Movies you HAVE to watch!

Ok! I know most people are not fond of mafia/gangs films and I was no exception either but here is the thing, I downloaded this movie because of its hype and then it was on my hard disk for like 5 months and I did not bother to play it thinking it as a stupid mafia film.

In my final semester exams, I got tired of working on auto cad and decided to take a break and I started watching this movie. My, my I forgot my exam, I forgot it was 2 am and I was suppose to sit in exam at 8 am, I even forgot my project and I just couldn't stop the movie.

Movie ended at 5 am and yes I didn't sleep that night but wow what a movie! I could not press fwd nor stop! go watch it shooo!

new update 6th august, 2011: I bought godfather book yesterday, (i didnt know any other author in the old bank bank :D) and to my surprise, after harry potter series, this book is the one that i have to force myself to put down and do my work. :D

Note: Don't watch it if you are very used to mainstream cinema because a: it will be too long for you b: It doesn't use hit and run formula.

This movie has Classic written all over it and I am not talking about its run time. lol. but as a film student I loved this movie. 3 actors were brilliant, I mean lately even in 1 and half hr movies, I have been pressing forward but not even a single time that happened in this movie.
Great HUGE sets, hell lot of extras and 3 very brilliantly written characters, This is a really charismatic movie. After watching this movie I realized how much I missed watching slowly built climax.

The good, the Bad and the ugly is actually thirs installment in dollar trilogy.
First movie was made in 1963 called "A fistful of dollars" I watched it on the second number and was very impressed. It's story is quite simple and very straight forwardly told but somehow has a charisma to it that keeps you glued to the screen
Second one was made in 1965 called "For a few dollars more" Again same thing as the first one.

The thing is I thought may be these movies were inter-linked somehow but only actors get repeated so no sequel/prequel thing here.

It's a very recent addition to my list. First off, I was blown away by audio, those audio people, foley guys hats off to them.
Second, I loved the portrayal of army during war, the hopelessness, the uncertainty of life is captured brilliantly. My country's army participated in 3 wars and we won 2 and lost 1 and every time, our media portrayed our army gloriously and yes most of them did great in battlefield but this type of things also happened. And nowadays when you listen to the news of american soldier going crazy in afghanistan and killing some Afghanis and then himself, this movie makes more sense to you.
Marlon is amazing. Martin Sheen said it very well, "With brando there is no acting, there is only behavior."
I have never seen these many extras in a movie as well, the sets, the settings are amazing. (The good, the bad, the ugly) had huge extras too but I think this exceeded)

I love this movie though its not for everyone, I would still suggest it to people because this movie deserves that attention :)

Alien series is amazing!
I downloaded quadrology and watched the whole series in 4 days! (I am one of those people who think 1 movie per day is good! :D ) Alien is first movie series that I watched with my sister! :)

Alien 1 was amazing, I was attentive all the time. Thinking that this was made in 1979 makes you appreciate it more. Sets were amazing!

Alien 2 was a HUGE drama! I loved every bit of it. Me and my sister were so involved in it. Run! Run! is what we were shouting! lol was huge fun!

Alien 3 was the problem. I am still pissed off at the killing of Newt! WTH! what was the point of whole movie 2 ending! and then later a doctor sleeps with ripley and whole romantic thing gets developed and just when you know about his past, aliens kill him! WOW! I was so pissed off I paused the movie and went for a break! Just like Matrix they made a female heroin go epic and just like matrix they made me not cry when she decided to die! Epic fail! how on earth can you not make a person cry for main lead's death!


Alien 3 ending leaves a little room for 4th movie but they made it so for that, yayyy to them!

so Alien 4 has a low rating as well but the thing is it is better than 3rd! it does not make you attach yourself to characters since right when you are getting attached to them, the movie goes on! Some scenes are very artistic but yeah ending was bit odd!
I was like awww! and felt sad but then what can you as a audience do when producers and directors make a mess!

Update: Prometheus came this year and I was very excited to see it. It was said to be a prequel but it ended up having something of its own and since alien franchise is a hen laying golden eggs, we now have to wait for Prometheus 2 to get answers from Prometheus 1. I felt so cheated as viewer.

My best friend is in communication sciences, she was holding it DVD one day and was kind of bored saying she has to do her class assignment on this movie and she found black and white very boring.

I, as usual finding ways to run away from my own studies, agreed to watch the movie and help her. Now, this is a long movie, may be more than 3 hr long but it is just mind blowing. I cried in it many times and I was like "you rot in hell, Hitler, you rot there big time"

anyways it is a great movie, great acting, great direction, just don't watch it with groups because mostly when you watch movies in groups, people tend to concentrate on nakedness more than story!

But do watch it!

What a romance, what a sense of humor,what a passion and what a common sense! you have to love the guy and his kid and when the first half was complete I was literally praying "Oh Allah g! please let them stay together"

I cried in the end, and in the middle. It is a great movie.it is very emotional and very heart touching!

The thing about being a regular movie watcher is that you reach a stage where very few movies compel you to think about them in bed before going to sleep. This is one of those movies.
Festen is a story of a Helge and his household. It is his 60th birthday and every member of the family is arriving at his house for a party. I won't say what happened then because I don't want to ruin this movie for you but it was enough to make me alert even at 2:00 am.
Movie is shot in a way that made me feel as if I was there. The behaviors of family members are quite surprising to watch, the friction between them is amazing. I think this is the most honestly made film I have ever seen on matters of family where members don't go "oh I love my family" hollywood crap in every 5th scene.
If you can digest a different cinema or a fan of it, Go for this movie! you wont be disappointed!

I am so glad I watched this movie, such a great movie. takes its time to built on you but yup definitely worth a look :)
and that reminds me of the quote "eyes are the windows of your soul"

frankly I type a lot for my fav movies but this movie, I believe words can't describe it. you have to watch to feel it :)

This movie has a eeerie feeling that stays with you even after this movie is finished and thats why this movie is almost on everyone's favorite or must watch list.

Jack Nicholson made me remember Anthony Hopkins and all the time I was sitting tight and was like Noooooooo!

well listen, do watch it!

Wow, what a pianist and what a struggle. you fell in for him and you actually go through every obstacle with him. he flinches, you flinch, he hides your heart pounds and THAT is why I think it is best!

Great cinematic experience.
you see sometimes people start with great movie ideas and their story telling ruins it all, and sometimes a simple household people's lives and then show you in a twisty way that you get blown away in the end!

This movie i watched when i was like 15,16. Couldn't understand but then i re-watched and loved it!

I have written paragraphs over paragraphs on this movie in my 30 days-30 movies but its really great! :)

Magic in a true, literal sense.

This is a long movie and I wished it was longer. Its twists and turns will blow you away! just make sure you pay attention to the beginning!

and besides 3 best actors are in it, who would miss THAT!

I watched "wanted" before fight club and it started off kind of same with that. you know both our main characters are in office hating it etc. but as movie progressed I forgot "wanted" and I just fell in for the great chemistry of Brad Pitt and Edward Norton.

The great thing about this movie is the twist in the end and above all, its story telling. It doesn't let you think anything else besides the movie and I dont know why, I found this movie liberating!

If you see this movie on many lists and still not watching it, you are an idiot!

yayy, weee, woooo, eeee, wahhhhh well these are the sounds I made watching this movie and trust me you will make them too.
awesome action, great story, very nice acting and above all thank God it is not another dumb action Hollywood formula movie.
plus it gives you a glimpse of Chinese cinema and trust me, its a nice start there!

you will love it for sure!:)

I am a Muslim, this angelic human thing is not what I believe in and still I don't but then its a movie and I liked it a lot.

Not very twisted movie but a really nice, emotional movie and you will definitely love it too!

I am saying this a lot lately, I know but then I really love these movies! :D

ahhh, wordless here!

solid is one word that comes in mind but it still not justify it! lol
go watch it and you'll understand!

you have to love Kevin Spacey in it! you Have to, no no you Have to!

and what a twist and what an acting. I didn't like Baldwin in it but still wow movie!

Like Godfather, I didn't watch this movie for months thinking it will be mindless cop-thief drama but no no I was again dead wrong.

This movie is very original and very intelligently made. I t doesn't treat you as a retard and THAT is the beauty of it!

Update: I was told by johanlefourbe, that it was a remake of the movie the infernal affairs so i checked that movie too. I personally prefer departed ending more than the original ending. But infernal affairs is a cool movie, if you can do see it too. :)

I couldn't sleep for 2 days, I couldn't laugh at my friend's jokes, I couldn't listen to my teachers lectures, world was just still and I was lost in its wilderness and mindlessness!

when you'll watch it you will know what I was talking about!

all 3 movies and man its 4th is coming! you will love it and trust me its Hollywood at its best!

Update: watched 4th one I think just stick with the 3 movies and watch 4 for the sake of completing the movie sequels.

Its chinese cinema at its best!

Its cinematography is mind blowing, most of the time I just paused the movie to admire the cinematography of the movie.
what a ear and eye pleasing movie. You will appreciate the story, you will love the cinematography, you will be breathless in fights and you will be blown away at the ending!

a chinese cinema hero!

Wow great story, what a amazing eye experience!
did you see those animes wallpapers, those big eyes girls/ those awesome haircuts! well welcome to seven swords!

I watched this movie for Donnie Yen but in the end I forgot everything I was so into story!

great experience!

Do i need to say something!

the Idea is awesome and execution is great! This is the movie that made me cry for an alien for god sake!

(I started hating aliens after alien movies :D )

that famous scene where a hand is moving over a golden wheat type field! wow!

this movie actually inspired me to watch more movies! though my dad hated the scene where the king gets himself killed by his own son!

one single room movie with no FX, no sexy actresses, no bar and naked women, no handsome hero, no action, no emotional speech just pure brilliance and you go wild with it!

12 angry men should be in intelligent movie list!

hannibal's mask, that eeerie Anthony Hopkins voice, that awesome actress,that werido serial killer, total brilliance and awesomeness, dude do i still have to say anything else!

ok So I was bit skeptical about this movie, I admit. I was like it'll be another weird movie which movie freaks like and I dont know whether it lives up to that hype but anyways I watched it and ok this is what happened:

1:first time, it made no sense to me.
2: Cuts were too jumpy and there were scenes in it which made no sense like I got confused on car washing drama, it could have easily be done in 2-3 scenes not worth lot of minutes.
3: In the middle I got frustrated.
4: when it ended weird thing happened and I kind of started liking it. I watched it again
and wow, its like an onion.

rest assured: watch this onion!:D

I just couldn't think of anything else than the hero and his future in the movie!
I loved the sets, the acting, the hero and his love and then the ending!

I just got a dismiss on it but nonetheless it is still one of my favorites!

dustin hoffman is awesome! I never noticed him before! lol

anyways if you see so many references of rain main in like hangover movie or in malcolm in the middle etc then trust me it lives up to that hype!

Besides it makes every normal person wish to be like rainman, how great that is!

I like this movie because of the way director tells the story. And every time I am discussing storytelling in cinema, I refer to this movie.

ok! not many people are fond of it and yet I know many who go crazy about it and I am one of them. you know little miss sunshine, yeah, you too, yeah yayyyyy and we go crazy like little girls! lol

400 blows is my one of the most favorite movie now. I watched this movie without googling it or reading its storyline first. I watched this poster and I saw some people putting this movie in greatest movies list and I thought, why not? and I am so happy I watched it.

This movie has such charisma in to it that I couldn't pause it. It captures childhood so beautifully and mesmerizing-ly that I wished this movie was longer and I was in that city with the main lead. Yeah that's how much it impressed me.
It might not click to all people, I understand because it is one of those movies in which you relate to characters because you once went through the same experiences so it becomes a personal experience for you as well but that of course is different for everyone.
Loved the camera angles and cinematography is top notch. There is a sequence where he is inside the moving circular area, that considering that time, just blew me off. Had a great time watching it.

This is the movie that doesn't take itself seriously and no it doesn't consider you seriously too so if you are going to watch it so that it caress you or cherish your opinion, lol don't.

It is an amazing movie in fact it's one of those recent time movies for me that made me love it. I wish it was longer. :D

So basically it is supposed to be about a screenwriter and everything around him and basically everything they think shouldn't be in movies, turn out to be in their movie exactly how it shouldn't be. Great for movie lovers :D

I was bored, had a bad day and nothing was working for me any more so I thought to watch a movie and chose this and then I forgot about my day and laughed like a maniac and had a great time.
Well, how to begin. hmmmm Peter Sellers rule in this movie. He is everywhere and you don't mind that in fact you love him and his roles and I have to mention Gerorge C scott as well. He played the general role brilliantly and made me laugh so much.
There is something fun in watching grown men act like kids in a dire situation and still taking themselves very seriously and when movie ends you are like oh my God, what the hell did they do?
This movie has some really funny catch phrases. My most favorite line was
"Gentlemen, you cannot fight in here, this is war room"
and
"Now calm down Demtri, how do you think I feel about it"
and and oh one more, (at the height of all tension and drama, US president is talking to Russian premiere and he says)
"Fine, I can hear you now Demitri, clear and plain and coming through fine.I am coming through fine too, eh? Good, then, well then, as you say, we're both coming through fine. Good. Well, it's good that you're fine and I am fine. I agree with you, it is great to be fine"

and yes one more
"I am as sorry as you are Dimitri. Don't say that you are more sorry than I am because I am capable of being just as sorry as you. So we are both sorry, all right?"

and one more when in the end our favorite british officer shouts at the officer,
"Shoot with the gun! That's what the bullets are for, you twit!"
ha ha!
It is such an awesome movie and brilliantly acted that you have to love this movie and laugh, all the while hoping that it doesn't happen in real life.

Highly recommended.

Mein Fuhrur, I can walk.

I watched this movie in early 20s and thought it was so boring. Today, in my mid 20s, I watched it again and realized how simple and charming it really is.
The story progresses in a very interesting and rather clever way making it hard to guess the ending but is engrossing and characters are charming and I loved them.
We have a square Howard, a groovy hippie inspired heroine, a zany writer with a punctual secretary and hoffman is here, playing a mentor so the whole dimension is very interesting, I was really engrossed and charmed. One of those movies which you want to watch in bed: have snack in your lap, eat and just enjoy.

Harold and Maude is bit whimsical, bit quirky, bit funny, bit serious and thank God not preachy. I often felt giddy while watching it, and was constantly enjoying their journey in the movie. so yes, I was never bored which is a huge plus since I get bored easily and I loved our leads. Both delivered a terrific performance.
I don't want to say anything about the plot as I watched it without reading the summary and boy, am I glad. So not giving away anything here as well. Trust me, you'll love it. :D

I thought for a while and asked myself, I never put 2001: a space odyssey in this list so how can I put Solaris in it and then I realized that for me Solaris was more engaging.
Of course it doesn't have those breath taking visuals that 2001: ASO has but it has something that 2001 doesn't have which is bit of a heart. 2001: ASO for me was very cold, it was never inviting in fact after a while you have no clue what is happening and what are you supposed to look forward to. Solaris for me worked because it presented a conflict that I could get excited about and try to find a solution and I never did. In fact I didn't know how it was going to be resolved at all and it kept me in the movie.
Performances are great, visuals are really nice and I love the whole atmosphere of the movie.
I have to check Stalker now. :)
Not everyone's cup of tea, I suppose but if it interests you, I would really suggest you watch it.

I watched this movie as per giraffe's list comments and I was very glad I did.
It was also my first James Stewert movie. It is highly engaging, very mesmerizing and indulging. I recommend it!

Lots of people missed this movie, it seems, cause no one I know has watched it BUT I am glad I did.

I watched this movie for James McAvoy and Jamie Bell cause I like those two actors. So this movie started just like any other movie would, and you nod your head, while munching your chips and possibly do a eye roll as well but the movie then keeps going on and keeps getting more and more twisted and you wouldn't even notice it and when you do, you go, oooohhh.
This movie sticks with you for a while, trust me. It has been shot masterfully, in fact after a while you feel kind of sick. It is not a movie for everybody but it is wonderfully made and sucks you in at its own terms.

McAvoy gave a great performance, in fact surprised me even though I knew he was a good actor so do watch it!

Prisoners seems to have a cult following, I think or may be I count myself alone as a cult, lol but whatever the case may be, it is a wonderful film.

One thing I must state is that it is not a shocker movie, if you have watched enough movies, you can guess some stuff and make a shot at the ending BUT the way this movie is made, the way screenplay pulls you in is AMAZING. This director knows what he is doing and he plays with his characters and his audience with precision and I loved his movie for this.

Brilliant performances, amazing cinematography, very good screenplay and what a study into human's psychology.

You would so rush to imdb forums to find someone to talk about this movie's ending, lol I did. :D

Just like prisoner, Stoker's story is not unpredictable, in fact same thing applies here that has been applied to filth and prisoners. This movie is a prime example of how to masterfully tell a story and how to create an atmosphere that keeps audience in till it ends.

Stoker is the most amazing modern movie I watched. It is a guide for every new film maker to learn how to shoot stuff right. The scenes intermingle with each other, Things mesh together and I have never seen such artsy, beautiful killings on cinema. (I am not a psycho but I have seen goriest killings on screen and this was an amazing surprise) Please know that this movie doesn't glorify killing nor am I but rest assured, this movie took my breath away at times.
Performances were amazing and my issue was only Nicole Kidman. I like her acting but she felt very out of place in the film's setting. May be it is only me but I felt she was too theatrical in this very subtle movie.

I would really recommend to check it out especially if you are an aspiring movie maker, like weird characters, fan of subtle cinema and character studies.