Dazed and Confused (Linklater)
Watched it the first time high with people I didn’t know, people who didn’t ‘get it’. Felt guilty in feeling superior at the time for being the only one in the room that did.
The Conformist (Bertolucci)
For me, one of those cliched times in university where you watch a film in a lecture that you’ve never heard of and walk out inspired by the possibilities of cinema. Also developed a life long crush on Stefania Sandrelli.
Broken Flowers (Jarmusch)
First Jarmusch movie I watched. Certainly not the last.
So many more but I don’t want to try to condense my feelings for certain movies in a couple of sentences as I have already done. I feel that I have done a disservice to the aforementioned films but these three are the ones that have ‘changed my life forever’ and am glad for it.
Aerosmith’s ‘Sweet Emotion’ soars as a souped up orange GTO parks in slow motion…
Watching Dazed and Confused never fails to lift me. It’s my go to film whenever I feel like watching something good but can’t decide on exactly what.
Honourable mention goes to Goodfellas. The fastest 145 minutes in history. I always enjoy seeing Billy Batts get what’s coming to him. Yeah yeah, I’m getting my shine box.
I chose Ning Ying’s ‘I Love Beijing’ as my first film to watch on this site and I was not disappointed. At first I thought the liberal use of jump cuts were a bit too self conscious, but I got sucked into the story (or lack thereof) and quickly acclimatised to the aesthetic of the film. I’m just a sucker for aimless, rambling protagonists I suppose.
This is exactly why I joined this site: to watch quality movies that I’ve never heard of and probably wouldn’t be able to see anywhere else. God damn I love The Auteurs!
Surprisingly, even though it isn’t even on my list of my very favorite films, ‘Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior’ was the first movie that I thought of. No joke. It’s just visceral, and if the final chase scene doesn’t get your heart pumping, you probably don’t have a pulse to begin with.
I have an unnatural love for Arnie’s “The Running Man” and Van Damme’s “Bloodsport”. Thinking about it, they’re the two films I quote the most.
Oh, and I have bad, cheesy 80’s pop rock songs from both soundtracks that I regularly play on my iPod without irony (“Running Away With You” by John Parr and “Steal the Night” by Michael Bishop).
Count me as another “Running Man” fan. I’ve posted about my mental – bordering on creepy – love for this film elsewhere on the forum so I’ll refrain from doing so here.
Totally agree with Amelia on “The Golden Child” and “Coming to America”, films that I also could probably recite every line from.
Another one that comes to mind is “Jerry Maguire”, a film that isn’t bad by any stretch of imagination, but I always seem to catch reruns of the movie on TV and get drawn into the story no matter how many times I’ve seen it. It’s always embarassing when someone walks in during the ‘you complete me’ scene near the end and the ridiculously cheesy ‘We live in a cynical, cynical world’ line is uttered by Tom Cruise and I totally go with it because I’m so invested in the character. I really should just get the DVD.
I think Iliveinfear is right in saying that “In the Mood for Love” will probably be considered the ‘greater and more important’ film, although I do prefer “2046”. I used to think that “2046” was the inferior film because it seems to go on weird (albeit beautiful) tangets that bordered on self indulgence, in contrast with the focused structure of the earlier film. Also, I thought none of the female characters were as compelling Maggie Cheung’s character and never felt an emotional attachment to any of them. Furthermore Tony Leung’s character was not as sympathetic as it was in the other film. I came to the conclusion then, that “2046” was a beautifully ambitious failure.
Having watched both again recently, I realised that that was the point of “2046”. Wong Kar Wai knows that the audience wants Leung’s character to find someone that’s as perfect for him as Cheung’s character was. But ultimately Leung’s character finds out that this is impossible, no matter how many times he tries to replace her. That was the mistake I made in watching “2046”: I was projecting my bias and preference for Maggie Cheung’s character onto the female leads of “2046”, hoping that they were indeed perfect for Leung. I was dissapointed, as Leung was, in realising how futile, foolish, and unfair to the female characters this was. The fact that Leung’s character never returns from 2046 and is left impossibly trying to replicate what he had is so sad and poignant that it also affects the way I watch “In the Mood For Love”. I know that his time with Cheung’s character is the only time he’ll be content and I can’t help but feel for him knowing his ultimate fate.
So yes, “In the Mood For Love” will probably be the one that’s remembered because it’s a film that can be enjoyed by itself. One has to be familiar with “In the Mood for Love” to watch “2046”. And I think one has to exprience the dissapointment of watching “2046” for the first time – just as Leung continually experiences romantic dissapointment throughout the film – and realise that “2046” isn’t “In the Mood for Love” , and understand that it’s precisely that, which makes the film a truly touching and heartbreaking experience.
Love Jarmusch, one of my favorites. Every scene in each his movies (not just the obvious “Coffee and Cigarettes” and “Night on Earth”) are almost like short films that are good by themselves, but they build upon each other to create a cohesive and unique cinematic experience. His films are legitimately quirky and cool, unlike a good number of modern indie flicks that so self consciously try to construct cool, but ultimately fail.
Oh, and no love for the bad-assery that is “Ghost Dog”?
I feel you brother! That’s what’s great about the movies (and all art I suppose), they mean different things to different people at different stages of their life. And they have the ability to just encapsulate everything a person is going through at any given moment. Movies and art in general essentially become the bookmarks for the most important chapters of one’s life. I’m happy that “Jerry Maguire” did that for you.
To keep on topic, my love for “The Running Man” and the other 80’s films that I mentioned in my previous post represent the time in my childhood where I would go through my cousin’s video collection and watch movies repeatedly without the baggage of watching a film with a critical eye, criticising poor mis en scene or rolling my eyes whenever an obvious joke or plot point occurred. They signify a time where watching any movie was actually, you know, fun, and not distilled by the burden of a more “refined” taste. Man, now I feel naked….
Which film has changed your life forever? over 3 years ago
Dazed and Confused (Linklater)
Watched it the first time high with people I didn’t know, people who didn’t ‘get it’. Felt guilty in feeling superior at the time for being the only one in the room that did.
The Conformist (Bertolucci)
For me, one of those cliched times in university where you watch a film in a lecture that you’ve never heard of and walk out inspired by the possibilities of cinema. Also developed a life long crush on Stefania Sandrelli.
Broken Flowers (Jarmusch)
First Jarmusch movie I watched. Certainly not the last.
So many more but I don’t want to try to condense my feelings for certain movies in a couple of sentences as I have already done. I feel that I have done a disservice to the aforementioned films but these three are the ones that have ‘changed my life forever’ and am glad for it.
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Some Movies that always lifts You up are... over 3 years ago
Aerosmith’s ‘Sweet Emotion’ soars as a souped up orange GTO parks in slow motion…
Watching Dazed and Confused never fails to lift me. It’s my go to film whenever I feel like watching something good but can’t decide on exactly what.
Honourable mention goes to Goodfellas. The fastest 145 minutes in history. I always enjoy seeing Billy Batts get what’s coming to him. Yeah yeah, I’m getting my shine box.
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What are you watching now? over 3 years ago
I chose Ning Ying’s ‘I Love Beijing’ as my first film to watch on this site and I was not disappointed. At first I thought the liberal use of jump cuts were a bit too self conscious, but I got sucked into the story (or lack thereof) and quickly acclimatised to the aesthetic of the film. I’m just a sucker for aimless, rambling protagonists I suppose.
This is exactly why I joined this site: to watch quality movies that I’ve never heard of and probably wouldn’t be able to see anywhere else. God damn I love The Auteurs!
Go to Comment
When I say "A Perfect Film", What One Film Pops Into Your Head First? over 3 years ago
Surprisingly, even though it isn’t even on my list of my very favorite films, ‘Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior’ was the first movie that I thought of. No joke. It’s just visceral, and if the final chase scene doesn’t get your heart pumping, you probably don’t have a pulse to begin with.
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Movies That Should Be In the Criterion Collection over 3 years ago
I’d love a Criterion box set of Wong Kar Wai’s 60’s trilogy (‘Days of Being Wild’; ‘In the Mood for Love’; ‘2046’).
Seeing ‘The Conformist’ receive the Criterion treatment would be all kinds of awesome.
And I’m quite surprised that ‘Vivre Sa Vie’ hasn’t been released by Criterion.
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Film quotes you love over 3 years ago
Wooderson: That’s what I love about high school girls man. I get older, they stay the same age.
- “Dazed and Confused”
Dan Erdman reminded me of how classic Robocop is:
Clarence: Can you fly Bobby?
I’d also love to include pretty much all of Arnie’s lines in “The Running Man” but I’ll leave that for another time.
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Good Bad Films over 3 years ago
I have an unnatural love for Arnie’s “The Running Man” and Van Damme’s “Bloodsport”. Thinking about it, they’re the two films I quote the most.
Oh, and I have bad, cheesy 80’s pop rock songs from both soundtracks that I regularly play on my iPod without irony (“Running Away With You” by John Parr and “Steal the Night” by Michael Bishop).
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WHICH DIRECTORS...NOT...CURRENTLY REPRESENTED IN THE CRITERION COLLECTION DO YOU WANT TO SEE INCLUDED? over 3 years ago
Sergio Leone
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Guilty Pleasures over 3 years ago
Count me as another “Running Man” fan. I’ve posted about my mental – bordering on creepy – love for this film elsewhere on the forum so I’ll refrain from doing so here.
Totally agree with Amelia on “The Golden Child” and “Coming to America”, films that I also could probably recite every line from.
Another one that comes to mind is “Jerry Maguire”, a film that isn’t bad by any stretch of imagination, but I always seem to catch reruns of the movie on TV and get drawn into the story no matter how many times I’ve seen it. It’s always embarassing when someone walks in during the ‘you complete me’ scene near the end and the ridiculously cheesy ‘We live in a cynical, cynical world’ line is uttered by Tom Cruise and I totally go with it because I’m so invested in the character. I really should just get the DVD.
Go to Comment
In the Mood for Love or 2046? over 3 years ago
I think Iliveinfear is right in saying that “In the Mood for Love” will probably be considered the ‘greater and more important’ film, although I do prefer “2046”. I used to think that “2046” was the inferior film because it seems to go on weird (albeit beautiful) tangets that bordered on self indulgence, in contrast with the focused structure of the earlier film. Also, I thought none of the female characters were as compelling Maggie Cheung’s character and never felt an emotional attachment to any of them. Furthermore Tony Leung’s character was not as sympathetic as it was in the other film. I came to the conclusion then, that “2046” was a beautifully ambitious failure.
Having watched both again recently, I realised that that was the point of “2046”. Wong Kar Wai knows that the audience wants Leung’s character to find someone that’s as perfect for him as Cheung’s character was. But ultimately Leung’s character finds out that this is impossible, no matter how many times he tries to replace her. That was the mistake I made in watching “2046”: I was projecting my bias and preference for Maggie Cheung’s character onto the female leads of “2046”, hoping that they were indeed perfect for Leung. I was dissapointed, as Leung was, in realising how futile, foolish, and unfair to the female characters this was. The fact that Leung’s character never returns from 2046 and is left impossibly trying to replicate what he had is so sad and poignant that it also affects the way I watch “In the Mood For Love”. I know that his time with Cheung’s character is the only time he’ll be content and I can’t help but feel for him knowing his ultimate fate.
So yes, “In the Mood For Love” will probably be the one that’s remembered because it’s a film that can be enjoyed by itself. One has to be familiar with “In the Mood for Love” to watch “2046”. And I think one has to exprience the dissapointment of watching “2046” for the first time – just as Leung continually experiences romantic dissapointment throughout the film – and realise that “2046” isn’t “In the Mood for Love” , and understand that it’s precisely that, which makes the film a truly touching and heartbreaking experience.
Go to Comment
Jarmusch over 3 years ago
Love Jarmusch, one of my favorites. Every scene in each his movies (not just the obvious “Coffee and Cigarettes” and “Night on Earth”) are almost like short films that are good by themselves, but they build upon each other to create a cohesive and unique cinematic experience. His films are legitimately quirky and cool, unlike a good number of modern indie flicks that so self consciously try to construct cool, but ultimately fail.
Oh, and no love for the bad-assery that is “Ghost Dog”?
Go to Comment
Guilty Pleasures over 3 years ago
Kifah,
I feel you brother! That’s what’s great about the movies (and all art I suppose), they mean different things to different people at different stages of their life. And they have the ability to just encapsulate everything a person is going through at any given moment. Movies and art in general essentially become the bookmarks for the most important chapters of one’s life. I’m happy that “Jerry Maguire” did that for you.
To keep on topic, my love for “The Running Man” and the other 80’s films that I mentioned in my previous post represent the time in my childhood where I would go through my cousin’s video collection and watch movies repeatedly without the baggage of watching a film with a critical eye, criticising poor mis en scene or rolling my eyes whenever an obvious joke or plot point occurred. They signify a time where watching any movie was actually, you know, fun, and not distilled by the burden of a more “refined” taste. Man, now I feel naked….
Go to Comment