Film Recommendations

For a while now I will be responsible for holding small film screenings at my university. I know F:ATties have an eclectic taste in films, that's why I'm asking for your advice. I'm primarily looking for films that will suit a student audience, e.g. arthouse, Palme d'Or nominees, stuff like that. Old or new doesn't really matter. If I find the small list I've already assembled I will post that to give you a general idea. But any help is appreciated. Thanks in advance!

I'm happy to help if you'd like. I just recommended 3 movies for my mom to take her grandsons to this weekend.

I just made a list of the top ten movies I would MOST like to see that I have never seen:

Taxi to the Dark Side (2007)
A Hard Day’s Night (1964)
Bus 174 (Onibus 174) (2002)
The Godfather (1972)
Deliver Us From Evil (2006)
Rear Window (1954)
Dr. Strangelove or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
North by Northwest (1959)
The Third Man (1949)
Afghan Star (2008)

I strongly believe that list, for instance, would be gold for what you are seeking to do. But I can't speak to them since I haven't seen them. Are you looking for recent movies or what?

Post your small list so I can have an idea what you are looking for. Stuff I'd recommend:

MAN ON WIRE - best documentary I have ever seen
AMAL - my favourite movie from the last decade. PERFECT for what you're trying to do. Really makes a good case that the more money you have, the less happy you are.
WASTE LAND - my favourite movie from last year (documentary). REALLY good for the type of film screenings you're trying to do.
COOL HAND LUKE - one of my favourite movies of all time. Still holds up today. Total classic.
JAWS - same
DAS BOOT - haha, only cuz it's you. But yeah, great film.
BEFORE SUNRISE (and BEFORE SUNSET I guess) - most romantic movies I've ever seen I think. So believable, so awesome. So european... I love it

there ya go, best film screenings ever. PLEASE let me know what movies you end up screening and how it goes!

LIVES OF OTHERS? so good, and again, only cuz it's you

some great foreign films for the arthouse crowd:

Raise the Red Lantern
I'm Not Scared
City of God
Let the Right One In
Son of Rambow (spelling is correct)

yeah Let the Right One In would be a great one to show.

City of God is awesome but man is it violent. It's tough seeing kids kill kids

The only ones I ever showed up for at my school were the Kurosawa films. I think I may have seen To Live (the Chinese one, awesome fucking movie) there too, but I was stoned during most of this period, so my memory is kind of hazy. Other than that, it was usually more modern films from Europe (mostly French) since theaters in America don't show fuck all for foreign films outside of small, shitty theaters with retarded showtimes (at least around here).

What kind of movies have other people done at these types of things? Just trying to get an idea, because while I know you guys definitely get American blockbusters, I'm not sure about more "second tier" type films that may seem common to me, but are perhaps less well known in your neck of the woods.

And Barney, you've never seen Godfather? WTF, man? Half the rest of the list deserves a wtf as well, but seriously, Godfather?

Those are the ten movies I'm most embarassed that I haven't seen. They're the ones I get "WTF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THAT?" the most from people so my wife asked my just this week to come up with a list like that and we're gonna try to watch those movies in the next few months I think. I think people want to buy us a bunch of movies at our upcoming baby shower thing too so maybe that's why she asked me for a list.

But yeah, not seeing Godfather is bad. I also haven't seen BATMAN and proud of it. I think I'll intentionally never see just cuz it seems to bug people

There are only two restrictions really:
- the film shouldn't be popular, i.e. should be new to most of the audience (That means for example that "Lives of Others" and "Das Boot" are out, because most Germans know them)
- the film shouldn't be too long. I might stretch this at times, but I can't show a three hour film every week.

Here's my list:
- The Graduate (I will start out with this a) because the German title fits and b) because the first screening is usually packed so I hope that those who know the film will make room for those who don't. The other films on the list are not ordered.)
- Clerks
- I Served The King Of England
- Indien (Best German language film! Austrian actually.)
- 1984
- Paths of Glory
- Old Boy
- Brazil
- They Live (AT classic)
- Battle of Algiers
- Happiness (Still need to finish test viewing it though)
- Kelly's Heroes
- Underground
But the list really contains too many of my personal favourites.

Other possible candidates are more recent, but non-mainstream (in Germany!) films like Kick-Ass or Scott Pilgrim
One film I heard about from F:AT is: Big Fan
On June 6th I will show: Overlord (D-Day anniversary)

How I Learned ... is a great film but I have to show the films in German, so I think it might lose some of its charm there.

Stuff that would be too strange: Zardoz and trash like that.

Here is what my forerunners have shown: (Some titles in German)
Before Sunset
Bleep
Brügge sehen und sterben
Corpse Bride
Der Krieg des CHarlie Wilson
Free Rainer
Grandmas Boy
Gremlins
Memento
Burn after reading
Die Fremde in dir
Sweeney Todd
Thank you for smoking
Old men in new cars
so finster die nacht
alles ist erleuchtet
vergiss mein nicht
die fälscher
the air i breath
adams äpfel
the wrestler
I´m not there
public enemy
The maschinist
Cabinet des Doktor Panassus
Dancer in the dark
Mic Macs
We feed the world
Blood diamond
Donni Darco
Religiolous
Snowcake
There will be blood
Dei mudder sei gsicht
in meinem Himmel

I'll throw out 10 random thoughts...

Smoke Signals
Once Were Warriors
3 O'Clock High
Blood into Wine
River's Edge
Four Rooms
King of Kong
Plunkett & Macleane
The Proposition
A Prophet

Black Barney wrote:

But yeah, not seeing Godfather is bad. I also haven't seen BATMAN and proud of it. I think I'll intentionally never see just cuz it seems to bug people

Which BATMAN? The one with Jack Nickolson as Joker? Meh, I wouldn't go out of your way. I didn't think it had aged that well when I saw it recently tbh. Then again, I'm not a huge Batman fan to begin with, so wtf do I know.

Of what's been listed so far, CITY OF GOD is probably your best bet, though TO LIVE(Zhang Yimou's film, never seen Kurosawa's Ikiru) is awesome if you can stomach putting Chinese communism in a negative light.

Edit: Cool, I see you've posted some guidelines. Will think about it and get back to you.

Edit 2: Also, if your forerunners are getting away with showing dogshit like Grandmas Boy and Sweeney Todd, you should be golden.

Thanks for the help guys, I'll look into these. Keep 'em coming.

ufe wrote:

[...] though TO LIVE(Zhang Yimou's film, never seen Kurosawa's Ikiru) is awesome if you can stomach putting Chinese communism in a negative light.

No problem there.

Edit 2: Also, if your forerunners are getting away with showing dogshit like Grandmas Boy and Sweeney Todd, you should be golden.

Yeah, I definitely want to up the ante. Although they've shown some of my favourites as well: Adam's Apples, Thank You For Smoking, Memento

Das Testament des Dr. Mabuse (for obvious reasons)

A double bill of Jean de Florette & Manon des Sources

Alien

The Saddest Music in the World

Ghost World

Suspiria

No Country for Old Men

Wandafuru Raifu

Yojimbo

Seven Samurai

American Splendor
Trainspotting
Yojimbo (obviously)
Miller's Crossing
Crumb
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
The Big Lebowski
American Movie
The Usual Suspects
Boogie Nights
The Royal Tenenbaums

ahhh, American Movie... I could watch the shenanigans of Mike Shank for hours and hours.

Cuckoo's Nest!! DAMMIT, i can't believe I forgot that one

Luis Buñuel is my probably favorite

Everyone's seen (or should see if not) Un Chien Andalou, his film with Dali. It's only like 20 minutes long or something, so it's great to throw in.

But I think his best are

That Obscure Object of Desire, The Phantom of Liberty, The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie and The Exterminating Angel, but those are all form his late period. For a good mid period mexican film of his go with Rehearsal for a Crime (aka The Criminal Life of Archibaldo de la Cruz).

I'd assume someone has already shown Herzog's best stuff. Aguirre, the Wrath of God and Fitzcarraldo.

Brazil is a good pick for Gilliam but I'd imagine most people have seen it. Tideland wasn't seen by as many people and it's a fascinating film that can generally spark some interesting conversations.

Barney mentioned The Third Man, one of my all time favorite films. Just fucking perfect!

Something from Fellini, I'd say La Strada because it's not too pretentious and it's also pretty manly. If you've seen Raging Bull it's almost the same film.

... and The Octagon with Chuck Norris. I know the internet ruined this guy but the Octagon is everything an action film should be. Echo voices and Ninja's!

Kwaidan (the 1964 version by Masaki Kobayashi, not the newer one.)

Alien

Green Snake

Blade Runner

Kagemusha

Let the Right One In

Fearless

Yojimbo

Seven Samurai