What are your favorite movies of all time? The ones that knocked your socks off. Or at least that you were seriously impressed by.
Besides the ones everyone knows and has already seen.— Gone with the Wind - Cool Hand Luke -Wizard of Oz - Bonny and Clyde. The Godfather etc.
The ones not quite so famous that are still super enjoyable, and that many people might not have seen, and that I can add to my list.
Two movies I would suggest that I’m fairly certain no one else will is À la folie pas du tout, a French (der) film starring Audrey Tautou as a singular minded paramour, and My First Mister, an independent film about the friendship that develops between the disaffected teenager played by Leelee Sobieski and the straight-laced and middle-aged character portrayed by Albert Brooks.
And, looking over my list of movies I saw through the service before I cancelled it, I’d also suggest:
Saved! – Gentle satire of overzealous Christianity.
25th Hour – A Spike Jones movie starring Edward Norton as a man living out his last 24 hours of freedom.
Very Bad Things – An incredibly dark black comedy.
Sliding Doors – A romantic comedy what-might-have-been starring Gwynyth Paltrow
Lola Rennt (Run Lola, Run) – An action what-might-have-been.
Heavy – A character piece about a man too shy to overcome his loneliness.
After the Sunset – A fluffy heist pic I really enjoyed despite its … uh, fluffiness.
Le Fabuleux destin d’Amélie Poulain (Amelie) – My current favorite movie.
The Hurricaine – A very good boxing biopic starring Denzel Washington
Il Postino (The Postman) – A postman woos a local woman with help of an exiled poet.
Un long dimanche de fiancailles (A Very Long Engagement) – A woman (Audrey Tautou) searches for her fiancee in wake of World War I.
La Vita e Bella (Life is Beautiful) – A Jew uses humor to help his son survive a concentration camp.
Chocolat – A woman defies custom and enlivens a small French village in the process
“The Last Detail”
“Vivre Sa Vie”
“A Touch of Zen”
“Opening Night”
“Sabotage”
Not to mention all of the other crazy stuff you can rent from Netflix – Julia Child’s “The French Chef,” etc.
I have Netflix. At first I just watched movies, but then I realized the true potential. Once I ran out of movies I “just had to see,” I started on all those TV shows that I had missed because I don’t have cable, didn’t get involved soon enough, etc. That way you can catch up on what is going on or just enjoy shows of the past.
I can’t get to Netflix at the moment, so I can’t confirm that there are all there—but I think they are. Anyway, a few more-or-less offbeat ones I can think of:
The Last Valley (Issues of faith and death in the Thirty Years War. Good if you think Akira was too upbeat.)
The Wicker Man (Murder mystery on a Scottish island…an island that turns out to be a pagan holdout.)
Dog Soldiers (Like Zulu, but with werewolves.)
Swashbuckler (Robert Shaw as a merry pirate. It ain’t Amadeus, but it’s not trying to be. Speaking of which…)
Immortal Beloved (Beethoven biopic. A little artistic licence taken with the story, but it has some stunning moments.)
Downfall (aka Der Untergang) (About the last weeks of Hitler’s life—very accurate. Noted for it’s very in-depth portrayal of Hitler.)
Guinea Pig: Flower of Flesh and Blood (Japanese horror/faux snuff film. Gory. Very, very, goooory. Some nice singing, too.)
Silents:
• The comletely dazzling, experimental Man With a Movie Camera.
• Berlin: Symphony of a Great City
• Harold Lloyd in The Freshman.
• Buster Keaton in Seven Chances.
• The poetic Sunrise.
• Science fiction classic Metropolis.
A lot of great suggestions. Printed them out for future reference.
Any more?
A Mighty Wind, a sendup of 60’s-era folk music and IMHO the best of the Christopher Guest mockumentries. For more of the same, Best in Show (dog shows) and Waiting for Guffman (community theater). But A Mighty Wind just has a je ne sais quois about it. I could watch it over and over.
O, Brother Where Art Thou?. Depression-era buddy adventure/retelling of the Odyssey from the Coen Brothers. “Damn, we’re in a tight spot!” Also, excellent music.
Henry V, the one with Kenneth Branaugh.
Ridicule – a French film about social climbing through wit in the pre-French Revolutionary days. A very dry comedy with lots of good burns. 
And speaking of a good insult The Lion in Winter starring Katherine Hepburn and Peter O’Toole is just jam-packed full of them. It’s about Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine and the sucession of the throne of England.
Capturing the Friedmans – a very disturbing documentary about a family torn apart by allegations of sexual abuse. Did I mention disturbing?
Don’t forget the anime Metropolis, too.
Explorers is an old favorite, too.
Here are a couple of my less famous 5 star choices:
12 Angry Men
Amadeus
City of God
Dog Day Afternoon
Dr. Strangelove
Friday
Hotel Rwanda
Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels
Master and Commander
Patton
Planet of the Apes
SLC Punk
Spirited Away
Also my two cents on some of the other films recommended: 25th Hour is by Spike Lee not Spike Jonze, and while a beautifully shot film (particularily the 9/11 ground zero backgrounds) didn’t hold my attention. I didn’t love anime Metropolis either… Fritz Lang’s Metropolis is another story. Capturing the Freedmans might be the most disturbing film I’ve ever watched. Even after hearing all sides of the story I still had no idea what really went on.
Whoops. No idea why I said Jones, not Lee. I knew that.
Thanks for the correction.
Oh my, where to begin? I suppose I could narrow it down if I knew what kind of films you were interested in, but here is a (relatively) small list of my current favorites (consider repeats from movies mentioned above a hearty second from me):
Being stationed in Japan, I’m not a very good judge of this, so forgive me if I include something glaringly obvious in my list 
The Believer - A self-hating Jewish kid who views his force-fed Judaism as his single greatest tribulation joins up with the Neo-Nazis.
The Princess Bride - A wonderfully comedic fairy tale, complete with pirates and fencing, a swashbuckler bent on revenge, an evil mastermind, a rhyming giant, and a misanthropic Hebrew Hermit.
Brazil - An everyman worker living in a distopian futuristic society dominated by a horrific beaurocracy tries to buck the system, finding both love and madness. Fantastically bizarre, with a superlative cameo by Robert de Niro as a renegade repairman (he dares to fix people’s gadgets without the appropriate paperwork).
Memento - An amnesiac (sort of – he has no short-term memory past a certain date) tries to solve his wife’s murder by leaving himself notes in strange places, which he must continually somehow find and review as his investigation progresses.
The Usual Suspects - Kaiser Soze is a mythical criminal mastermind whose name strikes fear into the heart of the underworld, though nobody has ever actually seen him. This incredible caper revolves around his henchmen as they undertake one final job for the legendary, and so far invisible, boss.
Man On Fire - Denzel Washington is an assassin-turned-bodyguard in this brutal (and very stylized) revenge-thriller. When his charge is abducted, he proceeds to rain fiery judgement down on the perpetrators. Total badass.
The Boondock Saints - Two working-class Irish brothers get into a bar fight with the mafia and accidentally discover that they are vigilantes sent by God.
Spirited Away - An animated Japanese film about a little girl who gets trapped in a bizarre spirit-world, where she must appease and outsmart the gods in order to get back home, discovering her true self along the way. Gorgeous animation.
Office Space - A hilarious look at an average American office worker and the trials he must face on a daily basis. Peter (Jon Livingston) takes epic revenge against his bosses, the company, and the fax machine.
The Big Lebowski - A quirky caper centered around two unrelated Lewbowskis and a hijacked ransom. Follow The Dude (Jeff Bridges) as he navigates through a labyrinth of bowling lanes, seedy porn studios, urinating Chinamen, German nihilists, flashbacks from 'Nam, and joyriding delinquents to uncover the truth about the stolen cash.
Waking Life - A study of philosophical discourse in fantastic rotoscopic animation. Will the main character ever awaken from his bizarre slumber, or is he doomed to dream his way through life? The visuals are as surreal and abstract as the subject matter.
Reservoir Dogs - A diamond heist goes horribly wrong, leaving this gang of would-be robbers wondering if there is a mole among them. An all-star cast (Harvey Keitel, Michael Madsen, Tim Roth, Steve Buscemi, etc) and Quentin Tarantino’s hallmark dialogue and storytelling style make this film an incredible, if a bit brutal, heist flick.
Amadeus - A fictional retelling of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s tumultuous career from the point of view of his rival Salieri, who claims to be the cause behind his untimely death.
The Power of One - A very young Stephen Dorff plays PK, an english boy growing up in South Africa during WWII. Plagued by prejudice and schoolyard bullies, PK takes up boxing in order to fight his tormentors; he eventually turns his fight against Apartheid, which is quickly taking root across the country, and soon learns that one person really can make a difference. Morgan Freeman co-stars as his boxing instructor. I never thought a boxing flick could be so inspiring.
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead - Gary Oldman and Tim Roth play the ill-fated duo from Hamlet. We all know what happens to them during Shakespeare’s masterwork, but what mischief are they getting into during the Hamlet scenes in which they have no part? Absurdist playwright Tom Stoppard brilliantly explores their lives behind the scenes of Elsinore.
Trainspotting - Heroin, botched drug deals, and Ewan McGregor’s penis are spotlighted in this comedy about a group of burnouts across the pond. Choose life.
Kung Fu Hustle - Slapstick, Martial Arts, and Wire Stunts. What more could one ask for? A petty thief discovers his inner kung-fu in this intentionally-campy, ridiculously over-the-top farce from Hong Kong.
12 Monkeys - A man-made virus decimates most of the earth’s population, forcing the survivors to live in sterile underground bunkers. Bruce Willis is tasked to travel back in time, investigate its origins, and prevent the outbreak in this gritty and hilariously quirky sci-fi thriller, co-starring Brad Pitt as a psychopathic animal-rights terrorist and directed by Terry Gilliam of Monty Python infamy.
Fight Club - Edward Norton is a neurotic everyman, growing disillusioned with his soul-crushing corporate job and America’s commercialism/materialism as a whole. He joins Brad Pitt in founding a network of underground fight clubs, where average Americans can vent their anger on each other in gruesome no-holds-barred basement fights, but soon these Fight Clubs grow into something much larger and more sinister than he could ever have imagined…
Pi - A brilliant mathematician unleashes the true power of pi, uncovering a way to reliably predict the stock market and revealing a hidden truth within the Torah, leading to Pursuit By Very Powerful And Fanatical People, and ultimately, insanity.
American History X - Edward Norton is a Neo-Nazi who is sent to jail for his hate crimes. Upon his release, he discovers that his little brother is following along a similar path to destruction. Turning his back on his old gang, he tries to teach his brother the epiphanies he experienced while in jail. [Cheesy blurb]But can he reach him in time??? [/cheesy blurb]
Ghost in the Shell - Japanese anime set in a future where the line between man and machine are increasingly blurred by advances in cybernetics. This highly artistic and stylized film explores that relationship, as well as that of artificial intelligence and, ultimately, artificial life. If the visual effects remind you of The Matrix, consider this the source material. If you enjoy this, definitely see the sequel, Ghost in the Shell: Innocence, which is less heavy-handed with the philosophy (though it’s still very much present) and just as gloriously animated.
The Fisher King - Robin Williams is a traumatized yuppie-turned-homeless-crusader on a quest for the Holy Grail in modern-day Manhattan. Jeff Bridges becomes his unwilling partner-in-mischief when his suicide attempt is thwarted by the homeless lunatic.
Grosse Point Blank - John Cusack is an elite assassin who returns home for a high-school reunion. Criminal shenanigans ensue.
Ronin - A European spy caper starring Robert de Niro and Jean Reno. Packed with action, intrigue, and betrayals, and one of the greatest car chases in recent cinematic memory. A good time to be had by all 
The Professional - Jean Reno is a professional hitman who saves a very young Natalie Portman from a viciously corrupt detective (Gary Oldman) and subsequently helps her exact revenge.
Rushmore - Bill Murray takes an eccentric teenaged student under his wing and ends up vying with him for the affection of his teacher, which turns into an all-out war. Hilarity ensues.
High Fidelity - John Cusack, a ginormous collection of vinyl records, sputtering relationships, and mix tapes. What more can be said about this masterpiece?
Ghost World - An eccentric high school girl grows bored with her small town and small life. It seems there is nothing this world can offer to fit her very unique personality; that is, until she meets a middle-aged lonely geek played masterfully by Steve Buscemi.
Okay, so I got a little bit carried away. Insanely enough, I still consider this my “short list” (and I’ve left off ones I considered major blockbusters).
If by chance one of these films blows you away, I’ll be happy to recommend similar movies not listed here.
There are many good listings, but if you give me your screen name I can add you to the friends list and you can peruse my ratings. Otherwise, here are some of my 5 star rankings that were not yet listed:
Da Ali G Show: HBO comedy show. British guy in various characters interviews real politicians etc and makes fun of them. Hilarious.
Eddie Izzard: Dress to Kill: Crossdressing comedian’s standup routine. This is his best and had be in tears.
High Planes Drifter: One of Clint Eastwood’s oddist westerns. Serious anti-hero.
North by Northwest: A classic. The scenes between Cary Grant and Eva Marie Saint on the train are my favorite romantic moments in cinema.
Roman Holiday: Also a classic. My favorite Audrey Hepburn movie.
Rocky: People sometimes forget that the first one was a great film. The rest were crap in my opinion, even including the second.
Solaris: The original Solyaris felt somewhat clunky to me. I greatly enjoyed the 2002 remake though. It was originally billed as having, well, some action by stringing together every scene where someone moves at a brisk walk or faster together. Very slow, very verrebral, very good.
A few I liked that haven’t been mentioned:
Snatch
American Splendor
White (foreign language)
No Man’s Land (foreign language)
I’d especially recommend No Man’s Land. It just blew me away.
Without reading anything above me, but doing a quick check for the movie, I’ll give one suggestion:
Noises Off!
Waking Ned Devine - An hilarious Irish comedy about the people in a small town who try to claim the lottery winnings of a guy who died from the shock of winning it.
Shaun of the Dead – A British zombie movie spoof. Rip roaringly funny.
Kissing Jessica Stein. Charming little Indy film about a straight Jewish girl who decides to try being a lesbian after her ex-fiancé tells her she’s too picky.
Silent Running; 1972, Bruce Dern tries to save the last nature reserves in a spaceship after all the trees on earth have died, and he’s ordered to destroy them and return home. Bring kleenex.
And if you’re checking out Buster Keaton films, a must-see is The General; “When Union spies steal an engineer’s beloved locomotive, he pursues it single handedly and straight through enemy lines.”
If you want an utterly exquisite epic period film, see Kubrick’s Barry Lyndon; “An Irish rogue wins the heart of a rich widow and assumes her dead husband’s position in 18th Century aristocracy.”
Two other old favorites of mine are the 1939 version of The Man in the Iron Mask, and the 1934 Leslie Howard/Merle Oberon version of The Scarlet Pimpernel.
FYI: If that intrigues you, be sure to get the second disk (Netflix separates multi-disk sets), which includes all the additional material, including a follow-up public meeting with many of the principals still at each other’s throats despite the passage of time.
In honor of the season, for the Interesting Flick You Should See list, I nominate Mixed Nuts, with Steve Martin and Madeline Kahn. Weird, wonderful and a fun collection of slightly offbeat Christmas music.
I love these threads because no one ever mentions the movie I do. Not sure if it’s on dvd yet or not, but it is on vhs. Hopefully subtitles don’t scare you.
Before The Rain Along the lines of No Man’s Land. 3 interwoven stories around the Bosnian war that are tied up at the end, in a way that will surprise you and change your mind about …someone. Macedonian.
A couple others.
Dreamlife of Angels 2 young women in France, and how they try to cope with living.
Europa, Europa A jewish boy hides by joining the Hitler Youth and how he makes it thru the war.
And an American one not mentioned I think. The Pianist with Adrian Brody.
Here’s a few more:
“High/Low” (I think is the way the title is spelled). Kurosawa directed – I think it’s his best movie, by far. Even if you have no particular interest or admiration for Japanese culture, it’s a rather engaging movie, with some of the best framing I’ve ever seen.
“La reine Margot” Daniel Auteuil as Henri IV; Isabelle Adjani as the title character. My favorite adaptation of a Dumas novel.
And, to be perverse, because I doubt Netflix has it, but you should really try to lobby them to carry it, “L’Homme atlantique,” written and, I believe, directed by Marguerite Duras. I think it’s about the coolest movie ever, next to “For a Few Dollars More,” which is also great.
Also, the BBC adaptation of “Nostromo,” starring Colin Firth, is one of the best adaptations of a novel I’ve seen on screen. It’s long, but it’s a great ride. “Time Regained” is up there, as is “The Wings of the Dove,” if you like novelistic cinema, or cinematic novels, or something.
Antonioni’s movies with Monica Vitti were some of the first movies I really loved. “Blow Up” is great if you get the version with an absolutely weird commentary by an English professor. The commentary track alone is priceless – every other sentence is ridiculous, indefensible, chozzerai. It’s so bad, it’s great. And the flick’s OK, I guess, too.
I already mentioned it, but “The Last Detail” is really the one movie where Jack Nicholson earned his reputation as an actor, IMO. Nobody seems to give it the props I think it deserves.
Hitchcock, “Topaz” is also a very fine movie, up there with “Sabotage” (which is a very loose adaptation of Conrad’s “Secret Agent” – a novel about anarchistic suicide bombers, of all things) and “Marnie” and the rest of his fantastic set of movies.