Recommended Films

[gilberto_eire]

anyone reccomend any good films??....
TRY(but do if you may) not to give one of the obvious ones that everyone knows, but like outside the A category(cinema films)
2 ive watched recently are ''the life of david gale'' starring kevin spacey and ''this is england'' filmfour production about a young boy who finds friendship amongst skinheads in ''Thatcher era'' england... both are on tv-links.co.uk although This is englan has been down since i watched it

[jebus]

This Is England was good alright, try getting along to see The Lives of Others, should be able to find it in arthouse cinemas. It's about a member of the Stasi just before the fall of communism and his increasing disillusionment with the East German communist party. Other than that a few recentish ones I'd recommend on DVD would be, Pan's Labyrinth, Good Night and Good Luck, the Science of Sleep, and Half Nelson.

As for good docus I'd go for Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait, Searching For the Wrong Eyed Jesus (about music, religion and Southern America) and The Devil and Daniel Johnston, also check out Capturing the Friedmans if you haven't yet

[strangeirish]

An excellent new HBO movie called 'Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee' is worth a view. It powerfully explores the tragic impact that the United States' westward expansion had on American Indian culture, and the economic, political and social pressures that motivated it.(Not my words, but HBOs. Sums it up perfectly)

[town73]

The Goddess of 1967 (http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0255195/plotsummary)was an interesting one I saw years ago.
Amores Perros (http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0245712/plotsummary) is a cracking film, starring Gael García Bernal, a very good Mexican actor. He was also in Y tu mamá también, another good film.

[John83]

A couple of my favourite odd and obscure films:

Brick. Film noire in a high school. Brendan (Joseph Gordon-Levitt of Third Rock from the Sun) receives a frantic phone call from his former girlfriend shortly before finding her dead. He sets out to find who killed her. There are a number of great scenes, an interesting story, odd characters and a half-impenetrable slang that makes this really worth repeated viewing.

Bubba Ho-tep. Bruce Campbell (Evil Dead) plays an elderly Elvis, stuck in an old folk's home. The Elvis impersonator he swapped lives with is the Elvis who died, but no one believes him except for his friend, a black man who insists that he's Jack Kennedy. When an ancient Egyptian Mummy starts to attack the home at night, stealing the souls of their fellow residents, the two decide to fight back. It's at its poignant best when Elvis rails against old age, but mainly it's a bit of fun.

[Risteard]

V for Vendetta wasn't very obscure at the time but noone i speak to has seen it.

[Neish]

Just a few you may not of heard of:

La Haine:http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0113247/plotsummary

Withnail &Ihttp://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094336/plotsummary

Carandiru http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0293007/

Baraka http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0103767/

Powaqqatsi http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095895/

Other classics (most of which have been mentioned in here many times)

Infernal Affairs: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0338564/plotsummary
Once were warriors: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110729/
The Motorcycle Diaries http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0318462/

[Risteard]

or Ong-Bak
Tom Yung Goong
or La Haine if you're ok with subtitles.

[gilberto_eire]

for a true origional... the butterfly effect id strongly reccommend

[pineapple stu]

La Belle e Vita (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118799/). In Italian but with English subtitles. Superb film about a family - husband, wife and son - in the concentration camps during the war.

Edit - The Butterfly Effect? Same 20-minute film ten times over. Average at best.

[finlma]

Withnail & I - best film ever
The Castle - Australian film and funniest film ever
Little Miss Sunshine
Pan's Labyrnith
Motorcycle Diaries
City of God
Io non ho paura (I'm not scared)

[BohsPartisan]

A couple of my favourite odd and obscure films:

Brick. Film noire in a high school. Brendan (Joseph Gordon-Levitt of Third Rock from the Sun) receives a frantic phone call from his former girlfriend shortly before finding her dead. He sets out to find who killed her. There are a number of great scenes, an interesting story, odd characters and a half-impenetrable slang that makes this really worth repeated viewing.


Yeah Brick is pretty good.

I also liked The Squid and the Whale (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0367089/)

Today I did a review of Reds (http://gripofhysteria.wordpress.com/2007/06/05/reds/) on my blog which won 3 academy awards granted, but that was in 1981 and it is only just out on DVD for the first time. Highly recommended.

[gilberto_eire]

La Belle e Vita (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118799/). In Italian but with English subtitles. Superb film about a family - husband, wife and son - in the concentration camps during the war.

Edit - The Butterfly Effect? Same 20-minute film ten times over. Average at best.

no its not its a true origional and you dont know whats going to happen next, hardly same 20 min over and over too, thats a bit ott i have to say!!

any friends i gave it too on DVD taught it was really good too

[pineapple stu]

Bloke goes back in time to change the past, comes back from the past with a mad headache and a nosebleed, things have changed different to how he's expected so he goes back in time to change the past, comes back from the past with a mad headache and a nosebleed, things have changed different to how he's expected so he goes back...

You get the drift. The Simpsons managed to tell that story in about two minutes in one of the Halloween specials.

Also, what's the story with the link you posted? If the material is copyright and the website is circumventing it, you're going to get told to remove the link. Check the rules of the forum.

[gilberto_eire]

Bloke goes back in time to change the past, comes back from the past with a mad headache and a nosebleed, things have changed different to how he's expected so he goes back in time to change the past, comes back from the past with a mad headache and a nosebleed, things have changed different to how he's expected so he goes back...

You get the drift. The Simpsons managed to tell that story in about two minutes in one of the Halloween specials.

Also, what's the story with the link you posted? If the material is copyright and the website is circumventing it, you're going to get told to remove the link. Check the rules of the forum.

you make it sound pure boring because your telling it from a ''non-fan'' view

''load of fellas kicking a ball around a pitch trying to get it in a goal''...everything sounds crap if told in a certain way!!

[swano]

This Is England was good alright, try getting along to see The Lives of Others, should be able to find it in arthouse cinemas. It's about a member of the Stasi just before the fall of communism and his increasing disillusionment with the East German communist party. Other than that a few recentish ones I'd recommend on DVD would be, Pan's Labyrinth, Good Night and Good Luck, the Science of Sleep, and Half Nelson.

As for good docus I'd go for Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait, Searching For the Wrong Eyed Jesus (about music, religion and Southern America) and The Devil and Daniel Johnston, also check out Capturing the Friedmans if you haven't yet

Lives of Others is amazing and Pans Labyrinth is also very good.

Cinema Paridiso is a brilliant film although it's almost become mainstream now because of its popularity.

[gilberto_eire]

Lives of Others is amazing and Pans Labyrinth is also very good.

Cinema Paridiso is a brilliant film although it's almost become mainstream now because of its popularity.

funny i was gonna mention that one(saw it in school was part of the L.C course)really liked it!!

[John83]

V for Vendetta wasn't very obscure at the time but noone i speak to has seen it.
I've seen it. It's good; worth renting.


or Ong-Bak
1D plot, simplistic characters, limited dialogue. Awesome martial arts.
Love it. If you like martial arts movies, this is one of the modern classics.

Anyone seen Old Boy? Korean revenge film - guy is randomly abducted one evening, spends 15 years or so locked in a room, then is released without explanation. He sets out to find out why this was done to him. Some iconic scenes, but it's very violent and some of the twists are pretty sick. Not for the easily offended.

[Soper]

One of the best films I have seen is A Short Film About Killing (Krótki film o zabijaniu). Here (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095468/) is a link to its imdb page. It is a very gruelling film to watch, as it is about the morality behind two killings - the main characters commital of a murder, and in turn his killing(or murder) by the Polish state. Not one to watch on a first date or with kids, but excellent nonetheless.

On a more lighthearted note, if you haven't seen it, then Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (Here (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095468/)) is a must see, and could probably be procured for a low price. I think it is Peter Sellers best film (slthough that changes for me on a daily basis), and if you don't know or like many of his movies, then this I feel is the most accessible.

I'd better limit myself to 2 or I will be here ALL night.

[John83]

On a more lighthearted note, if you haven't seen it, then Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (Here (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095468/)) is a must see, and could probably be procured for a low price. I think it is Peter Sellers best film (slthough that changes for me on a daily basis), and if you don't know or like many of his movies, then this I feel is the most accessible.
I think that one's a must see for everyone. Probably the best satire I've ever seen.

[Soper]

Also - some very good films mentioned already, especially La Haine and Reds.


I think that one's a must see for everyone. Probably the best satire I've ever seen.

I hope you are looking after your Precious Bodily Fluids. You never know what those Roosskies will try.

[kdjaC]

The Fountain (http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0414993/)

Pans Labyrinthe
(http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0457430/)


Not happy movies in any way but brilliant.


Shrek 3 is funny and best watched after those 2 :D


kdjac

[BohsPartisan]

On a more lighthearted note, if you haven't seen it, then Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (Here (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095468/)) is a must see, and could probably be procured for a low price. I think it is Peter Sellers best film (slthough that changes for me on a daily basis), and if you don't know or like many of his movies, then this I feel is the most accessible.



Another of my Favs.

[Dyl10]

Il Postino
Wonderboys
Both excellent watches

[SkStu]

you make it sound pure boring because your telling it from a ''non-fan'' view

''load of fellas kicking a ball around a pitch trying to get it in a goal''...everything sounds crap if told in a certain way!!

:D :D

have to say i liked The Butterfly Effect. Id recommend it. Though they brought out a sequel which i avoided like the plague. Im similarly avoiding 28 Weeks Later.

Kudos to those who mentioned Withnail and I, La Haine and Bubba Ho-Tep (a must see).

Id recommend Donnie Darko (dont know if this is too "cult classic" for this thread), Once Were Warriors, Amelie, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Romper Stomper and Chopper.

[gilberto_eire]

:D :D

have to say i liked The Butterfly Effect. Id recommend it. Though they brought out a sequel which i avoided like the plague. Im similarly avoiding 28 Weeks Later.

Kudos to those who mentioned Withnail and I, La Haine and Bubba Ho-Tep (a must see).

Id recommend Donnie Darko (dont know if this is too "cult classic" for this thread), Once Were Warriors, Amelie, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Romper Stomper and Chopper.

i didnt like romper stomper..... anyone who wants to see ''the butterfly effect'' its on TV-LINKS, the 2nd one was there before but it was just a rip-off i stopped it after 2mins, didnt know any of the actors or anything... that kind of concept shouldnt be repeated witha sequel, ya seen one ya seen them all..... i started this thread to see could i find any films that are on it so i could watch them..... only found two and there both dead right now.... ''Old boy'' was one anyway...
anyone know anywhere i might see any of the films listed online??

[BohsPartisan]

Goodbye Lenin, great satire of both Stalinist East Germany and the capitalist restoration.
Land and Freedom, Ken Loach film, essentially the same as wind that shakes the barley only better, about the Spanish Civil War.
Dead Mans Shoes, directed by Shane Meadows, director of This is England.
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless mind, much vaunted but worth it IMO.
Solaris, both versions.
Brazil. Reminds me of my job.

[harry crumb]

Box of Moonlight.

Uplifting movie with great performances from the main characters.

If life seems too complex this movie always gives perspective.

[gilberto_eire]

Box of Moonlight.

Uplifting movie with great performances from the main characters.

If life seems too complex this movie always gives perspective.

according to 'stu putting direct links isnt allowed in the rules so you might want to take it down and just tell ppl where it is?:confused:
thanks for that am defo gonna check it out in the morning!!

[MojoPin]

seen it last night but ONCE is excellent... very po[pular over here in the USA too...

[shakermaker1982]

Following by Chris Nolan. If you haven't seen Memento yet then your also missing out.

Shane Meadow's Room for Romeo Brass is excellent as is Dead Man's Shoes.

[anto1208]

City of God is probibly the best film of the last 10 years .

Carandiro ( spelling ) about a brazilian prison

Infernal affairs ( the departed original )

Napoleon Dynamite ( spelling ) genius

Bad Santa
Following by Chris Nolan. If you haven't seen Memento yet then your also missing out.

Shane Meadow's Room for Romeo Brass is excellent as is Dead Man's Shoes.Shane Meadows This is England is also quite good not as good as dead mans shoes

[bennocelt]

I am abit surprised with this thread, normally when we have a movie thread its all about Spiderman or some other sh ite, but the movies mentioned so far here are all excellent

La Haine is one of my favs........cool music (the mix with the french singer singing "No regrets" is brill, and i have always wanted to get that soundtrack but to no avail), brill acting, and clever dialogue (the bit where the Polish jew is talking about the dilemma of running after the train or pulling up his trousers!).....great movie

talking about This is England, which i have yet to see, but that director is brilliant, he brought out a great boxing movie a while back called 24/7, starring Bob Hoskins trying to run a local boxing club,and about youngfellas in and out of trouble, a very much under rated british movie

as anyone seen The Machinest with Christian bale, i am not sure who directed it but it looks like a C Nolan movie,

[BohsPartisan]

City of God is probibly the best film of the last 10 years .



Its a good film alright but thats a massive exageration.

[ifk101]

If you haven't seen a Swedish film called Tillsammans (translates as "Together" and AFAIK this is the film title outside of Sweden), I'd recommend seeing it. It a comedy/drama set in 1970s Sweden where the main characters are living in a hippee-community with open relationships.

Another film by the same director, Lukas Moodysson, that I'd recommend is Lilja 4-ever. This is quite a dark film about sex-trafficking.

101 Reykjavik is a film I particularly like. It pretty much revolves around a lazy Icelandic guy who lives on the dole trying to find direction in life. (Might be hard to come across though.)

If you liked The Royal Tenenbaums you'll like the next film by the same director called The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. I suppose the best way to describe it is as a humourous aquatic adventure.

The last two films I'd recommend are Broken Flowers and Five Easy Pieces. Broken Flowers is about a guy who gets an anonymous letter telling him he has a son. So he goes a road-trip visiting ex-girlfriends to find out who sent the letter. Five Easy Pieces is one of the great films from the 1970s and is about a chap trying to find his way in life. Jack Nicholson is the lead character and, IMO, this is his best film.

Of the more mainstream films of recent years; I'd recommend Crash, Babel, Magnolia and Mulholland Drive.

All the above are much better than The Butterfly Effect. :)

[tetsujin1979]

I usually end up watching Akira at least once a year. Genius stuff altogether. Still can't quite figure out the ending though!

[Dodge]

Some great films in here lads, and I'd agree with most (haven't seen all of them obviously) BUT...

Are people talking about the Butterfly Effect as in the Ashton Kutcher film? That was one of the 5 worst films I've ever seen. Appaling story, brutal dialogue and mtv style acting. Jesus I'm embarressed admitting I saw it, never mind recommending it

GF rented out Hard Candy a while ago (thinking it was horror) and I was hugely surprised at how good it is.

PS agree City of God is the best film of the last decade

[Bluebeard]

Some great films listed there folks - some I am seriously going to have to chack out. Possibly not Butterfly Effect though.

I would recommend, to those who like me are still in love with Brazil, or Central European cinema, Underground, by Emir Kusturica in 1994 I think. Great comic flick about Yugoslavia during and after the war.

And for those who liked Powaqqatsi (kudos to Neish!), try the first one of the series Koyaanisqqatsi - best of the three in my opinion.

[jebus]

Some good ones being posted alright, although I was never a fan of Donnie Darko or Ong Bak, but heres a few more that haven't been mentioned I think

The Warzone - Ray Winstone movie that deals with incest and rape in a family (so not for the light-hearted)
Run Lola Run - Not as much of a classic as some make out, but still a good watch all the same
A Mighty Wind - Spinal Tap for folk music
Best in Show - Spinal Tap for dog shows
Rear Window - If Kubricks allowed to be mentioned than so to is Hitchcock
Requiem for a Dream - Hopefully everyone has watched this by now
The Hudsucker Proxy - Surprisingly underrated Coen Brothers
Before Sunset - For the romantic in you
Shooting Dogs - For the aid worker in you
Maria, Full of Grace - For the outrage in you, actually that goes for Shooting Dogs too
Little Children - Slightly sympathatic look at the lives of three people, one of whom is a paedophile, so don't watch if that outrages you
Casablanca - It's actually ridiculous the amount of people I know who haven't watched this classic
I usually end up watching Akira at least once a year. Genius stuff altogether. Still can't quite figure out the ending though!Join the club! Absolutely cracking movie though, hopefully they don't decide to remake it into a live action movie until I've shuffled off this mortal coil :)

[BohsPartisan]

Forgot Jean de Florette and Manon De Sources.

Also Germinal.

[gustavo]

Films i liked:)
A Simple Plan : what happens when a group of people find a load of money in the woods , great performance from Billy Bob Thornton
Sling Blade , another great Billy Bob one , he plays a simple man who is released from an institution after murdering his mother as a child.
Barton Fink : another Cohen Bros one featuring a nice turn by John Goodman.
Dumb and Dumber : just love this , cant have all highbrow stuff :D

[pete]

Of the ones mentioned above:

City of God.
Internal Affairs.

In recent years best movie i've seen was Downfall (http://www.downfallthefilm.com/)

Of current releases i've seen Zodiac which is fairly good if not great.

I think as a set the Coen Brother movies are hard to beat.

[Wolfie]

I Went Down - Overlooked Irish comedy. Brendan Gleeson is excellent.

The Sure Thing - A young John Cusack stars in this "Road Movie" / comedy. A funny Tim Robbins cameo role in there too.

The Grifter - Another early John Cusack role.

Rounders - Not sure if this is too "Mainstream" - but a good film about Poker players.

[bennocelt]

Requiem for a Dream - Hopefully everyone has watched this by now
[Casablanca - It's actually ridiculous the amount of people I know who haven't watched this classicJoin the club! Absolutely cracking movie though, hopefully they don't decide to remake it into a live action movie until I've shuffled off this mortal coil :)

yeah i also havent seen casablanca
talking about Humpry Bogary, def recommend the Treasure of Sierra Madre, great movie , a Hueston special

also...... Requiem for a Dream is brilliant, but very hard to watch, the scene in the end where the one (Connolly) is doing her stuff infront of all the guys is quite disturbing, a better movie about drugs and its effects than trainspotting (which isnt bad either) me thinks

[Neish]

And for those who liked Powaqqatsi (kudos to Neish!), try the first one of the series Kooyaanisqqatsi - best of the three in my opinion.

Have the box set with Powaqqatsi and Kooyaanisqqatsi prefered Powaqqatsi myself. Have you seen Naqoyqatsi? I guy I know saw it whislst he worked in the U.S. he reckons it the best of the lot.

Have you seen Baraka? If you like Powaqqatsi and Kooyaanisqqatsi it will be right up your alley.

[Bluebeard]

Have the box set with Powaqqatsi and Kooyaanisqqatsi prefered Powaqqatsi myself. Have you seen Naqoyqatsi? I guy I know saw it whislst he worked in the U.S. he reckons it the best of the lot.

Have you seen Baraka? If you like Powaqqatsi and Kooyaanisqqatsi it will be right up your alley.

Powaqqatsi is th biz alright, I am just possibly more of a pessimist than you are:(

I got hold of Naqoyqatsi too. I didn't enjoy it as much as the other two - it was kind of like Tubular Bells III: This Time It's Ibiza if you catch my drift. I do think it has great merit, I just reckon I'd need to see it on the big screen or be stoned to get the most out of it.

Mad keen to see Baraka - heard great things about that!

[passinginterest]

Some great selections on here alright.
If you've never seen Donnie Darko (I was one of the few who saw the original release in the IFI) its brilliant.
Also highly recommend V for Vendetta, Little Miss Sunshine, Hard Candy
La Haine and Doctor Stragelove are true greats.
I'm struggling to come up with something original here.
If your into early horror/slasher/rape revenge films (more from a studying than entertainment perspective) see I Spit on Your Grave or The Last House on the Left (early Wes Craven). For a more entertaining Wes Craven see The People Under the Stairs (a personal favourite).
If you haven't seen Hellraiser you should (Clive Barker is a genius, read some of his stuff).

[tetsujin1979]

Join the club! Absolutely cracking movie though, hopefully they don't decide to remake it into a live action movie until I've shuffled off this mortal coil :)

You and me both, check out the 25th anniversary DVD, a bit odd to watch it without "Leonardo" doing Kaneda's voice.

Hard Candy's been mentioned a few times, check out The Woodsman if you can, possibly the hardest film to watch I've ever sat through. The woman sitting next to me was visibly upset at the end of it.

[Risteard]

Very good choice 79!
Sympathy for the Woodsman?

[jebus]

If you've never seen Donnie Darko (I was one of the few who saw the original release in the IFI) its brilliant.

I saw it in the Kino in Cork when it was given it's limited cinema release, and I have to say I enjoyed it at first, but then I got to thinking.....if the rabbit (can't remember his name) pulled Donnie out of the house, so that he could see life and how the rabbit and his girlfriend die, so that he would realise that he needs to make the sacrifice of finding the worm hole so that he can go back and put himself back in his house on the night the rabbit pulled him out of it to save his life, well.....what's the bloody point? it just doesn't make sense at the end of the day, so I've been turned off the movie since

Oh and I agree 110% with People Under The Stairs, been a favourite of mine for many a year now