# Help me build this film genre library. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 29, 2006, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-build-this-film-genre-library/342123 "2006-01-29T22:45:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2006, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-build-this-film-genre-library/342123/1 "2006-01-29T22:45:05Z")
The movies I already have and/or in the process of buying: Boondock Saints Snatch Lock, Stock, Two Smoking Barrels Suicide Kings Memento Knockaround Guys Things to do in Denver when you’re Dead Any suggestions of movies that have a similar theme and feel? ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2006, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-build-this-film-genre-library/342123/2 "2006-01-29T23:18:01Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > The movies I already have and/or in the process of buying: > > Boondock Saints > Snatch > Lock, Stock, Two Smoking Barrels > Suicide Kings > Memento > Knockaround Guys > Things to do in Denver when you’re Dead > Any suggestions of movies that have a similar theme and feel? Sounds like you’re looking for small-time-gangster action films with quirky characters and a good dose of humor. Why is Memento on the list? Just wondering. By the way I also really like both Knockaround Guys and Suicide Kings, which I think are two highly underrated movies. ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2006, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-build-this-film-genre-library/342123/3 "2006-01-29T23:25:15Z")
I’d add the following to your gangster/crime/“neo-noir” library: Reservoir Dogs True Romance Pulp Fiction The Usual Suspects Layer Cake 2 Days In the Valley Clay Pigeons Sin City Goodfellas Grosse Pointe Blank Bottle Rocket ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2006, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-build-this-film-genre-library/342123/4 "2006-01-29T23:38:57Z")
Dude, you need to get The Big Lebowski 😉 ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2006, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-build-this-film-genre-library/342123/5 "2006-01-29T23:59:39Z")
I recommend adding (not all may be available on DVD): _Charley Varrick_ _Get Carter_ (the original with Michael Caine, nto the Stallone remake) _The Hit_ _Sexy Beast_ _The Long Good Friday_ _The Anderson Tapes_ _The Friends of Eddie Coyle_ I’ve kinda got a thing for British gangster flicks, the genre of four of the above. ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2006, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-build-this-film-genre-library/342123/6 "2006-01-30T00:15:39Z")
Along those lines, I’m one of the only people who liked Payback with Mel Gibson, a remake of Point Blank with Lee Marvin. It didn’t do well because I don’t think audiences wanted to see Mel Gibson playing a badass bad guy, but I thought it was fun. For more crime/gangster/action period pieces, I should also recommend: L.A. Confidential (Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce, Kevin Spacey) Last Man Standing (Bruce Willis, Christopher Walken) Road To Perdition (Tom Hanks, also playing a rare bad guy in a movie that didn’t do well) ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2006, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-build-this-film-genre-library/342123/7 "2006-01-30T02:44:32Z")
Payback was pretty good and is definitely worth checking out. It’s a bit older, but you may want to add The Sting to your list. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2006, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-build-this-film-genre-library/342123/8 "2006-01-30T02:58:19Z")
> [@Big Bad Voodoo Lou](#): > > Road To Perdition (Tom Hanks, also playing a rare bad guy in a movie that didn’t do well) I don’t think Tom Hanks really played a bad guy in that movie. He was not the bad guy _of the movie._ He was a criminal but not a bad man, really. ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2006, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-build-this-film-genre-library/342123/9 "2006-01-30T03:06:26Z")
> [@Argent Towers](#): > > I don’t think Tom Hanks really played a bad guy in that movie. He was not the bad guy _of the movie._ He was a criminal but not a bad man, really. Oh, I agree, he is definitely the protagonist, and I personally rooted for him. But the truth is, I don’t think audiences could warm up to the idea of Tom Hanks as a cold-blooded killer, and it wasn’t a big hit as a result. Hanks is known for playing “nice guys” all the time (and seems to be a nice guy in real life, from all accounts), and the public just doesn’t like to see some actors cast against type. John Wayne NEVER played bad guys in his entire career, and occasionally when modern stars do, I notice their movies never do as well: Hanks in _Road To Perdition_, Mel Gibson in the aforementioned _Payback_, Bruce Willis in _The Jackal_. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2006, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-build-this-film-genre-library/342123/10 "2006-01-30T03:36:12Z")
> [@Big Bad Voodoo Lou](#): > > John Wayne NEVER played bad guys in his entire career. Well, not _quite_ [never](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0049092/combined). ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2006, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-build-this-film-genre-library/342123/11 "2006-01-30T03:45:48Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > Boondock Saints > Snatch > Lock, Stock, Two Smoking Barrels > Suicide Kings > Memento > Knockaround Guys > Things to do in Denver when you’re Dead > > Any suggestions of movies that have a similar theme and feel? I am guessing you are going for non-period (ruling out Road to Perdition) and non-epic (ruling out Godfather, any Scorsese), non-Asian (ruling out any Chan, Lee or Li) quirky bumbling ganster films. I would add: Made (Vaugn & Favreu) Go (Jay Mohr, Scott Wolf) True Romance (Slader) 3 Days in the Valley (Spader, Theron, Hatcher) The Transporter Gone in Sixty Seconds Oceans Eleven Oceans Twelve The Italian Job ---
**Author:** ![Number](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/number/32/242_2.png) [@Number](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Number)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2006, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-build-this-film-genre-library/342123/12 "2006-01-30T03:59:05Z")
[Circus](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0191037/combined) fits the genre and is watchable, though it doesn’t really have any outstanding bits other than Eddie Izzard’s scenes. ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2006, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-build-this-film-genre-library/342123/13 "2006-01-30T04:01:04Z")
> [@Otto](#): > > Well, not _quite_ [never](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0049092/combined). I thought I had successfully blocked that one out! Damn you! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2006, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-build-this-film-genre-library/342123/14 "2006-01-30T04:19:46Z")
Some Aussie ones: [Two Hands](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0145547/) with Heath Ledger, Bryan Brown, Rose Byrne, Susie Porter. Great lowkey lowlife movie that sees 19 year old Ledger in debt to a Sydney crime boss. [Dirty Deeds](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0280605/) with Brown again. Toni Colette, Sam Neill, John Goodman and Sam Worthington. American gangsters try to muscle in to the Sydney scene in the 1960s. [Gettin’ Square](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0341376/) Worthington leads, David Wenham and Timothy Spall. Worth watching for Wenham’s court scene alone - funny stuff. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2006, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-build-this-film-genre-library/342123/15 "2006-01-30T12:03:32Z")
[Killing Zoe](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110265/) [Going in Style](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0079219/)? ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2006, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-build-this-film-genre-library/342123/16 "2006-01-30T16:49:18Z")
Glaring omission: _Hudson Hawk_. Maybe _Breaking In_. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2006, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-build-this-film-genre-library/342123/17 "2006-01-30T16:52:23Z")
I would throw Run Lola Run in there as well. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2006, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-build-this-film-genre-library/342123/18 "2006-01-30T17:38:33Z")
The Hustler Shade (if it’s cheap enough) ---
**Author:** ![SSG\_Schwartz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@SSG\_Schwartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SSG_Schwartz)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2006, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-build-this-film-genre-library/342123/19 "2006-01-30T18:13:03Z")
I would reccomend _October 22_–It is similar to _Memento_ in that it starts at the end and works toward the beginning. Another one is _Usual Suspects_, I would think that would be on your list somewhere. Enjoy ---
**Author:** ![Corporate\_Hippie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/65b543/32.png) [@Corporate\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corporate_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2006, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-build-this-film-genre-library/342123/20 "2006-01-30T18:20:03Z")
I’ll recommend the recent **Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang** , but it’s not out on DVD yet. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-build-this-film-genre-library/342123.md?page=2)