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Favorite movies besides any Star Wars movie — Page 2

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Warbler said:

ChainsawAsh said:

Best Bonds:

  1. Timothy Dalton
  2. Daniel Craig
  3. Sean Connery
  4. Pierce Brosnan (too bad he only had one good one)
  5. George Lazenby
  6. Roger Moore

 

I'm sorry, but you Sean Connery is only your 3rd favorite Bond?   

here is my list:

1. Sean Connery
2. Roger Moore
3. Pierce Brosnan
4. George Lazenby
5. Daniel Craig
6. Timothy Dalton 

 

Yep.  He started out good enough, but devolved into a smug deliverer of one-liners by Thunderball.  By his last two, he seems like a parody of himself.  He has all the necessary charm, but I don't feel like he's a killer.  And just because he was the first doesn't mean he was the best.

Moore was too campy and not suave enough from the get-go.  Plus he was too old, and none of his movies were very good.  I couldn't imagine him killing anyone.

Brosnan was good, but had too many terrible movies to work with.  He did what he could.  He focused too much on making Bond funny again, though, which was a step backwards after Dalton.

Lazenby did his best to bring Bond back to how he was in Dr. No and From Russia with Love, which I really respect.  He's better than Connery was in Thunderball, You Only Live Twice, and Diamonds Are Forever.  Yeah, I said it.

Daniel Craig does a good job portraying Bond's darker side, which I feel is very necessary.  He has charm, but could kill you on a whim.  He feels dangerous.  Definitely a huge step in the right direction after the excesses of Brosnan's years.

And Dalton ... oh my, Dalton.  How sad that he only got to do two Bond films.  He's the perfect Bond.  Exactly how I imagined him when I read the books.  Craig comes close, but with Dalton, it's like he doesn't even have to try.  He just instantly is Bond.  It's a good thing both of his films are pretty damn good.

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I guess its different if you've read the books.  I haven't read them.   To me, the early movies, had spawned a different Bond.   That is the Bond I like.   The suave sophisticated spy.   I never got this idea of Bond as a killer(of course, he kills when he has to) or needing a dark side.    I don't mind the campy stuff that much.   I didn't take the movies that seriously.    The older classic  Bond movies were different, unique.    To me,  the attempt to turn Bond darker and to show him as a killer, has turned the Bond movies into generic action flicks.   They don't feel like Bond movies. 

Of course, it doesn't help that the makers have gone out of their way to piss off the classic Bond fans.    For no real reason, they took away the traditional Bond beginning, where the music plays and he fires the bullet.  Why do that?   You have to know its would piss some fans off.   Adding it wouldn't have taken away from the rest of the film.   Also, they had to add in the  scene in Casino Royal where they ask him if he wants his martini shaken or stirred, and he says "do I look like I giver a crap?!?"    What was the point of that?   To say to the classic Bond fans "See, you're stupid from wanting him to have a Vodka Martini, shaken not stirred.  You morons!"?  Finally, I still don't like the fact that they had to politically correct Bond, by turning M into a woman(no offense to Judi Dench intended).  As far as I'm concerned, Bond died in Licensed To Kill.      

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See, that's the thing.  I read (some of) the books (the first 3 or 4, I believe), so the only early Bond films that feel like Bond to me are Dr. No (to a certain degree), From Russia with Love, and On Her Majesty's Secret Service.  I like Goldfinger, but that's where the campiness and over-reliance on ridiculous sci-fi gadgetry began.

The Living Daylights still has some of the campiness of the Moore era (as it was originally written for Moore), but overall it captures what Fleming's Bond was meant to be better than any Bond film that came before.  Hell, the sequence with the cello sniper at the beginning is almost identical to Fleming's The Living Daylights short story.

Licence to Kill, to me, is the film we should have gotten after On Her Majesty's Secret Service, but with Bond going after Blofeld to avenge his wife's death.  The death of Leiter's wife, to me, brought Bond back to his wife's death, and his rampage of revenge is (to Bond) the catharsis he never got against Blofeld.

Instead, we got Diamonds Are Forever, certainly the worst of Connery's tenure.

Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace do a decent job of capturing Bond as he should be, but he's almost too dark and broody.  I see a lot of potential in the series now, with Quantum being the new SPECTRE, but Bond needs to take a cue from Dalton in The Living Daylights and lighten up just a scohch.  (I say that word all the time, yet just realized I have NO idea how to spell it.  Scoh-CH, with the "oh" being pronounced like the word "oh.")

And I don't have a problem with the tweaking of the Bond "formula" (gunbarrel sequence, etc).  It's the current series trying to distance itself from the campy excesses of past eras.

However, I do agree that Quantum felt a bit too much like the Bourne movies and not enough like a Bond movie.  Making a Bond movie without adapting any Fleming material is always a risky move - I hope they can do better with the next one.

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ChainsawAsh said:

  The death of Leiter's wife, to me, brought Bond back to his wife's death, and his rampage of revenge is (to Bond) the catharsis he never got against Blofeld.

Instead, we got Diamonds Are Forever, certainly the worst of Connery's tenure.


he never got the catharis against Blofeld?   Beating him in Diamonds didn't do it?   Killing him in For Your Eyes Only didn't do the trick? 

ChainsawAsh said:

And I don't have a problem with the tweaking of the Bond "formula" (gunbarrel sequence, etc).  It's the current series trying to distance itself from the campy excesses of past eras.

I don't think you need to take out the gunbarrel sequence to do that,  just take out the campy stuff.  

The fact that Dr. No(where it originated), From Russia With Love, and On Her Majesty's Secret Service, to you,  feel like Bond proves that.   They all started with the gunbarrel sequence.

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Yeah, but so did every other movie.  That doesn't mean anything.  The gunbarrel sequence, to me, isn't an integral part of Bond.

Besides, they're in both Casino and Quantum, just in different places.

And Diamonds proceeded pretty much as if OHMSS didn't happen.  Bond was after Blofeld because he's always been after Blofeld.  It didn't feel personal at all, and it should have been.

And FYEO's opening is far too campy to take seriously.  That didn't feel personal either.  Blofeld randomly shows up, and Bond has to survive by killing him.

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To me the opening of For Your Eyes Only always made me think something like this must have taken place in the writer's room:

Writer A: You know, don't you think Blofeld is kind of a tired old villain?
Writer B: But he is Bond's arch nemesis! Who else is Bond going to go after?
Writer A: That is my point! He is over used. How many movies does it take to kill one freaking bad guy? We need fresh new villains!
Writer B: We can't just toss him out and forget about him! He's Blofeld!
Writer C: Guys, guys, guys! I've got an idea! Let's kill him off in the opening sequence. Blofeld storyline closed, and we can all move on.
Writers A & B: Brilliant!

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

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captainsolo, I noticed you listed several Billy Wilder films. Have you ever seen Stalag 17? That one's one of my all-time favorite films.

I also can't believe I forgot to mention Apocalypse Now. That one might be my favorite movie of all time, I'd have to think about it a bit more. :P

A few more good ones:

Moon

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

The Sting

(Paul Newman and Robert Duvall have tied for my "favorite actor ever" spot)

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

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Akira

The Departed

The Exorcist

A Bug's Life

Requiem for a Dream

Ghostbusters

Who Framed Roger Rabbit?

Jurassic Park

Woodstock: 3 Days of Peace and Music

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I rather liked killing of Newt and Hicks at the beginning of Alien 3 it set up the bleakness of the situation (how long could Ripley realistically get away with being around those things anyway?).

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The whole Blofeld thing is related to McClory's right to the name, if I recall correctly. They couldn't directly use his name, so they just killed him off in FYEO... which was a mediocre movie that shared too many similarities to OHMSS for my taste. I mean, I love OHMSS, but FYEO didn't pull off what it borrowed as well.

A Goon in a Gaggle of 'em

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ChainsawAsh said:

  The gunbarrel sequence, to me, isn't an integral part of Bond.  

 

I think the majority of Bond fans would disagree with you here.

ChainsawAsh said:

And Diamonds proceeded pretty much as if OHMSS didn't happen.  Bond was after Blofeld because he's always been after Blofeld.

 

didn't seem that way to me.    I could have sworn the death of his wife was mentioned near the beginning of the movie.  

ChainsawAsh said:

And FYEO's opening is far too campy to take seriously.  That didn't feel personal either.  Blofeld randomly shows up, and Bond has to survive by killing him.

and in killing him, Bond got his revenge.

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Bingowings said:

I rather liked killing of Newt and Hicks at the beginning of Alien 3 it set up the bleakness of the situation (how long could Ripley realistically get away with being around those things anyway?).

I am not sure I think killing off Newt and Hicks was a horrible idea either, but it did really negate the second movie on many levels. And it was obvious that it was done as a matter of convenience. We've run out of story telling space for the little kid and Hicks, so we'll just write them out before the story even starts.

I am actually one of the only people I know who likes Alien 3. I saw it before Aliens, right after I watched Alien for the first time and I always kind of liked the atmosphere of it. Both Alien and Alien 3 had a sort of lonely oppressive atmosphere about them, but it was pulled off in different ways in each film. I kind of liked that. Aliens, which I didn't see until many years after my first viewing of Alien and Alien 3, lacks that oppressive, claustrophobic, lonely feeling which defined the franchise to me during the years between being introduced to it and finally seeing Aliens for the first time.

Ultimately, Aliens is just a style over substance sequel to what was a really awesome stand alone sci-fi film, which is why I am surprised so many people claim to like it better than the first film.

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

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Warb, I think we're just going to have to agree to disagree on this one.

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Nanner Split said:

captainsolo, I noticed you listed several Billy Wilder films. Have you ever seen Stalag 17? That one's one of my all-time favorite films.

I also can't believe I forgot to mention Apocalypse Now. That one might be my favorite movie of all time, I'd have to think about it a bit more. :P

A few more good ones:

Moon

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

The Sting

(Paul Newman and Robert Duvall have tied for my "favorite actor ever" spot)

I like Stalag 17. Bill Holden=happiness. Billy Wilder may have been the funniest man who ever lived.

I love Paul Newman-especially The Verdict.

Duvall just is Tom Hagen and THX completely.

The Bond gunbarrel is pretty much the best opening sequence ever designed. It is instantly recognizable, brilliant, and the moment where you quiver with excitement. It is integral. Dalton is so good, and is rather like the book Bond in numerous ways. The thing is, that has never really been nailed film-wise. They are two separate entities. The closest we came was with George in OHMSS.

Connery becomes bored in his films because he was given nothing more to do. He was locked in to what the public wanted, and no one was going to mess with that. By YOLT he was completely fed up. The Japanese hounded him day and night, and the producers were unwilling to pay more or let him do more as 007. Thus, he is dull and uninvolving in the film for the most part. (compare this with his performance in The Hill two years before. Startling difference.) Thunderball was also besieged with problems and was essentially saved by Peter Hunt making frantic edits late in the game.

Hunt had wanted the ending of OHMSS to be the teaser for DAF, but with Lazenby's departure all plans for a down and dirty revenge picture were thrown out the window. Enter adult jokes, bad toupee Connery, Charles Gray in drag, Jimmy Dean, Wint and Kidd, Diamonds Are Forever. The wittiness of the script keeps the thing moving.

Moore could definitely kill and be dark. LALD and TMWTGG has him being ruthless and even roughing up women. Re-watch his second tryst with Rosie where he knows she is a double and begins to question her. "I certainly wouldn't have killed you before." Or the scene with Lazar the gunsmith where he turns the tables and aims at the man's groin: "Speak now or forever hold your piece."

The teaser for FYEO has never really worked. We begin with the nice tip of the hat to OHMSS. Then Moore has the serious delivery of "Yes, it usually is." He seems to be reminiscing of all he has lost because of his job. The action is not bad, but Blofeld in a power wheelchair? Come on! It's a cheap way to say that Bond is done with the past and is back in the Cold War. And who in the hell wrote the line about the stainless steel delicatessen?? Must have been the same person who decided to hire Bill Conti to do a Bond score.

Whoa. Completely forgot Sidney Lumet films:

12 Angry Men/The Hill/Murder On The Orient Express/Dog Day Afternoon/Network/Prince Of The City/The Verdict/Before The Devil Knows You're Dead.

And Frankenheimer: The Manchurian Candidate/Seconds/Ronin.

Batman: Mask of the Phantasm/Batman Returns/Batman Forever:(childhood-don't judge me!)

Flint films/President's Analyst

VADER!? WHERE THE HELL IS MY MOCHA LATTE? -Palpy on a very bad day.
“George didn’t think there was any future in dead Han toys.”-Harrison Ford
YT channel:
https://www.youtube.com/c/DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader

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I don't have the time to get into a deep discussion about 007 with Warbler & Chainsaw, but I'll toss this out there for the record;  I've been a 007 uber-nerd since 1973 - Live And Let Die, have all the films, most of the soundtracks, a few books, etc, etc. 

Without a doubt, and in spite of the sentimentality of some of my favorites through the years - Casino Royale06 is my favorite James Bond film of all, by far. 

With that, they finally made the 007 film I'd always wanted - no gadgets, no cringeworthy double entendre, no invisible cars, etc, etc.  It's Bond being cool, edgy, tough, smart, and in a story that is grounded in reality - no secret lair inside a volcano from which the villain is plotting to take over the planet.I occasionally spend time here;

http://www.mi6forums.co.uk/

However, it's heavily moderated, with too many teacher's pets taking names for me to enjoy it.  I mostly lurk to get information on upcoming films.

 

 

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ChainsawAsh said:

Warb, I think we're just going to have to agree to disagree on this one.

that's fine. 

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Back to the Future
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
Scream (1996)
Spider-Man Trilogy (2002-2007)
Shrek
The Exorcist
The Incredibles
This Is Spinal Tap

I hate the Disney Channel Live Action Universe

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2001: A Space Odyssey
The Truman Show
Donnie Darko
The Wind That Shakes The Barley
Cleo from 5 to 7
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Blade Runner
Blade Runner 2049

I’m also a big fan of Avatar: The Last Airbender, which is a TV series.

“Remember, the Force will be with you. Always.”

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This is my Sight & Sound Top 10 list

The Wizard of Oz (1939)
The Thief of Bagdad (1940)
Fantasia (1940)
Gun Crazy (1950)
The Tales of Hoffman (1951)
Ikiru (1952)
Rear Window (1954)
Barry Lyndon (1975)
Mishima (1985)
Spirited Away (2001)

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A Hard Days Night
Help
Dr Strangelove
The day the earth stood still
2001 a Space Odyssey

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Back to the Future
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Raiders of the lost Ark
Spider-Man 2
Big Trouble in Little China
Blade Runner
The Mummy (1999)
George of the Jungle
Batman Begins
Ferris Buellers Day Off
Guardians of the Galaxy
Ghostbusters
Air Force One
Toy Story 2
Inception
Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan
Groundhog Day
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
It’s a Wonderful Life
Rear Window
Home Alone 2

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Moon (2009)

“Get over violence, madness and death? What else is there?”

Also known as Mr. Liquid Jungle.

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In no particular order

Blade runner
The terminator
The Thing
Raiders of the lost ark
Killer klowns from outer space
Halloween
House of 1000 corpses
The funhouse
Captain America - the first avenger
Prometheus
The cloverfield paradox
Gattaca
Sneakers
Predestination
Oldboy
Batman '89
Big trouble in little China
Christine
IT '90
Hellboy II
Joe Dirt
Jay & Silent Bob strike Back
Gone baby Gone
(And way to many more to mention lol)

Favourite Fanedits/Fanfix which are not Star Wars

Bladerunner (15MAF)
Prometheus (Dazman)
Terminator 2 (Kreep)
The Mist (Krausfadr)
Son of Krypton (Krausfadr)
gods of Earth (Krausfadr)
Captain Marvel (Triadne)