What films are essential?

[Bob ROARman!]

Jeez. Maybe I have a different way of looking at this question than everyone else. If a movie is to be essential, it's a movie in which you either find a truth or revelation or potentially life impacting type of reaction that if you hadn't seen it, you wouldn't experience. And that's tough, and for me there are very few mainstream type Hollywood movies that do that. So my list is probably going to look drastically different from everyone else.

Chernobyl Heart
Wall-E
America: Freedom to Fascism
Doubt
The Ringworm Children
Conspiracy of Silence
Maxed Out
The Corporation
Network
The Trials of Henry Kissinger

That's all I can remember off the top of my head.

 

[Ace of Knaves]

I look at essential as films you MUST see before you die.

Can't believe no one has mentioned Big Lebowski yet.

And while I'm at it O Brother Where Art Thou

 

[Doctor Jones]

Uh, Ace look at the last post on page 3.

Oh, **** I forgot! How could I forget Pulp Fiction?!

 

[Green Ghost]

Pulp Fiction
Memento
The Dark Knight
Raiders of the Lost Ark
The Godfather
Die Hard
Psycho
Schindler's List
Star Wars
Wall-E
Fight Club
Seven
Sin City
Watchmen
The naked Gun

 

[Doctor Jones]

Pulp Fiction
Memento
The Dark Knight
Raiders of the Lost Ark
The Godfather
Die Hard
Psycho
Schindler's List
Star Wars
Wall-E
Fight Club
Seven
Sin City
Watchmen
The naked Gun

You have ALOT of work to do.

Or was the wink sarcasm? You put it in the wrong place so I'm confused.

 

[Sarge 2.0]

Jeez. Maybe I have a different way of looking at this question than everyone else. If a movie is to be essential, it's a movie in which you either find a truth or revelation or potentially life impacting type of reaction that if you hadn't seen it, you wouldn't experience. And that's tough, and for me there are very few mainstream type Hollywood movies that do that. So my list is probably going to look drastically different from everyone else.

Chernobyl Heart
Wall-E
America: Freedom to Fascism
Doubt
The Ringworm Children
Conspiracy of Silence
Maxed Out
The Corporation
Network
The Trials of Henry Kissinger

That's all I can remember off the top of my head.

That's basically part of what I mean. Want part of my personal list?

Cries and Whispers
Breaking the Waves
Do the Right Thing
Welcome to the Dollhouse
Nashville
Blue Velvet
Sansho the Bailiff
Fanny and Alexander
Stroszek
Jules and Jim
Three Colors: Red, White, Blue
The Decalogue
Tokyo Story
Killer of Sheep
Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me
Wings of Desire
Leaving Las Vegas
Jean Cocteau's Beauty and the Beast
8 1/2
Hoop Dreams
The Sweet Hereafter
The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie
My Dinner With Andre
Drugstore Cowboy
Pulp Fiction
Citizen Kane
The Third Man
Night of the Hunter
Wild At Heart
Barton Fink

In this decade:

Wendy and Lucy
Elephant
Old Joy
Chop Shop
Goodbye Solo
Tarnation
Half Nelson
Let the Right One In
Dancer in the Dark
George Washington
Mulholland Dr.
No Country For Old Men
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds

And that's only part of the list...

 

[gwynplaine]

Addendum :

(I got a few more, and by Essential, I will go with Ace of Knaves' definition, films you have to see before you die.)

Godard's Breathless
Truffaut's The last Metro
Rene Clair's Beauty of the Devil
Renoir's rules of the game
Aguirre
Downfall
The Lives of others (I've you seen this one, Sarge ? If you haven't I think you would like it)
Let the Right One In
Bunuel's Los Olvidados, discreet charm of the bourgeoisie and The obscure object of desire.
Inglourious Basterds/Pulp Fiction
Midnight Cowboy
Jeremiah Johnson
3 Days of the Condor
Tootsie
Metropolis
Casablanca
Public enemy
The Roaring Twenties
Fargo
the last detail
5 easy pieces
Kid of Cincinnati
Harold and Maude
Thunderbolt and Lightfoot
The Shootist
The Wild Bunch
Midnight Express
Scarface (Both)
Paper Moon
Apocalypse Now
Kagemusha
Memories of murder
Man Bites Dog
Enter the Dragon
Leaving Las Vegas
The Gold Rush
Jean Vigos' The Atalante
Nosferatu
City of God
Casino
Transformers 2 (Just kidding)

Once again etc... (probably more to come, sorryt:.)

 

[terry78]

Secret of NIMH is one more. The end all, be all of animation for both adults and children. Sense of whimsy, sense of dread, doesn't talk down to anyone.

 

[SuperFerret]

I look at essential as films you MUST see before you die.

That's essentially what I did for my list.

 

[echostation]

blade runner, godfather I and II, the conversation, double indeminity, can think of loads but will put more lateri in the nariodo well in the nary o nairrr hu hih hoodim funky khulam khulah rehmatullah...

 

[echostation]

blade runner, godfather I and II, the conversation, double indeminity, can think of loads but will put more lateri in the nariodo well in the nary o nairrr hu hih hoodim funky khulam khulah rehmatullah...

 

[SuperFerret]

What language is that?

 

[Ace of Knaves]

haha that's some strange ass language is what it is.

 

[Wolfwood]

Did someone mention Biodome yet?

 

[Steyin]

Just thought of another two that I wouldn't say I count as absolutely essential, but they rank high in my book based on emotional themes alone:

A.I.
Whats Eating Gilbert Grape

Oh, and also:

Some Like It Hot

 

[Doctor Jones]

Christ, this is why I need places like this.

My friend was watching Gilpert Grape in film study (a class I told him to take, it seems that when people think of this class they think they'll watch "awesome fillms" and skip out) But really he says it's terrible because of Depp dating a 40 year old woman, the fat mother falling through the floor, him liking an "emo" girl when she's far from it. And failed to mention DiCaprio's incredible performance.

And he said Rebel Without A Cause is terrible. He described it as Dean as a "whiney *****."

My God, I weep for the future.

Help... me.

 

[Octoberist]

he doesn't sound that open minded.

 

[Doctor Jones]

He isn't.

He liked Get Smart and hated Tropic Thunder. Go figure.

 

[Octoberist]

its one of those things where he is what he is, you know. I've got friends with the worst taste in movies too.

 

[Steyin]

Christ, this is why I need places like this.

My friend was watching Gilpert Grape in film study (a class I told him to take, it seems that when people think of this class they think they'll watch "awesome fillms" and skip out) But really he says it's terrible because of Depp dating a 40 year old woman, the fat mother falling through the floor, him liking an "emo" girl when she's far from it. And failed to mention DiCaprio's incredible performance.

And he said Rebel Without A Cause is terrible. He described it as Dean as a "whiney *****."

My God, I weep for the future.

Help... me.

That's funny, I wasn't interested in WEGG until I saw the film in a highschool film analysis class, and I loved it. DiCaprio blew me away and I gained much respect for him.

 

[Doctor Jones]

It's the role that you can't hate. Or if you don't like him, you can't help but like him. He's just that good.

 

[hitmanyr2k]

The Godfather I and II
Bonnie and Clyde
Unforgiven
Jaws
Aliens

 

[Mandon Knight]

This is going to very personal in our answers, with no right or wrong answers, open to all suggestions.

Essential cinema is potentially any film, ever made.

Basically, if a film moves you in laughter, tears, thought or makes you feel alive, then it's essential.