I’ve decided that for the month of January, Mondays are going to be the day I ask you for your opinions and advice. I know. I’m always asking you for your opinions and advice, but these posts will be different. They’ll be real-time. You’ll be helping me with real-time, immediately pressing j-problems.
You’re my Dear Abby! Oh, c’mon, don’t look so nervous. We’ll start off easy.
Today’s question is about movies. My Blockbuster movie queue has six movies in it. They were all recommended to me when I tweeted this plea: “Help! My queue is empty. I need movie recommendations and I need them now!” People were awesome. I’ve never seen any of the movies in my queue, and I’m looking forward to them, but still, there are only six, and one of them, Benny and Joon, is on its way, which leaves only five. Here are the others: Imitation of Life, Smart People, Judy Berlin, The Hurt Locker and Moon.
So now, it’s your turn. Fill up my queue. What movie(s) would you recommend? Obscurity is welcome. As are quotes. And hyperbole.
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And now for something completely different… I have been meaning to post this since way back in August when she first sent it to me. Our very own Estrella Azul made a video of her kitty’s “grand entrance” back when I was beckoning the lovely. It’s adorable; watch it!
But wait, there’s more. I visited Jane Bretl’s blog, Jane Candid, and her post, “Peace On Earth” melted my heart. Warning, super cuteness overload! (But go look because it’ll make you smile.)
Wild
Breakfast on Pluto!
Jean de Florette is finally out on DVD is based on a literary classic by Marcel Pagnol (“The Fanny Triology”). The sequel to this film is Manon of the Spring. This is one of my all time favorites.
For Canadian movies I loved The Sweet Hereafter film by Adam Egoyan, though it is dark in nature but like Jean de Florette is a snippet into small town life
I love The Wonder Boys – but I also admit I have a little Tobey crush.
While I’m on the soul-bearing mood I also have to admit I’ve been in love with karate movies since I was a little lass – don’t get me started on those.
Love to here other suggestions, as I adore movies in general.
Mairi
I received Enchanted for Christmas . . . .silly movie? Yes, but so cute.
Have you ever seen the Red Violin? Awesome movie.
Just saw a commercial for Fight Club, that is always a good one. Wanted, Hot Fuzz, Julie and Julia, The Ugly Truth . . . . I don’t know what you have seen. I don’t know what type of movies you like.
Good idea!
I’m awful with movies … truly am. But I did adore No Reservations.
Since you asked:
My Life as a House (bring a Kleenex)
The Gods Must Be Crazy
The Game
Roxanne
Oh Brother, Where Art Thou
That should do it!
Cheers
George
The Maiden Heist – Morgan Freeman, Christopher Walken, William H. Macy & Marcia Gay Harden – it’s a comedy set in world of art but there is no Thomas Crown in this group of thieves.
Hey J,
“Jean de Florette is finally out on DVD is based on a literary classic by Marcel Pagnol (“The Fanny Triology”). The sequel to this film is Manon of the Spring. This is one of my all time favorites.”
First of all, I can vouch for Mairi’s top picks because I have had the extreme good fortune to watch both of those movies with chezhui!!
I’d also recommend Harold & Maude and, for something completely different, Ratatouille :-)
Fun idea!
Jane
Your Cuteness Dealer
B.R., Added. (I know nothing at all about that movie. This is trust, baby.)
Mairi, Please, woman. The Wonder Boys is based on a MC book. Of course I own that one! (But good choice!) I’ve seen the Sweet Hereafter, but not Jean de Florette, so yay! (Expect a post dedicated to karate movies, about which I know nothing, so you will feel compelled to jump in here and correct everything I erroneously claim.)
Terre, The only one I’ve seen on your list is Hot Fuzz, so good job! :-)
Walker, I haven’t seen No Reservations. Adding!
Also love Maci’s grand entrance, Estrella — I think I have your cat’s long lost brother.
George, Have not seen My Life As A House. The rest are awesome, especially Oh Brother Where Art Thou? Love that movie!
Swampynomo, I remember I wanted to see that one because the cast is so good. Forgot about it though. Okay, added.
Jane, Can you believe I’ve never seen Harold and Maude? It’s on the list.
First off:
Well since you didn’t make our job easier by letting us know what you have seen… I hope I’m adding to the list and not listing movies you’ve seen.
The ugly truth
Twilight
New Moon
The Proposal
A season for miracles
A boyfriend for Christmas
Law abiding citizen
Fracture
Couple’s retreat
Valentine’s Day (this is to be released on Valentine’s Day) and is promising to be good, with many many great actors playing :)
Thanks for sharing that video with my kitten, you’re so sweet. I’m so glad you liked it!
Oh, and you should see him now: he’s bigger than his mom and brother!
I should upload new videos soon… I keep reminding myself and getting distracted :)
Second Enchanted, Red Violin, The Game and Gods Must Be Crazy. Tried to mix up my suggestions.
The Prestige
Clerks
Gattaca
The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
Amelie
Run Lola Run
The Milagro Beanfield War
Estrella, I was deliberately vague. Sometimes I only think I know what I like. Haven’t seen a single film on your list, so you added. (I am anti-Twilight, pro-Buffy. Just so we’re clear.) ;-)
Meryl, I’ve seen about half of your suggestions – all movies I love, which means the other half is definitely getting added. (Love Amelie. Makes me smile now just remembering. And Run Lola Run blew me away when I saw it the first time.) Thank you!
Oh! Oh!
I need to second Meryl’s pick of The Milagro Beanfield War!
Wonderful!
George
Wait… I know this one… I’ll be back when I figure out the names of them. Obscurity is welcomed, right?
OK — here are a few must see (or must see agains!)
– Fandango: very cool little film by Kevin Reynolds.
– To Have and Have Not: Howard Hawks film with Bogart and Bacall. Some amazing banter between the two and an excellent old film.
– Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid: “who are those guys??” Need I say more?! OR — the Cowboys, with John Wayne. You gotta throw in a western!
– Fahrenheit 451: you gotta love that story and film!
– ANYTHING with Sydney Poitier: start with, To Sir with Love and Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner (one of my very favorite movies) and then just follow with his early stuff!
– and something with Antonio Banderas. No, not because he can act, he can’t, I just like to say the name “Antonnnnnio Banderrrrrrrras”
By the way, hey Terre, LOVE the Red Violin!
Becky, Not only welcome, encouraged.
Bobby, Butch Cassidy is my all-time favorite movie! Woo hoo! “I got vision, and the rest of the world wears bifocals” We could quote that movie all day. The rest will be new to me. I know. I’ve never seen To Sir with Love. How sad is that?
To Sir With Love is a must see. As is, Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner! Poitier is terrific!
Oh, and, “rules..in a knife fight??” “Someone say 1-2-3 GO!” — gotta love Butch!
Ok — I’ve got some goofy ones that really failed at the box office for good reason I’m sure but something about them stuck with me:
And, I love that Imitation of Life was my suggestion for you already!
OK:
1. The Big Blue — this was really a dumb movie about this deep sea diver guy. But, I still remember how beautiful the setting was and he could hold his breath forever and it was so peaceful under all that water.
2. Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium — This movie makes me cry every time I see it, who doesn’t need a little magic?
3. The Blob — the original ’58 version. One of those movies that never gets old. I just always think, run… it’s a slow moving blob…it won’t catch you! But… the slow moving blobs seems to be the ones that keep us down the longest.
4. The Abyss — again, I’m sure this was a flop but the scenes in it are so surreal (underwater, I might have an underwater thing, hmmm) and Ed Harris saves his love’s life — I’m going to watch this again myself.
5. 4 Little Girls — A Spike Lee Doc. Very moving, I felt so embarrassed for George Wallace, he was so old and crazy.
Ok — that’s my picks for now! What time should I be there?
I LOVE Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner. I rarely watch a movie more than once and that one I did. It was ahead of its time.
Hitchcock movies never disappoint.
Ooh, I caught Antonio Banderas in his element in a hilarious foreign film before he was known looking very ’80s: Mujeres al borde de un ataque de nervios (1988) aka Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (USA)
My husband and I liked The Abyss. We have the movie.
Magorium was good… but also felt a little incomplete.
Do you like cartoons?
Chicken Little is AWESOME
Over the Hedge
The Incredibles (if you have not seen it you might wanna)
In Bruges is a terribly insulting, but hilarious movie, just be prepared that NO ONE is safe from insults!
I see that you have a lot of suggestions and some of them are very old movies, so I don’t feel so bad including my “old” suggestions.
What about Chocolate (Johnny Depp . . ) Oh, do you like musicals and gore? Try Sweeney Todd, clever, but bloody.
Oh, I could go on and on, but I am sure you have enough to fill your queue for awhile.
I’m going to the way-back machine for some of my suggestions:
Casablanca (oh, my!)
To Kill a Mockingbird (oh, my, indeed!)
We of the Never Never
Cool Hand Luke
Moulin Rouge (might be an acquired taste)
My Dinner with Andre
Witness
My Favorite Year
Guess who owns these?
Terre, It’s okay. Like a long list so I don’t have to think about it. I’ve seen the Incredibles, Chocolate and Sweeney. Loved In Bruges!
Karen, Cool Hand Luke, one of my top five, I think. Haven’t seen We of the Never Never or My Dinner with Andre. Adding! (Is there a movie you don’t own?)
Revolutionary Road (w/ Kate Winslet and Leonardo Dicaprio) – as a friend said, it may be best watched with another couple, afterwards, pour a few stiff drinks and let the conversation begin. Also – Weeping Camel. We watched it with our children then realized at the end there were in fact sub-titles provided though there was little dialogue in the movie. We had left them turned off. The funny thing is, the kids enjoyed this film with just non-verbal communication. It made each of us pay more attention to those cues.
My “must sees” are a bit dated, but it’s never too late to see a great flick.
Joy Luck Club
What’s Eating Gilbert Grape
Searching For Bobby Fischer
Same Time Next Year
Shawshank Redemption
When Harry Met Sally
Juno
…anything PIXAR
Daren, I forgot all about Revolutionary Road. Interesting suggestion to watch with another couple. I like it. And I’ve never even heard of Weeping Camel, sounds fascinating. Adding! Thank you!
Hi, Amy! I’ve never seen What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, but you reminded me of how much I love Save Time Next Year. Haven’t seen it so long. I’ll put it on as a trip down memory lane! Thank you!
I love so many of the movies already listed! (before I was a foodie ffanatic, I was a movie mmaniac) What’s Eating Gilbert Grape has a young Johnny Depp and an even younger Leonardo DiCaprio. Some of my classic favorites -
Now, Voyager – Bette Davis This is the movie that started thousands of people smoking (before the surgeon general’s warning – but very sexy.)
Dark Victory – Bette Davis
The Philadelphia Story – Katherine Hepburn, James Stewart & Cary Grant
Same Time Next Year is one of my all-time favorites, too.
Shall I bring popcorn or the Raisinets? (Or both.)
My all time fav movies I bet you have seen:
Star Wars IV-VI
The Princess Bride
Willy Wonka
If you didn’t see Star Trek (new) and like sci fi see it!
Other movies:
Emma
The Golden Compass (which I liked, but saw before reading, still good)
Hmmm nerding you out too much? All I’ve got. Oh except for the BBC Jane Austen movies – all are good.
Gossford Park
Hmm, about all I can think of for now :0) probably other picks above are more interesting, but since you asked…
First, I love Benny and Joon. It has been 15 years and I still love to do the “fork dance”. (Don’t question. You will know soon).
I always fret at giving movie recommendations, but I am going to take a leap and do it anyway.
I read the other suggestions and am going to go in a completely different direction…chick flicks. Because, well….I am a chick and I like flicks.
How to Make An American Quilt
Now and Then
Fried Green Tomatoes (surely you have seen this. Right? Possibly my favorite movie, ever)
Boys on the Side (bonus: great soundtrack)
Imagine Me and You
Dani, Bring popcorn. And your sleeping bag. We have a lot of movies to watch!
Becky, There are sure a lot of people recommending The Abyss, which I thought I’d heard was terrible. I’m going to give it a shot.
Caroline, I love all those movies! The only one I haven’t seen is The Golden Compass. I read the book though, and I really liked it.
Hippiechick68, On your list, I’ve only seen Fried Green Tomatoes (and yes, loved it) and Boys on the Side, which is actually the CD in my car right now. It’s awesome! The rest, I’m adding.
I am sticking with my earlier remark that “Anything with Poitier” is a must see!
Also add “Life is Beautiful” while I am thinking of it here. That was an odd, interesting, whimsical, heart-wrenching film! I might have to watch that later myself.
ok, some quotes from movies above…
girl asking Rick (from Casablanca) a question, “where were you last night?”. Rick replies, “that was so long ago I don’t remember.” She then asks, “what are you doing tonight?”. Rick says, “I never make plans that far in advance.” GREAT stuff !
from My Favorite Year, a terrific film, “I am not an actor, I am a Movie Star!” — Brilliantly tossed out by Peter O’Toole.
from Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner…Oh, never mind, I was going to type what Spencer Tracy said but I started tearing up! Go see that movie!!
Just saw Did You Hear About the Morgans–cute
also see
Grand Canyon
Forrest Gump
Crash
Evil Dead (and anything else with Bruce Campbell)
One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest
Spongebob The Movie
You can also stop by my last week’s post anytime you need a reminder on what three movies not to watch.
hey Tricia —-
from Army of Darkness: “first you wanna kill me. Now you want to kiss me. Blow.” funny stuff!
Bobby~”Give me some sugar, baby.”
hey Tricia, “come get some” — I gotta see that movie again, soon!
Bobby, No one delivers a line like Peter O’Toole. And I loved Life Is Beautiful.
Tricia, We’re back to Bruce Campbell, are we? I am putting it on the list, because I can’t believe I’ve never seen anything with him on it!
Goodness gracious, me-oh-my. Okay, start with the two Evil Deads. One of them (ask Bobby, he’ll know) has him chopping off his own possessed hand because it kept hitting him. That was my favorite.
And, because you do lists I’m sure you’ve seen Bucket List. If not, it’s totally for you.
Here’s a mix from my library of movie favorites.
- Category: ‘Laughed my butt off!!’
– Sideways and it’s ‘brother’ movie The Hangover
- Category: Historical Drama
– Tombstone with Val Kilmer as a superb Doc Holliday
– Gladiator – early Russell Crowe
– The Messenger with Milla Jovovich as Joan of Arc
- Category: Inspirational
– Phenomenon with John Travolta
– What Dreams May Come – a surprise from Robin Williams
– Wit with Emma Thompson – OMG!
- Category: Verbal Sparring
– Lion In Winter – Hepburn & O’Toole in a “wicked, wordy tango”!
I needed some ideas for my movie list as well and have found everyone’s submissions helpful, too. Thanks y’all!
Ok so I tried to read everyone’s suggestions so as to not repeat. I’ll try to throw in a few genres but as I said I’m usually a rom com kinda gal.
1. Moulin Rouge…my all time favorite
2. Pride and Prejudice…the one with Keria Knightly, I don’ t really like her but the film is lovely
3. Boondock Saints…this is a shoot em up kinda movie but seriously, I love it. Watch it.
4. Snatch…slightly confusing in the beginning but stick with it, it’ll make since.
5. The Princess Bride…another of my all time favorites. (Kinda hoping you’ve already seen this ;))
6. That Thing You Do…this was really popular but no one seems to remember it anymore. It’s really a good light hearted movie.
I’ve got more but you seem to have quite a list so far! Enjoy!
I have to second Boondock Saints – Awesome!
Also, Secondhand Lions.
I’m thinkin’ we should start a collection for a netflix account upgrade for ya.
George
Loving this discussion. Looking up unfamiliar movies and adding them to my queue.
Of course, Shawshank, Harry and Sally, etc. are great. I figured they were a given. :) I put off Fried Green Tomatoes for years because I heard about a boy’s death and that turned me off. Once I saw it, I read the book.
Golden Compass was good, but ending was … (not going to spoil it) that made it sound like a follow up movie was coming. Nada.
Did You Hear About the Morgans stars my husband and me… oh, just our names (Meryl and Paul), not us . When you have an uncommon name like mine… you get excited over silly things like that.
A few more…
External Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
12 Angry Men
The Usual Suspects
Sunset Blvd
Vertigo (First Hitchcock, I was hooked)
The Trouble with Harry: Funny Hitchcock starting Shirley MacClaine (first movie)
Maybe I better stop… I easily get carried away. Like I said, I love talking movies.
12 Angry Men is excellent! Was going to place on my rec’s along with Mister Roberts —- both terrific plays on Braodway with Fonda starring in the lead on film and in the plays.
I figure alllll the Hitchcock’s have to be considered as givens!
Oh, and did I menton that “anything with Poitier” is a must see?!!?
But for the real MUST SEE’S might as well start with “Clambake” then move to “Girls Girls Girls” then to “Blue Hawaii” and on to “Fun in Acapulco” —– Oh how that Elvis could act!!
Wow, you guys! This is awesome. I just made a list of all the movies you suggested that I actually haven’t seen and would like to (so not including the ones you reminded me I do want to see again), and there are 46 movies on the list! That’s amazing! 46 RECOMMENDED movies. I’m doing a happy dance.
Feel free to drop back by if something occurs to you. It’s a queue I’m filling. There’s always room! You rock!
I only hope I have as fun a problem to be solved next Monday…
Three I haven’t seen mentioned:
The Reader. Winslet got 2008 best actress Oscar and really deserved it.
Rocky Horror Picture Show. Always puts a smile on my face.
Donnie Darko. NOT the director’s cut.
I forgot to say be sure to watch the extras of Donnie Darko.
Comments keeping you busy?
We own a lot of the movies mentioned . . . . we could save you a rental and have you down for movie night.
That would be fun.
We own all the movies I named except Julie and Julia. And a lot of the ones other people listed.
John and I can supply the popcorn, the wine, and the movie . . . . . .
hey Tricia, how on Earth would I, a true Film Connoisseur, know some odd, no-talent filled, time waster of a movie?!? I am appalled you would reference me in your response to Judy saying I would know the name of such inconsequential material posing as entertainment, sheeesh!
—- Oh, the name of the film is Evil Dead II: Dead by Dawn. It’s TERRIFIC!! here”s a quote:
Ash: Hey, what do you say we have some champagne, huh, baby?
Linda: Sure.
Ash: After all, I’m a man and you’re a woman… at least the last time I checked.
Yeah, baby. I knew I could rely on you, Bobby. Picture me sitting in an empty room save for animal heads on the wall, laughing hyterically. “What are you starring at?”
Sheesh! After I watch the movie(s), I’ll have to come back and see what you guys are talking about. Until then, carry on!
Harold and Maude, Royal Tenenbaums, Amelie, Harvey…if you haven’t seen any of those, they are works of art!