Favorite Films (lists up to participating site members)

[Paddy Goose]

Random Harvest
Picnic
Bridge on the River Kwai
Vertigo
Psycho
From Russia with Love
Zulu
The Fugitive
Terminator II
Silence of the Lambs

[GUT]

It was pretty good. I saw it on a rental several years ago.

Loosely [Very loosely] based on the murder of Peter Falconio.

There is a two and three coming I believe.

[Steadmund Brand]

It's a new year and I feel like a new list.. how about films with multiple sequels (and if you didn't like the sequels please say which you liked and did not like).. could be a fun list…I hope anyway.. again, in no particular order

1- Star Wars ( 4, 5 and 6 only for me… I really hated the “prequels” )
2- Rocky- I loved the original, II was ok.. I hated 3-5 but have to admit I enjoyed the last one
3- James Bond series- some great, some lame (and a few where time has been most unkind)
4- Die Hard- first one only for me…one of my favorite Christmas films!!
5- Mad Max series- Road Warrior and Mad Max only--- no need for Thunderdome!!
6- Planet of the Apes- original series of films… I enjoy all of them, but will admit Battle for the Planet of the Apes was the weakest.. I also loved the new series.. Rise was much better than Dawn.. but I like both
7- Star Trek- I really only like 3 of the films, The Motion Picture, Wrath of Khan and Voyage Home ( I know so many people hate that one.. but it’s damn funny)
8- Lethal Weapon- all were fun, but 1st and last were the best of the series
9- Back to the Future- all 3 were fun, 2nd being the weakest
10- Hammer’s Frankenstein and Dracula films- I put them together to save space… I love all of them
11- The Godfather- I am one of the few people that does like part III
12- Dirty Harry- the 1st is a classic… 2-4 are good.. alas one too many trips to the well. The Dead Pool was terrible!!
13- Harold and Kumar – I know I shouldn’t be I like them.. they make me laugh..
14- Friday the 13th- Fun for what they are.. no more no less…Better than the Nightmare on Elm Street series.. except the Original Nightmare on Elm street.. that was a great film.. but didn’t care for any sequels ( or remakes)
15- Universal’s Frankenstein – the 1st 3 only- Frankenstein, Bride of Frankenstein and Son Of Frankenstein…I like the others but these are the 3 great films.

There are plenty more I can list but let’s start here and get the discussion going

Steadmund Brand

[barnflatwyngarde]

"15- Universal’s Frankenstein – the 1st 3 only- Frankenstein, Bride of Frankenstein and Son Of Frankenstein…I like the others but these are the 3 great films."

Absolutely agree about "Son of Frankenstein", it is beautifully photographed, and the sets and lighting are stunning,

BTW, am I the only person who has never seen any of the Star War movies?

[Robert]

Jaws 1 - the other two are OK but not in the same class.

[Mayerling]

Dial M had a twist how it didn't quite work out they way it was drawn up

One of my favorite Hitchcock films.

I won't actually go into detail (that would spoil the film) but the villain gets tripped up due to locks and latchkeys.

Jeff

[Mayerling]

It's a new year and I feel like a new list.. how about films with multiple sequels (and if you didn't like the sequels please say which you liked and did not like).. could be a fun list…I hope anyway.. again, in no particular order

1- Star Wars ( 4, 5 and 6 only for me… I really hated the “prequels” )
2- Rocky- I loved the original, II was ok.. I hated 3-5 but have to admit I enjoyed the last one
3- James Bond series- some great, some lame (and a few where time has been most unkind)
4- Die Hard- first one only for me…one of my favorite Christmas films!!
5- Mad Max series- Road Warrior and Mad Max only--- no need for Thunderdome!!
6- Planet of the Apes- original series of films… I enjoy all of them, but will admit Battle for the Planet of the Apes was the weakest.. I also loved the new series.. Rise was much better than Dawn.. but I like both
7- Star Trek- I really only like 3 of the films, The Motion Picture, Wrath of Khan and Voyage Home ( I know so many people hate that one.. but it’s damn funny)
8- Lethal Weapon- all were fun, but 1st and last were the best of the series
9- Back to the Future- all 3 were fun, 2nd being the weakest
10- Hammer’s Frankenstein and Dracula films- I put them together to save space… I love all of them
11- The Godfather- I am one of the few people that does like part III
12- Dirty Harry- the 1st is a classic… 2-4 are good.. alas one too many trips to the well. The Dead Pool was terrible!!
13- Harold and Kumar – I know I shouldn’t be I like them.. they make me laugh..
14- Friday the 13th- Fun for what they are.. no more no less…Better than the Nightmare on Elm Street series.. except the Original Nightmare on Elm street.. that was a great film.. but didn’t care for any sequels ( or remakes)
15- Universal’s Frankenstein – the 1st 3 only- Frankenstein, Bride of Frankenstein and Son Of Frankenstein…I like the others but these are the 3 great films.

There are plenty more I can list but let’s start here and get the discussion going

Steadmund Brand

1) The Pink Panther/Shot in the Dark "Inspector Clouseau" films (with Sellers only - no Arkin or Martin or Benigni substitutes)
2) Home Alone and Home Alone 2 - for silly amusement. Actually these are the only two with Culkin and Pesci. The film with the spy ring tangling with another kid was actually funny too but not a sequel really.
3) Universal's Frankenstein series through "Son of Frankenstein"
4) The first original three "Star Wars" films
5) The "Dr. Kildare" series with Lew Ayres and Lionel Barrymore (and Laraine Day and Nat Pendleton). I discovered they held up well, and give an interesting look at medical progress in the late 1930s.
6) The "Thin Man" Series with William Powell and Myrna Loy (although they do become somewhat predictable, and the last one is the weakest, it's nice seeing the perfect unmarried marrieds together).
7) The Universal "Sherlock Holmes" Series with Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce (despite some uneven quality, I particularly like the repeat appearances of character actors in different films and different roles - like a theater troup).
8) The Fred Astaire-Ginger Rogers Musical dance fests (even when they are in support as in their first, "Flying Down To Rio" and in "Roberta"). I include "The Barkleys of Broadway".
9) The Jeanette MacDonald-Nelson Eddy singing fests (though one wishes some of the films kept original music - "The Girl of the Golden West" for example).
10) Warner Oland's "Charlie Chan" series (no offense to Sidney Toler or Roland Winter).
11) John Ford's "Cavalry" Trilogy ("Fort Apache", "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon", and "Rio Grande") with John Wayne.

There are probably other films, but these spring to mind.

Hope you all had good holidays, and have a wonderful year.

Jeff

[Steadmund Brand]

I know a few I left off my list

1- the Boston Blackie films
2- The Whistler series

Again.. I'm sure I'll come up with more.. hope others do as well

Steadmund Brand--

[Steadmund Brand]

And I really did dig the Inner Sanctum Series of films Lon Chaney Jr. made in the 1940’as for Universal… some were better than others.. but all fun…..oh how I wish Hollywood had a B-Film department now that churned out these little gems… but I guess they are just a product of a bygone era….

I love the fact that so many of these films are getting a proper release on DVD/Blu-Ray…my bank account on the other hand is not such a fan 

Steadmund Brand

[Mayerling]

B features and famous crimes.

Hi Steadmund,

I agree with your feelings about the passing of the "B" picture units in Hollywood. Television's rise is usually blamed for their demise, but I don't know.

On another thread Stan asked what were our favorite films based on famous crimes. I posted these as the first 10 I could think of.

01) The Prisoner of Shark Island
02) The Conspirator
03) The Lodger (1944)
04) Murder on the Orient Express (Albert Finney as Poirot) - elements of the Lindbergh Kidnap/Murder in it.
05) Monsieur Verdoux - Chaplin's dark satire of marriage and murder based on the Landru Case
06) Les Enfants du Paradis - I like the film in it's entirety, but I appreciate the actor playing Pierre Lacenaire.
07) Ten Rillington Place
08) We Are Not Alone - One of my two favorite films suggested by the Crippen Case
09) The Suspect - The other film suggested by the Crippen Case (added plus is it has Laughton, Stanley Ridges, and Henry Daniell in it).
10) The Body Snatcher - Burke and Hare by way of Stevenson and Val Lewton. Again Daniell (in a lead role for a change) and this time Karloff are in it. So is Lugosi.

There are others if I thought of them, but these were the first 10 to pop up in my head.

Jeff

[Sherlock Houses]

The best film ever.....

The almost perfect Carol Reed masterpiece that is the 1949 movie "The Third Man".

[Steadmund Brand]

It's funny, I have seen many people list Ten Rillington Place on their lists, and I must confess I have yet to see this film...not sure if it is available in America.. but I have to find this now.

I watched Island of Lost Souls the other night for the first time in years.. I forgot how much I adore that film ( even if Laughton, for the most part didn't seem to care) I only wish Lugosi had more scenes, he was fantastic in that film....which brings me to my next list.. how about favorite Bela Lugosi films...we have done other actors...so why not eh? this list is in order of year

1- the Thirteenth Chair- (1929) (Browning and Lugosi for the first time....also with Leila Hyams... a personal favorite of mine)
2- Dracula-(1931) (as if that isn't a given)
3- White Zombie-(1932) (Low budget horror was never as effective)
4- Island of Lost Souls (1932) (wish it were more)
5-The Black Cat- (1934)- ( probably the best of the Lugosi/Karloff films...not including Body Snatchers as Lugosi is only a bit part there..1st of the films Bela made called The Black Cat.. other one isn’t terrible but this one is a true classic.. possibly my favorite Lugosi film ever)
6- Mark of the Vampire- (1935)- ( Bela has fun with this role)
7- The Raven- (1935)- (not as strong as the Black Cat.. but fun to see Bela and Boris together)
8- Son of Frankenstein (1939)- ( Igor may be Bela's best performance in film..)
9- The Human Monster (the Dark Eyes of London)- (1939) (very well made British horror film...quite creepy to this day.. was the first film to receive an "H" rating in England)
10- The Wolf Man (1941)- (more for the film than Lugosi...but hey still he is in it)
11-The Body Snatcher- (1945) (sad to see Bela looking so weak..but great scene with Karloff to cap off their films together, just wish Bela won, like in the Black Cat)
12- Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948) ( Bela gives it his all in his last Dracula role)
13- Glen or Glenda (1953) (love him or hate him,, Wood's films are not forgettable.. and again, as sick and frail as he was Lugosi gives it his all, and seems to be having fun)
14- Bride of the Monster- (1955) ( more Wood goodies.. and Bela gets to make a couple of great speeches.. gotta love his fighting with the octopus as well )
15- Plan 9 From outer Space (1959) ( of so most of the time it isn't Bela...but hey.. for the most part was his last film, and he is remembered for it by many people)

I could name quite a few more… as I am quite the Lugosi fan… but here is a start.. feel free to add some, or comment on ones on the list….maybe we can do Karloff next?

Steadmund Brand

[Abby Normal]

It's funny, I have seen many people list Ten Rillington Place on their lists, and I must confess I have yet to see this film...not sure if it is available in America.. but I have to find this now.

I watched Island of Lost Souls the other night for the first time in years.. I forgot how much I adore that film ( even if Laughton, for the most part didn't seem to care) I only wish Lugosi had more scenes, he was fantastic in that film....which brings me to my next list.. how about favorite Bela Lugosi films...we have done other actors...so why not eh? this list is in order of year

1- the Thirteenth Chair- (1929) (Browning and Lugosi for the first time....also with Leila Hyams... a personal favorite of mine)
2- Dracula-(1931) (as if that isn't a given)
3- White Zombie-(1932) (Low budget horror was never as effective)
4- Island of Lost Souls (1932) (wish it were more)
5-The Black Cat- (1934)- ( probably the best of the Lugosi/Karloff films...not including Body Snatchers as Lugosi is only a bit part there..1st of the films Bela made called The Black Cat.. other one isn’t terrible but this one is a true classic.. possibly my favorite Lugosi film ever)
6- Mark of the Vampire- (1935)- ( Bela has fun with this role)
7- The Raven- (1935)- (not as strong as the Black Cat.. but fun to see Bela and Boris together)
8- Son of Frankenstein (1939)- ( Igor may be Bela's best performance in film..)
9- The Human Monster (the Dark Eyes of London)- (1939) (very well made British horror film...quite creepy to this day.. was the first film to receive an "H" rating in England)
10- The Wolf Man (1941)- (more for the film than Lugosi...but hey still he is in it)
11-The Body Snatcher- (1945) (sad to see Bela looking so weak..but great scene with Karloff to cap off their films together, just wish Bela won, like in the Black Cat)
12- Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948) ( Bela gives it his all in his last Dracula role)
13- Glen or Glenda (1953) (love him or hate him,, Wood's films are not forgettable.. and again, as sick and frail as he was Lugosi gives it his all, and seems to be having fun)
14- Bride of the Monster- (1955) ( more Wood goodies.. and Bela gets to make a couple of great speeches.. gotta love his fighting with the octopus as well )
15- Plan 9 From outer Space (1959) ( of so most of the time it isn't Bela...but hey.. for the most part was his last film, and he is remembered for it by many people)

I could name quite a few more… as I am quite the Lugosi fan… but here is a start.. feel free to add some, or comment on ones on the list….maybe we can do Karloff next?

Steadmund Brand

Hi Steadman
Based on this thread I got plan 9 for Christmas.
Im an Ed Wood fan, but I guess not of his movies. I cant believe that this was a serious attempt at SF/horror. Was it? Or was it made to be tongue in cheek?
if so its a brilliant comedy, if not-God he was horrible.

You know the saying its so bad it was good? Not here. Its sooooo bad its just plain bad.

I can see why it was voted worst movie of all time, especially if it was his intention for it to be serious.

But Like I said-as a (unintentional) satirical comedy-Its a masterpiece.

[Steadmund Brand]

Hi Steadman
Based on this thread I got plan 9 for Christmas.
Im an Ed Wood fan, but I guess not of his movies. I cant believe that this was a serious attempt at SF/horror. Was it? Or was it made to be tongue in cheek?
if so its a brilliant comedy, if not-God he was horrible.

You know the saying its so bad it was good? Not here. Its sooooo bad its just plain bad.

I can see why it was voted worst movie of all time, especially if it was his intention for it to be serious.

But Like I said-as a (unintentional) satirical comedy-Its a masterpiece.

I, personally, don’t feel Wood thought he was changing cinema...he was just trying to have fun and make some movies...it had no budget, and no time, probably could have been better if it had either, but again... his goal was to make fluff sci/fi..with a message stolen from Day the Earth Stood Still.. but we can overlook that, as many films stole that idea...Anyway, I will never say it's " The Worst Film Ever Made".. it is bad, sure, but it has a certain charm in its attempt...and it's not forgettable, that's for sure... unlike 99% of "blockbuster" Hollywood crap that is totally forgotten within a year of release…hell I would rather watch Wood at his worst then suffer thru something like Top Gun.. or any of the all F/X no character or plot needed films made these days… but again, that’s just me

Steadmund Brand

[Abby Normal]

I, personally, don’t feel Wood thought he was changing cinema...he was just trying to have fun and make some movies...it had no budget, and no time, probably could have been better if it had either, but again... his goal was to make fluff sci/fi..with a message stolen from Day the Earth Stood Still.. but we can overlook that, as many films stole that idea...Anyway, I will never say it's " The Worst Film Ever Made".. it is bad, sure, but it has a certain charm in its attempt...and it's not forgettable, that's for sure... unlike 99% of "blockbuster" Hollywood crap that is totally forgotten within a year of release…hell I would rather watch Wood at his worst then suffer thru something like Top Gun.. or any of the all F/X no character or plot needed films made these days… but again, that’s just me

Steadmund Brand

Well agree with you there-it definitely has a certain charm and is unforgettable. Although probably not for the reasons he intended!