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can you name your favourite film in one?

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interpolator
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danr interpolator
just got into (well, eavesdropped and muscled into, actually) an interesting conversation with a semi-acquaintance in the pub. Out of all the dozens of films you might have grown up with as a kid, and the ones that stuck with you as you got older and still mean a lot to you, and also the ones you saw in later life that really blew you away, can you name one single movie that you can state "yes, dammit, that IS my favourite"?

the weird thing is, that after quite a bit of chin scratching and wrangling(oh, and me bringing it up) we both hit on the same one : The Haunting http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0057129/

half an hour later, my conscience has been viciously kicking my brain in, screaming "star wars, the great escape, fucking CROMWELL" at me, but i'm almost definitely convinced i was right. Almost. ... Yes. My girlfriend plumped straight in for Psycho ... unswervable. Bang. That's the one. Easy.

the question : can you do it, straight off? Even if it takes days with a notebook and pen, can you come to THE conclusion?

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  • MoP
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    MoP polycounter lvl 18
    My conclusion pretty much always comes directly and rapidly back to The Usual Suspects.
  • Daz
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    Daz polycounter lvl 18
    I can but its a bit embarrassing because I see it on so many resumes. Bladerunner. It isn't the best movie ever, but its one that had the most impact on me watching it as a kid.
  • danr
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    danr interpolator
    The Four Musketeers just walked into the room and kicked me in the shin, and fucked off again. Little bastard, i do wish he'd stop doing that
  • oXYnary
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    oXYnary polycounter lvl 18
    Excalibur.. mezmorizing. The way it was shot, the acting, the choice of music. It just gets me all goose bumped when I watch it.

    It also never gets old.

    Authur: "Are you a dream?"

    Merlin: "A Dream to some; A NIGHTMARE TO OTHERS"
  • poopinmymouth
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    poopinmymouth polycounter lvl 19
    The Iron Giant

    poop.gif
  • Asthane
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    Asthane polycounter lvl 18
    Terminator 2. It's what got me interested in CG (Before that, I wanted to be a pyrotechnician wink.gif)
  • _Shimmer
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    _Shimmer polycounter lvl 18
    Hmmm, always hard to tell.
    There are a lot of VERY good movies but, though not visually stunning nor containing a lot of guns or cool action I came to a conclusion:

    The Big Lebowski

    I liked it the first time I saw it, the second time I loved it, then I got addcited, then watching it drunk, totally blown away about the little its and bits that carry the story, then stoned, totally fascinated how good the plot is, the acting is awesome, timing, soundtrack. Really the best movie ever!

    One of the best things is, not everybody likes it, especially women dont get the jokes...

    And the very best on it, every time I see the movie again (maybe the 20th time, still counting) I find new subtle hints and jokes...
  • sledgy
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    sledgy polycounter lvl 18
    It's embarassing to admit but: Top Gun.

    It's not the best acting, actors, plot, CG (none), or music but it's the first movie I made out with a girl at, then later got to 3rd base, plus my current girlfriend knows the movie word for word.
  • Neo_God
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    Neo_God polycounter lvl 18
    It's very hard, because It might be between the movies
    Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, and High Fidelity.

    But now the shim mentions the Big Lebowski...there's a lot in that, that I love, and makes the movie so damn watchable. I mean the second I quote a line from the movie, I want to watch it, haha. In Fact, I think I'm going to watch it tonight...
  • ScoobyDoofus
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    [ QUOTE ]
    I can but its a bit embarrassing because I see it on so many resumes. Bladerunner. It isn't the best movie ever, but its one that had the most impact on me watching it as a kid.

    [/ QUOTE ]

    WTF! Fag! steal my favorite movie will ya?

    On a lot of resume's huh? Not surprising in this industry. That movie just really spoke to me with its visual design, and its themes. I've got the poster for that movie on my wall at home, and besides the TV is the ONLY thing hanging on the walls in my room.
  • rooster
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    rooster mod
    brazil I think
  • notman
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    notman polycounter lvl 18
    Brave Heart

    Although the StarWars series will always be a big part of my movie loving history.
  • thnom
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    thnom polycounter lvl 18
    I can't really place it, but I'd probably go with Ice-Age. Growing up possibly Terminator 2? More recently The Haunting (the 99? version), then there's American Pie or Me, Myself and Irene. I really put down _ONE_.
  • Weiser_Cain
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  • jzero
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    Raiders of the Lost Ark

    Haven't seen it in a while, but I saw it four times in its initial release. I knew nearly nothing about it going in, and I was floored the whole way through. Lucas and Spielberg, two of the most influential 'pop' directors of their time, collaborate on pure, unadulterated fun. They took old-school Hollywood movie values and basically rolled their own genre in one flick. And it's still pretty damn good today. I like a lot of other films, but that one is a piece of history.

    /jzero
  • palm
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    palm polycounter lvl 18
    This is really a hard question. There really are 4 movies that I can’t choose between. But I’m gonna stick to the topic and say Alien.

    Hmm..:/

    Maybe wink.gif
  • AstroZombie
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    Always True Romance only because it is the only film that, after watching on VHS, I rewound and watched again immediatley after.
  • Bort
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    Bort polycounter lvl 18
    Leon(The professional).
  • Dukester
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    Dukester polycounter lvl 18
    LOL! Great thread. It reminds me of those Rick threads to "Name One" and someone invariably posts a list right off wink.gif ooops sorry you lose smile.gif

    oh...The Searchers


    (a lot of my fav's are already mentioned)
  • JKMakowka
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    JKMakowka polycounter lvl 18
    Uhhhm hard question...
    I am a sucker for certain war movies, so I'd say 'The thin red line' http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0120863/
    Closely followed (or is it even better?) by the real classic 'Apocalypse Now' (Redux).
  • Daz
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    That's up there on my list too JK. TTRL is an absolutely beatifully shot movie.
  • shotgun
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    terminator 2 like duh
  • The3DGuy
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    Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
  • Kevin Johnstone
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    Kevin Johnstone polycounter lvl 19
    Theres a lot of great movies I love but I come back so often to Wonder Boys, that I have to name it as my favourite.

    I'm already thinking about watching it again...

    r.
  • Vermeulen
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    I'd say Goodfellas, either that or the Shining. Both movies I watched as a kid and just loved and still love. The Big Lebowski is almost up there
    I don't understand the appeal of the usual suspects though, was just oridinary,
  • nitzmoff
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    nitzmoff polycounter lvl 18
    I really enjoy Casablanca, it's most likely my one.
  • Valandar
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    Valandar polycounter lvl 18
    Nope. I cannot name "The Favorite" immediately. Mainly because my 'favorite' movie changes so often depending on my mood.
  • arshlevon
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    arshlevon polycounter lvl 18
    Time Bandits for the win
  • Wells
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    The Princess Bride. Easy.
  • DeathKitten
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    Conan the Barbarian smirk.gif

    The battle scenes are still some of my all time favorites!

    -DK =^..^=
  • hawken
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    hawken polycounter lvl 19
    Aliens

    I think I watched it 10,000 times as a kid. Well before I ever heard of a movie called "alien"...
  • adam
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  • Rick Stirling
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    Rick Stirling polycounter lvl 18
    12 Angry men.

    12 actors, one room, one script. The remake was OK, but...pointless...

    There are so many like that, older films depending on the script - Harvey is an excellent example, although it does show its play roots perhaps a little too strongly.

    Just looking at our DVD ranks I notice we have 3 shelves filled with old B&W, with loads of Jimmy Stewert, Audrey Hepburn (stunning!) and Cary Grant.
  • danr
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    danr interpolator
    thnom - get out.
  • JonMurphy
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    Aliens

    I'm sure the missus would say the same thing, seeing as she bought this for herself last year. Still need to get it displayed properly (yes, it is life-size)

    00004hws.jpg
  • KeyserSoze
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    KeyserSoze polycounter lvl 18
    [ QUOTE ]
    My conclusion pretty much always comes directly and rapidly back to The Usual Suspects.

    [/ QUOTE ]

    Never heard of it.

    Despite my forum handle, I don't think I'd consider The Usual Suspects my favorite all-time movie. I tend to agree with Shimmer on most of the points he made regarding The Big Lebowski. Rooster mentioned another favorite of mine: Brazil. I consider Brazil a better movie, but I have to be in the right mood to watch it, while pretty much any time is a good time for The Big Lebowski (kind of like pudding).


    [edit] Jon, for a second I was afraid that your wife had bought herself an Aliens-themed "marital aid" and that you were posting a picture of it laugh.gif
  • Gmanx
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    Gmanx polycounter lvl 19
    LEON (The Professional) English cut. Brilliant cinematography, pace, score, and of course Gary Oldman's "EEEVERRRYYYYOOOONNNNE!!!"
  • Cthogua
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    I was obsessed with the Ghostbusters when i was a kid, and that movie is what really spawned my interest in special effects. I also named my cat Ghostbuster, because when I was little I used to get really scared when I was alone in bed, but Ghostbuster started sleeping in the bed with me and I felt safe. He did that for the rest of his life (around 18 years) Also, when I was in 2nd grade I had just gotten my tonsils removed and the day that I had to spend in the hospital my mom got me this book about how they did the effects in the movie. After I got out we went to go see it (the original) I was hooked from there.

    In less direct ways I think the Dark Crystal has actually had the largest effect one me. I've had a copy of that since I was pretty young, and only later did I realize how significantly Brain Frouds designs had influenced my art, almost subconciously, and set me up for a later obsession with art neauvou.

    However my favorite movie currently...is The Fellowship of the Ring. I've been a Tolkien fan for a looong time and I remember getting chills when the opening music started to play, the rest of the movie was spent with my jaw on the floor and my mind reeling from how incredible a vision of the book it was, it was if my imagining of the book had just been materialized and applied directly to film. When they finally showed the Balrog I wanted to jump outta my seat and yell "FUCK YEAH!!!" shocked.gif
  • BRUTICUS(CW)
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    City of God, before I seen this movie it was Empire Strikes Back and The Matrix surprising that a non sc-fi movie won me over but City of God is just an amazing story and amazing story telling, cinematic genius.

    Still my favorite moment on film is when Vader tells Luke hes his father.
  • KDR_11k
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    Pong. Okay, so that's not a movie but movies don't interest me as much as games.
  • Kevin Johnstone
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    Rick: Moved on to the James Cagney series of gangster noir yet? Highly recommend them... I love the B&W stuff too, but then I like 'words' more than pretty people and explosions.

    r.
  • joolz8000
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    I.... I.... I can't do it. But no one has mentioned The Life of Brian yet, and that's waaay up there for me. Along with about ten previously mentioned titles. Nope, can't make me do it. Sorry.
  • ElysiumGX
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    [ QUOTE ]
    12 Angry Men.

    [/ QUOTE ]
  • steady
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  • Soul_Reaper
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    Laputa: Castle In The Sky.

    Saw this movie years and years ago, and it pretty much single-handledly changed my entire direction in life. Beautifully drawn, wonderful plot and some genuinely charming and interesting characters. For years I could remember vague little bits about that movie, but never the name or anything. I was just starting to think I had made the whole thing up when I downloaded a UT map based on Laputa without realising it. When I started playing on the map, I immediately started to recognise everything. That was pretty exciting for me. I now own two versions of it, a Japanese DVD and the official UK release.
  • TomDunne
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    [ QUOTE ]
    Still my favorite moment on film is when Vader tells Luke hes his father.

    [/ QUOTE ]

    You know what's great about that is David Prowse had no idea, he recited totally different dialogue during that scene. The Vader as Luke's father bit was actually heard for the first time when James Earl Jones dubbed the lines - I think only Mark Hamill amongst the actors knew what was up. God bless movie trivia! smile.gif
  • Chunkey
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    Chunkey polycounter lvl 19
    I'm really torn...

    3 movies that have captured my imagination throughout my life are Papillion, Shawshank Redemption, Goonies (still the best kids movie ever!), Stand By Me and Great Escape.

    I would say that Papillion wins but it's a hard one for me...
  • Rick Stirling
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    Rick Stirling polycounter lvl 18
    [ QUOTE ]
    Aliens

    I'm sure the missus would say the same thing, seeing as she bought this for herself last year. Still need to get it displayed properly (yes, it is life-size)

    00004hws.jpg

    [/ QUOTE ]


    She got a huge Giger dildo? Looks as comfy as the Hello Kitty one...
  • thomasp
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    ^ ^ ! and you can use it both sides, too.

    anyway, dark crystal for me. that one was my early love. aliens being a close second, though.
  • danr
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    danr interpolator
    *cough* it's spelt Papillon *cough*
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