Film Recommendations

This topic came up in the 'Continuity thread' so my post is pretty much what I posted there.

Before anyone starts, this isn't another 'favourite film' topic. I thought it would be a good idea to have a thread where people could list films that might be helpful to watch and hopefully make us into better filmmakers. I'm not advocating un-originality but everyone knows watching good films can only help a person's creativity.

So here are some little known, and maybe more widely known films that I would like to recommend to you all.

Christiane F - 70s German film about a young girl who gets drawn into drugs. Naturlistic and very underrated.

Bully - Larry Clark (Director of Kids) Great performances and very well shot, interesting story too.

Sex and Lucia - Julio Medem. Shot on HD and one of the most visually beautiful films I've ever seen. It's a really good advert for shooting on HD. The interweaving, complicated story keeps the interest up all the way through. Anything by Medem is always fantastic, e.g. The Red Squirell.

Noi Albinoi - Icelandic, saw it recently and it blew me away with the whole relaxedness of it. I wish more Directors were brave enough to hold on beautiful shots longer.

(On a side note, possibly new topic altogether?, Producers or studio execs will usually get all the nice, contemplative shots taken out because it seems boring to them. Thankfully Europe, especially France still allows a lot of the sort of stuff I'm referring to.)

The Pornographer - French, isn't really about porn, has lots of long takes and long holds at the end of shots, just what I'm referring to above. Jean Pierre Leaud gives a great performance as an old film director coaxed out of retirement to direct a porn film.

And some others I can't be arsed to explain. Just watch them:
Aguirre Wrath of God, Fitzcarraldo - Both Werner Herzog
Dark Star - John Carpenter's zero budget masterpeice.
Hotel - Mike Figgis' improvised crazyness.

All the Real Girls - Look out for it on DVD. It didn't get much cinema exposure but is one of the best films I've seen in the last year. Another naturalistic, relaxed piece with very well-drawn, real characters. (Can you tell I like my naturalism?)

That's all for this week.

Andy

Quote:

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Originally posted by andyblaa:
Dark Star - John Carpenter's zero budget masterpeice.

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<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">This is a little embarrasing... 'Dark Star' is the only one on your list that I have seen. I've never even heard of most of the other ones on your list.

Another movie that was shot on HD is called 'Session 9'. The pace was a little on the slow side for me, and I had a tough time getting into some of the characters. However, some of the imagery was fantastic. I remember one scene in particular that was simply a wheelchair in the middle of an empty hallway. I know it doesn't sound like anything special, but something about the way the shot was lit, the colors, etc. really sent a chill down my spine. Shots like that really changed my opinion of the movie.

Chinatown
Maltese Falcon
Lawrence of Arbia
---------------------------------
With an Honorable Mention going to:
The Good The Bad and The Ugly
Blow-Up
Weekend

Please note that these films are not in any sort of order. There really are to many to list and I could have put any number of others where you see what I did pick. It is all dependant on my mood--I could have thrown in 2001, Triumph of the Will, Olympiad, Hiroshima Mon Amour--Well you get the idea.

Good Luck

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ March 12, 2004 12:00 PM: Message edited by: Nigel ]</font>

I shamefully have to admit that I've only seen Chinatown, Lawrence of Arabia and Weekend out of Nigel's list. Weekend is worth watching just for the amazingly long track along the car pile-up.

I saw Session 9 and found it very forgetable, I didn't realise it was shot on HD though. I agree about the character issue, there was no-one I had any interest in and that made me lose interest in the whole story really. As much as he tries, David Caruso is never going to be leading man material.

Keep them coming, my list of films I must watch is growing all the time.

Andy

mmmm, tricky. in absolutely no order:

Living in Oblivion

Bowfinger

The Wizard of Speed and Time

UHF

Volere Volare

Mishima

Tucker: The Man and His Dream

Man Bites Dog

Memento

Subway

THX1138

Das Boot

Soldier of Orange

that's about all I can think of right now.

do avoid Liquid Sky though

WOO-HOO!! Miker is the ONLY other person I've heard mention WIZARD OF SPEED & TIME! Excellent film, goofy, but in an excellent sort of way. [img]tongue.gif[/img]

cannibal the musical

For me, the most important aspects of film directing are

-a comprehensive, complete, total understanding of human psychology
-the psychological impact of each and every possible choice of narrative construction

These are conceptual factors, not technical ones. They're not the ONLY things a director needs to know, but, for me, the most important.

Human psychology plays a part not only in the characters on the page and directing talent - but in how you work with your cast and crew as people. Delegating, solving problems, etc.

But as far as directing actors, I can't think of a better ensamble acted film than BLOODY SUNDAY. But this may be different for other people. I am more of a realist than a formalist. And BLOODY SUNDAY is without a doubt set in realism more than formalism.

SERPICO
TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE (original)
DOG DAY AFTERNOON
BREAD AND ROSES
...realist films.

ANYTHING WITH TOM HANKS AND ANYTHING BY SAM MENDES, STEVEN SPIELBERG, ROBERT ZEMECKIS
...formalism.

I don't know if this show is on in the UK, but here in the states, on HBO, is a show called CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM. The way this show is directed makes complete sense to me. And the show is often hilarious and witty. Some very sharp observations about the everyday absurdity of life.

The scenes are scripted, but most of the dialogue is improvised. And each actor is only told what they need to know.

I agree with Texas Cahinsaw Massacre. I don't know whatever happened to Tobe Hooper after Poltergeist (except that he directed an episode of Taken) but I saw one of his films recently called 'Spontanous Combustion', one of the cheapest, lamest horror movies ever, and felt sad at what a fall from grace he had suffered.

Some more from me:

La Haine-After seeing this, Mathieu Kassovitz immediatly went into my top ten director's list. Amazing, brutal, and shot on black and white-Try to seek out a decent DVD version as the UK version is hard to read-The subtitles are embossed on the screen and in white.

Taxi Driver-I can't get away from this movie. In my opinion, the best ever made. People should watch it just for what Scorsese does with the camera-Sometimes he isn't even focused on the subject, he just lets us see the envoirment around him.

Leon-Arguably Luc Besson's best film, it shows how a relationship goes from nothing to something, and what their is to break that. It's not just an action film, as what a lot of people perceive it as, and Jean Reno is superb in the lead.

And last but not least, A Bout de Souffle. Amazing, stylised, not bothered with cnvention (and I'm going back to the last thread here) I really want to make a movie like this when I'm oler, but set in London! The British New Wave, or Angleterre Nouvelle Vage as it would undoubtedly be called.

Or, as some one will undoubtedly point out, 'British Ripping off from the old French masters'!

This is a very tough question - not completely sure what you're after. Most of the true greats are American films we all know and love and I think that ALL the Sight and Sound Top 10 should be essential viewing for everyone. So to stray a little from the well beaten track and name a few that may not be so familiar:

In alphabetical order:

? 'Barton Fink' (lots of lingering shots for you in this, Andy)
? 'Double Indemnity' - this IMO is classic film-making at its very best.
? 'La Jett?e' - this has to be right up there in terms of inspiration - it's told all (apart from one shot) in photographic stills -awesome.
? 'Jules et Jim'
? 'Last Year at Marienbad'
? 'Mulholland Drive'
? 'Three Colours: Red'

And a few shots/sequences that stand out in my memory - from mainly a visual point of view:
? The ending of 'The Third Man'
? The intro to 'Amelie' - this has to be up there for me as one of the most inspiring and heart-warming pieces of film ever.
? The end of the original 'All Quiet on The Western Front'
? Woody Allen's monologue/intro narration on 'Manhattan' up to and including the Gershwin music and fireworks.
? The Nine Kings of Men stand in a V-shape and hold up their rings in LOTR: FOTR
? The shower scene in 'Psycho' - all of this is absolutely BRILLIANTLY done but I particulary like the section after the murder - the slow shot from the plug hole that cuts to her eye.
? Almost ALL the shots in '2001: A Space Odyssey' are stunning.
? The shots in 'The Piano' of the piano on the beach - what a beautiful juxta-position.
? The landing sequences at the beginning of 'Saving Private Ryan'.
? Gene Kelly 'Singing in the Rain' sequence- nice touch at the end when he hands a passer-by his umbrella
? The stand-off at the end of 'The Good, the Bad and the Ugly', no dialogue, just music and shots of faces, eyes and hands - superb tension.
? The cloud/eye cut in Un Chien Andalou
? Rear WIndow - James Stewart and Grace Kelly kiss in staccato slow motion
? When James Stewart first sees Kim Novak in 'Vertigo' she walks by and stops in profile - the background turns to red - gorgeous.
? The sequence at the end of 'Battleship Potemkin' - yep this is an obvious one but the bit when the lion statue looks like it's turned its head is brilliant.
? The intro to 'Metropolis' with he shots of machines that dissolve into one another. Pure art.
? It has become a pop video clich? but the time-lapse shots of people and cars in 'Koyaanisqatsi'.
? The production of the uncle tom's cabin play in 'The King and I'. Absolutely beautifully done: maximum meaning - minimum means, in full effect.
? 'The Red Shoes' - the 20 minute ballet sequence - magical!!!

Oops - I'd better stop there, I've gone on a bit - sorry.

Laughing Duck: Someone beat you too the "Breathless in London idea", all be it in the form of a short, "Je Taime John Wayne". You can find it on the interesting Cinema 16 DVD, an eclectic mix of British shorts.

Jurrasic Park
Starwars III
Barton Fink
Fargo
Back To The Future
Blade Runner
Lawrence of Arabia
Being John Malkovich
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Pulp Fiction

These are basically my favorite flicks I've ever seen, out of the entire list my favorites are Blade Runner and Being John Malkovich. I have a lot more movies I loved, but I can't think of them.

The most interesting film I've seen of late has to be the documentary called 'Cinemania,' one about five distinguished individuals who have absolutely no lives save for the films they watch on an hourly basis (and, no, that wasn't a vain attempt to insult and humiliate you, which I assumed would be painfully obvious in a forum like this). When I say they have no lives outside of the films they watch, I MEAN they have absolutely no lives outside of the films they watch. They see four or five films daily. Theatrically. I shudder to think about how these people managed their time during the 2003 blackout.

Take Harvey, for example. Owns thousands of soundtrack LP's, including one for Evil Dead II. Doesn't own a record player. Jack physically conspiates himself to avoid missing out on it all. Eric stays in his revolting studio apartment all day watching fuck-awful musicals.

And the sad thing is, despite their prolific cinematic insight, they rarely seem to enjoy, or even like, what they spend their waking hours watching.

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ March 14, 2004 06:21 PM: Message edited by: The Cavity ]</font>

Looking through your list of recomendations I find it hard to believe that no one has mentioned Friedrich Murnau, the master of the silent film and (in my mind) the entire horror genre.

Nosferatu is a masterpiece, and his adaption of Goethe's Faust is breathtaking- watch both of them at least.

Sorry to gush guys but I had to make up for lost praise here.

Anyway, other recomendations are Osama and Amelie

Quote:

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Originally posted by Brainmuncher:
Looking through your list of recomendations I find it hard to believe that no one has mentioned Friedrich Murnau, the master of the silent film and (in my mind) the entire horror genre.

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<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I was close to putting Murnau's 'Sunrise' on my list. I agree with you about Nosferatu - some of the shots in the that are fantastic! I'm not sure what it is about some of the really old films but to me they have an incredible sense of style that way surpasses that of the overly slick and perfect lighting and composition of most contemporary films.

&gt;I was close to putting Murnau's 'Sunrise' on my
&gt;list. I agree with you about Nosferatu - some of
&gt;the shots in the that are fantastic! I'm not
&gt;sure what it is about some of the really old
&gt;films but to me they have an incredible sense of
&gt;style that way surpasses that of the overly
&gt;slick and perfect lighting and composition of
&gt;most contemporary films.

I agree, it may have something to do with them being silent. This changes so much, in my opinion, the story can only be told through very selective shots.

Sunrise is an amazing film, there are some very contemporary shots/angles in there which I was really suprised to see in such an old film.

I agree - the story has to be told in a purely visual means - so strong graphic images are the key. I love the look of those films - they just look so great. (And that's back when the movie poster was an art form too.)

(blade runner has some awesome lightning) But anyways, isn't this topic a bit useless because every movie can teach you something? Even how NOT to do some things?

It's okay, I have a few more ideas for a 'New Wave in London' movie (even if I don't shoot it in London LOL)

I plan to shoot it whilst I'm up there on film school, dirt cheap on Super 16. Course, that's ages away yet.

I've kept out of this thread until now because I thought that it may have ended up being a dick-sizing contest; people trying to say the most obscure titles as possible to try and 'impress' us.

I thought I was kinda right when people said they were embarassed for not seeing films others recommended- sorry, but I can't stand that!

I'm not going to say any films, but let me throw a theoretical idea at you all: Do you think you could make better films if you never watched anyone else's? [img]graemlins/hmmm.gif[/img]

Quote:

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Originally posted by Kev O.:
I've kept out of this thread until now because I thought that it may have ended up being a dick-sizing contest; people trying to say the most obscure titles as possible to try and 'impress' us.

I thought I was kinda right when people said they were embarassed for not seeing films others recommended- sorry, but I can't stand that!

I'm not going to say any films, but let me throw a theoretical idea at you all: Do you think you could make better films if you never watched anyone else's? [img]graemlins/hmmm.gif[/img]

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<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">That's a rather silly question to back up your argument (which I agree with, BTW). I sincerly doubt it would be feasible to actually *make* films had you not seen the work of others.

Is there not someone who posts here that doesnt watch other films regularly?

In response to Kev's question - no. I dont think I could make personally adequate cinema without drawing on other influence. Outside forces tend to help fan the flame.

Cavity- sorry, but the question wasn't backing up my comment- I just felt like giving people something to think about given what people had said previously.

*I must say fair play to Andy whose original point was more or less- if anything, watching more films can only make us better filmmakers, it's when you hear 'essential viewing' or 'I'm embarrassed that I haven't seen so and so' and then list after list of films is when it gets silly.*

And Brainmuncher, I will play devils advocate and say theoretically couldn't other people's work and outside influence piss on the flame as well as fan it?

I suppose my point here is that I won't judge people's work on what they've seen, or been influenced by- because at the end of the day your work is exactly that. It is possible to get too bound up in trying to quote as many films as possible and re-create ideas, when at the end of it it's your own original ideas, thoughts, expreriments and honest work that could impress others more than anything.

Rant over.

I thought of a question like that a while ago as well. Could someone with REAL TALENT make good movies, without EVER having seen one?

I honestly don't know. I don't think so. He won't even know what a bloody 'movie is'.

Ok, having seen just 1 then.

i say watch The five pillars of Ejypt

that is the best black and white movie i have ever seen

the story line is fantastic

this will sound odd cos i don't know the name of this film

ok here goes

assassin (monk in bullet proof monk) is hired to kill cops son (as he killed triad gang leaders son) ropes in gorgeous forger to make passport to hong kong

ends in a rather good gunfight with and engraved bullet delivering final blow to monks employer


if anyone has a clue to what this film is please tell all

also the matrix revolutions. one of the most thrilling films i have ever seen

i say return of the king but i wasn't that impressed
(good luck with that film)

replacement killers

Kev, you old cynic!

I just wanted to hear of some really good films I might not have heard of. I'm a fan of cinema and watching films as much as anything and I like to watch good films.

I could talk about what I like in a film, but that would take far too long!

I think we've got a fairly good list of films anyhow, hopefully I'll get to watch at least some of them before I die.

Andy

One more: City of The Lost Children.

It came on Tuesday from the States and I watched it four times in a row (once with the commentary on mind, which was amn good)

And yes, I am indeed a Jeunet/Caro nut.