I'm curious, what's your favorite movie and why?

My favorite movie for many years was "Thorn Birds". Since growing older I have had the chance to work in a video store and preview so many great movies that I cannot count them all. I have learned to love several, but two comes to mind everytime I am asked this question. My pick's are both who-dunnit-thrillers.

First one is " Primal Fear" 1996 with Richard Gere, Edward Norton and Alfre Woodard. I love the twist and turns in this movie and Edward Norton's acting is stupendous!! He was pretty much a nobody when this movie was made, I can only guess this film helped his acting carreer immensely.

2nd one would be "The Bone Collector" 1999 with Denzel Washington,
Angelina Jolie, and Queen Latifah. Denzel did an amazing job playing a very difficult role that he made believable. I also read alot of Jeffery Deaver books so it was I was curious to see how well they would do on film with this particular book.

I have others that rank up there such as 'Mystery Alaska', 'Iron Will', 'The Last Castle', 'Jungle Book', 'Veronica Guerin', 'John Q.', and 'Seven', I could keep going as I own over 250 movies but i'll stop here. Thats what happens when you work at a video store!!!

So tell me what your favorite movie is and why.

Blade Runner, for it's atmosphere.

Sci-fi and if I remember right Harrison Ford stars in it.

That's the one.

Yea! My memory still works....sometimes!!

Haven't seen most on your list Celeste! Heard Seven was real good and plan to see it. Not a big movie person but I do appreciate good ones. As I said on the other thread, my wife and I like older movies more. For relatively recent ones, I loved The Usual Suspects. LA Confidential was pretty good. Hard to pick one though. DeNiro and Pacino, in their primes, made many great ones. Love Orson Welles, James Stewart, Cary Grant, Betty Davis, Hepburn and on and on. I'm no help with this thread!

The Philadelphia Story.

Camelot.

The Cook, The Thief, His Wife, and Her Lover.
(but you have to see it on the big screen.)

A Clockwork Orange.

Labyrinth.

The Conformist.
(finally out on DVD subtitled and widescreen after years of being unavailable)

Phil Story is one of my all-time favorites. How about The Lady Eve with Barbara Stanwyck?

My Favorite Movie IS and more:

I AM A SCI FI ADDICT and more

Terminator 1 & 2. Mel Gibson. oh - the liquid effects, nothing can beat them boys. (watched at least 10 times)

Water World - hit me when the orange tree got taken.

The Cable Guy - Jim Carey. Watched it several times and still laugh.

Stephen King (mini series at least 4 hours each not really sure how long but watch it) - The Dune, The Langoliers.

Knights Tale - William was nothing and became a True Knight. A comedy but serious, good for watching (watched at least 10 times)

Die Hard With A Vengence - Bruce Willis - I would do what he did - Haans Grouber - Yippie-ki-kay, mutha fu------- (don't save him) Can't count how many times I have watched this one or the sequels. Would watch again anytime.

BraveHeart - Mel Gibson. William Wallace says : Freedom

"The Fifth Element"---have watched it at least 5 times, still laugh.

Comedies suck these days, they've crossed into stupid---I wouldn't cross the street for Jim Carey or many of the others of his ilk.

Have to agree on the "Die Hard" series, always a good watch.

I like "The Transporter"---can't think of his name---"Crank" was a hoot if you don't take it too seriously.

Yes the Fifth Element - Big Badda Boom

I have seen most if not all of the ones mentioned so far. Loved a 'Knights Tale' and 'Braveheart'. My DH is a sci-fi and westerns fan, DS is a comedy nut and love's Jim Carey and Adam Sandler but I don't care much for either of them.

As for Classics I would have to go with 'Casablanca', 'To Kill a Mocking Bird', 'Wuthering Heights', and 'The Sound of Music'

Rooster Cogburn and Nile Queen!!!

i'm confused. terminator 1&2 with mel gibson?
dune is a book by frank herbert that was made into a movie (and a miniseries i think). wasn't sting in the movie?

Not sure if I can name A favorite.
Movies I like to watch include:
Blade Runner(non director's cut) - "My mother! Let me tell you about my mother!!"
Repo Man - "Friend of mine had a lobotomy"
Caddyshack - " You know...my father never liked you"
Apocalypse Now - "What they're cleaning up now hadn't happened an hour ago"
Better Off Dead - "I want my 2 dollars!"
16 Candles " - "Now I finally have a place to put my hand"
Strange Brew - "It's a jelly"
Airplane - "Bobby - do like movies about gladiators?"

My husband is a John Wayne fan, so I've seen just about every one he made. My favorite is "The Quiet Man", not a western.

Any Bond 007 movie. I loved The Saint with Val Kilmer. Blues Brothers and Grumpy Old Men and Grumpier Old Men can watch them over and over.

Goodness, this is impossible!

Twelve Angry Men
Amadeus
Philadelphia Story
His Girl Friday
Arsenic and Old Lace
Guys and Dolls
On the Waterfront
any Hitchcock movie (especially Rebecca)
Aguirre, the Wrath of God
Manchurian Candidate (the old one)
Pirates of the Carribbean (Black Pearl)

Oh goodness, I could go on for awhile!

I also enjoy the Harry Potter Movies, and I do like Ben Stiller's movies. Oh, and The Man Who Knew Too Little. Silly, fun movie.


This message was edited Nov 9, 2007 7:39 PM

Good list Dee. I like most of them. Guys and Dolls is one of my all-time faves, as is any Fred & Ginger movie.

A great film noir / robbery caper type movie is a French one named Rififi. The dvd has the English dubbed in. It's a great movie. There is actually a 20 minute period with NO dialog at all. It's phenomenal.

Angels With Dirty Faces
Das Boot


Darn, this is hard. You're talking to someone who watched films in college, lol!

Young Frankenstein
The Producers (with Zero Mostel & Gene Wilder, although the newer one is okay too)

Well, I didn't watch the last two in college... they weren't artsy enough, lol!

DD, I'm agreeing with you. The Princess Bride hasn't been mentioned, nor have Oklahoma or Singing in the Rain. Many of the movies I've learned to tolerate are 'G' rated! My girls and I watched a great many videos in the olden days. I love Katherine Hepburn with or without Spencer Tracy. Although On Golden Pond didn't do much for me, well-cast though.

Young Frankenstein always gets me in trouble because a women at work talks about her daughter Abbie ;)

Is she normal?

She'd better hope not; you see what happens to Abby Normal in YF!

For the Sci-Fi lovers, can't forget Plan Nine from Outer Space.

Rio Bravo (John Wayne, Dean Martin, Ricky Nelson)...I love westerns
Blues Brothers (huge Belushi fan)
Caddy Shack (folks around here will play it just to see me do my gopher dance LOL)
Raiders of the Lost Ark (this movie did not have a slow moment from the second it started)

I like movies. period. all kinds. I mean there are some I just can't tolerate. As much as I like Mike Meyers, Austin Powers leaves me cold. I can take SOME of Jim Carrey's stuff and some of Adam Sandler (NOT the Water Boy!). Some of those already mentioned are so funny...The Princess Bride (He's been mostly dead all day). Young Frankenstein. Eddie Murphy before he went all Disney on us.

She doesn't know why I always say normal everytime she says Abbie.

Waterboy.LOL
http://www.theonion.com/content/node/27087

Oh my goodness, how could I have forgotten the Princess Bride?! GREAT movie! Singin' in the Rain is a wonderful one too. I do love those old movies. I love to watch those mindless fifties musicals, like Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, etc., although I do find myself getting miffed at the sexism in them. The Indiana Jones movies are good too - I had forgotten about them.

Here's another classic - The Out-of-Towners. I can only speculate why anyone in their right mind would attempt a re-make of that one! The original is perfect! So is the Odd Couple.

Victor and Al, here's a little story you'll appreciate. The other day I was at my daughter's hockey game, in the bleachers with some other parents. Another parent came, and as I was on the end, everyone asked me to move down to make room. Well, the bleachers are plastic, and where the lengths of plastic join there is a slight hump or bump. So I move down, and then I say, "Aw, now I'm on the hump!"

The woman next to me says, "What hump?" OMG, I started laughing hysterically. She looks at me like I've lost it and says, "What's so funny?" I said, "What hump?"... She's blankly staring. I repeat it, "What hump?" Nothing.

So I lean over her to another parent and tell her what the first one said. The second parent started laughing hysterically too. We finally let the first parent in on the "secret". But we couldn't believe she had never seen Young Frankenstein!

Yes - the Out of Towners is another all-time favorite. And Blazing Saddles. I have to say though, that I prefer the TV Odd Couple to the movie.

That is funny Dee.
Victor - Weren't you and Dave in the new remake of the Odd Couple?

I like The Devil's Advocate, Al Pacino does such a great job in that movie, so believable, and Keanu Reeves, I'll watch any movie he's in.

I goofed.

Mel Gibson - Mad Max Thunderdome
Arnold was the Terminator.

More:
Non Sci Fi

Forrest Gump
Runaway Bride
Erin Brokovitch
Home Alone 1, 2 don't know what the 3rd one was called.
Titanic
Vacation or Wally World? Chevy Chase could not do nothing right.

Back to Sci Fi

The Abyss
The Mummy

Last one and it was on last night and I missed it...... :-(

The Wizard of OZ

I can't believe i forgot the Wizard!!!! Thanks for the great reminder schicken!

Bob the Builder - just kidding, but that's about all I watch besides Barney and Sesame Street videos. Grammy Eleanor
p.s. - On a cold winter night when DH is out referring a high school basketball game I will curl up in my favorite chair with a big bowl of popcorn and watch the chick flick "Under the Tuscan Sun"!! (I like it cause it is not too heavy and has a happy ending)

Anyone watch Days of Thunder with Tom Cruise? He rides on the track on with a Indian Cheif Motorcycle. It was bought in Daytona Beach. I will have to look at the bill of sale for the date. It was my fathers and he sold it to "what I belive" was his manager at the time Dela Cruz. Early 80's to recollection.

If I had to limit myself to just 3 from a long, long list...they'd be:
1. Shawshank Redemption. A movie that will leave you with a broad smile at the end.

2. Babette's Feast. It's a Danish movie, subtitled of course. A movie about grace in a most unexpected place. It's so beautifully filmed, and I could watch this show over and over again. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092603/

3. Joy Luck Club. An Amy Tan movie depicting a group of Chinese-American immigrant families trying to adapt living here, while not forgetting own history.
I like a good tear jerker, and this is one.

I guess mine would have to be "The Wizard of Oz" just because I played the Wizard (and his avatars) in a musical lo these many years ago, but a strong runner up is the old "Midsummer Night's Dream" movie (with Joe E. Brown as Bottom and Mickey Rooney as Puck).

digger and victor, I can't believe you like "Guys and Dolls" after what Sinatra and Brando did to louse up the roles so unforgettably portrayed by Sam Levene and Robert Alda in the original show (although Stubby Kaye was great as Nicely-Nicely Johnson in both).

There is a definite sci-fi trend in the previous posts. I used to like that genre, but haven't read much of it since most authors turned to psychology and fantasy. I do admit that I got a kick when that space cruiser appeared on the screen in the first "Star Wars" movie and those bass notes throbbed from the loudspeakers. (yay John Williams!)

Braveheart - the very favorite of all... I love the story... which is based in truth!
Movies I have and love:
Love Star Wars - the original ones... have them and I still watch it...
Love Lord of the Rings - for all the arquitypes...
Love My fair Lady & Sound of Music - great voices and sweet story
Love Finding Nemo,Toy Story & Monsters Inc. -
I am getting for xtmas : the set
Love Indiana Jones - the first and the last!!!!!!

Celeste , I loved Thorn Birds for years... I read the book 3 times and cryed at the same parts, goodness gracious that book really stayed with me for a long time... and in a way I think it helped me really be ok about leaving the catholic church when I did... I was so idealistic and romantic at that time that Maggie needed to end up with the priest... oh I cryed... then I saw the movie and of course it made it worse... but I am over...I am wondering what would be my reaction now if I watch it again....