Daniel Smith Posted September 7, 2006 Share Posted September 7, 2006 Hi. I'm slowly starting to pick up my interest in film again, except for this time I'm taking it on with the right attitude, and know how. So, I need to start watching some *good* films. What can you guys recommend? I imagine a lot of stuff on the lines of Stanley Kubrick? If you could write down some suggestions and I'll get watching. Cheers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dominik Muench Posted September 7, 2006 Share Posted September 7, 2006 recommending films is like recommending a good restaurant...all a matter of taste, but if it helps i'll tell you some of my favs :) - Rain Man - House Of D - City Of God - The Weatherman - The Exorcist - The Thin Red Line - Big Fish - Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon - Brotherhood of the Wolves - The Last Emperor and maaany more :) i think its always a good idea to look outside the group of the "usual suspects" as well. kubrick, kurosawa and Co. werent the only good filmmakers...check out less know directors and movies as well. And most importantly....check out foreign movies as well...americans are not the only ones making movies. check out european, indian, asian productions and so on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Smith Posted September 7, 2006 Author Share Posted September 7, 2006 (edited) recommending films is like recommending a good restaurant...all a matter of taste, but if it helps i'll tell you some of my favs :) - Rain Man - House Of D - City Of God - The Weatherman - The Exorcist - The Thin Red Line - Big Fish - Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon - Brotherhood of the Wolves - The Last Emperor and maaany more :) i think its always a good idea to look outside the group of the "usual suspects" as well. kubrick, kurosawa and Co. werent the only good filmmakers...check out less know directors and movies as well. And most importantly....check out foreign movies as well...americans are not the only ones making movies. check out european, indian, asian productions and so on. Ok cool thanks. I'm actually going to copy the films you mentioned down onto a checklist. I'm more or less forcing myself to watch more and more films, but it's not asthough I'm not enjoying them. (I can't actually think of any films I don't like, I tend to like everything I watch. Maybe that's a sign of narrow taste I'm not sure.) Anyway, thanks Dominik. B) Edited September 7, 2006 by Daniel Ashley-Smith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Wendell_Greene Posted September 7, 2006 Premium Member Share Posted September 7, 2006 Here's a repost of a list of films by David Mullen that he felt every film student should see. It' will give you a good start, since all are available on DVD. [* = films I've added ] I'd advise that whenever possible try to see these films projected, it will increase your appreciation for cinema. All the best! B&W: Sunrise Citizen Kane Night of the Hunter Out of the Past Battle of Algiers The Man Who Wasn't There Dr. Strangelove The Elephant Man* COLOR: Black Narcissus Lawrence of Arabia 2001 The Godfather, Part 2 "Apocalypse Now" "The Conformist" [not on DVD, but try and see a print] The French Connection Days of Heaven Blade Runner JFK (for mixing of formats) Snow Falling on Cedars or Sleepy Hollow (monochromatic design) The Constant Gardener or City of God (mix of Super-16 and 35mm is interesting) Collateral or The Celebration (development of a digital aesthetic) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James McBee Posted September 7, 2006 Share Posted September 7, 2006 The following are films I consider required viewing (Most of them are pretty obvious, but a few of them are not): Naked Vera Drake Metropolis M Rear Window Vertigo Strangers on a Train Badlands Ararat Dead Man Walking The Third Man The Grand Illusion The Beat that My Heart Skipped The 400 Blows Gandhi Chinatown Some notable ?indie? films from the last few years?some of which may be imperfect?but all of which are definitely worth checking out include: In This World The War Within The Ballad of Jack and Rose The Believer There are too many great films to ever compile an even remotely adequate list. And of course it all comes down to personal taste. Anyway, this is just what popped into my head right now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Holland Posted September 7, 2006 Share Posted September 7, 2006 Apart from most of already mentioned , most of Sergio Leone , West Side Story , just the wonderful Super Panavision 70 images , 25asa , night scenes look better than most you see now . The Hill. Sydney Lumet , director , Ossie Morris , cinematography , very rough B+W , suits the story so well very powerful film and Sean Connerys best ever performance . Will carry on thinking !! . John Holland . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Dan Goulder Posted September 7, 2006 Premium Member Share Posted September 7, 2006 For studying the creative potential of wide angle lenses, as well as dynamic camera work, you may want to check out "Raising Arizona", and "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick McGowan Posted September 7, 2006 Share Posted September 7, 2006 I got a netflix account for three months and then cancelled it (I ran out of money). Here are the movies that really stuck with me: A Woman is a Woman (shows what I think are anamorphic lens flares?) Correct me if I'm wrong. Alphaville Boy's Don't Cry Battle Royale Happy Together The 400 Blows (I rented over 50 movies, but I can't remember them.) My favorites: (which I'm sure you have all seen, but if you haven't, you really should) City of God Annie Hall Five Easy Pieces The first Star Wars film: A New Hope and then maybe Empire Strikes back. Maybe parts of Return of the Jedi but that's it. fu** the rest of them. Elephant I love making fu**ing movie lists. I'm sorry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jesus Sifuentes Posted September 7, 2006 Share Posted September 7, 2006 (edited) some of my personal favs. Titus - Directed by Julie Taymor Amores Perros Oldboy Se7en Ghost Dog Pi Munich 3 colors: Red, White, Blue -Directed by Krzysztof Kieslowski Clockwork Orange 28 Days Later Edited September 7, 2006 by elgatonegro Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Chad Stockfleth Posted September 7, 2006 Premium Member Share Posted September 7, 2006 How about Sam Peckinpah's "The Wild Bunch". Antonioni's "Blowup". David Lynch's "Blue Velvet". Orson Welles "Touch of Evil". Can't believe Mullens left that off his b&w list. For subtle, smart comedy and a highly stylized look check out Wes Anderson's "Rushmore". Happy Viewing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon-Hebert Barto Posted September 7, 2006 Share Posted September 7, 2006 (edited) W. Greene had a fantastic list and "why"/"what" to go with it. Everyone here has a fantastic list.... I am also in favor of viewing films that are in diametric opposition regarding film theory. I guess this is more of a directors thing...But, no, because it has to do with grammar. Watch: Tarkovsky/Eisenstein (Tarkovsky wholely rejected "montage") F.Lang/Goddard (Goddard loved Langs films and considered him a master, but his style is opposite) If you're not into that, my general pics would be "Andrei Rublev" and "The Woman in the Dunes"...Also "Le Corbeau" and "Wages of Fear"...there are so many! (These films are all B&W, however...) Of course the American New Wave of seventies cinema is a film school unto itself...so much, so much.. Forgot! RAGING BULL!!! MIND BLOWING!!! Edited September 7, 2006 by Jon-Hebert Barto Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Worth Posted September 7, 2006 Share Posted September 7, 2006 Hey guys. A lot of what you've suggested is on my favorites list, too. I thought instead of adding, I would give a quick commentary on a few of the movies that really influenced me visually: City of God - I was blown away when I discovered it was shot on film and then telecine'd to HDCAM, which was then graded digitally and filmed out. I always use this film as the example of the "poor man's D.I." It's one of the most beautiful movies I've seen. And I saw it projected. Le Pacte des loups (Brotherhood of the Wolf) - Another gorgeous film. There's a fight scene near the beginning that has some of the best editing I've seen. I think the entire scene (covered from about a zillion angles) was shot 50fps, then speed ramped in post. What gives it away is the high speed shutter effect -- not intentional, but simply a result of running the cameras at a high frame rate and then removing frames to get back to 25fps (25 because it's French). 28 Days Later - This is my all time favorite example of a DV movie done correctly. Shot using the Canon XL1 (PAL). The Thin Red Line - Okay, this is a really long movie, and somewhat boring at parts. However, the look is absolutely stunning. The "magic hour" stuff is really, really beautiful. I like to use this movie as an example of good cinematography because I don't think anyone but Terry Malick is insane enough (or has enough financial support) to go to the great lengths he does to achieve such amazing results. All for now. This is getting long. ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Phil Rhodes Posted September 7, 2006 Premium Member Share Posted September 7, 2006 Hi, I am disturbed by the overwhelming number of films on these lists I have not seen. In fact it's easier to go and look for the ones I have seen. Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Steven Beverly Posted September 7, 2006 Share Posted September 7, 2006 Lawrence of Arabia The Shining Apacolypes Now The Godfather Close Encounters of the Third Kind Jaws Titanic Aliens 2001 Ben Hur Young Frankinstien Dracula Dr. Strangelove The Searchers Saving Private Ryan The Great Escape The Temionator Predator Platoon The Good, The Bad and The Ugly the Exorsist The Maltese Falcon Casablanca Psycho Vetigo La Strata Rebel without a Cause American Graffetti Star Wars Alien Giant The Wizard of Oz Gone with the Wind White Heat Frankenstien The African Queen Modern Times A Place in the Sun Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid Patton The Seventh Seal The Seven Samuri The 10 Commandments The Thing Faces Annie Hall MASH Goodfellows True Grit Dirty Harry The Sixth Sense Grease Oklahoma Terms Of Endearment E.T. Wild at Heart Pulp Fiction Enter the Dragon The Breakfast Club The Adventures of Robin Hood Deliverance Cool Hand Luke The Posiden Adventure Jason and The Argonauts Touch of Evil In my opinion this is a list of what I consider to be perfect movies. These are the standards by which one should gage their own work and from which one should learn how films should be make. B) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Chad Stockfleth Posted September 7, 2006 Premium Member Share Posted September 7, 2006 You really consider Predator a perfect movie? ;-) Really funny, I'll give you that, but perfect? One of the all-time greats to turn the sound down on and make up dialogue with friends. Maybe you're right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy_Alderslade Posted September 7, 2006 Share Posted September 7, 2006 (edited) Many of my favourite films have been mentioned hear already, but here are some that haven't, new and old. The Devils Backbone (Del Torro) Day for Night (Truffaut) Shadow of a Doubt (Hitchcock) The Man in the White Suit (Mackendrick) The Best of Youth parts 1 & 2 (warning its 6 hours long) Ohio (Ozu) Plein de Soliel (Clement) The Narrow Margin (Fliecher) Journey to Italy (Rosselini) The Innocents (Clayton) Don't Look Now (Roeg) Rocco and His Brothers Trainspotting (Boyle) Edited September 7, 2006 by Andy_Alderslade Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Jonathan Benny Posted September 7, 2006 Premium Member Share Posted September 7, 2006 Antonioni's "Blowup". Definitely a must see. This one is on my "top 5". Beyond just being a brilliantly directed film, it really is a study in both camerawork and editing. And of course, minimalist dialogue. AJB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon-Hebert Barto Posted September 8, 2006 Share Posted September 8, 2006 BLOW-UP for sure...It is also one of the only films I know of that uses its action as metaphor, not just its lighting. Briliant picture that many disregard as pretentious... How about Coppolas " RUMBLE FISH ", talk about image as metaphor! He practically hits you over the head with it. I think Burum did this, he is a baddass mofo....His work with Depalma is also stand-out!!! Check him out pronto. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Sweetman Posted September 8, 2006 Share Posted September 8, 2006 Some that haven't been mentioned: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid 12 Angry Men Casablanca The Thing (1982) Magnolia The Deer Hunter Murder by Death (so it's not great cinema, give me a break, it's still awesome!) Silence of the Lambs and Hannibal Following This thread makes me want to sign up with Netfilx... (Oh, and Apocalypse Now was mentioned, make sure you get a hold of the original cut, not the redeux) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Steven Beverly Posted September 8, 2006 Share Posted September 8, 2006 You really consider Predator a perfect movie? ;-) Really funny, I'll give you that, but perfect? One of the all-time greats to turn the sound down on and make up dialogue with friends. Maybe you're right. Yes, In the Action / Adventure genra it has stood the test of time, generated sequiels, been imitated and parodied and is know to virtually everyone. It is as exciting today as it was the day it came out. If one were planning to make an action / adventure film, I don't know of any film I could recommend more to show someone how it should be done. B) Some that haven't been mentioned: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid 12 Angry Men Casablanca The Thing (1982) Magnolia The Deer Hunter Murder by Death (so it's not great cinema, give me a break, it's still awesome!) Silence of the Lambs and Hannibal Following This thread makes me want to sign up with Netfilx... (Oh, and Apocalypse Now was mentioned, make sure you get a hold of the original cut, not the redeux) I mentioned Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and Casablanca, that I can forgive, but Apocalypse Now, the original cut over REDUX????!!!!! BLASPHOMY!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nooman Naqvi Posted September 11, 2006 Share Posted September 11, 2006 I'll keep it short: - City of God - Empire of the Sun - Flight of the phoenix (original 1965 B&W movie) - Father Goose (a family movie) - Miami Vice (excellent violence :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Holland Posted September 11, 2006 Share Posted September 11, 2006 Cant agree about Miami Vice bad film , 1965 Flight of the Pheonix . great film , not b+w but in Color by Deluxe , so yellow faces and very blue shadows . John Holland , London. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Salzmann Posted September 11, 2006 Share Posted September 11, 2006 A sprinkling of films I like: Stalker (Tarkovsky) The Spy That Came in From the Cold Taking of Pelham 123 Taxi Driver Sweet Smell Of Success The Duellist In Cold Blood Dog Day Afternoon The Last Detail Hud All Sergio Leone films Persona Monster Midnight Cowboy A Hard Days Night Spider 8 1/2 King of Comedy Great Expectations (Lean) Bladerunner Stranger than Paradise Angel Heart The Conformist Night Porter Das Boot Aguirre: The Wrath of God Gummo Kind Hearts and Coronets The Party I'll stop now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now