Which Movies Should We Watch Next?

[Wrichik Basu]

My mother and I have been watching some wonderful movies lately over lunch and dinner, so much so that we completely gave up our TV subscription in favour of these.

We watched all the Rocky movies from the beginning to the end. To be honest, it was a fascinating experience. I think it is Stallone's best "series" ever (not sure if the term "series" is appropriate, but you understand what I mean, don't you?) The best part was that the faces remained the same over the entire series, and the story was closely knit together.

Some clips were circulating on Facebook from the movie The Substitute (1996). Had to watch it, and we loved it.

Next up, watched Expendables (all three). A different genre, but we liked them too. It brought those days back when Dad used to watch these movies after coming back from office, and I would sometimes watch bits and parts and take a break while studying.

Night at the Museum was in the line. The last one in the trilogy was a great conclusion to the series. Loved them immensely.

Quite a few more are in the list, including Johnny English, Rambo, National Treasure, and several movies with Jackie Chan in the lead role.

Definitely, you guys have better knowledge than us about such movies. From the above examples, you have probably got an idea about the genres we like. Any more that you can recommend (old and new)?

 

[hutchphd]

Depends upon how raunchy one wants to get ( I know it is your Mother, but one never knows). I personally liked the Godfather trilogy. There were the ongoing Star Wars movies which are not too bad. Early James Bond with Sean Connery changed only the villain (Goldfinger, Doctor No, Thunderball,...). Indiana Jones
How about TV shows? Lots of them.

 

[Wrichik Basu]

Godfather trilogy

Will check.

There were the ongoing Star Wars movies which are not too bad.

I did watch a few of those with Dad. Not a big fan, though.

Early James Bond

Early, late - all the same. Never liked those. Too explicit.

Indiana Jones

They are in the list. Already watched all four several times in the past, will probably watch later again.

How about TV shows? Lots of them.

If good, why not? Examples?

 

[StevieTNZ]

If good, why not? Examples?

I really liked VEEP. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veep

 

[hutchphd]

How about Downton Abbey?
Cheers?
Star Trek
Game of Thrones
Twilight Zone (the original)
Danger UXB
Dick van Dyke
I Love Lucy

Violent but exquisite:
The Sopranos
Breaking Bad

There are many lists I'll bet.

 

[strangerep]

From the above examples, you have probably got an idea about the genres we like. Any more that you can recommend (old and new)?

Sometimes it's good to try positively-reviewed movies/shows in other genres. Have you watched "The Name of the Rose"? "Das Boot"? "Ghost Story (1981, based on Straub Novel)"?

Other possibilities: "Foyle's War" (long running tv show -- I bought the box set). "Spooks", "Deadwood" - I bought the box sets of these as well.

"Outlander" has a rather silly premise, but it gets you hooked.

I liked "The Sixth Sense" the first time I saw it (not knowing the ending).

I started out liking "The Magicians", but it went downhill after a couple of seasons (imho).

Heck, I even thought the modern remake of the TV show "Battlestar Galactica" was quite good -- until the lame ending. Also "Blade Runner" (original - 1982).

Star Trek - Strange New Worlds turned out better than I expected. Better than Star Trek - Discovery (imho) and better than Star Trek - Picard which seemed a bit too self-indulgent (also imho). As soon as Star Trek starts relying on time travel for storylines I know it's headed downhill - they should leave that sort of thing to Dr Who. Speaking of which, the tenth (2005) season of Dr Who is my favourite (though it gradually went downhill after that).

Btw, I found "Penny Dreadful" surprisingly gripping in spite of another silly premise -- but DON'T watch that with your mother (trust me!).

 

[pinball1970]

My mother and I have been watching some wonderful movies lately over lunch and dinner, so much so that we completely gave up our TV subscription in favour of these.

We watched all the Rocky movies from the beginning to the end. To be honest, it was a fascinating experience. I think it is Stallone's best "series" ever (not sure if the term "series" is appropriate, but you understand what I mean, don't you?) The best part was that the faces remained the same over the entire series, and the story was closely knit together.

Some clips were circulating on Facebook from the movie The Substitute (1996). Had to watch it, and we loved it.

Next up, watched Expendables (all three). A different genre, but we liked them too. It brought those days back when Dad used to watch these movies after coming back from office, and I would sometimes watch bits and parts and take a break while studying.

Night at the Museum was in the line. The last one in the trilogy was a great conclusion to the series. Loved them immensely.

Quite a few more are in the list, including Johnny English, Rambo, National Treasure, and several movies with Jackie Chan in the lead role.

Definitely, you guys have better knowledge than us about such movies. From the above examples, you have probably got an idea about the genres we like. Any more that you can recommend (old and new)?

Try not to forget the “oldies”

I recently watched Casablanca 1942 and the performances in that film are just fantastic.

Ben Hur 1959- has stood the test of time and has absolutely everything.

Spartacus 1960 – in the Same vein

Alfred Hitchcock was a game changer in terms of directors and you have a few to pick from there.

The 39 steps 1939

Dial M for Murder 1954

Rear Window 1954

I could easily recommend 5 or 6 more from him but I will move to..

12 Angry men 1957 – In my top 5 films of all time

The Omen 1976 – For me the best thriller horror ever made, only challenged by…

Alien 1979

Band of brothers 2001-A terrific series, so powerful because all the events were based o the experiences of young men in WW2, very powerful.

24, House , Blacklist , Breaking bad, better call Saul – all excellent.

I am actually jealous that you may never have never seen these and will get to experience them for the first time.

 

[BillTre]

Probably some repeats from previous posts here:

Quite science fiction movies:
Contact
2001
Arrival

Noisy Science fiction movies:
Aliens
Independence Day
Jurassic Park

Suspenseful science fiction movies:
Alien
The Thing (1982 Carpenter version)
Blade Runner (1982)
Dune (2021)

Sleuthing:
Knives Out (recent)
LA Story
China Town
Citizen X (HBO movie about a serial killer in Russia and the trouble the cops had with the party)
The whole Sherlock Holmes PBS series staring Jeremy Brett (very close to the books, very well produced, almost all the published stories)

Noisy Science Not-so-much-fictional movie:
Chernobyl (HBO movie)

 

[gmax137]

movies with Jackie Chan in the lead role.

I like "The Foreigner"

 

[PeroK]

Try not to forget the “oldies”

I recently watched Casablanca 1942 and the performances in that film are just fantastic.

Ben Hur 1959- has stood the test of time and has absolutely everything.

Spartacus 1960 – in the Same vein

Alfred Hitchcock was a game changer in terms of directors and you have a few to pick from there.

The 39 steps 1939

Dial M for Murder 1954

Rear Window 1954

I could easily recommend 5 or 6 more from him but I will move to..

12 Angry men 1957 – In my top 5 films of all time

The Omen 1976 – For me the best thriller horror ever made, only challenged by…

Alien 1979

Band of brothers 2001-A terrific series, so powerful because all the events were based o the experiences of young men in WW2, very powerful.

24, House , Blacklist , Breaking bad, better call Saul – all excellent.

I am actually jealous that you may never have never seen these and will get to experience them for the first time.

Recommending classic films might be too late for someone who has been won over by Rocky!

 

[pinball1970]

Recommending classic films might be too late for someone who has been won over by Rocky!

Rocky is great too in its own way.
The franchises tend to dilute the impact of the first film.

My Ex made a comment I will never forget.

I was watching the Godfather and was begging her to watch it with me and her comment was, “sorry I cannot watch old films!”

Its was released in 1972 for crying out loud!

After that I did not even bother with anything before 1980.

I think if you grew up in the 80s and only experienced, “Back to the Future,” “Top Gun” and “Die Hard” type films then, “It’s a Wonderful Life” and “The Apartment” would be a big jump.

They involves some patience and inquiry so slower paced, no action (to speak of) no special effects and very often no colour!

 

[PeroK]

Action movies are so dull!

 

[kyphysics]

That's a very eclectic mix. Hard to predict for sure what you'd like, but I have a feeling you'd like the Back to the Future trilogy with Michael J. Fox.

My uncle would show that to me and my cousin as kids. We actually loved it! Even though it's so old, it's so much fun and exciting too. I have yet to meet a person who did not like it.

The Shawshank Redemption is another great old movie that is very uplifting. I think you'd like it.

 

[vela]

Heck, I even thought the modern remake of the TV show "Battlestar Galactica" was quite good -- until the lame ending.

When it first aired, I too was disappointed with how the series ended. I rewatched it recently, however, and knowing how it ends made me see the show differently. It really holds up.

Star Trek - Strange New Worlds turned out better than I expected.

I think it's the best post-TOS Star Trek series I've seen.

As soon as Star Trek starts relying on time travel for storylines I know it's headed downhill.

I feel the same way. The other trope I find annoying is the parallel universe filled with their evil counterparts.

 

[vela]

You'll probably like Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Fugitive (1993). The Martian and Interstellar are both entertaining and fairly recent. I'll second Knives Out and Arrival.

The HBO series The Wire is really good. I've been thinking of rewatching it lately.

If you have a subscription to Apple TV+, I strongly recommend Severance.

 

[symbolipoint]

...

Definitely, you guys have better knowledge than us about such movies. From the above examples, you have probably got an idea about the genres we like. Any more that you can recommend (old and new)?

Based on what you seem to accept, your question is too wide-open, so the numerous possible motion pictures of interest are too many to list. You seem to want films showing someone trying to accomplish something, or to struggle for the aim of some goal. Just too many!

Only a couple few which may not have yet been suggested or listed for you:

The Karate Kid movie series

Something the name I do not remember, Traitor, but chief actors in it were Don Cheadle and Jeff Daniels

Playing God

Original Sin (chief actors, Angelina Jolie and Antonio Banderas)(EDIT: Found the name of 'that' movie)

 

[BillTre]

Some more additions:
The 13th Warrior (Vikings, Arabs, and pseudo-monsters, in medieval times; hard to describe but very good)
The People Under the Stairs (a horror story more realistic than most)

Seconding: The Shawshank Redemption !

 

[vela]

Here's a few more titles that popped into my head.

Stand by Me
When Harry Met Sally
The Princess Bride
Hugo
Brazil
My Cousin Vinny

Million Dollar Baby
Little Miss Sunshine
Pulp Fiction (Warning: Tarentino movies tend to be violent.)

I'm not sure if these movies directed by John Sayles and the Coen brothers are the kind you're looking for, but I liked them.

Blood Simple
Fargo
Eight Men Out
Lone Star

 

[pinball1970]

Here's a few more titles that popped into my head.

Stand by Me
When Harry Met Sally
The Princess Bride
Hugo
Brazil
My Cousin Vinny

Million Dollar Baby
Little Miss Sunshine
Pulp Fiction (Warning: Tarentino movies tend to be violent.)

I'm not sure if these movies directed by John Sayles and the Coen brothers are the kind you're looking for, but I liked them.

Blood Simple
Fargo
Eight Men Out
Lone Star

Brazil is just nuts. Loved it.
Million Dollar Baby broke my heart. A wonderful film and one that I would take to a desert island.

Shawshank and Green Mile in that vein. Both rank with some of the best ever? Casablanca? Tricky to match up.

Good Will Hunting, Forrest Gump brilliant.

Robin Williams should have done more serious roles, such a fantastic actor.
One of the most embarrassing moments ever in my life was blubbing like a six year old during "Awakenings."
My gf at the time was looking to me to comfort her when I was broken before she she was!
Luckily not in the cinema!

 

[strangerep]

The other [Star Trek] trope I find annoying is the parallel universe filled with their evil counterparts.

Yeah, me too. It's too extreme -- maybe to counter the overly saccharin flavour of mainstream ST. It's like: "Oh heck, this is boring -- let's try and do some R18+ episodes".

 

[DaveC426913]

Rocky is great too in its own way.
The franchises tend to dilute the impact of the first film.

Yeah, they really jumped the shark in that one where that scientist reanimated his corpse while dressed in drag.

 

[Wrichik Basu]

The whole Sherlock Holmes PBS series staring Jeremy Brett (very close to the books, very well produced, almost all the published stories)

Started watching these. Magnificent, I must say. I haven't seen a better production of Sir Doyle's creation. But unfortunately, 19 stories were not covered because of Brett's death.

 

[hutchphd]

Groundhog Day
Ghostbusters (et. seq.)
Men in Black (et seq)
The Philadelphia Story
To Have and Have Not

 

[pinball1970]

I like "The Foreigner"

Amazing film!

 

[fresh_42]

Sin City. Both parts.
Cube. All three parts.

 

[pinball1970]

Sin City. Both parts.
Cube. All three parts.

If you get the DVD you get to see all the green screen stuff in Sin city.

 

[kyphysics]

I'm sure I'll get heat for this, but I actually liked this^^^

Meryl Streep is always amazing to me and I thought this movie was fun.

 

[Mondayman]

If you're into crime and action movies, I would suggest Heat by Michael Mann. Excellent writing and acting, possibly amongst the best crime movies ever made. The action sequences are iconic, having supposedly inspired the shooters in the North Hollywood shootout. The film also served as a major inspiration for The Dark Knight, according the Christopher Nolan.

The Departed is also really well made.

 

[BillTre]

If you're into crime and action movies, I would suggest Heat by Michael Mann. Excellent writing and acting, possibly amongst the best crime movies ever made. The action sequences are iconic, having supposedly inspired the shooters in the North Hollywood shootout. The film also served as a major inspiration for The Dark Knight, according the Christopher Nolan.

The Departed is also really well made.

Also LA Confidential; excellent movie and cast.

And Chinatown.

 

[DaveC426913]

Also LA Confidential; excellent movie and cast.

Really got to rewatch that.
One of the only cop movies I've ever said "so good I would watch again".

 

[pbuk]

Given

Early James Bond

... Too explicit.

don't even think about

Pulp Fiction

 

[kyphysics]

If you're into crime and action movies, I would suggest Heat by Michael Mann. Excellent writing and acting, possibly amongst the best crime movies ever made. The action sequences are iconic, having supposedly inspired the shooters in the North Hollywood shootout. The film also served as a major inspiration for The Dark Knight, according the Christopher Nolan.

The Departed is also really well made.

Interesting Dark Knight inspiration.

One thing I dislike about films like Heat and The Departed is the way the bad guys can get portrayed in seemingly likable, sympathetic, or even "heroic" ways. Do you ever feel that?

It's confusing and conflicting morally. I have to admit that I liked the bad guys in Heat. But, I know I'm not supposed to.

 

[Mondayman]

I didn't find the characters in Heat to likeable exactly. De Niro, Kilmer, and Sizemore all play professional criminals who don't hesitate to kill. Even the good guy played by Al Pacino is a raging a**, but that is understandable given the work he does.

 

[collinsmark]

We watched all the Rocky movies from the beginning to the end. To be honest, it was a fascinating experience. I think it is Stallone's best "series" ever (not sure if the term "series" is appropriate, but you understand what I mean, don't you?) The best part was that the faces remained the same over the entire series, and the story was closely knit together.

< Possibly off-topic, sorry: >

An interesting fact is that Sylvester Stallone wrote the screenplay for the original Rocky.​

​

My main computer, on which I am typing this very post, is named "Clubber Lang."​

</ Possibly off-topic, sorry >

 

[DaveC426913]

Interesting Dark Knight inspiration.

One thing I dislike about films like Heat and The Departed is the way the bad guys can get portrayed in seemingly likable, sympathetic, or even "heroic" ways. Do you ever feel that?

It's confusing and conflicting morally. I have to admit that I liked the bad guys in Heat. But, I know I'm not supposed to.

Or is it simply that they're not two-dimensional, cardboard-cutout plot-vehicle antagonists that have no discernible motive except the doing-of-evil for the shear evilness of it?