Movies every film maker should see

well, I think everybody should see Lost in Translation, a film proves that you don't need visual effects. but before watching it, see Matrix 2 which was a milestone in visual effects. then you can discuss which is better, and you will realise that a 'movie' needs huge amounts of effects (else everybody falls asleep) but a 'film' is still a film. this is my opinion.
 
There are plenty of great films that don't use visual effects, but Lost in Translation isn't one of them.
 
When i'm stuck for rental ideas i like to pick a new genre and go nuts. Just start watching french new wave movies. you get sucked in and feel like you have to see them all. or german expressionism or italian neo-realism. be careful with american noir. I am officially obsessed. Just when i think i've seen almost all of them i find a whole new avenue of brilliantly dark, artistic, disturbing, thrilling films, a lot of which were made outside the studio system. so good. and the good guys rarely win. i love that.

and if you haven't seen THE KILLING by Stanley Kubrick you need to leave your computer immediately and go rent it.
 
Kubricks:

Killers Kiss

the killing


Lighting extrodinaire


Midnight Cowboy...Storytelling

8mm....How not to make a film

Apollo 13....historical storytelling

Doctor Zhivago...Cinematography

Wnged Migration...Cinematography+++
 
What do you think about:

* Cube - This was an intresting movie but I didnt like the other cube movie (hyper cube or something).
* Falling Down
 
Interesting, 172 posts and Touch of Evil was only mentioned once (I think, it is late). This is, IMO, a must see for every filmmaker. I do not believe that there is a better example of a filmmaker (Orson Welles) in love with the process of filmmaking abd having it come across on the screen. The cinematography, often described as "baroque" is one of the best examples of the film noir style. It is a must see for the opening shot, a 3minute, 7second crane, dolly shot through Venic CA at dawn is awesome. I love the compositions also.

Now watching Janet Leigh and Charleton Heston (playing a Mexican) being lovey-dovey can be kind of a pain, but it is more than made up for by the privilage of watching Orson Welles and Akim Tamiroff playing bad guys. The final sequence is classic. A must see. Get the restored version if you can.

Of course, there are hundreds of others, as stated by the above posts, but take the time to see Touch of Evil.
 
I've noticed Chaplin is mentioned a few times but no Buster Keaton, who is arguably more influential. Movies of his that are must see:

The General
Sherlock Jr.
The Cameraman (every shooter should watch this)
Steamboat Bill Jr. (with the famous shot where the house facade falls on him)
and the shorts, lots of shorts

Talk about action movies - to see this man do what he does onscreen is astounding. When I watch Buster Keaton movies I have this idiot grin all over my face.

Recent additions to my personal list:

Through a Glass Darkly - I. Bergman
Kanal - A. Wajda
The Pasion of Joan of Arc - C. Dreyer
Blue - K. Kieslowski

I've been watching alot of Godard lately (Breathless, Les Carabiniers, Weekend, Contempt, My Life to Live) and I am conflicted. While I find the experience of watching these totally liberating in my thinking of what a film is, he sure has a tendency to put a couple of people in a room and have them yammer on for 30 minutes.

Good discussion.
 
Phil said:
Boondock Saints--- first time writer director Troy Duffy.
Click to expand...

Also check out Overnight, a documentary about Troy Duffy. It's a great cautionary tale. You can see what kind of film Boondock Saints could have been, and how to screw up the world being handed to you on a silver platter by the Weinsteins. Watch as Troy flushes it all down the toilet by being a pompous neanderthal.

If you are a fan of Boondock Saints, I have to warn you it will change your opinion of the filmmaker. I now hope he never gets another chance to make a movie. (That sounds harsh unless you've seen Overnight, and it's not 'the editing', you can see one shots in which editing tricks would have been impossible to change context)
 
Breathless - Godard
Audition - Takeshi Miike
Ichi the Killer - Takeshi Mike
Old Boy - Chan wook Park
Sympathy for Mr Vengeance - Chan wook Park
Short Cuts - Robert Altman
The Player - Robert Altman
Annie Hall - Woody Allen
Eraserhead - David Lynch
Blue Velvet - David Lynch
In the Company of Men - Neil Labute
Primer - Shane Carruth (A great example of a film that works on it's high concept, well told story, but is nothing technically remarkable, most of the work people post here shot with the DVX look and sound much better, it was shot on 16)
Waking Life - Richard Linklater
Tape - Richard Linklater
Slacker - Richard Linklater (Linklater's indie stuff is very inspiring)

Watch bad indie movies, to see how you would have improved on them, to recognize what doesn't work about them...

And check out Soderbergh and Rodriguez flicks for great Director Commentaries.

Oh, and I want to second COMMANDO, that flick rules.
 
1) Last Life in the Universe (Parts of it are in Japanese, Thai, and English...So only rent it if you don't mind subtitles. The ending makes this one of my favorite movies of all time. It is filmed in DV)

2)Requiem for a Dream [unrated] (the cinematography and story are excellent. This is tied as one of my top two favorite movies of all time).

3)Visitor Q [Unrated] (Don't rent it if you don't like subtitles or graphic material. It is in Japanese and is possibly one of the sickest movies I've ever seen...Filmed in DV)

4)Ichi the Killer [Unrated] (It's in Japanese, but it is also dubbed if you can't speak Japanese and don't like to read. It's also a very graphic movie.)

5)Suicide Club (In Japanese)

6)Shaun of the Dead

7)Noi Albinoi [AKA Noi the Albino] (Norwegian [sp?] movie....so subtitled once again. The cinematography is excellent, the acting is excellent, the soundtrack is excellent, and the ending is...excellent!)

8)6ixty9ine (audio is in Thai. It is subtitled. Great black comedy. I think it's filmed in DV but I can't remember at the moment)

9)Kids (possibly the most controversial film of the 90's)

10)Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

11)Hellevator (In Japanese. Subtitled. This isn't exactly a great movie, but it shows what someone can do with a $0 budget, literally. The director spent NOTHING on it. Fantastic film for how much it cost to make, and they show an easy way how to do a bullet-time scene. The ending is absolutely gorgeous [and very good if you understand it]. Shot on DV)

12)Trainspotting (From Scotland if I remember correctly. It's a great reference if you're going for more of a pop-art style.)

13)The Bird People in China (Japanese and subtitled. The scenery in the movie is it's highlight. Takashi Miike, the director for this movie and many other of my favorite movies, is known for the way he starts and ends his films. This is no exception. I can't describe how good the ending of this movie is. This is one of his few serious dramas)

14)Young Thugs: Nostalgia (A great movie directed by Takashi Miike. Japanese and subtitled)

15)Audition (Japanese and subtitled. A must-see for any Miike fan. This is considered the Japanese "Misery")
 
Films from every decade, since films began to be made.

Although they didn't really get to be any good before 1950.
 
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