The dread words have been uttered: "You know this weekend, frog? Why don't we watch a film?"
Problem the first: my boyfriend says that when he has a film in mind. Problem the second: either he has no idea about my taste, or he deludes himself in order to have an excuse to use my HD TV to watch a film he wants. After 9 years of this, I strongly suspect the latter. He's managed to find a few films I liked, and a whole lot more I found boring or outright hated. Let's say a success ratio of 1 out of every 8.
After last month's pair of films I'm desperate! It's either leave the country or attempt substitution of my own choice of movie. Problem the third: it's hard to find films I like as most films offer little I find appealing. I need recommendations and this is the only quick source I can think of. Save me!
A frog's taste in film: a simple guide.
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
1. Plot and character are king. Preferably both, but I can live with a film only being strong in one if it's good. I prefer films which require some thought and attention on the viewer's part.
2. No typical Hollywood crap. No square-jawed American heroes saving the world from evil British/Russians/Chinese. No car chases every 20 minutes. No explosions every 2 seconds. No special effects overload papering over the fact there's barely a plot.
3. Romantic films and chick flicks should die in a fire. I might be a lady frog, that does not mean I like this senseless garbage.
4. American comedy is not my idea of comedy.
5. Let's have some attractive visuals. By this I mean good locations, nice costumes, good scene framing, smart use of colour, and that aspect of filmography, not fancy effects.
6. I don't mind reading subtitles.
7. No perversions of history or fact where a film claims to be based on them. Exception: I can tolerate this if the film is plainly aiming for fantasy in a historical setting as per Gladiator, rather than claiming to be accurate like the new Robin Hood , Braveheart, and all of that ilk.
8. It's nice when the actors can act ...
9. Animation or live action, I have no preference.
10. Horror films do not scare me. They bore me.
11. Ultraviolence is tedious.
There are exceptions to these rules. Generally because the rest of the package works very well. Some examples can be found in the films I liked section.
A few films I have liked:
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Red Cliff the full 5 hour version. I'd say that this is one of the best I have watched, an amazing epic. Rather hard to follow if you are not familiar with the 'Romance of the Three Kingdoms' story.
Lord of the Rings trilogy. First film is the best IMO. These really are excellent films, and they compliment the book nicely.
The Prestige.
Crouching tiger, hidden dragon.
Kingdom of Heaven but only if it is the director's cut and if I stop watching before the final siege rains feel-good garbage all over the experience.
Enchanted. It works because it takes the mickey out of all those Disney films I watched as a child.
Beowulf the CGI animated version with Ray Winstone as Beowulf. I can accept the changes made to the original legend as they are faithful to the spirit of the piece.
Indiana Jones original trilogy. Ticks most of my don't boxes and yet I love them because somehow they work. Less keen on Temple of Doom than the other two.
The original Star Wars trilogy. If you don't get the increasingly mangled re-releases. Empire is the best, naturally.
Hero. The one where the story is told multiple times from different viewpoints, each themed to its own colour.
The princess bride.
Harry Potter 6. More ok than liked, and I was not keen on any of the others. The increased focus on the darker aspects of the book worked well, e.g. Draco's conflict, Snape's position, The Past, and particularly the scene with "Severus ... please."
Memoirs of a Geisha. Mostly for the visual beauty.
Recent films I have been subjected to and didn't like:
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
The matrix trilogy. It disappeared up its own backside, the characters were bland and/or cliched and/or loathsome, and the increasing focus on battle scenes got very boring. It didn't help that he made me watch it out of order: 3, 1, 2.
Aliens. Predator. Some combination of the two. I have no idea which film in the series it was, or even what it was meant to be about. A bunch of men stumbled around in tunnels and got eaten. Then a predator killed some aliens. Then everybody killed everybody for the next hour and a half. Boring.
National Treasure. Exemplifies most of what I hate in Hollywood. Brainless, cliched, predictable, nonsensical, lousy plot, non-existent characterisation, loads of stupid action to ensure the viewer hasn't gone to sleep during the talking bits.
Robin Hood, the Russel Crowe edition. Takes a steaming dump all over one of the most important events in English history so that it can deliver standard American hero messages. And it was boring. And visually ugly. And the plot was entirely insane. And the acting was bland.
Killbill. Horrid.
The last samurai. Again with the big steaming dump on history so that American hero messages can be piled onto the viewer. Nice scenery though.
Troy. ARGH! You! Do! Not! Change! Homer! And especially not so that Brad Pitt can spout typical American cliche hero cliche feelgood cliche guff! I don't care how good the picture quality is in blueray, you do not do it!
Blade. I think it was Blade. Something about a vampire killing people in a disco which turned into a shower of blood. Or something. Whatever it was, no. Just no. Horrid.
Ironman. If I removed my brain and turned into a drooling zombie I'd still find this boring, shallow, and contemptible in its messages and execution.
Ironman 2. More of the same, this time worse.
Fantastic 4. No, I'm still not seeing any redeeming features about these super hero films.
Fantastic 4 again this time with a lower budget. As per above and please somebody make the superhero thing stop!
Day after tomorrow, or some other disaster movie about the world being hit with a bunch of illogical and impossible disasters until people end up huddled in a library pretending that they have frozen to death for a moment of cheap dramatic non-tension before revealing that they are alive and burning some books.
The rest of his recent choices were so not-frog that I can't remember what they were called, and I don't think descriptions like "Some film where a bunch of really unpleasant bad-stereotype characters beat each other up in the middle of a muddy wannabe-Chinese town" and "That one with the revived dinosaurs which wasn't Jurassic Park" will help.
Films which the boyfriend has inflicted upon me which I did actually like: ice age 2, the incredibles, kung fu panda. All children's films. They were ok but I could really do without the subtle as a sledgehammer moralising messages, and most of the 'humour' is not funny.
He likes nearly anything. He enjoyed (or claims to have enjoyed ;p) the films of mine which I have managed to get him to watch. So if I can find something and persuade him to watch it instead of whatever he has in mind, chances are very good that we will both enjoy the film.
Please help! Before I end up having to sit through 3 hours of 'Exploding megadeath American constitution against communist terrorists fart joke car chase part 9, episode 67, part 23, this one featuring a vampire T-Rex'.
I know just the thing. 'Let the right one in', Swedish love movie but it includes vampires. It's one of my favorite movies, genuinely moving, and, well vampires.
If you liked Kung Fu Panda you might enjoy Megamind. It's also by Dreamworks and pokes a bit of fun at the super hero genre just like the other did with kung fu movies.
You watched the Fantastic 4 sequel with him? That's either true love or an incredible amount fo forbearance.
I know just the thing. 'Let the right one in', Swedish love movie but it includes vampires. It's one of my favorite movies, genuinely moving, and, well vampires.
^^^
This movie is awesome.
I'd also recommend for you:
Brick.
Nine Queens.
The Lives of Others.
Rango.
Plus everything TinCow mentioned (minus a few).
Originally Posted by Tellos Athenaios
Bienvenue chez les cheutemis. It's of course a parade of French cliché views about that part of France, but the thing is it's also rather sweet. Very feel good. And it's all in French.
I have it, but the DVD doesn't have English subs, and I can't find a set that syncs on the web... so I've never managed to watch it. =(
Some piously affirm: "The truth is such and such. I know! I see!"
And hold that everything depends upon having the “right” religion.
But when one really knows, one has no need of religion. - Mahavyuha Sutra
I'm going to suggest the Usual Suspects, although its a gangster movie, it has a really nice progression and a twist, the only unfortunate thing is that they kind of spelled it out for you at the end, rather than leaving it up to me, but whatever. I also loved the Boondock Saints, but thats more due to that vigilante urge I get sometimes. The Rock is a good movie, although I really really hate Nick Cage, specifically for National Treasure. If you like the history of the USSR, you could see Stalin, which is one of the greatest movies I was ever forced to watch.
Anything by Akira Kurosawa, most of all "Kagemusha", "Sanjuro", "Rashomon" and "Shichinin no Samurai"...
mmmm "The GoodFellas", "Memento", "Fight Club", Sergio Leone's trilogy with Clint Eastwood...
"Watchmen" wasn't too bad, "Blade Runner", "Scarface", "Pulp Fiction", "The Untouchables"...
"Bicycle Thieves", "The Seventh Seal" ^^
I can give you dozens of suggestions, but it's unclear to me whether you're a fan of artistic films. Your 'guide' includes many attributes of artistic films, but your list of films you like is almost exclusively blockbuster/popcorn films. Clarify this point and I will give you plenty to mull over. Also, define "American comedy," and let me know whether you're open to old movies in addition to new ones.
I can second Watchmen. What about westerns? Usually strong characters - Unforgiven is excellent, 3:10 to Yuma, for a more recent one, or True Grit are also good. I personally could watch any of the original Sergio Leone - Clint Eastwood ones every weekend. If you like Fight club, try Rock'n'rolla. Other good ones could be noir - Payback. Usual Suspects? Ronin? Nikita? For something more extravagant, and (slightly poorly) shot, try Admiral (russian movie about the fall of the monarchy, just a wee bit romanticised), What about The Boat that Rocked? La Haine (french)? Angel-a (french)?
Otherwise there is always 300 :D
Managing perceptions goes hand in hand with managing expectations - Masamune
Pie is merely the power of the state intruding into the private lives of the working class. - Beirut
Thanks, all. I'm adding the suggestions to a list and shall see what I can turn up in the lone shop which has a wider selection than a top 20 film chart. It's amazing how difficult it is to buy films in this city, and I don't have time to wait for an internet order delivery.
Kurosawa should have been included in the list of films I like.
Originally Posted by Zim
You watched the Fantastic 4 sequel with him? That's either true love or an incredible amount fo forbearance.
I should print this out and show it to him.
Originally Posted by TinCow
I can give you dozens of suggestions, but it's unclear to me whether you're a fan of artistic films. Your 'guide' includes many attributes of artistic films, but your list of films you like is almost exclusively blockbuster/popcorn films. Clarify this point and I will give you plenty to mull over.
I don't know. I'm not a film buff at all, and since I came to the conclusion that frogs aren't in the intended audience for most movies I stopped paying attention. I got tired of the struggle to find something I liked. You class most of my like list as blockbusters, yet only half of that list received blockbuster treatment here. Four of them are treated as niche films which most people won't like!
I'd definitely prefer something with a brain, if that helps.
Also, define "American comedy," and let me know whether you're open to old movies in addition to new ones.
Hmm. It's basically treated as an entire genre here, and America is only allowed (roll eyes) to have one sense of humour when it comes to labels on films. Examples would be the Santa Claus series, Kindergarten Cop, American pie, meet the parents, that Eddie Murphy film where he kept turning into a fat mad professor, some film which I think was simply called 'Elf' and was about some famous actor being one of Santa's elves, scary movie, airplane, all 300 police academy films, and a whole bunch of films involving a group of hapless men left with a baby. Basically brash, loud films based on a comic premise with high marketability, filled with toilet humour, mean jokes, slapstick, and a very predictable plot. Oh - and anything with the label "rom-com" anywhere!
I don't mind the humour when it is less loud, crude and mean-spirited. Some American productions are funny. It's just they don't tend to be marketed as comedies.
I don't mind old movies.
Originally Posted by Swordsmaster
Otherwise there is always 300
He already subjected me to that. Another 3 hours of my life, wasted. :(
Hmm. It's basically treated as an entire genre here, and America is only allowed (roll eyes) to have one sense of humour when it comes to labels on films. Examples would be the Santa Claus series, Kindergarten Cop, American pie, meet the parents, that Eddie Murphy film where he kept turning into a fat mad professor, some film which I think was simply called 'Elf' and was about some famous actor being one of Santa's elves, scary movie, airplane, all 300 police academy films, and a whole bunch of films involving a group of hapless men left with a baby. Basically brash, loud films based on a comic premise with high marketability, filled with toilet humour, mean jokes, slapstick, and a very predictable plot. Oh - and anything with the label "rom-com" anywhere!
What you describe here are bad comedy films, not American comedy films. is , regardless of where it comes from.
I think I can do you some justice though, give me a moment here....
Master and Commander is the only one I can think of off the top of my head that fits both, but I can't tell you whether it's historically accurate...
Seen that one. It's mostly good, although the fact they changed parts of the book for no good reason irritated me a little. To give one example, the enemy ship they were chasing was supposed to be American, not French.
Originally Posted by TinCow
What you describe here are bad comedy films, not American comedy films. is , regardless of where it comes from.
How bizarre. It's a fairly established label too, like scifi or war movies. That must be the real joke!
I cannot insist enough that my first suggestion (Let the right one in) meets every single one of your pretty strict criteria. In fact I'm bored and I'm going to watch it again
Almost anything by the Coen Brothers, particularly The Hudsucker Proxy, Fargo, The Big Lebowski, O Brother Where Art Thou, No Country for Old Men, and True Grit.
Almost anything by Martin Scorsese, particularly Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, The Color of Money (though watch The Hustler first), Goodfellas, Casino, The Aviator, and The Departed.
Moon
The Mission
12 Monkeys
A few of the David Fincher films, particularly The Game, Fight Club, and The Social Network.
The Lives of Others
Little Miss Sunshine
The Last Emporer
Empire of the Sun
Anything by Christopher Nolan (literally, all of them. Memento, Insomnia, Batman Begins, The Prestige, The Dark Knight, Inception)
Into the Wild
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
The Godfather, Parts I and II (not III)
Big Night
The Usual Suspects (only if you don't know the ending)
Some of the better Charlie Kaufman films, particularly Being John Malkovich, Adaptation, and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Some of the Eastwood-directed films, particularly Unforgiven, Mystic River, Million Dollar Baby, and Letters from Iwo Jima
Michael Clayton
All of the Tom McCarthy films (The Station Agent, The Visitor, Win Win)
Leon
Some of the Paul Thomas Anderson films, particularly Boogie Nights and Magnolia, and There Will Be Blood if you don't mind watching a film exclusively for a single acting performance.
All Wes Anderson films, particularly Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums, and The Fantastic Mr. Fox
Leaving Las Vegas
Monster
The Hurt Locker
Gattaca
Almost anything by Danny Boyle, particularly Trainspotting, Slumdog Millionaire, and 127 Hours
Winter's Bone
Amelie
Run Lola Run
Heat
Amadeus
American Beauty
Good Night, and Good Luck
Donnie Darko
District 9
If you don't mind being super-depressed after watching a film, Requiem for a Dream
Black Swan
Shine
Gone Baby Gone
Das Boot
City of God
Children of Men
The Shawshank Redemption
If you're interested in Documentaries:
Grizzly Man
Touching the Void
Dark Days
Man on Wire
The King of Kong
That should get you off to a good start, let me know if you need more.
500 Days of Summer (I know you said you did not like Romantic Comedies, but then, I don't think that this classified as either completely).
Joyeux Noel
Kick-Ass
Against the Current
Alatriste (Spanish, Viggo Mortensen is good in this one)
A History of Violence (he's pretty good in this one too)
Burke and Hare (Supposed to be based on true events. Dark comedy starring Simon Pegg)
Defiance (starring Daniel Craig, based on the Bielski partisans)
Million Dollar Baby (Clint Eastwood)
Enemy at the Gates
Chocolat
A Few Good Men
How to Lose Friends and Alienate People
Hunter Prey (old kind of film)
Agora
Shinjuku Incident
The Great Escape
The Hunting Party
Welcome to the Rileys
Edit: Despicable Me
Last edited by rajpoot; 09-22-2011 at 17:55.
The horizon is nothing save the limit of our sight.
It's tough like TinCow said. I'm not sure you aren't looking for kind of a fringe category. Movies like the 400 blows or whatever have the stuff from your list, but they aren't visual like the movies you've liked. And most of the movies that are impressively visual are things like Tron: legacy.
Master and Commander is the only one I can think of off the top of my head that fits both, but I can't tell you whether it's historically accurate...
I don't know. I'm not a film buff at all, and since I came to the conclusion that frogs aren't in the intended audience for most movies I stopped paying attention.
Kurosawa should have been included in the list of films I like.
Ok, I misunderstood...I'll see if I can think of some more you might like.
Last edited by Sasaki Kojiro; 09-22-2011 at 18:17.
I watched Dark Knight. While it was better than the other superhero films, it didn't offer anything which I liked. I will not bother with the other one.
I watched Dark Knight. While it was better than the other superhero films, it didn't offer anything which I liked. I will not bother with the other one.
Dang, loved it. Batman begins is quite different The Dark Knight is about insanity, Batman Begins about fear. Whole different mood to them, unless you really really reeeeeeeally dislike genre I'd watch it anyway. And don't we a- w8, you just love Christian Bale.
Blade. I think it was Blade. Something about a vampire killing people in a disco which turned into a shower of blood. Or something. Whatever it was, no. Just no. Horrid.
Actually, that scene was more like this.
But yea, I don't like senseless violent movies either so I can see where you're coming from on that.
Recommend a frog a film?
Reply With Quote
Originally Posted by Fragony
#Hillary4prism 
is 
Bookmarks