(04-14-2011 01:43 PM)Scottish_lass Wrote: [ -> ]My absolute favourite film would have to be 'Glengarry Glen Ross', it's an acting masterclass and I love David Mamet's work. 'Heist' is another great one of his, very quote-worthy. The original 'Taking of Pelham 1,2,3', 'American Beauty' too.
Anything generally with Bill Murray, William H Macy, Willem Dafoe, Steve Buscemi, Frank Langella, Jack Lemmon...actually there's waaaay too many to go through. Every time I see a later Tom Hanks movie I can't help think of a certain Canadian fella...I could totally see him as Prof. Robert Langdon in the Da Vinci Code! 
There IS a resemblance, isn't there! I never thought of it until you mentioned it.
Yes Bubba and Tom Hanks are merging into a mega actor drummer writer actor being........
Peter Sellers' "Being There". An insanely brilliant comedy that's much more than a comedy. Sellers' last film, it is a masterpiece, IMO.
Very recently, "Let Me In". After suffering through vampires that sparkle in the daylight, it's comforting to see an extremely well made vampire movie. I would highly recommend the original, "Let The Right One In" if, that is, you can sit through English dubbing or subtitles (the film's originally in Swedish).
(04-14-2011 07:18 PM)dheafey Wrote: [ -> ]Peter Sellers' "Being There". An insanely brilliant comedy that's much more than a comedy. Sellers' last film, it is a masterpiece, IMO.
Very recently, "Let Me In". After suffering through vampires that sparkle in the daylight, it's comforting to see an extremely well made vampire movie. I would highly recommend the original, "Let The Right One In" if, that is, you can sit through English dubbing or subtitles (the film's originally in Swedish).
I thought "Let Me In" was well done. I would love to see the original.
(04-14-2011 07:38 PM)RN-PRN Wrote: [ -> ] (04-14-2011 07:18 PM)dheafey Wrote: [ -> ]Peter Sellers' "Being There". An insanely brilliant comedy that's much more than a comedy. Sellers' last film, it is a masterpiece, IMO.
Very recently, "Let Me In". After suffering through vampires that sparkle in the daylight, it's comforting to see an extremely well made vampire movie. I would highly recommend the original, "Let The Right One In" if, that is, you can sit through English dubbing or subtitles (the film's originally in Swedish).
I thought "Let Me In" was well done. I would love to see the original.
"Being There" is superb! Jerzy Kozinski is an amazing writer and the film is a wonderful adaptation of his novel. The casting is excellent. The music fits perfectly. The central themes of randomness and chance, rigged government, and the way we see what we want or need to see in a situation or a person despite the reality are all cleverly developed. I could go on forever on this film! Truly, a masterpiece.
(04-14-2011 02:15 PM)Nung Wrote: [ -> ] (04-14-2011 01:43 PM)Scottish_lass Wrote: [ -> ]Every time I see a later Tom Hanks movie I can't help think of a certain Canadian fella...I could totally see him as Prof. Robert Langdon in the Da Vinci Code!
There IS a resemblance, isn't there! I never thought of it until you mentioned it.
At the TM show last summer, when Bubba first appeared on the screen in the intro video I thought it WAS Tom Hanks for a moment. Ya gotta understand, I hadn't seen a picture of Bubba in over 15 years..... I plead insanity.
I'm a movie-after-dinner kind of person. Dessert is okay, though. My list of favorite films is way too long to bore....er.... bother you all with. I like almost any kind of film; mostly comedies, sci-fi, adventure, fantasy and documentaries, with westerns and war films being low on my list. I like old and new, classic and cult. I adore The Marx Brothers, Star Wars, Disney movies and Harry Potter films. I moon at Casablanca and Gone With The Wind. Documentaries are a passion (I'm even working on my own). Horror movies; old Hammer flicks are a long-time love (but I don't like this modern torture porn stuff). I can find something interesting in almost any movie because I'm in love with the art form itself.
I don't know if I posted these movies before, but "Harold & Maude" was a favorite a few years ago, as well as some early Hitchcock movies. "The Lady Vanishes" and "North by Northwest" were really good. I had taken a film class 20+ years ago and the instructor was really into Hitchcock movies.
Call me a fanboy and/or a Rand Brat, but "
Atlas Shrugged Part 1" just moved into my Top 10, though not at the top - I caught the premiere in Westwood on Friday night, with both Nathaniel and Barbara Branden in attendance, which was a little surreal but very cool. The film's got some annoying flaws, but given the difficulty having a 1200-page, intensely-detailed philosophical novel as source material, the fact that it's taken roughly 40 years for the book finally to make it to the silver screen, a cast of virtual unknowns, and the fact that fitness entrepreneur John Aglialoro financed the whole thing with his own cash against a wall of opposition from Hollyweird, it's astounding that the result is as good as it is, and as faithful to the novel.
My criticisms:
- The exposition of economic conditions in the opening sequence was muddled, choppy and likely confusing to anyone who hadn't read the novel;
- The Hank Rearden character was far too passive in his response to the attitudes of his wife and her cronies. In my reading of the novel, Rearden was far more "angsty" beneath the surface, like Harrison-Ford-angsty, at least during the period when he was mired in his home situation. Kudos to Ron Pisaturo's observations on this, though I strenuously disagree with his bizarre advice to skip the film altogether;
- The explanation of Francisco d'Anconia's investment ruse in the Mexican mining concern and its tie-in with Rearden and Taggert was rushed and confusing to me, and I *have* read the book, twice. 'Could've been much clearer, given its importance in understanding Rearden's and Dagny's hostility to him;
- The Francisco character, though well-acted by Jsu Garcia, veritably demands a Spanish accent;
- A larger budget would've allowed a period piece, obviating the need for the rather difficult suspension-of-disbelief on a resurgence of rail as the primary transportation mode in 2016 America.
- The whole thing seemed rushed, though that's inescapable given the complexity of the novel, even with a trilogy production.
Where they did well:
- The contrast between people who get things done and people who don't was palpable - the scene where Dagny walks in on her brother while he's playing with a toy train set and reads him the riot act was priceless;
- The occasional and appropriate touches of humor - to which Rand likely would never have agreed - were perfectly done and enhanced the narrative seamlessly;
- The potentially-awkward choice of a point at which to end the first part was dispatched handily with a scene of climactic tragedy that Taylor Schilling acted masterfully - she and Grant Bowler were spectacular throughout;
Lastly, something that just jumped out at me as I watched is how perfectly suited
Atlas would be to a big-budget Frank Miller treatment. Every scene where Galt appears, all dark and mysterious in the trenchcoat and hat, virtually IS a Miller scene, minus the "Sin City"/"Spirit" graphic colorizing. Since Miller is also a hardcore Objectivist who's undoubtedly seen it too, I'm hoping he's got some wheels turning - so maybe after Part 3 has done its run and a couple of years have passed... "Dear Santa," hahahaa...
.
My favorites
Jaws. haha
And i love Shawshank Redemption and Sling Blade.