Share a Favorite Movie, Why Do You Like It?

[Keith_W]

Here are two recommendations, lowbrow and highbrow

Don't watch this film with your kids. There is a LOT of killing and a LOT of blood. Most of the characters are fairly two dimensional so you don't feel too bad when they die violent deaths. It IS tremendously entertaining though, by the end of it you actually want to see more baddies getting killed.

IMO this is the finest of Ang Lee's films. You might think the film is about food, but it's actually about traditional Chinese culture and how the modern world makes our lives empty. The house is huge, but there is no life in it. The family eats together, but the daughters only pick at the food and don't speak to each other. Everyone is in a different world, and there is nothing the old man can do about it. The daughters move out one by one, and the old man is left alone in his house. There is a lot of stoic emotion, you can tell what characters are thinking even when they say nothing - this is first rate acting.

 

[Pearljam5000]

 

[Rocky Maine]

The Sting.

I dunno. It features Ray Walston?

Kelly's Heroes. Because the name of a character is Oddball.

Both are pretty old and boring, like me.

If you are really desperate, Withnail and I. Some nice soundtrack music.

+1 for The Sting.
Paul Newman playing poker on the train is a classic scene.

 

[Timcognito]

Shared this one in another thread, not to be missed, by SciFi and historic fantasy fans.

Post in thread 'Suggest lesser-known good Sci-Fi films'

Dec 19, 2023

Quest for Fire
"80,000 years ago, man's survival in a vast uncharted land depended on the possession of fire. / For those early humans, fire was an object of great mystery, since no one had mastered its creation. Fire had to be stolen from nature, it had to be kept alive - sheltered from wind and rain, guarded from rival tribes. / Fire was a symbol of power and a means of survival. The tribe who possessed fire, possessed life."
Not for children. After a short brutal scene the story evolves in epic journey of two men and a woman (who is completely naked throughout) on their quest for fire...

• Timcognito

• 

 

[Subob]

The all time Reggae film classic!

 

[jcarys]

Well I'll go with the new 4K disc of The Old Dark House from Eureka and the Masters of Cinema. In my lifetime this movie has gone from impossible to see outside of revival house like Film Forum NYC, to a lossy third or fourth generation print copy on DVD, to a pretty incredible Bluray, and now to a pristine UHD that is so clean it makes the movie look like it was made yesterday, with no noise and pops in the soundtrack. That is what I call progress! And for why I like it - it's a sardonic twist on a thriller, with Ernest Thesiger adding high camp.

 

[Bwmr]

View attachment 464811

IMO this is the finest of Ang Lee's films. You might think the film is about food, but it's actually about traditional Chinese culture and how the modern world makes our lives empty. The house is huge, but there is no life in it. The family eats together, but the daughters only pick at the food and don't speak to each other. Everyone is in a different world, and there is nothing the old man can do about it. The daughters move out one by one, and the old man is left alone in his house. There is a lot of stoic emotion, you can tell what characters are thinking even when they say nothing - this is first rate acting.

+1 Agree that it is Ang Lee's best movie. The opening sequence, with several minutes of the father cooking (labor of love), is a foodie instant classic, immediately contrasted by the daughters' not showing the slightest appreciation of the seemingly amazing food. That sets the tone of the entire movie.

 

[tengiz]

Unforgiven
The Shawshank Redemption
One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest
Le Professionnel (the one with Jean-Paul Belmondo, not with Jean Reno)

Screwed by the system but don’t let it break them. They’re not trying to save the world - they just stick to their own code, even when it costs them. The world’s a mess, the rules are rigged, but somehow they hang on to a little bit of dignity and honor.

I guess growing up behind the Iron Curtain wired me to notice that kind of thing - people getting crushed, quietly pushing back, not making a show of it. And honestly, that vibe still hits, maybe even more now.

 

[Bwmr]

Impossible to ignore: Amadeus by Forman.
Dolby TrueHD 5.1 enveloping us in the best of Mozart's musics and operas (directed by the late Sir Neville Marriner, guaranteeing musical integrity).
Every single characters are carefully and distinctively portrayed, making the whole story easy to follow and to understand. The whole 180 minutes of the director's cut is a treat to the eye and to the ear.
Probably the movie I watched the most.

 

[Timcognito]

Unforgiven
The Shawshank Redemption
One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest
Le Professionnel (the one with Jean-Paul Belmondo, not with Jean Reno)

Screwed by the system but don’t let it break them. They’re not trying to save the world - they just stick to their own code, even when it costs them. The world’s a mess, the rules are rigged, but somehow they hang on to a little bit of dignity and honor.

I guess growing up behind the Iron Curtain wired me to notice that kind of thing - people getting crushed, quietly pushing back, not making a show of it. And honestly, that vibe still hits, maybe even more now.

Reading your post reminded me and hope you have seen this one. Others may enjoy it too, even paced with moments extreme tension and subtle but satisfying ending. An Oscar and many awards. The Lives of Others.

The Lives of Others (2006) ⭐ 8.4 | Drama, Mystery, Thriller

2h 17m | R

www.imdb.com

 

[SKBubba]

Dr. Strangelove

What makes it special? Captured the absurdity of the cold war and gave comic relief to contemplation of global annihilation. (I was a kid during the Cuban missile crisis and still have vivid memories.) Casting, story line, performances, direction all perfect.

What genre is it? Dark comedy/satire.

What sound formats are supported? Don't know, but it was pre-surround.

Year of Release? 1964.

My Cousin Vinny

What makes it special? Casting, story, writing, performances. Fish out of water culture clash, dysfunctional (and unlikely) romance, redemption. Funniest comedy ever made, but never appears on top comedy lists.

What genre is it? Comedy

What sound formats are supported? Don't know.

Year of Release? 1992

 

[tengiz]

Reading your post reminded me and hope you have seen this one. Others may enjoy it too, even paced with moments extreme tension and subtle but satisfying ending. An Oscar and many awards. The Lives of Others.

The Lives of Others (2006) ⭐ 8.4 | Drama, Mystery, Thriller

2h 17m | R

www.imdb.com

The Lives of Others is a great film indeed, no doubt - but for me, it was more of a reflection than a turning point. It didn’t shape me - just reminded me of what I’d already lived through.

The movies that did shape me, especially One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, hit me when I was young and living in a system that felt just as suffocating. That quiet defiance wasn’t just powerful - it was something I wanted to live up to. I wanted to believe I could be that firm, that unbreakable.

 

[Groove01]

Jeremiah Johnson

Because it’s awesome, what’s not to like.

+1 for Tinker Taylor Soldier Spy

 

[xanalog]

I have never watched any movie more than once... never.

This one is/was no exception:
"Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" [1969],
Western++, based on the true story of 2 outlaws, in the 1890s.
Two classic lines I still remember: "I can't swim!!! The fall will probably kill you!" and "I got morons in my team!"

 

[Pearljam5000]

 

[Pearljam5000]

 

[Chagall]

Whiplash (2014)
Why I like it: Engaging in verbal abuse and psychological trauma isn't necessarily a bad thing.
There are no two words in the English language more harmful than 'good job.'

Princess Mononoke (1997)
Why I like it: A gentle reminder that humans ruin everything.
Life is suffering. It is hard. The world is cursed. But still, you find reasons to keep living.

The VVitch (2015)
Why I like it: Actual horror.
Wouldst thou like to live deliciously?

Honorable mention:
Blade Runner (1982)
Why I like it: More effective than sleeping pills.
Enhance....Enhance....Stop....Enhance (Z z Z z)

 

[JeffS7444]

Keanu is a tale of two friends must infiltrate a gang in order to retrieve a beloved kitten, despite having no clue how to pass as stereotypically tough blacks.

 

[Chrispy]

Big fan of Harold & Maude. The soundtrack, the settings around the bay area, their intro/relationship, the fantastic cast, subjects, etc. Huge fan. Have been since I saw it when it came out.....can't tell you how many times I've seen it but its just one of those movies I can watch over and over....

 

[Andysu]

View attachment 464829

Impossible to ignore: Amadeus by Forman.
Dolby TrueHD 5.1 enveloping us in the best of Mozart's musics and operas (directed by the late Sir Neville Marriner, guaranteeing musical integrity).
Every single characters are carefully and distinctively portrayed, making the whole story easy to follow and to understand. The whole 180 minutes of the director's cut is a treat to the eye and to the ear.
Probably the movie I watched the most.

amadus 1984 THX/TAP six track Dolby digital AC-3 ( theatrical dynamic range mix ) lucasfilm ltd THX sound system
JBL system up to 158 speakers !