Everyone loves films.

I think we have quite a diverse group here (excepting our uniting interest in self-understanding and social interactions). I want to know what your film tastes are. Discuss anything.

One thing I would like though is a single recommendation as well. If you had the power to make everyone watch one film, what film would that be?

I'll endeavor to watch each film anyone feels strongly enough about to put in that category.


Here's the list so far:
OvertOperation - Beau Travaill Bored me - They run, they climb, they crawl, it ends with a ridiculous interpretive dance.
Mycroft - The Thin Red Line Too long - The cheesy inner monologues could be scrapped for starters. Cut it down to 1:50 to make a decent film. After 2 hours I was begging it to end.
Jaz - There Will Be Blood Awesome - Worth watching just to marvel at the acting job Daniel Day-Lewis does Good story too, drain that bitch's milkshake!
Tom - In Bruges Pretty good - Yeah ... I know, I don't like Colin Farrell either. I loved the scene where the Ken character says "I know I'm awake but I feel like I'm in a dream", all the bits between Brendan Gleeson and Ralph Fiennes were brilliant.
charlatan - [REC] Watchable - One great death near the start. It is single camera, which I can't remember anyone doing well and later degenerates to constant screaming.
BCB - Irreversible Heavy - The directors fatalism and conception of time are fascinating. I may read An Experiment With Time after this (the book features at the end of the movie); which I guess is a key to unlock the films philosophy.
Blanca - Vampire's Kiss
Breaker - Sin Hombre Switched off - The tag-line is about moving to America, but started out being about gangs. It's fucked, it happens, I've seen this stuff before I don't need to see it again.
monkeybuster - Glengarry, Glen Ross Fun - Great actors aggressively belittle each other at every opportunity.
rocknrolla - Brotherhood of the Wolf Entertaining - Pretty long for a film about a beast on a hill.

Keep-em coming.


Peace,

kowalski

I'm going to cheat and give you three. My favourite 2 films are Lost In Translation. I think Bill Murray is just outstanding in that film. The locations are amazing. The script is brilliant. And the interplay between the two main characters is thrilling to watch.

My other favourite film is American Beauty. Again, brilliantly written. Sam Mendes is a top drawer director, I love the care he puts into every single shot of that film. Its all so lovingly constructed, you almost forget to listen to the words, you're looking so closely at the screen.

However, I assume most people will have seen those films already. So I'll also post a film I saw recently which I'd urge you all to watch, which I think fewer people may have seen: Beau Travail. Its a beautiful film, French subtitles, but its just an absolute work of art.

As for me ...

There are a few directors I love.

David Lynch is genius, no one makes films like him and they'd be ridiculed if they did. I especially recommend Straight Story, EraserHead and INLAND EMPIRE (Lynch insisted the title be written in caps in all publications). Twin Peaks is legendary and shouldn't need to be recommended.

Sam Raimi. The Evil Dead films gave the world Ash, possibly the greatest ever hero; badass mutha fucka ends up cutting his own hand off and replacing it with a chainsaw. Sick! His latest film Drag Me To Hell is the best horror film I've ever seen. He also did the disappointing Spiderman films. Still their direction is brilliant and so is their Bruce Campbell cameos. There's rumours those cameo appearances are building towards Bruce being Mysterio which would be pretty special.

Luc Besson rocks my shit too. I remember, vividly, watching Leon for the first time. Before this film I just watched anything and thought about films as a whimsical passtime with little real value. Watching Leon was a big jolt in my awakening to cinema as art. The Fifth Element is top 10 scifi material and the original Taxi is top fun.

I'll write about some more of my preferences later.

To answer my own question I'm pretty sure the film I want everyone to see is Withnail and I.


Peace,

kowalski

Hey OO,

I have seen the first two films. I ended up hating American Beauty though. I really enjoyed it and thought it was pretty intelligent, funny, captivating, great direction, great script, stellar acting and all that. I hated that he never sexed the girl. I thought it was a total cop-out and pretty much ruined the film for me.

I love anything with Bill Murray in. If you've not seen Coffee and Cigarettes, youtube the clip with Bill Murray and The RZA funny as fuck.

I'll look out for Beau Travail, mate. Any Manchester members got this?


Peace,

kowalski

Good call on Beau Travail. Until I was about 17 my goal in life was to join the Foreign Legion.

I don't have a fav film but good stuff I've seen recently,

500 Days of Summer and Up in the Air, both, sort of, unromantic comedies.

Mendes latest Away We Go is a really charming film. A youngish couple basically travel around America trying to find their place in the world.

Anything with Spencer Tracy.

Stuff that I consistently love. The Big Lebowski, Fight club, Van Damme and Segal stuff from the 80s and early 90s, Hard Eight(even Gwyneth Paltrow can't ruin it), fuck it any PT Anderson film, Full Metal Jacket.

If I had to pick one for everyone to see it would be "The Thin Red Line". Be warned this is not a war film and if you put it on expecting to see one you will be bored silly.
I've written a few sentences trying to describe it but I can't; just watch it.


Hunger - I went in ready to hate this film. Fucking artist makes film about IRA hunger strikers. Fuck off. But it really is a piece of art. He isn't overly concerned about the conflict or politics more about violence itself and how far our bodies can be pushed. Actually it only falls down when the characters talk to each other. I know, sounds boring and pretentious but it's not.

Kowalski, we have discussed in length our passion for Sam Raimi and the Evil Dead flicks, so you know I am with you on that bro.

Anyone who hasent watched The Evil Dead trilogy, do so. It is the greatest horror trilogy, if not the best film trilogy of all time.

Yes, I am big horror film guy.

I was brought up on 80's splatter flicks. Films like: Basket Case, Re-Animator, Brain Dead... all good stuff. In terms of Mise-en-scène, story and acting. Well I will be the first to admit these types of films are lacking in these areas. Just good ol' cheap thrills.

If I want to sound pretensions and give you some REAL films to discuss, well there is too many to mention without picking out the obvious choices.... The ones that EVERYONE likes (Pulp Fiction, Fight Club..... yadayadyada).

But I will say the best film I saw last year was There Will Be Blood. It is incredible. Danial Day Lewis gives, no shit, the best acting job I have ever seen on screen. Apart from that I really enjoyed Watch Men last year too.

WOW!

Just watched the RZA, GZA and Bill Murray clip.

FUNNY SHIT, MATE I'M GONNA WATCH THAT AGAIN.

Its great how awesome things come together. Bobby Digital!

So true Jaz. As a whole Coffee and Cigarettes is inconsistent. Some scenes are absolute failures (like The White Stripes' scene) others (like Bill Murray's scene) just click and something special emerges.

I've not seen Basket Case so true will look out for that. Re-Animator is great and so are Peter Jackson's films, other than Lord of My Ring.

I actually think Pulp Fiction, like most of Quentin Tarantino's films, is way too try hard to be great. The only one I really like where he is director is Resovoir Dogs.


I'm gonna list one suggestion per person in the OP for easy reference.


Peace,

kowalski

I agree with you on Pulp Fiction. Quentin Tarantino is the most overrated director of all time.

Anyway, to stick to your newly implemented rule. If I can recommend one film for you all to watch it wil be:

There Will Be Blood.

It is directed by Paul Thomas Anderson the guy behind Boogie Nights (another one of my personal favorites) And it stars the remarkable Danial Day Lewis. The film itself is based around the turn of the century and follows the life of an oil prospector. The themes of the film are all based around ego, greed, religion and family. Please watch this, seems not many people have seen this for some reason. One could argue it is a slow film, but if you were to say that - you would be an idiot. So if your attention span is above that of a 12 year old and you are fairly intelligent then I am sure you will enjoy it.

Check the trailer:

YouTube - There Will Be Blood theatrical trailer

I read Sam is re-making Evil Dead, Jaz. I'm excited.


Peace,

kowalski