I, Movie Hound
I don't remember exactly when I became so fond of film, but it was probably in my late teens when I started dating, and the usual thing to do was to go to a movie, get a bite to eat and then snog somewhere relatively out of the way. Later, a friend began having 'movie nights' at his house, where a bunch of friends would get together and try to see how late we could stay up and still pay attention to the movie playing on his father's brand new Betamax. (Wow! You can watch movies on your TV!! Amazing!!)
So I became interested in film in my late teens, early twenties, but purely for its entertainment value. It wasn't until ten years later or so (around age 30) that I really started to see film as an art form. To see that it often had something important to say. This rather astonished me. That something I had dismissed as a pastime actually had the power to change how I, or perhaps millions of folk, looked at life. I think of this time as my personal awakening. And film was a big part of it.
Now some folks say that a movie is bad because it has bad language, or violence or sexual content in it. Some say it's bad if it doesn't entertain. Some say it's bad if it doesn't convey an important message or sentiment. Well, everyone's entitled to their opinions. To me, a bad movie is one with one or more of the following: a bad story, a bad script, bad acting, bad directing, or bad editing. I really do look at film now not based so much on it's content (though that still counts for an awful lot), but its execution, which I find much more interesting. Because, I find if it is executed well, the subject matter just doesn't matter a whole lot to me. Still, there have been a few well executed movies I've seen that I abhored (Flags of our Fathers, The Thin Red Line, most Robert Altman films, a few others).
Anyway, I love movies. Here are SOME of my favorite movies, in no particular order: Brazil, Garden State, Almost Famous, The Godfather, On the Waterfront, The Lord of the Rings, Young Frankenstien, Do the Right Thing, Casablanca, A Christmas Story, True Grit, Whale Rider, The Professional, Caddyshack, Paths of Glory, The Birds, A Fish Called Wanda, Monty Python and The Holy Grail, Stripes, Simon Birch, Judgement at Nuremburg, Star Wars (IV), My Life as a Dog, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Rain Man, Rob Roy, The Fisher King, It's A Wonderful Life, This is Spinal Tap, Unforgiven, Sergeant York, A Night at the Opera, Lawrence of Arabia, To Kill a Mockingbird, Planet of the Apes, Glory.
(Just to name a few)
So I became interested in film in my late teens, early twenties, but purely for its entertainment value. It wasn't until ten years later or so (around age 30) that I really started to see film as an art form. To see that it often had something important to say. This rather astonished me. That something I had dismissed as a pastime actually had the power to change how I, or perhaps millions of folk, looked at life. I think of this time as my personal awakening. And film was a big part of it.
Now some folks say that a movie is bad because it has bad language, or violence or sexual content in it. Some say it's bad if it doesn't entertain. Some say it's bad if it doesn't convey an important message or sentiment. Well, everyone's entitled to their opinions. To me, a bad movie is one with one or more of the following: a bad story, a bad script, bad acting, bad directing, or bad editing. I really do look at film now not based so much on it's content (though that still counts for an awful lot), but its execution, which I find much more interesting. Because, I find if it is executed well, the subject matter just doesn't matter a whole lot to me. Still, there have been a few well executed movies I've seen that I abhored (Flags of our Fathers, The Thin Red Line, most Robert Altman films, a few others).
Anyway, I love movies. Here are SOME of my favorite movies, in no particular order: Brazil, Garden State, Almost Famous, The Godfather, On the Waterfront, The Lord of the Rings, Young Frankenstien, Do the Right Thing, Casablanca, A Christmas Story, True Grit, Whale Rider, The Professional, Caddyshack, Paths of Glory, The Birds, A Fish Called Wanda, Monty Python and The Holy Grail, Stripes, Simon Birch, Judgement at Nuremburg, Star Wars (IV), My Life as a Dog, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Rain Man, Rob Roy, The Fisher King, It's A Wonderful Life, This is Spinal Tap, Unforgiven, Sergeant York, A Night at the Opera, Lawrence of Arabia, To Kill a Mockingbird, Planet of the Apes, Glory.
(Just to name a few)
Labels: movies
4 Comments:
Since it is customary when making lists like this to snipe at the person making it for the one or two items that one disagrees with, I'll venture forth:
You didn't like The Thin Red Line??? or Robert Altman movies??? How is that possible?
I loved Thin Red Line. It was just such a meditation. I love that Terrence Malik heavily orchastrated music with the voice-over stuff.
Otherwise, it's a fine list of quality films...
As for The Thin Red Line, there is a saying in filmaking (which I happen to agree with) that voice-overs are a very cheap way to tell a story. If the filmaker can't tell it without a voice-over he's failed to tell it properly within the proper context demanded by the medium of film. Voice-overs are essentially literature; so again, wrong medium. That, and the wandering nature of the film's narrative interrupted everything I felt the story should have been about. Like I said, I think it was a very well-made film, I just didn't like it.
As for the Altman films, the completely chaotic way in which he allows his actors to behave, (multiple conversations overlapping all the freaking time) make the experience more like standing in a crowd and trying to make sense of all the different conversations going on all around you. Not one of my favorite pastimes. Also, I said MOST Altman films, I did enjoy MASH and...darnit, I can't remember the name of it, the one with Tim Robbins and all the Hollywood types in it. The rest of his films I couldn't stand.
Favorite movies we have in common:
The Godfather, A Christmas Story, Monty Python & Holy Grail, Star Wars, It's a Wonderful Life, Spinal Tap.
To that I would add: Office Space, The Sixth Sense, Goodfellas, Best in Show, Fargo, High Fidelity, When Harry Met Sally, the Royal Tennenbaums.
Some other movies are part of my personal history and it's hard to tell if they're really good movies or just influenced me at an impressionable age: Caddyshack, Animal House, Stripes, Breakfast Club, Star Wars.
Snark,
I should definitely included When Harry Met Sally on my list. A nearly unforgivable ommision on my part.
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