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Author Topic: Perfect Movies Joe Tommassello Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 547 From: Coatesville, PA, USA Registered: Jan 2008 posted 10-13-2008 03:39 PM                  Hello All. I thought it might be interesting to suggest (and debate of course) movies that might be widely considered "perfect". I would say this is a film with little to no wasted scenes, no douche-chill-inducing dialog, the perfectly assembled cast, beautifully photographed, a great and appropriate score, appropriate use of special effects, etc. Essentially a film that you consider the very best it could be. I had a few come to mind... Raiders of the Lost Ark Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade The Sting Casablanca Citizen Kane Gone With The Wind Goodfellas Godfather I left many off to see if some of you add titles I agree with. Looking forward to all thoughts and suggestions.  |  IP: Logged Mark Lensenmayer Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1605 From: Upper Arlington, OH Registered: Sep 1999 posted 10-13-2008 03:59 PM                     Lawrence of Arabia (70mm print shown theatrically..it is not perfect in any other form) Singin' In The Rain  |  IP: Logged Joe Tommassello Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 547 From: Coatesville, PA, USA Registered: Jan 2008 posted 10-13-2008 04:20 PM                  quote: Mark Lensenmayer Lawrence of Arabia (70mm print shown theatrically..it is not perfect in any other form) Singin' In The Rain Thanks Mark. SITR is not my cup of tea but I would love to discuss Lawrence of Arabia a bit because many people whose opinion I respect tell me I am missing out on this one. I tried to watch it a couple of times (most recently in HD on cable, uncut and commercial free of course) and couldn't get into it. I tend to want something exciting to occur in the first reel of a film and this just didn't grab my interest in over a half hour. I think I will wait until I have either a chance to see it theatrically (unlikely) or on an HD video source like Blu-ray. Thanks for putting it out there.  |  IP: Logged John Walsh Film God Posts: 2490 From: Connecticut, USA, Earth, Milky Way Registered: Oct 1999 posted 10-13-2008 07:32 PM                     I always thought 'The Verdict' was well done, with plot points revealed at just the right tme, etc.  |  IP: Logged Mark Lensenmayer Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1605 From: Upper Arlington, OH Registered: Sep 1999 posted 10-13-2008 07:32 PM                     I just saw LOA on Friday evening 10/10/08 in a very good 70mm presentation. I believe the film is only effective when seen theatrically. Many of the shots are composed at a distance, making the image on a TV screen almost unrecognizable. These long shots also demand the clarity of the native 70mm image. The performances are also larger than life. O'Toole, Sharif and Anthony Quinn come very close to the edge of over acting at times, but I think the skill of David Lean kept that in check. Lawrence is a complex story about a complex man. He is a mixture of all that is good and bad about humanity. He is forced to make some very difficult and violent choices during the picture. Of all the films I have ever seen, this is the ONE film that absolutely demands a 70mm theatrical presentation. You just can't appreciate the film unless you see it as it was meant to be shown. But, I warn you, if you ever DO see the film theatrically, be prepared to be very thirsty at Intermission. All that sand looks mighty hot!!!  |  IP: Logged Wayne Keyser Master Film Handler Posts: 272 From: Arlington, Virginia, USA Registered: May 2004 posted 10-13-2008 08:32 PM                     Night of the Hunter King Kong (the real one, not the recent one) and many will disagree, but I think: Lord of the Rings - all 3, extended.  |  IP: Logged Mike Schindler Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1039 From: Oak Park, IL, USA Registered: Jun 2002 posted 10-13-2008 10:35 PM                     The absolute most perfect film I've ever seen is P.T. Anderson's BOOGIE NIGHTS. It pretty much is exactly what Joe describes in his first post. When I watch that movie, I see the work of a filmmaker who is in absolute control of the entire craft. It does not miss a beat. And to think that it was made by a 26 year-old! I've never said this before, but it may be the greatest movie ever made. Damn. I'm gonna have to think long and hard about that one...  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 10-13-2008 11:01 PM                     I'm gonna see different levels in this "what is the perfect movie" topic due to the different generations that attend and reply to this topic. One could say movies from the silent era to the mid 60's are the perfect ones and from every 20 years from then on per each generation that comments. Personally, I can say that there were three silent movies that were the "perfect movies" - Fritz Lang's "Metropolis", King Vidor's "the Crowd" and the first movie to win an Oscar for Best Picture "Wings" David Lean was not a director to forget: Outside of his great "LOA", was "Great Expectations" Now, I know that I'm gonna get shot at this one, but the "perfect" sci-fi comedy that I truly enjoyed was 1984's "Ghostbusters". This was a movie that I had to watch over and over again while I was in the booth "trying" to make my changeovers as I was so deeply enthralled with this movie. -Monte  |  IP: Logged Justin Hamaker Film God Posts: 2253 From: Lakeport, CA USA Registered: Jan 2004 posted 10-13-2008 11:19 PM                        Among recent movies I would say Million Dollar Baby and Road to Perdition. I know I'll probably take some grief for this bit, but here goes. One of the problems I've had with a lot of older movies is they don't live up to modern movies from a technical standpoint. Just as an example, when I watched The Deer Hunter, it sounded like the dialog was coming out of a tin can. I think I had the same complaint about The Godfather. I know I shouldn't let that affect my overall appreciation of these movies, but it is distracting. I also think that most of the really good movies of the last 20 years or so are superior to most movies from the past in terms of story telling, pacing, acting, and most of the technical aspects.  |  IP: Logged Julie Lucero Film Handler Posts: 37 From: Valencia, California, USA Registered: Sep 2008 posted 10-13-2008 11:25 PM                     My ten favorites in order of release. I consider them perfect in terms of delivering the goods (i.e. great story, good characters, well made, walked out of theater very satisfied, can watch over and over, etc.). STAR WARS (1977) THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK (1980) RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (1981) AN OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN (1982) SIXTEEN CANDLES (1984) THE BREAKFAST CLUB (1985) FERRIS BUELLER'S DAY OFF (1986) THE LITTLE MERMAID (1989) GHOST (1990) TITANIC (1997)  |  IP: Logged Mike Schindler Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1039 From: Oak Park, IL, USA Registered: Jun 2002 posted 10-14-2008 12:23 AM                     quote: Justin Hamaker I also think that most of the really good movies of the last 20 years or so are superior to most movies from the past in terms of story telling, pacing, acting, and most of the technical aspects. You hit the nail right on the head. Movies today are way better than they were in the past, and they will continue to get better. This is not so much because of advances in technology, but because of advances in technique. There's this great documentary on editing called THE CUTTING EDGE. It's available on DVD, and can also be found in 1080p on the BULLIT Blu-ray disc. They do a wonderful job of demonstrating how the craft of filmmaking is always evolving. When someone figures out a new and better way to do something, it strikes a chord with other filmmakers, and they inject those ideas into their own work. So it only makes sense that modern movies are better than older ones, because today's filmmakers have more tools (creatively speaking) at their disposal.  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 10-14-2008 01:40 AM                     "Cameron is so tight that if you shove a lump of coal up his ass, in a week you'd have a diamond" - Ferris Bueller (1986) ..excellent all the way! John Hughes knew how to make movies! "Zach Mayo - Mayo-naisse!"  |  IP: Logged Christian Appelt Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 505 From: Frankfurt, Germany Registered: Dec 2001 posted 10-14-2008 07:35 AM                     ...in no particular order: Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) Some Like It Hot (1958) Pickup on South Street (1953) The Great Escape (1963) North By Northwest (1959) La Dolce Vita (1959) Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) M (1931) The Hudsucker Proxy (1994) The Apartment (1960) The Hustler (1961) Lawrence of Arabia (1962) (in a good 70mm print, not the disastrous new print I saw which was an insult both to the original photography and to Robert A. Harris' restoration work) The Red Shoes (1948) La Maschera del Demonio (1960, aka Black Sunday) Ryan's Daughter (1970)  |  IP: Logged Steve Guttag We forgot the crackers Gromit!!! Posts: 12814 From: Annapolis, MD Registered: Dec 1999 posted 10-14-2008 07:47 AM                     No, technically speaking...most modern movies do NOT live up to their older bretherin. Those in the past used everything they had to its fullest. Conversely modern films use technology as a crutch. In fact, most modern films are technically incompetent with truely uninspired soundtracks, over use of Super-35 (which isn't super anything) and lose the dialog within their over zelous music and effects. If your Dear Hunter sound track sounds thin...it wasn't due to how it was made...it sure didn't in the theatres. Note, the clowns of today can't seem to be able to use such advances (of 50-years ago) as 65mm or even panned dialog without making it distracting. Yes, the effects of yesterday seem a bit hokey though many stand up just fine today. In fact, today's effects seem too cookie cutter and once again fake. But back on topic. I absolutely appreciate THE STING being about as perfect as it cane be...it is up there on my list. Mr. Holland's Opus is another one of those for me...if you were alive for most of the eras it covers...it does a pretty good job of capturing the feel...the music and acting are excellent too. It is certainly on the tops of my favorites. Forrest Gump. I think my words on that were "Instant Classic"...I remember thinking after seeing that film...too bad Tom Hanks won the Oscar the year before for Philadelphia...it might hurt his chances for this masterpiece. The Sound of Music. What can I say...supurb Cinematography with one of the best mixes ever done and a great story. Must be seen in 70mm to take in the full experience...It must be heard in 6-track stereo. It is proof that panned dialog works VERY well when done well. 2001: A Space Odyssey...my favorite of all time. It too combines everything from wonderful camera work, phenominal sound to brilliant acting. Some find it a bore...to each their own. Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Certainly not a masterpiece but was EVERYTHING it needed to be and most everyone I know, liked it quite a bit. Little if anything could be added to the movie to improve it. FAME. The acting was spot on and it really captured the feel of that era...even if you didn't go to an Arts school. It is in my personal top-ten, if not in anyone elses. Silence of the Lambs. Very well acted and everything really was brought together nicely to create an unmistakable feel in that movie. Its a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World....if there ever was a film destined to flop due to the over-heavy star talent...this one was it...but it didn't. A wonderful romp and everything a comedy needed to be. The cinematography, sound...etc...were excellent. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. Excellent from beginning to end. I reserve the right to edit/ammend this list later! Steve  |  IP: Logged Scott Norwood Film God Posts: 8146 From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas) Registered: Jun 99 posted 10-14-2008 07:56 AM                        Agreed completely with Lawrence. And, yes, it should be seen _only_ in 70mm. Also: Citizen Kane, Bonnie and Clyde, The Graduate, The Conversation, Wizard of Oz, Singin' in the Rain (even though I'm not normally big on musicals), 2001, The General (Buster Keaton version), Casablanca, Toy Story, 32 Short Films about Glenn Gould, Alphaville, and probably a bunch of others that don't immediately come to mind.  |  IP: Logged

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