
Tommy Boy
Black Sheep
Spiderman
Stir Crazy
Fist of the North Star
Jacobs Ladder
City of God
Fright Night
Shawshank Redemption
The 36th Chamber of Shaolin
Jaws
Forrest Gump
Escape from New York/LA
Shaolin Soccer
Five Deadly Venoms
Shogun Assassin
Wong Fei Hung
Goemon
Zatoichi
The Prodigal Son
LoneWolf and the Cub
The Road Warrior
Saving Private Ryan
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Seven Samurai
The Day the Earth Stood Still
Jurassic Park
For a few dollars more
Karate Kid
The Big Lebowski
Se7en
There Will be Blood
Liar Liar
Yes Man
Me, Myself and Irene
Dumb & Dumber
Training Day
Ace Ventura
Pulp Fiction
Inglorious Basterds
True Romance
Goodfellas
Carlitos Way
The Untouchables
Fargo
Casablanca
Enter the Dragon
Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood aka. Ghettoblaster
Menace 2 Society
Boyz N the Hood
Blood in Blood out
Fist of Fury
Meet Joe Black
Ghostbusters 1 & 2
Way of the Dragon
Iron Monkey
American Beauty
Caddyshack
The Thing
Blazing Saddles
Airplane!
A clockwork Orange
What about Bob?
The Abyss
Ichi The Killer
Scott Pilgrim vs the world
Scrooged
Little shop of Horrors
Groundhog Day
Five Fingers of Death


....i forgot many more... but o well..

[ROCSteady]

A propos, is there a thread about Donnie Darko?
I have just seen it for the first time (yeah late, I know) and of course I'd like to exchange views :D


Let's do it mio fratello. Just be warned, the Director's Cut makes the whole thing less ambiguous but I prefer it

[Jasi]

Let's do it mio fratello. Just be warned, the Director's Cut makes the whole thing less ambiguous but I prefer it

ok I'll move to the Rate the last movie Thread as suggested by pete.

[Dbrog]

Jurassic Park
Alien
Rear Window
Brazil
The Apartment
Spirited Away
Into the Wild
American Beauty
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Seven Samurai

Btw, as far as the universal love for Assassination of Jesse James, I think it's one of my most disliked movies of all time. There was literally nothing good in it (pointlessly slow, boring characters, etc etc) other than the cinematography IMO. Then again, I'm not a big western fan (exceptions: Rio Bravo, The Good The Bad and the Ugly). My guess is it's just not my type of movie.

[pauk]

anybody here who likes old school kung fu flicks? talking about 36th chamber of shaolin and so on...

[pete's montreux]

Jurassic Park
Alien
Rear Window
Brazil
The Apartment
Spirited Away
Into the Wild
American Beauty
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Seven Samurai

Btw, as far as the universal love for Assassination of Jesse James, I think it's one of my most disliked movies of all time. There was literally nothing good in it (pointlessly slow, boring characters, etc etc) other than the cinematography IMO. Then again, I'm not a big western fan (exceptions: Rio Bravo, The Good The Bad and the Ugly). My guess is it's just not my type of movie.

Criterion is releasing that this year I believe. I'm putting off buying it/watching it for their version.

[Dbrog]

Criterion is releasing that this year I believe. I'm putting off buying it/watching it for their version.

Really? haha they've already released it two or three times! It's great though, even though at the beginning you will be like, "wtf is going on? wtf am I watching?"

[pete's montreux]

Really? haha they've already released it two or three times! It's great though, even though at the beginning you will be like, "wtf is going on? wtf am I watching?"
I Googled "best sci-fi movies" a few weeks ago and it was in so many top tens and I had never heard of it before. I've heard It's weird.

[Dbrog]

I Googled "best sci-fi movies" a few weeks ago and it was in so many top tens and I had never heard of it before. I've heard It's weird.

It is. I promise you will say wtf at least once, but after it marinates for a bit and the story progresses, it all comes together beautifully

[KevinNYC]

I Googled "best sci-fi movies" a few weeks ago and it was in so many top tens and I had never heard of it before. I've heard It's weird.

Brazil is fabulous. Dbrog has got a good list. Pete have you seen Seven Samurai?

That and Annie Hall are my two favorites.

[pete's montreux]

Brazil is fabulous. Dbrog has got a good list. Pete have you seen Seven Samurai?

That and Annie Hall are my two favorites.

I have not.

[TheMan]

In no order

Godfather
Godfather 2
Goodfellas
Taxi Driver
Thin Red Line
2001 A Space Odyssey
A Clockwork Orange
The Big Lebowski
The Raging Bull
Hapiness

[pauk]

totally forgot about:

http://ia.media-imdb.com/images/M/MV5BMTcyMzI3NDM4Nl5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwMTUxOTYzNA@@._ V1._SY317_.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/d/d7/District_nine_ver2.jpg/220px-District_nine_ver2.jpg

[Dbrog]

I love dark movies, I love westerns, and I love movies that make you think deeply and interpret.

Btw Pete, not sure if you have seen any of Tarkovsky's movies (I'm still exploring them), but I would strongly recommend Stalker and Solaris ('72 version, not remake) for you. They are both long and pretty slow paced, but they raise some of the deepest questions I've seen in movies :cheers:

[Myth]

I didn't think it was a problem. :confusedshrug:

That's fine. I just have a strong reaction to that movie and wanted to share my opinion. I have no problem with others who like it.

[pete's montreux]

Btw Pete, not sure if you have seen any of Tarkovsky's movies (I'm still exploring them), but I would strongly recommend Stalker and Solaris ('72 version, not remake) for you. They are both long and pretty slow paced, but they raise some of the deepest questions I've seen in movies :cheers:

I own the original Solaris.

:banana:

[nightprowler10]

Not sure about 10, but these are my favorites:

Syriana
Fight Club
Kingdom of Heaven
The Matrix
Pan's Labyrinth
One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest
The Dark Knight

Damn that's pretty close to 10. Let's see if I can think of three more.

V for Vendetta
Sin City
Finding Nemo

[RedBlackAttack]

And this is why I watch movies over and over again obsessively. I have a completely different point of view than you. You've seen it more than I have, maybe your opinion has changed and evolved, maybe you've gone through the process of noticing new things each viewing that I haven't quite seen yet.
The true test of a classic film and its depth is this repeated viewing and your resulting questions and answers. With a film like NCFOM, I have far more questions now after watching it so closely so many times than I did after my first watch. For every question that I think I have figured, that answer results in 5-10 more questions that I have to figure out during my next viewing.

There aren't many filmmakers that are able to achieve that kind of majestic depth in their movies. The list is short and the Coens are right there with Kubrick and the other true masters of the craft because of it.

It is truly a piece of art that will stand the test of time. People may look back on our great films of this era the way that we look back with utter amazement at artists like Bach and Mozart.

Genius.

[vapid]

Kill Bill or Pulp Fiction (My Tarantino pick)
Matrix (I think Inception might supplant this one. My Sci-Fi mindfck pick)
Eternal Sunshine (My Romance mindfck pick)
Annie Hall (My Woodie Allen pick)
There Will Be Blood (My Daniel Day Lewis pick)
Chungking Express (My #1 Favorite Movie)
Raging Bull (My Scorsese pick)
In the Mood for Love (My Wong-Kar Wai pick. He's so awesome he gets two.)
Godfather 2 (My Gangster pick)

[pete's montreux]

The true test of a classic film and its depth is this repeated viewing and your resulting questions and answers. With a film like NCFOM, I have far more questions now after watching it so closely so many times than I did after my first watch. For every question that I think I have figured, that answer results in 5-10 more questions that I have to figure out during my next viewing.

There aren't many filmmakers that are able to achieve that kind of majestic depth in their movies. The list is short and the Coens are right there with Kubrick and the other true masters of the craft because of it.

It is truly a piece of art that will stand the test of time. People may look back on our great films of this era the way that we look back with utter amazement at artists like Bach and Mozart.

Genius.

And three years ago I was all: Bah! He was just in it for the money! What's all the hooplah!? :roll:

[BlueCrayon]

Ordinary People has to be the most underrated film of all time.

[El Kabong]

Erm...

Blue Velvet
Mulholland Drive
American Psycho
2001: A Space Odyssey
Blade Runner
Memento
Groundhog Day
Talk Radio
The Shining
A Clockwork Orange

But then I'd probably have films like Chinatown, One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, The Elephant Man, Network and Apocalypse Now moving in and out of the bottom slots.

[Rojogaqu11]

Lion King
Independence Day
Gladiator
Fight Club
Terminator 2
Spiderman 2
Inception
Fearless
Avatar
Schindler's List

[ConanRulesNBC]

Not in any real order...

Almost Famous
Terminator 2
The 'burbs
Star Wars trilogy (original)
E.T.
Rocky
Raiders Of The Lost Ark
BTTF trilogy
Escape From New York
Stand By Me

That would be top 10 of movies I absolutely love.

Here are more though:

Pulp Fiction
The Big Lebowski
Goodfellas
Fargo
American Beauty
The Shawshank Redemption
Terminator
Rambo: First Blood
Jurassic Park
Jaws
Unforgiven
The Blues Brothers

[Jailblazers7]

The Motorcycle Diaries
Good Will Hunting
Wall-E
The Truman Show
Bourne Ultimatum
Network
Step Brothers
Fight Club
On the Waterfront
Sideways

Tough to make a list of only 10 but that's what I came up with off the top of my head. I had to throw Step Brothers on there to have at least 1 goofy ass comedy represented. If I were to put a chick flick type of movie on there it would probably be Definitely, Maybe.

[Waking_Life]

Wall-E and Sideways are soo good.

[Jailblazers7]

Wall-E might honestly be #1 for me. I love that movie more than I love some of my family members.

[Timmy D for MVP]

Hmm... this is tough. I'll give it a crack:

Scott Pilgrim
Lion King
The Truman Show
Back to the Future
Star Wars Trilogy
Hero
Toy Story Trilogy
Shawshank
Glory
Inception

HM: Spider-Man 2, The Dark Knight, The day the Earth Stood Still (1951)

[KevinNYC]

Wasn't there a Top Ten Daniel Day Lewis thread up here before?

I watching In the Name of the Father on Netflix.

Amazing movie and Daniel Day Lewis and Pete Postlethwait are fantastic. Imagine having a troubled relationship with your father and then being locked in a jail cell with him.

It might be because I'm Irish, but this movie just tears me apart. Hearing the little sister's brogue just cuts right through me. The injustice button is also hit pretty hard throughout the movie.

Anyone who saw this movie wouldn't have been surprised that our experience in Iraq might not turn out to be all candy and flowers.

["Jesus"]

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/3/3e/ShaolinSoccerFilmPoster.jpg/220px-ShaolinSoccerFilmPoster.jpg
Not the best movie, but certainly the most entertaining for me. I can watch it any day of the week and it will still have me rolling.

No particular order after that...

http://images.pictureshunt.com/pics/r/reservoir_dogs-11520.jpg

http://www.moviepictures.tk/wp-content/uploads/pictures/pictures-of-city-of-god-788.jpg

http://www.impawards.com/1980/posters/raging_bull.jpg

http://ia.media-imdb.com/images/M/MV5BMTY4NzcwODg3Nl5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNTEwOTMyMw@@._ V1._SY317_.jpg

http://ia.media-imdb.com/images/M/MV5BMjA4NDI0MTIxNF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTYwNTM0MzY2._V1._ SY317_.jpg

http://204.244.128.121/assets/product_images/1020/473312.1020.a.jpg

http://www.moviegoods.com/Assets/product_images/1010/517864.1010.A.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/52/Back_to_the_future.jpg

http://gordonandthewhale.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/Let-the-Right-one-in-poster-1.jpg

[Zenji]

1. Gladiator
2. The Last Samurai
3. Inception
4. The Lord of the Rings (counting all 3 as one)
5. Jurassic Park
6. The Exorcist
7. Goodfellas
8. Braveheart
9. Gattaca
10. Interview With The Vampire

HM: Rounders, Pitch Black, Signs, The Departed, Frailty, The Big Lebowski, Zoolander

[Stuckey]

Ordinary People has to be the most underrated film of all time.

it's a good movie but kinda boring tho

[NuggetsFan]

SLC Punk
Black Swan
Requiem For A Dream
Fight Club
V For Vendetta
Leon The Professional
Superbad
Trainspotting
American History X
The Departed\The Wrestler\The Road\Garden State

No order. Seems to change alot too. Feel like I've always had Scarface in my top 5 but the past little bit don't think it'd crack my top 20 anymore for some reason. Might be forgetting some but I'd probably answer this question differently a month from now :lol

[Stuckey]

SLC punk, very nice

[JEFFERSON MONEY]

favorites?

He Got Game
All Dogs Go to Heaven II
Lion King
Fight Club
Dog Day Afternoon
Glory
Raging Bull
My Neighbor Totoro
Training Day
Godfather II

[brownmamba00]

In no order:

Man on Fire
The Pineapple express
Alien
He Got Game
Lion King
Shutter Island
Insidious
Pulp fiction
Good Fellas
Scary Movie 1&2

[BankShot]

In no particular order:

- Cool Hand Luke
- Fargo
- On the Waterfront
- Jurassic Park
- Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
- The Big Lebowsky
- The Blues Brothers
- Rounders
- Death to Smoochy
- Rear Window

[pete's montreux]

Now I remember why Gladiator used to be in my top 10. Probably still isn't now but somewhere in the top 15. Extended version is 9.5/10.

[BankShot]

Now I remember why Gladiator used to be in my top 10. Probably still isn't now but somewhere in the top 15. Extended version is 9.5/10.

Gladiator is absolutely a very enjoyable film.... what about the extended version gives it such a high grade

[pete's montreux]

Gladiator is absolutely a very enjoyable film.... what about the extended version gives it such a high grade

It's a 9.5 with or without the extra 15 minutes. It's mostly deleted action scenes. I was being specific about the version I watched though because my BD has both.

Ridley Scott calls the theatrical version his 'directors cut'.

[GatorKid117]

Spirited Away
Dumb and Dumber
Toy Story 3
Independence Day
Transformers
A Christmas Story
Laputa: Castle in the Sky
A Knights Tale
Sunshine
Castaway

I'm more of a light-hearted, feel good movie man.