Tron
The Adventures of Baron Munchausen
The Fifth Element
I’ll throw in “Spirited Away”. The attention to detail in this movie is incredible…the spirit creatures, the bathhouse, Yubaba’s quarters contrasted to Zeneba’s cottage, the train. I think I’ll watch Spirited Away again…
I’ve always thought Blade Runner was a bit overrated at times for other reasons. But in terms of production design it’s difficult to think of anything that tops it. It may be the all time winner in this regard.
What impresses me more about Blade Runner than, say, Barry Lyndon, to use your other example, is that in the former case a convincing world had to be not only built and filmed, but created from a conceptual level and made convincing. The world of Barry Lyndon actually existed once; you don’t need to be convinced that what you are seeing is a real world. Sure, some do it better than others, but the viewer needs no convincing that this world is internally consistent. Unless there’s some horrid anachronism that takes you out of the movie, you’ll settle into the world being presented to you right away; oh, okay, I’m in 18th-century Europe, or classical Rome, or World War II, or what have you.
But the L.A. seen in Blade Runner didn’t exist, or doesn’t yet, and had to be created from scratch. All sci-fi movies do this, but some a LOT better than others, and Blade Runner best of all. As cliche as it is to mention the movie in any context, Star Wars also has amazing set design. And Dune was equally awesome. But why I think Blade Runner was better is that it went beyond just being “let’s make a world different from this, and spend a lot of money on it and make sure it’s got a unique, consistent feel.” It was a world different from this, but clearly evolved from this, and in a way that (in 1982) seemed reasonably possible.
They managed to set our world decades ahead in a way you could totally buy as a realistic outcome, and yet that still surprised and amazed you.
Much as I dislike the movie, “What Dreams May Come” was just beautifully designed.
Like RickJay I have reservations about “Blade Runner” as a story, but yeah it might be the best ever at creating a new and visually fascinating world.
“Baron Munchausen” had some fine moments.
Another beautiful vision was “Hudsucker Proxy.” And rest in peace, Paul.
The Umbrellas of Cherbourg
Batman ('89) and well, pretty much any Tim Burton movie.
Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events - this looks more like a “Roald Dahl” world than any movie actually based on Dahl’s books.
Popeye - maybe the movie’s not so great, but the look and feel of the town of Sweethaven and its citizens is really well done.
Moulin Rouge
- City of Lost Children*
Seconding The Royal Tenenbaums and The Darjeeling Limited and adding The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou.
Oh, amen.
Akira
1492: Conquest of Paradise
Star Wars (Honestly, I think that’s a major reason for the franchise’s longevity and popularity)
Burton’s Batman movies
The Crow
No one has mentioned Dark City yet, so I guess I will. Not the best, but well worth praising IMHO.
K, unless I missed something in my C&Ping, here’s what’s been mentioned so far. Anyone want to add clarification or anything?
Akira
Alien
Alien
Apocalypto
Archangel
Baron Munchausen
Barry Lyndon
Blade Runner
Blade Runner
Blade Runner
Bram Stoker’s Dracula
Brazil
Brazil
Brazil
Burton’s Batman movies
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
City of Lost Children
City of Lost Children
City of Lost Children
Cleopatra
Close Encounters
Country
Cube
Dark City
Delicatessen
Doctor Zhivago
Dune
Dune
Dune
E.T
Field of Dreams
Forbidden Planet
1492: Conquest of Paradise
Gattaca
Hamlet
HGTTG
Hudsucker Proxy
Intolerance
Jean Cocteau’s Beauty and the
Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate
LOTR
Lyndon
Matrix
Minority Report
Moulin Rouge
Neverending Story
One from the Heart
Pan’s Labyrinth
Pirates of the
Prospero’s Books
Restoration
Se7en
Shane
Spirited Away
Stalker
Star Wars
Team America: World Police
Adventures of Baron Munchausen
Cell
Cook, the Thief, his Wife, and her Lover
Crow
Darjeeling Limited
Darjeeling Limited
Dark Crystal
Fifth Element
Incredibles
Island
Last Emperor
Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
Royal Tenenbaums
Royal Tenenbaums
Scarlet Empress
Secret Garden
Time Bandits
Tron
2001
2001
Umbrellas of Cherbourg
What a Way to Go
What a Way to Go
What Dreams May Come
What Dreams May Come
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
In my all-time top ten (this week, anyway):
Night of the Hunter. It’s a tragedy that Charles Laughton never directed again.
Also, any movie directed by Orson Welles, but these are my favourites:
A Touch of Evil, arguably the most famous tracking shot in all of cinema.
Othello. Doom, Doom, DOOOM!
The Lady from Shanghai. Origin of the hall-of-mirrors cliche?
None of these clips are done justice by the crappy size and resolution of youtube clips so I hope people will hunt these movies down in the theatre or, at the very least, see them on DVD to truly appreciate these visual masterpieces.