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Need suggestions from movie buffs


RamonAtila
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I'm in a movie funk and I need someone to suggest something to me that I never watched before.

 

I'm looking for two types of films:

 

-The first is a New York set movie from the 1960's-70's. No Woody Allen stuff, watched it all. Not Breakfast at Tiffany's, but a comedy/drama from the 60s-70s that really gives you a feel for New York at that time. Maybe the characters live n the Upper East or West side. Maybe it's about artists, or drug-dealers. Not Mean Streets or Taxi Driver. Something like those films but that I never saw before. (Not Soylent Green :unimpressed:)

 

and

 

-A piece about Ancient Greece or Rome or even the Middle Ages( a great example of that would be something like Barry Lyndon). But don't give me one of these recent films that has 'reality show'-quality dialogue. I don't want my Roman Senators or Viking sailors spouting 'Like, seriously?' or 'I know, right?!' Movies like '300: Rise of an Empire' and 'I, Frankenstein' have honestly pissed me the hell off. The only such movie I enjoyed like this from the past ten years would be Beowulf. It honestly was not that bad. So please, I'm looking for my next Caligula.

 

Somebody please help!

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Movies in NYC I'd recommend besides Scorsese or Allen:

 

The Apartment (yeah, it's 1960, but it's NYC, and the lifestyles of several characters pretty well foreshadow where that decade was going)

Midnight Cowboy (really wasn't for me, but it's soaking in counterculture if you dig that sort of thing)

The Goodbye Girl (young Richard Dreyfuss is fun)

Kramer vs. Kramer (some Upper East Side scenery in there)

 

...and if you're willing to go back an extra decade, I also have a soft spot for Marty.

 

So far, I got nothing in the Greco/Roman category. All I can think of is Ray Harryhausen stuff and those blockbuster flops from the last 15 years.

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Those look like some excellent picks. I'm embarrassed to say I've never watched Kramer vs. Kramer but I definitely will soon!

I already watched The Apartment on TCM. I loved it. When I saw Shirley Maclaine in person I had to tell her. And it was made in 1959 but still the perfect example of what I'm talking about.

 

Right now I'm gonna watch 'My Dinner With Andre' (I know it's 1981 but I want no later than that). Saw a clip on youtube and it looks like a great dialogue film.

 

Since you guys got all hyped up about MARTY I'll watch that right after.

 

Thanks so far!

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Guest El Chalupacabra

Classic ancient Greece/Rome movies that I think are must sees:

Ben Hur

Spartacus

Cleopatra

300 Spartans

I, Claudius

Rome: The HBO Series

 

More along the lines of Greek Mythology

Ulysses

Jason and the Argonauts

Original Clash of the Titans

Any Steve Reeves Hercules movie (they're cheesy, but I like them.)

 

 

Middle Ages (older movies that you might not have seen)

Excalibur

13th Warrior

Dragon Slayer

Erik the Viking

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I watched 'My Dinner With Andre' last night and 'Marty' this morning. I was a little disappointed with the first one. I thought their conversation would cover more ground, but alas the entire first hour alone was the character Andre just describing a spiritual retreat he went to. I didn't find it very interesting. He was more going on about how interesting it was rather than giving us a interesting story.

 

I thought Marty was pretty good. It won the Oscar. Fat chance a movie like that would win the Oscar for best picture these days. Just like The Apartment. A very small and simple romantic comedy but very moving, made me very happy to see they'd win Best Picture. But like I said it wouldn't happen today.

 

Next I cant figure out if I wanna watch 'Fort Apache The Bronx' with Pam Grier (it's an urban western from 1981) or if I should dive into Kramer vs. Kramer as suggested. For some reason I wanna watch these uppity yuppy characters on the Upper East Side. Another few suggestions of movies like this I got were:

 

-The Landlord (1970)

-Metropolitan (1990)

 

Also if I remember from a few years ago everybody here has to watch 'Skyscraper Souls' (1939) The movie is a masterpiece and talks about the Big Stock Market Crash but from the point of view of rich socialites that barely feel a dent in their pockets. It's about a dude that keeps falling for girls after winning over the ones he fell for just before.

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I watched Kramer vs. Kramer. I thought the end was rushed. But I loved it.

Now I'm watching 'Who is Harry Kellerman and Why Is He Saying Those Terrible Things About Me?' (1971)

I don't think it's a pretentious mess like I read in the review on Wikipedia. It actually has a great quote in it that I fell in love with:

'Samantha, in New York there are no dragons left to slay. So...I shot you a taxi.'

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