Change happens - opinions, movies, people.
so it seems everyonce in awile we see this same topic, "whats your favorite movies?" well I figured now would be a good time to bring the topic back (considering we have lots of new people on the forum)

so what are your favorite films, and why do you like them so much? what do they mean to you?

I'm still thinking about this, so I'll post mine later. But please, contribute. And since throwing opinions in every direction seems to be the recent "Thing" these days on studentfilms.com forum, I'm guessing we'll have some nice discussions (I was kidding about the "new thing" thing, I hate when people limit things to trendy phrases)

"American Psycho" - May be hard to swallow, but this film is my "Citizen Kane," it's the first film that opened me up to what a film can do.

"Faces" - I'm only going to pick one of his films (they all belong here), but John Cassavetes' "Faces" is his most brutally realistic. It's hard enough just to think about, watching goes beyond. Deffinately a film experience that doesn't coem around often.

"8 1/2" - Federico Fellini's finest film in my opinion. It's difficult to watch and I can only go through a half hour or so because it becomes very exhausting to watch. The best film about a film no doubt, a real self-analyzation on Fellini's part.

"Who's That Knocking At My Door?" - Martin Scorsese's first film and still his best. The realism and honesty of Cassavetes, the dialogue far exceeds anything Tarantino or Smith have ever done, and it is more new York and Italian/American than any of his other films including Mean Streets, Taxi Driver, and Raging Bull combined.

"The Conversation" - Francis Ford Coppola's finest film, and one of his few original (that means non-adapted) films about a surveilance expert-for-hire who becomes involved personally in one of his cases, going against his own rule and instict when he fears his work may lead to unecessary murder.

"Stranger Than Paradise" - Gotta have some Jim Jarmusch, a brilliant independant filmmaker, or more a real independant filmmaker story of a New Yorker's cousin and best friend on a trip to Florida, the most unconventional road trip type film I've ever seen, a different take on America than one of it's own usually comes up with.

"Days of Heaven" - Terrence malick's brilliantly filmed story of two lovers in early 20th century America who plot to inheret wealth from a lonely dying farmer, but things don't go as planned. Like all Malick films, "Days of Heaven" is beautifully and truthfully photographed and narrated.

"Birdy" - Nicholas Cage in his finest role as a damaged Vietnam vet reliving his past and trying to help a childhood friend and fellow vet snap out of a vegetative, or more appropriately, bird-like state.

"The Sweet Hereafter" - Atom Egoyan's adaptation based on a novel and the story of the Pied Piper, about a big city lawyer trying to file a lawsuit in a small Northern Canadian town after a school bus accident kills nearly all of the town's children.

"Joe Meets the Ocean" - I'd like to mention my favorite film from this site, about a young man working on a marine based project in a librrary.

my list is probably different from everyone elses, some movies I do have a soft spot for, but they're complete crap... so here goes (in no specific order)

"Rumble Fish" - My favorite Francis Ford Coppola film, about a brother trying to live up to his reclusive older brother's reputation. It was an adaption, but a damn good one at that. Excellent cinematography.

"Edward Scissorhands" - In my opinion, one of the most emotional movies ever made. It's sort of surreal, the sets are stunning, and Johnny Depp does such a good job with the role.

"Eraserhead" - David Lynch's most bizarre, and best movie. It's hypnotic.

"Puppet Master" - A sub-par film featuring puppets injected with a serum. I like the horribly animated, but still amusing puppetry.

"The Seven Samurai" - My favorite epic movie, directed of course by Akira Kurosawa. About samurai warriors who are to protect a village. It's just a great movie.

"Nosferatu" - Expressionist Vampire film from Murnau, which is really effectively shot and makes great use of lighting and shadows.

"Toxic Avenger" - Troma Films Citizen Kane! It's the low budget classic. It pulls no punches, and just does what it sets out to do, make you laugh, cringe at some bad acting, and of course gross you out.

"Citizen Kane" - This is definitely in my top three favorite movies, as this movie has some of the most amazing cinematography I've ever seen. Orson Welles was a genius who was never fully recognized until it was too late, and that's a god damn shame.

"Dawn of the Dead" - The Claustrophobic zombie film from hit or miss director George Romero. I enjoy this, Night, and Day, but I think this is the best. Everything about it, the mix of characters, the lock up in the mall, and even the gore are really good. It's got a brooding soundtrack which compliments the mood perfectly.

"Labyrinth" - Labyrinth kicks ass. David Bowie is the man. I watched this when I was high one time, and it was so much more interesting that way.

"The Wizard of Oz" - This has been one of my favorite movies ever, I love the washed out use of color.

Yeah, there you go. Some of my favorite films. Some of you might not like seeing Toxic Avenger, Citizen Kane, Dawn of the Dead, and Labyrinth on the same list, but thats just how my mind works.

"boogie nights"- my favorite pta film, and probably my favorite movie, it's a solid film with a solid story and great acting.

"Sydney"- aka "hard eight", pta's first film, very entertaining and reminded me of old film noir.

"a woman under the influence" - i have not yet been able to get my hands on faces so i cant decide if this is my favorite cassavettes film. but this one was very well done.

"the evil dead" - sam raimi in his good old days, who just went out and shot a good cabin in the woods movie, i also like evil dead 2. infact i think it might be better.

"Heat" - michael manns awesome crime saga, i just love to watch it..

"the french connection" - a fricken awesome cop movie, with guns and drugs and everything i like to put in my movies.

"rushmore" - i find it hilarious

ooh... evil dead. thats somewhere on my list too, and heat. it'd take me about 50 movies to list my favorites. :-/

thats going to be the good thing about this, we'll all list movies we might have forgotten or we havent seen yet.

I like the "oldies" best:

Gone With The Wind - It was about 4 hours long but I didn't lose interest once. The acting was superb as well, and despite being old, it was in colour which is a bonus (I believe it was one of the first commercial films to be released in colour).

Citizen Kane - I love the cinematography, the script and the general atmosphere of the film.

Ben Hur - It puts many so-called modern epics to shame. This film is the true definition of an epic in my opinion. It's a long time since I've seen it, but I remember how good the sound was, particularly in the chariot scenes.

"Final Destination 2"- David Ellis has an extremely unique and innovative directing style, and is really just a brilliant person. Watching the behind the scenes documentary on the DVD was one of the things that made me wnat to get into film. This is one of the only movies I've seen that was better than it's prequel.

"Identity"- My kind of movie, on the money. I love the idea of several people being trapped somewhere, and they begin to die, and one of them is the killer. The plot was brilliant and the oldie film noir style was perfect.

"Cellular"- Good old Ellis pulled it off again. This one is perfect with getting right to the action, and keeping it moving the whole time.

"Nightmare on Elm Street"- I know, I know... Cheesballs! But really, there was a smalle budget and my man Craven pulled off a milestone in horror history. I like it becuase it took a plot that I thought was fairly ridiculous, and made it a really great film.

The Conversation- One of the best movies by Coppola. It showed that their could be a good movie without action all the time. Some guy from a band said that there was too many ADD kids out their that just wanted the "orgasm" of a movie or music, and I think this is something that everyone should watch.

Memento- It was just so cool, with the script and the way it was pieced together to make a film. You ask questions the whole way through.

Donnie Darko- one f'd up movie that I think is in my top 3. The weirdest movie on time travel I have ever seen, and some of the funniest quotes. "Tell me, how does one suck a f**k?".

Third Man- one of the better noir I think. Great music and style, and of course it was by Orson Welles!

Miller's Crossing- one of the greatest films ever made, and one of the coolest scenes of all time (watch the scene "Danny Boy").

And how could I forget: The Usual Suspects. All you need to know from this movie is "hand me the keys you mother f'in c**k sucker."

-Vantango

Solyaris
The Shining- (kubrick is a madman)
Texas Chainsaw Massacre
Love and Death (it takes a lot to make me laugh, and Woody Allen is currently the only one can do this successfully nonstop through a movie.)

hmmmm, I seem to be drawing a blank.

oh yeah, Easy Rider is great.
One Flew over the Cuckoos Nest is a good one.
blue velvet, american psycho, lost highway, eyes wide shut, apocalypse now, bad lieutenant, annie hall

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Kyle Johnson,

man i thought more people would be posting something.

quote:

Originally posted by ktabes:
man i thought more people would be posting something.

Yeah I'm suprised too. COME ON PEOPLE!

The moment I type a movie in, my favorite movie will change, so here I go:

The original Star Wars Trilogy
Lord of the rings Trilogy
Equillibriam
1st Matrix
Napolean Dynamite
Waynes world 1
Its a Wonderful Life
The Count of Monte Cristo
1st Mission:Impossible

And I'm sure theres more.

Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind- What an original idea it was funny yet so serious. The score was awesome and the scene at the beach house is one of the saddest and most incredible scenes I have seen in a film. Yes it made me cry

Sin City- Went to see it for the visuals, ended up fallin in love with the story... closest thing to a comic book I have ever seen on screen

Butterfly Effect- Another one of those movies about love but not really, I like the directors cut better then the theater version the whole story of loss and sacrafice gets me everytime

The 25th hour- Like the pacing and the mood, it really pulled me right in... Edward Norton is the ****! I like how they showed ground zero and how it effected some people who lived by there i thought it was in good taste and really fit well in a movie with characters who were really supposed to love new york

Pulp Fiction- The characters in that movie make me laugh so hard that its worth watching over and over again. Nothing beats "I shot marvin in the face.... what you do that for?.... I didnt do it on purpose you hit a bump or sumthin" lol

Beautiful Girls- You watch it not knowing what to expect and after your done you look at each character and say "yup thats how stupid us males are" its one of those movies you prob wouldnt like that much but me being so weird loves it

True Romance- It looks kind of cheesy by todays standards but I love the performances in this movie... Dennis Hopper and Christopher Walken's scene together was awesome. Tony scott can be an awesome director this and man on fire looked really cool in their own ways and that new movie Domino looks to be headed that way also

ONE TIME VIEW- Punch Drunk Love- I thought it was ok the second and third time i saw it, but nothing beats the first time you watch that its so bizzare and funny on the first viewing that it makes me kind of sad that it cant be like that every time

there are so many movies I want to list but I dont want to take up too much more room so Ill leave it at that for now

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Mike Jones of Green Sky Productions,

THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION-an awesome story, geat acting, some really cool shots, and great original score

DONNIE DARKO- One of those 'artsy' type movies that I really like.

EDWARD SCISSOR HANDS (A.K.A. Eddy S Hands)- Don't ask, I just love this movie (Johnny D is the man)

RUDY- One of those spiritually uplifting films that just make you feel good. Great acting by Astin.

A BRONX TALE- New York accents, blood, guns, explosions, and oh yea, it's got a great story too.

Shawshank Redemption was pretty good. I probably would have found it even better if I hadn't read the book beforehand and knew the twist. What a twist though - the book just blew me away.

I was reminded of another film as well (I mentioned it in another thread): The Woman In Black (a TV film). It's scary, but it's in a league of its own as a horror film. It's not at all like Texas Chainsaw Massacre or The Exorcist or Halloween or Evil Dead. I think that's probably why I like it.

i just watche Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless mind last night. It was a really terrific movie! Trippy as hell and very well acted.

The Third Man
Shoot the Piano Player
Army of Darkness
Bonnie and Clyde
Bringing out the Dead
Touch of Evil
The Conversation
A Clockwork Orange
The Seventh Seal
Pulp Fiction
The Hustler


Man..this is hard..I think Ill stop there, that alone took me quite some time.

American Beauty - What a deep and culture defining movie. by far one of the greatest movies of the latter quarter century. And least not forget how amazing spacey was.

Fight Club - C'mon, do a really need to explain this one?

Garden State - I have seen no other movie that more poinantly describes our generation.

lock stock and two smoking barrels - its pulp fiction, but much funnier, and its british. a double whammy if you ask me. its tied with snatch, so i put this one to basically symbolize guy richies body of work (before madonna got to him)

donnie darko - this movie, for me, represents the indipendent filmmakers dream. come from nowhere, create a cult classic and launch a director and his/her actors into stardum

Pulp Fiction - That scene where they put that needle into uma, i clench up everytime, now matter how many times ive seen it.

The Brave Little Toaster - Oh Yes. Ohhhh yes.

quote:

Originally posted by alex c:
The Brave Little Toaster - Oh Yes. Ohhhh yes.

Holy crap how could I forget! Such a brave little toaster...*sniff sniff*