BS: Pleasant, satisfying movies

Subject: RE: BS: Pleasant, satisfying movies
From: Sorcha
Date: 04 Jun 07 - 09:20 PM

And I forgot Frisco Kid, Willy Wonka and the Choc Factory, Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

Subject: RE: BS: Pleasant, satisfying movies
From: Joe_F
Date: 04 Jun 07 - 09:50 PM

A Taste of Honey
Yidl with his Fiddle (just forget what was going to happen to those people in a few years)

Subject: RE: BS: Pleasant, satisfying movies
From: kendall
Date: 04 Jun 07 - 10:01 PM

The meaning of life
The Holy Grail
The Odd couple

Subject: RE: BS: Pleasant, satisfying movies
From: GUEST,Scoville
Date: 04 Jun 07 - 10:13 PM

Best In Show, The Matchmaker (the one with Jeanine Garofalo), Cars (not really a kids' movie even though it's animated), The General, The Iron Giant (again, animated but not entirely a kids' movie), Into the West (the one about the tinker kids on the horse).

Subject: RE: BS: Pleasant, satisfying movies
From: Alba
Date: 04 Jun 07 - 10:20 PM

Babette's Feast
Now Voyager
The Butcher's Wife
Planet Earth (Documentary)

Subject: RE: BS: Pleasant, satisfying movies
From: TRUBRIT
Date: 04 Jun 07 - 10:37 PM

Great memories coming back!!!!! Jacqui - I knew we were soul mates -- LOVED Brassed Off, Full Monty and Love Actually (jsut saw the theatre version of Full Monty -- didn't hold a candle to the movie). I think I watched Love Actually straight through twice at one sitting.

Loved Roan Inish, God Must be Crazy and Taste of Honey

Gabriel Byrne did a wonderful movie call either Into the West or Out of the West about a gypsy whose wife had died and he was trying to move into main stream socieity with his two sons -- they move into a high rise - along with their horse. Gorgeous film.

Tough movie but Train Spotting was pretty wonderful.

Subject: RE: BS: Pleasant, satisfying movies
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 04 Jun 07 - 10:49 PM

Bill D--yes! How could I forget Being There. Wonderful film!

John, I haven't laughed so hard in years as I laughed at Little Miss Sunshine. Maybe it's partly because I had a volkswagen beetle that I had to push start a fair number of times. It's also because of the Neitzsche. :)

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Pleasant, satisfying movies
From: JennyO
Date: 04 Jun 07 - 11:44 PM

Oh yes - I'd forgotten about Harold and Maude - one of my favourites!

More that have come to mind:

Shine - Geoffrey Rush
Beaches - Bette Midler
The Silver Streak - Gene Wilder
The Seven Faces of Dr Lao - Tony Randall
A Hard Days Night - this movie holds the record for me of the number of times watched. I went and saw it 7 times - just about knew the script word for word by the end of all that. I've seen it since as well. You'd never guess I was a Beatles fan :-)

Subject: RE: BS: Pleasant, satisfying movies
From: Skivee
Date: 05 Jun 07 - 12:14 AM

Hmmm, This far down the list and no-one has mentioned "Local Hero"????!!!???!!!
I must have missed it.

Subject: RE: BS: Pleasant, satisfying movies
From: Joe Offer
Date: 05 Jun 07 - 02:58 AM

Mad Hot Ballroom is a wonderful documentary about teaching ballroom dancing to elementary school kids in New York. The kids are a real kick.
-Joe-

Subject: RE: BS: Pleasant, satisfying movies
From: GUEST,Tunesmith
Date: 05 Jun 07 - 03:27 AM

"Murielle's Wedding", with the wonderful Toni Collette. Btw, is this film well known in the States?

Subject: RE: BS: Pleasant, satisfying movies
From: Lin in Kansas
Date: 05 Jun 07 - 04:59 AM

Shirley Valentine
Castaway - Tom Hanks
Big - Tom Hanks
King of Hearts - Alan Bates

And a bunch of those already listed. Captain Kendall, I'd let you pick the movie anytime...good choices.

Lin

Subject: RE: BS: Pleasant, satisfying movies
From: GUEST, Topsie
Date: 05 Jun 07 - 05:13 AM

No-one's mentioned 'Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid'.

I also enjoyed a film I saw on television some years ago with Alec Guiness playing a man who arrives in a French village where, it turns out, he has a double who is the local squire and owns the chateau.
I have searched for this in film listings but can't find it or anything resembling it. Has anyone else heard of it?

Subject: RE: BS: Pleasant, satisfying movies
From: GUEST, Topsie
Date: 05 Jun 07 - 05:57 AM

I've been googling - the Alec Guinness film was 'Scapegoat', based on a novel by Daphne DuMaurier, the film about painting electricity pylons was called 'Among Giants', and another film I couldn't remember the name of was 'Explorers', about some school boys who make a space bubble and contact friendly aliens.

Subject: RE: BS: Pleasant, satisfying movies
From: HuwG
Date: 05 Jun 07 - 07:33 AM

Rebecca's Daughters
Chicken Run
Kind Hearts and Coronets

Subject: RE: BS: Pleasant, satisfying movies
From: kendall
Date: 05 Jun 07 - 07:42 AM

The Russians are coming, the Russians are coming.

King of hearts is a film that everyone should see. Especially in this day and age of madness in politics.

Subject: RE: BS: Pleasant, satisfying movies
From: Alba
Date: 05 Jun 07 - 10:21 AM

Muriel's Wedding

I think it is pretty well known in the States, Tunesmith.
I agree with you, it too is a great Movie.
Nearly all the Movies mentioned, so far, I have seen and enjoyed very much.
Strictly Ballroom is good for a laugh and how could I forget Local Hero!

Subject: RE: BS: Pleasant, satisfying movies
From: kendall
Date: 05 Jun 07 - 10:39 AM

I thought Babbetts Feast was one of the most boring films I ever sat through.

Subject: RE: BS: Pleasant, satisfying movies
From: kendall
Date: 05 Jun 07 - 10:46 AM

Lobsteroids. The worst film ever made. So bad, it's comical.

Subject: RE: BS: Pleasant, satisfying movies
From: Bill D
Date: 05 Jun 07 - 11:44 AM

hmmm..and we have not mentioned "The Mouse That Roared" or "Brewster McCloud" or "The Wrong Box"

Subject: RE: BS: Pleasant, satisfying movies
From: RangerSteve
Date: 05 Jun 07 - 11:48 AM

Someone mentioned "Willy Wonka", sorry, but I couldn't stand it. I thaought the remake with Johnny Depp was great, if you ignore that he reminds you of Michael Jackson.

Also remembered:
James and the Giant Peach
Big Fish
Corpse Bride
The Nightmare Before Christmas

(Yes, I like Tim Burton)

and this goes against one of the rules I listed in the original post, but I'm going to include "Edward Scissorhands", even if Edward doesn't get what he deserves.

Subject: RE: BS: Pleasant, satisfying movies
From: JennyO
Date: 05 Jun 07 - 01:45 PM

People keep mentioning movies I meant to list but had forgotten. Edward Scissorhands was definitely one of them. A delightful movie!

Subject: RE: BS: Pleasant, satisfying movies
From: kendall
Date: 05 Jun 07 - 01:58 PM

Groan

Subject: RE: BS: Pleasant, satisfying movies
From: kendall
Date: 05 Jun 07 - 01:58 PM

Father Goose

Subject: RE: BS: Pleasant, satisfying movies
From: Scoville
Date: 05 Jun 07 - 03:04 PM

I used to love Beetlejuice, and my dad votes for Babe and the Wallace & Gromit movie, and seconds Chicken Run.

Subject: RE: BS: Pleasant, satisfying movies
From: Don Firth
Date: 05 Jun 07 - 04:09 PM

Lin in Kansas beat me to Mr. Holland's Opus.
Zorba the Greek
What's Up, Doc? I sat there and howled with laughter through the whole thing!

Don Firth

Subject: RE: BS: Pleasant, satisfying movies
From: Bill D
Date: 05 Jun 07 - 05:12 PM

and..."A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum " Zero Mostel, Phil Silvers, Buster Keaton..etc..

Subject: RE: BS: Pleasant, satisfying movies
From: kendall
Date: 05 Jun 07 - 05:25 PM

I thought Zorba the Greek was heavy going.

Subject: RE: BS: Pleasant, satisfying movies
From: Mickey191
Date: 05 Jun 07 - 05:40 PM

How To Irritate People-John Cleese-A Howl!
Local Hero-Grand & The Scenery!!
Little Big Man
Tootsie
Lavender Hill Mob
The Graduate
The Fortune Cookie
Whats Up Doc?

AND


Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein---4 Stars

Subject: RE: BS: Pleasant, satisfying movies
From: Don Firth
Date: 05 Jun 07 - 07:21 PM

Yeah, Kendall, now that you mention it, Zorba did have a couple of pretty heavy spots. The fate of the young widow. . . .

I was thinking of how, after one damned disaster after another, they wind up laughing and dancing on the beach like a couple of wild men. But without the disasters, that wouldn't have meant much.

Don Firth

Subject: RE: BS: Pleasant, satisfying movies
From: Rog Peek
Date: 05 Jun 07 - 07:32 PM

Haven't read the whole thread, so apologies if it's already been mentioned, but I can think of no film more pleasant and satisfying than 'The Ladykillers'.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0048281/

Subject: RE: BS: Pleasant, satisfying movies
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 05 Jun 07 - 08:44 PM

Trip to Bountiful wasn't funny but it was very satisfying.

Subject: RE: BS: Pleasant, satisfying movies
From: JennyO
Date: 05 Jun 07 - 09:55 PM

I would put Zorba the Greek on my list too.

Then there's "The Pink Panther Strikes Again" - in fact, any Pink Panther movie, although that one is my favourite.

Subject: RE: BS: Pleasant, satisfying movies
From: TRUBRIT
Date: 05 Jun 07 - 10:45 PM

Sorry Knedall - I loved Babetter's Feast. And whomever mentioned Muriel's Wedding - another great movie......there are just so many. Gregory's Girl and I actually liked Bend it lke Beckham

Subject: RE: BS: Pleasant, satisfying movies
From: clueless don
Date: 06 Jun 07 - 09:22 AM

RangerSteve mentioned "Princess Caraboo". Two more from about the same time period that definitely struck me as pleasant and satisfying were "Widow's Peak" and "The Englishman who went up a hill but came down a mountain".

I'll cast another vote for "Local Hero", a long-time favorite. And I have to confess a soft spot for "Chariots of Fire".

Don

Subject: RE: BS: Pleasant, satisfying movies
From: Lin in Kansas
Date: 06 Jun 07 - 11:23 AM

Bill D, definitely "Funny Thing on the Way to the Forum." And somebody up there already named my two all-time favorites, "The Gods Must Be Crazy" and "Casablanca."

JennyO, the original Pink Panther with David Niven is the best of that bunch.

"Silent Movie" of the Mel Brooks genre...

Lin

Subject: RE: BS: Pleasant, satisfying movies
From: JennyO
Date: 06 Jun 07 - 12:04 PM

Lin, I've seen the original Pink Panther - in fact, I've seen all of them - several times, and my personal favourite is still "The Pink Panther Strikes Again". However, as I said before, they are all good.

It would be a boring old world if we all agreed on everything....

Subject: RE: BS: Pleasant, satisfying movies
From: Dickey
Date: 06 Jun 07 - 12:05 PM

Eight Below

Subject: RE: BS: Pleasant, satisfying movies
From: HouseCat
Date: 06 Jun 07 - 01:11 PM

Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House. And I loved Babette's Feast too.
A Room With A View. I was a starry-eyed twenty-something when this movie came out and and I would have given my eyeteeth for a George Emerson to come along - swooooon!!!!!

Subject: RE: BS: Pleasant, satisfying movies
From: RangerSteve
Date: 06 Jun 07 - 03:14 PM

Don Firth's argument for "Zorba" makes sense, and since I started this thread, I'm going to allow it, even though the scene where Irene Pappas' characther gets murdered is still vivid in my mind after all these years.

I'm getting bad at rmembering titles, but the one with Tim Allen as the star of a "Star Trek" type TV show who gets unwillingly recruited to help in a real outer-space war should be on this list.

And "Enemy Mine", not much humor, but a good escapist story anyway.

"The Incredibles"
"Finding Nemo"

Not much in the way of musicals posted here, but 'The Music Man" and "My Fair Lady" are two of my favorites.

Just remembered, The musical version of "Little Shop of Horrors".

Subject: RE: BS: Pleasant, satisfying movies
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 06 Jun 07 - 03:22 PM

The Graduate [my favourite film]
The Goodbye Girl [my second favourite film]
Some Like it Hot [ film with the best closing line ever.]
Giok

Subject: RE: BS: Pleasant, satisfying movies
From: kendall
Date: 06 Jun 07 - 05:12 PM

Captains Courageous. (The original with Lionel Barrymore)

Subject: RE: BS: Pleasant, satisfying movies
From: Kim C
Date: 06 Jun 07 - 05:29 PM

Cars
The Incredibles
Monsters Inc.
The Great Race
Love Actually
O Brother Where Art Thou
Raising Arizona
Amelie
Tootsie
A Christmas Story
Princess Bride
Willow
Revenge of the Musketeers
All the Harry Potters
Shrek I & II
Chocolat

Subject: RE: BS: Pleasant, satisfying movies
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 06 Jun 07 - 06:05 PM

Lots of good movies in here, and a good number I've never come across that I'll look out for.

It's a list that could go on for ever. But I wonder, does anyone feel like elaborating about what they see as making for a "pleasant satisfying" movie.

RangerSteve started us of with: "No car chases, no edge-of-your-seat suspense, no one got killed, the villains and good guys all got what they deserved. There was no deep message, and I was left feeling happy." But that was in respect of a particular movie, quite a lot of the movies in this thread that quite properly fall into "pleasant satisfying" wouldn't have all those characteristics.

Quite a few where there's a modicum of suspense, and quite a few killings. Otherwise there wouldn't be any Westerns in the list, for example. And deep messages (love your neighbour, for example) aren't uncommon.

...the villains and good guys all got what they deserved... and I was left feeling happy. Those are the ones that seem to be the central requirements. And I'm inclined to think that one ingredient that I tend to look for is that there's some kind of ethical journey involved - for example in a film such as The Apartment or Uncle Buck. A flawed hero who sorts himself out in teh course of the film.

Subject: RE: BS: Pleasant, satisfying movies
From: Don Firth
Date: 06 Jun 07 - 06:38 PM

Hmm. Okay, if we're thinking musicals, then I nominate "An American in Paris." All the music by George Gershwin (much underrated in the United States, at least until fairly recently, much more appreciated in Europe, so I've heard). The long dance sequence was choreographed by Gene Kelly himself, and I've recently heard it said that, in terms of quality of choreography and performance, even though it's more akin to modern dance than classic ballet, it's right up there with the finest of classic ballet sequences). Kelly is at his peak, the very young Leslie Caron (18 at the time, I think) is thoroughly charming, and the love story is both poignant and engaging. In addition to a bravura job of playing "Rhapsody in Blue," Oscar Levant's schticks are a riot!

Good movie!

Don Firth

Subject: RE: BS: Pleasant, satisfying movies
From: pdq
Date: 06 Jun 07 - 07:28 PM

Another vote for Cat Ballou and American Graffiti.

Charlton Heston did a nice little western called Will Penny. Good cast and good acting.

Subject: RE: BS: Pleasant, satisfying movies
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 06 Jun 07 - 07:46 PM

That Thing You Do
Life is Sweet
Harry in Your Pocket
Intermezzo
The Adventures of Robin Hood
The Odd Couple
The Man who would be King
Deathtrap

Subject: RE: BS: Pleasant, satisfying movies
From: RangerSteve
Date: 06 Jun 07 - 08:15 PM

McGrath - There really are no rules for what makes a pleasant and satisfuying movie, except that you find it pleasant and satisfying.

Thanks, everyone who contributed, there are a lot of films I have to check out.

I'll add another, one that a lot of people hated, but I liked enough to buy it and see it about once a year - "The Fifth Element". It remeinds me of "The Outlaw Josie Wales", which someone already listed, in that every character is interesting and probably worthy of their own movie.

Subject: RE: BS: Pleasant, satisfying movies
From: kendall
Date: 06 Jun 07 - 09:16 PM

The four seasons with Alan Alda, Carol Burnett and Jack Weston.

Subject: RE: BS: Pleasant, satisfying movies
From: Alba
Date: 06 Jun 07 - 09:38 PM

Lady and the Tramp ~ The Triplets of Belleville

Oh and this makes 100 posts..smile
Jude