Suggest Good Films

[Jesar]

I'm only 22 years old, and as a child I watched only disney movies, pixar films, and Star Wars. No Star Trek, no Babylon 5, no Buck Rodgers or Flash Gordon, or anything rated pg-13 or made before 199X. I didn't realize what I was missing until I watched Pulp Fiction for the first time today. I laughed my ass off, and yes, I understood the whole plot and the order in which it actually happened. Today I load up BTW to work on my big project for the week, and the splash screen said "Bring out the Gimp!" Needless to say, this was actually funny now, instead of me just laughing because I knew gimp suits were in the game.

Can you guys fix my unrefined brain by suggesting more fine pieces of cinema I would benefit from seeing? A rule of thumb about suggestions is that if you think it's a classic or should be seen by everyone, then I haven't seen it. Don't assume I've seen anything. I probably haven't.

Movies on my list so far:

Blade Runner (Directors Cut)
Fifth Element (I've seen it, but not since I've been old enough to understand it)
All of the Star Trek Films (Yes, even the bad ones. I've been watching A LOT of the shows lately, especially Next Gen and Enterprise.)
True Romance
Natural Born Killers
Wild At Heart
The Usual Suspects
THE GODFATHER
SCHINDLER'S LIST
2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY
THE GRADUATE
APOCALYPSE NOW
ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST
DR. STRANGELOVE
BONNIE AND CLYDE
TAXI DRIVER
THE DEER HUNTER
NORTH BY NORTHWEST
JAWS
ROCKY
AMERICAN GRAFFITI
RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK
UNFORGIVEN
A CLOCKWORK ORANGE
SAVING PRIVATE RYAN
THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION
BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID
THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS
FORREST GUMP
ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN
PLATOON
THE SIXTH SENSE
GOODFELLAS
THE FRENCH CONNECTION
FULL METAL JACKET
spaceballs
caddyshack
animal house
the seven samurai
city of god
the dinner game
hobo with a shotgun
taxi driver
primer
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
Django Unchained
A History of Violence
American History X
Catch Me if you can



I'll edit the list to include any films you guys feel kind enough to share with me.

[FlowerChild]

Hmmmm...if you got a kick out of Pulp Fiction, I'll recommend a few of my favorites from that era that are in a somewhat similar vein:

True Romance
Natural Born Killers
Wild At Heart
The Usual Suspects

Let me know what you think of those and I'll get an idea of how weird you like your films to get. Like, I'm a HUGE David Lynch fan, but Wild At Heart is probably one of his less surreal films and a good starter point to get an idea if you dig his particular brand of oddity.

Quintin Tarantino's (he's the guy that directed Pulp Fiction) older stuff, like Resevoir Dogs is awesome, but I think he went into a real downward slide with Kill Bill that he's never really pulled out of. He seems to have lost his edge at some point.

[Jesar]

Thanks, I'll watch Wild At Heart first then. In fact, I'm going to need something to do while my videos are rendering, so this will be on my watch list for tonight.

[Taleric]

I could go on endlessly about amazing movies that have enriched my life.

Make sure you checkout the AFI top 100. Not all in there are a must see but most hold their own as a cinematic experience.

Ones that can be watched easily, others require a sharper appreciation:

Spoiler

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THE GODFATHER
SCHINDLER'S LIST
2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY
THE GRADUATE
APOCALYPSE NOW
ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST
DR. STRANGELOVE
BONNIE AND CLYDE
TAXI DRIVER
THE DEER HUNTER
NORTH BY NORTHWEST
JAWS
ROCKY
AMERICAN GRAFFITI
RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK
UNFORGIVEN
A CLOCKWORK ORANGE
SAVING PRIVATE RYAN
THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION
BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID
THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS
FORREST GUMP
ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN
PLATOON
THE SIXTH SENSE
GOODFELLAS
THE FRENCH CONNECTION
FULL METAL JACKET

These are more main steam and there are plenty of other films that people can point out.

[TheGuy]

A Clockwork Orange
Spaceballs (great spoof movie by Mel Brooks)
Full Metal Jacket
American Psycho

Must watch these comedies.
Caddyshack
Animal House

[Gormador]

Hum... guys? Fight Club.
And : A History of Violence ; American History X ; Catch Me if you can ; Matrix ; ...

[tedium]

the seven samurai
city of god
the dinner game
hobo with a shotgun
taxi driver
primer

i find it's often good to pick a movie you really liked, find out who directed it and wrote it, and watch other movies they have directed or wrote. gus van sant is a fantastic director (good will hunting, finding forester, elephant) and charlie kaufman is an amazing writer (being john malkovich, eternal sunshine of the spotless mind) and you've already got a few quentin tarantino movies on your list.

if that's not up your alley, the internet movie database is great for finding movies. check out the top 250 of all time list (http://www.imdb.com/chart/top) or search a movie you liked and it will tell you other movies like it

[jorgebonafe]

In the "classics" category a movie I love is "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly", a western with Clint Eastwood.

Also, since you mentioned Tarantino, I have to mention "Django Unchained". Its a new movie, but the way he captures the essence, feeling, even camera work of old western movies and still bring it a modern quality is just beautiful...

[Jesar]

Hum... guys? Fight Club.

I have had the good fortune to have seen that one. I loved the soap. I've also seen the matrix. All three, unfortunately.

EDIT:

Okay, I'm really frustrated right now. Netflix AND HuluPlus both don't have Wild At Heart available for streaming. Why did we create internet database technology and offer the ability to pick from a list of humanity's artistic achievements for viewing at any time if there are swaths of content missing? I can't wait 'till this shit is like star trek and we can choose from everything we have ever created.

[Gormador]

Hum... guys? Fight Club.

I have had the good fortune to have seen that one. I loved the soap. I've also seen the matrix. All three, unfortunately.

*sigh* I'm relieved. ! And I liked all three Matrix to be honest. Second and third far less than the first one of course, but still didn't hated them.

[Jesar]

*sigh* I'm relieved. ! And I liked all three Matrix to be honest. Second and third far less than the first one of course, but still didn't hated them.

The first matrix had meaning to it, and a decent message. Two and three were just action films and the message kinda got lost in it.

[FlowerChild]

Also, since you mentioned Tarantino, I have to mention "Django Unchained". Its a new movie, but the way he captures the essence, feeling, even camera work of old western movies and still bring it a modern quality is just beautiful...

Yeah...can't say I agree there. I consider that film to be a big example of the downhill slide Tarantino never recovered from with Kill Bill ;)

It was worth a couple of laughs, but that's as far as I'd go.

[Wibbles]

I recommend the first (and maybe second) police academy films, if only for the blue oyster "salad bar" scenes. Each subsequent film just goes downhill from there, though...

Also, someone already mentioned Dr. Strangelove, but seriously, that one is a real diamond.

Spoiler

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"Gentlemen, you can't fight in here! This is the War Room!"

[DaveYanakov]

Just because nothing can be as good as Kill Bill again doesn't mean Django isn't worth a watch. Even if it's just for Christoph Waltz.

Blazing Saddles is not on your list and that is criminal.

The Good the Bad and the Ugly is the last film in an unofficial trilogy that includes For a Fistful of Dollars and For a Few Dollars More. Leone was heavily influenced by Akira Kurosawa to the point where the second film is nearly a shot for shot remake of Yojimbo, which is more difficult to find but both films have their own merits so I wouldn't feel afraid to mention both.

[Taleric]

Lol ah yes, better add these too, some arguably:

Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971)
Moon
Spirited Away
The Professional
Memento
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Snatch
The Big Lebowski
Braveheart
Willow
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
The Untouchables
Super Troopers
V for Vendetta
Groundhog Day
Rain Man
The Hunt for Red October

[Wibbles]

Monty Python and the Holy Grail

Don't forget The Life of Brian :D ("He wanks amongst the highest in Wome!")

[Jesar]

Blazing Saddles is not on your list and that is criminal.

I have already seen that one. Will watch again, though. Good times.

[DaveYanakov]

Boondock Saints is pretty good as well and stands up to deconstruction. The second one is less good from an entertainment standpoint but is at least consistent.

[Kazuya Mishima]

Wow nobody suggests the original Robocop?

"Ronin" with Robert Deniro
"Heat"
"Master and Commander"
If you like Kubric you may like "Beyond the Black Rainbow"
"The Thing".. The Carpenter 82 version.
"Triangle" 09 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=heKxYz4waqs

[Rich131]

I must admit, that list has some old classics, some incredible thrillers and.. HOBO WITH A SHOTGUN! Ridiculous movie altogether but I guess it has to be there for the mindless violence contained within.

Most of the films that I would have suggested are there already, so I can only serve to further implore you to watch Tarantino's older movies. Reservoir Dogs is one of my all time favourites, and the soundtrack to go with it is just perfect!

EDIT: Just thought of one that's not on your list, Requiem for a Dream.

[DaveYanakov]

I was just reminded of Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind and now I want to watch that one again...

[ScubaPlays]

Along the same lines as Snatch which was mentioned earlier:

Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels

[Taleric]

I was just reminded of Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind and now I want to watch that one again...

Yes :)

Carrey had that stint of pretty well rounded performances to match the trippy flow/plot of this one. Also there was something so provocative and alluring to the way Winslet performed despite the characters flaws.

I am going to have to revisit some of these films for sure, all gold.

[Wafflewaffle]

Ow i have some of those movies i just cant stop watching every time i see it on the TV. It's the simple, fun movies that get me everytime =)

These are my personal favorites
A Knight's Tale (Heath Ledger i miss you!)
Starship Troopers
Smokin' Aces


And these ones are the Classics you just cant die without watching
Terminator 1 & 2 (Come on guys!)
Predator 1 & 2
Aliens all the way to the third movie

[abzu93]

I looked through the list and didn't see:

Blade Runner
Metropolis (They've actually found an original uncut/un-mixed-up version with all the footage now - Woot!)
Brazil (both endings)


But these are high among my "must see before you die" list.