Official Film Recommendations Thread

[MrScissorhands]

Dazed and Confused (1993)
Directed by Richard Linklater
With : Jason London, Parker Posey, Wiley Wiggins, Adam Goldberg, Matthew McConaughey, Ben Affleck, Milla Jovovich, Joey Lauren Adams

Director Richard Linklater's follow-up to his low budget cult classic Slacker is a lot more enjoyable and accessible than its predecessor. In typical Linklater style we follow a bunch of young people during one day and one night. They hang out, get drunk, smoke weed, fall in love, get into trouble, etcetera etcetera. Basically the film is very similar to American Graffiti, but set in the 1970s.
This is an extremely fun film I guarantee you will like. Also look out for very early career performances from Ben Affleck and Matthew McConaughey.
If you liked Dazed and Confused check out these other Richard Linklater films : SubUrbia (same concept, but set in 1990s), Before Sunrise, Before Sunset

The Thin Man series (1934-1947)
Directed by W.S. Van Dyke
With : William Powell, Myrna Loy and Asta

The Thin Man series offers some of the most enjoyable films from the 1930s and 40s.
Nick and Nora Charles are a happily married couple. He's a 'retired' detective and she comes from a family with money. Wherever they go however, something always happens that requires Nick's investigation. Inbetween extensive drinking (the first film was made just as prohibition was abolished) and enjoyable marital banter they always find the time to crack the case.
Every Thin Man film offers a murder mystery that is usually too complex to really be interesting. The power of the films however is in the stars and the humor. William Powell and Myrna Loy are perfect as Nick and Nora, the only Hollywood couple for whom marriage isn't a burden. Powell is funny at anything he does and Loy is as adorable as they come.
I can watch these films over and over again, they never get old.

The Thin Man - 1934
After the Thin Man - 1936
Another Thin Man - 1939
Shadow of the Thin Man - 1941
The Thin Man Goes Home - 1945
Song of the Thin Man - 1947

 

[A.J.Rimmer(BSC)]

I bought Bubba Ho-Tep and was greatly dissappointed. Although there are some decent suggestions here though.

 

[trentoid]

even dazed & confused is way too popular for this thread, it was a pivotal film in it's genre upon release

 

[Carmine Falcone]

One of the British National Treasures. Acclaimed there but overlooked everywhere else. Not to be missed. Performance of a lifetime by Bob Hoskins, great direction, music and dialouge. Very close to being my all-time fav. movie.

 

[Jennifer Walters]

Ginger Snaps

Starring Emily Perkins, Mimi Rogers, and Katharine Isabelle

Plot Summary: Is becoming a woman analogous, in some deep psychological way, to becoming a werewolf? Ginger is 16, edgy, tough, and, with her younger sister, into staging and photographing scenes of death. They've made a pact about dying together. In early October, on the night she has her first period, which is also the night of a full moon, a werewolf bites Ginger. Within a few days, some serious changes happen to her body and her temperament. Her sister Brigitte, 15, tries to find a cure with the help of Sam, a local doper. As Brigitte races against the clock, Halloween and another full moon approach, Ginger gets scarier, and it isn't just local dogs that begin to die.

Wonderful, great, story of sisterhood and a great little horror film to boot. Also highly enjoyed the sequel, Ginger Snaps: Unleashed. Don't recommend the prequel, Ginger Snaps Back: The Beginning which is just a less good remake of the original really.

 

[Hunter Rider]

Red Rock West
Directed by John Dahl
Starring Nicholas Cage, Dennis Hopper and Lara Flynn Boyle

Red Rock West is a riveting thriller with a plot that endlessly loops back on in on itself like a tail-eating Ouroboros. Cage stars as an unemployed vagabond who wanders into a bar in a small western town named Red Rock. He is mistaken by the bartender for a Texas assassin (Hopper) who he has sent for to kill his wife (Boyle). Being indigent, Cage plays along, collects the money for the hit and decides to tell the wife that her husband is attempting to kill her. She then pays Cage to murder her husband. So Cage collects from her, the real hit man shows up and the plot begins to twist and fold into itself. Every time Cage thinks he has weaseled his way out of Red Rock, he finds himself pulled right back in. An extremely entertaining and suspenseful neo noir.

The purpose of the thread has succeeded,i tracked down the trailer for this after reading your post and i'm gonna pick the movie up this week

 

[Poetic Chaos]

Shinobi: Heart Under Blade
Directed by: Ten Shimoyama
Starring: Yukie Nakama and Jô Odagiri

Shinobi centers on the drama resulting from the war between two ninja clans in the early part of the Tokugawa era. In the film, Nakama Yukie portrays Oboro, the granddaughter of Ogen (Lily), the respected Iga clan matriarch, while Odagiri Jo plays Gennosuke, the son of Danjo Koga (Minoru Terada), the powerful Koga clan leader. While living deep within the mountains, the two ninja clans have honed their skills to superhuman levels. Unfortunately, the clans do not get along and are forbidden by imperial decree from sharing their techniques with each other. Viewing the two ninja clans as a threat to his scheme for total domination, the nefarious Nankobo Tenkai (Ishibashi Renji) plots to intensify the rivalry between the two clans. Nakobo creates a contest in which the clans are forced to choose five of their best warriors to participate. The battle, however, isn't just a friendly contest - it's a duel to the death!

 

[thedeadite]

a few asian films worth seeing before you die (i'm horrible at descriptions so i'll steal synopsis from other sites.

Battle Royale
At the dawn of the new millennium, Japan is ina a state of near-collapse. Unemployment is at an all-time high, and violence amongst the nations youth is spiralling out of control. With school children boycotting their lessons and physically abusing their teachers, a beleaguered and near-defeated government decides to introduce a radical new measure: the Battle Royale Act Overseen by their former teacher, Kitano ('Beat' Takeshi) and requiring that a randomly chosen school class be taken to a deserted island and forced to fight each other to the death, the Act dictates that only one pupil be allowed to survive the punishment. He or she will return, not as the victor, but as the ultimate proof of the lengths to which the government are prepared to go to curb the tide of juvenile disobedience.


Versus
Deep within the mysterious Forest of Resurrection, a spectacular battle between good and evil has gone on since the dawn of time. When Prisoner KSC2-303 escapes from a maximum security facility, he enters the forest, believing it will lead him to safe haven. Instead, he finds himself a pawn in an endless struggle played out across multiple temporal planes of existence. His opponent: a mysterious man who seemingly cannot be killed. The battle to be waged: Good versus Evil in the pursuit of a beautiful woman who holds the key to eternal life. What Prisoner KSC2-303 cannot remember is whether or not he is the personification of good or the very essence of darkness


Infernal Affairs
The setting is the never-ending war between the police and the traids of Hong Kong. Chan is a cop who's been assigned to undercover work inside the traids for so long that he's been able to rise through the ranks to a position of some authority. Lau, meanwhile, is a secret member of the triads who has infiltrated the police force with an equal level of success. As they feed their bosses information on the plans and counter-plans of the organizations they pretend to serve, they both begin to feel the stresses of their double lives as they become torn between the oppressive obligations they owe to their superiors and the growing camaraderie they share with the foot soldiers around them. As the two organizations become increasingly aware of the moles in their midsts, the race is on for Chan and Lau to try and get out of the game alive.

 

[Max J Power]

Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky
Directed by Ngai Kai Lam
Starring Siu-Wong Fan, Mei Sheng Fan, Kai-Kui Ho

After killing his girlfriend's attackers, everyman Ricky is sent to a corrupt prison. Using his superpowerful strength and fighting skills, Ricky defends his fellow inmates against the sadistic guards and the notorious "Gang of Four." Riki-Oh is really a terrible movie. The plot is stupid, the picture quality sucks, the special effects look ridiculous, and the dubbing and voice-overs are horrible. However, help make Riki-Oh very funny. The real draw of the movie, though, is the absurd and comical violence and blood. Heads are smashed, stomachs are punched through, and it doesn't stop there. This movie has even been called one of, and sometimes the, most violent movies ever made. If you enjoy the humor of low production quality and over-the-top violence, you will definately like Riki-Oh.

 

[JLBats]

Dazed and Confused (1993)
Directed by Richard Linklater
With : Jason London, Parker Posey, Wiley Wiggins, Adam Goldberg, Matthew McConaughey, Ben Affleck, Milla Jovovich, Joey Lauren Adams

Director Richard Linklater's follow-up to his low budget cult classic Slacker is a lot more enjoyable and accessible than its predecessor. In typical Linklater style we follow a bunch of young people during one day and one night. They hang out, get drunk, smoke weed, fall in love, get into trouble, etcetera etcetera. Basically the film is very similar to American Graffiti, but set in the 1970s.
This is an extremely fun film I guarantee you will like. Also look out for very early career performances from Ben Affleck and Matthew McConaughey.
If you liked Dazed and Confused check out these other Richard Linklater films : SubUrbia (same concept, but set in 1990s), Before Sunrise, Before Sunset

Just so everyone knows, I totally lived this movie.

 

[thedeadite]

Ricki-Oh is amazing!!! love that movie

someone mentioned search for animal chen too...i paid good money for a used copy of that a few years ago for a friend of mine...best skate movie ever.

 

[OtepApe]

The Story or Ricky!!!

Awesome movie, simply awesome!

 

[Killgore]

I edited the 1st post and will continue to index the movies recommended.

NOTE: The rules have changed to only allow movies that have LESS THAN 20,000 votes on imdb.

 

[Cyrusbales]

FOR KILLGORE

Chunking Express - The joining of the best director, with the best cinematographer and one of the best actors in the industry. Showing the stories of a few people who's lives are breifly linked through a chunking express noodle house. A pioneering film, with revolutionary techniques and sumptuous style, unfortuantely it ends, which is a shame as it's easily one of the best films ever made...

8 1/2 - Noted as the greatest director by other directors, Fellini brings this, his finest film. Combining all the elements from his previous films, and more aspects of his own life whilst making those films, this tale of a film director who is haunted by his previous works and borders on insane, is littered with the highest of cinematic quality, the most elaborate sequences, fellini is regarded as the master of cinema and this is his magnus opus. Terry Gilliam is one of the many directors who wanted to make films due to this film!

Joint secuirity area - Park Chan Wook, the most famous of Korean directors shows us a new side of the Korean war that still exists. The film takes place on the bridge of no return that separates the two countries. A swiss negotaitor is called in when a shootout in the north korean camp takes place, involving some south koreans, as the plot winds, we learn a most emmotional story that for me, is one of the finest stories captured on film, not to mention the wonderous lighting, camera angles, framing and general high quality of cinematography.

Talk to her - Almodovar, the greatest of spanish directors. Almodovar, one of the greatest political activists in Spanish history. This is his true masterpiece, weaving together a heart wrenchingly emmotional story of people who become freinds through knowing people who fall into como's. The high attention to details, that we've all come to expect from Almodovar, is ever present, each frame is like a painstainkingly beautiful painting, which one is able to gaze at endlessly. A superb use of camera and clever editing, is rounded off by amazing performances by the cast, Spains best offering to the cinema world, not to be missed under any circumstances!!!

Cabinet of Dr Caligari - Robert Wiene, potentially the most influential director ever, produced this film in 1919, 3 years before nosferatu. This film recieves little credit in comparison to Noseferatu, which does draw heavily from it. This film is the original and best horror film. It focuses on a series of murders in a town that are linked to a carnival attraction, a somnambulist. The sets are easily some of the best ever seen on screen, and the framing is exquisite, more meaning and power is behind this film than almost any other. A brilliant film on its own, but when extrapolating the meanings with the context of it's creation, it becomes a near perfect film.

All the little animals - John Hurt and Christian Bale lead this film. They are both at their best here. Christian Bale's character was hit by a car as I child, and as a result he is a little bit slow, not mentally handicapped at all, but just maintaining his childhood innocence. As he gets to his late teens, he's distraught by his abusive stepfather who kills off his pets systematicaly. But then he manages to escape and makes his way down to Cornwall, where he meets an animal lover, John Hurt, they forge a moving relationship, that really does affect you in ways that film rarely does. Unmissable, but very hard to find unfortunately

 

[XwolverineX]

You obviously don't know what obscure means. The point of this thread is to recommend movies that have not been seen and are not well known throughout the general public. Those films (especially T2 and Die Hard) by pretty much everyone, and therefore fudge with the concept of this thread.

Actually, I was being sarcastic. You just suck so much that you couldn't tell.

 

[trentoid]

ohh burnnntt

 

[MrScissorhands]

Under Suspicion (2000)
Directed by Stephen Hopkins
With : Gene Hackman, Morgan Freeman, Monica Bellucci, Thomas Jane

Henry Hearst (Hackman) is a rich lawyer living in San Juan with his much younger trophy wife Chantal (Bellucci). On the night of San Sebastian's feast he is called to the police station by Captain Benezet (Freeman) to tie up some loose ends involving a case Benezet is working on : a serial child molester and murderer has made two victims on the island, the latter of which's body was found by Hearst. There turn out to be more than just a few loose ends though, as the interrogation goes on and on, and becomes more and more intense. Is Hearst the guilty party and if so, will Benezet be able to break him ?

This is a very intense thriller that keeps me glued to the screen every time I see it. There are times when the tension becomes almost unbearable as the relentless interrogation works its way to a climax and it keeps you guessing all the way. Either you think Hearst is guilty and you hope Benezet will be able to break him, or you believe Hearst and hope he can withstand Benezet's attacks under the barrage of damning evidence. It also features some very inventive directing (from the director of Lost in Space of all people) as the director has Freeman walking around and continue asking questions in Hackman's visualized confessions (you'll understand when you see it, I think it works extremely well).
I cannot recommend this film enough to anyone who likes tense thrillers.

 

[Hades]

Just so everyone knows, I totally lived this movie.

explain?

 

[trentoid]

either your ******ed or I am, i'm pretty sure he meant 'loved'

 

[Killgore]

either your ******ed or I am, i'm pretty sure he meant 'loved'

Actually, I think he meant he was a total stoner at one point. Therefore he "lived" the movie.

And thanks for the writeups, Cyrusbales. Great movies there. I'll index them when I get a chance.

 

[Cyrusbales]

Actually, I think he meant he was a total stoner at one point. Therefore he "lived" the movie.

And thanks for the writeups, Cyrusbales. Great movies there. I'll index them when I get a chance.

Got any particular genre's of films you like? Let me know and I'll write up some more recommendations(my life outside film is minimal lol)

 

[trentoid]

Actually, I think he meant he was a total stoner at one point. Therefore he "lived" the movie.

And thanks for the writeups, Cyrusbales. Great movies there. I'll index them when I get a chance.

than I'm the ******....

life makes sense now

 

[batman7289]

patch adams
die hard 1

 

[Killgore]

patch adams
die hard 1

Please reread the first post. And anyone who recommends Die Hard again gets permabanned.

 

[trentoid]

Lord Of The Rings

Titanic

Star Wars....













































Dead Alive

Ring Of Fire 3

Sci-Fighter (owns Matrix)