[Closed] Perfect Films

The Empire Strikes Back
Toy Story trilogy
The Shawshank Redemption
Alien
Goodfellas

True Grit

Which one?!

dumb question........... 🙄

Hound of The Baskervilles - original B&W basil rathbone version.
Shawshank +1
La Reine Margot
3 colours red

But lots of those mentioned on here are very good films. Perfection is personal.

Jaws....almost perfect but not quite as good as the book.

There Will Be Blood.

donks - Member

Jaws....almost perfect but not quite as good as the book.

Missed out the affair between Hooper and Ellen Brodie.

Part from that, it's almost there. 🙂

plus 1+'s to Donk & Rusty Spanner.

Loved the book as a kid, read it after seeing the film for the first time, and they were so close to being 'bang on' with the movie

oh, and a quick edit to add to my list:

No Country For Old Men

Jungle Book

Also missed the fact that they dont know if the shark is dead,Hooper dies and Brodie has to swim for shore with the threat of Jaws following. Plus the baby Dolphin bit but apart from that its pretty good.

Craig Daniel in Casino Royale

Wall:E is mostly perfect, but has a couple of flat moments.

The Matrix doesn't waste a moment of screen time.

Aliens is perfect as its the most pristine example of Sci-Fi action horror and defines the genre.

Stardust is perfect: Great cast playing engaging characters, witty and clever plot. Its the perfect fairytale film, like a Terry Gilliam film but without the flaws. Plus the Robert De Niro pirate is an inspired performance!

Cougar, it's just a personal thing. The queen hiding in the back of the drop ship is something that really annoys me, as does the lack of occupant-frying EMP from the x megatonne fusion explosion of the atmosphere processing plant.

Bishop's hand-blurringly fast knife trick jars a bit too, even if he is an artificial person, his muscles are likely to conform to similar rules as ours and that would make that tricky pretty near impossible at that speed.

The big one though is the number of aliens on the planet. You have to assume one per person of the settlers, minus a few for settler-killed and surgically removed at the facehugger stage prior to the USCMC involvement, so the totals just never seem to add up to the hordes that are apparent in the sentry gun tunnel and in the lab when the shit hits the fan for the marines, especially as they kill a few in the atmosphere processor.

All told, I reckon they had at most 160 to kill and the sentry guns should have taken care of that if they were any cop. The bit in the complex where the ceiling is full of them? Sorry, I just think that the numbers were over-egged and that took it off the list.

Donnie darko
Life aquatic
Clint Eastwood/sergeo trilogy
Once upon a time in the west
Moon
Mad max 1 & 2
What's eating Gilbert grape
Deerhunter
Drive

And band of brothers

Too name a few

Alien[s]s[/s] is perfect as its the most pristine example of Sci-Fi action horror and defines the genre.

Aliens?
Must resist.....nnnnnngggggggggggggggarrrrrrrrrhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh........
😀

Starship Troopers

What did you think that film was about, then?

As for Alien - ruined by the fact that whilst it looks great, the ship's computer looks like ERNIE (the 1940s computer with valves and flashing lights, not the Sesame Street character).

Predator - Just doesn't date and Arnie's finest moment by miles.
Deliverance
Amelie
The Jungle Book.

As said, perfection is totally subjective.

+1 for Dogma
Near Dark
Moulin Rouge
Tremors
The Big Blue
Excalibur
Blade Runner (Director's Cut)
Kill Bill vol 1
The Thing
Dangerous Liaisons

But for as close to objective perfection as you can get in terms of structure and narrative, I have to agree with Memento.

Clerks

Kind Hearts and Coronets

My Life as a Dog.

The English Patient

Epic story, Epic cinematography, Epic acting. nuff said!!

BMX Bandits

molgrips - Member
As for Alien - ruined by the fact that whilst it looks great, the ship's computer looks like ERNIE (the 1940s computer with valves and flashing lights, not the Sesame Street character).

[img] [/img]

Nah, looks like the world's most complicated microwave. 🙂

[i]Clerks[/i]? Just didn't get it (yes, I know I'm in the minority).

My recommendations are:

Tell No One
Super 8
Michael Clayton
Batman Begins
Hidden
The French Connection

Of course, as has been said already, this is hugely subjective and can be argued as merely being good films.

I agree with so many of the above, but how have we missed
"Big trouble in little China?"

I can't fault it.

Goodfellas
Seven
The Life of Brian
The Matrix
Pans Labyrinth
The Shawshank Redemption
Hot Fuzz
The Day The Earth Caught Fire
Alien

Small soldiers.

Rocky (the one with the robot servant)

Cats & dogs.

Rusty-that's Alien?

Don't forget that NASA use old technology-it takes years to design and make space ships, and they only use technology tried and tested at the design stage.

The hardware in Alien, to me, gives it an authentic industrial feel.

The queen hiding in the back of the drop ship is something that really annoys me, as does the lack of occupant-frying EMP from the x megatonne fusion explosion of the atmosphere processing plant.

Bishop's hand-blurringly fast knife trick jars a bit too, even if he is an artificial person, his muscles are likely to conform to similar rules as ours and that would make that tricky pretty near impossible at that speed.

The big one though is the number of aliens on the planet.

What's the issue with the Queen, sorry?

EMP - I'd expect military spacecraft to have serious shielding, and buildings to be similarly shielded because, well, reactor.

Bishop's trick - even he struggled, he missed at the end. But there's no indication of any such physical restriction; if they'd established earlier that there was then I'd agree. Wasn't Ash stronger than normal humans, or am I misremembering?

Aliens and numbers - never really stopped to think about that. I'll get back to you on that.

Aliens?
Must resist.....nnnnnngggggggggggggggarrrrrrrrrhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh........

It's primarily an action movie. It's very tonally different to the first film, which was a suspense horror / sci-fi outing. Aliens isn't horror, it's about a bunch of meatheads with big guns.

goodfellas, good at release, liotta kinda bugs me now, same old guy in all his movies since
withnail and i ? read about it over time, supposingly an awesome movie, got loan from a guy, cool exiting nite for me see good film, what shite ! sadly watched whole film looking for a good bit, nope
shawshank, timeless perfect.....
heat .perfect bar de niro getting nailed at the end.
platoon, predator and the thing with kurt russell all up there
recently id say jack reacher and life of pi great, but i wish pi couldve met richard in later years and see if he remembered him 😀

Lost In Translation.

Ray Liotta's in Withnail And I?

Some like it hot

Shawshank is spoiled by being a naff hollywoodised version of the book.

The hardware in Alien, to me, gives it an authentic industrial feel.

No way. It's an intersellar spaceship from the future and it's computer looks like something from the 50s? Total howler.

no al,

just the way i typed list, i was eating my tea at time and was gettin daggers from wife, so best sign off and devour some of the chocs n booz left from the festivities, 4 days until work so best enjoy it.......

And another late entry:

Spirited Away.

WARNING: SPOILER ALERT.

Shawshank is spoiled by being a naff hollywoodised version of the book.

The "book" is actually a short story, and therefore only provides a framework for the film. It end like this:

I find I am excited, so excited I can hardly hold the pencil in my trembling hand, I think it is the excitement that only a free man can feel, a free man starting a long journey whose conclusion is uncertain.

I hope Andy is down there.
I hope I can make it across the border.
I hope to see my friend and shake his hand.
I hope the pacific is as blue as it has been in my dreams.
I hope.

Sound familiar? Sound like how the film ends?

Hope and Glory for me, is the most perfect film of all time.
I suspect I feel the same way about it as I imagine Dave Lister feels about 'It's a wonderful life'.

cynic-al - Member
The hardware in Alien, to me, gives it an authentic industrial feel.

I agree. 🙂
That and the fact that everything is worn and grimy - costumes, sets, the lot.

molgrips - Member
No way. It's an intersellar spaceship from the future and it's computer looks like something from the 50s? Total howler.

Just watched it today for the first but I thought Moon was superb, I really don't know how it could be improved upon.

One flew over the cuckoo's nest

Pulp Fiction

Heat
Leon
Dogma
Zoolander
Princess Bride
Monsters Inc
Toy Story
Crouching Tiger
Crying Freeman

Starman
About Last Night
Blues Brothers
ET
Stakeout
Close Encounters
Porkies
Home Alone
Mrs Doubtfire
Cool Runnings
Shawshank Redemption
Gladiator
Empire of the Sun

...and many more

Cougar - Member
It's primarily an action movie. It's very tonally different to the first film, which was a suspense horror / sci-fi outing. Aliens isn't horror, it's about a bunch of meatheads with big guns.

I know. Terrible isn't it?
Such promise squandered. 😀

It's the unrealistic & cliched behaviour of the characters, the childish and poorly plotted script, the overriding lack of ambition & laziness of the plot, the predictability of the narrative and the cynical, dumbed-down, lowest common denominator nature of the whole enterprise that make it the most disappointing sequel ever.
And an awful film.

All IMO of course, just like the music thread the other day - all completely subjective.
Which is what makes it fascinating.

Anyway, you MADE me break a new years resolution. 😀
I feel used now, & not in a good way.

Heckler: I thought so 😀

Alien - made in 1979, before even this...my guess is those flaming it were born later?

[img] [/img]

And an awful film.

Sir, I hold you in high regard, but as I believe the vernacular goes, you are talking bollocks.

Don't get me started on Point Break, Top Gun and The Matix.

I REALLY dislike those 😀

Just watched it today for the first but I thought Moon was superb, I really don't know how it could be improved upon.

She could of got her tits out 😉

I can't get over how good it was! Wonder if source code is worth a watch

I can't believe nobody has mentioned the Hangover.

Or Old School

Waynes World

Animal House

Dude where's my car

Bad Teacher (Junkyard take note)

Ferris Bueller

Blues bros of course

Zoolander

Anger Management

Any film that makes you laugh is perfect.

Sorry, Shawshank is off the list due to the awful tacked on "holywood" cheezy meeting on the beach ending.

Source code is very cool.

Don't get me started on Point Break, Top Gun and The Matix.

I REALLY dislike those

Ah, ok, I see the issue. You're a loony.

TBF, context is needed here. All three are deeply flawed films. The first two are 80s cheese action films, there's no substance but they're great fun. The Matrix is bad but one of the most stylish films I've ever seen. Now, you can choose to focus on the negatives, or the positives. For me, I like films, and I'll try and extract the best out of anything. Sometimes, rarely, that's not possible.

Fargo
Desperado
Hero

Why is the Matrix "bad"?

Sorry, Shawshank is off the list due to the awful tacked on "holywood" cheezy meeting on the beach ending.

See my post above. It is not a Hollywood "tacked on" ending, it is in keeping with the original short story by Stephen King.

Plenty I like above, but no one has said:

Thelma and Louise

I thought it was a brilliant film 😐

There will be blood
No country for old Men
Dead mans shoes
Drive
Tinker Taylor soldier spy

Cheers, Source code on lovefilm list

Also, Gran Torino & O Brother where art thou?

no, no, no, Shawshank is about HOPE, that's really the point of the whole story/film. So it should end, like the short story, as Red narrates that ending speech about hope, and as the Greyhound bus slowly drives off into the distance. Instead, the film then tacks on a silly beach scene, where Red is reunited with his friend. That is not only not needed, it ruins the point of the "hope" speech and theme ;-(

I'm really not a loony, or a film snob:
Dumb & Dumber nearly made it onto the 'perfect' list. 🙂

You can have a great action film with also has depth and subtlety.
Point Break & Top Gun are just all surface and bluster - the 80/90's
encapsulated in celluloid - meaningless and vapid, cynical and tawdry.

Watching The Matrix is like being trapped in a corner at a party by a very pretty but terminally stoned, boring young lady who thinks she's worked out the meaning of life and insists on telling you all about it:
OK for five minutes but after half an hour you wish it was all over.

Shawshank (The Film) and Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption are, from memory, as close an adaptation as you'll find anywhere.

Still a bit saccharine all the same, not perfect.

I don't see how that scene is "silly". I think it provides an excellent juxtaposition to the grimness that has gone on before. It proves that having hope can bring it's own rewards; that hope is not just a futile gesture used to get through difficult times.

Stop trying to bamboosle me with long complicated words like juxtaposition!! That scene is silly and unecessary unless you are american and/or have the IQ of a letuce sandwich.......... 😉

think I'm first to say the first film that popped into my head - The Road. It's so bleak, but so so good. But oh so bleak. My god it's bleak.

Else,

Robocop
Batman Begins
Heat
Drive

End

City Of God.

Dr Zhivago.

Lawrence of Arabia.

The Machinist.

Have to say the only thing that stopped Memento from being perfect was the fact i had to watch the 1st 15 mins again to get it. (i was a little tipsy).

Anything with keanu reeves is is utter shite, as he is the worst actor never to be in coronation st

The Prestige is just about to start on BBC3 btw - good film 🙂

Got to be Goonies for me.
Also, agree on the City of God call.

And 'Carve her name with pride' starting on BBC4 now for B&W Virginia McKenna nostalgia

[i]The life that I have, is all that I have...[/i]

Very good film Rusty

Goodfellas is on tonight as well.

Spoiled for choice

Agree with lots on here. My list would include:

Citizen Kane
Some like it hot
Delicatessen
Chinatown
Shawshank
Blade runner (directors cut)
In Bruges
Pulp Fiction
Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang
The Matrix (but none of the sequels)
Alien
Star Wars
North by Northwest
Psycho

I almost put Bambi but I'm still traumatised from watching it when a was little 😥

Apocalypse Now
Star Wars ep4 a new hope
Crash
Raiders of the lost Ark
Predator
Casino
Platoon

Wonder if source code is worth a watch

bit like a Dr Who plot but enjoyable non the less

oh sh1t i forgot...

The Shining

the end 🙂

I'd say Raiders of the Lost Ark is close too, although how Indy manages to swim from the ship to the German u-boat and then casually takes a ride to the u-boat base does irk me a bit.

Some interesting points & some very good films mentioned... I cannot think of any films that I would call perfect.

I'm surprised no-one has mentioned any Kubrick or Hitchcock films (although someone might've. I have just read through 5 pages of people arguing about Shawshank's ending & Alien's merits)

The nearest I can think of is something like the Wizard of Oz, was watching it the other night & when you consider it's age & the technology available at the time it's a great great achievement.

& Cougar, regarding Source Code, thought it was good but the ending pretty much ruined it for me. Totally with you on Aliens tho!

EDIT: The chap who's mentioned the Shining above me wasn't there when I was writing this!!

Bad Santa
Bronson
Man on the moon
The man who would be king
Watchmen
Snatch

Intouchables

What about the guns of navarone?

The Straight Story
Sexy Beast
Dead Man's Shoes