League Unlimited's Favourite Movie

[Sans Souci Sainter]

I quite liked Interstellar a lot as well.

Disliked Inception, loved Interstellar.

I didn’t even know, or care, that it was the same bloke directing.

Takes all types...

 

[Mr Spock!]

Pretty average movies to be honest.

When I think of favourite movies, I think those movies I would watch like 10 or more times.

 

[Misanthrope]

LU's Favourite Movie - #25 - 21

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#25 - Interstellar (2014) - 304 points

Director: Christopher Nolan
Starring: Matthew McConaghy, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, John Lithgow, Michael Caine, Matt Damon, David Oyelowo, Casey Affleck, Topher Grace, Bill Irwin, and Wes Bentley.
Awards: Best Visual Effects.

Another Christopher Nolan mindf**k, 2014's Interstellar took viewers on a visually stunning tour of the galaxy as intrepid astronauts seek to find a new home for humanity in a post-apocalyptic world.

Featuring a lot of frequent Nolan collaborators and a motivated Matthew McConaghy, Interstellar drew some criticism for its convoluted third act, but features some stunning visuals, a haunting score, and a grim, but compelling vision of humanity's future.

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#24 - Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) - 310 points

Director: Steven Spielberg
Starring: Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Paul Freeman, John Rhys-Davies, Ronald Lacey, and Denholm Elliot.
Awards: Best Art Direction, Best Sound, Best Sound Effects Editing, and Best Visual Effects.

Introducing the world to the charming, adventurous archaeologist, Indiana Jones, this collaboration between George Lucas and Stephen Spielberg is one of the most beloved films of its time and gave rise to a terrific sequel, a ho-hum sequel, and a dire sequel made decades after The Last Crusade.

A nostalgia trip formed from Lucas' desire to bring the classic adventure serials of the 30s and 40s to life, Raiders of the Lost Ark sees 'Indy' fighting nazis and hunting for the legendary Ark of the Covenant. The film would go on to win a number of technical Academy Awards, but was also nominated for Best Picture and Best Director.

And let's not forget that soundtrack!

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#23 - The Matrix (1999) - 312 points

Director: The Wachowski Brothers
Starring: Keanu Reeves, Hugo Weaving, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, and Joe Pantoliano.
Awards: Best Sound, Best Film Editing, Best Sound Effects Editing, and Best Visual Effects.

Can any other movie from the late 90s really stake a better claim to epitomizing that time of technological paranoia, grimdark edginess, and fight scenes full of slow-motion than The Matrix?

A mind-trip that immediately captured the hearts and, well, minds of the world, The Matrix revitalized Keanu Reeves' career and introduced the broader world to the high-flying, slow-motion gun-fu of Hong Kong cinema that would go on to dominate the genre for a few years.

While the two Matrix sequels are better forgotten, the original remains a beloved example of dark sci-fi with plenty of quotable moments and stunning action scenes.

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#22 - Alien (1979) - 320 points

Director: Ridley Scott.
Starring: Sigourney Weaver, John Hurt, Tom Skerrit, Veronica Cartwright, Ian Holm, Harry Dean Stanton, and Yaphet Kotto.
Awards: Best Visual Effects.

Criminally underrated to not even make the top twenty, I would contend that Alien is one of the all-time great science fiction movies and one of the best examples of creating a plausible, bad-ass female lead without forcing it down the audience's throats.

Tense, dark, and making wonderful use of HR Geiger's distinctive artistic style, Scott's Alien is a tense game of cat and mouse between the titular alien and the crew of a dilapidated, perenially dark space freighter that isn't afraid to kill characters. Far from being a simple slasher, however, the film is not afraid to take its time and establish the setting.

Giving rise to a beloved sequel, two so-so sequels, two decent prequels, and an abysmal crossover series with Predator, Alien has been the prototype for countless similar takes on the 'monsters in space' genre. It has many imitators, but few have done it quite as well.

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#21 - The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly (1966) - 336 points

Director: Sergio Leone.
Starring: Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef, and Eli Wallach.
Awards: N/A.

The only western to make this countdown, Sergio Leone's final installment in the Dollars Trilogy was met with mixed reviews at the time of release but has since been recognized as a seminal example of the much-maligned spaghetti western genre.

Its use of a morally grey antihero rather than the good old boy style hero typified by John Wayne, the violence, and Leone's signature style would inspire a series of similar movies.

 

[Springs09]

Already said enough about that piece of shit Interstellar. The other 4 are iconic.

Though I'm not sure about The Good, The Bad and The Ugly's sequels. It's the last film of the trilogy.

 

[Misanthrope]

Already said enough about that piece of shit Interstellar. The other 4 are iconic.

Though I'm not sure about The Good, The Bad and The Ugly's sequels. It's the last film of the trilogy.

Whoops! Don't know what made me type that. Fixed!

I will say, however, that Unforgiven > The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, for mine.

 

[Bring back John Fifita]

All absolute cracking films for me.

The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly.

Was my #8. And I tried to negotiate with myself to get it higher. But I lost out to a bunch of others I just couldn't change.

I only saw it for the first time about 7 years ago and I was blown away. And has one of the most iconic all-time movie scenes at the graveyard.

Serving Suggestion - best watched on a lazy, sunny-but-cool Saturday afternoon when you've got the place to yourself

Alien

The original and arguably the best of the series, even though I rated Aliens in my top 30 (#28) and this missed out. There's just something about 70's Sci-Fi that make it the best era for me. Alien and Silent Running are my two stand-outs.

Serving Suggestion - best watched on a rainy, winters' Saturday night when you've got the place to yourself - apart from a bunch of movie snacks.

The Matrix

Brilliant film (shame about the sequels). I love films that bend your brain and this is one of the best of those. I've only seen it once at the movies when released, and once a few years later on DVD. An added bonus is you can play a good old game of "Spot the Aussie" while watching.

Serving Suggestion - best watched at the Movies, wasn't the same on a telly.

Raiders of the Lost Ark

Can't think of many better adventure films than this, although for some reason I've seen Temple of Doom far more times than the original. To think George Lucas did Star Wars and the IJ Movies at around the same time. What a purple patch (his book is well worth a read to btw).

Serving Suggestion - best watched with mates having a few drinks. Its one of those movies you can commentate through and enjoy it just as much as (but for me, even more than) in your own company.

Interstellar

Outstanding film. And for mine one of the best of the last decade (I only had Inception and Mad Max Fury Road above it in the other movies of the decade poll). Again I love a brain-bender and something that challenges your natural thought process. I've watched this at least 7-8 times, love the concept.

Serving Suggestion. Sunday Night, on your own, with a clear head.

 

[Sans Souci Sainter]

Haha. Serving suggestion.

 

[Sans Souci Sainter]

I also have Unforgiven higher, Pale Rider and The Outlaw Josie Wales is higher for me too.

For some reason I often find myself thinking of the ferryman scene in TOJW, where he whistles Yankee Doodle over one half of the river and Look Away Down to Dixie the other half. It must be the duplicity which grabs me.

Unforgiven with Hackman and Eastwood is all-time awesomeness for me. One of those movies which if it is on, I have to see what scene it is up to.

 

[hineyrulz]

I also have Unforgiven higher, Pale Rider and The Outlaw Josie Wales is higher for me too.

For some reason I often find myself thinking of the ferryman scene in TOJW, where he whistles Yankee Doodle over one half of the river and Look Away Down to Dixie the other half. It must be the duplicity which grabs me.

Unforgiven with Hackman and Eastwood is all-time awesomeness for me. One of those movies which if it is on, I have to see what scene it is up to.

I love the good the bad and the Ugly but TOJW tops it IMO. It’s arguably Clints greatest western. High Plains Drifter is another great Clint Western.

 

[hineyrulz]

I also have Unforgiven higher, Pale Rider and The Outlaw Josie Wales is higher for me too.

For some reason I often find myself thinking of the ferryman scene in TOJW, where he whistles Yankee Doodle over one half of the river and Look Away Down to Dixie the other half. It must be the duplicity which grabs me.

Unforgiven with Hackman and Eastwood is all-time awesomeness for me. One of those movies which if it is on, I have to see what scene it is up to.

My favourite line in the movie among many other classics

Clint - “You a bounty hunter


BH - “ Yeah, it’s a living”

Clint - Dying ain’t much of a living boy”.

 

[Wizardman]

Interstellar: Not seen it.

Raiders of the Lost Ark: Has to be the greatest adventure series of all time. For some reason, like the other poster, I have seen Temple of Doom more times as well. A childhood mate liked to act out that heart ripping scene in the swimming pool....lol.

Alien: I have Aliens in front in the series but it takes nothing away from an incredible original film. A faultless film that transcended the sci-fi and horror genres.

The Matrix: Nat a fan at all. I might give it another crack one day.

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly: This and Unforgiven are far and away my two favourite westerns of all time. I am not a big fan of the genre but adore those two movies. Unlike Misanthrope, I think The Good, The Bad and The Ugly just shades Unforgiven for me. Unforgiven has better production values and better performances but there is a special charm to Leone's classic that will never be duplicated. We may see another Unforgiven type movie but will never see another TGTBTU.
The music, the story, the interesting characters of the three main actors and how well they played off each other tops the western list for mine. The movie is close to three hours long yet you never feel it. Love it!

 

[Misanthrope]

I probably need to watch The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly again. I haven't seen it since I was a teenager, so there may have been elements I didn't fully appreciate it.

For a fun exercise, also check out The Good, The Bad, and The Weird, a Korean film based on TGTBTU, but with its own style.

 

[Parra]

Interstellar: Not seen it.

Raiders of the Lost Ark: Has to be the greatest adventure series of all time. For some reason, like the other poster, I have seen Temple of Doom more times as well. A childhood mate liked to act out that heart ripping scene in the swimming pool....lol.

Alien: I have Aliens in front in the series but it takes nothing away from an incredible original film. A faultless film that transcended the sci-fi and horror genres.

The Matrix: Nat a fan at all. I might give it another crack one day.

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly: This and Unforgiven are far and away my two favourite westerns of all time. I am not a big fan of the genre but adore those two movies. Unlike Misanthrope, I think The Good, The Bad and The Ugly just shades Unforgiven for me. Unforgiven has better production values and better performances but there is a special charm to Leone's classic that will never be duplicated. We may see another Unforgiven type movie but will never see another TGTBTU.
The music, the story, the interesting characters of the three main actors and how well they played off each other tops the western list for mine. The movie is close to three hours long yet you never feel it. Love it!

Agree. I like tgee ambiguity of the characters and tge way the story is told . And that score. Perfect.

 

[Wizardman]

Agree. I like tgee ambiguity of the characters and tge way the story is told . And that score. Perfect.

Like a lot of other great movies, all the pieces just came together and fitted perfectly. The first two spaghetti westerns Leone made seemed like practice runs for TGTBTU. They were not great or particularly memorable, but had some good qualities. Leone perfected the recipe with his third effort.

 

[Matua]

I have a pop culture blindspot and that is Indy. I know I saw Temple of Doom and Last Crusade in the cinemas as a kid but they both never gripped my like Star Wars did back then. I tried watching Raiders in my 20s on TV (with ads etc) but I actually gave up. I should probably try watching it again.

I like the other four from this lot, Alien the least - prefer Aliens, Matrix the most.

 

[hineyrulz]

Like a lot of other great movies, all the pieces just came together and fitted perfectly. The first two spaghetti westerns Leone made seemed like practice runs for TGTBTU. They were not great or particularly memorable, but had some good qualities. Leone perfected the recipe with his third effort.

His other great Western was Once Upon in the West. Clint was busy and couldn't play the main role but Charles Bronson wasn't a bad replacement.


Henry Fonda is brilliant playing the bad guy and Jason Robard's almost steals the movie as the anti hero.


It's the most polished of his spaghetti Westerns.

 

[Misanthrope]

LU's Favourite Movie - #20 - #16
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#20 - Fight Club (1999) - 364 points

Director: David Fincher.
Starring: Edward Norton, Brad Pitt, Helena Bonham-Carter, Meat Loaf, and Jared Leto.
Awards: N/A

David Fincher's ultra-edgy adaptation of Chuck Palahniuk's scathing indictment of modern masculinity and the nihilism inherent in contemporary capitalist society. Featuring powerhouse performances from Pitt, Bonham Carter, and Norton, as well as Fincher's trademark directorial style and a bitching Dust Brothers soundtrack, it underperformed at the box office but has since become a cult classic.

#19 - Gladiator (2000) - 365 points

Director: Ridley Scott
Starring: Russel Crowe, Jaoquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen, Oliver Reed, Derek Jacobi, Djimon Hansou, and Richard Harris.
Awards: Best Picture, Best Actor (Russel Crowe), Best Visual Effects, Best Costume Design, and Best Sound Mixing.

Reinvigorating the long-dead sword & sandal genre and giving rise to a whole bunch of weak imitators, Ridley Scott's story of a Roman legionnaire betrayed by his Emperor and forced into gladiatorial combat immediately captured the hearts and minds of theatre-goers.

Netting Crowe a Best Actor win that many felt he had deserved a year or two earlier for better performances, the violent epic is nonetheless driven by a brooding performance from the man. He is ably supported by a scenery-chewing Jaoquin Phoenix, plenty of epic battles, and a fantastic Hans Zimmer soundtrack.

#18 - Forrest Gump (1994) - 380 points

Director: Robert Zemeckis
Starring: Tom Hanks, Gary Sinise, Sally Field, Robin Wright, and Myketti Williamson.
Awards: Best Actor (Tom Hanks), Best Picture, Best Film Editing, Best Picture, Best Visual Effects, and Best Adapted Screenplay.

Say what you will about whether it deserved Best Picture (it didn't), Forrest Gump is nonetheless a monumental feat of storytelling, held up by a career-best performance from the talented Tom Hanks.

It is a heartwarming, often implausible tale of one man's remarkable life captured the imagination of the world, and while it hasn't necessarily held up well to repeat viewings, there are few who didn't come away from their first viewing profoundly moved.

#17 - Fellowship of the Ring (2001) - 384 points

Director: Peter Jackson
Starring: Elijah Wood, Ian McKellan, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Bean, Orlando Bloom, John Rhys-Davies, Dominic Monaghan, Hugo Weaving, Cate Blanchett, Billy Boyd, and Christopher Lee.
Awards: Best Makeup, Best Visual Effects, Best Cinematography, and Best Original Score.

The first installment in the beloved Lord of the Rings trilogy, Fellowship of the Ring was a huge gamble that immediately proved a worldwide success. Peter Jackson's loving representation of Tolkien's much-beloved Middle Earth was complemented by fantastic performances from a cast of mostly unknown actors, with Viggo Mortensen's Aragorn and Ian McKellan's Gandalf being especially good. The latter would earn a Best Supporting Actor nomination for his role.

While it might not have been as action-packed as the two sequels, many loved the slower pace and their first introduction to the world that they would spend two sequels (and three prequels) exploring.

#16 - 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) - 472 points

Director: Stanley Kubrick
Starring: Keir Dullea, Gary Lockwood, William Sylvester, Douglas Rain, Daniel Richter, Leonard Rossiter, Margaret Tyzack, Robert Beatty, and Sean Sullivan.
Awards: Best Special Visual Effects.

A seminal piece of science fiction, Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey is one of the most beloved, most often satirized examples of the genre.

The film proved instantly polarizing with critics and audiences, with some praising its visual effects and avant-garde style, while others were critical of what they deemed to be a convoluted, atheistic plot.

While it may not be everybody's cup of tea, there are few who could argue that 2001 is not a work of cinematic art.

 

[Bring back John Fifita]

Getting into the big guns now.

Love all of those, even though the only one I voted top 30 was 2001 a space odyssey, which I think is an absolute masterpiece. Even after seeing it so many times over the years, as the movie descends further down the rabbit I find myself still coming to terms with all aspects of plot and it’s meaning. You could have 30 people watch it and I reckon you could have 30 different interpretations...

 

[Sans Souci Sainter]

The Lord of the Rings is ok
I suppose. Ok. Interesting enough the first time. Not awesome for mine.

I don’t think they deserve multiple episodes in the Top 30.

 

[axl rose]

Yess I got one in the top 20, and 2 others overall