Hey guys.

What movies have you seen in the last 4 years (without regard for original release date) that you feel strongly enough about to recommend?

If you're interested-- I would prefer just a simple list without any commentary on the individual titles, since the point is to match other people's lists up with my own personal interests.. and determine which movies I rent or view in the future.

Here's my list of "movies I feel strongly enough about to recommend to other people". Bear in mind this is NOT a list of EVERY movie I enjoyed, it's the 10% I enjoyed the most out of all the movies I've watched in the last 4 years. Your mileage may vary of course!

Ghost Dog
Elizabeth
Existenz
Crash
Meet the Feebles
Scarface
Deep Cover
Apocalypse Now
Shallow Grave
American Beauty
Three Kings
Being John Malkovich
Rushmore
The Thing
They Live
The Last Seduction
Bullets Over Broadway
Sleeper
The Opposite of Sex
American Psycho
Out of Sight
Boogie Nights
Fargo
The Big Lebowski
Grosse Point Blank
Nightmare Before Christmas
The Professional
In the Company of Men
Heat
The Fifth Element
Fast Times at Ridgemont High
Pee-Wee's Big Adventure
Death Race 2000
Zero Effect
Fight Club
12 Monkeys
Deliverance
Chinatown
Leaving Las Vegas
Babe
Damage
Drugstore Cowboy
Goodfellas
Talented Mr. Ripley

No explanations or comments because that ruins the fun! If you're wondering why I have so many older movies on here, it's because of the DVD explosion in that same time frame-- I bought the movie on DVD and watched it again. Which is, incidentally, a great way to determine how much you really liked the movie in the first place. I found the results surprising!

wumpus http://www.gamebasement.com

Well here's a list of my DVD's/Lasediscs (off the top of my head)...which means movies i like or at least pretend to or just want to watch sometimes.

Thin Red Line
Saving Private Ryan
Platoon
Full Metal Jacket
Erin Brockovich
Meet The Parents
Groundhog Day
The Wild Bunch
The Patriot
Kundun
Dead Man
Ghost Dog
Alien
Aliens
Alien 3
Alien Ressurection
The Matrix
True Lies
Titanic
The Thing
In The Mouth of Madness
The Shining
Terminator
T2
Dark City
The Game
Fight Club
Seven
Diablo 2 DVD uh hehe
Ninth Gate
The Professional
Taxi Driver
Vertigo
Psycho
Rear Window
The Deer Hunter
The Unforgiven
Silence of Lambs
Rushmore
Apollo 13
The Right Stuff
Unbearable Lightness of Being
Nixon
JFK
Natural Born Killers
Xmen
Rules of Engagement
Starship Troopers
Red
White
Blue

aye its like a laundry list.

etc

"Well here's a list of my DVD's/Lasediscs (off the top of my head)...which means movies i like or at least pretend to or just want to watch sometimes."

I like many of the titles in your list! However, did you filter out only the ones you feel strongly enough about to recommend? Also, did you include memorable films you saw in theater or rental (eg you don't own)?

I dunno about you guys but I own a lot of questionable DVDs. For example, Gleaming the Cube. Fun movie, but not exactly something I'd go out of my way to recommend to a fellow movie buff.

wumpus http://www.gamebasement.com

I don't think that I watch movies as much as you guys. My list would be substantially shorter. I'll go ahead and list some overlaps, simply for emphasis.

The Matrix
Cruel Intentions
Meet the Parents
The Whole Nine Yards
City Slickers
Any of the Star Wars Movies
Armageddon
Erin Brockovich
Apollo 13

That's all I can think of right off the top of my head. I don't want to catch and crap for any of these, other -- after all, Wumpus listed Babe!

Waaaaaay too many, but I guess I'll throw in ones that people may have missed.

-The Iron Giant - #3 on my all-time favorites list.
-Fight Club
-Election
-The Patriot - Hey, each viewing makes me like this movie more and more while Gladiator less and less. Pretend it's some fictional world and not historical fact.
-Memento
-A Better Tomorrow - There are two major styles of action movies, the Die Hard style and the Woo style. This one started it all for the Woo style.

Meet the Parents??????

I watched half of it before retiring in disgust to my office to play some more Kohan.

Color me weird.

You weirdo! :) The funniest parts of that movie come in about the last 45 minutes (I laughed myself sick at the theater).

I thought it was better the second time around.

The first time was ruined by too many previews beforehand. I felt like I'd already seen it, but I hadn't. It was okay to feel like that the second time, because I had.

I also really hated Meet the Parents.
(You still might be weird though Lando.)
I thought it pretty crude and banal.

But... I know a lot of otherwise tasteful people who liked it. I think the reason it was a smash hit is because the concept is one many of us have experienced. I, for example, have truly awful in-laws. My problem with the movie is, I would have preferred De Niro and his cat over my family. ;)

Also, it truly was ruined by the previews.
Andrew

I work part time in a video store, and the only film I ever recommend unconditionally is Thomas Vinterburg's The Celebration. That film has the goods. It really seems to transcend all tastes/interests.

I recommend lots of other movies, too. But this is the one I suggest when someone has no idea what they're looking for.

My favorite DVDs:

Seven
Boogie Nights
Aliens
American Beauty
X-Men
Fight Club
Terminator 2
Magnolia
Princess Mononoke
Blues Brothers
The Thing
Appollo 13
The Right Stuff
Heat
Blade
The Matrix
Braveheart
The Hunt for Red October
The Sopranos Season 1
The X-Files Season Two
The Abyss
The Last of the Mohicans
Manhunter
Silence of the Lambs
Ronin
Saving Private Ryan
Dracula (Coppola Version)
Almost Famous
LA Confidential
Toy Story Ulimate Toy Box
Taxi Driver
Bound
Hard Eight
The Game
Out of Sight
Dark City

Lots of other movies out there but arent' on my mind at the moments if they haven't been released on DVD.

Hey, the truth hurts, and it looks like I'm weird.

Meet the Parents seemed to me to be beneath DeNiro--come on, don't tell me he needed the money?

Any movie that relies on such cheap "laugh" devices as a guy whose last name is "Focker" automatically become entirely suspect, at least for me.

But I love the Three Stooges.

Go figure.

Guys, I don't mean to be a bastard-- well, no more than I normally am-- but let's keep the commentary to the other threads.

This is just a thread for movies you recommend unconditionally. No questions asked. ;) Either you'll take that recommendation or you won't.

I've already added a few movies to my "rent" list based on the list here:

Iron Giant
Princess Mononoke
The Celebration

.. among others.

Keep the lists coming! I'd like to see Tom and Andrew lists, too. Remember-- it can be any movie you've seen in the last 4 years, for any reason. Doesn't have to be a DVD. It would help if it's a movie I can actually obtain for rental somewhere though. :P

wumpus http://www.gamebasement.com

I haven't kept up with movies all that well, but here are some faves:

Favorite western: Once Upon a Time in the West.
Favorite sci-fi: Bladerunner
Favorite buddy movie: Midnight Run
Favorite comedies: My Favorite Year, What's Up Tiger Lilly? and many more.
Favorite campy horror: Armies of Darkness

I'll try some niches:

Favorite western: High Noon
Favorite action thriller nobody saw:
The Negotiator
Favorite fantasy film: Excalibur
Favorite cheesy fantasy/sci fi film: Krull
Favorite comedies: Airplane, The Naked Gun
Favorite cheesy horror movie: Night of the Creeps

"Guys, I don't mean to be a bastard-- well, no more than I normally am-- but let's keep the commentary to the other threads."

Commentary is allowed wherever it may occur. I don't recall anyone being appointed thread-cop. Certainly not wumpus, at any rate.

As for movies I'd recommend unconditionally, there aren't many. Before Daily Radar canned Out There, I had a column ready to go on "perfect" movies. I suppose that's as close as I can come to unconditional recommendations.

But before I post the list, I better clear it with the fascist in charge...

I'm a little surprised Ron Dulin mentions The Celebration as a unconditional recommendation. I loved it, but I don't think it has that wide an appeal. It's basically a Gothic family tale done with a handheld camera. Superlative, to be sure, but hardly for all tastes.

I do, however, want to frequent a video store where the guy behind the counter is telling the indecisive to get The Celebration. :) Where do you work, Ron?

-Tom

"As for movies I'd recommend unconditionally, there aren't many."

That depends what you mean by unconditionally... meaning the movie's "perfect" or passable to whoever you recommend it to? I don't think any critic can recommend anything unconditionally without thinking twice about it (in terms of the reccomendation pleasing everybody).

BTW, the only thing I'd reccomend unconditionally to anybody is to listen to The Beatles...

etc

wumpus,
I'm already taking everything you say with a grain of salt for your inclusion of Babe, so don't push your luck! =)

I'm still trying to think of unqualified recommendations....not many because I would recommend different things to different people based on what I know about them.

"I'm still trying to think of unqualified recommendations....not many because I would recommend different things to different people based on what I know about them."

Well, that's not really the point. They're movies that YOU feel strongly enough about to recommend. Don't tailor the list, make it an honest representation of what worked for YOU.

After all, you can't be held responsible for everyone else's lack of good taste. ;)

wumpus http://www.gamebasement.com

p.s. Babe rocks. It's one of the purest movie experiences I've had. 'nuff said.

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p.s. Babe rocks. It's one of the purest movie experiences I've had. 'nuff said.

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Add to my list as second for the Negotiator (good call Geo), and The First Knight, which I loved. Also, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. The last Costner movie anyone liked in a long time...

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For Love of the Game?????? You mean the big, long, awful "Look at the Beautiful Kevin Costner in slow motion wipe his brow" movie?

Speaking of wretching.

Tin Cup, I liked. You'll get no argument from me there.

And since when do critics count for anything? I generally look for the movies the critics pan and put them at the very top of my "See List". The "A" movies I ignore. For instance, Thin Red Line. One of my all time hated movies. The critics loved it, I hated it. I'm right and they're wrong. Nyah Nyah Nyah.

=)

I can accept that the acting in the First Knight left something to be desired. But I enjoyed the movie. And how can you attack the plot when it based -- loosely, perhaps, but still based -- on one of the greatest legends of all time?

And I thought Robin Hood was a pretty darn good movie. It portrayed some of the events of the age better than most movies set in that time. And it's a little-boy legend set in a format that (most) adults enjoy.

I couldn't care less what critics said, or what was or was not nominated for Academy Awards. I'm with Lando -- I seldom agree with critics, and I haven't agreed with the Academy for quite some time. I added those movies to my list because I enjoyed them quite a bit, several times.

So you and I have different taste. Maybe I have different taste than a lot of people here, because I don't agree with a lot of other peoples' lists. There are a lot here that I haven't seen, so maybe I should check some of them out.

But anyone that says that Babe is a better movie that Robin Hood should be flogged, if you ask me.

A talking pig? A stupid plot? A useless sequel? Please!

"But anyone that says that Babe is a better movie that Robin Hood should be flogged, if you ask me."

Since there's going to be a long line, I should probably go ahead and get my flogging out of the way. Where do I queue up? :)

-Tom

I think either Bub or wumpus want first crack at you Tom... =)

Tom, you liked Babe? Huh. Could someone tell me what was so "obviously" good about this movie that I missed?

Or did you just hate Robin Hood that much?

You're too far gone Murph. I don't think we can help you. :)

--Dave

Don't give up on me man!!

Wait...If you helping me means that I'll come out liking babe...Nevermind. Give up on me.

Other than the singing mice, I found nothing redeeming about it. It's been a few years, but I don't know if I could sit through it again to judge fairly. It had such a stupid plot! A talking pig that turns out to be a herding pig. Hmm. I'll pass on that.

I think you guys are the ones who need help, if you don't think that sounds like a stupid idea for a movie. And then you go and criticize the Arthur legend for a movie plot...

Yup. You guys are definitely the ones who need help. Everyone's crazy but me. J

Babe was a parable hidden in a child's story. It was Henson's animatronics at their best and some good early work with digital effects. It was uplifting without being saccharine. It was warm and kind without being limp. It was also from the director of The Road Warrior. Have some respect, Murph!

Robin Hood, on the other hand, was just a mess. And I'm being charitable here.

Actually, Murph, are there any traditional "children's" movies you like? I put Babe in the same category as Toy Story and Iron Giant. They're all excellent examples of family fare that hold something for everyone, including cynical bachelor dilettantes like me.

-Tom

"A talking pig that turns out to be a herding pig."

I hate to break it to you, Murph, but that's hardly the plot. That's like saying the plot of Hamlet is "a sullen guy comes home from college".

Babe is one of those dime-a-dozen plots about breaking away from conformity, but it uses animals in a way that had never been done before with live action film. It was a cinematic equivalent of Watership Down or Rats of NIHM.

-Tom

I enjoyed Toy Story. Very much, in fact. It had an entertaining story line, though. I didn't think the same about Babe.

I can't think of any other "children's" movies I've seen in quite a while right off the top of my head, so I can't say about anything else.

And I'm taken aback. I knew not everyone liked Robin Hood, but I never realized that it was so despised. Perhaps I've never really analyzed it -- but I seldom do analyze movies. When I watch a movie, the only thing I'm really conscious of is whether or not I enjoy it. I don't recall the acting in Robin Hood being particularly bad, the story is classic, the action was good, fight sequences were well choreographed, and I thought that it was a fine way to pass two hours.

Twenty minutes of Babe was really too much, but I did sit through the entire thing. I can applaud the animatronics of the movie, because I do remember that being good. But I thought the movie was generally stupid, the plot was dumb, and the pig's voice really, really annoyed me. (Really, though, I seldom enjoy movies that make animals talk. The Incredible Journey annoyed me. Milo and Otis was okay, I guess, but I was pretty young when it came out. I doubt that I'd enjoy it as much now.)

This is just my opinion, and I may be in the minority around here. Still, I stand by my opinions. I might be willing to give Babe a second chance, but I think the same things that annoyed me then would still annoy me now.

And I can't believe that they made a sequel. Sequels are never as good as the originals, and in the case of Babe, that boggles the mind.

And I can't believe that you'd compare Babe to Hamlet. Ever.

Wait a minute, there is more to Hamlet then "a sullen guy comes home from college"???

I KNEW not paying attention in Lit. class would come back to haunt me some day!!!

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I put Babe in the same category as Toy Story and Iron Giant.

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I liked a Bug's Life, too, just to prove that all "kids' movies" aren't lost on me. Wasn't as crazy about Ants, or Antz, or whatever the heck that was that come out about the same time.

"And I can't believe that you'd compare Babe to Hamlet. Ever."

I will pay you $500 in cold hard cash if you can find any place I compared Babe to Hamlet.

-Tom

Okay, you didn't, exactly. But I don't see how you can use both words in the same sentence. (Which you didn't do either, really.)

But you WERE using a reference to Hamlet to defend your point that I didn't "get" Babe -- which, I probably didn't. But that doesn't merit a reference to Hamlet. ;-)

Yes, I over-simplified the plot. Sue me. I already admitted that I didn't get the movie. But if I didn't get it, they apparently didn't do something right. That's the part that stuck with me through the years. That, and that annoying voice.

Murph:
"I liked a Bug's Life, too, just to prove that all "kids' movies" aren't lost on me. Wasn't as crazy about Ants, or Antz, or whatever the heck that was that come out about the same time. "

I thought both were fun, but if I had to categorize, I wouldn't put Antz in the same boat as other kid flicks. I mean, it is one you could show to them, but Woody Allen being involved, well...

"I will pay you $500 in cold hard cash if you can find any place I compared Babe to Hamlet."

Hmmm...I can see how admin powers can be used for evil as well as good!

"Toy Story 2 on the other hand is even better than the first and much better suited to little ones."

I agree TS2 is better than the first, while both are wonderful. The sequence of Jessie and the girl that grew up is incredibly touching (and very elegant). It's also one of the few times of late when a song isn't lamely forced into an animated movie simply to fill a soundtrack CD. That whole sequence gets me right here (pounding on chest) everytime I watch it... (sniff). That's why I don't think TS2 is geared just for the little ones.

Antz was pretty cool, but didn't have the laugh-a-minute stuff that kids usually need. I think it was more adult level entertainment than any of the recent animated movies.

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And I'm taken aback. I knew not everyone liked Robin Hood, but I never realized that it was so despised.

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Han, I think you missed the point of this thread -- you're supposed to be telling me how wrong I am for not liking Babe!!

Seriously, everyone, I'm sorry -- I never meant to turn this into a Babe vs. Every good movie ever made thread! :-)

Jason, I don't know if I ever saw the Uma Thurmond version, but I can't imagine liking her as Marion better than Mary Elisabeth Mastrantonio (sp?). I'm not sure I ever saw "the classic" version, either.

For that matter, I believe that I saw Robin Hood before Dances with Wolves, so perhaps that's why Costner's performance didn't bother me. I thought he was pretty good. Certainly better than just about anything I've seen him in since, which isn't much.

And I'm shocked to see so many people attacking Costner's acting ability after so many people on this same board were cheering about Leonardo Dicaprio's acting ability. (Opening a new can of worms...)

I was actually going to rent Babe a few months back, after my date and myself went to a local Irish festival and saw sheep-herding dogs. She told me about the "This way please, Mr. Sheep" scene in the movie, and it sounded kind of funny. I use a little video store, though, and thy'd sold off all their copies of the movie.

It appears this pig is going to haunt me now!

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And I'm shocked to see so many people
attacking Costner's acting ability after so many
people on this same board were cheering about
Leonardo Dicaprio's acting ability. (Opening a new
can of worms...

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That Baseball movie was "Bull Durham," right?

"I think either Bub or wumpus want first crack at you Tom... =)"

Nah, I loved Babe. I liked the sequel even more. Kid's comedy in a decidedly Wonka-esque vein.

I know Wumpus wants a list from me, but I'm not a "list" sort of guy... I will recommend The Wall on DVD to anyone who with good speakers.

Recently I viewed...
The Last Temptation of Christ
Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead
The General (Buster Keaton)
Remember the Titans
and
Duck Soup.

I'd recommend any of those, aside from Titans.

-Andrew

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That Baseball movie was "Bull Durham," right?

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Bull Durham and Field of Dreams were both good, imo. I think he was derisively referring to For Love of the Game, actually, which I hear, wasn't(good).

Andrew

Chick: "I'm a little surprised Ron Dulin mentions The Celebration as a unconditional recommendation. I loved it, but I don't think it has that wide an appeal."

This partially has to do with the store at which I work (Lost Weekend Video, in SF), which has an amazing selection and is located in a pretty "hip" neighborhood. But: The Celebration is a great film, and I think that most people, even those who shy away from artier films, get sucked in.

Again, though, this has much to do with the clientele of the store. Three of the most popular (non-new release) films there are Happiness, Election, and The Kingdom, and those are never in stock even though we have several copies of each. So that should tell you something.

To wumpus: I'd recommend Your Friends and Neighbors over In the Company of Men. The latter film seems too easy to write off as misogynistic, while Your Friends and Neighbors is just uncomfortable for everyone. I remember seeing the trailer for that film, which pitched it as this light-hearted romantic comedy, and wondering why Neil LaBute made it. Then I saw it, and people were walking out of the theater in droves.

Sheesh Happiness as a top rental? what are your customers smoking. Its a good movie, but its so depressing...(though funny too!)how can anybody WANT to watch that movie repeatedly? I don't know, but that director really really must hate "middle" america. Dollhouse and Happiness are so "dead-end" in there realism of "suburb culture" its almost scary. Aat least he has SOME ounce of humor to it.

btw, Labutes Nurse Betty is a good departure from his distateful view of "middle" american lifestyle... though i think the ending didn't do justice to the whole movie...morgan freeman deserved a better fate.

also the scene in The Company of Men where he asks the worker to literally "show me your balls"... cmon, in real life that guy would have gotten his ass whooped... like that insulting salesmen meeting in Glengary Glen Ross, Alec Baldwin would have gotten his ass kicked in REAL life! but i guess its the message of "the man" just keeping us down or sumtin.

etc

"btw, Labutes Nurse Betty is a good departure from his distateful view of "middle" american lifestyle... though i think the ending didn't do justice to the whole movie...morgan freeman deserved a better fate."

I liked this movie, but the more I see Morgan Freeman, the more I think he's just playing the same character in every movie. Is it just me or is his character in Nurse Betty very similar to his character in Seven? Or Deep Impact.. or Bone Collector.. or Along Came A Spider. I know they're different _characters_ but they feel identical in tone and presentation to me.

Also as much as I love Chris Rock he was a bad choice for his role in NB. The guy from In the Company of Men, incidentally, was great as the mulletheaded husband. There's a guy who plays different characters with aplomb, contrast that nearly-unrecognizable-in-this-film actor with any of Morgan Freeman's recent roles!

I dunno, NB was kind of a letdown. Worth seeing, but not exceptional or recommendation-worthy.

"To wumpus: I'd recommend Your Friends and Neighbors over In the Company of Men. The latter film seems too easy to write off as misogynistic, while Your Friends and Neighbors is just uncomfortable for everyone. I remember seeing the trailer for that film, which pitched it as this light-hearted romantic comedy, and wondering why Neil LaBute made it. Then I saw it, and people were walking out of the theater in droves."

I prefer the ultra-disturbing, in-your-face, completely politically incorrect presentation of In the Company of Men. It's an assault on the viewer, but-- and this is key-- it's not merely shocking for shock's sake. I did some serious soul searching after seeing this movie. I think every man has something like this cowering in some deep, dark, corner of his little diabolic soul.

Incidentally, since I mentioned him earlier... in this week's interview with EW, Morgan Freeman indicated he found this movie "unwatchable" and "too negative" which makes it all the more attractive in my book!

I do like Your Friends and Neighbors a lot. It's got some real satirical bite. In particular, I got a real kick out the scene where one of the characters is masturbating, not getting the desired results, then rhetorically asking "Is it me? Is it me?" That just slays me. Plus, the orchestral Metallica soundtrack is GENIUS. That's pure cinema gold right there, folks.

Happiness is the weakest of the three, IMO. I am borderline on that one. It has a few moments, but it resorts to shock for shock's sake too often.

These movies make a fine trilogy of highbrow fucked-up-ness. However, I can only strongly recommend ITCOM... on the basis that I found it by far the most thought provoking of the three.

Anyway enough discussion. I WANT MORE LISTS!! Choke down your pride and list the movies YOU liked the most in the last 4 years. C'mon Tom! At least Bub made a half-hearted effort, not unlike his Shadow Watch review (ducks). ;)

wumpus http://www.gamebasement.com

I want to add some movies to my list.

Dangerous Liasons
Blade Runner
Toy Story 2
Brazil
Das Boot
The Killing Fields
The Boost
Salvador

wumpus http://www.gamebasement.com

p.s. After viewing Toy Story 2, on the way out of the theater my wife mentioned that she thought the sequel was better than the original-- which was quite good in its own right. I didn't agree at the time. But after getting the DVDs and watching both films over, I've come around to her way of thinking. And I swear I'm not just saying that because she witholds sex when I disagree!

Also, I think "The Boost" is the best drug movie I've seen. Right up there with Scarface, but hits much closer to home with the everyman angle. It certainly makes "Blow" look like the limp, wet noodle it really is..

In the Company of Men is a cold hearted movie, as it is intended to be...maybe you should check out Swingers though im pretty sure you saw that movie already.

Heres another list

Intolerance
Nosferatu
The Passion of Joan of Arc
Citizen Kane
The Big Sleep
Touch of Evil
Viridiana
A Walk in the Sun
400 Blows
Rear Window
Jaws
Decalogue

hehe... this is a list from my college syllabus intro to film... theyre all pretty good movies

etc

"The guy from In the Company of Men, incidentally, was great as the mulletheaded husband."

haha, mulletheaded. are those haircuts still in? anyway, thats the same guy in Erin Brockovich. I think hes a good actor. He goes from a slimy "yuppie" middle executive to a nice biker dude to a crappy husband.

Also, Philip Hoffman is great too as the cynical journalist in Almost Famous. I also like Jason Lee, hes friggin hilarious in every movie hes in...even Enemy of the State and even that stupid romantic movie with that guy from Friends. Jason Lee was a skater too! I think hes much more entertaining to watch then Matt Damon and Ben Affleck...imo ... I'm rambling...
etc

It would take way too fucking long for me to make anything close to a comprehensible list as wumpus asked for, therefore, I will start initially by merely listing my meager DVD collection. It's a good mix of movies I'd recommend to other people (due to my miniscule budget, I'd have to at least like it enough to recommend it, if I'm gonna buy it) and movies that make good use of sound and video (I think those will stand out).

Feel free to tear this list apart, as I know some people will, due to past opinions expressed on certain flicks.

Matrix
Meet The Feebles
Austin Powers
X-Men
Iron Giant
A Bug's Life
Toy Story Toy Box Collection
Antz
T2
Predator
Chasing Amy
Braveheart
The Silence Of The Lambs
Saving Private Ryan
Independence Day
Fight Club
Ghost In The Shell
Glory
Hardboiled
The Killer
Rumble In The Bronx
True Romance
Se7en
Blade Runner
Blade
Starship Troopers
Speed
2001
Manchurian Candidate
Army Of Darkness
The Abyss
Dark City
Alien
Aliens
Gladiator
Out Of Sight

I'll post some other time about rentals and theatre junk.

-Thierry

I second Austin Powers, and add its sequel, which I liked.

That probably means that no one else did, though, right?

Austin Powers was genius. The sequel was utter and complete ASS. I mean that in the most literal sense of the word.

I'm sorry, but I really hated the sequel. This was especially painful because I loved the original movie so much. I think I watched it 4 times, which for me is a huge number of viewings.

wumpus http://www.gamebasement.com

Yeah, I figured it would only be a matter of time...We established already that my taste in movies sucks, according to most of the people around here.

For what it's worth, my wife hated Babe, too. And she likes the sequel to Austin Powers. So at least we have the same bad taste! :-)

I really thought that the sequel was very innovative, in an Austin Powers way, with some very clever twists.

And Heather Graham is hot.

Here's another one which I think has been tragically missed by a lot of people,

Dangerous Beauty

Terribly generic name, but it's about the struggles and rise to power of a courtesan back in old Italy. Great performances by Catherine McCormack (Braveheart, she's exactly one year older than me!), Rufus Sewell, and Oliver Platt. Also has appearances by Moira Kelly (family member of my future in-laws), Melina Kanakaredes (Providence TV show hotty), and Jacqueline Bisset. Great costumes, gorgeous cinematography, and very interesting story.

Here's one nobody's mentioned yet (not even Tom for some damn reason):

American Movie

I really like Moira Kelly. How cool that you'll be related!

Ok Wumpus
The baby is sleeping, the wife is at her mom's, I'm bored, my column is done, work is sparse and, well, I can be baited - just ask Tom -sooo here is a "full-hearted" list for you:
(asterix indicates movies I adore)

The Straight Story*
A Fish Called Wanda
The Conversation
Godfather 1-2*
Akira*
The Wall*
Glory*
Gettysburg
Rob Roy
The Old Man & The Sea
The African Queen*
Casablanca*
Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolfe
Magnolia*
Fight Club*
The Usual Suspects*
Resevoir Dogs
The Cook, The Theif, His Wife & Her Lover
Gothic
Hellraiser
Henry V (Kenneth Branaugh)*
Othello (Welles)
Hellraiser II
Goldfinger*
The Iron Giant*
Unforgiven*
The Searchers
Dragon Slayer

"I really like Moira Kelly. How cool that you'll be related!"

Believe me Murph, it'll be a very distant relation. I've never met her. Though, on many occasions, I've met Mike Kelly, her cousin. He's been in Menace II Society, Mighty Ducks 3, Mr. Nice Guy, and did stuntwork on The Replacement Killers.

Not the point!

Just being related is good enough. Besides, you never know when you might meet her. Especially if you've met her cousin -- which is cool in its own right!

Wumpus, have you seen DVD Profiler ? If you are looking for lists of movies people like its a pretty good tool.

My DVD Collection

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