2024 Film Challenge

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12-23-23
Originally Posted by Iroquois
Well, I really have watched all but three titles on the IMDb top 250 and only two were available on my streaming services - would Jai Bhim be a better choice?

I wouldn't know, since I haven't watched that one. For the record, the list won't be finalized until the end of the week and IMDb is known for indulging a bit of end-if-the-year cooking since they archive these lists.



I am pretty much in the same boat as you though. I am mostly missing the Bollywood titles and having watched 3 of them this year as India was my country of choice, I can tell you they were some of the worst movies I have seen in a long time. Rang de Basanti especially. Word to the wise, if you can fill that category with anything else, go for it.



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12-23-23
Originally Posted by Jabs
I am mostly missing the Bollywood titles and having watched 3 of them this year as India was my country of choice, I can tell you they were some of the worst movies I have seen in a long time. Rang de Basanti especially. Word to the wise, if you can fill that category with anything else, go for it.
So what are your issues with Bollywood films?



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12-24-23
Originally Posted by ApexPredator
So what are your issues with Bollywood films?
Most of the ones I have seen are of the Aamir Khan sort and they tend to be overly melodramatic one moment and cheesily comedic the next. Neither would work for me as a standalone but put them together, sprinkle some bad acting, pointless dancing and nonsensical plot points and you got yourself a pile of something.


They do have some catchy tunes though, so I'll give you that.



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12-24-23
Originally Posted by Jabs
Most of the ones I have seen are of the Aamir Khan sort and they tend to be overly melodramatic one moment and cheesily comedic the next. Neither would work for me as a standalone but put them together, sprinkle some bad acting, pointless dancing and nonsensical plot points and you got yourself a pile of something.


They do have some catchy tunes though, so I'll give you that.
Eh, I don't think I've seen an Aamir Khan Bollywood film.

I cut my teeth on Singham with Rohit Shetty because of its over the top action and Om Shanti Om which starred Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone which blended spiritualism with a behind the scenes look at the Bollywood industry. And I didn't look back.

A majority of these films do tend to combine melodrama, comedy, action and music much like how Indian cuisine blends its spices into masala. But there's a second type of Hindi cinema known as parallel cinema that might be worth investigating: the plots are more realistic and the musical numbers are gone. I think your Khan tried to blend the two together and it sounds like it didn't work? Oh, and I don't wanna sell short Telugu cinema (or Tollywood) which provided films such as RRR and the Baahubali films.

Then again, Hindi cinema doesn't work for everyone. I think it's one of those "You're either with the vibe or you're not" deals. And I do think there's certain things I do wish it would change, particularly with the old fashioned place the women in the back burner plots. But I don't regret diving into Hindi cinema.



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12-24-23
My experience with Indian Parallel cinema is confined to the 50s-80s period and mostly Satyajit Ray's work. There are some really nice films in there but I am oblivious as to modern parallel cinema in India. From what I have read, I left it right before its decline and since there has been a resurgence which I sadly haven't touched. Most of the modern movies I've seen are Bollywood and my gripes with it are explained above. 'Over the top' is really a turnoff for me in general.


Do you have any recommendations on modern Indian Parallel Cinema?



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The trick is not minding
12-24-23
Originally Posted by Jabs
Do you have any recommendations on modern Indian Parallel Cinema?
Try Ritwik Ghatak Early films , although he snore associated with Bangladesh, Bangladesh didn’t become an official country until 1971 I think? There’s also Mrinal Sen.



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12-24-23
Originally Posted by Wyldesyde19
Try Ritwik Ghatak Early films , although he snore associated with Bangladesh, Bangladesh didn’t become an official country until 1971 I think? There’s also Mrinal Sen.
Appreciate it and will check them out, but these don't seem to fit with modern Indian Parallel Cinema. I was inquiring about the resurgence that started around the 2000s



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The trick is not minding
12-24-23
Originally Posted by Jabs
Appreciate it and will check them out, but these don't seem to fit with modern Indian Parallel Cinema. I was inquiring about the resurgence that started around the 2000s
I missed the modern part.



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12-25-23
Originally Posted by Jabs
My experience with Indian Parallel cinema is confined to the 50s-80s period and mostly Satyajit Ray's work. There are some really nice films in there but I am oblivious as to modern parallel cinema in India. From what I have read, I left it right before its decline and since there has been a resurgence which I sadly haven't touched. Most of the modern movies I've seen are Bollywood and my gripes with it are explained above. 'Over the top' is really a turnoff for me in general.


Do you have any recommendations on modern Indian Parallel Cinema?
To be fair, I hadn't seen any parallel cinema from India.

This article I read gave some examples (maybe they might work for you?):

Dahan (1997)
Utsab (2000)
3 Deewarein (2003)
Matrubhoomi: A Nation Without Women (2004)
Yuva (2004)
Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi (2005)
Maine Ghandi Ko Nahin Mara (2005)
My Brother...Nikhil (2005)
Bas Ek Pal (2006)
Dor (2006)
Valley of Flowers (2006)
Black Friday (2007)
Udaan (2009)
Mumbai/Bombay Diaries (2010)
The Golden Bird/Sonchidi (2011)
Ship of Theseus (2012)



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12-28-23
Originally Posted by Jabs
I wouldn't know, since I haven't watched that one. For the record, the list won't be finalized until the end of the week and IMDb is known for indulging a bit of end-if-the-year cooking since they archive these lists.



I am pretty much in the same boat as you though. I am mostly missing the Bollywood titles and having watched 3 of them this year as India was my country of choice, I can tell you they were some of the worst movies I have seen in a long time. Rang de Basanti especially. Word to the wise, if you can fill that category with anything else, go for it.
I doubt it'll shift that much in the next couple of days - the alternative is waiting for a 2024 release to crack the list and using that, but who knows how long that'll take or if it'll stick long enough to count (John Wick: Chapter 4 was on the list this year for what must have been a week or two at most so who knows if that would count versus something that's been a fixture on the list like Like Stars On Earth).

Anyway, onto more important matters, recommendations for other people to watch. I'm just going to pull a bunch of favourites for people to go through and I do think you need to list a lot just to give people some choice - if we have to pull ten films we haven't already seen, we need more than just another ten.

Stone Cold (1991)
The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith (1978)
The Big Red One (1980)
The Decline of Western Civilisation (1981)
In a Year With 13 Moons (1978)
Southern Comfort (1981)
Rejected (2000)
Dr. Mabuse, the Gambler (1922)
Flowers of Shanghai (1998)
Paisan (1946)
Shock Corridor (1963)
The Living End (1992)
The Swimmer (1968)
The Addiction (1995)
Old Joy (2006)
The Last Boy Scout (1991)
Desert Hearts (1985)
Viridiana (1961)
Escape From New York (1981)
Rosetta (1999)
Ninotchka (1939)
Nemesis (1992)
Elmer Gantry (1960)
Bringing Out the Dead (1999)
Nowhere (1997)
Blackhat (2015)
Kwaidan (1964)
The Watermelon Woman (1996)
The Turin Horse (2011)
Slacker (1990)
Walker (1987)
Vagabond (1985)

That'll do for a start, otherwise you can try going through the top 100 linked in my signature or I can come back and post more.
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Originally Posted by Yoda
I really just want you all angry and confused the whole time.
Iro's Top 100 Movies v3.0



ApexPredator's Avatar
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12-29-23
So the murder category: is it about planning a murder or can it be about solving it?



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12-30-23
Leaving this here for future updates. Looks so promising! I already know some movies I will add.

Watched, not yet watched

Main Challenge [6/52]  

Nightmare Mode [5/110]  
Last edited by RMNT; 01-19-24 at 08:56 AM.



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01-01-24
I could recommend:
1. Slow (2023)
2. Wavelength (1967)
3. Palo Alto (2013)
4. Symbiopsychotaxiplasm: Take One (1968)
5. Ken Park (2002)
6. Buffalo '66 (1998)
7. All the Beauty and the Bloodshed (2022)
8. Molly Maxwell (2013)
9. Boy Meets Girl (1984)
10. Isaac (2019)
Last edited by RMNT; 01-02-24 at 07:05 AM.



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01-01-24
Here are some recs:

Fallen Leaves (2023)
Hive (2021)
Infinitely Polar Bear (2015)
All Is Lost (2013)
Meek's Cutoff (2010)
The Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call: New Orleans (2009)
Ponyo (2008)
Omagh (2004)
Breakdown (1997)
Dogfight (1991)
The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser (1974)
Duel (1971)

I admit I didn't check to see if these are available, but hopefully at least a few of them can be found.



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01-01-24
Originally Posted by RMNT
I could recommend:
1. Slow (2023)
2. Wavelength (1967)
3. Palo Alto (2013)
4. Symbiopsychotaxiplasm: Take One (1968)
5. Ken Park (2002)
6. Buffalo '66 (1998)
7. All the Beauty and the Bloodshed (2022)
Can you add a few more as we ask for at least 10 per participant?



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The trick is not minding
01-01-24
Originally Posted by Iroquois

Stone Cold (1991)
The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith (1978)
The Big Red One (1980)
The Decline of Western Civilisation (1981)
In a Year With 13 Moons (1978)
Southern Comfort (1981)
Rejected (2000)
Dr. Mabuse, the Gambler (1922)
Flowers of Shanghai (1998)
Paisan (1946)
Shock Corridor (1963)
The Living End (1992)
The Swimmer (1968)
The Addiction (1995)
Old Joy (2006)
The Last Boy Scout (1991)
Desert Hearts (1985)
Viridiana (1961)
Escape From New York (1981)
Rosetta (1999)
Ninotchka (1939)
Nemesis (1992)
Elmer Gantry (1960)
Bringing Out the Dead (1999)
Nowhere (1997)
Blackhat (2015)
Kwaidan (1964)
The Watermelon Woman (1996)
The Turin Horse (2011)
Slacker (1990)
Walker (1987)
Vagabond (1985)
.
Good list. I’ve picked out 6 from here already I plan to watch. Many of them have already been in my watchlist already.



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01-02-24
Originally Posted by RMNT
Added
Thank you! I added your selection in the OP, along with mine:


Insiang (1976)
The Cremator (1969)
Smooth Talk (1985)
The Blue Caftan (2022)
Ulysses' Gaze (1995)
The Traveling Players (1975)
The Ballad of Narayama (1958)
I Am Cuba (1964)
Blind Chance (1987)
I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (1932)
The Hole (1960)
Woodstock (1970)
The Cranes are Flying (1957)


I went for anything I really enjoyed that had less than 20k votes on IMDb.

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