Your Top 10 Movies you'd recommend

[Boom]

Children of Men
Fantastic Mr. Fox
Inglourious Basterds
King Kong
Let the Right One In
Moon
No Country for Old Men
Pan's Labyrinth
The Silence of the Lambs
There Will Be Blood

 

[hopefuldreamer]

sunshine
mirrormask
veronika decides to die
special
girl interrupted
a scanner darkly

probably think of more later

 

[Kane52630]

Ink
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1071804/

Black Dynamite
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1190536/

Trick 'r Treat
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0862856/

The Mist
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0884328/

Letters From Iwo Jima
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0498380/

Big Man Japan
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0997147/

Moon
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1182345/

Children of Men
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0206634/

Let the Right One In
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1139797/

Pan's Labyrinth
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0457430/

 

[byte19]

In No Real Order:

Towelhead
A Better Tomorrow
Clean & Sober
They Live
The Postman Always Rings Twice (Nicholson - Lange)
Drive
Renaissance
Dead Alive
Cop
Lifeforce (hee hee...)

 

[dude stannis]

The Last Boy Scout
Children of Men
Cronos
The Devil's Backbone
Universal Soldier: Regeneration
Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans
Rescue Dawn
The Bank Job
Zwartboek
Insomnia

 

[MessiahDecoy123]

I'd like to add World's Greatest Dad.

Surprisingly good movie.

 

[Mister H.]

The Conversation
Barry Lyndon
Repulsion
Blue Velvet
City Of God
Audition
Sympathy For Lady Vengeance
The Conformist
The Birds
Valhalla Rising

 

[Mister H.]

A lot of really popular movies on some of these lists...

 

[DACrowe]

I'm going to recommend movies that are either obscure or from far back enough that many on these boards haven't seen. So no Pulp Fictions/Fight Cubs/Mementos here.

In no particular order:

The Assassination of Jesse James By the Coward Robert Ford:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0443680/

A slow moving, expressive, and densely existential western. If you're looking for another True Grit or 3:10 to Yuma, this may not be for you. But if you enjoyed films like There Will Be Blood, No Country For Old Men, or The Badlands, then you'll love this movie. It is a very thoughtful film that reflects on the relationships between iconic figures in American culture and their iconography with the world they inhabit. Media celebrity worship and the weight of fame are not recent inventions, nor is the concept of regret and misguided ambition. Add on the best cinematography of Roger Deakins's career and one of the most haunting musicals ever, bar none...and you have a near masterpiece.

The Matador:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0365485/

Tell me if you've heard this one: An over-the-hill hitman and a down-on-his-luck salesman walk into a hotel bar. If you haven't that is the jumping off point for this kooky, somewhat dark and very crude talkative comedy with a heart of gold. Pierce Brosnan plays Julian Noble, a burned out lecherous assassin who suddenly cannot kill. Greg Kinnear plays Danny, a desperate family man in a dark place who befriends Julian in Mexico City...six months later, around Christmas, Julian shows up the home of Danny and his wife to say he is on the run. Frequent hilarity and constantly brilliant writing ensues.

Bridge on the River Kwai:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0050212/

Most people turn to Lawrence of Arabia or Doctor Zhivago as David Lean's masterwork. And both of those are great films that are probably masterpieces. But I just love Bridge on the River Kwai as it is more exciting than either and is decidedly more brisk as it runs at only 2.5 hours (as opposed to well over 3). This is a rousing anti-war/war film. The violence is not realistic given its 1957 release, however its view of it is. Unlike The Longest Day, The Sands of Iwo Jima, The Green Beret and every other John Wayne war film from the '50s and '60s, Lean views war as arbitrary and something terrible is unique. But he makes one suspenseful picture centered around a British captain who as a POW in a Japanese camp, forced to build a bridge for the empire, chooses to use it as a chance to leave his legacy to the world and usurp the Japanese command on its construction. Meanwhile an escaped American POW who went AWOL is forced to either serve time when the Brits find him in tropical paradise or go on a suicide mission of blowing up said bridge. "Madness, madness" follows.

A Clockwork Orange:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0066921/

I contemplated not putting this on here because it is a Stanley Kubrick film and most film fans watch his pictures. However, this is slightly less famous than say 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Shining, or my personal favorite, Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb. It is a visceral and disturbing reflection on gang culture and youth culture in the coming generations. While some of it was way off, some of it, such as the depiction of the nuclear family in the future (now the digital age) and its effect on personalities seems unsettingly on the mark. But most of all it is a combination of images, music and acting that both thrill and repulse. And it is genius.

Paper Moon:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070510/

If you loved the Coen Brothers's True Grit, check out this lesser-remembered classic. Tatem O'Neil is another wise-beyond-her-years little girl who after her mother dies hitches up with her deadbeat salesman/conman dad as they rip off the Depression-era South's grieving families for all their worth while avoiding authorities...not to mention the police. This is along the lines of True Grit and another recommendation I might throw up that is heartwarming and fun.

 

[Ponyboy]

Seeing as how a lot of NZ films get missed... I'm going to recommend two good ones:

"Bad Taste" and Taika Waititi's "Boy"

the other 8 (that I find a lot of people haven't seen):

Old Boy
Jinnah
Ed Wood
Amelie
Bridge on the River Kwai
Lawrence of Arabia
Best in Show
Bubba Ho-tep

 

[DACrowe]

Breakfast at Tiffany's
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0054698/

I know that this site is not a place to recommend romantic comedies to...but this is just such a great film. You'll see that they just don't make 'em like this anymore, if you can get past a few dated gags near the beginning (it's from 1961) and one extremely dated and racist gag of Andy Rooney as a Chinese landlord. Beyond that, the story of a high class call girl who was married at the age of 14 before she ran away from home falling in love with her kept-man/writer neighbor and their inability to connect...or even name the cat anything beyond "Cat," makes for one of the most passionate endings in film history. What we be maudlin in most hands, is sincere in Blake Edwards' (the director of The Pink Panther and 10/i]). Not to mention Holly Golightly is Audrey Hepburn's signature role and it is has one of the most memorable and bittersweet musical scores in film history. The strings of "Moon River" will stay in your head for days.

Rear Window:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0047396/

An Alfred Hitchcock film had to be on here. There are so many to choose from, though. Psycho, The Birds, and North by Northwest are seen by most cinephiles so I ruled those out. So, between this and a few others (notably Shadow of a Doubt, Rope, and Notorious) I chose this one. Y'know Disturbia? It's vaguely like that except about 20 million times better. A photojournalist with a broken leg and fashionable socialite girlfriend who he treats like a child spends his recovery months by spying on his neighbors and their sad, lonely lives. One evening he witnesses what appears to be a neighbor murder his wife. Now as a journalist, he wants proof. But he can't move and the police won't listen, so he sends said socialite in to uncover the truth. White knuckle suspense ensures.

Network:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0074958/

Sidney Lumet's best film, in my opinion. This dark-as-night satire of the then-emerging corporatism and synergy being expressed in the news media now stands as a beacon of what cable news and the Internet has done to our communication today...put it on a T-shirt. This view of the combinations of corruption, capitalism, lunacy, violence, television politics and the news culminates into a film that's own parody of sensationalism becoming bumper sticker logic that fuels ratings ("I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take this anymore!" becomes Peter Finch's epitaph and the catchphrase of his 1970s Glenn Beck-ian TV show where he is gunned down in front of screaming fans on)...is now used as a supposedly sincere statement by television pundits, politicians and poll strategists who are paid to manipulate the voting populous. That's the best--and saddest--joke of all.

Léon: The Professional
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110413/

Again along the True Grit/Paper Moon line of thought, here comes Léon. I'm sure many have seen this, but it is just such a strange, fascinating movie. Equal parts crime drama, fairy tale, European arthouse and the strangest (and potentially creepiest, if not handled so well) love story on film. The story is of Mathilda, a 12-going-on-30 year old girl who has seen her family brutally murdered by corrupt DEA officers, moves in with a very French-sounding Italian hitman who has a child's sense of wonder and loyalty, Léon. What makes things more challenging is that one of the officers is Gary Oldman in his hammiest (and most hilarious) performance that I can recall. While set in 1994 New York, it feels more like timeless Paris and is as much a story of two lost souls finding an unromantic love (despite Mathilda's intentions) and redemption in this absurd little film.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1132620/

Yeah David Fincher is remaking this and it will be out by the end of the year. Before you see his version, see this one. Visually it is a satisfying film that oozes a sense of Swedish noir and paranoia. A mystery of a girl who vanished 40 years ago is left in the hands of a humiliated journalist and a computer hacker who has a more complex background than almost any character you'll ever see. And she is played by Noomi Rapace who gives one of the most memorable performances by a a lead actress in years. Amazing film.

 

[bullets]

^Some of those are popular here , haven't heard of Paper Moon though.

 

[The Englishman]

10 movies i love to watch

Dead Man's Shoes
Bringing Out The Dead
Bronson
The Professional: Golgo 13
Go
Layer Cake
The Proposition
Renaissance
Millers Crossing
The Damned United

 

[Victarion]

Boss ******
Boss ******
Boss ******
Boss ******
Boss ******
Boss ******
Boss ******
Boss ******
Boss ******

I love these movies.

 

[spideyboy_1111]

some very good choices guys and gals, and DA Crowe, any genre of movies are recommended and welcome (other than superhero/comic films, because let's face it... even the lesser knowns, we know of)

 

[childeroland]

At times, it's easier to recommend directors.

*All of Malick's films, particularly Days of Heaven
*The Professional
*Any Hitchcock, particularly The Lady Vanishes, Strangers on a Train, North by Northwest, and Shadow of a Doubt
*Any Miyazaki, particularly Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, Castle of Cagliostro, Castle in the Sky, and Nausicaa
*Any Takahata, particularly Grave of the Fireflies
*Any Kubrick, particularly Barry Lyndon, 2001, and Dr. Strangelove
*The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
*Exotica and The Sweet Hereafter, both directed by Atom Egoyan.
*Rene Laloux, particularly Fantastic Planet and Time Masters
*The Thin Man series
*EDIT: These are popular also, but I must mention Satoshi Kon, particularly Paprika and Tokyo Godfathers
*EDIT: Should also recommend Sylvain Chomet (Triplets of Belville, and The Illusionist)

 

[danoyse]

Do you like old movies?

It Happened One Night
It's a Wonderful Life
The Philadelphia Story
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
Bringing Up Baby
Arsenic and Old Lace
To Kill a Mockingbird

You can't go wrong with the Marx Bros:
Duck Soup
Animal Crackers
Horse Feathers

 

[DACrowe]

Thanks. All right since I have a few more I want to get on the board, I'll give it a try to up the my list.

In Bruges
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0780536/

This little pitch-black comedy/drama explores life, death, existentialism, guilt, redemption, midget race wars, European vacationing and a general disgust amongst those from the British isles for Belgians and Americans. Fun times.

A Night at the Opera
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0026778/

The ultimate anarchist comedy and the best of the Marx Brothers's long resume...the comedians that inspired Looney Tunes take advantage of class resentment in the Depression as they take on separate contracts of the New York Metropolitan Opera House...and literally tear it all down. Whether it is overstuffing an Atlantic cruise line's miniature room, playing baseball in the Opera orchestra with a violin or simply relocating an opera from medieval Italy to a US battleship....it is all hilarious to this day.

Body Heat
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082089/

Lawrence Kasdan's first directorial effort (screenwriter of Empire Strikes Back, Raiders of the Lost Ark and writer/director of The Big Chill and Silverado) is also his best. This is pure nor. Very, very sexy noir. The same plot of Double Indemnity and The Postman Always Rings Twice (both versions), this update his the most universal appeal. A married, golddigging wife convinces a lawyer through the wonders of sex to murder her husband in the perfect crime. Of course....things don't always go according to plan. Soon, William Hurt (the lawyer) has to wonder if he is next.

Closer
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0376541/

Mike Nichols's movie all about sex and relationships. While the former is never seen, the film explores how it makes and breaks two couples who swap partners like its a 1970s house party...only with pain and soul cruising anger and animosity. Painful, honest and cynical. It also has some of the best performances of its four principles careers: Jude Law, Clive Owen, Julia Roberts and Natalie Portman. An actor and writer's movie. A very, powerful and depressing one.

Moulin Rouge!
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0203009/

A well known movie, but given its genre--musical--I suspect not many on here have viewed it. 'Tis a shame, if you can get past people spontaneously bursting into song this is a wonderful piece of pop art. Equal parts comedy, parody, schmultzy romance and tragic love story it pulls together dozens of songs from the late 20th century and places them in an 1899 Parisian brothel to explore bohemian ideals while creating a vibrant sensation for the eyes and ears. This thing must have taken years to edit and the song costs for licensing (Sting and the Police, Madonna, Nirvana, Whitney Houston, The Sound of Music, Elton John, and David Bowie to name just a few) is something you don't want to think of it. Here is how I will recommend it: Think the pop art insanity of Scott Pilgrim vs. the World except musicals, pop culture and the star crossed lovers' tragedy conventions as opposed to anime, comic books and video games. It's worth a try.

 

[Immortalfire]

Strictly Ballroom
Thank You For Smoking
Joe Versus The Volcano
The Apostle
North By Northwest

 

[danoyse]

Strictly Ballroom

Love Actually
Dogfight
Almost Famous
Big Fish
Galaxy Quest

 

[DACrowe]

Do you like old movies?

It Happened One Night
It's a Wonderful Life
The Philadelphia Story
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
Bringing Up Baby
Arsenic and Old Lace
To Kill a Mockingbird

You can't go wrong with the Marx Bros:
Duck Soup
Animal Crackers
Horse Feathers

Love Actually
Dogfight
Almost Famous
Big Fish

Wonderful suggestions.

 

[Bunker]

Boogie Nights
Gattaca
Dog Day Afternoon
Best in Show
The Chaser
The Lives of Others
Touching the Void
L.A. Confidential
The Motorcycle Diaries
Barton Fink

 

[flickchick85]

If we're just sticking with the ones that a lot of people haven't seen, I'm gonna have to throw a few foreign ones in, and I'm just gonna stick with the recent ones because otherwise there are just too many to pick:


Tell No One (2006) - An old-fashioned potboiler from France that's just expertly crafted. I heard there's gonna be an American remake possibly written by Andrew Dominik (The Assassination of Jesse James, which I also recommend if anyone hasn't seen it. It's amazing).
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0362225/


Sunshine (2007) - Probably tied with 127 Hours as my favorite Danny Boyle film. But it seems fairly popular around SHH thanks to Chris Evans and Cillian Murphy's involvement. Oh well.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0448134/


The Proposition (2005) - An Australian western gem starring the always awesome Guy Pearce.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0421238/


Animal Kingdom (2010) - An Australian crime gem. Also featuring Guy Pearce.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1313092/


A Very Long Engagement (2004) - A French WWI drama from the director of Amelie, but I actually preferred this one to that more popular film.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0344510/


Chopper (2000) - I will forever worship Eric Bana thanks to this film. He's nothing short of amazing, terrifying and hilarious in this. This was also directed by Andrew Dominik (The Assassination of Jesse James. The guy's wicked talented.).
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0221073/


Love Me If You Dare (2003) - Another French one. You've ever seen a typical romantic comedy and thought, "If this were real life, these selfish a-holes should be committed. They have no grasp on reality and no regard for the people around them," then THIS is the movie for you. It's basically all about that. A rom-com about crazy protagonists told from their romanticized psychotic perspective, but with everyone else around them fully aware of their insanity and how toxic this romance is...for once.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0364517/


The Fall (2006) - One of the most gorgeous movies ever made, imo. With great performances from it's two leads. Can't wait to see what Tarsem does with Immortals. I mean, just the trailer for this movie was gorgeous:


http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0460791/


Let The Right One In (2008) - I'm not a fan of vampire movies. I mean, I've liked vampire TV shows like Buffy and True Blood, Interview with a Vampire was...ok, and I was effectively creeped out by Nosferatu at one point. But other than that, the genre does nothing for me. But this is the first vampire film that I've really, truly LOVED. It's a beautiful story, that just happens to feature a vampire. So it was easily my favorite vampire film...until I saw the American remake. That's right, I actually preferred Let Me In, for multiple reasons. But I'd just feel dirty recommending an American remake on a list like this, especially with such a wonderful original, so I say check 'em both out.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1139797/
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1228987/


Never Let Me Go (2010) - This joins Let Me In as my two most underrated gems of 2010 (I would add Animal Kingdom to that, but that's at least getting some of the recognition it deserves). A beautiful, heartbreaking film, imo. And it just came out on video this week!
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1334260/


I may be back later with 10 others, lol.

 

[mclay18]

because let's face it... even the lesser knowns, we know of)

The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)

Screw Russell Crowe and Kevin Costner, Errol Flynn is the definitive Robin Hood. It has some of the best Technicolor photography in film's history (although The Red Shoes beats it hands down), a story that flies by, an amazing sword duel, and an excellent Korngold score. I'm not usually a big fan of 1930s-1950s films, but if you haven't seen it -- you ought to put it on your Netflix queue.

The Thief of Bagdad (1940)

If you can get past the un-PC casting and silly romantic dialogue, I'd like to recommend this too. Probably the most underrated 1940s film out there, I don't see it on many top 100 lists.

The Red Shoes (1948)

A ravishingly-photographed film, and the central dance sequence is unforgettable. It deserves to be seen on Blu-ray, that's how good the Criterion restoration is.

Ghost in the Shell (1995)

What inspired The Matrix, but it's much better. The animation isn't as good as some of the more modern anime, but it's full of provocative ideas about humanity and technology. And it's all done in a compact 82 minutes.

 

[POWdER-man]

Bon Cop Bad cop - Canada's Highest Grossing film domestically that is billingual (English and French with English subtitles)
[YT]2TwhiLUCOwE[/YT]

Kingpin
Shaun of the Dead
Bringing out the Dead
Man of the Year
Princess Bride
Trainspotting
Stranger Than Fiction
Big Fish
Desperado