Nintendude794 Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 I love movies. A few faves are, in no particularly particular order: The Shawshank Redemption Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind Up In The Air Fight Club Memento Inception A Beautiful Mind Good Will Hunting The Truman Show The Italian Job The Dark Knight The Green Mile Searching For Bobby Fischer James Cameron's Avatar Up The Incredibles How To Train Your Dragon How 'bout y'all? P.S.: Who pays attention to the creative professionals and crews that assemble these works of art? Clarification: not every movie is a work of art, because not every movie-maker or movie-goer sees it as such either; to me, flick is a derogatory term because it implies that practically no effort was required (that the film was simply "flick"-ed upon the screen), in regards to a true film, a real masterpiece. Also, while not every film earns the claim of perfection, the best ones are the total team efforts that wouldn't have been the same had any one person not contributed as much as they did. True art is never about money. The studios and individuals that care more about money than art somehow happen to possess more money than art. Vice versa. Movies are entertainment. Films are art. Masterpieces are both. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ocre Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 American Beauty was a pretty good watch.. I enjoyed the director commentary too. I think Fargo is pretty good. Tarantino does a lot of cool stuff too, though I prefer his 'banter'/dialogue stuff of Pulp Fiction to the melodrama of the Kill Bills. Ingourious Basterds was entertaining. Going to 2nd 'Shawshank'. I have to mention 'The Crazies' as an exceptionally entertaining 'disaster' movie. You can tell a lot of love and effort went into it. It's not in the realm of 'masterpiece,' admittedly, but it's no 'House of Wax'. I had expected a half-brained "Rob Zombie" horror gorefest (not that I'm averse to horror movies/gore in movies) and was pleasanty surprised that this turned out to hold my interest and just plain entertain me. - Coming back to commentaries, I hate it when filmmakers endlessly list and thank people who worked on the film during a director commentary. I find it a lot more interesting if they talk about what considerations went into the way they lit or shot a certain scene. The American Beauty commentary did a pretty good job of that. Pretty enlightening. "Crash" was a piece of crap. Careful how you go about posting in this one, guys. I think it might be considered a borderline 'Favorites thread,' which are no-no's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bleck Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 a masterpiece ahead of its time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lazygecko Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 Everything and anything can be art. Whether it was made for a quick buck or not doesn't mean shit. Art is not something concrete. It is an abstract concept that only exists in our heads. If you point at something and say "this is art" you mean it about as much as if you'd point at a portrait and say "this is a woman" when it in fact is just a picture of a woman. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nekofrog Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 As time goes on I am finding myself less and less interested in movies. And video games. And TV. And pretty much everything :\ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Damashii!! Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 a masterpiece ahead of its time the monstars were a tremendously intelligent portrayal of the internal struggle of self-confidence and the external display of hypocritical jealousy. yes, it was truly ahead of it's time. And MJ's stretchy dunk in the end was legendary. Meh, The Dark Knight was entertaining and I guess "Avatar" was a work of art; but Garfield had such an innovative storyline that I couldn't even watch it again for the fear of losing my mind. I do prefer Mind-bending films like Fight Club and Inception, and I'm certain that just about everything Pixar puts out is potentially a masterpiece; but to avoid being opinionated I think a "masterpiece" is determined by the shock, thrill, or replay value (that's why I mentioned Garfield. It's clearly a universally-accepted mile stone in film history). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nintendude794 Posted January 2, 2011 Author Share Posted January 2, 2011 American Beauty was a pretty good watch.. I enjoyed the director commentary too. The only thing I know 'bout that one is that Thomas Newman scored it. Think he got nominated for it. Parents won't let me see that one yet, I don't think. Tarantino does a lot of cool stuff too, though I prefer his 'banter'/dialogue stuff of Pulp Fiction to the melodrama of the Kill Bills. Ingourious Basterds was entertaining. My dad recently watched Inglorious Basterds, says it was amazing. I wanna check it out soon. Going to 2nd 'Shawshank'. Oh, of course. It's been at the top of IMDB for a lonnng time. I've seen it 26 times in a year-and-a-half. Another excellent Thomas Newman score, also Roger Deakins' Cinematography is superb - I was shocked to learn that he also helped Ron Howard with A Beautiful Mind and Dreamworks Animation on How To Train Your Dragon. I oughtta research him sometime. Anyway, Shawshank is Frank Darabont's first feature film; and it's been one of the best ever since. Perfect script he wrote, too. I have to mention 'The Crazies' as an exceptionally entertaining 'disaster' movie. You can tell a lot of love and effort went into it. It's not in the realm of 'masterpiece,' admittedly, but it's no 'House of Wax'. I had expected a half-brained "Rob Zombie" horror gorefest (not that I'm averse to horror movies/gore in movies) and was pleasanty surprised that this turned out to hold my interest and just plain entertain me. I didn't think I'd like it, but I oughtta check it out now iGuess. - Coming back to commentaries, I hate it when filmmakers endlessly list and thank people who worked on the film during a director commentary. I find it a lot more interesting if they talk about what considerations went into the way they lit or shot a certain scene. The American Beauty commentary did a pretty good job of that. Pretty enlightening. I watched the commentary for The Incredibles the other day; it was annoying that director Brad Bird kept thanking various animators of the hundreds that worked on the film. Sure, I know more now about the creation of it than I did, but I could've known a lot more than just the names behind these frames. "Crash" was a piece of crap. Haven't seen it yet, should I waste my time? Careful how you go about posting in this one, guys. I think it might be considered a borderline 'Favorites thread,' which are no-no's. Oh... Oops. :\ haha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nintendude794 Posted January 2, 2011 Author Share Posted January 2, 2011 a masterpiece ahead of its time Definitely one of my favorites, growing up. Haven't watched it in over a decade, damn. I oughtta check it out again, if I can find our VHS copy XD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nintendude794 Posted January 2, 2011 Author Share Posted January 2, 2011 Everything and anything can be art. Whether it was made for a quick buck or not doesn't mean shit. Art is not something concrete. It is an abstract concept that only exists in our heads. If you point at something and say "this is art" you mean it about as much as if you'd point at a portrait and say "this is a woman" when it in fact is just a picture of a woman. Hmm. iSeeYourPoint. Another example might be the hobo on the street corner with a Ukulele and a coffee can. The music he's makin' is still art, still beautiful, even if he's only doing it for money. But in this case, the music isn't necessarily his own creation, since he's probably playing tunes by other artists. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nintendude794 Posted January 2, 2011 Author Share Posted January 2, 2011 As time goes on I am finding myself less and less interested in movies.And video games. And TV. And pretty much everything :\ Why do you think this is? (psychiatrist voice) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nintendude794 Posted January 2, 2011 Author Share Posted January 2, 2011 Meh, The Dark Knight was entertaining and I guess "Avatar" was a work of art... I'm not going to argue with the folks that say Avatar's overall plot was quite cliché; because I agree. However the world James Cameron constructed over the dozen years he worked on it is just incredible; all the more incredible is the effort he and his team put into assembling the design into a tangible experience. The Dark Knight just plain kicks ass in every way possible. It's not perfect, but it might as well be. I do prefer Mind-bending films like Fight Club and Inception Oh yeah, I've been getting into films with what I like to call a perspective-shift at some point. For fear of spoiling any one movie, I can't use any example. But I'll list a few: The Sixth Sense is probably the most popular, commonly known perspective-shift Shawshank Fight Club A Beautiful Mind (the shift is halfway through instead of near the end) Memento The Truman Show is just one big ol' perspective shift, haha Same for Inception , and I'm certain that just about everything Pixar puts out is potentially a masterpiece; but to avoid being opinionated I think a "masterpiece" is determined by the shock, thrill, or replay value. I watch movies over and over, which unfortunately manages to keep me from widening my gaze as often as I'd like. But I do learn a lot about life or the movies themselves via repeated viewings. Shawshank 26 times Fight Club almost 15 times A Beautiful Mind almost 14 times The Truman Show at least 14 times The Italian Job at least 12 times Searching For Bobby Fischer at least 14 times The Dark Knight at least 12 times The Green Mile at least 12 times Up at least 6 times Eternal Sunshine [Of The Spotless Mind], Memento, Inception, and Up In The Air are right around 4 each, but they'll all catch up sooner than later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProjectSpam Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 Go watch a Darren Aronofsky film. Or at least a Paul Thomas Anderson film. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nintendude794 Posted January 2, 2011 Author Share Posted January 2, 2011 Go watch a Darren Aronofsky film. Or at least a Paul Thomas Anderson film. Darren Aronofsky = Pi and Requiem For A Dream, right? I badly want to see both of those. Forgot who Paul Thomas Anderson is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benjamin Briggs Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 the always sunny in philadelphia christmas special is a masterpiece Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinderwild Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 Even the world of Avatar people talk so much about didn't seem that thrilling to me. What do you mean when you say world? Do you mean the CG imagery that went into making it look real, or the concept of the world itself and all the creatures in it? If you're talking about the concept, I thought it was kind of bare. Floating rock islands, WHOOOOOOOO. GLOWING THINGS THAT SPIN...OOOOOHHHHH DRAGONS OOOHHH Sorry, I just don't see it as some mind blowing, legendary creation. Then again, its a movie and you don't really have the time to just stuff a movie full of things to make the world interesting. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't bad by any means, I just wasn't wowed by it for some reason. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iggy Koopa Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 I love films, too. I guess my favorites list would look something like this: Adaptation. Amores perros Apocalypse Now The Big Lebowski Blade Runner Blue Velvet City of God The Constant Gardener Eyes Wide Shut Fight Club Lost Highway Magnolia Mulholland Dr. Oldboy Punch-Drunk Love Requiem for a Dream Stranger Than Fiction Synecdoche, New York There Will Be Blood Unbreakable Wild at Heart I know, I'm a huge fan of Kaufman, Meirelles, P.T. Anderson and Lynch. But yeah, you should totally expand your tastes. I recommend Herzog's films, especially Aguirre, the Wrath of God. And check out David Lynch! Start with Blue Velvet. Also, Kubrick films are a must. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nintendude794 Posted January 2, 2011 Author Share Posted January 2, 2011 Even the world of Avatar people talk so much about didn't seem that thrilling to me. What do you mean when you say world? Do you mean the CG imagery that went into making it look real, or the concept of the world itself and all the creatures in it? If you're talking about the concept, I thought it was kind of bare. Floating rock islands, WHOOOOOOOO. GLOWING THINGS THAT SPIN...OOOOOHHHHHDRAGONS OOOHHH Sorry, I just don't see it as some mind blowing, legendary creation. Then again, its a movie and you don't really have the time to just stuff a movie full of things to make the world interesting. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't bad by any means, I just wasn't wowed by it for some reason. By world, I mean the imagination [or lack thereof] James Cameron has. I was only blown away by it the first time I saw it; IMAX 3D. The sequences involving fire or explosions, I could feel the heat on my face. But on DVD here at home, it's more of a yawn than a masterpiece. I'm not sure why either. Perhaps people say it's so legendary for the money it made... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nintendude794 Posted January 2, 2011 Author Share Posted January 2, 2011 I love films, too.[*]Apocalypse Now [*]The Big Lebowski [*]Blade Runner [*]Magnolia [*]Mulholland Dr. [*]Punch-Drunk Love [*]Requiem for a Dream [*]Stranger Than Fiction [*]There Will Be Blood But yeah, you should totally expand your tastes. I recommend Herzog's films, especially Aguirre, the Wrath of God. And check out David Lynch! Start with Blue Velvet. Also, Kubrick films are a must. The ones of your list I quoted are those I've been told to see or have been wanting to see [or both]. It's odd, loving movies and having not seen half of them. :\ There are plenty others I really want to see. Tombstone comes to mind, as does Citizen Cane. Pulp Fiction. Lord Of The Rings trilogy. True Lies. As fer Kubrick, I can't believe I haven't seen 2001 or Clockwork Orange yet. Heck, I don't remember seeing all of The Shining in one sitting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinderwild Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 by the way Nintendude, try to keep all your responses in one post. You can quote multiple people and post it in one reply. It's just common forum etiquette. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nintendude794 Posted January 2, 2011 Author Share Posted January 2, 2011 by the way Nintendude, try to keep all your responses in one post. You can quote multiple people and post it in one reply. It's just common forum etiquette. Good point, apologies, thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RDX Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 Good Will Hunting the scene where he bawls gets me every time. i feel like almost everyone can connect to that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benjamin Briggs Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 by the way Nintendude, try to keep all your responses in one post. You can quote multiple people and post it in one reply. It's just common forum etiquette. do not listen to this person common forum etiquette is amassing as many individual posts as possible just look at my postcount Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nintendude794 Posted January 2, 2011 Author Share Posted January 2, 2011 do not listen to this personcommon forum etiquette is amassing as many individual posts as possible just look at my postcount Sarcasm? I separate quotes of particular people as to evaluate what they said as thoroughly as possible without confusing anyone as to who said what. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nintendude794 Posted January 2, 2011 Author Share Posted January 2, 2011 the scene where he bawls gets me every time. i feel like almost everyone can connect to that. I actually just watched it my first time last night. I would have let go had mom not been in the next room. Very relatable, especially fer me. Love Robin Williams' performance, too. Danny Elfman's music was all it needed to be. For now, I like A Beautiful Mind better. However, I relate more to Will Hunting than John Nash, I think. John Nash had an impact on the world (based on a true story); whereas the character Will Hunting was hesitant or reluctant to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RDX Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 Yeah, I would like Beautiful Mind better had I not watched it with my sister...that was just awkward. I can relate with both characters, I'd say more so Nash than Will. I used to be more of a pompous dick like Will. Though I guess most would say that I still am but...um...oh well. I don't think I've ever actually cried watching a movie, I always just come really close to it. I get moved way too easily Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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