Animation Revelation Forum

Yes, I know that there was an old thread for this already, but rather than revive that I wanted to re-post my list of excerpts from my favorite movies. The problem is that Avaitor already got most of them on the old thread. I wanted to create this thread and see if anybody other than Avaitor could guess most of my favorites (without being a cheat and looking back at the old thread). Anyways, here's my list, which is still the same as it was the last time I posted it:

30. -What's he doing? Cleaning house?
-He's washing and scrubbing down the bathroom walls.
-Must've splattered a lot.
-Come on, that's what we're all thinkin'. He killed her in there, now he has to clean up those stains before he leaves.
-Stella... your choice of words!
-Nobody ever invented a polite word for a killin' yet.

29. -How's Paulie?
-Oh, Paulie... won't see him no more.

28. -Wendy? Darling? Light, of my life. I'm not gonna hurt ya. You didn't let me finish my sentence. I said, I'm not gonna hurt ya. I'm just going to bash your brains in.

27. -Do you believe in Santa Claus?
-No.
-Nor do I. Nor do I, but my children do. They are still small. But do you know who they like even better than Santa Claus? His helper, Pedro el Negro. Black Peter. There's an old Mexican tale that tells of how Santa Claus got so very busy looking out for the good children that he had to hire some help to look out for the bad children. So he hired Pedro. And Santa Claus gave him a list with all the names of all the bad children. And Pedro would come every night to check them out. And the people, the little kids that were misbehaving, that were not saying their prayers, Pedro would leave a little toy donkey on their window. A little burro. And he would come back, and if the children were still misbehaving, Pedro would take them away, and nobody would ever see them again. Now, if I am being Santa Claus, and you are Pedro, how do you think jolly Santa Claus would feel if one day Pedro came into his office and said, 'I lost the list.' How fucking furious do you think he will get?
-I think...I think you should tell the guy standing behind me to put his gun away.
-What?
-I said, I think you should tell him to put the gun down before I rip it out of his hand and beat his bitch-ass to death with it.

26. -Are you telling me that 200 of our men against your boy is a no-win situation for us?
-You send that many, don't forget one thing.
-What?
-A good supply of body bags.

25. -I'm scared Poncho.
-Bullshit. You ain't afraid of no man.
-There's something out there waiting for us, and it ain't no man. We're all gonna die.

24. -You know what you look like to me, with your good bag and your cheap shoes? You look like a rube. A well scrubbed, hustling rube with a little taste. Good nutrition's given you some length of bone, but you're not more than one generation from poor white trash, are you, Agent Starling? And that accent you've tried so desperately to shed: pure West Virginia. What is your father, dear? Is he a coal miner? Does he stink of the lamp? You know how quickly the boys found you... all those tedious sticky fumblings in the back seats of cars... while you could only dream of getting out....getting anywhere....getting all the way to the FBI.

23. -Quasi, take it from an old spectator. Life's not a spectator sport. If watchin' is all you're gonna do, then you're gonna watch your life go by without ya.

22. -How do you go about writing a detective story?
-Well, you forget detection and concentrate on crime. Crime's the thing. And then you imagine you're going to steal something or murder somebody.
-Oh, is that how you do it? It's interesting.
-Yes, I usually put myself in the criminal's shoes and then I keep asking myself, uh, what do I do next?
-Do you really believe in the perfect murder?
-Mmm, yes, absolutely. On paper, that is. And I think I could, uh, plan one better than most people; but I doubt if I could carry it out.
-Oh? Why not?
-Well, because in stories things usually turn out the way the author wants them to; and in real life they don't... always.
-Hmm.
-No, I'm afraid my murders would be something like my bridge: I'd make some stupid mistake and never realize it until I found everybody was looking at me.

21. -Old woman.
-Man.
-Man, sorry. What knight lives in that castle over there?
-I'm 37.
-What?
-I'm 37. I'm not old.
-Well I can't just call you "man".
-Well you could say "Dennis".
-I didn't know you were called Dennis.
-Well you didn't bother to find out did you?
-I did say sorry about the "old woman", but from behind you looked...
-What I object to is you automatically treat me like an inferior.
-Well I am king.
-Oh, king eh? Very nice. And how'd you get that, eh? By exploiting the workers. By hanging on to outdated imperialist dogma which perpetuates the economic and social differences in our society.

20. -What's with all these paper cranes? You bored? Maybe you feel lonely here?
-You know, I've always hated making cranes. I make one each time I kill somebody. How about it, shall I make you one?
-No thanks. And if you'll get killed, who'll make yours?

19. -Sir knight? I've just pissed in my pants... and nobody can do anything about it.

18. -You want me to kill Jappos, I'll kill Jappos.
-I'm not asking you to kill anybody.
-You want me to kill THE ENEMIES of Jappos, I'll kill THE ENEMIES of Jappos... Rebs, or Sioux, or Cheyenne... For 500 bucks a month I'll kill whoever you want. But keep one thing in mind: I'd happily kill you for free.

17. -Now, I want you to say "doggy".
-Doggy.
-Notice, that nothing happens. Now, say "Montana".
-Montana.
-Good. Now, "pillow".
-Pillow.
-All right. Now I want you to say "horse fucker".
-Go on, honey. It's all right.
-Horse fu....That hurts, goddamnit!
-Now I want you to say "big floppy donkey dick".
-No!
-Success! The child doesn't want to swear!
-This isn't fair, you sons of bi....

16. -Please don't eat me.
-Drop 'em!
-Hey! Who's the pig?
-Are you talkin' to me?
-Uh-oh, they called him a pig.
-Are you talking to *me*?
-Ya shouldn't have done that.
-ARE YOU TALKING TO ME?
-Now they're in for it.
-THEY CALL ME MR. PIG! AHHHH!

15. -Do all killers have a sense of honor?
-The world has changed. Honor is now a dirty word.

14. -What kind of city are we running when we depend on the support of a potential madman!?!
-What rot, sir! Why you're the very model of sanity. Oh by the way, I pressed your tights and put away your exploding gas balls.

13. -Which one of you guys wants to be a general? Pinkley?
-What kind of general, sir?
-Just a plain, ordinary, every day, home-lovin' American general.
-I'd rather be a civilian, sir.
-You've seen a general inspecting troops before haven't you? Just walk slow, act dumb and look stupid!

12. -You want to give me the cash, or do I kill your brother first, before I kill you?
-Why don't you try sticking your head up your ass? See if it fits.

11. -Oh, uh, Charlie - about your little problem - there are two kinds of people in this world: those who stand up and face the music, and those who run for cover. Cover is better.

10. -I am wondering, why are you here?
-I'm looking for someone.
-Looking? Found someone, you have, I would say, hmmm?
-Right...
-Help you I can. Yes, mmmm.
-I don't think so. I'm looking for a great warrior.
-Ohhh. Great warrior.
-Wars not make one great.

9. -Hey, this one looks like a preacher.
-I preach.
-Yeah, what do you preach, gold?
-The word of God.
-Eh, but you like gold, huh?
-It can work for the lord as well as the devil. Why should only the Church O' Rome have gold? Gold, silver, bibles and corruption, when I get my gold-
-Your gold?
-My share....my share will build a tavernacle to the Lord, a temple of the true gospel, maybe a whole string of 'em through the territory.
-Hey Ben to bring this fellow you gotta be crazier than he is.
-I told you everybody knows. You can't keep gold a secret, it travels in the air. Anyways we can use every gun we can get, no matter who carries it.
-Hey Mackenna.
-Preacher, this isn't gonna be like a walk to Church on a Sunday. Might get yourself killed. Might even have to do some killing yourself.
-The Lord knows what he wants his servants to do.
-Anyways, the gold belongs to the Apache.
-It can be used for them, to bring 'em to the Lord!
-Ai Chiuaua, he makes a good deal with his Lord!

8. -Wait a minute, Doc, are you trying to tell me that my mother has got the hots for me?
-Precisely.
-Whoa, this is heavy.
-There's that word again; "heavy." Why are things so heavy in the future? Is there a problem with the earth's gravitational pull?

7. -Of course I don't have my underwear. I'm definitely not wearing my underwear.
-I gave you a fresh pair of mine to wear. Where are they?
-They're in the pocket of my jacket. Here.
-I don't want them back.
-These are not boxer shorts. Mine are boxer shorts. These are Hanes 32.
-Underwear is underwear, Ray.
-My boxer shorts have my name and it says Raymond.
-All right, when we pass the store, we'll pick you up a pair of boxer shorts.
-I get my boxer shorts at K-Mart in Cincinnati.
-We're not going back to Cincinnati, Ray, so don't even start with that.

6. -I'm sorry I had to fight in the middle of your Black Panther party.

5. -You stupid bastard, I can't fuckin' believe you. Now, you're gonna dig the fuckin' thing now. You're gonna dig the hole. You're gonna do it. I got no fuckin' lime. You're gonna do it.
-Who the fuck cares? I'll dig the fuckin' hole. I don't give a fuck. What is it, the first hole I dug? Not the first time I dug a hole. I'll fuckin' dig a hole. Where are the shovels?

4. -No, no, no, no. You gotta listen to the way people talk. You don't say "affirmative," or some shit like that. You say "no problemo." And if someone comes on to you with an attitude you say "eat me." And if you want to shine them on it's "hasta la vista, baby."
-Hasta la vista, baby.
-Yeah but later, dickwad. And if someone gets upset you say, "chill out"! Or you can do combinations.
-Chill out, dickwad.
-Great! See, you're getting it!
-No problemo.

3. -They're coming outta the walls. They're coming outta the goddamn walls. Let's book!

2. -Why do you want to join the force?
-To protect the property and citizenry of...
-Ah, don't waste my time with that bullshit. Where you from, Stone?
-I'm from the south-side.
-Stone. George Stone. That's your name? What's your real name?
-That is my real name.
-Nah. What was it before you changed it?
-Giuseppe Petri.
-Ah, I knew it. That's all you need, one thieving wop on the team.
-Hey, what's that you say?
-I said that you're a lying member of a no good race.
-Much better than you, you stinking Irish pig.
-Oh, I like him.

1. -You may run the risks, my friend, but I do the cutting. We cut down my percentage - uh, cigar? - liable to interfere with my aim.
-But if you miss you had better miss very well. Whoever double-crosses me and leaves me alive, he understands nothing about Tuco. Nothing!

I like your number 4 choice, it's one of my favorites too.

I haven't made one of these in a while.

1- The Apartment
2- Pulp Fiction
3- The Nightmare Before Christmas
4- Psycho
5- City Lights
6- The Avengers
7- Seven Samurai
8- Casablanca
9- A Clockwork Orange
10- Batman: Mask of the Phantasm
11- Clerks
12- Lawrence of Arabia
13- X2: X-Men United
14- The Red Shoes
15- Sunset Boulevard
16- The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
17- The Lion King
18- Chasing Amy
19- Aliens
20- Singin' in the Rain
21- Pollyanna
22- Rear Window
23- Almost Famous
24- Perspolis
25- Ran
26- Mary Poppins
27- Die Hard
28- Persona
29- Double Indemnity
30- Scott Pilgrim vs. the World

Pretty obvious choices in there, I guess.

Agree with some.

I'm still discovering good films though, so any list I make would be pretty outdated fast.

Other than the Fact that The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly is 15 spaces too low, its a great list. :sly:

Mine hasn't changed from before other than maybe finding a way to fit Serenity in there, which I personally think is the best of Joss Whedon's 3 feature-length films that I know of (I haven't seen the original Buffy movie, and I think that The Avengers is great, but Serenity is just better).

My goal is to rewatch it after I finish reading The Dark Tower. It is a great movie, but I just haven't watched it as much as I have most of the movies that made it earlier in my list.

I do feel like I'm missing a lot of the film by not seeing it in its original 70mm print. Same with Lawrence, but I sure enjoy both films. That does show just how good they both are.

Here's my list for anyone who couldn't bother to decipher my quotations. And yes, the whole thing corresponds directly to how I ranked the quotes, number-for-number:

1.   The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly
2.   The Untouchables
3.   Aliens
4.   The Terminator 2: Judgement Day
5.   Goodfellas
6.   Forrest Gump
7.   Rain Man
8.   Back to the Future
9.   Mackenna's Gold
10. Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
11. Scent of a Woman
12. Scarface
13. The Dirty Dozen
14. Batman: Mask of the Phantasm/Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker (it?s a tie between these 2)
15. The Killer
16. The Lion King
17. South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut
18. The Last Samurai
19. Dances with Wolves
20. Hardboiled
21. Monty Python and the Holy Grail
22. Dial M for Murder
23. The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Disney animated film, of course)
24. The Silence of the Lambs
25. Predator
26. Rambo: First Blood
27. Collateral
28. The Shining
29. The Godfather
30. Rear Window
31. Serenity
32. The Lord of the Rings trilogy
32. The Dark Knight
33. The Avengers

Serenity, The Dark Knight, and The Return of the King would probably manage to slip onto my top 30 if I could manage to find spots for them, and The Avengers would likely hang out there as just outside of the list indicating that its a great movie but not quite up there with my personal favorites.

No LOTR?

I'm also surprised that The Lion King is so low.

Oh, and Spark, i forgot to ask, what do you disagree about with my list?

Crap, I knew I was forgetting something!

Well, to be honest as much as I love TLOTR, they'd probably hang just outside of my list as well, if only because my top 30 are all films that truly mean a lot to me, even if some of them may be only ones that you'd ever see on a list like mine (such as The Untouchables, Forrest Gump, or Harboiled, which nobody likes as much as I do, as far as I can tell)

If any of TLOTR films would make it onto my top 30, though, it'd probably be The Return of the King, which could also rotate its way onto my top 30 on occasion, as I feel it to be the strongest film of the trilogy.

Quote from: Avaitor on January 04, 2013, 10:06:21 PM
I'm also surprised that The Lion King is so low.

Oh, and Spark, i forgot to ask, what do you disagree about with my list?

Well, 16 isn't really low. I've seen a lot of movies, so the way I'd look at it is saying that its one of the 20 best movies that I've ever seen, personally, is saying a lot.

For instance, I've recently discovered the movie Lucas and heartily question why nobody ever talks about it. I've also been really mulling over Joe Vs. The Volcano which is a very divisive film. When I keep finding movies like this, my list keeps changing.

Quote from: Avaitor on January 04, 2013, 10:06:21 PM
I'm also surprised that The Lion King is so low.

Oh, and Spark, i forgot to ask, what do you disagree about with my list?

Silly things, mostly. I've fallen out pretty hard with Kevin Smith's works over the last few years and I'm personally ambivalent about Pulp Fiction (but I do admit it's a good film) and Scott Pilgrim. Everything else is stuff I really like or have yet to see but want to, however.

You don't even like Clerks anymore?

I'm not really a big believer of the View Askewverse as of late myself, but that and Chasing Amy will always hold up for me.

I respect it for what it is, but I don't really get much out of it anymore. But that's probably because my tastes have been changing a lot.

The thing about my list is that these are not the best films ever. Most of them are far from it. But I never let stuff like that decide what I consider to be my personal favorites, and that's just what they are, personal favorites. Would I ever say that a film like The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly is technically a better film than Citizen Kane. Of course not. But the film for whatever reason jsut feels like such an important part of me. I grew up watching that movie and I can still watch it today and find even more things to appreciate the more I watch it, so naturally its my personal favorite film of all time, even if its not the best one.

I pretty much know which films are my favorites because they are ones that I constantly want to go back to, and usually tend to get better the more that I re-watch them. Films like The Avengers and tons of other movies that people would put on their list are indeed great, but they don't mean quite as much to me as the films that are already on my list. Stuff like Hardboiled or Predator are far from great movies. I'll be the first to admit that. But I love them to death because of how much they click a cord with me. Something about them just makes me excited to watch them whenever I see them, and if I catch one of them on TV, it doesn't matter what part its at, whether its at the very beginning, the middle, or near the end. I'll always sit through the rest of the movie because its just that good. That's kind of how I decide what my favorites are, and no matter how many good films I see, that rarely ever changes, but when it does you can bet its because of a damn good film that really sticks with me.

Oh, BTW, Jaws is another film that I might rotate into my top 30 on occasion. I'd say that anything past my top 20 favorites could be subject to some rotation depending on what mood I'm in.

Oh yeah, and Die Hard, too. Man, there are a lot of great films that I've seen and just don't have room for.

I just rank what I like to watch, and more often than not, those consist of classic, action, and animated movies. But I tend to like everything I guess.

I've actually been surprised with a lot of Tom Hanks' pre-Forrest Gump material. You always hear talk about how he was just a wacky throwaway comedy guy before that movie, but a lot of the films he did in that period were surprisingly good.

I think my favorite movie of his, besides the Toy Storys, is Apollo 13.

Speaking of Hanks, have you seen him in costume as Walt for Saving Mr. Banks? Not as impressive as Anthony Hopkins as Hitch, but it's not too bad.

He was really good in Big, too. I also dug That Thing You Do (though I think that was post-FG) as an interesting look at 60s-era pop music.

No, I haven't seen the picture? How weird is it?  :sweat:

(https://animationrevelation.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1.cdnds.net%2F12%2F45%2F618x425%2Fmovies_tom_hanks_saving_mr_banks.jpg&hash=d4d0b3568b970da137284248ce156f57f76f7c06)

Here you go.

 :D

That's actually better than I was expecting.

I'm just happy that they aren't getting Meryl Streep to play Travers. The girl can't do accents to save her life.

Funny, because I was just thinking it would be a shame to get her. She's a great actress, but her accents are so cartoonish.

They wanted her, but got Emma Thompson instead. Good call, since y'no, she's actually British.

Here's my top 10.

1. Triumph of the Will
2. Jews Without Masks
3. Das Erbe
4. The Red Terror
5. The Fox of Glenarvon
6. Olympia Part One: Festival of the Nations
7. Olympia Part Two: Festival of Beauty (not quite as good as the original)
8. Victory of the Faith
9. The Eternal Jew
10. My Life For Ireland

1. Aokigahara
2. Rusty Knife
3. Love At Twenty
4. Space Battleship Yamato Resurrection
5. Captive's Island
6. The Young Beast
7. I Am Waiting
8. For Those We Love
9. Hisai
10. The Petrified Forest

1. Birth of a Nation
2. Bamboozled
3. Mandingo
4. White Dog
5. The Toy
6. The Littlest Rebel
7. White Chicks
8. Soul Man
9. The Truth About Nanking
10. Intolerance

Quote from: Foggle on January 04, 2013, 11:09:32 PM
Here's my top 10.

1. Triumph of the Will
2. Jews Without Masks
3. Das Erbe
4. The Red Terror
5. The Fox of Glenarvon
6. Olympia Part One: Festival of the Nations
7. Olympia Part Two: Festival of Beauty (not quite as good as the original)
8. Victory of the Faith
9. The Eternal Jew
10. My Life For Ireland

I was honestly expecting Juno in there.

Quote from: Foggle on January 04, 2013, 11:09:32 PM
Here's my top 10.

1. Triumph of the Will
2. Jews Without Masks
3. Das Erbe
4. The Red Terror
5. The Fox of Glenarvon
6. Olympia Part One: Festival of the Nations
7. Olympia Part Two: Festival of Beauty (not quite as good as the original)
8. Victory of the Faith
9. The Eternal Jew
10. My Life For Ireland

Looks more like Kury's top 10.

Quote from: Avaitor on January 04, 2013, 11:26:03 PM
Looks more like Kury's top 10.

Aw, what gave it away!? How did you know I stole it from her?! :shit:

I'm friends with Cloud. That makes me NOT a nazi.

This is gonna be hard. Besides Bourne trilogy being #1, no specific order

Bourne Trilogy
Pulp Fiction
Back to the Future Trilogy
Predator
Rocky series
Expendables
Big Boss
Return of the Dragon
Enter the Dragon
Game of Death
Chinese Connection
The Crow
Last Samurai
Bad Boys 1-2
Transformers 1-2
Dark Knight
Batman
Die Hard trilogy
Big Trouble in Little China
Lost Boys
Inception
Ocean's trilogy
Desperado
Once Upon a Time in Mexico
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 1-2
Ong Bak
The Protector (Tony Jaa)
Ip Man
Money Talks
Rush Hour 2
Friday
Friday After Nexy

I'll stop there because if I carry on and considering the amount of old school martial arts films there are this list will go on forever. I was born an action buff.

One of these days I'll rewatch the TMNT movies. Even 3, just for the hell of it.

At the moment?

20. The Dark Knight
19. Sleeping Beauty
18. The Shining
17. The Big Lebowski
16. Annie Hall
15. True Romance
14. Richard III
13. The Last Temptation of Christ
12. A Clockwork Orange
11. Lost In Translation
10. The Lord of the Rings
09. Goodfellas
08. There Will Be Blood
07. Bonnie And Clyde
06. Titus
05. Reservoir Dogs
04. Citizen Kane
03. Pulp Fiction
02. The Godfather
02. The Godfather Part II
01. Casablanca

So now that I've properly seen almost every movie Tarantino wrote and/or directed (sometimes again), I guess I'll rank 'n rate 'em. I know you guys care deeply about my opinion on this matter.

1. Django Unchained - I probably need to watch it a second time before I can confirm my ranking, but this movie really resonated with me like no film has since In Bruges. Loved every minute, and I'd consider it nearly perfect outside of some weird editing flubs. 10/10

2. Kill Bill (as one movie) - Excellent epic; great action in the first half and even better storytelling/character development in the second. It didn't drag at all despite being four hours long, and I would gladly watch it all again any time. 10/10

3. Reservoir Dogs - This has been one of my all time favorites since forever, and it gets better every time I rewatch it. 10/10

4. True Romance - Didn't like it much the first time I saw it, but now I love it. I don't have much to say about TR other than that I think it's a near-masterpiece. 9/10

5. Jackie Brown - I'm not really sure why this film is so unpopular. Sure, it's not super fast-paced, but the performances are excellent and the writing is sublime. Very rewarding to watch IMO. 9/10

6. Pulp Fiction - I love the dialogue in this movie so much. Millions of awesome lines, and all the actors hit it out of the park every time. I know this is everyone's favorite QT picture, and I can see why, but I personally felt it wasn't as strong as my top five for some reason. Still a classic, though. 9/10

7. Inglourious Basterds - I didn't like this one quite as much as the other films Tarantino directed himself, but that doesn't mean it isn't fantastic. It was really tough deciding on the order I'd put numbers 4-7 in, because I love them all. 9/10

8. From Dusk Till Dawn - Absolutely loved George Clooney in this. Very fun movie with a lot of rewatch potential, though nothing too substantial of course. 7/10

9. Natural Born Killers - An effective and interesting satire with some great dialogue as always, but it's too artsy and uncomfortable a watch to have much replay value for me. 7/10

10. Death Proof (as part of Grindhouse) - Kurt Russell's scenes in the first half are pretty fun, as are the final moments with the car chase and whatnot, but I thought it wasn't very good as a whole. Most of the movie just boils down to extremely unlikable characters talking about sex. Planet Terror was far superior. 4/10

I've only seem 2 Tarantino films that I actually like, personally, but like I said, I'm aiming to give Pulp Fiction yet another chance one of these days. For now, though, its:

1. Inglorious Basterds- The performances in this one were brilliant, which is really what I liked more than anything else about the film

2. Django Unchained- Because I love westerns, and I have to admit, Tarantino can make s damn good western when he's actually making a real western rather than paying homage to them from another genre

I actually haven't seen Jackie Brown or From Dusk Till Dawn yet.

But if what Kevin Smith says is true, the opening of FDTD is the best part of the whole movie.

I liked Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction, but the rest all had an issue or two that I couldn't get by (of the ones I saw anyway.

Death Proof was outright lame, though. Planet Terror was waaaay better.

You can't watch one without the other, IMO. Both Grindhouse movies need to be seen together, with the trailers.

But Machete is way better than either.

Quote from: Avaitor on January 04, 2013, 09:37:09 PM
I haven't made one of these in a while.

1- The Apartment
2- Pulp Fiction
3- The Nightmare Before Christmas
4- Psycho
5- City Lights
6- The Avengers
7- Seven Samurai
8- Casablanca
9- A Clockwork Orange
10- Batman: Mask of the Phantasm
11- Clerks
12- Lawrence of Arabia
13- X2: X-Men United
14- The Red Shoes
15- Sunset Boulevard
16- The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
17- The Lion King
18- Chasing Amy
19- Aliens
20- Singin' in the Rain
21- Pollyanna
22- Rear Window
23- Almost Famous
24- Perspolis
25- Ran
26- Mary Poppins
27- Die Hard
28- Persona
29- Double Indemnity
30- Scott Pilgrim vs. the World

Pretty obvious choices in there, I guess.

Let's see, I'd still agree with a lot of this, but

-I'd put Badlands in the top 5
-Mary Poppins should go into my top 20
-Annie Hall will finally stop creeping in my top 50 and make it somewhere in here
-Switch Singin' in the Rain and The Red Shoes

Also, a friend of mine on tumblr, who is a film major, chose to write about Tarantino for her favorite director, despite not being super familiar with his work (she's more of an expert in the work of the field than its history). I'm helping her with this, by going over all of his movies and picking apart his camera language and tropes of dialogue for her, as well as going through his influences. This will be fun.

Quote from: Foggle on March 15, 2013, 01:16:46 PM
So now that I've properly seen almost every movie Tarantino wrote and/or directed (sometimes again), I guess I'll rank 'n rate 'em. I know you guys care deeply about my opinion on this matter.

1. Django Unchained - I probably need to watch it a second time before I can confirm my ranking, but this movie really resonated with me like no film has since In Bruges. Loved every minute, and I'd consider it nearly perfect outside of some weird editing flubs. 10/10

2. Kill Bill (as one movie) - Excellent epic; great action in the first half and even better storytelling/character development in the second. It didn't drag at all despite being four hours long, and I would gladly watch it all again any time. 10/10

3. Reservoir Dogs - This has been one of my all time favorites since forever, and it gets better every time I rewatch it. 10/10

4. True Romance - Didn't like it much the first time I saw it, but now I love it. I don't have much to say about TR other than that I think it's a near-masterpiece. 9/10

5. Jackie Brown - I'm not really sure why this film is so unpopular. Sure, it's not super fast-paced, but the performances are excellent and the writing is sublime. Very rewarding to watch IMO. 9/10

6. Pulp Fiction - I love the dialogue in this movie so much. Millions of awesome lines, and all the actors hit it out of the park every time. I know this is everyone's favorite QT picture, and I can see why, but I personally felt it wasn't as strong as my top five for some reason. Still a classic, though. 9/10

7. Inglourious Basterds - I didn't like this one quite as much as the other films Tarantino directed himself, but that doesn't mean it isn't fantastic. It was really tough deciding on the order I'd put numbers 4-7 in, because I love them all. 9/10

8. From Dusk Till Dawn - Absolutely loved George Clooney in this. Very fun movie with a lot of rewatch potential, though nothing too substantial of course. 7/10

9. Natural Born Killers - An effective and interesting satire with some great dialogue as always, but it's too artsy and uncomfortable a watch to have much replay value for me. 7/10

10. Death Proof (as part of Grindhouse) - Kurt Russell's scenes in the first half are pretty fun, as are the final moments with the car chase and whatnot, but I thought it wasn't very good as a whole. Most of the movie just boils down to extremely unlikable characters talking about sex. Planet Terror was far superior. 4/10

I didn't know Tarantino didn't direct Inglourious Basterds.

Quote from: gunswordfist on June 04, 2013, 07:39:51 PM
I didn't know Tarantino didn't direct Inglourious Basterds.

I think you read that wrong. ;) I didn't like it as much as the other films he directed himself (excluding Death Proof), but he did direct it himself, and I liked it more than two of the ones he didn't direct himself.

Okay so, I think I might have posted this a few months ago. It's another site where I've gone through and given grades, as well as short reviews, to various movies (I'm at about 300 movies so far). Lately, I've been in the process of giving all these movies more specific grades (basically, numbers that don't just end in 0). Feel free to look at my list, and click on any of the movies there to see what I have to say about them, if you feel like it. And if you do, feel free to ask about any of my ratings. There's a good chance some of them might even be inaccurate (these ratings are still rough).

http://www.criticker.com/?fl&user=talonmalon

So I've tried to finally put together a top 10 movie list, but I just can't decide on a satisfying list. However, I feel like I can at least get a good top 5. So I'll just post that here.

1. Jaws
2. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
3. Rosemary's Baby
4. Vertigo
5. Roman Holiday

I feel like Jaws is the type of movie where some people could easily write it off as being average since, on the surface, it's basically just a monster movie. But it's just so incredibly well made. Of course, a large part of that has to do with Spielberg keeping the shark offscreen for the first half. But it also has to do with the three leads, which are some of my favorite characters in all of cinema.

I still remember when I first saw One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. I was at the beach for the entire month of August between grade school and high school. We saw it at a Blockbuster and my parents weren't sure if it was appropriate for me and my cousins to see (all that swearing). But they caved in and I've loved the movie since. It also has what became my favorite Jack Nicholson screen performance, and probably what's consider to be my favorite movie performance in general alongside Quint from Jaws.

Rosemary's Baby... I don't know how many of you guys have seen this one, but I think it's really as close to perfect as a movie can be. I don't consider it to be a horror, more like a thriller. And I'd compare the way it builds up suspense to something Hitchcock could've done. It's the type of movie where the ending isn't really the most important part, but the buildup to it is.

Vertigo is a movie I didn't fully get when I first saw it. Back then, Rear Window was my favorite Hitchcock film, and Vertigo didn't change that. However, it was through rewatches that I came to see how much of a masterpiece the movie is. It's the type of movie that just gets better and better the more you watch and think about it.

With Roman Holiday, honestly, this movie is just a real joy to me. It stars two huge names in American cinema, and it's the type of movie where I feel like I could follow these characters forever. I'd probably call Audrey Hepburn my favorite actress of all time, and this movie is hands down my favorite performance of hers.

I've never posted a favorite movie list before, but I might as well do so now.

To be honest, I haven't seen many of the most important/popular movies, like Citizen Kane and Pulp Fiction. I feel that my list is a little lame because of this, although I really, seriously love the movies I consider my top ten favorites. It's the same kind of situation I have with Live-Action television shows, although with that I can't even make a top ten (I can only get up to 7). Dammit I need to watch The Wire already  :sweat:.

Well, going back to the subject of films, I'll still do a top thirty because there are that many films that I respect/have an attachment to at least, but this list will almost certainly and radically change as I watch more movies, especially the most acclaimed and classic ones, in the next few years. Still, don't bash too hard!  ;)

How E-K posted his list on the first page was pretty cool. So I'm gonna shamelessly rip it off!  :sly:

30. -Love makes people do stupid things.
- I love everything!
- That explains a lot.

29. - What can you tell me about clowns?
- In this town, they're never funny.

28. - I promised I'd never let anything happen to him.
- Hmm. That's a funny thing to promise.
- What?
- Well, you can't never let anything happen to him. Then nothing would ever happen to him. Not much fun for little Harpo.

27. - Honey?
- What?
- Where's my super suit?
- What?
- Where - is - my - super - suit?
- I, uh, put it away.
- Where?
- Why do you need to know?
- I need it!
- Uh-uh! Don't you think about running off doing no daring-do. We've been planning this dinner for two months!
- The public is in danger!
- My evening's in danger!
- You tell me where my suit is, woman! We are talking about the greater good!
- 'Greater good?' I am your wife! I'm the greatest good you are ever gonna get!


26. - These aren't just dreams. These are memories. And you said never to use memories
- I know I did.
- You're trying to keep her alive. You can't let her go.
- You don't understand. These are moments I regret, the memories I have to change.

25. - Who's that then?
- I dunno, must be a king.
- Why?
- He hasn't got shit all over him.

24. - It is no concern of mine whether your family has... what was it again?
- Um...food?
- Ha! You should have thought of that before you became peasants!

23. - I'm awfully sorry. I didn't mean to frighten you.
- Oh, it wasn't that. It's just that you're a...a...
- A stranger?
- Mm-hm
- But don't you remember? We've met before.
- We...we have?
- But of course! You said so yourself. Once upon a dream.

22. - Who...are...you?
- Why, I hardly know, sir. I've changed so much since this morning, you see.
- No, I do not see. Explain yourself.
- I'm afraid I can't explain myself, you see, because I'm not myself, you know.
- I do not know.
- I can't put it any more clearly, sir, because it isn't clear to me.

21. - Do you want to know why I use a knife? Guns are too quick. You can't savor all the... little emotions. In... you see, in their last moments, people show you who they really are. So in a way, I know your friends better than you ever did. Would you like to know which of them were cowards?

20. - You can hear a song from a cherry tree? How unbelievable! Since when did they all start behaving like tame sheep? How could this become such an overly sentimental scene? Is this really the same town of Tomobiki that I've lived in for the last seventeen years of my life!?

19. - What do you want me to do, dress in drag and do the hula?

18. - Me? I'm dishonest, and a dishonest man you can always trust to be dishonest. Honestly. It's the honest ones you want to watch out for, because you can never predict when they're going to do something incredibly... stupid.

17. - Smart, aren't you?
- No, not really. I've just had time to think things out. Put myself in your position. That's why I know you're going to agree.
- What makes you think I'll agree?
- For the same reason that a donkey with a stick behind him and a carrot in front always goes forwards and not backwards.
- ...Tell me about the carrot.

16. - You have saved our lives. We are eternally grateful.
- Will you just leave me alone?

15. - Hey, I know a joke! A squirrel walks up to a tree and says, "I forgot to store acorns for the winter and now I am dead." Ha! It is funny because the squirrel gets dead.

14. - How odd that it should end this way for us after so many stimulating encounters. I almost regret it. Where shall I find a new adversary so close to my own level?
- Try the local sewer.

13. - Haven't you heard of the Emancipation Proclamation?
- I don't listen to hip hop.

12. - It doesn't mean I don't care anymore. I don't want to let you down, honest, but... but it just doesn't hurt so bad anymore. You can understand that, can't you? Look, I can give money to the city - they can hire more cops. Let someone else take the risk, but it's different now!
[thunder and lightning]
- Please! I need it to be different now. I know I made a promise, but I didn't see this coming. I didn't count on being happy.
[thunder and lightning]
Please! Tell me that it's okay.
- [enters] Maybe they already have. Maybe they sent me.
[They embrace in the rain]

11. - Quite frankly, I didn't even want to use you guys, with your dip and velcro and all your gear bullshit. I wanted to drop a bomb. But people didn't believe in this lead enough to drop a bomb. So they're using you guys as canaries. And, in theory, if bin Laden isn't there, you can sneak away and no one will be the wiser. But bin Laden is there. And you're going to kill him for me.

10. - Ma'am, do you know the story about being taken to Dragon Palace by a turtle?
- That's how I'm feeling right now.
- How do you suppose it would be, if, instead of just Taro, the entire village had ridden on the turtle's back? If they all went to Dragon Palace, and came back to the village together, would centuries still have passed? Even if none of the villagers noticed?
- What are you talking about?
- Things are a mess fer ya' cause ya think time an' space are objective things. Y'know how time seems to slow down while you're waiting? Fact is, time is simply a creation of yer human consciousness. What if there ain't no human beings anywhere in the world? Wouldn't clocks and calendars be a waste? Maybe there ain't no such thing as time that flows in one direction, from the past to the future, and there never was, don'tcha think, ma'am? Human beings are slipshod to begin with, so there ain't nothing strange 'bout time being slipshod too. If ev'rything  was all hunky-dory, then THAT'd be weird! The only certain thing is the present, which just keeps on flowin' like this. Ain't that the best way to think 'bout it?
- ...Interesting. Maybe I really AM riding a turtle...   
- Want to go to Dragon Palace? I'll give you a discount fare~.

9. - But also at that point of time it was just that unconditional love. You know, for her, she was like, okay, "This man, he loves me."
- This is the part of the female perspective I disagree with. Because it's like then you can say, "Oh yeah, 'cause she loves him so she did this." You know it's like, yeah, but she shouldn't love someone who doesn't treat her right.
- Who treats you so badly.
- Okay? That's her mistake.
- That's...HENCE unconditional love.

8. -  It's perfectly obvious where the pages are. He's given them to Marcus Brody.
- Marcus? You didn't drag poor Marcus along did you? He's not up to the challenge.
- He sticks out like a sore thumb. We'll find him.
-The hell you will. He's got a two day head start on you, which is more than he needs. Brody's got friends in every town and village from here to the Sudan, he speaks a dozen languages, knows every local custom, he'll blend in, disappear, you'll never see him again. With any luck, he's got the grail already.
[Cut to middle of fair in the Middle East, Marcus Brody wearing bright suit and white hat, sticking out like sore thumb]
- Uhhh, does anyone here speak English?

7. - No-one understands me.
- You never understood anything.
- I thought this was supposed to be a world without pain and without uncertainty.
- That's because you thought that everyone else felt the same as you do.
- You betrayed me! You betrayed my feelings!
- You misunderstood from the very beginning. You just believed what you wanted to believe.
- Nobody wants me, so they can all just die.
- Then what is your hand for?
- Nobody cares whether I live or die. Nothing will change... so they can all just die...
- Then what is your heart for?
- It would be better if I never existed. I should just die too.
- Then why are you here?
- Is it OK for me to be here?
[the word "Silence" flashes on the screen and fades away]
- NOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooo!

6. - It's a dangerous business, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no telling where you might be swept off to.

5. -It's always difficult to keep personal prejudice out of a thing like this. And wherever you run into it, prejudice always obscures the truth. I don't really know what the truth is. I don't suppose anybody will ever really know. Nine of us now seem to feel that the defendant is innocent, but we're just gambling on probabilities - we may be wrong. We may be trying to let a guilty man go free, I don't know. Nobody really can. But we have a reasonable doubt, and that's something that's very valuable in our system. No jury can declare a man guilty unless it's sure.

4. - If men don't trust each other, this earth might as well be hell.
- Right. The world's a kind of hell.
- No! I don't want to believe that!
- No one will hear you, no matter how loud you shout. Just think. Which one of these stories do you believe?
- None makes any sense.
- Don't worry about it. It isn't as if men were reasonable.

3. -You say that our scarfs and trousers are indecent and that we put on make up, etc. As an art student, I'm often in the studio. I need to move freely in order to draw. A longer scarf will hinder me. As for our trousers, you say they're too wide even though they hide our shape. Since these trousers are in fashion right now, I ask, is religion defending our physical integrity or is it simply opposed to fashion? You criticize us, yet our brothers all have different hair and clothes. Sometimes they wear clothing so tight, we can see their underwear. Why is it that me, as a woman, should their tight clothes have no effect on me, while they should be aroused by a shorter scarf?

2. - Man, you guys ain't had no waffles like these. These waffles are so good, they're like they come from down South. These buttery motherfuckers will melt in your mouth. Man you ain't had no waffles...
- Wait! Bullhorn, what did you just say? You said, 'Melts in your mouth'. Quick...
[erases the restaurant menu blackboard]
- What else melts in your mouth?
- M&M's!
- Exactly. And not in your hands. And who makes M&M's?
- Mars Candy Company make it. Yeah, yeah.
- And Mars is also...
- The Roman God of War.
- Who is the Greek God of War?
- Ares.
- Now, you take Mars and spell it backwards, drop the S.
- Ram. That's right. And ram is the zodialogical sign for Aries. Oh! Now dig. Ares' half-sister is Athena.
- Now you're getting it.
- Whoa, whoa, whoa. Athena, Athens.
- Which is the capital of Greece.
- And as we all know, zodialogical astronomy was created by the Greeks in...
- 785 B.C.
- And 785 is the area code to Topeka. Oh, my God. 785 is the area code to Topeka, Kansas!
-Code Kansas!
- Now take that, spell it backwards and drop the S.
- Snake doc. Snake doctor, yeah!
- Yes. And brothers, who is the Greek Demigod of Medicine who believed that snakes' tongues had mystical healing powers?
- Aesculapius, of course. He had a staff with snakes intertwining all around that bitch. They called it Aesculapius' staff. It's a symbol the medical field uses to this day.
- Now, what legend involving snakes is in both Greek and Roman mythology? Now, come on. It involves Aesculapius' own father.
- Apollo.
- Yeah. Thanks, lady.
- That's right. Apollo slew the serpent at Delphi, which was a big-ass snake.
- And what, brothers, is the biggest snake in the world?
- The South American anaconda.
- What she said.
- Anaconda Malt Liquor!
- And what is the slogan for Anaconda Malt Liquor? Anaconda Malt Liquor gives you...
- WHOOOOO!
- Gives you what?
- WHOOOOO!
- And who else is famous for...
- WHOOOOO! Little Richard!
- Who?
-Little Richard!
- So, what they're really saying is...
- Anaconda Malt Liquor gives you... Little Richard?
-What is another word for Richard?
[The gang look down on their pants]
- Gunsmoke!

1. -  So, bright boy, My guy tells me you looked over my African flesh and you was none too impressed, huh?
- Not for top dollar.
- Well, then, we got nothing more to talk about. You see, you want to buy a beat ass nigger from me, those are the beat ass niggers I want to sell, so...
- He don't wanna buy the niggers you wanna sell. He wants the nigger you don't wanna sell.
- Well, I don't sell the niggers I don't wanna sell.
-Well, you won't sell your best. You won't even sell your second best, but your third best? You don't wanna sell either, but if I made you an offer so ridiculous, you'd be forced to consider it?
[laughs]
- Who knows what could happen?
- And what do you consider "ridiculous?"
- For a truly talented specimen, the right nigger? How much would you say?
- ...12,000 dollars.
-... Gentlemen, you had my curiosity, now you have my attention.


Can anyone guess 'em all?  ;)

I LOVE #1's soundtrack.

Yes, you do need to watch The Wire. ;)

I recognize a lot of these, but can't remember many of the titles (probably because I'm tired). I'll just say that I LOVE your top two picks, though.

Great list! There are a few of those quotes that I'm not aware of (most likely because I haven't seen any of those particular movies that they come from, yet), but for the ones that I do know, those are all very good choices that I can agree with. :thumbup:

Also, Django Unchained is one of the only 2 movies made by Quentin Tarantino that I actually quite enjoyed watching, so that's definitely saying something. That said, my favorite Western (and favorite film in general), is still The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly, which incidentally is one of Tarantino's favorite films of all-time, if I'm not mistaken.

Tonight I rewatched Pan's Labyrinth. I hadn't seen it in years but it has always been one of my favorites. And seeing it again tonight, that remains unchanged. The movie is phenomenal. It's imaginative and looks stunning. And it's a fairy tale that I think gets even better over time.

I was kind of thinking of this before, but it's even more cemented now. Clip this movie onto the top 10 list I struggled to finish earlier (it and Rear Window would probably be #6 and #7).

How the hell was Duck Soup not in my earlier list?

Speaking of the Marxes, I just saw the MTM ep where Murray raised hell with the station head after he cut off Captain Spaulding in their broadcast of Animal Crackers (GREAT episode btw), and I'm reminded of how I got my best friend a set of their earlier movies for his birthday, to compliment the post-Paramount set he's had for years. We really need to marathon these bad boys.

Since we're going list crazy, Imma try making a list of my favorite comedies:

1- Clerks
2- City Lights
3- Duck Soup
4- Horse Feathers
5- Chasing Amy
6- Annie Hall
7- The Thin Man + the sequels
8- The Gold Rush
9- Ghostbusters
10- Modern Times
11- It Happened One Night
12- Safety Last!
13- Hot Fuzz

Thirteen seems like a funny number. And I'm probably missing something important.

Good list. I don't know what mine would be. However, my #1 would be a toss up between Hot Fuzz and This is Spinal Tap.

ooh yeah, Spinal Tap is up there too.

I forgot some more screwball classics and there's a handful of more modern films I should have thought about. I dunno, I just love good humor.

Quote from: Avaitor on September 23, 2013, 11:05:56 PM
ooh yeah, Spinal Tap is up there too.

I forgot some more screwball classics and there's a handful of more modern films I should have thought about. I dunno, I just love good humor.

The thing about Spinal Tap is that, when I first saw it, I thought it was just, well, funny. Not much more to say about it. But as time went on and I saw it more, I realized how hilarious it is. Today, just mentioning the title alone gets me laughing.

I do think Young Frankenstein deserves an honorable mention for me.

It's crazy how accurate Spinal Tap really is, though.

Steven Tyler is one of a surprisingly long list of rock stars who can't even watch the whole thing because he felt the film was about him.

So I recently got the idea to go through every year of your life, and for every individual year, name the best movie of that year. For example, I was born in 1991. So I will go through every year from 2013 to 1991, and name my choices for best movies of those years.

2013 - Iron Man 3
2012 - Brave
2011 - Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2
2010 - Toy Story 3
2009 - Up
2008 - The Dark Knight/WALL-E (tie)
2007 - Hot Fuzz
2006 - Pan's Labyrinth
2005 - Batman Begins
2004 - Million Dollar Baby
2003 - The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2002 - The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
2001 - The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
2000 - Dancer in the Dark
1999 - American Beauty
1998 - Saving Private Ryan/Ring (tie)
1997 - Titanic
1996 - The Hunchback of Notre Dame
1995 - Toy Story
1994 - The Lion King/Ed Wood (tie)
1993 - Jurassic Park
1992 - Aladdin
1991 - Beauty and the Beast/Terminator 2: Judgement Day (tie)

Feel free to comment. Also, I might have forgotten some movies.

I'd just make it easy and say each year that Tarantino and Wes Anderson released their films, those would be my films of the year.

Which would make choosing for 2012 and 2009 super hard.

Great list! Mine would look like:

2013 - The World's End, but Madoka Rebellion comes very, very, VERY close.
2012 -  Django Unchained
2011 - The King's Speech
2010 - Toy Story 3
2009 - Black Dynamite
2008 - Sita Sings the Blues
2007 - Persepolis
2006 - Paprika (this is kinda by default. I haven't seen a good movie from 2006 yet...)
2005 - Batman Begins
2004 - The Incredibles
2003 - The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2002 - The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
2001 - The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
2000 - The Emperor's New Groove
1999 - South Park: Bigger, Longer, & Uncut
1998 - The Big Lebowski
1997 - The End of Evangelion
1996 - Hamlet
1995 - Toy Story

Quote from: talonmalon333 on December 07, 2013, 01:27:13 AMSo I recently got the idea to go through every year of your life, and for every individual year, name the best movie of that year.

Hmmm. A lot of years will wind up being blank, as I mentioned that I blanked out on pop culture for almost all of 2001-today. But I think I've got the 80's and 90's pretty well sewn-up:

1999 - Audition
1998 - Run Lola Run
1997 - Jackie Brown
1996 - Fargo
1995 - Welcome to the Dollhouse
1994 - Serial Mom
1993 - The Piano
1992 - Dead Alive (aka- Braindead)
1991 - Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead (this year is more than a little overrated and in my opinion, Hollywood beat the crap out of the Art films- Truth or Dare and Naked Lunch are okay but Hollywood just turned in better product; to date- I haven't seen Terminator 2)
1990 - Edward Scissorhands
1989 - Batman
1988 - Killer Klowns from Outer Space
1987 - Opera
1986 - Aliens
1985 - The Return of the Living Dead
1984 - Ghostbusters
1983 - Videodrome
1982 - Creepshow

Quote from: No-Personality on December 08, 2013, 06:59:21 AM1986 - Aliens
1985 - The Return of the Living Dead
1984 - Ghostbusters

:thumbup:

2013 - Much Ado About Nothing
2012 - Zero Dark Thirty
2011- The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
2010 - Black Swan
2009 - Inglourious Basterds
2008 - The Dark Knight
2007 - There Will Be Blood
2006 - Idiocracy
2005 - Syriana
2004 - Kill Bill Vol. 2
2003 - The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2002 - Gangs of New York
2001 - The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
2000 - O Brother, Where Art Thou
1999 - The Talented Mr. Ripley
1998 - Shakespeare In Love
1997 - L.A. Confidential
1996 - Fargo
1995 - Heat
1994 - Pulp Fiction
1993 - Schindler's List
1992 - Malcolm X
1991 - The Silence of the Lambs
1990 - Goodfellas
1989 - My Left Foot
1988 - Die Hard
1987 - Full Metal Jacket
1986 - Aliens
1985 - Shoah
1984 - Amadeus
1983 - I can't think of a movie that I've seen from 1983 that I didn't dislike. But if I had to pick one, it would be "Return of the Jedi"... but don't take this as an endorsement of that movie.
1982 - Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
1981 - Raiders of the Lost Ark

Not particularly a fan of Jedi, Greg?

Also, I still need to see Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

1989: The Killer
1990: Goodfellas
1991: The Terminator 2: Judgement Day
1992: Scent of a Woman
1993: Batman: Mask of the Phantasm
1994: Forrest Gump/Ed Wood (Tie)
1995: Casino
1996: The Hunchback of Notre Dame
1997: Donnie Brasco
1998: Pleasantville
1999: South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut
2000: Gladiator
2001: Training Day
2002: The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
2003: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King/The Last Samurai/Mystic River (Tie; I couldn't decide just one)
2004: Collateral
2005: Serenity
2006: Little Miss Sunshine
2007: The Lookout/Hot Fuzz (Tie)
2008: The Dark Knight
2009: Summer Wars/Inglorious Basterds (Tie)
2010: Toy Story 3
2011: The Adventures of Tintin
2012: Argo
2013: TBD

Quote from: talonmalon333 on December 08, 2013, 04:22:04 PM
Not particularly a fan of Jedi, Greg?

Also, I still need to see Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

Yeah, I think it's horrible.

I think it's great, but I'm also not that hard to please.

Quote from: GregX on December 08, 2013, 04:24:26 PM

Quote from: talonmalon333 on December 08, 2013, 04:22:04 PM
Not particularly a fan of Jedi, Greg?

Also, I still need to see Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

Yeah, I think it's horrible.

What do you think of the other Star Wars movies?

Quote from: GregX on December 08, 2013, 03:47:58 PM
1983 - I can't think of a movie that I've seen from 1983 that I didn't dislike. But if I had to pick one, it would be "Return of the Jedi"... but don't take this as an endorsement of that movie.

Aw, you don't like Scarface?

2013- TBD
2012- Avengers/Moonrise Kingdom/Django Unchained (tied)
2011- The Tree of Life
2010- Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
2009- Inglourious Basterds/Iron Maiden: Flight 666 (tied)
2008- WALL*E
2007- Persepolis
2006- Pan's Labyrinth
2005- Serenity
2004- Before Sunset
2003- X2: X-Men United
2002- Kung-Pow! Enter the Fist
2001- The Royal Tenenbaums
2000- Almost Famous
1999- American Beauty
1998- The Thin Red Line
1997- Chasing Amy
1996- The Hunchback of Notre Dame
1995- Before Sunrise
1994- Pulp Fiction
1993- The Nightmare Before Christmas
1992- Reservoir Dogs
1991- The Silence of the Lambs

I totally forgot American  Beauty. I'll definitely edit that in as my 1999 choice. It might be one of my top 20 favorite films ever.

I actually considered tying that with Iron Giant. Maybe I should, idk.

Quote from: Ensatsu-ken on December 08, 2013, 04:23:52 PM
1989: The Killer
1990: Goodfellas
1991: The Terminator 2: Judgement Day
1992: Scent of a Woman
1993: Batman: Mask of the Phantasm
1994: Forrest Gump
1995: Casino
1996: The Hunchback of Notre Dame
1997: Donnie Brasco
1998: Pleasantville
1999: South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut
2000: Gladiator
2001: Training Day
2002: The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
2003: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King/The Last Samurai/Mystic River (Tie; I couldn't decide just one)
2004: Collateral
2005: Serenity
2006: Little Miss Sunshine
2007: The Lookout/Hot Fuzz (Tie)
2008: The Dark Knight
2009: Inglorious Basterds
2010: Toy Story 3
2011: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 (to e honest, I haven't watched many movies from this year)
2012: Argo
2013: TBD

I wanted to list the Killer and likely would have put Training Day and Collateral on my list.

1992 - Reservoir Dogs
1993 - Nightmare Before Christmas
1994 - Pulp Fiction
1995 - Toy Story
1996 - Trainspotting
1997 - End of Evangelion
1998 - Dark City
1999 - Fight Club
2000 - Memento
2001 - Spirited Away
2002 - 28 Days Later
2003 - Oldboy
2004 - Kill Bill Volume 2
2005 - Serenity
2006 - Pan's Labyrinth
2007 - Hot Fuzz
2008 - The Dark Knight
2009 - District 9
2010 - Toy Story 3
2011 - Hugo
2012 - Skyfall
2013 - Torn between The World's End and Madoka Rebellion.

1981 - Raiders of the Lost Arc
1982 - Blade Runner (tied for all time favorite movie)
1983 - Koyaanisqatsi: Life Out of Balance
1984 - Amadeus
1985 - The Goonies (because I spent 10 years as one)
1986 - Aliens
1987 - Robocop
1988 - Akira
1989 - Batman
1990 - Total Recall
1991 - The Silence of the Lambs
1992 - Batman Returns
1993 - Jurassic Park
1994 - TIE: Pulp Fiction and The Lion King
1995 - Toy Story
1996 - Trainspotting
1997 - Princess Mononoke
1998 - Dark City
1999 - American Beauty
2000 - Traffic
2001 - The Royal Tennenbaums
2002 - About Schmidt
2003 - The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2004 - Kill Bill Volume 2
2005 - Crash
2006 - Children of Men
2007 - There Will Be Blood
2008 - The Dark Knight
2009 - Up
2010 - Toy Story 3
2011 - The Descendants
2012 - Skyfall
2013 - Gravity

A slight modification to my list:

2009: Summer Wars/Inglorious Basterds (Tie)
2011: The Adventures of Tintin

Great lists, guys! Here's mine:

1993 - True Romance
1994 - Cemetery Man
1995 - Underground
1996 - Fargo
1997 - End of Evangelion
1998 - Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels
1999 - Fight Club
2000 - American Psycho
2001 - Mulholland Drive
2002 - Gangs of New York
2003 - Oldboy
2004 - Kung Fu Hustle
2005 - Serenity
2006 - Pan's Labyrinth
2007 - Hot Fuzz
2008 - In Bruges
2009 - Redline
2010 - Kick-Ass
2011 - The Lincoln Lawyer
2012 - Django Unchained
2013 - The World's End

SHIT I FORGOT ABOUT THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS. EDITED

AND PERSEPOLIS

Ed Wood was 1997? Definitely editing that one in.

Shit! I totally forgot about Ed Wood. Speaking of which, that's a 1994 release, not 1997, if I'm not mistaken.

For me, it'd go like this:

1994: Forrest Gump/Ed Wood (Tie)

Quote from: Homura Akemi on December 09, 2013, 12:18:02 PM
(really Alpha and Omega)

That's the best movie of every year, even the ones before it was initially conceived.

I'll reinstate Titanic into my 1997 slot, and make 1994 a tie between Ed Wood and The Lion King.

Just for the hell of it, I'm going to post my favorite movies from select years before I was born.

1966: The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly
1967: The Dirty Dozen/The Graduate (Tie)
1968: Mackenna's Gold

1975: Jaws
1976: Taxi Driver
1977: Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
1978: Dawn of the Dead
1979: Alien
1980: Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
1981: An American Werewolf in London
1982: John Carpenter's The Thing
1983: Scarface
1984: The Terminator/Ghostbusters (Tie)
1985: Back to the Future (Runner-Up: Return of the Living Dead)
1986: Aliens (Runner-Up: A Better Tomorrow)
1987: The Untouchables
1988: Rain Man

Also another slight change to my list:

1992: Scent of a Woman/Hard Boiled (Tie)

The King of Comedy, Videodrome, National Lampoon's Vacation and Trading Places all came out in 1983.

Greg, you can't tell me that you hate these?

Quote from: Avaitor on December 11, 2013, 07:23:16 PM
The King of Comedy, Videodrome, National Lampoon's Vacation and Trading Places all came out in 1983.

Greg, you can't tell me that you hate these?

I can tell you that I've never watched them.

Whoa, the King of Comedy is classic Scorsese. Maybe not up there with Goodfellas, Taxi Driver and Raging Bull, but if he's one of your favorites, it's very much worth seeing.

Quote from: Ensatsu-ken on December 09, 2013, 01:26:36 PMRunner-Up

Runners-up, huh? Well, since this topic is still going, here are my Runners Up / second place for every year since I was born (forgoing 2000-now because it's not fair, I haven't seen enough films):

1999 - Election
1998 - Bride of Chucky
1997 - The Game
1996 - Freeway
1995 - Toy Story
1994 - Muriel's Wedding
1993 - Dazed and Confused
1992 - The Living End
1991 - The Addams Family
1990 - Gremlins 2: The New Batch
1989 - The Little Mermaid
1988 - Beetlejuice
1987 - Bad Taste
1986 - Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer
1985 - The Color Purple
1984 - Gremlins
1983 - Sleepaway Camp
1982 - Tenebre

Quote from: GregX on December 12, 2013, 04:20:55 PMI can tell you that I've never watched them.

See Videodrome immediately.

Videodrome is such a fucked up movie. And that's why it's awesome.

(still need to make my list btw, just haven't given it much thought yet)

For any fans of the Three Flavours Cornetto series, has anyone seen The World's End? I haven't, but I want to. I really like Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, the latter of the two being perhaps my favorite comedy.

I have, and I loved it. I haven't seen the other TFC movies, mind you, so I don't know how it compares to them, but it was a damn funny movie, and honestly one of my favorite films now. You should totally check it out whenever you get the chance to.  :)

It's on my Netflix queue as of now.

My friends suck at seeing movies with me unless they're Marvel, honestly.

The World's End is fantastic. It's hilarious and has some of the best fight scenes I've ever seen. It's also Simon Pegg's best role IMO (though I still prefer Hot Fuzz overall).

Will watch that. I love hot Fuzz.

So what do you guys think of Christmas specials? Do any of you have any favorites?

Besides most of the obvious classics (Nightmare, Die Hard, A Christmas Story, It's a Wonderful Life), you can't go wrong with anything Christmas-related by Henson.

I feel like I'd separate my favorite Christmas movies and my favorite Christmas "specials".

Movies
1. It's A Wonderful Life
2. Black Christmas (It counts. And after Halloween, it's the best slasher film ever made in my opinion.)
3. A Christmas Story
4. Scrooge
5. The Sound of Music (I can't decide on a #5, and being that many consider this a Christmas movie, and since it always airs in December, I'll just stick it here.)

Specials
1. The Spirit of Christmas
2. Christmas Eve on Sesame Street
3. The Snowman
4. Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town
5. A Charlie Brown Christmas

Those five specials are things that I watch every December no matter what.

Quote from: Avaitor on December 08, 2013, 05:14:47 PM
2013- TBD
2012- Avengers/Moonrise Kingdom/Django Unchained (tied)
2011- The Tree of Life
2010- Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
2009- Inglourious Basterds/Iron Maiden: Flight 666 (tied)
2008- WALL*E
2007- Persepolis
2006- Pan's Labyrinth
2005- Serenity
2004- Before Sunset
2003- X2: X-Men United
2002- Kung-Pow! Enter the Fist
2001- The Royal Tenenbaums
2000- Almost Famous
1999- American Beauty
1998- The Thin Red Line
1997- Chasing Amy
1996- The Hunchback of Notre Dame
1995- Before Sunrise
1994- Pulp Fiction
1993- The Nightmare Before Christmas
1992- Reservoir Dogs
1991- The Silence of the Lambs

Added a necessary edit in here.

I have a feeling that soon, I'll have a choice for 2013 as well. ;)

Quote from: Avaitor on December 31, 2013, 12:16:29 AM

Quote from: Avaitor on December 08, 2013, 05:14:47 PM
2013- TBD
2012- Avengers/Moonrise Kingdom/Django Unchained (tied)
2011- The Tree of Life
2010- Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
2009- Inglourious Basterds/Iron Maiden: Flight 666 (tied)
2008- WALL*E
2007- Persepolis
2006- Pan's Labyrinth
2005- Serenity
2004- Before Sunset
2003- X2: X-Men United
2002- Kung-Pow! Enter the Fist
2001- The Royal Tenenbaums
2000- Almost Famous
1999- American Beauty
1998- The Thin Red Line
1997- Chasing Amy
1996- The Hunchback of Notre Dame
1995- Before Sunrise
1994- Pulp Fiction
1993- The Nightmare Before Christmas
1992- Reservoir Dogs
1991- The Silence of the Lambs

Added a necessary edit in here.

I have a feeling that soon, I'll have a choice for 2013 as well. ;)

Sorry to be a gunswordfist and respond late, but what's your 2013 choice?

I feel like I didn't get to the theaters a lot in 2013. I hear Frozen was phenomenal, as in, one of Disney's best in a long time. But I haven't seen it. Desolation of Smaug was very good, but not quite great for me... I guess I would say Iron Man 3 for 2013. I enjoyed that one very much. But I have a feeling that, as far as "movie of the year for every year of my life" goes, Iron Man 3 would be one of my lower tier choices.

Quote from: talonmalon333 on January 06, 2014, 08:42:30 PM

Quote from: Avaitor on December 31, 2013, 12:16:29 AM

Quote from: Avaitor on December 08, 2013, 05:14:47 PM
2013- TBD
2012- Avengers/Moonrise Kingdom/Django Unchained (tied)
2011- The Tree of Life
2010- Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
2009- Inglourious Basterds/Iron Maiden: Flight 666 (tied)
2008- WALL*E
2007- Persepolis
2006- Pan's Labyrinth
2005- Serenity
2004- Before Sunset
2003- X2: X-Men United
2002- Kung-Pow! Enter the Fist
2001- The Royal Tenenbaums
2000- Almost Famous
1999- American Beauty
1998- The Thin Red Line
1997- Chasing Amy
1996- The Hunchback of Notre Dame
1995- Before Sunrise
1994- Pulp Fiction
1993- The Nightmare Before Christmas
1992- Reservoir Dogs
1991- The Silence of the Lambs

Added a necessary edit in here.

I have a feeling that soon, I'll have a choice for 2013 as well. ;)

Sorry to be a gunswordfist and respond late, but what's your 2013 choice?

Once it comes home, it'll probably be Before Midnight.

And wow you're bad at catching up with modern Disney, huh?

Bad indeed. :P

But I think I still have a chance at seeing Frozen in theaters. It's still there, right?

It hit #1 again this weekend, so take a guess. :P

Frozen's pretty much their next Lion King, haha.

Quote from: Avaitor on January 07, 2014, 10:50:22 AM
It hit #1 again this weekend, so take a guess. :P

Frozen's pretty much their next Lion King, haha.

Funny enough, I have a friend who saw it and says it's comparable to Lion King in terms of quality.

While I'm not expecting exactly that, I imagine Frozen is still really really good. However, now that I've finally seen Princess and the Frog, I'd like to get to Tangled before seeing Frozen.

Don't forget Wreck-It Ralph.

Quote from: Avaitor on January 07, 2014, 01:14:43 PM
Don't forget Wreck-It Ralph.

I actually did manage to see Wreck-It Ralph last year when it was in theaters. I was very impressed.

By the way, Avaitor, I vaguely remember you once saying that you saw Dancer in the Dark. Is that correct? What'd you think if so?

Quote from: talonmalon333 on January 07, 2014, 01:21:24 PM
By the way, Avaitor, I vaguely remember you once saying that you saw Dancer in the Dark. Is that correct? What'd you think if so?

Lars Von Trier is a nutjob.

Quote from: Avaitor on January 07, 2014, 01:55:02 PM

Quote from: talonmalon333 on January 07, 2014, 01:21:24 PM
By the way, Avaitor, I vaguely remember you once saying that you saw Dancer in the Dark. Is that correct? What'd you think if so?

Lars Von Trier is a nutjob.

So does that mean good or bad? :P

Quote from: talonmalon333 on January 07, 2014, 02:00:33 PM

Quote from: Avaitor on January 07, 2014, 01:55:02 PM

Quote from: talonmalon333 on January 07, 2014, 01:21:24 PM
By the way, Avaitor, I vaguely remember you once saying that you saw Dancer in the Dark. Is that correct? What'd you think if so?

Lars Von Trier is a nutjob.

So does that mean good or bad? :P

Well, there's plenty of good. I like the music, and even though it's obvious to see why handheld musicals aren't much of a thing, the camerawork is well done. But the story's too weirdly dark for my liking.

It's a very odd film and, in many ways, is hard to take 100% seriously. But I think Bjork gave a great performance, and the movie had some very strong moments.

Officially have my choice for best film of 2013- Before Midnight

Best trilogy ever made.

I thought that I'd rank the Harry Potter films from favorite to least favorite. My rankings for the books would be slightly different, but I'm just doing the films for now:

1. Chamber of Secrets
2. Goblet of Fire
3. Deathly Hallows Part II
4. Half-Blood Prince
5. Prisoner of Azkaban
6. Deathly Hallows Part I
7. Order of the Phoenix
8. Sorcerer's Stone

Now, I like all of these movies to dome degree, so I don't have anything against any of them. That said, SS has the circumstance of being the first film, and thus it was a work in progress for all of the actors to come into their roles. It was also set-up for the rest of the series. Phoenix was also a noble effort, but had the impossibly hard task of condensing an 870 page book into a single film, and naturally felt way too rushed.

Chamber of Secrets and Goblet of Fire are my favorites because of the mystery and puzzle solving elements, respectively.

Chamber of Secrets is my favorite of the films as well. I've always been a bit hard on Goblet of Fire, though, because I thought they took out/changed too much from the book and I was disappointed by that as a kid.

My personal rankings for the films would be:

1. Chamber of Secrets
2. Deathly Hallows Part II
3. Prisoner of Azkaban
4. Deathly Hallows Part I
5. Goblet of Fire
6. Half-Blood Prince
7. Sorcerer's Stone
8. Order of the Phoenix

Considering that Goblet of Fire is my favorite book in the series, I thought they did a good job of condensing a long book into a single film while keeping faithful to all of the key/major moments from the book. I'd rather accept a lot of minor changes to still keep the movie feeling well-paced and coherent, as opposed to just rushing through almost every scene like Order of the Phoenix did. I think they did as good of a job as could possibly be done with adapting that book, without actually splitting it into 2 separate films.

Just for the hell of it, here's my book order:

1. Goblet of Fire
2. Order of the Phoenix
3. Chamber of Secrets
4. Deathly Hallows
5. Half-Blood Prince
6. Sorcerer's Stone
7. Prisoner of Azkaban

Quote from: Dr. Ensatsu-ken on July 12, 2014, 04:43:47 PM
Considering that Goblet of Fire is my favorite book in the series, I thought they did a good job of condensing a long book into a single film while keeping faithful to all of the key/major moments from the book. I'd rather accept a lot of minor changes to still keep the movie feeling well-paced and coherent, as opposed to just rushing through almost every scene like Order of the Phoenix did. I think they did as good of a job as could possibly be done with adapting that book, without actually splitting it into 2 separate films.

Yeah, that's true. Given their restrictions, they did the best to work the story into a solid narrative for a film, and they did succeed. I just liked the book much better, though.

My book rankings would be:

1. Goblet of Fire
2. Order of the Phoenix
3. Chamber of Secrets
4. Deathly Hallows
5. Prisoner of Azkaban
6. Sorcerer's Stone
7. Half-Blood Prince

Looks like our book lists are pretty close. :thumbup:

The Harry Potter movies aired on television today. Did that inspire you to rank them? Or is it just a coincidence? :P

I personally think the two parts of Deathly Hallows were the best movies. It was just a really great idea to split the story into two films and made it that much stronger for me. After that, I actually like the first two movies, Sorcerer's Stone and Chamber of Secrets. For one, I think they lost the least amount of material by becoming film, due simply to their shorter length. Also, I feel like they just had an atmosphere to them that wasn't as present in the later movies, a sense of wonder and magic to the world of Hogwarts.

Just what I think. I'm not really a huge fan of the Harry Potter film series, but I did like seeing them in theaters.

I already explained how I feel that Sorcerer's Stone, while accurate to the book, was still a bit wonky due to the actors needing time to adjust to their roles. They all came into their own by the second film, and since it was the 2nd shortest boom, it was still simple enough to adapt into film without having to cut too much material out.

I like both Deathly Hallows films, but they were based on a book that was never my favorite in the series. Don't get me wrong, it's a great conclusion to the franchise, but it's not something that I would continuously go back to as I would for my favorite books in the series. Also, Part I feels rather slow-paced and kind of unsatisfying if viewed as a solo film.

As actual adaptations, those middle films are a bit more interesting, at the very least, since they are forced to make more alterations, and while not as great as the novels, they are also what I tend to re-watch more as films since they also have those differences to them. I of course still like Chamber of Secrets the best because it's a great mystery story, which I love, but I honestly do love the middle films, for the most part, because they actually don't play it 100% safe and instead have differences to them that make them interesting to watch even if you have already read the book! whereas with the first and last 2 films, you know exactly what is going to happen all the time, which sort of diminishes any enjoyment you could get from seeing something new unfold, that you didn't already expect.

And as someone who prefers the books, I still think it's folly to dismiss the movies as just OK. They clearly put in a ton of effort into each one not only to at least stay true to the spirit of the books, but to make it a great fantasy film series in its own right, and I would gladly say that it's my 2nd favorite fantasy series in film, next to TLOTR (unless you count the original Star Wars trilogy as fantasy rather than Sci-Fi). That is to say that comparing the film series to other actual films, rather than the novels, I haven't personally seen much competition for it, myself.

I didn't mean to make it look like they are just okay. I just feel like the sacrifices made in turning the books into movies keep them from reaching the level of greatness of the books. Order of the Phoenix in particular lost something, considering that it's the shortest of the movies despite being, if I remember correctly, the longest book. They are all good movies, I just don't love them.

As for best fantasy film series', I'd have to think about the competition. It's better than the Narnia films, which came out around the same time as Harry Potter.

Wow, I thought I was the only one who thought the Goblet of Fire was the best one.

Book order:

1. Goblet of Fire
2. Prisoner of Azkaban
3. Order of the Phoenix
4. Deathly Hallows
5. Philosopher's Stone
6. Chamber of Secrets
7. Half-Blood Prince (Good elements, but it just dragged)

Movie order:

1. Prisoner of Azkaban
2. Deathly Hallows Part II
3. Chamber of Secrets
4. Order of the Phoenix
5. Goblet of Fire
6. Half-Blood Prince
7. Philosopher's Stone
8. Deathly Hallows Part I (My least favorite parts of the book given a movie treatment, and they pointlessly deleted some important plot related scenes.)

And yes, I am a fan of the series. I admit it.

Half-Blood Prince is most people's least favorite, but I always felt that it gets a bad rep. The Tom Riddle flash-backs pretty much make the book, for me. It takes Voldemort, who at this point was mostly just a 1-dimensional villain with only hits of depth to his persona, and gives him a backstory with tons of nuance to it.

Meanwhile, Prisoner of Azkaban seems to be a fan favorite, and I liked both the book and movie just fine, myself. I just never particularly enjoyed it on the same level that everyone else did, for whatever reason. It gave us awesome new characters in Remus Lupin and Sirius Black (who are my favorite and 2nd favorite Harry Potter character, respectively), but a lot of the story felt kind of uneventful to me, until the end.

I never saw a shame in admitting fandom of the Harry Potter series. Yes, it will always have it's naysayers (Doug Walker being the most popular of them just because he's the Nostalgia Critic), but the series is so widely regarded for a good reason, whether anyone is willing to accept that or not.

Quote from: Spark Of Spirit on July 14, 2014, 12:04:26 PMWow, I thought I was the only one who thought the Goblet of Fire was the best one.

From what I can tell, it's held in pretty high regard by most fans (the book, not the movie, of course). I love it, myself. It's a tournament and a mystery in one, which are two of my favorite things ever.

In recent years the haters have calmed down a lot. Probably because it was proved to not be a flash in the pan fad, but a legitimate series with a lot of fans that still stuck around after the hype.

I'm actually currently re-reading the series (I'm just starting PoA) though took a small break to read new things as well. As far as I can tell, it still holds up great.

My little sister just turned 10 and she's just gotten into the books, herself, which is around the same age that I first got into them. She's almost done with CoS and will presumably be starting PoA tomorrow. Seeing her go through the books is what re-ignited my interest in the series.

I'm a bit ashamed to admit that even though I love reading books, I only ever read Chamber of Secrets, Order of the Phoenix, and Deathly Hallows. I should fix that when I have less of a backlog.

I'm weird with HP myself. If I haven't read a book, I've seen the movie, aside from Deathly Hallows, which I still haven't gone to in either version.

I know that I read and saw the first two, watched the third, read the fourth and fifth, and saw the sixth. Part of me is considering giving the whole series a full read at some point, but I always find myself getting into other things instead.

It's not quite as great as ASOIAF or Tolkien's books as far as fantasy series go, but it's still great all the same, IMO.

We all know that most remakes are shit, but how about the rare ones that are good, and even occasionally better than the original? Here are my top choices:

1. The Thing (1982)- This has both groundbreaking special effects, and is much closer to the intent of the original novel than the first movie was; and let's be honest, that monster in the black and white version just looked silly; this movie has excellent acting combined with a great script that keeps you on the edge of your seat the whole way through

2. Scarface (1983)- I saw most of the black and white version, and while I respect the film, I don't really feel that it has aged all that gracefully; this film updates it to fit in the timeline of Miami during the 80's, replacing the prohibition theme with drug dealing

3. 3:10 To Yuma (2007)- The original film was a fun but standard Western, whereas the remake was a bit grittier in tone, but the reason it's on the list was for how it took a relatively simple story and made it so damn intense; the dynamic between the hero and villain of this film is what makes it work so well; they just have amazing chemistry with each other

4. The Fly (1986)- This is another case where, much like The Thing, the original is a fun B movie, but it pretty much stops at that; this film took that concept and turned it into a Sci-Fi masterpiece; Even if you normally can't stand Jeff Goldblum, his performance really works in this movie

5. Cape Fear (1991)- In this case I love both the original and the remake almost equally, but what gives this one the slight edge is Robert De Niro's performance, who is equal parts over-the-top hilarious and yet disturbingly creepy at the same time

I only ranked films in which I've seen both the original and the remake. There are plenty of remakes that I've seen and liked, such as Scent of a Woman and Ocean's Eleven, but I haven't seen the original films, hence why I didn't rank those.

I forgot that Scarface was a remake. Of course The Thing is my favorite movie ever so it would be my no. 1 on any list it could possibly be on and Scarface would be no. 2 since I can't think of any other better remakes. :D

I haven't seen the original Scarface, but the remake is indeed phenomenal. Though I've heard they aren't incredibly similar.

My favorite remake is Nosferatu the Vampyre (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nosferatu_the_vampyre). Should be obvious what it's a remake of. I love the original Nosferatu and consider it one of the best silent movies I've seen (if not the best). But the remake is just haunting and even more atmospheric, and perfectly shot. Also, Klaus Kinski plays a very different Dracula from the terrifying one Max Schreck played, but he's just as good and sits right along with Max Shreck as the best vampire in film. In general, I can't fathom someone having a favorite vampire movie that isn't Nosferatu or its remake.

While we're at making lists, here are my top 10 favorite Science Fiction films (excluding Star Wars, since that could be argued as Fantasy):

10. Predator- The only good film in its franchise, but still a classic; it had a great concept and a really memorable supporting cast, though this was also one of the few roles that Arnold was definitely well suited for

9. Serenity- Whether you like Joss Whedon or not, you can't deny that he's a master ensemble action-packed films, and IMO this was an even better movie than The Avengers, and a perfect conclusion to a very (sadly) short-lived TV series

8. Back to the Future Part II- While not as sharply scripted as the original, this film managed to do the impossible and make for a sequel that was even more insanely mind-bending and convoluted than the first movie while simultaneously being almost just and funny and heartfelt as the first was

7. They Live- An underrated John Carpenter classic that has since gone on to gain a respectable cult following; this movie is one of those timeless ones that's just as relevant today as it was in its time, and you can't beat Keith David (AKA FUCKING GOLIATH HIMSELF) as the supporting man; this may also be the only film that I've seen which stars a (former) pro-wrestler that's actually good (though, GOTG may be the 2nd if it turns out to be great); and let's not all forget that hilariously awesome line that originated from this movie: "I'm here to kick ass and chew bubble-gum, and I'm all out of gum!"

6. Alien- This film has the distinction of not only being one of the best Sci-Fi movies of all time, but also one of the best horror films as well; it would be easy to look at it and dismiss it as a slasher in space, but to do so would be missing the excellent writing and though-provoking suspense of the story and it's mystery

5. The Thing (1982)- And this would be the OTHER film that has that rare distinction of being one of the best Sci-Fi and horror movies ever; really it could've gone either way between this and Alien, but I gave The Thing the slight edge because of the special effects and, once again, Keith Fucking David (he will never not be awesome)

4. The Terminator- It is possibly the coolest idea out of any of the Sci-Films that I have ever seen, and it brings with it a ton of emotional weight; and what's most impressive is how much this film achieved with its grand story using far less budget and flashy effects than any major blockbuster either of its time or to this very day

3. Back to the Future- It's a concept that was probably done a thousand times or more befor this movie came out, yet this one indisputably did it the best; so much careful attention is paid to every last detail, yet even if you don't wrap yourself up in those details, you also have the luxury of casually watching this film as one of the greatest comedies of all-time ; the Sci-Fi elements here are really kept in the background except for key moments of the movie, but what makes it work is that it's just a great movie to begin with, whether you view it as a Sci-Fi picture or not

2. The Terminator 2: Judgement Day- Unlike the original, this was the very high-budget blockbuster that it's lower budget predecessor successfully managed to give the middle finger to, but I won't lie, I like this one even better, and it's precisely because Cameron used all of those extra resources to their fullest and crafted a film with just as much heart and passion as he put into the original; he took a great concept and made it even more engaging, not only through amazing special effects, but more importantly through good acting and excellent writing; don't be fooled for a second, it may have  more action than the original, but this movie is just as thoughtful in its themes and message as that film was as well

1. Aliens- I consider it to be my favorite Sci-Fi movie, and I'll admit, it's not as original or thought-provoking as some of the other films on this list, but I believe that Cameron dialed the passion that he put I to this up to eleven; every character is memorable, even if most of them get killed off, and the action is always intense and well-shot, but it never becomes the forefront over the story; if there was ever a film that was just pure intensity mixing in with pure entertainment value to create an enthralling movie experience unlike any other, then it's this one, IMO

Also, I haven't seen Blade Runner in ages, which is why it's not currently on my list.

While it wouldn't make a best of list, I have to throw in my vote to the underrated Frequency. I have no idea why, but that movie always works so well every time I watch it.

I need to re-watch a lot of sci-fi films before I make any list. Wrath of Khan would probably make it on, though.

And I still need to see Wrath of Kahn. Until then, Serentity is my choice for best Sci-Fi movie based on a TV show, mostly because it's the only one of that type that I've seen (but it's still awesome).

Someone once said the even-numbered Star Trek movies are the ones to see. Though Search For Spock was decent, it certainly wasn't as good as WOK, and the less said about the first movie the better. I still plan on seeing IV, though.

If someone wants to look at Alien as a slasher in space, go ahead. Just as long as they also acknowledge it as the best slasher ever made. :P

Also, I think Terminator 2 is still my favorite Cameron movie, but I can't deny how incredible Aliens is (as well as the first Terminator, of course).

If post-apocalyptic counts, then I'd probably put "The Road Warrior" up there.

Yeah, the even-numbered Star Treks are best, but you can skip Nemesis.

And only bother with the first Abrams film, IMO.

my list would be like ek's except no bttf films, aliens, the matrix, escape from new york and serenity would be in the bottom 4 but in an unknown order and terminator 2 would be number 2 and the thing is number 1.

1. The Thing
(the rest in no order)
Aliens
Alien
Independence Day
The Matrix
Escape From New York
Men In Black
Pitch Black
The Terminator
Terminator 2

Add these to my list and call it a day:

Predator
Robocop
Starship Troopers
Total Recall

Similar to how we ranked our favorite movies by each year since we've been born, I'm going to try to make a choice for my favorite films per decade. I'll stick with 2 per each decade for now, and I'll go as far back as the 20's, since I haven't seen that many features from the 1910's.

2010 (thus far)- Tree of Life/Before Midnight
2000- Persepolis/Before Sunset
1990- The Nightmare Before Christmas/Before Sunrise
1980- Amadeus/Paris, Texas
1970- Badlands/A Clockwork Orange
1960- The Apartment/Psycho
1950- Seven Samurai/Sunset Boulevard
1940- Double Indemnity/The Red Shoes
1930- Duck Soup/The Adventures of Robin Hood
1920- Sunrise/The Gold Rush

This is pretty tough for me, but here's my best shot:

1930's: King Kong
1940's: Casablanca
1950's: Gojira/Dial M For Murder
1960's: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly/Psycho
1970's: Jaws/Alien
1980's: The Untouchables/Aliens
1990's: Terminator 2: Judgement Day/Goodfellas
2000's: The Dark Knight/Collateral

That was really hard to narrow down, and highly subject to change for me. And that was AFTER I decided to exclude animation, which I'll have to do a separate list for.

That said, I must admit that, going by this list, I'm not very well-versed in films before the 1950's.

1920s - Metropolis
1930s - M
1940s - Arsenic and Old Lace
1950s - Ikiru
1960s - 8 1/2
1970s - Monty Python and the Holy Grail
1980s - Aliens
1990s - Silence of the Lambs
2000s - Hot Fuzz
2010s - Probably some superhero movie coming out in the next few years.

i'd probably have the dark knight and collateral for 2000s as well.

2010s - Toy Story 3
2000s - Pan's Labyrinth
1990s - Schindler's List
1980s - The Empire Strikes Back
1970s - Jaws
1960s - Psycho
1950s - Vertigo
1940s - Casablanca
1930s - King Kong
1920s - Nosferatu

I excluded animation for every decade except for the 2010s... I know that's a stupid way to do it, but I couldn't think of a live action choice from this decade on the level of all my other choices (at least, not that I've seen). Not that I'm necessarily complaining. This decade isn't even close to being done.

I have plenty of honorable mentions, though, such as the Lord of the Rings trilogy for the 2000s. I'm actually surprised no one picked that.

I'll try 5 per decade, skipping the 2010's for now. Also note that I'm ranking them in order of release.

2000's-

1- City of God
2- Before Sunset
3- Persepolis
4- Inglourious Basterds
5- The Fantastic Mr. Fox

1990's-

1- Reservoir Dogs
2- The Nightmare Before Christmas
3- Pulp Fiction
4- Three Colors
5- Before Sunrise

1980's-

1- Coal Miner's Daughter
2- Conan the Barbarian
3- Fanny and Alexander
4- Paris, Texas
5- Amadeus

1970's-

1- A Clockwork Orange
2- Badlands
3- Nashville
4- 3 Women
5- The Muppet Movie

1960's-

1- The Apartment
2- Psycho
3- Lawrence of Arabia
4- Mary Poppins
5- Persona

1950's-

1- Sunset Boulevard
2- Singin' in the Rain
3- Ikiru
4- Seven Samurai
5- North by Northwest

1940's-

1- Fantasia
2- The Philadelphia Story
3- Casablanca
4- Notorious
5- The Red Shoes

1930's-

1- City Lights
2- Duck Soup
3- It Happened One Night
4- The Adventures of Robin Hood
5- Rules of the Game

1920's-

1- Nosferatu
2- Safety Last!
3- The Gold Rush
4- Sunrise
5- October

i want to watch nosferatu. seems like a lot of shows and movies are making their vampires look like him these days, like the strain.

Max Schrek will likely always be the scariest vampire. And when I see him, that's how I imagine a vampire would look like if they existed.

I just want to say...

The Room > Troll 2

Absolutely.

Troll 2 has slow points where it isn't any fun, just painful. The Room is always astounding.

A part of me thinks Troll 2 is just a bit overrated (I wonder if I should say "underrated", though, in a really weird way). And I do think it's novelty kind of died off as the movie approached the end. But having seen The Room, it's just mind boggling. Nothing about the movie is competent. Nothing. I especially like the repetitive dialogue and overuse of things like "I don't want to talk about it". And you got to love the lines of dialogue that have absolutely no purpose and just serve to make things awkward for a moment, creating the idea that they'll open a subplot only to be completely forgotten within seconds ("I got the results of the test back. I definitely have breast cancer"). A beautifully terrible fluke.

EDIT:

I had to update this post because there's too much worth talking about with this movie.. Another beautiful thing about it (though I suppose this goes into my above sentence) is how it gets sidetracked. I'm not suggesting the movie has a storyline, because it doesn't. But it does have... stuff going on, sort of. And sometimes the characters will be talking about that stuff, but then the movie will just suddenly get distracted and they'll go off talking about something so pointless. One example I'm thinking of at the moment is a conversation between Johnny, Mark, and their psychologist friend. Also, right now I'm holding back laughter just thinking about the "I did not hit her!" rant.

My friends and I saw it recently and we're already planning a drinking game rewatch with some friends that didn't get to see it the first time.

Just because I'm in the mood, I'll do lists of my top favorite films by genre. First are my top 15 favorite Sci-Fi films (Note: I don't count zombie movies):

15. They Live
14. Re-Animator
13. The Terminator
12. The Host
11. Serenity
10. Godzilla (1954)
9. The Fly (1986)
8. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)
7. Alien
6. John Carpenter's The Thing
5. Predator
4. Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
3. Back to the Future
2. Terminator 2: Judgement Day
1. Aliens

And yes, when I say The Host, I'm of course talking about the 2006 Korean film. I find it ridiculous that I even have to acknowledge the existence of "that other" POS that happens to share the same title.

I still feel like the only one who prefers the first Terminator.

Quote from: Avaitor on November 09, 2014, 08:53:32 PMI still feel like the only one who prefers the first Terminator.

So does Desensitized. And you're both wrong, but different "you know what's" I suppose. :bleh:

Also, I say this as a fan of the first movie. I just don't like the argument that the first film was better because it was more philosophical whereas the sequel was just a "dumb action movie," which I've heard people say, and which is flat-out untrue. The second film is just as meaningful as the first, except with better cinematography, effects, action, and IMO, pacing as well, hence why I prefer it.

I still love the first movie, though, which is why it's on my list.

The ending of 2 always gets me.

And yeah, both movies are very meaningful, brimming with heart, and overall just fantastic.

Yeah, just because a movie's philosophical doesn't mean it's better. Zardoz was philosophical to the teeth, and no one champions that as intelligent.

and gits is philosophical but is boring as shit.

I dunno, it's not even about the first Terminator being philosophical, I just find Arnold to be a more exciting villain than the T-1000, and I prefer the human story in the first to the second's.

But I do really like most of T2.

Quote from: Avaitor on November 09, 2014, 10:43:03 PMI dunno, it's not even about the first Terminator being philosophical, I just find Arnold to be a more exciting villain than the T-1000, and I prefer the human story in the first to the second's.

I don't think can agree with Arnold being a better villain. Well, I mean, he is fun as the villain, if that's what you meant by more "exciting," but it's still just Arnold no matter how I try to look at it, and honestly I think that he was better suited to the hero roll. With the T-1000, I really did get the sense that they were dealing with a cold, unfeeling killing machine.

As for the human story, while I loved Kyle Reese in the original, I found that Sarah Connor was a much more interesting character in the sequel, given how much she had changed since the events of the first film, and was a true bad-ass in her own right, whereas she mostly had to be saved by Kyle in the first movie. I could see it going either way, myself, but I'd argue that the human drama was just as good in the sequel.

i like both villain terminators equally. probably my 2nd favorite robot(s).

I think Arnold was great as the villain. I mean, he's a pretty imposing guy in terms of size. I like him a lot as both the good and bad guy. I agree with E-K on Sarah Connor, though. I loved her in 2. As far as I'm concerned, that movie cemented her as one of the all time great female movie leads. Which is a big deal since she's the main protagonist of the series. Overall, both movies are some of the all time greats as far as science fiction goes. But I do slightly side with 2. But even still, I honestly can't think of any flaws in them, aside from a few natural time travel loopholes. I'd love to marathon both movies back to back one day.

i also think arnold was an intimidating villain. and i agree with you both on sarah connor.

What trilogy do you guys prefer? Star Wars, or Lord of the Rings?

i've only seen stars as a kid and i am not sure which ones i have seen.

The Lord of the Rings for me. While I do genuinely like all of the original Star Wars films, if I were to be honest, I'd say that only The Empire Strikes Back holds up as great (and one of the best Sci-Fi films of all time, at that). A New Hope was an important film and still a fun watch, but lacks the depth of the sequels, and I actually like Return of the Jedi despite all of the hate that it gets, but even I have to admit that it's far from a perfect conclusion to the trilogy.

With The Lord of the Rings, I can honestly say that I found all 3 films to be great, with each one being better than the last, IMO.

Of course, I don't consider either to be my favorite trilogy of all time.

The Dollars trilogy trumps them both, in my book.

Lord of the Rings. I like all three movies around the same level, if not each better than the last. With the OG Star Wars trilogy, I'm kind of meh on "A New Hope," think "Empire" is strong, and have some reservations about "Return" but overall all do like it quite a bit. I suppose I should mention, though, that I've never been big on any of the three movies, in that I like them fine, but they've never been something I actively cared to come back to and watch over again, even as a kid. And while I actually didn't like the LotR movies as a kid but love them as an adult now, when I revisited the OG SW trilogy my opinion about them didn't change at all. So, yeah, it's LotR for me.

On that note, I can't stand the people who claim that The Hobbit Trilogy is TLOTR's equivalent to the Star Wars prequels. I mean, no....just no. The prequels are fucking terrible movies in just about every way possible, from acting to writing to directing. Literally the only thing that I genuninely like about them is the musical score.

On the other hand, as a fan of The Hobbit novel since I was a kid, would I say that this trilogy is the adaptation that I was always hoping for. No, not even close. It has tons of flaws and way too much padding for what luck have easily been an entire film shorter, or even just one movie, at that. Even so, do I consider AUJ or TDOS to be bad films. Once again, not even close. For what they are, they are still very entertaining movies supported by good acting, and the elements that do remain faithful to Tolkien's vision are instances legitimately good filmmaking, of which the Star Wars prequels almost entirely had none of except for very few scenes.

Basically, anyone who makes that comparison doesn't know what they're talking about.

lol at their comparison. while i have only seen the desolation of smaug and didn't like the ending and i think the last two prequels are ok (missed the 1st), smaug is better than both put together.

I am a huge fan of both trilogies, but I will agree that Lord of the Rings is slightly better. I love Star Wars but I think some of its flaws become a bit more apparent when comparing the two. Lord of the Rings just has a level of consistency with each of its movies being excellent. When it comes to picking the best, I think any one of them could be considered the best and one of the best movies ever made, and it would be an acceptable answer. The Star Wars movies aren't quite as consistent, particularly once you reach the ending. I do like Return of the Jedi, but I feel it's completely overwhelmed when compared to Return of the King. Like, you can't even begin to compare them. I get that some people have problems with the multiple endings of Return of the King, but the trilogy really couldn't end any other way. Meanwhile, Jedi's teddy bear party is a very small and underwhelming way to celebrate the ending. And on that note, Lord of the Rings just reaches a really strong level of emotion. Just think of the dialogue between Frodo and Sam in The Two Towers and Return of the King, for example. I get that Star Wars doesn't try to be that emotionally deep, aside from The Empire Strikes Back, but perhaps that's one of the reasons it isn't as strong a story.

There's also a few other little things. For example, the acting comes up a bit short in Star Wars. Particularly in the original Star Wars, the acting is kind of stiff. And there's also the fact that I think Harrison Ford admitted to not caring as much when filming Jedi, because he's clearly not giving the same performance that he gave in Empire.

EDIT:

As for that comparison between prequels, yeah, you really can't compare the two. I won't claim to be a big fan of An Unexpected Journey (I found Desolation of Smaug to be vastly superior and of the level of quality I had expected from The Hobbit movies initially, despite some big flaws). And in addition, I have to admit that I think Revenge of the Sith was actually... serviceable. Okay, so it's not anything close to being a great film, or even an especially good one. But I just can't deny that I enjoyed it despite the plethora of issues that it obviously has. But it's clear which of those two movies is better and more competently made.

I deleted my previous post and merged the contents of it into the post before that one. I just didn't want to have three posts in a row, on the same day. :happytime:

Anyway, in response to E-K's top 10 science fiction movie list, I'm going to post my own.

1. 2001: A Space Odyssey
2. The Empire Strikes Back
3. Terminator 2: Judgement Day
4. Star Wars
5. Alien
6. Blade Runner
7. WALL-E
8. Back to the Future
9. Aliens
10. The Terminator

I kind of cheated on #7, but the choice is certainly good enough, if you ask me.

Good list. It reminds me that I really need to re-watch 2001 and Blade Runner.

I don't know how I would make my own list, but I do know that 2001 would be quite far away from it.

Quote from: Dr. Ensatsu-ken on November 16, 2014, 10:32:24 PM
Good list. It reminds me that I really need to re-watch 2001 and Blade Runner.

Thanks. Also, I figure I should mention that, of those movies, Back to the Future is the only one I haven't seen in a while. I really need to rewatch it.

Quote from: Avaitor on November 16, 2014, 10:33:50 PM
I don't know how I would make my own list, but I do know that 2001 would be quite far away from it.

How come? I actually thought you'd be a fan of that one.

Quote from: talonmalon333 on November 16, 2014, 10:36:36 PM
How come? I actually thought you'd be a fan of that one.

I respect the film a great deal, but it is my personal antithesis of an enjoyable film.

I wasn't sure where else to post this, but since the Halloween thread went over well enough, I thought, why not try my hand at a Christmas thread. So, I want people to nominate their favorite Christmas specials, movies, short films, or even television, and hopefully we can fill up an entire month of Christmas-themed stuff to watch. If not, I'll go for a traditional 12-day list instead, but for now I'm trying for the entire month, with a maximum of 4 nominations per person, just like last time. I'll start:

1. South Park: A Woodland Critters Christmas
2. Die Hard
3. How the Grinch Stole Christmas (classic animated short)
4. Gremlins
5. The Muppet Christmas Carol

For now, definitely put up The Muppet Christmas Carol for me.

But I actually had an idea for certain TV episodes, if it's okay, to do an hourlong mix from various companies or networks. Like, a combination of material from Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, Disney, and Warner.

I'm OK with multiple entries in one as long as they are tied together by a common network or company, and don't exceed 2-hours in combined length.

For instance, you can nominate the Hey Arnold! and Rugrats Christmas Specials as a single entry, but not Futurama and some random stop motion short.

Speaking of which, I totally forgot to nominate Futurama. Hopefully somebody else will fix that for me.

Let's try these, then-

Disney-
Goof Troop Christmas
The Weekenders- "The Worst Holiday Ever"

Warner-
A Pinky & the Brain Christmas
Justice League- "Comfort and Joy"

Nickelodeon-
Hey Arnold!- "Arnold's Christmas"
Invader Zim- "The Most Horrible X-Mas Ever"

Cartoon Network-
Dexter's Laboratory- "Dexter vs. Santa's Claws"
Johnny Bravo- "'Twas the Night"
I Am Weasel- "Happy Baboon Holidays"
Sheep in the Big City- "Home For The Baa-lidays"

Those are fine, but that puts you 1 nomination over the limit if you're also including the Muppets. Is there any one of those that you don't mind dropping?

Yeah, let's drop Warner. I've talked about the P&TB ep before (remember that?), so it's alright.

6. Disney-
Goof Troop Christmas
The Weekenders- "The Worst Holiday Ever"

7. Nickelodeon-
Hey Arnold!- "Arnold's Christmas"
Invader Zim- "The Most Horrible X-Mas Ever"

8. Cartoon Network-
Dexter's Laboratory- "Dexter vs. Santa's Claws"
Johnny Bravo- "'Twas the Night"
I Am Weasel- "Happy Baboon Holidays"
Sheep in the Big City- "Home For The Baa-lidays"

Only 4, eh? For now I guess I'll go with these:

The Nightmare Before Christmas
A Charlie Brown Christmas

Cartoon Network:
- Billy and Mandy Save Christmas
- Ed, Edd, n' Eddy's Jingle Jingle Jangle

FOX:
- Futurama - "A Tale of Two Santas"
- American Dad! - "Rapture's Delight"

I don't have access to a laptop right now, so I'll update the list later, but all of your nominations have been counted.

Also, I've been thinking of replacing one of my earlier entries with The Brave And The Bold, but I need at least one other WB special to nominate with it, but I'd like to keep it something Superhero themed.

i was going to say die hard..

robot chicken christmas special. (2005)

Nobody else is going to nominate any movies/specials? I guess there's just no Christmas spirit on this board. You guys are all like Internet versions of The Grinch. :thinkin:

I'll wait until tonight for more nominations, but if there aren't any, then I'll just raise the cap so that Avaitor, CX, and myself can nominate more stuff.

Quote from: Dr. Ensatsu-ken on November 25, 2014, 09:30:51 AM
Nobody else is going to nominate any movies/specials? I guess there's just no Christ,as spirit on this board. You guys are all like Internet versions of The Grinch. :thinkin:

Not me. I just haven't checked this topic until not. :sly:

It's a Wonderful Life
The Snowman
A Christmas Story
A Christmas Carol (1951 Version)

I just re-watched Batman Begins and Die Hard last night.

Batman Begins is still my personal least favorite film in The Dark Knight trilogy (seriously, for the people complaining about the plot-holes in TDKR, they sure conveniently ignore the very flaws of this movie). And don't get me wrong. This is a legitimately good movie, and I like it a lot. I'm just tired of this one getting away with its flaws and TDKR being the only one to get hammered for them. Interestingly, TDKR feels more like a direct sequel to this movie than TDK does. I mean, the pacing is similar, unlike the uniquely fast-paced TDK, and The League of Shadows are the main villains again, with the plot heavily referencing Batman Begins more than TDK, aside from the Dent Act.

As for Die Hard, it's still such a perfect action movie. I love how well this film can make you take the plot legitimately seriously (unlike most 80's action films which were more cheesy fun than serious fun), but also manages to blend in tons of humor thanks to John's foul mouthed remarks. Also, as Alan Rickman's debut role, this is still one of his best. Whenever I think of this actor, it's always Hans Gruber who comes to mind first for me, even more than Snape, even though he portrayed the latter character in 8 films.

i didn't know that was his first film. i just knew he was from theater.

Alright, I'm lifting the limit of nominations. Anyone can nominate whatever they want on a first come first serve basis, until we have 31 entries, but I have decided to split the 2-hour-long or 4-episode specials into two 1-hour long 2-episode specials, instead, so factor that in when you nominate.

I'm doing this because clearly nobody else cares about making any nominations, and I know that some of you have a lot more that you wanted to post, so now's your chance.

I need to see more Christmas themed movies. I'll try to do that this December. I've seen plenty of horror films, but not as many that are rooted in Christmas. In fact, with that fact said...

Black Christmas

As well, here are a few other nominations (two of these are Rankin/Bass stop-motion specials, and I'm not sure how many people here are fans of those, but I'll take a stab and nominate them as they are classics for me)...

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Santa Claus Is Coming to Town
The Night of the Meek (Twilight Zone Episode)

I'll try to think of some more.

FOX:

The Simpsons - "Marge Be Not Proud"
American Dad! - "Minstrel Krampus"

South Park - "Mr. Hankey's Christmas Classics"
Maison Ikkoku - "Love Takes Guts! Godai's Part Time Job Ploy!" & "A Bittersweet Favor! Budding Christmas Love!?"

Er, just reinstate my Warner entry for now, I guess.

1. South Park: A Woodland Critter Christmas

2. Die Hard

3. How the Grinch Stole Christmas

4. Gremlins

5. The Muppet Christmas Carol

6. Disney-
Goof Troop Christmas
The Weekenders- "The Worst Holiday Ever"

7. Warner-
A Pinky & the Brain Christmas
Justice League- "Comfort and Joy"

8. Nickelodeon-
Hey Arnold!- "Arnold's Christmas"
Invader Zim- "The Most Horrible X-Mas Ever"

9. Cartoon Network-
Dexter's Laboratory- "Dexter vs. Santa's Claws"
Johnny Bravo- "'Twas the Night"

10. Cartoon Network-
I Am Weasel- "Happy Baboon Holidays"
Sheep in the Big City- "Home For The Baa-lidays"

11. The Nightmare Before Christmas

12. A Charlie Brown Christmas

13. Urusei Yatsura- The House of Mendou-Summer Christmas

14. FOX:
- Futurama - "A Tale of Two Santas"
- American Dad! - "Rapture's Delight"

15. Robot Chicken Christmas Special (2005)

16. It's a Wonderful Life

17. The Snowman

18. A Christmas Story

19. A Christmas Carol (1951 Version)

20. Black Christmas

21. Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer

22. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town

23. Night of the Meek

24. FOX:
The Simpsons - "Marge Be Not Proud"
American Dad! - "Minstrel Krampus"

25. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

26.  South Park - "Mr. Hankey's Christmas Classics"

27. Maison Ikkoku - "Love Takes Guts! Godai's Part Time Job Ploy!" & "A Bittersweet Favor! Budding Christmas Love!?"

28. Home Alone

29. Scrooged

30. Batman:
Batman: The Animated Series - "Holiday Knights"
Batman: The Brave and the Bold - "Invasion of the Secret Santas"

31. Miracle on 34th Street (1947)

We rated the Die Hard movies in the other thread, so I figured I'd do the same with the Lethal Weapon films. AKA, my other favorite action series. (Third would probably be Dirty Harry.)

Lethal Weapon (10/10) - The ultimate buddy cop movie. Murthaugh and Riggs are cops heading for different dead ends in their lives but find the will and inspiration to beat their demons and move on with their lives. Special attention must be made to the score in these movies (Blues and cop movies are a match like PB&J to me) and the villains who are usually really good at being bad. I also insist that any viewer of this movie watch the director's cut. There isn't much of a difference, but several key short scenes are added that give much to Riggs' character.

Lethal Weapon 2 (10/10) - I think this might be one of the few sequels I like more than the original, even if barely. The action is better, the comedy is better, the stakes are higher (if that isn't hard enough to believe), and everything is put to the test. Joe Pesci as Leo was also a wonderful addition to the cast, and is actually the best thing about the next movie. The plot may not seem like much more than typical cop business, yet as it goes it swirls into something bigger due to the actions of everyone involved. That's just great plotting. All in all, excellent. What's to say? You'll never sit on a toilet without thinking twice ever again. You'll also probably be quoting this movie for a month.

Lethal Weapon 3 (4/10) - Shane Black, writer of the first two, has no involvement in this film and I think it desperately shows. The only thing that really works in this movie is the comedy. The action is generic and cliched (a cop actually dies on their birthday, I kid you not) and the villain is the worst in the series. The stakes are not very high here, and everything feels . . . uninspired. This movie also feels like Donner is phoning it in, the direction is so pedestrian and unimaginative. So yeah, not a fan of 3.

Lethal Weapon 4 (8/10) - This, I feel makes a better LW3 than the actual movie with that title. Jet Li evokes Mr. Joshua from the original movie in his first American role and is sizeable threat throughout. My only issue continues with the fact that despite the plot finally feeling like Lethal Weapon again, the personal stakes don't seem as natural as the first two movies, but that's minor. My bigger issue is that the cast is much too big instead of focusing on Murtaugh and Riggs (with Leo's random intrusions) which are always the highlights of these movies. Shane Black still has no involvement, but it feels far more true to the first two than 3 does. At the end of the day it is a good conclusion to the series and quite a good action film.

i think 3 is average. either way, if 3 were better, lw would easily be my favorite quadrilogy.

i could have swore i nominated both home alones.

I figured why not? I'll do the Dirty Harry movies. Though I have not seen the last one yet.

Dirty Harry (10/10) - Like you didn't see that rating coming. A film very much of its time, yet at the same time makes valid points about the potential failures of the law, Dirty Harry is the ORIGINAL loose cannon cop movie. It's also still the best. The direction and writing are iconic, but its the performances that really stay with you even after the credits roll. The Dirty Harry movies have always been controversial, but the films have never been about shock value. The violence is only for emphasis of the theme and things only get messy when people do the wrong thing intentionally. It's a classic.

Magnum Force (6/10) - This is a fairly typical 70s cop movie. It's watchable and it's well made, but it doesn't do anything the original doesn't do about one hundred times better. The last line is killer, though, and pretty much sums up why he never crosses that line the bad guys do. It's worth watching, just like Die Harder is, but it's never going to be the series favorite.

The Enforcer (8/10) - Much better. This doesn't have the heavy themes of the original, but it's a really fun action movie and highly re-watchable. This film also had Harry getting a partner who actually adds a lot to the proceedings and to separate it from the first two. But, I mean, at he end of the day it's an action movie. And it's a fairly fun one. It's really the only movie in the series I can call fun, and I don't mean that in a negative way-- it's just the way the series is.

Sudden Impact (9/10) - This was a surprise to me. It evokes the original movie, but in a much different way and with a far different tone much more in common with the better cop films of the 80s. This is more of a suspense tale and not a wall to wall action film like the others (specifically the second and third), but it benefits from it. Oh, and this is the film where Harry Callahan says "Go ahead, make my day". Yep, that happened in the fourth movie. Weird, huh?

The Dead Pool (N/A) - I still haven't seen this one, but being that it's the last Dirty Harry movie, I probably will at some point. I've heard it's just more Dirty Harry, which means it's probably worth my time.

I've only seen the first, but I absolutely love it. I keep on saying that I should get to the others, but I keep on sleeping on them for whatever reason. I should at least hit Sudden Impact up.

If you can, you can get the DVD budget release that has the first four movies. That's the one I have. You probably won't watch the second much, but the other three are worth your time. I was sort of expecting it to be like Rambo where only the first one is worth your time and the other two are disposable, but I was pleasantly surprised by The Enforcer and Sudden Impact.

Edit: This one! (http://www.amazon.ca/Film-Favorites-Collection-Magnum-Enforcer/dp/B00388PK7O/ref=sr_1_3?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1417666183&sr=1-3&keywords=Dirty+Harry+collection)

i've only seen the first one. i have some catching up to do.

favorite terminator robots:
4. cromatie
3. t-800
2. rivernator
1. t-800 and t-1000 in t2

Favorite Terminator characters:

1. Kyle Reese (T1)
2. Sarah Connor (T1 and T2)
3. T-800 (T2)
4. T-1000 (T2)
5. Miles Dyson (T2)

i'd probably have t2 and scc sarah as my no. 1. this makes me want to rewatch the original.

Scc?

sarah connor chronicles.

I've never seen that show, but I struggle imagining Linda Hamilton's character being topped.

lena heady is about as good as her, imo.

Fun Fact: Lena Headey went on to play Cersei Lannister in Game of Thrones. Emilia Clarke, who will be playing Sarah Connor in the new Terminator film, is also a regular actress from Game of Thrones. It's funny how two different actresses from the same show end up portraying the same character in a different fictional series.

i want to see both god of cookery movies. kung fu hustle and shaolin soccer are my favorite stephen chow movies.

Top 25 Comedies (not counting stuff already on my horror comedy list):

25. Shaun of the Dead
24. The Pink Panther (original)
23. School of Rock
22. My Cousin Vinny
21. Army of Darkness
20. Airplane!
19. A Shot in the Dark
18. Police Story
17. Monsters, Inc.
16. Monty Python's Life of Brian
15. Ghostbusters
14. Futurama: Bender's Big Score
13. Shaolin Soccer
12. God of Cookery
11. South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut
10. Plains, Trains, and Automobiles
9. Kung Fu Hustle
8. 21 Jump Street
7. Silver Streak
6. Groundhog Day
5. The World's End
4. Little Miss Sunshine
3. Hot Fuzz
2. The Return of the Pink Panther
1. Monty Python and the Holy Grail

I extended my list. There's just too many great comedies for me.

I'm going to try a set of lists of my own- my top 5 Best Actor winners per Oscar.

Best Actor-
5- Peter Finch- Network
4- F. Murray Abraham- Amadeus
3- William Holden- Stalag 17
2- Robert De Niro- Raging Bull
1- James Cagney- Yankee Doodle Dandy

Best Actress-
5- Susan Sarandon- Dead Man Walking
4- Vivien Leigh- Gone With the Wind
3- Sissy Spacek- Coal Miner's Daughter
2- Elizabeth Taylor- Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
1- Julie Andrews- Mary Poppins

Best Supporting Actor-
5- Sean Connery- The Untouchables
4- Harold Russell- The Best Years of Our Lives
3- Heath Ledger- The Dark Knight
2- Gig Young- They Shoot Horses, Don't They?
1- Christoph Waltz- Inglorious Basterds

Best Supporting Actress-
5- Meryl Streep- Kramer vs. Kramer
4- Sandy Dennis- Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
3- Cloris Leachman- The Last Picture Show
2- Angelina Jolie- Girl, Interrupted
1- Hattie McDaniel- Gone With the Wind

A special shout out to Tatum O'Neill in Paper Moon, who is most definitely not a supporting role.

My current rankings for Marvel Phase 2:

1. Captain America: The Winter Soldier
2. Guardians of the Galaxy
3. Iron Man 3
4. Thor: The Dark World

I want to stress that I enjoyed all of these films; just to varying degrees. Honestly, I like my top 2 choices about the same as each other, as excellent movies in the genre and in general, and I like the bottom 2 about the same as each other as well, as good films but each with certain flaws that are kind of hard to overlook.

My prediction for this year is that Avengers: Age of Ultron will top my list and that Ant-Man eill rank at the bottom. I'm a bit worried about the latter because of all of the behind-the-scenes trouble that has gone on with it. I hope thst it's good, but ever since Edgar Wright left the project, I've had my doubts.

Same ranking, really.

Phase 2 has been a step up from 1 as a whole, honestly.

1- Guardians
2- Winter Soldier
3- Dark World
4- Iron Man 3

Quote from: Avaitor on December 08, 2013, 05:14:47 PM
2014- Whiplash
2013- Before Midnight
2012- Moonrise Kingdom
2011- The Tree of Life
2010- Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
2009- Inglourious Basterds/Iron Maiden: Flight 666 (tied)
2008- WALL*E
2007- Persepolis
2006- Pan's Labyrinth
2005- Serenity
2004- Before Sunset
2003- X2: X-Men United
2002- Kung-Pow! Enter the Fist
2001- The Royal Tenenbaums
2000- Almost Famous
1999- Girl, Interrupted
1998- The Thin Red Line
1997- Chasing Amy
1996- The Hunchback of Notre Dame
1995- Before Sunrise
1994- Pulp Fiction
1993- The Nightmare Before Christmas
1992- Reservoir Dogs
1991- The Silence of the Lambs

A couple of edits here.

A-Z favorites for live-action films:

A: Aliens
B: Back to the Future
C: Collateral
D: The Dirty Dozen
E: Ed Wood
F: Forrest Gump
G: Goodfellas
H: Hot Fuzz
I: Il Buono, Il Brutto, Il Cattivo (The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly)
J: Jaws
K: The Killer (also known as John Woo's The Killer)
L: Little Miss Sunshine
M: Mackenna's Gold
N: The Name of the Rose
O: The Omen
P: Predator
Q: Quiz Show
R: Rain Man
S: Serenity
T: Terminator 2: Judgement Day
U: The Untouchables
V: Vertigo
W: The World's End
X: X-Men: Days Of Future Past
Y: 3:10 To Yuma (2007; kind of cheating, but at least it's not a stretch)
Z: Zombi 2

A: American Beauty
B: Bladerunner
C: Casablanca
D: The Deer Hunter
E: The Empire Strikes Back
F: Frankenstein
G: The Godfather
H: Hot Fuzz
I: It's a Wonderful Life (I wasn't sure if I should count this as an "I". If not, my choice here would be Intolerance.)
J: Jaws
K: King Kong
L: The Lord of the Rings Trilogy
M: Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
N: Nosferatu the Vampyre
O: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
P: Psycho
R: Raging Bull
S: Seven Samurai
T: Taxt Driver
V: Vertigo
W: The Wizard of Oz
Z: Zombi

I overwhelmingly cheated on Z by going with Dawn of the Dead using its alternate title. :P

Good list. It also reminded me that I forgot to put in an entry for letter V. :D

Also, I notice a lack of an entry for letter U on your list. I totally recommend The Untouchables if you haven't seen it. ;)

I really do need to get to The Untouchables. Brian De Palma has some great films. Apparently he even contributed to Star Wars!

really?

Apartment, The
Before Sunrise
City Lights
Days of Heaven
Enter the Dragon
Fanny and Alexander
Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, The
Hugo
It Happened One Night
Jaws
Kung Pow: Enter the Fist
Lawrence of Arabia
Moonrise Kingdom
North by Northwest
Out of the Past
Philadelphia Story, The
Queen of Versailles, The
Royal Tenenbaums, The
Seven Samurai
Thin Man, The
Ugestu
Whiplash
X2: X-Men United
Yojimbo
Zombi 2

Oh, Yojimbo is a good one for Y.

Quote from: Avaitor on February 23, 2015, 06:43:19 PM
Lawrence of Arabia

I almost picked that for my L. In fact, I might even switch to it at some point.

Quote from: Dr. Ensatsu-ken on December 20, 2014, 05:00:28 PM
Top 25 Comedies (not counting stuff already on my horror comedy list):

25. Shaun of the Dead
24. The Pink Panther (original)
23. School of Rock
22. My Cousin Vinny
21. Army of Darkness
20. Airplane!
19. A Shot in the Dark
18. Police Story
17. Monsters, Inc.
16. Monty Python's Life of Brian
15. Ghostbusters
14. Futurama: Bender's Big Score
12. God of Cookery
11. South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut
10. Plains, Trains, and Automobiles
9. Kung Fu Hustle
8. 21 Jump Street
7. Silver Streak
6. Groundhog Day
5. The World's End
4. Little Miss Sunshine
3. Hot Fuzz
2. The Return of the Pink Panther
1. Monty Python and the Holy Grail

I extended my list. There's just too many great comedies for me.

I just noticed this.

No Big Trouble in Little China?

Quote from: Spark Of Spirit on February 23, 2015, 08:21:28 PM

Quote from: Dr. Ensatsu-ken on December 20, 2014, 05:00:28 PM
Top 25 Comedies (not counting stuff already on my horror comedy list):

25. Shaun of the Dead
24. The Pink Panther (original)
23. School of Rock
22. My Cousin Vinny
21. Army of Darkness
20. Airplane!
19. A Shot in the Dark
18. Police Story
17. Monsters, Inc.
16. Monty Python's Life of Brian
15. Ghostbusters
14. Futurama: Bender's Big Score
13. Shaolin Soccer
12. God of Cookery
11. South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut
10. Plains, Trains, and Automobiles
9. Kung Fu Hustle
8. 21 Jump Street
7. Silver Streak
6. Groundhog Day
5. The World's End
4. Little Miss Sunshine
3. Hot Fuzz
2. The Return of the Pink Panther
1. Monty Python and the Holy Grail

I extended my list. There's just too many great comedies for me.

I just noticed this.

No Big Trouble in Little China?

It's been so long since I've last seen that movie. It's due for a re-watch some time.

That said, those top 10 make me laugh out loud on a consistent basis. BTILC is an excellent film, but I tend to think of it more as a fun adventure film with great humor than as a straight-up laugh out loud comedy from beginning to end.

A: An American Werewolf in London
B: Black Dynamite
C: Citizen Kane
D: Django Unchained
E: Enter the Dragon
F: Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
G: Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?
H: Hamlet (1996)
I: Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
J: Jaws
K: To Kill a Mockingbird
L: The Lord of the Rings Trilogy
M: Monty Python and the Holy Grail
N: Night of the Living Dead
O: The Omen
P: Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl
Q:
R: Rashomon
S: Scream
T: The Thing (1982)
U:
V:
W: The World's End
X: X-Men: Days of Future Past
Y: Yojimbo
Z: Zero Dark Thirty

For the life of me I couldn't think of anything for Q, U, or V. I really need to watch more movies...

Quote from: Dr. Ensatsu-ken on February 23, 2015, 08:35:55 PM

Quote from: Spark Of Spirit on February 23, 2015, 08:21:28 PM

Quote from: Dr. Ensatsu-ken on December 20, 2014, 05:00:28 PM
Top 25 Comedies (not counting stuff already on my horror comedy list):

25. Shaun of the Dead
24. The Pink Panther (original)
23. School of Rock
22. My Cousin Vinny
21. Army of Darkness
20. Airplane!
19. A Shot in the Dark
18. Police Story
17. Monsters, Inc.
16. Monty Python's Life of Brian
15. Ghostbusters
14. Futurama: Bender's Big Score
13. Shaolin Soccer
12. God of Cookery
11. South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut
10. Plains, Trains, and Automobiles
9. Kung Fu Hustle
8. 21 Jump Street
7. Silver Streak
6. Groundhog Day
5. The World's End
4. Little Miss Sunshine
3. Hot Fuzz
2. The Return of the Pink Panther
1. Monty Python and the Holy Grail

I extended my list. There's just too many great comedies for me.

I just noticed this.

No Big Trouble in Little China?

It's been so long since I've last seen that movie. It's due for a re-watch some time.

That said, those top 10 make me laugh out loud on a consistent basis. BTILC is an excellent film, but I tend to think of it more as a fun adventure film with great humor than as a straight-up laugh out loud comedy from beginning to end.

Ah, I could see that. The movie is just so funny that I often forget it isn't a pure comedy.

Good list, CX.

For Q, I recomnend Quiz show, and for U, The Untouchables is one of my favorite movies.

Also, you picked a lot of my runner-ups for other letters, like An American Werewolf in London and The Thing. ;)

On another note, I changed my letter L entry to Little Miss Sunshine. I can't believe that I forgot that one.

....And letter E to Ed Wood. Man am I off today.

Thanks, E-K. I'll look into those films whenever I get the chance to.  :)

i'll give it a try.
A: Alien or A Better Tomorrow
B: Big Trouble In Little China
C: Collateral
D: Drunken Master 1 and 2
E: Evil Dead
F: Fist Of Legend
G: Goldeneye
H: Hard-Boiled
I: In The Line Of Duty IV
J: John Carpenter's The Thing
K: Kill Bill
L: LOTR Trilogy
M: Magnificent Warriors
N:
O: Once Upon A Time In China
P: Police Story
Q
R: Rush Hour 1 and 2
S: Shaolin Soccer
T: Terminator 2
U: Undisputed II
V:...V For Vendetta?
W: Wonder Woman
X: X-Men
Y: Yojimbo
Z:...Zombieland? I need to finish it, though

I updated the list that I made a while back of my favorite films from each year since I was born.

I bolded my choices for the years where I changed my mind on my favorite, and also included picks for both 2013 and 2014 (though, those are also still subject to change).

Quote from: Dr. Ensatsu-ken on December 08, 2013, 04:23:52 PM1989: The Killer
1990: Goodfellas
1991: The Terminator 2: Judgement Day
1992: Unforgiven
1993: Batman: Mask of the Phantasm
1994: Ed Wood
1995: Casino
1996: The Hunchback of Notre Dame
1997: Donnie Brasco
1998: Pleasantville
1999: South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut
2000: Battle Royale
2001: Training Day
2002: Insomnia
2003: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2004: Collateral
2005: Serenity
2006: Little Miss Sunshine
2007: The Lookout
2008: The Wrestler
2009: Summer Wars
2010: Toy Story 3
2011: Headhunters
2012: Argo
2013: The World's End
2014: The Babadook

I'm going to try something new- a scorecard for every 2015 release that I see. I'll include Paddington when I get to it, even though I believe that's technically a 2014 film. But I'll just update this post at my own pace-

Avengers: Age of Ultron- B+. In enough rights, this is a superior outing to the first. Whedon has improved his action direction skills (some unnecessary use of shaky cam aside), as he's also getting better at giving his characters equal attention. Ultron is also easily among the most exciting MCU villains to date, being an entertaining nuisance with the right commanding demeanor that the film needs. This does feel a little rushed and in some areas underdeveloped, though, and there are also moments when it doesn't seem like Whedon is having much fun making the thing, as evident by his own words. That's why I can't personally rank it among the first, as flawed as that is, but this is hardly the trainwreck that certain critics want you to think it is.
Mad Max: Fury Road- A. A glorious marriage of practical and technical effects, this is everything you could ask for in an action movie and more. Great characters that drive the story, rather than being driven by it. Nonstop action sequences that never tire and only continue to impress, not irritate, as they go along. Glorious shots of Australian wastelands that keep the film's atmosphere as tight as needed. And little need for obnoxious exposition to get the film's point across. Just pay attention to what is being shared on the screen, verbally and visually, and you're good. The only thing preventing me from giving this the plus is that I only have The Road Warrior and one viewing to compare it to. Once I get to the original trilogy in full, and maybe a rewatch, I'll come back and potentially adjust my score.
Paddington- B+. I won't lie, this has a lot of the typical family movie tropes you'd expect at this point- conflicting but loving parents, an awkward teenager, a younger child who just wants to explore their passion and have their family get along, a cooky villain, a little potty humor and a lot of pratfalls to make it all go around. What makes the movie work is the feeling of love present. The family feels real, despite their cliches, and Paddington is lovable throughout it all. And thankfully the teenager isn't as bad as your average Disney Channel brat, which is always nice. This is just a good, enjoyable family film, definitely modern enough for today's kids, but with a teeny bit of that classic charm that made Disney's older live-action films pop. I'd recommend it if you're into that thing at all.
Inside Out- A-. Whether or not you think that they've lost their touch, it's hard to deny that this is Pixar's best film since Toy Story 3. It's a wholly original idea fully brought to life by a strong cast, as each of the five emotions are fantastic at their job. Riley's general lack of personality even works for the benefit of the movie, since she's meant to be an avatar anyway. If anything holds this back for me, it's the same reason that I'm a little more reserved about Up than most- Pixar's buddy film formula feels a little too worn even now, but it still works more than well enough.
Ant-Man- B.  The Marvel formula is starting to show serious fatigue, particularly its origin films. A smart and conventionally attractive, but flawed enough straight white male is put into a situation where he has to either take a great risk or lose someone he cares about dearly in the process. Add in a promising, but underdeveloped villain and a capable love interest who doesn't have much of an agenda for herself, and there you go. But they're still making it work well enough to make it worth the price of admission, and this really was a smaller-staked change of pace that the franchise needed. Enough of Edgar Wright's general charms are still there, and some fun cameos help to keep it engaging throughout. In terms of a (relatively) small risk heist scheme movie, this is pretty fantastic. And while it took some time for Paul Rudd to fully get comfortable in the role, he has enough charm to pull it off. Michael Douglas and Evangeline Lily are excellent throughout, though.
It Follows- B-. I really wanted to like this film, and in some regards, I did. For one thing, the soundtrack is among the best John Carpenter tributes of them all, a gorgeous mesh that completely compliments the material throughout. On top of that, this is genuinely a well-written film, a couple of awkward passages aside. But the pacing is strong and allows for what turns into some great thrills, including a surprisingly brilliant jump cut. But my problem with the film comes down to the main character- Jay just isn't a very good actress. Her performance comes off as stilted from beginning to end, with only the slightest improvement as it transpires. And considering how she's supposed to anchor the film, that's a pretty big turn-off, and why I can't give the film all of my love. See The Babadook first, and then maybe come to this afterwords.
Beasts of No Nation- A. A sprawling, magnificent epic that is as gorgeous to look at as it is bleak as all hell. Cary Fukunaga proves that he understands the camera for more than just how to frame it well, making for a subtle beast that never lets itself down. Not to mention that it contains some of the best child acting that I've seen. Easily among the finest of the year.
The End of the Tour- C. Meh. Jason Segel and Jesse Eisenberg do a fantastic job of portraying Wallace and Lipsky, but for someone who is increasingly becoming visually entranced by film, it takes some beautiful dialogue to make such a visually average film work for me. And while the film has its poignant moments, especially as it hints towards Wallace's tragic suicide, it's just not much for me. If you want something a little sad, but with some semblance of humor, maybe you'll like it better than I did, but it's just not something that I plan to go back to.
The Martian- A-. Wow. This film totally lived up to its hype, even though it took me a while to get interested in it. But man, is it funny, and despite its setting and the genre's recent fascination with visuals, is more of a deserving character piece. Everything that Gravity and Interstellar promised, but didn't pull off. And does Matt Damon knock it out of the park! But he isn't even alone, as the rest of the cast is fantastic. In fact, I think that the only reason that I gave it a minus is because Donald Glover didn't get enough screentime. But don't sleep on this one. Please.
99 Homes- C+. The film works best when it lets its intense nature take control, like Nash's eviction, and the intelligently ambiguous ending. The cast is solid, living up to and beyond the script's requirements, but that's about it for things that are above average about the film. It's a mostly flat experience that should resonate for me more, given its environment and the recent increase in foreclosures still stinging today, but there doesn't seem to be a clear consensus on whether Nash and the banks in general were in their rights or not, and its attempts for world and character building are flat. I don't think that this is a total dud, but I don't see it picking up any major nods. And I don't understand why the movie was dedicated to Roger Ebert, either.
Ex Machina- B. A clever modern sci-fi film built on strong performances and a unique idea, but one that I'm strangely distant to. A big part of that comes from the direction, which I don't find to be different or superior to most other films of its kind today. I feel like I've seen this exact aesthetic and framing so many times in just the past few years, that there isn't much else to separate it. And on top of that, the ending comes off as untrue to the movie's beats. It marginally makes sense, but seems to betray its main ideas for a concept that just barely fits. Still, it's a well-made film, just one that I find a little overrated. Also, that dance scene.
Steve Jobs- B-. First of all, am I the only one who was unimpressed with Fassbender as Jobs? He had one tone throughout the entire film, and it's not exactly a distinctive tone. And sadly, I just don't think that there's too much to this one on the whole. I give Sorkin's screenplay a lot of credit, but at the same time, I felt nothing while watching this. There's no reason for this movie to be made, when so much has already been said about Jobs already. The main point seems to be that it's trying to sell how much of an asshole Steve Jobs was, which, yes, okay, but Sorkin already did a better job of doing this with Zuckerberg in The Social Network. He at least felt real, and not like an accessory to the script, which despite some strong acting, including a highlight from Kate Winslet, did not help to make anyone feel real. This is a problem with Sorkin in general, but his best material is able to be lifted from his issues, usually thanks to strong direction. Which makes me wonder how this would have turned out if Fincher stuck around after all, since Boyle's style does not mesh. Overall, meh.
Truth- C. A strong cast and fantastic performances can't elevate tired direction or pedestrian writing, resulting in form that is completely unremarkable in concept and execution. While the film's subject matter is important, everything throws itself at your face to make you evident of it, to the point that it becomes tiresome instantly. There's a reason that the reception for the film is mixed at best.
Love & Mercy- A-. This is how a biopic should be made. Not to say that this is a standard biopic, mind you, but that's why this film resonates. Of course, as a big Beach Boys fan, I'm especially drawn to the subject matter, but even then, it's easy to appreciate John Cusack and Paul Dano's takes on Brian Wilson, each during separate, important parts of his life- Dano playing Wilson's younger self around the peak of his creativity and the start of his paranoid schizophrenic tendencies taking over, and Cusack portraying the musician in the 80's, overly medicated and drowsed to the point of isolation. Both segments give you plenty of insight into what made Wilson who he became after the band's glory days, primarily how the loss of his brother Carl affected him. And then Elizabeth Banks gives a career-best performance as his future wife Melinda, who sees Wilson's charms being hidden away from poor management and sinking depression. It's surprising to say this, since there's no humor in her performance, but Banks has such sincerity and range to the character, that this doesn't detract. The only real weakness of the film, besides the director taking his time to find his style until the last third, is Paul Giamatti's one-note performance, which is apparently reminiscient of his character in Straight Outta Compton. Otherwise, this is a music-based movie that I can safely recommend to people who aren't familiar or interested in the music. Which is a pretty high compliment.
The Good Dinosaur- B-. A lighter, but still pleasant Pixar film, there isn't too much for older audiences to chew on as opposed to some of the studio's best, including their other picture from this year. And you know what, that's okay. Sometimes, Pixar needs to make something that deliberately skews younger, because hey, that's where the bulk of their income comes from, and this is still more enjoyable than their Cars film, and the moral isn't as misguided as Ratatouille's. At the same time, though, make no mistake that this is not upper-tier Pixar. Their buddy comedy formula has seriously started to grow tiresome, and there's little here that you haven't seen before. Even the storytelling beats feel derived from other Disney films. Not to mention that the film's diversions away from its core storytelling elements, such as a hallucination sequence and a western tribute, feel out of place and ultimately confused. I wouldn't recommend seeing this in theaters unless you're a Pixar completionist, or need a babysitter for whatever children you have to watch, but it's at least worth a Redbox if you're at least modestly interested.
Spectre- B. Definitely not up there with Casino Royale or Skyfall, but still loads better than Quantum of Solace. This starts off with one of the best, most vibrant Bond openers of all, and has plenty of great action to keep things going. The thing is, the action and intrigue work, and even the lack of a great plot doesn't hurt the film too much, since 007 films have always had confusing or downright stupid stories. The problem is that Sam Mendes can't seem to decide if he wants to continue with Skyfall's scope and the more modern tone of the Craig age, or to have a throwback of sorts to earlier Bond eras, and this shows in the final product with mixed results. Even Craig seems bored of Bond, as further evidenced by his responses in interviews. The rest of the cast is pretty solid, though, even though Christoph Waltz's character doesn't really do anything.
The Big Short- B+. I was not expecting Adam McKay to make such an inspired and powerful political drama, but here we are. Wow. This is a much better look at the mortgage crisis of 08 than 99 Homes, and even its preachier moments aren't detractions. Add in clever cameos from Anthony Bourdain and Selena Gomez to explain some of the trickier market share scenarios, and you're bound to have some fun. The amazing thing about this film is that it never ceases to be funny, even as there's a melancholy nature present throughout. McKay makes no qualms in showing you how despicable some of these people, and their schemes are, even when you get the chance to laugh along with these characters. It's all connected into a bleak, but important experience. I'm not giving it a higher score right now, since it feels like it took McKay a while to gel into the film's style, but before long, it all fits. That, and I wish that the use of metal in the soundtrack was better than Metallica, Pantera, and Mastodon, but I guess that fits how douchey Christian Bale's character could be. Regardless of how interested you are in the evils of big business or how we're still reeling from the recession, please give this one a chance.
Tangerine- A-. We actually had a screening of this on campus, but I had to pass that night. At least it came to Netflix shortly after, but if I knew how good this was, I wouldn't have passed. What a hilarious, engrossing film, though. I was hooked the moment it started, and never let go. The verbal and visual language is simply outstanding, allowing for this to be a completely original experience, funny from start to end with just the right touch of tragic and experimental flare to keep it alive. Not to mention how shooting the film entirely via an iPhone app helps to make it look and feel so unique. Definitely worth a watch.
Concussion- C. You can tell that this came from a first-time director, given how dead and quiet the mise en scene is. Everything is framed so perfectly to a point, that there's almost nothing to grab on to, and the lack of a solid script to back the film up is immediately apparent. It's a shame, since this is a strong message, and Will Smith gives one of his best performances in a while, but I felt very little while watching this.
Carol- C+. Man, I was disappointed by how little I enjoyed this, considering the hype it's been getting. And it's funny, I actually came out of this feeling a bit more positive at first, but the more I think about it, the more that it hits me that I just don't care, since it feels like Todd Hayes didn't care. The only character that was given particular attention was Cate Blanchett's Carol, and she's pushed to the side by Rooney Mara, who despite being incredibly game for the role, was given such a flat character with no incentive to receive the romantic attention she obtained. She's basically the kind of girl that doesn't say or do much, but somehow ignites the attention of the bitter, horny nerdy guy. Probably because she doesn't say anything, actually. And while it feels like Blanchett was giving her all, I have to knock some personal points off, since she just doesn't do much for me as an actress. It feels like every line she delivers is the. Most serious thing. Ever. and my patience for that runs thin. Speaking of thin, the score is taken from The Thin Blue Line, and while it worked wonderfully there, here it doesn't mix with the film's tone, being far too distracting for no reason. And Hayes keeps on shooting everything from a window or car screen, which seems cool at first, until he does this with almost every other scene. And then there's the random outburst with Carol's gun, that almost comes out of place. Blah. The script is effective enough, and Mara is great with what little character she's given, but this isn't worth all of the awards it's getting.
The Hateful Eight- A-. This score can go higher or lower at any given moment, honestly, but wow. Whether you're a Tarantino fan or not, this is absolutely worth seeing in 70mm. There's no other experience like this coming any time soon, and he uses the form to great effect. Everything about this movie, from the frozen wasteland of the first third, to the cozy, but increasingly distant haberdashery feels ginormous, and is gorgeously framed. But nearly as good as the film's camera work, is it's score. Ennio Morricone pulls off some of his best work in his career, as a thudding bass line adds its way into the film's underbelly. I really do hope that Morricone taking some of his unused cues from The Thing doesn't effect the score's Oscar eligibility, since it deserves the win. As for the script, there are moments when Tarantino gets a bit too indulgent in his dialogue. The first half is a little more chummy than usual, while the second adds a lot of exposition, however necessary, into the fray. I can see how someone can prefer one half to the other, and while I do enjoy Tarantino's relaxed dialogue enough to prefer the film pre-intermission, I don't think that it ever really drags on, despite running near 3 hours. The help of an excellent cast is proof of that. This might be a little too indulgent, even for Tarantino, which is why I won't drop the minus, but I truly enjoyed just about everything about it, enough to recommend it and to rank this among my favorites of the year.

100 Greatest Movie Lines of All Time (https://youtu.be/VQN35NgwUtI)

Helps for giving context when you're in one of those awkward moments.

So, since I've had the opportunity to see a bunch of 2014 movies, I figured that I'd rank the ones that I've seen so far from my least favorite to my favorite:

27. Neighbors
26. The Amazing Spider-Man 2
25. 22 Jump Street
24. The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
23. Interstellar
22. The Theory of Everything
21. Boyhood
20. Nightcrawler
19. American Sniper
18. Godzilla
17. Big Hero 6
16. Birdman
15. Gone Girl
14. The Lego Movie
13. Selma
12. John Wick
11. Life Itself
10. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
9. The Imitation Game
8. How To Train Your Dragon 2
7. Guardians of the Galaxy
6. X-Men: Days of Future Past
5. Edge of Tomorrow
4. The Grand Budapest Hotel
3. Captain America: The Winter Soldier
2. Whiplash
1. The Babadook

And yes, I count Snowpiercer as a 2013 film. Overall, though, 2013 was a good year for movies. Only the last five are particularly weak films, IMO, and even then I don't downright hate any of them.

Re-watching Jaws recently got me to realize just how much I love a good monster movie. The best of these are entertaining enough as spectacle, but also have a lot to say about human beings, ironically enough. With Jaws it's more about comradery and has as an optimistic view on people risking their lives to do the right thing (unless we're talking about the novel, in which case all human beings are dicks who only look out for themselves). Godzilla and Jurassic Park are cautionary tales about humans messing with nature. And Gremlins is about how out of hand consumerism can get.

With that said, I wanted to list off some of my personal favorite monster movies so far. That said, I'm excluding Zombie movies, which is its own sub-genre, as well as ghosts and demonic apparitions. Slashers are out as well. As are the Universal monster movie franchise characters. And while I adore movies like Pan's Labyrinth and The Babadook, I consider those to be more psychological films by nature. A monster movie, to me, can be of any given tone from Sci-Fi to grounded in reality with actual animals, but the "monster" itself should be inhuman in nature, and there should be no question that it really exists in that world and is not just a figment of some character's imagination.

Anyways, given that criteria, here are my personal favorites so far:

Honorable Mentions: Pacific Rim (2013/Guillermo Del Toro), Gremlins (1984/Joe Dante)

15. Night of the Creeps (1986/Fred Dekker)
14. Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990/Joe Dante)
13. From Dusk Till Dawn (1996/Robert Rodriguez)
12. King Kong (1933/Ernest B. Schoedsack; Merian C. Cooper)
11. Jurassic Park (1993/Steven Spielberg)
10. Tremors (1990/Ron Underwood)
9. Alien (1979/Ridley Scott)
8. The Host (2006/Bong Joon-ho)
7. The Fly (1986/David Cronenberg)
6. Godzilla (1954/Ishir? Honda)
5. Predator (1987/John McTiernan)
4. An American Werewolf in London (1981/John Landis)
3. Jaws (1975/Steven Spielberg)
2. The Thing (1982/John Carpenter)
1. Aliens (1986/James Cameron)

There are still some other classics as well as modern takes on the genre that I need to get around to (like Attack The Block and Slither), but these are among the best that I've seen, ranging from humorous, to action-packed, to tragic, to terrifying. It's a really great and underrated genre, now that I think about it.

It's about time that I updated my list a little bit:

50. Kung-Fu Hustle
49. Psycho
48. The Last Samurai
47. Plains, Trains, and Automobiles
46. Serenity
45. Scent of a Woman
44. Dances With Wolves
43. Casino
42. Hotel Rwanda
41. The Babadook
40. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy
39. Snowpiercer
38. Headhunters
37. The Host
36. 3:10 To Yuma (2007)
35. Letters From Iwo Jima
34. Godzilla (1954)
33. The World's End
32. The Shining
31. Monty Python and the Holy Grail
30. Rear Window
29. Hard-Boiled
28. The Omen
27. The Silence of the Lambs
26. An American Werewolf In London
25. Forrest Gump
24. Predator
23. The Exorcist
22. First Blood
21. Jaws
20. The Godfather
19. Little Miss Sunshine
18. Hot Fuzz
17. Scarface
16. Collateral
15. John Woo's The Killer
14. Unforgiven
13. David Cronenberg's The Fly
12. Dial M For Murder
11. Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
10. John Carpenter's The Thing
9. The Dirty Dozen
8. Rain Man
7. Ed Wood
6. Back to the Future
5. Goodfellas
4. Terminator 2: Judgement Day
3. Aliens
2. The Untouchables
1. The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

I decided to exclude animation this time to make it less complicated.

No Marvel movies?

Nope. I love superhero movies. But none happen to mean as much to me as my top 50 on this list.

That said, unlike some pretentious ass-holes, I don't look down on the genre at all. I love Captain America and Batman as much as most people. I just love these films more. They are more personal loves for me, if that makes sense.

I honestly don't know what would go in my top 50 past maybe 25 or so. There'd definitely be some superhero movies in there somewhere, though.

For me, it's always some combination of Silence of the Lambs, Hot Fuzz, Ikiru, Pan's Labyrinth, Ed Wood, M, Oldboy only to space out and be undecided for everything after.

Quote from: Foggle on August 27, 2015, 01:27:08 AM
I honestly don't know what would go in my top 50 past maybe 25 or so. There'd definitely be some superhero movies in there somewhere, though.

http://www.amazon.com/Battles-Without-Honor-Humanity-Collection/dp/B013XBC9Y2

Fucking. Yes.

Top 5 Robert Zemeckis films


1. Back To The Future

I could list either the first or the trilogy, so I'll just say either/or in this case. BTTF has everything I like in a story. It's full of action, adventure, comedy, wonder, and some of the most memorable characters and direction I've come across. Once more, it's the perfect "fun" movie that anyone can sit down and enjoy. Those are a lot rare than you would think.

2. Who Framed Roger Rabbit?

What can really be said about this movie except that no matter how many times they try to copy it, the original film never loses any of its luster. Is there anyone who doesn't think this movie is great? Even years later it holds up amazingly strong. This is a movie that could only have come from the mind behind BTTF.

3. Romancing The Stone

Labeled as an Indiana Jones clone by people who probably never watched it, Romancing The Stone is a movie that hits a slightly different mark. It's part adventure story, part romantic comedy, and part old school caper movie, all of which you wouldn't think would make for a very memorable movie. But it really does work. I'm a bit amazed this isn't as popular as his other films, because it should be.

4. Forrest Gump

Though it is pretty much nothing like the original book, Zemeckis tries a lot here to make it stand out as its own story. Tom Hanks and the cast sell the story, the soundtrack is excellent, and the ending is pretty tight. Sure it might be a bit sappy in places or maybe some moments feel shoehorned in, but as a film, it is remarkably strong.

5. A Christmas Carol

Yes, this came out during his obsessive CG days, but it is easily the strongest film of the group. Other than some needless action scenes, it is an excellent adaption of an old classic that manages to use its CG to enhance the direction. I watch this one quite a bit around Christmas season.


All in all, the man has had a pretty good track record. He hasn't really had any outright disasters to his name. But I do wish he would do something fun again like his early projects. No one really did those like he did.

...didn't know Forest Gump was a remake.

Great list, Spark! :thumbup:

Here would be mine:

1. Back to the Future
2. Forrest Gump
3. Who Framed Roger Rabbit?
4. Back to the Future Part II
5. Romancing The Stone

The hate that Forrest Gump gets from film snobs is fucking stupid. I get that people are pissed that it won Best Picture. To be fair, Pulp Fiction, The Shawshank Redemption, and Ed Wood were probably stronger contenders. But I guarantee that's also the only reason that it's so hated.

It's still an incredibly well-made film, with outstanding acting from Tom Hanks, and with a lot of heart in its story and characters.

Back to the Future Part II is honestly as great of a sequel as you could make to the original masterpiece without actually topping it.

The rest were already explained very well by Desensitized.

Top 5 Steven Spielberg:

1. Jaws
2. Schindler's List
3. Catch Me If You Can
4. Saving Private Ryan
5. Minority Report

The funny thing about Spielberg is that he's mostly known for his blockbusters. And make no mistake, I enjoy Jurassic Park and Indiana Jones a bunch, and absolutely loved The Adventures of Tintin. But with the exception of Jaws, the guy's strongest works are his dramas, IMO. Hell, I didn't even list them all. I had to struggle to leave out Munich.

Top 5 Martin Scorsese:

1. Goodfellas
2. Raging Bull
3. Casino
4. Cape Fear
5. The Departed

Martin Scorsese is just a master of his craft. I could have easily picked five different movies and the list still would have been full of A+ material (and leaving out Taxi Driver wasn't easy).

Quote from: gunswordfist on September 18, 2015, 01:53:19 PM
...didn't know Forest Gump was a remake.

Oops, my bad. I meant the original book. The book was a goofy satire and has an entirely different aim. The film was much more serious and had a lot of new material.

Quote from: Dr. Ensatsu-ken on September 18, 2015, 02:27:45 PM
Top 5 Steven Spielberg:

1. Jaws
2. Schindler's List
3. Catch Me If You Can
4. Saving Private Ryan
5. Minority Report

The funny thing about Spielberg is that he's mostly known for his blockbusters. And make no mistake, I enjoy Jurassic Park and Indiana Jones a bunch, and absolutely loved The Adventures of Tintin. But with the exception of Jaws, the guy's strongest works are his dramas, IMO. Hell, I didn't even list them all. I had to struggle to leave out Munich.

Top 5 Martin Scorsese:

1. Goodfellas
2. Raging Bull
3. Casino
4. Cape Fear
5. The Departed

Martin Scorsese is just a master of his craft. I could have easily picked five different movies and the list still would have been full of A+ material (and leaving out Taxi Driver wasn't easy).

I'd agree with Scorsese, but Spielberg is a whole other ballgame. I can never nail down which of his I like the best other than Raiders. His resume is easily one of the best of all time.

Quote from: Spark Of Spirit on September 18, 2015, 03:05:43 PM

Quote from: gunswordfist on September 18, 2015, 01:53:19 PM
...didn't know Forest Gump was a remake.

Oops, my bad. I meant the original book. The book was a goofy satire and has an entirely different aim. The film was much more serious and had a lot of new material.

I wasn't teasing you, I really didn't know. :sweat:

Quote from: gunswordfist on September 18, 2015, 03:39:34 PM

Quote from: Spark Of Spirit on September 18, 2015, 03:05:43 PM

Quote from: gunswordfist on September 18, 2015, 01:53:19 PM
...didn't know Forest Gump was a remake.

Oops, my bad. I meant the original book. The book was a goofy satire and has an entirely different aim. The film was much more serious and had a lot of new material.

I wasn't teasing you, I really didn't know. :sweat:

Oh, it's fine. No big deal.

I'd kind of count Minority Report as a blockbuster.

It's an intelligent blockbuster, though. ;)

Not sure about Zemeckis, but for the others

Spielberg

1- Jaws
2- Schindler's List
3- Raiders of the Lost Ark
4- Close Encounters of the Third Kind
5- Empire of the Sun

Scorsese

1- Hugo
2- Goodfellas
3- Raging Bull
4- Taxi Driver
5- The Wolf of Wall Street

And let me add one or two more that fit with these directors pretty well.

Rob Reiner

1- This is Spinal Tap
2- The Princess Bride
3- Stand by Me
4- When Harry Met Sally
5- The American President

Stanley Kubrick

1- A Clockwork Orange
2- Lolita
3- Paths of Glory
4- The Shining
5- Dr. Strangelove

Nice picks! I haven't seen enough of the filmography of those other directors, but here are some more people:

Clint Eastwood:

1. Unforgiven
2. Letters From Iwo Jima
3. Mystic River
4. Gran Torino
5. Changeling

John Carpenter:

1. The Thing
2. They Live
3. Halloween
4. Big Trouble In Little China
5. The Fog

John Mctiernen:

1. Die Hard
2. Predator
3. The Hunt For Red October
4. Die Hard with a Vengeance
5. Last Action Hero

I don't care what anyone else thinks. I love LAH!

Tim Burton:

1. Ed Wood
2. Beetlejuice
3. Corpse Bride
4. Big Fish
5. Batman

Richard Donner:

1. The Omen
2. Scrooged
3. Lethal Weapon 2
4. Superman
5. The Goonies

Richard Donner has done plenty of great movies, to the point that I can forgive him for Timeline.

QuoteI don't care what anyone else thinks. I love LAH!

Exactly how I feel (well, felt. It's been awhile). I'll never understand why that movie is so hated. You aren't supposed to take it seriously..

Also, I need to watch The Fog. Might do that in October.

Let's see, I'm gonna try this with my top 5 directors

Alfred Hitchcock
1- Psycho (going to see this in theaters tomorrow- really excited!)
2- Rear Window
3- Notorious
4- North by Northwest
5- Shadow of a Doubt

Billy Wilder
1- The Apartment
2- Sunset Boulevard
3- Double Indemnity
4- Stalag 17
5- One Two Three

Akira kurosawa
1- Seven Samurai
2- Ran
3- Ikiru
4- The Bad Sleep Well
5- Either Rashomon or Yojimbo

Charlie Chaplin
1- City Lights
2- The Gold Rush
3- Modern Times
4- The Great Dictator
5- Monsieur Verdoux

Howard Hawks
1- Bringing Up Baby
2- Only Angels Have Wings
3- Twentieth Century
4- To Have or Have Not
5- Ball of Fire

Alfred Hitchcock:

1. Dial M For Murder
2. Rear Window
3. Psycho
4. North By Northwest
5. Rope

Note: It's been a long time since I've re-watched The Birds and Vertigo, hence why they aren't on my list for now.

An update to this list thingy

2015- Mad Max: Fury Road
2014- Goodbye to Language
2013- Before Midnight
2012- Django Unchained
2011- The Tree of Life
2010- Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
2009- A Prophet
2008- WALL*E
2007- Persepolis
2006- Pan's Labyrinth
2005- Serenity
2004- Before Sunset
2003- X2: X-Men United
2002- City of God
2001- The Royal Tenenbaums
2000- Almost Famous
1999- Girl, Interrupted
1998- The Thin Red Line
1997- The End of Evangelion
1996- The Hunchback of Notre Dame
1995- Before Sunrise
1994- Pulp Fiction
1993- The Nightmare Before Christmas
1992- Reservoir Dogs
1991- Terminator 2: Judgement Day

Dang, so I exceeded the character limit in my 2015 post. I'll just add updates to my brief reviews here. I'll stop writing about 2015 films after the Oscars, and when I see movies from this year, I'll make a separate post for them.

Creed- B+. Truth be told, I'm not a huge Rocky fan. Like most people, I enjoy the original movie, but despite my appreciation for boxing, I think the film's a little thin for my taste, and don't come back to it often. I will say that Balboa is a good cap to the character's run, but that's where my loyalty to the franchise initially ended before this one. I am a fan of Ryan Coogler, however. Fruitvale Station was a poignant debut, and all the more timely as of now, so I was excited to see how this turned out, and it's a good time, all in all. Coogler seemed to take a little bit of time to adapt to this kind of filmmaking, combining sports action with an MTV sensibility to the editing, and Adonis' first big fight is a bit rough in hindsight. By the end, though, he seems to get the hang of it, as the film makes you feel every punch. That's what ultimately pushes the movie back, but only slightly, as it is anchored by strong performances. Michael B. Jordan proves to be a worthy muse for Cooglar, capturing the right amount of anger and optimism that Adonis needs, while Stallone pulls out a career best performance as Rocky, broken but still strong, and not being afraid to make him look less heroic than in the past. And the screenplay fits well, even with a romantic subplot that works, despite not having very many original beats. I would not be opposed to further entries into the world of Apollo's son, but I'm just excited to see what Cooglar does next.
Room- B. In short, I was excited with the film, but not totally enamored. It took me a little bit to understand why, but I think I get it now. I really like the first act, especially when it gets increasingly tense, as what is happening to Ma and Jack becomes apparent, and you get an idea of just how creepy Old Nick is. And the last third is quite poignant, giving Ma and Jack an ending and step forward that they absolutely deserve. What hurts the film for me on the whole is the middle portion, when (I don't think this is a spoiler, since the trailers make this clear) they escape, and it takes Jack and Ma a while to adapt to the every day world. It feels like it takes the movie a while to get an idea of how to accurately portray their PTSD, and how to attempt to get them to move on, which occurs after a plot point which I won't spoil. It doesn't help that the film has a weirdly wasted use of William H. Macy, who leaves too soon with no explanation as to why (the novel apparently explains this more, but at the same time, I think the suddenness is the only real problem here). Still, this is a unique concept that is brilliantly acted by Brie Larson, as Ma and Jack's relationship feels incredibly authentic, if all too close. I wouldn't say this is one of the best of the year, but there are enough moments where I really do love this movie for me to call it good.
Phoenix- A-. A bit slow in parts, but a very well-written and meticulously plotted film regardless. Strong acting and a great camera's eye help to make it stand out, but it's all about that ending, a perfect kiss-off. This is worth a look if you're bored while checking Netflix one night, even if you're tired of WWII films.
Spotlight- B-. So, there's nothing really wrong ab- actually, yes there is. The editing is a joke, and the cinematic aesthetic is TV level. But this is a well-meaning movie about a serious subject that warrants discussion, and anger towards. The cast also does a good job with their performances, although I do think that Mark Ruffalo is a little too broad in hindsight, which probably explains his nomination. Rachel McAdams is my favorite overall, since the only time the film did anything for me was when we got to hear and see a little of her relationship with her nana. Which is the thing- I've seen this movie before. Films about journalism are very samey, and Spotlight doesn't add too much into the mix to make it different. If you're willing to forgive a lack of originality and let the power of the story take you in, this will be worth seeing for you. But I just did not care. And that's why I would never vote for it at the Oscars.
Trumbo- C. I wasn't expecting Bryan Cranston to be so underwhelming as Dalton Trumbo. He never seemed too comfortable in the role, and turned too much of it into a flat screaming match. That's a shame, since this is the one thing that I was excited to see the film for. It's a basic biopic, and doesn't add anything new to say about the blacklist if you haven't seen the superior Good Night and Good Luck. The film's best moments came whenever Trumbo got to interact with his wife or lively oldest daughter, and John Goodman just being John Goodman, but those are far and few in between an unimpressive slew of arguments between disinterested screenwriters, and celebrity impersonations that are neither accurate nor well-developed. There isn't much more to say about this one.
Magic Mike XXL- B. It's funny, Soderbergh didn't actually direct this, but his finger prints are still everywhere in this movie. In that he literally shot and edited it, but he was not the director. But I think that it's on par with the first film, replacing that one's economic critiques for a look on modern gender roles, and succeeding while still being wonky enough to appeal to those who come in hoping to watch a fun movie about male strippers. And this one has more crazy dance routines than the original, which surprisingly don't drag. The only thing that really drags the film are Jada Pinkett Smith's speeches, which become tiresome and samey after the first one. And even then, Donald Glover's general presence makes up for any of that.
Anomalisa- B. Between this and Hateful Eight, Jennifer Jason Leigh has had a hell of a year. Despite only having 3 voice actors, the vocal work in the film is outstanding. David Thewlis brings an uncomfortable, yet unique and strangely palatable all at once, anguish to his performance as his character adapts to the strangness of the world he inhabits, as the aforementioned Leigh gives Lisa a welcome embrace to being discovered for the first time, and Tom Noonan, well, I shouldn't spoil his performance. But it's an important element to explain why animation was a good venue for the film, since it might come off as tacky and unpractical in live-action. It's a concept that is easy to keep your attention, as weird as it gets, and even with an awkward first act. I'm just not sure how much of it resonates with me yet, since it feels more unique than downright good. And even then, Kaufman has his own idiosyncrasies which are becoming tiresome, similar to Wes Anderson. But he still makes good movies despite his limited range, as does Kaufman. I can easily recommend this if you're not tired of him just yet.
Boy & the World- A. This is technically a 2013 film, but whatever. And it also defies definition, a gorgeous treat from beginning to end. It feels like every few seconds, there's a new, beautiful shot to introduce a new concept to the audience, and never lets go. I can't recommend this enough for fans of animation.
Sicario- C+. Completely, totally unremarkable. There is nothing truly bad here, but there is nothing truly impressive, either. Lack of interesting character or unique message is what plagues it for me, even though it's technically a fine film. Although Roger Deakins really isn't that impressive.

Quote from: Avaitor on January 07, 2016, 10:29:17 PM
An update to this list thingy

2015- Mad Max: Fury Road
2014- Goodbye to Language
2013- Before Midnight
2012- Django Unchained
2011- The Tree of Life
2010- Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
2009- A Prophet
2008- WALL*E
2007- Persepolis
2006- Pan's Labyrinth
2005- Serenity
2004- Before Sunset
2003- X2: X-Men United
2002- City of God
2001- The Royal Tenenbaums
2000- Almost Famous
1999- Girl, Interrupted
1998- The Thin Red Line
1997- The End of Evangelion
1996- The Hunchback of Notre Dame
1995- Before Sunrise
1994- Pulp Fiction
1993- The Nightmare Before Christmas
1992- Reservoir Dogs
1991- Terminator 2: Judgement Day

Great list as always. Mine would mostly be the same as before, but here it is again, anyways:

1989: The Killer
1990: Goodfellas
1991: Terminator 2: Judgement Day
1992: Unforgiven
1993: Rudy
1994: Ed Wood
1995: Casino
1996: A Time to Kill
1997: Life is Beautiful
1998: Saving Private Ryan
1999: South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut
2000: Battle Royale
2001: Training Day
2002: The Bourne Identity
2003: Mystic River
2004: Collateral
2005: Serenity
2006: Little Miss Sunshine
2007: Hot Fuzz
2008: Hellboy II: The Golden Army
2009: Summer Wars
2010: The King's Speech
2011: Headhunters
2012: Argo
2013: The World's End
2014: The Babadook
2015: The Martian

Yours is great, too! The Martian ranks high from last year, and The Babadook is like 1% away from being my favorite of 2014, and there's cool stuff all over your years beyond them!

Thanks. :joy:

I still need to see a few movies on your list, including Goodbye to Language. But, yeah, The Babadook holds a particularly special place for me since I love the horror genre and it has been so long since I've seen a truly great one come out.

Goodbye to Language is not an easy watch at all. Especially if you have very little experience with Godard. The film is meant to be seen on a big screen in 3D, but to fair, I just saw it on Netflix and really got into its absurd, disturbing sense of humor anyway.

There's a few little notes I could add here or there to my annual rankings, like how 2012 is technically a 3-way tie between Django, Moonrise Kingdom (still my favorite Wes Anderson film), and the first Avengers, and how I still can't decide if I should change my 2013 choice to The Act of Killing.

But still, so many great films have been made since I was born! That's nothing compared to how many great films from before my time that I'm still discovering, though.

So yeah, RIP Alan Rickman

Quote from: Avaitor on January 14, 2016, 12:49:47 PMSo yeah, RIP Alan Rickman

:'(

He leaves behind him a truly legendary cinematic career.

The man was gold in everything he did. He will be missed.

He was the only good part of Alice in Wonderland. And the sequel is the last movie he ever did.

Tonight will be a good chance for me to finally watch Galaxy Quest the whole way through.

He was amazing in Die Hard as Hans Gruber, incredibly iconic in the Harry Potter series as Severus Snape, and beautifully deplorable in Sweeney Todd. This man has to be among the most versatile and talented actors that I've ever seen.

Quote from: Avaitor on January 14, 2016, 12:49:47 PM
So yeah, RIP Alan Rickman

What?! NO. I can't even process this right now.

Quote from: Avaitor on January 14, 2016, 01:32:39 PMTonight will be a good chance for me to finally watch Galaxy Quest the whole way through.

One of my favorite performances he ever did. But it's also one of my favorite comedies.

Looks like I'm up for a rewatch soon.

:'(

Five fabulous scenes. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8A4ivmCCk4)

What a difference a good director can make, huh?

Yeah, I saw that video last week. It was the first one of their lists where I've actually seen every film that they talk about.

There are a ton of great scenes from Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, but I had never considered that one in particular until this video did a great job of explaining how well-constructed it is.

The scene that they chose from Inglorious Basterds is perfect. Not only is it my own personal favorite scene from this or any other Tarantino movie, but I actually already knew everything that they talked about since I had extensively analyzed this scene myself, back when I had access to my brother's DVD collection.

Speaking of which, I just saw this How to do Action Comedy (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1PCtIaM_GQ) short film on Jackie Chan. Boy, did they nail the problem with modern action movies here.

I've seen all of the videos from Every Frame a Painting as well. It looks like we have the same taste in YouTubers. ;D

You should really check out his videos on Edgar Wright's style of comedy as well as Mamoru Hosoda's use of the tracking shot in Wolf Children. Those are both particular favorites of mine from that channel.

My favorite video of theirs is the Chuck Jones one!

There are some really good ones out there.

Like this comparison between the Jurassic Park book and movie. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jN-txM9PTc) Explains why Gennaro was my favorite character in the book. Stuff like that is why I decided to start my FOR feature.

Quote from: Avaitor on April 05, 2016, 11:01:05 AM
My favorite video of theirs is the Chuck Jones one!

Yeah, that one is great, and his Edgar Wright video do a lot in highlighting why comedy movies are so boring these days. There's just no craft at all.

Quote from: Spark Of Spirit on April 05, 2016, 10:20:28 AM
Five fabulous scenes. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8A4ivmCCk4)

What a difference a good director can make, huh?

I was watching this again, and realized that the only film I don't own here is 127 Hours. I should probably correct that.

I'm not the biggest Danny Boyle fan, but he got a lot out of a little here.

Here's a timeline of the behind the scenes as of how we got the new reboot of Ghostbusters (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPAklIlov-A) and the cinematic universe crap instead of a sequel or soft reboot with the old cast.

Basically, after Ramis died, Amy Pascal wrestled control away from Reitman and did what she wanted because she didn't like the original vision of the franchise. She eventually froze him out of it completely. Sony was also suffering due to all their big movies flopping outside of Bond (which they don't actually own) and Spider-Man (whose last film under-performed) so they needed something big to boost them up.

Doesn't look like that'll happen here. Especially with a director as mediocre as Feig.

I haven't seen any Paul Feig movies, myself, but it's worth pointing out that a lot of critics seem to love most of his output.

I still think that Ghostbusters will be a disaster, though.

Well if I was going to watch the new Ghostbusters, I certainly won't be watching it legally now.

Well, Sony is hardly the most auteur-friendly studio.

With the end of the Summer Movie Season, these are my top 5 movies of the year so far:

1. Hell or High Water
2. Deadpool
3. Kubo and the Two Strings
4. Captain America: Civil War
5. The Conjuring 2

Overall, this has been a step-up from last year, IMO, but still not nearly as good as 2014's output.

Also, keep in mind that I count The Boy and the Beast as a 2015 film, which is why it's not on my list for this year.

I can't wait to see what else this year brings that might end up on my list.

Right now I'm feeling:

1. Kubo and the Two Strings
2. Zootopia
3. Sing Street
4. Captain America: Civil War
5. Te3n

I've had a lot of good experiences at theaters this year. I think I've already seen more movies this year than I did last year, lol.

EDIT: Forgot Sing Street.

1. Zootopia
2. The Lobster
3. Deadpool
4. Captain America: Civil War
5. ...Jungle Book?

I am seeing Kubo and the Two Strings tomorrow, though!

Quote from: Avaitor on August 28, 2016, 11:32:10 PM
1. Zootopia
2. The Lobster
3. Deadpool
4. Captain America: Civil War
5. ...Jungle Book?

I am seeing Kubo and the Two Strings tomorrow, though!

I forgot about Kung-Fu Panda 3! I'd definitely put it above The Jungle Book, which I'm pretty conflicted on.

I'll post about Kubo when I come home tonight.

I never really like making end of the year lists for films right as the year ends, since I still have a bunch of stuff to catch up on. I'll make my tentative list after I knock off a few more movies from my to-watch list (La La Land, Hell or High Water, Toni Erdmann). Until then, here's my final top 10 for 2015!


10- Son of Saul
9- It Follows
8- Macbeth
7- Phoenix
6- Boy and the World
5- The Hateful Eight
4- Tangerine
3- The Look of Silence
2- The Big Short
1- Mad Max: Fury Road

Alright, here are my favorite films of 2018 (so far):

Honorable Mentions:

Molly's Game- I'm honestly not the biggest fan of Aaron Sorkin, as I find that he tends to write an absurd amount of dialogue for his characters in a vein attempt to make them sound smart, and generally has very basic plots to this stories that use such techniques to disguise how unspecial they are without those tricks of his. That said, I find that occasionally he can manage to make this technique work and while Molly's Game has several of the problems that I have with his other films, this one works much better than most of those for me. I think a big part of this has to do with the excellent cast, with Chastain and Elba in particular really carrying the film and doing a great job of selling Sorkin's normally very stilted dialogue. I also think that the emotional moments in this movie hit home a lot harder for that reason. It's not a favorite on the whole, but it's easily one of my favorite Sorkin movies, which to his credit is still a compliment coming from me.

Mission Impossible: Fallout- What's odd here is that I'm a fan of this series. I really enjoy these movies, with Ghost Protocol in particular being my favorite. That said, while I also immensely enjoyed this flick, the heaps of praise that it's getting is a bit ridiculous to me. Like any other MI movie, I think that the action scenes are spectacular and I tremendously appreciate Tom Cruise's dedication to putting himself through such dangerous stunts and intense choreography when there are actors less than half his age who can't even manage to put in a fraction of the effort that he does. I also love the iconic music and overall score of these movies, and I absolutely got my money's worth seeing it. That said, where it feels a tad overrated to me is when I see people describing these as the perfect modern action movies or using them as an example of a bar that should be set while nay-saying other blockbusters that come out these days. For one thing, can anyone even re-iterate the plot of any Mission Impossible movie to me? People remember the characters and setpieces, but the story has always been an afterthought, even more so than most Marvel movies or various other blockbuster franchises. Some of the emotional beats also feel rather forced due to not having much in the way of great build-up in story-lines or anything in the way of actual character development throughout these films. Most of these actors are portraying static personalities that are more primarily focused to move the story along and partake in breathtaking action scenes. That's fine since these movies know what they are, but I just don't get why so many people seem to hold these movies to a higher regard and forgive them for issues like this. Insinuating that they are really good action movies is one thing (and I'd agree with that). But to call them perfect or the best of the best: like, on par with or even better than stuff like The Raid or John Wick. Really? Well, maybe it's just me who doesn't quite see them that way. But, I regret sounding like I'm coming down on these movies too hard. As I've said, I enjoy them immensely and Fallout is no exception. They just aren't the top of the top for me.

Favorites (no particular order except for the last one listed):

Black Panther- This one went down a bit for me after the hype died down but I still hold it in pretty high regard and while I do have issues with some of the character beats for T'Challa and Killmonger, I can't deny that they make a pretty great hero-villain duo and on the whole this felt like a really inspired film in the MCU canon.

Hereditary- I can absolutely understand why this movie is so polarizing for so many people, but personally I found it to be spellbinding. It managed to capture my attention from the first frame and wouldn't let go until the credits rolled, and even then the experience lingered with me for longer than that. While I wouldn't necessarily call the movie scary, I didn't see it as a straight-up horror movie anyways. It feels more like a family drama with horror elements, and more than being scary I found the movie to be effectively disturbing. Definitely one of the most unique movie-going experiences of the year for me.

Avengers: Infinity War- Can't speak for anyone else, but I got the kind of climactic culmination film that I wanted, and I couldn't be happier with it. And I did really consider this one and waited for the hype to die down a bit. I've seen it five full times since its release and I stand by my opinion that it's the best MCU film of the year and easily one of my top 5 favorites overall. It actually kind of annoys me how many people want to try and act like this isn't a real movie and shouldn't be considered in any high regard simply because it's a popcorn flick and isn't a standalone story. The thing is, the MCU has done its own thing and created a more serialized form of story-telling, but that doesn't dismiss the merits and quality of any given chapter within that series even if it does coast off of other movies in order for you to understand it's characters' motivations and backstories and have that investment in what goes down in this affair. In that case I suppose we can't really consider The Godfather Part II, The Empire Strikes Back, or The Return of the King to be great movies either because they require pre-knowledge of other movies to get the most out of them. That logic just strikes me as absurd. For my money, the way that the Russo brothers managed to juggle so many characters in such a streamlined and easy to follow way and pay off so many ongoing plot lines in a coherent and satisfying way is nothing short of an amazing achievement. I view this movie in the same way that I view a great story arc that has been built up to for years. Like, the Magnostadt arc from Magi, or the Marineford arc from One Piece, this movie is in itself the ultimate payoff to several preceding story arcs, and it certainly didn't disappoint me in the least.

BlackkKlansman- Admittedly, I'm not as well-versed in Spike Lee's filmography as I probably should be, but like last year's Get Out, this flick is easily this year's go to social and political satire that really managed to both tell an entertaining story on the surface while maintaining powerful subtext underneath it all. The performances are great across the board, and the movie is legitimately funny too.

Isle of Dogs- Hands down my favorite movie of the year so far, animated or otherwise, and I'm not expecting it to be topped anytime soon. Wes Anderson, much like Spike Lee, is another director who I need to see more movies from, though I've loved the ones that I've seen so far, with The Grand Budapest Hotel being my particular favorite. I also loved The Fantastic Mr. Fox and this movie has convinced me that I desperately need to re-watch that one as soon as I can. Still, Isle of Dogs is easily my favorite of the two for while I loved Fox, I found that this one not only had a stronger sense of identity to it but also had messages and themes that really struck home with me a lot stronger than the other movie (though, again, with all of the love and due respect for Fox). In particular I think that Bryan Cranston killed it as Chief (though Edward Norton as Rex is easily my favorite secondary character of the movie), and I for one really appreciated the decision to leave the Japanese dialogue untranslated as it served the purpose of putting us in the perspective of the dogs since the they didn't understand what was being said either and had to infer what the human characters meant by certain key words or actions. The soundtrack to this movie is also hands down my favorite of the year as well. At the end of the day, I'm also just such a huge sucker for stop motion which I find to be a sadly underrated art-form. What gives this movie and edge, though, even over other such films is the glorious shot composition and keen attention to detail, in a style that already pretty much required as much attention to detail as possible, which is really saying something when this film managed to push it even further. This is the kind of movie that I buy on Blu-ray, watch over and over again, and then try and force my friends and family to watch. It's just that good.

As for other movies, I have seen numerous others this year, but the ones listed above are what really stood out to me so far. There are other critically praised films that I saw such as A Quiet Place and Upgrade, but if I'm to be honest while I generally enjoyed both experiences I walked out with more problems and complaints about those movies than actual strong points. They are both movies that do certain things well but fail for me in other critical areas, which is why I don't quite regard them as highly as many others do.

I was actually a little underwhelmed with Isle of Dogs. I thought that despite its ambition, it came off as a little colder than I would have liked. The animation is beyond impressive, however, and I don't regret seeing it in theaters.

As for your other points, I think the hype for the Mission Impossible movies partly come from the franchise becoming inexplicably better with the second trilogy. The first and third movies are decent if nothing special, and the second is an all-around turd, while Ghost Protocol on are a lot of fun to sit through, solidifying its cast and adding a lot of great action scenes together. It's taken a passable-at-best franchise into its best possible self, and has better action sequences than other big action franchises of the day, like Fast and Furious, Star Wars, and MCU, although not as well as the John Wick movies or Fury Road.

Granted, I'm still kind of Marvel trash, but I don't really go to the movies for their fight scenes- my enjoyment from them generally comes from the characters, strong humor, and their not fussy plots, which I'll admit the average MCU picture does better than MI does with those elements even now.

And I was similarly slightly underwhelmed with A Quiet Place. I enjoyed it for the most part, but maybe I'm just feeling too spoiled with the rest of the modern indie horror renaissance, but I got a much bigger thrill out of a lot of other recent films, like Green Room, Get Out, Raw, The Witch, The Babadook, etc. The concept also left me somewhat indifferent overall.

So far, I think my favorite movie of the year is honestly Paddington 2. I know that internet film buffs can be kind of obnoxious with their overpraising of these movies, and I'll admit that they can be a little ridiculous even for a movie about a clumsy little bear, and some of the actors (primarily Hugh Grant and Peter Capaldi) get a little muggy. But these movies are just so sweet and cleverly crafted that they're hard to not fall for. The second one in particular has some of the best slapstick since Chaplin and Lloyd's heyday, as well as visual cues that would drive Wes Anderson crazy to top. And Paddington's irresistible charm and his effect on everyone he meets is infectious and ernest. I really do love these movies. And there's nothing Christopher Robin can do that can top them.

Quote from: Avaitor on August 16, 2018, 01:41:51 PM
I was actually a little underwhelmed with Isle of Dogs. I thought that despite its ambition, it came off as a little colder than I would have liked. The animation is beyond impressive, however, and I don't regret seeing it in theaters.

I can respect that opinion, but to be fair if it feels a bit colder that's clearly by intentional design. This one definitely wasn't made for kids even if you could theoretically show it to a kid. I personally felt that the tone of the movie fits its themes, and I've re-watched it twice already and always appreciate it more each time I watch it and pick up on more of its nuances. I suppose it's just a really refreshing animated feature for me in a mostly family friendly Disney-dominated market (not that I consider that to be a bad thing, necessarily).

QuoteGranted, I'm still kind of Marvel trash, but I don't really go to the movies for their fight scenes- my enjoyment from them generally comes from the characters, strong humor, and their not fussy plots, which I'll admit the average MCU picture does better than MI does with those elements even now.

Keep in mind that I do enjoy these movies, even the older ones (sans 2, but even that has an unintentionally hilarious sort of appeal to it), and it wasn't really my intention to come down on them that hard. It's just that the over-praising of them can get a tad overblown at times.

Like, Marvel movies get rightfully criticized for having weak and generic villains on most occasions and formulaic stories, but the MI franchise is just as guilty of doing the same thing (can you even tell me the name of one villain from the franchise without having to look it up first?) yet inexplicably gets a free pass for it from most critics. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad that people enjoy them and so do I, but I just find it kind of ludicrous that other blockbusters that excel in their own ways while failing at similar things as the MI franchise get relegated to guilty pleasures while MI gets passed off as perfection of the genre. Again, I really liked Fallout, but I also do agree with the few critics who said it's 2 1/2 hour run time felt really padded out and slow at times, whereas at least half an hour's worth of content could have easily been trimmed off of the film. Again, it doesn't take away from the genuinely great parts of the movie, but I can also say the same thing about any great Marvel movie, yet one gets treated more leniently than the other.

And I've already stated how much I appreciate the action scenes and stuntwork in these movies, but stuff like John Wick and Fury Road are equally as impressive in that regard and they also manage to feel less formulaic and more evenly paced. My point being that there are better examples of well-done films in the genre, so putting MI on a pedestal doesn't make much sense to me.

QuoteAnd I was similarly slightly underwhelmed with A Quiet Place. I enjoyed it for the most part, but maybe I'm just feeling too spoiled with the rest of the modern indie horror renaissance, but I got a much bigger thrill out of a lot of other recent films, like Green Room, Get Out, Raw, The Witch, The Babadook, etc. The concept also left me somewhat indifferent overall.

Yeah, whereas those other movies have more substance to back up their gimmicks, A Quiet Place seems to cost far too hard on hoping that it's premise wows you more than it's actual content. From a story-telling perspective, though, it's poorly written when you reassess the details, and while I do give the cinematographers on this movie major props, the acting and direction definitely left a lot to be desired, IMO.

My list is pretty different from yours, mostly because I haven't seen any of those movies yet! I really want to watch all of them though, especially Blackkklansman and Hereditary. I will say that I totally agree with Avaitor on Paddington 2 being one of the year's best. I liked the original a lot but I wasn't as taken with it as many seemed to be; the sequel, though? Pure class. A truly wonderful film. The prison scenes were such a joy to watch, Brendan Gleeson is always incredible. My other favorites were:

Annihilation - Loved this to bits. I know I might be the only one here to hold this opinion but I think Alex Garland is a genius. 28 Days Later, Sunshine, and Ex Machina are all favorites of mine; Annihilation joins that list but I think I liked it the most out of them all. The cast is fantastic - I really like the recent trajectory of Natalie Portman's career, Jennifer Jason Leigh continues to be great in her resurgence, Tessa Thompson is always a pleasure to see on screen, and my love for Oscar Isaac cannot be overstated (even with his corny fake accent in this movie). I could watch the final 30 or so minutes of this over and over, I love them so much.

Deadpool 2 - I have my issues with this one since the jokes don't always hit as well as they did in the original and seeing or hearing TJ Miller in any capacity makes me physically recoil, but I had a blast seeing this in the cinema. The X-Force scene is comedy gold and all of Domino's fights are so, so good. I really hope she gets a solo film. Ryan Reynolds' confidence in the role and willingness to make fun of himself continue to impress me as a huge fan of the comics. This probably isn't the Deadpool sequel I would have made but I still loved it.

First Reformed - What a gut-wrenching, heartbreaking film. Ethan Hawke delivers an immensely powerful performance and Amanda Seyfried is incredible too, I can't believe people are still sleeping on her. It's heavy shit from beginning to end, quite slow and definitely won't appeal to everyone, but the perfect film for 2018 in so many ways. I was horrified by how much I found myself relating to several of the characters in it.

Game Night - I didn't expect to love this one but oh boy did I. It's like mainlining an entire season of a great sitcom at once, I pretty much never stopped laughing throughout the whole thing. Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams are both effortlessly funny and I wish they got more good roles instead of just agreeing to be in schlock all the time.

Love Simon - This is a really sweet film and the perfect counter to all the sad gay movies that win awards every year (not that I have anything against them - Moonlight in particular was a masterpiece). Some nice heartwarming viewing, I would straight up murder that one kid though. You know who I mean if you've seen it.

Sorry To Bother You - Boots Riley has been one of my heroes ever since I started listening to his music a few years ago. His film shows great confidence and surprising prowess for a debut while making the most of its tiny budget.  An awesome sense of humor, a great positive message for 2018, an electrifying original soundtrack, and one of the most bizarre plot twists in recent memory. Lakeith Stanfield's comedic timing is legendary and hearing David Cross' voice come out of his mouth never stops being funny. Tessa Thompson's in this one too!

I really wanted to watch Sorry to Bother You, but unfortunately my local theater wasn't playing it and I'm kind of out in the middle of nowhere, so there wasn't another mainstream theater for quite a distance. I'll get around to it sometime later this year, though.

And somehow I totally forgot to mention Deadpool 2, which now that I think about it could pretty much match up with Black Panther for me, albeit for different reasons.

Yeah, STBY wasn't a huge release unfortunately. They still haven't been able to get overseas distribution for it either. It's done incredibly well given its circumstances though, and Boots has already been offered another movie deal as well as a TV one.

I feel like a lot of people have already forgotten about Deadpool 2, I guess the R-rated superhero comedy novelty has worn off. Not me, though - I can't get enough of the character or that David Leitch action! Still so bummed that the animated series was canceled.

I'm also pleasantly surprised by the Paddington movies. Last year before I watched either one, I thought it was just meant to sell teddy bears to children, but it's so much more than that. So many tiny details added in that I don't think many kids would even notice. It's all a delight.

Can't believe I haven't done this list yet. You also have to forgive me because I'm a little pissed off from work so I'll need a bit to calm down (No explanations today).

I also have to note that I'm an action guy (mostly martial arts movies) especially these days. I've become so narrow minded to movies nowadays because nothing else really does it for me.

01. Pulp Fiction
02. Back to the Future
03. Captain America: Civil War
04. Batman: The Dark Knight
05. Rocky 3
06. Predator
07. Way of the Dragon
08. Five Deadly Venoms
09. Tombstone
10. Ip Man
11. Game of Death
12. Fist of Fury
13. Ten Tigers from Kwangtung
14. The Raid
15. Bourne Identity
16. Ocean's Eleven
17. Beetlejuice
18. Once Upon a Time in China
19. Wheels on Meals
20. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
21. The Crow
22. Big Trouble in Little China
23. Desperado
24. Bad Boys 2
25. We Are the Titans

I'm sure this has been posted before but has changed since... but that tends to be the nature of such lists. Our feelings are always fluid.

Top Ten Favorite Films... per usual, I'll let you decide what this says about me.

1. Casablanca
2. Pulp Fiction
3. The Lord of the Rings (Extended Edition)
4. Raging Bull
5. The Godfather
6. Alien
7. Heat
8. On the Waterfront
9. Raiders of the Lost Ark
10. Sleeping Beauty

HONORABLE MENTIONS: Ghostbusters (1984), Jaws, The Godfather Part II, Inglourious Basterds, Amadeus, In the Heat of the Night, The Great Mouse Detective, From Russia With Love, Goodfellas, BlacKkKlansman, Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, Enter the Dragon, Citizen Kane, Gojira, Lawrence of Arabia, Up, Princess Mononoke, Macbeth (1948), Taxi Driver, Reservoir Dogs, Seven Samurai, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.

I like or love every movie that you named. I could go one by one going through each of them... and I might later.

Not sure what my list would look like nowadays, though. I haven't really been in much of a ranking mood lately, and I don't tend to do many rewatchs nowadays, either.

My favorite movie from every year since I was born:

1989: Born on the Fourth of July (Oliver Stone)
1990: Goodfellas (Martin Scorsese)
1991: Terminator 2: Judgement Day (James Cameron)
1992: The Player (Robert Altman)
1993: Tombstone (George P. Cosmatos/Kevin Jarre)
1994: Ed Wood (Tim Burton)
1995: 12 Monkeys (Terry Gilliam)
1996: Fargo (Ethan and Joel Coen)
1997: Cure (Kiyoshi Kurosawa)
1998: Pleasantville (Gary Ross)
1999: Audition (Takashi Miike)
2000: Unbreakable (M. Night Shyamalan)
2001: Training Day (Antoine Fuqua)
2002: The Bourne Identity (Doug Liman)
2003: The Lord of The Rings* (Peter Jackson)
2004: Collateral (Michael Mann)
2005: Thank You For Smoking (Jason Reitman)
2006: The Last King of Scotland (Kevin Macdonald)
2007: Eastern Promises (David Cronenberg)
2008: The Dark Knight (Christopher Nolan)
2009: Inglorious Basterds (Quentin Tarantino)
2010: Black Swan (Darren Aronofsky)
2011: Headhunters (Morten Tyldum)
2012: Django Unchained (Quentin Tarantino)
2013: Snowpiercer (Bong Joon-ho)
2014: The Grand Budapest Hotel (Wes Anderson)
2015: Bone Tomahawk (S. Craig Zahler)
2016: The Nice Guys (Shane Black)
2017: The Death of Stalin (Armando Lanucci)
2018: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (Peter Ramsey/Bob Persichetti/Rodney Rothman)
2019: Parasite (Bong Joon-ho)
2020: The Night House (David Bruckner)
2021: Dune (Denis Villeneuve)

*I'm counting the whole trilogy as one movie, in this case.

Quote from: Dr. Ensatsu-ken on March 01, 2022, 07:44:54 PM
1997: Cure (Kiyoshi Kurosawa)

1999: Audition (Takashi Miike)

2014: The Grand Budapest Hotel (Wes Anderson)
2015: Bone Tomahawk (S. Craig Zahler)
2016: The Nice Guys (Shane Black)

Hell yeahhhh :swoon:

Quote from: Foggle on March 01, 2022, 11:20:04 PM

Quote from: Dr. Ensatsu-ken on March 01, 2022, 07:44:54 PM
1997: Cure (Kiyoshi Kurosawa)

1999: Audition (Takashi Miike)

2014: The Grand Budapest Hotel (Wes Anderson)
2015: Bone Tomahawk (S. Craig Zahler)
2016: The Nice Guys (Shane Black)

Hell yeahhhh :swoon:

You can tell that I have a love for horror/psychological thrillers. In fact 2014 originally had The Babadook as my top pick, and while it's still definitely up there, I find myself going back to Grand Budapest a bit more often. Bone Tomahawk combines two genres I really love, Westerns and Horror. You could argue that The Hateful Eight sort of did a similar thing that year (and also starred Kurt Russell to boot), but while I really like that movie, BT is just in a niche of it's own that's completely up my alley.

I was also considering Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang for 2006, but it got edged out. That said, The Nice Guys is still peak Shane Black as far as I'm concerned and an easy favorite for that year given my tastes.

For the film buffs interested, BFI's announced their once-a-decade 100 Greatest Films of All Time list. (https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/greatest-films-all-time)

Top 10 for anyone who can't be bothered to click.
10. Singin' in the Rain
9. Man with a Movie Camera
8. Mulholland Drive
7. Beau Travail
6. 2001: A Space Odyssey
5. In the Mood for Love
4. Tokyo Story
3. Citizen Kane
2. Vertigo
1. Jeanne Dielman 23, quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles

Quote from: Mustang on November 05, 2018, 04:44:46 PMCan't believe I haven't done this list yet. You also have to forgive me because I'm a little pissed off from work so I'll need a bit to calm down (No explanations today).

I also have to note that I'm an action guy (mostly martial arts movies) especially these days. I've become so narrow minded to movies nowadays because nothing else really does it for me.

01. Pulp Fiction
02. Back to the Future
03. Captain America: Civil War
04. Batman: The Dark Knight
05. Rocky 3
06. Predator
07. Way of the Dragon
08. Five Deadly Venoms
09. Tombstone
10. Ip Man
11. Game of Death
12. Fist of Fury
13. Ten Tigers from Kwangtung
14. The Raid
15. Bourne Identity
16. Ocean's Eleven
17. Beetlejuice
18. Once Upon a Time in China
19. Wheels on Meals
20. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
21. The Crow
22. Big Trouble in Little China
23. Desperado
24. Bad Boys 2
25. We Are the Titans

Was looking over this while also going over my gaming list and figured I update this one since it's the easier one to do. Looking back over this, not much has really changed other than order. A few would come off, but that's about it. Gonna keep it at 10.

01 - 5 Deadly Venoms
02 - Wheels on Meals
03 - Way of the Dragon
04 - Tombstone / The Last Samurai
05 - Back to the Future
06 - Ipman
07 - Predator
08 - Bourne Identity/Supremacy/Ultimatium
09 - Avengers: Infinity War/Endgame
10 - Pirates of the Caribbean: At Worlds End

For the most part I'm still a big action buff with Martial Arts still being at the forefront. This list could've technically been straight Golden Harvest Cinema since I'm just so big on all of those movies from the 70s-80s. I probably could've had Ace Ventura or White Men Can't Jump on here just for the sake of trying to be non-one dimensional, but I'm really just that kind of guy with movies, which is kind of why I don't watch them these days. They don't make movies for me right now. I mean, sure there's the MCU, but I wouldn't consider any of those worthy enough outside of Avengers to get on my list, and even then, Dark Knight is an honorable mention (considering, if I did go for top 25 instead of 10) and I don't think any of them are good enough to get past that (Black Panther could probably tie with it). John Wick is good, but to the degree of how people talk about them, nah.

When it comes to movies, especially now, I'm just not that guy for you to talk to about them. I got people at my job that goes to bat for certain movies/actors like it's their life, and I get that, but for me, you're not going to get me to say "Robert DeNiro really sold that scene" or "the acting for Godfather was really top notch", and I'm not knocking anyone that does show their appreciation for that kind of stuff (I do it for voice actors lol), but right now I'm not there yet.