Top Ten Tuesdays

[Demoncrat]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

Your 'friend' is 'climbing the walls' thanks to self isolation, can't go out at all and you want them to watch a NINE HOUR DOCUMENTARY ON THE HOLOCAUST.

Are you ****ing serious?

Well, the other one is only 3 and half hours (TS&TP).

Shoah I've watched twice. When Channel 4 showed it over 3 nights (?) and when BBC4 repeated it in two chunks. It is a documentary, so you can stop it where you like I found. Though I can see your point (cover up D ) ahem!

[Nosferatu@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

Your 'friend' is 'climbing the walls' thanks to self isolation, can't go out at all and you want them to watch a NINE HOUR DOCUMENTARY ON THE HOLOCAUST.

Are you ****ing serious?

It's not something you have to watch in one go as, like Dekalog, it is comprised of multiple parts and could be watched over a couple of weeks.

I think it would be educational and give perspective on current events. It might be something which would be left until last so someone would get the end of their self-isolating period and think "I did it, keeping myself mentally engaged without needing to watch that nine hour documentary on the Holocaust!"

[Justin101]

Shoah is on my to-do list but I would never dream of watching it all in one go!

I wouldn't count Dekalog as a film either, it's 'filmic' but it is very much 10 separate narratives with no continuity between them apart from 'the theme' that being said it is essential.

[Nosferatu@Cult Labs]

SELF-ISOLATION FILMS

Toy Story – I don’t think you can go far wrong with Pixar’s first feature length film, one which is funny and exciting, moving and heart-warming. I would probably leave my contact details with this emergency parcel along with the message “You’ve got a friend in me”.

Some like It Hot – Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon all with career-best performances, a wonderful script, and a film which never fails to bring a smile to my face. I hope it would be light relief to whoever is fortunate enough to receive this film parcel and that they would find it to have the same rewatch value as I do – it’s a film I could watch at least once a week for 12 weeks and still feel like watching it again.

North by Northwest – You have to have a bit of excitement and intrigue in your life, and there aren’t many films that do it better than this. With Cary Grant’s suave adman thrust into a world of espionage and trying to find George Kaplan, it’s a film which has managed to stay fresh, funny, and thrilling for over 60 years and should be one which you can repeatedly enjoy during your period of self-isolation.

The Third Man – While we are on the topic of intrigue, espionage, and morally dubious characters, I may as well give you a copy of one of the greatest British films ever made, Carol Reed’s celebrated post-World War II crime thriller. It features some of the finest monochrome photography ever seen, a great chase sequence, Orson Welles’ most memorable monologue, and a wonderful score by Anton Karas.

On Her Majesty's Secret Service – This is a very different type of espionage thriller, one with a ‘proper’ spy and action sequences which still thrill over 50 years after it was released. Thanks to the script and a great performance from Diana Rigg, it’s the Bond film with the best Bond girl and, in Telly Savalas’s Blofeld, one of the best antagonists. It’s a film which should entertain both Bond fans and non-fans alike.

Pinocchio – Another animated film and the one I consider to be the best from Disney. It’s a timeless story, a film with a rollercoaster of emotions, some great songs, and an ending which just about anyone will find moving. Although it has some very dark sequences, these help to make the ending even more rewarding and uplifting, and I hope everyone would appreciate the masterful storytelling and animation.

Local Hero – Talking of uplifting, this is a great British film with wonderful characters, a superb score by Mark Knopfler, and great performances by Burt Lancaster and Peter Riegert. It also features a mermaid, an early role from Peter Capaldi, and will properly make you look at life in a different way, taking stock of what’s really important. When all this is over, you’ll properly want to go to your nearest Scottish beach!

Shoah – This isn’t fun, but I think at least one film you should watch during this period of self-isolation should be in some way ‘worthy’, something which is heavy going but brilliantly made and should leave you with a greater understanding of one of the darkest periods in human history. It’s a film which can be spaced out over a couple of weeks and having this opportunity to take your time and watch something like this might make it less of an ordeal and far easier to watch.

Raiders of the Lost Ark – A film which is similar to North by Northwest in that it contains humour, excitement, romance, an iconic performance from one of cinema’s most charismatic actors, and some great music. It’s a film which I could repeatedly watch during a period of self-isolation, I know that many other people love the movie, and hope that whoever finds this on their doorstep would be pleased to have it available to watch.

The Princess Bride – From William Goldman’s great novel comes a great film. It’s a fairytale for people who don’t like fairytales, a film full of great characters, memorable lines, and yet another great score. If you haven’t seen it before, you should have fun spotting the cameos and, just like the grandson at the end of the film, would like to experience it all again the next day.

These are 10 films which were in my long list but didn’t make it to the final list and would go in the box if I was allowed to include 20 films:

• Mary Poppins
• Life of Brian
• Casablanca
• Singin' in the Rain
• This Is Spinal Tap
• Silent Running
• Ben Hur
• The Jungle Book
• Amélie
• Slumdog Millionaire

It was really hard to leave these out because I think that they stand on their own as a good mix of feelgood family fun, thoughtful meditation on loneliness and the importance of nature, exciting action, suspense and some songs which you’d know off by heart and happily sing out loud to yourself!

[Demoncrat]

Here's mine then ....

Gregory's Girl. Awwwww.
Airplane! Ahahahaha.
The Thing. Eeeeek!
Murder By Death. At least you aren't stuck indoors with THIS lot.
Aliens. The long version.
The Ladykillers. EALING.
Carry On Screaming. Had to pick one
The Apple. I will have you singing this by the end of this ordeal.
The Sargasso Manuscript. Spend your time trying to figure this one out then.
Russian Ark. Filmed in one take. Sit back and revel.

[nosferatu42]

Self Isolation Survival Film Playlist

Jungle Book
Sleeper
Little Shop Of Horrors
Planet Of The Apes
Flash Gordon
Mad Max 2
Wicker Man
Meaning Of Life
Harold And Maude
Beyond The Valley Of The Dolls

I've just basically gone for films i can watch over and over again, or that make me smile.
My main goal was to pick films that entertain me, so hopefully would entertain someone watching the films for the first time.

Here's another 10 that i was thinking about, favourites that i find entertaining.

Also included Targets as i love Boris karloff and it's an underseen and interesting film, so with a captive audience then why not, likewise Viy.

Carrie is a horror film i could rewatch endlessly and just imagine that the high school kids are the people ignoring self isolation (personified by Carrie) and throwing a prom. Die you bastards.

Hausu
Mad Monster Party
Psychomania
Animal House
Targets
Stand By Me
Quadrophenia
Batman 60S
Viy
Carrie

With Stand by me, Animal House and Quadrophenia you get to reflect on your wasted youth, messing around with mates, getting drunk and just hanging around aimlessly.

[nosferatu42]

And here's a psychokid list i did previously but didn't put up.

Creepy kids

The Omen
The Pit
The Bad seed
the children
bloody birthday
pet semetery
village of the damned
the grudge
night of the living dead
who can kill a child ?

Almost in.

children of the corn
devil times five
its alive
the brood
firestarter
the child

[Nosferatu@Cult Labs]

Many thanks to everyone who contributed a list of the films they would give to someone in self-isolation. They contained a wide variety of entertainment and it was interesting to read the reasons why they were included.

The topic this week is a location-based one, with the films set entirely or mostly in one of the most historic and culturally unique cities in the world. If you find this a bit too narrow, you can expand it to the entire state and have films set in Louisiana.

FILMS SET IN NEW ORLEANS

[MrBarlow]

FILMS SET IN NEW ORLEANS

Deja Vu
Candyman: Farewell to the flesh
Bad Lieutenant (Nicholas Cage)
Dracula 2000
Night Of The Demons (2009 version)
Hard Target
Cat people (1982)
The Pelican Brief
Tightrope
The Skeleton Key

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Top 10 Films set in New Orleans

Interview with the Vampire (1994)
Panic in the Streets (1950)
Macabre (1980)
The Unholy (1988)
Tightrope (1984)*
Hard Target (1993)
Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh (1995)
A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)
Easy Rider (1969)
Live and Let Die (1973)

Obviously Easy Rider and Live and Let Die are better than the majority of films i've listed but the reason i've listed them as nine and ten is purely down to the fact they aren't mainly set in New Orleans but do have a few pivotal scenes in the city. Same goes for modern slasher classic Hatchet.