Favorite Movies

[--Pete]

Hi,

Odd, that apparently there were no good movies in the last six years.

Not too many, according to this list. From 2005 to the present, I only saw 33. Oh, wait, that's a lot

--Pete

[Jim]

Hi,

Too many top movie lists. the-100-greatest-movies-of-the-21st-century/

My favorite movie list: http://www.afi.com/100Years/

AFI's 10 TOP TEN (2008)
AFI's 100 YEARS...100 MOVIES
- 10TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION (2007)
AFI's 100 YEARS...100 CHEERS (2006)
AFI's GREATEST MOVIE MUSICALS (2006)
AFI's 100 YEARS OF FILM SCORES (2005)
AFI's 100 YEARS...100 MOVIE QUOTES (2005)
AFI's 100 YEARS...100 SONGS (2004)
AFI's 100 YEARS...100 HEROES & VILLAINS (2003)
AFI's 100 YEARS...100 PASSIONS (2002)
AFI's 100 YEARS...100 THRILLS (2001)
AFI's 100 YEARS...100 LAUGHS (2000)
AFI's 100 YEARS...100 STARS (1999)
AFI's 100 YEARS...100 MOVIES (1998)

[Sabra]

Hi,

Odd, that apparently there were no good movies in the last six years.

Not too many, according to this list. From 2005 to the present, I only saw 33. Oh, wait, that's a lot

--Pete

OMG! With the exception of some of the international films and "Shutter Island" I have seen every film on that list.

[Jim]

Hi,

Not too many, according to this list. From 2005 to the present, I only saw 33. Oh, wait, that's a lot

--Pete

OMG! With the exception of some of the international films and "Shutter Island" I have seen every film on that list.

Hi,

I've seen most of them [about 200]. I do not enjoy 'subtitles' reading takes you away from the actors face/eyes, IMO this is where the story is told.

Shutter Island, was a very good movie with one of the best surprise endings I've seen in awhile.

edit: Sabra, 'Das Boot' USA (dubbed version) outstanding

[LennyLen]

Shutter Island, was a very good movie with one of the best surprise endings I've seen in awhile.

Could you please tell me what surprise-ending movies you've seen lately so that I can avoid them. I accurately predicted the ending of Shutter Island from just the preview. I kept waiting for the movie to get interesting and twisted, but it just didn't.

[--Pete]

Hi,

Too many top movie lists.

Yep. But I like the one at IMBd (and the ratings at NetFlix) because it is based on the votes of us common folk. Too many 'great movies' are great in some technical sense but pretty much suck as entertainment. Perfect example being Citizen Kane.

One painter may admire another because of his brush technique, but to the ignorant of the art, like me, it's the impact of the work.

the-100-greatest-movies-of-the-21st-century/

Funny how 'greatest' sometimes means less than 'great'. The 21st century hasn't been around long enough to have 100 great movies. But as soon as it had 100, it had 100 greatest (also, worst).

My favorite movie list: AFI's.

First, if you make up enough 100 lists, you'll eventually include any movie ever made.

Second, "film artists, critics and historians" are too involved in techniques, acting, music, effects, etc. They don't care as much about entertainment as they do about creativity. It brings up Twain's "Wagner's music is better than it sounds" quip. Like many of the films on that list, his music is technically interesting and, mostly, emotionally boring.

Third, any list that puts Citizen Kane at the top is clearly a list composed by people with a taste greatly different from mine. I have seen that film dissected in an educational channel documentary as part of the history of film. Intellectually, it is a great film. Emotionally, it is barren (to me). I do not care about the characters, their motives, their actions, or their lives. Sitting there and thinking "great angle on that shot", "fantastic cut", "perfect expression", etc. is not why I watch movies. If I want intellectual, I watch documentaries (or, better, I read). Movies are entertainment. Their one fatal crime is being boring.

Oh, and sub-titles are not so bad once you get used to them. You can usually read them at a glance, and often without taking your focus completely away from the main action. Kinda like reading messages in a game. And it opens the gate to many great films that don't follow the Hollywood rules.

--Pete

[Sabra]

I loved Das Boot, Jim. I saw it way back when it was in theaters. I love international film, but I can't do subtitles anymore and I hate dubbing, so it's off my list.

Two of my favorites in International Film:

Cinema Paradiso
and To Live.

They are honestly worth the subtitles.

[LavCat]

Hi,

Odd, that apparently there were no good movies in the last six years.

Not too many, according to this list. From 2005 to the present, I only saw 33. Oh, wait, that's a lot

--Pete

Then how come no posts in this thread since 2004 until the bot's contribution?

[Jim]

Shutter Island, was a very good movie with one of the best surprise endings I've seen in awhile.

Could you please tell me what surprise-ending movies you've seen lately so that I can avoid them. I accurately predicted the ending of Shutter Island from just the preview. I kept waiting for the movie to get interesting and twisted, but it just didn't.

Hi,

Bambi Meets Godzilla (1969)

Bambi is contentedly nibbling the grass, seemingly unaware of his impending encounter with Godzilla. What will happen when the two finally meet?


Warning Spoiler:...

[LavCat]

I loved Das Boot, Jim. I saw it way back when it was in theaters. I love international film, but I can't do subtitles anymore and I hate dubbing, so it's off my list.

Sabra, why do you have a problem with subtitles?

[--Pete]

Hi,

Then how come no posts in this thread since 2004 until the bot's contribution?

Just guessing, here, but people probably gave their input when the thread first opened. Then they didn't have much to say until they'd seen some more movies. By then the thread was well off the first page, and nobody thought to resurrect it until the bot did it, sorta, by accident.

It was just another case of "out of sight, out of mind".

EDIT: There have been a few film threads since this one went dark. Some of them do mention more recent films, I think.

--Pete

[Sabra]

I loved Das Boot, Jim. I saw it way back when it was in theaters. I love international film, but I can't do subtitles anymore and I hate dubbing, so it's off my list.

Sabra, why do you have a problem with subtitles?

Hi, Tribade:

You know the answer, Girl! Old age!

I am in the very, very early stages of cataracts and my vision isn't as clear as it was a year ago. Even with correction, old fashioned subtitles are hard for me to read now. They look fuzzy.

If the subtitles are the very latest kind, in yellow or relocated from the bottom of the screen (think Slumdog Millionaire) I'm fine with them, and grateful for them too.

Subtitles reduce my appreciation of film acting, but if I l ike an international film I usually watch it twice, so I don't have to read and can just appreciate the acting, etc.

[LavCat]

Sabra, why do you have a problem with subtitles?

Hi, Tribade:

You know the answer, Girl! Old age!

I am in the very, very early stages of cataracts and my vision isn't as clear as it was a year ago. Even with correction, old fashioned subtitles are hard for me to read now. They look fuzzy.

If the subtitles are the very latest kind, in yellow or relocated from the bottom of the screen (think Slumdog Millionaire) I'm fine with them, and grateful for them too.

Subtitles reduce my appreciation of film acting, but if I l ike an international film I usually watch it twice, so I don't have to read and can just appreciate the acting, etc.

I have a large monitor, and I sit very close! But I am very sorry to hear about the cataracts.

I'm still watching Sauna/Filth, once even in slow motion. Unfortunately I can't convince anyone else to see it. If I were the director, I would have cut a couple scenes. Other than that, for me, it is close to a perfect movie. But, yes, subtitles. Unless, of course, one speaks Finnish and Russian.

[Sabra]

I have a large monitor, and I sit very close! But I am very sorry to hear about the cataracts.

I'm still watching Sauna/Filth, once even in slow motion. Unfortunately I can't convince anyone else to see it. If I were the director, I would have cut a couple scenes. Other than that, for me, it is close to a perfect movie. But, yes, subtitles. Unless, of course, one speaks Finnish and Russian.

Cataracts are in the really early stages, but my distance vision has always been what optometrists refer to as "sensitive." I suppose this will be the only time this word could apply to me.

Is Sauna (Filth) horror, political allegory or suspense? I don't do horror. If I want to be scared, I can just call up the kids! Or turn on CNN. I pulled it up on IMDB and it really looks pretty interesting but reviews and commentary didn't really define it. Can you, or is it one of "those" films?

Oh! Here's a way! On a scale of 1 - 10 with 10 being the most graphic, how violent is it?

I like Swedish film!

[kandrathe]

I like Swedish film!

Define Swedish!

Are we talking Bergman? I tend to like most popular foreign films (e.g. Almodovar), and I despise it when Hollywood feels they need to remake(butcher) the film to remove the subtitles. Such as the total assassination of "Shall we dansu?" which in the American version becomes an unbelievable experience with extremely lame characters.

[Jim]

Hi,

Then how come no posts in this thread since 2004 until the bot's contribution?

Just guessing, here, but people probably gave their input when the thread first opened. Then they didn't have much to say until they'd seen some more movies. By then the thread was well off the first page, and nobody thought to resurrect it until the bot did it, sorta, by accident.

It was just another case of "out of sight, out of mind".

EDIT: There have been a few film threads since this one went dark. Some of them do mention more recent films, I think.

--Pete

Hi,

I'm the bot, I did a search for 'Netflix'.

I try not to duplicate a topic and found this thread dated 2004 I thought it would be more fun to extend this thread than start my own.

Fragbait 10-22-2004, 02:37 AM Post: #15
King Jim 06-06-2010, 03:32 PM Post: #16

[LavCat]

I have a large monitor, and I sit very close! But I am very sorry to hear about the cataracts.

I'm still watching Sauna/Filth, once even in slow motion. Unfortunately I can't convince anyone else to see it. If I were the director, I would have cut a couple scenes. Other than that, for me, it is close to a perfect movie. But, yes, subtitles. Unless, of course, one speaks Finnish and Russian.

Cataracts are in the really early stages, but my distance vision has always been what optometrists refer to as "sensitive." I suppose this will be the only time this word could apply to me.

Is Sauna (Filth) horror, political allegory or suspense? I don't do horror. If I want to be scared, I can just call up the kids! Or turn on CNN. I pulled it up on IMDB and it really looks pretty interesting but reviews and commentary didn't really define it. Can you, or is it one of "those" films?

Oh! Here's a way! On a scale of 1 - 10 with 10 being the most graphic, how violent is it?

I like Swedish film!

There is blood. Chainsaws, however, had not been invented in 1595. Three deaths are depicted on screen. However in the first, only the victim's feet are shown, and he was wearing shoes. In addition, there are three dead bodies: one of a man, one of a dog, plus a suicide. For comparison, Sauna is approximately as graphic as Bergman's The Seventh Seal.

Sauna is lumped into the horror genre. I recall one reviewer saying it was "Horror for the art house crowd." Another called it horror for people who don't like horror. For me, what horror there was was metaphysical. As I described it on a mailing list: Sauna is an interesting study of trust and wariness and love, after a war is over, and where hell begins.

[LavCat]

Hi,

I'm the bot, I did a search for 'Netflix'.

I try not to duplicate a topic and found this thread dated 2004 I thought it would be more fun to extend this thread than start my own.

Fragbait 10-22-2004, 02:37 AM Post: #15
King Jim 06-06-2010, 03:32 PM Post: #16

Oh, I'm glad I did not report you then. You could get a job. I'm sure bots make good money. I'm also surprised the lounge finally has a search function that works.

[--Pete]

Hi,

I'm the bot, I did a search for 'Netflix'.

My bad, sorry. I thought this was one of the threads resurrected by the clothing bot. *I* know you are not a bot -- you're way too substantial for that.

--Pete

[--Pete]

Hi,

I'm still watching Sauna/Filth, once even in slow motion. Unfortunately I can't convince anyone else to see it.

Actually, I did get it from NetFlix a few weeks ago. And, IIRC, at your recommendation. Magi and I watched it for about 20 minutes, but could not really get interested in it. The behavior of the characters seemed somehow wrong, as if they had motives or driving forces that were not brought out in the narrative. They appeared to overreact to some things and to react in strange, almost inappropriate ways to others. Perhaps (probably) we lacked the necessary background to understand the film, but for us, it didn't work.

But I do appreciate the reference. So many films, so little time. Suggestions help.

--Pete