Of MY favorite movies, which one do you like best?

[jobycom]

I couldn't think of a more self-centered topic for a vanity post, so here it is. There is no "other" choice, because of course you can't know whether the "other" would be one of my favorites or not. See, complete vanity. Enjoy. I will. :-)

PS If you see a pattern to my film choices and can think of others to recommend, I will allow that. Am I not gracious?

[GOPisEvil]

1. Deserve's got nothin' to do with it.

Unforgiven baby! :thumbsup::thumbsup:

[everythingsxen]

8. Well, Sir,

you are a cowardly son of a bitch. You just shot an unarmed man.

Well, He shoulda armed himself if he's gonna decorate his saloon with my friend.

I too love Unforgiven.

[Brucey]

2. An odd mix;

It's hard to discern an aesthetic from this list. I picked the Princess Bride because it's least harmful, most fun.

[TahitiNut]

5. There's a pattern ...

... and it seems to be about the somewhat Quixotic 'hero' triumphing. Perhaps it's about listening to one's own drummer or coloring outside the lines? :shrug:

I'd guess jobycom would like (but maybe not love) "The Big Country," "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington," "As Good As It Gets," "Conspiracy Theory," "Billy Eliot," and "Sleepers." (Just off the top of my head.)

[jobycom]

10. That's a great observation.

About quixotic heroes. Holds true of my favorite books, too. Even my politicians, come to think of it. Never really thought of it like that. I would have said I like self-mocking films, if you'd asked for a common thread.

On your other list, I don't really like Mr. Smith, hated Sleepers, and barely liked Conspiracy Theory (though the script seemed better than the film). Loved "As Good as it Gets" (great writing). Never saw nor wanted to see Billy Elliot, and never heard of Big Country. Just for further analysis.

[TahitiNut]

12. I see ... a narrow boundary, then. Adults, only moderately "anti-heroes"

"To Kill A Mockingbird"? "Gentleman's Agreement"? "Soylant Green"? (I think you'd like "The Big Country" -- Gregory Peck and Burl Ives.)

[jobycom]

15. Loved Mockingbird, haven't seen the others

I like films with kid heroes, too, both adult and kid films. I love most Ghibli studio films, for instance. Maybe I'd like Billy Elliot, I just never wanted to watch it.

[jobycom]

7. I'm not an aesthetic?

You mean I don't live in a cave by myself contemplating God? Or is that ascetic? Get so confused...

I'm more into message and passion than aesthetics, though I don't see what's wrong with Amadeus in that department.

[jobycom]

18. Okay, now I'm dwelling on this "least harmful" line

I can see how Unforgiven could be labelled that way, though of course the attraction of the film is that it refuses to glorify killing and is relentlessly uncomfortable towards violence. Eastwood wanted it to de-mythify violence. And Lebowsky is a bit rude, with violent scenes (althought the Coens, too, try to make violence less appealing). And yeah, Blade Runner is violent, but again, the violence is trying to make a point about life. Matrix-- violent beyond reason.

But Amadeus? Shakespeare in Love? A couple of deaths, true. Strictly Ballroom, none. Almost famous-- none. And Princess Bride-- one central death, and lots of gratuitous fighting, though the fights don't end in death.

I'm trying to understand your criteria for harmful. I'm always ashamed I like Princess Bride so much because of the fight scenes and the rather outdated gender roles. I certainly wouldn't label it least harmful.

[Tyler Durden]

3. Blade Runner!

Ridley Scott, VANGELIS, Sean Young, Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Emmet Walsh...

"HOLD IT RIGHT THERE, PAL! If you're not COP, you're 'little people'!" Captain Bryant, played by the late, great Emmet Walsh.

[meatloaf]

4. Whoa there, don't go getting the shroud ready just yet.

M. Emmet Walsh is still alive and kicking.

[bif]

6. Blade Runner is a classic!

I love that movie...

[LTR]

14. Good movie, but...

...I wasn't impressed with the Director's Cut. Too bad it's the only version available.

I actually liked the narration and the thrown-together ending (with outtakes from "The Shining" (little bit o' trivia).

[jobycom]

16. Haven't seen the Director's Cut, but they did that to Amadeus, too

They added several scenes which wreck some of the pacing of the film, and add nothing. It's not as good as the released version. I don't think I would have been as impressed if I had seen the director's cut first.

[peekaloo]

9. Dude, you're being very un-dude.

I saw Jimmie Dale Gilmore in concert not long after this film was released. At one point someone yelled, "Over the line, Smokey". Followed by "Mark it f*cking ZERO." A small Lebowski quote fest proceeded to break out in the audience.

:D

[jobycom]

11. LOL That movie is huge in Austin, and Gilmore may have something

to do with that. Austin's music is like that, too-- more clever than crafted. It's not surprising he would wind up in a film like that.

[Faygo Kid]

13. They made movies before 1984, you know.

Like anything older, or is color the only way to go?

[jobycom]

19. Sure, but not on my list

To be my favorites they have to speak to me emotionally as well as cinematographically. Since I'm 38, I graduated in 83. That's the range of films that will have the greatest impact on me.

Watching older films is an historical exercise to me, mostly. (Since I was an historian, I don't see that as bad). But the gender attitudes, the race attitudes, even the attitudes towards class, are dated, and don't appeal directly to me as much. And the stiffness of dialogue does nothing for me (despite the way I write!). I like a lot of older films, and am moved by many, but not enough for them to be in MY favorites.

Favorite pre-84 films: To Kill a Mockingbird, Star Wars, Apocolypse Now, Avante (Billy Wilder films in general), True Grit (and that is way out of character for me, but maybe it's the quixotic hero Tahitnut mentioned above). I like a lot of older kids films, like Escape to Witch Mountain (my favorite as a kid). I'm sure there are others that aren't occuring to me now.

More fuel for TahitiNut, if he wants to further analyze my tastes. :-)

[supernova]

17. Labyrinth

odd muppets-like fantasy.

Starring a very young Phoebe Cates, and Davie Bowie as the villian. Cool film.

[elfwitch]

20. Princess Bride!

I am a happily married lady because of that movie. My hubby and I both LOVE that movie. We "went out" on our first daye because I owned the video and he hadn't seen it in a long time.

[manderley]

21. Amadeus, hands down!!!

I love this film so much. The music, the acting, the costumes...
Simply wonderful

[jobycom]

24. Yeah, it's my favorite of the bunch, too.

.

[joeybee12]

22. Strictly Ballroom--we really have different tastes! Amadeus is the only

other one I like!!!!!!!!!!!

As for Shakespeare in Love, used to like it, but can't stand it now that it's obvious the script was plagarized.

[jobycom]

23. Fill me in on the plagerizing!

Hadn't heard that.

Glad someone picked Strctly Ballroom, though. I was worried.

On edit: Interesting similarity on our names, since mine is a combo of Joe and B. (for Bernard, my middle name).

[joeybee12]

25. It was a big deal in the UK

For the life of me, I can't remember the name of the book--I'll have to do some research. It was written in th 1930's (UK author), basically about a woman disgused as a man who Shakespeare falls in love with. Tom Stoppard claimed he never read the book, but there are scenes in the movie that are taken verabtim from the book. Once you read the book, you won't be able to look at the movie the same way. If Stoppard had been honest, and if the screenplay had been credited as an adaptation, instead of "original" it still would have been a good movie. However, the deliberate lies by Stoppard make my stomach turn, and I just can't watch that movie anymore.