And let’s do movies, too. 

1. The Mosquito Coast
2. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
3. 1492: Conquest of Paradise
4. Crimson Tide
5. The Gods Must Be Crazy
6. 2001: A Space Odyssey
7. Kolya
8. Good Will Hunting
9. Toy Story 2
10. What About Bob?

Don’t watch many movies.

1. Paint Your Wagon
2. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy
3. We Were Soldiers Once and Young.
4. The Blues Brothers.
5. Chess Records. - not sure that is the right title.

It’s difficult to put them in a satisfactory order, but here are ten of my favorites: 
1. A Clockwork Orange 2. Amadeus 3. Ghost World 4. The Shining 5. Ed Wood 6. Big Trouble in Little China 7. Tromeo and Juliette 8. Sexy Beast 9. The Outsiders 10. The (original)Ladykillers

I thought about including Amadeus on my list too. Almost made it.

Just saw the new Sherlock Holmes movie. Fantastic!  Downey does a masterful portrayal of Holmes and the Moriarity character balances perfectly with Holmes. Excellent and authentic background. Holmes is one of my all time favorite fictional characters.

Cap’t Jack

I like Sherlock Holmes too, but I don’t think I am going to see the movie. I guess I wish they kept Holmes English, instead of giving him the flavour of a Jewish superhero à la the Prague Golem/Superman/Batman/Iron Man.

Ok, let’s say that with the latest video technology and people’s craving for extreme Sam peckinpah slow mo action, taken from the late Victorian period and suped up, the movie was a gripping tale based on the Holmes genre. The movie does stay well within the parameters of the story line though. If you’re a Holmes fan you won’t be disapointed. Just don’t look for a Jeremy Brett interpretation!

Cap’t Jack

thevillageathiest - 21 December 2011 08:03 AM

Just saw the new Sherlock Holmes movie. Fantastic!  Downey does a masterful portrayal of Holmes and the Moriarity character balances perfectly with Holmes. Excellent and authentic background. Holmes is one of my all time favorite fictional characters.

Cap’t Jack

Spoiler alert!
Do not read if you plan to see the movie.

Hmmm,
funny that,
I happen to be on a short trip into a genuine big city and as it happens saw Sherlock Holmes last night, first big screen experience in years.  Seemed to me {a Conan Doyle Holmes fan} the only way to stomach the thing was to first recognize it had nothing to do with Holmes - it was a Hollywood CG scifi-thriller, even though it drew on various Doyle plot points.  OK the portrayal of Moriarity did a pretty job of catching the spirit of Doyle’s Moriarity.  But Holmes?  Nah, I saw nothing of Doyle’s Holmes in that one.

And, of course, it was totally fantasy land amped out like a high-class speed hollywood party - I’m just too much of a stick in the mud to connect to characters that can be swung on a meat hook like a punching bag, then within minutes run miles through the woods, dodging monster shell blasts by inches, then receiving chest compressions, then a shot of adrenalin, or whatever, into the heart, or was it just chest, and bouncing back like he’s only had a few too many beers.

Yea, it was a cute movie, but I left with a distinct sense of weltschmerz that this sort of hollywoodized rendition is what people want to gobble up while totally ignoring what is actually happening in the world around them.  Every year bigger and better, {and more removed from reality}, bangs are all most citizen’s seem to want to be present to. 

All the while becoming more inured to the violence and destruction our nation exports throughout the world.

But, them I’m a aging goat from the hills, who even in his youth was made super uncomfortable watching the Star Wars movies. . .  I’d watch these huge battle scenes distracted by the question: OK where the hell was all that stuff produced, where were the resources taken from and construction achieved….... and all for blowing up???  Never could wrap my head around that.

luckily it’s time to run along, so I won’t be droning on.   

1. Dr. Strangelove.
2. Emperor of the North.
3. The Deer Hunter.
4. 2001 Space Odysee.
5. Blues Brothers.
6. Straight Time.
7. Saving Private Ryan.
8. The Good The Bad The Ugly
9. Terminator I and II
10. The Grateful Dead Movie.
11. Louie Bluie.
12. Vanishing Point.
13. Easy Rider.
14. Clockwork Orange.
15. The Bad Lieutenant.
  This list is not in order of importance.  This list is only partial.  I’m positive I’ve left out some of my very favorites.

I am now waiting for Spielberg to destroy Tintin. I am sure Tintin will have big muscles and the ability to jump ten feet high.

Alot of my most favorite movies I’ve only seen once and have forgotten the names.  Old documentaries, forgotten low budget sleepers etc….

George - 21 December 2011 09:42 AM

I am now waiting for Spielberg to destroy Tintin. I am sure Tintin will have big muscles and the ability to jump ten feet high.

I love the Tintin books from when I was a kid, but I can’t stand the look of the new film. Hergé was famous for his flat, outlined cartooning style, ligne claire, which is about as far as you can get from the 3-D CGI crap they have going here. Tintin the film is so deep into the uncanny valley I doubt it will ever nose its way out.

I said 10, not 15, VYAZMA.    But I like many of the movies you’ve picked, so I forgive you. 

Ten of my favorite films in no particular order:

—2001
—His Girl Friday
—Monty Python and the Holy Grail
—Life of Bryan
—The Thin Man
—Wall-E
—Citizen Kane
—Bringing Up Baby
—Twentieth Century
—Dr. Strangelove

Doug, have you seen the The Adventures of Tintin: Collector’s Gift Set? I bought it for my kids (I don’t want them to destroy my collection) as a Christmas gift at Costco for only $80 (!), but I am afraid the type size is too small. Otherwise it seems to be beautifully done. It has some full-bleed images and it looks like they have done a decent job at printing and binding.

George - 21 December 2011 09:57 AM

Doug, have you seen the The Adventures of Tintin: Collector’s Gift Set? I bought it for my kids (I don’t want them to destroy my collection) as a Christmas gift at Costco for only $80 (!), but I am afraid the type size is too small. Otherwise it seems to be beautifully done. It has some full-bleed images and it looks like they have done a decent job at printing and binding.

I’ve seen it in stores but haven’t opened it. I don’t like the fact that they’ve reduced the size of the page, but I’m sure the printing is good.

FWIW we have pretty much the whole set from when we were kids (and my mother bought some when she was young in France); most are in tatters though completely readable. Same with Asterix.