NSR: What's your top 5 movies of the last 15yrs?

[Achtung]

In addition, no one has mentioned "The Squid and the Whale", "Sideways", "Groundhog Day", "High Fidelity" or "Wonder Boys". None of those movies are in my top five, but they are all better than a number of the movies mentioned, including all Tom Hanks movies aside from "Forrest Gump".

I stand by my top choice, Hanks-starring as it may be...

[StrikerCW]

In addition, no one has mentioned "The Squid and the Whale", "Sideways", "Groundhog Day", "High Fidelity" or "Wonder Boys". None of those movies are in my top five, but they are all better than a number of the movies mentioned, including all Tom Hanks movies aside from "Forrest Gump".
"I"M NOT GONNA DRINK ANY F***KING MERLOT"

[listen_up_fergie]

"I"M NOT GONNA DRINK ANY F***KING MERLOT"

Wine Nerds :p

I thought Sideways was pretty good, and it would certainly make my list of the top 10 movies of 2004, although not my top 25 list of movies since 1990.

[soccermoney]

1. Life is Beautiful
2. The Usual Suspects
3. Zoolander
4. Ocean's Eleven
5. American History X

[Vermont Red]

A word about "The Usual Suspects". (SPOILER ALERT)

At the end we realize that Verbal is Keyser Soze and that everything that he told Kujan was made up, constructed from ideas generated from things in the office. So other than the fact that Verbal and the others were in a cell in New York and that they were on a boat at the end, we don't know if any of the rest happened. We only know the legend of Kayser Soze because Verbal tells Kujan. The revelation at the end undermines the rest of the movie. Compare this to the excellence of "The Sixth Sense" in which the middle of the movie still fits together even when the twist is revealed. As entertaining as "The Usual Suspects" was, it fails because the twist is not supported by the rest of the movie. An ambitious failure, but a failure nonetheless.

[listen_up_fergie]

A word about "The Usual Suspects". (SPOILER ALERT)

At the end we realize that Verbal is Keyser Soze and that everything that he told Kujan was made up, constructed from ideas generated from things in the office. So other than the fact that Verbal and the others were in a cell in New York and that they were on a boat at the end, we don't know if any of the rest happened. We only know the legend of Kayser Soze because Verbal tells Kujan. The revelation at the end undermines the rest of the movie. Compare this to the excellence of "The Sixth Sense" in which the middle of the movie still fits together even when the twist is revealed. As entertaining as "The Usual Suspects" was, it fails because the twist is not supported by the rest of the movie. An ambitious failure, but a failure nonetheless.

On the subject of weak twists, I thought the plot for Ocean's Twelve was pretty pathetic. The 'twist', if it could be called one, seemed really contrived.

[Vermont Red]

On the subject of weak twists, I thought the plot for Ocean's Twelve was pretty pathetic. The 'twist', if it could be called one, seemed really contrived.

Of course an entire movie is contrived, made to manipulate an audience. Poor movies allow the audience to see the manipulation, to see "the man behind the curtain".

As for twists, people love to be fooled, to expect one thing and be given another. "I see dead people". But sometimes twists are tacked on with the hope that audiences will leave thinking that they liked the movie, only because they didn't see the twist coming. In a superior movie, you don't see the twist and it feels inevitable.

[SirManchester]

ahhh...a cinema thread, damn shame I couldn't post here earlier, This is going to be tough, seeing as how I'm a film fanatic. These aren't only based on my preference but I'm also listing them because they had a significant impact on cinema itself.

Silence of the Lambs
Pulp Fiction
The Matrix (the other two are just utter filth)
City of God
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship..

Honroable mentions - Sixth Sense, Unforgiven, American Beauty, Forrest Gump(no significance, i just like it a lot)

Now for the more important list, my favorites of all time:

1. 2001: a space odyssey
2. The Empire strikes back
3. Vertigo
4. Breathless
5. Amadeus
6. La Dolce Vita
7. A Clockwork Orange
8. Raiders of the Lost Ark
9. American Graffitti
10. Rashomon
11. M
12. Blow Up
13. 400 Blows
14. Nosferatu
15. That Obscure Object of Desire

[phishy]

no particular order.

caddyshack.
the pianist.
godfather 1&2 (have to include both).
hate (french film).
blow.

narrowing to five is nearly impossible innit?

EDIT: last 15 years.. my fault.

the pianist.
hate. (french film)
blow.
goodfellas.
shawshank redemption.

[MtP07]

In addition, no one has mentioned "The Squid and the Whale", "Sideways", "Groundhog Day", "High Fidelity" or "Wonder Boys". None of those movies are in my top five, but they are all better than a number of the movies mentioned, including all Tom Hanks movies aside from "Forrest Gump".

Sideways was overrated. I like High Fidelity a lot, but it loses points because its written by a Gooner...

[Howard Zinn]

I didn't realize we were going to throw out our all-time top 5 as well, so here mine is:

1. The Godfather
2. Raging Bull
3. The Godfather 2
4. Goodfellas
5. Apocalypse Now

And here is if you want the rest of my top 10: ;)

6. On the Waterfront
7. A Clockwork Orange
8. 2001 A Space Odyssey
9. Pulp Fiction
10. Chinatown

Once again, I believe I have a pretty nice list.

[SirManchester]

I didn't realize we were going to throw out our all-time top 5 as well, so here mine is:

1. The Godfather
2. Raging Bull
3. The Godfather 2
4. Goodfellas
5. Apocalypse Now

And here is if you want the rest of my top 10: ;)

6. On the Waterfront
7. A Clockwork Orange
8. 2001 A Space Odyssey
9. Pulp Fiction
10. Chinatown

Once again, I believe I have a pretty nice list.


that list would make any film critic proud, well done.

[listen_up_fergie]

hate (french film).


I watched La Haine for a French class...loved the film.

[Prawn Sandwich]

In no particular order.....

Jacobs Ladder
Blue Velvet (not sure if this falls within 15 years but what the hell, it's a classic)
Goodfellas
Reservoir Dogs
Just about anything by Luc Besson (notable mentions to Leon, Le Grande Bleu and even 5th Element for some light relief)

[billyireland]

I liked Spirited Away a lot too. What did you think of Howl's Moving Castle?
I haven't actually got around to watching it yet, but another great one to watch in Princess Mononoke, or Akira to go a little further back (although I thought it went a touch overboard towards the end).

[billyireland]

Well, if we're going all-time, I'll have to weight in with 20 more...

1. The Godfather Trilogy (the 3rd was even pretty good, barring the last 20-40 minutes)... (1972, 1974, 1990))
2. The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (at least with the live Aronovsky-esque soundtrack I heard a while back). (1914).
3. Dr. Strangelove (1964).
4. The Evil Dead Trilogy. (1981, 1987 & 1993).
5. Raging Bull (1980).
6. Clerks (1994).
7. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975).
8. Badlands (1973).
9. Apolcalypse Now (1979).
10. Chinatown (1974).
11. On the Waterfront (1954).
12. Twelve Monkeys (1995).
13. The Deer Hunter (1978).
14. The Usual Suspects (1994).
15. Jaws (1974).
16. M (1931).
17. Metropolis (1927).
18. The Wild Bunch (1969).
19. Seven Samurai (1954).
20. The Killer (1989).

[yossarian]

I'd like to see a list of yours yoss...

not trying to be combative, rather I'm just curious as to what your taste is.

Limited to the last 15 years.....in no particular order:

Reservoir Dogs (I liked Pulp Fiction too but it wouldn't quite make a top 5.)

LoTR (read the books in elemantary school and was amazed how Peter Jackson created a Middle Earth almost exactly as I envisioned.)

Magnolia

American Beauty

Usual Suspects

Honorable Mention to: Almost Famous; Donnie Darko; Shawshank Redemption; Memento; The Last Seduction; Snatch; Fight Club and Fargo.

Some of my old school favorites that don't qualify because they were made prior to 1990......

Jaws
Raiders of the Lost Ark (the original)
Caddyshack
Platoon
Kubrick's version of The Shining
The Mission

and my all time favorite movie (yes, it's sappy but...):

Breaking Away

[MtP07]

I can't believe nobody has mentioned this one...



http://www.adameve.com/images/products/4/4869-xl.jpg

[K:theCore]

1 Braveheart
2 Chingu (Korean Gangster)
3 Pulp Fiction
4 Goodwill Hunting
5 Donny Darko
Honorable Mention : Requiem for a Dream and Oldboy (You guys should definitely check this one out)

Best Comedies: Zoolander and Chasing Amy

[billyireland]

Oldboy

Chasing AmyGreat shouts, especially Oldboy.