Movies

Toz

So, I have access to Netflix, occasionally a Red Box, and a lot of spare time - seen a good movie? I'd love to hear about it. Wasted two hours of your life? I just did too, let's complain together.

I was talking about movies with Barda yesterday, and he threw out some interesting ones for me to see, figured I'd check things out on the forums as well - what movies do you guys like? Dislike? Want to talk about? All I ask is that you spoiler stuff that's a spoiler.

I just got done watching Stake Land. Basically it's Zombieland but with vampires instead of zombies. And not funny. There's also no character development, I only barely knew what the main character's name was, and the ending was more confusing than profound - if you want to watch sociopaths fight vampires, then this movie is A++. If you want plot, emotional content, interesting characters, or sparkles, then this movie probably isn't for you.

Eleanor

Getting Square is pretty excellent, though I don't know if you'll find it on netflix. It's sort of a heist movie, but the real draw is it's so spectacularly australian that the DVD comes with a slang translation guide. Also the lead role is played by the same guy who was the lead in Avatar (the space furries one).

Moirean

Oh, I am a netflix addict.Gonna go down my watched list and say some of my 5-starred:

For drama: 

Moon (sci-fi, you so much Sam Rockwell), 

Andromeda Strain (sci-fi/medical, but I'm a sucker for Crichton's storytelling), 

the Animatrix (animated shorts based on Matrix universe),

Edward Scissorhands (favorite movie ever), 

Being There (deep, poignant, bittersweet, Peter Sellars' last movie), 

Vatel (1700s france, Gerard Depardieu, he's awesome in everything), 

The Dark Crystal (classic fantasy Jim Henson),  

Cool Hand Luke (awesome script, amazing performance from Paul Newman, wtf eggs), 

Dangerous Beauty (courtesans in 1600s Venice), 

Amadeus (tied with ES for favorite movie, Mozart bio),

Rosencranz and Gildernstern are Dead (Hamlet, turned on its head, very quirky), 

the Fall (ok, also a tie for favorite movie, simply stunning and poetic)

For action/adventure: 

Arn (medieval knight stuff), 

Reservoir Dogs (tarantino), 

a Knight's Tale (more knights!), 

Ichi the Killer (very violent about the yakuza, based on a manga), 

Mongol (story of Ghengis Khan's rise to power, filmed on location, gorgeous), 

Last of the Mohicians (Daniel Day Lewis being awesome. And hawt.),

Boondock Saints (just watch it if you haven't)

For comedy: 

Trainspotting (well, it's kinda comedy. Shockingly, none of my friends have seen this, whaaaat), 

Tucker & Dale vs Evil (omg Alan Tudyk I will have your babies please), 

This is Spinal Tap (one of the original mockumentary movies),

Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion, 

Dr. Strangelove (dark farce, Peter Sellars being brilliant),

Raising Arizona (Cohen Brothers + Nick Cage's hair), 

the Big Lebowski (the dude abides)

For scary: 

The Orphanage (beautifully filmed), 

the Omen (probably my favorite scary movie), 

Cube (very wtf-ish)

Let the Right One In (vampire movie, done very very well)

For heartwarming: 

The Natural (baseball movie), 

Starman (sci-fi/romance, a young hawt Jeff Bridges's butt omg), 

Stardust (fantasy, based on a Neil Gaimon story), 

Penelope (quirky little fantasy love story), 

Timer (cute sci-fi rom-com), 

Whale Rider (Maori girl's coming-of-age story. With whales)

Also: Talking Heads: Stop Making Sense - best concert video ever!

For TV shows, if you haven't watched Arrested Development, Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Psych, Portlandia, the IT Crowd or Spaced, those are all on netflix, and I think they are pretty funny.

Ok, gonna stop here because I listed soooooo many. Sorry!

If you want a WTF movie, watch Zardoz. You get to see this:

Konnorn

@Moirean:
Edward Scissorhands
Boondock saints
Tucker and Dale vs Evil
Cube

So much YES! Omg I love these movies.

I can also add in:
Flying daggers (Ninja style from Hong Kong. Most beautifully shot movie ever.)
Vampire's kiss (Nicholas Cage turns Nosferatu, or so he thinks.
If I could get vampire fang prostetics in Aetolia, this would be my next character inspiration.)

 

Eleanor

effing Zardoz.

The gun is good! The penis is evil!

Moirean

I grew up watching the great sci-fi classics like Logan's Run, Rollerball and Clockwork Orange, so I put on Zardoz thinking it would be one of those great classic movies like those. It...was...special.

Teani

Shawshank redemption - Top movie since the first time I saw it. Great if you want drama.

The Illusionist - Very nice plotline, makes use of your brain.

Perfume - One of the more twisted movies I've seen in my life.

Dude, where's my car? - Just for the lols

Sweeney Todd - Because awesome, twisted movies with Johnny Depp is never wrong.

Ironman - Robert Downing Jr, mmhmm.

Despicable me - animated, hilarious and cute. "It's so fluffy I'm gonna die!"

Seconding @Moirean's Stardust, Trainspotting, A Knight's tale, Boondock Saints (hell yeah), Edward Scissorhands, and Amadeus.

Valenae

I've been marathoning Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Battlestar Galatica. Cloud Atlas was fantastic and I think you can get it at a Red Box, I'm at work or I'd look it up. Either way, its worth watching. 'She' is free on hulu and/or youtube and its really good if you like black and white movies. I'll post more later. Thanks for posting this thread, i'm excited to see what other people come up with.

Aryanne

If you want a movie that will make you uncertain if that was really good or really bad and you're not easily offended:

Tokyo Zombie

Comedy. But OMG. Just. OMG,

(Netflix)

Meyvitch

There's a movie I saw ages and ages ago called... The Legend of 1900? About a piano player born and raised and died on the same 1900's passenger steamship that never once set foot on land. I can't find it anywhere

Alastair

I just watched Skyfall. I am a hardcore Bond fan (Connery or gtfo) but I rather enjoyed it.

Pulp Fiction - Best thing ever filmed.
A Clockwork Orange - If you haven't seen it you should see it.

Reservoir Dogs - Buschemi's best role.

Full Metal Jacket - Second best thing ever filmed.

Chosin - This is a documentary. If you are interested in military history, this is a must watch.

...I just realized as I was making this list it's a Bond film, a war film, Tarantino and Kubrick. Wow.

Moirean

Oh, I forgot this documentary - randomly put it on to watch to fall asleep to, and I was transfixed. Beautiful, ugly, stunning and eye-opening. It's called "Life in A Day" and it's a  documentary based on crowd-sourced submissions from all around the world.

You can watch the whole thing on netflix or youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/user/lifeinaday

Alastair

Food, Inc. If you eat food in America, watch it.

Haern

I highly suggest Jiro Dreams of Sushi. While it deals heavily with sushi, as one can guess, it also touches on some keystones of Japanese culture and the familial bonds.

And Ken Burns has done some of my favorite documentaries, so I recommend his documentaries on two amazing periods in American history: Prohibition and The Dust Bowl. These are extremely long documentaries, so strap yourself in if you have a love of history.

Teani

Oh right... and don't watch Legion. Completely wasted my time. I could have studied boring articles for Uni/cleaned my apartment instead and enjoyed myself more.

Haern

Oh, and I forgot! I finally got to see Moonrise Kingdom and absolutely adored it.

Milvushina

Seconding The Fall. Absolutely stunning movie, also one of my favorites! Though, I think sometimes Netflix lists two or three different movies of that title, the one I'm thinking is directed by Tarsem Singh.

Tucker & Dale vs. Evil is also a Netflix gem. The synopsis sounds a bit ridiculous, but it is one of the funnier movies I've seen in a while!

Toz

I'll be tracking down a lot of these over the next few days, just need exam prep done first - started watching Arn and enjoyed it, love soldier-y stuff. Not so big on horror, but I have seen Tucker and Dale vs Evil, and it was great. Cannibal: The Musical was also pretty good in a bad way, no one has suggested it yet - we used to have bad movie night in high school and we watched that, alongside some...truly awful movies. I'll go through and throw out a list of movies I liked when I get some more time, thanks for the suggestions so far!

Arbre

Trial by Fire: A Carrier Fights for Life

During Vietnam, a series of fluke accidents caused one of the missiles in one of the on-board aircraft (it's John McCain's aircraft, and at one point you can see him jump out of the cockpit and get away from the jet as fast as possible) to misfire onto the USS Forrestal.  This video is taken from all of the cameras they have on deck, showing their six hour fight for life.  They're monochome and a bit grainy, so it's not like you're seeing blood splatter or anything, but the fact that you see six people fun forward, an explosion throw them back, and only two get back up..  The whole video is traumatizing.  They show it at boot camp before firefighting week to basically show us how important the training we're receiving is.  It's probably the most emotional thing I've ever watched.

Teani

Like soldier-y stuff? If you haven't seen already, watch:

We were soldiers - Mel Gibson. Pretty amazing really.
Black Hawk down - Also a good one.

Behind enemy lines - Love this one.

I don't have netflix myself, so I can't say for sure if they're up there, but they should be!

Konnorn

War Movie? Best one is without a doubt La vita é bella (Life is beautiful), an italian Movie about ww2.

Moirean

King of Hearts will forever be my favorite war movie. It's an insightful comedy about a soldier who ends up in a town that has been evacuated, leaving the (harmless) residents of the insane asylum behind. They get out and return to their lives pre-institutionalization and then he enters the town, none the wiser. Amazing portrayal of the absurdity and insanity that can exist in war.

Arbre

They wouldn't let us go outside and watch thre fireworks on the Forth of July, but the did let us watch Blck Hawk Down that day in boot camp.

Alastair

Haha @Arbre my first day in the DEP for USMC my recruiter had us watch like the first 30 mins of FMJ, but they stopped before Pyle wastes DI Hartmann.