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Your Top 10 Movies.

The Stupids? Best bad film ever - genuinely cracks me up! That was one of the films I only managed to watch thanks to LoveFilm (RIP) as nowhere local stocked it.
Never even heard of it. Not sure I'm going to be hunting it down either. I like a bad film, but there are limits ;)

Re: The Blues Brothers. Were you aware of the 2 different versions, theatrical cut & extended edition? I literally only found out while watching it on dvd for the first time and couldn't figure out where all these extra scenes had come from.

What? NO! I'll have to buy it now to see. Not a bad thing.

Re: Nightmare Before Christmas - never seen it until... yesterday, when I decided to give it a try. Gave up after 10mins, I knew that I just wasn't gonna like it. Soz.

Nah, it's one of those films I know either appeals or doesn't. I don't think it's as cut and dried as marmite, but it's pretty close.
 
@nadroJ - For some reason I expected your list to be... weirder! ?
Titanic though? ?
However, you've totally sold me on Krampus. Something about gingerbread men with nailguns? I need to see what that's about!

Yh, like I say I do love a lot of weird and wonderful films but to have them in a favourites list doesn't feel right? Wrong terminology, enjoyable for a mega-film-nerd perspective but not like "Ooh y'know what I'd love to watch right now? Irreversible." Y'know?

But yes, do watch Krampus and go into it knowing it's utterly ridiculous. It's a great time.
 
Been putting this off forever because I'm a film buff and own 2000+ movies. No way I can do a Top 10, but here's 20 off the top of my head that I really like (in alphabetical order):

Blind Swordsman: Zatoichi (Zatôichi) - I own all the Zatoichi films and this is my favorite, if (but not) only due to "Beat" Takeshi Kitano.
Capernaum (Capharnaüm) - The only Lebanese film I own and one of two child acting movies I can watch over and over again.
City of God (Cidade de Deus) - Hoodlum kids growing up in Rio slums breathtaking? That and a whole lot more. Yeah, this is the other one.
District 9 - Action sci-fi thriller without over-the-top special effects, which aren't needed when the story is this good.
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind - A Jim Carrey movie among my favorites? Can't take him in anything else, but this one is so good.
Handmaiden (Ah-ga-ssi) - So many great Korean movies, but this one stands out. Nuff said. Not giving anything away.
House of Games - David Mamet at his best. Never trust a con man. Duh
Incendies - Denis Villeneuve (Sicario, Arrival, Blade Runner 2049) films are amazing and this is my favorite (at least until I see Dune later this year).
The Nest (Nid De Guepes) - Best action/suspense film ever? You bet! Samy Naceri at his best.
Nine Queens (Nueve Reinas) - Argentine thriller with twists and turns that actually make sense and you don't see coming.
Oldboy (Oldeuboi) - BRUTAL! But so good. Warning - stay away from the remake.
Once Upon a Time in the West (C'era una volta il West) - Although quite a long saga, no finer Sergio Leone spaghetti western (The Good the Bad and the Ugly, A Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More).
Our Lady of the Assassins (La virgen de los sicarios) - Gay teen Colombian assassins might be too much for many, but so engrossing.
Parasite (Gisaengchung) - Too many great Korean movies, but this one rules!
Raging Bull - So many great collaborations (Mean Streets, Taxi Driver, King of Comedy, Goodfellas, Casino, etc.), but this is Scorsese's and De Niro's best.
Requiem for a Dream - Best drug addiction film of all time and easier to re-watch than Trainspotting.
Roma - Alfonso Cuarón's (Gravity, Y Tu Mamá También) love letter to Mexico City, even though technically only one neighbourhood. Too slow for many.
To Live (Ikiru) - I love Kurosawa (Rashomon, Seven Samurai, Throne of Blood, Hidden Fortress, Bad Sleep Well, Yojimbo, Sanjuro, High and Low, Red Beard, Kagemusha, etc.), but Ran is overrated and this one is so underrated.
Twilight Samurai (Tasogare Seibei) - Not what you would expect from a feudal Japan era samurai film, but my favorite by quite a margin.
Wings of Desire (Der Himmel über Berlin) - Never had a feeling like leaving the theater after this one. Wim Wenders and Bruno Ganz at their best. Peter Falk isn't bad either, even though he's playing himself. German cinema isn't for everyone.

Missing are films from some of my favorite directors (with my favorite films from each): Francis Ford Coppola (Godfather, Apocalypse Now); Alan Parker (Midnight Express, Mississippi Burning); Atom Egoyan (The Adjuster, The Sweet Hereafter); Shohei Imamura (Pornagraphers, Vengeance is Mine); Terry Gilliam (Brazil, 12 Monkeys); Ridley Scott (Alien, Blade Runner, American Gangster); John Woo (Hard Boiled, The Killer, Bullet in the Head); Luc Besson (Léon: The Professional, La Femme Nikita); Jim Jarmusch (Stranger Than Paradise, Down by Law); Guillermo del Toro (Pan's Labyrinth, Shape of Water); Kenji Mizoguchi (Ugetsu, Sansho the Bailiff, Life of Oharu), Kathryn Bigelow (Near Dark, Hurt Locker, Zero Dark Thirty); Alfred Hitchcock (Psycho, Rear Window, Vertigo, North by Northwest); John Huston (Man Who Would Be King, Prizzi's Honor, Fat City + his classics), Takashi Miike (Audition, Dead or Alive, Ichi the Killer, Thirteen Assassins); Wes Anderson (Rushmore, Royal Tenenbaums, Moonrise Kingdom, Isle of Dogs); Spike Lee (Do the Right Thing, BlacKkKlansman): Pedro Almodóvar (Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, All About My Mother): Alejandro González Iñárritu (Birdman, Amores Perros, The Revenant): Hiroshi Inagaki (Musashi Miyamoto samurai trilogy); Coen brothers (Blood Simple, Miller's Crossing, Big Lebowski, O Brother Where Art Thou, No Country for Old Men); Christopher Nolan (Memento, Inception, Dunkirk, Tenet); David Lynch (Blue Velvet, Twin Peaks, Lost Highway); Yasujiro Ozu (Tokyo Story, Floating Weeds, Late Spring, Early Summer, An Autumn Afternoon); Stanley Kubrick (Dr. Strangelove, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Clockwork Orange, The Shining) and Quentin Tarantino (Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill, Inglourious Basterds, Django Unchained, Hateful Eight, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood).

And no comedies (my favs, but obviously not into the box office biggies): Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Monty Python's Life of Brian, Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein, Big Lebowski, Dr Strangelove, My Name Is Nobody (Il mio nome è Nessuno), They Call Me Trinity (Lo chiamavano Trinità), Trinity Is Still My Name (Continuavano a chiamarlo Trinità), Manitou's Shoe (Der Schuh des Manitu), The Visitors (Les Visiteurs), Taxi (Luc Besson), Tall Blond Man with One Black Shoe (Le grand blond avec une chaussure noire), The Goat (La Chèvre), In Bruges, A Fish Called Wanda, Grand Budapest Hotel, Hangover, Naked Gun and Airplane.

Nor Animations: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Ghost in the Shell (Kôkaku Kidôtai), Isle of Dogs, Millennium Actress (Sennen joyû), WALL-E, Akira, Ratatouille, Anomalisa, Summer Days with Coo (Kappa no Kû to natsuyasumi), Persepolis, Another Day of Life, Your Name (Kimi no na wa), Iron Giant, Heavy Metal, Princess Mononoke (Mononoke-hime), Spirited Away (Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi), Ponyo (Gake no ue no Ponyo), My Neighbor Totoro (Tonari no Totoro), Kiki's Delivery Service (Majo no takkyûbin), The Wind Rises (Kaze tachinu), My Life as a Zucchini (Ma vie de courgette), Triplets of Belleville (Les triplettes de Belleville), Steamboy, Renaissance, Vampire Hunter D (Kyûketsuki hantâ D), Samurai X (Rurôni Kenshin), Blood: The Last Vampire, Paprika (Papurika), Ninja Scroll (Jûbê ninpûchô), Wizards, Grave of the Fireflies (Hotaru no haka) and Mr Hublot - a short film.

But most of all, none from my favorite genre - film noir: Night of the Hunter, Detour, Double Indemnity, The Big Heat, Asphalt Jungle, Touch of Evil, Kiss Me Deadly, In a Lonely Place, The Big Sleep, Out of the Past, The Killing, Naked Kiss, The Third Man, Raw Deal, They Live By Night, While the City Sleeps, They Drive By Night, On Dangerous Ground, The Big Knife, The Hitch-Hiker, The Wrong Man, Stray Dog (Nora inu), High and Low (Tengoku to jigoku), Branded to Kill (Koroshi no rakuin), Cruel Gun Story (Kenjû zankoku monogatari), Pale Flower (Kawaita hana), A Colt is My Passport (Koruto wa ore no pasupooto), Shoot the Piano Player (Tirez sur le pianiste), Elevator to the Gallows (Ascenseur pour l'échafaud), Le Samouraï, Breathless (À bout de souffle), Night Moves, Killing of a Chinese Bookie, The American Friend (Der amerikanische Freund), Blood Simple, Lost Highway and Chinatown.

Too much for most of you to read and much more than I planned on writing, but maybe there's one or two other film nuts like myself in this community that appreciate what occupies my time when I'm not out and about or watching sports. And yes, I did mention Raging Bull, The Godfather and Clockwork Orange, but no Shawshank Redemption, Schindler's List, Citizen Kane, etc.
 
Too much for most of you to read and much more than I planned on writing, but maybe there's one or two other film nuts like myself in this community that appreciate what occupies my time

Nope, read it all with interest but you're right about one thing - I haven't even heard of most of that stuff, let alone seen it. I mean, there's film buffs and then there's film buffs, right? Clearly you're a proper film buff. In the same way that there's goons and there's uber-goons!
I did spot a handful of films in there that made me nod in approval though, mainly the more obvious, mainstream stuff - Blomkamp, Scott, Iñárritu, the Coens etc..

Disappointed that you mentioned Kathryn Bigelow, but didn't include Strange Days. One of my all time favourites that I shamefully forgot to mention in my own list. ?
 
Nice list @ECG!

Noticed you gave a shout out to two Charlie Kaufman films (aka The World's Greatest Living Scriptwriter) but didn't mention him by name. It isn't always all about the director y'know! His latest film I'm Thinking of Ending Things is, as usual, quite superb.

Nine Queens is indeed terrific but as Argentinian crime thrillers go you can't beat The Secret in their Eyes.

And since you're clearly not fazed by furrin films, may I recommend the "Living Trilogy" from Swedish director Roy Andersson (Songs From the Second Floor, You, The Living and A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence)? Utterly unique. Like a cross between Ingmar Bergman and Monty Python.
 
Disappointed that you mentioned Kathryn Bigelow, but didn't include Strange Days. One of my all time favourites that I shamefully forgot to mention in my own list. ?
Strange Days is definitely worth mentioning, but couldn't list everything I wanted and chose Near Dark instead as that's the film that put her on my radar and has been mentioned by others in this topic.

Nice list @ECG!

Noticed you gave a shout out to two Charlie Kaufman films (aka The World's Greatest Living Scriptwriter) but didn't mention him by name. It isn't always all about the director y'know! His latest film I'm Thinking of Ending Things is, as usual, quite superb.
I completely agree that it's not all about directors and screenwriters are just as important, if not more so, as cinematographers and editors. I hate weak dialog. However, most people relate to directors, who have the say over everything relating to the film and how it's made. Kaufman is indeed one of the best (my #5) along with some of the directors above (Coens, Tarantino, Coppola, Allen, Lee, Anderson, Kubrick, Huston, as well as Billy Wilder and Oliver Stone - who I somehow omitted from my fav directors) and I'll name others (David Webb Peoples, Paul Thomas Anderson, Kenneth Lonergan, Robert Towne, William Goldman, Ernest Lehman and Paul Schrader - my #4), but Mamet is top for me as a playwright extraordinaire as well (Burn This being my favorite). Did I mention that I'm an English lit major? ;)
I haven't seen I'm Thinking of Ending Things yet, but it's at the top of my Netflix queue.

Nine Queens is indeed terrific but as Argentinian crime thrillers go you can't beat The Secret in their Eyes.
I have to admit that I've got a weak spot for a good con flick, but El secreto de sus ojos is right up there.

And since you're clearly not fazed by furrin films, may I recommend the "Living Trilogy" from Swedish director Roy Andersson (Songs From the Second Floor, You, The Living and A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence)? Utterly unique. Like a cross between Ingmar Bergman and Monty Python.
Here I was thinking I'm a film buff and then you laid those on me. Will definitely check them out, although I'm not a big Bergman fan and A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence looks to be hard to come by here in the states (other than streaming). I'd rather purchase a movie than pay to stream it once.
 
Will definitely check them out, although I'm not a big Bergman fan.
Ha! No, I'm not that keen on Bergman either. I just mentioned him as lazy shorthand for that type of dour Scandinavian drama.

Truth is, his films aren't much like either Bergman or Python. They're difficult to pigeonhole (see what I did there?) because they really are quite unique and distinctive. Virtually every scene is a static long take; there's no camera movement or close-ups involved. I realise this makes them sound like arty borefests, which they probably would be if they weren't so damn funny.

In case you need further convincing, A Pigeon... was endorsed by both Iñárritu and Aronofsky for its US release...

a-pigeon-sat-on-a-branch-poster.jpg
 
Here are my favorites that I can think of right now.

1. Unbreakable
2. Marriage Story
3. Talladega Nights The Balled Of Ricky Bobby
4. The Truman Show
5. Napoleon Dynamite
6. Stranger Than Fiction
7. Hear no evil see no evil
8. The Lego Movie
9. Glass
10. Taxi Driver

And the Honorable mentions.

Scream
Jurassic Park
Iron man
Spiderman Homecoming
Forrest Gump
The Shawshank Redemption
 
heres my top 10
1. Blade Runner 2049
2. Avengers Endgame
3. Skyfall
4. The Last Jedi
5. No Time To Die
6. Back To The Future Part 3
7. The Lion King
8.Inside Out
9. Oliver!
10. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
 
Unordered favorites from someone who’s not exactly into movies:
  • Knives Out (love this movie so much)
  • Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (masterpiece)
  • Napoleon Dynamite (another masterpiece with unique comedy)
  • Shrek 2 (legitimately one of the all time great animated films)
  • Spider Man: Into the Spiderverse (THE all time great animated film)
  • The Truman Show (yeah)
I’m sure there’s others but those are off the top of my head.
 
I can't do ranking, but here's my top 8 in the order that I watched them...

  • Inception
  • Batman Begins
  • V For Vendetta
  • Se7en
  • Silence of the Lambs
  • Black Swan
  • Suspiria
  • Gone Girl

(...there then follows 122 films I've rated as 8/10 and I can't be arsed to figure out a preference, currently)
 
I can't do ranking, but here's my top 8 in the order that I watched them...

  • Inception
  • Batman Begins
  • V For Vendetta
  • Se7en
  • Silence of the Lambs
  • Black Swan
  • Suspiria
  • Gone Girl

(...there then follows 122 films I've rated as 8/10 and I can't be arsed to figure out a preference, currently)

Ah, Aronofsky, Fincher & Nolan - the basic white boy unholy trio! 😂

Suspiria is really ****ing good though and obviously Silence of the Lambs is incredible so you are forgiven...
 
Ah, Aronofsky, Fincher & Nolan - the basic white boy unholy trio! 😂
Well, thank you Barry ;) I'll take any of those three over James ****ing Cameron, thanks :p

In my defence, the bulk of films I've watched are going to be a bit obvious, because they're either from my IMDB 250 phase (I'm still missing 112 of them, incidentally) or recommended by a 'because you like x you will enjoy y' kind of thing. Equally, covid (amongst other things) has long since killed my concentration span - Last Night In Soho is the first film I've sat through and enjoyed in a LONG time.

Also, the Suspiria remake isn't very good.
 
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Ooo I do love a good top 10ish film-fest.

There are two clear themes throughout my picks: (1) films that provoke a strong sense of emotion in me; and (2) impossibly brilliant execution.

In no particular order...

Forrest Gump - This has been parodied so much that it's easy to forget just how good it really is. Light, bemusing and silly but then, in a flash, moving and even heartbreaking. Just a story of a dumb man doing what he does. Maybe there's a little bit of Forrest Gump in all of us?

Silence of the Lambs - I have always enjoyed this and had it in my top 10, but with such a compelling and thrilling story it's only on more recent watchings that I've really picked up on the oppressive sexism that poor Agent Starling is subjected to by everyone... in addition to the graphic treatment of her by the 'crazies'. It does make me a little nervous for film art though, as I genuinely don't think the same film would get the go ahead today.

21 Jump Street - There is nothing about this film that would suggest it would be funnier than any other middling 'mainstream comedy'. In fact, the thought of even watching it seemed like a chore, at the time. Surely it can't be funnier than any 'classic comedy'? Yes, it can. 21 Jump Street is unexpectedly and absurdly funny. The quick-fire 'ad lib style' dialogue makes the humour feel fresh and conversational, whilst the sprinkled in 'feels' provokes a sense of warmth and camaraderie.

Who Framed Roger Rabbit? - Often forgotten, but an absolute ****ing masterpiece of exposition. Go and watch it again, pretending you haven't seen it before, and you'll see how much you learn about Eddie Valiant's character and backstory without it being expressly explained in dialogue. Beyond that, hilarious and memorable. Great concept, spectacular execution. RIP cartoon shoe, though - my face as a child. Ruined my life.

Hereditary - This film made me feel so uneasy and conjured so much dread that at the end it was almost unbearable. I ****ing love horror, but this is one of only of two films that have ever really got under my skin, for a long time after watching it, which is saying a lot. By the time it was over and the credits started, I was left in shocked silence, genuinely contemplating whether it was actually the best horror film of all time. I would make the argument that it actually is, thanks to its execution and aggressive/shocking left turns. Just how bad can a situation get? Hereditary's answer: really, really, really, really, really, really ****ing bad. Praise to Toni Collette, who is amazing.

The Fellowship of the Ring - The best 'world building' in any film ever and surprisingly menacing, even after watching it so many times.

The Lion King (1994) - Surely one of the most universally cherished films out there. Everyone loves the Lion King, because there's so many ways to enjoy it. You can simply and validly like the masterfully catchy songs and wonderful bright colours. Maybe it's admiration of the strong emotions provoked by the notorious 'ravine' scene. You could enjoy the themes of 'the continuity of life'. Or at the deepest dive, there are ever-relevant themes of facing guilt, taking on responsibilities and opting to embrace challenges vs. the merits of letting go and enjoying a carefree lifestyle. Just... so much going on, in a wonderfully presented, easily digestible story. Brilliant.

Terminator 2 - Perfect action thriller. Robert Patrick is terrifying.

Kiki’s Delivery Service - I don't think anything has ever conveyed the 'throwing yourself against a brick wall' struggle of doing things by yourself (no matter how earnest you are) as well as this film. Unexpectedly emotional.

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade - Great, but more of a nostalgic entry for me. I had a taped from TV version that I watched every single day (!) during a school holidays where I stayed with my Nan. A fast paced, cheerful McGuffin-hunt that's infinitely quotable. "It belongs in a museum!" "SO DO YOUUU!"

A runner-up for me is Rocky which is probably not one of my all time favourite films, but undoubtedly my favourite series of films. That speech in Rocky 6 gives me the chills every time 🥺🥺🥺🥺

 
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100% this. Still haunts me to this day.
Did you know they still cut this scene out whenever it's shown on terrestrial tv? Too traumatic.
I can believe it. It's the sort of nightmare-fuel that can only come from an 80s children's film.
 
Fun fact: Roger Rabbit was the first film I ever saw at Telford's AMC cinema (now an Odeon) - one of the first of these new fangled 'multiplex' cinemas to open in the UK (the very first one being The Point cinema in Milton Keynes). I distinctly remember being literally blown away by the clarity of the presentation and the Dolby surround sound, not to mention the comfy seats and glitzy light packages everywhere. It's hard to describe to anyone born after 1990 just how bad the local fleapits used to be. For me, Roger Rabbit was the film that ushered in a new age of cinema.

Fun fact #2: You know that bit where they get flung out of the cartoon car after skidding on the dip? If you freeze frame it at just the right spot there's a very brief moment, like literally a single frame, where you can see Jessica Rabbit's muff. 🤤

Anyways, back on topic - good list that, Nitefly. I approve. 👏👏
 
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Fun fact: Roger Rabbit was the first film I ever saw at Telford's AMC cinema (now an Odeon) - one of the first of these new fangled 'multiplex' cinemas to open in the UK (the very first one being The Point cinema in Milton Keynes). I distinctly remember being literally blown away by the clarity of the presentation and the Dolby surround sound, not to mention the comfy seats and glitzy light packages everywhere.
Wow dude, that's a very similar story to mine. I caught it at the Wycombe Six in High Wycombe which had only fairly recently opened. On their big premier screen equipped with a THX-certified sound system. Quite awesome.
It's hard to describe to anyone born after 1990 just how bad the local fleapits used to be. For me, Roger Rabbit was the film that ushered in a new age of cinema.
Swings and roundabouts though. Sure, there were plenty of provincial cinemas that deserved to close but the rise of the multiplex also killed off a lot of wonderful old picture palaces, particularly in urban centres. And most multiplexes have a couple of decent-sized screens and a bunch of shoeboxes.
Fun fact #2: You know that bit where they get flung out of the cartoon car after skidding on the dip? If you freeze frame it at just the right spot there's a very brief moment, like literally a single frame, where you can see Jessica Rabbit's muff.
Not any more you can't. The b*stards at Disney obscured it for home video.
 
@Howie ah glad you approve. Looking at it again, I’m surprised and a little pleased that it’s quite ‘balanced’ across genres (putting aside my awesome fragility and cotton socks).
 
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