Film Recommendations

Hey guys,

There are a lot of film buffs here. I am not one of them. As I'm finding less and less time for serialised tv, film is starting to pique my interest much more.

I was hoping you guys might be able to make some reccomendations for me. I want to expand my collection and knowledge and I figure getting some suggestions from you all is probably a more interesting place to start than some AFI Top 100 list or something.

If it helps, films I've seen casually over the years that really stand out to me and that I have no hesitation in revisiting if they happen to be on cable (and I suppose, thus, are my 'favourite films') include:

Gosford Park (2001, dir. Robert Altman)
To Die For (1995, dir. Gus Van Sant)
Cabaret (1972, dir. Bob Fosse)
Citizen Kane (1941, dir. Orson Welles)
Out of the Past (1947, dir. Jacques Tourneur)
Eyes Wide Shut (1999, dir. Stanley Kubrick)
The Shining (1980, dir. Stanley Kubrick)
Some Like It Hot (1959, dir. Billy Wilder)
Dial M For Murder (1954, dir. Alfred Hitchcock)

Happy to expand on why I like these films if that helps at all.

Maybe no-one answers because there already is a recommendations thread.
Or maybe no-one really likes you.
(No, I don't think that is the reason. ;) )

I'm glad GOSFORD PARK gets some love. I've only seen it once, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. Need to buy the DVD soon.
Not keen on THE SHINING at all. Kubrick has done better. Same goes for EYES, but I enjoyed that one more than SHINING. What do you think of CLOCKWORK, LYNDON, STRANGELOVE, and 2001?
I prefer those.

Loved SOME LIKE IT HOT the first time I watched it. It's got a really smart script, and when you're in the right mood, it's fun, but subsequent viewings made it feel a bit smutty and a bit too silly, as distinct from really funny or witty. It doesn't work for me on repeat viewings.

DIAL is excellent, but I love REAR WINDOW and VERTIGO more. Also really like SHADOW OF A DOUBT, 39 STEPS, NOTORIOUS, STRANGERS ON A TRAIN, and PSYCHO (BIRDS is well worth a viewing).

OUT OF THE PAST is a pretty intelligent film as well.

CITIZEN KANE is also really good. Haven't fully appreciated it in all of its facets yet, but I've always liked it.



Not sure if you've checked out some of the following:


TOUCH OF EVIL (Welles)

THE NIGHT OF THE HUNTER (Laughton)

POINT BLANK (Boorman)

LE SALAIRE DE LA PEUR (Clouzot)

RAN (Kurosawa)

THE SEVENTH SEAL (Bergman)

WILD STRAWBERRIES (Bergman)

BLOW OUT (De Palma)

THE PROCESS (Welles)

HEAT (M. Mann)

MANHUNTER (M. Mann)

SOLARIS (Tarkovsky)

A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE (Kazan)

EAST OF EDEN (Kazan)

STAGECOACH (Ford)

THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE (Ford)

JUDGEMENT AT NUREMBERG (Kramer)

MEPHISTO (Szabó)

SUNSET BOULEVARD (Wilder)

DAYS OF HEAVEN (Malick)

CHINATOWN (Polanski)

ROSEMARY'S BABY (Polanski)

HIS GIRL FRIDAY (Hawks)

THE LADYKILLERS (Mackendrick)

M (Lang)

THE DAY OF THE JACKAL (Zinnemann)

KEY LARGO (Huston)

THE BIG SLEEP (Hawks)

MISSING (Costa-Gavras)

PEEPING TOM (Powell)

THE LION IN WINTER (Harvey)

THE LIFE AND DEATH OF COLONEL BLIMP (Powell, Pressburger)

THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE (Frankenheimer)

SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS (Mackendrick)

ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST (Leone)

PICKUP ON SOUTH STREET (Fuller)

QUATERMASS AND THE PIT (R W Baker)

ASCENSEUR POUR L'ECHAFAUD (Malle)

THE COLLECTOR (Wyler)

12 ANGRY MEN (Lumet)

STROSZEK (Herzog)

RED RIVER (Hawks)

THE BEGUILED (Siegel)

CHARLEY VARRICK (Siegel)

WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF (Nichols)

IN A LONELY PLACE (Ray)

THE LONG GOODBYE (Altman)

SHORT CUTS (Altman)

DON'T LOOK NOW (Roeg)

THE CONVERSATION (Coppola)

KIND HEARTS AND CORONETS (Hamer)

THE THIRD MAN (Reed)

THE LADY FROM SHANGHAI (Welles)

ARSENIC AND OLD LACE (Capra)




Would like to hear why you love those films above (is To Die For really good??? Haven't seen it).
Especially DIAL, GOSFORD, and EYES.

Manhunter makes some good suggestions.

Maybe we could do it by genre. I recall you hate westerns, so...

You mentioned SOME LIKE IT HOT and GOSFORD PARK. I really like both Billy Wilder and Robert Altman.

With Wilder, I think you'd like...

DOUBLE INDEMNITY (1944)
SUNSET BOULEVARD (1950)
ACE IN THE HOLE (1951)
STALAG 17 (1953)
THE APARTMENT (1960)

I think you'll like his humour and cynicism.

Altman was on fire in the 70's. I say watch everything from MASH in 1970 to NASHVILLE in 1976.

I just watched THE CINCINNATI KID last night, and I really liked it. You may as well. And watch THE HUSTLER if you haven't.

My pretentious, art-house pick would be: Cache (2005) by Michael Haneke.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0387898/

It's in French, but of course with subtitles. A suburban Paris family slowly starts to turn on itself, and becomes suspicious of others, as a series of "disturbing" videos are left on their front porch (most of which show nothing more than the family themselves being videotaped doing routine, bland, boring stuff). What is the camera person trying to say? *WHO* is doing this to the family? Why?

Be forewarned: the ending is infuriating, but it did make me go back and watch it a few times for hidden clues as to the identity of the "stalker".

A lot of what you like is quite visually distinctive, so you might find something to like in the following filmmakers:

Peter Greenaway (The Cook, the Thief, his Wife, and her Lover)
Fritz Lang (M)
Jerry Lewis (The Nutty Professor)
Terrence Malick (The Tree of Life)
Michael Mann (Manhunter)
F. W. Murnau (Sunrise)
Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger (Black Narcissus)
Jean Renoir (Toni)
Josef von Sternberg (The Devil is a Woman)
Wong Kar-wai (In the Mood for Love)

Ultimately though I think you're right to not follow a list, and I don't know how helpful getting a list of suggestions is either. It's best to follow your gut. Keep an eye on the thread at the top of the page and try something if it interests you (I've lost count of the number of great films I've discovered because of this community). If you find a filmmaker you like, dive into their work (I imagine you'd enjoy most of Kubrick's work post-2001, for example). If there's an actor you like, throw yourself into their work. When I started watching Hitchcock's films I fell for Jimmy Stewart big time, and through him I encountered so many great films, and so many great filmmakers too - Frank Capra, Anthony Mann, George Cukor, John Ford.

One thing I really would recommend seeing, if you're not averse to spoilers, is an incredible four-hour documentary called A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese Through American Movies. He touches on some classics, and lots of obscure gems too. I still haven't seen everything he discusses in that film but it's led me to countless wonderful experiences.

First off thanks for the suggestions guys. I am a slave to the cable programming unfortunately (can't afford to go out and buy dvds) so casting a wider net increases my odds of finding something on a regular basis to watch.

Manhunter wrote:

Maybe no-one answers because there already is a recommendations thread.
Or maybe no-one really likes you.
(No, I don't think that is the reason. ;) )

I think it's the latter :D

Quote :

I'm glad GOSFORD PARK gets some love. I've only seen it once, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. Need to buy the DVD soon.

I'm waiting for a decent Blu-Ray release. But I read in Ebert's contemperaneous review of it that Altman was urging people to see it multiple times. He was right to do so. Knowing the plot twists in advance makes you really appreciate it much better because the performances and the script are so well crafted.

Quote :

Not keen on THE SHINING at all. Kubrick has done better. Same goes for EYES, but I enjoyed that one more than SHINING. What do you think of CLOCKWORK, LYNDON, STRANGELOVE, and 2001?
I prefer those.

I haven't seen Clockwork or Lyndon. I enjoy Dr Strangelove but it's one of those films that I enjoy but can't... appreciate (?) if that makes sense. I've watched bits of 2001 but never really sat down to do so.

Quote :

Loved SOME LIKE IT HOT the first time I watched it. It's got a really smart script, and when you're in the right mood, it's fun, but subsequent viewings made it feel a bit smutty and a bit too silly, as distinct from really funny or witty. It doesn't work for me on repeat viewings.

I can't say I laughed out loud at it too much but I enjoy it more for the performances more than the script. Everyone nails their parts, I think. Monroe's strength was comedy and watching the differences between Lemon and Curtis in drag is fun.

Quote :

DIAL is excellent, but I love REAR WINDOW and VERTIGO more. Also really like SHADOW OF A DOUBT, 39 STEPS, NOTORIOUS, STRANGERS ON A TRAIN, and PSYCHO (BIRDS is well worth a viewing).

Haven't seen Rear Window or Vertigo. Strangers on a Train and - though not on your list - North by Northwest didn't do much for me.

The White Tuxedo wrote:

Maybe we could do it by genre. I recall you hate westerns, so...

You mentioned SOME LIKE IT HOT and GOSFORD PARK. I really like both Billy Wilder and Robert Altman.

With Wilder, I think you'd like...

DOUBLE INDEMNITY (1944)
SUNSET BOULEVARD (1950)
ACE IN THE HOLE (1951)
STALAG 17 (1953)
THE APARTMENT (1960)

I think you'll like his humour and cynicism.

Altman was on fire in the 70's. I say watch everything from MASH in 1970 to NASHVILLE in 1976.

I just watched THE CINCINNATI KID last night, and I really liked it. You may as well. And watch THE HUSTLER if you haven't.

I liked THE APARTMENT but will check out the other WIlder films. There's a lot of Altman on my cable provider's On Demand library so I'll look into those too.

I don't know what it is about Westerns . On paper the setting is something I absolutely should love, there are plenty of great films in the genre with great direction and great acting. But I just find myself hating every minute of them. It's completely irrational.

HJackson wrote:

One thing I really would recommend seeing, if you're not averse to spoilers, is an incredible four-hour documentary called A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese Through American Movies. He touches on some classics, and lots of obscure gems too. I still haven't seen everything he discusses in that film but it's led me to countless wonderful experiences.

Thanks for the suggestion! I will definitely check it out as it sounds like another good launching pad. Just curious, are there any films on there that you reckon would be best viewed without knowing the plot first time around?

Manhunter wrote:

Would like to hear why you love those films above (is To Die For really good??? Haven't seen it).
Especially DIAL, GOSFORD, and EYES.

I really struggle to articulate what and why I like films but I will give it a shot.

TO DIE FOR is another film along with SOME LIKE IT HOT that probably isn't brilliant but that I really enjoy for the performances. It's definitely worth watching at least once. Kidman is excellent, every actor really hits the right notes and the script is pretty solid. Dark comedy is hard to do but I think this manages to work for pretty much the whole film.

As to the others:

Gosford Park I really enjoy. The plot isn't really that important and I don't care for the Stephen Fry stuff, but all the characters and their various relationships are well realised and brillliantly performed and well, make sense. The script does a great job of easing you into both the setting and the characters and slowly ramping up the tension (the sequence of scenes from the lunch after the shoot to the discovery of his body are just fantastic). I think it all comes together extremely well. You feel the coldness and the emptiness of that giant house even though you're not there. That's a thematic product of the script, a product of the way it's shot and lit, a product of how the scenes are staged and performed.

Dial M For Murder I can't really speak on with much authority, because I haven't watched it for some time. It has stuck with me and it's my favourite of the Hitchcock films I've seen so far. I think... there's a certain theatrical quality to it that obviously has its origins in the source material. I like the way the plot is motivated by the characters relationships, whereas a lot of thrillers either the characters are driven by the plot or the plot itself is the focus.

Eyes Wide Shut It's the atmosphere. Nothing more. Nothing less. Kubrick creates this weird and disturbing world full of erotica but devoid of eroticism. Harford's odyssey through New York reminds me of one of those really long vague dreams where you wake up and it feels like you've lived a year in a matter of hours. Like one of those long dreams you can't help but try to ascribe some meaning to it, to revisit it and try to figure out if it has a point or not. Does that make any sense?

Vesper wrote:

Thanks for the suggestion! I will definitely check it out as it sounds like another good launching pad. Just curious, are there any films on there that you reckon would be best viewed without knowing the plot first time around?

I don't think he absolutely cripples any of the films by revealing plot points, but there are a few you might want to watch beforehand - off the top of my head, I recall him giving away shocking plot developments from Leave Her to Heaven, Scarlet Street, and Kiss Me Deadly. He gives away the endings to a number of films, but in most cases (7th Heaven, The Roaring Twenties etc.) the endings don't lose much from being known ahead of time.

Vesper wrote:

Hey guys,

There are a lot of film buffs here. I am not one of them. As I'm finding less and less time for serialised tv, film is starting to pique my interest much more.

I was hoping you guys might be able to make some reccomendations for me. I want to expand my collection and knowledge and I figure getting some suggestions from you all is probably a more interesting place to start than some AFI Top 100 list or something.

If it helps, films I've seen casually over the years that really stand out to me and that I have no hesitation in revisiting if they happen to be on cable (and I suppose, thus, are my 'favourite films') include:

Gosford Park (2001, dir. Robert Altman)
To Die For (1995, dir. Gus Van Sant)
Cabaret (1972, dir. Bob Fosse)
Citizen Kane (1941, dir. Orson Welles)
Out of the Past (1947, dir. Jacques Tourneur)
Eyes Wide Shut (1999, dir. Stanley Kubrick)
The Shining (1980, dir. Stanley Kubrick)
Some Like It Hot (1959, dir. Billy Wilder)
Dial M For Murder (1954, dir. Alfred Hitchcock)

Happy to expand on why I like these films if that helps at all.

Pretty good list, Vesper.

There are a lot of great suggestions already in this thread. If you liked GOSFORD PARK, check out these films by Robert Altman:

MCCABE AND MRS. MILLER
THE LONG GOODBYE
THE PLAYER
NASHVILLE
3 WOMEN


Also, check out these John Cassavetes films:

FACES
OPENING NIGHT
THE KILLING OF A CHINESE BOOKIE
A WOMAN UNDER THE INFLUENCE

Judging by your taste in film and TV, I think you'll enjoy his work.

You also can't go wrong with the films of Hitchcock, Brian De Palma, Francois Truffaut, Don Siegel, and David Lean.

I've *ahem* acquired most of these films and am slowly working my way through them. Thoughts to follow.