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 been so tempted to subscribe to Criterion, but I’ve been finding a lot of good, older movies on YouTube. We have Amazon Prime, and it appears that we got a free subscription to Netflix when we switched to T-Mobile. I enjoy good movies, but I only have so much time!
I really appreciate all the recommendations. I’m familiar with a lot of them, and would enjoy seeing them again.
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.
Hi, Anne. I second this notion! I gave up on streaming services a few years ago but was delighted to find an eclectic assortment of free movies and TV shows over on YouTube. Lots of good kitschy stuff too!
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!!!
It's the ONE streaming service that I feel completely and utterly ambivalent about... Luckily our public library has an excellent collection... but NOTHING like Criterion. 🤩
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
Hi, Louisa. I "made" my husband watch Strangelove for the first time and of course, I was howling and he was a little confused. 😅 But that one gets funnier and funnier with each passing. Anyway had to share and good on you for recommending 3 Kubrick films!!👏
Hi Maribel, good move to share Strangelove with your husband. He may not get it the first time around, but I totally agree with you that it gets funnier and funnier with each passing. A classic worth watching again and again! Kubrick was very lucky to have the blessings of Warner Brothers to make films in his own, very slow and deliberate way. Nowadays, such a "luxury" doesn't exist anymore, and it's become very hard for art films to flourish. Shame!
What type of films do you particularly take interest in?
Any kind!
Could pick a million! Going to recommend something TV instead to watch with the wife if you haven’t already - Beef on Netflix. Masterful writing
'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.
Hi June,
Thanks for the recs. I believe the only one I've seen is A Touch of Class, but I don't remember it so all effectively new watches for me.
Treats for you then! I'll be glad to hear your views if you watch them.
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
S-Rit, if applicable, what has been your favorite Streetcar on the stage?
I'm due for a rewatch of 12 Angry Men and Inherit the Wind. Thanks!
Have you seen Laura-- very similar to a number of the movies on your list
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.
Never properly watched it. Probably multi-tasking.
‘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.
What a cast! Definitely on the list now.
😁
I remember that one, and it was good!
😁
also,Open Water is my #2 after Jaws for H2O horror.
Open Water freaked us out. Blair Witch for the sea?
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.
Great list. A Man for All Seasons particularly caught my eye.
Have not seen ‘Mood’ but the others are excellent !
In the Mood for Love is classic. Watch it a couple times over a few months and see what you think.
Is it streaming?
I don’t think so, but I don’t know for sure. Try your local library maybe, too?
Oh you know what. It might be on HBO.
Thanks!
Thanks for the list! I’ll have to see if I can find them anywhere.
They are all readily available. There’s a gorgeous bluray of Roman Holiday and Criterion has Don’t Look Now and In the Mood for Love.
Thank you!
I’ve been so tempted to subscribe to Criterion, but I’ve been finding a lot of good, older movies on YouTube. We have Amazon Prime, and it appears that we got a free subscription to Netflix when we switched to T-Mobile. I enjoy good movies, but I only have so much time!
I really appreciate all the recommendations. I’m familiar with a lot of them, and would enjoy seeing them again.
It’s so true. So many great movies that I know I am missing. Just not enough time in the world!
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
Lawrence of Arabia! Yes, definitely worth a rewatch after so many years.
I’ve been wanting to see Lawrence, but I haven’t found it streaming anywhere.
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.
Wow. Loved the book. So that's high praise. Thanks for that.
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.
Anne,
My wife and I are indebted to you. We were looking for something to watch and I came across your suggestion of Lone Star. We loved it! Thanks.
Yay! There are lots of good movies on YouTube—I’ve been surprised.
Hi, Anne. I second this notion! I gave up on streaming services a few years ago but was delighted to find an eclectic assortment of free movies and TV shows over on YouTube. Lots of good kitschy stuff too!
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!!!
It's the ONE streaming service that I feel completely and utterly ambivalent about... Luckily our public library has an excellent collection... but NOTHING like Criterion. 🤩
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
Hi, Louisa. I "made" my husband watch Strangelove for the first time and of course, I was howling and he was a little confused. 😅 But that one gets funnier and funnier with each passing. Anyway had to share and good on you for recommending 3 Kubrick films!!👏
Hi Maribel, good move to share Strangelove with your husband. He may not get it the first time around, but I totally agree with you that it gets funnier and funnier with each passing. A classic worth watching again and again! Kubrick was very lucky to have the blessings of Warner Brothers to make films in his own, very slow and deliberate way. Nowadays, such a "luxury" doesn't exist anymore, and it's become very hard for art films to flourish. Shame!
It’s a damn shame!!
Yes, it is! :-(
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.