Film recommendations

[Sh4rkyBloke]

Hello all.

It's probably been done before somewhere on here (I seem to remember some threads about peoples fave films) - but I somehow seem to have been given 3 months free DVD rentals on LoveFilm.com and am looking for new films to line up in my 'rental list'.

Can anyone suggest some films which they rate, and give a brief outline of why this film would be worth adding to my list?

I will watch pretty much anything (i.e b/w, subtitled, any genre etc.) and there's no particular slot that films I have enjoyed fit into (AFAIK). To give some idea of films I have enjoyed and recommended to others I include the following list (in no particular order):

A Few good Men
OldBoy
Platoon
12 Angry Men
The Abyss
Hard Candy
Shutter
Shawshank Redemption
Snatch
Schindler's List
Crash
Infernal Affairs
Rain Man

So, my fellow cycling citizens, can you assist me please?

 

[ChrisKH]

Gangster - Lock Stock & Two Smoking Barrels - Prequel to Snatch, but I presume you've seen it. Other good ones of that genre are The Long Good Friday; this is just a classic.

SciFi - Try Dark Starfor an alternative view of the Universe. A bit dated but it never fails to make me laugh.

Alternative - Trainspotting - not a feelgood movie but an exceptional film IMO.

 

[Fnaar]

"Carry On Screaming" has everything that you could ever want in a film!

 

[ChrisKH]

And then of course there's The Flying Scotsman. Haven't seen it meself yet but must be worth a punt.

 

[walker]

coach Carter, Best film I've seen in a long time

 

[sheddy]

Any film without an American script

 

[longers]

La Haine
Twentyfourseven (british film despite the title)
Glengarry Glenross
Boogie nights
City of God (Cidade de deus)

P.s. Sharkybloke - you mentioned a while back about diving at Capernwray quarry and I said about spending my youth swimming and jumping at Jackdaw. They are one and the same place.

 

[SamNichols]

This is England is great, a fairly harrowing British flick about the skinhead movement, set in the 80s. The little kid in it is incredible for a 14 year old with no acting training.
A Scanner Darkly - the recent film based on the Philip K Dick. It uses a technique that I believe is called something like 'rotoscoping', in which a film is shot live action, and then animation is overlaid it. A good critique of increasing government surveillance and the paranoia of drugs.
School of Rock, a very silly but very endearing knock around comedy about rock and roll.
Hidden (cache) Nothing really happens, but a great film none the less - you said you don't mind subtitled film, well this is a French film directed by an Austrian. The Three Colours trilogy are also great films - each stars different people and are about different things, but combine to make a complex trilogy with some amount of interlinking narrative.
Brick - I cannot recommend this film enough. It is an American indie film that combines too very disparate genres - the high school drama, and Film Noir - into a complex whole that is both funny and also highly moving. Seriously, this film is mindblowingly excellent if you like American indie pics.

 

[papercorn2000]

College Lesbians 4 is, in my humble opinion a classic of the genre.

 

[ajevans]

Stroszek by Werner Herzog. Schizophrenic (played by a schizophrenic) travels with a prostitute to the US to pursue the American dream but the reality is somewhat different. Best ending of any film IMO. Allegedly Ian Curtis of Joy Division hung himself after watching this film.
Stalker by Andrei Tarkovsky. Slow paced and not much happens but I find it absolutely fascinating.
Ikiru by Akira Kurasawa. Really touching film about a terminally ill middle aged man who tries to give his life some meaning before he dies.
Secrets & Lies by Mike Leigh. Underrated low-key British drama.
A Taste of Honey by Tony Richardson. Classic film from the ‘British New Wave’.
Scum by Alan Clarke. Is the daddy of prison films.
The Big Lebowski. The dude abides.

 

[Sh4rkyBloke]

Lock Stock & Two Smoking Barrels - Seen, and enjoyed.

The Long Good Friday - Recorded this from Film4 a few months ago, haven't gotten around to watching it yet though.

Dark Star - Not heard of this one... imdb.com here I come.

Trainspotting - Archie Gemmill's goal - rofl - got to rank up there as one of the more surreal movie moments.

Carry On Screaming - Sounds like Patrick's kind of movie . Okay, I lied about giving pretty much anything a go - I draw the line at Carry On films, and low budget porn*

The Flying Scotsman - I'll look this one up too, cheers.

Coach Carter - Fairly standard A to B get-the-best-from-a-bunch-of-kids-who-are-quite-disaffected, but that Mr Jackson does have some screen presence! I enjoyed this one too, it probably helped that I like Basketball though.

La Haine, Twentyfourseven and Glengarry Glenross - some more to look up for info, thanks.

Boogie nights - It was okay, not sure how much more I expected form it though.

City of God (Cidade de deus) - I have this one awaiting my viewing. It sounded really gritty and interesting, and also (by the writeup) includes another of my pasttimes in photography. I'll let you know what my verdict is on this one soon.

This is England - Sounds like one I watched some time ago with a different name.... which escapes me at the moment.
-- Edit: Romper Stomper was the one I have seen.
I've now added this to my list too.

A Scanner Darkly - sounds interesting. Isn't rotoscoping the technique they used on that Fat Kid Does Star Wars clip that circulated the internet some time ago... to fill out the Light Sabre effects on the stick he was waving around?

School of Rock - Is this the Jack Black flick? It looked like a bit of a giggle so thanks for the reminder.

Hidden (cache) - I'll look into this one too.

The Three Colours trilogy - Keep meaning to see these (along with other 'well known' subtitled films such as Amelie, Man Bites Dog etc.

Brick - Never heard of it. Have no idea about this one, but will have soon though.

College Lesbians 4 - I thought this lacked the plot of previous outings (excuse the pun), with a far less intuitive subtext being pressed onto the viewer. Some action scenes seemed to be lacking in depth, and the lighting left a lot to be desired with its stark juxtaposition against the mood being conveyed. The soundtrack was pants too.



* 'onest Guvnor

 

[Sh4rkyBloke]

More suggestions - keep 'em coming thanks!!

Stroszek - Sounds like an honest chirpy film which may dull whatever mood you may be in. I nearly rented a similar sounding film (similar in its darkness rather than its plot) called Lilya 4-ever... anyone care to comment on this one??

Stalker - Cheers, another to look up.

Ikiru - ...and another

Secrets & Lies - Heard of this one, but never looked into it.

A Taste of Honey - errrrm, do I need a subscription for imdb.com???

Scum - Seen this some years ago. Agree with your thoughts.

The Big Lebowski - On my rental list at the moment.

 

[papercorn2000]

"College Lesbians 4 - I thought this lacked the plot of previous outings (excuse the pun), with a far less intuitive subtext being pressed onto the viewer. Some action scenes seemed to be lacking in depth, and the lighting left a lot to be desired with its stark juxtaposition against the mood being conveyed. The soundtrack was pants too. "

Did you think so? I thought that the dialogue was beautifully written and the way the lead actors really made you believe in their characters was, well, touching.

 

[Tetedelacourse]

More recently:

Pan's Labyrinth; Spanish (I think) film about a little girl accessing a land of fantasy/ legend during the Spanish civil war.

Red Road: Scots film set in Glasgow. Brilliant acting but not the cheeriest.

Older:

The Straight Story: old timer decides to visit his brother who lives in another state. His only means of transport is his lawn mower. David Lynch directed. Endearing.

Sin City: 3 or 4 mini stories, brilliantly shot by Robert Rodriguez with great cast, in semi-comic book style.

Capote: Quite interesting, based on the author Truman Capote's fascination with a small town murder, which became a best seller in the US.

Sixth Sense If you haven't seen it or heard the ending, excellent film.

Star Trek 3: The Search for Spock. Spock goes missing and the rest search for him. Be warned though. If you're a Leonard Nimoy fan, he's only in it at the end.

I thought A Scanner Darkly was awful! But each to their own!

If you're looking for different things, Dogville. But it is the singular most god-awful film I've ever seen.

 

[papercorn2000]

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly can't be beaten, even with a very big stick!
Apocalypse Now! try and get the Director's cut (almost an hour longer!)
Come and See - harrowing Russian war film (recommended by someone, I forget who, from this very parish).
Downfall - as above, but in German
Sex Orgy Hotel - educational but it was in French with Dutch subtitles so you may not be able to follow all the subtleties of the plot.