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Greatest Movie You Have Ever Seen

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You don't have to like every single aspect of a movie (or any work of art) to enjoy it or consider it good.

For example, the basic message of "the Matrix" is that a person can make their own choices and choose their values. A lot of the movie is superficial garbage and mindless action, and the sequels are lame, but the idea is interesting, and the setting was rather creative.

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All About Lily Chou Chou (Shunji Iwai) - I didnt know films could be so beautiful. A perfect fusion of music and colour, and my favourite work of visual art.

Funny Games (Michael Haneke) - Extremely impressive from a technical point of view: Haneke is able to deal with a cliche subject (the aestheticization of violence) in a way which makes it seems completely fresh. Theres so many clever tricks that its hard not to smile, and the climax is one of the most powerful scenes in cinema. There's been a shot-for-shot remake of this film in English released this year which I havent seen, but Id be surprised if it was as good as the original German version since the casting was spot-on.

Spirit of the Beehive (Victor Erice) - very abstract and symbolic film, but it touched me deeply and has stayed with me for quite some time. Set during the Spanish civil war and dealing with the lives of 2 young girls, its similar in some ways to Pans Labyrinth and anyone who liked that will probably enjoy this too.

Peppermint Candy (Lee Chang-dong) - uses the Memento style of narrative where the film is shot in reverse. It begins with a middle-age Korean businessman committing suicide, and the rest of the film goes backwards over his life.

Braveheart (Mel Gibson) - Maybe I'm a bit biased since I'm Scottish and first watched this when I was a patriotic/nationalist kid, but this has always been my favourite Hollywood-style film. Epic plot, lots of emotion, and a great soundtrack.

Honourable mentions: Roshomon, Withnail and I, American Beauty, Koyaanisqatsi, The Life of Brian.

Edited by eriatarka
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A few of my faves: (Mostly echoes of movies already mentioned):

- Drama: Life is Beautiful

- Romantic Comedy: The Princess Bride

- Comedy - Austin Powers

- Fantasy: Lord of the Rings

- Sci-Fi: Serenity

- Musical - Man of La Mancha

- Thriller: Silence of the Lambs

- Horror: 28 Days Later

- Documentary: Band of Brothers

- Animated: Shrek

- Honorable Mention: Shawshank Redemption, Swing Kids, Incredibles, Braveheart, Rebecca, When Harry Met Sally, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner

There are so many!

--Dan Edge

If you liked -Band of Brothers- (as I did) you will greatly enjoy -Gettysburg-, specially the 20 minutes (uninterrupted) showing Chamberlain's defense of Little Round Top. I was sitting with a bunch of Civil War Reenactors of my acquaintance and both they and I were drenched with sweat after seeing that. Whooo!

This was much more intense than the portrayal of Pickett's Charge. There is no way that the extent of Pickett's Charge can be presented on screen. It consisted of 13,000 Confederates marching in rank across the gap between Seminary Ridge and Cemetery Ridge. The charge was halted by withering fire of canister and double canister shot that literally blew bodies into small bloody gobbets. There is no way of getting that in a motion picture. 13,000 marched out, only 7,000 came back. After that it was downhill for the Confederacy.

ruveyn

ruveyn

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Why doesn't anybody mention Fargo? At least in the comedy section, it has to be at the top.

A lot of people who know good comedy agree with me that as far as movies go, Fargo is among the funniest.

There were of course a lot of great movies made in the 90's: Seven, Silence of the Lambs(just because of Anthony Hopkins), The English Patient, The Shawshank Redemption, Goodfellas, Casino, Reservoir Dogs, etc.

Then, after 2000, there is nothing in the mainstream that even compares to any of these. At first, I thought it was because of 9/11, but then I directed my attention towards Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings, and the stupid superhero movies: the studios realized that there is no need to take any risks by making movies like The Usual Suspects, where you might even produce a masterpiece and still not make huge amounts of money. Instead, you could take a safe, cheap plot, add some special effects, and make hundreds of millions of dollars.

Since the last Batman movie I lost hope completely. I think it had the second largest box-office revenue, and there's even talk of Oscars (for a movie that actively promotes sacrificing heroes for the good of an undeserving mob, and openly advocates for tyranny), while an amazing movie like "Before the Devil Knows You're Dead" (the first great movie in years btw) tanks, or a pretty good movie like "No Country for Old Men" barely makes back its costs.

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I've probaby posted in here before, but I'll do it again. I have several movies that I consider my "all-time favorites," and it's hard to pick which one is my absolute favorite, so here they are in no particular order:

-Lawrence of Arabia

-Goodfellas

-One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

-Dances with Wolves

-The Battle of Algiers

-Lord of the Rings (the whole thing)

-Pan's Labyrinth

-Kingdom of Heaven

Well, I guess there is some order to it, because I think Lawrence of Arabia and Goodfellas probably sit a little higher in my mind than the rest of them.

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  • 8 months later...
On the Waterfront

I just rewatched this a few weeks ago, for the first time since studying O'ism and wow...I just loved it all the more! Nothing like watching union cronies get what they deserve. :)

I just saw Equilibrium.

Huh, never heard of it. I will have to check that out.

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Which is the greatest movie you have ever seen, which you have liked the most?

Mine is Lawrence of Arabia closely followed by Guns of Navarone.

I would like to know yours.

Remember The Titans

Dangerous Beauty

The Edge

The Shawshank Redemption

Hidalgo

The Contender

Edited by funandlearning
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There is a French movie called "Martyrs" that is horrifyingly brilliant.

Nearly impossible to watch for its extemely graphic content but with a more powerful message than more mainsream movies with big budgets will ever achieve.

While many dismiss it as a numbingly graphic horror movie it is in fact a statement about society's (and organized religion's) way of sacrificing the individual for the whims, comforts, education, enlightenment and entertainment of the masses.

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1. Blade Runner (in my mind, no movie even comes close to touching the genius of this film

After that, in no particular order:

The Dogs of War (with Christopher Walken)

Lawrence of Arabia (Barbara Branden finds it boring - she's an idiot)

The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension (possibly the most entertaining movie ever made)

The Good, The Bad and the Ugly

Die Hard (best action movie ever made)

Alien (the essential action heroine)

Aliens (superb follow-up to Alien)

Das Leben Der Anderen (there is no movie about living under Communism better than this, because it takes it personally)

2001: A Space Odyssey (it's not mystical and it's not about drugs)

Star Trek: First Contact (what could be more awe-inspiring than humans meeting another intelligent race for the first time?)

The Prestige (structurally the most innovative movie I've ever seen - this is what makes Nolan so great)

October Sky

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (Shatner has some pretty amazing acting in this one)

The Flight of the Phoenix (original version) (PS: I hate remakes)

The Jack Bull (awesome movie about natural law)

Patton

Ghost Dog (a modern Samurai)

I have a movie collection of about 300 movies, most from before the 90s, so I can't even begin to list them all right now.

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I'll add more movies as I go on, but right now i'll just mention one that's at the top of my head because the Musical Theater division here at the festival is doing the broadway version:

Thoroughly Modern Millie: This is an uplifting and high-spirited movie, a very endearing comedy. Starring Julie Andrews as Millie, Andrews is of course one of those rare actresses who lights up the screen with whenever she is in the scene. Surrounded by the likes of Mary Tyler Moore, Carol Channing (a one-woman vaudeville show if there ever was one), Beatrice Lillie and James Fox, this movie is incredibly whimsical. The singing is delightful when Andrews does it... and outrageously entertaining when it's Channing's turn (I am still convinced no human larynx is capable of the sounds that come out of her mouth...) but what Channing lacks in vocal beauty she makes up in sheer rambunctious exhuberance. It's definitely a movie that'll leave you smiling, if you have time for its slightly longer-than-average length. One of the nicest features is that one of the main characters, the widow Muzzy (Channing) is a millionaire who is portrayed as someone with an insatiable love for life.

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Zoso I'm glad I'm not the only one to mention....

#1 American Beauty - If a film ever managed to best this one, it would cause an instant worldwide revolution.

#2 Dr. Strangelove or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb

#3 Cool Hand Luke

#4 V for Vendetta

#5 Magnolia

#6 Amadeus

#7 Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

#8 The Wizard of Oz

#9 The Princess Bride

#10 The Miracle Worker

Now that I have seen There Will Be Blood, my list needs to be fixed! Again! I'm thinking a #2 spot, but I need to give it another viewing.

Sentimental picks :

Pee Wee's Big Adventure

Romeo And Juliet (1968)

The Graduate

Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure

Life is Beautiful

Garden State

The Wall

The Blair Witch Project

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