Terrific films on DVD & video ... Any suggestions?

To Live and Die in LA. Listed by Roger Ebert as one of the most underrated films of the last twenty years. It also features a young William Peterson in a compelling role and has one of the best car chase scenes ever--to rank with "French Connection" and "Bullett"

Terrence McNally's "The New World." A score by Vangelis, incredible cinematography and a great historical love story. A bit slow to start but well worth the time as the events unfold.

Last night I watched Deepa Mehta's film, Earth, about the conflict & violence surrounding the division of India following the end of British rule in 1947. The story is seen through the eyes of a child, Lenny-baby, who sees the destruction a formally peaceful life as political conflicts destroy friendships & ultimately lead to tragedy. A powerful & engrossing film. I loved it. I was inspired to see it after being really impressed by Mehta's latest film, Water, a couple of months ago. Now I've got Fire on order & am looking forward to seeing it, too.



http://www.filmeducation.org/secondary/Earth/index.html

One of my Chinese students suggested I see Battle Royale (Japan, 2000), which I did. It was quite an amusing flick (from a tired teacher's point of view)
IMDB entry for Battle Royale

best films on DVD
I'm sure someone must have already suggested it but, Goodfellas. LOVE THAT FILM.

And "Slingblade" with Billy Bob Thornton, oh my god, that film is amazing but will make u cry loads.

x

Lightwizard, I felt the same way about Flying Daggers.

I watched a fun film last weekend: The World's Fastest Indian with Anthony Hopkins. Just out in DVD.

Terrific films
I just discovered this site recently, so forgive me if I'm repeating something already said.

We have subscribed to Netflix, and are very happy with it. You create a list of movies and/or TV shows, including lots of vintage ones, that you'd like to get on DVD. You pay a flat fee, pretty small, depending on how many movies you want at one time. We have the "3 movie" option, which costs about $17.99 a month. You get unlimited movies, but can only have 3 out at a time. As soon as you send one back, they mail you the next one on your list. So most days you have at least one movie of your own choice to watch. The turnaround is very quick and efficient.

They have tens of thousands of films in stock, and based on your own selections (and your opinions afterward, which they invite) they recommend others that you might enjoy.

Recent DVD's that we've enjoyed a lot are:
The Sea Inside
Crash
My Cousin Vinny
Ladies in Lavender
Barney Miller
Northern Exposure
All in the Family
Welcome Back, Kotter
Frasier

Oh yes, their web site is www.netflix.com . So far, no problems, and I am very impressed with this company.

I lucked out at my local public library this weekend and found "Syriana" and "Capote"--both very good, well done, and engrossing movies which I thoroughly enjoyed. Philip Seymour Hoffman and George Clooney both deserved the Oscars they picked up for their work in these films.

I also took out "Shopgirl" (Steve Martin, Claire Danes), which I found rather dismal, dreary and unsatisfying--on every level.

My fourth find was Match Point" which I will watch tonight.

I love taking DVDs (for free) out of my library--during the summer I can keep them from Friday to Monday, which is perfect. Although finding the newer, popular movies on the shelves is often a matter of dumb luck.

Agree on all points -- did not care for "Shopgirl," a maudlin romantic comedy that dies in the middle.

"Match Point" is at first subtle and then turns electrifying in the very best tradition of Hitchcock. One keeps trying to guess where this is going and then it's just spilled over one like a bucket of chilling ice water. It's that talent of making one really like all the characters and then one-by-one they dissapoint for one reason or another, some dramatically so. Well, the main character begins to show his transgression earlier in the film but that's not the half of it. The end made me cringe with a profound sadness.

I couldn't find a film I really wanted to see when I last checked out the video shop, so found myself browsing in the documentary section. And found this: The Weather Underground. It was a fascinating look at some prominent participants in the "Days of Rage" - the Weathermen's "war" on the US government, resulting from outrage at the Vietnam war, racism, poverty ...... The film records the heyday of the Weathermen when they attempted to "bring the war home" to the US by becoming guerilla freedom fighters. Then shows those same participants, years later & records their reactions to their involvement in the movement, to what they did then & where they were now. Fascinating & quite confronting to compare the motives & actions of these young, middle class idealists then, to those (very different instigators) performing similar acts, also born of rage, now. Phew, it's a very different world to the 60s!

The Weather Underground:



cont>

http://www.laweekly.com/film+tv/film/day-of-rage/2460/

Has anyone mentioned Bubble? I haven't seen it yet. I've been waiting for it to come on Pay-per-View.

For action fans, the film The Rundown a.k.a. Welcome to the Jungle (2003, IMDB listing) is a nice enough tongue in cheek action flick that wil go well with a cidre and a packet of crisps. I am well aware of The Rock's limitations as an actor, but in this kind of productions he comes into his own. The film reminded me somewhat of a good old Arnie flick (He even has a cameo).

I like "The Rundown" -- what a hoot! It actually made a lot of money, contrary to Ahnold who hasn't had a genuine hit since "True Lies." Not even "Terminator III" made a profit until it went to DVD, Pay-Per-View and cable. He's was already a has-been "actor" when he ran for office and it's a distinct possibility he will be a has-been politician at the next election. We are again having black-outs in California and the only money coming into the treasury is the land-fall profits, much of it the oil company raping of the consumer.

I know, this is the film forum. But it seems to politico heads on this forum believe nobody should write any praise or dissent on movies like they do on the political world news and religious threads. Hypocrites.

I saw "Bubble" on INHD which was a revolutionary marketing technique. The theatrical, DVD and cable showing were simultaneous. It's all amateur actors just playing the parts naturally. I liked it.

Hi,
If you were going to join one of those rent movies by mail things, would you join NetFlix or Blockbuster?

I got upset with NetFlix for sending too many damaged discs and being late with sending the next movie. Have a thirty day free trial with Blockbuster for renting one in the store near me. The first movie, "Transamerica" had to be cleaned and polished.

Well, that's not what I wanted to hear.

Yeah, I've got "V for Vendetta," a new release coming next. They've got a few chances to prove this one damaged disc was a fluke. Of course, it does show how popular "Transamerica" is on DVD! The problem is, too many home viewers are careless, damaged and fingerprint the disc (they almost always arrive fingerprinted -- call CSI!!! ) Gawd knows how they clean them -- NetFlix recommends Windex Not. Ammonia will eventually cloud any acrylic based clear plastic. You're dealing with people who used to screw down bolts on a widget in an assembly line. Now that the Chinese are doing that, they go into the service area. Good luck.

Well, I joined Netflix and set up quite a long que.

I'm sort of new to this. What are you supposed to clean them with?

Well, I'm up to page 17 of this thread and so far Netflix has had them all. I'm so looking forward to seeing these films.

But, seriously, how are we supposed to clean a DVD?

And, thank you everyone for your suggestions!!!!!