My Non-Artsy Top Ten

[John Cole]

Since this is a non-artsy list, I'll stick to movies in English.

In no particular order.

The Searchers

The Conversation

Titticut Follies

Bringing Up Baby

Strangers on a Train

Sullivan's Travels

Das Boot (okay, one with subtitles, but it's the best of one of my favorite genres)

Citizen Kane (tied, though, with Touch of Evil)

Chinatown

City Lights

Hard to limit this, so I went for representative samples from different categories. I really felt bad limiting myself to one documentary and one Hitchcock.

Warning: arsty list to follow. /forums/images/icons/grin.gif

[MMMMMM]

I don't know most of those movies. A couple of gems I would mention in a complete list: The Ladykillers (a great older British comedy movie), and Enchantment (a romantic movie set in wartime Europe). Add The King of Hearts for gemlike quality with keen poignance (or is it "poignancy";-)?.

[marbles]

Okay, I really need to start watching more AMC. Chinatown is awesome, you know how I feel about Citizen Kane, and I've only seen parts of Das Boot and The Conversation. Other than that, I can't speak to this list.

I will say, though, that I know some of the other movies by reputation, and can acknowledge that they are not known for being artsy.

Oh, and the foreign film = artsy film equation does not apply for anything german.

[IrishHand]

Oh, and the foreign film = artsy film equation does not apply for anything german.

Why not? (Just curious - never seen a German film, as I tend to avoid the European films due to the aforementioned 'artsy' problem.)

Thanks,
Irish

[John Cole]

Marbles,

You've never seen, I suppose, a 13 film retropspective of Fassbinder's work, and I think you may have missed Herzog's films. Fassbinder's for hardcores, but Herzog much more accessible, especially his work with Klaus Kinski.

John

[John Cole]

M,

I've still got my Boccherini string quartet LP that's about 25 years old that I bought because of The Ladykillers.

John

[John Cole]

How could I leave this out? I saw Lawrence of Arabia at the Park Theater in Cranston, Rhode Island, when I was nine years old, and that one hooked me on movies forever.

BTW, Peter O'Toole is a doubly phallic name; are you paying attention Andy Fox? /forums/images/icons/wink.gif

John

[patrick dicaprio]

strangers on a train is one of my favs. one of the best acting jobs by a villain by robery walker. the best part is when guy i splaying tennis and the whole crowd is turning their heads to watch the ball but walker is staring at guy. brilliant!

Pat

[marbles]

.

[scalf]

/forums/images/icons/blush.gif "it's only chinatown"...chilling line...oh so true...happy t-day..gl /forums/images/icons/cool.gif /forums/images/icons/diamond.gif

[andyfox]

Yes, I am.

[andyfox]

I've seen Strangers on a Train 3 or 4 times and I never liked it much. The acting and action just seemed forced to me. But I didn't like Rear Window much either, so I guess I'm just not a Hitchcock fan. I love Vertigo though.

[John Cole]

Andy,

I've seen Strangers 30 or 40 times, maybe more. The acting is forced, at times, but I think intentionally so. Robert Walker was coached how to play the part of a homosexual, but to give off only the slightest hints. Guy (Farley Granger), as befitting his pedestrian name, must seem wooden
in the role. Many critics lambast Ruth Roman's performance as Ann, but she needs to be a blank slate compared to her sister, played by Hitch's daughter, Patricia.

BTW, the British version of Strangers, which has only a few slight changes, is, in effect a very different movie. I've done quite a bit of research and writing about this film, and it's amazing how many critics and scholars believe that Guy's character is a professional tennis player, when, in fact, his amateur status is very important.

Although I haven't done so, this is a good movie to view through Freud's Oedipal theory.

And, I would have put Vertigo as my favorite, but I thought it too "artsy."

John

[andyfox]

With all due respect, nothing is good to view through Freud's oedipal theory.

[John Cole]

after you got done with Strangers, I was going to suggest you take another look at The Birds using the same lens.

French critic, Raymond Belleur, said that every classical Hollywoood film (that is all of them) is about the happy resolution of Oedipus. Note the word "happy."

I swear, I really do just sit back and enjoy movies like Raiders of the Lost Ark. I know everybody thinks I'm crazy, but I'm not. Ask Rick; we sat in the front row for The Empire Strikes Back. (Speaking of movies in which the weak son confronts the powerful father and Freud . . . )

John

[Ray Zee]

even when you are not artsy you are artsy. get a bag of greasy popcorn and watch the world go by out there. get into the lesser fun movies.
here are the clear choice--

midnight run

deer hunter

raiders of the lost ark

red balloon- sorry i am getting artsy here

bean- one of my all time favorites

a boy and his dog--only ive seen this one i bet

god father

rocky

the creature from the black lagoon--so what if i put in the first horror movie i ever saw

breakfast club-- okay so what

i am out of here as paul mcartny is on the tube singing

[Ray Zee]

some more--

l.a. confidential
sparticus
aliens
braveheart
the great escape
bride over the river kwai
one flew over the cuckoos nest

[John Cole]

Ray,

I've seen them all, even A Boy and His Dog. Saw The Red Balloon recently and enjoyed it once again. (Saw it first when I was a kid.)

BTW,

The first movies I ever saw in a theater were The Fly and The Alligator People. I was five, I think, and my aunt took me to see them.

i dont remember the alligator people. but when young all i did was watch vincent price, bela legosi, and lon cheny whenever i could. invaders from mars was another of the first ones i watched.

[Ray Zee]

damn, it kicked out my password again. i dont know why that happens and i have to log in again. the above post is mine.

[MMMMMM]

It happens to me a lot too, but I always assumed it was because I am just a lousy typist.

[Rick Nebiolo]

ray,

You like a lot of movies I've liked, but there a few on your list I haven't seen that I will check out.

One of my fondest memories of childhood is watching "Spartacus" in the dirive in with my parents and brother.

Regards,

Rick

[nicky g]

what about "north-by-northwest"? most fun hitchcock ever.

other great non-artsy films (a lot of pacino/gangsterdom i'm afraid):
goodfellas
heat
memento (ok it's backwards, but it's not really artsy)
carlito's way (the books are brilliant if you can find them)
odd man out (old)
godfather 2
bowling for columbine
the untouchables
sound of music /forums/images/icons/tongue.gif

[Ray Zee]

n by n/w was a great one as well. i hnavent seen bowling for columbine yet but i try not to miss anything michael moore puts out. although i dont agree with much of the specific things he wants, i do go with his general trend. his humorous stuff is great.

and i forgot about heat. i dont think it was a great movie from great movie standpoints but i sure liked it.