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One movie not mentionned above that is really a must-see in my opinion is "The Edge" starring Anthony Hopkins and Alec Baldwin.

The main character in this movie, played by Hopkins, portrays a superbly heroic man dealing with a very difficult situation. He is intelligent, resourceful, and unyielding. I could easily envision this type of character in an Ayn Rand novel, with very few modifications required to fit that bill. And Hopkins is an incredibly good actor, perfect for this role.

Has anyone else here seen it, and what did you think of it?

It's my favourite movie. And it's the movie that made me an Objectivist (or at least made me seriously consider becoming one). This is especially funny because I got the recommendation in a book by Robert Anton Wilson. :lol:

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Just Cause

It's a movie from 1995.

A movie about a murder case in a time when America was black-racist.

The defendant is a young black man, and he was sentences to death.

He hires Sean Connery, a brilliant lawyer and an activist for equality of rights to blacks.

Sean Connery starts examining the case and realizes that the guy was convicted on not enough evidence.

So he starts investigating the murder himself. Runs into some weird, creepy fellows there.

And I'm not going to tell you the rest, just that the plot is very unpredictable and good.

It's the kind of rare movies when you have no way to guessing the ending.

‎

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  • 2 months later...

I watch a lot of movies since Im a subscriber to the Blockbuster All Access program. The movies Im recommending are based on entertainment, quality(well made), good story. Overall enjoyable - and I dont like most movies, so heres the seldom ones I do like. My favorites start at the top.

-Million Dollar Baby(one of my favorites)

-The Professional

-Superman Movies(in order: 1, 2, superman returns, 3. i havent seen 4 or supergirl yet)

-First Blood(Rambo 1)

-V for Vendetta(has an almost similar basic premise as AS)

-Jacobs Ladder

-North Country

-The Incredibles

-A Clockwork Orange

-October Sky

-The Woodsman

-History of Violence

-The Forgotten

-The Manchurian Candidate

-Everything is Illuminated

-The Night Listener

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Movies I love:

Million Dollar Baby - Eastwood, Swank, Freeman - what more do I need to say?

Wonder Boys - acting is extraordinary, writing amazing (book even better)

The Boondock Saints - religion plays a part but I always think of Edmund Burke - "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." It's a fun, late-night popcorn flick.

Bringing Up Baby - Kate is adorable, Carey is gorgeous, screwball comedy at its finest

Seabiscuit - watch the movie and then read the book - Hillenbrand is a literary artist

The Life of Brian - a textbook case of why religion is ridiculous

Casablanca - there's a reason why it's always on the top 5 of greatest movies ever made. I consider it the most perfect movie ever

The Big Sleep & To Have and Have Not - just for the Bogie/Bacall repartee alone - they don't write 'em like that anymore

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  • 1 month later...
I just watched Mulholland Drive. I think the story is somewhat weak, but it kept me very entertained and into it the whole 2 and 1/2 hours, trying to figure out exactly what was happening. Ive actually still not figured out the movie. Can someone explain the connection with the first half and the second half of the movie?

I think the first part is supposed to be a dream of Naomi Watts' character, but there is one thing that contradicts that. In the first part, she dreamt about the blue key and box, but that only came into play after she had awoken. And what was the significance of that blue key and box in the end, anyways? I understand she was to receive the key after her friend had been killed, but what about the box that the monster had?

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BaseballGenius - Re: Mulholland Drive

My understanding was that the dream occurred while Watts' character was dying after having shot herself, meaning that the sequences at the end where she is hanging around her apartment in dirty clothes took place chronologically before the dream.

By the way, Mulholland Drive is one of my favorite movies; unlike most of Lynch's other films, its intention seems to be not to disturb or frighten the viewer but rather to challenge him to piece together the puzzle.

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BaseballGenius - Re: Mulholland Drive

My understanding was that the dream occurred while Watts' character was dying after having shot herself, meaning that the sequences at the end where she is hanging around her apartment in dirty clothes took place chronologically before the dream.

I thought of that for a second but it made more sense to me that the dream was happening while she was sleeping, and not while she was dying. Because in her dream, the dead girl is in the exact same position as she is when she wakes up. Or maybe Lynch made it like that to confuse some people, and instead your idea is right. Also, do you know the significance of the blue box that the monster is holding at the end when the two little old people walk out of?

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  • 4 months later...

From time to time I come across a movie that is not as well-known, and not quite my favorite, but still worth recommending. Here are some lesser-known movies I'd recommend.

Judgement at Nuremberg: The Nuremberg trials have progressed, and early feelings of anger and revenge are being replaced with realpolitik calls to co-opt old Nazi's against the menace of communism. Into this background comes a US judge from a small town. He has to sit in judgment over ex-Nazi judges, who make a strong case that it was not their job to make the law, but to enforce it. The locals also tell him they were not fully aware of many Nazi evils: like the conditions in concentration camps. The film does a good job of keeping the arguments balanced, so that the viewer has to make a decision -- will the main character judge the same way the viewer does?

Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India: An unlikely band of Indian subjects take one their British ruler in a game of cricket.

The Way We Live Now: The version I saw is the TV series (probably from BBC).

The setting -- when railways were the new growth industry -- reminded me a lot of the recent internet boom: with it's pioneers mixed in with it's charlatans. Often, charlatans are good at imitating pioneers; they learn all the right words, and have a well-rehearsed "story". How does one tell the good from the bad? How do the bad feed off the good? Entwined into this are sub-plots about women having to choose between romance and "practical" marriage, reminiscent of books of the Pride and Prejudice era.

Light-hearted comedies: These three are light-hearted comedies. None of them will have you guffawing, but they're all fun to watch.

The Importance of Being Earnest: A movie version of Oscar Wilde's play.

Let's Do it Again: Twists and turns as Cosby and Poitier try to outwit miscellaneous bad guys.

Some Like it Hot: Fun little movie, starring Marylin Monroe.

Mystery/suspense:

The Big Clock: Someone gets cornered into being the fall guy for a murder and has to work his way out of the mess.

Wait Until Dark: This seems to have been based on a play (from the limited sets used). A blind woman is alone in a small apartment, and danger lurks. Great moments of suspenseful tension.

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  • 1 month later...

I've been using this thread as a guide to go out and see good movies, or rent them from Blockbusters, so here's three films I've seen recently that might or might not be on this list:

A Few Good Men - Jessep is a fantastically dichotomous character, as well teaching a very good story, as Kendall was saying in chat last night, about how you can't fight for someone behind their back.

The Shawshank Redemption - You know why it's good: get busy livin' or get busy dyin'.

Jesus of Montreal - Great film about going against authority, which very few people will probably have heard of. It's a theatre troupe putting on a new version of the Passion play, and despite the obvious fact that it's about the life of Jesus, it's all about not compromising in the face of pressure and about pursuing one's happiness, if it means rocking the boat.

High Fidelity - All about commitment and relationships; the perfect film for me.

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If anyone's looking for ideas for their Netflix or BBY queue.... These are the movies on my queue that I rated 8 , 9 or 10 (out of 10). The order below very roughly -- but not strictly -- indicates preference. Most are well-known, but I figured I'd post the list because some are not so popular. Too many to write anything about each, but I'd be happy to answer questions about any specific ones.

High Noon

October Sky

A Man for All Seasons

Shawshank Redemption

Judgment at Nuremberg

Pride and Prejudice

Anna and the King

Million Dollar Baby

Rear Window

The Illusionist

The Miracle Worker

To Kill a Mockingbird

Wait Until Dark

Akeelah and the Bee

American Gangster

Becket

Cinderella Man

Gaudy Night

Sophie Scholl: The Final Days

Schindler's List

The Greatest Game Ever Played

The Hunt for Red October

The Pursuit of Happyness

The Salton Sea

The World's Fastest Indian

The Thomas Crown Affair

V for Vendetta

Who Framed Roger Rabbit?

Painted Veil

A Beautiful Mind

Bad Day at Black Rock

Blade Runner

Braveheart

Buck and the Preacher

Crash

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial

The Endurance: Shackleton's Legendary Antarctic Expedition

Lagaan: Once Upon a Time In India

Freedom Writers

High Plains Drifter

Lady and the Tramp

Let's Do It Again

Lucky Number Slevin

Maverick

Othello

Red Beard

Rio Bravo

Seabiscuit

Some Like It Hot

The Accused

The Big Clock

The Defiant Ones

The Man in the Iron Mask

The Princess Bride

The Way We Live Now

Vertigo

Edited by softwareNerd
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Mine Are

27 dresses

Escape From Alcatraz

Batman Returns

Fight Club

Pulp Fiction

50 1st dates

The Note Book

Pride and Prejudice

A Beautiful Mind

Harry Potter and Philosopher's Stone

Harry Potter and Chamber of Secrets

Pirates Of The Carribean

The Princess Bride

And Many More but These Are in my mind yet ...

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Here are a few that may not have been mentioned yet, which I've enjoyed watching several times:

The African Queen, starring Humphrey Bogart & Katherine Hepburn. War picture made in 1951. As the online blurb describes it, "In Africa during WW1, a gin-swilling riverboat owner/captain is persuaded by a strait-laced missionary to use his boat to attack an enemy warship." The main characters' relationship and its development is central to the movie's enjoyability, but I also enjoy all the obstacles they overcome to achieve their goal. This is one of the few Hepburn movies I really like. Very much worth seeing if you never have.

Withnail & I, starring Richard E. Grant, Paul McGann and Richard Griffiths, made in 1987. Two out of work actors in 1969 London finagle a weekend in the country at an uncle's cottage. Hilarious movie, fabulous soundtrack. One of my all time favorites. Produced by George Harrison's company Handmade Films.

All The President's Men. Robert Redford & Dustin Hoffman. Still enjoying watching the sleuthing of the two reporters as they broke the story of Watergate. Highly rewatchable film.

Blues Brothers, John Belushi & Dan Akroyd. Love the music, love Belushi. Still hilarious even though the plot revolves around getting the money to pay the taxes on the guys' orphanage.

Hunt for Red October, another great Sean Connery, and I like Alec Baldwin in this. Russia/US cold war/submarine movie.

Beetlejuice. Funniest movie about the afterlife, ever! Alec Baldwin & Geena Davis star as a recently deceased couple who seek help on dealing with their situation. The Handbook for the Recently Deceased reads like stereo instructions!

I second the recommendations for:

Chocolat

Pirates of the Caribbean (the whole set)

Braveheart (love this movie. Depicts good reasons for fighting for freedom)

Rear Window (sleuthing story starring James Stewart and Grace Kelly is so rewatchable.)

Twelve Angry Men (terrific jury room story. Get the original version but the remake is also quite good)

I also enjoyed and have rewatched The Fountainhead and We The Living a number of times, and recommend them.

There are loads more - I'll add when I've more time.

Edited by AllMenAreIslands
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