Well, this is some pretty low-hanging fruit, so why not?
It’s impossible for me to choose just one, so I tried to narrow it down to 5 from (fairly) different genres. My favorites today are:
- Scott Pilgrim vs the World
- Inglorious Basterds
- The End of Evangelion
- Ghost in the Shell
- The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
I’m a sucker for cyberpunk, existential crises, slow pans and quick dialog. Do I have shit taste (probably)? What are all your favorites?
I really like movies! There are a lot of great ones I recognize in this thread, a lot I have yet to watch. Scott Pilgrim, Inglorious Basterds and The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly are some of my favorites too. I still need to see Neon Genesis Evangelion and Ghost in the Shell, though I don’t watch a lot of anime so my anime backlog fills up fast haha. Here are some of my favorites:
- Everything, Everywhere, All At Once: I know this is such a basic choice but I can’t help it, this movie hits me like nothing else. It’s been a year and a couple rewatches yet it can still make me cry if I think about it too hard.
- Xanadu: Modern-day Greek muses in neon and legwarmers, an animated sequence by Don Bluth, absolutely baffling interactions, Gene Kelly in roller skates, a guy jumping into a mural and arguing with Zeus, dated but visually great special effects, outrageous costumes, a soundtrack by Electric Light Orchestra… Just pure fun. Also I don’t think there’s ever been a movie this easy to pinpoint the exact year it came out.
- Summit of the Gods: Strikingly unique and gorgeous atmosphere, with subtle but powerful plot and dialogue that make it feel whole. I don’t know how it manages to wrap so much awe and intensity (with a touch of intrigue) together in a way that makes it feel as meditative as it does, but it strikes that balance perfectly and ends up as one of those movies I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of watching.
- Dial M for Murder: It’s a pretty simple Hitchcock thriller, what makes it stand out is the perfect execution. Not one to watch more than once or twice but I still remember how gripping it was the first time I saw it - it’s just totally engrossing.
- Tron: Legacy: Plot and characters are iffy but as a feature-length Daft Punk music video it’s amazing. The world feels so internally consistent in its otherworldliness, it completely transports you if you let it. Nothing quite like it.