Favourite Films

[Mer]

This topic is dedicated to discussing your favourite films, actors, directors, and all that lovely stuff. I am aware we already have a "movie" thread (I prefer to remain British and call them films!) but that can be just for cinema releases, a seperate thread to discuss favourite films is a good idea. It keeps things tidy and it means people can natter away as much as they want about that favourte film without worrying about clogging up the cinema-y topic. Also a discussion in Skype last night about films which have made people cry made me think about some of my favourite films and I thought "Hmm we need a proper thread to discuss them in!"So...what films have earned a place as favourite in the wonderful world of Mer? Excluding the Harry Potter series as I that is just too obvious (Having said that, I will at some point talk about Back To The Future here, muwhaha!)Well, I don't have one particular favourite, I just couldn't pick one to come first! A lot of my favourite films feature David Thewlis, who people here will probably know as "the guy that plays Lupin in Harry Potter". I mean that in a nice way though. He doesn't seem that well heard of, probably because he keeps himself to himself and does a lot of indepedent films. Having said that, he is an incredibly talented and versatile actor. His best performance was without a doubt Jonny in the Mike Leigh film "Naked". I will leave discussing that until another time, as it is such an intense film and there isn't really a plot to explain, it's just about people and their lives. Anyone who is familair with Mike Leigh films will know exactly what I mean. The film I'm going to talk about today is The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas. A very moving film with a very sad ending. Released in 2008, it is a historical-drama based film based on the novel, and directed by Mark Herman. It stars David Thewlis as Ralf, Vera Farmiga as Elsa, Asa Butterfield as Bruno and Jack Scanlon as Schmuel. The soundtrack is composed by James Horner. A Holocaust drama, the film explores the horror of a World War 2 extermination camp through the eyes of two 8 year old boys; one being the son of the camp's Nazi commadant, the other a Jewish inmate.SS Officer Ralf, wife Elsa and children Gretel, 12 and Bruno, 8, move from their home in Berlin to the countryside as Ralf has been promoted to a commandant of an extermination camp (although initially his wife and children do not know this).One day, while exploring through the forest (via the back garden which he is banned from, as the concentration camp is over the back) Bruno comes across the camp, although he initially believes it to be a farm. He befriends Schmuel, who is the same age and always sits alone by the electric fence as he fights a lot with the others. Bruno regularly sneaks off to visit him, bringing him food and playing games and they become friends through the fence. As the film goes on, Bruno learns about Jews and that they are the “enemy” but still remains friends with Schmuel. Elsa and the children eventually find out the truth about Ralf working at the camp, and Elsa eventually wishes to move away with the children as she strongly disagrees with his work.One day when Bruno visits Schmuel, Schmuel is upset and tells him his father has gone missing and Bruno is determined to help find him. They make a plan; Bruno will came back the next day (the day he is meant to be leaving with his mum and sister to live with their aunt) with a spade to dig under the fence, and Schmuel will bring a spare pair of pyjamas so Bruno will look the same as everyone else. The plan goes ahead, with his family soon discovering he is missing. Upon searching for him, Elsa and Gretel discover the open shed window, Elsa interrupts Ralf in a meeting and he and the soldiers follow the trail through the forest to the camp. Elsa and Gretel follow behind, despite being told by Ralf to wait in the garden.Meanwhile, Bruno observes the true horrors of the camp and wishes to go home but agrees to stay to help Scmhuel find his dad. They look in the hut they sleep in when they are abruptly sent on a march by the soldiers and led down into a chamber, into a changing room, Bruno innocently saying he thinks they are just waiting there until the rain stops.Ralf and the soldiers discover Bruno's clothes and the spade and Ralf quickly enters the camp, then Elsa and daughter also arrive next to the clothes. Bruno, Scmuel and the others are ordered to take their clothes off, believing it's just a shower, and then forced into a gas chamber. They huddle together, the door slams shut and Bruno and Schmuel take hands in fear. A small opening at the top opens and a solder pours Zyklon B pellets into the chamber. Once the opening is closed, it cuts to the door and you hear furious, desperate banging and shouting from inside, which then comes to an abrupt stop.At the same time as this, Ralf frantically searched for Bruno and discovered the empty hut, informing him there was a gassing taking place. After the banging on the chamber door stops, we see him running towards the chamber and he cries out Bruno's name. It then cuts to Elsa and Gretel who hear this and break down in crying screams, clutching onto Bruno's clothing.As I said, it is a very moving film. I had already read about it on Wikipedia before seeing it (well, downloading it the other month, but ssh, I'm poor okay!) and I wonder how I would have reacted and felt at the ending had I not done so. Having said that, I still cried and I still find it petrifying to watch those final scenes. I always have that hope that nothing bad will happen even though I know it will. It is done so effectively too; the use of the soundtrack is what really does it. While they are panicking and banging on the chamber door there are high pitched strings playing, and then they stop, along with the banging on the door, and it really gets you inside, it's like you've felt the people dieing. And the way in the final scene that the camera slowly zooms out from the chamber door and the end music plays! :(The soundtrack in general is great, very beautiful and moving. The opening piece in particular gets me, even when I saw it the first time as I knew the plot and what happened to Bruno in the end.The acting was perfect, by all the cast. David Thewlis was scary! Usually when I watch films or TV and a character goes mad and shouts, I laugh, I can't help it. But not this guy, no, I felt like I was there being yelled at! Like the scene where Elsa confronts him after finding out the truth about his job, working at the camp, my god! You really feel for her and feel scared of and hate Ralf! And yet there are scenes where you see him as a loving father and husband but both sides of the character are utterly believable. Versatile doesn't even describe this guy!Asa Butterfield and Jack Scanlon as the boys were very good, Asa in particular, and he is so cute! He has very bold, blue eyes which he acted with very well. The innocence of Bruno's character is what contributes to the film being so moving as you just want to tell him what is really going on and to obey his parents and to enter the camp!A three word summary of the film: Beautiful, moving, horrifying.10/10

[Benin]

The Big Bad Movie Topic was made for ANY films to be discussed, not just cinema...See if this thread has more people posting in it though...

[Mark9]

I rather like Disney films :wub:So erm... Pinocchio, Up, Wall.E, The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast qualify. Out of Disney I'm partial to Jurassic Park, Chicago, Shaun of the Dead and Star Trek: First Contact are also stand outs.

[thorpeparkjack]

Inbetweeners Movie FTW!

[UnderItAll]

+1 for The InbetweenersBack To The Future is my favourite film series.Road to perdition and Forrest Gump are high up there tooHostel...That's about it til I remember any more.

[Smidget]

Hostel But that's so ... grim!However, saying that, I am a MASSIVE fan of the Saw franchise. I'm not normally a huge fan of blood and gore, yet Saw seems to enthral me. I think it's because despite to obvious gore in the Saw films, there is also some psychological horror behind it, not only with the whole Jigsaw storyline, but also the actual traps themselves. Imagine if you were to wake up in one of those traps, knowing you have to mutilate yourself or another person to get out alive. If you were to survive you would be psychologically damaged for the rest of your life alongside possible physical damage. That whole theme really catches my interest, as I am also a fan of psychological horrors such as Scream, The Ring and The Grudge. Saying that, I do also love the slasher genre, A Nightmare on Elm Street is, in my opinion, an absolutely brilliant film as it not only includes just the right amount of blood and gore, but it really does affect you psychologically, at least the first time you watch (it did for me anyway). In most other films the killer is a physical presence in the same world as would-be victims, however that is not the case with Freddy Krueger, who kills his victims whilst they are asleep and dreaming (I'm sure you all knew that anyway but oh well ). Sleep should be a safe haven, a chance to get away from the daily hassles of life, but that isn't possible with Krueger around!I realise that this may have made me sounds like a complete nutjob - I assure you all I'm not, I just really do love a good psychological horror flick

[Laelda_95]

Insidious is my favourite film. Along with Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, and Zombieland.

[JackR]

Forest Gump.A mix of drama, action, romance, emotional scenes and even funny parts in places. By far the most entertaining film I have ever seen for its change in genre and interesting story line.

Inbetweeners Movie FTW!

Even my mum and dad said it was funny when they watched it at the cinema, my granddad bought the DVD on Amazon tonight for me and my sister

[UnderItAll]

And I've just watched the first Human Centipede, and I really like it.Roll in seeing the 2nd one any day now!I've only seen parts of the Saw series so can't comment much, but I prefer the story line of Hostel and the very dark feel to it, I think they are well made films, like the lighting/camera angles and that, looks good.

[Dan]

I have a very wide choice of films I watch , but I think the best ones are jingle all the way and elf for this time of year and also a great fan of saw , Friday 13th (rerelease) and the lethal weapon trilogy

[Han30]

Oh god - Nightmare on Elm Street actually gave me nightmares - only watched it once and that was enough! My favourite film is probably Girl, Interrupted - not a fan of Angelina Jolie but she was really good in that. The Final Destination films I like especially the one with the rollercoaster - I like the fact that you think you know how the person is going to pop their cloggs but it turns out to be completely different - pleasant!Not a fan of Christmas but I love National Lampoons Christmas VacationAnd for cringe factor - White Chicks

[TN Jonny]

Back To The Future & jurassic park are my favourite oldies. Today I watched Captain america 3D thats a good film and I bought hangover 2 so ill watch that 2mozz I've already seen it in cinema but has to be watched again funny film

[pluk]

Leon is a perfect film.

[RideAddict]

OK, time to list a few great films I enjoy:

The Football Factory

Green Street

Outlaw

The Business

Goodbye Charlie Bright

The Hangover

The Hangover part 2

Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey

King Kong (2006)

Taken

Taken 2

The Sweeney (2012)

American Beauty

Some oldies I enjoy too:

Airplane!

The Early Bird

Press For Time

One Of Our Dinosaurs Is Missing

My favourites of all time are Green Street, The Sweeney and American Beauty. Even to this day, 14 years after it was released, American Beauty still reminds me of how well it was made.

[Coaster]

Back to the future is my favourite film by far (all three).

[Ryan]

• Scream (1 and 4)
• Saw (1 and 3)
• [REC] (1 and 2)
• Nightmare on Elm Street
• Halloween
• Thirteen Ghosts
• Insidious
• I spit on your grave
• Sinister
• AMERICAN PSYCHO <3333
• Child's Play
• Dawn of the Dead
• The Devil's Rejects
• The Hills Have Eyes
• Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003 remake)

That's just off the top of my head, all absolutely fantastic films!

[Mer]

Watched Ratatouille last night and realised how much I love it and what a great film it is I really want a cuddly toy Remy now

[jammydodger]

Scary movie 1 is brilliant. Not too keen on the ones that came after though.

[Matt 236]

Ten films, I strongly enjoy (no particular order)

1 Gladiator/ brilliant action film with great setting and filming. Also features last film of Oliver Reed.

2 The Matrix/ Very intriguing plot line as well as some impressive action scenes.

3 The Shining, quite nostalgic and creepy as well as brilliant acting of Jack Nicholson.

4 Les Mis, brilliant musical score with brilliant actors/singers with several touching moment in the film (watch if you like musicals)

5 Toy Story 3, great film with more charms than the first 2, brings me back to my childhood.

6 Forest Gump, interesting comedy film that shows anybody can be somebody.

7 The Sixth Sense, amazing supernatural thriller with ghosts which features a twist at the end.

8 Spirited Away, I love a lot of the anime cartoons and Spirited Away is no exception, great plot, animation and music.

9 Shaun of the dead, funny black comedy film with Pegg and Frost with zombies.

10 Hunger Games.

I enjoy many other films too.