h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Ooh, Fight Club has to be one of the most intelligent movies for a long, long time. I can't remember a single other movie that I enjoyed more, simply because of the depth of the film.

However, Seven Years in Tibet is the film that moved me most... not least because it's a true story. It's a glimpse into an astonishing world that may no longer exist, and the story of the brutality of man in destroying it. It also made me realise properly the appalling complacency of us, the western world, regarding the situation in Tibet.

But my favourite film - and I can't believe nobody else has mentioned this - is undoubtedly Apocalypse Now. It moved me (maybe not as much as Seven Years in Tibet), entertained me, made me think (maybe not as much as Fight Club) but most of all it's a work of art, not just a piece of film.

Oh almost forgot.

The Shining
Full Metal Jacket
Apocalypse Now

Nobody seems to mentioned three films that have leapt into my top ten;

"Fight Club" An inspired and twisted "morality gone wrong" tale

"Memento" A bizarre story about a man with no short term memory on a quest for revenge

"The Usual Suspects" Probably the best twist in the tale ever!

"You must loose everything before you can get anything" ...or somthing to that effect!

The good thing about Fight Club and watching it is that you have to watch it more than once to completely understand it and anyone with a DVD player would benefit greatly from watching it with the comentaries over it because it explains loads and makes everything make much more sense!

And can I say the soap thing is so gross!

And Baz Lurmans...(I think you spell his name like that!) anyway his version of Romeo and Juliet was brilliantly done. And despite Leonardo DeCaprio being a complete burk he is a really good actor and did really well. Although they cocked up the end a bit And The soundtrack is amazing!

And for anyone who likes Leo and a cetrain Johnny Depp it would really be worth them watching "What's Eating Gilbert Grape" this is a superbly touching movie.

Another vote for "What's eating Gilbert Grape," with fine
acting by Depp, DiCaprio, and Darlene Cate (who played the
mother; although not a professional actress, Cate responded
well to coaching, and was a very sympathetic character,IMO).

Mostly, what appealed to me about the movie was its depiction
of the plight of being stuck in a small town where there
are very few chances to realize your potential. Maybe that
was partly to blame for the mother's eating disorder?

Braveheart
Gladiator
Hunt For Red October
The Ninja Turtles I and II but not III
James Bond
Dirty Harry
13th Warrior
Blues Brothers (The first one more than the second)

I liked them, and many more already said, and not already said that I can't quite remember.

FIGHT CLUB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was not too fond of Gilber Grape, nor what was eating him.

Has anyone seen Requiem for a Dream??

I'm thinking of adding it to my favourites...

David Niven in "A Matter of Life and Death", remarkable surreal in places, beautiful camera work, haunting little piano ditty, black & white AND colour.

I'm on my second copy of it already

"Gross Point Blank" this is most defiently one of my favorite films...it's funny...it's romanic...its got guns and all inmportantly John Cusake in a black suit But no it's a brilliant film and is just brilliant

The greatest film ever made is by far Sergio Leone's Once Upon A Time In America - a near on four hour ganster movie with Robert De Niro and James Woods. The whole film is stunningly beautiful and gloriously slow - the camera rests for a minute at one point, just on De Niro's eyes in a mirror. The plot's amazingly complicated, but it has so much time to unfold it doesn't become overly confusing. And Ennio Morricone's soundtrack is moving and sweeping. I can't get enough.

The only film to make me cry since I saw ET in the cinema at six years old, was Mike Leigh's Secrets And Lies. During the big party scene towards the end I realised that I had tears streaming from both eyes. Immensely powerful performances. I've never seen it again because I just want to remember that feeling.

Many in the above list, especially:
2001 - A Space Odyssey
American Beauty
Shakespeare in Love
Some Like it Hot
Schindler's list (not embarrassed to say I cried at this)
Duck Soup
The Bridges of Madison County (slightly embarrassed to say I also cried at this)

I'd also add:
Paris, Texas (only saw it once - never forgot it. Gorgeous, haunting, lyrical)
Dr. Strangelove, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (hilarious and terrifying. Perfect satire on the insanity of the arms race)
M. Houlot's Holiday (quirky and utterly original comedy - it's all in the details)
Airplane (my vote for funniest film ever)
Twelve Short Films About Glen Gould (eccentric and arty - the perfect tribute. Lots of great Bach, too).

Me again. Just to add my vote for 'Secrets and Lies', mentioned above. Forget tiresome effects-laden blockbusters, this is a real film about people, and it's fantastic.

Just remembered.

Alien
Aliens

Suspense and action, two very different films, same franchise.

Cube.

Fantastic, miniscule budget tense tight film. Really good.

Rocketeer

Largely disliked but brilliant, old style square jawed superheroics.

I'm actually surprised that no-ones mentioned the indianna jones trilogy

Stand on me, "The Matrix" will be the new 2001. It has: Original Plot, Stunning FX, Excellent Acting, Under-Rated Director. Think yourself lucky you were able to see it on its first cinema (theater) release.

Hi, Stretchy:

Some good films on your list. I can't say that I really
understood "Paris, Texas," but it was memorable, as you say.
Considering the explosion that drove the family apart,
maybe the film was making a point about the nuclear family
that must fly apart?

Hi, Stretchy:

Some good films on your list. I can't say that I really
understood "Paris, Texas," but it was memorable, as you say.
Considering the explosion that drove the family apart,
maybe the film was making a point about the nuclear family
that must fly apart?

Matrix has anotehr match with 2001, I think it was over rated. Now unlike 2001 I enjoyed teh matrix, and in a year with Episode 1 it was a refreshing story, but teh story was one I'd seen before, The effects I'd seen watching hong konk action movies, and Keanu Reeves a good actor, as wooden as one of the tracy brothers. The effects were great on a shoestring and its a fantastic action film, but as a big deep SF piece, not really. Still, it was better than 2001

I can't believe no one has mentioned "Trainspotting" That is an amazingly sick yet brilliant film. I wasn't allowed to watch it until last year and I'm glad I did because it is a really good deterent against drugs...all parents should when there children are old enough let them watch it it'll put the point across superbly!
And the fact that Ewan MacGregor and some of the other memebers of the castwent and talke to people with drugs problems to see how it effects people. And that brings it all home.

Evil Dead II,
Evil Dead III,
Citizen Kane,
Blade Runner (Directors cut),
Glengarry Glen Ross,

And any Dolf Lungren, Van Dam, Arny movies for cheap'n'cheerfull Hass kicking fun!
Merangadan

The following movies I don't think have been mentioned yet, and definitely rate a mention:
Naked - for it's insight into a value-less drifter that brings despair to all he meets. In fact, anything Mike Leigh has done, really
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof - for its sheer sultry feel and who hasn't had family quarrels?
My Dinner with Andre - simple premise, two guys talking over dinner, on with incredible stories to tell from his travels and the other a little conservative, but eager to hear the tales. The movie really consists of two shots - one of each player sitting at the table. For a movie to carry this off, there had better be some great dialogue, and this movie produces!
Philadelphia Story and Guess Who's Coming to Dinner - the chemistry, the chemistry of Hepburn and Tracy
An Affair to Remember - If you liked Sleepless in Seattle, stop settling for second best and see the original!
The Egg and I - won't be able to get this one on video, you will have seen this if you were lucky enough to catch it on daytime TV. Based on Betty McDonald's book, this was the movie that spurned all those "Ma and Pa Kettle" movies in the 50s. In this case, the original was the best!

There are, of course, many more noteworthys, too numerous to list here.