Best Movie Ever!

[Skye]

M (1931) - Fritz Lang's first talkie, a haunting study of a compulsive child killer (Peter Lorre in one of his first films) is still creepily effective all these years later. Lorre is chilling as a pathetic, tormented psychopath, who roams the streets whistling ("In the Halls of the Mountain King" from Peer Gynt) in search of victims. The criminal underworld decide to take matters into their own hands, to get the police off their backs. In the climax of the film, Lorre is dragged in front of the city's criminals, where he is put on trial, and pathetically pleads his case. Lang cuts back and forth between the police and the criminals throughout the film, and their efforts to catch the killer. The criminals always seem to be one step ahead of the police. Lang uses sound (and silence) to maximum effect, heightening the tension. Peter Lorre is excellent as the lead, and this film cemented his status as a new star. On the basis of this film, Alfred Hitchcock cast Lorre as the ringleader of the assassins in The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934), and the actor played a variety of colorful roles for the next 30 years, until his death in 1964.

Winslow, you rock! I have recently been watching a lot of older, classic movies, focusing a lot on Peter Lorre whom I've grown to really like, and I saw this movie about 2 weeks ago. Peter was incredible in it! I was a little weary with the plot, and it is very creepy. But it's such an interesting and psychological movie. It's awesome that you brought it up!

As for all of the best movies ever in my opinion... I'm still workin' on finding them all!

 

[Winslow Leach]

Winslow, you rock! I have recently been watching a lot of older, classic movies, focusing a lot on Peter Lorre whom I've grown to really like, and I saw this movie about 2 weeks ago. Peter was incredible in it! I was a little weary with the plot, and it is very creepy. But it's such an interesting and psychological movie. It's awesome that you brought it up!

As for all of the best movies ever in my opinion... I'm still workin' on finding them all!

Thanks, Skye!

Fritz Lang is a fascinating director. If you liked M, you may want to try The Testament of Dr. Mabuse (1932), which is almost a prototype for the modern spy/espionage film. Metropolis (1926) is another classic, a sci-fi tale set in a futuristic society, that has influenced many modern directors. Lang fled Germany after Hitler rose to power, and began making Hollywood films from the 1930s to the early 1960s. His Hollywood output includes dramas, westerns, film noir and suspense films.

A remake of M was released in 1951, and set in Los Angeles. It starred Broadway actor David Wayne (who later played The Mad Hatter on TV's Batman) in the Lorre role. I've tried in vain to find this film, but it's never been available on video.

 

[Son of Enik]

Ok, I might as well jump in here too:
Planet of the Apes (Original 1968 with Charlton Heston)
Star Wars (All 6)
Meatballs (Bill Murray's first starring role, Hilarious!)
Night Shift (A mellow Henry Winkler and Michael Keaton's screen debut)
Back to the Future (All 3, love Christopher Lloyd)
Shaft (Original from 1971...the one with Samuel L. Jackson's not bad either)
Foxy Brown (Pam Grier...there I go again!)
Rocky (Original only...the sequels were good but this one stands alone)
Revenge of the Nerds (I STILL crack up at this one!)
The Ladies' Man (Underrated and under appreciated Tim Meadows is a riot)
Song of the South (I got it as an import from the UK...timeless classic)
E.T. (I always cry at this one...I'm such a softie)
Snow White & The 7 Dwarfs (The 1st of many Disney animated classics)
Godzilla (from 1954, a profound movie once you look past the rubber suit)
My Blue Heaven (Steve Martin's best work since The Jerk)

I could go on...but those are THE best in my mind.

 

[Winslow Leach]

Ok, I might as well jump in here too:
Planet of the Apes (Original 1968 with Charlton Heston)
Star Wars (All 6)
Meatballs (Bill Murray's first starring role, Hilarious!)
Night Shift (A mellow Henry Winkler and Michael Keaton's screen debut)
Back to the Future (All 3, love Christopher Lloyd)
Shaft (Original from 1971...the one with Samuel L. Jackson's not bad either)
Foxy Brown (Pam Grier...there I go again!)
Rocky (Original only...the sequels were good but this one stands alone)
Revenge of the Nerds (I STILL crack up at this one!)
The Ladies' Man (Underrated and under appreciated Tim Meadows is a riot)
Song of the South (I got it as an import from the UK...timeless classic)
E.T. (I always cry at this one...I'm such a softie)
Snow White & The 7 Dwarfs (The 1st of many Disney animated classics)
Godzilla (from 1954, a profound movie once you look past the rubber suit)
My Blue Heaven (Steve Martin's best work since The Jerk)

I could go on...but those are THE best in my mind.

LOL, Meatballs. A classic! The definitive summer-camp comedy!

 

[Speed Tracer]

A big favorite of mine is Miller's Crossing. It just defies classifying.

 

[Winslow Leach]

A big favorite of mine is Miller's Crossing. It just defies classifying.

My favorite Coen Bros. movie!

 

[anytimepally]

Duck Soup is playing on the big screen in town, and I'm going tonight! I'm not sure if it'll add anything to a Marx Brothers' movie, but you never know! ... the real treat is in a few weeks when Lawrence of Arabia takes it's place, which is a movie that must be seen large to truly be appreciated.. it's certainly a good back-to-back couple of movies in any case!

 

[Winslow Leach]

Duck Soup is playing on the big screen in town, and I'm going tonight! I'm not sure if it'll add anything to a Marx Brothers' movie, but you never know! ... the real treat is in a few weeks when Lawrence of Arabia takes it's place, which is a movie that must be seen large to truly be appreciated.. it's certainly a good back-to-back couple of movies in any case!

Cool! I'd love to see the Marxes on the big screen!

Many critics have said you haven't truly seen Lawrence of Arabia until you've seen it on the big screen.

 

[lael]

I'm not as big an anime guy as I once was (although I'm still quite a big fan, I don't spend nearly as much money on it as I did a few years ago), but Miyazaki is one of my favorite filmmakers of all-time. Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind is a big, big favorite of mine.

That's the name of it. I've only seen it the once when I was about 4 years old on HBO. . . oh so long ago. That's a hard movie to track down when you can only hum the theme chorus to video store clerks from broken childhood memories. I would like to find it and see it again. then again I should leave the memory alone.

 

[Sgt Floyd]

the best movie ever is the nightmare before christmas and you know it