Recommend Great Movies - but NOT the classics

[holiday]

This one is a bit of a selfish post for me, because I'm trolling for movie recommendations.  I have so little time, and I hate spending it on a shitty movie.  I know the classics so they're not for this list. What I'm looking for movies that you've seen and that you think are awesome for whatever reason.  If the list goes well, I'll pin it, because I would think I'm not the only one who's in my boat. Thanks!

[Bruce]

The Wicker Man?

[CSM]

This could be a very slippery slope as everyone's tastes vary so wildly...

But if anyone is interested in some lesser known noirs, I've seen a bunch that I think are great.

[supraman079]

The girl with the dragon tattoo - the original swedish film.

[scartacus]

I watched Swingers again last night -- a near perfect feelgood movie about love and friendship, made for peanuts. Hard to believe Doug Liman went on to direct the Bourne Identity.

[brude]

If you haven't seen CASSHERN yet, I strongly recommend it.  This is a small animation from it... just a taste...

                                           

[kovacs01]

Lautlos (2004)

[Zorba]

This could be a very slippery slope as everyone's tastes vary so wildly...

Yes. My thinking exactly...Id hate to be the guy that makes Holiday watch a movie he hates 

I watched Swingers again last night -- a near perfect feelgood movie about love and friendship, made for peanuts. Hard to believe Doug Liman went on to direct the Bourne Identity.

Swingers is easily a to 20 all time for me. I need to hang the poster.

[stewart boyle]

I would recommend Intacto,a brilliant Spanish thriller about luck and fate, co starring Max Von Sydow

Stew

[kovacs01]

No Man's Land (great Bosnian film about the futility of war)
Primer (I wonder if Chris Nolan drew any inspiration from this for Inception.  A thinking man's sci-fi)
Kontroll (a very David Lynch-esque film out of Hungary, one of my favorite films)
Ink (see my thread for a review)
Sleep Dealer (also have a review thread for this one)
Natural City (Korean Blade Runner)
Seven Swords (one of my favorite Asian period epics, with some sci-fi mixed in)
Dellamorte Dellamore (aka. Cemetery Man.  Outstanding horror comedy, in the vein of Army of Darkness)
Dust Devil (cerebral horror, great score and cinematography)
The Tunnel (true story about a group of Germans trying to escape East Berlin)
Musa (my favorite Korean film out of a long list of great films)

those should give you a good start :-)

[holiday]

The girl with the dragon tattoo - the original swedish film.

Watched it last night.  Really good.  Thanks!

[archie leach]

Watched it last night.  Really good.  Thanks!

David Fincher is currently directing the 'english' version, which will probably turn out ok, but I would rather he focus his talents elsewhere.

BTW, the sequel, The Girl who Played with Fire, is nowhere near as good.

For recent releases, check out Winter's Bone.  For older pictures, I often suggest Diggstown (Midnight Sting in the UK, both are terrible names), 29th Street and Southern Comfort, which is (was?) a free Comcast rental, among others...


Also, for hundreds of recommendations from the folks at NSFGE, check out this thread:

http://stylec.yuku.com/topic/364/t/What-have-you-watched-recently-Home-or-away.html?page=1

[kovacs01]

Southern Comfort is a great film.  Like Runaway Train, it is one of those oft overlooked and underappreciated films from the 80's.

[brude]

For older pictures, I often suggest Diggstown (Midnight Sting in the UK, both are terrible names), 29th Street and Southern Comfort, which is (was?) a free Comcast rental, among others...

All three are top shelf, no doubt.

Howzabout THINGS CHANGE (1988) with Don Ameche and Joe Mantegna? An overlooked gem.

[Freefall]

All three are top shelf, no doubt.

Howzabout THINGS CHANGE (1988) with Don Ameche and Joe Mantegna? An overlooked gem.

This is a really good call, Brude. A really good movie.

[eatbrie]

I just watched City Island with Andy Garcia and it is fantastic.  I strongly recommend it.  Funny and sad.  Really good.

T

[Dread_Pirate_Mel]

1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die



Film lovers seeking critical guidance more discerning than daily newspaper reviews but less daunting than scholarly journal articles depend on a handful of critics who write about rarefied films for a general audience. 1001 Movies You Must See before You Die puts a user-friendly mask on the serious thought animating its effort to create a roster of indispensable films and rather belies the erudition of its well-qualified contributors. The chosen 1,001 are chronologically listed, from the surreal sf short A Trip to the Moon (1902) to Russian Ark and chicago  (both 2002). This list has been compiled with an eye to historical importance and popular acclaim, which explains the presence of such critically suspect crowd-pleasers as Saturday Night Fever, Top Gun, and E.T. Since Chantal Akerman's nearly four-hour Jeanne Dielman and the Czech psychedelic farce Sedmikrasky (Daisies)  also appear, it can't, however, be accused of pandering to popular taste. Attractive design, incorporating stills from most chosen titles, makes the volume a browser's delight as well as a useful guide for casual viewers and film buffs alike.

[holiday]

1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die



Film lovers seeking critical guidance more discerning than daily newspaper reviews but less daunting than scholarly journal articles depend on a handful of critics who write about rarefied films for a general audience. 1001 Movies You Must See before You Die puts a user-friendly mask on the serious thought animating its effort to create a roster of indispensable films and rather belies the erudition of its well-qualified contributors. The chosen 1,001 are chronologically listed, from the surreal sf short A Trip to the Moon (1902) to Russian Ark and chicago  (both 2002). This list has been compiled with an eye to historical importance and popular acclaim, which explains the presence of such critically suspect crowd-pleasers as Saturday Night Fever, Top Gun, and E.T. Since Chantal Akerman's nearly four-hour Jeanne Dielman and the Czech psychedelic farce Sedmikrasky (Daisies)  also appear, it can't, however, be accused of pandering to popular taste. Attractive design, incorporating stills from most chosen titles, makes the volume a browser's delight as well as a useful guide for casual viewers and film buffs alike.

That's a lot of movies.  I can't imagine that more than a few hundred of them are REALLY worth the time.  Has anyone actually spent some time with that book to see if it lists what are truly movies you must see - 1001 of them?

[supraman079]

That book is updated each year. They have one from 2007 and that one featured in the picture is from 2008 if I remember off the top of my head. Then they released one from 2009 which had The Dark Knight on the cover I believe not sure if a 2010 is out but I'd imagine so.

I've seen a lot of the movies. Not all, but a lot. It really all depends on what kind of stuff you are into. Some of it was good for the time period but many of the older films have been redone in newer ways.

I don't know how many people can sit through the silent era of movies today. Especially younger people. Even films from the 50's and 60's are a lot slower paced. Some of the films are 3 to 5 hours long with intermissions. Who has that kind of time?

[Dr Hackenbush]

I don't know how many people can sit through the silent era of movies today

I can, but mostly comedies and horror.  Romance and many dramas will make my interest wane

[CJ138]

City of God is amazing. (it is subtitled)

[Harry Caul]

There was before Breathless and there was after Breathless...

Breathless is back in theaters with a new 35mm print for its 50th anniversary.  I was SO bummed that I missed it by a day when I was visiting NYC this spring.  Well, I'm up in Minneapolis right now for work and I was quite happy to find out it playing here this weekend.  It was awesome being able to see it on the big screen for the first time!

Check it out if it comes to your town.  Here are some reviews in case you don't know what you've been missing!

2010 NYTimes review for re-release
Ebert review from 2003

And, knowing this crowd, I figured you'd want to see the re-release posters... 



They are both US 1-sheets, but there is a French variant and a US variant.  As far as I can tell they are only available through Posteritati but I haven't decided if I want to pony up for them yet... seeing as I already have the Italian 2-Foglio 

[supraman079]

City of God is amazing. (it is subtitled)

Yes it is. Very well done. City of Men is pretty good too, but City of God is better. Anyone who can't sit through a good subtitled movie is a pussy.

[ddilts399]

I have flipped through the book, a lot of stuff is in there as a historical must see and really would not be a true must see film for most peoples interest, mine included.

[brude]

I don't know if I've already recommended this one to Holiday...I consider it an overlooked gem of modern crime thrillers -- THINGS TO DO IN DENVER WHEN YOU'RE DEAD, starring Andy Garcia, Christopher Walken, Christopher Lloyd, Treat Williams...and many more....a must see...