Five Perfect Movies

Cafe Society
161

The Muppet Movie.

Spectacular technical movie magic. Original songs that are all winners. Compelling and heartfelt story and characters. Great comedy delivered impeccably. A huge list of cameos, all of whom were given roles that suit them.

It’s a movie about friendship. About life. About movies. About self-acceptance. And manages to be about these things without being overbearing, sappy, or cliche, but also without hiding from the emotion via intellectualizing or making jokes about it. 10/10, no notes.

162

Here are my top 5, and they happen to be in different genres:

Comedy: Dr. Strangelove
Thriller/Adventure: Jaws
Horror: The Exorcist
Drama: Who’s Afraid of Viginia Woolf?
Sci-fi: 2001: A Space Odyssey

163

Swingers
Pulp Fiction
Rogue One
The Sound of Music
It’s a Wonderful Life

164

I always thought it only meant Heaven, so, yeah, I agree that’s better!

165

Another five of mine:

2001: A Space Odyssey - Brilliant, epic sf on the history of, and next step for, humanity itself
Toy Story - Funny, clever tale of what really happens among toys when you leave the room
The Grand Budapest Hotel - A demanding Ruritanian concierge trains his eager protege; Wes Anderson’s best film
Gladiator - Sweeping historical drama about a betrayed Roman general and the revenge he seeks
The Sixth Sense - A finely-crafted ghost story that I found both scary and, ultimately, heartbreaking

166

There are many movies which I loved on first watch but have zero desire to see again. My five favorite movies after multiple viewings:

Kelly’s Heroes
Donnie Darko
Aliens
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
Kung Fu Hustle

167

Inglourious Basterds

Alien

Whiplash

Sinners

Heat

168
  • Rear Window
  • The Godfather
  • The Godfather II
  • The Green Mile
  • Mulholland Drive
169

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone
The first movie introduced viewers to the unique characters and hidden world of Wizards.

Rocky The romance of Rocky and Adrian. The gritty world of a down and out club boxer that gets a once in a lifetime opportunity.

Magnificent Seven Incredible characters and story. The betrayal by the farmers and the hired guns reaction is so memorable.

Marty Ernest Borgnine’s greatest role as a ugly man that finds love and redemption.

Shane Alan Ladds greatest role as a gunfighter who falls in love with his friends wife. His honorable decision to risk his life for that family and then ride away is a great story.

170

It should be - it was adapted from Akira Kurosawa’s The Seven Samurai. Fun to compare them and both wonderful films. I have a hard time thinking of a better conversion of a story from one setting to another.

171

Marty was telecast live May 24, 1953, on The Philco Television Playhouse with Rod Steiger.

The movie with Borgnine was made a couple years later. He had played mostly heavys. This role made him sympathetic to viewers.

172

A top ten would have been easier, but I resisted.

Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)
Suspiria (1977)
Jaws (1975)
Wizard of Oz (1939)
Taxi Driver (1976)

173

Harry and Tonto

La Strada

Nashville

They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?

The Battle of Algiers

174

The General (Keaton)

King Kong (1933- the only Kong)

Blue Velvet

Robocop

The Player

175

This is Spinal Tap
The Usual Suspects
Double Indemnity
Young Fronkensteen
Children of Men

In all cases, these movies seem to achieve what they intend to accomplish about as perfectly as possible.

176

One of the most underrated, I think. Stunning.

177

Inspired by what I’ve read in this thread, here are my next five:

Dave - Terrific political comedy
Lincoln - Gives you a sense of Lincoln’s greatness
Arrival - Alien first contact and a bittersweet love story
Sense and Sensibility - Wonderful, heartfelt Austen adaptation
Glory - My all-time favorite Civil War movie