Fully agreed. I recognize the criticisms, but there is *nothing* like seeing a Star Wars movie in the theater. Jar-Jar and all, watching the prequels in the theaters is something that can never be touched for me. I've had many debates and discussions over the years about my opinions, and I know that I am not alone so I just choose to not debate anymore, because the people that hated the prequels *REALLY* hated the prequels, and that is something I don't have in common with them. So I just choose to talk about a different topic when I'm baited. But I definitely wanted to agree with you on that one...

As for other movies.
-----

Grindhouse
The Dead series (night of the, dawn of the, day of the, land of the...)
Night of the Demons (cheesy horror movie, but one of my all time favorites)
Transformers: The Movie
Commando
The Frighteners
Event Horizon
Indiana Jones trilogy
The Explorers
The Great Outdoors
Princess Bride
Friday the 13th part 4
Hudson Hawk (yes, that hudson hawk...it was one of my favorite movies when I was like 13, and I think critics fuck with it too much in the past and present)
Nothing But Trouble (odd movie with chevy chase and demi moore who get a ticket in a shitty little town....and dan akyroyd as a penis-nosed judge)
Evil dead trilogy
Cabin Fever

Probably a lot more, but that is off the top of my head....

-Dusty

 

Wizard of Oz - Still holds the same magic touch it did when originally released. A technical marvel from it's day and as close to a perfect film as you can get.

Star Wars and Empire Strikes Back - Screw Jedi (yeah I said it). These two wil forever be my favorite Sci-Fi films.

Night of the Living Dead (1968) - Doubt a horror film will ever be as influentel to the genre ever again. Film makers (Romero included) have been trying to reinvent the zombie genre ever since, and all pale in comparisson. Romero's casting of a black lead character was a massive change of pace for films as a whole in its time, and the themes of the film are still relevant today.

The Thing - Though it was a complete financial disaster when originally released, Carpenter's The Thing basically defined the modern "cult" film. It also showed how to take an old film and completely re-imagine it (though it was closer in theme to the story, "Who Goes there", that inspired the 1956 original and the remake).

The Fly (1986) - In my opinion, it's the best remake of a film ever. While I hold the original in high regard, there was a lot of poor science in it, even by the standards of 1950's sci-fi. It completely obliterates any need for further revisiting of the original idea. Jeff Goldblum will always be Seth Brundell to me.

The Abyss - The film that really put James Cameron on the map. The director's cut of the film is even more thought-provoking than the theatrical cut. Fantastic film either way.

Nosferatu (1922) - There was actually an excellent German remake in the 70's by Werner Herzog. But it was lacking the sheer creepiness of the original film. I highly recommend finding a version that has the original score and not the retouched revisits that have been done to death. Shadow of the Vampire is an excellent companion film to this as well.

Big Trouble in Little China - The ultimate Kurt Russell movie. It's also the best campy kung fu movie ever. An excellent use of classic kung fu myths and macho-American misunderstandings of those myths. Fun from begining to end.

Chinatown - Probably the last great film noir. It really opened my eyes to the dective and film noir genres. Jack Nicholson is great, and his character is awesomely outwitted throughout. One of the best scenes ever filmed is in the movie, with a hell of an ending. The sequal, the Two Jakes, isn't nearly as good.

The Maltese Falcon (1941) - Humphry Bogart in one of his best performances. The script is pretty fantastic and the story is really good as well. It's also the best Sam Spade movie. A hell of an ending as well. "It's the stuff dreams are made of".

I have tons more, just not enough time.

 

Excellent choices, I'm actually one who thinks the first 4 friday the 13ths were great, add that to my list.

 

I'd also like to Idiocracy...probably the smartest film of last year.

Being John Malkavich
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Rushmore

 

Office Space
Anchorman
40 YO Virgin
TF:TM
Harold & Kumar
Clerks 2
Batman
Batman Begins
Superman 1,2,3
Big Trouble in Little China
Indy Jones Trilogy
Casino Royale [new] (007)
Licence To Kill (007)
The Living Daylights (007)
Napolean Dynamite

Probably more...

 

can't believe i forgot this one, a definite classic, got everything for everyone, boys, girls, adults, giants, Sicilians.....

 

I completely agree that they're great, but most bond films esp. the later Moore films could have used some major plot changes and redesigns. To say those films are sacrosanct is a bit of stretch, but to each his own.

 

Well I said most not at all.

 

Definitely can't say all because that'd include Never Say Never Again.

 

Eh, I dont really count that, it wasnt an official Bond movie not to mention it had already been made as Thunderball, its the only "Bond" movie I don't own.

 

Its the knock-off of James Bond movies, but I only count it since it stars Connery, and he will forever be Bond to me.

 

There are a lot of movies that I can never get sick, that I absolutely love watching.

Almost Famous
Empire Strikes Back
Apt. Pupil
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Wizard of Oz
The Sound of Music
A Nightmare on Elm Street
Rocky 3
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
The Princess Bride

There's tons more.

 

E.T. Walky-Talkies instead of guns for the FBI WTF?!?!?!

 

Alot of great movies here. More of a favorate movies list thread, but anyway, for me.

Star Wars ESB
Slapshot
Office Space
Clerks
Pulp Fiction
2001
Wrath of Khan
End of Evangelion
Team America
Spaceballs
Macross: DYRL?

I'm sure I forgot a few, and there are a bunch more that almost make the list but just fall short.

 

I've got a list as long as several arms that is mostly made up of films already mentioned, but i'll bring up David Lynch's Dune since i'm probably going to be the only person batting for it.

I'll be the first to admit that its utter tosh compared to the book and that studio interference turned the middle part of it into a disjointed mess, but its got an awesome cast and spectacular production that make it the closest thing to a SF equivelent of 50s mega epics like Ben-Hur and The Ten Commandments.

Plus it shits all over the later TV version, which was abominable in just about every way aside from the fact that some of it was closer to the book.

 

Nah, you arent the only one...I love Dune.   The score by Toto is fantastic too.

 

No explanation needed:
Star Wars trilogy
Raiders of the Lost Ark

I like the SW prequels, but there's a fundamental difference between watching the respective trilogies at age 5 versus 25 that makes them incomparable IMO, beyond the tired arguments about the quality of the movies themselves.


Terminator/T2
Aliens
Predator
Robocop
Die Hard

With the exception of the first Terminator, I saw all of those in the theater with my dad (and even T1, we watched on cable/video sometime before '86/Aliens, so it was still The First). Very much the unspoken ritual about dads, sons and R-rated movies mentioned in that Chud article expressing disdain over the potential PG-13 rating for Die Hard 4. These are the best of the best action movies of the era already; that they were also a bonding experience for me and my dad elevates them even higher.

The Breakfast Club - A step above even the rest of the Hughes essentials.

Dazed & Confused - Best high school movie ever. Add the fact that it was shot in Austin, that I can tell where every shot was filmed, and er, even engaged in some of the same activities at those same locations and..yeah..it's like watching a movie of my HS life, only with different clothes and hair.

Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas: Gilliam + (Thompson/Depp) = Gold. I don't know that I've ever read a single review. I know they were "mixed." I don't give a shit. I saw it in the theater on day one, having been a huge HST fan since high school, and just absolutely loved every second of it. One of the most faithful book to film adaptations ever.

Fight Club

Donnie Darko - Damn thing just gets better every time.

24 Hour Party People - 'Madchester' FTW.

A Scanner Darkly - Best movie of 2006, and gives Blade Runner a serious run for the money for best PKD adaptation.

 

Good to know that somebody else here recognises the greatness of this film despite its flaws. Agreed on the score as well, the opening music is one of the first things that comes into my head whenever I think about Dune in general.

Talking of mostly overlooked films with great scores -

This ties with Batman - MOTP for my favorite animated film, so much so that I paid an inordinate amount of money to get my hands on a Japanese DVD. Its lacking allot of what makes the TV series great in my opinion, but it compensates for some of that with shit hot animation and direction.

 

Back to the Future Trilogy, Batman, Blazing Saddles, Brain Candy, Cool Hand Luke, Dark City, Dr. Strangelove, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Fight Club, Ghostbusters, The Godfather I & II, The Great Escape, The Hudsucker Proxy, The Hunt for Red October, The Indiana Jones Trilogy, Inherit the Wind, Once Upon a Time in America, Rushmore, Serenity, Shaun of the Dead, The Shawshank Redemption, The Sting, The Thin Red Line, Young Frankenstein, and probably tons more.