Some people think it’s wrong to label a movie as “favorite”, but I have no problem with it.
In high school, I thought The Crow was great. The sets, the lighting, the story…and especially the score. Graemme Revell is wonderful. The score from this movie is still used in movie trailers today!
Now, and since 1996 (or whenever), my favorite movie is Contact. It’s more technically accurate than most movies of it’s kind, and for almost three hours it can still keep me silent without a blink. Absolutely incredible movie, mainly showing that Religion and Science are in many ways the same thing = both require faith, both are pursuing truth. I’m disgusted that so many people hated it. I think it’s just because they didn’t get to see any aliens (this was in the time that the newer alien movies were coming out: Independence Day, Mars Attacks!, blah blah).
Sorry if this topic has been done to death here, but it’s always good to have a source for good opinions at hand.
[sub]sure, it’s not The Crow, or Star Wars, but…[/sub]
Room With a View
The greatest quirky costume romance ever. Daniel Day Lewis is inspired. The music is perfect. Merchant & Ivory at the very top of their form. I have been to Florence, Italy, twice because of that movie.
Correction: I like the first three Star Wars movies. I felt that Episode I lacked the sentiment that only a movie from the 70’s or 80’s could achieve(i.e. Apocalypse Now, E.T., Indiana Jones, Gremlins, Back to the Future, etc.)
Might I take this time to add that Harrison Ford has the most impressive filmography of any actor ever.
Casablanca is my all time favorite. Seen it 28 times. The Empire Strikes Back is the only great Star Wars film (but I love them all) guys. Other tops: Maltese Falcon, Citizen Kane, The Third Man (I like Bogey and Welles, what can I say). Godfather I and II (I liked III too, but it isn’t nearly as good a film), Apocalypse Now, Repo Man, Dr. Strangelove, Blazing Saddles, Rear Window, Unforgiven
It is the classic heroes tale told in grand style. The first time I saw it was in 1986 and the last time was a few weeks ago after I bought the DVD, which is loaned out right now.
My favourite part of the movie is the period where Conner is with his wife Heather. We watch as she grows old while Conner the immortal, remains forever youthful. Time passes and as he holds her as she lies dying she asks him “Will you light a candle for me on my birthday?” He replies “Aye Heather, I will”. When we fast forward 400 years we see him in the church, lighting a candle for his beloved wife. It chokes me up every time I see it.
When people ask me why I love this movie I just ask them to watch it themselves. There have been many converts.
The sequels are crap and the series is forgettable.
There’s a compelling story of struggle for life and freedom, a hero with real emotions that you can sympathize with, stirring orchestral soundtrack (a classic work in its own right), amazing cinematography, and scenes with thousands of participants and not a single one of them is cardboard or digitally inserted.
And the end isn’t nicely tied up and force fed to you; you can finish watching the show and be occupied months later with your own questions and imaginations.
Plus Sir Alec Guinness just kicked holy ass at whatever he did (Force be with you, Obi Wan).
It’s just a great movie. The sets are eyepopping, the score is great and the cinematography and direction are top notch. Add to that some serious hardcore philosophy wrapped up in cyberpunk visuals and you can’t go wrong.
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead. Tom Stoppard’s writing is snappy, funny as hell and the movie just gets more entertaining every time I watch it.
Lawrence of Arabia: beautiful camera work, excellent acting, wonderful character study and characterizations esp. Raines’ role, political/historical film
Godfather II: beautiful camera work, excellent acting, wonderful character study, excellent study of the use of power and its influence on the user
Apocalypse Now: based on a classic story, excellent acting,
interesting characters esp the Duval role, good camera work
Tom Jones: funny, funny film about sex, family, sex, cultural mores of the 18th century, good acting,
As pointed out earlier, these films are populated with real people and not computer throw-ins, the character studies are as important as the interesting plotlines, camera work tends toward the more simple rather than the current “throw everything in” approach. It seems like I’ve been drumming my fingers for years to see another film that can be included in this bunch, but it now seems to be a fruitless wait.
I’m going to say Blazing Saddles, because it’s still the funniest movie of all time with the best lines ever, and great comedic acting. Only Mel Brooks could have pulled this off, and there will never be another movie like it, because it was politically incorrect in the use of the N word. (It was like Huck Finn, in that it used the word, but made fun of the white folk.)
The ending is a bit out of control. But, it’s still No. 1 in my book.
I also enjoyed Contact, and appreciated its take on science and religion. I can’t believe people were upset they didn’t get to see aliens. Oh well.
Silence of the Lambs was a great movie, but I’ve seen it too often. Suspenseful movies lose quite a bit of juice after several viewings.
I loved the first two Godfather movies. To this day, I’ll sit and watch them when they’re rerun on TV.
Caddyshack is my second favorite comedy. [Bill Murray’s groundskeeper voice]So I says, Hey, Lama, how ‘bout a little somethin’ for, you know, the effort.[/Murray’s groundskeeper voice]
