A Casual Favorite Movies / Films List

[Harry]

I really do not know were to begin this list, for many I find good.

The Draughtman's Contract was always a favourite, the best film Peter Greenaway made.
The Vampire Killers, from Polanski is high on my list too.
A Christmas Carol, from which I have many version, but the one with George C Scott I find best.
And from thereon countless titles, so many good films were made.

[M forever]

The Draughtman's Contract was always a favourite, the best film Peter Greenaway made.

I have to emphatically agree. One of my favorite films, too. What does the Dutch (or Flemish?) landscape architect say in that one scene in which they meet him outside and he says a few sentences while meaningfully staring into the distance? I always wanted to know that but could never figure out what he says.

[Harry]

Will toss the bugger in the player one of these days and tell you. Last time I saw it was Christmas 2004, so I remember that he spoke in Dutch, but not what.

[sunnyside_up]

Mine mostly seem a little on the quirky side....with a few musicals thrown in. As an added bonus, they are in alphabetical order   

Adaptation
The Adventures of Priscilla Queen of the Desert
Amadeus
Amelie
Annie Hall
Being John Malkovich
The Big Lebowski
Boogie Nights
Bottle Rocket
Brazil
Cabaret
Donnie Darko
Dr Strangelove
Edward Scissorhands
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Fargo
Fight Club
Ghost World
Harold and Maude
I Heart Huckabees
Lantana
Life of Brian
Little Shop of Horrors (musical)
Lost in Translation
The Man With Two Brains
The Matrix
Memento
Muriel's Wedding
The Party (Peter Sellers)
Pirates of the Caribbean
Pleasantville
Pulp Fiction
Punch-Drunk Love
Requiem for a Dream
Rocky Horror Picture Show
The Royal Tenenbaums
Rushmore
The Rutles All You Need is Cash
Stand By Me
Strictly Ballroom
This is Spinal Tap
Trainspotting
Waiting for Guffman
Welcome to the Dollhouse
West Side Story
Withnail and I

I have to go against the grain and say I really can't get into many of the older movies, the acting seems so wooden and the dialogues are so stilted. I've never been able to figure out why "Citizen Kane" is supposed to be so great .... maybe it's just me

[Scriptavolant]

I forgot

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest - Forman

and

Where Eagles Dare, the one with Clint Eastwood.

[71 dB]

Star Wars movies (all six) are my absolute favorites. They surpass effortlessly everything else I have seen. The way George Lucas transfers his vision on silver screen is extraordinary. Especially the newer Star Wars movies are very underrated.

Schindler's List is the best work by my favorite director.

A.I. is the second best work by my favorite director. Unlike Schindler's List, this is a very underrated movie. The ending is amazing. When I watch this movie I feel Kubrick and Spielberg optimized it for me. This movie has also a stunning score by John Williams.

I love all movies by Spielberg and Lucas. The ones mentioned above are my all time favorites. Indiana Jones Trilogy, E.T., Encounters of the Third Kind, Munich and Saving Private Ryan are the stronger Spielberg.

Map of the Human Heart by Vincent Ward is one relatively unknown masterpiece. This is a war movie with a very crazy romantic twist.

Mulholland Drive is the movie where Lynch got all his strange ideas and fixations right. The results is just amazing when that happens to a talented and eccentric movie maker.

My favorite Kubrick are The Shining, Eyes Wide Shut and 2001: A Space Odyssey. My favorite Polanski are Rosemary's Baby, Bitter Moon and The Ninth Gate. I love all Tati's movies but Playtime is the best. Blake Edward's Pink Panther movies have a place in my heart. They are very uneven thou.

Brazil by Terry Gilliam is simply an absurd masterpiece.

The Piano Teacher is the only movie by Haneke I have seen but it's brilliant!

One Hour Photo by Mark Romanek is amazingly good. Robin Williams' performance is stunning.

Irreversible contains unbelievably brutal and long scenes without cuts. Hollywood will never produce this kind of movies.

Audition is my favorite Takashi Miike work.

I love Far East horror movies. Favorites include The Grudge I & II (remakes too), Shutter, A Tale of Two Sisters, The Eye I & II, Into the Mirror, One Missed Call and Phone. Especially South Korea produces good movies.

Contact is my favorite Zemeckis movie. What Lies Beneath is a damn good thriller and Back to the Future trilogy is very entertaining.

The Sixth Sense by M. Night Shyamalan.

Buster Keaton's best is The General.

Most of the pre-70's movies I find uninteresting or just mediocre. I haven't found many older movies that blow my mind. Similarly, I find most of the new "blockbuster" effect movies very boring. I want art in my movies.

[mahlertitan]

Over Temple of Doom! 

Temple of Doom is enjoyble, but it is no doubt the weakest of the 3.

[mahlertitan]

Star Wars movies (all six) are my absolute favorites. They surpass effortlessly everything else I have seen. The way George Lucas transfers his vision on silver screen is extraordinary. Especially the newer Star Wars movies are very underrated.

the first three are legendary, the quality of the last three are inconsistent at best.

Schindler's List is the best work by my favorite director.

A classic, very well made film.

My favorite Kubrick are The Shining, Eyes Wide Shut and 2001: A Space Odyssey

Mine are (in no particular order): 2001: A Space Odyssey, Dr.Stranglove, Lolita, A Clockwork Orange

Brazil by Terry Gilliam is simply an absurd masterpiece.

Absurd, but highly fascinating, also a all time favorite of mine

[mahlertitan]

Movies that I gave an 8 or above on IMDB:
    "Band of Brothers" (2001) (mini)    10
    2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)    10
    The Godfather Trilogy: 1901-1980 (1992) (V)    10
    The Godfather (1972)    10
    The Godfather: Part II (1974)    10
    Cidade de Deus (2002)    9
    A Clockwork Orange (1971)    9
    Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)    9
    Forrest Gump (1994)    9
    Guizi lai le (2000)     9
    The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby (2001) (TV)    9
    Saving Private Ryan (1998)    9
    Schindler's List (1993)    9
    Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)    9
    Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983)    9
    Young Sherlock Holmes (1985)    9
    Ángel exterminador, El (1962)    8
    "Beethoven" (2005) (mini)    8
    "The Elegant Universe" (2003) (mini)    8
    "Man vs. Wild" (2006)
    "Red Dwarf" (1988)    8
    The 51st State (2001)    8
    Airplane! (1980)    8
    Akira (1988)    8
    Amantes del Círculo Polar, Los (1998)    8
    Back to the Future (1985)    8
    Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (2006)    8
    Brazil (1985)    8
    The Butterfly Effect (2004)    8
    Cet obscur objet du désir (1977)
    Charme discret de la bourgeoisie, Le (1972)    8
    Cyrano de Bergerac (1990)    8
    Dead Poets Society (1989)    8
    Du shen (1989)    8
    Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)    8
    Fong Sai Yuk (1993)    8
    Gone with the Wind (1939)    8
    Good Will Hunting (1997)    8
    Goodfellas (1990)    8
    Huo Yuan Jia (2006)          8
    Immortal Beloved (1994)    8
    Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)    8
    Jing wu ying xiong (1994)    8
    Jiu pin zhi ma guan: Bai mian Bao Qing Tian (1994)    8
    Lolita (1962)    8
    (infernal affairs)Miu gaan diy III: Chung gik miu gaan (2003)    8
    (infernal affairs) Mou gaan dou (2002)    8
    (infernal affairs) Mou gaan dou II (2003)    8
    Murder by Death (1976)    8
    The Natural (1984)
    One Hour Photo (2002)    8
    The Paper Chase (1973)    8
    Pride & Prejudice (2005)    8
    The Producers (1968)    8
    Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)    8
    Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead (1990)    8
    Scarface (1983)    8
    Shiqi sui de dan che (2001)    8
    A Shot in the Dark (1964)    8
    Sik san (1996)
    Tian xia wu zei (2004)    8
    Titanic (1997)    8
    The Untouchables (1987)    8
    Viridiana (1961)    8
    Voie lactée, La (1969)    8
    Xi chu bawang (1994)    8
    Xiao ao jiang hu zhi Dong Fang Bu Bai (1992)    8
    Yangguang Canlan de Rizi (1994)    8
    You hua hao hao shuo (1997)        8
    Zwartboek (2006)         8

[Haffner]

Amadeus
Jaws
Rocky
Song of Bernadette
The Shining
Evil Dead
The Exorcist
Our Lady Of Fatima
Last House on the Left
Dawn of the Dead (original)

[71 dB]

the first three are legendary, the quality of the last three are inconsistent at best.
A classic, very well made film.

Many say that. People think they understand fully Lucas because they like episodes IV-VI. However, Lucas' creativity was limited by technology and Lucas in his own words was able to do about 50 % of what he had in mind. The newer movies are made with the help of better technological possiblities and Lucas feels having been able to transfer 90 % of his vision on silver screen. Episodes IV-VI do not require technologically as much as episodes I-III (that's why Lucas made VI first). The newer movies are very futuristic in regards of movie making. People seem to need time to get used to them and see their strenghts. As a huge fan of Lucas I think I really understand the man and his art.

Mine are (in no particular order): 2001: A Space Odyssey, Dr.Stranglove, Lolita, A Clockwork Orange

A Clockwork Orange is very good. Dr. Stranglove didn't hit me. Lolita I haven't seen.

[mahlertitan]

A Clockwork Orange is very good. Dr. Stranglove didn't hit me. Lolita I haven't seen.

I am not suprised that you didn't like Dr. Stranglove, it's a dark comedy that is more accessible to American audiences.

You have to check out Lolita, but be warned, the title is somewhat misleading, the movie should really be called "Sellers".

[Kullervo]

I've wanted to see this for quite some time. Unfortunately my UK rental company doesn't offer US releases, so like L'Avventura I'll have to buy it and hopefully it'll be worth it (I'm sure it will).

This seems to be the only Paradjanov that's available on DVD. I found Shadows of Our Forgotten Ancestors on a torrent site, so I'd recommend trying those. I have a feeling you will really like him, but he's definitely not everyone's cup of tea.

[Kullervo]

My favorite Kubrick are The Shining, Eyes Wide Shut and 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Eyes Wide Shut over Barry Lyndon?

[bwv 1080]

I still think BL is the greatest movie ever made

[Haffner]

Eyes Wide Shut over Barry Lyndon?

I couldn't stand Eyes Wide Shut, but I thought Clockwork Orange, BL, and The Shining are absolutely brilliant, particularly the last two.

[71 dB]

Eyes Wide Shut over Barry Lyndon?

Yes. I don't get Barry Lyndon.

[Bogey]

    The Paper Chase (1973)    8
   

Now there is a blast from the past that rarely gets mentioned....nice call.  John Houseman....what a voice.  I enjoyed the tv show as well.

[mahlertitan]

Now there is a blast from the past that rarely gets mentioned....nice call.  John Houseman....what a voice.  I enjoyed the tv show as well.

for some mysterious reason, I enjoy that movie immensely, i never get tired of watching it over and over again....

[Steve]

Eyes Wide Shut over Barry Lyndon?

Wow, I've never seen Barry Lyndon before... Maybe, I should change that.