# Time to pick a new movie **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 15, 2003, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-to-pick-a-new-movie/182046 "2003-06-15T17:13:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2003, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-to-pick-a-new-movie/182046/1 "2003-06-15T17:13:46Z")
I admit it. I am a geek. I keep track of what movies I’ve seen. [Here](http://www.geocities.com/dfranzen70/movies.htm) is a list of all of the movies I’ve watched. Like most people who watch a lot of movies, I find it tough sometimes to find something at the ol’ video store. (I use Blockbuster, by the way, because it’s very convenient to do so.) Here’s my challenge to you guys, then. Choose a movie for me to watch. Criteria: 1. Must not be on the list linked above, obviously. 2. Must be found at your typical Blockbuster. Yes, I know there are zillions of good movies that you won’t find there, and believe you me, I want to see them, too. But let’s not make it too tough on your pal **dan**. I’m going to make it a little tough on _you_, though, and tell you that, quite simply, I like just about every kind of movie. Okay, maybe that’s a little vague. I like _some_ documentaries, but I have to be in a specific mood for them. Same thing with costume dramas or melodramatic romances. I also have a giant list at IMDb of the ones I want to see (332 movies, actually), but many of those aren’t found at your typical Blockbuster, anyway. I’d link to it, but the URL looks like it’s just for the My Movies page of whoever is logged into IMDb, meaning that if you were logged in to their site yourself, you’d see your own page, not mine. Undoubtedly, people will chime in with their favorites, which is great. Movie watching is one thing we can all get unabashedly passionate about, even if what we like is considered dreck by others. I realize that there are other “recommend movies” threads out there, but I didn’t want to hijack someone else’s thread, and besides - I have a **list**. You cannot doubt the list, for it is all powerful. 😉 Thanks! PS. Don’t let the spate of recent movies sway you. I just happened to have fallen behind in the newer stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Tusculan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecd19e/32.png) [@Tusculan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tusculan)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2003, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-to-pick-a-new-movie/182046/2 "2003-06-15T17:30:03Z")
I just skimmed your list, and wonder: would you be open to foreign (i.e. non-US) movies? They aren’t on your list, so it looks like that is an implicit restriction. You can set the rules you like, but if you would allow foreign movies there are a lot that could be recommended. (Blockbuster does carry those, I just checked) Meanwhile, let me recommend _Black Widow_ (1987) with Debra Winger and Teresa Russel. A nice little thriller with a few twists. From the same year is _Lady Beware_, also a thriller, with Diane Lane. She plays a windowdresser who is being stalked. Warning, or recommendation (depending on your wishes): contains some nudity (of ms. Lane). Neither movie is great, but they are pretty decent. IMHO of course. ---
**Author:** ![Bad\_News\_Baboon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5fc32e/32.png) [@Bad\_News\_Baboon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bad_News_Baboon)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2003, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-to-pick-a-new-movie/182046/3 "2003-06-15T17:41:07Z")
If foreign is cool with you, may I suggest Life is Beautiful? If you don’t do foreign, then I suggest Sophie’s Choice. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2003, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-to-pick-a-new-movie/182046/4 "2003-06-15T18:08:59Z")
The Right Stuff Not on your list, and damn well should be at Blockbuster. ---
**Author:** ![Einmon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Einmon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Einmon)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2003, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-to-pick-a-new-movie/182046/5 "2003-06-15T18:10:43Z")
One of my favourite movies: _Léon - The Professional_. Don’t be fooled by people at the videostore who want to give you a movie with Jean Claude Van Damme by the same name. The one I mean stars Jean Reno, Gary Oldman and Natalie Portman. If you want obscure foreign recommendations and it’s available in the US I’d go for _Knocking on Heaven’s Door_. It was a huge success in Germany and is a really good movie. ---
**Author:** ![CyberPundit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@CyberPundit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CyberPundit)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2003, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-to-pick-a-new-movie/182046/6 "2003-06-15T18:20:58Z")
Try some anime films. I recommend Princess Mononoke, Grave of the Fireflies, Jin-Roh: Wolf Brigade, Metropolis, Ghost in the Shell and Spirited Away. All of them are available on DVD in the US and several should be in your local Blockbuster. You seem to like old Hollywood comedies so try Palm Beach Story and Mr Blandings builds his dream home. Chariots of Fire and The Sting are also highly enjoyable. ---
**Author:** ![gyt\_fx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/74df32/32.png) [@gyt\_fx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gyt_fx)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2003, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-to-pick-a-new-movie/182046/7 "2003-06-15T18:30:47Z")
Not being my Favorite movie (i just watched it last night…) Donnie Darko is a great movie, its inthe drama section is farely recent. If you Like the Cheech and Chong movies… I would suggest Cheech and Chong’s: Up in Smoke. I think the best Cheech and Chong movie. Evil Dead 3 is a good movie X-men 2 was a good movies, way better than the first. What Dreams May Come with Robin Williams is a weird movie and is a bit hard to follow… I had to watch it a couple times but its good. ---
**Author:** ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2003, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-to-pick-a-new-movie/182046/8 "2003-06-15T19:28:32Z")
Not being a Blockbuster shopper, I’m not sure they’d have all of these, but I’m hopefool. 😉 [One Day in September](http://us.imdb.com/Details?0230591) - about the Palestinian terrorists at the 1972 Munich Olympics. [Frances](http://us.imdb.com/Details?0083967) - is the biography of actress Frances Farmer. Has the most brilliant performance by Jessica Lange. -and- [Badlands](http://us.imdb.com/Details?0069762) - another true story, this about the killing spree of Starkweather-Fugate in the 1950s directed by Terry Malick. These are some favorites of mine. I hope you enjoy your pursuit. I’m sure I’ll think of more to add later, although your list is pretty impressively extensive. Go **dan**! ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2003, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-to-pick-a-new-movie/182046/9 "2003-06-15T19:37:03Z")
Ugh. My nearest BB is awful. I just came home with a couple, though. **Chicken Run** and, of course, **Dude, Where’s My Car?**. I have to watch Dude. After all, the sequel’s coming out. If I find myself watching that, why… it just plain won’t make sense if I haven’t seen the original… right? Right? Anyway, a dumb movie always has low expectations, so I’m sure I won’t be disappointed. Now, on to the recommendations: **Tusculan** : Foreign films aren’t prohibited (I’ve seen Persona, for example), but they’re not high on my list. They ought to be, perhaps, but as with documentaries, one must be in a certain mood to watch it. I guess for the English-only speaker, these movies are higher maintenance than English-language films. **Black Widow** is on my IMdb list of Movies to See. **Lady Beware** I’ve vaguely heard of, but I don’t think I’ve given it much consideration. The fact that it has a nude Diane Lane does edge it into the must-see category, though. 🙂 \*\* Bad News Baboon\*\*: **Life is Beautiful** is a good choice. I’ve seen **Jakob the Liar** , which I’ve heard is a much more serious (but not necessarily as effective) rendition of the plot. **Sophie’s Choice** is… well, another good choice. I like Kevin Kline, too. **Robot Arm** : I think the main reason I’ve never seen **The Right Stuff** is simply that it’s a long movie. It’s one thing for me to go into the theater for a three-hour movie and another to be in a store full of shorter films catering to my short attention span. Sadly, the long films often lose out. However, fear not! Considering it’s about the space program (as opposed to a slow-moving costume drama), I think I can bear it. **Einmon** : Funny thing, I just saw in the store **Leon - The Professional** , and I had always thought it was called simply **The Professional**. And yes, I mean the one with Jean Reno and Natalie Portman. **CyberPundit** : I should get into the anime a bit more. When I do, I’ll go with one of the one’s you’ve suggested. I have seen **Mr. Blandings** , but not **Palm Beach Story** , though it too is on the IMDb wish list, as is **The Sting**. **gyt\_fx** : I’ve seen **Up in Smoke** , but not **Donnie Darko**. I’ve seen Evil Dead 3, also known as **Army of Darkness**. When **X Men 2** comes out on tape, I’ll see it, if not in the theater. And I’ve heard wildly varying opinions on **What Dreams May Come** ; I think I’d want to see it for at least the cinematography. **hopefool** : I’ve heard of **Badlands** , but thanks for suggesting it. Ditto **One Day in September** (documentary, right?). I’ll have to see about **Frances**. Jessica Lange I can take sometimes, sometimes not. One of the good things about BB stores, though, is that if you know what movie you’re looking for, you can check the inventory of the stores near you online. So if I was dead set on finding **Badlands** , I could go to Blockbuster’s site, plug in my zip code, and see if it was nearby. ---
**Author:** ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2003, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-to-pick-a-new-movie/182046/10 "2003-06-15T19:59:53Z")
**dan** - That’s so cool about knowing up front where, or if you can, find these from Blockbuster. I wish the franchise we used had the same option. Oh, and **One Day in September** is indeed a documentary, but thankfully, not a stodgy one. As to Jessica Lange, I used to couldn’t stand her either and this was the film that won me over. I’d also like to second the recommendation for **Donnie Darko**. That’s been one of the more innovative films that I’ve seen in years, right up there with **Memento** and **The Usual Suspects**. Very awesome. And **Sophie’s Choice** too, as I loooove Meryl Streep and the cinamentography is beautiful. One more blast from my past… if you like teenage angst-type flicks, I fondly remember [Little Darlings](http://us.imdb.com/Details?0081060) as a somewhat more realistic look at coming of age then what we see portrayed now. Besides, who doesn’t love a street-wise punk kid growing up? Good luck! ---
**Author:** ![Windwalker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/5e9695/32.png) [@Windwalker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Windwalker)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2003, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-to-pick-a-new-movie/182046/11 "2003-06-15T20:00:10Z")
Even if you are not too fond of foreign movies, I would heartily recommend Amelie (French) and Il Postino (Italian). Both are excellent, and I can’t think of anyone I know who has seen those movies and not liked them. As for American movies, I would recommend The Ice Storm (if you are into somewhat disturbing character-based dramas), Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (trippy and arty drug movie). Couldn’t really think of any others off-hand that are not on your list 😉 Also, I think you should check out some of Jackie Chan’s older (non-American movies), such as Drunken Master and The Legend of Drunken Master. The story and dialogue are often laughable, so the language thing is not that big of a deal, and I find that a lot of the sequences are better than those in his american movies… ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2003, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-to-pick-a-new-movie/182046/12 "2003-06-15T20:23:22Z")
Those two Jackie Chan films aren’t the same, **Windwalker**? Is one the American remake of the other? Oh, and **hopefool** , I can’ watch **Little Darlings** now, because I read the MAD Magazine spoof of it first. Kind of took the edge off, you know? 😉 ---
**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:** [June 16, 2003, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-to-pick-a-new-movie/182046/13 "2003-06-16T00:34:31Z")
Legend of Drunken Master was the dubbed and slightly edited American theatrical release of Drunken Master 2. DM 1 and 2 (or Legend of DM) are both amazing and hilarious martial arts movies; and some of the best in the genre. ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2003, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-to-pick-a-new-movie/182046/14 "2003-06-16T00:43:34Z")
I haven’t even seen Rush Hour, which I thought about at the store today. Still, I like Jackie Chan films, and I’ll try for Drunken Master one of these days. ---
**Author:** ![BabaBooey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/dfb087/32.png) [@BabaBooey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BabaBooey)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2003, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-to-pick-a-new-movie/182046/15 "2003-06-16T00:55:52Z")
“Leon”, I believe, is an extended version of “The Proffessional”. The additional footage isn’t all that great, but decent enough. I would definitely recommend that, Donny Darko, and the thusfar unmentioned “Boondock Saints.” ---
**Author:** ![BabaBooey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/dfb087/32.png) [@BabaBooey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BabaBooey)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2003, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-to-pick-a-new-movie/182046/16 "2003-06-16T00:58:28Z")
BTW, I felt that Drunken Master was AWFUL; however, my favorite Chan film would have to be “Project A”, and since you only gave it two stars, take my opinion with a grain of salt. ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2003, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-to-pick-a-new-movie/182046/17 "2003-06-16T01:00:10Z")
Sigh. Wish I could remember why I didn’t care for it. Maybe I thought it was too cheesy? ---
**Author:** ![koeeoaddi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/koeeoaddi/32/408_2.png) [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2003, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-to-pick-a-new-movie/182046/18 "2003-06-16T01:25:36Z")
How about [The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes](http://www.sherlock-holmes.org.uk/films/private_life.htm) ? I watch it about once a year. It’s atmospheric, beautiful to look at, involving and (at times) very funny. Yahoo lists it as a comedy, but it really isn’t. It’s more of an adventure with some funny moments. Great movie! ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2003, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-to-pick-a-new-movie/182046/19 "2003-06-16T01:27:31Z")
Saw it! ---
**Author:** ![CyberPundit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@CyberPundit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CyberPundit)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2003, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-to-pick-a-new-movie/182046/20 "2003-06-16T01:52:43Z")
“I have seen Mr. Blandings” Ah yes. Must have missed it when I skimmed your list. Though apparently you didn’t like it as much as I did. BTW if you do watch any anime try to to watch it in Japanese unless you really don’t like subtitles. The American dubs are sometimes very poorly done. Of the ones I have listed Mononoke and Spirited Away have adequate dubs in case you don’t want to watch subs. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-to-pick-a-new-movie/182046.md?page=2)