BS: Favourite films and why

Subject: BS: Favourite films and why
From: Chris Green
Date: 23 Oct 04 - 07:23 PM

Okay, I know this has sod all to with folk music, but what are your favourite films and why? Here's a list of mine to get things started. (in no particular order)

The Wicker Man (Robin Hardy, 1973) - the most thought-provoking, entertaining and downright scary film I'ver seen, with a demon of a folk soundtrack!

The Seventh Seal (Ingmar Bergman, 1957) - every time I watch it, I find things that I've missed on previous viewings

Love and Death (Woody Allen, 1975) - Still makes me wet myself laughing years after I first saw it.

Before Sunrise (Richard Linklater, 1995) - The wittiest and most heart-rending film about a bloke and a girl I've ever come across. I instantly fell in love with it when I saw it on the day it was released.

The Shining (Stanley Kubrick, 1980) - A horror film that manages to transcend the blood and gore of most post 60s horror films but still unsettle and terrify.

Moulin Rouge (Baz Luhrmann, 2000) - The last film I saw at the cinema that I came away from going "Wow!" A great contemporary musical with faultless performances across the board, a superb story and filmed with all the gimmickry of a pop video without the inanity.

Subject: RE: BS: Favourite films and why
From: GUEST,Norman
Date: 23 Oct 04 - 07:33 PM

Fuck off you stupid toss pot, this is a music site. Go perpertrate your mindless, sun reading drivel elsewhere.

Subject: RE: BS: Favourite films and why
From: Sorcha
Date: 23 Oct 04 - 07:39 PM

The Quiet Man...John Wayne and Marueen O'Hara....just because.

Driving Miss Daisy--I love Jessica Tandy

Fried Green Tomatoes

Subject: RE: BS: Favourite films and why
From: Chris Green
Date: 23 Oct 04 - 08:02 PM

GUEST, Norman. Thank you for your useful and carefully-considered insight. (That was sarcasm, by the way. You'll find it in the dictionary under "S".) May I draw your attention to a couple of facts that you may not have taken into consideration before your outburst. Firstly, I stated quite clearly at the start of my post that I was aware that this was a music forum, and that the subject of this thread had nothing really to do with music. Secondly, it is prefixed by BS, which means that it is a non-music thread.

If you still feel that you have an issue with the thread I've started two options exist for you. Firstly, please feel free to PM me and I'll do my best to justify myself. Or secondly, avoid the BS section of this forum if you're that offended by threads that don't discuss music.

Either way, grow up, you little ball of invective, you.

Chris

Subject: RE: BS: Favourite films and why
From: Chris Green
Date: 23 Oct 04 - 08:07 PM

Sorcha, yes! The Quiet Man! Proves that John Ford wasn't just good when he was directing Westerns!

Subject: RE: BS: Favourite films and why
From: Jack the Sailor
Date: 23 Oct 04 - 08:28 PM

Casablanca - witty dialog, adventure, pathos, great acting, excellent pace - Great villians, Great love story, great buddy flick combined with a moving portrayal of grand themes of patriotism, self sacrifice
and justice.

Blade Runner - witty dialog, adventure, pathos, great acting, excellent pace - One of the most complex and sinister yet sympathetic villians - great special effects, a scary future alternate reality - a gripping commentary on globalization, the Frankenstein myth on steroids.

Dr. Strangelove - witty dialog, adventure, pathos, great acting, excellent pace, a strange prescience of the Bush administration. Funny, scary villians

Stange Days - As above, what can I say? I love film noir science fiction. Angela Basset's role is a great combination of danger and sexiness. Interesting villian, surprizing twist.

Tequila Sunrise: witty dialog, adventure, pathos, good acting, excellent pace, a buddy flick with a twist. The villian (Raoul Julia) is the true friend, the cop, (Kurt Russel) the betrayer. The girl has two suitor's the drug dealor who loves her and the cop who uses her. Mel Gibson's character has to balance friendships and betrayals repaying and collecting upon old debts, while preserving his life and the life of his lover.

Subject: RE: BS: Favourite films and why
From: Jack the Sailor
Date: 23 Oct 04 - 08:30 PM

Oh yeah and The Treasure of Sierra Madre. witty dialog, adventure, pathos, good acting, excellent pace, a buddy flick with a different twist. Greed turns the hero into a villian.

Subject: RE: BS: Favourite films and why
From: Bobert
Date: 23 Oct 04 - 08:58 PM

Yeah, I loved "Balderunner", too, JtS but my all time favorite had all of the following (and more) in the cast:

Spencer Tracy
Milton Berle
Sid Ceasar
Buddy Hackett
Ethel Merman
Micket Rooney
Jimmy Durante
Johnathan Winters

and Phil Silvers....









..... "It's a Md, Mad, Mad, Mad World"...

Bobert

Subject: RE: BS: Favourite films and why
From: Chris Green
Date: 23 Oct 04 - 09:08 PM

And Terry-Thomas! "This infantile preoccupation with BOSOMS!"

Subject: RE: BS: Favourite films and why
From: s6k
Date: 23 Oct 04 - 09:36 PM

American Beauty - my favourite film of all time. Spacey is as always fantastic, the messages in the film are great, and the plot has many layers, overall, just a fantastic film.

Blade Runner - excellent in all ways, and intriguing discussions to be had about whether Deckard is a replicant or not

The Big Lebowski - funniest film ever made, very underrated.

Pulp Fiction - Amaaaaaazing. Violent, yet very entertaining, and never becomes boring after several viewings.

Falling Down - Much deeper and more meaningful than you would think on first viewing, very different film and refreshing in that it is so different. great acting, dialogue, plot and messages. And very entertaining too.

Arlington Road - Could there be a more relevant film for the modern world?

Subject: RE: BS: Favourite films and why
From: Joe_F
Date: 23 Oct 04 - 09:37 PM

Miracle on 34th Street
Ace in the Hole
Ikiru
A Taste of Honey
A Man for All Seasons

Subject: RE: BS: Favourite films and why
From: mack/misophist
Date: 23 Oct 04 - 10:03 PM

The Hidden Fortress - Kurosawa
Tampopo - Toshiro Mifune (Anything with Mufuni)
Napoleon - Abel Gance (There were real movies before sound.
                      Some of them were better.)
The Harp of Burma - Not sure who did it. Japanese anti-war film
Oni-Baba - Beautiful and strange. Japanese, again.
Tremors - No excuse. I just like it.
Killer Clowns From Outer Space - The best made schlock I've ever seen.

Subject: RE: BS: Favourite films and why
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 23 Oct 04 - 10:41 PM

I'll add four for starters. They have in common that I found the characters believable, the acting so natural that it didn't strike me as "acting," a great story line that I could identify with and four great performances:

Tender Mercies with Robert Duvall
Trip To Bountiful with Geraldine Page (who won an Oscar)
To Kill A Mockingbird of course, with Gregory Peck in perhaps his finest role
Harry and Tonto, the best "buddy" road movie co-starring a cat

The first three movies have something else in common. The screenplay was by Horton Foote.

Jerry

Subject: RE: BS: Favourite films and why
From: CarolC
Date: 23 Oct 04 - 11:02 PM

The Milagro Beanfield War
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead
Drop Dead Fred
Benny and Joon
The Butcher's Wife
Field of Dreams
Out on a Limb (the one with Matthew Broderick, not Shirley Maclaine)
The King of Hearts
Harold and Maude
The Tall Blond Man With One Black Shoe
A Thousand Clowns

Because I like them.

Subject: RE: BS: Favourite films and why
From: leeneia
Date: 23 Oct 04 - 11:11 PM

"The Secret of Roan Inish." Beautiful scenery, good yarn, great music, and meticulous attention to detail.

Subject: RE: BS: Favourite films and why
From: Georgiansilver
Date: 24 Oct 04 - 04:09 AM

"Where Eagles Dare" used to be a great favourite of mine but as always the novelty eventually wears off..
Ghost with Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore.
Whistle Down the Wind.The Hayley Mills version.
Gladiator.with Russell Crowe..
My overall favourite of all time has to be "The Wicker Man" with Edward Woodward..The tale of Summer Island (Which exists in reality)
and all its rituals.....it has however been very exaggerated for the film. Best wishes

Subject: RE: BS: Favourite films and why
From: Bobert
Date: 24 Oct 04 - 09:14 AM

Oh, yeah... Harold and Maude, as CarolC pointed out... Great movie.... One of the dew I actually own....

Bobert

Subject: RE: BS: Favourite films and why
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 24 Oct 04 - 10:05 AM

Morgan, A Suitable Case for Treatment (Vanessa Redgrave & David Warner)
The Man Who Would Be King (Sean Connery & Michael Caine)
A Man For All Seasons (wonderful soundtrack, too)
Providence (Gielgud)
Run Lola Run
Last Year In Marienbad
anything directed by Luis Bunuel
Prospero's Books (Gielgud again!)
84, Charing Cross Road
Zulu
Diva
I've Heard the Mermaids Singing
The Piano
Isadora (Vanessa Redgrave again)

Well, that's a start . . .

Linn

Subject: RE: BS: Favourite films and why
From: MBSLynne
Date: 24 Oct 04 - 10:15 AM

I'm not much of a film person but the ones I really enjoyed were:
Clay Pigeon...really hard hitting, thought provoking anti a lot of things film
Billy Jack...same as the above
The Graduate...just a bloody good film
Easy Rider...another one that has a go at a lot of things
Star Wars...because they are thoroughly enjoyable escapism

and, I hate to be boring
The Lord of the Rings...because as a BIG fan of the books I really didn't think they'd be able to capture it in the films they turned out to be brilliant. I find it difficult to sit through ordinary length films and I not only had no problems with these, but on the way home I suddenly realised I wanted to go back and see them again.

And Chris....don't feed the trolls!

Love Lynne

Subject: RE: BS: Favourite films and why
From: s6k
Date: 24 Oct 04 - 10:50 AM

run lola run, theres one i forgot... fantastic

Subject: RE: BS: Favourite films and why
From: Paul from Hull
Date: 24 Oct 04 - 11:00 AM

In no particular order, & including perennial favourites & particular likes of the moment:

Dr Strangelove
A Man for All Seasons
The Man Who Would Be King
Whistle Down The Wind
Rear Window
Some like It Hot
Guys & Dolls
Heaven Can Wait
Sergeant Rutledge
El Dorado
The Searchers
The Last Of The Mohicans
The Quiet Man
The General (Buster Keaton)
Pimpernel Smith
The Wicker Man
Kes
The Hill
Withnail & I
Truly, Madly, Deeply
Of Mice & Men (Malkovitch/Sinise)
Night of the Hunter (Mitchum, of course!)
Wait Until Dark
Priscilla, Queen of the Desert
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
The Italian Job
Sleuth
Deathtrap
Last Action Hero
Monsters Inc
Waterloo
Zulu
A Bridge Too Far
Enemy At The Gates
Ice Cold In Alex
Too Late The Hero
The Virgin Soldiers
Oh What A Lovely War
Gallipoli
-all the 4 'Alien' films

....& undoubtedly LOTS more as I think of them!

Just for casual interest, & for those for whom some of the above titles may be unfamiliar, go HERE:

The Internet Movie Database

..& yes, I know, I'm forever plugging that site....but they don't pay me, honest!

Subject: RE: BS: Favourite films and why
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 24 Oct 04 - 11:26 AM

Add Whistle Down The Wind to my list, too. It's a wonderful updating of the story of Christ without being cloying or obsessively preachy.
The Christ figure is an escaped murderer, and the 12 Apostles are all children.

Jerry

Subject: RE: BS: Favourite films and why
From: CarolC
Date: 24 Oct 04 - 12:43 PM

That's a fantastic resource, Paul from Hull. Thanks for posting the link.

Subject: RE: BS: Favourite films and why
From: Chris Green
Date: 24 Oct 04 - 12:45 PM

The British Film Institute site (here) is pretty good, particularly for world cinema.

Subject: RE: BS: Favourite films and why
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 24 Oct 04 - 12:50 PM

Life is Sweet - Jim Broadbent and Alison Steadman, Claire Skinner, Jane Horrocks, Stephen Rea and Timothy Spall as Aubrey

Topsy Turvy another Jim Broadbent/Tim Spall classic

The Godfather - all 3 thereof

goodfellas

she wore a yellow ribbon

Wyatt Earp ( Gene Hackman's speech - you think you're the only person who lost something - life is about loss)

The Committments

That Thing You Do


One Trick Pony (hilarious how little Paul Simon knows about being an unsuccessful musician)

Brief Encounter

the Big Sleep

Robin Hood (Errol Flynn version)

amadeus

Subject: RE: BS: Favourite films and why
From: Amergin
Date: 24 Oct 04 - 12:53 PM

gallipoli
threads
wicker man
ran
seven samurai
secret of roan innish
star wars trilogy
matewan
first two godfather movies
full metal jacket
dr strangelove
goodfellas

Subject: RE: BS: Favourite films and why
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 24 Oct 04 - 01:11 PM

monsters ball - also very impressive

Subject: RE: BS: Favourite films and why
From: Mooh
Date: 24 Oct 04 - 01:33 PM

Black Robe-Bleak, real, and portrays the arrogance of the church in trying to tamper with a culture every bit its equal.
Rob Roy-A great tale of Scots the way my mother would have me know them, except she's more sympathetic towards Robert the Bruce. Love the dead cattle beast scene.
Moulin Rouge-Stunning anachronisms, music arrangements, costumes, and Nicole...oh la la!
Last Of The Mohicans-Bastard white people fucking up relations with perfectly good cultures, great scenery, good acting except maybe DDL and even he rises to the occassion.
The Commitments-This band could have been any number of bands in my younger days except none were as good. Both bleak and hopeful, I especially like how they discover the requirement for "garage band solidarity" the hard way. Good tunes too.

I don't like going to the theatre much but it sure was fun to break with habit and see Farenheit 911 with a room full of people who apparently thought it was as surreal as anything ever shown.

Peace, Mooh.

Subject: RE: BS: Favourite films and why
From: el_punkoid_nouveau
Date: 24 Oct 04 - 01:41 PM

Some of them may not be quite the most classic of films, but...

The Blues Brothers - perhaps the second most non-existent plot (THE most non-existent has to be The Blues Brothers 2000), but what a line up of musicians!

Animal House - Reminds me of my student days

1941 - More of Belushi's anarchy!

The Man In The White Suit - Alec Guinness was superb (I think this should really be any of his Ealing comedies)

Passport to Pimlico - the concept of declaring UDI from our political leaders in London seems to be increasingly brilliant every day!

I'm Alright Jack - Sellers as the union official, showing the man's immense talent

And I loved/love the Star Wars movies for pure escapism, and Lord of the Rings trilogy, for it's proximity to the books.

epn

Subject: RE: BS: Favourite films and why
From: Jack the Sailor
Date: 24 Oct 04 - 02:56 PM

mack/misophist

Tampopo is Fantastic!! By far my favourite movie with subtitles, Though Seven samari is also a great movie.

In Tampopo the idea of the "gunslinger" type who helps improve a noodle restaurant is incredibly amusing.

Subject: RE: BS: Favourite films and why
From: s6k
Date: 24 Oct 04 - 06:22 PM

blues brothers!!!! hell yes!

Subject: RE: BS: Favourite films and why
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 24 Oct 04 - 06:53 PM

Seems an awful lot of people rate 'The Wicker Man'... Can't see the attraction, apart from Christopher Lee that is.....

Personally, I don't have an all-time fave. I have films I'll always try and see if they are on... regardless of whether I have them on video or DVD, or if I've seen them before.

I also go through phases of watching films. A few months ago it was neck and neck between the 'X Men' movies and 'Pirates of the Caribbean'. Now, it's 'Van Helsing' - but that's because it's got Hugh Jackman with no clothes on in it.....

My best 'feel better' film has to be 'Little Shop of Horrors'. Put it on when I'm really down, and it makes me smile regardless - especially Steve Martin's song, 'I'll be a dentist'.

My best 'feel bad' film is probably 'Schindlers' List'. It's a great adaptation of a terrible (it's a terrible subject, not it's a terrible book) story that was done with feeling and sympathy.

My best 'sod the world' film is anything from the 'St Trinians' range.... been watching them a lot recently.

And my best 'slobber' film has to be 'Thunderball'. Saw it first when I was 11, fell in love with Sean Connery and his hairy chest, there and then. Been hooked ever since. Oddly enough, I only watched it because I'd read the book, minus a chapter ('How to eat a girl') which had been partially ripped out.. I wanted to find out what happened.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Favourite films and why
From: Folk Form # 1
Date: 24 Oct 04 - 07:11 PM

So many great films, but I love Mishima:A Life in Four Chapters, because of it's unique story telling structure.
I also love Jess Franco's Eugenie De Sade, mainly because of Soledad Miranda, the sexiest screen siren of 20th Century cinema. The movie is perverse, disturbing, immoral, and sexy. Miranda captures that perfectly.
Since this is a music forum, I would have to add Don't Look Back, about Dylan's tour of the UK and also The Last Waltz, about the Band's final concert-great performances from the Band and their guests.[Only Dylan, ironically, underperforms.]

Subject: RE: BS: Favourite films and why
From: GUEST,Blowzabella not at home
Date: 24 Oct 04 - 07:22 PM

First - Sod off Guest Norman. I like some of these 'favourite' games!

Next ....

The Ghost & Mrs Muir
Wuthering Heights (Laurence Olivier / Merle Oberon)
Fairytale A True Story
(all of the above because I'm a soppy romantic)

Yankee Doodle Dandy - because I love to see Jimmy Cagney dance - what a hoofer!

The Quiet Man
She Wore a Yellow Ribbon
(for the fight scenes)

Whiskey Galore - for it's odd view of life on Scottish islands

The Blues Brothers
Quadrophenia
for their soundtracks mostly (but I just love Quadrophenia for it's story of disillusionment)

Subject: RE: BS: Favourite films and why
From: Jack the Sailor
Date: 24 Oct 04 - 08:12 PM

Right on! Bolwza!!

I think this thread was completely justified when I was reminded what a great film Tampopo is!

Subject: RE: BS: Favourite films and why
From: sledge
Date: 25 Oct 04 - 02:17 AM

Amelie, funny and charming.

Sledge

Subject: RE: BS: Favourite films and why
From: MBSLynne
Date: 25 Oct 04 - 03:34 AM

OH, I forgot...most of the Ealing comedies and the Boulter Brothers comedies

Love Lynne

Subject: RE: BS: Favourite films and why
From: GUEST,skipy
Date: 25 Oct 04 - 05:01 AM

Field of dreams - touched places that I never knew I had.

Don't look now - scared the shit out of me!

Skipy

Subject: RE: BS: Favourite films and why
From: muppitz
Date: 25 Oct 04 - 05:30 AM

Back to the Future Trilogy
Lord of the Rings Trilogy
Pirates of the Carribean (Johnny Depp, swoon!)
Who Framed Roger Rabbit?
When Harry met Sally (Token chick flick!)


Muppitz x

Subject: RE: BS: Favourite films and why
From: GUEST,Willy McBoyne
Date: 25 Oct 04 - 06:44 AM

I like the Quiet Man because it manages to both patronise and insult the Irish.

Subject: RE: BS: Favourite films and why
From: Mooh
Date: 25 Oct 04 - 07:39 AM

Oh yeah, amd The Meaning Of Life (by Monty Python) for that fabulous "every sperm is sacred" song and dance routine.

Peace, Mooh.

Subject: RE: BS: Favourite films and why
From: C-flat
Date: 25 Oct 04 - 08:11 AM

A few spring to mind readily,

"One Flew Over The Cuckoos' Nest". I thought Nicholson was superb and, although I don't enjoy some of his work, his recent work such as "As Good As It Gets" and "About Schmidt"(?)has also been excellent.
"To Kill A Mockingbird" Probably my favourite film AND book!
"The Colour Purple". Moving story and beautifully framed.Like "Dances With Wolves", it needs to be watched on a big screen.
"The Godfather trilogy" I liked them all but part 2 was the weakest.
"Schindlers' List" Very moving and should be compulsory viewing.
"The Sting" My first movie-date was to see this film so I have fond memories for various reasons! Maybe a little dated now but, even on the strength of the sound-track, worthy of inclusion.

I'm sure I'll be back with some more later.

C-flat.

Subject: RE: BS: Favourite films and why
From: C-flat
Date: 25 Oct 04 - 08:14 AM

Amendment; "The Godfather trilogy" I liked them all but part 2 was the weakest" should read Part 3 was the weakest.
C-flat.

Subject: RE: BS: Favourite films and why
From: Chris Green
Date: 25 Oct 04 - 10:15 AM

All of the historical Carry-On films! Most of the contemporary-set ones were weaker.

Subject: RE: BS: Favourite films and why
From: s6k
Date: 25 Oct 04 - 01:12 PM

i was going to say c flat!!!!!!

Subject: RE: BS: Favourite films and why
From: frogprince
Date: 25 Oct 04 - 01:38 PM

A few in no particular order:

Witness: for the story, and the visual poetry of a lot of the photography.

Alice's Restaurant: When it came out, I was living surrounded by a lot of the same
                noble patriots who beat the crap out of Arlo early in the movie for
                looking different. I cussed them out aloud in the theater, which
                wasn't especially mature or constructive, but It just got to me that
                deeply.

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence: The one movie I have watched the most times.
                 John Wayne, James Stewart, and Lee Marvin, all in top form, put
                           together with John Fords' feel for the mythology of the old west;
                   works for me.

Cat Ballou: Mainly because I don't think I've ever seen an individual performance
                more hilarious than Lee Marvin as Kid Shaleen.

Young Frankenstein, and Monty Python and the Holy Grail, just because sometimes
                I like to laugh myself sick.

More recently, The Piano Player; I hadn't realized until the ending notes that it was a
                true story; a wonderfully done portrayal of a man surviving thru total
                hell.

Subject: RE: BS: Favourite films and why
From: GUEST,chinmusic
Date: 25 Oct 04 - 02:43 PM

Many of my favourite films have already been mentioned above, so I'll go with others, that I'm very fond of. For a combination of great writing, directing and acting, I submit the following:

1- The Madness Of King George
2- The Prisoner (Alec Guiness&Jack Hawkins)
3- Sleuth
4- Tender Mercies
5- Shall We Dance (Japanese version)
6- My Left Foot
7- Fargo
8- Mash
9- After Life
10-Bull Durham
11-Bye Bye Blues
12-The Hustler
13-All The President's Men
14-Judgment at Nuremburg
15-Play It Again Sam

Favourite Musical Docs

1-The Buena Vista Social Club
2-Standing In The Shadows Of Motown

Subject: RE: BS: Favourite films and why
From: GUEST
Date: 25 Oct 04 - 04:58 PM

WARNING! WARNING! HUGE FILM FAN LIST FOLLOWS!

I love reading these sorts of lists, because people always mention films I haven't thought of. So, in the service of possibly stirring interest in some great films, here is a rather long list of faves roughly organized by genres. If you are interested in them, just go to the Internet Movie Database and type in the title.

Without further ado:

Let's start with films with a musical bent, and no I'm not talking Dylan's very bad films OR Songcatcher!

For me, the musical comedy films have to be a toss up between Blues Brothers, A Hard Day's Night, and This Is Spinal Tap. I could never pick just one of them.

For musicals/music films: Moulin Rouge, The Magic Flute, Cabaret, Victor/Victoria, all the Busby Berkely musicals, Cradle Will Rock, Django Reinhardt, Buena Vista Social Club, Gimme Shelter, Monterey Pop, Sweet Dreams (Jessica Lange as Patsy Cline), Bamboozled, Calle 54.

For utterly charming, I'll second Amelie and raise you Mostly Martha, Chocolat, Eat Drink Man Woman, Like Water for Chocolate, The Big Night, Il Postino, Waking Ned Devine, Moonstruck, and Monsoon Wedding.

Add to those, my long list of fave dramatic films: All About My Mother, the Horton Foote films mentioned above, Julia, Butterfly (La Lengua de las Mariposas), Apocalypse Now, Sophie's Choice, Dancer in the Dark, Badlands, Days of Wine and Roses, They Shoot Horses Don't They?, Z, Little Voice, Red, Blue (from the trilogy, didn't much care for White though), On the Waterfront, Kiss of the Spiderwoman, Brazil, Streetcar Named Desire, The Hustler, The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, Do the Right Thing, Crying Game--all films I place in the "extraordinary" category.

Family films & adult animated films: Hook, Pirates of the Caribbean, Willow, Princess Bride, Secret of Nimh, Sounder, the very best but rarely heard of Disney film The Skeleton Dance, Wizard of Oz, Goonies, Muppets Take Manhattan, Muppets Christmas Carol, Never Ending Story, Secret Garden, Little Women (1994), Betty Boop & Krazy Kat (the animated films from the 30s), Nightmare Before Christmas, Edward Scissorhands, A Christmas Story, Beetlejuice, Mystery Science Theatre (OK, so it was TV B-monster movies!), A League of Their Own, Meet Me in St. Louis, Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken, Journey of Natty Gann (check out a baby John Cusack in it!), White Fang, Fritz the Cat, Addams Family Values, Into the West, Secret of Roan Inish, Shelley Duvall's Fairie Tale Theatre (all of them!), and my most favorite animated film in decades, Triplets of Belleville.

Comedies: Annie Hall, all the Marx Bros films, Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein, Dr. Strangelove, Some Like it Hot, Young Frankenstein, Ghostbusters, Manhattan, Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Life of Brian, Earth Girls are Easy, Local Hero, Fargo, Big Lebowski, Hairspray, Cecil B. Demented, Pecker (my fave John Waters),Alice's Restaurant, Adaptation, Grosse Point Blank, Citizen Ruth, The Player, Brewster McCloud, MASH, Catch 22, The Big Bus (an Airplane disaster flick parody about the first nuclear powered bus with an onboard bowling alley, cannibalism, and with an all star cast to boot), The Ritz, A Shot in the Dark & the Pink Panther films...

Sweeping Epics: Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, Dances With Wolves, Out of Africa, Rebecca, Bound for Glory, Zefferli's Romeo & Juliet, Elizabeth, All Quiet on the Western Front (Lew Ayres one), Hedd Wynn, Doctor Zhivago, The English Patient, The Fisher King, French Lieutenant's Woman, Deer Hunter, Julia (even though I've already mentioned it, it is still one of my all time faves), Matewan, Murder on the Orient Express, Gosford Park, All the President's Men, Belle et La Bete (Beauty and the Beast by Cocteau), Clockwork Orange, Grapes of Wrath, Wuthering Heights (new one with Juliette Binoche).

Action/thriller/guy flicks: Cool Hand Luke, Great Escape, Star Wars (original), The Fugitive, Bullitt, Cape Fear (Robert Mitchum/Gregory Peck one), Rebel Without A Cause, East of Eden, Wild Bunch, Blue Velvet, Blade Runner, Marathon Man, LA Confidential, El Mariachi, The Mexican, Blood Simple, Apollo 13, 12 Monkeys, Snatch, Glory, Kelly's Heroes, Perfect Storm, Dog Day Afternoon, The Grifters, Mean Streets, Eight Men Out, Rocky (the original ONLY!), The Maltese Falcon, Platoon, Jackie Brown (or should this one be under chick flicks?), Training Day, Fight Club, 25th Hour, Clockers, Naked Lunch.

Chick flicks: The Hours (for Nicole Kidman fans), Mrs. Dalloway (for Vanessa Redgrave fans), Boy's Don't Cry, Music Box, Baghdad Cafe/Out of Rosenheim, Passion Fish, Y Tu Mama Tambien, Delta of Venus, Henry & June, Women in Love, Gas Food Lodging, Bastard Out of Carolina, The Dead, Kama Sutra A Tale of Love, Hiroshima Mon Amour, A Woman Under the Influence, Daughters of the Dust, The Ballad of Little Jo, Go Fish, Ruby in Paradise, When Night is Falling, Raise the Red Lantern, I Shot Andy Warhol, Watermelon Woman, Xiu Xiu the Sent Down Girl, Hilary & Jackie, The Tango Lesson, Mansfield Park.

Horror flicks: What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (the original), The Haunting, The Shining, Murders in the Rue Morgue, Frankenstein (original), Vertigo, The Birds, Carrie, Legend of Sleepy Hollow (Tim Burton), Phantom of the Opera (Lon Chaney), Fritz Lang's M, Nosferatu the Vampire. The Fall of the House of Usher (French, 1928), The Company of Wolves, Blair Witch Project.

Documentaries: Harvest of Shame, Harlan County USA, Blue Eyed/Eye of the Storm, Woodstock, American Dream (every bit as compelling as Harlan County), Roger & Me, Bowling for Columbine, Hospital, Capturing the Friedmans, Four Little Girls, Hotel Terminus: The Life and Times of Klaus Barbie, Hearts and Minds, The Fog of War, Crumb, Hoop Dreams, Long Night's Journey Into Day, The Thin Blue Line.

Subject: RE: BS: Favourite films and why
From: HuwG
Date: 25 Oct 04 - 08:55 PM

A few of favourites of mine which nobody has mentioned yet:

This is Spinal Tap
Rebecca's Daughters
Shirley Valentine
Tora! Tora! Tora!

Mostly UK-based comedies, you will notice, but don't knock them on that account. In any case, most of my choices are already covered.

Subject: RE: BS: Favourite films and why
From: MBSLynne
Date: 26 Oct 04 - 06:37 AM

Oh God Guest...you've reminded me of so many I'd forgotten, I have to give up! Except for Goonies, A man Called Horse, Highlander, Lady Hawk, Conan the Barbarian and loads of fight/fantasy films I can't remember the names of, the Naked gun films, Airplane, Big......