JohnDoe
Bryn
Brenton
What is your A to Z of favourite films?
What’s your favourite film starting with each letter of the Alphabet?
Shall we play a game?
No this is not John Doe’s attempt at a Wargames review, instead it’s an excuse for a bit of fun. JD is a picky little fellow about making lists, (always feels so many greats are left out) but when put into the form of a game he is much more open to the idea of playing along, I hope you are too.
The rules are dead simple, all you do is fill in a personal favourite film from A to Z. Figured this is an entertaining way to get an idea of the movie tastes around Orble. A side benefit is discovering a few shared cinema loves.
So what are some of your silver screen delights?
The List
Disclaimer- This is not a list of absolute favourites, just the first great film that pops into JD’s head for each letter (See what I mean, pedantic)
Angel Heart Poster art
Angel Heart (1987)
Bullitt (1968)
Cool Hand Luke (1967)
dark City Poster Art
Dark City (1998)
Eternal Sunshine on the Spotless Mind (2004)
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998)
Ghost Dog Poster Art
Ghost Dog (1999)
Hustler, The (1961)
In Cold Blood (1967)
Jacob’s Ladder (1990)
Kiss Me Deadly foreign Poster
Kiss Me Deadly (1955)
Long Goodbye, The (1973)
Miller’s Crossing (1990)
Nightmoves Poster
Night Moves (1975)
Once Upon A Time In the West (1968)
Parallax View, The (1974)
Quiz Show (1994)
Requeim for a Dream (2000)
Seconds Poster
Seconds (1966)
Thing, The (1982)
Usual Suspects, The (1995)
Videodrome Poster
Videodrome (1983)
Wild Bunch, The (1969)
Xtro (1983)
Yakuza, The (1974)
Zero Effect (1998)
Zero Effect Poster
Just to mix it up here is an A-Z of foreign language favourites.
The Foreign Language List
Apologies: I’m using the English names because Im just writing off the top of my head and I don’t have time to check foreign spellings and titles.
Aguirre of God
Battle of Algiers
City of Lost Children
City of Lost Children poster
Day of the Beast
Experiment Das
Funny Games
Funny Games Poster
Godzilla (1952)
Hana-Bi
Insomnia
Jesus of Montreal
Killer, The
La Femme Nikitta
M (Fritz Lang)
Fritz Lang's M Poster
Nosferatau
Old Boy
Police Story
Quest For Fire
Rififi
Samourai, Le
Tenant, The
Umberto D
Vanishing, The
Wages of Fear
X – (Can’t think of one)
Yojimbo
Z (Costa-Gavras)
Z poster for Z
gotta be Zero Effect...just love that flick...has just about anything and everything in it that anyone could possibly want!
It has my vote!
LOL
Great post!
Take care,
Nick
unlucky_ fishermen.com
Angling Fish
Check this out...
Barton Fink.
Chopper
Debbie Does Dallas (Nup, never seen it).
Exorcist, The
Fight Club
Godfather, The
Hitcher, The
Il Postino
Jean de Florette
King of Comedy.
Love Serenade.
Madness of King George, The
Natural Born Killers
One Hour Photo
Pulp Fiction
Quiz Show
Raging Bull
Silence of the Lambs
Taxi Driver
Une pure formalité
Velvet, Blue
Warriors, Once Were
X, Citizen
Y (Don't like any films starting with Y) Why? I just don't.
Zoe, Killing (sorry, didn't like many films beginning with Z either).
Learning Something Everyday
Otherwise I am totally lost in the list.
Great list though. ^_^
Horrorphile
Blade Runner
Cul-de-Sac
Down By Law
Exorcist, The
Fight Club
Goodfellas
Holy Mountain, The
I am Cuba
Johnny Suede
Kagamusha
Lolita
Morvern Callar
No Way Out
Orlando
Papillon
Queen Margot
RoboCop
Swingers
Tampopo
Underground
Vanishing Point
Withnail and I
Xtro
Young Frankenstein
Zardoz
Photography Tips
MS Paint Art
katyzzz
Rugby World Cup 2007
A League of Their Own
Batman Begins
Contact
Dragonheart
Eiger Sanction, The (....because Clint is ouch...)
Fifth Element
Gattaca
Highlander
Indiana Jones (all of them)
James Bond (all of them)
Kill Bill Vol 1
LA Confidential
Matrix
North by Northwest
Our Man Flint
Picnic at Hanging Rock (not in my collection but I love this film)
Q
Return of the Jedi
Sholay (a classic Hindi movie from the seventies and so not the Bollywood of today)
Twelve Monkeys
Usual Suspects
V
Way of the Dragon (or 'Fury...')
X-Men 2 (so I'm predictable. Shoot me)
Y
Z - many Hindi movies come to mind
...will have to come back...good one JD!
Dusk
American Beauty
Braveheart
Carlito's Way
Doors, The
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Fight Club
Gattaca
Heat
Interview with the Vampire
Jurassic Park
King, The Fisher
Lord of the Rings trilogy
Memento
New World, The
Of (The Count); Monte Christo
Point, Match
Quills
Run Lola Run
Samurai, The Last
The Departed
Unforgiven
Ventura (Ace), Pet Detective,
Wars, Star
X-Men
Young Guns
Zoolander
Disclaimer:
Some discrepancies had to be made with the titles
Film & TV on DVD
Another Zero Effect fan, excellent work Nick,
You are not going to honour us with a little alphabet list of faves?
Film & TV on DVD
Great to meet another appreciator of Alan J Pakula's Parralax View...I have it on DVd and usually watch it about once every six months or so....usually with Frankenheimer's The Manchurian Candidate and George Peppard in The Groundstar Conspiracy.
Any chance of a few lettered favourites James?
Film & TV on DVD
All the films there could have made it onto my list too....in fact love all those you set aside, I was so tempted to have five answers for each letter, because A vexed me so much.
Here is some faves for the letter A,
luckily I was being spontaneous when I did the post...I was tempted to put down 5 choices for each letter, but knew that was taking it all to seriously.
Apocalypse Now
All The presidents Men
Alien
American Psycho
Amadeus
Hope you enjoyed playing.
Film & TV on DVD
Right you are, I am talking about the Jackie Chan kung fu classic.
That was in my foreign favourites list, had you seen anything in the top list?
Film & TV on DVD
Good to se Johnny Suede, Orlando, Vanishing Point and Young Frankenstein etc...
zardoz (Snicker), I thought I was the only one...Sean's hairy chest and mo are frightening, like a deer in headlights I cant help but stare.
Film & TV on DVD
So thats the letter "S" taken care of, any others?
Movies and Life
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Samsara
The Station Agent
La Haine
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Fight Club
Run Lola Run
The Crying Game
Memento
Usual Suspects
Taxi Driver
Velvet, Blue
Ghost Dog
Requeim for a Dream
Metropolis
La Femme Nikita
Byeee
Film & TV on DVD
Thats the idea, perfect. It wasn't meant to be a definitive list, just a gauge of for people tastes around here.
Awesome to see Eiger Sanction, I really love this movie. So savage and vulgar, the book by Trevanian is just as good. Have you seen The Assignment?
As for Bond From Russia With Love, License To Kill and Casino Royale are favourites.
Gattaca almost made my list too. I'm a huge Sci-Fi fan though from my list you would never know it really.
North by Northwest, Indy, 12 Monkeys, Our Man Flynt , usual Suspects and Bruce are all cool choices that rank in my book.
Thanks for playing along, hope all is well in the world of DuskDevi.
Film & TV on DVD
Glad you had a good time selecting the films, I had to do it like a bnd aid before my mind cluttered with infinite gems.
Memento, Carlito's Way, The Fisher King[/B], Fight Club, Gattaca and Heat are contenders for sure.
Good to see you.
Film & TV on DVD
The only exception is Run Lola Run, but thats mainly because I loved Tom Twykers The Princess and The Warrior so much.
Hope we see your complete 26 letters of the alphabet list....
I did the two lists because i couldn't choose between a favourite English or Foreign Langage film. Even then the task was difficult and that was with a nonchalant attitude.
Always appreciate the visit.
I had the same problem with a few letters.
I don't see any problem with doing a few follow up posts like, your favourite five films beginning with the letter A B C etc ...
That would be as enjoyable exercise as answering this Post.
Plus you owe it to us!!!
David ...
Film & TV on DVD
Totally dig the idea, I was toying with A-Z by genre..
(EG: Favourite Sci-Fi films of the alphabet or Favourite Thrillers or Comedy etc).
BUT, I have a better plan!!
WANT TO PLAY A NEW GAME?
The Rules are just as simple. I will start with the letter "A" and name a film favourite.
Then the next visitor who comes along next writes down a film they rank starting with the letter "B"
Next reader does "C"
Next "D" etc.
so are you ready here we go and I will start with....
ALL ABOUT EVE
So who is going to play along with the letter "B"
A short synopsis of the film? The most fucked-up individual on the planet becomes a rock star. Sound familiar?
Film & TV on DVD
Next...
CONVERSATION, THE
Now "D",
The Tube Blog
The Tube Blog
Gonna try and find some that have been left out:
American History X
Blue Murder
Colour of Money
Donnie Darko / Brasco
Empire Strikes Back
Fargo
Glengarry Glen Ross (only 'cause Bryn already said Goodfellas, and Godfather was taken
Heat
Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade
Jaws
Kundun
Life is Beautiful
Minority Report
Nuovo Cinema Paradiso
One Night at McCools
Pulp Fiction
Q&A
Raiders of The Lost Ark
Scanners
THX 1138
U-571
V for Vendetta
Warriors, The
XXX / Xanadu (now I'm just showing off
You Can't Stop The Murders (crap, crap film!)
Zorro
Thanks JD, this is fun.
Rugby World Cup 2007
The Tube Blog
FEAR
Movies and Life
Movies and Life
It's a bit of a classic for me from my younger days and my parents have a pooch called Gizmo....
Movies and Life
Movies and Life
The Tube Blog
Movies and Life
The Tube Blog
Movies and Life
Movies and Life
The Tube Blog
Rugby World Cup 2007
Rugby World Cup 2007
Movies and Life
Rugby World Cup 2007
Rugby World Cup 2007
..and I'm done for tonight....
Hi JD!
Movies and Life
A classic, affecting film by Ken Loach.
Movies and Life
Movies and Life
Movies and Life
I'm off to bed now, that was addictive, JD.
The Tube Blog
Thou shouldst be in bed... I'm out Tracy and Dusk, been fun!!
Postmodern Critic
Relativity Watch
Padsoc
American Beauty
Buffy, the TV series (I know, I'm cheating here)
Casablanca / Chinatown
Donnie Darko
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Fight Club
Life is Beautiful
Moulin Rouge
The Matrix
Who Framed Roger Rabbit
I'll be back with more titles soon~
The Florida Keys and Everglades
The Black Sheep Chronicles
What constitutes bad manners?
The male mystique
Debate Fan
L.A.M.P.
Pulp Fiction
Phantasm
Pretty Baby
Point, The
Philadelphia Story, The
Prizzi's Honor
Pink Panther, The
Prince of the City
Platoon
Postman always rings twice, The (2)
Princess Bride, The
Police Squad!
Party, The (Peter Sellers)
Pretty in Pink
Poltergeist
(Sorry JD--you, Bryn and Yoda covered my A to Z so I'm overcompensating on the P section!!)
The Florida Keys and Everglades
The Black Sheep Chronicles
What constitutes bad manners?
The male mystique
Debate Fan
L.A.M.P.
!!!
Film & TV on DVD
Next is
Q THE WINGED SERPENT
Hunt Famous
Orble Post of the Day
Fat Cult
Techbreak
Rear Window
Hitchcock does paranoia!
Man, I got here late...
Also, with R:
Raging Bull - Scorcese's fat de Niro movie hits you with a right-left-right-left.
Requiem for a Dream - Scare the hell outta your kids (about drugs) with this freaky movie.
Hunt Famous
Orble Post of the Day
Fat Cult
Techbreak
Aliens
Beyond the Valley of the Dolls
Castle, The (tied with Chopper)
Deep Red
Enter the Dragon
Farewell, My Concubine
Goodfellas
Hot Fuzz (tied with Haine, La)
In The Mood For Love
Labyrintho del Fauno, El (?)
Manhattan
Night of the Living Dead
Play it Again, Sam
Raging Bull
Samourai, Le
Yojimbo
Zero Effect
JD, this was a tough one. You should be flayed for distracting all of us like this. Good call on Zero Effect.. man, I forgot about that one!
Shaun of the Dead
Movies and Life
Movies and Life
Movies and Life
Movies and Life
Movies and Life
Romper Stomper.
What makes this film so great? It portrays life as it really is and leaves the audience to make up their own minds. Rare. Very rare. One of the greatest Australian films ever made. It also launched Russel Crowe's career. Thank God he's a New Zealander?
Movies and Life
Movies and Life
From The Home Front
Enviro Warrior
Dream Herald
Esoteric Bookshop
Timescape
Timeline
Toy Story
The Terminal
Tats Toi
Trading Places
Two Weeks Notice
Turner and Hooch
Tequila Sunrise
Thomas Crown Affair
Thirteenth Floor
Troy
Touching the Void
Twister
Tango and Cash
Celebrity Obsession
Unforgiven
Celebrity Obsession
From The Home Front
Enviro Warrior
Dream Herald
Esoteric Bookshop
Upside of Anger
Under a Tuscan Sun
Undermind
Underseige (1&2)
V for Vandetta
Vanilla Sky
Virus
Waterworld
Windtalkers
Wallace and Gromit
Wyatt Earp
Film & TV on DVD
Xanadu - for the soundtrack and Olivia on roller skates.
The Tube Blog
Y Tu Mama Tambien
Small Thoughts on Big Questions
Amadeus
Batman Begins
Clockwork Orange, A
Die Hard
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Full Metal Jacket
Godfather, The
Hero
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Jaws
Kill Bill, Vol. 1
Lost Boys, The
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
North By Northwest
One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest
Psycho
Quills
Ran
Se7en
Terminator, The
U??? (I haven't seen Usual Suspects, which begs to be here)
Vertigo
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
X-Men 2
Young Frankenstein
Zoolander
That was work!
Film & TV on DVD
Now to finish off the first round.....
Z is for...
ZULU
Film & TV on DVD
Here we go with A....
A is for...
ATTACK
Now for the letter "B"
I'm not usually a huge fan of romantic comedies, but this one has some fantastic performances and some wonderful music.
Film & TV on DVD
DEAD PRESIDENTS
Hunt Famous
Orble Post of the Day
Fat Cult
Techbreak
E is for Eric the Viking
Film & TV on DVD
FAIL SAFE
Film & TV on DVD
The Tube Blog
How about:
Hard To Kill, starring Steve Seagal.
Film & TV on DVD
i just felt like throwing a new title out there and see if anyone wanted to continue play....glad your enjoying it.
Movies and Life
I love this game. I thought of Jesus (The Jesus Film) made in 1979. It's apt seeing as Easter is looming.
Tracy
Movies and Life
Film & TV on DVD
Awesome to see I'm not the only one who had a hankering to play through on this one.
Count me in with the Kes love, powerful stuff.
Movies and Life
I'm having one of those inbetween days (much like the song), so am happy to have this challenge.
I thought of Mostly Martha, it's much better than No Reservations.
Film & TV on DVD
Movies and Life
The Tube Blog
Film & TV on DVD
"Not that there's anything wrong with that" - LOL
The Tube Blog
QUIZ SHOW.
Redford is a kickass director.
Film & TV on DVD
The Tube Blog
There can only be one.
Or six.
BTW -
Good to be back. I do check in, just not writing as much as aI used to because I have been busy as: new website, new office, many projects at the moment - working on a really cool doco... trailer will be up soon
How's married life?
Movies and Life
From The Home Front
Enviro Warrior
Dream Herald
Esoteric Bookshop
United 93
Upside of Anger
Under a Tuscan Sun
Undermind
Film & TV on DVD
Rhythmatism
Budget Centsability
Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?
Film & TV on DVD
Sydney Table
Salty Popcorn
Total Randomness
How could I not have Jacob's Ladder and The Usual Suspects. Cinematic GOLD!!!! And The Professional pops to mind also. Love your films. Similar tastes I think. And Y Tu Mama Tambien - OMG that film rocked.
Film & TV on DVD
Always the way, I never declare an absolute top 10 because depending on my mood it changes all the time or I forget something great. the A-Z idea was agreat cheat so i could constantly play along.
Jacobs Ladder, usual Suspects and Leon..it doesn't get much better does it.
Y Tu Mama Tambien is a fantastic choice for the letter "Y", thanks for humouring me.
Onto Z again lets see, this time i will add:
Now we return to teh letter "A" again, who wants to go next?
Sydney Table
Salty Popcorn
Total Randomness
A huh.......................... ..
Apt Pupil!!
Deep Pencil
Business News
Movie Train
Adaptation
Brassed Off
Capote
Dogma
Eye of The Beholder
Flawless
Garden State
Hedwig & The Angry Inch
Identity
Joy Luck Club, The
Kissing Jessica Stein
Last Days
Mulholland Drive
Neverland
Othello
Party Monster
Quills
Rocky Horror Picture Show
Stage Beauty
Transamerica
Uncle Buck
Victor Victoria
Walk The Line
X (umm American History X?)
Young Einstein
Zoolander
Film & TV on DVD
Some I love and some I hate in there, (Is that Eye of the Beholder with Ewan McGregor and Ashley Judd, if so funny movie, so bad it's almost good. The Director does try very hard) Identity is a guilty pleasure for sure (fun agatha christie tweek)....Adaptation and Mullholland Drive would be my faves on your list.
Would have been nice to see a few older delights arise but still solid fun for sure...
Thanks for the contribution always love to have fellow film lovers share their faves, its all personal taste anyway
Deep Pencil
Business News
Movie Train
i dont know what goes on with me and older movies, i swear ive barely seen a movie made before 1985 . . . i dont know why, i guess really old movies arent on tv or at dvd stores as much? when i think "old classic" i think blade runner haha . . . hey i was born in 81 and have never had foxtel, give me a break! lol
Film & TV on DVD
Sorry if I was seeming harsh, not intended at all, after all this is an art form we are discussing and everyone finds merit in a subjective way.
I have my dumb and beautiful moments too (EG: What Dreams May Come), vibrant and glossy can sometimes sustain if it has an edge, but i really do need something to keep me engaged.
Your missing out not seeing some oldies that shaped the history of cinema with originality and ingenuity. There is a quality of storytelling that is missing in most modern features. Creative ways to get around censorship of the time and the evolution of cinema also enthrall me.
That being said, I know plenty of people that just don't dig the more traditional styles. Its a shame your video store doesn't have much of a library, I think it should be compulsory for rental stores to carry a wide range of titles to cater for every mood and taste. Seems to me that is there purpose, like a public library.
Again thank you for visiting and I hope that some of my reviews may inspire you to source out lesser discussed delights.
Deep Pencil
Business News
Movie Train
now dont laugh, but i was very proud of myself that i bought "citizen kane" for $5 at a k-mart special a couple of months ago, and a friend gave me "to kill a mocking bird" for my last birthday . . . i guess its kind of amazing i could get to 26 years of age and have somehow never seen them . . . but i wholeheartedly agree that the history of innovation (both technical and storytelling) is all marked in films like that
i do admire your movie knowledge, im always over here having a read of something!
B: Being There
C: Clerks 2
D: Dumb and Dumber
E: Encounters at the End of the World/ Elephant (Gus van Sant)
F: From Russia with Love
G: Grizzly Man
H: Hot Fuzz
I: Inglourious Basterds
J:
K: Kiki’s Delivery Service
L: Lost Boys, The
M: Moon (yeah the new Zowie Bowie one)
N: Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979 by Herzog)
O: Oldboy
P: Princess Bride, The
Q:
R: Run Lola Run
S: Shivers
T: This is Spinal Tap
U: Usual Suspects
V: V for Vendetta
W: Whisper of the Heart
X:
Y: Y Tu Mama Tambien
Z: Zoolander
I had Herzog on my mind for some reason ;P
great idea cept it ate up so much time for me thinking about Q and J, which i never got
Film & TV on DVD
Nice diverse list you have there with some I love (Alien, Elephant, usual Suspects etc) and some that disappointed (V for Vendetta, Run lola Run etc) and some I hated (Zoolander)...nothing wrong with being on a Herzog trip the man is unique in his visual expression...
Today's letters of the day are J and Q, time to rent alphabetically
Thanks for contributing.
Film & TV on DVD
John Sturges Bad Day at Black Rock
Next is favourite "C"
Film & TV on DVD
Have you seen Videodrome?
Onto the letter D then and i'll go low brow with -
Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid
eXistenZ