Your Favourite Movie (notice, no "s")

[Elmo Lewis 6]

Empire of the Sun.

Sorry, Peio.

Since when is this your favorite movie, Ross?

For been a long while now, I think. I just watched it this summer and I can't recall a time when I felt so deeply, personally moved by a film (for that's what it is, a film, not a movie). The scene where Jim tries to bring them all back, all of them, is possibly my favorite Spielbergian moment in history. It doesn't hurt that I'm especially touched by Spielberg's masterful-yet-innocent style from the 80's, and this is where he put it to its most mature, most meaningful use.

It's been 7 years since my posts about Superman, dude. Are you also surprised that Mad Men is also my favorite show?

[Romão 2,274]

Keep em coming

Mine is Lawrence of Arabia.

Why? Well,the dialogue is just top notch,clever, and completely engaging over the entire great length of the movie.

So many lines spoken in this film have tremendous meaning, symbolism, and come with surprise switches that add intensity. Take the officers bar scene, a scene preceded by horrendous sand storms and conflict all culminating in a very intensely acted - "We want....two glasses....of lemonade". Genius. O'toole has intense (and also funny) lines in that scene. Then there is the personal chat between Faisal and Lawrence in the Royal tent (what I call the 'Gardens of Cordoba' scene) about the future of Arabia,accompanied by subtle creaking of the tent frames, and the desert breeze suddenly gusting strongly to rock the tent frames when Faisal says - "We need what no man can provide, Mr Lawrence. We need a miracle". Destiny approaches on the horizon, as Jarre's score returns subtly to the scene. Lawrence walks out of the tent with an intense gaze as Jarre's score provides a deep gong sound to our ears. It sends shivers up my spine. Add to all this the superb score by Maurice Jarre and sweeping vistas of cinematography, and it's one I come back to again and again and never find myself finding it old. Below, folks have put scenes I mention,on YouTube.

Lost Gardens of Cordoba Scene

Scene

scene (slightly damaged in the first 9 seconds)

I totally agree, it is my favorite, too.

I hate being so unoriginal, but this is my #1 choice as well, and I pretty much agree 100% with the reasons presented by Melange.

"The Turks pay me a king's treasure and yet I am poor, for I am river to my people!"

People often mention the performances, the cinematography and the score, but Lawrence of Arabia has one of the best scripts ever written. Prety much every scene is highly quotable and brimming with subtext.

[Wojo 2,453]

Actually, if I was going to pick a favorite on grounds of great cast, great music, great action, memorable lines, and sheer enjoyment...The Blues Brothers.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

We're on a mission from God.

[ChuckM 1]

This is an easy one for me - Back to the Future.

I don't know if I could really pinpoint an exact reason why though. Sure, the dialog is hilarious and just plain brilliant at times. Yes, the soundtrack is fantastic. Certainly, the depth of the characters is wonderful. And of course the prominent featuring of my favorite car helps. But none of those really make it my favorite.

It just has this certain unexplainable quality about it that makes me love it. I have watched it far more times than any other movie, but I simply can't get tired of it.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

Actually, if I was going to pick a favorite on grounds of great cast, great music, great action, memorable lines, and sheer enjoyment...

Desperado or The Fifth Element

[Datameister 2,043]

This is an easy one for me - Back to the Future.

I don't know if I could really pinpoint an exact reason why though. Sure, the dialog is hilarious and just plain brilliant at times. Yes, the soundtrack is fantastic. Certainly, the depth of the characters is wonderful. And of course the prominent featuring of my favorite car helps. But none of those really make it my favorite.

It just has this certain unexplainable quality about it that makes me love it. I have watched it far more times than any other movie, but I simply can't get tired of it.

An honorable choice, sir. Definitely a strong contender for me. Star Wars had a much greater influence on...well, my life, but Back to the Future is just awesome. It really does have the whole package. Great score, great cast, great story, great writing, great cinematography, great choice of shooting locations, etc., and yet it's all these and NONE of these that make the film as a whole so...great! I recently got to watch it for free, with a moderately large audience, at night, projected on a wall, sitting in a parking lot. I discovered how much I love this movie all over again. It's brilliant, through and through. (I love parts II and III, as well, though they definitely don't have the nearly poetic sort of story arc the original has. I love complicated messes of time paradoxes, I love the future, and I love the Old West - but the way the story is told in the first one is absolutely transcendent.)

[Red 75]

(for that's what it is, a film, not a movie)

What's the difference?

[Quintus 5,399]

In '93 Spielberg made both a movie and a film

[A24 4,333]

Empire of the Sun.

Sorry, Peio.

Since when is this your favorite movie, Ross?

For been a long while now, I think. I just watched it this summer and I can't recall a time when I felt so deeply, personally moved by a film (for that's what it is, a film, not a movie). The scene where Jim tries to bring them all back, all of them, is possibly my favorite Spielbergian moment in history. It doesn't hurt that I'm especially touched by Spielberg's masterful-yet-innocent style from the 80's, and this is where he put it to its most mature, most meaningful use.

It's been 7 years since my posts about Superman, dude. Are you also surprised that Mad Men is also my favorite show?

Yes, but I'm always surprised when someone from JWfan shows good taste in movies or TV shows.

[Richard Penna 3,690]

This is an easy one for me - Back to the Future.

I don't know if I could really pinpoint an exact reason why though. Sure, the dialog is hilarious and just plain brilliant at times. Yes, the soundtrack is fantastic. Certainly, the depth of the characters is wonderful. And of course the prominent featuring of my favorite car helps. But none of those really make it my favorite.

It just has this certain unexplainable quality about it that makes me love it. I have watched it far more times than any other movie, but I simply can't get tired of it.

An honorable choice, sir. Definitely a strong contender for me. Star Wars had a much greater influence on...well, my life, but Back to the Future is just awesome. It really does have the whole package. Great score, great cast, great story, great writing, great cinematography, great choice of shooting locations, etc., and yet it's all these and NONE of these that make the film as a whole so...great! I recently got to watch it for free, with a moderately large audience, at night, projected on a wall, sitting in a parking lot. I discovered how much I love this movie all over again. It's brilliant, through and through. (I love parts II and III, as well, though they definitely don't have the nearly poetic sort of story arc the original has. I love complicated messes of time paradoxes, I love the future, and I love the Old West - but the way the story is told in the first one is absolutely transcendent.)

I can't believe I overlooked BTTF. It does indeed have everything you want from a movie, and I could start watching it now and be as entertained as I was when we first got the DVDs.

[Diego 21]

If it's just one, just like the scores, I can't decide between Star Wars and Empire.

[Wojo 2,453]

(for that's what it is, a film, not a movie)

What's the difference?

Both are synonyms for "motion picture." Some will try to explain that a "film" is a motion picture of higher class, culture, and worth than a mere "movie," but such a definition shows bias.

I would think that film is just the stuff a movie is recorded and played on.

Something to consider: as movie-making goes from film to digital media, how many generations will it take for the term "film" to become archaic and/or forgotten? Certainly the term "album" is a holdover from the days when records were packaged in large paper envelopes called "albums," hence the term, but now bands don't cut albums, they record CDs.

Similarly, when we all used VHS to make sure we didn't miss our favorite show if we weren't home, we "taped" the show. Now that VHS are mostly gone in favor of DVR, do we still "tape" our shows, or do we just say we "record" them?

[Koray Savas 2,251]

I still use the term album, but not tape.

[Datameister 2,043]

Same here. I just say I'm going to record something, not tape it.

[Wojo 2,453]

I still use the term "tape" because I still have and use my VCR. No DVR for me.

[Trent B 337]

i refuse (and cannot) choose one from my many favorites

BTW people still have VCR's and VHS tapes? Wow, surprising. I got rid of my VHS player when I bought my first DVD player...didn't really need it any more. Now I only got one DVD player since I bought my PS3.

[Charlie Brigden 7]

I don't have a VCR, but I still have some VHS versions of Star Wars, namely because they have some great bonus features not found on any (legal) DVDs. Most of it comes from this.

[Datameister 2,043]

The family television still has a VCR plugged into it, though it doesn't see much action these days, and for recording purposes, we use the DVR exclusively.

[Red 75]

(for that's what it is, a film, not a movie)

What's the difference?

Both are synonyms for "motion picture." Some will try to explain that a "film" is a motion picture of higher class, culture, and worth than a mere "movie," but such a definition shows bias.

Agreed. I continue to believe that there is no difference between a film and a movie.

[Trent B 337]

Actually I should mention that I still have the VHS copies of the Original Star Wars Trilogy box set...the theatrical versions that came in this big huge blue box. It's up in my closet right now but it's been retired since we have them on DVD now...grant not in widescreen format but hey...

[Datameister 2,043]

We still have our Star Wars SE tapes.

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

I taped over them.

[Datameister 2,043]

[Naïve Old Fart 9,531]

Some very interesting choices, here, people, although I am not entirely convinced by the inclusion of "Teenwolf", but, as has been said, "each to their own".

My all-time favourite is "Close Encounters Of The Third Kind" (I don't care what edition, they are all brillant!). I could have typed ce3k, but this film deserves respect, with a capital R.

My question for the group is: how many of you saw your favourite film on its first run at the cinema? I know it is not essential to see a film at the cinema for it to be held up as a favourite, but it would be good to hear from those who saw "Blade Runner", or "Lawence Of Arabia", or "The Empire Strikes Back",or "E.T.", in their natural habitat, as it were, as it would, I think, give credence to the choices.

To know that one has been a fan of a particular film since its release, kind of legitemises its inclusion. I also know that many poeple's favourite film may not have been liked on its first, second, or even third viewing, even at the cinema, and that T.V., video, d.v.d, and now Blu-Ray offers the film fan the chance to re-aquaint themselves with a not-seen-for-a-long-time classic, or discover older films for the first time, but the cinema is whare it's at, and it will always be my preferred way of watching films. That being said, it's a great list, and I salute you all, even the one who included "Teenwolf"!

[ChuckM 1]

Well, I wasn't born until three years after BTTF came out, so no I did not see it then, but I did see a re-screening of it at a drive-in theater a few years ago (along with the DeLorean Motor Club of Maryland).

[Koray Savas 2,251]

I forgot that you live in MD!

[Charlie Brigden 7]

Some very interesting choices, here, people, although I am not entirely convinced by the inclusion of "Teenwolf", but, as has been said, "each to their own".

My all-time favourite is "Close Encounters Of The Third Kind" (I don't care what edition, they are all brillant!). I could have typed ce3k, but this film deserves respect, with a capital R.

My question for the group is: how many of you saw your favourite film on its first run at the cinema? I know it is not essential to see a film at the cinema for it to be held up as a favourite, but it would be good to hear from those who saw "Blade Runner", or "Lawence Of Arabia", or "The Empire Strikes Back",or "E.T.", in their natural habitat, as it were, as it would, I think, give credence to the choices.

To know that one has been a fan of a particular film since its release, kind of legitemises its inclusion. I also know that many poeple's favourite film may not have been liked on its first, second, or even third viewing, even at the cinema, and that T.V., video, d.v.d, and now Blu-Ray offers the film fan the chance to re-aquaint themselves with a not-seen-for-a-long-time classic, or discover older films for the first time, but the cinema is whare it's at, and it will always be my preferred way of watching films. That being said, it's a great list, and I salute you all, even the one who included "Teenwolf"!

I was too young to see ESB in the cinema, but I did see it on pirate video two years after, and I saw ROTJ in the cinema on its first run. I've seen BLADE RUNNER at the cinema, but it was a showing of the director's cut in about 97.

[Wojo 2,453]

I salute you all, even the one who included "Teenwolf"!

I was being sarcastic. You see, I thought we had to pick our favorite movie that did not include the letter "s"...