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The fact that you hang out on this part of C-D means that you're probably more familiar with some of these recommendations than with what's playing at the local multi-plex. But here's some that I've particularly enjoyed over the years that may give you something to fill the empty hours over the holidays.
"In America", possibly one of the least viewed Oscar nominated movies of the last decade. The life story of director Jim Sheridan, who also directed "Hustle and Flow" (I don't care how "whitebread" you are, H&F is the best movie about rappers you'll ever watch). This film has two of the most wrenching lines I've ever heard, one of the most beautiful sex scenes and one of the most tense carnival game scenes ever.
You don't have to be a fan of live theatre to have enjoyed these three, which all have theatre as a theme;
"Topsy Turvy", how Gilbert and Sullivan came to write "The Mikado". Jim Broadbent as his most stuffy Englishman.
"Cosi", Toni Collette and Rachel Griffiths followed up "Muriel's Wedding" with this one. Not as well known, not as many laughs, but sometimes the inmates really do run the asylum.
"Stage Beauty", I thought this was better than the similarly themed "Shakespeare In Love". It takes place about 60 years later, Charles II is on the throne and being asked to eliminate the ban on women on stage. I'm sure you were as bored as I with "Samuel Pepys' Diary" in high school, but here he becomes so interesting that you may want to go read him, again for the first time! Anything with Clare Danes is going to be high on my list anyway.
A couple of Ben Kingsley's that seemed to fall through the cracks are "You Kill Me" with Tea Leoni, and "Sexy Beast". Another great Ben Kingsley, with Sigourney Weaver is Roman Polanski's "Death And The Maiden".
"Character" is a Dutch movie from about 7-8 years ago that was nominated (I think it won) for Best Foreign Film. My wife found it a bit tedious at a bit over 2 hours of reading sub-titles, but I thought it compelling.
If you like westerns try "The Proposition". It's better and bloodier than the other Aussie western "Quigley Down Under".
I've always liked Mary Steenburgen, probably never more than in "Melvin and Howard", "Cross Creek" and "Time After Time".
"Chances Are" is a romantic comedy that EVERY guy I know when their wife/girlfriend brought it home from the video rental store GROANED when they read the description. Yet most guys like it as much as the girls.
I accidently erased this and had to take a mulligan. I'll add more later.
Great suggestions, golfgod! I loved "In America". What a great movie! I also liked "Sexy Beast" and "The Proposition" very much. I'll be sure to check out some of the other movies you listed... (A somewhat obscure movie I enjoyed recently was the Hungarian film "Kontroll".)
I LOVED Quigley Down Under (never saw The Proposition though we own it)
Time After Time is fantastic.
Loved Frankie and Johnny (w/Pacino and Pfeiffer)...
and for Alan Rickman fans such as myself I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED January Man (w/Kevin Kline and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio)... if you haven't watched it yet... DO SO...
Seraphim Falls was wonderful and those are normally not my type of movies. Anything w/Liam Neesom is a watcher IMO.
Thanks for lovingcarl for reminding us about January Man (w/Kevin Kline and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio). I had missed that when it came out so a buddy made a copy for me of that and "Love You To Death", both laugh out loud funny. "Cosi" is a bit quirky, but its' given me some ideas for a play I'm writing.
I was just thinking of Mary Elizabeth Mastrastonio the other day when I was unpacking my DVDs and saw "White Sands" in there. She's sexy/funny in it.
"Never Cry Wolf" is another great film. I'm usually not much on "animals in the wild" kind of stuff, but it's pretty cool. There's a scene that is like the car chase in "To Live And Die In L.A." that always makes me wonder how they shot it.
Yeah lovemaine, "In America" is very high on my list. "Kontroll" is on my netflix queue, probably in the top 15 or 20.
Miss Potter (2006) This one seemed to come through town with little notice or fanfare. I thought it was going to be Mary Poppins like with dancing animated animals performing with the actors but it's not like that at all. The story takes place as a 30 something and unmarried woman pursues her goals, against the odds in Victorian England - and succeeds in many ways. Great story, acting and beautiful cinematography.
I've always liked Mary Steenburgen, "Cross Creek" ".
These three hit home. I fell in ove with Mary in Cross Creek. Topsy Turvy was a very enjoyable film. "Karakter" is probably on my all-time top-ten movies list, although I havent made the list, so Im not sure.
Just a couple of hours ago, on "babes" thread, I named Tamara Van den Dop from Karakter as a hottie.
"In America", possibly one of the least viewed Oscar nominated movies of the last decade. The life story of director Jim Sheridan, who also directed "Hustle and Flow" (I don't care how "whitebread" you are, H&F is the best movie about rappers you'll ever watch). This film has two of the most wrenching lines I've ever heard, one of the most beautiful sex scenes and one of the most tense carnival game scenes ever.
You don't have to be a fan of live theatre to have enjoyed these three, which all have theatre as a theme;
"Topsy Turvy", how Gilbert and Sullivan came to write "The Mikado". Jim Broadbent as his most stuffy Englishman.
"Cosi", Toni Collette and Rachel Griffiths followed up "Muriel's Wedding" with this one. Not as well known, not as many laughs, but sometimes the inmates really do run the asylum.
"Stage Beauty", I thought this was better than the similarly themed "Shakespeare In Love". It takes place about 60 years later, Charles II is on the throne and being asked to eliminate the ban on women on stage. I'm sure you were as bored as I with "Samuel Pepys' Diary" in high school, but here he becomes so interesting that you may want to go read him, again for the first time! Anything with Clare Danes is going to be high on my list anyway.
A couple of Ben Kingsley's that seemed to fall through the cracks are "You Kill Me" with Tea Leoni, and "Sexy Beast". Another great Ben Kingsley, with Sigourney Weaver is Roman Polanski's "Death And The Maiden".
"Character" is a Dutch movie from about 7-8 years ago that was nominated (I think it won) for Best Foreign Film. My wife found it a bit tedious at a bit over 2 hours of reading sub-titles, but I thought it compelling.
If you like westerns try "The Proposition". It's better and bloodier than the other Aussie western "Quigley Down Under".
I've always liked Mary Steenburgen, probably never more than in "Melvin and Howard", "Cross Creek" and "Time After Time".
"Chances Are" is a romantic comedy that EVERY guy I know when their wife/girlfriend brought it home from the video rental store GROANED when they read the description. Yet most guys like it as much as the girls.
I accidently erased this and had to take a mulligan. I'll add more later.
Lets have some of your "hidden treasures"!
golfgod
Lovely! I love Topsy TUrvy as well; I finally caught in on OVTV a few months ago. Broadbent is electric! Sexy Beast, I caught edited on a basic cable channel a few months ago as well. Even when heavy editing, the 'beating' was difficult to watch. But the story was very interesting and the acting was phenomenal. An excellent movie.
Some of my 'must sees' (I'm a movie BUFF so bear with me):
RAISE THE RED LANTERN and THE ROAD HOME----both are staples of chinese cinema from one of my favorite directors, Zhang Yimou-most widely known for his gorgeous movies 'Hero' and 'House of Flying Daggers'. 'RED LANTERN' and 'ROAD HOME' are very different than those latter two films however, in that , though just as beautiful, they are steeped in realism and hinged on great performances. There is no hint of 'fantasy' to them at all but are even more affective than his glossier works. The Road HOme in particular is one of my favorite movies of all time...as a mother, I found it incredibly moving. Here is my review:
RAISE THE RED LANTERN tells the story of a wealthy chinese man with multiple wives who must deal w/ the arrival of their newest challenge, his youngest and most beautiful wife. It is fascinating in the extreme, though the dvd seriously needs to be remastered due to some very obvious mistakes in the subtitles etc.
From famed Japanese director Akira Kurosawa-HIGH AND LOW and IKIRU. 'High and Low' is another of my favorite all time films and is YEARS ahead of its time in its execution. It is the story of powerful executive whose son is kidnapped and the resulting matters of conscience that he must cope with upon some stunning realizations. Phenomenal movie!
Also, IKIRU, chronicalling the extremely moving journey of a man who finds he is dying and chooses to live his life to the fullest during his final days. My review is here: MOVIN' PITCHERS
Additional gems that I view as MUST SEE:
1.THE PASSION OF JOAN OF ARC-an early silent film...possibly the greatest female performance set to film to this day.
2. YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU-In my opinion, Frank Capra's masterpiece and one of the happiest movies ever made!
3. EMPIRE OF THE SUN-One of Spielburg's best movies, in my opinion superior to Schindler's list. See Christian Bale in his break through performance as young Jim Graham-a child seperated from his parents and sent to a Japanese concentration camp. The best child performance of all time, arguably.
4. THE IRON GIANT-a masterpiece of annimated filmmaking and for some reason it slipped under the radar. The most unpredictably moving film I've seen of its kind.
5. A MIGHTY WIND-Christopher Guest's hilarious 'mockmuentary' about folk music is possibly his best effort yet. His 'staple' cast is at the top of their game here...and the songs stay with you!
I thought Asoka was powerful.
Loved Mrs Miniver. Real Genius is just clever and funny. Team America will one day be a cult classic. Project A (HK version) is my fave Jackie Chan. Hard Boiled (also asian version) - tough movie. Bhaji on the Beach is different, funny, culturally sensitive.
The Winslow Boy is an incredible movie! Great choice...I think Rebecca Pigeon is magical in that movie...
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