I’m a big fan of the “old” movie category, which kinda sorta meets your criteria. These are some of my favorites. In no particular order (and with the assumption that there are plenty that I’ve forgotten to put on the list):
Casablanca (which made me cry the last time I watched it. When did that happen?!)
Please revisit Chinatown. It's a GREAT movie in every way I know. But it requires an investment. Of intellect. All iPhones away. It's complex. so rewarding, though.
‘The List of Adrian Messenger,” 1963. A wonderful puzzle combining mystery, murder and a bit of romance. Cameos abound but it takes some astute effort to identify them!
Cast includes George C. Scott, Kirk Douglas and Dana Winter.
Filmed in B&W, a perfect medium. I’ve seen it at least 10 times.
These are five of my favorites. You might have seen all of them.
Don’t Look Now (1973)
Directed by Nicholas Roeg
with Julie Christie and Donald Sutherland
Brilliant, subtle psychological horror film. Amazing performances.
The Train (1964)
Directed by John Frakenheimer
with Burt Lancaster and Paul Scofield
Amazing film about art thieves stealing masterpieces from France to hold as ransom in Germany.
A Man for All Seasons (1966)
Directed by Fred Zinnemann
with Paul Scofield and an amazing cast
Existential angst adapted from the play by Robert Bolt. Enthralling story and acting.
Roman Holiday (1953)
Directed by William Wyler
with Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck
William Goldman thought Hepburn’s performance was a defining moment in Hollywood. And it’s the greatest rom-com of all time. Full stop.
In the Mood for Love (2000)
Directed by Wong Kar-wai
With Tony Leung and Maggie Cheung
Two neighbors discover their spouses are cheating on them. This film works on so many levels and there are so many different ways to watch it. Haunting music.
I've only seen one or two stage productions and remember nothing about them (A comment on my memory, not the quality of the productions!). For me, the story lives in the movie. Very hard for any stage version to compete with that - especially since at this point my mind and focus have been meaningfully altered by the constant overstimulation of digitalization, short clips, and the powerful influence of the fast forward button. What about you?
I just watched Lawrence of Arabia for the first time in over 30 years. It is staggeringly great. And true. Some other obscurities you may have missed, off the top my head:
Try The Leopard. It's an excellent film, almost as good as the book, which is high praise. Burt Lancaster was the only non-Italian speaker in the cast, so there are two versions. One, subtitled, has Lancaster dubbed into Italian, with the rest of the cast, which includes Alain Delon and Claudia Cardinale, not dubbed; the other, not as good, has the rest of cast dubbed, with Lancaster speaking English. Speaking of Claudia Cardinale, The Professionals is also good, with a terrific closing line.
This is great! I love a lot of the older movies. So many of the new ones aren’t that good. Recently I discovered that YouTube has all kinds of old movies. Yes, there are ads, but they aren’t long, and you can usually skip them after 5 seconds.
My husband and I watched one recently that was quite good: Lone Star (Rotten Tomatoes description): In the Texas border town of Frontera, Sheriff Sam Deeds (Chris Cooper) digs up the past when he finds an old skull in the desert. As he traces the murder of Sheriff Charlie Wade (Kris Kristofferson) 40 years earlier, Deeds' investigation points toward his late father, the much-loved Deputy Buddy Deeds (Matthew McConaughey). Ignoring warnings not to delve any deeper, Sam rekindles a romance with his high school sweetheart while bringing up old tensions in the town and exposing secrets long put to rest.
I also wanted to recommend The Criterion Collection—lots of great older movies. I’ve been tempted to subscribe (it’s not that expensive), but I already watch enough TV!!!
I agree that movies made in the past are much more "watchable" in terms of their artistic value. Movies made nowadays follow certain Hollywood formulas and are mostly unsatisfactory and lacking in depth.
Here is my list of some of the greatest movies I've ever seen.
La Strada and La Dolce Vita by Federico Felini
Death in Venice by Luchino Visconti
The Seventh Seal and Persona by Igmar Bergman
Mao's Last Dancer by Bruce Beresford
The Last Metro by Francois Truffaut
In the Mood for Love and Days of Being Wild by Wong Kar Wai
Ikiru and Rhapsody in August by Akira Kurosawa
Midnight in Paris by Woody Allen
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof by Richard Brooks
A Street Car Named Desire by Elia Kazan
The Shining, Dr. Strangelove, and Barry Lyndon by Stanley Kubric
What type of films do you particularly take interest in?
'Now, Voyager'. Bette Davies at her most luminous. "Don't let's ask for the moon, Jerry. We have the stars." Cue music.
'A Touch of Class' Glenda Jackson and George Segal being funny/sophisticated.
'Perfume' Not as good as the book, but Ben Wishaw....
"Sunset Boulevard'. Of course.
'The Third Man'. because Orson Welles. And it's just weird.
I’m a big fan of the “old” movie category, which kinda sorta meets your criteria. These are some of my favorites. In no particular order (and with the assumption that there are plenty that I’ve forgotten to put on the list):
Casablanca (which made me cry the last time I watched it. When did that happen?!)
It’s a Wonderful Life (which always made me cry)
12 Angry Men
El Dorado
Inherit the Wind
Double Indemnity
Seven Days in May
A Streetcar Named Desire
On the Waterfront
Some Like it Hot
Please revisit Chinatown. It's a GREAT movie in every way I know. But it requires an investment. Of intellect. All iPhones away. It's complex. so rewarding, though.
‘The List of Adrian Messenger,” 1963. A wonderful puzzle combining mystery, murder and a bit of romance. Cameos abound but it takes some astute effort to identify them!
Cast includes George C. Scott, Kirk Douglas and Dana Winter.
Filmed in B&W, a perfect medium. I’ve seen it at least 10 times.
also,Open Water is my #2 after Jaws for H2O horror.
These are five of my favorites. You might have seen all of them.
Don’t Look Now (1973)
Directed by Nicholas Roeg
with Julie Christie and Donald Sutherland
Brilliant, subtle psychological horror film. Amazing performances.
The Train (1964)
Directed by John Frakenheimer
with Burt Lancaster and Paul Scofield
Amazing film about art thieves stealing masterpieces from France to hold as ransom in Germany.
A Man for All Seasons (1966)
Directed by Fred Zinnemann
with Paul Scofield and an amazing cast
Existential angst adapted from the play by Robert Bolt. Enthralling story and acting.
Roman Holiday (1953)
Directed by William Wyler
with Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck
William Goldman thought Hepburn’s performance was a defining moment in Hollywood. And it’s the greatest rom-com of all time. Full stop.
In the Mood for Love (2000)
Directed by Wong Kar-wai
With Tony Leung and Maggie Cheung
Two neighbors discover their spouses are cheating on them. This film works on so many levels and there are so many different ways to watch it. Haunting music.
I've only seen one or two stage productions and remember nothing about them (A comment on my memory, not the quality of the productions!). For me, the story lives in the movie. Very hard for any stage version to compete with that - especially since at this point my mind and focus have been meaningfully altered by the constant overstimulation of digitalization, short clips, and the powerful influence of the fast forward button. What about you?
I just watched Lawrence of Arabia for the first time in over 30 years. It is staggeringly great. And true. Some other obscurities you may have missed, off the top my head:
Matter & Commander
Big Night
Hear My Song
Try The Leopard. It's an excellent film, almost as good as the book, which is high praise. Burt Lancaster was the only non-Italian speaker in the cast, so there are two versions. One, subtitled, has Lancaster dubbed into Italian, with the rest of the cast, which includes Alain Delon and Claudia Cardinale, not dubbed; the other, not as good, has the rest of cast dubbed, with Lancaster speaking English. Speaking of Claudia Cardinale, The Professionals is also good, with a terrific closing line.
This is great! I love a lot of the older movies. So many of the new ones aren’t that good. Recently I discovered that YouTube has all kinds of old movies. Yes, there are ads, but they aren’t long, and you can usually skip them after 5 seconds.
My husband and I watched one recently that was quite good: Lone Star (Rotten Tomatoes description): In the Texas border town of Frontera, Sheriff Sam Deeds (Chris Cooper) digs up the past when he finds an old skull in the desert. As he traces the murder of Sheriff Charlie Wade (Kris Kristofferson) 40 years earlier, Deeds' investigation points toward his late father, the much-loved Deputy Buddy Deeds (Matthew McConaughey). Ignoring warnings not to delve any deeper, Sam rekindles a romance with his high school sweetheart while bringing up old tensions in the town and exposing secrets long put to rest.
I also wanted to recommend The Criterion Collection—lots of great older movies. I’ve been tempted to subscribe (it’s not that expensive), but I already watch enough TV!!!
Speaking of Gallipoli have you seen Breaker Morant
I agree that movies made in the past are much more "watchable" in terms of their artistic value. Movies made nowadays follow certain Hollywood formulas and are mostly unsatisfactory and lacking in depth.
Here is my list of some of the greatest movies I've ever seen.
La Strada and La Dolce Vita by Federico Felini
Death in Venice by Luchino Visconti
The Seventh Seal and Persona by Igmar Bergman
Mao's Last Dancer by Bruce Beresford
The Last Metro by Francois Truffaut
In the Mood for Love and Days of Being Wild by Wong Kar Wai
Ikiru and Rhapsody in August by Akira Kurosawa
Midnight in Paris by Woody Allen
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof by Richard Brooks
A Street Car Named Desire by Elia Kazan
The Shining, Dr. Strangelove, and Barry Lyndon by Stanley Kubric
This is not an oldie, but we just watched Women Talking on Prime and it was good.
I just noted someone mentioned A Man for All Seasons and have to agree with that. For fun, Princess Bride. Brilliantly funny and fun to watch.