My Favorite Movies


  1. mikep15
  2. Mike

list of best films

  mikep15's Rating My Rating
1
Society (1989,  R)
Society
the script is lame.
the acting is shit.
the direction a bit weak.
officially disowned by its production company.
the budget all went on the special effects which were some of the most gloriously insane sexual imagery this reviewer's ever witnessed. Should have won a Most Perverse SFX award for 1989. The opening scene will live long in my mind.
2
Videodrome (1983,  R)
Videodrome
sickest film you'll ever see - apart from Nekromantik
3
The Thing (1982,  R)
The Thing
scared the living shit out of me -- and that rarely happens these days
4
Blade Runner (1982,  R)
Blade Runner
the ultimate near-future mind-fuck -- a visionary adaptation of a very different book by Philip K Dick
5
Amadeus (1984,  R)
Amadeus
there's something very special about this film. I know it's not a moment-for-moment biography. I know it's a stage adaptation but it feels less so than, say, a wretched film like Irreversible -- it's got heart, it's got pathos, it's got quality throughout.
6
Audition (Ôdishon) (1999,  R)
Audition (Ôdishon)
you're wondering how I can give this FIVE STARS, right? Well, I've just watched it a second time. And you know what? It may no longer be my all-time favourite film, but it's still worthy of its 5**** rating.
7
C'est arrivé près de chez vous (Man Bites Dog) (It Happened in Your Neighborhood) (1992,  NC-17)
C'est arrivé près de chez vous (Man Bites Dog) (It Happened in Your Neighborhood)
saw this in a cinema in France - stunning debut student film worth a million of anyone's seed funding.
8
Network (1976,  R)
Network
"I'm as mad as hell, and I'm not going to take it anymore!" simply one of the greatest scenes in movie history. But the best line goes to the old guy who dumps Faye Dunaway. Brutal, savage, insane and totally believable corporate shenanigins. It's still happening today. Why don't more humans see this?
9
Visitor Q (Bijitâ Q) (2002,  R)
10
Elephant (1989,  Unrated)
Elephant
"Elephant" is a film by Alan Clarke and was a great influence on the Gus Van Sant film of the same name about the Columbine shootings ... the original Elephant was about the trouble in Northern Ireland and was truly rivetting.

As far as the Irish question goes, this answers nothing but perfectly depicts the idiotic brutality in all its arbitrary beauty.
11
Bliss (1997,  R)
Bliss
this is a gem - not many people know of it, but if you wanna see psychological figurisation surreally presented, this one's for you
12
Intacto (2002,  R)
Intacto
how could I have missed this Spanish classic - I'm giving it 5**** because it's just on a par with something like Audition because it truly has a life all of its own.
13
Perfect Blue (1999,  R)
Perfect Blue
this is exactly where 'proper' adult storyline and manga artwork should meet - like two colliding shinkansen trains - the screen literally throbs with shock and horror.
14
Oldboy (2005,  R)
Oldboy
everything about this film oozes class
15
The Entity (1982,  R)
The Entity
apparently based on a true story (I mean what part of this supernatural tale could possibly be true, but anyway) this is a truly disturbing (hence enjoyable) horror film ... if only more horror films were actually scary any more. Herschey's finest moment.
16
Pulp Fiction (1994,  R)
Pulp Fiction
just so fucking clever - love the intertwined narrative and the street speak
17
K-PAX (2001,  PG-13)
K-PAX
K-Pax is a lovely film very well played (as always) by Spacey
18
The Fifth Element (1997,  PG-13)
The Fifth Element
it's mindless entertainment, but leeloo's a star
19
Akira (1988,  R)
Akira
musical score, characters, atmosphere, art, gore and adult themes - all these essential elements add to a great pic
20
El Laberinto del Fauno (Pan's Labyrinth) (2006,  R)
El Laberinto del Fauno (Pan's Labyrinth)
no way was this a 15-cert film, there's material in here you won't (shouldn't) see in an 18-vcert film ... truly brutal ... left me with a sense of being comletely cored out.
21
The Driller Killer (1979,  Unrated)
The Driller Killer
artistic and nasty - perfect cinema
22
Koyaanisqatsi - Life Out of Balance (1983,  Unrated)
Koyaanisqatsi - Life Out of Balance
in the same way that (Debevec)The Matrix set the 'bullet time' standard we see in so many of today's mediocre films, KOyaanisqatsi set the 'time lapse' standard in modern cinema - sure it was a technique that had been used in nature programmes before it, but here it was backed up by the driving Philip Glass soundtrack and the Global Destruction message - MESMERISING.
23
Koroshiya 1 (Ichi the Killer) (2001,  R)
Koroshiya 1 (Ichi the Killer)
strong stomach and BIG suspension of disbelief will help
24
Spirited Away (Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi) (2001,  PG)
Spirited Away (Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi)
the most grotesquely original manga I've ever seen - pure art.
25
Tonari no Totoro (My Neighbor Totoro) (1988,  Unrated)
Tonari no Totoro (My Neighbor Totoro)
total Miyazaki genius, again - the characters, audio and the catbus make this a stand-out title.
26
The Silence of the Lambs (1991,  R)
27
Fight Club (1999,  R)
Fight Club
fight club - it's like it ALWAYS existed, such an obvious cult film. watched it again last night and it's STILL totally worthy of 5 stars for direction, script, acting. Great, great film.
28
Life Is Beautiful (La Vita è bella) (1998,  PG-13)
Life Is Beautiful (La Vita è bella)
sheer human bravery expressed in a touching fashion
29
Taxi Driver (1976,  R)
Taxi Driver
simply magnificent cinema, then and now.
30
Matador (1986,  NC-17)
Matador
as always with Almodovar, this is a fairly audacious concept, well executed (no pun intended)
31
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978,  PG)
Invasion of the Body Snatchers
totally awe inspiring artwork
32
Communion (1989,  R)
Communion
Walken rocks, Strieber rocks, easy 4***
33
Pi (1998,  R)
Pi
drill that intellect, ease the fervour
34
Blue Velvet (1986,  R)
Blue Velvet
effective psycho drama - not pleasant
35
Alien (1979,  R)
Alien
what you don't see is scarier than what you do see
36
Aliens (1986,  R)
Aliens
craziest fucking rollercoaster ride of all time.
37
Gozu (Gokudô kyôfu dai-gekijô: Gozu) (2003,  R)
Gozu (Gokudô kyôfu dai-gekijô: Gozu)
cow gods and an Xtro-styled birth - fine content
38
Dolls (2002,  Unrated)
Dolls
bound together by love, guilt, duty.
39
King of New York (1990,  R)
40
Seven (Se7en) (1995,  R)
Seven (Se7en)
"what's in the box?" classic meat 'n' potatoes question about life, the universe and serial killers.
41
Donnie Darko (2001,  R)
Donnie Darko
I just couldn't work out what i was watching the first time I saw this - was it great or was it just weird?
42
Barton Fink (1991,  R)
43
The Fly (1986,  R)
The Fly
excellently realised reworking of the old B&W version
44
Hannibal (2001,  R)
45
A Clockwork Orange (1971,  R)
A Clockwork Orange
despite the weak ending, this is a corkin' ride
46
Requiem for a Dream (2000,  R)
Requiem for a Dream
THE FRIDGE! THE JUNKIE SORES! DOUBLE ANAL!
47
Cat People (1982,  R)
Cat People
fairly fucking sexy, fairly wicked story - McDowall, Kinksi, grrrrr!

:)
48
The Cell (2000,  R)
The Cell
sorry, I just really enjoy surrealistic cinema and this film is about as surreal (and nasty) as it gets ... lovely.
49
Battle Royale (Batoru Rowaiaru) (2001,  Unrated)
Battle Royale (Batoru Rowaiaru)
that this was done by a near-geriatric director is astonishing - that it's more a mature romance than a slasher flick is more astounding!
50
The Exorcist (1973,  R)
The Exorcist
saw this as a ten year old - truly, profoundly disturbing
51
The Dead Zone (1983,  R)
The Dead Zone
again, Cronenberg on top form, this time adapting a Stephen King novel
52
Naked Lunch (1991,  R)
Naked Lunch
this film could have been so much more hardcore based on the book, but still...
53
Shall We Dance? (Shall We Dansu?) (1997,  PG)
Shall We Dance? (Shall We Dansu?)
fabulous touching movie, done in a way only Japanese cinema seems able.
54
The Hunger (1983,  R)
The Hunger
Whitley Strieber is one of the great unsung writers
55
The Hairdresser's Husband (1992,  R)
The Hairdresser's Husband
I love the sentiment of this strange Franco-Arabic film - that boy, his charming life into adulthood.
56
The Forgotten (2004,  PG-13)
The Forgotten
very memorable film about a mother who's told she never had a son, she's made it all up. The denouement is, like some of the special effects, just brilliantly apt.
57
Dune (,  Unrated)
Dune
Nobody like this - I do.
58
Natural Born Killers (1994,  NC-17)
59
Elephant (2003,  R)
Elephant
I'd watched the original ELEPHANT by Alan Clarke on BBC2 one night, about the faceless murders in the Irish problem. I've finally seen Gus Van Sant's literal homage to this rivetting 80's film. The cold callous atmosphere of the sporadic slaughter is just mind-numbingly portrayed. Proof that guns are bad. Proof that you can't expect scores to go unsettled.

Wonderful film. A true horror title.
60
Blow (2001,  R)
61
The Shining (1980,  R)
62
Return of the Dragon (The Way of the Dragon) (1972,  R)
Return of the Dragon (The Way of the Dragon)
well, it's just Bruce Lee and you don't fuck around with Bruce Lee
63
Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (2002,  R)
Confessions of a Dangerous Mind
superb bio-pic with a wicked twist of Kaufman.
64
Enter the Dragon (1973,  R)
Enter the Dragon
well, it's just Bruce Lee and you don't fuck around with Bruce Lee
65
Game of Death (1978,  R)
Game of Death
well, it's just Bruce Lee and you don't fuck around with Bruce Lee
66
Dangerous Liaisons (1988,  R)
Dangerous Liaisons
the wickedness and adult theme set this head-and-shoulders above similar bodice-ripping period pieces
67
Secretary (2002,  R)
Secretary
erm, just wrong in all the right ways; the setup, the cast, the direction are all top(shelf) notch
68
Ghost World (2001,  R)
69
Tokyo Decadence (1991,  NC-17)
Tokyo Decadence
Ryu Murakami's a great author (and director). Ryuchi Sakamoto's a great composer. An overall wonderful film about adult exploration and (of course) decadence.
70
Drowning by Numbers (1988,  R)
Drowning by Numbers
Greenaway is an artist
71
Weather Woman (1995,  Unrated)
Weather Woman
yeah, I've no idea why either - this daft Japanese film just tickled my funny bone for 120 mins.
72
Memento (2000,  R)
Memento
the whole them and presentation of this memory-cracked narrative was brilliant.
73
The Edukators (Die Fetten Jahre sind vorbei) (2005,  R)
The Edukators (Die Fetten Jahre sind vorbei)
klassy german film about kids and their dumbass thoughts
74
Nekromantik (1987,  Unrated)
Nekromantik
the germans certainly know how to push the boundaries - but I'm biased as Jorg Buttgeriet gave my 1990 novel Red Hedz a glowing report
75
Hulk (2003,  PG-13)
76
Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind (2004,  R)
77
The Elephant Man (1980,  PG)
The Elephant Man
people are cunts, but some people are more cunts than other, some less - deep huh?
78
Being John Malkovich (1999,  R)
Being John Malkovich
bit slow but very entertaining
79
Lawn Dogs (1998,  R)
Lawn Dogs
again, this makes it into my Top 100 because I love surrealist cinema
80
Tierra (Earth) (1996,  Unrated)
Tierra (Earth)
arid desert life packed with Spanish heat
81
Stargate (1994,  PG-13)
Stargate
I may be having a bit of a 90's moment here but for leave-your-brain-at-home fun for all the sci-fi/history nutheads in your family Stargate is hard to beat.
82
Jamon Jamon (1993,  Unrated)
Jamon Jamon
two love rivals fight to the death with legs of ham, penelope cruz's breasts taste of omeletas-patatas - go figure
83
American Beauty (1999,  R)
84
A Beautiful Mind (2001,  PG-13)
A Beautiful Mind
20-20 hindsight makes this intriguing film almost unwatchable now but at the tiem I was so fished in ... great denouement
85
The Piano (1993,  R)
The Piano
brutal little film, superb script, cast, direction and (especially) music
86
The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover (1989,  R)
The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover
Greenaway is an artist
87
Xtro (1983,  R)
Xtro
one of the best films of its time - aliens, tick-toc and THAT birthing scene
88
A Zed and Two Noughts (1985,  Unrated)
A Zed and Two Noughts
Greenaway is an artist
89
Downfall (Der Untergang) (2004,  R)
90
Max (2002,  R)
91
Il portiere di notte (The Night Porter) (1974,  R)
92
Léon (The Professional) (1994,  R)
Léon (The Professional)
far-fetched fun - on a par with Nikita
93
Southland Tales (2007,  R)
Southland Tales
five out of five, it's a total mess - and it's got Justin Timberlake all through it like the word BLACKPOOL through a stick of rock.

and knowing all this, you STILL have to watch it - why?

because if you don't you'll never wake up again.

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  1. grizzbabe31
    grizzbabe31 posted 500 days ago

    I see we have somewhat similar movie tastes. I'll have to check out some of your favorites.