Just finished watching the Lord of the Rings saga again and on looking at the TV guide, I notice American Gangster is on Sky Movies … They’re both excellent outstanding films but when it comes to the question of “do I want to watch them again ?” it’s a case of :
Lord of the Rings – yes please
American Gangster – hmm, mebbe not
So what makes a film something you will want to watch over and over again ? And what makes it a Great Once ? This is kinda like the question that Mike the computer asks in Robert Heinlein’s book The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress. What makes a joke funny once and what makes a joke funny all the time. It’s something that will probably never be answered fully but in the meantime, here’s 13 films I’ll never tire of seeing :
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| Thirteen Things about Unforgettable Films
1…. Lord of the Rings. Just finished watching the saga again, will undoubtedly wear the dvds out before their time.
2…. The Fifth Element. There’s a definite sense of style here, from the acting to the quirkiness, in the Gautier clothes and the epic locations.
3…. Big Trouble in Little China. This is a really silly film, typical of John Carpenter. He’s a master of making Fun Films that are easily watchable.
4…. A Knight’s Tale. Must watch this one again, it’s a great film to remember the late Heath Ledger by.
5…. Saving Private Ryan & Black Hawk Down. Lumping these two in together because the subject they depict is one we should never forget. We must learn from the mistakes of the past in order to avoid them in the future.
6…. Superman – with Christopher Reeve. I grew up on these films and Christopher Reeve will always be Superman for me. And that impression was very definitely reinforced by the courage he showed in battling the aftermath of his horse accident.
7…. The Princess Bride. More lighthearted fun 🙂
8…. Conan The Barbarian. Great action but what I like most is the sense of Freedom that the characters exude. There’s a very worthy mention for Red Sonja here too.
9…. Shrek – for turning the heroic fantasy completely on its head while having a huge laugh.
10.. My Fair Lady. It must be fifteen years since I watched this classic, which is far too long. It’s a tribute to the beauty of Audrey Hepburn that I can still recall her face from that film.
11.. Where Eagles Dare. Ok, we all know the story here because we’ve seen it so many times but it’s still utterly compelling all the same. Just as we’ll always come back for more of watching Steve McQueen bouncing his ball in the cooler.
12.. The Man With No Name trilogy with Clint Eastwood. The Good, The Bad And The Ugly is one of the greatest films of all time and its absence leaves a huge gap in my dvd collection.
13.. The Star Wars saga. The question of “which trilogy is better ?” will never get a final answer 🙂 Personally, I like the Epi I to III ones better.
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There’s a few films missing from the list above, I’m starting to wear out my copies of Sin City and 300 too. Aliens is a cracking film but the films that followed it in the series are a bit weak. Casino Royale was a fine return to form but at the end of the day, it’s Yet Another Bond Film. The Indiana Jones films are Must See but they didn’t really hold my attention when I watched them again before Crystal Skull (not seen) came out.
And then there’s the Matrix … Wound me up the first time because it got mired in its own symbolism but when you ignore that part and refuse to try and make sense of the insensible, they’re a cracking set of films and a technical masterpiece. No soul there though.
Right – Star Wars got watched a couple of weeks ago, just finished watching Return Of The King, what’s next ? ! 🙂