What's your perfect movie

[cbwjm]

I'm someone who strongly believes that Spielberg has two eras in his career. His movies before JURASSIC PARK and his movies after JURASSIC PARK. I'm someone who grew up in the era of JAWS, RAIDERS, and E.T. , so to me those movies are MY Spielberg.

BUT...I remember showing JURASSIC PARK to my then 9-10 year old son (at home on DVD), who liked it but wasn't that impressed. A few years later, it was the 20th anniversary, and Universal had re-released it in IMAX, and I kinda dragged my son to see it. I distinctly remember him complaining, saying, "Dad, I've seen this already..." and me saying to him, "Yeah, but on the big screen it's a different experience."

When those cars stopped in front of the T. rex paddock, and that entire sequence started? He was riveted, and for the rest of the movie, he was locked in. Coming out of the theater, he turns to me and says, "You were right dad. That was so much different."

I don't think Jurassic Park is anywhere close to my top 5 favorite Spielberg movies, but to the generation that was just the right age when it was initially released in 1993(?) I get why it's their favorite, especially if they saw it on the big screen.

When I bought a sound bar with subwoofer for my tv, the first thing I did was get to the T-Rex scene, sound right up, and hear that T-Rex roar, it sounded amazing!

I would have been 13 or 14 at the time I saw Jurassic Park in theatres and I think you're right, some movies just hit harder in theatres.

 

[Kobold Stew]

I quote Butch Cassidy and The Princess Bride more than anything else, but the perfect film for me is The Philadelphia Story, with Katherine Hepburn, Jimmy Stewart, and Cary Grant.

 

[trappedslider]

Casablanca and Chinatown for me

 

[cbwjm]

Casablanca and Chinatown for me

I'm not sure I've seen either, I'll have to add them to my list.

 

[Reynard]

Mad Max: Fury Road should be sued for false advertisement. There was no Mad Max in the movie.

What are you even talking about? Max was a major component of that film. But OH NO, there was also another, female main character.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Casablanca and Chinatown for me

Casablanca is very dated at this point, but for many years, it was what I always held up as the perfect movie. Every part of it is working to accomplish its goal and everyone involved is bringing their A-game.

That said, a lot of other great choices have been mentioned on this thread.

 

[Aeson]

What are you even talking about? Max was a major component of that film. But OH NO, there was also another, female main character.

Not what I'm talking about. I love Charlize Theron. She was awesome in the movie. Never confuse me with one of those idiots again. I do disagree that Max was a major component. They titled the movie Mad Max, but made him a secondary character. He was not a main character. Would you make a movie titled Batman and then focus on Robin the majority of the movie. The movie would have been fine if it just called Fury Road. Or go ahead and give Charlize the credit and call it Furiosa, but don't call it Mad Max.

 

[Artamo]

Not what I'm talking about. I love Charlize Theron. She was awesome in the movie. Never confuse me with one of those idiots again. I do disagree that Max was a major component. They titled the movie Mad Max, but made him a secondary character. He was not a main character. Would you make a movie titled Batman and then focus on Robin the majority of the movie. The movie would have been fine if it just called Fury Road. Or go ahead and give Charlize the credit and call it Furiosa, but don't call it Mad Max.

I don’t really get this criticism. Max is important to the plot and the themes. It’s his idea to go back to the Citadel. When Furiosa loses all hope, he’s the one who picks her back up. It seems like a small moment but it’s key to who he is: He lets himself be part of the group, instead of the loner if only for a brief moment - long enough to save Furiosa’s life by giving her a transfusion (being a bloodbag!) and finally telling her his name, his one sign of trust. The movie very much has a Western quality to it, and I think you can liken it to something like a Few Dollars More, another movie where the hero takes a back seat while the secondary hero takes his revenge on the movie’s main villain.

 

[Richards]

For me, it's Yellow Submarine: eminently quotable, ridiculously nonsensical (yet it follows its own internal logic), and excellent music from the Beatles at my favorite point in their careers. The fact the animation is unlike any other animated movie I've ever seen is an additional plus.

Johnathan