Be more specific sir.
2001
Clockwork Orange
The Killing
Lolita
Dr Strangelove
i simply mean a list of five truly great english language films that youd pass on to say someone (possibly younger) who wanted to be introduced to some classics
You made it even more difficult by saying english language films. Regarding solid filmmaking, I’d say Stanley Kubrick’s The Killing even though must won’t say it’s at the same level where 2001 and what, Clockwork Orange? are, but in my opinion The Killing is Kubrick’s only film in which there is nothing I can complain about. And therefore, my favorite of his.
I’d also include something by the Coens (hard to choose one) and Jim Jarmusch.
*Derek Jarman’s Blue went through my mind for a moment, but I remembered that’s “half-a-film” :P
I wouldn’t say any of these are truly classics, but from my point of view they are indeed better than name it Psycho, Vertigo, Apocalypse Now, or Taxi Driver.
i understand that to exclude foreign cinema is a travesty but i mean it as a simple introduction to greats for those not necessarily wanting to venture into foreign language cinema straight away.
The example id like to give is say including Chinatown as a ‘great’ because of its existence as a great piece of cinematic writing (this is what was suggested to me as a great by a friend, having, myself not seen Chinatown)
the graduate
casablanca
toy story
rear window
2001
tried to make the choices as different from each other as possible
For Chinatown classics check what’s on this page . (O:
I agree with Santropez; it’s needlessly exclusionary to specify English language for this “starter pack.” I might have an arthouse “sampler” organized instead by theme: wayward youth (“The 400 Blows,” “Zero for Conduct,” “If . . . ,” “Alice in the Cities,” “Slacker”). I think part of the fun in introducing a newbie to auteurist cinema is showing that national boundaries are invariably blurred.
When it comes to English language film that I think most anyone can jump into
Days of Heaven
Apocalypse Now
The Last Picture Show
Blow-Up
The Killing
Thats not any sort of top 5 list from me, but I think that if anyone showed those to me two years ago I would have gotten into film a lot faster.
thanks for the replies.
the reason behind choosing english language films is because say 5 years ago i probably would have refused to watch a foreign language film. so i naturally thought that this would make an interesting topic. and once having discussed a list of english language films, the next natural step in a cinematic education would be introducing foreign language films to as Z.Bart says a ‘newbie’
The Third Man
To Have And Have Not
Dog Day Afternoon
Strangers On A Train
The Conversation
These demonstrate different kinds of virtuosity.
Maybe also one of David Lean’s Dickens films—Oliver Twist, Great Expectations
and, perhaps, The Lady Eve.
any 5 films of Lubitsch / Sternberg / Dreyer.
Hitchcock starter film recommand like Vertigo, Psycho ….. In my case, these Hitchcock’s are just read in surface to a starter. So, Hitchcock starter always same whether watched Vertigo, Psycho, Vertigo, Psycho, Vertigo, Psycho, Vertigo, Psycho, Vert….i….go……. Lang, Ophuls, Preminger is better to starter.
I think so called art film or movie fan starter have own’s craft… texture… detail, whether like or dislike. My father worked little warehouse, so I touched and felt some textile or pelt. samples, handbook, samples …. I learnt what is indivisual and sense. Maybe, ‘Hitchcock sympathy’ have no effect to feel hidden craft texture at all, to a starter. Guideline must show detail or texture to starter. If not, starter who believe industry ruins ‘samples’.
Sample page 1 ‘hitchcock’, next handbook page 1 ‘hitchcock’ .. and then, “I’m very disappointed… where’s depth?”, starter argue with imaginary judge. MAAADNESSSS. ;) Ophuls sympathy …. Lang ….. Preminger …. Lusbitch …. makes read ‘samples’ in reverse side to texture. and, I’m not a multiplex theater chain owner.
The problem is people seem to be including films plenty of people have seen anyway, like Apocalypse Now, 2001, Clockwork Orange, Vertigo, Psycho, The Graduate, Chinatown, etc.
Citizen Kane
Casablanca
The Searchers
The Apartment
M*A*S*H
Here is the starter list I recently sent to my parents for their netflix queue:
Tokyo Story
Ugetsu
Harakiri
Woman in the Dunes
Night of the Hunter
Au Hasard Balthazar
The Decalogue (1989)
Two Lovers (2008)
Blood Simple
Vivre Sa Vie
If… (1968)
Killer of Sheep
The Trial (by Orson Welles)
New York Stories (but skip the Francis Ford Coppola story)
They’ve already watched Tokyo Story and loved it.
Joseph James Clark
Just watched The Graduate. Brilliant.
Got me thinking about classic film and how people have their own consideration of ‘classics’.
Whether it has to do with cinematography, directorial influence, acting or a combination of any cinematic factors, there is an abundance of what people would label ‘greats’.
I’d like to ask, what ‘great’ english language films would anyone include in, say, a box-set of FIVE as a starter for people interested in truly great film-making?