DVD recommendations

[hummingbird]

I thought maybe you lovely people could recommend some goodies for me to watch over Xmas. Something that I may have overlooked or never even heard of. I usually enjoy sci-fi, arthouse drama, clever dark/psychological thrillers, dystopian, black comedy, little independent movies.

Any suggestions?

Topic

[Seb Patrick]

Eternal Sunshine.

[TheLeen]

The Fountain

[Pete Part Three]

Fight Club

[p2p_productions]

Yeah, Eternal Sunshine, for sure! Also, 12 Monkeys, Fargo, Tube Tales…

Chungking Express is pretty good if you can find it.

[hummingbird]

> Eternal Sunshine

Tsk. You know I’m allergic to Jim Carrey.

> The Fountain

Aronofsky, so it looks worth checking out. Plus it has Huge Ackman, so we has eye candy at the very least.

Sorry, I meant Hugh Jackman. Freudian slip, there.

> Fight Club.

I find it entertaining, but it always feels as if they’re trying just a little too hard. Especially Brad ‘look-at-me-I’m-acting’ Pitt.

> 12 Monkeys, Fargo, Tube Tales? Chungking Express

I have them all apart from Tube Tales. I’ve just Wiki-ed it (is that a word?) and it looks interesting.
Chungking Express is a great movie.

[Andrew]

Toto The Hero. A Very Long Engagement. Pan’s Labyrinth. Dead Ringers. Breaking and Entering. Oldboy. Ginger Snaps. Boogie Nights. Good Night and Good Luck.

I could go on. And on.

[ori-STUDFARM]

War Games is always a winner

[Danny Stephenson]

Pan?s Labyrinth.

i love this film.

[ori-STUDFARM]

^Have you seen The Orphanage. Another fantastic Guillermo del Toro movie.

[p2p_productions]

>I have them all apart from Tube Tales. I?ve just Wiki-ed it (is that a word?) and it looks interesting.

Yeah, if memory serves, Tube Tales was one of Sky Pictures early (/only?) efforts. In short – utterly bombed, but I’ve always had a soft spot for it. Great for Xmas, IMO. That and Ghostwatch, I guess. :)

And yes, Chungking Express is Ace.

[Dave]

The Armando Iannucci Shows

[Carlito]

Defo Eternal Sunshine. Office Space. Wedding Singer. Love, Honour and Obey. Comedian. Go. The Wrestler. Final Cut.

Maybe something more well-known? Ghostbusters? Oooh, My Cousin Vinny. Awesome!

[Danny Stephenson]

sci-fi, arthouse drama, clever dark/psychological thrillers, dystopian…

Try Back To The Future II. There’s a bit where Hill Valley’s all wrong and evil. As good as Blade Runner in my opinion :)

[redhead85]

Personally I love the following:

The Big Nothing (Simon Pegg/David Schwimmer, small film, fantastic thriller), Freeze Frame (really good low budget thriller with Lee Evans – no seriously, it works), Kidulthood, anything by Studio Ghibli, In the Mood for Love (Hong Kong love story)….

[Phil1034]

> Good Night and Good Luck.

I adore this movie.

[TheLeen]

>> Eternal Sunshine

> Tsk. You know I?m allergic to Jim Carrey.

Watch it anyway.

[The PerformingMonkey]

> Tsk. You know I?m allergic to Jim Carrey.

Brilliant performance as Scrooge in A Christmas Carol. Dodgy accents for the spirits though! But I reckon it added to the charm. Did anyone see it in 3D. Bet you almost soiled yourself in a couple of places! The chains flying towards the screen. IMO the best Marley scene in any adaptation and the best coda. Is Carrey the best Scroooge? No, but he’s close to the top. Alastair Sim will never be beaten, it seems. His performance remains the definitive Scrooge.

[Andrew]

>>> Eternal Sunshine

>> Tsk. You know I?m allergic to Jim Carrey.

> Watch it anyway.

It’s not Carrey in Eternal Sunshine. It’s some other actor. I don’t know his name, and he sure looks like Carrey, but it can’t be him – he’s entirely too good, too credible, too sympathetic to be this Carrey fellow.

[Pete Part Three]

>It?s not Carrey in Eternal Sunshine. It?s some other actor. I don?t know his name, and he sure looks like Carrey, but it can?t be him – he?s entirely too good, too credible, too sympathetic to be this Carrey fellow.

Yeah, I think the same guy was in The Truman Show.

[TheLeen]

Not really.

[Seb Patrick]

No, the same guy was in The Truman Show AND Man On The Moon.

But seriously, he’s completely un-Carreyish in Eternal Sunshine, and not liking his comedic work is a daft reason to miss out on the best film of the 2000s. Seriously.

[Dessie]

Highlander, best film ever made.

[Carlito]

He’s rather un-Carrey-like in The Number 23 too, which I completely enjoyed even though I seem to be in the minority on that one.

[Dessie]

I thought the number 23 was quite good. Carrey was the best thing about it. The plot got a bit silly at the end.

[Pete Part Three]

I thought The Number 23 was a pile of wank and I find it hard to respect anyone who doesn’t like The Truman Show.

[Danny Stephenson]

Man On The Moon.

One of those films, I didn’t think i’d like. But really, really did by the end.

[Carlito]

Who said they didn’t like The Truman Show?

Carrey should have won an Oscar for Truman and Eternal. That’s two Oscars he’s been fucked over for.

Let’s see… bit of online research ongoing here…

Truman was released June 98… which if I am correct would have made it eligible for the 1999 Academy Awards… Best Actor went to Kevin Spacey for American Beauty. Hmm, I guess I can see that. But then, it’s a great film but is Spacey really that amazing in it? It’s been a while since I saw it, but doesn’t he just play a really stoic guy… as per usual? Okay, well that IS a good film, but Carrey isn’t even nominated here! Russel Crowe?? Really? Who is Richard Farnsworth? Right…

Ah shit, I’ve got the wrong year anyway. Apologies for this stream of consciousness post, by the way. Okay, so Roberto Benigni won for Life Is Beautiful. I haven’t seen it, but I bet I’d enjoy it less than The Truman Show… again, Carrey not even nominated! Even Ed Harris gets a nomination for Best Supporting Actor! He’s barely in the damn film!

Okay, it was a big year for movies, with Shakespeare In Love (boring!), Saving Private Ryan and Thin Red Line up for awards… but Truman Show doesn’t even get a best film nomination? What’s going on here, people??

Let’s try Eternal Sunshine then… it doesn’t get a nomination for Best Picture, even though The Aviator does. Bullshit. Again, Carrey not even fucking nominated. Pathetic. Winslet gets a nomination. Good; this must be her best role. She doesn’t win, Hilary Swank does. Quelle surprise, this is the Oscars after all.

Man, Carrey has been fucked up the arse royally on this playing field.

[Seb Patrick]

Yeah, the point about Carrey is that he doesn’t even get nominated, but for at least three films that’s the very least he should have got. Kate Winslet got a nom for Eternal Sunshine – she was good, but it’s shameful that she got it ahead of him…

Truman is his defining role, though. It’s not just that he’s brilliant – it’s that contextually, at the time, he was perfectly cast. But there is nothing about that film that isn’t perfect.

[ori-STUDFARM]

Getting Eternal Sunshine confused with that one about the little girl entering the beauty pageant/talent show thing-a-me-bob! Kept thinking Jim Carrey?!!

[Andrew]

I’m gonna go ahead and say it: Carrey’s only average in The Truman Show. Nothing remotely nomination-worthy in that performance, nothing exceptional whatsoever. The film’s good, and he doesn’t harm it, but I see no greatness there.

> But there is nothing about that film that isn?t perfect.

I have a very lengthy counter argument to this involving problematc dramatic structure which hinders emtional engagement. But if you love it, you love it. But much as I like it, I’d can’t see it’s even close to being flawless.

[Seb Patrick]

Hey, share the points if you want to, I’d be interested to see what you’ve got.

As for his performance, though, there are just moments throughout that mark it out. The way he plays the pre-realisation Truman is perfect – overly obvious and happy and cheesy, but it needs to be – but there’s something subtle about the way he shifts as he starts to piece things together. And there are two scenes in particular that always jump out – the one where he’s on the bridge with Marlon, and the very end. Tell me there’s not something utterly brilliant about his matter-of-fact final delivery of “In case I don’t see ya…”

[Andrew]

There’s nothng utterly brilliant about…oh, y’know.

More when I’m not posting from the iPhone!

[Phil]

Truman Show was excellent for what it was, with the right type of acting for what it was. It was essentially a feature-length version of a Twilight Zone episode, but it was one of the better Twilight Zone episodes…even if they felt compelled to give us an ending that fits Hollywood-Happiness better than Rod Serling ever wanted to.

Still though…good movie.

I was immensely disappointed by Eternal Sunshine. It was a brilliant concept in search of a much better story. And I might be the only person left alive who doesn’t think that Jim Carrey is a very good actor when he tries to be, but…oh well. I’ve tried.

I like him in The Truman Show because it has enough going for it that I only rarely have to notice him. And I liked him in Man on the Moon because my admiration for Andy Kaufman makes up for the few times that he slips and accidentally reminds us that he’s Jim Carrey.

Overall though…eh. I can live without him.

[Ridley]

Survive Style 5+
Infernal Affairs
House of Flying Daggers
Hero
Kung Fu Hustle
Battle Royale (1)

(The Forbidden Kingdom. Kung Fu Panda. Stardust.)

[Tarka Dal]

Let the Right One In.

Saw it at the cinema not long after this year’s Oscar season (and after seeing most of the big, hyped nominees). Better than all of them and indeed anything else that’s come out this year.

[Carlito]

> Let the Right One In.

When did they make Psirens: The Movie?

[redhead85]

> House of Flying Daggers, Hero, Kung Fu Hustle, Battle Royale (1)

Hell yes. This. Excellent collection of films. Kung Fu Hustle never fails to raise a laugh. Battle Royale is genius (originally based on a manga methinks?)

[Jonathan Capps]

Anyone who doesn’t like Comedy Carrey doesn’t even deserve comedy.

[genericnerdyusername]

I enjoyed Dark City once, and to be fair I’ve only seen it once :)

[Dave]

So that’s Hummingbird’s Christmas List sorted.

[Jo]

A couple of suggestions – Leon, The Dish. Both are awesome in very different ways :o)

[TheLeen]

Not quite yet, because I have to add “Sneakers”.

[Jo]

WIN!

[Gwynnie]

I’m looking at my DVD collection in sad realisation that I own nothing that you probably haven’t already seen… apart from perhaps “They Live!” – it’s a John Carpenter film, and is a bit dystopian I guess, a little bit David Icke… plus “Rowdy” Roddy Piper plays the lead – what can possibly go wrong?

[JamesTC]

-I?m looking at my DVD collection in sad realisation that I own nothing that you probably haven?t already seen? apart from perhaps ?They Live!?

I have it on DVD, I don’t have sunglasses though.

[Andrew]

> ?They Live!?

Best stupidly long alley fight in cinema history!

Movie utterly ripped off for the long-ago computer game Flashback. Along with Total Recall and Terminator 2…

[ChrisM]

They Live! I’ve got that!

A great premise with a helping of cheese that was very enjoyable.

And some classic lines that make me smile.

“I came here to chew gum and kick ass and I’m all out of gum.”

“Life’s a bitch and now she’s in heat.” Dear me.

And Meg Foster has very strange but interesting eyes.

[Carlito]

“Rowdy” Roddy Piper, maybe the best verbaliser in wrestling history, certainly one of the best heels (bad guys)… now that guy shoulda made it in Hollywood. instead he shows up in about 5 TV movies a year and comes back to wrestling on occasion looking like shit. Sad.

People thought he was gonna be a big star off the back of They Live. Didn’t happen.

Another guy who shoulda made it in Hollywood from the wrestling business is Jesse Ventura. I guess becoming Governor isn’t a bad second prize, though.

[Gwynnie]

Hahah, yes, it’s a beautifully bad film. And the alley fight has to last about half an hour!!… go watch it!

[ori-STUDFARM]

I’d watch “They Live” ………but I’d be thinking about “Hell Comes To Frog Town”!!!

[Author]

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