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M3J
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I liked it, don't get me wrong!

 

 

Um, probably Avatar, the new Star Wars trilogy, Godfather I, Godfather II, or... I think there was another movie, but I can't recall.

You mean The Force Awakens.

 

Haven't seen Avatar but the The Godfather films are good lookers for sure---absolutely beautiful use of light and shadow in those pictures. The DP, Gordon Willis, did beautiful work in a few of Woody Allen's movies in the '70s and '80s as well.

 

Here's a video of Willis talking about his Godfather work:

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Nope, I meant Episode I to III... although maybe not III. Loved Jango Fett's homeworld though, despite the rain. Actually, because of the rain and water.

 

I also loved the settings in the two Godfather movies. The way they showed Italy is actually one reason why I want to visit it so badly, even though that was over a century ago. You should check out Avatar! The only reason I'd watch the movie again is because of the visuals. Actually made 3D worth the money, and I think probably started the 3D revolution? Though, no movie has matched Avatar, as far as I know.

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Tree of Life is amazing, visually. I also really liked The Grande Budapest Hotel. I just love the use of color and how it pops.

I feel 12 Angry Men can be mentioned too. Visually really basic but great work of camera, especially for its time. It just really adds to the atmosphere in my opinion.

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Nope, I meant Episode I to III... although maybe not III. Loved Jango Fett's homeworld though, despite the rain. Actually, because of the rain and water.

 

I also loved the settings in the two Godfather movies. The way they showed Italy is actually one reason why I want to visit it so badly, even though that was over a century ago. You should check out Avatar! The only reason I'd watch the movie again is because of the visuals. Actually made 3D worth the money, and I think probably started the 3D revolution? Though, no movie has matched Avatar, as far as I know.

Yeah, the depiction of the Sicilian countryside is gorgeous in those films. Shame that such a place of euphoric beauty can erupt in horrific violence.

 

Tree of Life is amazing, visually. I also really liked The Grande Budapest Hotel. I just love the use of color and how it pops.

 

I feel 12 Angry Men can be mentioned too. Visually really basic but great work of camera, especially for its time. It just really adds to the atmosphere in my opinion.

Indeed. The Tree of Life has an adundance of lovely imagery. But out of Malick's work, Days of Heaven is my personal favorite, probably because most of it takes place during harvest, which in my opinion is the most gorgeous period of the year.

 

Wes Anderson's aesthetic seems to be getting some backlash lately in some corners of the film community, but personally I have no problem with it. He has a good eye for composition and color.

 

The cinematography in 12 Angry Men works perfectly for the film no doubt... The way their sweaty faces are photographed and how the camera dollies around them adds greatly to the film's intimacy. But admittedly it's not first film that comes to mind when I think of stunning visuals and camerawork. Paths of Glory, for instance, came out the same year and IMO it's a much bolder and visually enthralling movie. Nonetheless, 12 Angry Men is certainly deserves mentioning because it takes something that doesn't sound that cinematic and turns it into something that surprisingly is. So bravo to Sidney Lumet and Boris Kaufman.

 

Speaking of Kaufman, his early work with Jean Vigo is worth checking out... very spectacular and imaginative stuff.

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Trying to work my way through the classics that I've never seen (or only seen parts of). On the Waterfront, Breakfast at Tiffany's, Big Lebowski and now halfway through Jaws. Lebowski was good, while Breakfast at Tiffany's and On the Waterfront were amazing. Both could probably go into my top 15.

 

Next on my list are:

  • Easy Rider
  • Close Encounters
  • Gone with the Wind
  • Usual Suspects
  • Alien
  • Silence of the Lambs
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^ Looks like a decent group of films you got there. Not much of a fan of The Usual Suspects and I think Easy Rider is okay, but the rest, particularly Alien (speaking of visually stunning... WOW!) and Silence of the Lambs, are stellar. The only thing I suggest is that if you're going to continue looking for classic films, seek out a more diverse selection. There's a lot of great films outside the U.S begging for you to watch.

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^ Looks like a decent group of films you got there. Not much of a fan of The Usual Suspects and I think Easy Rider is okay, but the rest, particularly Alien (speaking of visually stunning... WOW!) and Silence of the Lambs, are stellar. The only thing I suggest is that if you're going to continue looking for classic films, seek out a more diverse selection. There's a lot of great films outside the U.S begging for you to watch.

 

Thank you :) At the minute, all I've got to go off of is a mixture of the movies my parents watched while they were growing up, along with what various blu-ray forum members recommend (think Battle Royale is the only foreign film I've seen mentioned a lot on there) so if you've got a bunch of films I should check out, then by all means shoot man.

 

Any U.S. films you'd recommend would be cool too.

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Trying to work my way through the classics that I've never seen (or only seen parts of). On the Waterfront, Breakfast at Tiffany's, Big Lebowski and now halfway through Jaws. Lebowski was good, while Breakfast at Tiffany's and On the Waterfront were amazing. Both could probably go into my top 15.

 

Next on my list are:

  • Easy Rider
  • Close Encounters
  • Gone with the Wind
  • Usual Suspects
  • Alien
  • Silence of the Lambs

 

good luck with Gone with the Wind. It's an okay movie, but I think it's the Twilight saga of its time. Easy Rider wasn't bad either. Silence of the Lambs is great, you'll love the performances from the the two protagonists and the antagonist.

 

I'd say check out Cary Grant and James Stewart films too, like Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and The Philadelphia Story. Gary Cooper and Jean Arthur are great too, but I'm not sure if you're into comedies that Cary, James, and Jean tend to churn out. Woman of the Year with Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy is good too.

 

I'm assumin you watched Godfather and Godfather II. Citizen Kane is overrated, but worth a watch as well. You'll probably enjoy Dog Day Afternoon with Pacino and Cazale, it's pretty funny. Oh, most of James Cagney films, from Public Enemy to Yankee Doodle Dandy. AND Paul Newman movies like Towering Inferno, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, and etc. Can't forget Hustler too. I still think Newman is a poor man's version of Marlon Brando, but not in a bad way at all. He's so great to watch.

 

Oh, if you haven't watched the old Star Wars or Indiana Jones trilogy, then what the *Censored* is wrong with you? D: You can skip the last Indiana Jones though.

 

If you want to foray into Bollywood movies, I would say give anything Farhan Akhtar and anything 21st century Aamir Khan movies a try. Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara is definitely one movie I'd recommend to anyone.

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^ Looks like a decent group of films you got there. Not much of a fan of The Usual Suspects and I think Easy Rider is okay, but the rest, particularly Alien (speaking of visually stunning... WOW!) and Silence of the Lambs, are stellar. The only thing I suggest is that if you're going to continue looking for classic films, seek out a more diverse selection. There's a lot of great films outside the U.S begging for you to watch.

 

Thank you :) At the minute, all I've got to go off of is a mixture of the movies my parents watched while they were growing up, along with what various blu-ray forum members recommend (think Battle Royale is the only foreign film I've seen mentioned a lot on there) so if you've got a bunch of films I should check out, then by all means shoot man.

 

Any U.S. films you'd recommend would be cool too.

 

 

Das Kabinett des Dr Caligari is probaly THE German film. Tokyo Story is amazing. I mentioned it above, but 12 Angry Men is, to me, one of the best classic movies. Better than Citizen Kane or Vertigo even.

 

 

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good luck with Gone with the Wind. It's an okay movie, but I think it's the Twilight saga of its time. Easy Rider wasn't bad either. Silence of the Lambs is great, you'll love the performances from the the two protagonists and the antagonist.

 

I'd say check out Cary Grant and James Stewart films too, like Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and The Philadelphia Story. Gary Cooper and Jean Arthur are great too, but I'm not sure if you're into comedies that Cary, James, and Jean tend to churn out. Woman of the Year with Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy is good too.

 

I'm assumin you watched Godfather and Godfather II. Citizen Kane is overrated, but worth a watch as well. You'll probably enjoy Dog Day Afternoon with Pacino and Cazale, it's pretty funny. Oh, most of James Cagney films, from Public Enemy to Yankee Doodle Dandy. AND Paul Newman movies like Towering Inferno, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, and etc. Can't forget Hustler too. I still think Newman is a poor man's version of Marlon Brando, but not in a bad way at all. He's so great to watch.

 

Oh, if you haven't watched the old Star Wars or Indiana Jones trilogy, then what the *Censored* is wrong with you? D: You can skip the last Indiana Jones though.

 

If you want to foray into Bollywood movies, I would say give anything Farhan Akhtar and anything 21st century Aamir Khan movies a try. Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara is definitely one movie I'd recommend to anyone.

 

The Twilight of it's time huh? Yikes man... that's not a great start :XD: And with a running time of around 4 hours, I might just put that to the back of the list :lol: Bought it on a whim because people talk about it all the time and how great it is so I kinda went into it blind. On the subject of Silence of the Lambs... I also got Red Dragon and Hannibal with it as part of the set... are they as good as SotL?

 

Not too familar with Cary Grant so I'll have to look into him. James Stewart... he's the one who's in every Hitchcock movie ever right? Rear Window, Vertigo and North By Northwest were next on my list to pick up so I'll see what else I can find of his. I recall my Dad talking about him being one of the best actors so I'll see if he's got any of his films lying around anywhere. Paul Newman rings a bell as well... was he in The Sting? I've still got that to watch actually :o

 

I know I've missed out on a load of classic films but thankfully I have seen Star Wars (I know someone who hasn't... and he's the one who got cast as an extra in #8 ffs!) and Indy as well except for the last one funnily enough :XD:

 

Any other Audrey Hepburn movies you'd recommend btw? I need to see more of her :hqhq: Also Brando if you've got any. That dude can *censored*ing act.

 

 

 

Das Kabinett des Dr Caligari is probaly THE German film. Tokyo Story is amazing. I mentioned it above, but 12 Angry Men is, to me, one of the best classic movies. Better than Citizen Kane or Vertigo even.

 

I'll check them out my dude. 12 Angry Men was one that people talked about a lot so that'll go onto my list of things to pick up next as well. Is it anything like To Kill a Mockingbird (film summaries were quite similar but 12AM being better I'm guessing)? Oh, and that first one you mentioned above reminded me of another one... have you seen Das Boot by any chance?

 

Thank you both for the replies <3

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good luck with Gone with the Wind. It's an okay movie, but I think it's the Twilight saga of its time. Easy Rider wasn't bad either. Silence of the Lambs is great, you'll love the performances from the the two protagonists and the antagonist.

 

I'd say check out Cary Grant and James Stewart films too, like Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and The Philadelphia Story. Gary Cooper and Jean Arthur are great too, but I'm not sure if you're into comedies that Cary, James, and Jean tend to churn out. Woman of the Year with Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy is good too.

 

I'm assumin you watched Godfather and Godfather II. Citizen Kane is overrated, but worth a watch as well. You'll probably enjoy Dog Day Afternoon with Pacino and Cazale, it's pretty funny. Oh, most of James Cagney films, from Public Enemy to Yankee Doodle Dandy. AND Paul Newman movies like Towering Inferno, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, and etc. Can't forget Hustler too. I still think Newman is a poor man's version of Marlon Brando, but not in a bad way at all. He's so great to watch.

 

Oh, if you haven't watched the old Star Wars or Indiana Jones trilogy, then what the *Censored* is wrong with you? D: You can skip the last Indiana Jones though.

 

If you want to foray into Bollywood movies, I would say give anything Farhan Akhtar and anything 21st century Aamir Khan movies a try. Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara is definitely one movie I'd recommend to anyone.

 

The Twilight of it's time huh? Yikes man... that's not a great start :XD: And with a running time of around 4 hours, I might just put that to the back of the list :lol: Bought it on a whim because people talk about it all the time and how great it is so I kinda went into it blind. On the subject of Silence of the Lambs... I also got Red Dragon and Hannibal with it as part of the set... are they as good as SotL?

 

Not too familar with Cary Grant so I'll have to look into him. James Stewart... he's the one who's in every Hitchcock movie ever right? Rear Window, Vertigo and North By Northwest were next on my list to pick up so I'll see what else I can find of his. I recall my Dad talking about him being one of the best actors so I'll see if he's got any of his films lying around anywhere. Paul Newman rings a bell as well... was he in The Sting? I've still got that to watch actually :o

 

I know I've missed out on a load of classic films but thankfully I have seen Star Wars (I know someone who hasn't... and he's the one who got cast as an extra in #8 ffs!) and Indy as well except for the last one funnily enough :XD:

 

Any other Audrey Hepburn movies you'd recommend btw? I need to see more of her :hqhq: Also Brando if you've got any. That dude can *censored*ing act.

 

 

 

Yeah, I personally don't think it was anything good other than the score and some editing. Scarlett standing up and proclaiming not to be a weak person anymore is pretty iconic due to the background and all. Otherwise Clark Gable seems to be a more charismatic version of Edward. I'd say watch that first and get it out of the way. Have you seen Ben-Hur, old and new?

 

Hannibal was okay, but it didn't stand out to me. I could be woefully wrong though, PTW can answer that better.

 

I don't think James Stewart was in North by Northwest, that was Cary Grant. But what drew me in were their personalities, like you thought they were legitimately cool people. I think he and Cary were in a lot of Hitchcock movies, but I would probably suggest watching Rear Window first. That way you look forward to Hitchcock's genius, as that movie was so good despite taking place in one area for all of the movie. Hitchcock knew cinema, man. James Stewart is a pretty good actor, and I think he evolved as he aged. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington is a good movie, I enjoyed Jimmy and Jean. You'll also probably love You Can't Take It With You, two same leads.

 

Yeah, Newman was in The Sting. Something I need to watch too.

 

For Audrey I want to say Sabrina, but I'm not totally sure. I enjoyed Funny Face, Charade (somewhat), and loved How to Steal a Million. Wait Until Dark was good too, great psychological thriller, and Audrey did well as a blind lady. For Marlon Brando, the only film I can remember seeing is Streetcar Named Desire. Hands down one of his best work!

 

I learned about lot of the actors filmography from Wikipedia though. Also went to the libraries to check out the movies, but damn places don't have as many of 'em as they should.

 

 

Oh, you should watch it Happened One Night. Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert are fun.

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I second some of the titles M3J and Lyriqz have brought up (Caligari, Tokyo Story, Godfather I & II, etc.) Gone With the Wind the Twilight saga of its time, though? :huh: Okey dokey... That's a bit misleading. It's not a favorite of my mine by a long shot, but it's worth checking out for its technical mastery. Also don't let their lukewarm response to Citizen Kane and Vertigo deter you too much. ;) They deserve every bit of praise they get; they're truly extraordinary.

 

12 Angry Men is a courtroom drama that deals with social injustice, so in that respect it's similar to To Kill a Mockingbird. Where they differ is that 12AM is about jury deliberation whereas Mockingbird focuses on a trial. 12AM is indeed the better film.

 

Hannibal I've only seen once and I didn't think it was anything special. It's certainly not something you think of when looking for the best films.

 

The Sting is good fun. I prefer it over Butch Cassidy.

 

 

I'll also add:

 

-Intolerance

-The Phantom Carriage

-Silent comedies by Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, and Harold Lloyd

-German silents (e.g. Nosferatu, The Last Laugh, Metropolis)

-Sunrise

-Universal Horror Cycle in the '30s (particularly the ones by James Whale)

-42nd Street

-Beauty and the Beast (1946)

-The Red Shoes

-Bicycle Thieves

-Sunset Blvd.

-Sansho the Bailiff

-Wild Strawberries

-The 400 Blows

-Viridiana

-8 1/2

-2001

-Rosemary's Baby

-Playtime

-Dressed to Kill

-Paris, Texas

-Ran

-Blue Velvet

-Boogie Nights

 

I think that's a decent mixture of world and domestic cinema that I can personally recommend. However, the truly best resource that I can offer you (and whoever is interested) is this list right here: http://theyshootpictures.com/gf1000_all1000films.htm

 

This list (and the site as a whole) is by far the greatest guide to the very best of what cinema has to offer. What it is is a tabulation of various of lists done by filmmakers, critics, film scholars, and other film types. So basically it's a best of list of best ofs.

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No The Birth of a Nation or even Thief of Baghdad? Great and revolutionary camera work, and The Thief of Baghdad did great with tinting. Though, The Birth of a Nation's story isn't that good, but the storytelling and camera work are what make it revolutionary, at least for its time.

 

I'd also highly recommend You Can't Take It With You. Edward Arnold and Lionel Barrymore are amazing. Edward Arnold has been so good in the movies I've seen, like Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. Claude Rains is also great to watch.

 

Oh, Errol Flynn swashbucklers are fun to watch too, like Sea Hawk and The Adventures of Robin Hood. And I must reiterate Gary Cooper's brilliance in using his eyes to further the emotion of his characters.

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Intolerance is the better Griffith film, so I chose that one.

 

I'm not quite sure what you mean by The Thief of Bagdad's tinting being great. There's nothing extraordinary about it as far as I'm aware. Tinting was the norm back then; many films did it, so I'm not sure where you're coming from.

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I don't recall black and white films being tinted according to the mood, scenery, and whatnot. I think there may have been few that were tinted based on time of day, but I can't remember. But I do remember Thief of Baghdad's tinting red and blue based on where Fairbanks was and what he was doing. Plus, the visuals are pretty good.

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Did you watch Birth with tints?

 

Tinting was very common back during the early-mid silent days. Tints were used for all kinds of stuff. There wasn't an exact code but generally they were used to provide, as you indicated, narrative information like the time of day (e.g. blue/green for night/darkness, amber/sepia for lightness) and to enhance the scenery/setting and mood (e.g. green for nature; red for fire or romance/passion/fiery). So Thief did that but so did many other movies. What makes the movie truly essential is the lavish visual imagery and special-effects like you stated.

 

Edit: I knew this sounded familiar! We've talked about this already: http://caws.ws/forum/topic/445943-unpopular-movie-opinions/?p=10382345 lol

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Ha, what haven't we talked about? :lol: But yeah, I thought Thief of Baghdad did it pretty well.

 

Also, why is Gone with the Wind so praised? I mean, it's not really that good as a story.

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Well geez, that's a big thing to overlook. Film is a visual medium after all...

 

BTW, l'm not a huge fan of the film either... just so you know. It's not a film I find myself rewatching very often but if there are people interested in seeing it, then I'll tell them to take a look simply for the achievements I mentioned above.

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I want to say "don't forget the score!" but honestly, I forgot how the musical score was. I do remember some parts being good though. It's just that I find the film to be too long and tedious. There's a Hindi movie I like and thought was good, but I rarely recommend it due to its length. Can't imagine a lot of people feeling too positive when they've been sitting for over two or three hours.

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Haha. Can't think of the score, either.

 

Long movies (well the ones I've seen) don't bug me much. Intolerance, for example, is about three hours long and yet it goes by quickly for me because it's so engaging. But I can totally understand why some would be hesitant about devoting so much time to a movie they haven't seen yet.

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Oh, definitely. Like, Sholay is one of the longest Hindi films, but I have no problem with watching it because it's entertaining from beginnin to end. In my opinion, one of the best movies that's made to entertain. It's nearly perfect, from the setting to visuals to acting to dialogues to score to music to acting. Worth the length, IMO.

 

Quite a few people have said they weren't keen on watching Godfather due to the length. After facepalming, I could understand why. It's quite possibly my favorite movie, if not top 5, but I tell people that they MIGHT not find it interesting or as entertaining as the movie isn't as focused on violence as many other gangster movies are. I mean, not everyone will enjoy some movies no matter how good they are, and they might be less averse to giving other long movies a try.

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