I am so proud of myself. Thanks to the silent cinema class I took this semester, I have seen at least an example from all points on Eve’s first list, (except that documentary, which I will check to see if my store has tonight) and a number of the ones on Ike’s list. And the foreign directors, Eisenstein, Murneau, Lang et all.
I LIKED Eisenstein. What does that say about me? (probably that I’m a psych major and the concept of juxtaposing two different images for maximum responce in your audience is facinating. He studied Pavlov, you know.)
Ooooh, I have an idea. Let’s start a film club. We’ll decide on a movie once a month, and in our intellectually superiour way, discuss said film. And before one of our darling Mods yells at me (hi, boys!) I’ll start a thread over in IMHO Entitled SD Film Club.
You must see The Red Balloon. (and if you are human…cry)
See some Documentries as well.
When We were Kings, Hoop Dreams, and Roger and Me should give you a start.
Just see every film nominated for an Academy Award.
Wait a sec.
Just what kind of film buff do you want to be?
Someone who just knows alot about movies? The kind who always thinks that the French version was soooo much better then the American. (they are usually right) Do you want to talk film with the crowd at the Oscars or at Sundance? For the Oscars just see everything that made more than 80 million domestic. Sundance see everything that made less than 15.
So many wonderful movies, classic and recent have been mentioned already so I am going to attempt naming some that probably haven’t been said yet. Although I do second just about all the movies mentioned so far. I’m trying not to repeat one already said, but if there is a repeat or two…sue me…
I base my judgement calls on overall direction, performance, artistic direction, writing, character development.
Foreign
~Babette’s Feast (Denmark)
~Cinema Paradiso (Italy)
~La Cité des enfants perdus (“City of Lost Children” France)
~My Life as a Dog (Sweden ver.)
~Raise the Red Lantern (China)
More Recent
~Baghdad Cafe (obscure little movie, lots going on under the surface)
~Harold and Maude
~Schindler’s List
~Shawshank Redemption
~The Excorcist
~The Last Emperor
~The Piano
~Titus
~Usual Suspects
~When Harry Met Sally
“Oldies” [sub]although this category was very comprehensively covered already[/sub]
~Bridge on the River Kwai
~Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
~The Philadelphia Story
I’m 20 and I’ve seen 85 of the movies. So, my “score” is 100 on the nose. Just barely a Film Buff, according to the ratings! Not bad though, for being 20.
You have to sit through at least one film by Andrei Tarkovsky to be a true film buff. Staying awake is optional though.
My score? 120 I need to get a life!
I’m actually amazed people haven’t been suggesting the true classics for this film club.
*Monkey and Another, Boxing *
Who here wouldn’t want to see a primate and an unknown figure go at it in a ring? This is a cult classic of epic proportions!
Duncan Smoking
Oh that Duncan. What kind of mischief did he get into this time? We study the psychological tension, the true drama that is Duncan as he went through this ritual. You’ll be rivited.
Duncan and Another, Blacksmith Shop
Duncan becomes so popular, he stars in this sequel. Is it the same “another” who boxed? That is the question film critics have been debating for decades.
Duncan or Devonald with Muslin Cloud
If you thought se7en or Unusual Suspects was full of plot twists and suspense, you just HAVE to watch this film. Despite his famed popularity, you won’t know until right up until the very end whether it is truly Duncan or Devonald on the Muslin Cloud. And what is the Muslin Cloud? Oh no…you must savor this story for yourself.
These are the true cinematic masterpieces film buffs must watch to consider themselves cultured.
Hey, there’s more to Russia than Eisenstein (I’m not a big fan either; Strike’s probably my fave). Vertov’s Man with a Movie Camera trumps anything by Sergei any day, and don’t forget Dovzhenko and Pudovkin (OK, maybe it is mostly Eisenstein )
No No NO NO NO!
This would mean seeing piles of crap while missing these unmissable films (none of which earned a single Oscar nod):
His Girl Friday
Night of the Hunter
A Night at the Opera
The Big Sleep
The Man from Laramie
King Kong
Rio Bravo
Modern Times
The Searchers
Ride the High Country
Bringing Up Baby
Trouble in Paradise
Sullivan’s Travels
Sweet Smell of Success
Footlight Parade
Paths of Glory
Love Me Tonight
Gun Crazy
Letter from an Unknown Woman
The Incredible Shrinking Man
Man’s Castle
On Dangerous Ground
It’s a Gift
Point Blank
Force of Evil
Intruder in the Dust
The Pajama Game
Scarlet Street
The Naked Kiss
Make Way for Tomorrow
The Shop Around the Corner
The Big Combo
Mean Streets
Men in War
Blonde Venus
and that’s just scratching the surface of only American films ignored.
I’ll second the **Miller’s Crossing ** and **Fargo **
. Miller’s Crossing has an added bonus because:
A)There is a plot.
b) Hi Opal!.
c) Gabriel Byrne (hubba hubba hubba)
I haven’t seen anyone add this and damnation, do I have to be the only one, besides DRY, who has seen this film in my lifetime?
**Lion in the Winter **
Katherine Hepburn, Peter O’Toole, Anthony Hopkins, Timothy Dalton all fight and plot for the control of the throne.
Swiddles, if you can,try to watch the films in themes.
I went through a Western Theme and watched nearly all the major John Wayne films in order that they were made.
Did the same when I went through my Mafia phase, and watched James Cagney ( hubba hubba) Bogart and cruised downward to the Godfather Series ( Godfather 3 was simply ruined by Sophia Coppala.)
as I was saying, if you watching them clumped together like like, I found it interesting to see the progression of either characters, plots or how society changed in general.
For film buffdom to set in you must see the entire available catalog of a particular directors work.
I’ve seen everything by Kubrick.
I tried to follow Costas-Gavras but got lost about ‘the music box’
IMDB is immensely helpful in tracking down your favorite directors.
I tried to see everything Werner Herzog ever did (even dwarfs started small through fitzcarraldo and then the repertory theater closed)
I tried to see Altman’s catalog but he kept on making movies that I didn’t see. Streamers was awesome. Dr T? Hmmm.
If you follow a directors path you get an inside track. Some of them make shit just to keep working and then whammo a masterpiece. Some of them have two great movies in them and then make crap after crap (Ridley Scott).
Out of lurkdom for this cool thread. For sheer watchability, check out some of David Mamet’s filmography, e.g. The Spanish Prisoner, House Of Games, The Untouchables, Glengarry Glen Ross. What an engaging writer. He’s one reason I’m avidly anticipating Hannibal.
Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein
Abbott and Costello Meet The Mummy
Abigail’s Party
The Abominable Dr. Phibes
The Absent Minded Professor
Absolute Beginners
The Accused
Adam’s Rib
The Addams Family
Addams Family Values
The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes
The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes’ Smarter Brother
Adventures in Babysitting
The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension
The Adventures of Huck Finn
The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert
The Adventures of Robin Hood
Advise and Consent
An Affair to Remember
The African Queen
After Hours
The Age of Innocence
Agnes of God
Aguirre, the Wrath of God
Airplane!
Aladdin
Alexander Nevsky
Alfie
Alice Adams
Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore
Alien
Alien Nation
Aliens
Alive
All About Eve
All of Me
All Quiet on the Western Front
All That Heaven Allows
All the King’s Men
All the President’s Men
All This and Heaven Too
All Through the Night
Alligator
Altered States
Always for Pleasure
Amadeus
Amarcord
American Beauty
American Dream
The American Friend
American Gigolo
American Graffiti
American Heart
American Hot Wax
An American in Paris
American Pie
An American Tail
An American Werewolf in London
The Americanization of Emily
Anastasia
Anatomy of a Murder
Anchors Aweigh
And God Created Woman
And Then There Were None
Andrei Rublev
The Andromeda Strain
Andy Warhol’s Bad
Angels with Dirty Faces
Anguish
Annie Hall
Another State of Mind
The Apartment
Apocalypse Now
The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz
Arachnophobia
Around the World in 80 Days
Arsenic and Old Lace
Arthur
Artists and Models
Ashes and Diamonds
The Asphalt Jungle
Assault on Precinct 13
At Close Range
Atlantic City
Atomic Cafe
Au Revoir Les Enfants
Auntie Mame
The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman
Autumn Leaves
The Awful Truth
Some good. Some bad. All examples of some point in movie history.
I need to get a life!
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