What are your "must-watch" movies?
-
- Joe vs the Volcano
- The Princess Bride
- Monty Python and the holy grail
- Inception
- the matrix
- UHF
- Knives Out
- Groundhog Day
- The Lord of the Rings trilogy
- Various Studio Ghibli movies (spirited away, Howl's Moving Castle, etc.)
(I'm definitely forgetting some)
UHF is underrated as hell. I really liked Knives Out as well. Groundhog Day is a fucking classic.
-
I'm glad you had fun watching it and thanks for the update! It's my favorite Mel Brooks movie but can be jarring compared to how PC movies have become. But it is good that you realized all the slurs were coming from characters you're not supposed to like.
I also watched Naked Gun (I think the one) and it was really funny. I'll save the other Naked Guns for when I'm in the right mood, because they're so over-the-top stupid - but very well done and funny. Maybe I'll watch the anime one soon... I've wanted to get into anime for years but don't know where to start. Maybe this is the one that gets the ball rolling...
-
I don't know about that. Try saying that on Reddit, and you'll be down voted to oblivion.
I liked the whole movie, but I'm not downvoting people who have your opinion haha. What a petty reason to downvote someone.
-
I'm going to restrict this list to older movies and imports since there's already most of Hollywood's best listed by other people.
- Ran (1985): Japanese take on King Lear. Kurosawa.
- 12 Angry Men (1957): Fonda has doubts about the man charged. Sidney Lumet.
- Lawrence of Arabia (1962): Based on actual WWI British officer T.E. Lawrence, but more story than history. David Lean.
- One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975): Jack Nicholson leads this Milos Forman movie about what it was like in mental hospitals (based on Ken Kesey's book of same name -- see also Keroac book On the Road for more of that generation).
- The Man Who Would Be King (1975) : Sean Connery and Michael Caine star in John Houston movie based on Ruyard Kipling story. There are more famous names to pack in there, but mostly the story is great (though told from a supremely Colonial POV).
- Grand Illusion (1937): French Jean Renoir film classic about WWI.
- Beauty and the Beast (1946): French Jean Cocteau masterpiece of the fairytalke before it got Disney-fied.
- The Tin Drum (1979): German Volker Schlöndorff film of Günter Grass story about a boy who won't grow up.
- Amarcord (1973): Italian Federico Fellini film about growing up. You could sub in Nights of Cabiria or Satyricon as a starter Fellini pic.
- Kes (1970): British Ken Loach film about a boy and a bird.
- Winter Light (1963): Swedish Ingmar Bergman about a priest struggling with faith. The 7th Seal probably a better place to ease in to Bergman, though.
- A Man for All Seasons (1966): British Fred Zinnemann telling of how Sir Thomas More was stuck between his Church and his King. For an alternate take on same chunk of history, see Wolf Hall.
There's so many more. Rosselini's Open City, Jodorosky's El Topo/Santa Sangre, Errol Morris documentaries (Fog of War, etc.), Les Blank docs (from music to Werner Herzog Eats His Shoe), oh! and Herzog flicks! I should stop.
I watched Kes and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest... both pretty grim. Jack Nicholson was great in his role. I wish Kes had a happier ending, that was hard to watch. But both great movies. Tempted to try Lawrence of Arabia next...
-
- Airplane
- Shawshank Redemption
- Shrek
- Secretary
- Dead Poets Society
- Bo Burnham: Inside
I'd watched Dead Poets Society years and years ago, then watched it again yesterday. Very powerful movie that touched on themes I'd missed the first time around (probably too young). Thanks for the suggestion!
-
Well you've got a lot of great recommendtions in general on this post, but while we're on the topic of war movies:
- Gettysburg (1993) has some great character studies, the book it's based on is "The Killer Angels" and also worth reading
- Zulu (1964) is another product of its times but they did an outstanding job, and it's a solid depiction of English defensive tactics of the late 1800s
Zulu sounds interesting. While we're recommending these types of movies, I'd recommend The Battle of Algiers. Really well done flick about the French and Arabs not getting along in Algeria.
-
I watched Kes and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest... both pretty grim. Jack Nicholson was great in his role. I wish Kes had a happier ending, that was hard to watch. But both great movies. Tempted to try Lawrence of Arabia next...
Oh no! I'm sorry. Looking back at my list, I guess most of it IS on the dark side. I mean, Bergman is unavoidably dark and people joke about Herzog's bitter nihlism, but I didn't mean be a downer, I hope I didn't ruin any evenings. I cry uncontrollably at Kes, but I also love it. 400 Blows is equally depressing, but Kes is closer to my heart (professional critics will tell you 400 Blows is a more important film). Ring of Bright Water is a somewhat lighter take on animal bonding and loss about a man and his otter but it is only a so-so film.
You will notice The Princess Bride got recommended repeatedly, That is a happier, family friendly film that is sure to put a person in a better mood. Some Terry Gilliam is lighter, but save Brazil for when you're once again ready for 'grim' (great flick, though -- and you could theoretically ignore the intended ending by picking an alternate cut).
-
That's a weird attitude. You know the jokes are about the racists and you still feel you are somehow doing something bad by enjoying it?
Yeah, I get what he's saying, but I agree. I think we've lost a lot in this post-nuance world. It's kind of like saying you wouldn't watch American History X because it's got nazis in it.
-
In no particular order:
- The Thing
- In The Mouth Of Madness
- Pulp Fiction
- Kill Bill (both volumes)
- The Princess Bride
- Everything Everywhere All at Once
- Thelma and Louise
- Secondhand Lions
- I
️ Huckabees - Amadeus
- The Big Lebowski
- Princess Mononoke
- Spirited Away
- Red Line
- Summer Wars
- Evil Dead 2 *~
- Hellboy: The Crooked Man **
- John Wick 2 ***
*~ not a sequel, but a reimagining, if anyone's curious. No need to have seen the first to enjoy this.
** also not a sequel. By far the best live action piece to come out of this franchise. The only one worth watching tbh
*** direct sequel. They're all pretty good, but this one is, visually, as nice as the genre gets imo. The choreography and cinematography, both, are simply beautiful.
Edit: Fargo and Akira belong on this list too
Great list. The Princess Bride somehow passed me by. Is it one of those movies you could watch now and enjoy, or more something that you enjoyed at the time and therfore still holds up?
-
Most of mine are already mentioned, but I don't think anyone said:
The Big Lebowski
That's just like... your opinion, man
-
Great list. The Princess Bride somehow passed me by. Is it one of those movies you could watch now and enjoy, or more something that you enjoyed at the time and therfore still holds up?
It's widely agreed to be an evergreen watch. I first saw it when I was around 25-30yo and was immediately smitten with its masterful direction and vision, so nostalgia played as little a part in my initial appreciation of it as is possible. Definitely worth a watch or 5!
-
That's just like... your opinion, man
Shut the fuck up, Donny.
-
Shut the fuck up, Donny.
Sorry. I was out of my element.
-
Yeah, I get what he's saying, but I agree. I think we've lost a lot in this post-nuance world. It's kind of like saying you wouldn't watch American History X because it's got nazis in it.
The racist slurs didn't affect my enjoyment of it, they were just shocking. As in, they shocked me because I wasn't expecting it. The thing that makes me not want to watch it again any time soon is the musical aspect, and just the over-the-top silliness. It was fun to watch, it'll probably be fun to watch again at some point in the future, but I'm just not desperate to watch it again soon.
-
I'm not a huge movie fan, but I want to broaden my horizons a bit. I'll offer my list (that I've rewatched so many times I'm a bit tired of them):
-
Young Poisoner's Handbook
-
Full Metal Jacket
-
Life of Brian
-
Holy Grail
-
Sunset Boulevard
-
Curse of the Golden Flower
-
The Nightingale
-
Downfall
-
Amadeus
-
Once Were Warriors
-
Dusk to Dawn
wrote last edited by [email protected]- Castle in the Sky (for the beautiful hand-drawn art) (also known as Laputa: Castle in the Sky)
- Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith (for the memes)
-
-
Oh no! I'm sorry. Looking back at my list, I guess most of it IS on the dark side. I mean, Bergman is unavoidably dark and people joke about Herzog's bitter nihlism, but I didn't mean be a downer, I hope I didn't ruin any evenings. I cry uncontrollably at Kes, but I also love it. 400 Blows is equally depressing, but Kes is closer to my heart (professional critics will tell you 400 Blows is a more important film). Ring of Bright Water is a somewhat lighter take on animal bonding and loss about a man and his otter but it is only a so-so film.
You will notice The Princess Bride got recommended repeatedly, That is a happier, family friendly film that is sure to put a person in a better mood. Some Terry Gilliam is lighter, but save Brazil for when you're once again ready for 'grim' (great flick, though -- and you could theoretically ignore the intended ending by picking an alternate cut).
It's good to explore dark themes and be sad sometimes, I just wish Kes went for another 10 minutes and end on a different note. I'm bouncing off everyone's suggestions to maintain the variety. Still exploring your list!
-
I also watched Naked Gun (I think the one) and it was really funny. I'll save the other Naked Guns for when I'm in the right mood, because they're so over-the-top stupid - but very well done and funny. Maybe I'll watch the anime one soon... I've wanted to get into anime for years but don't know where to start. Maybe this is the one that gets the ball rolling...
wrote last edited by [email protected]Personally, I prefer anime shows to movies since they're allowed more time to develop plot and characters. If you've ever played any Japanese games you'd know how convoluted the stories can be.
Based on your list of movies, you seem to like a good mix of comedies and tragedy/drama. Below are some shows I think you may like:
- One Punch Man (comedy/action): Saitama is the world's strongest man and can defeat enemies with a single punch. This causes him to feel ennui with life.
- Erased (mystery/thriller): time travel murder mystery. Don't want to say too much more. It's really short (12 episodes) so it should be easy to finish quickly
- Death Note (mystery/thriller): another murder mystery with supernatural elements, this time involving what's know as the the titular Death Note which can kill anyone who's name is written inside. This and Fullmetal (below) are pretty much always recommended starter anime.
- Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (fantasy/adventure): Alchemist Brothers Edward and Alphonse travel the world looking for the Philosopher's Stone in order to fix an alchemy disaster that left Alphonse's soul trapped in armor. Make sure you watch Brotherhood first. There are two series of this franchise and the regular Fullmetal Alchemist does not follow the source manga all the way through since it caught up at a certain point.
- Hunter x Hunter (action/adventure): Gon hopes to become a powerful Hunter so he can find his father who left him as a child. Best story of all shonen (boy targeted) manga/anime imo. Only bad thing is that it was dropped before they could complete the series (from where the Manga continued). But the ending it has is also still satisfying.
- Asobi Asobase (slice of life comedy): follows three odd high school friends as they try to find ways past time. Absolutely ridiculous show with no plot, just a lot of really funny situations the girls get themselves into. One of my favorites is a punishment game where loser has to be slapped on the butt.
- Ouran High School Host Club: Haruhi is a working class student who enrolls in a high school for wealthy elites on scholarship. On her first day, she accidentally breaks an expensive vase at the famous all-male host club and now has to work there to pay them back. Only problem is, she's a girl. Hilarity and hijinks ensue.
And if you don't want to dedicate less time, here are some more good movie recommendations:
- A Silent Voice: moving film about the redemption of a former school bully to a deaf girl. It's definitely an emotional roller coaster
- Grave of the Fireflies: I put this in my original list but did not specify that it was an anime movie. Only watch if you want to feel some intense emotions
- Spirited Away: there's a reason this is the first anime movie to with an Oscar. It's about a young girl who somehow becomes trapped in a magical fantasy world and has to find her parents and a way back home. Only reason I didn't include it was cause I actually liked Tokyo Godfathers more. However, it's definitely one of my favorite Ghibli films for sure.
- Your Name: supernatural movie in which a completely unrelated teenage boy and girl swap bodies. They have to figure out why this happens and how to fix it.
-
Personally, I prefer anime shows to movies since they're allowed more time to develop plot and characters. If you've ever played any Japanese games you'd know how convoluted the stories can be.
Based on your list of movies, you seem to like a good mix of comedies and tragedy/drama. Below are some shows I think you may like:
- One Punch Man (comedy/action): Saitama is the world's strongest man and can defeat enemies with a single punch. This causes him to feel ennui with life.
- Erased (mystery/thriller): time travel murder mystery. Don't want to say too much more. It's really short (12 episodes) so it should be easy to finish quickly
- Death Note (mystery/thriller): another murder mystery with supernatural elements, this time involving what's know as the the titular Death Note which can kill anyone who's name is written inside. This and Fullmetal (below) are pretty much always recommended starter anime.
- Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (fantasy/adventure): Alchemist Brothers Edward and Alphonse travel the world looking for the Philosopher's Stone in order to fix an alchemy disaster that left Alphonse's soul trapped in armor. Make sure you watch Brotherhood first. There are two series of this franchise and the regular Fullmetal Alchemist does not follow the source manga all the way through since it caught up at a certain point.
- Hunter x Hunter (action/adventure): Gon hopes to become a powerful Hunter so he can find his father who left him as a child. Best story of all shonen (boy targeted) manga/anime imo. Only bad thing is that it was dropped before they could complete the series (from where the Manga continued). But the ending it has is also still satisfying.
- Asobi Asobase (slice of life comedy): follows three odd high school friends as they try to find ways past time. Absolutely ridiculous show with no plot, just a lot of really funny situations the girls get themselves into. One of my favorites is a punishment game where loser has to be slapped on the butt.
- Ouran High School Host Club: Haruhi is a working class student who enrolls in a high school for wealthy elites on scholarship. On her first day, she accidentally breaks an expensive vase at the famous all-male host club and now has to work there to pay them back. Only problem is, she's a girl. Hilarity and hijinks ensue.
And if you don't want to dedicate less time, here are some more good movie recommendations:
- A Silent Voice: moving film about the redemption of a former school bully to a deaf girl. It's definitely an emotional roller coaster
- Grave of the Fireflies: I put this in my original list but did not specify that it was an anime movie. Only watch if you want to feel some intense emotions
- Spirited Away: there's a reason this is the first anime movie to with an Oscar. It's about a young girl who somehow becomes trapped in a magical fantasy world and has to find her parents and a way back home. Only reason I didn't include it was cause I actually liked Tokyo Godfathers more. However, it's definitely one of my favorite Ghibli films for sure.
- Your Name: supernatural movie in which a completely unrelated teenage boy and girl swap bodies. They have to figure out why this happens and how to fix it.
I've been asking for a list like this for years, and anime fans, who I thought would want to help someone enjoy anime, were unhelpful jerks. So thanks for the list!
I tried to find a free online streaming of Tokyo Godfather but couldn't find one. I'll be sure to watch these ones. Thanks again.
-
Personally, I prefer anime shows to movies since they're allowed more time to develop plot and characters. If you've ever played any Japanese games you'd know how convoluted the stories can be.
Based on your list of movies, you seem to like a good mix of comedies and tragedy/drama. Below are some shows I think you may like:
- One Punch Man (comedy/action): Saitama is the world's strongest man and can defeat enemies with a single punch. This causes him to feel ennui with life.
- Erased (mystery/thriller): time travel murder mystery. Don't want to say too much more. It's really short (12 episodes) so it should be easy to finish quickly
- Death Note (mystery/thriller): another murder mystery with supernatural elements, this time involving what's know as the the titular Death Note which can kill anyone who's name is written inside. This and Fullmetal (below) are pretty much always recommended starter anime.
- Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (fantasy/adventure): Alchemist Brothers Edward and Alphonse travel the world looking for the Philosopher's Stone in order to fix an alchemy disaster that left Alphonse's soul trapped in armor. Make sure you watch Brotherhood first. There are two series of this franchise and the regular Fullmetal Alchemist does not follow the source manga all the way through since it caught up at a certain point.
- Hunter x Hunter (action/adventure): Gon hopes to become a powerful Hunter so he can find his father who left him as a child. Best story of all shonen (boy targeted) manga/anime imo. Only bad thing is that it was dropped before they could complete the series (from where the Manga continued). But the ending it has is also still satisfying.
- Asobi Asobase (slice of life comedy): follows three odd high school friends as they try to find ways past time. Absolutely ridiculous show with no plot, just a lot of really funny situations the girls get themselves into. One of my favorites is a punishment game where loser has to be slapped on the butt.
- Ouran High School Host Club: Haruhi is a working class student who enrolls in a high school for wealthy elites on scholarship. On her first day, she accidentally breaks an expensive vase at the famous all-male host club and now has to work there to pay them back. Only problem is, she's a girl. Hilarity and hijinks ensue.
And if you don't want to dedicate less time, here are some more good movie recommendations:
- A Silent Voice: moving film about the redemption of a former school bully to a deaf girl. It's definitely an emotional roller coaster
- Grave of the Fireflies: I put this in my original list but did not specify that it was an anime movie. Only watch if you want to feel some intense emotions
- Spirited Away: there's a reason this is the first anime movie to with an Oscar. It's about a young girl who somehow becomes trapped in a magical fantasy world and has to find her parents and a way back home. Only reason I didn't include it was cause I actually liked Tokyo Godfathers more. However, it's definitely one of my favorite Ghibli films for sure.
- Your Name: supernatural movie in which a completely unrelated teenage boy and girl swap bodies. They have to figure out why this happens and how to fix it.
Just finished watching Tokyo Godfathers. It was really good! I'll watch it again at Christmas!
-
Just finished watching Tokyo Godfathers. It was really good! I'll watch it again at Christmas!
Yay, I'm glad you enjoyed it! My brother and I watched it on a whim around Christmas and we both really liked it.
