Need some help from those that know good/bad film...

[Mr_Vindictive]

I'm surprised they don't have a copy of The China Syndrome.  Strange.  I've never heard of The Butcher Boy, but based on the imdb summary, it's now on my must see list.  Apparently there isn't an American DVD release of it, which seems to be why Netflix doesn't carry it.

Un Chien Andalou is quite the unique film.  My wife is a bit of an artist and loves Dali's work.  She had never heard of Un Chien so I obtained a copy for her to watch.  She was...stunned... to say the least.  It's one of the best pieces of surreal film ever made, and really led the way for special effects and such.  The eyeball scene is still quite a shock no matter how many times I see it.

[loyal1]

I am a Dali fan myself...well altogether a Surrealist fan.  I have not seen Un Chein, but I will now.  As for Butcher Boy, I remember another mom and pop owner in NH when on vacation reccomended it to me and my friends...this was about 5-6 years ago or so.  I unfortuantely had a little too much to drink that night and couldn't stay up to watch the movie.  My friends Galvin and Heather did while me and John punked out.  They would not describe the movie one iota and said "It's a shame you fell asleep."  My friend Hetha..her face seemed almost disturbed, but said "Good flick"  So of course this movie has been on my list ever since.  But I never found it.  I just know a copy exists in Glen, NH. lol

[Mr_Vindictive]

I'll watch a surreal film now and again.  If you really like that type of thing then I do have to recommend "Begotten".  It was directed by E. Elias Merhige who apparently directed Shadow Of The Vampire.  Begotten is EXTREMELY surreal and certainly not something you'll ever forget.  I watched it about 8 years ago or so at a friends insistance and I still have mental scars from it.  I would highly recommend not being on any drugs when watching the film.  I can only imagine the problems that would cause.

It's probably not one you'll find on Netflix.

[loyal1]

They actually do have the movie Begotten, however it is not available at this time and release date unknown.  They have Begotten but not the China Syndrome?  I just can't get over it..lol
I don't know many surrealist films...I meant I was a fan of their art as canvas, sculpture etc.  I understand film is art too, and should not exculde, but I think you know what I mean.  Mentally scarring ey?  I will have to put on the list now out of sheer curiousity.

[loyal1]

"Creation, God and Mother Earth get the gore treatment in director E. Elias Merhige's probative and highly controversial film. Teeming with surrealistic images and chronicled without dialogue, the allegorical story opens with a white-robed deity disemboweling himself. From the entrails emanates a new spirit who impregnates herself from the carcass -- but calamity awaits her and her offspring. Definitely not for the squeamish. "  If I was a little disturbed by Irreversible, maybe this is not the best movie for me to see...lol.  I'll have to think about this one.

[peter johnson]

Alright, Shadowphile had some good ones, but here are some I don't think anyone has mentioned yet:
Beauty and The Beast (1942 -- Jean Cocteau)
Un Chien Andalou (The Andalusian Dog -- 1930-- Luis Bunuel & Salvador Dali)
Blood of A Poet (1934 -- Cocteau again)
The Seventh Seal (1956 -- Ingmar Bergman)
Fires on The Plain (Japanese/1950's/forget director)
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923/starring Lon Chaney)
M -- (Fritz Lang -- really a name to remember.  Almost all of Lang is "must see"))
Robot Monster (Phil Tucker)
The Creature From The Haunted Sea (Roger Corman)
O Lucky Man (Lindsay Anderson)
The Magic Christian (Screenplay by Terry Southern.  With Ringo Starr/Peter Sellers/Christopher Lee/Raquel Welch/John Cleese/Graham Chapman, etc.)
Horror of Dracula (1958 -- Hammer/Terrance Fisher)
5 Million Years to Earth (1965/aka Quatermass and The Pit/Hammer/Terrance Fisher)
Plan 9 From Outer Space (some guy . . .)
Heavy Traffic (1973 -- Ralph Bakshi.  A lot of people don't like Ralph.  He's a nasty fellow.  However, the uncut version of this shown in Europe -- still not available on a non-PAL setup --
is really essential -- make friends with a German or a Brit & have them dupe you a copy--I consider an essential film)
Dr. Zhivago (David Lean -- see especially Klaus Kinski in this one!)
Lawrence of Arabia (that Lean guy again . . .)
The Third Man (Orson Welles/Joseph Cotton/Graham Green)

Other things like "Citizen Kane", etc., you are likely to have seen anyway -- I mention these because many people today haven't seen them, yet to me they are as essential as "Seven Samuarai" or "Beast of Yucca Flats" in helping define how I look at film.   I really would consider all of these "must sees", though it's a long list.  
peter johnson/denny crane

[loyal1]

You know, Arsenic and Old Lace is one of my favoites.  I just love it!  What a great plot.  The Princess Bride another honorable mention.  And don't bother mentioning Jimmy Stewart movies or Frank Capra, I am sure I have seen the majority of them...lol.  I love Jimmy Stewart.  I think my fav is Harvey and Destry Rides Again, of course It's a Wonderful Life is near and dear.  Mr. Smith my cup o tea too.

But there's also a good majority on your luist I have not seen and will do some investigating.  I have about 65 movies in Queue now...lol.  It's just keeps piling up.

[RCMerchant]

OK- I thought of some BAAAAD ones...

Manos-the Hands of Fate (196?) Staggering bad!!! If you don't drink,this movie may drive you to it.
The Wild and the Naked(1962) a French stripper is chased through the woods by a would be rapist,alooney hermit,and a guy inna monkey suit.Plus topless mexican girls dance onna beach to surf music! I dont't believe it still.
the Girl and the Geek(1963) Made by the same brain-dead Texans that did the above nudie movie,only this one has a stripper chased by a sloobering,ecscaped sideshow freak.He wears a Beatle wig and chases her in a carnival.Plus while all this is going on,we get to see "meanwhile back at the" strip joint acts!
Burial Ground (1979) A bunch of reaaallly stupid people meet up with a bunch of goofy zombies,and an incest-prone kid, played by a creepy 30-something midget,who is scarier looking than anything else in the picture.
Welcome Home Brother Charles(aka Soul Veangence-1975?) A black guy gets outta prison and gets revenge on the dudes who put him there buy strangling them with his voodoo given gift of  his magic growing....wiener.'Nuff sed.

[Mofo Rising]

THE BUTCHER BOY is a fantastic movie.  A deft mix of disturbing and hilarious.  I remember one girl, a roommate of a friend of mine, who used movies as an elitist exclusionary tactic.  One night I asked her what she and her boyfriend were watching, to which she responded "Some movie you've never heard of.  THE BUTCHER BOY."

"Oh, I've seen that," I said, "it was hilarious."

Her boyfriend answered, "You thought that movie was funny?"

Damn shame you can't pick it up on DVD.  You could always try the book.

Here's a short list of some favorites that are (somewhat) relatively unknown:
24 HOUR PARTY PEOPLE (2002) - Hilarious pseudo-documentary of Manchester's music scene.
AGUIRRE: THE WRATH OF GOD (1972)
AMERICAN SPLENDOR (2003) - Best film of that year, in my opinion.
BAADASSSSS! (2004)
BEING THERE (1979)
THE CHANGELING (1980)
DEAD MAN (1995) - One of my top 5 ever.
FREAKED (1993)
INTACTO (2001)
JACOB'S LADDER (1990)
METROPOLIS (2001)
SAVE THE GREEN PLANET (2005) - Insane Korean movie.
SHAOLIN SOCCER (2001)
THE SWEET HEREAFTER (1997)
TWIN PEAKS: FIRE WALK WITH ME (1992)

[Mr_Vindictive]

Mofo Rising Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> Here's a short list of some favorites that are
> (somewhat) relatively unknown:
> 24 HOUR PARTY PEOPLE (2002) - Hilarious
> pseudo-documentary of Manchester's music scene.
> AGUIRRE: THE WRATH OF GOD (1972)
> AMERICAN SPLENDOR (2003) - Best film of that year,
> in my opinion.
> BAADASSSSS! (2004)
> BEING THERE (1979)
> THE CHANGELING (1980)
> DEAD MAN (1995) - One of my top 5 ever.
> FREAKED (1993)
> INTACTO (2001)
> JACOB'S LADDER (1990)
> METROPOLIS (2001)
> SAVE THE GREEN PLANET (2005) - Insane Korean
> movie.
> SHAOLIN SOCCER (2001)
> THE SWEET HEREAFTER (1997)
> TWIN PEAKS: FIRE WALK WITH ME (1992)



Excellent list Mofo.  The Changeling, Jacob's Ladder, Intacto, Save The Green Planet, Freaked, and American Splendor are all great films.  Dunno if I disagree with you or not about Dead Man.  I like most of Jarmusch's films but that one never has worked for me like it does most people.  I need to watch it again and give it another chance....

[loyal1]

As to Session 9, i watched that with no real expections and really overlooked the setting where this whole movie takes place.  You have to know that I was born and raised in Massachusetts until about the age of 25-26 where I now dwell in Fl.  Within the 1st 5-10 minutes and the showing of the asylum,,,I said "OMG...I have been ther,e I have seen it!"  My roommate being from the same parts picked up on th Boston accent right away with the CSI guy (las vegas version).  He then pointed out graphiti on the walls of people we were familiar with, and the Dorechester days.

Seeing that place in person is NOTHING like seeing it on a movie,  I t is unbeilvable, and beautful and haunting and terrifying,  Talk about "uraban legends" in a small town.  Danvers is quite a big one in the city of Danvers.

One thing for sure no matter how desenitiezes I am from movies,,,you will not catch me in the undreground portion of that institution,  Some things are better left unknown for two reasons.  It would totally suck if nothing happened and I don't want to be the one something may happen too...if you know what I mean  It's better left for the movies...or is it?

[RCMerchant]

*Some more GREAT movies that I kin think of...
The Raven(1934) with Boris and Bela. Lugosi...when questioned about his Hypocratic Oath-"I owe nothing to no one. I am a law onto myself."Classic.
Black Sunday.with Barbra Steele.
Mainac(1932) A weird combo of E.A.Poe,anti-sumthin' and I don't know what. One of the coolest pieces of sh*t Iv'e ever had the pleasure(or displeasure,depending on my state of inebreation)of seeing.
Godzilla vs. the Smog Monster-if only for the cartoons and the cheezy rock and roll.Really.
2000 Mainiacs-Cuz the Souths gonna rise up agin -YEEEEEE-HAAAAAA! Cuz the Souths gonna rise up agin. And chop of yer fingers.

[Amanda]

Well, I'm jumping in on this late, but here goes.  My netflix queue hasn't moved in months thanks to school, but I'm trying!

Anyway, since you seem to like surrealism, find the Exterminating Angel.  I don't THINK it's on DVD, but it's excellent.  Mexican film from the, hmm. early 70's I think.  Caught it on TCM or something late one night.  The director was a friend of Dali, but I'll be damned if I can think of his name right off hand.  Anyway, good movie.  

Now, I'm about to pilfer a few from everyone else's lists.  

Dead and Breakfast
Dead Man
Crybaby
The Libertine
The Dead Next Door
Amelie - One of my all time favorite movies EVER.
Saving Grace
Cemetery Man
Return of the Living Dead


Well, there are so very many more, but I taped Nightmares and Dreamscapes last night and have to go watch it.  I'll make a better list later, maybe.

[Mr_Vindictive]

Amanda,

The director was probably Bunuel.  He actually co-directed Un chien andalou with Dali.

As for Nightmares and Dreamscapes, it was fantastic last night.  I'm really starting to love that show.

[Amanda]

Yes!   Bunuel!  That was it.  Drove me nuts because I couldn't think of his freakin name.  

Yeah, I'm really enjoying Nightmares and Dreamscapes.  The End of the Whole Mess was one of my favorite stories in that book, and I really loved how it went to screen.  Of course, it didn't hurt that Henry Thomas was in it.  

Battleground was excellent.  EXCELLENT.  I was mildly disappointed with Crouch End, but it's the Lovecraftian curse.   There shall be no excellent movie made with Lovecraft elements.  They shall always have a tinge of suckiness, even in the best attempt.  In the mouth of madness was closest to wonderful there was.  

Guillermo Del Toro was supposed to be doing At the Mountains of Madness, but I guess that has fallen through.  :(  I'm sure THAT man could break the curse.  

Anyway, that's gotten off topic a little.  Thanks for the name, Skaboi.