What makes American History X and Apocalypse Now must-see movies?

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American History X and Apocalypse Now are considered must-see films due to their profound exploration of complex themes such as racism, redemption, and the horrors of war. American History X follows a former neo-Nazi skinhead who tries to prevent his younger brother from going down the same wrong path he did, showcasing the cycle of hate and the possibility of change. Apocalypse Now, a Vietnam War epic, delves into the madness of war and moral ambiguity, inspired by Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness. Both films are lauded for their powerful performances and impactful storytelling, making them essential viewing for understanding human nature and societal issues. Their critical acclaim and cultural significance solidify their status as cinematic masterpieces.
  • #31
I just watched Mothman Prophecies last night. I was not bad. It stuck mainly to the eerie strangeness of the mythology instead of making it some hollywood monster like I had assumed they would when it first came out. They seemed to use quite a bit of the actual history. There was the one major incident in the history that I had remembered hearing about and wondered why it had not been mentioned the entire movie only to find that they used it for the ending haha. Kind of stole the surprise a bit but the 'aha!' moment made up for that I guess.

I watched American Beauty and thought it was ok. I had low expectations since a friend of mine had lambasted it and described it as "trite". I guess that's why I enjoyed it somewhat; I wasn't expecting much. I didn't really think it was that great though.

I have queued up AI, Kisaragi, and The Nines. Aswell I have found that they apparently made a Dead Like Me movie. Haven't watched that yet either but soon.
 
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  • #32
Last weekend we watched Babel; 2006, with Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett, among others. Having a basis reminiscent of Mohave Phone Booth, Babel is actually four stories connected by a single event. As is often true of movies having a complex plot, it is slow to get going but well worth the wait. Also noteworthy is some beautiful cinematography. In the end we both thought it was excellent.

4 interlocking stories all connected by a single gun all converge at the end and reveal a complex and tragic story of the lives of humanity around the world and how we truly aren't all that different. In Morocco, a troubled married couple are on vacation trying to work out their differences. Meanwhile, a Moroccan herder buys a rifle for his sons so they can keep the jackals away from his herd. A girl in Japan dealing with rejection, the death of her mother, the emotional distance of her father, her own self-consciousness, and a disability among many other issues, deals with modern life in the enormous metropolis of Tokyo, Japan. Then, on the opposite side of the world the married couple's Mexican nanny takes the couple's 2 children with her to her son's wedding in Mexico, only to come into trouble on the return trip. Combined, it provides a powerful story and an equally powerful looking glass into the lives of seemingly random people around the world and it shows just how connected we really are...
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0449467/plotsummary
 
  • #33
Ivan Seeking said:
The Mothman Prophecies was surprisingly good. It is allegedly based loosely on real events, and to a certain extent that is true, but how much of the story is pure fantasy is anyones' guess. Apparently there was such a reporter making similar claims associated with a real bridge collapse, but beyond that, who knows. The book on which the film was based gets into all sorts of stuff never mentioned in the film. It was far more exotic than even the movie, which is way out there. Nonetheless, as pure entertainment I thought the film was quite good - an unexpected surprise.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mothman_Prophecies_(film )
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I enjoyed the movie with one exception. They never really addressed the part where he ended up a great distance from where he was headed and (I believe) missing some time. I think he was headed south near Richmond and ended up near Pittsburgh?
 
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  • #34
My favorite has already been listed, which is V for Vendetta, but it seems that might be a little sci-fyee.

My favorite western is The Outlaw Josey Wales, clint eastwoods best western IMHO.

Lucky Number Slevin leaves something to be desired as far as acting goes, but it kept me guessing, when it was over I was vary glad I had watched it.

And I almost forgot to mention Taken which I feel is the best action movie I've seen in atleast the last 5 yrs.
 
  • #35
El Topo

From imdb:
The gunfighter El Topo ("The Mole") and his young son ride through a desert to a village, whose inhabitants have been massacred. Bandits are nearby, torturing and killing the survivors. El Topo rescues a woman (Mara), who leads him on a mission to find and defeat the four master gunmen of the desert. Leaving his son with a group of monks, El Topo and Mara complete the mission, accompanied by a mysterious woman in black. The women leave El Topo wounded in the desert, where he is found by a clan of deformed people who take him to the remote cavern where they live. Awakening years later, he goes with a dwarf woman to a nearby town, promising to dig a tunnel through which the cave-dwellers can escape. They find the town run by a vicious sheriff and home to a bizarre religious cult. El Topo's son, now a man, is a monk in the town. The completion of the tunnel leads El Topo, the townspeople, and the cave-dwellers to a bloody and tragic end.

Trailer on youtube is worth a look too (if you don't like violence then don't click):
 
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  • #36
Ivan Seeking said:
Btw, Nicole Kidman was incredible in Moulin Rouge!... or at least infinitely watchable. Yowza!

http://www.whispermag.co.uk/siteimage/scale/0/0/75547.gif
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You people really have sh*t* tastes in movies!

NICOLE KIDMAN? (Well OK, she looks kinda cute in The Invasion...but HEY she can't act for nuts!)

There IS no "Best Movie". There are only highlights from every genre. Which genre do you want? I'll tell you the best movie from that genre. (I'm hoping this is not restricted to American movies).
 
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  • #37
WhoWee said:
I enjoyed the movie with one exception. They never really addressed the part where he ended up a great distance from where he was headed and (I believe) missing some time. I think he was headed south near Richmond and ended up near Pittsburgh?

Keel's whole mothman prophecy mythos (as opposed to the mothman phenomenon in and of itself) is chock full of random X-Files-esque phenomenon which all winds up being tied together by Keel in a sort of supernatural conspiracy theory. Among those was the 'Time Loss' phenomenon which he apparently believes he experienced. I have heard shows on Coast to Coast about it. Several people claim to have been driving along in their car and suddenly realized that they seemed to have jumped forward in time. The reports of it vary from just a few minutes to hours and some people describe having found themselves stopped on the side of the road when they had just been driving. Others describe being somewhere far off from where they had been sometimes supposedly much further from where they had been than they could have actually driven. The stories are most often connected to UFOs and abductions.
He also uses dopplegangers, prescience, mysterious voices on the phone, mysterious illnesses, objects/growths under the skin, and a demon who we are supposed to assume is the mothman which is really a separate phenomenon itself. The 'Time Loss' is really just a story vehicle to move the main character into investigating this apparent hotspot of strange activity and we can supposedly blame it on the trickster like nature of the demon Indrid Cold. The 'expert lecture' near the end is a similar hack story vehicle.
 
  • #38
My wife and I take turns picking movies. We rarely pick from the same list. With that said, a few weeks ago she selected "Serendipity"
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0240890/plotsummary

I really wasn't interested in watching, but a deal is a deal and we microwaved some popcorn and settled in for the night. Luckily, I paid attention to the story line. Basically, two strangers meet while shopping, spend a few hours together having fun and talking and debate the existence of fate. They decide not to exchange names and numbers and leave meeting again up to fate. Both characters are followed through time and it becomes obvious that fate is/might be trying to reunite them.

I actually enjoyed the movie more the second time, after picking up additional subtleties.
 
  • #39
Metropolis (Moroder's 1984 restoration with the great soundtrack).

It can be called Sci-Fi, I guess, but so can Frankenstein.
 
  • #40
EnumaElish said:
Metropolis (Moroder's 1984 restoration with the great soundtrack).

It can be called Sci-Fi, I guess, but so can Frankenstein.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzDHlFrwSbw
 
  • #41
Ha ha, nice clip, Ivan!

(My first reaction was, "what -- who -- how?")

It reminds me of "the Fed" right before the last financial burst.

[For the record, I've had nothing to do with that clip (or the soundtrack, for that matter).]
 
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  • #42
Maverick_Starstrider already posted it, but I have say I agree 100%

American History X

I didn't see this one listed yet.

Apocalypse Now "I love the smell of Napalm in the morning ... someday this wars going to end."

Thanks
Matt