What is your favourite film of all time, and why?

Sam Mac

Apologies if there is already a thread on this topic.

Well then, what is your favourite film of all time and why?

Mine would have to be Little Miss Sunshine.

Ever since it first came out I have loved it. The cast is superb and they work brilliantly together, the script is excellent and oh how I love that ending!! (It makes me cry, seriously!)

I'm looking forward to hearing fellow users favourite films.

AnonoBoy

The List Thread.

Great film because every time I watch it I get locked.

Beefy78

Definitely not as high brow as most of the films you'll get listed but my favourite film of all time remains Back to the Future.

I just love every little part of that film. To me it is almost flawless and I love it every bit as much after the 70th viewing as I did the first.

kwestfan08

Die Hard without question.

Its the perfect action film for me. Great set-pieces, liberal sprinkling of humour, good sidekick in Sgt. Al Powell and an enigmatic antagonist in Hans Gruber. I never tire of watching it.

Skerries

Blade Runner

besides being a fantastic dystopian set sci-fi film it is also a film about the value of life and how much we would we give to attain even a little bit extra

e_e

I'll have to break it down by genre tbh:

Action: Seven Samurai
Crime: Ghost Dog The Way of the Samurai
Comedy: Play Time, Dr Strangelove and The Big Lebowski
Drama: Persona
Fantasy: Princess Mononoke
Sci-Fi: 2001 A Space Odyssey
Other: Syndromes and a Century, Sans Soleil

That's the best I can do without rattling off 100 further movies that I love. :pac:

_Kaiser_

Dito by genre - I couldn't pick just one!

Action: Die Hard.
Defined the genre and the perfect action movie IMO.
Honourable mention for Die Hard 2 but by 3 they'd lost the original tone entirely

Cheesy Action: The Running Man
The perfect Arnie movie.. over the top action, great one-liners and Arnie at his best.
Honourable mention for Predator but TRM just shades it I think

Crime: Lord of War
Nick Cage is brilliant in this and I love the dark humour. Opening sequence alone hooked me when I first watched it
Honorable mention/tied with Wall Street. Douglas' Gordon Gecko became legendary.
Goodfellas is also a movie I know by heart - let's call it a 3-way tie

Sci-fi: Aliens
Best of the series I think. The first might be a better sci-fi film I suppose but I just always preferred the sequel myself

There's lots more I could mention but that'll do

Oregano_State

True Romance is mine. I first saw it towards the end of my leaving cert year and it really struck a chord with me as the protagonist is basically a nerdy nobody who goes on an outrageous adventure, logic be damned.

It has all the elements that make Tarantino great, with the more straightforward storytelling and classic action movie touches of Tony Scott.

The A-list cameos are quality as well. I could go on and on. Actually this reminds me, I haven't seen it in ages. Time to go again, thanks OP!

Jumboman

The Football Factory. Its a cinematic masterpiece.

Adamantium

I have to agree with Back to the Future, a blueprint on how to make as close to a perfect movie as there is. The pacing, the wonder,comedy,humanity, the genuine fear he is trapped in the past, a scenario we've all imagined: would I have been friends with my parents if I met them as a stranger when they were young/my current age.

It's a film that has the invincibility cheat turned on and pre-installed. Genuinely ****ing bulletproof.

A perfect movie. And they thought so too. Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade is perfection too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2F0fOVfgM8

Roquentin

Skerries wrote: »

Blade Runner

besides being a fantastic dystopian set sci-fi film it is also a film about the value of life and how much we would we give to attain even a little bit extra

Ive seen things you people wouldnt believe:D

Roquentin

e_e wrote: »

I'll have to break it down by genre tbh:

Action: Seven Samurai
Crime: Ghost Dog The Way of the Samurai
Comedy: Play Time, Dr Strangelove and The Big Lebowski
Drama: Persona
Fantasy: Princess Mononoke
Sci-Fi: 2001 A Space Odyssey
Other: Syndromes and a Century, Sans Soleil

That's the best I can do without rattling off 100 further movies that I love. :pac:

Do you see what happens larry?:D

gets me every time

Roquentin

My top ten (eleven)

Dr Zhivago
The Godfather I, II
Eyes Wide Shut
Apocalypse Now
Once Upon a Time in America
The Passenger
Blade Runner
Vertigo
The Thin Red Line
Once Upon a Time in the West

Littlehorny

Goodfellas cause it does fu**in amuse me!

e_e

Roquentin wrote: »

Do you see what happens larry?:D

gets me every time

Ever hear the TV version? Even funnier imo for how ridiculous it is.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCcKBcZzGdA

Roquentin

e_e wrote: »

Ever hear the TV version? Even funnier imo for how ridiculous it is.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCcKBcZzGdA

"When you find a stranger in the alps." Hilarious.

cloud493

Top 10 favourites would have to be

Either of the Captain Americas, they're both amazing
The Avengers
Either of the first two Toy story films
Frozen
Saving Private Ryan
Forrest Gump
Lethal Weapon 2
White Chicks
Into The Storm
Iron Man 3

SmokeyEyes

I'd have to say Jurassic Park for being my number 1 kids movie that I can still watch endlessly and the LOTR trilogy! Maybe not the most high brow choices but I never tire of them!

vepyewwo

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
I know most people would probably choose Raiders as their favourite Indy film and I love that too, but I saw Last Crusade first and it's still my favourite. The perfect action adventure film and i love the relationship between Indy and his Dad.

L.A. Confidential
Saw this a couple of years after it came out when I was about 17. I remember just thinking "Wow, what a film!" when it finished. I love the detective noir genre and this is the best one for me. I've only seen it a couple of times since then, I'm afraid to watch it too much in case I start to get sick of it. It's a shame it got overshadowed by Titanic the year it was released - it's an amazing film and I think it's a little under-appreciated and has been slightly forgotten about.

rotun

The Departed.. lost count of the amount of times I've watched it.

Skerries

Oregano_State wrote: »

True Romance is mine. I first saw it towards the end of my leaving cert year and it really struck a chord with me as the protagonist is basically a nerdy nobody who goes on an outrageous adventure, logic be damned.

have you watched the alternate ending that Scott shot for Tarantino just to show to him that it was a bad idea and Tarantino agreed that Scott's ending was much better

shazzerman

Favourites, eh...

The Maltese Falcon
Rio Bravo
Play Time
Je t'aime Je t'aime
McCabe & Mrs Miller
The Magnificent Ambersons
Swing Time
Psycho
2001
Stagecoach
Cat People (1942)
Paris, Texas
The Conformist
Late Spring

Oregano_State

Skerries wrote: »

have you watched the alternate ending that Scott shot for Tarantino just to show to him that it was a bad idea and Tarantino agreed that Scott's ending was much better

No, I haven't actually. Where would I find it?

I know that Tarantino wanted to present it in non-chronological order, like Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs.

DoctorEdgeWild

Predator - Endlessly rewatchable. Perfectly cast in every role. Doesn't feel dated as the CGI is minimal compared to modern action movies. Truly stunning exotic setting which really helps to transport the viewer into the location.

After maybe 50 times watching it, was still blown away when I saw it at the cinema a few years ago. A near flawless piece of action film making.

razorblunt

One that I can watch anytime, anywhere, multiple times:

1. Transformers - it made me feel like I was 10 again, the missus said she turned to me in the cinema at one stage and I was sat leaning forward, mouth open amazed. Physically sick over what followed it.

I'm not even joking!

DrumSteve

Independence Day. I love it for how cheesy it is but always watchable.

Close second would be Event Horizon. It's a criminally underrated film thats influenced so many others.

petronius

Karate Kid (one of the classics to paraphrase matt dillon in something about mary)
Back to the Future (the skateboarding days of my youth)
Empire Strikes Back ( the link in the trilogy )
Sideways (best date movie i was at)
Some like it hot (humour and MM)
12 angry men (Henrys white suit! )
Godfather (Part 2 especially)
Unforgiven ( concise editing Clint at his best)
Crocodile Dundee (thats not a knife...)
Its a wonderful life (just means christmas)
Rear Window (just for Grace Kelly alone but also for hitch

Ole Rodrigo

The Big Lebowski. No question. I've lost count of how many times Ive watched over the years, and each time it makes me laugh. Comic masterpiece.

Conall Cernach

Casablanca for me. It has everything. Bogie being uber cool, Bergman being beautiful, Rains being humourous, Greenstreet and Lorre are sleazy and Conrad Veidt is achingly noble. All of this with a brilliant script, story and direction. There's too many killer scenes like when Victor Laszlo gets the band to play La Marseillaise or the scene where a girl asks Rick his opinion on whether or not she should sleep with Captain Renault to get out of the country.

Annina: Oh, monsieur, you are a man. If someone loved you very much, so that your happiness was the only thing that she wanted in the world, but she did a bad thing to make certain of it, could you forgive her?
Rick: Nobody ever loved me that much.
Annina: And he never knew, and the girl kept this bad thing locked in her heart? That would be all right, wouldn't it?
Rick: You want my advice?
Annina: Oh, yes, please.
Rick: Go back to Bulgaria.

billie1b

The Great Escape

Cant explain why, I just love everything about it

huey1975

Once upon a time in America
Just because it is brilliant

Arthur Beesley

Adamantium wrote: »

I have to agree with Back to the Future, a blueprint on how to make as close to a perfect movie as there is. The pacing, the wonder,comedy,humanity, the genuine fear he is trapped in the past, a scenario we've all imagined: would I have been friends with my parents if I met them as a stranger when they were young/my current age.

It's a film that has the invincibility cheat turned on and pre-installed. Genuinely ****ing bulletproof.

A perfect movie. And they thought so too. Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade is perfection too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2F0fOVfgM8

Funny to think the Muslim terrorists were up to their old tricks even back then in the 80's.

FunLover18

kwestfan08 wrote: »

Die Hard without question.

Its the perfect action film for me. Great set-pieces, liberal sprinkling of humour, good sidekick in Sgt. Al Powell and an enigmatic antagonist in Hans Gruber. I never tire of watching it.

Kaiser2000 wrote: »

Die Hard.
Defined the genre and the perfect action movie IMO.
Honourable mention for Die Hard 2 but by 3 they'd lost the original tone entirely

+1

Saw it when I was about 8 on a VHS recording, blew my mind. John McClane is the perfect hero because he's not a super man (ignoring the sequels), he's just a cop. Hans Gruber is one of the best villains in cinematic history. Great set pieces, great humour, I watch it once a year without fail.

IvaBigWun

Im presuming the mods have taken part in a very satisfying Wolf Of Wall Street style orgy bender in the past few days

Liam McPoyle

Halloween (1978)

If I had to pick one movie to illustrate why I love horror movies, or if I had to pick only one movie to watch til the day I die, it would be John Carpenters Halloween so I guess that makes it my favourite film of all time.

Modern day horror (I use that term very loosely for most of them) by and large focuses on either gore or cheap "bang" type scares to get a reaction from the audience. Halloween has neither and is superior to probably 90% to 95% of horror movies that have come out in the years since its release.

Nowadays the story of a disturbed child growing into a disturbed adult and going on a killing spree is pretty cliche but at the time it was completely new and in the intervening years, Halloween has been proven that it has set the bar and the template for slasher movies.

Everything about this movie is perfect. Dialogue is kept to a minimum. Donald Pleasence paints a wonderfully bleak portrait of a killer with absolutely no emotion, remorse or empathy to his fellow man. Jamie Lee Curtis gives it socks in her break through role and again sets the bar for "scream queens"

It may be surprising to some but there is very little blood in this movie, its all about tension. Myers slowly makes his way around dispatching the sexy teens until he is revealed to JLC and he begins his pursuit of her.

What really separates this movie from the rest is the soundtrack (also by John Carpenter) It is simply wonderful. From the opening theme (you all know it at this stage) to my personal favourite piece, the "stalking" theme.

There arent enough superlatives in the english language for me to sum up how much I love this movie so I will leave you with the aforementioned stalking theme. If you havnt seen this movie (shame on you btw!!) then you really should watch it as a genre defining piece of work.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSjBwln3AKc

Shane-KornSpace

Action: Terminator 2
The first movie I recall ever seeing.

Sci-fi: Back To The Future
It's a scenario we've all thought about. Time Travel and the consequences of our meddling. What's not to love about this masterpiece? It's funny, intelligent and very well written.

Horror: Rec
Scared the be-Jaysus out of me when I first watched it on Sky a few years back. I was randomly browsing channels and came across this. I loved it. It was claustrophobic, jumpy, freaky, gory (just the right amount) and believable.

Comedy: Dumb And Dumber
Not much I can say about this. I first watched this movie when I was 6 and owned it on VHS. Granted, I didn't understand most of the jokes at the time, but that turbolax scene was fantastic. Watched it again after about 8 years had passed and nearly wet myself from laughter.

Roquentin

huey1975 wrote: »

Once upon a time in America
Just because it is brilliant

Probably my fave. Watch it once a year. Great film about friendship and life.

The Godfather is a better film, but once upon a time in america gives a better account of real life, while still being watchable

Skerries

Oregano_State wrote: »

No, I haven't actually. Where would I find it?

I know that Tarantino wanted to present it in non-chronological order, like Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs.

here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bx7VH-CApns

internelligent

The Shawshank Redemption

Watched it when it came out on video having no idea what it was about only that is was No.1 in the rental chart. Simply a brilliant drama with flawless acting and unforgettable narration by Morgan Freeman. Surprised that nobody had mentioned this already

craigfoster

the godfather

Kunkka

Jaws

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

I think a matter of life and death


"she walks in beauty, like the night, only she's cycling and it's daytime"

xalot

The Princess Bride. Never fails to make me happy.

Leon - get something new out of it every time I watch it.

And for some reason that I cant explain I'm always very moved by 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind'.

No Country for Old Men - just fantastic. Perfect example of how to do a slow (ish) moving story without losing steam. Plus bonus points for how completely terrifying Javier Bardem is....

I'll never look at a coin toss the same way again!

johnny_ultimate

While this thread is against the forum charter (it has been done dozens of times before, and always ends the same way) we'll leave it open as long as people are willing to write few lines (just a sentence or two) about why a film is their favourite - the OP put a bit of effort in so it's only fair. It's your favourite film - of course you have something to say about it! If there's more and more one word or mere list posts we'll have to lock it. Thanks.

CPSW

For me it’s hard to pin down one favourite film of all time, but there are a few!

Back to the Future - As people have previously said, what’s not to love about this movie? The ideal of time travel, a very well written storyline and a cool car! To think the simple idea came from the writer of the movie Bob Gale, finding one of his father's old high school yearbooks and thinking to himself would have been his friend if they were in school together. It still holds up to this day, 29 years later. It’s one movie (the whole series actually), I hope that Hollywood don't butcher and remake in years to come.

Goodfellas - Classic Scorsese. Great cast, and brilliant performances from the three leads, Liotta, Pesci and Mr. De Niro. Stylish, fast paced, great entertainment all round. Love the soundtrack too.

Airplane – Best comedy of all time in my opinion. I’m a big fan of slapstick comedy, this is the original and best. Gag after gag, love it. Still get a good laugh at Lloyd Bridges “Looks like I picked the wrong week to stop sniffing glue” 

CiaranW

Has to be The Untouchables.
Fantastic movie with wonderful actors, great soundtrack and the sets were stunning.

Also have to mention a few of the oldies like Rear Window, I love the smoking in the dark scene.
And, 12 Angry Men. Great movies.

Leon...For many reasons but not to bore people I'll pick one. Gary Oldman is great in this film (A tip of the hat to Jean Reno & Natalie Portman too) his character is so unstable. When I seen this first I was about 14/15 I'd never seen a bad guy like that.

Roquentin

Deleted User wrote: »

Leon...For many reasons but not to bore people I'll pick one. Gary Oldman is great in this film (A tip of the hat to Jean Reno & Natalie Portman too) his character is so unstable. When I seen this first I was about 14/15 I'd never seen a bad guy like that.

Youve seen a clockwork orange right

Roquentin

Roquentin wrote: »

Youve seen a clockwork orange right

No it's on the list though

Roquentin

Deleted User wrote: »

No it's on the list though

Both characters are beethoven fans. Cant beat the auld Ludwig Van.

A clockwork Orange is one of my favourite

Roquentin

Roquentin wrote: »

Both characters are beethoven fans. Cant beat the auld Ludwig Van.

A clockwork Orange is one of my favourite

I'll have to keep that in mind when I eventually get around to A clockwork orange.