Greatest Film Ever

[eamo]

Any suggestions here

Schindler's List wins it for me. Just for the sheer power of it.

[imposter]

Tough one, top five (excluding trilogies and in no particular order)

Pulp Fiction
12 Angry Men
Alien
Usual Suspects
American History X

close 6th - Jay and Silent Bob strike back

[therock67]

In The Name of the Father - can't beat the emotion I felt after I watched that the first time

Honourable mentions to:
- Goodwill Hunting: I love that film but don't really know why, I think I just love the Boston thing
- The Sting: fantastic plot and a cracking fast-paced movie
- Good Night and Good Luck was my favourite recent film

Also I bought Land and Freedom (Ken Loach's Spanish civil war film) at the weekend after a long search. Really looking forward to that.

I reserve the right to add to this list significantly as I consult my memory.

Also as a "worst film ever" contender there is an Irish film that I have at home - can't remember the lad's name or the name of the film but he has a couple of films out that are fucking terrible (got them for free). Anyways one of his films is a famine drama but the poor guy ran out of funding half way through so he approached Statoil for filming and they agreed to sponsor him. Only catch was he needs to show a Statoil in the background so one of these scenes from the 19th Century is set in front of a Statoil forecourt.

[eamo]

The Usual Suspects is so far up its own arse its unreal. Gabriel Byrne can't act. Kevin Spacey is annoying. Apart from that its alright.

I would probably have The Godfather Trilogy in there (I don't think that you can really separate them because it is the same story - for the record Part 1 is my favourite purely due to the fact that it is the only one that Brando is in)

Other mentions:
Citizen Kane
It's a Wonderful Life
Fargo
Three Colours: Red
Raging Bull
The Field

For sheer enjoyment:
Superman 1/2
Back to the Future 1/2
Indiana Jones Trilogy (first and last particularly)
Die Hard Trilogy (again first and last particularly)

[eamo]

admin said:

Also as a "worst film ever" contender there is an Irish film that I have at home - can't remember the lad's name or the name of the film but he has a couple of films out that are fucking terrible (got them for free). Anyways one of his films is a famine drama but the poor guy ran out of funding half way through so he approached Statoil for filming and they agreed to sponsor him. Only catch was he needs to show a Statoil in the background so one of these scenes from the 19th Century is set in front of a Statoil forecourt.

My worst ever film is another Irish film featuring Mr Spacey - Ordinary Decent Criminal

[steamboatsam]

Back Door Patrol 6

[steamboatsam]

eamo said:

admin said:

Also as a "worst film ever" contender there is an Irish film that I have at home - can't remember the lad's name or the name of the film but he has a couple of films out that are fucking terrible (got them for free). Anyways one of his films is a famine drama but the poor guy ran out of funding half way through so he approached Statoil for filming and they agreed to sponsor him. Only catch was he needs to show a Statoil in the background so one of these scenes from the 19th Century is set in front of a Statoil forecourt.

My worst ever film is another Irish film featuring Mr Spacey - Ordinary Decent Criminal

....a blatant rip off of The General

[therock67]

eamo said:

The Usual Suspects is so far up its own arse its unreal. Gabriel Byrne can't act. Kevin Spacey is annoying. Apart from that its alright.

I find Kevin Spacey extremely annoying now but I didn't when that film first came out - when did you watch it? I loved Usual Suspects.

Didn't like Raging Bull by the way but great calls on Fargo and It's a Wonderful Life.

[iamthelaw]

eamo said:

The Usual Suspects is so far up its own arse its unreal. Gabriel Byrne can't act. Kevin Spacey is annoying. Apart from that its alright.

Die Hard Trilogy (again first and last particularly)

Was about to include Die Hard (only the original, I don't rate either of the sequels). It's actually rare in that it respects the classical unities as per Aristotle of time, place (in particular) and action. Also, Alan Rickman has played some brilliant villains - Prince John, Professor Snape, Dev - and "Hans" in Die Hard is no exception.

What's the deal with The Usual Suspects? I find it interesting, but I read an interview with Thierry Henry a few years ago where he listed it as his favourite film, on the basis that every time he went back to it he saw more new things. Is it actually full of visual clues; I mean, should one be able to figure out the ending before, well, it ends? I've watched it 4 times at least and I can't see anything before the last 10 minutes.

So for me, I prefer Fight Club. The first time I watched it, I hadn't a clue what the twist would be; the second time, I spotted 40 clues. Great acting, even from Brad and Meat Loaf, great idea initially with the fight clubs, and good inspirational quotes - "we are the middle children of history ... slaves with white collars". And a fantastic ending.

[eamo]

admin said:

eamo said:

The Usual Suspects is so far up its own arse its unreal. Gabriel Byrne can't act. Kevin Spacey is annoying. Apart from that its alright.

I find Kevin Spacey extremely annoying now but I didn't when that film first came out - when did you watch it? I loved Usual Suspects.

Didn't like Raging Bull by the way but great calls on Fargo and It's a Wonderful Life.

I had to put a Scorsese one in there beacuse he is an awesome film maker. It is probably my favourite but I must admit it took a while to grow on me.

The Usual Suspects never did it for me. I saw it around 1998. I then saw the director and he was a nerdy kid which fitted into the overall picture of the film.

Fargo is a perfect film. William H Macey cracked me up in that. I laughed out loud so many times. And of course there is Buscemi which is always good

[imposter]

I thought the usual suspects was class.

How about trilogies?

The Godfather
Star wars (the first 3)
Indiana Jones
Matrix
LoTR

Also; the three colours, Terminator, Die Hard,...the first 3 Alien films prob deserve a mention, along with Lethal Weapon maybe(although, there was 4)..fuk it, throw X Men in as well...how many more trilogies/quadrilogies are there?

[therock67]

there seems to have been at least 6 in the back door patrol franchise anyway

[iamthelaw]

eamo said:

Three Colours: Red

Forgot this till I saw imposter mention it too, quality film, technically brilliant, lots of subtle ideas in there, and ties up the trilogy so well too. I really like Blue too, the music is excellent, but not so much White (apart from the opening sequence with the suitcase). Yet was discussing this with a bird a while back and white was her favourite, so will have to go back and review the trilogy again.

[imposter]

More favourites;

Rocky
A Clockwork Orange
Spartacus
Predator
Philadelphia
Some like it hot
Gone with the wind
Goodfellahs/Mean Streets/Scarface/Once upon a time in America

[iamthelaw]

admin said:

there seems to have been at least 6 in the back door patrol franchise anyway

was hoping that would make it a "sexology" but sadly "hexology" appears to be the correct word

[iamthelaw]

imposter said:

Predator

Yes, definitely. What other film can boast two future US governors?! Just watching it the other night, hope I've remembered these lines correctly:

Blaine (Ventura): I ain't got time to bleed.
and
Dutch (Ahnuld): If it bleeds, we can kill it

Are you serious about including GWTW?

[iamthelaw]

iamthelaw said:

imposter said:

Predator

Yes, definitely. What other film can boast two future US governors?! Just watching it the other night, hope I've remembered these lines correctly:

Blaine (Ventura): I ain't got time to bleed.
and
Dutch (Ahnuld): If it bleeds, we can kill it

Are you serious about including GWTW?

Incidentally, Sonny Landham, who played the Indian guy in Predator, also ran for Governor (of Kentucky) in 2003, but lost.

[iamthelaw]

iamthelaw said:

eamo said:

The Usual Suspects is so far up its own arse its unreal. Gabriel Byrne can't act. Kevin Spacey is annoying. Apart from that its alright.

Die Hard Trilogy (again first and last particularly)

Was about to include Die Hard (only the original, I don't rate either of the sequels). It's actually rare in that it respects the classical unities as per Aristotle of time, place (in particular) and action. Also, Alan Rickman has played some brilliant villains - Prince John, Professor Snape, Dev - and "Hans" in Die Hard is no exception.

Two classic lines from Sgt Robinson:

"They're gonna need some more FBI guys" and "Man I hope that's not a hostage"

Though the funniest was the censored version of McClane's catchphrase, which was edited on at least one occasion to "Yippee Kay-Aye, Kimo Sabi"

[whyohwhy]

Schindlers List - Cracking Film
American History X - Love it

Love the older gritty Vietnam war films myself, Platoon, FMJ and of course Apocalypse Now. The newer ones such as We Were Soldiers are utter tripe.

De Niros early days ones are mighty too, Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, the Deer Hunter (Personal favourite) etc. I remember reading an unauthorised autobiography about him, the things he did to prepare himself for the films were amazing, he used to drive a taxi at night in NY and he had the young prostitutes and their clients in his taxi at night.

Alien, too is a mighty film.

[iamthelaw]

whyohwhy said:

De Niros early days ones are mighty too, Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, the Deer Hunter (Personal favourite) etc.

Big fan of The Untouchables too, De Niro and Costner in the roles they were born to play, and a legendary Morricone score.

[whyohwhy]

As for Kevin Spacey; I agree that The Usual Suspects is overrated, I haven't seen Ordinary Decent Criminal.

But I think American Beauty is a great film.

[iamthelaw]

whyohwhy said:

As for Kevin Spacey; I agree that The Usual Suspects is overrated, I haven't seen Ordinary Decent Criminal.

But I think American Beauty is a great film.

Agree on American Beauty. Great soundtrack too.

[iamthelaw]

Came up last night with a few more films I consider great:

• Donnie Darko; love the ambiguity as to what it’s about, great casting and excellent soundtrack
• The Shawshank Redemption (“hope is a good thing, and no good thing ever dies)

And from a time when men were men and women were glad of it:

• Casablanca
• The Big Sleep
• High Noon

And if we’re also picking movies for entertainment value (and it’s difficult to draw the line between “greatest” and “favourite” movies):

• Anchorman
• Old School
• Any Given Sunday
• Conan the Barbarian (“you must learn the discipline of steel”, and “To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentation of the women!”)

[timofte]

Anyone see Coktail last night? What a classic. Before Tom Cruise went all wierd! Especially like the Manchesters on Liz Sue!

[imposter]

Spacey in ordinary decent criminal was disasterous, but I thought he was good in LA Confidential.

I see they've remade the Poseidon adventure, cant see it being anyway near as good as the old version with Gene Hackman, a fantastic film.

Has hollywood ran out of any original films to make? this summer they are pumping out so many remakes;

The Omen, Superman, X Men, Poseidon, Miami Vice (granted, it was a TV show)