Six favourite films (Movies)

[Topaz]

I found the task of narrowing a list down to 6 almost impossible.  I had more than enough trouble limiting it to 40. 

Here's my top 40 (in alpabetical order).  At a push I'd probably select those in red as the best 6.

1   A Chump at Oxford    (Laurel & Hardy)
2   A Town Like Alice   
3   African Queen   
4   Apocalpse Now   
5   Battle of Britain   
6   Bonnie & Clyde   
7   Bridge on the River Kwai   
8   Brief Encounter   
9   Casino   
10   Dambusters   
11   Dr No   
12   Duck Soup   
13   Escape From Alcatraz   
14   Fistful of Dollars   
15   Full Metal Jacket   
16   Goodfellas   
17   Great Escape   
18   In Which We Serve   
19   Jaws   
20   King Hearts and Coronets   (Ealing Comedy)
21   Life of Brian   
22   Mean Streets   
23   Night at the Opera   
24   Papillon   
25   Platoon   
26   Psycho   
27   Reach for the Sky   
28   Rocky   
29   Scarface   
30   Schindlers List   
31   Shawshank Redemption   
32   Sink the Bismark   
33   Sons of the Desert/Fraternally Yours   (Laurel & Hardy)
34   Star Wars   
35   Taxi Driver   
36   Terminator   
37   The Graduate   
38   Thelma & Louise   
39   Titanic   
40   Way Out West   (Laurel & Hardy)

[Renfield]

This is a thread in which I am a priori outmatched in cinephilic erudition, and I won't pretend I'm a serious moviegoer by any means.

If I were to choose six, however, I'd go for:

Silence of the Lambs
Dr. Strangelove (Or How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Bomb)
Apocalypse Now
Scent of a Woman
Reservoir Dogs
A Beautiful Mind

If I could sneak in two more, they'd be "The Hunt For Red October", and "Gladiator". But not before any of the above.

And of movies I've seen recently (which have been very few since classical music decisively took over that niche of my spare time, a couple of years ago), I have a certain fondness for "V for Vendetta". And I loved "Chungking Express".


So there, a list of eight. Just throw in "The Lion King" and "The Revenge of the Sith" (actually my favourite of the six, though I'm generally a massive fan), and my odball top ten looks set, alright.

[Haffner]

This is a thread in which I am a priori outmatched in cinephilic erudition, and I won't pretend I'm a serious moviegoer by any means.

If I were to choose six, however, I'd go for:

Silence of the Lambs
Dr. Strangelove (Or How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Bomb)
Apocalypse Now
Scent of a Woman
Reservoir Dogs
A Beautiful Mind

There's some really cool movies.

[vandermolen]

Nice to see a vote for "Sink the Bismarck". Just watched it the other day. Those were the days of British war films...."The Hood's gone sir" etc.

The Great Escape: YES

[Bogey]

The Great Escape: YES

Another great one that I never tire of seeing.

[Danny]

I keep thinking about a top 20 listing for film noir/neo noir but there's no way I can limit myself to that number. 

[Paul-Michel]

Platoon
Platoon
Platoon
Platoon
Platoon
Platoon
Platoon
Platoon

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Platoon
Platoon
Platoon
Platoon
Platoon
Platoon
Platoon
Platoon

Any absolute favourites among those?

[Paul-Michel]

Any absolute favourites among those?

[Topaz]

Nice to see a vote for "Sink the Bismarck". Just watched it the other day. Those were the days of British war films...."The Hood's gone sir" etc.

Yes, a brilliant film about a very major event early in the War.  The full story involving the May 1941 sinking of HMS Hood (largest British warship of that time, and the pride of the British Navy) by the Bismarck and its support vessels, and the subsequent pursuit and sinking of Bismarck a few days later by a battleship group led by HMS King George V is told HERE.  The total loss of lives  was over 3,500, both vessels sinking without trace except for thick oil slicks on the surface.  After that experience, Hitler never again allowed his surface fleet to attempt such an ambitious operation in the North Atlantic.

[Hector]

Sentimental attachment to Casablanca aside (and I for one prefer Ingrid Bergman to Lauren Bacall any day), I agree that Bogart acts rather better in The Big Sleep.

Just snapped up a used copy of this; hope it's good 

I think that he is as good in 'The Barefoot Contessa' an underrated film with a great cast in Ava Gardner, Edmond O'Brien and Marius Goring.

That can begin my next six in no particular order:

'Sweet Smell of Success',

'Some Like it Hot',

'The Meaning of Life' - "Just one more teeny weeny leetle meent, M. Creosote."

'Vera Drake' and I can believe that HM's Womens Prisons were full of middle-aged working class abortionists,

'Sleeper' made when Woody Allen was funny: "Here have a cigarette, we found that, together with chocolate, they are good for you."

[karlhenning]

'Sleeper' made when Woody Allen was funny

Ah, before he really lived into his narcissism . . . it seems so awfully long ago . . . .

[Bogey]

Sentimental attachment to Casablanca aside (and I for one prefer Ingrid Bergman to Lauren Bacall any day), I agree that Bogart acts rather better in The Big Sleep.

Just snapped up a used copy of this; hope it's good 

This avatar is for you Karl!

[karlhenning]

Bill, you are princely! 

[vandermolen]

Yes, a brilliant film about a very major event early in the War.  The full story involving the May 1941 sinking of HMS Hood (largest British warship of that time, and the pride of the British Navy) by the Bismarck and its support vessels, and the subsequent pursuit and sinking of Bismarck a few days later by a battleship group led by HMS King George V is told HERE.  The total loss of lives  was over 3,500, both vessels sinking without trace except for thick oil slicks on the surface.  After that experience, Hitler never again allowed his surface fleet to attempt such an ambitious operation in the North Atlantic.

Thanks for the exremely interesting link.  I had no idea that there was an HMS Hood Association. There was a lot of stuff about this when they found the wreck of Hood some years ago.

[DavidRoss]

The Great Escape: YES

Another great one that I never tire of seeing.

Amen!

How about 6 films with high replay value?

[George]

How about 6 films with high replay value?

Great idea, someone start a thread.

Morning David and all! 

[drogulus]

      I had a model of the Bismark when I was a kid. Also the KG V, the Yamato, the Missouri, the North Carolina and the Arizona. But my all-time favorite was the "pocket battleship" Admiral Graf Spee. I loved that one!

     

      If the subject sounds interesting you might want to see the film by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger Battle of the River Plate, also known as Pursuit of the Graf Spee. It's not one of the best Powell films, though. Caution: It is, or can be seen as, rather pro-German. The portrait of Captain Langsdorff as nearly saintly is a bit hard to bear, though his prisoners did in fact vouch for his honorable treatment of them.

[BachQ]

Platoon
Platoon
Platoon
Platoon
Platoon
Platoon
Platoon
Platoon

Hey, you've listed EIGHT movies ........ but the guidelines establish a limit of SIX ........

[MISHUGINA]

1. The Godfather
2. Pulp Fiction
3. Goodfellas
4. Monty Python and the Holy Grail
5. Akira
6. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas