# Just got Netflix. Name some great old movies.



## Felon (May 28, 2005)

Some of us may be old enough to remember when video stores were mom-n'-pop shops, and most of the movies you found weren't the latest, greatest, high-budget slick movies. They were old movies, many of which you'd likely never heard of or seen before. Blockbuster killed all of that. Now if you walk into your local video store and ask if they have _Get Carter_, you're lucky if they find the naughty word 2000 Sylvester Stallone remake--forget the 1971 Michael Caine original. 

So, now I got a Netflix account and hey, they do have the Caine version of _Get Carter_.  I'll probably dig up whatever Sam Peckimpah they've got as well. 

Tell me about your favorite old movies that are hard to find. Stuff they don't show on TV. If you have found it at Netflix, by all means mention that.


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## Darkness (May 28, 2005)

Moved to the Movie forum.


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## John Q. Mayhem (May 28, 2005)

I don't know if it exactly qualifies as "hard to find," but _Casablanca_ is my favorite movie by a long shot. Hmm....the old _Pied Piper of Hamelin_, with Claude Reins, is also very good.


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## Lazybones (May 28, 2005)

Here are just a lesser-known films that come to mind: 


I am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang, with Paul Muni. A hard-hitting commentary on the justice system in the South during the Depression. Just released on DVD.
The Best Years of Our Lives, 1948 Best Picture winner. Story of three vets returning from WW2 and the difficulties they have in readjusting to civilian life. 
Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, NOT the Adam Sandler remake. 
Meet John Doe, another lesser-known Capra piece about corrupt politics and mass mobilization of the public. 
The Big Sleep, Humphrey Bogart is Philip Marlowe. 
The Young Lions. Follows the experiences of several WW2 soldiers, including 2 Americans (1 Jewish) and 1 German.

Pretty much anything here: http://www.imdb.com/chart/top


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## jsewell (May 28, 2005)

_The Third Man_, _The General_ (silent), "La Jetee" (the inspiration for _12 Monkeys_ - be sure to get the English voice over unless you speak French: the film's visuals are key, so reading the subtitles will take away from the experience), "Hairy Knuckles" (seriously - I saw it at a film festival, so it may not be available.  If you can get it, it's f-ing hilarious), _Midnight Express_, _Double Indemnity_, _Amelie_ (OK - it's not old, but it's a must-see).


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## Templetroll (May 28, 2005)

_Casablanca _ was already mentioned.  _The Maltese Falcon_ is the other great Bogart movie.

Try _The Court Jester_ with Danny Kaye and _the Long Ships_ with Richard Widmark for some fun films.


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## AdmundfortGeographer (May 28, 2005)

_Bridge on the River Kwai_.
_Doctor Zhivago_.

I consider these hard to find, because I rarely see them in a video store around here. They're about two of the finest movies.

The old _Pride and Prejudice_ (B&W) is a fine movie. Most of Errol Flynn's movies are a blast.


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## Heretic Apostate (May 28, 2005)

January Man, with Kevin Kline as a quirky detective-consultant to the police

Day of the Dolphin, about a dolphin that's been trained to talk

The Madness of King George

Bullets over Broadway

Those are some good ones.


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## Bloodstone Press (May 29, 2005)

I was surprised by the quality of Arsenic and Old Lace; A situation comedy that I thought was well ahead of its time. It’s a fast paced dark comedy about a bunch of dead bodies in the basement, two wacky old ladies, a delusional guy with a trumpet, and two impostors.

 And netflix has it. That's where I got it from.


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## WayneLigon (May 29, 2005)

Bloodstone Press said:
			
		

> I was surprised by the quality of Arsenic and Old Lace




Love, love that movie. "The window box? We've never had yellow fever there before!"

The Producers
The Great Race


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## John Q. Mayhem (May 29, 2005)

The Producers is good, yes.  Almost all Bogart movies are worth watching. Key Largo springs to mind.


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## Adeodatus (May 29, 2005)

Don't forget The Thin Man series.  There is nothing like the alcoholic banter of the William Powell and Myrna Loy.
Additionally, check out Cool Hand Luke to discover why people like Paul Newman.


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## CCamfield (May 29, 2005)

WayneLigon said:
			
		

> Love, love that movie. "The window box? We've never had yellow fever there before!"




I'll never forget that amazing look on Cary Grant's face...   Highly recommended.

I'd also like to recommend another favourite Cary Grant film - actually Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant:  _Charade_.  It's a great Hitchcockian suspense film from the 60s - not directed by Hitchcock, but very much in his style.

If you haven't watched many Hitchcock films, _North by Northwest_ is a great one, also starring Cary Grant.  

On a totally different sort of note, the remastered edition of _The Adventures of Robin Hood_, starring Errol Flynn, is totally gorgeous (beautiful Technicolor from the 1930s... it was just expensive)and a fun film worth renting.  But hm, this does occasionally get shown on TV.


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## TheAuldGrump (May 29, 2005)

Alec Guinness movies. Lots of Alec Guinness movies. The Lady Killers, Captain's Paradise, Lavender Hill Mob, Kind Hears and Coronets.

Whiskey Galore (also titled A Tight Little Island).

Sabrina (with Bogart).

The Lion in Winter (my all time favorite movie).

Bedazzled (with Dudley Moore)

The Doctor and the Devils (about Burke and Hare).

The Haunting of Hill House.

The Man Who Would be King.

Alfred Hitchcock movies. Rebecca being my favorite.)

The Auld Grump


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## LeapingShark (May 29, 2005)

TCM & AMC are also great for classic movies, Maltese Falcon & Thin Man are both showing next Saturday, and you can catch most of those mentioned every month.

Best D&D movie that not enough people have seen is _Flesh & Blood_ (1985, Rutger Hauer & Jennifer Jason Leigh).  It's a movie in the tradition of George RR Martin's Song of Ice and Fire novels, I'd wouldn't be surprised if old George was influenced by it in some way.


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## Maxwell's Demon (May 29, 2005)

Have yourself a Cary Grant festival.  I tend to prefer his comedies.  Get Ye therefore:

I Was a Male Warbride
Topper
Operation Petticoat
The Bishop's Wife
Father Goose
Bringing Up Baby
Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House
Arsenic and Old Lace


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## Pielorinho (May 30, 2005)

Great suggestions here!  I'm a huge Bogart fan:  he's my mancrush.  Watch just about anything that he stars in for a great time.

_Philadelphia Story_ is a fun old romantic comedy, with plenty of rapier dialogue in it.  _Bringing up Baby_ is a lousy old romantic comedy:  stay away!

_The Haunting_--the old version--is one of the scariest movies I've ever seen.  Definitely check it out, and be prepared for slow-building, subtle, psychological horror.  Same thing with _The Pit and the Pendulum_, which has almost nothing to do with Poe's story.

_Invasion of the Body Snatchers_ is a great old horror movie, but not nearly as scary as the previous two.  Instead, watch it for insight into 1950s America:  note that both anti-Communists and Communists claimed the movie was propaganda supporting their position, much to the director's dismay.

After searching for it for almost a decade, I've finally discovered a copy of _Captain Blood_ in a local video store:  it's Errol Flynn in a piratical swashbuckler.  It's next on our movie list.

Daniel


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## Heretic Apostate (May 30, 2005)

The one I've been looking for is _Scalawags_, with Kirk Douglas.  Not to be confused with _Scalawag the Monkey_.  I don't think it ever made it to DVD.


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## Wombat (May 30, 2005)

TheAuldGrump said:
			
		

> Alec Guinness movies. Lots of Alec Guinness movies. The Lady Killers, Captain's Paradise, Lavender Hill Mob, Kind Hears and Coronets.
> 
> Whiskey Galore (also titled A Tight Little Island).




Ah!  Tastes after my own heart!    (My grandfather, a native of North Uist in the Hebrides, particularly loved Whiskey Galore...)

Have you thought of a Kurasawa-fest?  Sanjuro, Yojimbo, The Seven Samurai, Kagemusha, Ran -- great films, all!  They may even inspire games in you.


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## Joker (May 30, 2005)

Wombat said:
			
		

> Have you thought of a Kurasawa-fest?  Sanjuro, Yojimbo, The Seven Samurai, Kagemusha, Ran -- great films, all!  They may even inspire games in you.




Oh yeah.  Definately check him out.

Further, I can only think of some of the more famous ones like Citizen Kane, The Great Dictator, War and Peace (w Audrey Hepburn) and Dr Strangelove.

I'll have to go through my collection.  Give me few days .


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## Jhamin (May 30, 2005)

Try "The Sting" with Newman and Redford as a pair of con men.  Moden movies have twist endings.  This had half a dozen twist endings inside eachother.


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## Barendd Nobeard (May 30, 2005)

My first 2 netflix rentals:

*Triumph of the Will*
*The Wonderul Horrible Life of Leni Reifenstahl*


Some wondeful films Netflix can provide:

*Olympia*
*Tokyo Story* - a Japanese film without samurai or Godzilla
*M* starring Peter Lorre
TMC archives Buster Keaton Collection includes *The Cameraman* (even my kids liked this one)
*Nosferatu*
*Central Station (Central do Brasil)*
*House of Cards* trilogy (BBC t.v. series)


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## Wombat (May 30, 2005)

Couple of other comedies sprung to mind after thinking about _Arsenic & Old Lace_...

If you end up liking those, definitely do yourself the favour and see two other classic screwball comedies -- _It Happened One Night_ and _Bringing Up Baby_ 

Truly great stuff


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## Lawrence of Arabica (May 31, 2005)

Wombat said:
			
		

> Have you thought of a Kurasawa-fest?  Sanjuro, Yojimbo, The Seven Samurai, Kagemusha, Ran -- great films, all!  They may even inspire games in you.




Also The Hidden Fortress -- one of the inspirations for Star Wars IV


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## John Q. Mayhem (May 31, 2005)

Jhamin said:
			
		

> Try "The Sting" with Newman and Redford as a pair of con men.  Moden movies have twist endings.  This had half a dozen twist endings inside eachother.




That was a good movie. Haven't seen it in a long time.


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## Vigilance (May 31, 2005)

Yojimbo: the best Samurai movie ever made. If you want to know my Lucas rips off Kurasawa at his every opportunity, watch this.

Sanjuro: not as good imo as Yojimbo, but it is a sequel so there you go. Still a great movie and a chance to see our ronin hero let his conscience get the best of him again.

Ladyhawk: I just love this movie, it would make a great D&D campaign. The fight scenes between Rutger Hauer and the mooks are hilarious, but well done and the film really evokes a feeling of magic.

From Beijing with Love: If you liked Shaolin Soccer, watch Stephen Chow play the Chinese James Bond and laugh your *** off.


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## qstor (May 31, 2005)

Wild bunch is awesome! I'd go with that. If you're a Western fan check out Shane, the Searchers and My Darling Clementine three classic westerns. We wactched all 3 in this western/dectective film class I took in college.

Bad day at Black rock was just released on DVD. It got a fantastic review in the NYT a few weeks ago. Never seen it though but I added it to my list on Netflix.

Mike


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## Gomez (May 31, 2005)

Here are some suggestions.

*Alexander Nevsky* (1938), A propaganda film aimed at stiring up russian patroitism. It is set in the 13th century and has some great battle scenes. 

*Some Like it Hot* (1959), Jack Lemon and Tony Curtis play two out of luck musicians running from the mob. They hid out by joining a all lady band. A great comedy! 

*Thing from Another World* (1951), A superior blend of science-fiction, horror, naturalistic dialogue and flesh-and-blood characterizations.


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## Krug (May 31, 2005)

*The Apartment* - Classic comedy. 
*Onibaba* - Distrurbing tale of sexual horror.
*Kwaidan* - Classic Japanese horror.
*The Samurai Trilogy* - The story of Musashi. First movie is probably the strongest though.


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## Mallus (May 31, 2005)

Can't go wrong with Preston Sturges...

*Sullivan's Travels*
*The Lady Eve*
*The Miracle at Morgan's Creek*

Or Ben Hetch...

*Nothing Sacred*
*His Girl Friday*

Or a film that features Scotch being made out of grain alcohol, Coke, and iodine...

*Mr. Roberts*

And I'll second *Operation Petticoat*. If only contemporary high-concept comedies --here's the kicker, pink submarine!-- were this good...


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## merztrumpet (Jun 1, 2005)

_Onibaba_ (1964) - Creepy Japanese drama

_Band of Outsiders_ (1964) - French crime film from Godard

_Alphaville_ (1965) - A surreal scifi crime picture from Godard

_The Seventh Seal_ (1957) - Swedish drama from Bergman about a man on the verge of death who challenges death to a game of chess

_La Strada_ (1954) - Classic Italian drama from Fellini about a woman who is sold to an entertainer by her mother.

_8 1/2_ (1963) - Drama from Fellini about a successful director, stricken for ideas about an upcoming film, retreats into his dreams and memories. (Superb soundtrack from Nino Rota)

_Rififi_ (1955) - A French noirish crime film from Jules Dassin.

_Youth of the Beast_ (1963) - Excellent yakuza film from Seijun Suzuki about an ex detective playing two yakuza gangs in hopes to figure out who murdered a friend.

_The Bride Wore Black_ (1968) - Francois Truffaut delievers a fantastic revenge drama/mystery about a woman who was widowed on the front steps of the church after her wedding.

_Lady Snowblood_ (1973) - Little known Japanese flick about a woman born of revenge.

_The Sword of Doom_ (1966) - One of the best Samurai movies ever.

_Incident at Blood Pass_ (1970) -  Hiroshi Inagaki's last film, which is also one of the two films that stars both Toshiro Mifune (Seven Samurai) and Shintaro Katsu (Zatoichi), tells a story of a lone yojimbo on a mission to a moutain pass to wait for something and the interactions with other characters he encounters before a major confrontation.

_The Mercenary_ (1968) - Good Italian spaghetti western from Sergio Corbucci starring Franco Nero and Jack Palance. A bandit wants to be a real 'revolutionary' and solicits the help of a veteran (Nero). Music from Ennio Morricone.

Edit: I'm not finding The Mercenary or The Bride Wore Black on netflix. Oh well, keep a look out through other means of distribution.


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## KidCthulhu (Jun 1, 2005)

I've got to third the vote for Kind Hearts and Coronets.  Watch what Alec Guinness was really capable of!  Also, Murder by Death is my favorite obscure movie starring a lot of famous people in a movie you've never heard of.  It's especially funny if you like mystery novels.


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## mmadsen (Jun 1, 2005)

*Afi 100*

I recommend the AFI 100.  The top ten: 1. CITIZEN KANE (1941)
2. CASABLANCA (1942)
3. THE GODFATHER (1972)
4. GONE WITH THE WIND (1939)
5. LAWRENCE OF ARABIA (1962)
6. THE WIZARD OF OZ (1939)
7. THE GRADUATE (1967)
8. ON THE WATERFRONT (1954)
9. SCHINDLER'S LIST (1993)
10. SINGIN' IN THE RAIN (1952)​


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## Chaldfont (Jun 1, 2005)

Oh man, I love those old Bogart movies, The Big Sleep, The Maltese Falcon & Casablanca! We should all still wear suits and fedoras, roll our own cigarettes and start business with a stiff drink.

Netflix is great for more recent, albeit obscure movies too. Or to fill in those holes in your classic movie repertoire. Its great to pick a director or actor and just go surfing for other things the artist has done.

Nine Queens
The Spanish Prisoner
Akira Kurasawa's Dreams
Seven Samurai
Any Hitchcock movie especially: Psycho, Vertigo, North by Northwest, Rear Window
Old Clint Eastwood movies: The Outlaw Josie Wales, Kelly's Heroes, High Plains Drifter
Run Lola Run
Memento
The Professional
Angel Heart (oh man this is creepy, maybe the creepiest movie I've ever seen)
Jacob's Ladder
Bubba Ho-Tep (seriously)
Dragon's Lair (yep, remember the old laser disk video game? You can play it on your DVD player)
Enter the Dragon
Legend of Drunken Master
Dagon (its so bad its good!)

Netflix is great for burning through TV series. No commercials, no waiting a week for the next episode, no buying premium cable.

The Sopranos (obviously)
Six Feet Under
Alias
Band of Brothers (Tom Hanks made this after Saving Private Ryan--man this one is good. Read the book too.)
From the Earth to the Moon (another good one, Tom Hanks made this after Apollo 13)
Cowboy Bebop
Farscape
Family Guy
Futurama
X-Files

I know I will think of more later...


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## Desdichado (Jun 1, 2005)

Pielorinho said:
			
		

> After searching for it for almost a decade, I've finally discovered a copy of _Captain Blood_ in a local video store:  it's Errol Flynn in a piratical swashbuckler.  It's next on our movie list.



It was just released on DVD a few months ago -- and yes, it's on my Netflix queue and my short list of DVDs to buy, both.

I'd recommend _The Adventures of Robin Hood_ also with Errol Flynn and Olivia de Haviland, who was quite possibly the most beautiful woman to ever grace the silver screen.  Heck, I think Grace Kelly is one of the only other ones in the same league.

_Where Eagles Dare_ is another great flick with Richard Burton and Clint Eastwood.  And _so many_ dead Nazis.  Someone once told me that this movie held the record for the highest body count for over 15 years; until the second Rambo movie got made, as a matter of fact.  I don't know if its true or not, but it's believable.

The _Ivanhoe_ that stars Robert Taylor and Elizabeth Taylor is great fun.  

Someone else mentioned _The Court Jester_ and I heartily second that one.

I'm also a sucker for a few of the classic musicals; _Singin' in the Rain_ was always my favorite, but I'll take _Oklahoma_ or _Kismet_ or some of the others; although sadly _Kismet_ is _not_ available on Netflix, and probably not on DVD at all.

_Hatari!_ was always my favorite John Wayne movie, set in Africa in the 50s where Wayne leads a band of lovable ruffians who catch animals for zoos for a living.

There's a lot of good westerns out there; it's hard to even know where to begin.  _True Grit_ and it's sequels, the spaghetti westerns _A Fist Full of Dollars_ etc., _Winchester 76_...

I like old movies.  If all you want is old, I could go on for hours.  Maybe if you narrowed it down a bit?


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## Chaldfont (Jun 1, 2005)

> Where Eagles Dare is another great flick with Richard Burton and Clint Eastwood. And so many dead Nazis. Someone once told me that this movie held the record for the highest body count for over 15 years; until the second Rambo movie got made, as a matter of fact. I don't know if its true or not, but it's believable.




WWII + spies + a castle + ski lift fight scene + car chase escape + plot twists + Clint Eastwood = tons of cool points.

That movie is awesome. It would make a great D20 Modern one-shot.


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## Desdichado (Jun 1, 2005)

Chaldfont said:
			
		

> Netflix is great for burning through TV series. No commercials, no waiting a week for the next episode, no buying premium cable.



I'll second this.  I've had tons of fun on my quest to watch all of the X-files in order.  Not that I'm even at all close to finished; I'm still sitting on the second (of nine) seasons.

And my wife has had tons of fun doing the same thing with the Gilmore Girls.


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## Dagger75 (Jun 1, 2005)

How about 

 The Viking

 Spartacus

 Omega Man


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## Warrior Poet (Jun 1, 2005)

Chaldfont said:
			
		

> WWII + spies + a castle + ski lift fight scene + car chase escape + plot twists + Clint Eastwood = tons of cool points.
> 
> That movie is awesome. It would make a great D20 Modern one-shot.



One of the all-time great action movies.  I'm convinced it's where the idea for the _Wolfenstein_ series of video games got its inspiration.  Great soundtrack, too.

In addition to all the great suggestions so far, I'd add:

in the lighthearted comedy classification:  _It Happened One Night_ starring Claudette Colbert and Clark Gable.  Fun, and funny, and has the famous scene where Colbert hails a ride from a passing car by hitching up her skirt and showing off her legs.  Tame by today's standards, but still sexy as hell.  Plus, there's a great song sing-along on a bus, tons of witty banter, hard-boiled reporters, and drinking.  What's not to love?

War!:  Not terribly old (1980 or so), but _The Big Red One_ is a great war movie about the 1st infantry in WWII, with the incomparable Lee Marvin as the hard-bitten sargeant leading a group of soldiers, one of whom is played by some kid named Mark Hamill.

Hard boiled mystery:  It's been said before, but for noir thrillers, _The Big Sleep_.  This is my all-time favorite movie.  Great characters, great story (screenplay by William Faulkner, no less!), great fun, and proof that Lauren Bacall is the sexiest woman in the world.  Plus, Bogart (tied with Steve McQueen) is the coolest ever.  "You're not very tall for a detective."  "I tried to be."

Car chases:  Speaking of Steve McQueen and total coolness, _Bullitt_ is one of his iconic films, with a great car chase through the streets of San Francisco.  You can also catch great perfomances by McQueen in _The Great Escape_ and the original _Thomas Crowne Affair_.

Uncle Jack:  _Chinatown_.  Stellar cast, stellar film.

Hitchcock:  deserves its own category.  Pick one.  Any one.  All of them.  Enjoy.

Noir extra credit:  _Double Indemnity_ and _Shadow of a Doubt_.

Hollywood Mystery:  _Sunset Boulevard_.  Norma Desmond.  Creepy.  Great, great film.  Watch this one before you see _The Wild Bunch_ and catch William Holden as a young man, then in _The Wild Bunch_ when he's older.

Western with a twist:  _Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid_ starring Newman and Redford.  So much fun, so many great lines.  "Think you used enough dynamite there, Butch?"  And always remember the rules for a knife fight.

Get started!

Warrior Poet


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## coriolis (Jun 1, 2005)

If you like heavily stylized stuff...

Night of the Hunter: A dark fairy tale about an ex-con (played by Robert Mitchum) pretending to be a preacher to get his hands on the inheritance of a widow and her 2 grandchildren.

Buckaroo Banzai: A weird product of 80s sci-fi with Peter Weller. Probably second only to Monty Python and the Holy Grail as a D&D gamer favorite.

David Lynch's oeuvre - Eraserhead, The Elephant Man, Blue Velvet, Wild at Heart, The Straight Story, Lost Highway, Mulholland Drive. Also, the first season (6 episodes) of Twin Peaks (add Fire Walk with Me if you liked Twin Peaks) (I assume you saw his version of Dune...)


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## TheAuldGrump (Jun 2, 2005)

Some silent greats:

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari - my favorite silent movie, and one of my all time favorites period.

Nosferatu. The remake with Klaus Kinsky is also interesting.

Sardonicus.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

Phantom of the Opera.

Silent Movie (Mel Brooks... the only spoken line in the movie is by Marcel Marceau.)

*EDIT* Metropolis (of course).

The Auld Grump


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## Wombat (Jun 2, 2005)

TheAuldGrump said:
			
		

> Some silent greats:
> 
> The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari - my favorite silent movie, and one of my all time favorites period.
> 
> ...




Y'know, AuldGrump, you and I have to get together for some serious film-festing!  

Of course this opens up another line of enquiry -- imagine screening multiple versions of the same film (or film-theme) from the silents on forward.  I mean 
_The Phantom of the Opera_ has been done at least three times, _Nosferatu_ could lead to a whole Dracula-splurge, and with _The Hunchback of Notre Dame_ you get at least the two versions (plus the Disney musical, but let's not get silly...).

Think of watching the evolving taste in Westerns by watching, say, Tom Mix and slowly working forward to the more gritty modern visions.  The same with films on WWII of even (very broadly) comedies.  Watching "greats" from one time to another could give you a whole panorama of the changes in tastes towards what is desireable in movies.

Egads!  Just watching (those available, of course) the Best Picture films in chronological order would be quite the eye-opener!


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## Dagger75 (Jun 2, 2005)

Well here is the list of all the best pictures.

http://www.imdb.com/Sections/Awards/Academy_Awards_USA/

This should come in handy.


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## Desdichado (Jun 2, 2005)

TheAuldGrump said:
			
		

> Nosferatu. The remake with Klaus Kinsky is also interesting.



As is the recent movie about the making of the silent movie with the star as a real vampire.  Can't remember the name of that one, though.

I'm surprised you left Metropolis off the list of silent movies, though.  Not often remembered today (what silent movie is?) yet perhaps one of the most influential of them all in many ways.


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## Warrior Poet (Jun 2, 2005)

Joshua Dyal said:
			
		

> As is the recent movie about the making of the silent movie with the star as a real vampire.  Can't remember the name of that one, though.



_Shadow of the Vampire_ with John Malkovic as Murnau and Willem Dafoe as the vampire.

Warrior Poet


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## Warrior Poet (Jun 2, 2005)

Joshua Dyal said:
			
		

> I'm surprised you left Metropolis off the list of silent movies, though.  Not often remembered today (what silent movie is?) yet perhaps one of the most influential of them all in many ways.



I was always curious about the story of the original silent film, that was shown in a tent in the  late 19th c., I think.  It showed a train pulling into a station.  Supposedly, being the first time people had seen "motion pictures," the tent emptied out with the spectators screaming and running for their lives, afraid they were going to be run over by the train.

What I want to know is, wouldn't a train make a tremendous amount of noise?  This was before sound was part of film.  Giant steam engine whistling and screeching on steel rails.  Maybe they were equally terrified of the fact that someone had developed a top secret stealth train.   

I guess I can see the scare factor coming from the innovation of it all, and the realism, but I would have thought the lack of noise would have somehow precluded such a reaction.

Warrior Poet


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## The_Universe (Jun 2, 2005)

Westerns: 
McLintock!
Rio Bravo
The War Wagon

WWII: 
The Dirty Dozen


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## TheAuldGrump (Jun 9, 2005)

Joshua Dyal said:
			
		

> As is the recent movie about the making of the silent movie with the star as a real vampire.  Can't remember the name of that one, though.
> 
> I'm surprised you left Metropolis off the list of silent movies, though.  Not often remembered today (what silent movie is?) yet perhaps one of the most influential of them all in many ways.




It looks like Metropolis disappeared, along with my customary tag line of 'The Auld Grump', not sure how, but I have now added both back in. It is my second favorite of the silents. 

And a movie that changed the world, but not in a good way - Birth of a Nation... A movie that I truly wish had never been made.

The Auld Grump


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## sniffles (Jun 10, 2005)

Ah, so nice to see silents being recommended - I was beginning to think no one was willing to watch silent movies anymore but me.   

Any Charlie Chaplin film, ditto Buster Keaton.  
Greed - there's a great silent.  
Sunrise  
Alexander Nevsky  
Potemkin
Aelita - Queen of Mars (although I only recommend the Martian parts - the rest is awful propaganda)

I pushed Jean Cocteau's Beauty and the Beast on another thread, but I'll push it again.  Add to that his Orpheus.

The Flash Gordon serials are fun when they're not all chopped up and full of commercials.

The Monsier Hulot films - Mon Oncle, Mr. Hulot's Holiday, and Playtime.  

Man, this list could go on forever.


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## Tanager (Jun 11, 2005)

ok, here's the 'chick flick, but I like em anyway, you wanna make something of it?'    list:

_Eve's Bayou_ and _Cavenman's Valentine_ both directed by Kasi Lemmons
_Antonia's Line_
_Like Water for Chocolate_
_Babette's Feast_
_But I'm a Cheerleader_


I'll second the recommendation for _Kaspar Hausar_, _Arsenic and Old Lace_, _Bubba Ho-Tep_ (how can it not be good? Bruce Cambell as Elvis, fighting the undead, you can't go wrong!), _Kind Hearts and Coronets_,  _Shadow of the Vampire_ and _Where Eagles Dare_.

There's one I really want to reccomend, but I'm drawing a blank on the title, and the actors names at the moment. It'll come to me later I'm sure.


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## Ghostwind (Jun 11, 2005)

The Sea Hawks (Erroll Flynn)
Stagecoach (John Wayne)
His Girl Friday (Cary Grant)
Sergeant York (Gary Cooper)
My Favorite Year (Peter O'Toole)
Winchester 76 (James Stewart)
Cheyenne Social Club (James Stewart/Henry Fonda)
Outland (Sean Connery)

TV Series
Have Gun, Will Travel
Wild, Wild West
The Outer Limits (original series)

I'm sure I'll think up more later. I love old movies, especially John Wayne westerns.


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## Angel Tarragon (Jun 11, 2005)

Not necessarily [that] old but worth watching anyway is *Memoirs of An Invisible Man*. A couple of true classics woth watching are *The Mummy* (Boris Karloff) and *Night of the Living Dead* (George Romero). I'd highly reccommend watching Night of the Living Dead if you intend on seeing Land of the Dead, which will be in theatres in less than two weeks.


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## neg (Jun 13, 2005)

*Just watched it last night...*

"Sweet Smell of Success" with Tony Curtis and Burt Lancaster.

A very underrated film.  Incredible dialogue, great camera, fantastic acting.  Shot in b & w as color would have spoiled it.

Beautiful film.  Some really incredible lines are in that movie.

-neg


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## TheAuldGrump (Jun 15, 2005)

_The Mission_ and _The Black Robe_. Two very different movies around a similar premise. Seen together they are... interesting.


A Terry Gilliam fest - 12 Monkeys - the movie where I suddenly realized that Brad Pitt can actually act! (I would never have believed it before seeing the movie...)

The Adventures of Baron Munchausen

Brazil

Lost in La Mancha (Gods I wish that the movie had been completed...)

The Fisher King

And thematically linked - Monty Python and the Holy Grail... one of the most over quoted movies in gaming!

The Auld Grump


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## merztrumpet (Jun 15, 2005)

If you enjoyed The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, you should look into Karel Zeman's The Fabulous Baron Munchausen, from 61', which is part of the original inspiration for Gilliam's take. Good Czech fantasy.


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