Great Films

Don't lose sight of the fact that movies are popular art. As such, the assessment of their value will be more subjective than that of high art. (I say "more subjective" because the value of high art is also subjective, but less so because of its limited accessibility.) I used to think that Singin' in the Rain was a masterpiece; seeing it a few years ago, I found it interminably dull outside of the "Moses Supposes" dance. De gustibus non disputandem est, as it were.

I used to go for the deep stuff, now I like the escapist stuff. I'll still enjoy the deep stuff, but only if it reflects the ambiguity that I find in life. I figure at my age I deserve to enjoy the contradictions of a world made up of situational truths rather than absolute truths. So, deep stuff that gives no answers, or really good, well made pandering stuff.

So, my list isn't of great films, but well made films I enjoy. And I take pleasure in enjoying films that maybe not so many people have seen.

The Commitments
Devil in a Blue Dress
Tombstone
Groundhog Day
North Dallas 40
Unforgiven
Dangerous Liaisons

There are a whole boatload more. I'm sure I could list a couple hundred.

Quote: Greasyjohn

I can't see why you don't get how great It's a Wonderful Life is. Just a great picture now and forever. Do you really think it's lame?

I think along with Casablanca, it's up there with the greatest movies ever in black and white. Course parts of both seem hackneyed, cliched and tired NOW, but the thing is, they were fresh ideas. They are executed without malice or pretension.

I'd also have to rate highly 'High Fidelity', 'Pulp Fiction' and 'Carlito's Way', being films I have seen more than once, enjoyed the second and fourth times too. I rarely watch films more than once.

Quote: Mosca

Devil in a Blue Dress
Tombstone
Groundhog Day
Unforgiven
Dangerous Liaisons
.

All those are very above average. Devil is
Denzel's best, I think. Tombstone is one
of the best westerns ever made, as is
Unforgiven. Dangerous is Malkovich at
his finest. Groundhog goes without saying.

Quote: Evenbob

All those are very above average. Devil is
Denzel's best, I think. Tombstone is one
of the best westerns ever made, as is
Unforgiven. Dangerous is Malkovich at
his finest. Groundhog goes without saying.

Devil in a Blue Dress is severely underrated. Absolutely one of Denzel's best, and great source material from Walter Mosley. Unforgiven is deliciously challenging: the good guys are bad guys, and the bad guys are good guys. Little Bill is just trying to keep law and order in a frontier town.



More:

No Country For Old Men
Moon
Bladerunner
Little Big Man
Ruthless People
Chinatown
Lawrence of Arabia
Smile
Soap Dish
Serial
Night of the Comet
The Last Emperor
Blood Simple
A Simple Plan
The King of Comedy
My Favorite Year
Fargo
The Grifters
The Fisher King
12 Monkeys
Diggstown

Some quirky, some obvious, some blockbusters, some unknowns. What can I say, I like movies. I studied to be a screenwriter. Majored in English Writing with a minor in film studies.

Quote: TheCesspit

I think along with Casablanca, it's up there with the greatest movies ever in black and white. Course parts of both seem hackneyed, cliched and tired NOW, but the thing is, they were fresh ideas. They are executed without malice or pretension.

I'd also have to rate highly 'High Fidelity', 'Pulp Fiction' and 'Carlito's Way', being films I have seen more than once, enjoyed the second and fourth times too. I rarely watch films more than once.

Yes, Carlito's Way was a very good film. Sean Penn was never better, and I don't usually care for him. And American Me was also great. I also don't watch many films more than once. Pulp Fiction was very watchable, but generally I don't think Quentin Tarantino films are that great. They are shallow, violent and superficial..

Wow, the first time anyone has listed Serial. I lived
in Marin Co in Calif in that time period and Serial
is spot on. Hippies were alive and well except now
they sold real estate and wore tennis whites all
day every day. Everything was unconventional
and laid back, everybody did their own 'thing'.
Marin Co is like fairytale land anyway, perfect
climate and misty mountains. Prohibitively expensive,
even then.

Quote: AZDuffman

A problem for me is how many times it has been knocked off or spoofed in sitcoms and other shows. Honestly I have never seen the film, but I have seen the "I wish I had never been born" scenes from so many other shows it is worn out. Though I give an Honorable Mention to "Married, With Children" who did a different kind of take on it.

Come on guys, find a new plot device.

AZ, you' ve got to see it!

Okay, I think we're agreed that great movies were deemed important at the time, for their time. Doesn't mean those movies have to be listed important for all time. Some movie that spoke to us personally years ago, or decades ago, doesn't mean that it's still relevant in 2014. I think Wizard of Oz stands up today but Citizen Kane doesn't. Sergio Leone movies and Kubrick movies are great, but Huston or DeMille movies fall out of pertinence over time. Just my opinion. I think Citizen Kane has been on the Great Movie List for sooooooooo long that any critic today is afraid to demote it in 2014. Think for yourself Mr. Critic fer goshsakes.

Quote: zippyboy

stands up today but Citizen Kane doesn't... I think Citizen Kane has been on the Great Movie List for sooooooooo long that any critic today is afraid to demote it in 2014. .

Geez, we get it. You don't understand CK so
nobody should. Let it go already.. I love CK,
seen it 10 times at least. You have to always
consider the time a movie appeared in and
see it thru those eyes.

Quote: boymimbo

The reason why It's a Wonderful Life is so powerful is because it gives people hope that friends and God will pick you up when things are going terribly wrong.

Oh, its a fairy tale then.