Your ONE Most Favorite Film of All Time? (1 Viewer)

[Mark VH]

That would be my #2

 

[MatthewLouwrens]

Vertigo

It's just a stunning film. The first time, I admired it, but didn't really like it all that much. It just seemed to meander and wander a little bit, taking its time to get where it was going. The second time I saw it, I was astonished at how fast the film actually is - it gets to the ending pretty quickly. There's really not that much fat that you could cut from the film - it's pretty tight. But what Hitchcock does is present the film so that it feels as though it is wandering aimlessly - deliberately, since there is a lot of discussion in the film about just wandering, and it reflects Scotty's current aimless wandering through life after he is forced to retire from his job. And that is a stunning thing.

I also love the way he brings the audience into a point where they very quickly have a lot of sympathy for Scotty, and then at a pivotal point he reveals one key information to the audience but not Scotty. That information distances the audience from Scotty, who we suddenly find ourselves viewing from a more neutral position and we realise that we were buying into a character who really is not behaving in a terribly healthy way.

Hitchcock was a master of audience manipulation. While I think Psycho is most often cited as an example of this (car/swamp), it is also probably his most show-off piece of manipulation. Vertigo by contrast is subtle and simple, but infinitely more effective.

And that's why I love Vertigo.

 

[Greg_M]

MY FAIR LADY

Always has been. Love the script, the music and Audrey Hepburn. Based on what many consider the greatest Broadway Musical of the 20th century. Not a perfect film, it won 8 Oscars including Best Picture and is among the AFI's Top 100 Films.

 

[Rob P S]

Shawshank Redemption

 

[RickER]

Blade Runner...pick a cut, any cut.

 

[Joel...Lane]

Hmmm...If I were stranded on an island and could only have one I guess it would have to be A New Hope. I suppose the nostalgia thing has a lot to do with it. Empire may be a better film but ANH was the original.
(Still haven't bought the bonus features though.)

I do have an affinity for Home Alone also.

This is really an impossible question for me. There's just too much good stuff out there!

What if you could put together a montage of your favorite clips from your favorite films into one movie. If so then I'd have about 50 of my favorite scenes all rolled into one!

The movie itself might not make much sense though.

...move along...move along...

 

[Eric Peterson]

Vote #3 for Billy Wilder's "The Apartment"

The perfect blend of comedy & drama with an incredible cast (Lemmon, Maclaine, MacMurray, Walston, etc...). Even though Wilder is often attacked for his harsh cynicism (which is plentiful in this movie) the film concludes with a great moral lesson and truly heartfelt scene. I have the final line as the greeting on my cellphone "Shut Up and Deal".

I'm overdue for another viewing of this classic as it's been over a year. I wish MGM would release a new SE for this title as it sorely deserves it.

 

[Chris Atkins]

Star Wars--the original. Though all six films are precious to me, if I had to pick only one, it would be this one.

 

[Holadem]

I often wonder how frequently people screen their favorite movie. I think I started a thread asking this question a million years ago. For about 2 years after I first saw Saving Private Ryan and it instantly became my favorite movie, I watched it, parts or whole, on average every other week. I just couldn't have enough. I compulsively watched Magnolia the same way for a long time. I would put it on as background noise while doing stuff around the apt. I've stopped the pratice, I rarely watch my favs nowadays, too many movies out there to discover to keep rethreading the same ole same ole...

--
H

 

[Joseph Bolus]

Favorite movie from a sheer enjoyment perspective:
Star Wars (Episode IV, "A New Hope")

Favorite movie to admire from a sheer craft perspective:
Citizen Kane
And I always follow up a viewing of this movie with a listen to the Roger Ebert commentary track.

 

[Dale MA]

North By Northwest.

I find it to be both technically perfect and highly entertaining. Hitchcock at his best.

 

[Steve Christou]

Micheal Bey's The Independants Day is always my favorit film, grate grate film! I like when big space sheeps comes over all citys and kill everyone! Woah the sound great when reely on loud. Wheel Smif and Geoff Golbloom than fly away to the mothersheep to makes the aleen PC crash! So fanny! Fanastic film, watch more times then 300! 2rd favrit films is Armogedin.

 

[Ruz-El]

Alien Vs. Predator is jsut a sublime experiance. To be able to fit a metaphorical battle between the ID and SUPER EGO into a movie that fits in perfectly with to highly overrated sci-fi (IE: dumbed down comic book movies) series is just a stroke of genious.

And that genious would have to be Paul Anderson. Clearly channeling Wells on this one with the use of light as a metaphor for the internal psychology of the charaters. I do not understand how the AFI has not givn this man a lifetime acheivment award, nor how the acadamy has continued to ignore the work of this visionary who well continue to push the art of film into the future.

 

[Steve Christou]

Yess! Paul Andersson a grate directer! He can makes reely exiting space films and then moves like McNolia wif Thomas Cruz, so tallented! Aleen verses Predeter woold be on mine top 6!

 

[Steve Christou]

Oh alright my favorite film is the fabulous Ben-Hur (1959) and has been for some time.

Some good choices in this thread, I'm happy to see some people picking Star Wars A New Hope over the vastly overrated Empire Strikes Back.

Favorite musical - Singin in the Rain.

Favorite Science Fiction film - 2001 A Space Odyssey

Favorite Horror flick - The Exorcist

Favorite Anime - Akira

 

[JonZ]

2001 A Space Odyssey

 

[Kevin M]

Impossible question, but I'll narrow it down to three titles and then pick:
Seven Samurai
Apocalypse Now (1979 theatrical version)
Blade Runner

....ok, let's see....having been so impressed with the spectacular new DVD from Criterion I have to say that the new image just opens up an already fantastic film to newer levels of visual depth, so Seven Samurai would be my #1 film.......for now.

 

[Chris Atkins]

Now, now, Steve. We are forced to pick only one film. If I could pick from any of the SW films, I would watch ESB, ROTS, and AOTC over ANH. But if I had to pick ONLY one, I would go with ANH for the nostalgia factor. I find ESB superior on pretty much every technical level.

 

[Steve Christou]

Well the muppet factor automatically makes the two sequels to the 1977 Star Wars inferior for me, and the 3 prequels aren't even on my radar.

Favorite Comedy - Duck Soup (1933) followed by Some Like it Hot (1959).

 

[Holadem]

Is the new transfer that much better? I generally don't double dip, but it appears I may have to?

--
H