When students find out about my interest in film (basically the moment they walk in to my classroom), they always ask me what my favorite film is. I never have a clear answer. I simply love far too many films! So, this week I wanted to share some of my favorites by genre. Hopefully, trusty readers, you will find the time to check some of these out...
Drama
There are many films classified as drama that I enjoy. By far, some of my favorites are "Almost Famous" and "Dangerous Beauty." "Almost Famous" is written and directed by Cameron Crowe (one of my all time favorites) and addresses the life of a highly intelligent adolescent who loves rock music. The main character, William, lands a gig writing for Rolling Stone magazine and must travel with a band on a multi-city tour. The film is about his journey, both literal and metaphorical. It is wonderful!
"Dangerous Beauty" takes place in 16th century Venice. A woman, Veronica, must become a courtesan to support her family. Although at first she is against this way of life, she quickly learns that being a courtesan has its privileges, especially the ability to become educated (which was not afforded to most women at the time). While living her life as a courtesan Veronica falls in love with a wealthy man and their love does not go unnoticed. The jealousy of a rival courter and the plague drives both Veronica's life and the city of Venice into chaos, resulting in a less than happy ending. The art direction, cinematography, and acting are beautiful.
Foreign Film
I teach one of my favorite foreign films, "Pan's Labyrinth," in my film class. It is one of the most haunting and beautiful films that I have ever seen. "City of God" is another favorite. This film takes place in a Brazilian slum and, if truth, be told, it is difficult to watch. The honesty of the film garners my respect but the themes are troubling. It is shot in a documentary style which only adds to the honest quality of the film.
But, by far, one of my favorite foreign films is a whimsical piece called "Amelie." "Amelie" is about an eccentric girl who chases after a boy in a less than typical fashion. The bold, bright colors within the film are lively and add to the enjoyment of the piece.
Comedy
When I first saw "The 40 Year Old Virgin" I laughed for hours after the film ended. My sides literally hurt. I was literally crying from laughter. From the very beginning of the movie until the end, Steve Carell created a lovable, naive character that captured the hearts (and sympathy) of viewers everywhere.
"Young Frankenstein" is now considered a classic comedy. Directed by Mel Brooks and starring Gene Wilder, the story is about a descendent of Dr. Frankenstein who decides to continue his work of animating a dead body. Wilder turns in one of his best comedic performances, especially during scenes shared with his creation, Frankenstein's monster.
Musical
Yes, I love musicals. Classics like "Singin in the Rain" or "Meet Me In St. Louis" will forever be a part of my movie collection. New musicals like "Hairspray" continue to showcase the fun and excitement that is ever present within the musical genre. One of the most well produced musicals that I have seen is "Across the Universe." "ACU" is comprised of all Beatles music. Using the Beatles discography, Julie Taymoor, the director, showcases how the events of the 50's and 60's changes the lives of a group of young adults - all through the music of an iconographic group.
Fantasy/Science Fiction
I am a self-proclaimed nerd and I am not ashamed to say that I love science fiction and fantasy films. You cannot beat the original three "Star Wars" films when searching for science fiction goodness. Although I prefer the books, the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy films are well produced and enjoyable. I grew up watching "Labyrinth," an early Jim Henson production about a girl navigating her way through an elaborate labyrinth in order to save her baby brother. But, by far, my new favorite films in this genre are "District 9" and "Star Trek." "District 9" is an allegory for the issues of immigration and cultural stereotypes. It was both loved and hated by viewers but my recommendation is to give it a chance. "Star Trek" is the newest installment in the Star Trek series. This film is a well cast, action-packed piece that will most likely have a sequel in the next couple of years.
Animated Film
I pretty much love anything created by Pixar. Their short films are beyond cute and certainly posses lessons that are beneficial for young and older folks alike. I cried throughout pretty much all of "Up" - and loved it anyway. "Finding Nemo" is a classic Pixar piece that makes me smile every time I catch it on tv.
I grew up with all of the classic Disney films. In fact, the first movie I saw in the movie theater was "Snow White." I remember being entranced by the big screen filled with the cute animals and lovable dwarves. "Cinderella" and "Sleeping Beauty" were always favorites but I also enjoyed watching some of the lesser known Disney films like "The Rescuers."
This list is just the beginning of my favorites but I feel that it is a good place to start. I would love to hear about some of your favorite films...
20 comments:
You tend to look at movies at a completely different perspective then I do. I have noticed that you look more at the quality of the film while I just simply watch. You have led me to realize different messages in movies and now I am starting to notice a lot more. I also love hearing about the movies that you enjoy and see if I relate to them at all.
I don't really have a fovourite movie. But, I remember this one movie had the most beautiful scenery I have ever seen. It is a foreign Chinese film. The plot was complex and hard to follow, but everything else was phenomenal. My favourite movie, television musical is A Very Harry Potter Musical. It's totally awesome.
Wow that was a long blog! I will definitely take your advice and rent a few of these movies on a rainy day. I recently just starting reading Frankenstein so I can't wait to watch the movie "Young Frankenstein." We actually were talking about that movie and Mrs. Pozin said she loved it. I never though I would ever watch "Lord of the Rings" but after my mass media teacher forced us to watch this film I fell in love! That same day I rented the series and watched it with any free time I had. I am now a proud owner of the series.
Okay, so you're going to disagree but my favorite all time movie is "Mean Girls." Tina Fey did a wonderful job writing because this must be the most quotable movie ever! This movie illustrates the life of what really goes down in high school. It's a comedy with a a ton of drama!
Denzel Washington has to be just the best actor ever. Football films are always my favorite and he easily puts Remember the Titans on the top of the list. I know I keep saying each one of these movies are my favorite but "Man on Fire" is the BEST movie. It tells the story of a girl named Pita who gets kidnapped for profit. This is a beautiful film that will leave you in tears.
Oh wait, forget Denzel I am in love with Kiefer Sutherland. He seriously inspired me to work for the CIA. His acting is so convincing I actually spent months researching the career finding out this work is not for me. He stars in the show "24" which is notable for being one of the most popular shows ever. Millions of viewers tune in each week to watch him save the day and the whole United States from complete destruction.
I never really realized how much I love movies until writing this response. I have plenty more but these are just a few of my favorites.
I’m a big fan of films myself so I can relate to not being able to pick a favorite movie. But some movies that I love are “Lucky number Sleven”, “Law Abiding Citizen”, “Blood Diamond”, I can go on and on for a while, but those are one of my many favorites! I have to agree in many of the ones you mention, for example “The Forty year old Virgin”, “Up”, and “Across the Universe.” These movies are so good and I loved every single second of them. They all cracked me up and also made me cry of laughter. But one of my favorites is “Up.” I think “Up” is so cute and innocent. I cried in that movie and it reminds me a bit of my grandparents, which is a good thing. This made me love the movie even more and get attach to it so much more than normal.
Another movie that I really love is “The illusionist.” This movie is so amazing and I find it beautifully written. This movie is about a man who losses the one he loves and tries to communicate with her by talking to the dead. He becomes a famous magician that can bring the dead to life. Everyone is after him and the police start looking for him after he makes the love of his life appear in front of everyone’s eyes. The ending is unexpected and amazing! It’s a most see!!
I can go on the whole day talking about all the movies I have seen and love. But I’ll stop now and these movies are only a few of the movies I have watched and I think that everyone should watch them.
By far my favorite genre of all times is fiction, specifically science fiction. I just absolutely love the type of plots that are proposed by such pieces, be them books, television series, movies, etc.. The visions of the future that science-fiction promises are just absolutely amazing, and being a person that loves science, those takes on what humanity might achieve have really awoken interest in me and provided me with inspiration. Ever since I saw Star Wars as a little kid, I have just been awe-struck with the concept that it presents. All the movies that you have listed in that category, like Star Trek and District 9 are great, but there are other forms of media that I find even more deep and satisfying than those movies. Pieces like "Ghosts of Onyx", Gundam Wing, Mass Effect, and Halo (the novels) are all really superb, and they really provide an extremely extensive universe, more than films ever could.
When people ask me what my favorite film is, I too can never think of just one. Out of all your favorites I have seen four of them, including 40 Year Old Virgin, which I also found very funny. One of my favorite genres of film is comedy, and some of my favorites in this category include the Hangover and the movie She's Out of My League. Although I don't believe I truly have one favorite movie, I think that these movies are some of the best I've seen. Another one of my favorite movies is the movie Valentine's Day, I loved the cast and the overall movie.
I have not seen a bunch of those movies or even heard of them. My favorite from all the ones you listed under the animated would be "Finding Nemo". That movie is too cute! I especially loved the graphics in that movie. The other animated movie I loved that you also had was "Up". That movie was very well written. My favorite comedy would have to be "Wedding Crashers." Every single time I watch that movie I laugh so hard! I love movies so much! I understand your love for critiquing and analyzing them.
You seem to look into hidden meanings of movies were as I just watch a movie for enjoyment and relaxation. Every since I was little I have loved watching movie. I often rent and watch a few movies a week from Netflix; however, out of all your favorite movies I have only seen "Hairspray", "40 Year-old Virgin", "Finding Nemo", "Cinderella", and "Sleeping Beauty." "Hairspray" is one of my favorite musicals, I actually had the opportunity to watch it on Broadway when I was in New York, if you have have the chance you MUST go see it! I do not have a single favorite movie and have trouble even picking a few favorites. I will take your advice and rent a few of your favorite movies when I get the chance.
I have very low standards for movies,I can watch alot of movies and think their great.I really liked the movie you mentioned "Almost Famous".I saw it awhile ago and had an instant connection for obvious reasons.Young Frankstein was also a really good one.I like that kind of comedy and that actor"cant remember his name" he is just funny looking and was awesome in See No Evil,Hear No Evil.Overall though from what I see you have good taste in movies.
First off, I have to say that I love Gene Wilder. I love the films he's in and I love his acting. I've no clue why I'm so obsessed with him, it's a recent discovery. "Young Frankenstein" was absolutely fantastic and, as you stated, hilarious. Recently, I saw "Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother" and once again, his movie presence brought delight to my day. I would have adored seeing him on stage. I' thinking of maybe watching one of the movies he produced, any suggestions?
I would also like to say that "Up" was one of my favorite movies. I laughed, I cried, and I talked the whole time. My favorite scene was the one with the hot dog, I rewound it and watched it again it was so funny. I suppose i found it as funny as I did because I used to have about thirty dogs and they really do that. They'll team up on you and as a kid there's not much you can do to defend yourself and your pride. Have you seen Dreamwork's "How to Train Your Dragon?" If not then you should, it was great.
Finally, I would like to state that the song in "Labyrinth" in the scene with all of the stairs is absolutely captivating. Bowie is sexy and I love how he rocked that hair.
I absolutely love films and movies as well. My room is filled with movies old and new. Some of my favorites would have to be The Patriot, Gladiator and the Band Of Brothers series. Mostly war and action films. I also love movies such as A River Runs Through It and The pianist which is a different perspective of mine. But overall I will watch any kind of movie even the Notebook haha.
I love to watch films. It is something that I try to do every single weekend. I am very picky with my movies, probably not as picky as you, but I am in a way. I usually stick more to comedy and action movies, those are my two favorite genres. I do not have a favorite movie but as long as they fall under those two genres I will mostly watch.
You made me extremely happy after reading this blog because I now have a list of awesome movies to watch! I really admire your love for film. I truly enjoy watching different genres of films, especially to observe the different character interpretations within each film. I love to watch movies and focus on the acting. Watching other actors helps me enhance my acting skills. My favorite films are comedies. As an actor, I believe that it is more of a challenge to make your audience laugh than to transmit any other feeling. I also enjoy watching musicals. I must say they are my favorite of them all. Some of my favorite movies are musicals such as Fame (original), Mamma Mia, and West Side Story. I love movies...I hope to be in one later on the future!
I'm one of those people that could spend a whole Saturday night just watching movies. My favorite categories are comedy and horror movies. Some of my favorite movies in comedy are Happy Gilmore, The Longest Yard, The Hangover, Borat, and Dodgeball to name a few. Some of my favorite horror movies are Paranormal Activity, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, the sixth sense, and I'm a big fan of the whole Saw series. Since taking your class I have been made more of an effort to analyze and break down a movie, unlike before when I just simply watched it. One comedy movie I'm really looking forward to watching this weekend is Death At a Funeral, it has a great cast and looks like it's going to be extremely funny.
I also don't have just one favorite movie, i have a million favorites. I love watching movies and I'm the kind of person who, if I really like a movie, I can watch it over and over and not get tired of it. Some movies that I love and can watch over and over again are Remember The Titans, Simon Birch, The Butterfly Effect, and Dangerous Minds. I would also like to rent some of the movies you mentioned; they seem really good and interesting.
My favorite movie is A walk to remember. I can watch this movie over and over again for days. I Remembered when we watched the begging of a movie in your class and after words you explained from those few moments you can tell so much about the movie already , i was shocked. its so true and i never looked at it in that way . i think the way you see movies are much different than me , but definitely way more interesting.
I don't have a favorite movie either but many that I like. The bad thing is, I don't go often to the movie theater either.
Today in class you talked about Pam's Labyrinth, a spanish, scary movie. From what I've watched, The orphanage, another scary spanish movie, is a really good movie to watch if you enjoyed Pam's Labyrinth.
Many of my friends often talk about Wedding Crashers as the "best movie of the century" but I really don't see what's SOOOO good about it, yes, I did enjoy it and had an awesome time watching it but is not the "best movie of the century."
I love every Disney's princesses related movies. The last one that came out, The Princess and The Frog, is an amazing movie, it is humorous, and sensitive at the same time.
Also, I think many movies for children are incorporating musicals into them because it adds that "sparkle," we could call it, of being more exciting and happy they want to teach the kids.
Movies do different things for different people. For you, it seems that a movie needs to wow you on all fronts, meaning it must have an underlying message and it must have a good cast and good director. For me a lot of the times I am looking for the same things (perhaps not in the same depth) but I still look at those things. Other times when I go to a movie I will pick a Sci-Fi movie that will transport me to another place in the future, in space or underwater. Its not so much the plot line of these movies that gets me hooked but the ideas it puts in my head. One of my favorite Sci-Fi movies is The Core. I have no idea what you will think of it but to me it was the coolest idea ever. I also liked District 9 and I have no clue how anybody could not like it.
I think it is so cool how there are always indirect symbols in movies, but I never tend to catch them. Normally I tend to just watch a movie for the storyline and the picture. There have been some movies that I relate to normal day society but that is when it is really apparent. What I want to learn is how to interpret ideas in movies so that I could get the bigger idea that the film is trying to express. I am really interested in your film class and I am pretty sure that I want to take it because it seems like an amazing opportunity to learn more about the films that are around us all the time.
My favorite film is "Signs," which is about a priest that lives with his two sons and his daughter at crop farm and suddenly aliens invade the Earth. The film tells a suspense story about this family reaching safety for this invasion. Love the photography, and the special effects, years have passed and those effects never get old!
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