List your 'Blown away' theatrical experiences
POSTED BY: chrisisall
UPDATED: Monday, April 5, 2010 03:12
VIEWED: 6081
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SGG: I do like film school, but as Somnambulist mentions, it can sort of ruin it if you have bad lecturers and classmates, as, I suppose, it could be for any course. Som and I have talked about how a lot of those involved in film schools are of a very elitist and pretentious nature, and this does slightly ruin it. Luckily I haven't had as rough a time as Somnambulist seems to have had, and I still absolutely love film, it's just that at least half of my classes I have to skip or just try to ignore the lecturer.
CiA: Serenity, definitely. Haven't seen Blade Runner in so long, but, my friend has given me his copy of the Final Cut edition on BluRay, so I look forward to watching that again. The last time I saw it I was around 13, and so didn't quite get it all!
I'd like to add to mine;
The Matrix
Avatar
Toy Story (good call Lwaves, I absolutely adore that movie. Recently went to the 3D double bill rerelease, and it was just as brilliant as I remembered, with added depth!)
And if LWaves is allowed to put Band of Brothers, add me in for that. Best Miniseries of all time.
Also, a lesser known film in Stay. I sat flabbergasted at the end, and I loved it. Quite sure a lot of people haven't heard of it, let alone seen it, but you should. Brilliant film.
And another fairly recent one, in Scorsese's Shutter Island.
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What...?
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OH!!! I forgot one very important one:
The Road Home. I saw it on DVD though, so it doesn't fit my original criteria, but I could not have been more blown away under any circumstances...
The laughing Chrisisall
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Hey Chris. Yeah, it was obvious who started this thread from the title. This is the central reason for going to the movies for me. Here's a short list with a few additional ratings:
Aph = APHASIC, couldn't talk for at least an hour after the film
Ru = Had to RUN for at least five blocks after leaving the theatre just to release all the energy I'd built up
So = Left me sobbing the first time I saw it
Auto = The film maker stole pages from my autobiography
(And just for you, Chris): Pl = Accessed past life memories while I was watching--kind of a subcategory of "C" except that I CAN describe it. 
Brazil A,C,Ru,Auto(for the dreams, no one previously had captured the feel and the lighting in my dreams before that movie)
Fire Walk with Me A,B,C,Aph,Auto
The Matrix 1 and 2 (Appreciated 3, but it was ultimately a much more muted and ambivalent film) A,Ru
The Terracotta Warrior A,C,Ru,Pl
Chinatown A,B,C,So,Aph,Auto
The Wickerman A,B,C,Pl
The Lord of the Rings Trilogy A,C,Pl
Unforgiven A,B,C,So,Pl
Terminators 1 and 2 A,C,Ru+ (Ran all the way home after Terminator 2)
Schindler's List and Saving Private Ryan A,B,C,So,Aph
Raging Bull A,B,C
Kundun A,C,Aph,Pl
The Elephant Man A,B,C,So,Aph
1984 A,B,C,So,Aph+
Fight Club A,B,C,Ru
Polansky's Macbeth A,B,C,Pl
Naked A,B,C
True Romance (the Hopper/Walken scene alone makes my list!) A,C,Ru
Sin City A,C
The Long Goodbye A,B,C
Nashville A,B,C,Aph
Vincent and Theo A,B,C,So,Aph,Pl
Shortcuts A,B,C,Aph
Kansas City A,B,C
Magnolia A,C
Punch Drunk Love A,B,C
Rushmore A,B,C,Auto
Royal Tenenbaums A,B,C,Auto
Blood Diamond A,B,C
Crash (Cronenberg, 1996) A,B,C,Aph
The Piano A,B,C,So,Aph,Pl
Heat A,C
The Crossing Guard A,B,C,So
Carlito's Way A,B,C
Dead Man Walking A,B,C,So
Hurlyburly A,B,C
Waking Life A,B,C,Ru,Auto
The Deer Hunter A,B,C,So
Pennies from Heaven A,B,C
The Comfort of Strangers A,B,C,Auto
And if we're talking t.v. series: Firefly A,B,C,Pl (You may have heard of it)
And Spartacus: Blood and Sand (for the most harrowingly honest depiction of slave culture I've ever seen--gotta keep watching past the first couple episodes if you want to appreciate this show--the first couple ep's were little more than deeply muddled blood-porn) A,B,C,Pl
I know I'm forgetting a bunch here, but then, if I can't immediately remember them, they've obviously fallen off the list.
HKCavalier
Hey, hey, hey, don't be mean. We don't have to be mean, because, remember, no matter where you go, there you are.
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Quote:
Originally posted by chrisisall:
A Apes marathon, all five Planet Of The Apes movies, TWICE- circa 1974
B/B Texas Chainsaw Massacre- 1974 (I snuck in; YIKES!!!)
A/C Star Wars- 1977
C Superman The Movie- 1978
A/B Empire Strikes Back- 1980
C Blade Runner- 1982
B Star Trek 2: Wrath Of Khan- 1982
C Return Of The Jedi- 1983 (YES, don't give me any grief here, you Ewok-haters!!!)
NIIICE.
Apes Marathon...you suck. I wish I could have seen all the ape movies marathon style on the big screen!!!
MINE:
-Jurassic Park(A) Spielberg's last "wow" movie that I have seen(Saving Private Ryan wasn't bad either).
-Return of the Jedi(A)
My friends and I were dropped off at the local cineplex for a day show in late summer(it had been out for a long time at this point)..we were 11 years old. Not a soul in the theater except for us. When we left the theater we were all changed kids. We went to our local 7-11, bought all the ROTJ bubble gum cards we could tented out in my backyard and spent the night talking about ROTJ, and gazing at the stars.
-Kill Bill(B)
Love Tarantino or hate him, his films "trap" me in his world for a couple hours. Loved this movie.
"Revenge is never a straight line" says Hattori Hanzo. Much like this film the pacing, and structure are addicting and anything but "straight".
-Aliens(A)
My first rated R movie....and what a freaking R movie to behold. Genius. In further news My mom got HBO in 1987, and I watched it every single time it played. Lost count after 60.
-Fellowship of the Ring. I heard the Blu-Ray is botched, and that depresses me. L loved this film in the theater.
Great thread Chris!
-------------------------------------------------
70's TV FOREVER
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When asked this question, this is the first movie that comes to mind for me:
Redbelt
It's one of the few movies that had me sitting in my seat when it was over is silent awe as the credits rolled.
I'd have to sit and think to put together a full list.
________________________________
People who don't care about anything will never understand the people who do
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Sit back and create that list Dewrastler. I am enjoying this. So spoil me. People are bringing up movies I havn't thought of in years and I am learning about new films. Well they're new to me.
Chriss does this sort of thing a lot. Asking us some offbeat question about TV and/or film. And everytime I get a flood of good memories and I read people lists.
This is also a shameless bump so others will see it. I am a greedy bastard.(c:)
http://www.imdb.com/mymovies/list?l=28764731
Traveler
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Star Wars - A
Return of the Jedi - A
Aliens - A. First DTS release, cinema sound finally catches up with my home setup.
Galaxy Quest - A
Matrix - A
Pan's Labyrinth - B
Pulp Fiction - A
Platoon - B
Dangerous Beauty - B. Vibrant cinematography.
Memoirs of a Geisha - B
Die Hard - A
Braveheart - A/B
Terminator - ABC
T2 - ABC
The Beguiled - C
Amazing Grace and Chuck - B
A Little Princess - A
Road Warrior - A
Thin Blue Line - B
Hero (Stephen Frears) - B
Sin City - A
K-Pax - B
The Hot Spot - A
Pale Rider - B
...And Justice For All - B
The Entity - B
First Blood - B
12 Monkeys - B
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I'm sorry to hear that. My experience was very different as I did not go to film school, but I did take a couple of film courses while at Hunter College in NY.
We called the prof. "Dusty" because he looked so much like Dustin Hoffman (of course not to his face). But he was instrumental in nurturing my love affair with film. We touched upon the basic cannons of filmmaking of course, but he also allowed for us to bring our experience to the table.
I was fascinated by it all, and sometimes did not want to explore too much of the filmmaking process for fear I would see the man behind the curtain. Still though I learned to appreciate the subtleties of the craft, which only increased my enjoyment. There was one small picadillo though, my son and I began to be at odds regarding the finer points of the movie.
We are past that now, thanks God.
SGG
Tawabawho?
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Chris, I originally tried to post my response Friday, but for some reason I was logged out before I could finish. Anywho, here are my picks:
Not in any particular order:
Star Wars - 1977 - A,B,C (all in a good way)
I took a date in the summer of '77 and was Blown away by the whole experience. This movie was so awesome in the theatre that people applauded. I was 24 and had never experienced applause for a movie. This was the first Blockbuster I was a part of, people would come out of the theatre and get right back on the ticket-buyers line. My date was so impressed - I got lucky. You may have to start a new category: Movies that get you laid.
TESB and ROTJ also fall under the above. But with ROTJ: I went with my then-wife and my son who was 4 months old and he slept through the whole thing.
Superman the Movie - C - love this film, especially the first half when Clark is in Smallville. Was not crazy about Margot Kidder as LL.
Blade Runner - A,B,C - Everything in this movie was awesome.
A Clockwork Orange - 1971 - Kubrick's masterstroke, the (what was known then as) ultraviolence, which pales in comparison to today's fare. It was almost given an X-rating because of the violence; the humor and the music "angel trumpets and devil horns, come hear all proper."
2001: Space Odyssey 1968 - A,B,C - Trippy and profound journey through the dawn of man and into the future. I saw it when it was re-released (not sure exactly when), but I saw it in the theatre and left absolutely flabbergasted.
http://www.archive113.com/Pictures/Space/2001.JPG
Chinatown - 1974 (C) - A unique film that left an impression.
Going Places (Les Valseuses) A,B,C - 1974 - French film with a young Gerard Depardieu, Isabelle Huppert, Miou-Miou and Jeanne Moreau. Literally translated Les Valseuses means "the bullocks." Music by Stephane Grappelli.
Need I say more.
The Matrix - 1999 - A,B,C - Okay some of the lines were laughable, but who wasn't blown away by Bullettime. This film opened a new door to the sci-fi genre. The next 2 in the series got progressively worse. It took me 4 viewings before I could get a grip on just what was going on. "Why oh why didn't I take the blue pill?"
Days of Heaven - 1978 - C Terence Malick directed this gem. It had everything story, cinematography, acting, pace and relevence.
Serenity - 2005 - A,B,C - For obvious reasons. I just love the characters, this story has to be continued.
There are countless movies that I love, but these guys (along with a select few others blow me away).
SGG
Tawabawho?
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