If I could only Keep 10 movies in the house...

[ReformedWretch]

Mine would be very similar to Matt's with some tweaks.

-A Few Good Men

One of my all time favorites!

-Casablanca

Made me a classics fan and an even bigger Bogey fan


-Raiders of the Lost Ark

LOVED it!

-Star Wars

Parts IV V and VI followed by the Prequels

-The Maltese Falcon

Bogey at his best!

-The Matrix

Same reasons Matt listed, I hated the sequels though, avoid them.


-Equilibrium

Possibly my wifes all time favorite movie

-Batman Begins

Best comic book adaption ever

Spiderman 2

A close 2nd to Batman begins


-Braveheart

Though there is a topless scene I disliked very much.

 

[non dignus]

Heidi,

Thanks for that. I'm glad to hear Austen didn't have a pattern of portraying clergymen as sniveling materialistic sycophants!

 

[Scott]

Tombstone was weak. Isn't that the one with Val Kilmer faking a ridiculous accent?

 

[Scott]

"Some Eastwood westerns that are ok, but not great, and I could do without them"

For a Few Dollars More was the best of the Italian westerns. I'm suprised you did not like it.

 

[Robin]

"....drama of itself is evil"

(I just wanted to insert that Paul quoted either Euripides or Menander in inspired Scripture.... ironically, 'evil communications corrupt good manners'.)

Well...if we want to go there and disparage "drama" we have to also discard The Divine Drama -- The Greatest Story Ever Told, revealed in God's Holy Word.

Like it or not, we are all in the story right now (which didn't end with the end of the book, btw.)

We yet await the final scene when the Divine Author/Playwrite walks onstage.

Drama isn't evil. Men are.

 

[rjlynam]

Fellowship of the Ring - Extended Edition Only
The Two Towers - Extended Edition Only
The Return of the King - Extended Edition Only
The Sound of Music
Where Eagles Dare
Man on Fire
The Bourne Identity
The Bourne Supremacy
Gone With The Wind
It's a Wonderful Life

- There, how's that for dysfunctional.

 

[youthevang]

Equilibrium

If you haven't seen this, and like sci-fi, you are missing out. When Scott and I watch this the first time, we were blown out of our seats. It was a sleeper at the movies, but it not only secures action, and sci-fi, but in a really good storyline that I simply haven't come across before. RATED R (Violence)
​

I am so glad to know that there have been others who have discovered this movie. It should definitely come back to theaters since it got lost in the background to the Matrix hype. This is a very good movie, hands down.

 

[Semper Fidelis]

Is Pride and Prejudice really that good? I have thought of it as a chick flick and that it would have nothing for me.

Equilibrium: Gun Katta, enough said!!!

Matrix: Genre Defining, Bullet Time etc.

Incredibles: The Best thing done by Pixar.

Braveheart was good but I think I would go with Gladiator over it.

Band Of Brothers/Saving Private Ryan: Has to go somewhere on the list.

Tombstone: Yes, I am your huckleberry

That is all I have off the top of my head.

CT

Good list.

 

[Semper Fidelis]

On the side of the volcano where they are taking the ring. It was just Frodo and Sam looking longingly at each other and crying and ... it just went on way too long and too romantic. Maybe homo-erotic is too strong a term, tehehehehehehe. I just hated the ending. Sorry all you fans - it isn't you, it's me.

You crack me up. What was hard to capture by Peter Jackson, and is harder for Americans to understand, was the relationship between Frodo and Sam. The relationship has been presented as one of a military aide to his superior (I forget the precise British term for it). These type of military stewards are rarer these days than they were just decades ago but very Senior Officers still rate their own personal staff to attend to them.

Anyhow, it's not quite like a serf to his lord but Sam is really Frodo's charge and not his peer. There is a tremendous devotion in Sam to Frodo that is very commendable. He is selfless. He will go to the ends of the Earth to help Frodo. I was moved in the book and in the movie when Sam stands between the big spider and Frodo refusing that she should do any more harm to him.

I just don't know how to explain it quite right but anyone who has been in the military knows the devotion one can have for a leader that is worthy of such sacrifice - a person that you're willing to sacrifice for. I didn't think Peter Jackson quite captured it right but I knew what he was going after.

Frankly, the "gay" part was the part where everybody sees Frodo at the end. That was just plain corny when they're all jumping on the bed.

But Sam and Frodo: no way.

 

[Semper Fidelis]

Fellowship of the Rings
Two Towers
Return of the King
Matrix Trilogy
Galaxy Quest
Cars (best Pixar movie ever)
The Princess Bride
Gladiator

 

[jaybird0827]

North by Northwest
Vertigo
Casablanca
Key Largo
East of Eden
Rebel Without a Cause
The Truman Show
Star Wars Episode IV
Gaslight
Mildred Pierce

 

[tewilder]

Odd what people like.

None of the Gibson movies mentioned is as good as his The Year of Living Dangerously. Braveheart is rather propagandistic.

Some people like The Matrix which is an effective message movie, and well produced, but too slick. It is inferior as both philosophy and art to Dark City which is equally gnostic but more consistent.

Nobody likes Hitch**** it seems.

Nobody likes any of the post-communist productions like The Projectionist (also called The Inner Circle) or To Live.

Peckinpah's The Wild Bunch is better than anything by Eastwood.

Various comedy movies made some people's lists, but none as good as Young Frankenstein, Tampopo, or The Dinner Game, or, for that matter some of the screwball comedies of the thirties.

For science fiction I would pick 2001: A Space Odyssey. (I have not had a chance to watch Solyaris yet.) Holiday films are generally horrible, but I still prefer La Bûche.

Woody Allen's Crimes and Misdemeanors (though over-complex) belongs on the list.

Noir is not represented unless you count Casablanca. The anti-utopias did make it, as someone mentioned Brazil, which may be the best representative (as long as it is not the US theatrical version).

There should be a sixties movie. Many to chose from (Petulia, The Graduate, etc.) I think Blow-Up still stands out.

But then, I wouldn't want to settle for ten. I have 860.

 

[tewilder]

North by Northwest
Vertigo
Casablanca
Key Largo
East of Eden
Rebel Without a Cause
The Truman Show
Star Wars Episode IV
Gaslight
Mildred Pierce

And now I have to retract my previous comment somewhat. Someone, who really understands movies, got a post in just ahead of mine! (But instead of The Truman Show, consider Pleasantville.

 

[Augusta]

Has anyone who likes Pride and Prejudice seen North and South (based on the book by Elisabeth Gaskell)? I'm told it's even better.... which is hard to believe.

I saw North and South. I really liked it. It would be hard to find something better than P&P. N&S comes pretty close though. The ending is much more climactic, but that is not what I love about P&P though. With P&P it's the dialogue that is so stunning.

Definitely see North and South. It was quite good.

 

[non dignus]

High Plains Drifter is such a great western; the fruit of all that spaghetti- it's a travesty the editor included that rape scene.

Stage Coach- the tension was so well built up until the climactic Indian attack. A real masterpiece.

Unforgiven is the crowning achievement of the genre, the benchmark in my opinion.

 

[rjlynam]

Odd what people like.

There should be a sixties movie. Many to chose from (Petulia, The Graduate, etc.) I think Blow-Up still stands out.

But then, I wouldn't want to settle for ten. I have 860.

I got a sixties movie. "Where Eagles Dare".

 

[ChristopherPaul]

Here is my best attempt. Most of these movies I could (and have) watch over and over again:

In alphabetical order:

Back to the Future (1985) – This movie never grows old. MJ Fox and Christopher Lloyd make for one of the greatest actor/supporting actor marriages in history. They were perfect for the parts.

The Incredibles (2004) – Was Disney really involved in this? A great family movie with everything (although I really wish they did not include the sexual tension and the hint of a possible affair between Mr. Incredible and Mirage). The humor and story was brilliant.

Jaws (1975) – Oversized killer shark, enough said.

The Ladykillers (2004) – One of my favorite comedies. I could quote this movie (well except for Gawain’s lines) all day. The humor is so subtle and yet effective. With each viewing I laugh at something different. Tom Hanks best acting performance. Watch it, “It’s the easiest thing in the world.”

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) – I felt like a kid watching this film. It had me at the edge of my seat through the entire three hours. The thought of that huge army of Orks getting closer and closer to the fellowship was intense!

Matrix (1999) – at one time this was my favorite movie, that is, until the sequels came out. They destroyed this masterpiece. I never grew tired of watching this movie. It is quite clean for it’s time and genre.

Monsters Inc. (2001) – It takes a lot to get me to actually laugh out loud, but I could laugh all day watching this movie.

Napoleon Dynamite (2004) – To really get the full impact of this movie, you must watch it with a group of friends. Minus the over commercialization of this film after it became popular, it is indeed a classic all of its own. It is almost embarrassing to say, it is the most quotable movie in my collection (well behind That Thing You Do!). It is surprisingly very clean, especially considering the target audience.

The Negotiator (1998) - I can’t grow tired of this film. Samuel L. Jackson, Kevin Spacey, and Paul Giamatti are amazing actors; this is as good as Die Hard.

North by Northwest (1959) – one of the many Cary Grant movies my parents made me watch in my early years. This is my earliest favorite. Even while at eight years old when I first watched, it had me captivated.

Pulp Fiction (1994) – this is the part where my elders receive an onslaught of emails and phone calls exhorting them to council their lost sheep. Samuel L. Jackson was never cooler, John Travolta, Brice Willis, Uma Thurman – the miscellaneous dialogue between Jules and Vincent is priceless, “And you know what they call a... a... a Quarter Pounder with Cheese in Paris?”

Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) – Can anyone not like this classic?

The Shawshank Redemption (1994) – The most satisfying ending of all time.

Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980) – Gotta have a Star Wars movie on my list and this is the best of them. From the snow to the sky, a lost hand to a frozen Han Solo Vader, Yoda, Lando Calrissian – it was like a bunchy of mini movies all of which were better than the average full length action sci-fi film. One of the few movies where the sequel is better than the original.

That Thing You Do! (1996) – My favorite Tom Hanks movie. This made my wife and I Steve Zahn fans (Lenny). My wife and I have quoted this movie often in fun. We used the music for our first two children’s birthday videos where we show a montage of various moments during their first year.

To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) – I watched this as a kid and was enthralled with Jem and Scout. Gregory Peck made this film. It is one of those rare films that is very true to the book.

Runners up:

Batman Begins (2005)
Braveheart (1995)
Clue (1985)
Holes (2003)
Jackie Brown (1997)
Kill Bill: Vol. 1 & 2 (2003, 04)
Sleepy Hollow (1999)
Superman II (1980)
Toy Story (1995)
Ying xiong [aka Hero] (2002)

 

[tewilder]

I got a sixties movie. "Where Eagles Dare".

Not a sixties movie. It's a WWII movie made in the sixties.

You can have a sixties movies about WWII, e.g. Catch 22. Or even the stupid Kelly's Heroes (which came out in summer 1970) with its hippy character Oddball. M*A*S*H (1970) is also conceived in the sixties.

Even The Dirty Dozen is a sort of sixties movie because it redefined WWII with it cynical brutality.

 

[WrittenFromUtopia]

Magnolia
Capote
Punch Drunk Love
The Big Lebowski
Super Troopers
Million Dollar Baby
Mystic River
Braveheart
About Schmidt
Christmas Vacation

 

[rjlynam]

Not a sixties movie. It's a WWII movie made in the sixties.

You can have a sixties movies about WWII, e.g. Catch 22. Or even the stupid Kelly's Heroes (which came out in summer 1970) with its hippy character Oddball. M*A*S*H (1970) is also conceived in the sixties.

Even The Dirty Dozen is a sort of sixties movie because it redefined WWII with it cynical brutality.

Ahh, I see what you meant, a movie about the sixties. Okay.

 

[Civbert]

The Seven Samurai
Star Wars IV
Dirty Dozen
The Princess Bride
To Kill a Mocking Bird
The Matrix
Better Off Dead
Brazil
The Bridge over the River Kwai
Doctor Zhivago
Jaws
Rocky
A Place in the Sun
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
The Usual Suspects
Raiders of the Lost Ark
12 Angry Men
Alien
The Great Escape
The Incredibles
Blade Runner
Stand by Me
The Wild Bunch
Sling Blade
Ying xiong (Hero)
Kung Fu Hustle
Rumble in the Bronx
A Better Tomorrow
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Das Boot
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Had trouble narrowing the list down.

And.... Napoleon Dynamite

 

[tewilder]

Ahh, I see what you meant, a movie about the sixties. Okay.

A movie that expresses the cultural revolution of the sixties.

There really should be two phases. Breakfast At Tiffany's is an early sixties movie where the moral order of the noir era is completely gone, and hedonism has won. But it is still pre-youth culture. The caper movies (Ocean's Eleven, Thomas Crown Affair) fit here too. Among the last of these is The Swimmer, released about the same time as The Graduate, but still a short-hair movie. This type continued to be made, with updated fashions, right through the decade. Loving (1970) is a late example.

The Graduate is transitional. It has the attack on the old order represented by the prosperous, but amoral upper middle class, but also youth culture rebel figures serving as a foil to it.

The second phase of sixties movies shows up with films like Petulia which was quck to grasp and see through completely the hippy thing. But this new phase starts to include the new youth culture and its perspectives.

 

[ChristopherPaul]

The Seven Samurai

I heard this movie is a must see. Seeing it at the top of your list, apparently I am really missing out.

 

[BobVigneault]

Seven Samurai set the directorial pattern for so many of our own westerns. Particularly the scene where they look up at the horizon and the enemy fills the entire horizon. That became cliche in our own westerns but that was the very first time that scene was used.

After watching Seven Samurai, watch The Magnificent Seven which was our american western version.


I bought and watched Equilibrium last night. Definitely it was the movie that Matrix 2 should have been. Great action. Thanks for the recommendations.

 

[Lauren Mary]

No one beside Bert?

Just curious. Is there no one beside Bert and the WMC who sees a problem with movies? Even if we were to allow that watching movies was not so bad, do the images planted in our minds and the feelings planted or excited in our hearts by many of the movies named in everyone's lists so far pass muster with Phillipians 4:8? Are the movie imagery and messages ...
True
Noble
Just
Pure
Lovely
Of good report
Of virtue
Praiseworthy

Two other questions? (By the way, I ask myself these questions as well.) (1) How much do we trust that the exhortation of Phillipians 4:8 is for our own unimaginable divine eternal well-being? And (2) how much of "taking every thought captive to Christ" can succeed during the time and after-effects of watching movies? My answers: (1) Not enough; (2) Not much if any.

 

[BertMulder]

It is our contention that drama, as such, is wrong. In support of that contention, the standpoint taken was that the actor is wrong to take on the personality of another. It may be that the reader is not immediately convinced by that judgment. I can readily understand that. For many years, when the same argument was presented to me, I was not entirely convinced of it. I am now.

However, that is only one element in our contention that drama per se is wrong. Several other significant objections against drama must be raised. The validity of these additional objections does not depend on the main point of the previous editorial.

One serious indictment of drama is that it plays out real life situations. Leaving out for a moment that this will include dramatizing sinful deeds, consider the question: May one play the part of a righteous man? Is it legitimate to act out praying for forgiveness of sins and for grace, having family devotions, and going to church? Dear reader, think about this. Playing church? Acting out prayers? Having the director say in the middle of a “prayer” — “Cut! Start over. That did not sound right”? What blasphemy! Surely God is not entertained by such. Isaiah 29 reveals what God thinks of a people whose lips speak the right words, but their hearts are far from Him.

However, there is another element in drama that makes it utterly abhorrent to the transformed, believing mind of the Christian. That element is the portrayal of sin in all drama.

Sin is the transgression of the righteous and good law of God (I John 3:4; Rom. 7:12). God reveals His holy being and righteous will in His law. By giving the law, the holy God commands “that even the smallest inclination or thought contrary to any of God’s commandments never arise in our hearts” (Heidelberg Catechism, Lord’s Day 44).

Every sin is an act of rebellion against God (Ps. 5:10, et al). Therefore, “every sin deserveth God’s wrath and curse, both in this life and in that which is to come” (Westminster Shorter Catechism, Q. & A. 84).

Read the whole article by Prof. Dykstra here:

http://www.prca.org/standard_bearer/volume81/2005jan01.htm

 

[PuritanCovenanter]

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
God's and Generals
Gettysburg
The Patriot
Lord of the Rings trilogy
Saving Private Ryan
Martin Luther (Black & White)
Band of Brothers

Don't laugh but...
Steel Magnolias and Green Fried Tomatoes

Gotta have a few chick flicks to keep the soul softened up.

 

[tewilder]

Just curious. Is there no one beside Bert and the WMC who sees a problem with movies? Even if we were to allow that watching movies was not so bad, do the images planted in our minds and the feelings planted or excited in our hearts by many of the movies named in everyone's lists so far pass muster with Phillipians 4:8? Are the movie imagery and messages ...
True
Noble
Just
Pure
Lovely
Of good report
Of virtue
Praiseworthy

Two other questions? (By the way, I ask myself these questions as well.) (1) How much do we trust that the exhortation of Phillipians 4:8 is for our own unimaginable divine eternal well-being? And (2) how much of "taking every thought captive to Christ" can succeed during the time and after-effects of watching movies? My answers: (1) Not enough; (2) Not much if any.

By that criterion, how many sermons would you have to ban? Those preachers do go on about sin! Not what is true, noble, just , pure, lovely, of good report, of virtue, and praiseworthy.

 

[BertMulder]

By that criterion, how many sermons would you have to ban? Those preachers do go on about sin! Not what is true, noble, just , pure, lovely, of good report, of virtue, and praiseworthy.

Not sure what your point is with that statement. First of all, that statement has nothing to do with the evil of drama, and secondly, would you want a preacher that did not stand watch on the walls of Zion? Did not warn his flock about the wolves and bears?

 

[tewilder]

Not sure what your point is with that statement.

You should think about it until you are sure.