Don't want to detract from the other movie threads, but I thought it might be helpful if you all listed your top 3 or 5 or whatever movies. Then perhaps a large list of top selections could be derived. I personally need something like this. I find trying to pick out movies to rent too stressful, as I bowed out of pop culture many many moons ago. I'm almost like (I assume) those plain Catholics must be. So for entertainment in the last 10 or 15 years, I've pretty much relegated myself to just old Black & White (mostly) stuff from the classics section. Oh, and kids movies for my kids. I still try to watch movies with my son (he's 17 now), and I'd like to be able to select more quality stuff. I don't care about genres (my usual genre is "plain and simple"), but you can mention that if you think it helps.
I don't want to distract from the other movie threads - they are great! I thought this might be easy to do for some of you, and you could just whip out a list without spending much time on it. Thanks!
So top 5 movies that would also be appropriate for a 17 year old?
It's really hard to pick a top five, but I think it'd look like this (in no particular order)
Henry V (Brannagh version)
The Thin Red Line
Godfather 1&2 (and 3, if you so choose)
Dr Strangelove
LOTR trilogy
I realize I have two trilogies on there, but you'll just have to deal with it ;D
I've got a few others that would be close to making the cut. But here are five that I don't think you'd have to think twice about watching with an older child (though there's two brief sex scenes in the Godfather trilogy, easily fastforwarded if you know when they are.
So tough to come up with a list that is not more specific (Catholic movies, family movies, Oscar-type movies?). But, that being said, here we go. Apologies in advance for not keeping it from 3-5.
Favorite Catholic/Religious movies: Song of Bernadette, Passion of the Christ, Man For All Seasons
Favorite Kids/Family movies: Up!, How to Train Your Dragon, Ratatouille (most any Pixar movie)
Favorite Comedies: Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, Back to the Future
Favorite Adventure/Dramas: Braveheart, Gladiator (esp. with the deleted Christian martyr scenes), LOTR trilogy
Favorite Mystery/Thrillers: Memento, Usual Suspects, L.A. Confidential (minus a few scenes)
2001: A Space Odyssey
Dr. Strangelove
There Will Be Blood
LOTR Triogy
The Seventh Seal
Incredibly hard to limit this to 5. There are at least a few others that would be in my top 5 on a different day.
My top two remain constant, while the rest is prone to change. Here's how I feel about it right now:
A Brighter Summer Day by Edward Yang
Vertigo by Alfred Hitchcock
23rd Psalm Branch by Sam Brakhage
Touch of Evil by Orson Welles
(nostalgia) by Hollis Frampton
Godfather Pt. II
Return of the Dragon
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Terminator II
Dark Knight Rises
Quote from: tmw89 on February 04, 2013, 10:45:46 AM
My top two remain constant, while the rest is prone to change. Here's how I feel about it right now:
A Brighter Summer Day by Edward Yang
Vertigo by Alfred Hitchcock
23rd Psalm Branch by Sam Brakhage
Touch of Evil by Orson Welles
(nostalgia) by Hollis Frampton
I'll have to see those. You reference lots of obscure stuff.
Quote from: Ben on February 04, 2013, 07:13:26 PM
Quote from: tmw89 on February 04, 2013, 10:45:46 AM
My top two remain constant, while the rest is prone to change. Here's how I feel about it right now:
A Brighter Summer Day by Edward Yang
Vertigo by Alfred Hitchcock
23rd Psalm Branch by Sam Brakhage
Touch of Evil by Orson Welles
(nostalgia) by Hollis Frampton
I'll have to see those. You reference lots of obscure stuff.
Sorry about that. Even before finding Tradition in the mid-2000s, I read a lot about movies; after becoming acquainted with various "theories" of film, I tended to think of movies more as visual essays, and sought out more structuralist-minded fare (a kind of quest for what some of the critics called "pure cinema," primarily noted for non-linearity and the communication of ideas via visual themes as opposed to a plot).
A Brighter Summer Day is not available on home video in the US, although I think you can still find a pre-restoration VCD-rip floating around on the Internet. Be advised, the A/V quality of the rip is terrible and the subtitles leave a lot to be desired. I was very lucky to see a restoration screened in NYC in November of 2010; since then, the restored print has toured a few film festivals, like the Yang retrospect at Harvard last year. There's supposed to be a Blu-ray on the way soon, but that's been the buzz for the past several years. Of the three movies, it's the most conventional.
23rd Psalm Branch is only available as part of a Blu-ray or DVD set of movies by Sam Brakhage (some of his films are good, some are not, but none of them are "ordinary" and I can't recommend a buy sight unseen.) This is the most difficult of the three. It dates from the late '60s, and Brakhage billed it as his own meditation on the Vietnam War. I suspect Brakhage was something of a pacifist, but it isn't his message which appeals to me - it is the editing he employs to communicate the message. I don't think it accurate to say the film is an anti-
Triumph des Willens, but that is the only thing I can think to compare it to in terms of ambitious scope.
(nostalgia) is also available on Blu-ray and DVD, but somebody has uploaded it to YouTube. This is yet another movie I admire more for how it works than the content, per se. It's the middle-ground of the three (at least it has sound, unlike
23rd Psalm Branch.)
Looking at what I've written above, it occurs to me that it might seem odd for someone who self-identifies as a "Traditional" Roman Catholic to revel in cinema which is at the least unconventional and at the most radically experimental. If we are to reject modernism in the Faith, shouldn't we purge it from our films? The thought has crossed my mind before. But the best defense I can muster is simply that the movies aren't sacred! God didn't hand down to us Rules For Making Movies. Of course blasphemy and vulgarity are to be avoided. However, I really cannot think of anything inherently wrong in "re-inventing" movies; after all, where would it end? Films without linear narratives are to be blacklisted because they are too "modern," then films in color are to be blacklisted because they are too modern, then movies in widescreen... you see where it is going.
Do you think that line of thought holds up to scrutiny? Maybe this is better suited as a new thread... if something develops, I'll just split the posts from here into a new thread.
Thanks for the info!
I don't see how the Church could have any problem with the form of a film, only the content.
What's happening to everybody?!?! Amnesia? Alzheimer's?
Have you forgotten about:
(https://www.suscipedomine.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F1.bp.blogspot.com%2F-1NOkRyinL1U%2FT9M30km1GAI%2FAAAAAAAAAKk%2FmCdqUDoSBtk%2Fs1600%2FForGreaterGlory-header.jpg&hash=9f7694eccdd150a2b0fd413397e9d32d3d44fb3d)
I am disappointed!
Thank you very much. I will simply watch all of these (except the minority that we've seen). I'll pick one from each list at a time. I purposely did not want to narrow the genres. I came up with this idea a couple years ago, and never found a suitable forum until now, so I'm very excited. And to think that I don't have to stress out anymore trying to find good stuff - I'll just trust your guidance.
I don't think I can help much when it comes to movies for the menfolk.
I've always loved The Princess Bride -- it has good appeal to guys, I think. At least, my hubby and my dad both love it.
For Greater Glory was great. It has major tie ins to what's going on now with the HHS bill.
Casablanca is a great older film.
The other films I love -- the older Disney princess ones, Gone with the Wind, etc -- might not appeal to your son.
A Man for All Seasons and Becket are good Catholic viewing, I think.
And since your son is older, he will probably "gain more" from them.
A good way to figure out what your favorites are is to come up with a list comprised of those you've seen the most. Two separate lists for childhood and adulthood.
What I am understanding from this is that "Top" movies are not necessarily "favorite" movies...?
:-\
Quote from: Gottmitunsalex on February 05, 2013, 07:40:51 PM
What I am understanding from this is that "Top" movies are not necessarily "favorite" movies...?
:-\
It just seems to be too broad a topic, which is why I was unable to narrow it down to 5. Are we talking Top 5 movies in cinematic history (Citizen Kane-like), Top 5 Catholic movies, Top 5 entertaining popcorn flicks (enter Die Hard), Top 5 quotable movies (MP&the Holy Grail, Dumb & Dumber), or the hypothetical "if you are on an island and could only bring 5 movies with you" kind of list?
Personal selections in worldly movies:
The Eagle has Landed is a very good movie.
The Three Days of the Condor.
The Rock
The Picture of Dorian Grey. (1945)
Heaven Knows Mr. Allison (I can't get enough of this movie.)
[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVsxx2TlKrc[/yt]
My favorite "football" movie, I mean real football. not NFL. ;D
"Victory". "Escape to Victory" (UK)
[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOxj26vcwMI[/yt]
Quote from: totiusque on February 05, 2013, 07:52:19 PM
Quote from: Gottmitunsalex on February 05, 2013, 07:40:51 PM
What I am understanding from this is that "Top" movies are not necessarily "favorite" movies...?
:-\
It just seems to be too broad a topic, which is why I was unable to narrow it down to 5. Are we talking Top 5 movies in cinematic history (Citizen Kane-like), Top 5 Catholic movies, Top 5 entertaining popcorn flicks (enter Die Hard), Top 5 quotable movies (MP&the Holy Grail, Dumb & Dumber), or the hypothetical "if you are on an island and could only bring 5 movies with you" kind of list?
Probably "if you are on an island" is the closest. I would revise that to "if you only had a year or so left of opportunity". I like the mix of ideas I'm getting. But I see now that it imposes a hardship on the movie-lover's mentality! Thanks again.
Pickpocket directed by Robert Bresson
Breathless directed by Jean-Luc Godard
Vertigo directed by Alfred Hitchcock
Andrei Rublev directed by Andrei Tarkovsky
8 1/2 directed by Frederico Fellini
These are not specifically Catholic movies, but it is a small sample of movies that I particularly enjoy. In no meaningful order:
Tangled
Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon
Dark Water (2002 Japanese original)
5cm Per Second
Serpico
The most recent Batman trilogy
Goodfellas
The Sixth Sense
Shutter Island
Taken
Various levels of 'parental advisories' on those ones, obviously. Somewhat objectionable scenes in a few of them. Sex scene in Crouching Tiger, torture in Taken, some pretty brutal violence in Goodfellas, etc.. Anyway, these are some movies I enjoy.
Speaking of 5cm Per Second, IMO that is a stunningly beautiful film.
(https://www.suscipedomine.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fweb.hi10anime.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2012%2F10%2F5cent1.jpg&hash=c24fa79c45b0de6c5a4b64b7788ced10a8b977f3)
Very powerful movie. Could be compared to a Miyazaki film in terms of its artistic style, although I'm not quite familiar enough with Miyazaki to be able to say just how closely it compares in that or in other areas.
You might call it a 'coming of age' drama, but it is quite short, and the way the story is told is very understated, almost minimalist. A lot of it is simply left to whatever you took from it. It actually made me rather sad, so I had to go watch some happy stuff immediately afterwards. :D
The cartoon looks interesting.
Pickpocket was very good. I want to see it again. Was Dark Water made into a remake with Jennifer Connelly?
Quote from: Ben on February 06, 2013, 03:32:39 PM
Was Dark Water made into a remake with Jennifer Connelly?
It was. I heard it was terrible, so I have never bothered to watch it. The original is quite good. Just a straight up ghost story. Really excellent set. Created the perfect mood for the whole movie.
[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31MUHXCdwaE[/yt]
Quote from: Irenaeus G. Saintonge on February 06, 2013, 01:52:06 AM
Speaking of 5cm Per Second, IMO that is a stunningly beautiful film.
I agree. It might be the most refreshing animated feature from Japan from the last decade. And it's a movie that should be seen at least in standard HD - the "International" Blu-ray from Japan is relatively inexpensive, although I don't think the US is too far away from its own Blu-ray release.
Have you seen any of Shinkai's other movies?
The Place Promised In Our Early Days was more intriguing thematically, but not as well-executed. His most recent,
Children Who Case Lost Voices plays more like a Ghibli/Miyazaki film at first, but is even more wildly imaginative in its imagery (especially the final 15-20 minutes).
Quote from: totiusque on February 05, 2013, 07:52:19 PM
Quote from: Gottmitunsalex on February 05, 2013, 07:40:51 PM
What I am understanding from this is that "Top" movies are not necessarily "favorite" movies...?
:-\
It just seems to be too broad a topic, which is why I was unable to narrow it down to 5. Are we talking Top 5 movies in cinematic history (Citizen Kane-like), Top 5 Catholic movies, Top 5 entertaining popcorn flicks (enter Die Hard), Top 5 quotable movies (MP&the Holy Grail, Dumb & Dumber), or the hypothetical "if you are on an island and could only bring 5 movies with you" kind of list?
...if we are talking about cinematic history, the
Sight & Sound magazine's list is the most respected. The magazine polls top critics and directors every ten years; this is the top five from the most recent critics' poll, last year (foreign titles listed in English):
1.
Vertigo, by Alfred Hitchcock
2.
Citizen Kane, by Orson Welles
3.
Tokyo Story, by Yasujiro Ozu
4.
The Rules of the Game, by Jean Renoir
5.
Sunrise, by F. W. Murnau
This is the top five from last year's directors' poll:
1.
Tokyo Story, by Yasujiro Ozu
2.
2001: A Space Odyssey, by Stanley Kubrick
2.
Citizen Kane, by Orson Welles
4.
8 1/2, by Federico Fellini
5.
Taxi Driver, by Martin Scorsese
You can check out more at the following link: http://explore.bfi.org.uk/sightandsoundpolls/2012/
Quote from: tmw89 on February 06, 2013, 05:54:58 PM
Quote from: Irenaeus G. Saintonge on February 06, 2013, 01:52:06 AM
Speaking of 5cm Per Second, IMO that is a stunningly beautiful film.
I agree. It might be the most refreshing animated feature from Japan from the last decade. And it's a movie that should be seen at least in standard HD - the "International" Blu-ray from Japan is relatively inexpensive, although I don't think the US is too far away from its own Blu-ray release.
Have you seen any of Shinkai's other movies? The Place Promised In Our Early Days was more intriguing thematically, but not as well-executed. His most recent, Children Who Case Lost Voices plays more like a Ghibli/Miyazaki film at first, but is even more wildly imaginative in its imagery (especially the final 15-20 minutes).
I have not had the pleasure yet, although I have seen the name come up once in a while. This should remind me to sit down and watch it now. :)
tmw, I'd like to see a list of your top 100.
Irenaeus, I'm going to watch the Japanese original of Dark Water. The Connelly version was decent.
Quote from: Ben on February 06, 2013, 08:29:01 PM
Irenaeus, I'm going to watch the Japanese original of Dark Water. The Connelly version was decent.
I hope you enjoy it. :) I streamed it online first, but I loved it so much that I ordered a copy via Amazon.
Henry V just made my list.
AWESOME!
[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psUXxdRqHQU[/yt]
I'm still waiting for tmw's top 100 list. :(
Quote from: Gottmitunsalex on February 07, 2013, 12:55:57 AM
Henry V just made my list.
AWESOME!
[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psUXxdRqHQU[/yt]
I saw it for the second time!
How could I have missed this movie?!
That Branagh. Darn good actor!
Quote from: Ben on February 09, 2013, 03:01:45 PM
I'm still waiting for tmw's top 100 list. :(
Didn't realize you were serious!
I'll make a new thread about it this upcoming week.
Isn't Henry V Tudor propaganda to the exclusion of the French? If so, nein, Danke.
Quote from: Heinrich on February 09, 2013, 05:30:08 PM
Isn't Henry V Tudor propaganda to the exclusion of the French? If so, nein, Danke.
I don't think he was a Tudor. Tudors came after his death.
Quote from: Gottmitunsalex on February 09, 2013, 05:41:42 PM
Quote from: Heinrich on February 09, 2013, 05:30:08 PM
Isn't Henry V Tudor propaganda to the exclusion of the French? If so, nein, Danke.
I don't think he was a Tudor. Tudors came after his death.
Through marriage, then?
Well I see this thread is a good stepping stone to tmw89's upcoming Top 100 thread. Maybe that'll be a killer thread. But I really just wanted top 5 (or 10) so I can work with it with minimal confusion. I have plenty to work with, now. Plus I have the two or three other movie threads I can draw from. My son and I are finishing up a couple movies we had already rented. Then I'm ready to dive in!
Quote from: tmw89 on February 09, 2013, 04:15:47 PM
Quote from: Ben on February 09, 2013, 03:01:45 PM
I'm still waiting for tmw's top 100 list. :(
Didn't realize you were serious!
I'll make a new thread about it this upcoming week.
Looking forward to it!
What about The last Samurai.
Kind of reminds me of the new conciliar and the Traditional Church.
Quote from: Gottmitunsalex on February 10, 2013, 10:30:15 PM
What about The last Samurai.
Kind of reminds me of the new conciliar and the Traditional Church.
I felt that vibe as well. Although the movie was a tad one-sided. That is fine, of course, for the sake of a good story.
Quote from: Gottmitunsalex on February 10, 2013, 10:30:15 PM
What about The last Samurai.
Kind of reminds me of the new conciliar and the Traditional Church.
Good swordplay in that one.
Quote from: tmw89 on February 09, 2013, 04:15:47 PM
Quote from: Ben on February 09, 2013, 03:01:45 PM
I'm still waiting for tmw's top 100 list. :(
Didn't realize you were serious!
I'll make a new thread about it this upcoming week.
What's taking you so long?
Quote from: Ben on February 17, 2013, 07:50:01 PM
Quote from: tmw89 on February 09, 2013, 04:15:47 PM
Quote from: Ben on February 09, 2013, 03:01:45 PM
I'm still waiting for tmw's top 100 list. :(
Didn't realize you were serious!
I'll make a new thread about it this upcoming week.
What's taking you so long?
Been thinking about them a lot - whittling it down to 100 is hard!
Either by the wee hours of the morning or at some point tomorrow by the latest, it'll be in this subforum.EDIT: added the strikethrough; still whittling it down :-[
The Last Crusade, 1989
Das Boot, 1981
Papillon, 1973
The Searchers, 1956
Patton, 1970
Are all good. But in no particular order I guess