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Movie Help Needed

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okay so im gonna make this short. my girlfriend and I are having a movie marathon this coming weekend for my birthday and im allowed to pick whatever 3 movies i want.

so what movies would you suggest?

restrictions!!!
1) no comedies!! unless they're something refreshing. I dont want any Wedding Crashers or Ben Stiller kind of movies. they're a waste of time.

2) no horror movies or movies with aliens in them! anything a girl would find scary (request of the girlfriend)

and try and refrain from the typical star wars or lord of the rings ones.


also I was interested in giving Dune a watch. I've heard a ton of good things about it.
But while talking with a guy at work, he said that there are many versions of the film. one of them being around 8 hours long. Is this true?
If so which version would you suggest.

GIVE ME A MOVIE THAT WILL EITHER BLOW MY MIND OR GIVE ME SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT!

something interesting and different.
okay that is all.

cant wait to hear some suggestions.
"Never. I'll never turn to the darkside. You've failed your highness. I am a jedi, like my father before me."
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I personally found The Butterfly Effect to be a pretty good movie despite it staring Ashton Kutcher.
"Who am I supposed to build ramps for? Who am I supposed to build ramps for now?!"
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I am always amazed at how few people have seen Chungking Express, despite it being one of the most popular hong kong films ever made--such a delightfully powerful film. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is another that few have sadly seen. For something a little darker you might want to check out Coppola's powerhouse one-two punch of The Conversation and Apocalypse Now (theatrical version), films far more powerful and entertaining than that silly mafia soap opera he is also known for. Also, if you are in the mood for something animated The Iron Giant continues to be another ones of the unseen masterpieces. Really there is so much to recommend, it really boils down to mood and content. I try to refrain from overtly sad films if you are doing a marathon since it kind of leaves you feeling drained and unenergenic by the end. Also, seeing as Scorsese is all the rage now with his departed, you might want to check out the early 80's absurdist comedy-drama that saved him from the destruction that peers like Coppola, Friedkin and Lucas faced, his greatly undeerated After Hours.
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Well, Serenity is an excellent film that technically doesn't have any aliens in it.

4

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Heh, you beat me to it. It was the only thing I could think of, but I actually wasn't going to, because I thought it might be a bit too cliched here.

There is no lingerie in space…

C3PX said: Gaffer is like that hot girl in high school that you think you have a chance with even though she is way out of your league because she is sweet and not a stuck up bitch who pretends you don’t exist… then one day you spot her making out with some skinny twerp, only on second glance you realize it is the goth girl who always sits in the back of class; at that moment it dawns on you why she is never seen hanging off the arm of any of the jocks… and you realize, damn, she really is unobtainable after all. Not that that is going to stop you from dreaming… Only in this case, Gaffer is actually a guy.

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wow okay so far some great suggestions

I have seen Butterfly Effect.

I already had Serenity and Apocalypse Now on the list.

I would prefer perhaps a depressing film or something that really makes you think.
Name off some of your favorites if you want. Doesnt have to be a new film.
"Never. I'll never turn to the darkside. You've failed your highness. I am a jedi, like my father before me."
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Hmmm...films that blew my mind?

The Exorcist, A Clockwork Orange, Donnie Darko, Akira, Shaun Of The Dead, Chopper, Green Street Hooligans, Trainspotting, Night Watch, District 13, The Devils Rejects....pick any 3 of them for an awesome time

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Star Wars - The Interactive Board Game DVD
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If you want to watch a chick flick, that has a little humor in it, I recommend Just Like Heaven. Great flick, has my darlin', Reese Witherspoon, in it. She is just a great actress, I've always been impressed with her natural southern accent, and she's hot too. As far as making you think, I enjoyed The Island wit Ewan McGregor, pretty goor action and has some plot twists.
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Ehmm... Star Wars, Empire and Jedi??? Just kidding.

The Shawshank Redemption.
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If she's more of an intelectual, I'd recommend the Kubrick classics, Dr Strangelove, 2001 A Space Odissey, Eyes Wide Shut. In that order.

If you feel she won't dig these kinds of films and is more of a crime or action flick fan, I'd go for Pulp Fiction, Memento and Ran (or any Kurosawa film prior to 1985).

Or go for three movies that wont fail: Sleepless in Seattle, Casablanca, As Good as it Gets.
“Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country.” — Nazi Reich Marshal Hermann Goering
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Originally posted by: ricarleite
If she's more of an intelectual, I'd recommend the Kubrick classics, Dr Strangelove, 2001 A Space Odissey, Eyes Wide Shut. In that order.

If you feel she won't dig these kinds of films and is more of a crime or action flick fan, I'd go for Pulp Fiction, Memento and Ran (or any Kurosawa film prior to 1985).

Or go for three movies that wont fail: Sleepless in Seattle, Casablanca, As Good as it Gets.


Yeah, Pulp Fiction rocks, also Reservoir Dogs.
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Concerning Dune, I guess there are a few versions floating around in bootleg form. But I think the longest cut is ADMs reconstructed workprint, which should be somewhere around four hours long. The only commercially available ones are the theatrical version (137 minutes) and the extended version (177 minutes) I believe. I don't know what that guy was talking about when he told you there was an eight hour long version, probably he was talking about the miniseries that came out about 7 years ago. Anyway, you don't have a lot of versions to worry about, you can either go with the extended or the theatrical, both versions are in the most recent DVD release.

As far as suggestions go,

One of the best movies ever made and it isn't really scary, The Last Man on Earth, staring Vincent Price. Very thought provoking (if you are into mythology of any sort), especially if you have read I Am Legend by Richard Matheson.

Someone mentioned A Clockwork Orange. Excellent movie, very thought provoking on many levels. Can be a little depressing. So it fits your criteria. But I wouldn't watch it with a girl friend. It has tons of nudity, and a couple of rape scenes. Could be just me, but I wouldn't like watching it with my girl friend.

Phantom of the Opera is a good chic flick that can be thought provoking if you really focus on the whole unloved beast child thing, but I don't think the movie did as good of a job depicting that as the stage version did.

Probably one of my all time favorite movies is Lewis Milestone's All Quiet on the Western Front. Very beautiful film.

Another film that is defined by the words thought provoking and depressing is Terry Gilliam's Tideland. Unfortunately the thought it provokes most often is "Why did I sit down and watch this tripe" which is ashame because there is a lot more there.

A few others I can think of:
Dr. Strangelove (comdey)
A Perfect World (sentimental as hell, but I liked it for what it was)
Brazil
Casablanca
Strange Brew (not thought provoking in the slightest, in fact you will probably find your intelligence drops after watching it, but it is totally worth it)
Soylent Green
Blade Runner




"Every time Warb sighs, an angel falls into a vat of mapel syrup." - Gaffer Tape

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Oh, oh, and if you want to totally freak her out: Tetsuo the Iron Man, Eraserhead, Brazillian Star Wars (Planet Wars).

Or go for the gold and show her the trilogy of Traces of Death.
“Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country.” — Nazi Reich Marshal Hermann Goering
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This is a chick we're talking about guys, so I don't think something like Tremors & Dune would go over too well!

Just because a girl says, "Pick whatever movies you want," she doesn't actually mean that. What she's really saying is, "Pick the right movies and I'll be impressed that you were thinking about me and you listen." That's the secret.

Here's what you're going to rent - films that will impress your girl and not make you feel like you've sold out. Watch in this order, and I'll give you one reason why it will blow your mind and make you seem like the best boyfriend ever.

1)The Graduate

For guys: What man hasn't been frustrated by not knowing what to do in life, or attracted to an older woman? Smart, witty dialogue.
For girls: Character makes the ultimate romantic sacrifice at the end.

2)The Insider

For guys: Holy crap is Pacino good in this.
For girls: Like the middle act of a play, save the darker one for second. She might get bored, or she might love the story and amazing script, depending on her personality. Doesn't matter though - you're going to end on a good note.

3)Chocolat

For guys: Juliette Binoche is hot, and the story is whymsical and engaging.
For girls: They seem to dig Depp for whatever reason.

The winter months are great for movies like this. Stay away from explosions, foul language and 4 hour epics, and you'll be thanking me later.

Cheers.
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Gee, after reading your post, Cassidy, I'm glad I don't have a girlfriend who gets squeamish around non-"girl friendly movies" (whatever the hell that means) or has a hidden agenda when she tells me to "pick whatever I want of X."

There is no lingerie in space…

C3PX said: Gaffer is like that hot girl in high school that you think you have a chance with even though she is way out of your league because she is sweet and not a stuck up bitch who pretends you don’t exist… then one day you spot her making out with some skinny twerp, only on second glance you realize it is the goth girl who always sits in the back of class; at that moment it dawns on you why she is never seen hanging off the arm of any of the jocks… and you realize, damn, she really is unobtainable after all. Not that that is going to stop you from dreaming… Only in this case, Gaffer is actually a guy.

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Originally posted by: Gaffer Tape
Gee, after reading your post, Cassidy, I'm glad I don't have a girlfriend who gets squeamish around non-"girl friendly movies" (whatever the hell that means) or has a hidden agenda when she tells me to "pick whatever I want of X."


Ah, it's not a hidden agenda if she doesn't know she has one. Take my meaning?
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Heh, how did I know you were going to say that? ^_^

In any event, were that the case, she'd be in trouble, not me.

There is no lingerie in space…

C3PX said: Gaffer is like that hot girl in high school that you think you have a chance with even though she is way out of your league because she is sweet and not a stuck up bitch who pretends you don’t exist… then one day you spot her making out with some skinny twerp, only on second glance you realize it is the goth girl who always sits in the back of class; at that moment it dawns on you why she is never seen hanging off the arm of any of the jocks… and you realize, damn, she really is unobtainable after all. Not that that is going to stop you from dreaming… Only in this case, Gaffer is actually a guy.

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lol wow i love some of these responses. some great flicks mentioned that i've never thought about.

oh ya and about my girlfriend and the movies...
this is a girl who loved Casino and The Lord of the Rings (extended cut) movies...
length, language or gore wont bother her that much..

its things like aliens or ghosts that she doesnt like at all. she will just not watch the movie at all.

as for some movies that we've already seen are Shawshank, Clockwork Orange, Memento, Eraserhead, Tremors, 2001: A Space Odessy, Phantom of the Opera.

we tend to really enjoy bio pics or movies based on true stories.
also anything along the line of Memento, Mulholland Drive, or Lost in Translation. (if that helps)

so far some of the movies on the list are:

Apocolypse Now
Blade Runner
Dune
American Psycho
Deer Hunter
The Doors
Fargo
Constantine
Big Lebowski

maybe those will give you a better idea of what im looking at.

keep the suggestions coming though. no such thing as a wrong one!
"Never. I'll never turn to the darkside. You've failed your highness. I am a jedi, like my father before me."
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You might want to check out Amelie or Royal Tenenbaums if you haven't seen these films yet, or Three Kings. Dark City and Solaris make good companion pieces to Blade Runner and 2001 if you like those films. Also, if you enjoyed Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon then Hero makes an excellent follow-up, or for a more action-oriented version House of Flying Daggers. For character dramas of the highest quality check out anything by PT Anderson--Boogie Nights and his severly underrated debut, Hard Eight, are great but his best film is Punch Drunk Love IMO. And this is a star wars site, but i am always amazed at how few Star Wars fans have seen Lucas' previous masterpieces, THX 1138 and American Graffiti--if you haven't then do yourself a favor and check these out. Also while on the subject of Star Wars, if you haven't you might want to see the film that robbed it of its Oscar in 1977--Annie Hall.
Bio-pic wise i always have found Pollack to be very compelling. its like Raging Bull--with paint! Theres also John Cusak's very interesting film Max in which he plays Hitler as a young art student in Berlin. And while on the subject of art bio-pics i guess i should mention Girl with the Pearl Earring as a great yet quiet film. Frida makes a more eccentric film if you want something a bit more lively.

For weirder stuff i recommend Pi (well, its spelt with the mathematic symbol), Being John Malcovich, or Evil Dead 2 (a little gory but its ultimately a slapstick comedy); Tetsuo is good too if you can stomach it, and Bergman's Persona still impresses me with its abstractness.

Inconvenient Truth is also an excellent film that is sure to create discussion afterwards. If you like documentarys i also highly recommend Fog of War, and the recently released War Tapes is pretty interesting too.
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Well, if gore won't bother her much, and you're looking for something fun and interesting, I'd reccomend the film Sin City. Probably something a girl wouldn't like though, and not a "date" movie, or anything remotely resembling one. I just thought I'd throw it out there though. And if you two like bio pics and don't mind long movies, I'd heartily reccomend Martin Scorsese's The Aviator, the story of Howard Hughes.
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Hell, since we're on the subject of bi-opics, how about "The Elephant Man"?

I also hear "Love Actually" is very good, though I've never seen it. It seems to have the sort of Brit humor that I like so much though.

http://i.imgur.com/7N84TM8.jpg

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If you're into older movies, pretty much anything Hitchcock touched was gold. Strangers on a Train, Vertigo, Psycho, The Birds... the list of classics goes on and on...
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I'd highly reccommend Eternal Sunshine for the Spotless Mind.
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Ohhh yeah, go for the Charlie Kaufman flicks, they are always good fun. "Being John Malkovitch", "Adaptation" and then "Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind"...
“Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country.” — Nazi Reich Marshal Hermann Goering