What 10 movies do you find yourself recommending?

[Doug Shepard]

I've got some time off between the holidays coming up. One of the things I like to do in that time (other than WW related stuff) is rent some movies and catch up on those I might have missed out on when they were first released. So I thought I'd see if this thread reminds me of any that I thought looked interesting but never got around to seeing.
What 10 movies do you find yourself recommending to others? You don't have to say why, but feel free if you like.

Thought I'd start the list with 10 that I often find myself recommending. They're in no particular order. Some are very well known and others less so.

O Brother Where Art Thou?
The Commitments
The Limey
Snatch
Shawshank Redemption
Lord of the Rings (all 3)
Last Man Standing
Forrest Gump
Finding Forester
Searching for Bobby Fischer

[Rennie Heuer]

What 10 movies do you find yourself recommending to others? You don't have to say why, but feel free if you like.

Hi Doug,
Lord of the Rings is at the very top of my list - Both the LOML and I love these flicks and sit through the extended version trilogy at least once per year.
Others on our list would include:
A Christmas Carol (Alistair Sim version)
Somewhere in Time
The Chronicles of Narnia
The Passion of the Christ
Nearly any Hitchcock film

[Art Mulder]

I don't generally do favourites. It's like asking me what my favourite band is... There are so many good bands. Ditto for movies. Whats the point in recommending anything by Pixar, since everyone has seen them? There are lots of good movies. But here are ones that seem a bit off the beaten path.

In no particular order...

Arsenic and Old Lace -- this is an old black-and-white starring Cary Grant, and is one of the most hilarious movies that I have ever seen. Cary Grant did a lot of near-slapstick humour during his early days, and this movie is full of it. You might also check out Bringing up Baby starring him and a young Katherine Hepburn. (and the baby in that movie is a tame cougar).

The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai: Across the 8th Dimension -- This movie ran in the theaters in my hometown for a grand total of 2 weeks in 1984. What a shame. This was possibly the first movie that I ever bought on VHS. This is one of those oddball movies that the marketers don't know how to market. Yes, it has elements of comedy. Yes, it has elements of action/adventure. Yes, the star even sings in it! Yes, there is some farce, some science fiction, and so on. The biggest problem is that the story line is a bit complex, and stuff in the background is important, and you really have to watch it twice to get the full effect. Fortunately it is now available on DVD. It has so many stars in it as well: John Lithgow, Peter Weller, Clancy Brown, Ellen Barkin, Jeff Goldblum.

Big Trouble in Little China (1986, Kurt Russell, Kim Cattrall). Its been a long time since I've seen this one. This was another one too difficult for the marketers. Comedy. Magic. Kung-Fu. Farce. Hilarious and fun. Kurt Russell does a great job as the swaggering, cocky, hero caricature. But, in actual fact, in many ways the sidekick/buddy of the star turns out to more be the hero in the end.

Adventures in Babysitting -- why not.
Better Off Dead -- Early John Cusack. One of those teenage comedy movies from the mid eighties, but I still liked it.
The Parent Trap -- Curl up with the kids on the couch and have some fun with this one. (The early Walt Disney one from 196x, not the ludicrious remake)
All of the Thin Man movies -- William Powell and Myrna Loy in all their glory in these old murder mysteries. (The first one really has a LOT of drinking in it, but that does tone down a bit in the subsequent ones - but consider the time when they were made.)

[Doug Shepard]

Rennie/Art - Thanks

Hmmm. Chronicles of Narnia. The ads for that did look interesting. Haven't seen Passion of the Christ yet either. May have to check those out.

I've seen Buckaroo Bonzai but it's been EONS. I wouldn't mind seeing that one again.
Also love Big Trouble in Little China - the old bus driver/wizard character with his 6-Demon-Bag is a hoot too and Kim Catrall never looked better. But I've probably seen that one 30 times on TV.

Keep em coming folks.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

The only two I bought in VHS:

Jeremiah Johnson, Animal House

[Rennie Heuer]

Rennie/Art - Thanks

Hmmm. Chronicles of Narnia.......May have to check those out.

The extended version is being released next week - hold off!

Art - Arsenic and Old Lace - Should have made my list. Great film!
Ditto for the Thin Man flicks.

Should have also added anything with Bogart (Casablanca!) or anything Spencer Tracy/Kathrine Hepburn.

Cary Grant movies are also high on my "multi watch" list - am I showing my age? One of the LOML's favorites - An Affair to Remember

If I had to include movies I've seen many times (only because we had kids) I would have to include The Princess Bride - very funny flick.

[Travis White]

Let me see here;

Gladiator
Lord of the Rings
Walk the line
Cinderella man
We were solders
Saving private Ryan
Man on Fire (not something you watch as a family)
The good the bad and the ugly
The prestige (very interesting film, fun to watch)
Top gun

[Reg Mitchell]

Lonesome dove -if you like cowboy movies
Matrix- gotta sit and not do anything to watch this one and must watch it at
least a cpl times to catch it all
Open Range-
We Were Soldiers-
Green Mile-
Apolo 13-
Face Off- gotta watch if youhave kids, lang is sorta ruff
Radio- True story and very good
Phenomoenon- Great story
Six Days Seven Nights
A cpl of these movies are intens and a cpl are movies that make you scratch your head and say wow is that really possable, The Green Mile, Phenomenon, The Matrix are the ones. The others are very good and I watch them a lot.....
Theres one good thing, among others, when you get a little older you can have a few movies and watch them again and again and it like watching a new movie

[Dan McGuire]

I will second Ken with Jerimiah Johnson, and raise him Lonsome Dove and Caddy Shack.

[Lee DeRaud]

Let's see..."off-beat, not seen that often"...how about:

"Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels" (British crime comedy by Guy "Mr. Madonna" Ritchie...his "Snatch" is also good but very similar)
"Big Trouble" (Tim Allen comedy from Dave Barry book - enough said)
"Tremors" (hilarious 50's-style monster movie, first sequel isn't bad either)

If you like 'Buckaroo Banzai":
"The Fifth Element"

My Stephen King "non-prison" trilogy:
"Christine" (one of John Carpenter's better efforts)
"Misery"
"Delores Claiborne"
("Shawshank" and "Green Mile" are already on everybody's list, right?)

The Evolution of Antoine Fuqua:
"The Replacement Killers" (John Woo-ish thriller with Chow Yun Fat)
"Training Day"
"Tears of the Sun" (the movie that "Behind Enemy Lines" wants to be when it grows up)

"The Village" (M. Night Wossname's best, IMHO)

And for music fans:
"Secret World Live" (Peter Gabriel)
"Pulse" (Pink Floyd, more or less)