Apocalypse Now - the war film to end all war films, Conrad, Herr, Duvall, Brando, Wagner, the horror, a masterpiece
Fanny and Alexander - Bergman, magic, magical realism, superb
Heaven’s Gate - the western to end all westerns, famously bankrupted United Artists but the money is all on the screen, has to be seen in full in 70mm to get the full effect, Kris Kristofferson, Isabelle Hupert, John Hurt, brutal and amazing
The French Connection - cracking 70s thriller, Gene Hackman, Roy Scheider, car chases, great stuff
Blair Witch Project - the first of the “found footage” horror films, the end sequence makes you think for days
Paranormal Activity - you don’t really want to go to bed after this one
The Baby’s Room - Spanish horror, interesting use of the baby video monitor
Bird Box - Netflix movie, gripping, shocking, Sandra Bullock and John Malkovitch superb
Groundhog Day - excellent 90s comedy will Bill Murray
Downfall - Bruno Ganz terrific as Hitler in the bunker in 1945
Also:
The Station Agent Schindler’s List Saving Private Ryan Withnail and I Went the Day Well It’s A Wonderul Life Rear Window Elf Can You Ever Forgive Me?
There's a risk that a thread like this could become just a list of movies. It would be much more interesting if you explained why you regard each of them worthy of repeat viewings.
Godfather - Rise of Martin Scorsese. Pacino, Brando and Caan and of course the period it’s set in.
The Godfather was Coppola.
Mulholland Drive - I like films, books & TV shows
that make you think and the first time I saw the ending I was blown away.
Piecing it together was really rewarding and I'd say it's the best of Lynch's
films.
Taxi Driver - as a teenager it resonated with me. I love
Scorsese, De Niro, the simple yet brooding soundtrack, the narration, its
ambiguity. I've also visited a lot of its locations and recreated the DVD front
cover.
Apocalypse Now - it's always felt like more than a film
to me. It's epic, it's political, the soundtrack is amazing, it really feels
like a journey then you have a maniac Kurtz waiting.
Tokyo Story - it really makes you think about how you may
(mis)treat family members and take them for granted. Chishu Ryu is an awesome
Japanese actor who draws empathy and the ending can't not leave you reflective
and pondering how you can improve as a person.
North by Northwest - Hitchcock at his adventurous,
mischievous, unique best I think. 'Vertigo' may be higher rated but this is
more fun, has more memorable scenes and it's a perfect blend of art and
blockbuster.
At last, someone with some taste.
No batman, superhero fantasylands, alien invasions or bloody hobbits in sight.
Marvellous - the funny little BBC film starring Toby Jones as Neil Baldwin, the sometime Stoke City kitman with learning difficulties and an upliftingly positive outlook
Intouchable - the French comedy about the rich paraplegic and his carer from the other end of society. Immensely enjoyable.
The Station Agent - recommended by somebody on here. A character driven piece in which absolutely nothing happens. Lovely.
Fandango - an 80s film with a young Kevin Costner. Loved it since I first caught it by accident late on BBC2. Took me ages to track down the dvd, and still occasionally rerun it.
Manchester by the Sea - a slow burning film that I found totally absorbing
Honourable mentions to Whiplash, The Party, I Am not a Witch, Locke. Really looking forward to seeing 1917 next month
Marvellous is a great shout . That film is a hidden gem .
I so recommend this to anyone feeling down about life or generally fed up. You can't help but be affected by it in a great way. Better than a dozen sessions with a shrink.
I'm surprised at how many films I love are on other peoples' list. One that I don't think has been mentioned is Alan Partridge Papa Alpha. Worth rewatching a few times as there are different things to laugh at you didn't hear first time, or just winced. Think it has a good ending with a Sparks track too
I'm going to add The Devils Backbone to my list. I think this is better even than Pan's Labyrinth. Cracking story, beautifully shot, and you have no idea where it's going until it gets there.
Because he hasn't been mentioned a shout out for any Mike Leigh film. I have never seen one and forgotten it, maybe the film, maybe a scene, maybe a line of dialogue, but every film has something memorable about it that returns to my mind often. A great film maker, but not exactly Hollywood. Where might you start? 'Life is Sweet' would be a good place.
Not sure about favourite film ever - but for a feel good film with a charming ending - and Tuppence Middleton who is gorgeous - Fisherman’s Friends comes near the top of the list.
Misery - I'm not usually a fan of films about people suffering, but there's something about this one that's so simple in concept and yet so terrifying. Angel Heart - My all time favourite film. Love De Niro's bit part. Micky Rourke is the ultimate in stylish sweaty and Lisa Bonet is Lisa Bonet. The ending is fabulous and you can watch it several times and see new stuff each time. Planes Trains & Automobiles - My favourite comedy. A real belly laugh in every scene. Quotes from this have are part of the soundtrack to life in my family. So glad to see how many other Lifers have chosen it. Goodbye Lenin - Brilliant idea, wonderfully executed. In Bruges - Love the way it switches between being funny and being serious. Marvellous performances from Farrell and Gleeson. Good The Bad & The Ugly - Story telling at it's very best. I think that the acid test is actually how slow it is. No-one would make a film this slow nowadays but there's never a dull moment - so much tension. 12 Angry Men - Best single scene film, surely. Stand By Me - As someone else said, best coming of age film. The Great Escape - Almost every character is likeable, you just want them all to succeed. Bad Taste - Best spoof ever and completed by a bunch of friends on next to no budget. The Shining - The tension - wow! Also love the way the old flashbacks work, very clever. A Clockwork Orange - I can't think of another film where someone is murdered by a giant porcelain penis. Inglorious Basterds - Chrisoph Waltz is absolutely chilling but still gets the ultimate comeuppance. I also find the on screen graffiti-narration and out of time music (that's not the right description but I know what I mean) really endearing, but it would annoy the fuck out of me if anyone else did it. Meet The Fockers - Avoided this for ages, but absolutely loved it. Amelie - Style and pathos. Les Diaboliques - Clever and twisty with a set of completely dislikeable characters. The 100 Year Old Man... - An even more preposterous story than Forrest Gump. Both are great, but the Swedes shade it. Carrie - Piper Laurie and Sissy Spacek, both absolutely outstanding. District 9 - a political film dressed up as science fiction. Works on so many levels. Killing Dad - Denholm Elliot, Richard E. Grant, Anna Massey and Julie Waters all in a very funny film set and filmed in Southend. IT - Not a feature film, I know, but Tim Curry was absolutely superb as Pennywise.
I have a limited and very unsophisticated repertoire - mainly because I have the attention span of a gnat and so I rarely watch films.
Escape to Victory. Surprised this hasn't been mentioned - the perfect combination of war and football. Trainspotting. Iconic film from my last year of Uni. Still play the soundtrack regularly. Trading Places. "I have legs, I can see"... Kingsman. Saw this last Christmas, really enjoyed it. Toy Story. (all of them!) Downfall. Fascinating recreation of Hitlers last days in his bunker.
I'm not a fan of his either but Cop Land was a decent stab at a "mob" movie. Stallone was okay in that and having a cast with Di Nero, Keitel and Ray Liota probably helped.
So much of this is down to mood but a few that made a lasting impression for various reasons that I can recall off the top of my head in no particular order:
Midnight Run already got a few mentions; has me laughing out loud with every twist and turn. As Good As It Gets is also very funny with brilliant performances by Helen Hunt and Jack Nicholson. For drama how about Michael Clayton: George Clooney and Tilda Swinton both excellent. Any film with a father/daughter relationship gets to me, so, although flawed: Contact, and Interstellar, both with Matthew McConaughey. Add LOTR to those.
Good mention above for The Deer Hunter. Not a fave of mine but so powerful, the next film that came along with such a solar plexus punch was The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas.
Hell or High Water Carlito's Way Annihilation The Prestige Inception Life of Brian The Good, The Bad and the Ugly The Usual Suspects Alien Dark Star A Christmas Carol (Jim Carey version I'm afraid) Toy Story 1 and 3
And a couple that him me when I was young and still retain a bit of magic: Where Eagles Dare Excalibur Holy Grail
Comments
Fanny and Alexander - Bergman, magic, magical realism, superb
Heaven’s Gate - the western to end all westerns, famously bankrupted United Artists but the money is all on the screen, has to be seen in full in 70mm to get the full effect, Kris Kristofferson, Isabelle Hupert, John Hurt, brutal and amazing
The French Connection - cracking 70s thriller, Gene Hackman, Roy Scheider, car chases, great stuff
Blair Witch Project - the first of the “found footage” horror films, the end sequence makes you think for days
Paranormal Activity - you don’t really want to go to bed after this one
The Baby’s Room - Spanish horror, interesting use of the baby video monitor
Bird Box - Netflix movie, gripping, shocking, Sandra Bullock and John Malkovitch superb
Groundhog Day - excellent 90s comedy will Bill Murray
Downfall - Bruno Ganz terrific as Hitler in the bunker in 1945
Also:
The Station Agent
Schindler’s List
Saving Private Ryan
Withnail and I
Went the Day Well
It’s A Wonderul Life
Rear Window
Elf
Can You Ever Forgive Me?
No batman, superhero fantasylands, alien invasions or bloody hobbits in sight.
Oh look, I win!
Lawrence of Arabia (uncut)
Zulu
Dr Chivago
Out of Africa
A great film maker, but not exactly Hollywood.
Where might you start?
'Life is Sweet' would be a good place.
Misery - I'm not usually a fan of films about people suffering, but there's something about this one that's so simple in concept and yet so terrifying.
Angel Heart - My all time favourite film. Love De Niro's bit part. Micky Rourke is the ultimate in stylish sweaty and Lisa Bonet is Lisa Bonet. The ending is fabulous and you can watch it several times and see new stuff each time.
Planes Trains & Automobiles - My favourite comedy. A real belly laugh in every scene. Quotes from this have are part of the soundtrack to life in my family. So glad to see how many other Lifers have chosen it.
Goodbye Lenin - Brilliant idea, wonderfully executed.
In Bruges - Love the way it switches between being funny and being serious. Marvellous performances from Farrell and Gleeson.
Good The Bad & The Ugly - Story telling at it's very best. I think that the acid test is actually how slow it is. No-one would make a film this slow nowadays but there's never a dull moment - so much tension.
12 Angry Men - Best single scene film, surely.
Stand By Me - As someone else said, best coming of age film.
The Great Escape - Almost every character is likeable, you just want them all to succeed.
Bad Taste - Best spoof ever and completed by a bunch of friends on next to no budget.
The Shining - The tension - wow! Also love the way the old flashbacks work, very clever.
A Clockwork Orange - I can't think of another film where someone is murdered by a giant porcelain penis.
Inglorious Basterds - Chrisoph Waltz is absolutely chilling but still gets the ultimate comeuppance. I also find the on screen graffiti-narration and out of time music (that's not the right description but I know what I mean) really endearing, but it would annoy the fuck out of me if anyone else did it.
Meet The Fockers - Avoided this for ages, but absolutely loved it.
Amelie - Style and pathos.
Les Diaboliques - Clever and twisty with a set of completely dislikeable characters.
The 100 Year Old Man... - An even more preposterous story than Forrest Gump. Both are great, but the Swedes shade it.
Carrie - Piper Laurie and Sissy Spacek, both absolutely outstanding.
District 9 - a political film dressed up as science fiction. Works on so many levels.
Killing Dad - Denholm Elliot, Richard E. Grant, Anna Massey and Julie Waters all in a very funny film set and filmed in Southend.
IT - Not a feature film, I know, but Tim Curry was absolutely superb as Pennywise.
Escape to Victory. Surprised this hasn't been mentioned - the perfect combination of war and football.
Trainspotting. Iconic film from my last year of Uni. Still play the soundtrack regularly.
Trading Places. "I have legs, I can see"...
Kingsman. Saw this last Christmas, really enjoyed it.
Toy Story. (all of them!)
Downfall. Fascinating recreation of Hitlers last days in his bunker.
Greyfriars Bobby
Zulu
The Graduate
Blow Up
This Sporting Life
Taste of Honey
Poor Cow
Clockwork Orange
The Deerhunter
Chariots of Fire
Harry Potter (all)
There are others but these are today's.
Robin Hood and The men that wear green tights
life of Brian
Blazing Saddles
The lives of Others
Schindlers List
Flesh Gordon
Shadowlands
Not a fave of mine but so powerful, the next film that came along with such a solar plexus punch was The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas.
Carlito's Way
Annihilation
The Prestige
Inception
Life of Brian
The Good, The Bad and the Ugly
The Usual Suspects
Alien
Dark Star
A Christmas Carol (Jim Carey version I'm afraid)
Toy Story 1 and 3
And a couple that him me when I was young and still retain a bit of magic:
Where Eagles Dare
Excalibur
Holy Grail
Goodfellas
Godfather II
The Departed
Gangs of New York
Old School
Kill Bill
Snatch
Lock Stock
Terminator II
Pulp Fiction
Anchorman
Uncle Buck