Movie Classics that totally escape me

[pinball1970]

My Fav's : Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Terminator,
Pulp Fiction, Alien ( had you jumping out of your seat so often) Dances with wolves,
Apocalypse Now ( fav line " I love the smell of napalm in the morning")

Very Good: American Graffiti, The Sixth Sense, Unforgiven ( I think is one of Clint Eastwood's best),
Field of Dreams ( another Kevin Costner - a tear jerker for me every time) ( yeah, I'm a big softie ),
One flew over the Cuckoo's Nest - Jack Nicholson ( another tear jerker), All the President's Men
Star Wars - first 2 originals, Platoon, Saving Private Ryan

Didn't think much of Clockwork Orange - didn't really get it, maybe I was too young Dave

All great films besides Star wars which may be amazing just not to me particularly.
Clock work orange was a very strange film, the imagery, dress, dialogue and violence all came together to make an uncomfortable viewing experience.

Million Dollar Baby I can watch again and again.

Also I recently saw a film called Hunting Emma, it was English subtitles over Afrikaans I think.
I need to find that one again (late night hotel not in UK so subs may be different)

 

[Bystander]

Clockwork Orange - didn't really get it, maybe I was too young

..., or too rational.

 

[davenn]

..., or too rational.

maybe ... can't remember too long ago

 

[pinball1970]

maybe ... can't remember too long ago

Beethoven, milk drinking, 'ultra' violence and coversion therapy. Unpleasant.

A film that everyone thought was great and told me to watch was 'Whiplash.'
I hated it, preposterous film.

 

[Bystander]

The other I can't understand is "A Hard Day's Night" at number 18. I can't believe only 17 movies in history are better than a Beatles movie.

told me to watch was 'Whiplash.'
I hated it, preposterous film.

Sounds like a remake of "HDN." Artsies do artsies? "Look ma', no hands."

 

[davenn]

A film that everyone thought was great and told me to watch was 'Whiplash.'

don't recognise the name ... let me go look ...

it's description doesn't ring any bells

 

[pinball1970]

don't recognise the name ... let me go look ...

it's description doesn't ring any bells

My hero (one of them) from being about 13 was Buddy Rich, the greatest ever drummer. This film mentions him as it's about a dedicated young drummer. Here is the trailer.

 

[pinball1970]

Sounds like a remake of "HDN." Artsies do artsies? "Look ma', no hands."

I could not tell you what the Beatles films were about, mad cap capers mainly. The best parts were where they would settle down and play a song which is what people wanted to see.
Elvis Presley did some good films in the 50s and a lot of formulaic stuff in the 60s. Fans were happy just to see Elvis doing stuff so they went to see them.
If you want a really bad film featuring a band watch 'Spice World.'
Everything else seems much better after that.

 

[jedishrfu]

Citizen Kane. Often required viewing in film classes - considered one of the critically-acclaimed movies of all time.

Oh my God. Kill me.Wings of Desire.

Oh my God. I will kill myself.

Maybe Rosebud or the Martians will get you first.

 

[jedishrfu]

My favorite classics include:

- Forbidden Planet (Robby was the real star)
- Day the Earth Stood Still with Michael Rennie (Gort was the real star but Michael was cool too)
- Gunga Din (rousing adventure movie but probably violated a lot of PC stuff today)
- Darby O'Gill and the Little People
- The 300 Spartans (Richard Egan 1963)
- The Time Machine (Rod Taylor and Yvette Mimieux)

- Man in the White Suit (Alec Guinness classic)
- Last Holiday (Alec Guinness again with a haunting violin piece)
- I Know Where I'm Going (Wendy Hiller with a haunting castle and family curse)

- Stars Wars IV (the first one)
- Battlestar Galactica (the first one with Loren Green)
- Back to the Future (the first one)
- John Carter

...

 

[DennisN]

Back to the Future (the first one)

Back to the Future... that is indeed a special movie in my opinion. When I think of it, it's a bit of a mystery why it does not appear on any of the classics list posted previously in this thread. Although, when I just read the wiki article on it, I noticed it is at number 10 on this AFI SF list.

I have personally never met or heard of anyone who does not like the movie. So, if there is anyone reading this thread who don't like it, it would be interesting to hear about it and why.

It's also an interesting and quite unusual mix of genres:

Christopher Null, who first saw the film as a teenager, called it "a quintessential 1980s flick that combines science fiction, action, comedy, and romance all into a perfect little package that kids and adults will both devour."

And the soundtrack is quite good and memorable too.

And there's also a bit of music history in it, fictionalized but very funny:

 

[OCR]

Gort was the real star. . .

If you are using Firefox, copy and paste this into a new tab in the address bar, press enter. . .

about:robots

Read the box where the new tab is. . .

It should leave Gort a very important message. . . .


Lol. . .

.

 

[OCR]

It should leave Gort a very important message. . . .

⚠. . . Do NOT, under any circumstances, click. . .

.

 

[DennisN]

Hi all thread participants, if you would like to nominate twenty (20) of your favorite movies in this new PF thread it would be very much appreciated!

Nominate 20 movies here:
http://www.physicsforums.com/threads/pfs-favorite-movies-poll-nominations.979455/

 

[DennisN]

- Back to the Future (the first one)

I have personally never met or heard of anyone who does not like the movie.

I remembered that I had seen an interview with the famous and very charismatic singer Chris Martin (Coldplay) where he said that his absolute favorite movie of all time was Back To The Future. Regretfully I can't find the interview, but I found another interview which was even more entertaining (a must see for Back To The Future fans, IMO!)

'Great Scott!' 'Back to the Future' Cast Reunites | TODAY

 

[ericlreite]

e.g., at the moment I'm watching The Maltese Falcon, and finding it every bit as boring as 2001, A Space Oddysey. Any interest in a thread devoted to "critically acclaimed" movies that you want your money back when you see them for free in "The Nam," like Easy Rider? I did waste a perfectly good evening, "coulda" done KP, but no, I "hadda" go see Easy Rider.

Well, you're just too young to know what a "classic" is.

 

[ericlreite]

Well, you're just too young to know what a "classic" is.

I don't think it's possible for you to ever go to a movie and Freak Out over the special effects or acting that I was able to experience...Alien, The Thing, The Godfather...etc.

 

[pinball1970]

I don't think it's possible for you to ever go to a movie and Freak Out over the special effects or acting that I was able to experience...Alien, The Thing, The Godfather...etc.

In 1975 watching Jaws with your mum at he cinema you would have freaked out, trust me.

 

[DennisN]

I just watched "North By Northwest" by Hitchcock from 1959 and loved it. I did not remember the story at all.
Trailer:

 

[Klystron]

I am reading "Super" a novel written by the late Jim Lehrer about movies, set on a luxury train carrying movie stars, producers, directors and a prior president from Chicago to Los Angeles. The plot makes sense to classical movie fans and downwinders, alike.

Trust no one. They are not what they say they are.

 

[BillTre]

Having taken film classes, I would say a lot of "classic" films would be considered classic because they were a first or innovative in some way.
Once established, they have a cultural hold on opinions.
Once a kind of type of film is made, a frontier has been breached and followers, although possibly better are not going to have such a positive rep.

Other films (not classics) I like:
The People Under the Stairs
The Thing (Carpenter version)

 

[DennisN]

I also like "The Thing" a lot. Nice, eerie atmosphere. I haven't seen the other movie you mentioned, but I have heard about it.

 

[pinball1970]

I also like "The Thing" a lot. Nice, eerie atmosphere. I haven't seen the other movie you mentioned, but I have heard about it.

It's great. John Carpenter to me was in the Spielberg mould. Just an eye for a shot, scene, line, perfect casting.
Humour too.
The Omen 1976 for me is one of the greatest films ever made. In terms of gradually unraveling the horrible reality of the situation they are in piece by piece. Just brilliant pacing.
However you get no respite, you crawl from one horror to the next.
Jaws and the Thing give you that little chance to breathe and laugh.
Was there a horror movie before Jaws that had the audience laughing like that?
Kids karate
The pot roast scene.
'Buster browns!'
What is they call that? 'Drowning'
That's some bad hat Harry
Plus the great interplay between Shaw and Dreyfus

Top 5?

 

[DennisN]

The Omen 1976 for me is one of the greatest films ever made.

I actually watched it again quite recently and liked it a lot, it's a very good movie.

 

[pinball1970]

I actually watched it again quite recently and liked it a lot, it's a very good movie.

The Omen 2 (when they did not do follow ups like they do now) is just as good.
Again perfect pacing and set pieces that makes you go 'arrrgh nooooooo!'
The plot is great. If you have recently done 1, time for 2.
Don't do 3. IMO it does not have that thriller factor.

 

[DennisN]

If you have recently done 1, time for 2.

Thanks, will do!

 

[jedishrfu]

I got hooked on really old movies after PBS had a series of Criterion movies from long ago

Stairway to Heaven with a young David Niven
I Know Where I’m Going with Wendy Hiller
Major Barbara with Rex Harrison and Wendy Hiller
Pygmalion with Leslie Howard and Wendy Hiller
The Razors Edge with Tyrone Power
The Quiet Man with Maureen OHara and John Wayne
The 39 Steps directed by Hitchcock with Ronald Colman
…

 

[PeroK]

The 39 Steps directed by Hitchcock with Ronald Colman

That's with Robert Donat, surely?

 

[PeroK]

I Know Where I’m Going with Wendy Hiller

You should check out almost anything by Powell and Pressburger. In particular:

The Edge of the World
The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp
The Red Shoes
Black Narcissus

 

[DaveC426913]

Jaws and the Thing give you that little chance to breathe and laugh.
Was there a horror movie before Jaws that had the audience laughing like that?

Carpenter's The Thing and Jaws are in my top 5 of best horror, and top 20 Top of all time.
Alien is in there too.