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|  Triskal Registered Member
 Date Joined Jul 2001 Total Posts : 198 | Posted 9/25/2003 8:34 PM (GMT -6) |   | Hey all,
Since everyone enjoyed sharing some of their favorite choices in music, I thought it might be fitting to do the same with movies. So please, feel free to share your favorites in the world of film. Don't limit yourself to just movies either, you can list your favorite actors, actresses, directors, writers, etc.
Here are some of my favorite movies:
"The Shawshank Redemption" - My all time favorite movie, EVER! This is the supreme example of what movies are all about. This film speaks to so many people in so many different ways. It brought a real message of freedom to my heart when I first saw it. I have seen this movie more times than I care to comment on.
"The Godfather" - Do I need to say anything about this film? My 2nd favorite movie.
"The Silence of the Lambs" - Who hasn't seen this movie? Makes just about every list of scariest movies ever made. The performance by Anthony Hopkins is stunning, to say the least. Once you've seen this movie, it will never leave your mind. My 3rd favorite movie.
"The Usual Suspects" - Well written. Well directed. Well executed. This is one of the most brilliant films ever made. By far one of the most surprising endings as well. My 4th favorite movie.
"Fargo" - Every Minnesotan should see this movie. The Coen brothers (natives of Minnesota) are at their best writing/directing this film. My 5th favorite movie.
"Heat" - Enough can't be said about the performances in this movie. Robert De Niro and Al Pacino as the lead charectors? How could it possibly get any better than this? You really need to study this film to appreciate it in all it's glory. Ties with Fargo as 5th favorite of mine.
Other movies I really liked (in no particular order):
- Rear Window - Psycho - Vertigo - Star Wars - 2001: A Space Odyssey - Alien - The Matrix - Pulp Fiction - Se7en - Scarface - Good Will Hunting - Groundhog Day - The Sixth Sense - etc. etc. etc. (Too many films to list)
Here are some of my favorite Directors: (By the way, i'm going to school to become a director. That's why I am listing them.)
- Alfred Hitchcock: The man is my idol. Way ahead of his time.
- David Fincher: Director of Se7en and Fight Club. Has a very unique style of directing. All of his movies have a very dark overtone to them. They are also very gritty and raw. My dream movie would be him directing Frank Peretti's book "This Present Darkness." Ohh man would that rock.
- The Coen Brothers: I have seen every single movie these guys have made. They are brilliant not only in their directing, but also in their writing. Each movie they have made is unique in it's own way. They have yet to make a disappointing film. Their movies include: Fargo, Raising Arizona, The Hudsucker Proxy, O' Brother, Where Art Thou? and The Big Lebowski.
- M. Night Shyamalan: This fresh new director has been called a modern day Hitchcock. I couldn't agree more. He came out of nowhere to write and direct The Sixth Sense. He followed that film up with the brilliant, yet underrated movie Unbreakable. His latest movie Signs is another great film from a great writer/director.
(Again, I could list many more directors, but I want to keep it short.)
Here are a few of my favorite actors and actresses:
- Al Pacino: No arguement, the greatest actor ever to grace the screen. He broke all the rules of acting, then recreated them. His acting techniques have been studied and pondered over for years and years. He has created almost all of the secrets that actors learn when going to theatre school.
- Robert De Niro: Ranks right up there with Al Pacino, only to a slightly lesser degree. His natural ability is not quite as good as that of Al Pacino. That being said, he is still one of the greatest actors in film history.
- Anthony Hopkins: Always delivers a good performance. His techniques and ability are so fine tuned that it would be impossible for him to ever do a poor job in a film.
- Jack Nicholson: How could I make a list of great actors without putting ol' Jack on there? Great actor with a truly unique style.
- Michelle Pfeiffer: I honestly believe she is one of the best actresses in recent history. I like her because she is not one of those sappy cookie-cutter actresses that always look like they're on the verge of crying. She always delivers an honest performance without having to over-act.
Marisa Tomei: Everyone remembers her hilarious performance in the 1992 comedy "My Cousin Vinny." That was also the role from which she won her very first oscar. Although many people feel she didn't deserve any recognition for her performance in that film, I believe that she is truly a very good actress. She is always believable in her roles, and that's not something you can very often say about an actress.
Well... those are my picks. Now its your turn! Have fun! 
- Matt -
"In Him we live and move and have our being" - Acts 17:28
"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." Edmund Burke | | Back to Top | | |
  |  honorman Registered Member
 Date Joined Oct 2002 Total Posts : 1137 | Posted 9/26/2003 5:40 AM (GMT -6) |   | Ordinary People Kung Pow Enter The Fist I'm Gonna Get You Sucka! Loaded Weapon One Elvira Mistress of The Dark Hellraiser (only the first one) Aliens (James Cameron directing) Any movie NOT directed by Oliver Stone (save JFK, because Kevin Costner saved it) Heat, because my sister's boyfriend was a consultant and had a small role Early Bill Murray (esprecially Stripes) Hannah and her Sisters (most of Woody Allen, particularly Stardust Memories) Naked Lunch Wings of Desire (one of THE best movies ever) Any romantic movie that does NOT have Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan in it. Tender Mercies Any thing with Rbert Duvall in it The Mummy series (because it is a wonderful rip off of Indiana Jones series, which is great as well). Fried Green Tomatoes, for the screen where Kathy Bates rams her car into the skinny girls car.
How about some bad movies...movies so horrible they stay in your mind as well... For instance, Jacob's Ladder, a horrible Vietnam thing with Tim Robbins. Or Meet The Parents, a film so horrible the ashes of the dead was the funnest thing about it.
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  |  Blood Washed Heretic Registered Member
 Date Joined Jul 2003 Total Posts : 167 | Posted 9/26/2003 6:03 AM (GMT -6) |   | Yay!!!
This will be as meandering as my music post, but (hopefully) more concise.
Disclaimer: I don't make recommendations. "All things are permissible, but not profitable...", etc. These are the films and filmmakers that impact me, and do not cause me to stumble. But again, that's me...
FILMS
The Fellowship of the Ring - The greatest fantasy film ever made. Period. TTT was a bit of a disappointment, but I hold out hope for the Extended Edition, and I have no doubts that Return of the King will be amazing...
Punch-Drunk Love - Highly underappreciated gem from MAGNOLIA writer-director PT Anderson. Whoda thunk that Adam Sandler could actually act?
Reservoir Dogs/Pulp Fiction - Two brutal works of genius from everyone's favorite motormouth Quentin Tarantino.
Dr. Strangelove - Kubrick. Cold War black comedy. Outstanding. Best line: "Gentlemen, you can't fight in here, this is the War Room!!!"
Grosse Pointe Blank - John Cusack plays a depressed contract killer attending his high school reunion. 'Nuff said.
Fight Club - Will undoubtedly be an anarchic classic along the lines of TAXI DRIVER in ten years. Absolutely brilliant.
X-Men 2: The best comic superhero film yet, also a rare instance where a sequel outperforms the first in every way.
The Empire Strikes Back: The greatest sequel ever. Better than all three of the prequels combined, and the third one hasn't even come out yet. The secret? George Lucas didn't direct this one. Hmmm...
Vertigo - Hitchcock's masterpiece, and that's saying quite a bit. Also, further proof that Jimmy Stewart was the greatest actor to grace the silver screen.
Citizen Kane - I don't often agree with the American Film Institute, but this IS the greatest film of all time. The acting, direction, and camerawork are still impressive by today's standards.
Honorable mentions: American Beauty Cool Hand Luke The Hustler The Matrix The Matrix Reloaded 25th Hour Road to Perdition O Brother, Where Art Thou? The Big Lebowski Being John Malkovich Equilibrium Gladiator Blade Runner Unbreakable Twelve Monkeys Edward Scissorhands Ed Wood The Fugitive Spider-Man Spirited Away Catch Me If You Can Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon Amelie Run Lola Run The Usual Suspects Clerks.
DIRECTORS
Alfred Hitchcock - The master of suspense, but also an excellent visual storyteller. Vertigo, Psycho, The Man Who Knew Too Much, Rear Window, North By Northwest, among others.
Stanley Kubrick - Photographer-turned-obscenely gifted filmmaker. Eccentric, unique, stunning body of work includes 2001: A Space Odyssey, A Clockwork Orange, and Full Metal Jacket.
Peter Jackson - Love it or loathe it, his monumental LOTR trilogy will remain a towering achievement long from now.
Terry Gilliam - Brings a quirky sense of irony to even his darker films. The Monty Python Films, Twelve Monkeys, and others show his tremendous range.
Bryan Singer - The future of the business looks bright with young guns like Singer leading the way. Just watch The Usual Suspects and the X-Men films.
Kevin Smith - A guilty pleasure to be sure, but Clerks, Chasing Amy, and Dogma really are good films in their own right.
Ridley Scott - Blade Runner and Gladiator make amends for every Hannibal along the way. Inconsistent, but when he's on, he's ON.
Honorable mentions: Steven Spielberg George Lucas Sam Mendes David Fincher David Lynch The Coen Bros. The Wachowski Bros. Martin Scoresese Francis Ford Coppola Spike Jonze Spike Lee Quentin Tarantino Robert Rodriguez Tim Burton Orson Welles
Favorite actors: John Cusack Kevin Spacey Ian McKellen Edward Norton Brad Pitt Bruce Willis Samuel L. Jackson Christopher Walken Christopher Lee Ewan MacGregor Taye Diggs Johnny Depp Viggo Mortensen Russell Crowe Jimmy Stewart Cary Grant Orson Welles George Clooney Val Kilmer John Turturro
Favorite actresses: Meg Ryan Keira Knightley Maggie Gyllenhaal Judi Dench Cate Blanchett Miranda Otto Rosario Dawson Salma Hayek Jada Pinkett Smith Jennifer Connelly Doris Day Marilyn Monroe Cristina Ricci Katharine Hepburn Nicole Kidman Meryl Streep Julianne Moore
OK, so it WAS longer. Sheesh...
In essentials, unity; In matters of opinion, liberty; In all things, love. | | Back to Top | | |
 |  DLW Registered Member
 Date Joined Apr 2003 Total Posts : 2457 | Posted 9/26/2003 7:52 AM (GMT -6) |   | I would like to contribute some foreign film suggestions..
Ridicule. La Reine Margot. The Horseman on the Roof. Red, Blue(didn't care for white). The Passion of Joan of Arc. The Crimson Tide. The Dinner Game. I Can't Sleep. La Derniere Metro. L'histoire de Adele H. Abre los ojos. Farinelli. The Pride of My Father. My Favorite Season. Une Aire de Famille. Camille Claudel. L'America Il Profuma di Donna(Italian Original) The Best Man. Far Away and Oh So Close. Run Lola Run. About a Boy. Kandahar. Many of the early Jackie Chan films(Ever since "The Legend of the Drunken Master", they haven't been as good). (I don't know if this is foreign or not)In the name of the Rose(with Sean Connery) La Vida es Bella Johnny Stecchenino(El duo son con Roberto Bernigni) Jesus de Montreal. Shoot the Piano Player(old french film) The Return of Martin Guerre. Cafe en Leche Hate When the Cat's Away. My night with Claude. Kolya. Thieves. Red-kiss. Une Coeur en Hiver. Africa in Black and White. A mere formality. Jacqot. The Umbrellas of Cherbourg.
US films not mentioned earlier... Memento. Do the Right Thing. Back to the Future(from my youth) The Fugitive Romeo and Juliet(w. di Caprio, but not because of Di Caprio ) Fiddler on the Roof. West-side Story. A Lion in Winter. Becket. Waking Life. The womanizer. Changing Lanes. Uncle Saddam. The Hunt for Red October. Down to Earth. Schindler's list. The Civil War Series by Ken Burns. Glory. The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. Crocodile Dundee. The Mission. My favorite Arnold film was "Junior". The Curse of the Jade Scorpion. My dinner with Andre. The Green Mile. Remember the Titans. Training Day. ShadowLands(I prefer the play a lot, but I like the US version better than the british one because, while it deemphasized the religious aspects, it did a better job of portraying Joy Edelman's strong personality and how it conflicted with Lewis' friends.) Reds.
That's all I can think of, for right now.
dlw Niebuhr thought that sustained moral energy in politics depended on religion's power to mobilize reason along with self-transcending love. The prophetic tradition, meanwhile, gave Jews and Christians some protection against the temptation to identify their social causes with God's will. Lincoln's second inaugural address expressed the prophetic insight, "The almighty has His own purposes." | | Back to Top | | |
     |  honorman Registered Member
 Date Joined Oct 2002 Total Posts : 1137 | Posted 9/29/2003 2:40 PM (GMT -6) |   | | Shawshank WOULD have been my favorite if I hadn't read the story first... | | Back to Top | | |
 |  Laika Registered Member

Date Joined Mar 2003 Total Posts : 2433 | Posted 9/29/2003 3:28 PM (GMT -6) |   | | | |
  |  honorman Registered Member
 Date Joined Oct 2002 Total Posts : 1137 | Posted 9/29/2003 4:51 PM (GMT -6) |   | Laika: actually I am (though my body says different ). Spinal Tap was wonderful...what about Monty Python's The Meaning of Life? Best in Show? Sayles' Passionfish and Brother From Another Planet should also be included. | | Back to Top | | |
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