Today’s movies are just crap, help me delve into some golden oldies.

Homelander

Honestly if you think Top Gun was the best movie in the last few years you're surely not even making much of an effort to look!

And I do like Top Gun, it was great for what it was, but an all time classic it was not.

There's no end of great movies being made all the time, whether on streaming or the cinema.

silliussoddius

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120846779#Comment_120846779

Good call on Arlington Road. I would add LA Confidential.

JupiterKid

Some great films mentioned on this thread already.

The fact that all Hollywood seems to produce these days are poor remakes of late 20th century classics and brainless "action" and superhero films aimed at 16 year old boys is a sign of how much it has been in decline.

Some more film classics that are really worth a watch:

Withnail And I

The Deer Hunter

Pulp Fiction

Midnight Cowboy

If

Rosemary's Baby

The Birds

Born On The Fourth Of July

Killing Zoe

Deliverance

Carrie (the 1976 original)

Jackie Brown

Five Easy Pieces

Hope And Glory

Serial Mom

Oldboy (the Korean original)

Silkwood

Sleeper

Annie Hall

The Last Emperor

Strange Days

Unforgiven

The Crying Game

Klute

The China Syndrome

Coma

Tommy

The Anderson Tapes

The Andromeda Strain

A Time To Kill

brokenbad

There are a number of classic movies from the 1960's & 1970's worth checking out:

1. The Wicker Man - 1973
2. Straw Dogs - 1971
3. Duel - 1971
4. Where Eagles Dare - 1968
5. Get Carter - 1971
6. The Devil Rides Out - 1968
7. Bullitt - 1968
8. The Ipcress File - 1965
9. Midnight Cowboy - 1969
10. The Odessa File - 1974

z80CPU

Donnie Brasco with Jonnie depp and al Pacino

Reservoir Dogs with Tim Roth and Gary Oldman

Copland with sly Stallone and Harvey Keitel

A Scanner Darkly

Jonnie Mnemonic

XLR 8

Rebecca

Suspect

Witness for the prosecution

High noon

Touch of Evil

Night of the hunter

Odd man out

The defiant ones

Lifeboat

Jean de floret (subtitled)

Manon de source (subtitled)

Whitnail & I

Some of my own favourites.

Blue850

A few more recommendations

The In Laws with Peter Falk and Alan Arkin

The Great Race with Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon, Peter Falk and Natalie Wood

If you like car movies, there's

American Graffiti

Vanishing Point

Gumball Rally

Genevieve which stars Kenneth More who also was in a little gem called Northwest Frontier

odyssey06

In the late 70s / 80e there were some epic historical TV miniseries with film sized budgets. Gorgeous location shoots. In some respects during that period they were the heirs of Lawrence of Arabia.

Film wise from the 80s I suggest Gallipoli and The Bounty both starring Mel Gibson.

If you are a fan of Peter OToole keep an eye out for documentary that pops up on Sky Documentaries every now and then - The Sky Road to Aqaba.

Watch Evolution with David Duchovny op 😁 2001...for some reason I love that film...no joke I got chills when they got the fire truck and pumped head and shoulders shampoo up the giant evoluting alien things ass...lol not in a weird way like in a Ghostbusters way...like 'you go guys kick that aliens butt'...

Padraig Mor

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120847977#Comment_120847977

In reference to 70s historical miniseries I can recommend 1974's Fall of Eagles. You're gonna have to look REALLY hard to find this on disc or streaming, but it is on YouTube. A fair investment of time needed - thirteen 50 minute episodes, and it is quite 'stagey' - but goes into great detail about the relationships between Europe's three great dynasties (Romanov, Habsburg, Hohenzollern) from the 1850s to 1918, showing just how Europe ended up involved in the first World War and ultimately shaped the world we live in today. For those that would like a more complete understanding than "the Germans were evil" this is ideal. Features Patrick Stewart as Lenin!

odyssey06

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120848254#Comment_120848254

Great series. Very stagey but you can forgive that if the acting is at that level.

Another great one is Tinker Tailor Solider Spy - can choose from the film or TV version.

I remembered now that Peter OToole was in the Roman era miniseries Masada.

Filmwise for Peter OToole I suggest The Lion in Winter and My Favorite Year.

Padraig Mor

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120848286#Comment_120848286

Downloading the 70s TV Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy now! Along with a side order of I, Claudius and Day of the Jackal for a 70s inspired few weeks....

odyssey06

The Man who would be King starring Sean Connery and Michael Caine.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Man_Who_Would_Be_King_(film)

mobby

Paths of Glory 1957 

Hombre 1967

Ice Cold in Alex 1958 

In the Heat of the Night 1967

The Grapes of Wrath 1940 

How Green Was My Valley 1941

Jaws 1975

The Remains of the Day 1993 

Cool hand Luke

mobby

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120841637#Comment_120841637

Agreed a Great Film

Ironman76

Intouchables (French Movie) - One of the best movies I have ever seen.

The Next Three Days - I was blown away when I first saw this. No idea how it went under the radar.Recommend to a few in the old job and they all came back raving about it. Superb.

Men of Honor - Another one you never hear about. Great movie and De Niros last great performance.

Once Were Warriors - A tough watch but great New Zealand movie from the 90s.

The Island - Yes a Michael Bay movie but great concept and nicely executed.

silliussoddius

Has anyone seen Sorcerer? It’s a remake of Wages of Fear.

JupiterKid

The original The Crow from 1994 is a superb watch.

Avoid all the sequels though!

odyssey06

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120848807#Comment_120848807

Yes. Its,v slow but intense tension and top acting. I think Roy Scheider was in some interesting films... more to him than just Jaws

odyssey06

Last of the Mohicans... 1992 adventure \ military epic set during the French and Indian war in North America with a fine leading performance from Daniel Day Lewis. Sumptuously filmed, wonderful score, skillfully directed by Michael Mann.

The Mulk

I remember buying Empire magazine, many years ago, Late 90's/early 00's and they had a Top Brit Flicks World Cup format, movies were drawn against each other, and the better movie moved on to the next round. The Top 2 (final)stood out as i hadn't seen them.

1. The Long Good Friday (1980)
2. Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949)

I bought The Long Good Friday and thought it was brilliant. I thought I'd stick it up here as not a lot of people had heard of it. Bob Hoskins is great in it.

waywill1966

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120849368#Comment_120849368

Kind Hearts and Coronets is a great film! For me Dennis Price is the stand out even though Alec Guinness gets all the plaudits for playing eight roles in it!

o1s1n

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120848785#Comment_120848785

I went to see The Intouchables in the cinema when it came out, just a 'pick a random film and go see it' type evening and wow, what a film! Definitely a few 'I've something in my eye moments throughout', bloody funny too. It's one of those films it's impossible for someone not to like, doesn't really matter what you're usually into.

The Ludovico Einaudi score in it is something else, I love the whole opening driving segment with his piano piece playing over it.

As per the usual, I see there's a US remake called 'The Upside'. As much as I like Brian Cranston I cannot bring myself to watch it.

z80CPU

MOON - with Kevin Spacey as the voice of the Robot

Crash - Matt Dillon

The Bad Lieutenant - Nicholas Cage

Drugstore Cowboy - Matt Dillon

A Kiss Before Dying - Matt Dillon

Just Cause - Sean Connery

The Presidio - Sean Connery

Rising Sun - Sean Connery

Black Rain - Michael Douglas

Right im done here

yourdeadwright

Predator : greatest action movies ever made, they need to just stop with the squeals & remakes, The beauty of the movie is they & we don't know what is hunting them, that is what makes it great & the reason squeals don't work .

breezy1985

2010 and Event Horizon were mentioned earlier and are very underrated sci-fi. I would say better than 2001 and Alien who they are each compared to respectively.

Most of my favourites mentioned already. Only one I can think of that's missing is "The Killing Fields" based on the memoirs of 2 journalists in Cambodia during the American bombing campaign and Khmer Rouge take over.

o1s1n

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120849971#Comment_120849971

It's one of those films that the 'first watch' is incredibly unique but the franchise has become so well known you kind of forgot about that aspect of it.

Same can be said for Alien and The Matrix. You didn't really know what the monster was or what the big reveal was going to be.

Re greatest action film ever made, it's between that and Terminator 2 for me. I can never decide, it's impossible. I'll go to my grave eternally debating that one in my mind 😁

Flinty997

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120848547#Comment_120848547

Love that.

Patrick2010

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120849368#Comment_120849368

Bob Hoskins was great in it ok, the ending was brilliant. Great acting without saying a word.

nacho libre

I see someone mentioned Jacob's Ladder. I did not see Once Were Warriors mentioned. I will also add Tim, the Hunter and The Mission.

Flinty997

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120847977#Comment_120847977

Picked up mini series Shogun on Blu-ray.

odyssey06

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120851859#Comment_120851859

Good pick.

Focusing here on the big budget epic miniseries with location shooting - as opposed to the 'staged' British ones packed with acting talent like I Claudius.

Shogun is one of the top ones. Along with slavery epic Roots, western epic Lonesome Dove, American civil war epic North and South, Winds of War for WWII, Shaka Zulu, Jesus of Nazareth.

Gabriel Byrne popped up in a Marco Polo miniseries adaptation as the man himself.

Masada I mentioned above as one of the historical epics.

Then there were the potboilers like Kane and Abel, Rich Man Poor Man, the Thornbirds.

Peter Strauss, Richard Chamberlain, Peter Ustinov & Jane Seymour pop up in a lot of them.

There were British empire epics such as The Far Pavilions and The Jewel in the Crown.

I remember the Michael Caine Jack the Ripper miniseries scaring the bejaysus out of me back in the day.

The Aussies got in on the act as well I remember - The Harp in the South, All the Rivers Run, A Town Like Alice.

Flinty997

Salems Lot...David Soul

silliussoddius

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120851807#Comment_120851807

Once were warriors is great. You might want to get something lighter For after, I recommend another NZ film, Whale Rider (or Hunt for the Wilder people). The

buried

Two films from genius Alan Clarke

Penda's Fen (1974)

The Firm (1988)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIpeGVdr_60

odyssey06

@buried The BBC 'Screen' series put out some real gems.

If you liked The Firm, check out the below film also about football hooligans.

I.D.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0113375/

Capt'n Midnight

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120848977#Comment_120848977

Roy Scheider ?

The French Connection

Marathon Man

Blue Thunder

odyssey06

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120852205#Comment_120852205

I was more thinking films where he was the lead like 52 Pickup but they are great shouts.

The main character in Blue Thunder was...

Bonus Seaquest DSV mention :)

trashcan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120835589#Comment_120835589

I would add The Chorus to that list. Beautiful little French film set in a boys reform school just after the war in France, where the new teacher and frustrated composer starts a choir with the pupils. My God, the singing on it raises the hairs on the back of your neck. If you haven’t seen it, seek it out. Some of what has been mentioned as “old”films here really has me feeling my age. The nineties isn’t old for Gods sake. It was just a few years ago, wasn’t it ?

Anyway, the 70’s is often talked of as American Cinemas golden age, and it’s easy to see why. Chinatown, One flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest(Is Nurse Rachid the most horrible movie villain of all time ? ). Dog Day Afternoon, Serpico, Marathon Man, just off the top of my head. People will throw the Godfather films in too, but they never really did that much for me, though they are undoubtedly fine films. Has anyone mentioned Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid ? A great lesser known Hitchcock film is Rope. Then for Comedies you have Mel Brooks holy trinity of The Producers, Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein.

silliussoddius

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120852069#Comment_120852069

That's very hard to find.

Flinty997

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120852629#Comment_120852629

Only have it on DVD. Looks dated now.

trashcan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120842718#Comment_120842718

Oh yeah. I have the dvd of Come and See. Possibly the most harrowing film I’ve ever seen. Not sure I could watch it again. The young lead actor in it is astonishing.

hoodie6029

Bit OT but does anyone remember the midweek movie and the late late movie on Network 2/RTE 2 back in the late 90’s and early 00’s?

There must have been a real movie buff working there picking the movies back then. I remember seeing some right gems. Red Rock West, Existenz, Hard 8, The Grifters, Thunderbolt and Lightfoot, Tremors and every John Hughes movie. I’m sure there were loads more I was too young to appreciate either.

Back when Whatculture’s YouTube was watchable I’d regularly see movies on their ‘underappreciated/overlooked’ lists that I’d seen on Network 2 years before.

Also, justwatch.com is a great site to see where a movie is available to stream.

NewbridgeIR

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120852629#Comment_120852629

On Blu

German titles but English audio

https://www.amazon.co.uk/BRENNEN-MUSS-SALEM-BLU-RAY/dp/B01GH7SU3I/ref=tmm_blu_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

NewbridgeIR

OK, here's a list of some favourites that haven't been mentioned yet. Trailers included.

1/ Alambrista (1977)

Illegals crossing the Mexican border. Hard-hitting but very involving.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmurIAKYV0g

2/ Over The Edge (1979)

Best teen movie ever. Was Kurt Cobain's favourite.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6l-4MW_jbfg

3/ Straw Dogs (1971)

Classic Sam Peckinpah rural western set in an English country town.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXkqGVfm1mo

4/ Blue Collar (1978)

Directed by Paul Schrader. Corruption in an industrial setting. Great insight into workers/unions.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfbX5dPODZs

5/ Charley Varrick (1973)

Best heist flick ever. Hugely influential. Walter Matthau is brilliant.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxaqjQWQVAk

6/ Frenzy (1972)

Hitchcock at his sleaziest. Grim early '70s London with a nasty streak.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gWjZpkkkIs

7/ Road Games (1981)

Australian grindhouse with an American truck driver (Stacy Keach) and American hitcher (Jamie Lee Curtis).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMheJFjh-5o

8/ The Long Goodbye (1973)

A brilliant noir, pinnacle of the genre. "You never learn. You're a born loser."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAYheZweypk

9/ Heavenly Creatures (1994)

Peter Jackson never topped this. An intense real-life story set in the 1950s.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJ2yZjnPwQc

10/ The Tall T (1957)

Classic Budd Boetticher western. Serious tension all the way through.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_nJEMSKXjM

11/ Fat City (1972)

John Huston directs Stacy Keach, Susan Tyrrell and Jeff Bridges in an searingly sombre boxing drama.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WncSPrCNblQ

12/ Cash On Demand (1961)

Hammer B-movie (not a horror) with Peter Cushing and Andre Morrell giving the performance of their lives.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUU3FRaEK1w

13/ Night Tide (1961)

Curtis Harrington directs a young Dennis Hopper in an eerie low budget carnivalesque tale.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GN9lfkU-I2U

14/ Spring Night Summer Night (1967)

Masterpiece of regional low budget filmmaking. Liberation and retribution in a small town.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzDnEKHYcgc

15/ Like Rabid Dogs (1976)

Gritty Italian crime drama - very violent. Society under threat.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5bqOnkmpKo

16/ Eyes Of Fire (1983)

Brilliant folk horror set in the 1700s. Preachers and settlements. "The secret is sleeping in the trees."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8_HDMaOMro

17/ Alison's Birthday (1981)

Really well made and creepy Aussie horror. Dodgy family circle stuff that never lets up.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQqot11WZNk

18/ The Swimmer (1968)

Burt Lancaster as the man who decided to swim home via his neighbours' pools. Mighty work from Frank Perry.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zY0tmQCa_Os

19/ Repo Man (1984)

Alex Cox's fabulous cult classic. "Repo Man is intense!"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLGrXGEMOSo

20/ Housekeeping (1987)

Bill Forsyth's endearing gem about a woman distracted by life's possibilities.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLWQNaAPj8w

Mike Litoris

The Green Book was just on RTE there. Great "today" movie imo but I'm a sucker for schmaltzy feel good stuff.

JupiterKid

Someone mentioned Whale Rider a few posts back. It is a terrific film and the young girl’s performance is superb. In my DVD collection.

A must watch! 👍

https://youtu.be/QDiPBjk8fAA

dublinman1990

The Early Bird/Up in The World (Norman Wisdom)

Robbery

The Hound of The Baskervilles

The Fugitive

The Producers (original version)

Spaceballs

Hangdogroad

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120852873#Comment_120852873

Friday night after the Late Late Show was a great slot for movies going well back into the 80s. Later on from mid to late 90s you had the Last Picture Show slot which had the movies introduced by Brian Reading. It was a rip off of BBCs Moviedrome with Alex Cox but nonetheless a great slot for cult movies. It was where I first saw the Wicker Man which was difficult to come across at the time.

Ger Roe

Silent Running... practically a solo performance from Bruce Dern. Made in 1972, it was set 'in the next century' which is now, and it was way ahead in terms of raising environmental awareness. I can see its approach for saving the earth, being proposed any day now and I wouldn't be surprised if we then make the decision to give up the effort after a few years, too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p69lEMn0I8k

Also, The Blue Max.. made in Ireland in 1966, it is a World War 1 story, told from a German angle. Made with substantial technical and pilot support from the Irish Army Air Corps, it features real flying of custom built WW1 replica aircraft. In the days before green screen or CGI, it was all done for real around sites in Wicklow and Cork (Sugar Loaf at Kilpedder and Fermoy in Cork). LOTR Director Peter Jackson has it listed as one of his fave films, with an expressed wish to do a remake - he even has some of the surviving replicas planes used in the film, in his very extensive personal collection of WW1 items. Hollywood star George Peppard, learnt to fly and obtained his pilot licence to allow him undertake some low risk aerial activity in the film.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Efc6Y6LCuuc