odeon's ask away-thread

[odeon]

Yes.

[Graelwyn]

What would be your top ten films you believe everyone should see at least once in their lifetime?

[odeon]

What would be your top ten films you believe everyone should see at least once in their lifetime?

But... there are so many. The list would probably be different if you asked me again in a month.

2001
Citizen Kane
Star Wars
The Return
The Pianist
E.T.
Hope and Glory
Att angöra en brygga
Three Amigos
The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover

And I could add ten more.

[Yuri Bezmenov]

Three Amigos

   You have a dopey comedy here but you left out Das Boot??   

[renaeden]

That could be #11.

[Graelwyn]

What would be your top ten films you believe everyone should see at least once in their lifetime?

But... there are so many. The list would probably be different if you asked me again in a month.

2001
Citizen Kane
Star Wars
The Return
The Pianist
E.T.
Hope and Glory
Att angöra en brygga
Three Amigos
The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover

And I could add ten more.

Ah, interesting list. I had to study Citizen Kane at college. Not seen Hope And Glory in a long time, but used to love that film. Also Et and 2001. Not seen The Cook, The Thief, His Wife & Her Lover, but have heard a lot about it.

[odeon]

Three Amigos

   You have a dopey comedy here but you left out Das Boot??   

Das Boot was produced as a TV series and then cut down to a movie, I believe. Then the movie was expanded to include more of the TV series. I agree that it is brilliant, but it's hard to count it as a movie made for cinemas, which my list is about.

[odeon]

Three Amigos

   You have a dopey comedy here but you left out Das Boot??   

Das Boot was produced as a TV series and then cut down to a movie, I believe. Then the movie was expanded to include more of the TV series. I agree that it is brilliant, but it's hard to count it as a movie made for cinemas, which my list is about.

What would be your top ten films you believe everyone should see at least once in their lifetime?

But... there are so many. The list would probably be different if you asked me again in a month.

2001
Citizen Kane
Star Wars
The Return
The Pianist
E.T.
Hope and Glory
Att angöra en brygga
Three Amigos
The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover

And I could add ten more.

Ah, interesting list. I had to study Citizen Kane at college. Not seen Hope And Glory in a long time, but used to love that film. Also Et and 2001. Not seen The Cook, The Thief, His Wife & Her Lover, but have heard a lot about it.

It's a great film. It's like a painting with a bizarre back story.

[odeon]

Remember that I listed ten must-see films, not necessarily my ten favourite films of all time.

But other films on such a list might be, say...

The Godfather II (but you have to see I to appreciate II; you might want to see III afterwards because it deserves to be seen in the context of the two others and has a brilliant, brilliant ending)
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Jaws
Ben Hur
Snow White
Spirited Away
Wild Tales
Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
Living Is Easy With Eyes Closed
American Graffiti

And the list goes on. I should add The Third Man, too. And Psycho. And The Trouble with Harry.

The problem with making lists such as this one is that ten is just a number based on the number of fingers we have. It is a ridiculous idea to entertain that somehow, a particular list of ten films would somehow fill the needs of a lifetime.

I could add some Indian films. Devdas, for example, should be required watching for anyone who is interested in film, but a film buff should certainly see at least a dozen large-scale Bollywood productions. And BTW, so should most people because they make you happy. They are escapism at its best.

And there's the old Swedish bore, Ingmar Bergman, who, in spite of making some of the last century's most pretentious films also managed to produce both art and entertainment. There's Woody Allen, a director I can't stand without booze, but who certainly is talented and well worth studying (Annie Hall, maybe? Radio Days?). There is Mel Brooks. There's Francois Truffaut. There's Akira Kurosawa (Rashomon!).

And there are films that might not make the list but that you should see because of their storytelling techniques--Spielberg's Duel and Always both fall into this category. Duel is brilliant and should perhaps make the list. Always is a cheesy feel-good film with a brilliant cast, brilliant photography and brilliant editing.

Some might point out Lars von Trier, the mad Dane, but I don't really like him at all. His best work remains a TV series, in my not-so-humble opinion.

Etc. Etc. Etc.

[Graelwyn]

Remember that I listed ten must-see films, not necessarily my ten favourite films of all time.

But other films on such a list might be, say...

The Godfather II (but you have to see I to appreciate II; you might want to see III afterwards because it deserves to be seen in the context of the two others and has a brilliant, brilliant ending)
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Jaws
Ben Hur
Snow White
Spirited Away
Wild Tales
Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
Living Is Easy With Eyes Closed
American Graffiti

And the list goes on. I should add The Third Man, too. And Psycho. And The Trouble with Harry.

The problem with making lists such as this one is that ten is just a number based on the number of fingers we have. It is a ridiculous idea to entertain that somehow, a particular list of ten films would somehow fill the needs of a lifetime.

I could add some Indian films. Devdas, for example, should be required watching for anyone who is interested in film, but a film buff should certainly see at least a dozen large-scale Bollywood productions. And BTW, so should most people because they make you happy. They are escapism at its best.

And there's the old Swedish bore, Ingmar Bergman, who, in spite of making some of the last century's most pretentious films also managed to produce both art and entertainment. There's Woody Allen, a director I can't stand without booze, but who certainly is talented and well worth studying (Annie Hall, maybe? Radio Days?). There is Mel Brooks. There's Francois Truffaut. There's Akira Kurosawa (Rashomon!).

And there are films that might not make the list but that you should see because of their storytelling techniques--Spielberg's Duel and Always both fall into this category. Duel is brilliant and should perhaps make the list. Always is a cheesy feel-good film with a brilliant cast, brilliant photography and brilliant editing.

Some might point out Lars von Trier, the mad Dane, but I don't really like him at all. His best work remains a TV series, in my not-so-humble opinion.

Etc. Etc. Etc.

True, I don't think I could list just 10 films myself, but it might have proven arduous to you if I had asked for the 100 films you recommend viewing, or your 100 favourite films, or 10 best films for various categories etc etc.

Have you seen Grave Of The Fireflies? I absolutely love it... I have seen very little anime but that one really sticks with me.
I mention it because you mentioned Spirited Away.

[odeon]

No, I haven't. Spirited Away I only saw because I screened it dozens of times at the cinema and finally ended up watching it. Normally I wouldn't go anywhere near anime because I don't like the style. I'm more of a Disney person, stylistically, although I have to admit that Spirited Away is a work of art.

[Graelwyn]

No, I haven't. Spirited Away I only saw because I screened it dozens of times at the cinema and finally ended up watching it. Normally I wouldn't go anywhere near anime because I don't like the style. I'm more of a Disney person, stylistically, although I have to admit that Spirited Away is a work of art.

If you liked Spirited Away, Grave Of The Fireflies is definitely worth a watch. It is on Youtube, I believe.
I love Disney too, but the older ones. I cannot seem to get into the more modern ones like Frozen.
The Lion King is one I particularly favour.

[odeon]

The Jungle Book is one of my absolute favourites. And Lady and the Tramp.

But on a list of must-see films, Snow White is better suited because it started the whole thing.

[Yuri Bezmenov]

Three Amigos

   You have a dopey comedy here but you left out Das Boot??   

Das Boot was produced as a TV series and then cut down to a movie, I believe. Then the movie was expanded to include more of the TV series. I agree that it is brilliant, but it's hard to count it as a movie made for cinemas, which my list is about.

What?? I've never seen nor heard of a Das Boot TV series. Do you have links to it??

EDIT: nevermind, I found it. You got it backwards, the movie was released first, then the BBC series in the mid 80's came out a few years later.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Das_Boot#List

[Yuri Bezmenov]

No, I haven't. Spirited Away I only saw because I screened it dozens of times at the cinema and finally ended up watching it. Normally I wouldn't go anywhere near anime because I don't like the style. I'm more of a Disney person, stylistically, although I have to admit that Spirited Away is a work of art.

You should watch Akira. Not only good animation but an absolute mindfuck of a plot. It's developed a huge cult following.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akira_(film)