[Quiet Man Cometh]

Yup, another one! Usual stuff: one film at a time (can be short film or a movie, or a specific episode title included- in a series), and posters must wait for at least one other person to post their suggestions before posting another one. You're reasons can be anything you found noteworthy about the film (even if it just's "this is the funniest thing I've ever seen") but try to elaborate a little beyond 'this is a good movie. You should watch it.'

If a film has multiple versions, please be specific about which one you are talking about (the release date from imdb.com would work).

I will keep a list up here with what's already been suggested.

Page 1 (at default posts per page)
1. Neon Genesis Evangelion: End of Evangelion (1997)
2. John Dies at the End (2012)
3. Gattaca (1997)
4. Conan the Barbarian (1982)
5. The Breakfast Club (1985)
6. Labyrinth (1986)
7. Blazing Saddles (1974)
8. These Amazing Shadows (2011)
9. Wreck-It Ralph (2012)
10. Blade Runner (1982)
11. We're No Angels (1955)
12. Princess Mononoke (1997)
13. Soylent Green (1973)
14. Tokyo Godfathers (2003)
15. The Ghost and the Darkness (1996)

Page 2
16. Persona (1966)
17. Monty Python's The Meaning of life (1997)
18. Origin Spirits of the Past (2006)
19. Pacific Rim (2013)
20. L�t den r�tte komma in (2008)
(English = "Let the Right One In.")
21. Arsenic and Old Lace (1944)

Page 3
22. Alien (1979)
23. Secondhand Lions (2003)
24. Spirited Away (2001)
25. Aliens (1986)
26. Puppet Master (1989)
27. Paprika (2006)
28. The Cell (2000)
29. October Sky 1999

Page 4
30. Through the Never (2013)
31. "Hush" (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, season 4) - 1999
32. The Room (2005)
33. The Others (2001)
34. Logan (2017)
35. Oldboy (2003)
36. Mama (2013)
37. Method (2017)

Page 5
38. John Carpenter's The Thing (1982)
39. What We do in the Shadows (2014)
40. Kiki's Delivery Service (1989)
41. My Neighbor Toroto (20th Century Fox dub, 2002)
42. Snatch (2000)
43. "Once More With Feeling" (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, season 6) - 2001
44. When Marnie Was There (2014)
45. Just My Luck (2006)
46. Koe No Katachi (2016)
47. The Bucket List (2007)



As I had no immediate thoughts on this topic, someone else gets to pick the first film!

[Suzerain of Sheol]

1. End of Evangelion

And the first film on the list is an anime... oh my! This is probably my favorite movie ever, and for anyone not familiar with the concept of the series, it's essentially a deconstruction (I really seem to like these things...) of mecha anime and the triumph of spirited young people in the face of overwhelming adversity.

A horrifying psychological exploration of a tormented, traumatized, unstable young boy, the film is absolutely bursting with (rather disturbing) symbolism ranging from occult Judeo-Christian lore, psycho-sexual Freudian metaphors, and a few moments of postmodern mimesis that present the dissolution of a human mind in a manner that is nothing short of exhausting to watch.

I've only seen it once, and I'm honestly not sure I could bare to watch it again. The experience of it is just so overwhelming, but it is absolutely a "must watch" to me, I've never encountered anything else like it. Watching it, you can just feel your subconscious being spoken to directly, even while your conscious brain is reeling in confusion and horror.

The rest of the Evangelion series I could take or leave, but this film in particular is a masterpiece.

[Quiet Man Cometh]

2. John Dies at the End (2012)

Based on a novel which I now intend to track down and read. I'm really not sure what to make of this film. The book is horror/comedy. It seems a little like a stoner movie that isn't a stoner movie. Perhaps sci-fi, perhaps fantasy, perhaps comedy, perhaps apocalyptic. The plot is fairly simple, two guys encounter a strange street drug that gives them the ability to mess with time and find themselves among alien beings and a mission to save the world, but it's how the film is executed that really makes one quirk an eyebrow.

It's different.

[Lawtan]

3 - Gattaca - 1997

Gattaca is a commentary on both the progress of biological science and on the caste/class into which human societies force others into in the name of efficiency and progress. In the not-to-distant future, it is your genetics, not your race/gender/creed, that is the source of discrimination.

In this world - a biological-punk world - people now only have 1-2 children a family, selected and grown from specific combinations of the parents' genetic makeup (test tube babies). As such, illicit affairs outside of the lab are looked down upon, and children begotten in such a manner are suited only for the lower class (Janitorial work, mining, etc.)

However, one such fellow, Freeman, dreams of going into space, and nature does not fully determine nurture. When one of the more perfect "test-tube" people winds up crippled, Freeman is able to take the guy's place (using hair and all for the frequent genetic screenings) and is able to trick the system. Freeman also overcomes mistakes in his genetics, such as allergic reactions, in pursuit of his dream.

Another important factor would be the comparison of Freeman to his brother, a "perfect" person. While his brother could outperform on almost all levels, Freeman winds up winning in the end.

All in all, this is a movie that shows how a great scientific idea could be used and abused to the point of creating a caste-like system, and how even such a system (caste based on scientific research) cannot account for/control everything.

At least, that is how I viewed it.

[Quiet Man Cometh]

4. Conan the Barbarian - 1982

New one is okay I suppose, but I still prefer this one. For those interested in fantasy-esque adventure movies I have to recommend this one, even if you don't know a thing about Conan. (I certainly didn't the first time I watched this, and I don't know all that much about him now).

Okay, so it's not exactly profound, or meaningful, but for what it is I think it's an honestly well made movie. The score is great, one of the few soundtracks I own and listened to on a regular basis before I lost it >.< and much of the film has a rather understated feel to it as opposed to the typical grand heroic story with moments of withering sorrow and epic triumph.

The plot is nothing exceptional, really. A rise from the ashes revenge story. Conan's family and people are slaughtered by the villain and he is sold as a slave, and it goes from there. He meets people, does things, all the while seeking revenge. What I think makes this film stand out to me are the small details here and there. The fact that the rogue-type character isn't an oaf after gold and treasure (in the second film on the other hand...let's not go there), Conan and Valeria don't make silly goo-goo eyes at each other or stumble around being oh-so-not-in-love-really-we-mean-it or snapping at each other in an effort to build sexual tension, the moments of conversation and observations that develop character, and the fact that there is no blatant attempt at comic relief (well, Mako, possibly, but he's useful and does stuff). Some of it is a little over the top, but for the most part the action is believable and practical, minus giant snakes and people with big hammers toppling pillars over.

One thing that another fan mentioned to me that I also like about the story is that Conan's not making an obvious attempt to be a hero. He's out for his own gain, to his own ends, and when all is said and done he is left with the choice of whether or not to take that extra step beyond his own endeavors and become a hero.

Conan changes throughout the story, and even the villain isn't the same in the end as he was in the beginning. A lot of time has passed and it shows.

Okay, that's done with. I will get to something serious at some point, really.

[Fauxreal]

5. The Breakfast Club - 1985

Damn. I love 80's movies. The Breakfast is the quintessential 80's teenage angst movies. It is quoted in many movies since. It's a pop icon. Directed and written by John Hughes. I love John Hughes. <3

So, here you have a study of high school stereotypes. It's brilliant. It's funny, and puppy love romantic. I like that there is both a boy point of view and a girl point of view!

I don't think it will change you life, but I can watch this movie on repeat. <3

We're all pretty bizarre. Some of us are just better at hiding it, that's all.

[Quiet Man Cometh]

6. Labyrinth (1986)

Just a fun movie! Jim Hensen film, so puppets. Brian Froud is the creative designer (known for his fairy books, also worked on Dark Crystal). The acting and the music can be cheesy at times, but it's lighthearted and entertaining. Something I watch all the time when it's on. And, of course, David Bowie.

I could say more, but it doesn't seem to be the sort of movie that one really needs to get technical about.

[Fauxreal]

(No fair! Quiet! I was going to say that one next!)

7. Blazing Saddles (1974)

A black sheriff?!

Yes. This movie is so irreverent and has very adult humor and jokes. But it's also funny! Basically, it makes fun of everyone equally.
Mel Brooks - is pure genius.

At the base of the film, a racist town gets a black sheriff. Hilarity ensues.

If you are easily offended...
... if you get offended at all...
don't watch this film.

[Quiet Man Cometh]

Hee hee. Blazing Saddles is actually in the National Film Registry as a movie that has culture/cinematic value. There was a documentary on the registry called These Amazing Shadows (I think) that was quite interesting to watch. I think I'll put that on here!

8. These Amazing Shadows (2011)

A documentary about the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress. The registry was started to preserve films that were seen have cultural or cinematic value, such as through what they represented, how they reflected society, or what they added to cinema in terms of special effects, stuff that is in general noteworthy.

What I find interesting is that to qualify for the registry, a film must be at least 10 years old, so the "flavour of the month" film isn't going to get accepted. It includes short film, movies, new reels, etc.

[Salone]

9. Wreck-It Ralph

First off, it's a video game movie that actually works. Why, you ask? Because it has no source material to tear apart. Setting the movie up in a Toy Story-like theme, the characters in video games have lives of their own, their jobs being their own games. There's just one problem: Ralph has been a villain for thirty years, and he's tired of it.

So he abandons his game.

The movie explores the havoc this creates. From risking his game being unplugged, the clashes of different characters of different generations, and one unlucky arcade goer, the plot explores what happens when one person decides to challenge what they are meant for in life.

Overall it has an excitingly varied set of atmospheres, endearing characters that you cannot help but love and several direct punches right in the feels. Easily the best video game related movie of all time.

[Quiet Man Cometh]

10. Blade Runner (1982)

Getting a number of 80s movies here.

Blade Runner is a Ridley Scott movie based on the novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, but the movie varies quite a bit to the point where they are essentially two different entities (for instance, the film's noticeable lack of Mercerism and electric sheep).

I enjoy this film for a number of reasons: the atmosphere, the setting, the characters (Roy Batty in particular). It's a dystopian cyberpunk story that deals with life and what it means to live, as the main character butts heads with rogue androids that he's hunting.

Along with Labyrinth, it's another film that I will flick to if I happen to see it on TV.

[Fauxreal]

11. We're No Angels - 1955

Now, I did not want to see this movie, but it is now one of my watch every year x-mas movies.

It's about three convicts and a snake who escape prison, Humphrey Bogart being one of them. :) They sort of adopt this family on the Island they land on.
It's ADORABLE!

I know not many people have seen this - so I don't want to spoil to much. :D

[Lawtan]

*Does not know if Soylent Green would be worthy of this list*

12. Princess Mononoke (1997)
I've only known about movies made by Hayao Miyazaki for a short time, but I'd say that he would be to Anime what Disney was to cartoons. Princess Mononoke would be my favorite of the ones I've seen so far (Howl's Moving Castle is a runner-up). In it, the gods of the natural woods are infected by man, and become demons. One young lad from a near-extinct became mortally infected in the process of fending off one of the infected gods. He is thus sent on a quest to find the source of this corruption/infection.

This, I find, is a good example of Hayao Miyazaki's work. It has top-notch animation, believable (likable?) characters, left me asking questions, and has a strong storyline. It is reminiscent of the first cartoon movies Walt Disney made in that the world is narrowed down greatly to focus on the local area and develop the characters (not through a montage!).

[Quiet Man Cometh]

Why not? I'll put it on.I forgot all about it. :)

13 - Soylent Green (1973)

I think most people are at least familiar with the title of this film if nothing else. The premise is simple: humanity has severely overpopulated the Earth, and the Soylent company provides food products that resemble Kraft Singles, with their newest, abundant product being Soylent Green (there's Brown, Yellow, etc.). We follow Charlton Heston's character, a detective who's investigations are causing trouble.

One of the things I like about this film is the interaction between the skeptical protag and his friend who remembers how the Earth used to be, and is depressed because of how far things have deteriorated. He tells Heson's character about greenery, animals, and fresh food and the protag doesn't believe him.

When you see a montage of famous movie scenes, the final scene from Soylent Green is often in it, though I won't quote it since that would spoil things. ;)

[Kalei]

Tokyo Godfathers (2003)
(This is another anime, sorry.)
It's basically about three hobos who find a baby in a dumpster on Christmas eve. They then set out to return the baby to her mother, hyjinks ensue. This movie is funny, but still manages to make you ball your eyes out by the time it's over.

An overreaching theme of the movie is family. We find out why each homeless person ran away and by the end the main characters are reunited with their family one way or another.

Another good thing about the film is that one of the characters is transgender and it's played straight. No excuses like 'it's just a dude who likes wearing a dress because of ____' like a lot of anime does. The issue is treated realistically.

[Quiet Man Cometh]

Nothing wrong with Anime. I tend to look at is as being more of a medium than a genre, given how much ground it can cover. Compare anything Miyazaki to Perfect Blue, for example.


15. The Ghost and the Darkness 1996

This is a good movie. I'm hesitant to call it horror because it's more sophisticated than the term usually implies, but it does have its jump scares and blood and such. I'd say it's something in between horror-adventure-drama.

It's based on a true story about a pair of lions that terrorized a bridge project in Africa. I enjoy the music, and there's more depth to the main character, played by Val Kilmer, than one normally finds in a movie about animals attacking people.

It's another one of those films that I watch whenever I see it on TV. I've seen it enough times that I hardly need to pay attention, but I still enjoy it.