logo Sign In

The Essentials (films)

Author
Date
Author
Time
 (Edited)
Post link

This is a thread designed to compile a list of movies deemed the “essentials,” for novice film buffs or weathered veterans to discover something new or help those just starting out.

The Essentials, in my definition, are films that anyone and everyone who proclaims themselves to be movie-buffs, or even people that aren’t particularily interested in film must see. Films that truly show the deepest meaning that the medium can convey, or just raw, pure, unaldulterated entertainment.

Give me your thoughts.

And yes, I blatently ripped off of TCM.

"I don't mind if you don't like my manners. I don't like them myself. They're pretty bad. I grieve over them during the long winter evenings."
Author
Time
Post link
Where do I begin?
Alien
Army of Darkness
Blazing Saddles
Jaws
The Matrix
The Good, the Bad & the Ugly
The Princess Bride
A Room with a View
Singin' in the Rain
Star Wars (all 3 in the OT; like I was gonna leave 'em off)
Sleeping Beauty
The Muppet Movie
Toy Story
The Incredibles
Terminator
Tombstone
Unbreakable
Superman: The Movie
Spider-Man 2 (more inventive than the first)
Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead
Brazil
12 Monkeys
Empire of the Sun
The Wrong Trousers


I'll probably come up with more later.

Princess Leia: I happen to like nice men.
Han Solo: I'm a nice man.

Author
Time
Post link
The 1st essential movie the comes to my mind is Casablanca. Whenever I think of great movies, Casablanca is always the first one I think of. And of course when I start to think about great movies it doesn't take me too long before I start to think about the O OT.

I will have more later on.
Author
Time
Post link
OK, first the easy-to-watch blockbuster classics: everything made by George Lucas from 1970 to 1983, everything by Spielberg, Scorcese after 1980, Hitchcock, Mel Brooks until Spaceballs, every Monty Python film, some hong kong films by golden harvest, Exorcist, Alien, Bond flicks... you know, the good classic stuff...

Then moving to more complex stuff:

Pretty much everything made by Stanley Kubrick from "Paths of Glory" to "Eyes Wide Shut"
Orson Welles, specially Citizen Kane and Touch of Evil directors cut.
Kurosawa, specially 7 samurai, kagemusha (cant spell), ran, rapsody in august and yume.
Everything by Fellini, specially Fellini's Rome and Amarcord
Casablanca
Brazil: "O pagador de promessas", Central Station, City of God
M
Jerry Lewis's "Which Way to the Front"
Roberto Begnini's Life is Beautiful and Il Monstro
Terry Gilliam: Brazil, 12 Monkeys
Japanese art cinema, like Dolls and Taboo
Japanese anime films, like Grave of the Fireflies, Barefoot Gen, Wings of Haneimase (cant spell), Akira, Ghost in the Shell 1, End of Evangelion...
Harold LLoyd's Safety Last
Chaplin from the kid to great dictator
David Lynch, specially Eraserhead and Elephant Man
Anything written by Charlie Kaufman
Anything by Polansky
Waking Life
Kevin Smith's Clerks

I... suppose that's it.
“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
Author
Time
Post link
ric when you say Mel Brooks until Spaceballs, is that inclusive of Spaceballs?

Also im suprised no one has said The Godfather.

Id also probably put Rocky on the list, as well as all Pixar films and probably most (if not all) the classic Disney animated movies. Id also probably add Memento and Tarentino's movies, mainly Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill.

The Lethal Weapon series is also one i would add to the list

And im sure there are others...just those are the ones that come to mind off the top of my head.

-Darth Simon
Why Anakin really turned to the dark side:
"Anakin, You're father I am" - Yoda
"No. No. That's not true! That's impossible!" - Anakin

0100111001101001011011100110101001100001

*touchy people disclaimer*
some or all of the above comments are partially exaggerated to convey a point, none of the comments are meant as personal attacks on anyone mentioned or reference in the above post
Author
Time
Post link
Gah! Jeez, yes, the Godfather! I forgot...

And yes, it includes Spaceballs. Altough I'd recomend only The Producers, Blazing Saddles and High Anxiety.
“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
Author
Time
Post link
I would include Jaws to prove that minimalism of exposure can be much more frightening than the real thing and show how horror/thrillers SHOULD be made.
"You fell victim to one of the classic blunders, the most famous of which is 'Never get involved in a land war in Asia'."
--Vizzini (Wallace Shawn), The Princess Bride
-------------------------
Kevin A
Webmaster/Primary Cynic
kapgar.typepad.com
kapgar.com
Author
Time
Post link
Keep in mind that this is an essentials list. Not just lists of your favorite films, but more of a list of ones that you feel are important to understand the artform itself(you don't even have to like them).
"I don't mind if you don't like my manners. I don't like them myself. They're pretty bad. I grieve over them during the long winter evenings."
Author
Time
Post link
Hardly an "essential"
"I don't mind if you don't like my manners. I don't like them myself. They're pretty bad. I grieve over them during the long winter evenings."
Author
Time
Post link
It's got talking turtles that fight using pseudo ninjitsu! How could it not be an essential?

4

Author
Time
Post link
Ummm... TMNT would very easily not be an essential.

Jaws isn't a favorite of mine. I like it, yes. But I think it's important because it shows how music and minimalism can really frighten the hell out of you more than the constant reappearance of a machete-wielding baddie.
"You fell victim to one of the classic blunders, the most famous of which is 'Never get involved in a land war in Asia'."
--Vizzini (Wallace Shawn), The Princess Bride
-------------------------
Kevin A
Webmaster/Primary Cynic
kapgar.typepad.com
kapgar.com
Author
Time
Post link
Jaws is a little bit slow paced for today standarts, but it's a good film. Not great, but good.

"The Exorcist" is another example of a frightening film that, unlikely today, dosen't depend on teenages getting killed by an unknown, irrelevant serial killer; or "scarying" the audience with sudden appearences followed by loud sounds after moments of silence - which I belive is the lowest trick a "director" could do on a film.
“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
Author
Time
Post link
I would add This is Spinal Tap for sure.

Also, I would like to give a special mention to Big Trouble in Little China. While hardly the best film ever made, it is special in its own rite. If you are looking for a film that defines a genre, it really is the quintesential "B-movie". It's funny, incredibly original, has great writing and directing (I like how Carpenter's score matches what's going on onscreen to a 'T') all while not taking itself too seriously. It just executes on the highest level for what it's trying to do, so I'd call it an essential.
40,000 million notches away
Author
Time
Post link
Yes, Spinal Tap could also be qualified as an "essential".

I don't see how that Kurt Russel movie with exploding chinese people could be considered an "essential" movie, but...
“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
Author
Time
Post link
My dad works in the communication department at a nearby college, and the communication dept. handles film, art, music, etc. majors.

He has an idea for an elective course not unlike what you're talking about, about learning movie essentials.

It would be a little different every semester.

For example, one semester you would study the humor of the Marx Brothers. The next you might cover the stylings of Alfred Hitchcock. In another semester, you might learn about the massive body of work of Humphrey Bogart. Still another could be the feel-good nature of Frank Capra movies.

I personally think its a great idea.
Author
Time
Post link
Ahhh how could I forget the Marx Brothers!
“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
Author
Time
Post link
Quote
Originally posted by: starkiller
My dad works in the communication department at a nearby college, and the communication dept. handles film, art, music, etc. majors.

He has an idea for an elective course not unlike what you're talking about, about learning movie essentials.

It would be a little different every semester.

For example, one semester you would study the humor of the Marx Brothers. The next you might cover the stylings of Alfred Hitchcock. In another semester, you might learn about the massive body of work of Humphrey Bogart. Still another could be the feel-good nature of Frank Capra movies.

I personally think its a great idea.


I think there is something exactly like this at NC State and UNCW, I'm definitely going to take them if I go to either of those colleges.
"I don't mind if you don't like my manners. I don't like them myself. They're pretty bad. I grieve over them during the long winter evenings."
Author
Time
Post link
Quote
Originally posted by: ricarleite
Jaws is a little bit slow paced for today standarts, but it's a good film. Not great, but good.


Jaws is not a great film!?!
Author
Time
Post link
here's more that (imho) are essential
(adding to what was already meantioned)

The Wizard of OZ.
Gone With The Wind(laugh if you must)
To KIll a Mocking Bird.
12 Angry Men.
Inherit the Wind.
Judgement at Nuremburg
Planet of the Apes(the original)
The Three Stooge short movies.
All Quiet on the Western Front.
Raiders Of the Lost Ark.
Robin Hood(Errol Flynn version)
Dracula(the Bela Lugosi version)
Frankenstein(the Boris Karloff verison)
The Bride Of Frankenstein
Godfather parts 1 and 2
Rocky
Ben Hur(both the silent version and the Heston version)
The Ten Commandments
The King of Kings(the silent version)
High Noon
1776
Pink Panther
A Shot in The Dark
The Paleface
Veritigo
Rear Window
The Man Who Knew Too Much
Psycho(the original)
Sunset Boulevard
Stagecoach
The Shootist
The Magnificent Seven
It's a Wonderful Life
Mr Smith Goes to Washington
Witness For the Prosecution
In the Heat of The Night
Double Indemnity
The Maltese Falcon.
The Hustler
Die Hard.
Dr. No
Goldfinger

There is more but that will have to do for now...



Author
Time
Post link
That's a really good list Warbler.
40,000 million notches away
Author
Time
Post link
Quote
Originally posted by: Warbler
Quote
Originally posted by: ricarleite
Jaws is a little bit slow paced for today standarts, but it's a good film. Not great, but good.


Jaws is not a great film!?!


As I've said, I think it's good, but not great.
“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
Author
Time
Post link
Here's some more for the list.

Close Encounters of the Third Kind.
Schindler's List
Miracle On 34th Street(the original)
Top Hat
The Sands of Iwo Jima
The Pride of The Yankees
Field of Dreams
E.T.
Apollo 13
Star Trek II
My Fair Lady
The King and I
The Music Man
West Side Story
Around The World in 80 Days(the original)
Its a Mad,Mad,Mad,Mad World
The Road to Singapore
Shane
Laura
Murder My Sweet

If full length theatrical released animated movies count, I some that are (imho)essential (again, LOL if you must)

Snow White
Fantasia(the original)
Cinderella
The Lady and The Tramp
Pinocchio
Bambi