100 Favourites from the Future

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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.
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The Hitcher! Love that flick! I look forward to the updates on this list. Fun stuff...
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I am half agony, half hope.
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.
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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.
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.



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.



Dunnoo, was pushing for a response defending the flick
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!!!



I am half agony, half hope.
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.
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...



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



Well, I can get a used, good VHS copy for $21.99 + $2.98 shipping. Yeah, maybe later.
Ouch!!! that's too much for a video, sometimes dvds (public domain bootlegs mainly) pop up on ebay, but the bidding always goes crazy.



Here we go again...

70.(Tie) The Omen (Richard Donner 1976)


The Exorcist (William Friedkin 1973)


69. (Tie) Vanishing Point (Richard C. Sarafian 1971)


Electra Glide In Blue (James William Guercio 1973)


68. Innocent Blood (John Landis 1992)


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)


66.
(Tie) Sex And Fury (Noribumi Suzuki 1973)


Thriller: A Cruel Picture
aka They Call Her One Eye (Bo Arne Vibenius 1973)


65. Total Recall (Paul Verhoeven 1990)

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)


63. Rosemary's Baby (Roman Polanski 1968)

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)

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)

'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.




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!!!
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.



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.
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!!!! Wah hahahaha!!!



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



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


89. Them! (Gordan Douglas 1954)
T
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Harold Ross



Approaching the half way point now...


60. The Ballad Of Cable Hogue (Sam Peckinpah 1970)


59. Dirty Harry (Don Siegel 1971)

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)


Tootsie (Sydney Pollack 1982)


57. Thelma and Louise (Ridley Scott 1991)

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)


Fright Night (Tom Holland 1985)



55. Across 110th Street (Barry Shear 1972)


54. Flash Gordon (Mike Hodges 1980)

Delightfully 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)


52. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (Milos Forman 1975)

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)


Invasion Of The Body Snatchers (Philip Kaufman 1978)






I am half agony, half hope.
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.