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What are yours? I'm usually undecided, but "Withnail and I" is up there (and is the only British movie in my top 5), and also BladeRunner, despite the various inconsistencies (Surely if Harrison Ford was the 6th Replicant he wouldn't have been stomped so bad by Rutger Hauer, right?)

Hmm... top five.

In no particular order:

Southpark: Bigger, Longer & Uncut
Big Lebowski.
Fight Club
The Matrix
X-Men 2

There are a lot more fighting for the top spots, but that's what comes to mind.

I'll go with:


1) Dr. Strangelove
2) The Killer (John Woo & Chow-Yun Fat)
3) Shawshank Redemption
4) Raiders of the Lost Ark
5) Big Lebowski

I really feel like a top 10 represents me better, but in the interest of not derailing this thread, I will deliver the specified 5.

1) Empire
2) Pulp Fiction
3) Sin City
4) Layer Cake
5) Apocalypse Now

I always have to give a laundry list when these subjects come up. I love too many movies.

Top 5 (today?s list, actually caused me physical discomfort to cut down this far)
Blade Runner (Director?s cut)
Fight Club
Requiem for a Dream
Trainspotting
Unforgiven


Next group, any of which could also be in the top 5:
American Beauty
Fearless
Ghost Dog: Way of the Samurai
Heat
Pulp Fiction
Rashomon
Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Yojimbo

Note that if given the option between never seeing any given one of the above again or punching a innocent, defenseless child in the throat, I would be hard-pressed to choose.

Seeing any of the following for the first time, while not as amazing as the above, could sanely be chosen in preference to most sexual encounters:
12 Angry Men
Alien
All Quiet on the Western Front
Amadeus
Empire Strikes Back
Fargo
Full Metal Jacket
LA Confidential
Lola Rennt (AKA Run Lola Run)
Saving Private Ryan
Silence of the Lambs
Terminator 2: Judgment Day
The Big Lebowski
The Departed
The Incredibles
The Lord of the Rings
The Princess Bride
Twelve Monkeys

I tried. I really did.

Me and a friend discussed this the other night, and he had Big Lebowski in his list (which a few of you guys have chosen), and a few classics that I can't remember. One of them was Casablance. Anyway, here is my current list -

1) Blade Runner - I just love the whole theme and feel of this movie. The atmosphere, the feeling that nothing is real or original, and what is must be cherished, the futility of life for the Replicants, everything is great, including the acting and cinematography, and I cared a lot for the characters, especially the main ones (Ford, Hauer, Ford's love interest Replicant).

2) Alien - Another Ridley Scott film (my favourite director). I really was quite scared when I first saw it, it's so claustrophobic. Again the cinematography is amazing. The scene where they find part of the extinct alien civilisation that has been destroyed by the Aliens is probably my all time favourite.

3) Withnail and I - Such a funny film, there are dozens of classic scenes and quotable lines. I have a lot of respect for Richard E Grant for his part in this film. Apparently he's T-total, and got drunk only once to prepare for this role, you wouldn't know it from how well he does a drunk guy though. Sad ending too.

4) Pulp Fiction - Probably the only Tarantino film I enjoyed, apart from Resevoir Dogs, but this is far superior imo. Great cast, script, super cool plot, and the flashback plot device works really well.

5) The Departed - All the way through this one I was trying to "work it out", but I got it quite wrong (in fact I thought character that exacts revenge in the end was dirty from the start, so I was totally wrong in this regard). Quite a shocking conclusion too, which I was not pleased about at all, but then decided it was definately the right thing to happen, which is a good sign.

I'm going to have to amend. Not replace, just amend.

Twelve Monkeys (How did I forget this?)
Maltese Falcon
Apocalypse Now
American Beauty
Dark City
The Crow
Truman Show

Okay, stopping now...

I have no idea.

I'm sure Harold and Kumar will be up there...

Mad props to Mannahnin for Ghost Dog. I watch that movie about once a month.

My top 5:

Brazil
hotaru no haka Grave of the Fireflies
2001: A Space Odyssey
The Wild Bunch
Night of the Living Dead

And the rest of my top 15:

High Noon
The Big Lebowski
The Fisher King
A Bridge Too Far
The Dirty Dozen
Barton Fink
Glengarry Glen Ross
Cross of Iron
Escape From New York
Seven Samurai

Do not forsake me O my darlin'
On this our wedding day.
Do not forsake me O my darlin'
Wait, wait along.

The noonday train will bring Frank Miller.
If I'm a man I must be brave
And I must face that deadly killer
Or lie a coward, a craven coward,
Or lie a coward in my grave.

O to be torn 'twixt love and duty!
S'posin' I lose my fair-haired beauty!
Look at that big hand move along
Nearin' high noon.

That song got stuck in my head after I saw High Noon. I don't remember the film clearly enough
to make it a top five, but the song haunted me for days.

Exalt for the flashback, Jester.

I'm better than acid, Malf.

For flashbacks. Acid's still good for dissolving stuff.

I haven't seen half the movies mentioned here. Probalby seen less than a quarter, in fact.
Here's mine, no order:

Sin City
Shawshank Redemption
Se7en
Lucky Number Sleven
Unbreakable

Posted By Jester on 09/16/2007 5:34 PM
Mad props to Mannahnin for Ghost Dog. I watch that movie about once a month.

Props back for Grave of the Fireflies.  That's the second saddest movie I ever saw.

The saddest, now that I think of it, was Dancer in the Dark.  I should have it on one of my lists.  I have never cried so hard from a damn film.

I was expecting your list to be something like:

 

Zardoz

Manos: Hands of Fate

Plan 9

Deuce Bigalow 2: European Gigolo

The 400 Blows

 

Gads, the movie thread.

5 is tough, I like to have a Top 10 of about 20 or so

1. Fifth Element
2. Blade 2
3. The Professional
4. The Road Warrior
5. Fight Club

6. Terminator 2
7. The Dirty Dozen
8. Dawn of the Dead (remake )
9. Transformers
10. Grindhouse (collectively)

11. American Beauty
12. Shaun of the Dead
13. Pulp Fiction
14. 300
15. Godzilla (remake )

16. Them
17. The Mummy Returns
18. Dog Soldiers
19. Die Hard with a Vengeance
20. Predator

There are some major shake ups in that list, and the order is all wonky. Ridley Scott is also just real good in general, but didn't feel like spiking my list with him today. Go fig.

I also have an unhealthy love for Gone in 60 Seconds and The Scorpion King. They show up on TV, I stop doing useful things and watch

Grave of the Fireflies was incredibly depressing, and I still need to see Seven Samurai. But I did see Apoc Now this weekend! It was ... very good, and pretty odd. Glad I've read Heart o' Darkness too, the parallels are very nice.

- Salvage

What's your criteria?

Me? They're movies I like for various reasons, though beyond Top 5 the numbers are mostly junk.

- Salvage

Posted By Phausi on 09/17/2007 7:03 AM

Unbreakable

Unbreakable?!  The movie where the last 20 minutes of what should have happened were reduced to a title card?  You're telling me that once the "and here's what happened" thing came up, you didn't feel completely ripped off?

1. Kelly's Heroes
2. Akira (Surprise)
3.Star Trek 2(Geek Alert)
4.Kung-Fu Hustle
5. 5th Element.

Obviously, there are TONS more I would love to put down here, THE THING, BIG TROUBLE/LITTLE CHINA and SOLDIER(anuttha Kurt Russel), and his 2 "Escape from" Movies...

All time Geekazoid Fave......."Armies of Darkness, Evil Dead3.........................."

Posted By The Power Cosmic on 09/17/2007 1:41 PM

Posted By Phausi on 09/17/2007 7:03 AM

Unbreakable

Unbreakable?!  The movie where the last 20 minutes of what should have happened were reduced to a title card?  You're telling me that once the "and here's what happened" thing came up, you didn't feel completely ripped off?

I don't watch many movies, and I really don't read that much into them. Yeah, that part kinda bothered, but I thought the rest was good.

Posted By Mannahnin on 09/17/2007 7:26 AM

The 400 Blows

 

Are you trying to say that I have mommy issues, Ragnar?

Because apparently I do.

I was never a psych major... no....

And I liked Unbreakable, BTW. It's also a little better with the deleted scenes.

I liked every Shamalalalalayan movie so far except for The Village.

Even The Lady in the Water.

I admit to staying up all night when I saw something on the roof of my neighbors house after watching Signs.

Did you test the boundaries of your small rural community after watching The Village?

Or did you just put on the wolf costume again for Vengis?

Posted By malfred on 09/18/2007 1:24 PM
I liked every Shamalalalalayan movie so far except for The Village.

Even The Lady in the Water.

So you're the guy who keeps giving shamalama-ding-dong money. I always wondered who that was.

I could write pages about how bad unbreakable was, but I'll save everyone the pain of remembering that movie and just not.

 

I've stopped even seeing his movies 'cause I got a little tired of watching silent, sullen people stare at things for minutes on end while nothing happens. If I want that kind of excitement I can go outside and watch grass grow.

 

After the Village, we've also quit watching his films. It was a real letdown.  Personally, I'd SIGNS up there in my top 5 horror list. 

Jfraz's Top 10 list on this thursday morning (not to be confused with the thursday midday list)

Top 10 horror (no order)

*Jaws

*Alien (I'm noticing a teeth pattern)

*Signs

*Creature from the Black Lagoon

*Exorcist III (the one with George C. Scott)

*The Thing (the 1950s version)

*Nightmare on Elmstreet

*Halloween

*Christine

*The Shining

 

Top 11 war movies

*Saving Private Ryan

*In Harm’s Way

*The Alamo (hokey but I am from <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Texas</st1:place></st1:state&gt

*Platoon

*Glory

*<st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Gettysburg</st1:place></st1:city>

*Spartacus (ok general top 5 but oh well)

*Bridge Too Far

*<st1:city w:st="on">Battle</st1:city> of <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Britain</st1:place></st1:country-region>

*Tora Tora Tora

*Battleground (probably the best less known WWII movie

 

Top 5 drama/epic whatever/hokey favorite

*Army of Darkness. “This is my thunderstick!”

*Star Wars. The one and only

*Spartacus. The real Braveheart

*LOTR and <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Two</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Towers</st1:placetype></st1:place>

*Last of the Mohicans

Honorable mention: Titanic.

 

 

Posted By Jester on 09/18/2007 5:37 PM
I admit to staying up all night when I saw something on the roof of my neighbors house after watching Signs.

You should've got out the garden hose. It's the only way to fight off an alien invasion.


Ok... top 5 movies. Wow. Not easy.


1. Jurassic Park - When I was 10 years old - actually 9, I turned 10 when it came out and saw it for my birthday - I was at the hight of my Dinosaur fascination (as a lot of kids have at that age). This movie was almost as if someone had asked me what I wanted in a Dino film, and then went and made it. Pure magic. Still love it to this day. Its sequel also bears a special place in my heart for being so unlike the book that I dislike it. JPIII was a lot of fun though, more than The Lost World.

2. Star Wars: Return of the Jedi - Say what you will about the Ewoks, this movie had a climactic Lightsabre fight, the biggest (at the time) space battle in SW history (ROTS tops this with the Battle of Coruscant of course), Speeder Bikes, Jabba, walkers, everything. I love this film. AOTC follows, with ANH, TPM (sans Jake Lloyd), ESB, and ROTS as the final order for SW films.

3. Aliens (Director's Cut) - A lot of people say Alien was boring, slow, and could've been a lot better. I am not one of those people. I loved Alien. However, for those people who didn't like Alien, Aliens has everything they could ever need. A fantastic cast, great characters, amazing action, and a list of catch phrases as long as my arm that have entered into Geek-Language (Game over man! Game over!). Spawned the forgetable Alien 3, the truly excellent Alien 3 Director's Cut, and Alien Ressurrection, which is great up until the last 20 mins or so.

4. Return of the King (Extended Edition) - A movie I can sit through a dozen times and not get bored, ROTK is just a fantastic film. Theodan is the greatest character, and after a speech like his I wanted to follow him into battle. Yes, the 30 minutes long ending drags a bit, but the rest is golden. The only other LOTR movie that comes close is the original theatrical release of Fellowship (that, of the three theatrical releases, was by far the strongest). I've done the 11 hour marathon of all three extended films twice now. Two Towers always offers up a good opportunity to get some sleep...

5. Pulp Fiction - This spot is really a tie, but if I have to pick, Pulp Fiction wins out. Just a marvellous film, and I love parallel storytelling with one story happening at the same time as another story. Just an all round great movie.

Pulp Fiction beat out Fight Club and Run Lola Run for 5th Spot. Fight Club just has one of the best twists I've ever seen. Shamalama-ding-dong ain't got nothing on the guy who wrote Fight Club. And Run Lola Run was a thrill ride from start to finish, with one of the best soundtracks ever written (I bought the soundtrack based on 10 minutes of footage - I hadn't even seen the whole film yet!).

Other honourable mentions go to The Mummy/Mummy Returns, Gladiator, Gone in 60 Seconds, Dumb & Dumber, Terminator 2 (a movie I will always watch when it's on TV no matter how many times I've seen it), the Matrix Movies (yeah, I liked 2 and 3, so sue me...) and probably others.

And one final mention to the movie I hate the most, one that everyone seems to like - Blade Runner. I hate that film. The badguys dies of natural causes FFS! So dull. And no, I don't care what it's 'message' was. It's dull.

BYE

But HBMC, I've seen things you wouldn't believe...

I don't think it is possible to make a list of 5 that won't change in twenty minutes, but the challenge is to try and narrow it 5 as best as possible instead of putting 15-20 movies. Here we go:


Brazil
Unforgiven
The General
Boogie Nights
Big Trouble in Little China