My all-time favorite movies...
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- DirectorStanley KubrickStarsKeir DulleaGary LockwoodWilliam SylvesterAfter uncovering a mysterious artifact buried beneath the Lunar surface, a spacecraft is sent to Jupiter to find its origins: a spacecraft manned by two men and the supercomputer HAL 9000.
- DirectorStanley KubrickStarsJack NicholsonShelley DuvallDanny LloydA family heads to an isolated hotel for the winter where a sinister presence influences the father into violence, while his psychic son sees horrific forebodings from both past and future.
- DirectorRidley ScottStarsHarrison FordRutger HauerSean YoungA blade runner must pursue and terminate four replicants who stole a ship in space and have returned to Earth to find their creator.
- DirectorIrvin KershnerStarsMark HamillHarrison FordCarrie FisherAfter the Rebel Alliance are overpowered by the Empire, Luke Skywalker begins his Jedi training with Yoda, while his friends are pursued across the galaxy by Darth Vader and bounty hunter Boba Fett.
- DirectorAkira KurosawaStarsTakashi ShimuraNobuo KanekoShin'ichi HimoriA bureaucrat tries to find meaning in his life after he discovers he has terminal cancer.
- DirectorPeter WeirStarsHarrison FordHelen MirrenRiver PhoenixAn inventor spurns his city life and moves his family into the jungles of Central America to make a utopia.
- DirectorDuncan JonesStarsSam RockwellKevin SpaceyDominique McElligottAstronaut Sam Bell has a quintessentially personal encounter toward the end of his three-year stint on the Moon, where he, working alongside his computer, GERTY, sends back to Earth parcels of a resource that has helped diminish our planet's power problems.
- DirectorGisaburô SugiiStarsMayumi TanakaChika SakamotoJunko HoriTwo kittens go on a metaphysical journey on a magical railroad train.
- DirectorAndrew DominikStarsBrad PittCasey AffleckSam ShepardRobert Ford, who has idolized Jesse James since childhood, tries hard to join the resurgent gang of the Missouri outlaw, but gradually becomes resentful of the bandit leader.
- DirectorHiroyuki YamagaStarsLeo MorimotoDavid ThomasMitsuki YayoiIn an alternative Earth, a young astronaut participates in a controversial fledgling space program.
- DirectorPeter WeirStarsJeff BridgesIsabella RosselliniRosie PerezA man's personality is dramatically changed after surviving a major airline crash.
- DirectorJohn ByrumStarsBill MurrayTheresa RussellDenholm ElliottHe had everything and wanted nothing. He learned that he had nothing and wanted everything. He saved the world and then it shattered. The path to enlightenment is as sharp and narrow as a razor's edge.
- DirectorDavid FincherStarsMichael DouglasDeborah Kara UngerSean PennAfter a wealthy San Francisco banker is given an opportunity to participate in a mysterious game, his life is turned upside down as he begins to question if it might really be a concealed conspiracy to destroy him.
- DirectorChristopher NolanStarsGuy PearceCarrie-Anne MossJoe PantolianoA man with short-term memory loss attempts to track down his wife's murderer.
- DirectorAkira KurosawaStarsTatsuya NakadaiAkira TeraoJinpachi NezuIn Medieval Japan, an elderly warlord retires, handing over his empire to his three sons. However, he vastly underestimates how the new-found power will corrupt them and cause them to turn on each other...and him.
- DirectorW.D. RichterStarsPeter WellerJohn LithgowEllen BarkinAdventurer, brain surgeon, rock musician Buckaroo Banzai and his crime-fighting team, the Hong Kong Cavaliers, must stop evil alien invaders from the eighth dimension who are planning to conquer Earth.
- DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsChristian BaleJohn MalkovichMiranda RichardsonA young English boy struggles to survive under Japanese occupation of China during World War II.
- DirectorSydney PollackStarsRobert RedfordWill GeerDelle BoltonA mountain man who wishes to live the life of a hermit becomes the unwilling object of a long vendetta by the Crow tribe and proves to be a match for their warriors in single combat on the early frontier.
- DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsRoy ScheiderRobert ShawRichard DreyfussWhen a killer shark unleashes chaos on a beach community off Cape Cod, it's up to a local sheriff, a marine biologist, and an old seafarer to hunt the beast down.The story, writing, directing and editing in this movie is as lean and efficient as Peter Benchley's killing machine. The timing and rhythm is perfect.
Spielberg makes big movies with big ideas, big actors, big special effects, and this one is no different. But one of the great things about him is the realistic little bits of nuance he throws in which ground the movie a little, whether it's Chief Brody throwing junk at the window to get his deputy's attention, or the townspeople's reaction to Quint in the meeting at city hall, or the fisherman telling off Hooper on the pier. Having the less fancy stuff too is one of the strengths of Spielberg's style.
And for a movie about a giant, man eating shark, there's tons of interesting character development. You're not just waiting for the action, because the back and forth between the characters alone is so much fun to hear. You just love listening to them try to cope with the situation and each other. - DirectorJohn G. AvildsenStarsSylvester StalloneTalia ShireBurt YoungA small-time Philadelphia boxer gets a supremely rare chance to fight the world heavyweight champion in a bout in which he strives to go the distance for his self-respect.
- DirectorJames FoleyStarsAl PacinoJack LemmonAlec BaldwinAn examination of the machinations behind the scenes at a real estate office.
- DirectorWim WendersStarsWilliam HurtSolveig DommartinPietro FalconeIn 1999, Claire Tourneur's life is forever changed after she survives a car crash. She rescues Sam and travels the world with him. Writer Eugene Fitzpatrick follows and writes their story as a method of recording dreams is being developed.
- DirectorMartin ScorseseStarsRobert De NiroRay LiottaJoe PesciThe story of Henry Hill and his life in the mafia, covering his relationship with his wife Karen and his mob partners Jimmy Conway and Tommy DeVito.
- DirectorWayne WangStarsHarvey KeitelWilliam HurtGiancarlo EspositoA Brooklyn smoke shop is the center of neighborhood activity, and the stories of its customers.
- DirectorFrancis Ford CoppolaStarsMartin SheenMarlon BrandoRobert DuvallA U.S. Army officer serving in Vietnam is tasked with assassinating a renegade Special Forces Colonel who sees himself as a god.
- DirectorWim WendersStarsHarry Dean StantonNastassja KinskiDean StockwellTravis Henderson, an aimless drifter who has been missing for four years, wanders out of the desert and must reconnect with society, himself, his life, and his family.
- DirectorBilly Bob ThorntonStarsBilly Bob ThorntonDwight YoakamJ.T. WalshKarl Childers, a simple man hospitalized since his childhood murder of his mother and her lover, is released to start a new life in a small town.
- DirectorM. Night ShyamalanStarsBruce WillisSamuel L. JacksonRobin WrightA man learns something extraordinary about himself after a devastating accident.I happen to think this is M. Night Shyamalan's best film, better than The Sixth Sense. The concept is even more original. The boy in this one acts like a real boy, not a really good boy actor. The overall tone is very low-key.
There are so many poignant moments I can't reveal without giving too many spoilers. Lots of great details too, like Mr.Glass' purple theme showing up throughout the movie and throughout his life. Casting Samuel L. Jackson completely against type, as one of the physically weakest characters ever, was a terrific idea. Yet we still get to see him go off on a Pulp Fiction-like rant against an ignorant customer in his store. And an ending that is incredibly sad yet satisfying.
We see both characters, David and Elijah, sacrificing something enormous at some point in their life for something they need. In David's case, it's love. In Elijah's case, it's knowing what his place in the world is.
One of the most underrated movies. - DirectorWerner HerzogStarsChristian BaleSteve ZahnJeremy DaviesA U.S. fighter pilot's epic struggle of survival after being shot down on a mission over Laos during the Vietnam War.
- DirectorAntoine FuquaStarsDenzel WashingtonEthan HawkeScott GlennA rookie cop spends his first day as a Los Angeles narcotics officer with a rogue detective who isn't what he appears to be.
- DirectorWim WendersStarsBruno GanzSolveig DommartinOtto SanderAn angel tires of his purely ethereal life of merely overseeing the human activity of Berlin's residents, and longs for the tangible joys of physical existence when he falls in love with a mortal.
- DirectorJoel CoenEthan CoenStarsJohn GetzFrances McDormandDan HedayaThe owner of a seedy small-town Texas bar discovers that one of his employees is having an affair with his wife. A chaotic chain of misunderstandings, lies, and mischief ensues after he devises a plot to have them murdered.
- DirectorJoel CoenEthan CoenStarsJohn TurturroJohn GoodmanJudy DavisA renowned New York playwright is enticed to California to write for the movies and discovers the hellish truth of Hollywood.
- DirectorWilliam FriedkinStarsGene HackmanRoy ScheiderFernando ReyA pair of NYPD detectives in the Narcotics Bureau stumble onto a heroin smuggling ring based in Marseilles, but stopping them and capturing their leaders proves an elusive goal.
- DirectorDavid FincherStarsBrad PittEdward NortonMeat LoafAn insomniac office worker and a devil-may-care soap maker form an underground fight club that evolves into much more.
- DirectorFranklin J. SchaffnerStarsCharlton HestonRoddy McDowallKim HunterAn astronaut crew crash-lands on a planet where highly intelligent non-human ape species are dominant and humans are enslaved.
- DirectorAntonia BirdStarsGuy PearceRobert CarlyleDavid ArquetteIn a remote military outpost in the 19th century, Captain John Boyd and his regiment embark on a rescue mission which takes a dark turn when they are ambushed by a sadistic cannibal.
- DirectorCarroll BallardStarsKelly RenoMickey RooneyTeri GarrAfter being shipwrecked with a magnificent horse off the coast of Africa in the 1940s, a boy bonds with the stallion, and trains him to race after their rescue.
- DirectorDavid LeanStarsPeter O'TooleAlec GuinnessAnthony QuinnThe story of T.E. Lawrence, the English officer who successfully united and led the diverse, often warring, Arab tribes during World War I in order to fight the Turks.
- DirectorGeorge MillerStarsMel GibsonBruce SpenceMichael PrestonIn the post-apocalyptic Australian wasteland, a cynical drifter agrees to help a small, gasoline-rich community to get rid of a horde of bandits.
- DirectorGeorge MillerGeorge OgilvieStarsMel GibsonTina TurnerBruce SpenceAfter being exiled from the most advanced town in post apocalyptic Australia, a drifter travels with a group of abandoned children to rebel against the town's queen.
- DirectorMartin ScorseseStarsLeonardo DiCaprioEmily MortimerMark RuffaloTeddy Daniels and Chuck Aule, two US marshals, are sent to an asylum on a remote island in order to investigate the disappearance of a patient, where Teddy uncovers a shocking truth about the place.
- DirectorMartin ScorseseStarsWillem DafoeHarvey KeitelBarbara HersheyThe life of Jesus Christ, his journey through life as he faces the struggles all humans do, and his final temptation on the cross.I wasnt sure what to expect from this movie, but modern Hollywood being what it is, I thought it would at least be a slight to Christians. While it does depict some unbiblical scenes which Christians could understandably be miffed about, I found most of it largely sympathetic towards Jesus and the immense amount of pressure on him.
The beginning of the film quotes the author and his reasoning behind the story, mostly as a work of therapy for himself, not suggesting this alternative story as truth.
In any case, as a movie by itself, it's a fascinating look at Christ, expertly directed by Martin Scorsese with an amazing cast. Willem Dafoe plays the toutured and tormented Son of God convincingly. But many of the smaller characters steal the scenes when they're on the screen, in particular, Andre Gregory as the intensely philosophical John The Baptist, and Harry Dean Stanton as Saul/Paul.
The score by Peter Gabriel brilliantly mixes a middle eastern sound with touches of his own unique contemporary style. Thankfully, it avoids the cliches most period dramas resort to.
What's most enjoyable about the film, though, is the debate over the need for and way of inspiring people. Saul so convincingly explains to an angry Jesus, long after Jesus has escaped the cross, that it doesn't matter if what he, Paul, preaches is untrue or not. What's most important is what people need to hear. Yet at the end of the movie, it's obvious the real sacrifice is necessary and more powerful. That's my interpretation of it anyway. Of course I've only read a small fraction of the mountains of literature of debate over the film, so I could be missing the point. - DirectorBrad AndersonStarsDavid CarusoStephen GevedonPaul GuilfoyleTensions rise within an asbestos cleaning crew as they work in an abandoned mental hospital with a horrific past that seems to be coming back.Session 9 isn't that scary. It's just creepy as hell.
An asbestos clean-up crew gets a job to work on an old insane assylum before it gets renovated. Desperate to get the contract, the boss of the crew, Gordon, offers a very quick completion date, putting lots of pressure on an already stressed situation. He's tired, has the responsibility of a new baby, and is in danger of losing his company. We also find out he cracked recently and is plagued with enormous guilt over it.
As his stress builds, one of his more curious employees discovers some old audio reels of a psychiatric session with one of the schizophrenic patients. The movie runs these two stories parallel as the patient's multiple personalities get revealed along side the boss' unraveling and building tension within the crew.
One of the first things one notices are the many similarities between Session 9 and one of the most famous horror movies of all time, The Shining. Both films are located in a large, isolated building. At the beginning of each story there's a tour of the place, telling of the disturbing history. Both movies mark time with day titles. The main characters slowly succumb to complete madness. Yet Session 9 is not a knock off. The cast, directing, and overall vibe are different enough to be its own movie. Still, if you're in the mood for a film with these stats, either one'll work.
I should mention the excellent soundtrack too which is sparse and minimalist at times, but disturbing. Brings a lot of eerieness to the story
The tapes are fascinating to listen to as we wait for the final, dominant personality to emerge and for Gordon to completely become unhinged.
There's a bit of debate about the ending and about whether a spirit is involved with the trouble or if it's just psychological. I'm in the psychological camp, based on the facts shown throughout the film and that it's simply more interesting that way. If one subscribes to that theory, it makes the ending narration all the more profound. - DirectorJohn CarpenterStarsKurt RussellKim CattrallDennis DunA rough-and-tumble trucker and his side kick face off with an ancient sorcerer in a supernatural battle beneath Chinatown.This movie doesn't flinch from being absolutely ridiculous. In fact, it steers into the skid unapologetically and succeeds totally.
Kurt Russell owns the role of Jack Burton, a truck driver with more bravado and swagger than John Wayne, but who's constantly out of his depth, surviving by luck, help, and occasionally quick reflexes. I think these, mostly glaring but charming, character deficiencies deftly handled by Russell, is what makes the movie really stand apart from other action comedies. It also embraces cliches but turns them on their head in some hilarious ways.
This was when John Carpenter was still at the top of his game. It's fun, clever, and surprisingly witty.
Jack Burton: That is not water.
Egg Shen: Black blood of the earth.
Jack Burton: Do you mean oil?
Egg Shen: I mean black blood of the earth. - DirectorTim BurtonStarsPaul ReubensElizabeth DailyMark HoltonWhen eccentric man-child Pee-wee Herman gets his beloved bike stolen in broad daylight, he sets out across the U.S. on the adventure of his life.Pee-wee Herman and Tim Burton, at their peaks, are an insanely perfect match. This is one of the funniest movies I've ever seen.
Man-child Pee-wee gets his bike stolen by his jealous, man-child neighbor Francis. Pee-wee eventually turns to a palm reader, to help him find his bike, who tells him, in an improvised moment of fakery, his bike is in...the basement of ...The Alamo. So he begins his journey to Texas.
The gags and Pee-wee's delivery are hilarious, stupid, and sometimes brilliant. Mix that up with heavy doses of Burton bizzarness and you get something original, weird and fun. - DirectorBarry ShilsStarsJordan Christopher MichaelMartha QuinnMichael NaegelA ten year-old boy runs away from his abusive parents, steals a Mustang, and a pursues a promotional card game sold at gas stations.A 10 year old boy, Gus, leaves his abusive home, steals a Mustang and drives across the American south west in a surreal quest to win Motorama, a game sponsored by a gas station chain with a grand prize of 500 million dollars - Motorama-world dollars, that is. He drives through an alternate reality America with different money and fictional states. Did the writers name him "Gus" because the whole film is him buying gas as often as possible? Seems likely.
Gus is pretty mature for his age and shrugs off most of the trouble that comes his way. He may be a little kid, but what makes this movie kind of unique is that it refuses to let the adults pull any punches. They treat him like any other grown up. He makes plenty of gas stops and meets lots of people, but it's a lonely story, thanks to the vast, empty landscape and the solitary journey.
The directing is nothing special, and frankly, the soundtrack is terrible, but Jordan Christopher Michael makes the movie. His portrayal of Gus is unnaturally confident, single minded, and just a lot of fun to watch. Yet, his character is not over the top. That's a tough balance to reach, and one most movies would not even care about.
Motorama is a real hidden gem of a road trip movie. - DirectorSteve De JarnattStarsAnthony EdwardsMare WinninghamJohn AgarA young man hears a chance phone call telling him that a nuclear war has started and missiles will hit his city in 70 minutes.I think the best way to watch this movie for the first time is to not know much about it. That's how I happened to experience it, and it blew me away.
If you like a little quirkiness and weirdness and don't mind the unexpected, check it out.
Anthony Edwards and Mare Winningham are perfectly cast as a couple just starting out when fate throws in a major curve ball. The story has a great arc that comes full circle in a horrifying yet beautiful way. The Tangerine Dream soundtrack adds a terrific undercurrent of intensity when things get weird. - DirectorWerner HerzogStarsNicolas CageEva MendesRussell M. HaeuserTerence McDonagh is a drug- and gambling-addled detective in post-Katrina New Orleans investigating the killing of five Senegalese immigrants.To understand Bad Lieutenant better it's helpful to be familiar with Werner Herzog. After years of fashionably dark and hip crime movies saturated Hollywood and European cinema, Herzog comes along and flips the axis, I think, just to mess with people. While one of the most compelling and thoughtful modern directors, he's always seemed to distance himself from artistic snobbery, and this movie comes across like a playful jab at a genre that is a little too concerned with being cool.
I don't know if the main role of Terence McDonagh was written for Nicolas Cage's style of acting or whether he made it his own, but despite diluting his brand by taking just about any part, regardless of quality, Cage nails this. Yes, a hunched over, gambler, junkie police detective seems like a perfect fit.
Herzog peppers the film with scenes of truly bizarre, drug-induced breakdowns, but also includes beautifully poignant moments as well, along with Herzog's trademark lingering shots. This might not work so well in the hands of another director, but he really has the knack for making these disparate elements feel like they belong in the same story and the same world. - DirectorKôji MorimotoTensai OkamuraKatsuhiro ÔtomoStarsMarc SwintRobbie DaymondFrank TodaroAn animated science fiction anthology from the visionary anime director, Katsuhiro Otomo.