Classic Movies

[Minniman]

The Craft - not bad, but not worth seeing on the big screen.

Twister - better on the big screen than on television. They take liberties with how wind in a tornado works though.

Big Trouble in Little China - classic B film.

Wyatt Earp - that was on television just last night. Tombstone is a superior film with the same source material.

A few of my guilty pleasures: The Thing, Die Hard, Signs, and I did like Napoleon Dynamite.

I also like the original War of the Worlds film. That is a classic along with other Sci Fi gems like THEM and Monster Zero (Ghidorah).

The Spielberg/Cruise film had some cool effects, and the martian machines looked like Terrorpods, but the children in that movie made it really bad. Dakota Fanning as Rachel was so annoying with all of her screaming that I kept hoping she would get laser blasted just to shut her up. The son, Robbie, character is the kind of guy who would get a whole platoon killed on the battlefield.

It is sort of cool that Gene Barry and Ann Robinson were in both War of the Worlds films.

[Dames]

I don't think "Napoleon Dynamite" is exactly considered a classic but I know it has a legion of enthusiastic fans and I thought it was awful. I'm usually pretty open to unconventional comedies but it would be an understatement to say I disliked that movie. I found it painfully unfunny but I know people who think it was hilarious.

I hate, hate, hated that movie. One of the worst movies of the last 10 years. Just behind The Fast and the Furious for movies that became popular. I generally like offbeat comedies, but ND was just painful to watch. I'm told its much better watching it a second time, but I refuse to give it a try.

See now, I'm one of the people who though ND was absolutely hillarious. I had heard nothing about it when I first watched it, I had in my Blockbuster Queue, and it showed up in my mailbox one day. I was like "what the heck is this weird crap" for the first 15 miutes or so, but by half way through the movie I was rolling. I think the big thing for me was the many references to the 80's. I was in school during the 80's, so I remembered a lot of the rediculous things that were a part of that era. Yes, it is better the second time through, but I found it funny the first time, so I don't imagine it'll make a difference for either of you. I wouldn't put in in the category of all time greats, but I would easily watch it again, and I've seen it 3 or 4 times.

I think Office Space is a riot also.

[Dames]

Believe it or not, I've never seen "Ben Hur", even though I'm a fan of Charlton Heston's movies. It's on my list of movies I really need to see soon.

Yes, you do need to see it. I thought it was a great movie, although I couldn't tell you why. It was 10 years ago that I watched it, but I still remember how very good I thought it was. I remember it is really long, nearly 4 hours I think, but it held my attention. Some 3-hour movies I've seen, seem way too long, and I find myself thinking they could have cut certain scenes to make the movie better and more bearable. But, I don't remember feeling that way about Ben Hur.

[Mothman]

Yes, you do need to see it. I thought it was a great movie, although I couldn't tell you why. It was 10 years ago that I watched it, but I still remember how very good I thought it was. I remember it is really long, nearly 4 hours I think, but it held my attention.

That's the main reason I haven't seen it yet. It's really difficult for me to find a 4 hour block of time to watch a movie these days.

Jim

[Dames]

That's the main reason I haven't seen it yet. It's really difficult for me to find a 4 hour block of time to watch a movie these days.

Yeah, I understand that. I don't think I could do it now. Back then I didn't work most afternoons, and I was single, so I watched it in the afternoon when my roommates were gone. Now, with 2.5 kids and a wife, it would be almost impossible. I get especially busy this time of year with my side-job.

I've been wanting to re-watch the Lord of the Rings trilogy too, but there's just no time for it. I think each movie is over 3 hours.

[wang_chi7]

The Craft - not bad, but not worth seeing on the big screen.

Twister - better on the big screen than on television. They take liberties with how wind in a tornado works though.

Big Trouble in Little China - classic B film.

Wyatt Earp - that was on television just last night. Tombstone is a superior film with the same source material.

A few of my guilty pleasures: The Thing, Die Hard, Signs, and I did like Napoleon Dynamite.

I also like the original War of the Worlds film. That is a classic along with other Sci Fi gems like THEM and Monster Zero (Ghidorah).

The Spielberg/Cruise film had some cool effects, and the martian machines looked like Terrorpods, but the children in that movie made it really bad. Dakota Fanning as Rachel was so annoying with all of her screaming that I kept hoping she would get laser blasted just to shut her up. The son, Robbie, character is the kind of guy who would get a whole platoon killed on the battlefield.

It is sort of cool that Gene Barry and Ann Robinson were in both War of the Worlds films.

I agree that Tombstone is a better film, Val Kilmer was a riot in that one. But I liked both quite a bit. I just mentioned WE because its usually trashed on.

The Thing and Die Hard are great films. I wouldn't even call them guilty pleasures because they are genuinely good.

I don't know why I like Twister so much. But if its on television, I'm always game. I for some reason don't own it though.

As for Ben Hur Jim, you need to see it. And soon. Its long enough that it has an "intermission," so if you only have a couple hours at a time its a good time to stop it and pick it up later.

[wang_chi7]

Anybody a fan of exploitation films? Thanks to Grindhouse coming out I've really gotten into them again. Some great ones:

Vanishing Point

Dirty Mary Crazy Larry

Coffy

Foxy Brown

White Lightning

Smokey and the Bandit

Shaft

Dawn of the Dead

Frankenstein movies

Taxi Driver

The Saw movies, especially the original

House of 1000 Corpses

Devils Rejects

Shogun Assassin

Halloween (I liked the Rob Zombie remake a lot too)

Many Spaghetti Westerns, especially Clint Eastwood "Dollar Trilogy"

Meet the Feebles- Peter Jackson's (LOR director) movie that can only be described as Muppets on acid. Its terrible, but worth sitting through once. I'd suggest a lot of Jack to get through it though.

[Kansas Viking]

A few of my guilty pleasures: The Thing

The original with James Arness or the newer one with Kurt Russell?

[Dames]

Anybody a fan of exploitation films?

Talk about a guilty pleasure

I had actually never heard of the term Explotation, but wikipedia was pretty helpful Cool... I learned something!

I enjoy an occassional slasher flick, although often for the comedic value! I liked Halloween, and as bad as they were, I'll stop and watch the Friday the 13th series if they are on TV. I like this time of the year for television, where they play a lot of bad slasher movies. My wife will have nothing to do with them, so needless to say, I don't get to watch them often.

I thought the original Saw was brilliant. The next 2 were okay, but the first one caught me off guard. I expected a typical slasher-type flick. I didn't expect it to have a real plot.... and one that was interesting. (Even my wife thought it was really good.) I'll definitely be renting Saw IV when it comes out on DVD, although my expections are lowered on it.

I don't know why, but I do like Zombie movies.

[DeeEss57]

The original with James Arness or the newer one with Kurt Russell?

I'm gonna jump into this thread, too.

For me, it's only the original 'Thing from Outer Space'. I just didn't like the gruesomeness of the remake. I like the simplicity of the original, I guess.

And the original of 'War of the Worlds' is my favorite, as well. Spielberg's version, while having a million-times-better special effects, has a plot that leaves a lot to be desired. It just became one long chase movie, an excuse for special effects. But it was nice touch that he had the stars of the original version in his movie. And, now I hear Spielberg wants to remake 'When Worlds Collide'. I can't wait to see how he ruins that one.

I know Minniman mentioned 'Them!'. What a great movie! I have it on DVD and I enjoy watching that one. I really have a soft spot in my heart for 50's sci-fi movies like this. 'Tarantula', 'Black Scorpion', 'It Came from Outer Space', 'Deadly Mantis', 'Godzilla'. I have the original Japanese version of 'Godzilla'. It's much better than the Raymond Burr version. Much darker.

Another sci-fi guilty pleasure: 'Five Million Miles to Earth' aka 'Quatermass and the Pit'. Every time I see a construction boom, I think of this movie.

As far as 'Wyatt Earp', I think Costner isn't bad in period pieces, but he's generally a boring actor to watch. The rest of the cast is fine, but I'd rather watch 'Gunfight at the OK Corral' or 'Tombstone'.

'2001': ugh, I agree with everyone else who thinks this is a really boring movie. As is his 'Barry Lyndon'. Anybody seen that? Another boring Kubrick movie. How about 'Doctor Strangelove'? Now, there's a classic. A classic comedy with a brilliant performance (or is that performances?) by Peter Sellars.

Add to my classics I don't like list:

'Gone with the Wind', a 222 minute Civil War soap opera. I can't stand soap operas.

'Citizen Kane', unless you're a cinematographer, this drama is boring. It's only a classic because of the innovative camera techniques.

'Doctor Zhivago'. another long (197 minutes) soap opera, this time in Russia. Did I say I can't stand soap operas?

'Lawrence of Arabia', despite the magnificent supporting cast Peter O'Toole ruins it for me.

Dawn
"Insanity runs in my family. It practically gallops."
Cary Grant, 'Arsenic and Old Lace', 1944

[MWNANCe]

Here is an old one that I enjoyed

The Great Santini with Robert Duvall

About a Marine pilot and his relationship with his family.. they even spoofed it on a Sat Night Live clip

[DanAS1]

'2001': ugh, I agree with everyone else who thinks this is a really boring movie. As is his 'Barry Lyndon'. Anybody seen that? Another boring Kubrick movie. How about 'Doctor Strangelove'? Now, there's a classic. A classic comedy with a brilliant performance (or is that performances?) by Peter Sellars.

Seen Barry Lyndon? Yup. And I liked it a fair amount, too. No, it's not one of his very best, but I enjoyed it a lot -- just not enough to go on at least at how awesome it was (like I did for 2001). I actually liked 2001 a lot more than Dr. Strangelove, and I loved Dr. Strangelove.

[wang_chi7]

The original with James Arness or the newer one with Kurt Russell?

I didn't know the Kurt Russell one was a remake. I just assumed it was an original movie. Thanks for the info, I will have to rent the original now.

[spdolphs]

The Thing. Love the version with Kurt Russell. Classic horror. However, I prefer his earlier films...The Strongest Man In The World, The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes

I agree that Brazil is a brilliant film. It is one you have to pause if you jump up to go get some more popcorn. You can't miss any of it. All of Gilliams films are great.

For the fans of 2001 A Space Oddessy, try watching Dark Star. It is a science fiction spoof from 1974 by John Carpenter. Four astronauts on a mission to blow up unstable planets. They all have long hair and beards and annoy each other. It is actually a bit more realistic of what life would be after spending years together in space.

Dark Star - IMDB

[Minniman]

The original with James Arness or the newer one with Kurt Russell?

I like them both, but the John Carpenter's 1982 version is really good.

Perhaps it was because the first time I watched it, it was 1 AM and a blizard was howling outside. That sort of set the mood.