100 Favourites from the Future
 

100. The New Centurions (Richard Fleischer 1972)
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99. (Tie) Planet of the Vampires (Mario Bava 1965)
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Astronauts land on an alien planet and encounter strange spirit like aliens, who invade their bodies turning them into vampires. This film was way ahead of it's time and undoubtedly influenced the likes of 'Alien'. It's really atmospheric, has cool costume design, and garish colour saturated visuals, a must for genre fans. Bava was the man, I love it!

Galaxy of Terror (Bruce D. Clark 1981)
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-F3Mp0aFQwq...-terror-04.jpg

Whaaat!? I hear you cry...yes this is one of my guilty pleasures.
A group of astronauts search for survivors of an ill fated mission to the planet Organthus. Once there they encounter their worst nightmares made flesh and a strange pyramid structure emitting sinister energy. It may be cheap and badly edited, but it's got a really weird atmosphere, and the production design is very inventive (largely thanks to a young James Cameron). Plus the B movie cast is to die for, Robert Englund, Sid Haig, Erin moran to name but a few. Lots of inventive splatter and cool settings redeem this for me. Worth seeing just to see Robert Englund fight his double, and Joni from 'Happy Days' head explode. Cult stuff.

98. The Spy Who Loved Me (Lewis Gilbert 1977)
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97. The China Syndrome (James Bridges 1979)
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96. Das Experiment (Oliver Hirchbiegel 2001)
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Utterly compelling story (from the director of 'Downfall') about a group of men who sign up for an experiment in which they simulate a prison environment for two weeks. Half the men take the role of prisoners, whilst the other half become guards. Of course it all goes horribly wrong in spectacular fashion. This was based on a true story, a similar experiment having taken place in the 70's. Brilliantly acted, works as a study of human behavior and how power corrupts, but it's also a very accomplished thriller. Highly recommended.

95. Hardware (Richard Stanley 1990)
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On the surface this looks like another rip off of 'The Terminator', but don't be fooled. 'Hardware' has more in common with Donald Cammell's 1977 film 'Demon Seed' than Cameron's hit. Plus it's ultra stylish (I'd put the visuals up there with 'Blade Runner' and 'Brazil'), and has a great soundtrack from the likes of P.I.L. and Ministry. Set in a post nuke dystopia, a scavenger gives some bits of an old robot to his artist girlfriend. Said robot proceeds to tap into her apartments power supply and rebuild itself before going on the rampage. If you like horror Sci-Fi you need to seek this one out it's a gem.

94. Wonder Boys (Curtis Hanson 2000)
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http://morningcup.files.wordpress.co...aper-2-800.jpgCharming comedy with a knockout cast, Michael Douglas (on great form here) Tobey Maguire, Frances McDormand, Robert Downey JR, and Katie Holmes. Douglas plays a pot smoking college lecturer with writers block, who takes troubled star pupil Maguire under his wing with often hilarious results. Brilliantly written, great performances all round, slightly offbeat tale, I absolutely love it.

93. Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (Jim Jarmusch 1999)
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A genuine original from the brilliant Jarmusch. Forrest Whittaker (great actor) is the mysterious loner and mafia assassin Ghost Dog. He follows the 'Hagakure' code of the samurai, and the way of Bushido, living with the honor of serving one's master (in this case small time mafia hood Louie played by John Tormey). The film artfully blends Hip Hop culture, ganster movies, and Japanese philosophy. The result is a joy from start to finnish. Highly recommended.

92. The Day Of The Beast (Alex De La Iglesia 1995)
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91. The Long Good Friday (John Mackenzie 1980)
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Forget all that Guy Ritchie crap, this is one of the best British gangster movies ever made. London crime boss Harold Shand (a brilliant Bob Hoskins) desperately tries to figure out who is systematically wiping out his 'firm'. Set over the course of one day (as the title implies). this is a raw, tense, and hugely entertaining yarn, with good support from the very sexy Helen Mirren, and an early appearance for Pierce Brosnan. Gangster fans need to go out and buy this immediately.

Re: 100 Favourites from the Future
 

Nice start, really want to get some Bava and that looks class! Ghost Dog is really close to being on my list but The Long Good Friday is right up at the top of it.

Re: 100 Favourites from the Future
 

Damn, this is going to be a superb list. I have Hardware on my list as well, great flick. Galaxy of Terror looks to be right in my wheelhouse, I will definitely be on the lookout for that, thanks. Excellent start. Keep them coming.

Re: 100 Favourites from the Future
 

Hi Pyro,

the list is only in loose order, I'd find it impossible to decide which of these films I like more than the other. They're all my favourites:)

Re: 100 Favourites from the Future
 

Wouldn't worry about it, think they tend to change soon enough for most people. Looks like some great picks you're encouraging me to further my debt by buying.

Re: 100 Favourites from the Future
 

I do too. I even liked Katie Holmes in it.

I think your list is going to be extremely interesting, and I imagine my list of movies to watch is going to become a lot longer.

Re: 100 Favourites from the Future
 

Thanks Godoggo,

hope my future installments don't disappoint, there's lots more to come:)

Re: 100 Favourites from the Future
 

Very sweet listage, Mr. Future. I've only seen three of these bottom ten you've listed, but two of them are two of the coolest flicks I have ever seen. Pi is rubbish, though.

Keep it coming

Re: 100 Favourites from the Future
 

:)Remember, apart from the top twenty, this list in in loose order only. Let the countdown continue...

90. Barbarella (Roger Vadim 1968)
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Vadim's ultra camp and very colorful adaptation of the French comic strip. Jane Fonda is the sexy astronaut of the title out to stop villainous Duran Duran (Milo O'Shea) from unleashing a devastating weapon against Earth. Along the way she meets a whole host of crazy characters, including blind angel Pygar (John Philip Law) and the black queen (the gorgeous Anita Pallenberg). Like a psychedelic 60's time capsule from outer space, this is kooky fun all the way. Oh and the score is fantastic.

89. Alligator (Lewis Teague 1980)
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88. Point Blank (John Boorman 1967)
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Lee Marvin plays Walker, who after getting shot and left for dead on Alcatraz by his wife and mobster best friend (John Vernon), resurfaces two years later and takes merciless revenge. Cracking thriller, Marvin was always great, but 'Point Blank' takes the cake. Right from the early shot of him walking down a corridor with his footsteps loudly echoing and reverberating, you know you're in for a treat. This is a super cool and stylish hard boiled revenge flick, one of the best thrillers of the 60's. Marvin's Walker would eat todays heroes for breakfast.

87. The Hidden (Jack Sholder 1987)
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Underrated Sci-Fi thriller starring Kyle MacLachlan as an alien cop who teams up with Michael Nouri's human lawman on the trail of a parasitic alien. Said alien invades a series of human hosts turning each of them into fast car loving, gun toting one man crime waves. This film has car chases, violent shootouts (with lots of bloody squib effects), loads of cool music, and some snappy dialogue. Cross any decent 80's buddy cop movie with 'The Terminator' and you get this little gem. Essential stuff for genre fans.

86. The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (Joseph Sargent 1974)
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Wow, just wow, this film is one cracking thriller, Walther Mathau stars, need I say more. Robert Shaw (very sinister here) and three accomplices hijack a New York subway train and it's passengers, demanding a one million dollar ransom be delivered within the hour. If the ransom's late, they start killing the hostages. Mathau is the transit cop trying to foil them. This film has a real urgency about it, cranking up the tension like you wouldn't believe. The performances are all top notch as you'd expect, and there's even room for some laughs courtesy of Mathau. If you haven't seen it, just buy it outright, you wont be disappointed.

85.From Beyond (Stuart Gordon 1986)
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Gordon's yucky follow up (not sequel) to his 1985 hit 'Re-Animator' treads more on the gooey side this time. An adaptation and expantion of HP Lovecraft's short story, 'From Beyond' is an absolute hoot. Jeffrey Combs plays a scientist working for Dr Pretorius (delightfully played by Ted Sorel) who has invented the resonator, a machine that allows you to see creatures from another dimension. The trouble is they can see you too, and they're not very friendly. If you like Cormanesque 80's splatter, this is the film for you. Much more fun than a dozen Friday the 13th's, this is full of great ideas, and fans of the original 'Dawn of the Dead' will enjoy seeing Ken Foree again. Beware of edited versions though, the R1 directors cut is the one to go for.

84. Get Carter (Mike Hodges 1971)
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83. The Quiet Earth (Geoff Murphy 1985)
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Think 'I am Legend' without the monsters, sound boring to you? well that's what this film's like, and it's far from boring. Set in New Zealand, Zac Hobson (Bruno Lawrence) is a scientist who wakes up one morning to find that everyone has vanished, and he's completely alone. He sets about finding other survivors, recording radio messages, making huge signs, building elaborate flashing light displays etc etc. Gradually he begins to slide into the madness of being completely alone, until he discovers Joanne (Alison Routledge). Together they try and work out the cause of the disaster. This film is brilliant in my opinion, it's intelligent, quiet stuff, and should appeal to anyone who likes their post apocalyptic movies with extra brain cells. Highly recommended.

82(tie). Trancers (Charles Band 1985)
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Another guilty pleasure? not a chance! Tim Thomerson is brilliantly cast as future cop Jack Deth (a hilarious Philip Marlowe send up), given the task of hunting down 'Trancers' zombie like slaves of mind control. His mission (for budgetary reasons) sends him back in time to 1985 on the trail of Martin Whistler (Michael Stefani) the man responsible, and into the arms of Leena (a young Helen Hunt). This a great low budget answer to Blade Runner, Thomerson is an absolute scream as Deth, he must have had a ball making this, and you'll have one watching it. Just leave your brain at the front door, take a pinch of salt, and sit back to enjoy it's cheapness.

Carnival of Souls (Herk Harvey 1962)
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After being driven off a bridge and into a river during a street car race, Mary (Candace Hilligoss) miraculously emerges unscathed some time (we don't know how long) later. After moving to a new town, she takes a job as a church organist, but is constantly haunted by a creepy figure dressed in black. This is a real forgotten gem, very very creepy atmosphere, and a genuinely frightening climax. It's as good as any modern chiller in my opinion, a genuine cult classic.

81. The Apartment (Billy Wilder 1960)
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The fact that this is only number 81 is just further evidence that my list is in no particular order. The Apartment is an undisputed classic and winner of six oscars including best picture, and best director. Jack Lemmon (always likable) plays an insurance clerk who loans out his apartment to his bosses so they can conduct their elicit extra marital affairs there. All he wants is to keep in favor with them and hopefully win a promotion. Things become complicated however when he falls for the boss's mistress (the lovely Shirley MacLaine). Possibly the ultimate rom com, the writing is superb, and the performances are utterly charming. A real feel good movie, and must watch.

Re: 100 Favourites from the Future
 

I love the nod to Charles Band, I collect his flicks anytime I see them. I'm more of a Puppet Master 1 through 27 kind of guy but a good number of his flicks are just supreme. There is a fantastic box set of his stuff available and someday I hope to purchase that bad boy. Did you know he is still making movies? I love that guy and his little puppets.

Re: 100 Favourites from the Future
 

Hi PW,

I didn't know he was still making movies, I've heard about the roadshow he does though. To be honest I'm not a huge fan of his, the only other Empire Pictures film I like is called TerrorVision, and that's only because Gerritt Graham was in it. It's so terrible it's actually hilariously funny, I'm holding my VHS copy right now, hmmm might give it a watch again. I suppose Band did have a hand in Re-Animator, and come to think of it Dollman had some good bits. Thomerson's gun in that film was awesome. Sad to say I'm not into the Puppet Master films though, I can see their appeal, but they were a bit on the slasher side for me. Hope you're still enjoying the thread, and thanks for commenting,:)

UF

Re: 100 Favourites from the Future
 

Share the love for Pelham. That is one kickass flick.

Re: 100 Favourites from the Future
 

Hi SC,

Yup! I love the gritty New York feel to it, and the scenes in the mayor's house are hilarious. Not to mention Mathau's boob with the Japanese guests. Great stuff:)

UF.

Re: 100 Favourites from the Future
 

As far as your first ten, I haven't seen any of them, that I recall.

As far as your next ten, I have seen some of them, and my favorite is easy to pick . . .

The Hidden (1987)
http://www.movieactors.com/freesefra.../Hidden61.jpeg

Yes, I own it! :p

If anyone is curious, from the site that Sir Toose posted . . .

Carnival of Souls (1962)

Re: 100 Favourites from the Future
 

GREAT list so far. A true list of favorites, and the balls to post them, too.

:up::up:

Re: 100 Favourites from the Future
 

Great start... I'm adding a few to my too see list... :)

I added you to the MoFo Members Top 100 Lists

Re: 100 Favourites from the Future
 

Just realised why i like your list so much- lots of 80s gems but it's just making more freakin' annoyed i didn't grow up in the 80s :angry:

Missus was took me to HMV and I was gonna get some films from your list but couldn't for life of me remember their names, so settled with Larry Cohen's Q.

Re: 100 Favourites from the Future
 

Q - The Winged Serpent will be making an appearance on the list. Michael Moriarty is great in that movie, plus I really like the ambient city noises that give it a gritty streetwise feel. One for the grindhouse crowd that one.

Re: 100 Favourites from the Future
 

I had a feeling it might be :)

Re: 100 Favourites from the Future
 

On we go then...

80. The Poseidon Adventure (Ronald Neame 1972)
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79. Shivers (David Cronenberg 1975)
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78. L'Homme Du Train (Patrice Laconte 2002)
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This is an endearing character study of two men. Monsieur Manesquier (Jean Rochefort) an aging English teacher, and Milan (Johnny Hallyday) a rugged bank robber. The men meet by chance in a small town and gradually become friends over the course of a weekend. The films twist is that each man wants what the other has, Mansequier to be a tough rebel, and Milan to settle and grow roots. It makes for an intriguing interplay between the two, and the film has a lovely measured pace. Both Rochefort and Hallyday put in great performances, and the ending is poignantly moving.

77. (Tie) They Call Me Trinity (Enzo Barboni 1970)
Trinity Is Still My Name (Enzo Barboni 1971)
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76. Night of the Creeps (Fred Dekker 1986)
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Time to place your brain in suspended animation again, with the first proper zombie film on the list. Night of the Creeps is a forgotten classic, very very funny stuff. The film begins in the 1950's with aliens fighting a parasitic alien which they eventually jettison to earth. The parasite is a slug like creature which enters the mouth and controls the brain (ala David Cronenberg's Shivers aka They Came from Within) turning the host into a mindless zombie. After it's caught and frozen, we pick up the action in the 1980's with two hapless college freshmen played by Jason Lively and Steve Marshall. The film follows the ensuing mayhem as our heroes unwittingly thaw the critter out whilst pledging a fraternity. This film has a lot of plot holes, but the knowing dialogue, in jokes, and cheesy comic performances elevate it to cult status. The best thing about the film is Tom Atkins (pictured) having the time of his life playing a sardonic police detective. Dick Miller cameos too. If you like 80's college and horror filcks you'll love this. 'Thrill me!!!'

75. The Hitcher (Robert Harmon 1986)
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http://www.johntedwards.com/wp-conte...her_banner.jpgCracking midnight movie this. Jim Halsey (C. Thomas Howell) foolishly picks up John Ryder (Rutger Hauer on blistering form) whilst delivering a car to California. True to form Ryder turns out to be a complete psychopath, and proceeds to play a cat and mouse game with Halsey, framing him for a series of brutal killings. Stylish and exciting, this delivers on all levels for me, it's a great road movie, atmospheric, well acted (Jennifer Jason Leigh is also great), and sports some thrilling action scenes. Underrated stuff. Ignore the sequel and the remake though, they're crap with a capital 'C'.

74. Enter The Dragon (Robert Clouse 1973)
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I'm not a huge fan of kung fu films, but Enter the Dragon is too good to pass up. The film that broke Lee to western audiences, it's still the best of it's kind in my opinion. Shaolin kung fu master Lee is hired by the secret service to infiltrate a drug and prostitution racket under the cover of a martial arts tournament. This is like watching a martial arts orientated James Bond movie, full of memorable characters like compulsive gambler Roper (John Saxon), arrogant karate expert Williams (Jim Kelly) and the ruthless Han (Kien Shih). The fights are awesome, as once it gets going it doesn't let up, brilliant. 'Man, you come right out of a comic book!'

73. Intacto (Juan Carlos Fresnadillo 2001)
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Super original thriller from the director of 28 Weeks Later. The film works on the premise of luck as a commodity that can be traded and taken away. Max Von Sydow (always good) plays Samuel nicknamed 'The Jew', considered the luckiest man on the planet. Samuel lives in a casino, and has the power to remove people's luck simply by touching them. After he removes the luck of an employee and close friend, said friend sets about finding someone else with the gift, the sole survivor of a plane crash. He subsequently mentors the man through a series of underground chance games, with a view to exacting revenge against Samuel. Compelling from start to finish, this film will keep you guessing right up to the very end. It's well acted, intriguing stuff, and you wont see anything else like it, great.

72. Assault on Precinct 13 (John Carpenter 1976)
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The first, and by no means last John Carpenter film on my list. After his daughter is brutally shot, a man exacts revenge on an L.A. street gang by killing its leader. Desperate to escape, he seeks refuge in an undermanned police station due to close the following day. What follows is a gripping siege as the gang members lay wait outside, killing anyone who leaves, and eventually storming the building. Out gunned and outnumbered the police turn to the rag tag bunch of convicts in the holding cells for support. Tense and gripping, this comes on like a cross between Rio Bravo and Night of the Living Dead. The cast are all great, especially Darwin Joston as tough convict Napolean Wilson who completely steals the movie. Whatever happened to him?

71. Coogan's Bluff (Don Seigel 1968)
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'The color of pity is red'. Man I love this movie. Eastwood's Arizona (not Texas) sheriff Coogan cuts a swathe across New York after hippy dippy James Ringerman (Don Stroud) escapes his custody. Playing on the culture clash of country boy in the big city, and left versus right politics, this is a highly entertaining thriller. Eastwood's old fashioned Coogan comes off like a prototype for Dirty Harry, as he breaks every rule in the book in his pursuit of Ringerman, all whilst romancing probation officer Julie Roth (Susan Clark). Highlights include a brutal pool hall punch up, and Coogan's hilarious stone faced visit to a psychedelic hippy club. Pigeon toe'd orange peel anyone?

Re: 100 Favourites from the Future
 

Do i sense you're a John Saxon fan? I personally prefer his and Jim Kelly's performances in Enter the Dragon to the Bruce Lee :shock:

Finally some flicks i'm familiar with, though still some more to add to my ever-growing list (damn you ;)) but have to say, consider Farewell My Concubine rather overrated, thought it was best when they were children and lost it a bit when they were adults. Meant to say, have you seen Slither- got that mixed with Night of the Creeps as it borrows a lot.

Re: 100 Favourites from the Future
 

Good for you:indifferent:

Re: 100 Favourites from the Future
 

The Hitcher! Love that flick! I look forward to the updates on this list. Fun stuff...

Re: 100 Favourites from the Future
 

I love The Scent of Green Papaya. It has my favorite elements in it; lots of quiet scenes, beautiful cinematography, and lovely music. Good choice, UF. :)

Re: 100 Favourites from the Future
 

Dunnoo, was pushing for a response defending the flick :indifferent:

Re: 100 Favourites from the Future
 

Good call -- have you seen Cyclo? I think Anh Hung Tran is a wonderful director. I highly recommend Vertical Ray of the Sun, if you can get a hold of it.

Re: 100 Favourites from the Future
 

I love The Hitcher.
Bruce Lee is a favorite, and I just linked Bolo Yeung in the shout-box this morning. We share a birthday.
John Carpenter is my favorite horror movie director/writer. Halloween in my favorite horror movie, for a few reasons.
I've never seen Night of the Creeps, but since Tom Atkins is from some of my all-time favorite horror films, I will be looking into it.

Re: 100 Favourites from the Future
 

I don't really want to get drawn into a discussion/defense of the films, it's just a personal list of favourites. But seen as it's you Pyro...

Farewell my Concubine is near perfect as far as I'm concerned, beautiful photography, performances, story, and sense of history, It's masterful stuff. I think it's just as good as Zhang Yimou's early to mid nineties films, Raise the Red Lantern, Ju Dou, Shanghai Triad and To Live. Perhaps the only criticism you could level at it is the length.

Night of the Creeps (I'm surprised you've seen it, it's quite rare on dvd in this country, I have it on vhs only) I'll admit It's a very derivative film, the story is daft, and full of holes. But the dialogue is great, and there's lots of subtle in jokes. Like Dick Miller issuing Tom Atkins his guns (a nod to The Howling, and Roger Corman flicks). Plus great Tom Atkins lines like 'the good news is your dates are here...the bad news is they're dead.' I also love the first part of the movie (after the pre credits sequence) which plays like a very sharply written college flick. All the leads are likable, the slug effects are great, there's some gore (though not too much), and a general knowing feel to the whole thing. I think it definitely influenced the likes of 'Planet Terror', in fact it's probably the kind of movie Robert Roderiguez would have made if he was around back then, i.e. it's a lot of fun. Not too long either, 88 minutes, short and sweet, It's not overrated, just cool man!!!:cool:

Re: 100 Favourites from the Future
 

I haven't seen them, so I've put them in my queue. Cyclo is number 2 on my list after a movie that UF recommended. So many movies to see...:)

Re: 100 Favourites from the Future
 

Well, I can get a used, good VHS copy for $21.99 + $2.98 shipping. Yeah, maybe later. ;)

Re: 100 Favourites from the Future
 

Ouch!!! that's too much for a video, sometimes dvds (public domain bootlegs mainly) pop up on ebay, but the bidding always goes crazy.:(

Re: 100 Favourites from the Future
 

Here we go again...

70.(Tie) The Omen (Richard Donner 1976)
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The Exorcist (William Friedkin 1973)
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69. (Tie) Vanishing Point (Richard C. Sarafian 1971)
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Electra Glide In Blue (James William Guercio 1973)
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68. Innocent Blood (John Landis 1992)
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Landis's companion piece (of sorts) to his seminal hit An American Werewolf in London. This time it's vampires getting the tongue in cheek treatment. Innocent Blood stars the stunning Anne Parrilaud (fresh from the success of Nikita) as Marie, a French vampire in Pittsburgh who accidentally turns mafia boss Sallie 'The Shark' Macelli (hilariously played by Robert Loggia). Cue a bloody gang war, as Sallie gets to grips with his new found powers, turning his subordinates in a bid for underworld domination. Trying to make sense of it all is Policeman Joe Gennaro (Anthony LaPaglia) who falls for Marie's charms. With assured support from the likes of Chazz Palminteri and Tony Sirico, Innocent Blood gets the balance between gangster and vampire movies just right. It's a highly enjoyable romp, with some neat effects, plenty of laughs, and a likable cast. Look out for scream queen Linnea Quigley who cameos as a hospital nurse. Recommended.

67. Dog Day Afternoon (Sidney Lumet 1975)
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66.(Tie) Sex And Fury (Noribumi Suzuki 1973)
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Thriller: A Cruel Picture aka They Call Her One Eye (Bo Arne Vibenius 1973)
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65. Total Recall (Paul Verhoeven 1990)
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The last gasp of old school special effects, (Cameron's T2 broke the mould with it's groundbreaking CGI the following year) and what a way to go out. Adapted from Philip K. Dick's We Can Remember it For You Wholesale, Total Recall is an absolute blast. Arnie plays Douglas Quaid, who is constantly haunted by dreams of another life on Mars. He subsequently visits Rekall Inc. and has memories of a holiday there artificially implanted into his mind. Unfortunately the procedure goes wrong, as real memories of an alternate life on Mars resurface. Seemingly Quaid was some kind of secret agent, and soon finds himself persued by Michael Ironside (delightfully nasty here) and his cronies. Is it really happening? or is it just the false memory from Rekall Inc.? I love this movie, it's an absolute roller coaster from start to finish. I also love Paul Verhoeven, his action is always full of OTT meaty squib effects, geysers of blood, and imaginative touches, like the bug Arnie removes from his nose. One of the big man's best.

64.Die Hard (John McTiernan 1988)
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63. Rosemary's Baby (Roman Polanski 1968)
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Rosemary Woodhouse (an elfin looking Mia Farrow) and her husband Guy (John Cassavetes) move into a seemingly normal but decidedly sinister Manhattan apartment. Soon after they're plagued by annoying nosy neighbours the Castevets, whom Guy becomes very close with. Rosemary then falls pregnant after a horrible nightmare in which a demon like monster makes love to her. Guy becomes cold and distant spending more time with the Castevets, who begin to dote on Rosemary giving her an odd tonic for the pregnancy. The potion only makes her feel ill though, and there's a suspicious death in the apartment's washroom. She begins to suspect that her husband and the Castevets have an evil agenda for her baby, and turns to her doctor for support. When this does no good, Rosemary feels completely isolated, a prisoner in the apartment, driven to the brink of madness. Is she paranoid? or has she fallen victim to a cult of satanists? Genuinely creepy unsettling stuff this. It gets right under your skin from the get go, Farrow is brilliant as Rosemary, and Polanski gradually cranks up the tension creating real terror. It's all expertly done through suggestion, and your empathy for Rosemary's plight will drag you to the films inevitably shocking climax. Classic horror.

62. Cube (Vincenzo Natali 1997)
http://www.weblogsinc.com/common/ima...72850306722668
Fist rate low budgeter about a small group of people who wake up inside a mysterious structure, with no memory of how they got there. They immediately set about escaping, but it quickly becomes apparent that certain rooms contain fatal booby traps. Disorientated and stressed the group realize that only by pooling their respective talents will they have any chance of escape. Cube is so clever it's painful, the tight script is a thing of utter genius, and lends it's self perfectly to low budget film making. The story is full of red herrings, inventive twists, cryptic clues, and just a general feeling of 'what is it?'. The Result is one of the best science fiction films ever made in my opinion.

61.Mad Max (George Miller 1979)
http://www.spacejunk.org/spacejunk/w...x4furyroad.jpg
'The Knight Rider....that is his name...The Knight Rider...remember him when you look at the night sky'. Another instant cult movie, (only released in the US on the back of Mad Max 2). Mel Gibson gained international attention playing Max Rockatansky, the cool as ice cop who turns vigilante after his best friend The Goose (Steve Bisley) is burnt alive. Then his wife (Joanne Samuel) and son murdered by depraved bikers. Full of memorable characters like the Toecutter (Hugh Keays-Byrne), Johnny the Boy (Tim Burns), and Bubba Zanetti (Geoff Parry), all of whom add a delicious streak of mean to their roles. The chases and stunts are excellent, as is the Brian May score. For me though the film just has an unforgettably weird atmosphere, and cracking dialogue. Crazy to think that on it's initial US release, the Australian accents were over dubbed by American actors, madness. Favourite scene has to be the Toecutter shooting up a mannequin on the beach declaring it to be 'one of the bronze', class.

Re: 100 Favourites from the Future
 

Alright list so far, glad to see Cube up there.

Re: 100 Favourites from the Future
 

Oh, well thought discussing favourites would be a positive, thought might lead to some insight of aspects i missed but i won't block up your thread after this :). Anyway, i got a cheeky DVD rip of Night of the Creeps (re-edited my post) remembered something bugged me about Night of the Creeps and realised it was Slither aping a whole load of it. Wrote some about Farewell my Concubine for Uni but forgotten most of it, must hunt it down then maybe give the flick another shot. Think what bugged me was at points Kaige lost sight of the characters in favour of historical context and vice versa.

Re: 100 Favourites from the Future
 

My friends went to see Slither at the cinema without me (the sods), then annoyingly proceeded to tell me it was great and how much I'd love it. I finally rented the movie on dvd, and thought it was dog vomit, i.e. crap. Didn't like any of the characters, didn't laugh once, didn't like the CGI ending, and I didn't like the fact that it stole unashamedly from Night of the Creeps (they probably thought we'd forgotten about it, well not this nerd). I'd like to put every copy of Slither in a giant shredder, before taking a super sized flame thrower to the remains. Burn it! burn! burn! burn! buuuuurrrrn!!!! :scream:Wah hahahaha!!!

Re: 100 Favourites from the Future
 

Ha, yeah wish i'd seen them in reverse. Unashamed theft but i'm a sucker for Nathan Fillion ever since Firefly.

Re: 100 Favourites from the Future
 

Them is a great movie.
Thank you for reminding me of it.
I wish it was on.


89. Them! (Gordan Douglas 1954)
http://lumiere.ens.fr/%7Ealphapsy/bl...57_them_lg.jpg T

Re: 100 Favourites from the Future
 

Loving your list :yup:

Re: 100 Favourites from the Future
 

Approaching the half way point now...


60. The Ballad Of Cable Hogue (Sam Peckinpah 1970)
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59. Dirty Harry (Don Siegel 1971)
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Classic violent and controversial crime thriller in which Eastwood's now infamous Det. Harry Callahan exploded onto cinema screens. Callahan is a shoot first ask questions later kind of guy, with a nice line in heavy artillery, his trusty .44 Magnum. When San Francisco is plunged into panic and held to ransom by a lone sniper calling himself Scorpio. Harry sets about bringing the creep to justice, his way, much to the dismay of city hall. Dirty Harry struck a cord with audiences worldwide, and became an instant cult favourite. The character is as much a vigilante as a police officer, and at a time when crime in America was spiraling out of control, he must have seemed like the perfect hero. I love this movie, I love Eastwood's laconic style, and lines like ' Well, when an adult male is chasing a female with intent to commit rape, I shoot the bastard. That's my policy.' Plus Andrew Robinson as the Scorpio killer really convinces as an out of control psycho, and Lalo Schifrin's score is brilliant.

58. (Tie) Animal House (John Landis 1978)
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http://barney.gonzaga.edu/%7Eapeil/animal%20house.jpg
Tootsie (Sydney Pollack 1982)
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57. Thelma and Louise (Ridley Scott 1991)
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Scott's classic feminist road movie that appealed to both sexes hasn't lost any of it's power. What is meant to be a fun weekend break, turns into a nightmare after Thelma (Geena Davis) is sexually assaulted, and the assailant shot by Louise (Susan Sarandon). The ladies go on the run Bonnie and Clyde style in a desperate bid to reach Mexico. On their trail is FBI man Hal (Harvey Keitel), who empathizes with the girls plight. Full of beautiful photography, classic scenes, many of which are blackly comic, Thelma and Louise is a bonafide classic. There's a great chemistry between Davis and Sarandon, not to mention memorable support from the likes of Brad Pitt, Harvey Keitel, Michael Madsen and Christopher McDonald. Oh and that ending.

56. (Tie) The Howling (Joe Dante 1981)
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Fright Night (Tom Holland 1985)
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55. Across 110th Street (Barry Shear 1972)
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54. Flash Gordon (Mike Hodges 1980)
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http://www.bfi.org.uk/whatson/sites/...ash_gordon.jpgDelightfully colorful updating of the iconic comic strip, that doesn't try to be anything other than out and out fun. With the Earth under attack, American football star Flash Gordon (a terribly hammy Sam J. Jones), is kidnapped along with Dale Arden (Melody Anderson) by Dr. Hans Zarkoff (Topol) and forced into his experimental rocket. They are subsequently sucked into the orbit of Mongo, a kingdom under the rule of Ming The Merciless (Max von Sydow). There Flash and co fight to save Earth from destruction, and make some flamboyant friends along the way. Take off your thinking cap and strap yourself in for plenty of high camp fun. If you don't take this film too seriously you're guaranteed to enjoy it's cheese factor. Plus with the likes of Brian Blessed (who steals the movie), and Timothy Dalton joining in the fun you can't go wrong. Queen fans will also enjoy the films OTT rock soundtrack.

53. Network (Sidney Lumet 1976)
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52. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (Milos Forman 1975)
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Jack Nicholson (in one of his best performances) plays R.P. McMurphy, who convinces the authorities he's mad to avoid work in prison. His plan backfires however, when he's sent to a mental asylum instead. There he fits in remarkably well with the inmates some of whom look up to him and begin to make real progress. McMurphy's nemesis Nurse Ratchet (Louise Fletcher) on the other hand takes a dim view of his rebellious attitude, and so begins a stand off between the two. Powerful film is by turns funny, depressing, deeply moving, and deeply disturbing. The cast is an absolute knockout, with the likes of Brad Dourif, Christopher Lloyd, Vincent Schiavelli and Danny Devito all completely convincing. Memorable, undeniably classic, and the films ending is the stuff of legend.

51. (Tie) Three Days Of The Condor (Sydney Pollack 1975)
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Invasion Of The Body Snatchers (Philip Kaufman 1978)

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Re: 100 Favourites from the Future
 

I'll be watching my very first Fellini this week, UF. I have Nights of Cabiria fresh from the movie place. If I like it, I'll do La Dolce Vita next.

Re: 100 Favourites from the Future
 

So here we go with my top fifty...



50. Starship Troopers (Paul Verhoeven 1997)
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Cracking imperialist satire from Paul Verhoeven loosely based on the classic Robert A. Heinlein novel of the same title. When Earth attempts to colonise an alien planet inhabited by intelligent giant bugs, the critters hit back and destroy Buenos Aires. So begins an extremely bloody conflict on the Bug's home planet. We follow Johnny Rico (Casper Van Dien) and friends as they join the military and get alot more than they bargained for. There seems to be no middle ground with this movie, people either love it or hate it. All the performances are deliberately hammy, and the plot daft, but the films message is extremely relevant. Plus the action scenes and special effects are both excellent. I thought the film was a hilarious pastiche of gung ho Vietnam war movies, loved the cheesy acting, and was thoroughly entertained throughout. Great.

49. Bonnie and Clyde (Arthur Penn 1967)
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Based on the real life exploits of the two iconic American outlaws, Bonnie and Clyde is one of the best films of the 1960's. Clyde Barrow (Warren Beatty) a drifter just out of prison, seduces Bonnie Parker (Faye Dunaway) into a life of crime as an escape from the poverty of 1920's depression era America. What transpires is an often violent string of robberies stretching across the southwest. The two gain celebrity status and are revered by the public, but the police see them only as killers, and plan a fatal ambush. Superb film that explores the disfunctional relationship between the two outlaws whilst never shying away from their often violent activity. Masterfully directed, with some beautiful photography giving a real feel for the hardship of the period. The lead performances are outstanding , as is the support from the likes of Gene Hackman, Michael J. Pollard, and Estelle Parsons. This is a timeless classic, and also features Gene Wilder's first big screen appearance.

48. Fitzcarraldo (Werner Herzog 1982)
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Delightful jungle epic from Herzog starring the brilliant Klaus Kinski, as the opera loving dreamer of the title. Fitzcarraldo plans to make a fortune in the rubber trade so he can build an opera house deep in the middle of the jungle. The success of his plan all hinges on dragging a steam boat over land to an adjoining river with the help of a local tribe. Keeping the Indians motivated however proves as impossible as the task itself. Another Herzog masterpiece filled with breath taking imagery and a typically edgy performance from Kinski. Truly an unforgettable film about obsession, dogged determination, and the price of failure.

47. Videodrome (David Cronenberg 1983)
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It took me multiple viewings before I started to appreciate Videodrome (I'm still not sure I fully understand it). James Woods (in a typically manic performance) stars as Max Renn, a sleazy cable TV executive who becomes obsessed with a sinister pirate torture show called Videodrome. Despite warnings that the show is dangerous Max obtains copies, but in viewing the material he begins to suffer nightmarish hallucinations, and becomes embroiled in an evil government conspiracy. It soon becomes apparent that he's been brainwashed into becoming a Manchurian Candidate like assassin. Another genuine original from the brilliant and disturbing mind of David Cronenberg, Videodrome is like a bad acid trip that gets right under your skin. Rick Baker's amazing makeup effects add an extra layer of horror to the proceedings, as does Debbie Harry as Max's S&M loving girlfriend. Brilliant.

46. Diamonds Are Forever (Guy Hamilton 1971)
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45. Day of the Dead (George A. Romero 1985)
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Underrated third installment in Romero's dead series. With zombies now outnumbering the living four hundred thousand to one, we join a group of scientists and army sexists holed up in an underground missile silo. The army want a way to kill all the zombies, the scientists to domesticate them in some way. What follows is a tense standoff between the two groups which inevitably explodes into violence. The darkest of the series, Day of the Dead is gritty and depressing, but ultimately the most believable. Tom Savini's makeups are the best the genre has to offer, Romero's choice of location is inspired, and the film plays with some intelligent moral dilemmas. The acting is strictly second rate, but that doesn't mean it's not fun, Joe Pilato is gleefully OTT as Captain Rhodes, and Richard Liberty is equally amusing as Dr. Logan. Not to mention Sherman Howard us Bub (pictured), the zombie with a soul. A thinking man's splatter movie.

44. Charley Varrick (Don Siegel 1973)
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43. (Tie) Chinatown (Roman Polanski 1974)
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Night Moves (Arthur Penn 1975)
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42. The Shootist (Don Siegel 1976)
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Brilliant sombre western from Siegel starring John Wayne in one of his last roles. Wayne plays John Bernard Brooks, a notorious gunfighter who discovers he's dying of rectal cancer. He takes a room in a guest house owned by Bond Rogers (Lauren Bacall) wanting to spend his last few weeks peacefully. Once Bond discovers who he is however, she's disgusted and asks him to leave. Her compassion takes over when Brooks tells her he is dying, and she gradually comes to accept him. Brooks is in turn idolized by Bond's son Gillom (Ron Howard), and soon word of his presence spreads throughout the town. This panics the local sheriff, and attracts the attention of glory hunting gunslingers seeking to make a name for themselves. I love this melancholy, thoughtful take on the western, there's a strong anti gun message there, and some great understated performances.

41. Taxi Driver (Martin Scorsese 1976)
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Robert De Niro plays Travis Bickle a Vietnam veteran who drives a New York taxi cab to escape from his insomnia. Lonely and completely alienated from every aspect of society, Bickle gradually slides into madness. He first tries to woo Betsy (Sybil Shepherd) a political campaign worker, which goes well until he deliberately takes her to a porn theater. Bickle then plots to kill a senator, before trying to lure a young prostitute (Jody Foster) away from her possessive pimp and life of degradation. When this fails he turns to violence in the films bloody and shocking finale. Powerful and disturbing, Taxi Driver immortalized De Niro and earned him a best actor Oscar nomination. Scorsese appears as one of Travis's fares, a jealous lover. Memorable, iconic stuff

Re: 100 Favourites from the Future
 

What a great list so far :yup: there are quite a few favourites of mine :yup:

Re: 100 Favourites from the Future
 

Quite an interesting list. Tons of mixes and taste. Excellent stuff there.

Re: 100 Favourites from the Future
 

Hi Mrs. Darcy, hope you enjoy it.

La Dolce Vita is the only Fellini movie I've seen, I keep asking for his films at the library but it's the only one they've got. They won't order in audio visual stuff from other libraries, so short of just buying them outright (Fellini is expensive here) there's not a lot I can do. Very frustrating because La Dolce Vita is brilliant.

Re: 100 Favourites from the Future
 

Thanks Nebbit:)

I like your new avatar by the way, much better than the old one:yup:

Re: 100 Favourites from the Future
 

Thanks Bill, glad people are looking at it:)

Re: 100 Favourites from the Future
 

Yeah, that is a bit annoying how expensive they are, though La Dolce Vita is the most expensive i've come across- managed to pick up 8 1/2 for around £7 as well as Amacord. They normally crop up in HMV or Zavvi sales if you dig in the World Cinema section. I prefer 8 1/2 personally, mainly because when i saw La Dolce Vita in a lecture, they said there was a big orgy in it! Was somewhat disappointed but whenever i think about the rest it makes me want to watch it again, a real grower :)

Re: 100 Favourites from the Future
 

*Sigh* being a film student must be fun.

Re: 100 Favourites from the Future
 

Yourself and Pyro have similar taste in films. You both have a guilty pleasure for 'guilty pleasures' and you love your cult flicks. Gotta say I like a lot of what you have on the list thus far. In fact, you've made me want to give Videodrome another chance. Didn't like it too much when I first saw it, but thats mainly because I didn't understand it.

Keep up the good work.

Re: 100 Favourites from the Future
 

I'm not sure if my sarcasm detector is tingling, or not? :confused:

Re: 100 Favourites from the Future
 

No sarcasm intended, I studied photography and wish I'd chosen film instead. The sigh was me reflecting on mistakes gone by.

Re: 100 Favourites from the Future
 

Ah, fair. It's not exactly the most 'respected academic' degree so tend to get easily defensive. In retrospect i kinda wish i didn't take 3 years to study it, would have been fun extra curricular but to base my future roughly on it, nah.

Re: 100 Favourites from the Future
 

40. The Big Lebowski (Joel Coen 1998 - Ethan Coen uncredited)
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ajwz1FVsQS...g+Lebowski.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...reenshot.2.jpg http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...reenshot.1.jpgWonderful shaggy dog story from the Coen brothers. Jeff Bridges (in a role he was born to play) is Geoff 'The Dude' Lebowski, an unemployed hippy with a penchant for White Russians and bowling. When a case of mistaken identity results in two dim wit thugs breaking into his bachelor pad and urinating on his rug, The Dude visits the intended target (The 'Big' Lebowski) in search of compensation. Shunned by the millionaire, he nevertheless accepts a job from him involving an exchange of money. Before he knows it El Duderino is knee deep in intrigue, as everyone from an L.A. porn baron, to German kidnappers want a piece of him. This is hilarious stuff, full of great comic performances from the likes of John Goodman, Julianne Moore, John Turturro and Philip Seymour Hoffman (to name but a few). Eminently quotable film from two of the best film makers around today.

39. (Tie) The Getaway (Sam Peckinpah 1972)
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Bring Me The Head Of Alfredo Garcia (Sam Peckinpah 1974)
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-a3rvrFCgDD...edogarcia1.jpg

38. The Terminator (James Cameron 1984)
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The original and still the best in my opinion. In the future a war between man and machines has decimated the planet. With the human race nearly extinct, one man, John Connor, has turned things around and dealt a fatal blow to the robots. As a last gasp attempt to win the war, the machines have sent a near indestructible cyborg back in time to eliminate Connor's mother before he is born. The humans respond by sending Sarah a human protector, Kyle Reese. Darker and nastier than the sequels Cameron's original definitely has the edge for me. It's a masterful action flick, superbly edited, with an absolute knockout premise, and a career defining role for Schwarzenegger. The effects may be low budget and dated, but no-one can deny that The Terminator changed the face of action movies. Often imitated, but rarely bettered, this is legendary stuff.

37. Jaws (Steven Spielberg 1975)
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36. (Tie) Demon Seed (Donald Cammell 1977)
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Westworld (Michael Crichton 1973)
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35. Sons of the Desert (William A. Seiter 1933)
http://povonline.com/images7/lh06.jpg http://www.laurel-and-hardy.com/good...mages/sons.jpg
The film the Laurel and Hardy fan club took their name from, Sons of the Desert is an endearing comedy masterpiece. Stan and Ollie swear an oath to the exhausted ruler (the head of their Freemason like club) that they'll attend the group's annual convention in Chicago. When Ollie tells his wife however, she flips, insisting that he accompany her on a holiday to the mountains instead. So begins an elaborate deception (with the aide of Stan) in which Ollie feigns illness, and pays off a doctor (though Stan hires a veterinarian) to say he needs a holiday in Honolulu. His wife takes the bait, and the pair head off to Chicago instead, things go wrong however, and the duo are found out. I love Laurel and Hardy, and have seen most of their talkies. Stan and Ollie were masters of comic timing, their facial expressions and delivery were priceless, and their films wonderfully innocent. Sons of the Desert is perhaps the finest example of their comedic art, superb.

34. Yojimbo (Akira Kurosawa 1961)
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http://coosacreek.org/mambo/wp-conte...bo-228x300.jpgAnother classic from the great Kurosawa, famously remade by Sergio Leone as Fistful of Dollars. Toshiro Mifune's Sanjuro arrives in a small nineteenth century village under the control of two rival gangs. Sanjuro quickly devises a strategy to play each of the warring factions off against each other. His plan is jeopardized however, by Unosuke (Tatsuya Nakadai) the gun wielding son of one of the gangsters. Initially beaten by Unosuke, Sanjuro hides in a nearby temple to recover. It is there that he plans his victorious return to the village. High on style, full of Mifune's laconic charm, and sporting some thrilling swordplay (the severed arm was homaged in Star Wars). Yojimbo is a genre classic, sports a memorable musical score, and was Oscar nominated for its costume design.

33. Apocalypse Now (Francis Ford Coppola 1979)
http://www.whatdvd.net/WhatDVD-Graphics/main/909.jpghttp://blogs.amctv.com/future-of-cla...calypse560.jpg
Notoriously troubled production that went way over schedule, and nearly killed it's leading man. Based on Joseph Conrad's novel Hearts of Darkness, Apocalypse Now is like a stoned trip through the hell of the Vietnam war. Martin Sheen stars as Captain Willard sent on a classified assassination mission up river into Cambodia. His target is Colonel Walter E. Kurtz (Marlon Brando), a man with an exemplary military record, who has seemingly gone mad in the jungle. Along the way Willard encounters various eccentric characters lost in the madness of war. All the while he ponders his inevitable rendezvous with the enigmatic Kurtz, coming to respect the man he hasn't met. Unforgettable experience that divided audiences and critics, beautifully shot, with great music from The Doors. I'm not a fan of war movies in general but Apocalypse Now transcends the genre for me. Coppola's film verges on high art, has a great cast, stunning set pieces, and many quotable lines. 'Never get out of the boat...absolutely G*****n right'.

32. They Live (John Carpenter 1988)
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Another underrated gem from John Carpenter that plays with some very neat ideas. John Nada (Roddy Piper) is a drifter who arrives in L.A. looking for work, but instead stumbles on a global alien conspiracy. He hooks up with a group of vagrants living in a shanty town, and becomes drawn to the activity at a nearby church. On further investigation Nada discovers a box of sunglasses, and in putting them on is faced with the terrifying reality that humans are under subliminal alien control. The sunglasses enable him to see hidden messages in everything, as well as the aliens themselves. Convincing others of this reality however, proves nigh on impossible, and soon the aliens are onto him. They Live cleverly satirizes media manipulation, and political corruption, and surely influenced the likes of The Matrix. It's highly entertaining, even if it does descend into standard action trappings for the final third. Carpenter left a studio system he felt was stifling his creativity to make this film. In doing so he created a flawed, fun, original, ambitious sci-fi actioner, and yet another cult movie to add to his impressive repertoire.

31. Annie Hall (Woody Allen 1977)
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http://www.webomatica.com/images/blo...annie_hall.jpgOne of Woody's best, he plays successful neurotic comedian Alvy Singer, who has just split up with his equally neurotic girlfriend Annie Hall. The film is Alvy reminiscing over their relationship, what went wrong, and the general nature of male female relations. Annie Hall is full of classic one liners, and intelligently funny vignettes featuring the likes of Christopher Walken (great as Annie's psycho brother), and Shelly Duvall as one of his ex girlfriends. My favourite scenes include Alvy sneezing away a line of cocaine, and his hilarious exchange with an arrogant movie buff. Classic thinking man's comedy.

Re: 100 Favourites from the Future
 

Soderbergh's Solaris is a great choice, along with Fitzcarraldo.

Re: 100 Favourites from the Future
 

This is a great list Yesterday :yup: looking forward to your top ten :yup:

Re: 100 Favourites from the Future
 

30. Dawn of the Dead (George A. Romero 1978)
http://www.best-horror-movies.com/im...ead-zombie.jpg
The best zombie movie ever made? Set shortly after the events of Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead follows four friends who flee the city and take refuge in a huge out of town shopping mall. After locking out the zombies, they become distracted by the material wealth surrounding them until a group of bikers decide they want a piece too. Whether Romero intended the films consumerist allegory or not (I think he did) Dawn of the Dead is still a thrilling ride. The film effortlessly flings the viewers emotions around, it's by turns funny, sad, frightening, and tense. I don't subscribe to it being art house horror though. Dawn of the Dead to me has always been just a fun, exciting comic book movie. Some of the editing is a little on the rough side, and Tom Savini's effects haven't aged too well, but the film is still hugely enjoyable, and the best the genre has to offer. The soundtrack by legendary Italian band Goblin is another highlight. Beware of edited versions though, if your copy isn't 140 minutes long, you may have Argento's inferior cut (though the soundtrack features more of Goblin). Romero's directors cut is the one to go for.

29. High Plains Drifter (Clint Eastwood 1973)
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After working on three films with Sergio Leone, Eastwood made his own Italian style western in High Plains Drifter. The resulting film is a grim, nasty, and super stylish piece of cinema, with an atmosphere you could cut with a knife. Eastwood's mysterious stranger rides into the town of Lago, where three gunmen immediately try and kill him. After dispatching them with nonchalant ease, the towns people ask for his protection against a group of bandits shortly due to return. The Stranger accepts, but his conditions prove hard to swallow for the townsfolk. I love the almost supernatural atmosphere of High Plains Drifter. It has a wonderful dark sense of humor, and the scene in which Eastwood has everyone 'paint the town red' renaming it Hell, is classic.

28. To Live and Die in L.A. (William Friedkin 1985)
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http://www.whatdvd.net/WhatDVD-Graphics/main/192.jpgExtremely underrated sleazy cop thriller, and a brief return to form for Friedkin. William Petersen (in one of his best roles) plays Secret Service agent Richard Chance, who when his aging partner is killed by counterfeiter Rick Masters (Willem Defoe) decides to take him down any way possible. Assigned a new partner in meek Agent Vukovich (John Pankow), Chance sees his obsession through to the bitter end, risking both their careers in the process. To Live and Die in L.A. might sound like any other 80's cop thriller, but it's in the film's shocking story turns, and attention to detail that it shines. People are shotgunned in the face, all the leads are corrupt, and anyone is fair game to be killed off. Add to that excellent urban cinematography, one of the best car chases ever filmed, and great performances (including John Turturro as a sleazy con) and the result is a forgotten 80's gem. I also like the Wang Chung synth-pop soundtrack (though it's not for all tastes). It's also worth noting that the scenes of money counterfeiting were so realistic, Friedkin and co were investigated by the F.B.I.

27. Once Upon a Time in America (Sergio Leone 1984)
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http://www.dvdinmypants.com/reviews/...ages/once1.jpgSome people say this is overblown, but I think it's a masterpiece, and one of the best gangster movies ever made. The film was also notoriously re cut in chronological order by the studio, something Leone was dead set against, and resulted in American audiences not taking to the film. The European cut of the film was Leone's vision, and his director's cut remains the only version of the film worth watching. Once Upon a Time in America follows the lives of a group of New York Jewish gangsters from childhood in the 1920's, through prohibition in the early 30's, to their eventual reunion in the 60's. We follow Noodles (Robert De Niro) and Max (James Woods) the gang leaders, their friendly rivalry, and Max's eventual betrayal of Noodles. The film is as much about love and friendship as it is about racketeering, and it's all hauntingly scored by Ennio Morricone. Unforgettable.

26. (Tie) Escape From New York (John Carpenter 1981)
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2019: After The Fall Of New York (Sergio Martino 1983)
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25. Repo Man (Alex Cox 1984)
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Instant cult film from Alex Cox about a Chevy Malibu with alien remains in the boot that vaporize people when they look at them. Emilio Estevez (in easily his best role) plays Otto, a punk loser who gets inducted into a life of repossessing cars by Harry Dean Stanton's Bud. At first rebellious and skeptical, Otto comes to love the life after Bud gives him speed, and they're involved in a car chase with some rival Mexicans. Then the Chevy with it's huge reward comes to their attention, and so begins an every man for himself hunt for the elusive car. Repo Man is subversively funny stuff, and has some excellent comic timing and supporting performances. I particularly love Cox's blatant lack of product placement, as cans of food simply have 'food' written on them, and beer cans 'beer'. The soundtrack is also great featuring the likes of Iggy Pop and the Stooges. Plus verbal exchanges like: -
Debbie: 'Duke let's go do some crimes',
Duke: 'Yeah. Let's go get sushi and like...not pay.'

24(tie). Robocop (Paul Verhoeven 1987)
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The Thing (John Carpenter 1982)
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23. Mad Max 2 aka The Road Warrior (George Miller 1981)
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Undoubtedly one of the most imitated films of all time. Mad Max 2 is another visually stunning action movie, that has wonderful costume design, and a great sense of kinetic energy. Max is now a drifter, destroyed by the death of his family, scavenging gasoline, and shunning human contact. He encounters a society refining gasoline in the desert, observing them as a group of depraved marauders lay wait outside their compound. Eventually his sees an opportunity to ingratiate himself with them by rescuing one of their group from the marauders. In doing so he strikes up a deal with their leader, that he deliver a tanker to haul their gasoline in return for as much fuel as he can carry. It seems a lot of people look down on this film, viewing it as lowbrow trash. I think there's a lot going on in the movie, even if on the surface the story is relatively simple. Miller injects a lot of subtle symbolism into the film, retains the odd atmosphere of the original, and delivers the best car chases and stunts ever filmed. Oh yeah, and all before the advent of CGI, classic.

22. Planet Of The Apes (Franklin J. Schaffner 1968)
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21. Midnight Cowboy (John Schlesinger 1969)
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Naive, but good natured Texas bumpkin Joe Buck (John Voight) travels to New York thinking he can make a fortune as a stud service for bored socialites. Instead he meets and takes pity on 'Ratso' Rizzo (Dustin Hoffman giving a knockout performance) a down and out small time semi crippled con man with Tuberculosis. Rizzo initially sees Buck as a meal ticket, but the money quickly runs out, and his business plan with the ladies proves to be a disaster. Struggling to survive the two gradually form a close bond, united together in an unforgiving city. This film really moved me, and I was blown away by Hoffman's performance. It really captures a city (admittedly I've never been there) in the throws of excess, poverty, prostitution and shattered dreams. I also found Rizzo's optimism uplifting, and the ending unbearably sad. Midnight Cowboy should probably be higher on my list.

Re: 100 Favourites from the Future
 

Nice choices -- Repo Man, RoboCop, The Thing, Apocalypse Now, Brazil...

Re: 100 Favourites from the Future
 

Your list is turning out with quite a lot of similar choices to mine thus is still excellent :yup: Get paid on monday and i'm gonna take a list of all your entries i haven't seen to HMV and buy em up.

Everyone seems to have Repo Man on their lists, kicking myself for falling asleep when it was on early morning on Film 4 :(

Re: 100 Favourites from the Future
 

Awesome list, no doubt.

Re: 100 Favourites from the Future
 

DVD is your friend.

UF - nice work. Plenty of my favourites in those last two posts alone, and plenty of others I still need to re-watch as well. :up:

Re: 100 Favourites from the Future
 

Excellent list so far, man. :D

You've put The Terminator in the exact spot I was planning on putting it, too. Ah, the greatest minds think alike ;)

That said, I must admit that I was a bit startled when I saw the remake of Solaris pop up on your list. In fact, i really didn't like both of them. Got to be honest, I couldn't even finish the original Solaris. I just felt it was down right dull. The remake, whilst better, is still a bit boring. I dunno, maybe it's just me.

But great list nonetheless.

Re: 100 Favourites from the Future
 

Ok, we're down to brass tacks now. The previous eighty films are all great in my eyes, but these next twenty (or so;)) are special.


20. Blue Collar (Paul Schrader 1978)
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19.Martin (George A. Romero 1977)
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Romero's masterpiece (and best film) is a savvy updating of the vampire myth, and one of the best horror films of the 70's. Martin (brilliantly played by John Amplas) is a deeply disturbed seventeen year old who goes to live with his god (and vampire) fearing uncle. His uncle is convinced that Martin is Nosferatu and vows to save his soul before killing him. Although not a vampire in the traditional sense, Martin does drink blood, carefully selecting his victims and using razor blades instead of fangs. His killings also have a disturbing sexual undertone as he anesthetizes the victims before molesting and killing them. The film cleverly contemporizes the vampire, remaining ambiguous as to whether Martin is or isn't immortal. Romero artfully intersperses black and white flashbacks, that may be Martin's real vampiric past, or merely his fantasies. To sum up, Martin is an extremely intelligent modern vampire film, that plays with themes of teen alienation, and sexual awakening. Sadly though, the film has been largely forgotten, overshadowed by Romero's zombie films. If you like the serial killer/vampire horror genre and haven't seen this, you should track it down immediately. Highly recommended.

18. Play It Again Sam (Herbert Ross 1972)
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http://videodetective.com/photos/053/002229_41.jpg http://www.timesonline.co.uk/multime...tag_88298a.jpgHilarious film adapted from Woody Allen's play of the same title. Allen plays Allen Felix a neurotic film critic, who on being dumped by his wife Nancy (Susan Anspach), goes through an embarrassing personality crisis. His ego severely dented, Allen (who hero worships Humphrey Bogart) begins dating again with the help of his best friends, Linda and Dick Christie (Diane Keaton and Tony Roberts). The result is a funny series of vignettes following Allen's tragic attempts to find a new partner. All whilst he receives advice from Bogart (brilliantly played by Jerry Lacey) the physical manifestation of his subconscious. Allen becomes increasingly attracted to Linda, sparking off a series of events that lead to the films climactic homage to Casablanca. This is the film that turned me onto Woody Allen, it's very funny stuff, and the dialogue is masterful. If you don't like Woody and haven't seen this, I dare you to give it a try, you won't be disappointed.

17. Don't Look Now (Nicholas Roeg 1973)
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Don't Look Now is the scariest horror movie I've ever seen. I only have to think about the films climactic scene, the goosebumps hit me and I'm left nervously looking over my shoulder. John and Laura Baxter (Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie) move to Venice to get over the tragic death of their daughter. Once there however, they encounter two sisters who claim to be psychic, and warn them that John is in terrible danger. Skeptical, John ignores them until he begins to have his own psychic premonitions in which his red cloaked daughter roams Venice. It soon becomes clear that a sinister prophecy is gradually being realized with terrifying results. Don't Look Now is a chilling masterpiece, right from the opening shot this film is deeply unsettling. Nicholas Roeg's vision is the pure definition of art house horror, wonderfully photographed (all his films are) and acted, and sporting one of the most beautiful sex scenes ever filmed.

16. The Life And Times Of Judge Roy Bean (John Huston 1972)
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Re: 100 Favourites from the Future
 

Keep 'em coming, dude.

Just curious - you've listed a few Carpenter films (all of which are favourites of mine as well). What's your opinion on the rest of his filmography?

Re: 100 Favourites from the Future
 

Hi there,

Re my opinion on John Carpenter's other films.

The Good

Dark Star
Starman
Christine
Big Trouble in Little China
The Fog
Halloween
Elvis (TV movie)

The Bad

Vampires
Ghosts of Mars
Escape From L.A.
Prince of Darkness
In the Mouth of Madness
Memoirs of an Invisible Man
Village of the Damned

Re: 100 Favourites from the Future
 

Aww man, I actually liked this one.

Re: 100 Favourites from the Future
 

Sword of Vengeance (Kenji Misumi 1972)
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In this first installment we are introduced to Ogami Itto (Tomisaburo Wakayama) the official executioner to the Shogunate. Ogami is framed for treason by sworn enemies the Yagu Clan, and his wife subsequently murdered. When the Shogun's officials arrive at Ogami's house and demand that he commit seppuku to save his honor, Ogami refuses and kills them all. He subsequently escapes with his baby son Daigoro (Akihiro Tomikawa), the two roaming the countryside together as ronin for hire. The Yagu clan now in favor with the Shogun attempt to hunt down and kill him. But as the official executioner to the Shogunate, Ogami's prowess with the sword is unmatched. Teaching his son in the ways of assassination, Ogami vows to walk in the netherworld between Heaven and Hell, the two becoming known as the Lone Wolf and Cub. Sword of Vengeance isn't the best in the series, there's a lot of scene setting, and most of the extremely gory action is confined to the final act. Still with that said it's undeniably a great swordplay movie, high on style and sporting some breath taking imagery.

Babycart at the River Styx (Kenji Misumi 1972)
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If those three dudes with the hats look familiar, that's because John Carpenter borrowed them in his fun flick Big Trouble in Little China. Baby Cart at the River Styx is my favourite film in the series, it's ultra cool, has a weird atmosphere, and some of the best sword fights I've ever seen. Ogami Itto and Daigoro come up against a female group of ninja in the employ of the Yagu Clan. They are also hired by a poor village to assassinate a traitor who plans to sell it's secrets (concerning the village dye trade) to the Shogunate. To kill the traitor Ogami must first eliminate the man's three bodyguards the 'Gods of Death' (pictured). This installment is pure class, particularly the scene in which due to freezing weather, Ogami and Diagaro huddle naked with the leader of the ninja women. She reaches for her knife to stab him, but when Daigoro plays with one of her nipples, compassion takes over. Brilliant.

Babycart to Hades (Kenji Misume 1972)
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If you thought the last one was violent, check out the scene in this one were Ogami kills an entire army single handedly. The film opens similarly to Sanjuro, with (in this case) Ogami defending the honor of a prostitute. To save her he volunteers to let the Yakuza torture him with 'the Joro', a method where he hangs upside down while people hit him with paddles. Impressed with his courage, and suspecting him to be the Shogunate's executioner, the Yakuza leader hires the Lone Wolf & Cub to assassinate an evil Chamberlain. The opening scenes of this film are beautifully acted, and once again the Japanese scenery is beautifully photographed. Some people rate this installment as the best in the series.

Babycart in Peril (Buichi Saito 1972)
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Directorial duties were handed to Saito for this fourth installment, and as such, many people see it as the weakest in the series, including myself. But that's not saying much, because it's still a great flick, I mean just check out the screen shot above. Ogami is hired to kill a tatooed lady who is in turn killing the men who raped her. An expert with a short sword she is driven by vengeance, and proves hard to track down. When Ogami finally does meet her, the two form a mutual respect, Ogami relating her plight as similar to his own. The film is also notable as it's the only episode in which Ogami fights Retsudo, the head of the Yagu clan. Once again the fights and photography are simply stunning, though the film does have some pacing issues. Still the sight of the bear breasted lady (pictured) brutally dispatching numerous foes is jaw droppingly cool.

Babycart in the Land of Demons (Kenji Misume 1973)
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The nastiest and goriest of the series this one. Ogami has to face five samurai to prove he is indeed the Lone Wolf and Cub, and therefore worthy of being hired. As he dispatches each adversary, they give him one fifth of his fee and bits of information on his assignment. His mission turns out to be the assassination of a Daimyo, his concubine and their five year old daughter. Along the way, we're treated to a brilliant scene involving young Daigoro's honorable defence of a female pickpocket. This one has some of the best photography of the Series, and the scene in which Ogami fights a group of ninja in a darkened temple is brilliant.

White Heaven in Hell (Yoshiyuke Kuroda 1974)
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The weirdest of the lot, and the only installment to introduce supernatural elements. This one has Ogami fighting Retsudo (though not one on one) and the remaining members of the Yagu Clan (most of whom Ogami killed in the earlier films). Retsudo places a curse on Ogami, so that everyone he comes into contact with is murdered. Afraid, Ogami also has to do battle with a group of undead ninjas (though they don't resemble zombies) and in the films finale, the entire Yagu Clan on a snowy mountain top (pictured). With a strange atmosphere, this final installment is sometimes a little hard to follow. But as usual the visuals and fights are superb. To sum up White Heaven in Hell caps off what is in my humble opinion, one of the best series of films ever made. Oh yeah, and I'm talking about in the world, not just Japan. Go and buy these classics now.

Re: 100 Favourites from the Future
 

Love the tie idea :yup:

Re: 100 Favourites from the Future
 

Splendid stuff! I also have Lone Wolf and Cub quite high up on my list and i also tied them since i found it hard to pick a favourite (in my last list i had Land of Demons). All are excellent and would definitely urge anyone who thinks Kill Bill Vol 1 is good, to see these gems instead.

Re: 100 Favourites from the Future
 

A few people have said our lists are similar, not really surprising as most of these films are cult classics. I was kind of expecting a lot of my choices to have been listed by others already. Though hopefully some people may discover something new through reading my list. My idea to tie choices only really came about when I realized I'd forgotten a few films and would have to squeeze them in somehow. Though it was always my intention to include all six Babycart films. I haven't looked at other people's lists yet as I've been busy doing my own, so any similarities are purely coincidental.

Re: 100 Favourites from the Future
 

I ended up with a lot of ties on my first Top 100 for same reason, heck i've had to extend my 160 to 170 as keep remembering ones i've missed. Think it's going to look like i'm copying you :(

And i've got a shed of new films to check out from your list :)

Re: 100 Favourites from the Future
 

14. The Idiots aka Idioterne (Lars Von Trier 1998)
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Repellent exploitation or non conformist allegory? Personally I think Von Trier's film is a bit of both. It concerns a vulnerable young woman called Karen (Bodil Jorgensen in an excellent performance) who becomes involved with a group of idealists. Said group feign mental disability in order to provoke varying emotional responses from the unsuspecting public. Karen, at first repelled, gradually comes to accept the group, emerging as the only one able to take their philosophy to its ultimate conclusion. The Idiots is not only hilariously funny, it also has (in my opinion) the most powerful final scene in cinematic history. The acting is first rate too, and Von Trier cleverly intersperses documentary style interviews with the group set after the events of the film. Brilliant.

13.
American Splendor (Shari Springer Berman & Robert Pulcini 2003)
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http://www.allcitymedia.com/images/posters/splendor.jpg12. Heat (Michael Mann 1995)
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Breathtakingly classy, sprawling crime saga, the first film to feature Robert De Niro and Al Pacino together. Story concerns Lt. Vincent Hannah (Pacino) as he relentlessly hunts down a sophisticated, highly organized gang of robbers, lead by Neil McCauley (De Niro). Both men are workaholics, and the best at what they do, though Hannah has family problems, and McCauley commitment issues. The two form a begrudging mutual respect, each vowing to take the other down without hesitation should their circumstances require it. Film is long and epic, but it never meanders or loses it's focus, Heat is compelling, thoroughly satisfying stuff from start to finish. The performances are of the highest caliber as you'd expect, though most people say Pacino steals the movie. For me however, it's De Niro's performance that shines, he gives McCauley an understated depth and mystery that's beguiling. I always find myself rooting for him when I watch Heat, even though I know how the film ends. Masterpiece.

11. Fingers (James Toback 1978)
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Re: 100 Favourites from the Future
 

*gasp* another obscure film from my list on here. Glad to see another fan :)

So does the Three Colours trilogy bear any connection with each other entry? It sounds like they're all individual but i think i always assumed there was some thematic connection or under running similarity.

Re: 100 Favourites from the Future
 

Hmmm, now I'm starting to detect sarcasm;).

Re Three Colours - Each film in the trilogy has its own self contained story, though all three films explore themes surrounding freedom. There is one scene involving an old lady in all three films, but I don't want to spoil it. None of the main characters in each installment interact with characters from any of the other films, they just appear in the background. For example, Binoche doesn't talk to Delpy in White, but she does briefly appear in the film. The characters don't meet until the final scene in Red, and even then they don't really talk to each other. If you haven't seen these, I recommend them over all the other films on my list so far, they're excellent.

Re: 100 Favourites from the Future
 

They've been on my radar for a while, just haven't any urge to watch them till now.

And that wasn't sarcasm, just :eek: at my list perhaps being overshadowed when people think i'm copying you lol :)

Re: 100 Favourites from the Future
 

Love 3 colours :yup:

Re: 100 Favourites from the Future
 

10. (Tie) Rolling Thunder (John Flynn 1977)
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Dredd (Pete Travis 2012)
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9.Broadway Danny Rose (Woody Allen 1984)
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This is Woody's best film in my opinion (though most people prefer Manhattan). Allen plays Danny Rose, a down on his luck showbiz promoter with the worst acts imaginable (including a blind xylophone player). Nevertheless Danny is an enthusiastic, kind hearted soul, who goes out of his way to help his clients, and closest friends. Things seem to be looking up for Danny, when he takes washed up alcoholic lounge singer Lou Canova (Nick Apollo Forte giving a great performance) under his wing. Danny helps clean him up, and slowly Lou starts to make a successful comeback on the back of a nostalgia revival. The only problem is Lou can only perform with his mistress Tina Vitale (Mia Farrow) present. As Lou is married, it's left to Danny to chaperone Tina to the gigs, passing her off as his own girlfriend. This proves dangerous as Tina is also the girlfriend of a mafia hood, who devastated by her infidelity, vows to have Danny killed. Things become even more complicated when Danny inevitably falls for Tina. Broadway Danny Rose is an absolute delight, brilliantly written and performed (particularly by Allen), and featuring an absolute knockout opening scene (I wont spoil it). There's the usual great one liners, and some wonderful photography, but it's the story and characterization that shines here. Excellent.


8. Belle De Jour (Louis Bunuel 1967)
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Super sexy, arty, stylish film from Bunuel, the like of which, only the French seem able to get away with. Catherine Deneuve plays Severine Serizy, the wife of a handsome and wealthy surgeon, Pierre (Jean Sorel). Seemingly happily married, Severine can't bring herself to be intimate with her husband, and harbors fantasies of sexual humiliation and degradation (one of which we witness in the films opening scene). Henri (Michel Piccoli) a friend of her husband's (who clearly lusts after her) tells Severine about a female friend who works as a prostitute for money. Severine becomes curious, and visits the brothel (a high class Parisian apartment) and it's madame, Anais (Genevieve Page). At first nervous, she nevertheless becomes a prostitute there, working only in the daytime, so as to keep it a secret from Pierre. Anais subsequently names her Belle De Jour (The Beauty of the Day). As a prostitute Severine is able to live out her sexual fantasies, but when a local gangster becomes infatuated with her, so begins a chain of events that threaten to expose her secret. I fell in love with this film (and Deneuve) instantly, it's sexy without ever being graphic, and the acting is wonderful. Bunuel's film serves as a perfect exploration of female and male desire, lust, deceit, and fantasy. A little old fashioned maybe, but undeniably classy and elegant, Belle De Jour is the erotic sex film for connoisseurs. Masterpiece.

7. Near Dark (Kathryn Bigelow 1987)
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6. Manhunter (Michael Mann 1986)
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Before Silence of the Lambs, and (the crap) Red Dragon, there was Manhunter, and boy is it a good film. Loosely adapted from the Thomas Harris novel Red Dragon, Manhunter is a highly atmospheric, moody, almost dreamlike film. William Petersen (in his best role) plays Will Graham, an ex police detective recovering from mental (and physical) trauma after catching Dr. Hannibal Lecktor (played here definitively by Brian Cox). Graham is asked to take up one last case by ex colleague Jack Crawford (Dennis Farina), following a string of murders by a killer known as 'The Tooth Fairy' (Tom Noonan). Reluctantly Graham accepts, and so begins his own decent into hell, as he revisits Lecktor for help with the case. Manhunter is so underrated it's criminal, it's one of the best films of the 80's, but all I ever hear is Anthony Hopkins this, and Silence of the Lambs that. For me Cox as Lecktor was a very believable psychopath, whereas Hopkins was just way over the top, almost muggingly so. Tom Noonan (pictured) is also brilliant in Manhunter, he's so calm and detached, almost alien, as to be extremely disturbing. Mann wisely used celebrated Italian cinematographer Dante Spinotti for the visuals, and as a result the film looks amazing. His choice of soundtrack is also inspired, with great avant-garde tracks such as Shriekback's This Big Hush, helping to give the film it's unique feel. Masterpiece (oops there I go again).

5. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (Sergio Leone 1966)
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http://www.bfi.org.uk/features/weste...d-bad-ugly.jpg The critics may prefer Once Upon a Time in the West, but this is a lot more fun if you ask me. Clint Eastwood is Blondie (The Good), and Eli Wallach (who steals the movie) is Tuco (The Ugly). Together they make a living off Tuco's (a wanted bandit) reward money. When Blondie double crosses him however, Tuco tracks him down seeking revenge. An act that has them stumble upon information leading to the whereabouts of a hidden cache of gold. Also looking for the gold is Angel Eyes (Lee Van Cleef as 'The Bad') a ruthless assassin, who when paid, always sees the job through. So begins a thrilling adventure that sets the trio on an inevitable collision course, and the rest as they say 'is history'. Iconic film is thoroughly entertaining, with great performances, and a legendary score from Ennio Morriconi. Leone's sense of visual style is masterful, the films climax is breathtaking, and yes I do think it's a m-

4. Blade Runner: Director's Cut (Ridley Scott orig. 1982, re-cut 1993)
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Adapted from Philip K. Dick's novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, Blade Runner is arguably the most visually stunning film of all time. Notoriously butchered by the studio, it wasn't until 1993 that we got to see Scott's film as it was intended to be shown. A visceral feast it may be, but Blade Runner has great substance as well as style. The story has Harrison Ford's future cop Rick Deckard on the trail of a rogue group of androids (called replicants or 'skin jobs') in the Los Angeles of 2019. The androids are led by Roy Batty (Rutger Hauer giving a career defining performance), and as advanced models they are superhuman. The only problem is they have a built in fail safe, a four year life span. Batty's obsession is in finding their creator to demand more life before they shut down. Deckard's task is to hunt and kill them, but things become complicated when he falls in love with a similarly advanced model, Rachael (Sean Young), and comes to question his own origins. Blade Runner's story has biblical undertones that elevate it above most other sci-fi. It's brilliance is that we are allowed to empathize with Roy Batty and his friends, we feel for them, they are the tragedy. We also care for Deckard, his love for Rachael in such a bleak future is the hope we cling to. Blade Runner almost questions who we all are as human beings, our origins, our nature, the insignificance of the individual in the grand scheme of life. Much of this is suggested in Batty's final, iconic speech, but dialogue throughout the film is littered with deeply profound double meanings. When you add in the stunning Vangelis soundtrack, incredible production design, and beautiful photography, you have, dare I say it? another masterpiece.

3. (Tie) Alien (Ridley Scott 1979)
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Impossible to choose between this and Cameron's sequel, they're both excellent in their own right. Alien has the crew of the Nostromo respond to what they think is a distress beacon on a remote moon. Once there however, they discover a strange alien vessel filled with eggs. One of their crew is then rendered immobile by a spider like parasite, and much to Ripley's (Sigourney Weaver) dismay, they take him back on board the Nostromo. If you don't know what happens next, then please go and hurl yourself off the nearest tall building. Alien is a marvel of production design and cinematography. The cast are all great, especially Weaver and Ian Holm as Ash. It's all done so well as to be completely believable, and the sub theme's of psycho sexual horror are what puts Alien on the same playing field as Jaws. Masterpiece.

Aliens (James Cameron 1986)
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Aliens is one of the best sequels ever made, fact. James Cameron, came up with a movie that had no right to look this good in 1986. Aliens still looks better than most sci-fi movies made today. Picking up fifty seven years after the first film, Ripley is awakened from hypersleep, and asked to return to LV426 as an advisor to a rag tag group of space marines. Once again, if you don't know what happens next, please wire electrodes to your genitals, and turn the voltage up to maximum. Not only is Aliens more exciting than the original, but the ensemble cast are an absolute knockout. Weaver is excellent once again, but deserving of special mention has to be Bill Paxton as private Hudson, the hilarious whining voice of the audience. Legendary, often imitated, eminently quotable stuff. 'let's roocckk!!!'


2. Used Cars (Robert Zemeckis 1980)
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Hilarious madcap comedy, sadly forgotten due to its untimely release on the same weekend as Airplane!. Kurt Russell (at his very best here) plays Rudy Russo, a fast talking car salesman in the employ of Luke Fuchs (Jack Warden) on his run down car lot. Across the road is Luke's brother, Roy L. Fuchs (Jack Warden again) running a rival car lot, and paying off the mayor to ensure that a planned freeway is built on his brother's lot. When his lawyer informs him that the freeway is being built on his lot instead, Roy L. hatches a plan to inherit Luke's (who has weak heart) business. With Luke out of the way however, Rudy and his colleague Jeff (Gerrit Graham) ensure that Roy L. doesn't find out he's dead. So begins a side splitting elaborate deception, and war for business between the rival lots. This is Belly laugh inducing stuff, with Rudy and co doing everything from putting disco dancing strippers on top of the cars, to jamming the presidential speech with a pirate advert. The ensemble cast are all great, we even get Al Lewis (Grandpa from The Munsters) as a harsh judge, complete with miniature guillotine. If you like bad taste comedy, this is a forgotten gem, with a great script from Zemeckis and Bob Gale (Speilberg was an executive producer). Go and buy it now.


1. Cinema Paradiso aka Nuovo Cinema Paradiso (Giuseppe Tornatore 1988)
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Cinema Paradiso is far and away my favourite film, not even Amelie comes close to the magic on offer here, it's simply spellbinding. The film is the story of Salvatore (played as an adult by Jacques Perrin), a famous film director who receives news from his mother that one of his closest friends has died. Salvatore contemplates his inevitable return to the Sicilian village where he grew up, and in doing so is reminded of his friendship with Alfredo (Philippe Noiret), the local cinema projectionist. The film is Salvatore's memories, and begins with him as a young boy (wonderfully played by Salvatore Cascio) who becomes fascinated with film and befriends Alfredo. The two become like father and son, as Alfredo teaches Salvetore his trade, an act that eventually leads to his career in film making. We then see Salvatore as a young man (played by Marco Leonardi), who falls in love with Elena Mendola (Agnese Nano), vowing to stand outside her window every night to prove his love. Finally he wins her heart, but ultimately has to decide between her and his future. This film transports me away to that village every time I watch it. The acting is phenomenal, and the cinematography beautiful. My favourite scene is when the young Salvatore cheekily blackmails Alfredo into teaching him his craft. It's during an exam where Alfredo asks for Salvatore's help with the answers, the look on their faces and general body language is just magical, heart warming stuff. Cinema Paradiso is full of scenes like this, and at three hours in length, I'd be here all night listing them all. It also has a brilliant score from the best in the business, Ennio Morricone, who else. If you haven't already, go out and get this now, oh and make sure you get the director's cut, previous cuts only run at two hours, and aren't as good. Yup you guessed it, this film is a masterpiece, and in my opinion the best ever made. That is until I see something better, and I seriously doubt I ever will.

So if you've been reading this thread, thank you, and I hope you enjoyed my choices:).

Re: 100 Favourites from the Future
 

Bravo, UF! I think your top 2 are fantastic films. Good job on your list, hon.

Re: 100 Favourites from the Future
 

Nice work, UF. I'm now somewhat tempted to buy this copy of Cinema Paradiso I've found at a bookshop.

Re: 100 Favourites from the Future
 

Nice finish, i noticed Belle De Jour on my shelf the other day and wondered why it wasn't on my list and now have even more reason to watch it again. Much prefer it Bunuel's other work (that i've seen) criticising the bourgeoisies. Have you seen Un Chein Andalou, his early short made with Dali? It's fantastic. Kudos for Manhunter as well, easily the best Lector film and criminally overshadowed.

Re: 100 Favourites from the Future
 

Great work yesterday :) I have enjoyed reading your list :yup: Thanks :)

The three movies below i have never even heard of, let alone see :goof: so I am going to try and track them down so I can watch them :yup:

Near Dark (Katheryn Bigelow 1987)
Manhunter (Michael Mann 1986)
Used Cars (Robert Zemeckis 1980)

Re: 100 Favourites from the Future
 

I saw those all at the theatre when they first came out, but I'm weird and I've never been to Australia, so take it for what it's worth.

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/ad..._Australia.jpg

Re: 100 Favourites from the Future
 

Is that Katherine Gorge? :)

Re: 100 Favourites from the Future
 

That is indeed Jim Jim Falls, which I believe to be at or very near to Katherine Gorge, never having actually been there, but being a really weird-type guy, I believe I'm at least partially correct. :cool:

Re: 100 Favourites from the Future
 

You probably are :yup:

Re: 100 Favourites from the Future
 

Wow! I'm impressed you saw Used Cars at the cinema, I would have been six at the time. It's a real shame that movie flopped, it certainly didn't deserve to, the T.V. spots and trailers alone were hilarious. Most people I mention the film to, just stare at me blankly and say 'Used Cars? never heard of it, sounds crap' I guess they've sort of got a point. Still, I've seen that movie more than any other, and 'trust me' ;) it always makes me laugh. The dvd commentary is great too, almost as funny as the movie.

As for your Australia comment, you've kind of lost me on that one.
If you're quoting from one of my favourites, then I'm sorry, I must have forgotten that line (though it does sound like something Harvey Pekar, or Woody Allen would say). If not, please explain...

Re: 100 Favourites from the Future
 

I think Used Cars is doing the rounds on Foxtel these days. Will try and check it. Can't really go wrong when Kurt Russell is involved.

Besides, pretty sure the whole Australia comment is based on the fact that Nebbit is really Australian. If I'm wrong, someone say so.

Re: 100 Favourites from the Future
 

Awesome list, and, very similar to my own taste in many ways. I must see some of these films I haven't heard of, though.

Meanwhile, I love that you have Near Dark in your Top 10, as it is my favorite Vamp flick these days. I love the almost seamless genre blend they pulled off. The bar scene is legendary!

Great stuff, all around, and, as usual with these lists, I have some watching to do!

Re: 100 Favourites from the Future
 

http://www.darkwebonline.com/images/...kes%20back.gif

Re-Animator (Stuart Gordon 1985)


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The Warriors (Walter Hill 1979)


http://gothamist.com/attachments/jen..._warriors1.jpg

The Wanderers (Philip Kaufman 1979)


http://www.barrettchase.com/the-wanderers-dir.jpg

Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (Michael Cimino 1974)


http://www.reelfilm.com/images/thunderb.jpg

Aguirre, Wrath of God (Werner Hezog 1972)


http://www.praguemonitor.com/cgi-bin...rArticle=16864

Deconstructing Harry (Woody Allen 1997)


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Ms. 45 aka Angel of Vengeance (Abel Ferrara 1981)


http://www.road-dog-productions.com/...rrara_ms45.jpg

Angel Heart (Alan Parker 1987)


http://www.bbc.co.uk/films/2001/01/2...1987_large.jpg

Pan's Labyrinth (Guillermo Del Toro 2006)


http://www.winonlyriders.net/thelost...Labyrinth2.jpg

Planet Terror (Robert Rodriguez 2007)


http://www.seattle.net/media/planet-...se-mcgowan.jpg

'Q' aka Q: The Winged Serpent (Larry Cohen 1982)


http://weblogs.variety.com/photos/un...8/04/12/q1.jpg

L.A. Confidential (Curtis Hanson 1997)

http://img2.timeinc.net/ew/dynamic/i...idential_l.jpg

Humanoids from the Deep aka Monster (Barbara Peters 1980)


http://www.jabootu.com/acolytes/bnot...humanoidsd.jpg

Days of Heaven (Terence Malick 1978)


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Serpico (Sidney Lumet 1973)

Re: 100 Favourites from the Future
 

Very nice, Used Future.

Re: 100 Favourites from the Future
 

Have you seen your number #86 is being remade- link

Re: 100 Favourites from the Future
 

Yes I was aware of this, who knows, it may be ok, the cast is certainly impressive. Have you seen the original?

Re: 100 Favourites from the Future
 

No, hadn't even heard of it before your list- like quite a few others lol. I'm guessing it will probably get an upgraded release (if there is one already out to upgrade) before remake goes theatrical. Not too sure on what Tony Scott will bring to the film, didn't get the impression the original was the kind of film that would suit his editing fetish. Just saw he's remaking The Warriors as well.

Re: 100 Favourites from the Future
 

Yes it has a bog standard MGM UK dvd release. I'm rather loathe to buy it though as a lot of the MGM dvds (that aren't special editions) have got crappy widescreen transfers, i.e. you lose the edges, most noticably in the opening title sequences. My The Apartment dvd is like this, and my old The Good, the Bad and the Ugly dvd (before I upgraded) was the same. I refuse to buy MGM dvds now unless they're special editions, and as a result have only got Pelham taped off the TV. You should try and check it out though, it's got a great gritty 70's New York feel, brilliant score, and fine performances. I'm not in the slightest bit surprised it's being remade.

Re: 100 Favourites from the Future
 

Yeah, i'm not over the moon about most those MGM releases but they do have a pretty good back catalogue of 70s films. Cheers for the recommendation, comparing our favourite lists think i'd like everything you recommend though.

Re: 100 Favourites from the Future
 

Whoa, dude, where did all the movies go?

Re: 100 Favourites from the Future
 

No idea what's up, but I've restored the posts in this thread.

Re: 100 Favourites from the Future
 

Apparently he's "GONE FISHING"!?!?!!?

What the hell man, come back! Or at least tell us where/why you've gone!

Re: 100 Favourites from the Future
 

Is it something we said? D=

Give us another chance!

It's not you it's me!

Re: 100 Favourites from the Future
 

His last post was in the personal picture thread.

I've got to say your right To Live and Die in L.A. is a return to form with Freidkin, what happened? I remember thinking it was all over and then waiting for about 5 minutes and then he begins to paint a whole new picture of what the film is all about. It's in your face filmmaking.

You mention Escape from New York and They Live as being flawed i'm not going to argue or disagree. Would you credit this to being of a smaller budgeted film, or a director going threw growning pains or just a simple point of storytelling.

I recently re-watched Manhunter and everything you say is true and more. This is a stagering film. Have you seen The Keep, it's blassy muddled but relivent and intriuging.

Ghost World, The idea of friendship lost. the growning up after high school. I felt extremely depressed after watching this and have yet to watch it again.

Animal House has it's appeal and appreciatation. I'm not prone to think this is bad but merely a good film. Landis has done better but again I can see the appeal of it. what did you think of The Blues Brothers, An American Werewolf in London, Trading Places and Spies Like Us.

Planet of the Vampires was one of the first films in your top 100 and honestly after see it I was expecting to see more of Mario Bava, interesting that this film marks his only appearence.

Which do you perfer Aliens original cut or director cut ?

The Hitcher is one of those love it or hate films. I love it for it's ability to shake genre conventions and it's pure joy of insanity.

Cube is creative low budget filmmaking at it most raw and intellagent. I remember for days thinking about this film and what it's intentions were.

Vanishing Point, I know they tried to remake this film but it a purely 70's oriented film it doesn't transist into an other decade. It's a vault film a time capsule so to speak. drug induced. There's meaning in there somewhere.

I love Akira Kurosawa and i've notice you do to. Where about do you consider Stray Dog, Red Beard and High and Low.

Laurel and Hardey have you seen BlockHeads. I haven`t seen much of there I`ll defaintly add the ones you mentioned to my too see list, thanks.

I dug Intacto not as much as you obviously did. To me it`s all in the concept and the concept is almost too much for the director to handle. I felt the material couldn`t have been any strong and that the directing lets this one down a bit. I remember getting this weird feeling right after watching this that America (Hollywood) was going to remake it. Not unlike The Vanishing, Insomnia, Nightwatch etc

HUGE GIGANTIC props for mentioning Martin. Everything made for an inventive film. Low key lighting. gritty film, subtle atmosphere, low budget, organic acting. fundemental creative filmmaking. So groundbreaking no one has dare to repeat, remake or recapture it.

You mentioned Robocop, Starship Troppers and Total Recall all I love if you haven`t seen Flesh and Blood or his earlier dutch stuff such as The Fourth Man and Soldier of Orange I highly recommend them.

The Quiet Earth it`s a sci-fi that`s not really about sci-fi. I know i`ll get some slack for this but Geoff Murphy has made some interesting film such as Freejack and Goodbye Porky Pie I even liked Under Siege II to a point of what it is it does good.

Night of the Creeps has been on my too see list after buying Monster Squad a few months ago.

If I could recommend anything to you I`d recommend Sword of Doom and anything directed by Senji Suzuki espically Branded to Kill and Toyko Drifter.