Looking for some movie reccomendations... (1 Viewer)

[PeterK]

Well I just finished watching Little Miss Sunshine. Thought it was VERY good. I'm looking for other movies of a similar nature, I guess. I don't even know how to classify it, like a realistic comedy, or something... pretty much just GOOD movies as opposed to ones that are merely entertaining...
I saw pieces of april a while back and liked that, and classics like The Graduate and Tootsie, and I loved About a Boy.
I'm just wondering what else there is out there from this genre that i've yet to see and am missing out on!

 

[Andrew_Sch]

I think you might like Wonderboys, if you've never seen that.

 

[PeterK]

excellent! i'll definately watch it...as soon as midterms are over that is. BOO!
keep 'em coming!
anything really, especially things like classic movies that i'm missing out on that people may be like "wow you haven't seen that!" i'm just looking for some quality ACTING movies that aren't focused all on action or gags (trying to branch out here lol)
my uncle says watch annie hall. don't really know much aobut it.
Thoughts?

 

[Nick C.]

Lots of great dark comedy or "dramedy"'s out there. Some fun ones: Dr. Strangelove, Ghost World, The Player, Fargo, and Gross Pointe Blank. Specifically involving dysfunctional families, the standard would be, for me, The Royal Tenenbaums, and to a lesser degree, The Squid and the Whale.

Just some suggestions, they may not float your boat, as Little Miss Sunshine was tremendously ordinary in my mind and rather underwhelming

 

[Edwin-S]

Praire Home Companion. Not in the same vein as Little Miss Sunshine but, nonetheless, a good film.

 

[Claire Panke]

Men Don't Leave...dramedy rather than straight comedy but Joan Cusack does provide some terrific moments. Stay with it - it has a happy ending.

I'll enthusiastically second Wonderboys; Royal Tennebaums; Squid & The Whale; Grosse Point Blank; Prairie Home Companion, The Player and add Gosford Park (love Robert Altman).

As for Annie Hall, have you seen any Woody Allen films? A lotta people would consider AH a classic.

Interested in any dramas?

BTW - just how far back into the past are you willing to go when you say "classic"?



I think it's very cool you're seeking to expand your movie horizons.

 

[PeterK]

no i haven't seen any woody stuff. what would be some good ones?
for classics, i guess it doesn't really matter. i've seen a fair amout of hitchcock stuff. actually maybe there's some really good ones i haven't seen

The birds
Psycho
North by northwest
vertigo
The man who knew too much
To catch a thief
The lady vanishes

i think that's about all i've seen of those. Any good ones I missed?

I'm not too sure how far back I'd go as classics. i've seen some things of like the 60s? maybe. The apartment, 12 angry men, some like it hot, the Party, the Poseidon Adventure.
I've yet to see casablanca or GWTW but i don't really have any desire to see it. so i guess that's my cutoff point for "old" movies. anything that just gets too old that it seems vastly culturally different from modern stuff. or very overly acted like those really old movies can be.

thanks claire, yeah i'm just looking for some new things. I've realized that i'm starting to rewatch things that I've already seen far too often. I just saw Little Miss and really like it, and I didn't catch that one in theaters and didn't really even know about it until last week! So I figured if i missed that there's probably tons of good movies out there that i haven't seen.

newer old things too, looking for everything really. I watched norma ray and House of sand a fog a few months/year back and thought they were really good. House was a bit too depressing for my liking but was still pretty good.

thanks all!

 

[Jon_Are]

I'll mention this one because I just finished watching it and was completely surprised at how much I enjoyed it:

The Matador.

This film seems to fit what you're looking for, and it also stars Greg Kinnear of Little Miss Sunshine.

Jon

 

[Josh.C]

If you enjoyed Little Miss Sunshine, you need to do yourself a favor and go rent Thank You for Smoking tonight!

I would also include Stranger than Fiction which is soon to be released to DVD.

JC

 

[Nate Anderson]

I consider AH along with Purple Rose of Cairo, Hannah and Her Sisters and Crimes and Misdemeanors as Woody Allen required viewing. Others probably have their favorites. Personally, I'm also fond of Manhattan Murder Mystery and Everyone Says I Love You.

 

[Nick C.]

Have you caught Rear Window yet? My favorite Hitchcock!

 

[PeterK]

rear window, now that one i wasn't sure about...was there a remake? I think I saw that...i'm not sure though.
It's the disabled guy that watches the neighbours through the window, right?

 

[Andrew_Sch]

Peter, do yourself a favor and don't automatically shrug off a film because of its age. Like any great art, great films have meaning and power independent of whatever time or culture that spawned them. I'm thinking specifically of Casablanca, which you mentioned; everything about that film resonates as strongly for me today (I'm 21) as I imagine it would have the day it was released.

 

[PeterK]

ok i'm home for reading week! yay!
just watched Thank you for smoking. thought it was hilarious. I loved the kid!
Any other suggestions? cause i'll only be able to get them while i'm home this week!

 

[Josh.C]

Thought you might like that one Peter

 

[Stevan Lay]

Definitely check out The Matador.

Another featuring Greg Kinnear:
Nurse Betty

Also check out:
The Station Agent
Raising Victor Vargas
Sideways
Better Luck Tomorrow
Thank You For Smoking