What's your all-time favorite movie, and why?

[Jon]

You forgot The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly...and Treasures of the Sierra Madre. I'm disappointed. But also, The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly is on TV right now and I have it on in the background.

 

[HelloDollyLlama]

Best over all, Spartacus: not only is it well-written and well-acted, but behind the scenes, Kirk Douglas used the movie to (a) deliver a hammer blow to the studio system, and (b) delivered a death blow to McCarthy’s blacklist, by openly hiring blacklisted actors and telling Congress to go pound sand. I’ll take this over Heston’s stuff in Ben Hur and Ten Commandments any day.

Amazing writing: the Godfather, Casablanca, and also Silence of the Lambs. And of course Young Frankenstein.

Branagh’s Henry V. The tracking scene after the battle is a masterpiece.

Some obvious stuff: All the President’s Men, The Apartment, Goodfellas, The Caine Mutiny, Twelve Angry Men, Cyrano (I played third mandolin from the left years ago), It’s a Wonderful Life, Judgment at Nuremberg, Round Midnight.

If you want to learn about Republican political paranoia and insanity, you can learn the whole thing in two bits: the fearmongering of “Trouble with a Capital T” from Music Man, and General Ripper’s explanation for nuking the Russians because the Communist plot to fluoridate our water made him impotent.

Big Country: a western that manages to tell a great story and avoid all the stupid western cliches; the female characters are fully drawn, good writing, good acting, the avoided making the pistol duel too cheesy – really nice job.

Lord of the Rings, simply because it was so much better than that Ralph Bakshi crap from 30 years ago.

Old stuff: McKellen’s Richard III, Olivier’s Lear and O’Toole in Lion in Winter, because I played the lead roles in all three plays; Man For All Seasons and Philadelphia Story because I directed them. It’s like visiting home again. Also, the Christine Baranski version of Midsummer Night’s Dream in Central Park – a classic. Also Becket, although I never got to do it.

The first half hour of Amadeus before it sinks under its own weight.

Guilty pleasures: She’s the Man, an incredibly silly teen comedy, completely redeemed by Amanda Bynes who is an absolute scream (a similar breakout role was Natalie Portman, trading scenes with a funny/scary Gary Oldman in The Professional, aka Leon). And recently, Mamma Mia, just to watch Pierce Brosnan pounding away through those songs (and he wasn’t all that bad).

Sneakers, just for the blind guy driving the truck.

Best musical, West Side Story.

Pleasant surprise: Julie Taymor’s staggering Titus, all the more stunning because the original script is one of Shakespeare’s rare duds.

Best animated: Yellow Submarine, by a mile. Most kids miss the brilliant dialogue. Although watching Ellen DeGeneres try to talk to a whale in Finding Nemo is up there too.

No, I don’t like Hello Dolly. I’m straight.

 

[Cecilie1200]

Best over all, Spartacus: not only is it well-written and well-acted, but behind the scenes, Kirk Douglas used the movie to (a) deliver a hammer blow to the studio system, and (b) delivered a death blow to McCarthy’s blacklist, by openly hiring blacklisted actors and telling Congress to go pound sand. I’ll take this over Heston’s stuff in Ben Hur and Ten Commandments any day.

Um, genius, McCarthy never had any "blacklist". I'm glad you liked "Spartacus". I did too. But you should make some sort of effort to like it for . . . you know, REAL reasons.

If you want to learn about Republican political paranoia and insanity, you can learn the whole thing in two bits: the fearmongering of “Trouble with a Capital T” from Music Man, and General Ripper’s explanation for nuking the Russians because the Communist plot to fluoridate our water made him impotent.

If you're "learning" about history and politics from Hollywood movies, you're an insufferable twit who shouldn't be allowed out without a babysitter. Get an education and learn to separate entertainment from information.

 

[Jon]

Bump for Amanda.

 

[tigerbob]

Bump for Amanda.

Bump for Amanda? Who's in it? Sounds like porn to me.......

 

[Jon]

Bump for Amanda.

Bump for Amanda? Who's in it? Sounds like porn to me.......

Amanda asked me to make a thread like this, but I already did months ago.

 

[CrimsonWhite]

Bull Durham. Baseball, humor, and sex. Great combo. Should have won the Academy Award for best movie ever made.

A good friend of mine used to say, "This is a very simple game. You throw the ball, you catch the ball, you hit the ball. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, sometimes it rains." Think about that for a while.

 

[Truthmatters]

The Princess Bride

 

[Kalam]

Because it's awesome.

 

[Phate]

The Matrix trilogy because I am fascinated with the idea of artificial intelligence and am completely paranoid robots will take over the future.

 

[Amanda]

Thanks J, I just spotted it.

I get in trouble for talking about "Bump for Amanda" so let's let that just go.

I've been thinking about this since I brought it up in that other thread... it's hard to pick a fav.

It's probably a tie between Fight Club and What Dreams May Come.

Both very diff movies, and I like them for diff reasons, but I think those have to be my picks.

Fight Club is such an interesting character study. And I love all (both?) of the characters. And Brad Pitt is so f'n hot. But Edward Norton has a sort of weird appeal because he's trying so hard to be tough with his cynicism, but is actually pretty vulnerable. Brad Pitt is just pure lust. I won't elaborate or the thread will get locked. And I love Marla. I sees some of myself in her.

What Dreams May Come is such a wonderful spiritual movie. I cry so much when I watch that film. I can understand and sympathize with all the characters SO much. It's one of Robin Williams best performances, IMO. And Max what's his name, the guide that takes them to hell is awesome. Cuba is so good too. The daughter (sorry don't know her name) makes me just cry and cry for the misunderstood hurt she carries.

Other movies I love are...

Pan's Labyrinth

Cidade de Deus (City of God)

American History X

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Donnie Darko

The Sixth Sense

Crash

Magnolia

I guess that would be my top 10. There's probably more. Some movies will have just small parts I think are incredible buried in an otherwise mediocre movie. Pieces of April is like that.


Oh damn, I forgot Requiem For A Dream. What a kick ass movie! I probably forgot 10 more.

 

[CrimsonWhite]

Oh, and Good Will Hunting. Great character study.

 

[manu1959]

i am torn between blackhawk down .... gladiator and 300

 

[Dis]

Last Boy Scout - Funny as all hell
Tango & Cash - Love the "good cop/bad cop" routine
Silence of the Lambs - Creepy - Jack Nicholson is awesome
Titanic - Sappy chick flick you just HAVE to love - ultimate snuggle movie.

Can't do just one...

 

[manu1959]

Bump for Amanda.

is that the one about the olde dude and the teanage girl......

 

[Dis]

Bump for Amanda.

is that the one about the olde dude and the teanage girl......

 

[xsited1]

A cult classic!

 

[Xenophon]

It's changed again, right now it's:

Goodfellas

Gone with the Wind

Forbidden Planent.

 

[Jon]

Silence of the Lambs - Creepy - Jack Nicholson is awesome

 

[KittenKoder]

Silence of the Lambs - Creepy - Jack Nicholson is awesome

You got a problem with Jack?