PERFECT MOVIE?

[Kaseykockroach]

Psycho (1960)- The most perfect horror movie ever made. Filmmakers of a lesser ilk can add all the gore, nudity, rape, and beastiality they want, they'll never top this one in terms of a truly terrifying adult film.

Dumbo (1941)- The most perfect thing to ever have Disney's name on it. An endless pleasure, one of those rare features (animated or otherwise) that seems richer every time you watch it. Also the only other time a movie's ever made me cry. It works particularly because it's given the same mentality as the shorts. No bull about being "serious," just a bunch of talented guys at their finest doing their best and most personal work. Also contains Ward Kimball's finest hour.

Harry & Tonto (1974)- A rich, tender, rapturous film, one of real humanity unlike so much of the robotic crap cranked out by Hollywood. No race and chase, no explosions, no gratuitous sex and violence, no special effects. The kind of slow-moving, human-interest story you just don't get to see anymore. One of those films you must see before you kick the bucket. Also the only other time (besides the above film) a film ever got me teary-eyed. And like a lot of perfect films, its story is one that will never age, no matter what age it was made.

Others will come to mind soon enough.

[Mofo Rising]

If I had to pick a perfect movie, I would go with Seven Samurai. Action! Drama! Starving peasants! The movie has it all. I wouldn't say it is endlessly rewatchable, because how often do you get a four-hour chunk of free time?

However, if I had to pick the perfect action movie, my vote goes to Predator. Straight-up, no-nonsense, killing-stuff action.

[Psycho Circus]

I'll second the JAWS & ROBOCOP posts, there's a lot more to those films than just a big shark and a cyborg police officer. I don't feel I need to explain my love of Jaws, as I've posted about it numerous times before when it's been brought up. As for Robocop, it's one of those films that defines its decade and genre. Brilliantly directed, acted, full of violence, social commentary, it's sci-fi, drama, action, tragedy, comedy.....I could seriously watch it non-stop for the rest of my life and I would not complain at all.

I'd also have to say GROUNDHOG DAY and my favourite movie of all time TO LIVE & DIE IN L.A., which has William Peterson in it, a soundtrack by Wang Chung and features the greatest car chase scene in the history of cinema.

[Flick James]

I'd also have to say GROUNDHOG DAY

I will second that. It's rare to find somebody who doesn't at least like it a little bit. It's ironic that this was the last film that Bill Murray and Harold Ramis worked together on before their big falling out.

[Allhallowsday]

Grow up.  

If growing up means watching Lawrence of Arabia all the way through, I will gladly stay a child.  

LAWRENCE OF ARABIA is cinematic perfection.  It's your loss that you can't sit through it.  Baby.    

Psycho (1960)- The most perfect horror movie ever made. Filmmakers of a lesser ilk can add all the gore, nudity, rape, and beastiality they want, they'll never top this one in terms of a truly terrifying adult film.

Dumbo (1941)- The most perfect thing to ever have Disney's name on it. An endless pleasure, one of those rare features (animated or otherwise) that seems richer every time you watch it. Also the only other time a movie's ever made me cry. It works particularly because it's given the same mentality as the shorts. No bull about being "serious," just a bunch of talented guys at their finest doing their best and most personal work. Also contains Ward Kimball's finest hour.

Harry & Tonto (1974)- A rich, tender, rapturous film, one of real humanity unlike so much of the robotic crap cranked out by Hollywood. No race and chase, no explosions, no gratuitous sex and violence, no special effects. The kind of slow-moving, human-interest story you just don't get to see anymore. One of those films you must see before you kick the bucket. Also the only other time (besides the above film) a film ever got me teary-eyed. And like a lot of perfect films, its story is one that will never age, no matter what age it was made...

All excellent choices, though I think PINOCCHIO is DISNEY's greatest achievement.  

If I had to pick a perfect movie, I would go with Seven Samurai. Action! Drama! Starving peasants! The movie has it all. I wouldn't say it is endlessly rewatchable, because how often do you get a four-hour chunk of free time?

However, if I had to pick the perfect action movie, my vote goes to Predator. Straight-up, no-nonsense, killing-stuff action.

SEVEN SAMURAI is great, but I think RASHOMON is perfection, and ENDLESSLY WATCHABLE (I think that is the first essential characteristic of a PERFECT movie).  I can't sit thru SEVEN SAMURAI endlessly, a "4 hour movie" (3.5 anyway) but I can sit through LAWRENCE OF ARABIA apparently quite often and that's 4 hours too.  

I'd also have to say GROUNDHOG DAY

I will second that. It's rare to find somebody who doesn't at least like it a little bit. It's ironic that this was the last film that Bill Murray and Harold Ramis worked together on before their big falling out.

I can't explain it, but I love GROUNDHOG DAY, too, and have sat through many times and always at some different point that I catch it on the TV... another movie I love that I don't need to own 'cause it's on so often.  

[Leah]

How bout some comedies? Blues Brothers is the best comedy IMO because of the goofy things done in it, as in this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouHkL7u9qLw
A Chevy Vega Wagon fell a mile high; the many cop chase scenes, and, of course,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oMtdXaqBx4
the infamous mall scene

[Criswell]

Seven Samurai - A film which has so much cinematic magic stuffed into it that it can be almost overbearing. I really can't think of anything wrong with it.

[bob]

For my money the perfect film keeps my interest from the beginning to the end. To that end the following are perfect to me: The Manchurian Candidate (1962), The Godfather (1972), Seven Samurai (1954), City of God (2002), The Omen (1976), Inception (2010), Rocky (1976), The Wrestler (2008), The Dark Knight (2008), Batman Begins (2005) and Ground Hog Day (1993).

[Allhallowsday]

CITY OF GOD, which I've seen maybe 3 or 4 times on IFC before their commercials...   
A painful movie experience, and an important one.  It's certainly very watchable...   

[JaseSF]

To me, this seems rather similar to that old "Endless Watchable" topic we had a while back (heck wasn't there even two threads like that already, perhaps even more). Well maybe the original intent here from AHD was different because heck a lot of very flawed and far from perfect films can be endlessly watchable (films like Soylent Green, The Omega Man, They Live and many more fit this bill well for me anyways) but few seem to get it all right, being both a fantastic film with practically no flaws throughout and endlessly watchable too. Hmm perhaps the following for me...

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
On the Waterfront
Groundhog Day
The Maltese Falcon (1941)
Paths of Glory
The Third Man
Duck Soup
All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)
North by Northwest

[Psycho Circus]

Damn, I forgot Scarface and Serpico. Both powerhouse performances from Mr. Pacino, constantly engrossing and solid throughout.

[Doggett]

Robocop (Great to see it mentioned already. I think people forget just how good this film is).

The Fly (1986)

The Terminator

Aliens

Casino

Jaws

The Orphanage

The Innocents


With my list it tends to be films with simple stories. I think thats why I like them so much. The Terminator, The Fly and Jaws only really have three chraracters in them (four - if you count the shark in Jaws) they're simple, but wonderfully so. There's nothing in them that doesn't need to be in them.

Robocop is a bit smarter. In its runtime it has action, sci-fi, satire, revenge but the film never becomes a mess or confusing. Sadly, other than this board, it tend just to be thought of as Peter Weller in silly blue armor.

Aliens' build up of tension is simply fantastic. The art design is great, the actors are great. Its full on intense and exciting. I watched it last night and forgot just how good it is. Its a film that takes its time to get to the action but never gets dull and always keeps you on your toes.

The Orphanage and The Innocents are spooky stories, again with terriffic leading performances and film making of the highest order to deliver some very creepy scares. They never become over the top and deliver just what they need to to send shiver down the spine.

Casino is an intresting one as I don't ususally like gangster films. Its nearly three hours going but the momentum of the plot is always in gear its got a ton of characters, but it never gets confusing and covulted. It has a great juke box soundtrack. The rise and fall of these charaters is something thats fascinating to behold.
In the end, everyone gets what they deserve...

[The Burgomaster]

GODFATHER, PART II.  I would almost say Part I, but there are too many glaring continuity and other errors in that one.

[zombie no.one]

GOODFELLAS, PULP FICTION, NUTS IN MAY

no matter how many times I've seen these on video/dvd, I still get disappointed if they come on TV and I miss them...

[crackers]

I'd also have to say GROUNDHOG DAY

Groundhog Day every time. 

I would also throw in Back To The Future 1 and 2 and Ghostbusters.