What is your favorite movie?

[rode_kater]

Not sure I have a favourite movie, in the sense I could watch it endlessly. The ones I remember were just memorable or thought provoking in some way.

Fifth Element
Pay it forward (I actually went to see this twice in the cinema)
Love Actually (remains funny, even when you know what's going to happen).
Gattaca
Her (Actually quite appropriate for the modern day)
Lord of the Rings (though the extended edition is quite long)

[Myopic Bookworm]

Lord of the Rings (though the extended edition is quite long)

A cousin of my wife once referred to it as the "Special We-Saw-You-Coming Extended Price Edition".

[Ray]

I much prefer the extended versions.

[Kirbstone]

I like movies about real happenings or true stories and one in my view stands proud of the herd.: Roman Polanski's 'The Pianist', about the survival of Vlad. Szpilman, professional pianist during the Nazi occupation of Warsaw 1939-45.

The music and piano playing throughout is riveting and the story content is true. One great scene however is contrived...the one where having been discovered by a German officer, the protagonist delivers him a faultless performance of a Chopin Ballade on a grand piano in perfect tune inside a half ruined building.

Tom

[mishawakaskirt]

Wow that's a tough one. There are so many.
I could easily come up with a top ten in multiple categories. Like comedy, action, romance, sci-fi etc.

Here are 10 favorites that currently come to mind, in no particular order.

I would have great difficulty choosing number one.


Annie
It's a wonderful life
Ghost busters
Star Trek First Contact
Star Wars
White Christmas
The 10 Commandments
Titanic (James Cameron)
Indiana Jones 1 and 3
Wizard of OZ
Sound of Music

There's 11 ok 12 if you count sequels.

Sitting here thinking further I could easily come up with another 10 movies.

If there is a movie here you have not seen, you do watch it, please let me know what you think.

I in turn am going to try to do the same, there are a few you guys listed above I have never even heard of.

[crfriend]

Here's a few others I've enjoyed over the years:

Buckaroo Banzai and the Adventures Across the Eighth Dimension -- a fine cast, a silly precept, and great lines
Up the Creek -- mindless drivel at close to its best
Real Genius -- ditto, with a decent cast, and an hilarious and apropos ending
Animal House -- ditto, and this one has not survived well
2001: A Space Odyssey -- a true classic with a fantastic soundtrack, compelling characters, and an astonishing amount got right for the future
Pink Floyd's The Wall -- awesome music, great visuals, and an amazing look into the process of going crazy
A Clockwork Orange -- a truly disturbing piece showing the inhumanity than man can inflict on man
Fantasia -- a scintillating soundtrack and covers the gamut from high farce to deep tragedy
Allegro non Troppo -- the Italian answer to the above, also featuring a wide gamut of themes
The Triplets of Belleville -- a bizarre French movie with an hilarious precept, good music, and nice animation.
A Night at the Museum -- Robin Williams as Theodore Roosevelt. 'Nuff said.
Treasure of the Sierra Madre -- a brilliant portrayal of a descent into madness and a source of lines for Blazing Saddles
Blazing Saddles -- funny as all get-out and biting social satire at the same time, some great ad-libbing as well
Continental Divide -- a romance film with John Belushi? Yes!
The Razor's Edge (1984) -- Bill Murray in a dramatic role and one he nails brilliantly

So, yes, I have rather catholic tastes in motion pictures.

Radio call: "The use of unnecessary violence in the apprehension of the Blues Brothers ... has ben approved."

[Barleymower]

Saving Private Ryan - FUBAR
Marathon Man - That tooth nerve is dead now
Bullit - Cars!
Mrs Doubtfire - Tits on fire
Midnight Cowboy. Its Rizzo not Ratso
One Flew over the Cockoos Nest - Its the truth even if it didn't happen.
The Shining - RED RUM
Forest Gump - That's all I have to say about that
Star Wars - Let go Luke
Jaws - I'll never put on a lifejacket again
Telefon - I have promises to keep and miles to go before I sleep

I could go all day!

[pelmut]

[...]
If there is a movie here you have not seen, you do watch it, please let me know what you think.

That would mean I have to buy 9 DVDs.

[pelmut]

[...]
Allegro non Troppo -- the Italian answer to the above, also featuring a wide gamut of themes

You are the first person I have heard mention that film.  In my estimation, some parts of it completely out-fantastia Fantasia.  Well worth watching as long as you have the patience to sit through the cringeworthy introductory sequence.

[crfriend]

You are the first person I have heard mention that film.

It's not commonly encountered in the wild.

[mishawakaskirt]

[...]
If there is a movie here you have not seen, you do watch it, please let me know what you think.

That would mean I have to buy 9 DVDs.

For starters just pick or or two. Watch the trailer s on YouTube if they are on YT that is

[JeffB1959]

Too many favorites I never tire of watching:

Pulp Fiction
King Kong (1933)
Godzilla (1954)
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Dracula (1931)
Superman
Batman
Star Trek II-IV
Star Wars III-V
Thirteen Days
THEM!
War of the Worlds (1954)
The Godfather
The Post
Alien
Predator
Jason and the Argonauts

[Uncle Al]

Watch the trailer s on YouTube if they are on YT that is.

Also there's IMDB(dot)com. ( Internet Movie Data Base )
Just enter the name of the movie in the search box, and you'll back get a list.
Click on the specific movie from the list.
9 times out of 10, you'll find movie trailers at the top of the page.

Uncle Al

[Faldaguy]

I abhor the requests for "favorite" (color, book, movie....) so many good choices already listed; add "The Gods must be crazy" for some more social commentary.

[FranTastic444]

I like movies about real happenings or true stories

I'm conflicted about such films as in all too many cases the writer or director either takes poetic license to add fictional (or historically questionable) content or airbrushes out less desirable traits of an individual or story. When much of a film is centered around historical events it can be difficult to pick out the bits that are added to spice up the story. I had a bout of Altitude Associated Lacrimosity Syndrome when I watched Searching for Sugarman on a flight across the Atlantic only to find out some time later that the director was guilty of lying by omission. And I'll never forgive Michael Moore's underhand editing of Charlton Heston in Bowling for Columbine (I accept that this was a docu rather than a traditional film).

I used to watch a lot of films, but in more recent years I've let this practice fall by the wayside. I blame streaming. When I purchased DVD's I would always watch them 2-3 times (unless they were turkeys) and I always got more out of films on subsequent viewings (something one is unlikely to do with streaming rentals).

I went through a bit of a streak of watching French films and from that era of my life I would recommend -
Amélie
Angel-A
Delicatessen
La fille sur le pont

Other films that spring to mind -
Restless Natives. The landscape is the main star. Special mention for the music of Big Country. Americans are somewhat caricatured, but in a playful rather than spiteful way.
American Werewolf in London. Not usually a fan of horror, but I love this comedy / horror film (helped somewhat by seeing Jenny Agguter in the shower). Honourable mention for The Frighteners (Peter Jackson link to Lord of the Rings)
Paul - I'm drawn to the underlying theme of atheism that runs through this film

The wife and I felt that the extended cuts of the Lord of the Rings films were better than the theatrical releases - the extra running time made the story and the scenes more cohesive. After watching the films, we then worked through the many hours of additional material (including the various commentary overlays). A relative of mine featured as an orc in the third film