# Rating - Perfect 10 Movies



## Thanee (May 16, 2004)

Just being curious, what movies would you rate as 10 (perfect 10)?

Just list a couple that you can think off. 

Bye
Thanee


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## Crothian (May 16, 2004)

I figure others will pick the well known and modern great movies, so I'll go back in the time vault a bit and pull out some lesser knowns.  

Rules of the Game: 1939 french movie so many people today really don't li8ke it, but I was introduced to it in a film class in college and really enjoyed it

City of Lost Children: oddly enough another french film, this one 1997 and a little more well known.  Very wierd, but fun.

Metropolis: 1927 american silent film about the working class.  Don't see it with the Loverboy sound track if you can.

Abott and Costello meet Frankenstein: This is their best film, made in 1948.  All the mosnters are played true to form and they got the classic actors to play them.  

Duck Soap: 1933 movie and the best of the Marx brothers.  Great comedy.


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (May 16, 2004)

Fellowship of the Ring and Return of the King(Two Towers at a 9)

I'm with Crothian on City of Lost Children, great great movie.

Empire Strikes Back

Spartacus))

Ben-Hur))

...and many others, actually. That's what I can think of at the moment.


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## Dragonblade (May 16, 2004)

Braveheart
Star Wars
Empire Strikes Back
Treasure Island (TNT movie version from about 12 years ago)
Lord of the Rings (all 3)
The Princess Bride


All perfect 10s in my opinion.


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## Dark Jezter (May 16, 2004)

The Fellowship of the Ring
The Return of the King
The Empire Strikes Back
Conan the Barbarian
Ben-Hur
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Aliens
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
The Shawshank Redemption
The Matrix


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## Maraxle (May 16, 2004)

Freddy Got Fingered
Timeline
The Matrix Reloaded
From Dusk Till Dawn 3

That's a perfect 10 on the suckage scale, of course.


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (May 16, 2004)

Maraxle said:
			
		

> Freddy Got Fingered
> Timeline
> The Matrix Reloaded
> From Dusk Till Dawn 3
> ...



 Was getting worried about you for a moment there.


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## Mog Elffoe (May 16, 2004)

Raiders of the Lost Ark
The original King Kong
Airplane!
The Godfather Parts I & II
The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly
Silverado


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## Mog Elffoe (May 16, 2004)

Maraxle said:
			
		

> Freddy Got Fingered
> Timeline
> The Matrix Reloaded
> From Dusk Till Dawn 3
> ...




Freddy Got Fingered scores better than a perfect ten on the suckage scale.  

Tom Green still has a good punchin' comin' to him if I ever meet him.


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## Morpheus (May 16, 2004)

Raiders of the Lost Ark
A Few Good Men
American History X
Das Boot
Alien
LotR: The Fellowship of the Ring
LotR: The Return of the King

  There are some more, I just can't think of them right now... :\


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## Thanee (May 16, 2004)

Ankh-Morpork Guard said:
			
		

> Was getting worried about you for a moment there.




That was what I thought as well... 

Bye
Thanee


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## DaveStebbins (May 16, 2004)

The Princess Bride

The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai -- Across the 8th Dimension

Dark Star


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## Silver Moon (May 16, 2004)

I agree with many cited above.  To that list I'll add:

Adventures of Robin Hood (Errol Flynn)
The Wizard of Oz
It's a Wonderful Life
Star Trek II: TWoK
The Blues Brothers


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## Kai Lord (May 16, 2004)

I equate a "Perfect 10" to the actual experience the movie provides, not necessarily a lack of any conceivable flaw in the execution.  That being said my list would be as follows:

The Passion of the Christ
The Return of the King
The Fellowship of the Ring
The Two Towers
The Empire Strikes Back (original version)
E.T. The Extra Terrestrial
Star Wars

"Perfect 10's" in their respective genres would include 

Raiders of the Lost Ark
Aliens
Moulin Rouge
Face/Off
Jaws

but the experience of watching them is significantly surpassed by the top seven listed above.


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## Kai Lord (May 16, 2004)

Dark Jezter said:
			
		

> The Fellowship of the Ring
> The Return of the King
> The Empire Strikes Back
> Conan the Barbarian
> ...



While I certainly wouldn't rank Conan or Last Crusade as high as you do, I must say one thing:  You, my friend, have _awesome_ taste in movies.    Roughly half the films on your list have at one time or another been my "favorite film of all time."


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## Dimwhit (May 16, 2004)

The Shawshank Redemption
Braveheart


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## Dark Jezter (May 16, 2004)

Kai Lord said:
			
		

> While I certainly wouldn't rank Conan or Last Crusade as high as you do, I must say one thing:  You, my friend, have _awesome_ taste in movies.    Roughly half the films on your list have at one time or another been my "favorite film of all time."



 Thanks for the compliment. 

Here's a few others I wish to add to my list:

Braveheart
The Passion of the Christ
The Godfather Part II
Enter the Dragon (I don't know if I'd rank it as a 10 overall, but it's definatly a 10 in the martial arts movie genre)


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## Chain Lightning (May 16, 2004)

Its my opinion that a movie cannot achieve a perfect 10 status with a viewer based on skill of execution alone. Perfectly made and perfectly acted....won't get a movie to perfect 10. It seems to me, it takes personal taste in the story and genre for it to push from 8 or 9 all the way to 10.  I mean, how many of you put "Out of Africa" on your list? Or "On Golden Pond"? They may be 10's to other people....but we're some-what part of the same crowd. We all play D&D and hang out here. We obviously have some similar "broad" tastes. If not specific ones.

Here are my movies that I would rate 10


-Heat
-Jaws
-Raiders of the Lost Ark
-Empires Strikes Back
-Lord of the Rings (all three parts as one big movie)
-Blackhawk Down
-Back to the Future (part 1)
-Contact
-Alien
-Aliens
-Shaolin Soccer (yeah, you heard me right....heh heh)
-Spirited Away
-Iron Giant


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## Thanee (May 17, 2004)

Kai Lord said:
			
		

> I equate a "Perfect 10" to the actual experience the movie provides, not necessarily a lack of any conceivable flaw in the execution.




Yeah, I don't even think there is _any_ completely flawless movie.

Minor flaws don't make a movie bad. Fellowship of the Ring surely had some flaws, but many people would give it a 10. That's what I'm asking for.

You might want to see the score as 10 meaning 91-100%, where 100% means the ideal, perfect, flawless (and nonexistant) movie... but 91-99% is also pretty damn good! 

Bye
Thanee


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## Dimwhit (May 17, 2004)

Thought of more (with the help of my wife):

The Sound of Music
Dirty Dozen
Bridge on the River Kwai
Galaxy Quest
Waiting for Guffman
Young Frankenstein

And I'll agree with the LotR Trilogy, too.

One way we decide on a '10' is by how often we see a movie. If we can put a movie in regularly and never tire of it, it's a '10.' So I'd have to add several more to the list: Dick, Drop Dead Gorgeous, Best In Show, The Wrong Guy, etc...


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## Thanee (May 17, 2004)

Chain Lightning said:
			
		

> It seems to me, it takes personal taste in the story and genre for it to push from 8 or 9 all the way to 10.




Yep, that's why I asked for everyone's personal, subjective opinion.

Altho, I think - and so far it also looks like - that there are certainly some major favorite movies within the genres generally liked by the crowd here. 

Bye
Thanee


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## Viking Bastard (May 17, 2004)

Crothian said:
			
		

> Metropolis: 1927 american silent film about the working class.  Don't see it with the Loverboy sound track if you can.



Uh, unless there's a remake, that's an German film. Don't you mean the one
 by Fritz Lang? Although there are both a German version and an American 
one, where the American one was highly edited for length and censored.

And yeah. That movie is brilliant. As are all other Fritz Lang movies I've seen.


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## LightPhoenix (May 17, 2004)

There are _very_ few movies I'd give a 10 to.  Personally, if I can't think of a 10-movie off the top of my head, it really wasn't memorable enough to be a 10.  That said, the only one that jumps to mind is _The Shawshank Redemption_.


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## Mog Elffoe (May 17, 2004)

Dimwhit said:
			
		

> One way we decide on a '10' is by how often we see a movie. If we can put a movie in regularly and never tire of it, it's a '10.' So I'd have to add several more to the list: Dick, Drop Dead Gorgeous, Best In Show, The Wrong Guy, etc...




The Wrong Guy is hysterical.  I thought I was the only person that had seen and loved it.


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## Tonguez (May 17, 2004)

My list

Cyrano De Bergerac 
The Little Mermaid (Disney)
Star Wars
The Rocky Horror Picture Show
The Sound of Music
Carousel
Metropolis (German)
Nosferatu


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## Zappo (May 17, 2004)

I give a 10 to a movie for which I can't think of any substantial flaw. Lemme check my IMDB history...

 Alien
 Back to the Future 1 & 2
 Fight Club
 Ghostbusters
 Life of Brian
 LotR: Fellowship
 LotR: Return
 Star Wars (all original three)
 Terminator 2
 Vita è Bella, La
 Young Frankenstain

 I might reconsider a couple of them though... which prompts me to reconsidering the 9s too... *checks* nah, the 9s stay where they are. So that's all the 10s I've given, at most. If there were a "closer to 10 than to 9, but not quite", it would be taken by BttF2, Fight Club, Ghostbusters and RotJ.


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## Mark (May 17, 2004)

I agree with a many of those already suggested and I'll add Without a Clue, a hilarious send up of the Sherlock Holmes stories.


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## WayneLigon (May 17, 2004)

LOtR
Star Wars
Spider-Man


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## Wombat (May 17, 2004)

In no order whatsoever...

Casablanca (probably the single most perfect movie in the world, for my tastes)
Citizen Kane
The Cabinet of Doctor Caligari
Duck Soup
Lawrence of Arabia
Dr. Strangelove
Blue Velvet
Amadeus
Gandhi
The Godfather II
Ghostbusters
A Mighty Wind
The Adventures of Robin Hood
The Lion in Winter
The Princess Bride

There are others as well, but this is good for discussion


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## Wombat (May 17, 2004)

Mark said:
			
		

> I agree with a many of those already suggested and I'll add Without a Clue, a hilarious send up of the Sherlock Holmes stories.




Not quite a 10 for me (more like a 9.5), but a truly amazing film!  Thanks for the reminder of this movie's genius


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## buzzard (May 17, 2004)

Patton
A Bridge too Far
The Shootist
Robin Hood (Errol Flynn version, of course, though it might only be a 9)
Schindler's List
Casablanca
Sgt. York
Naughty Nineties (best Abbot and Costello movie-features Who's on First skit, but again, it might only be a 9)
Gone with the Wind (which I am personally not that fond of, but do recognize the quality)

I've seen plenty of movies listed above in other posts which I'm quite fond of, but I wouldn't go as far as calling them 10s. Heck, even some of the above might not really be worthy, but they are all close. This would be easy if you were asking for 8s and 9s. 

buzzard


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## Shadowdancer (May 17, 2004)

Viking Bastard said:
			
		

> Uh, unless there's a remake, that's an German film. Don't you mean the one
> by Fritz Lang? Although there are both a German version and an American
> one, where the American one was highly edited for length and censored.
> 
> And yeah. That movie is brilliant. As are all other Fritz Lang movies I've seen.



It was rereleased in the 1980s with a soundtrack of songs by rock groups popular at the time.


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## Shadowdancer (May 17, 2004)

From my IMDB vote list receiving a 10:

2001: A Space Odyssey
Battleship Potemkin
Casablanca
Citizen Kane
Godfather Part II
It's a Wonderful Life
Metropolis
Notorious
Rashomon
Le Samourai
Schindler's List
The Seventh Seal
La Strada
The Third Man

I have 75 movies with a 9 rating, and 105 with an 8 rating. I rarely give a movie a 10 rating.


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## Thanee (May 17, 2004)

One movie, I'd like to add myself is _The Sting_.

Other than that, many are already mentioned above (SW: ANH, SW: TESB, LotR: FotR, The Matrix, Alien, Aliens, Fight Club, ...).

Bye
Thanee


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## johnsemlak (May 17, 2004)

Ahh so difficult.

I am very happy _The Adventures of Robin Hood_ (1939 w Errol Flynn) is getting the respect it deserves.  It's somewhat dated, but a true classic (and better than ALL later attempts at the Robin Hood story).


My list of 10s

The Adventures of Robin Hood
Casablanca
Chariots of Fire
Das Boot
Star Wars/The Empire Strikes Back
The Right Stuff
Raiders of the Lost Ark


Some Russian films I'd also rate at 10 or thereabouts:
Moscow Doesn't Believe in Tears
Ironia Sudba (The Irony of Fate)
Several of Sergei Eisenstein's movies

I'm a bit unsure about Stanley Kubrick's movies.  They are awesomely crafted, and I won't go beyond that in praising them, but they don't suit everyone's tastes, and they're generally not films I'd watch again and again, as the above are.  Still, _2001_ really ought to be on the list, I suppose.  

I feel bad I can't put something by Clint Eastwood on the list.  Ought to put him in as an honorable mention or soemthing.


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## Hand of Evil (May 17, 2004)

Agree with most of these some adds:

Casablanca 
The Big Sleep
True Grit
War of the Worlds
Time Machine (you know which one)
IT (both)
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
The Trouble with Harry 
Harvey
Arsenic and Old Lace
The Lion in Winter
My Favorite Year


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## Viking Bastard (May 17, 2004)

Shadowdancer said:
			
		

> It was rereleased in the 1980s with a soundtrack of songs by rock groups popular at the time.



Yes. Still a German movie.


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## Jeremy Ackerman-Yost (May 17, 2004)

I don't know if all of these are 10's _per se_ but they're some of my favorites within certain genres.

Comedy:
Young Frankenstein - I love Mel Brooks, but this is his only movie that I can watch again and again and again
Ghostbusters
The Birdcage - yes, I've heard the original is better, but I can't help it.  Every time I hear Robin Williams say, "No, that was perfect.  I just never realizrd John Wayne walked like that" I crack up.

Disney animation (really it's own category):
Sleeping Beauty - to my mind, the standard by which all the others should be judged

Action:
Hard Boiled  (Lashou Shentan, also known by various other names, including the very silly "God of Guns") - the best pure action film I've ever seen

Drama (Okay, a very broad category):
In the Heat of the Night
Bridge on the River Kwai
The Shawshank Redemption

Adventure (another catch-all category):
They Died with their Boots on
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Raiders of the Lost Ark
The Adventures of Robin Hood (Errol Flynn)
The Seven Samurai / The Magnificent Seven - some people insist that one is better than the other.  I think that they're the same film expressed in terms of different cultures and that both are wonderful.

Successful Genre Benders:
Back to the Future
The Princess Bride

And then there's a film that may be an incredible film, or it may be sensory overload making me think it's an incredible film.  I am not a wise enough man to tell the difference:
Saving Private Ryan


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## Dimwhit (May 17, 2004)

Mog Elffoe said:
			
		

> The Wrong Guy is hysterical.  I thought I was the only person that had seen and loved it.




You just have good taste is all! 

The temptation to change my username to Enema Bag Jones is nearly irresistible...


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## NotNew@Enworld (May 17, 2004)

*Cracks knuckles*

-Memento (11.14 is close but not as good)
-Citizen Kane
-Crippled Avengers (Old Kung-fu flick, the one I'm talking about is the one with 4 avengers not the 2 avenger version.  It beats the Matrix series hands-down in terms of combat, IMO)
-Shaun of the Dead (I don't think it's out yet, saw it at a festival)
-The American Astronaut (Rock and Roll in space)
-Avalon
-Ghost in the Shell
-Lost in Translation
-Apocolypse Now
-Lilya forever
-The Qatsi-trilogy
-Saving Private Ryan
-Ichi the Killer
-The Seven Samurai
-Karakter (Dutch movie)
-Alien
-Leon
-Dark City
-Zatoichi (The Takeshi Kitano version, I haven't seen the other ones)

I know it's a big list but I see about 200+ movies a year so I need a bigger list.

Toedels


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## milotha (May 17, 2004)

The Shawshank Redemption
Fight Club
Momento
Pulp Fiction
Amadeus
Ran
Clockwork Orange
The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, of course
M


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## Sarigar (May 17, 2004)

My perfect 10 list changes over time.
15 years ago I would have listed the cartoon version of the _Hobbit_.  This was before I ever read LOTR.  It's what got me hooked on Tolkien.
_Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid _ is a little better than _The Sting_, but both are tens.
Pretty much everything in the last 30 years everyone has mentioned.

What I find interesting are the number of films people are listing that they saw in film classes.  There are standard films that are shown to film classes like _The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari_, _Duck Soup_, _Battleship Potempkin_, and _Metropolis_, but I don't rank any of them as a ten.  That's not saying that they aren't ground breaking and good films (except Caligari which I despised), I just wouldn't rank them as 10's.
And, so you don't think I only like movies from the last thirty years, my favorite's include _Casablanca_, _Rear Window_, _The Maltese Falcon_, _Bridge on the River Kwai_, _Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein_, _Seven Samurai_, _Rashomon_, _Gold Rush_, and many more, all 10's.  And yes, some of these movies I saw for the first time in a film class.  That's why I took it.


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## MEG Hal (May 17, 2004)

I agree with a lot stated some I think are almost "10's" that I did not see posted yet* are:

_Seven
The Sweetest Thing
The Usual Suspects
American History X
Shrek
Dumb and Dumber_

I will try and think of more soon.



*I may have missed them posted


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## Thanee (May 17, 2004)

Sarigar said:
			
		

> What I find interesting are the number of films people are listing that they saw in film classes.




I also listed a movie I have seen in a film class (well not exactly a _film_ class, it was a psychology class)... Alien! 

Bye
Thanee


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## Wombat (May 17, 2004)

Happily I never took a film class

I just listed movies that I really like


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## Brown Jenkin (May 17, 2004)

Hand of Evil said:
			
		

> Agree with most of these some adds:
> 
> Time Machine (you know which one)




Honestly I do not know. Neither to me comes anywhere near a 10.



As for my choices I am fairly picky and many that have been listed I would rank a 9 or 9.5.

Star Wars (the only movie I have intentionaly watched more than a dozen times. I watched Disney's Alladin several hundred times but that was when I worked in a video store and had no choice)

Godfather I & II
Schindler's List
Silence of the Lambs
The Wizard of Oz

Possible future addition: Return of the King EE (I give RotK a 9.5 and the EEs have always improved things).


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## Fast Learner (May 17, 2004)

A lot of the films mentioned fit into my top 10%. A few not yet mentioned that are in my top 10%:

_American Beauty_
_Magnolia_
_Planes, Trains, and Automobiles_
_Groundhog Day_


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## D+1 (May 18, 2004)

A highly subjective list of my top 10 of 10/10 rated movies, rapidly assembled, and being only movies I've seen, seen IN theaters, and not necessarily flawless in their technical accomplishment in the medium but in their ability to provide maximum enjoyment even over repeated veiwings over many years:

The Shawshank Redemption
Star Wars
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Alien
The Sting
Ran
Jaws
Aliens
LotR:FotR
The Usual Suspects

Not necessarily in that order though fairly close, but yes, Shawshank is definitely #1.

Edit: after brief additional consideration, replace Ran with Saving Private Ryan.


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## Shadowdancer (May 18, 2004)

Viking Bastard said:
			
		

> Yes. Still a German movie.



I wasn't disputing that fact.


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## Tetsubo (May 18, 2004)

The Seven Samurai
Kill Bill (both volumes taken as a whole)
The Shawshank Redemption


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## Mog Elffoe (May 18, 2004)

NotNew@Enworld said:
			
		

> -Zatoichi (The Takeshi Kitano version, I haven't seen the other ones)
> 
> Toedels




Beat Takeshi's Zatoichi was great.  I just bought an import DVD and watched it last week.  I would have loved to have seen it on the big screen.  I currently own about a dozen of the Shintaro Katsu Zatoichi films but have yet to get around to watching them.


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## CCamfield (May 18, 2004)

johnsemlak said:
			
		

> I am very happy _The Adventures of Robin Hood_ (1939 w Errol Flynn) is getting the respect it deserves.  It's somewhat dated, but a true classic (and better than ALL later attempts at the Robin Hood story).




Very true.  I hope that everyone voting for it has the beautiful restored Special Edition DVD of the movie... truly the way that old movies deserve to be treated.

Here's my try at a list, partly helped by films that others have mentioned who I agree with.  (Arsenic and Old Lace!  YES!  _"No, no Johnny, not the Australian method!"_)

- Captain Blood
- Casablanca
- The Maltese Falcon
- Arsenic and Old Lace
- Charade
- Lawrence of Arabia
- Much Ado About Nothing
- Who Framed Roger Rabbit?
- Raiders of the Lost Ark 
- Hard Boiled
- Drunken Master II
- Fist of Legend


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## NiTessine (May 18, 2004)

The Lord of the Rings trilogy, as a whole.
The original Star Wars trilogy, as a whole.
Battle Royale. Rating this one a 10 probably qualifies me for mental treatment, but damn, that psychological punch in the gut...
Brotherhood of the Wolf. So sue me.
Pirates of the Caribbean.
The Last Samurai. One of the few movies that ever got me weeping in a good way. The opposite end of this scale would be League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, which also wins my personal Most Wasted Potential Award.
Saving Private Ryan. Best. WW2 flick. EVAR.
Tuntematon sotilas. It's a Finnish movie about the Continuation War. In English, the title would translate as The Unknown Soldier.
Braveheart.


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## Tarrasque Wrangler (May 18, 2004)

Godfather & Godfather II.

 Everything else is crap.


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## barsoomcore (May 18, 2004)

From my shelf, films that

Have nothing, not a frame or a line or a look, that I would change
I watch regularly and am constantly finding new joys within

Akira
Alien
Aliens
Apocalypse Now: Redux
The Big Sleep
Brazil (Director's Cut)
Casablanca
Charlie's Angels
The Commitments
Dawn of the Dead
Drunken Master II
Ferris Bueller's Day Off
Fight Club
Hercules (Disney)
His Girl Friday
Ikiru
In The Mood For Love
Irma Vep
La Passion de Jeanne d'Arc
Jesus of Montreal
Lawrence of Arabia
The Little Mermaid
The Maltese Falcon
Mary Poppins
Miller's Crossing
The Mummy
Night of the Living Dead
Out Of Sight
Peking Opera Blues
The Princess Bride
Princess Mononoke
Rashomon
Rosemary's Baby
Sense and Sensibility
Seven Samurai
Singin' In The Rain
Sleeping Beauty
Snatch
Some Like It Hot
Supercop
Sword of Doom
The Thin Red Line
Versus
Volcano High
Wages of Fear
Wild Zero
Yojimbo
Young Master

Clearly my shelf is missing some key items, but that's what I've got. My tastes should be pretty clear from that lot. 

I recommend all the films on this list very highly indeed.


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## Barendd Nobeard (May 18, 2004)

Ozu's _Tokyo Story_
Kurosawa's _Seven Samurai_
Kurosawa's _Ran_
Hitchcock's _Psycho_ (especially perfect when view as a black comedy--as Hitchcock did)
Hitchcock's _Vertigo_
Cox's _Repo Man_
Jackson's _LotR_ trilogy
Waters' _Female Trouble_
Scott's _Alien_
Bergman's _The Seventh Seal_
Dreyer's _The Passion of Joan of Arc_
Lang's _M_
Reggio's _Koyaanisqatsi_
Mankiewicz's _All About Eve_
Huston's _The African Queen_
Wilder's _Stalag 17_
Cukor's _A Star is Born_
Romero's _Night of the Living Dead_


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## Chain Lightning (May 18, 2004)

milotha said:
			
		

> The Shawshank Redemption
> Fight Club
> Momento
> Pulp Fiction
> ...





Oh geez, Milotha....you just reminded me of a movie I forgot to put on my list. Actually, two movies . . . both Fincher's.

Add both : "Fight Club" & "Seven" to my list!


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## NotNew@Enworld (May 18, 2004)

Mog Elffoe said:
			
		

> Beat Takeshi's Zatoichi was great.  I just bought an import DVD and watched it last week.  I would have loved to have seen it on the big screen.  I currently own about a dozen of the Shintaro Katsu Zatoichi films but have yet to get around to watching them.




In the theater it's awesome.  The scene where Ichi kills every1 underscored by the song "House on fire and massacres all over" is very impressive in a theater.  Even the third time I saw it .  In fact, I think I'm gonna listen to it right now.

And if I may ammend my list (I can't believe I forgot this):

-Chaplin's "The Great Dictator"


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## Thanee (May 18, 2004)

Interview with a Vampire also should be considered, I think.

 That movie has such an intense atmosphere.

 Bye
 Thanee


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## Mister Underhill (May 18, 2004)

A few that have escaped notice that are easy 10's on my "I never get tired of watching them" scale: 

_Gunga Din_ 
_The Outlaw Josey Wales_
_The Man Who Would Be King _(John Huston from a Kipling story, starring Caine and Connery -- they don't make 'em like this anymore)
_The Wind and the Lion _(Connery again)
_Cool Hand Luke_


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## Album Cover X (May 19, 2004)

My list would also contain many of the films already listed. I also define a 10 as something I would watch in a heartbeat, especially if someone hasn't seen it. Like watching over again for the first time. Here's what I can think off the top:

GlenGarry GlenRoss
Office Space
Fight Club
Princess Mononoke
Forrest Gump
Casablanca
Indiana Jones Trilogy
Field of Dreams
The Sting
A River Runs Through It


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## barsoomcore (May 19, 2004)

Sarigar said:
			
		

> What I find interesting are the number of films people are listing that they saw in film classes.



What I find interesting is how you know if people attended film classes or not. Crothian's the only one who mentioned they'd seen a film in a film class. And he only mentions one.

Or are you saying you find it interesting that only ONE film on this entire thread has been identified as having been seen in film classes?

I have not taken any film classes. The world is my classroom, baby.


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## buzzard (May 19, 2004)

Never took film classes myself. I always preferred war classes. 

However I do have to ask, do most people think that just because a movie is their favorite, it is the pinnacle of filmmaking? That's the criteria by which I would like to measure a 10, though I suspect I am not really the best judge. 

buzzard


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## Maerdwyn (May 19, 2004)

(Along with a few others I probably forgetting, these are the movies I absolutely love, not necessarily those I think are example of perfect movie) making 
Seven Samurai (perfect 10 regardless of my qualification above)
Hunt for Red October
Godfather (perfect 10)
The Sting 
Bull Durham
Braveheart
Casablanca (perfect 10)
My Neighbor Totoro (Note: If you plan on having kids someday, know that they enjoy and insist on watching a single movie over and over and over. If somehow you're lucky enough that they love this gem by Hiyao Miyazaki, count your blessings, as I have)
Star Wars
Empire Strikes Back
Rocky 
The Rookie (best live action G-rated movie of the decade at least.)
Gandhi (perfect 10)
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Shawshank Redemption
The Usual Suspects
Rudy (perfect 10)
Eat Drink Man Woman
Fargo


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## Shadowdancer (May 19, 2004)

barsoomcore said:
			
		

> I have not taken any film classes. The world is my classroom, baby.



Ditto.


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## Aeolius (May 19, 2004)

The first 10 off the top of my head, in no particular order:

The Abominable Dr Phibes
Harold and Maude
Theater of Blood
The Truman Show
The Dark Crystal
Young Frankenstein
The Jerk
The Pink Panther Strikes Again
Jaws
The Omega Man


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## Henry (May 19, 2004)

Most of these have been mentioned, but my list:

It's a Wonderful Life
Cyrano deBergerac (with José Ferrer)
Star Wars (the first one)
Return of the Jedi (the first one)
Raiders of the Lost Ark
The Usual Suspects

Brilliant in execution and true to their genres or stories. Wonderful Life holds a place in my heart like Old Yeller does in other people's - it's time travel, alternate worlds, and a universal truth all rolled into one.


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## Dr. Talos (May 20, 2004)

_Oh Brother, Where Art Thou
Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon
Empire Strikes Back
Citizen Kane
Twelve O'Clock High_


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## Pants (May 20, 2004)

- LotR Trilogy
- Raiders of the Lost Ark
- Aliens
- Clockwork Orange
- The Shining
- The Shawshank Redemption
- Fight Club
- Clerks
- The Matrix
- Star Wars: Th Original Trilogy
- The Princess Bride
- Apocalypse Now!
- Ferris Bueller's Day Off


I have taken two film classes in my life and while I enjoyed most of the movies quite a bit, in the end what I really care about is entertainment value to me, not the positioning of a camera in a particular shot or what the color Red signifies in a particular scene.  That said, I first saw Apocalypse Now! in my High School film class and I loved it.  Damn great movie.
Citizen Kane and The Third Man weren't too bad either, but I don't see myself sitting down during a boring Saturday afternoon to watch Citizen Kane.

buzzard:


> However I do have to ask, do most people think that just because a movie is their favorite, it is the pinnacle of filmmaking? That's the criteria by which I would like to measure a 10, though I suspect I am not really the best judge.



Not me.  I knowingly like films such as _Strange Brew_ and _Armageddon_, which are by no means the pinnacle of anything, much less the summit.


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## barsoomcore (May 20, 2004)

buzzard said:
			
		

> Do most people think that just because a movie is their favorite, it is the pinnacle of filmmaking? That's the criteria by which I would like to measure a 10, though I suspect I am not really the best judge.



My criteria for my "perfect 10" movies was stated:

1. I watch them many times
2. I wouldn't change anything about them
3. They are on my shelf

So some films fail on criteria 1 (_Babe_, or _All About Eve_). Some fail on criteria 2 (the original _King Kong_). And some fail on criteria 3 (_Raiders_ and _Star Wars_, just to pick a couple from a very long list).

As an aside, I think I need to add _Hard-Boiled_ to my list. I think I do.


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## buzzard (May 20, 2004)

barsoomcore said:
			
		

> My criteria for my "perfect 10" movies was stated:
> 
> 1. I watch them many times
> 2. I wouldn't change anything about them
> ...




I have pleny of movies that would make criteria 1. Heck, I've watched Highlander well over a hundred times. I've watched Red Dawn and Major League plenty of times as well. I certainly don't see any of those as 10s. 

Criteria 2 is much trickier for me. I tend to nitpick things, even in very good movies I will find something to nitpick. For example, in Schindler's List, the movie is in black and white, but there's the one little girl in a pink dress. I found that to be pointlessly heavy handed. Rather reminded me of the glow puck. However I still consider that a great movie, and one very likely worthy of a 10. I think it would also fail criteria 1. It's a great movie, but it's not something I would watch repeatedly. It's too emotionally draining. Heck Major League is a movie I couldn't think of anything that you could change to improve it. However, I can't see it as a 10. Maybe I'm too harsh and it is. 

Then there's criteria 3. Well, I have close to 200 DVDs and maybe another 40 or 50 laserdiscs. I know not all of these movies are 10s. Heck a number of them are duds I bought, on a whim, because they were cheap. 

I don't suppose there really is an easy way to judge what it the perfect movie, so I guess your criteria are as good as anything. They just don't work for me. 

buzzard


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## barsoomcore (May 20, 2004)

I think you're misunderstanding the point. A film has to pass ALL the three criteria to make my list. So most of the films you're describing, though they pass one or the other criteria, fail at least one, and so do not make the list.

I should expand on criteria 1, too -- my original comment was that if has to be a film that I watch repeatedly and constantly provides me with new joys. As opposed to a film that I watch repeatedly just because I'm in _Highlander_ mode and want to turn my brain off for a while. A film has to REWARD repeated viewing with new insights, new laughs, new thrills that I didn't notice in my previous viewings.

Does that help?


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## billd91 (May 20, 2004)

Finding a Perfect 10 movie is hard for me. I am pretty hard on movies. I really like them, don't get me wrong. But I have a hard time giving out a perfect rating. There are lots of things I'd rate and 8 or 9 though.

For example, one of my favorite moves of all time is Blade Runner. But it has some very definite editing problems and so I wouldn't give it a 10.

Some very good candidates for a perfect 10 (if I sat down and really thought about them):

Breaker Morant
Das Boot
Schindler's List
Apollo 13
Toy Story
Monster's Inc
Life of Brian
This is Spinal Tap
O Brother, Where Art Thou?
Rocky
The Godfather (1)
The Manchurian Candidate
Alien
Ed Wood

Other really good ones that fall just short of a 10:
What's Eating Gilbert Grape?
Empire Strikes Back
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Aliens
Ladyhawke
Stalingrad
Fellowship of the Ring


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## Asmo (May 20, 2004)

One film that I really like and in my opinion is a masterpiece is "Twelve Monkeys" by Terry Gilliam. 

Asmo


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## Endur (May 20, 2004)

Perfect 10's by genre

Braveheart (medieval history)
Spartacus (ancient history)
Raiders of the Lost Art (adventure)
Star Wars (Science Fiction)
The Lord of the Rings (Fantasy)
The Passion of the Christ (religion)
Unforgiven (western)
The Longest Day (WW2 history)
The Third Man (suspense)
The Godfather (crime)
The Bridges of Madison County (Romance)
Casablanca (Romance)
The Usual Suspects


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## Dimwhit (May 20, 2004)

Hmm, Asmo and Endur just mentioned 2 movies I'd have to add to the list. Twelve Monkeys and Unforgiven are, to me, flawless movies for their genres. Incredibly well-made and entertaining.


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## Mog Elffoe (May 20, 2004)

I could add _Unforgiven_ and _The Searchers _ to my list as well.  
Kudos to the guy that listed _The Jerk_.  

I am really amazed at how many people have put _Fight Club _ on their list as being a perfect 10 movie though...


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## barsoomcore (May 21, 2004)

Mog Elffoe said:
			
		

> I am really amazed at how many people have put Fight Club on their list as being a perfect 10 movie though...



Because you can't believe that so many other people have the same exquisite taste as you, or because you can't believe that so many other people disagree with your exquisite taste?


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## milotha (May 21, 2004)

Mog Elffoe said:
			
		

> I am really amazed at how many people have put _Fight Club _ on their list as being a perfect 10 movie though...




I think Fight Club is one of those movies that people either love or hate or perhaps more accurately grok or don't grok.  I loved it. I still love it. I've watched it more times than I care to admit, and I usually don't rewatch movies.


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## buzzard (May 21, 2004)

barsoomcore said:
			
		

> I think you're misunderstanding the point. A film has to pass ALL the three criteria to make my list. So most of the films you're describing, though they pass one or the other criteria, fail at least one, and so do not make the list.




I can think of movies which meet all your criteria (if they applied to me, of course) that I do not consider 10s. Major League is a good example. I have watched many times. I can't think of any way to change it to improve it. I own it. It's a fun movie, and very watchable. It, however, is no 10. 



			
				barsoomcore said:
			
		

> I should expand on criteria 1, too -- my original comment was that if has to be a film that I watch repeatedly and constantly provides me with new joys. As opposed to a film that I watch repeatedly just because I'm in _Highlander_ mode and want to turn my brain off for a while. A film has to REWARD repeated viewing with new insights, new laughs, new thrills that I didn't notice in my previous viewings.
> 
> Does that help?




I have never objected to your criteria if they work for you. I was just explaining that they don't work for me. Though I would ask this, would a movie like Schindler's List, which I have a great opinion of, but would find hard to watch many times, make your list? Do you have to be able to watch it repeatedly for it to be worthy in your opinion?

Also the addendum to criteria 1, would that allow you to simply sit there and think of how well constructed a movie is and pass it? I'm a big fan of The Replacements. IMHO it is the best of all Football movies because it is well put together in many ways. I can just re-watch it and enjoy the quality of its contruction. However I can't say it adds new things when I re-watch it. I merely enjoy the experience and don't tire of it. 


buzzard


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## Dimwhit (May 21, 2004)

So my wife and I just watched Thirteen Ghosts. Let me tell you...it's no 10.


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## Thanee (May 21, 2004)

Mog Elffoe said:
			
		

> I am really amazed at how many people have put _Fight Club _ on their list as being a perfect 10 movie though...



 Fight Club is just an amazing movie. 

 Bye
 Thanee


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## barsoomcore (May 21, 2004)

buzzard said:
			
		

> I can think of movies which meet all your criteria (if they applied to me, of course) that I do not consider 10s.



I own fun movies that I watch often that I didn't rate a 10, either. These are _exclusionary_ criteria -- that is, they provide reasons to exclude candidates. Anything that doesn't fit those criteria does not get the 10. That's not the same thing as saying EVERYTHING that fits those criteria DOES get the 10.

In my case, they often do. I can think of many, many things I would change about Major League, but then I neither own it nor watch it repeatedly, so it fails on all three criteria for me.

I'll say this: I watch films repeatedly for two reasons: because I want to relive the enjoyment I felt the first time I watched it, or because I feel like there's more for me to get out of the film. If it's only the first reason, then the film is unlikely to garner a 10 rating from me. It's the latter reason that distinguishes the 10 films.


			
				buzzard said:
			
		

> Would a movie like Schindler's List, which I have a great opinion of, but would find hard to watch many times, make your list? Do you have to be able to watch it repeatedly for it to be worthy in your opinion?



_Schindler's List_ is not a very good film, as far as I'm concerned.

But for example, there's a couple of films that I haven't watched repeatedly that are indeed NOT on my list. _All About Eve_, for one. Great film, but I only watched it once. I intend to watch it again, but I just haven't. Likewise _Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?_

I tried to come up with criteria I could actually apply in some sort of organized fashion. I'll admit that they aren't perfect criteria, but I could never really generate a list of "perfect" films. How do you define "perfect"? Perfect for who? I could list off hundreds of films that might fit some definition of "perfect". Instead, I thought to lay out a straightforward set of criteria that I could then use to include or exclude films from my list.

Because I'm that sort of anal-retentive dork who does things like that. 

It was an interesting exercise. It made me look at my shelf and say, "Why HAVEN'T I watched this film more often?" Or, "Why on earth do I watch that stinker over and over again?" There's films I used to watch compulsively that I now no longer look at twice.


			
				buzzard said:
			
		

> Also the addendum to criteria 1, would that allow you to simply sit there and think of how well constructed a movie is and pass it?



As I said, you need to be finding NEW things in the movie each time you watch it.

Watched _Hard-Boiled_ again last night. It DEFINITELY goes on my list. Good grief I'd actually forgotten how amazing that movie is.


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## Krael (May 21, 2004)

Along with most of the ones that have previously been listed, I'll add...

A Christmas Story!


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## Particle_Man (May 21, 2004)

Some that have not been mentioned yet.

Big Night (Italian film)
The Imposters (a tribute to earlier forms of comedy film)
that buster keaton film about the civil war

and more recently...

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, dammit!


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## barsoomcore (May 21, 2004)

_A Christmas Story_!!!!?

How the heck did I miss that one?

Yes, obviously.


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## Jeremy Ackerman-Yost (May 21, 2004)

barsoomcore said:
			
		

> Watched _Hard-Boiled_ again last night. It DEFINITELY goes on my list. Good grief I'd actually forgotten how amazing that movie is.



That is a great one.  I have GOT to acquire that one on DVD.

btw- I really like your criteria.  Not exactly the same system I used, but similar.


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## Mog Elffoe (May 22, 2004)

barsoomcore said:
			
		

> Because you can't believe that so many other people have the same exquisite taste as you, or because you can't believe that so many other people disagree with your exquisite taste?




Something like that.    I thought _Fight Club _ was a great *looking* movie, and overall I did enjoy it.  It's when it tries to explain itself that it loses (IMO, of course) any chance of reaching that 'Perfect 10' plateau.  Any time I watch a movie and say to myself, "Yeah, right...!" (the scene where the two guys watch Ed Norton beat himself up and then ask where they can sign up) it loses my vote.  

I have no problem with anyone liking ANY movie (except _Freddy Got Fingered_--anybody who likes that one's got a good punchin' comin' to them.)  I'm not surprised that _Fight Club _ would be someone's favorite movie.  I'm just amazed that so many folks would list it as a 'Perfect 10'.

I'm also amazed that _Home Alone _ is one the top grossing comedies.  I found it be painfully UNfunny.  I also don't understand why so many women love _Pretty Woman_, a film that I find to be incredibly misogynistic (exactly WHY is Julia Roberts' character a hooker?  How is Richard Gere paying her for sex romantic?).

Thanks, though, for admitting my taste was exquisite--judging by your posts I'd say that our DVD shelves are almost interchangeable.


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## Mog Elffoe (May 22, 2004)

Canis said:
			
		

> That is a great one.  I have GOT to acquire that one on DVD.
> 
> btw- I really like your criteria.  Not exactly the same system I used, but similar.




Concerning _Hard Boiled_:

Good luck with finding it on DVD.  It's been out of print here in the States for ages.  Your best bet is to order an imported version online.  You could probably get a pretty decent price that way, too.

That's another movie that I just love, and I do mean LOVE, but I wouldn't rate as a 'Perfect 10'.


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## Kai Lord (May 22, 2004)

Mog Elffoe said:
			
		

> Concerning _Hard Boiled_:
> 
> Good luck with finding it on DVD.  It's been out of print here in the States for ages.



How ironic.  Just a few days ago I took the Criterion Edition DVD out of my collection and set it aside because I'm planning to trade it in to get a discount on Return of the King this Tuesday.  So if you're in the Pacific Northwest next week, you might want to check a few Wherehouse stores, you just might find a copy available for purchase.


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## barsoomcore (May 22, 2004)

Mog Elffoe said:
			
		

> (the scene where the two guys watch Ed Norton beat himself up and then ask where they can sign up)



Note one thing: you NEVER see anything to suggest that those guys DID ask to sign up.

Here's the trick of Fight Club: It NEVER HAPPENED. None of it. The entire movie is a METAPHOR. It's the only way it makes sense. You're right, the idea that people watched Ed Norton beat himself up and became his mindless followers is ludicrous. Exactly. Maybe he died in that plane crash he pretends never happened. Maybe he blew up his own apartment building and went crazy. Or maybe the whole movie is about something happening inside a person's head as they face themselves at last.


			
				Mog Elffoe said:
			
		

> That's another movie that I just love, and I do mean LOVE, but I wouldn't rate as a 'Perfect 10'.



Exactly what I would have said before I watched it again last night.


			
				Kai Lord said:
			
		

> So if you're in the Pacific Northwest next week



Hey, are you a Seattle boy, KL? I'm in Vancouver BC, myself. Just a hop away...


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## Mog Elffoe (May 22, 2004)

Kai Lord said:
			
		

> How ironic.  Just a few days ago I took the Criterion Edition DVD out of my collection and set it aside because I'm planning to trade it in to get a discount on Return of the King this Tuesday.  So if you're in the Pacific Northwest next week, you might want to check a few Wherehouse stores, you just might find a copy available for purchase.




Check e-bay before you do.  You might be able to get some decent cabbage for it if you're really looking to get rid of it.  I don't know what it's going for right now, but there was a time when the Criterion Collection editions of both _Hard Boiled _ and _The Killer _ were going for around $200 each.  Personally, I'd never part with my CC editions of these films.  I just love 'em too much (but neither are 'Perfect 10s').


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## Kai Lord (May 22, 2004)

Mog Elffoe said:
			
		

> Check e-bay before you do.  You might be able to get some decent cabbage for it if you're really looking to get rid of it.  I don't know what it's going for right now, but there was a time when the Criterion Collection editions of both _Hard Boiled _ and _The Killer _ were going for around $200 each.  Personally, I'd never part with my CC editions of these films.  I just love 'em too much (but neither are 'Perfect 10s').



Holy crap, you aren't kidding.  There's one there going for $53 with 8 bids on it.  Okay that's better than the $7 I'd get at Wherehouse.  For me Hard Boiled was great back in the day, but at this point I've just outgrown it.  For my John Woo fix, I've got Bullet in the Head and Face/Off.  Two *much* better films, with a lot more emotional punch (a keel over gut punch in the case of BitH.)

But the warehouse and hospital shootouts in Hard Boiled will always be utterly amazing.


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## Kai Lord (May 22, 2004)

barsoomcore said:
			
		

> Hey, are you a Seattle boy, KL? I'm in Vancouver BC, myself. Just a hop away...



Heh, lived in the Seattle area for 8 years (Bellevue actually) before finding work down here in Portland, Oregon.  One of these days one of us should make a pilgrimage to go catch a flick with the other guy so we can argue about movies in person.


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## barsoomcore (May 22, 2004)

Yeah, though we should probably sign some kind of "non-aggression pact" beforehand. 

I thought I'd outgrown _Hard-Boiled_ -- exactly. Just got my head kicked in the other night, though.

Maybe I'm regressing.


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## Mog Elffoe (May 22, 2004)

Kai Lord said:
			
		

> For me Hard Boiled was great back in the day, but at this point I've just outgrown it.  For my John Woo fix, I've got Bullet in the Head and Face/Off.  Two *much* better films, with a lot more emotional punch (a keel over gut punch in the case of BitH.)
> 
> But the warehouse and hospital shootouts in Hard Boiled will always be utterly amazing.




Really?  You think that _Face/Off _ is better than _Hard Boiled_?  I like _Face/Off _ and all, and even own it, but better than _Hard Boiled_?  I don't see it.  Is there a particular reason?  Some of the "Say you're impotent!" stuff at the end of _Hard Boiled _ comes across just strange to Western ears, but the action and pure filmmaking artistry...  For my money, Woo has never topped _Hard Boiled_.


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## barsoomcore (May 22, 2004)

Moe Elffoe said:
			
		

> For my money, Woo has never topped Hard Boiled.



Can I get an amen?

I'll agree that choosing between _Hard-Boiled_ and _Bullet in the Head_ can be a little hard. But BitH has got some real problems for me (the opening fight scene is plain old cheesy, and I think you could accuse it of sentimentality at times).

But _Face/Off_ -- well, not for me. Woo's Hollywood films have been a string of disappointments to me. I don't think he has the need to depict suffering that he did in those last years in Hong Kong. And he hasn't found anything new to talk about. I mean, you can very clearly see in Woo's later HK films a real terror of the impending merger with China. It's pretty obvious that Woo distrusts the ideas of policital agendas and a legal distinctions -- he puts his faith in the solidarity of heroic individuals who cleave together despite the social issues that separate them. All his HK films are about this notion, from _A Better Tomorrow_ on. What are his Hollywood films about? I don't know, and I'm beginning to suspect he doesn't, either.

That said, _M:I 2_ had at least three moments of pure Woo poetry. I own that DVD just for that front-wheelie-spin-shoot-the-car-into-a-rollover moment. I can watch that one (and the other spin-on-the-motorcycle-shoot-the-suburban moment) over and over again. When he's on, there's no one quite like him.

I just wish he'd find a script that lets him bring something with real passion to the screen.


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## Xune (May 22, 2004)

Dark Crystal
Kill Bill
The 13th Warrior
Excalibur
Space Balls
Legend
LOTR Trilogy
The Matrix
Blood of Heros

Too many to list really,

I have to go with the what you expect theory.

I try not to make every movie an aspiring work of art. Even the Dungeons and Dragons movie was enjoyable, if you weren't expecting much. 

Oh yeah the one I have to add as possibly my all time favorite:

Tie between Pulp Fiction and Fight Club....

My all time favorite oneliner::

"Sticking feathers up your but does not make you a chicken"


Also A Johny Depp flick Dead Man. I love that movie.


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## Particle_Man (May 23, 2004)

Xune said:
			
		

> Also A Johny Depp flick Dead Man. I love that movie.




Amen.  And someday I want to run or play in a 13th Warrior campaign.  That would be, what, 1 rogue and 12 barbarians?


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## Thanee (May 23, 2004)

barsoomcore said:
			
		

> Or maybe the whole movie is about something happening inside a person's head as they face themselves at last.




Been a while, that I watched it, but I believe it is pretty much that.
The whole movie shows something like the weird perception of a person with MPS.

Bye
Thanee


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