Any good movies I should be renting?

Shawn@PRS

yogi
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I typically don't see movies at the theatre, I usually wait until they come out on DVD or netflix. Is there anything out there I should be watching?

I just watched a movie with Jack Black called "Bernie". It was based on a true story about a small town mortician who first befriends and then murders a mean spirited widow. I thought Jack played the part well and Shirley MacLean was great as the bitter widow, although her performance kind of reminded me of the part she played in Steel Magnolias. "Bernie" is quirky movie, but entertaining.
 
I just saw Bernie the other day on Netflix and found it enjoyable, check out "Tucker and Dale vs Evil" it's not what I expected and I found it to be a pretty good time. (it's on netflix too)
 
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I prefer character driven dramas over action movies. I'm a huge fan of post-war Italian movies as well.

Some of my favorite dramas include:

Raging Bull
Apocalypse Now
East of Eden
Giant
Citizen Kane
The Bicycle Thief
Two Women
Cool Hand Luke
Godfather 1 & 2
On the water front
Lonesome Dove
 
You might like A Love Song for Bobby Long (w/ Scarlett Johansson and John Travolta), a character drama set in New Orleans. I realize it's not your preference but if you want to try a shoot-em-up action flick with scantily (or un) clad foriegn women, try Hitman (w/ Timothy Olyphant and Olga Kurylenko) or the aptly titled Shoot 'Em Up (w/ Clive Owen and Monica Bellucci).
 
Shawn, watch "Last Days Here" streaming on Netflix. Documentary about the singer of the band Pentagram... Here's the synopsis:

In this poignant documentary portrait, an aged and gaunt Bobby Liebling, the former lead singer of the heavy metal act Pentagram, rallies to restart his life after decades of disappointment and drug addiction.
 
Shawn,

I hope someday you and I get to sit and talk and get acquainted. It seems to me like we have quite a bit in common in at least a few areas.

Looking at your movie list, two things came to my mind. The first is "Red Headed Stranger". It's a western, set in Montana. Willie Nelson as a preacher whose wife - played by Morgan Fairchild - does him wrong. The moral dilemmas he faces, and the way he deals with them; a great thinking-type movie IMO. It's one of my absolute favorites, which doesn't mean anyone else would like it, but anyway...

The other is "The Apostle". Robert Duvall. Similar story, with the wife played by Farrah Fawcett. It's modern day, and set in Texas. Billy Bob Thornton is in it and plays a bigot.

And by the way, I watched that Aryton Senna movie you mentioned in another thread. I liked it too. More on it another time maybe?

Lloyd
 
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Thanks for the suggestions guys, keep 'em coming please.

Sergio, I watched Tucker and Dale Vs. Evil. It was pretty funny. The one scene where the guy gets his head impaled and the other guy says "Walk it out, I think he's going to be fine". LMAO. Good stuff.
 
Thanks for the suggestions guys, keep 'em coming please.

Sergio, I watched Tucker and Dale Vs. Evil. It was pretty funny. The one scene where the guy gets his head impaled and the other guy says "Walk it out, I think he's going to be fine". LMAO. Good stuff.

Cool, I felt kind of stupid for suggesting it after seeing all your favorites, and everybody else's cerebral picks for you. I went into that movie with the lowest expectations and ended up having a more than a few laughs!
 
I'll give it a shot...

Red State - A Kevin Smith flick, but this is one that, if you don't know it's him, you'd probably never tie it to him. He classifies it as a horror flick, but I'd go more drama - it's definitely not a gory flick. Centers on a group of religious extremists somewhat modeled on the crew from Kansas.

American - Excellent documentary on the late great comedian Bill Hicks. Told in a very inventive way.

Swell Season - Documentary about the band that did the Oscar-winning song "Falling Slowly" in the movie "Once". I believe it was intended as a tour documentary, but ended up documenting the breakup of Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova. I'll add Once to the list if you haven't seen that already.

And if I can delve into the wayback machine a bit...

Chasing Amy - Possibly Kevin Smith's finest work.

Kill Bill Vol. 2 - Tarantino doing more of a love story.
 
Couple more - [REC] and its sequel [REC2]. Foreign flicks, definitely in the suspense/horror genre, but not overly bloody (some, but it's much more suspense than blood). Basic plot - an apartment building is put under quarantine by the gov't without any given reason. The reason turns out to be a supernatural presence. Really good. The first was remade here as Quarantine starring Jennifer Carpenter (love her!), and it was a very faithful remake. The end of the first is really striking.

Add in Let The Right One In (and its US remake Let Me In). Vampire movie, but again, not so much a gore movie as a psychological one. The remake is fairly faithful, but the original is a notch or two above.

And if you can take a fairly language-intense comedy, I just saw a commercial that reminds me that Ted is out Dec. 11. The Thunder Song is classic.
 
Shawn,

Here are a couple of more movies... "Whip It". It's about a high school girl, soon to head off to college or? She's stuck in a dead-end town with a mom who doesn't get her, and she joins a Women's Roller Derby league in Austin. Meets a dude in a band :-( Ellen Page and Drew Barrymore. Nice soundtrack to it I think.

"Dutch" with Ed O'Neill. Sort of a roadtrip movie. A spoiled prep school kid, his mom, and her new boyfriend (Ed's the boyfriend). He goes to get the kid and bring him home for Thanksgiving, and hopefully make a connection with him. But they are oil and water together. It's a great family movie IMO.

Also, judging by your list, I imagine you've already seen "Hud"? If not, you might like it.

Lloyd
 
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I prefer character driven dramas over action movies. I'm a huge fan of post-war Italian movies as well.

Not quite the genre you are describing...but close enough and quirky enough to make the recommendation...

One of my favorites from the past 6 years or so...and it works best in Spanish with sub-titles.

"Pan's Labyrinth"
 
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