Nothing but these

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paulofilmo
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Nothing but these

Post by paulofilmo »

If you only had access to ~5 films for the rest of your life, what would they be?

For me, this is something of an update to this post. 'though, there's a difference between 'favourite' films, and 'nothing but these films'.

5 is just a number. Fewer films is more impressive. I think 10 is too many for this.


Lost in Translation
Buffalo '66
Brief Encounter
Some Voices
and . . something else. [a Lynne Ramsay (Morvern Callar), or Ray, or Kar-Wai Wong (Chungking or 2046), or Only Yesterday, or a Fred Astaire (or Chaplin). maybe Borderline.] (ugh, i've sort of cheated and done 10 films)


I feel I can relate to the culture surrounding these films, and the way the characters view the world (an object separate from their mindscape and fantasies. an obstacle, but with potential for frivolity).

It's also something I have trouble conjuring up myself, unlike with Bergman or Tarkovsky or Malick (or 2001). (and, I just wouldn't desire to see most of those films more than once.)

There's a focus on intimate relationships that happen to be blocked by circumstance or inability/disability.
Or just an imbalance/subtle incompatibility that is reluctantly resigned to.


Criticism: I suppose they're all romantic tragedies/sad romantic fantasies, and so lack variety.
Maybe a dearth of style, sound, and macrocosmic overview, more abstracted dream realities, that film can thrive in (Lynch, Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Carax, etc.). Ramsay/Ray could make up for that, and B'66 does a bit.
As fantasies, they're optimistic, sentimental. Something like The Green Ray would be more honest/reflective (in all its Pascalian horror).

Buffalo '66 is the misfit. Its grimy elegance feels necessary.

JSchlansky
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Re: Nothing but these

Post by JSchlansky »

I agree that this is distinctly separate from favorite films. For me, I think it comes down to re-watchability. Something that never gets old and/or something where you can notice or appreciate something new every time you watch it.

Without giving it a ton of thought a couple that jump out at me are

-The Big Lebowski
-The Good, The Bad, and the Weird
-Grindhouse (two movies in one, lots of variety)
-Goodfellas
-Legend of the Drunken Master

This answer would probably change depending on the day of the week

Bartbaard
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Re: Nothing but these

Post by Bartbaard »

First things that come to mind are the following.

Akira (1988) -- my all time favorite for a reason
To be or not to be (1942) -- old scool comedy
LOTR Trilogy extended editions -- wouldn't mind rewatching this over and over

memoria
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Re: Nothing but these

Post by memoria »

Some thoughts on the nature of re-watchable films.

Pi directed by Aronofsky. The first time I saw this film I was floored. As soon as it ended I played it again back to back. I was younger and enjoying herb. Even now in recent re-watches the movie feels fresh (partly due to the glitchy electronic soundtrack) and the black and white makes it look so damn cool kinda like the best episodes of the Twilight Zone.

Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas: This movie is my all time most re-watched film. It's got deep insight as well as totally off the wall zany humor and dark humor. The lines are perfectly delivered. The direction is tight never missing a beat or having a chance to be boring.

Romeo + Juliet. The Baz Luhrman version. Like the above...I think we have really inspired writing that is delivered spectacularly by the actors. Also like the above film the composition is whimsical at times, starkly beautiful and enchanting at other times like when Leo is walking down the beach and those Radiohead guitar chords hit. This scene is so sexy.

There's a few anime I suspect I could watch over and over again and that is because each of these 3 anime's I will list are total obsession passion projects of the creator. Every scene is a painting. I've only recently scene these films and only seen one of them more than once but I suspect they are masterpieces on the level of Akira.

1. Midori (psychotic, sadistic, outrageous)

2. Belladonna of Sadness (psychedelic, stunningly beautiful, they said it was inspired by Gustav Klimt and I see traces of that but I would say much more strongly resembles Egon Schiele's work.)

3. Perfect Blue (hitchcockian, truly unsettling, psychological)

Also some movies that are not wildly deep but I seem to be able to watch them over and over again:

1. The Love Witch (whimsical, fun, sexy)
2. Kiss of the Damned (super hot vampires)
3. Wicked City (crazy over the top perverted violent demonic anime)


Movies others mentioned that I totally agree with: Buffalo 66, Akira & The Big Lebowski.

JSchlansky
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Re: Nothing but these

Post by JSchlansky »

I was going to mention Pi too. That would probably be my sixth
and seventh would probably be the Stop Making Sense concert movie

iconogassed
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Re: Nothing but these

Post by iconogassed »

The Clock (Barclay)
Histoire(s) du cinéma
Napoléon (version définitive)
The complete Dau
Gremlins 2: The New Batch

ribcage
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Re: Nothing but these

Post by ribcage »

I make it a point to annually rewatch:
Event Horizon
Wrath of Khan
Streets of Fire

So I guess I've got a ready made list.
Though to round out to 5 I could add my 2 favorite films
Hard Boiled
North by Northwest

Those would all keep me from winding up face first in the ocean until I was dead on a deserted island.

I wish I could be cool and pull a movie I get something new from every time I watch it...but I don't wanna be left alone with Heat for years, honestly.

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