What films are essential?

[Sarge 2.0]

it is my list after all...

But any Jim Carrey movie? Even "Fun With Dick and Jane", "The Number 23", and "The Grinch"?

 

[TLH]

Sarge, I'd like you to respond to post #40 in this thread.

 

[Tacit Ronin]

Taxi Driver
Raiders of the Lost Ark
The Godfather
The Godfather II
Goodfellas
The seven Samurai
Blade Runner ( The Final Cut )
2001
The Terminator
Die Hard
Lawrence of Arabia
The Good, The Bad, The Ugly
Psycho
Casablanca
The Wizard of Oz
Gone with the Wind
Schindler's List
Jaws
From Russia With Love
The Matrix
Metropolis
Star Wars
Star Wars :The Empire Strikes Back
Raging Bull

 

[terry78]

Wuthering Heights
Do the Right Thing
Guess Who's Coming to Dinner
Angels with Dirty Faces
Rashomon

 

[Sarge 2.0]

While I agree with what you're going for, you're absolutely nuts if you think "Raiders of the Lost Ark" is not essential viewing. It's a classic film, full of classic imagery, a classic score, a classic hero, classic film quotes, timeless action, and fantastic direction and performances. It is a cinematic juggernaut; it appears on numerous all-time lists; it won 4 Oscars and got 8 nominations overall, including Best Picture. Not a chance this film doesn't end up on a list of essential films (unless that list is extremely, and I mean extremely, small).

All other films you listed I agree have no place in this thread, although "Back to the Future" is debatable, I think.

And in what way is Raiders of the Lost Ark a "geek movie"?

[/rantover]

But honestly, Raiders (a great film, one of my favorites) was an homage to adventure serials, pulp comics, and films like King Solomon's Mines and Treasure of the Sierra Madre. The latter is certainly essential viewing, especially due to its influence on Raiders, since the viewing of one can lead to a greater appreciation of the other. In a way Raiders being on the list might be a bit of a redundancy since it's the result of essential, groundbreaking films rather than being one itself.

I'm loosely defining "geek movie" here as movies that I see repeatedly being listed on these forums. It kind of saddens me that many here have gone unexposed to a plethora of classic films or great films that exist outside their comfort zone. "Raiders", "Back to the Future", "TDK", "Wrath of Khan", "X2" all exist within the sort of comfort zone of films for the Comic Con set. I'm one of the Comic Con set mind you, I'm a proud geek through and through, but when it comes to serious and informed discussion about movies "X2", as wonderful a film as it is, doesn't come up to snuff.

 

[Sarge 2.0]

Wuthering Heights
Do the Right Thing
Guess Who's Coming to Dinner
Angels with Dirty Faces
Rashomon

I'm ashamed to have forgotten Do The Right Thing and Rashomon.

 

[Ace of Knaves]

Hmmm my minds a bit blank.

Apocalypse Now.

Dollars trilogy

Shawshank Redemption

Godfather trilogy (yes even part 3!)

Alien and Aliens

Full Metal Jacket

Zulu

The Italian Job (the good one with Caine)

Get Carter

The Long Good Friday

Dumb and Dumber

A Few Good Men

My Neighbour Totoro

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

The Shining

Leon

Hard Boiled

Infernal Affairs

Oldboy

Ichi the Killer

 

[VenomVsSpidey]

But any Jim Carrey movie? Even "Fun With Dick and Jane", "The Number 23", and "The Grinch"?

YES.

All three were great, IMO.

at least grinch was better the CITH...

 

[terry78]

Jim Carrey's best movie is probably Truman Show. That had the feel of one of those movies they would have released in the 40s or 50s as far as the plot goes and Carrey's "everyman" status. A real Jimmy Stewart type deal.

 

[Laderlappen]

YES.

All three were great, IMO.

at least grinch was better the CITH...

But essential?

 

[Ace of Knaves]

Ohhh I got another one...

Chinatown

 

[VenomVsSpidey]

Jim Carrey's best movie is probably Truman Show. That had the feel of one of those movies they would have released in the 40s or 50s as far as the plot goes and Carrey's "everyman" status. A real Jimmy Stewart type deal.

love that movie the music was epic too.

But essential?

essential to said genre.

 

[Ace of Knaves]

The Mask is my favourite Carrey movie. That and Dumb and Dumber.

 

[gwynplaine]

Essential films, the Italian edition. (if you don't mind subtitlest

Il Bidone
I Vitelloni
La Strada
La Dolce Vita
8 1/2
Death in Venice
The Leopard
Bertolucci's The passenger (maybe not technically an Italian film)
1900
Bread and Chocolate
Scent of a woman (the superior Italian one with Vittorio Gassman)
A special day
We all loved each other so much
Big Deal on Madonna street
The monsters/ the new monsters
My name is nobody
The good the bad and the ugly (a fistful and for a few more $)
The scopone game (with an amazing Bette Davis)
Down and Dirty
The Bicycle thief

Etc...

 

[Carmine Falcone]

Subtitles rule.

I should see more Italian films. I have had ladri di biciclette on my DVD shelf for quite some time now but I can't get myself to watch it. Gwynplaine, convince me!

 

[SuperFerret]

I'll post my list of essentials (as in "movies that I enjoy greatly and would recommend to anyone") just so it doesn't appear that I'm trolling this thread. I'll defend each of these movies if need be.

An American Werewolf in London
Blazing Saddles
Clash of the Titans
Dracula
Fantasia
Ghostbusters
Godzilla
Jaws
Jurassic Park
King Kong
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Plan 9 from Outer Space
Predator
The Birds
The Land Before Time
The Lord of the Rings Trilogy
The Matrix
Unbreakable
Who Framed Roger Rabbit?

 

[Octoberist]

it is my list after all...

I know it's your list and I don't have a problem with it, but the point of this thread is to somewhat..avoid superhero/big genre based films. I think maybe you can have some that can count (star wars) but I think the thread is forcing people to be a little more creative and thoughtful with their lists. It's not to say Batman or whatever are not good movies, because they are. but that's not the point.

 

[Steyin]

Most of mine have been mentioned, but I'll add in Quiz Show.

 

[gwynplaine]

Subtitles rule.

I should see more Italian films. I have had ladri di biciclette on my DVD shelf for quite some time now but I can't get myself to watch it. Gwynplaine, convince me!

It's Herzog's favorite film. (Are we convinced yet ?)

Joking aside, if you are interested in Italian films, you should maybe start with early Fellini (the 1st five ones on my list above), a beautiful introduction to Italian Cinema imo.

 

[VenomVsSpidey]

The Mask is my favourite Carrey movie. That and Dumb and Dumber.

forgot about those...

S-S-S-S-S-S-S-MMMOOKIN!

i'm too sleepy.

 

[Sarge 2.0]

Quiz Show is really, really good.

Whether or not it's essential is debatable, but it's a really good movie nonetheless.

Others:

My Dinner With Andre
Tender Mercies (up for debate!)
Atlantic City

 

[terry78]

The Mask I think was the first time ILM was really able to cut loose with CGI, since Jurassic had to be more subtle. They were able to work with Carrey's facial expressions and turn them into cartoon versions.

 

[david icke]

Some that have not been mentioned(I think, unless I accidently scanned past them)...

Blue Velvet
This Is Spinal Tap
El Topo
The Holy Mountain
Scream
Silent Running
Unforgiven
Falling Down
Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai

 

[Ace of Knaves]

Ghost Dog: Way of the Samurai is one of my faves ever. Watched it a couple nights ago

 

[Doctor Jones]

Hmm, everyone has pretty much covered all of my choices.

**** it, I'm going for it,

Apocolypse Now

Star Wars - it is essential because it changed storytelling, gave a fresh sense of adventure and science fiction and changed special effects that could appeal to anyone

Jaws - it's not just a horror film, it's a character study

The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly

Goodfellas

The Thing

Halloween (1978)

2001

A Clockwork Orange

Se7en

Fight Club - might be obvious, but people (especially males) should watch this. It should change their perspective on life and what it means to be a man

Full Metal Jacket

Platoon

The Big Lebowski

No Country For Old Men

Zodiac - to each his own, but I love every minute of it.

Alien

Raiders of the Lost Ark

The Godfather Part I and II

Signs

The Shawshank Redemption

Scream

Fargo

The Terminator and T2

Memento

Army of Darkness - essential purely because of it's awesomness

The Wizard of Oz

Rear Window

The Man Who Knew Too Much

North by Northwest

Notorious

The 39 Steps

Psycho

Vertigo

Lethal Weapon

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

Planet of the Apes (original)

American Graffiti

Silence of the Lambs

Night of the Living Dead (original)

Dirty Harry

American Beauty - just for you Sarge

Saving Private Ryan

Rebel Without A Cause

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

The Usual Suspects

The Graduate

From Russia With Love

Goldfinger

Dr. No

The Hurt Locker