Looking for Science Fiction Recommendations/ Suggestions

[carrie221]

I was wondering what people would recommend. I am not a big fan of comedies which I know makes me un-natural ... I just find most of them to be stupid and not in the least funny.

I do like dramas and action films. If a movie can make me cry it is a great movie in my book. What would be recommend? Both in genre and out.

Thanks

 

[j d worthington]

Re: Recommendations

Uh-oh. Now you did it....

The Miracle Worker (with Ann Bancroft and Patty Duke; not the later versions)
The Lion in Winter (with Katherine Hepburn and Peter O'Toole)
West Side Story
Fiddler on the Roof
Requiem for a Heavyweight (with Anthony Quinn, Jackie Gleason, Mickey Rooney and Julie Harris)
Curse of the Cat People (the Val Lewton film directed by Robert Wise -- his first directing job; categorized as horror, it's anything but; but it is a lovely film about the magical world of gifted children)
Tuck Everlasting (the recent Disney version is the only one I've seen)
The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (with Gene Tierney and Rex Harrison, and an exquisite musical score by Bernard Herrmann)
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (both the 1923 silent with Lon Chaney and the 1939 RKO version with Charles Laughton -- that final scene with Quasimodo.... oh, my!)

That'll do for the moment, I think.....

 

[carrie221]

Re: Recommendations

Uh-oh. Now you did it....

The Miracle Worker (with Ann Bancroft and Patty Duke; not the later versions)
The Lion in Winter (with Katherine Hepburn and Peter O'Toole)
West Side Story
Fiddler on the Roof
Requiem for a Heavyweight (with Anthony Quinn, Jackie Gleason, Mickey Rooney and Julie Harris)
Curse of the Cat People (the Val Lewton film directed by Robert Wise -- his first directing job; categorized as horror, it's anything but; but it is a lovely film about the magical world of gifted children)
Tuck Everlasting (the recent Disney version is the only one I've seen)
The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (with Gene Tierney and Rex Harrison, and an exquisite musical score by Bernard Herrmann)
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (both the 1923 silent with Lon Chaney and the 1939 RKO version with Charles Laughton -- that final scene with Quasimodo.... oh, my!)

That'll do for the moment, I think.....

The Miracle Worker I have seen but not in years
The Lion in Winter I enjoyed a great deal (that version and the one with Captain Picard)
West Side Story I have seen and I liked it but I don't think I've seen it in ten years
Tuck Everlasting I have seen everything but the last twenty minutes


The rest I have never seen and I had never even heard of a few of them...

 

[j d worthington]

Re: Recommendations

Requiem for a Heavyweight was originaly done as a teleplay with Jack Palance in the role of Mountain, then expanded to an 89-minute film; both versions were written by Rod Serling of Twilight Zone fame; and a more poignant film about human dignity (and lack of) would be hard to find. I've seen this film I don't know how many times, and I still can't come away from it without a huge lump in my throat and tears in my eyes. It also has one of the best performances Jackie Gleason ever put in in his life.

Curse of the Cat People, along with the other films Val Lewton produced, was recently released as part of a set, remastered. I highly recommend this film; it's very touching, and some of the performances -- including the young girl in the film -- are quite amazing.

As for the Laughton Hunchback -- saw that a few years ago in a theatre, and when Laughton as Quasimodo delivered that last line, I don't think there was a dry eye in the house... it's the sort of line that, done today, would fall completely flat, but here it plucks at your heartstrings with a sure hand.

Also, if you don't mind silent films, The Man Who Laughs, with Conrad Veidt, is a wonderful film... as Ray Bradbury noted a few years ago, after more than 80 years, "the darned thing still works" (Ray's words). This, too, has a character who will get to you....

 

[ravenus]

Re: Recommendations

If you want to cry and don't mind a subtitled film...Grave of the Fireflies

 

[Foxbat]

Re: Recommendations

For tears try Silent Running.

For drama of a high quality (and something a bit off the beaten track) try that recently rediscovered silent classic The Passion Of Joan Of Arc (it was recommended to me here at Chronicles and has since become a favourite of mine.

Another oldie worth a look - Sudden Fear with Jack Palance as a silver-tongued baddie and Joan Crawford as the target of his argent tinged tonsil tingler

 

[tiny99]

Re: Recommendations

I think the latest version of War of the Worlds starring Tom Cruise is an absolute belter.....even though I normally don't think anyone should mess with Wells's original ideas.....this is suspenseful and keeps going at a nice pace. Definitely worth a look.

 

[Paige Turner]

Re: Recommendations

Hear My Song might change your mind about "comedies." It's sweet, and funny, and moody, and it has some great music. It's Irish, so it has a little swearing in it, too. I recommend that one. See, look at that. I'm smiling, just thinking about it.

 

[Memnoch]

Re: Recommendations

I was wondering what people would recommend. I am not a big fan of comedies which I know makes me un-natural ... I just find most of them to be stupid and not in the least funny.

I do like dramas and action films. If a movie can make me cry it is a great movie in my book. What would be recommend? Both in genre and out.

Thanks

Watership Down AAAHHHH. bit of Simon and Garfunkel to boot!!

Armeggedon!!! I swear to God I nearly cry like a baby at 3 different times every time I watch that film!!! Oh and it's factual, honest!!

 

[Memnoch]

Re: Recommendations

I went to the flix last night and watched Clerks 2 that brought a nostalgic tear to my eye at the end . . . sniff.

 

[Joel007]

Re: Recommendations

only film i ever shed a tear at was passion of the christ. I can't say i know any crying sort of films, although my wife is quite fond of The Notebook. A romancey sort of film

 

[infinite]

Re: Recommendations

What dreams may come and Crash.
Meet joe Black is a tear jerker with an element of humour.
For a comedy that might make you cry try Murial's Wedding

 

[Memnoch]

Re: Recommendations

Right Kevin Spacey film he's an "Alien or is he!" story!!! K pax I think, that is moving!! Not to be confused with K-9 which is a poor mans Turner and Hooch!!!

 

[carrie221]

Re: Recommendations

Thanks for all the suggestions I will keep them in mind

 

[j d worthington]

Re: Recommendations

Right Kevin Spacey film he's an "Alien or is he!" story!!! K pax I think, that is moving!! Not to be confused with K-9 which is a poor mans Turner and Hooch!!!

K-Pax it is... and a very, very good, understated film.

 

[jenna]

Re: Recommendations

only film i ever shed a tear at was passion of the christ. I can't say i know any crying sort of films, although my wife is quite fond of The Notebook. A romancey sort of film

i'm not normally a girly film type of chick, but i love the Notebook. and not just because Ryan Gosling gets naked. (honest!)

 

[Jack]

Re: Recommendations

Agreeing with Memnock with Watership Down and K-pax - Both are must see, though don't let any young-uns watch watership down as they will be crying for different reasons.

Other good one's -
Leon, Collateral, Fallen, anything by Tim Burton , O Brother where art thou?, The descent, Stigmata, Donnie Darko, Ciderhouse rules, Night watch and Drop Dead Fred (comedy of a kind).

 

[BookStop]

Re: Recommendations

I second Crash - great movie

Secondhand Lions is one of my favorites (definitely my fav family flick or FFF as it's known in the biz) and classified as a drama, although it has some humor too.

Moulin Rouge is very, very good, although some folks can't get used to the style of it (my parents hated it and instead tuned in to Walker, Texas Ranger **groans**)

 

[unclejack]

Science Fiction suggestions

I need help peoples. I've run out of science fiction movies to watch that I haven't already seen. I just watched Soylent Green last night for the first time and that was really good but I can't think of much else. I've basically seen just about every modern science fiction movie ever made and most of the old ones. I prefer some classic science fiction but when I do a searchy online for like the time science fiction movies of all time, I've already seen all of them. I don't care how populare they are as long as their good. Lemme know if you think of anything. Thanks. (P.S. here's a little help via the process of elimination..I've seen both war of the worlds, both body snatcher movies, the blob, Soylent Green, The first season of Lost in Space, 2001 A space odessy....can't really think of anything else, those are the big titles of the classics I've seen. )

 

[Foxbat]

My advice? Look beyond Hollywood. Check out some foreign language Sci-Fi. Stalker (Russian) and Delicatessen, Le Dernier Combat (French) come to mind. Also, check out places like Retroflicks.com for some obscure English language stuff like The Tunnel.

There is also a lot of classic British Sci-Fi to look at (Quatermass is a particular favourite of mine).