Melancholia (2011) : Melancholia depicts a doomsday that mirrors the profound existential dread and depression many of us feel about the modern climate crisis. But, unlike the film’s inescapable, no-win planetary collision, the real-world crisis of global warming is still within our power to address—at least for now. Mitigating the looming mass extinction event (Holocene) we are currently hurtling toward, largely driven by human activity, demands collective responsibility through systemic reform, education, and policy change. As a compelling follow-up to the film’s bleak vision, watching Carl Sagan’s Senate testimony on climate change offers both a sobering reality check and a reminder that hope—and action—are still within reach.
Either of the Monty Python comedies: The Holy Grail or The Life of Brian. No funnier movies were ever made.
I got yelled at by my wife and son when we watched the movie for pointing out exactly that.
As much as lawyers hate on Runaway Jury, it basically fits into the archetype of Twelve Angry Men.
For my next offense, let me tell you about Casablanca…
Stranger
Perhaps where it’s explained why the Nazis don’t walk over to Laszlo’s table and just shoot him?
One of the best comedies ever made.
Death In Venice.
There’s that famous quote by…. Uh, been drinking. Something like:
There may be better movies made, but no movie will ever be a greater work of art.
I’m comfortable with that.
j
Cinema Paradiso. I recommend the original Italian. 10m minutes in, you forget you are reading subtitles. If any film ever celebrates the love of film, it’s this one. There’s two versions. If you only watch one, make it the theatrical cut. The director’s cut is for a subsequent viewing, as it completely changes the tone of the film and how you feel about the characters and situation. Most Director’s cuts are just indulging in extra footage, but this one is different. It actually impacts the story.
Who’s the king of animals in Africa?
Kimba, the white lion is his name.
Because it’s December 1941 in Unoccupied France. It would have been counterproductive. They don’t get really nasty until November 1942, when they move in and take complete control of the country.
Morocco. The Free French took control there in November, 1942.
And until then, the Vichy French were in control.
The Last Picture Show - it is meaningful to me.
But I am from that part of the world, and I seemly know those characters.
If “knowing those characters” is a thing, then I’d suggest The Breakfast Club.
We know, or knew, all of them, back when we were at high school: the Princess, the Jock, the Brain, the Criminal, and the Basket Case. But that’s all we knew them as. We may not have actually known them the way we get to in the film, when the actors’ characters reveal their foibles and fears. As someone once said, they enter as stereotypes to us, and leave as individuals to us. In other words, there can be a lot behind the facade they adopt.
A good lesson for young people, even today, I’d suggest.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show. A cult classic with unforgettable music and flamboyant performances—led by Tim Curry’s iconic Dr. Frank-N-Furter—that should be seen in a movie theater with theatrics and audience participation at midnight. A one-of-a-kind cinematic event that perfectly blends movie-watching, theatricality, and pure communal fun.
One of my favorites hand in hand in with
Only Lovers Left Alive
Otherwise I feel the 1930’s were an era of great movies that should be seen.
Captains Courageous
It Happened One Night
Mr Smith goes to Washington
Wizard of Oz
Freaks
King Kong
Bride of Frankenstein
And more…
As a kid, watching TWoK and then The Search for Spock, I suspect I never picked up on your earlier point:
Having seen the discrete elements of loss:
- Loss of identity in loss of Command by ‘promotion’;
- loss of youth in physical aging (requiring glasses);
- loss of honor/integrity in having to publicly acknowledge one’s cheating;
- loss in pride in having one’s mistakes come back to life to literally shoot you in the face (Reliant phasering up Enterprise);
- loss in emotions meeting a son you’d never known you had (lost time and bonding)
- the personal loss of one’s best friend;
in forty-some-odd years, I never put them all together . . Thank you!
Tripler
Jeebus, now this movie seems like the ultimate downer!
Read them both, seen both movies. Cuckoo’s Nest wins in both media.
How did I not list that one? There’s definitely an argument for its being the funniest movie ever. (I prefer MP&HG, but I realize that there are people in this world that don’t grok Pythonesque humor.)
Speaking of movies I saw but didn’t grok…
It’s a very good movie, but no, I didn’t know any of them in high school. Those categories just don’t match up well with my high school as it was then. The categories were more achievers (any potential Brain we had was female, I knew two of them well), hippie freaks and dopers (didn’t know any basket cases though), rednecks, and normies. There were jocks and cheerleaders, but they weren’t a big deal.
Until I’d read down to post 70 (or so) I’d intended to say Duck Soup. It’s funny and smart. And, yes: political.
If I’d been first to the thread I’d probably have said The Grapes of Wrath, in addition to Duck Soup. TGOW doesn’t have a slow moment, and it’s…well, also smart about people and how easily they rationalize exploiting others.
Continuing with the political theme–it’s hard to put it aside, these days–I will mention one that hasn’t been cited yet: De Palma’s 1987 masterpiece The Untouchables. The glamour of evil is well-depicted, as well as the ease with which corruption can take over an entire political entity.
Lastly, I agree with this pick:
Great–and timely–analysis.
Oh, also, just for the sake of seeing a movie that is meaningless beauty, everyone has to see Lost in Translation.