Groucho's Movie Challenge Week 13: Top 100 DVD Census 2004

[karnblack]

What is Groucho’s Movie Challenge? Its mission is simple: let us all, as a forum, work to seek out films that might otherwise slip our radar. Each week, anybody who wants to participate will see a film within the guidelines, and return back to the forum to report on the film they saw. It’s easy, it’s fun, and everybody can participate. It’s not a trivia contest…it’s not a game…it’s merely a way we can all be exposed to new avenues of film appreciation…or at the very least see a good flick or two.

Week 13: Top 100 DVD Census 2004

Here it is the middle of the week and there is no movie challenge yet. We cannot have that so I'm going to make it easy on everyone.

Watch a movie from the Top 100 DVD Census 2004 (http://cinema-review.com/dvd/000018/index.php) . What's the census? It's something many of the members of this site vote on each year. You can find out more about it from here (http://www.dvdtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=340208&highlight=census). Anyway, try to watch a movie you haven't seen yet. If you've seen every movie on the list try choosing a DVD from the DVDs that didn't make the cut or from a previous census. If all else fails then rewatch a movie from the census that you haven't seen in a while. Don't try to watch anything longer than feature length 1.5 - 3 hours unless you're feeling adventurous.

This is your mission. Good luck.

Missed a previous version of the Movie Challenge? It’s never to late to play:

Week 1: Old Movie Week (http://www.dvdtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=351561)
Week 2: Foreign Film Week (http://www.dvdtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=352876)
Week 3: Silence is Golden (http://www.dvdtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=354170)
Week 4: The Truth is Stranger (http://www.dvdtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=355506)
Week 5: IMDB Top 250 (http://www.dvdtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=356809)
Week 6: Unfamiliar Genres (http://www.dvdtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=358047)
Week 7: Martial Arts Films (http://www.dvdtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=359717)
Week 8: Watch a movie you didn't originally like (http://www.dvdtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=360843)
Week 9: If it ain't broke...FIX IT ANYWAY! (http://www.dvdtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=362240)
Week 10: The Greatest Year (The Year you were born) (http://www.dvdtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=363643)
Week 11: The Cannes Film Festival (http://www.dvdtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=364699)
Week 12: Theatrical Anime Feature (http://www.dvdtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=366311)

[Quake1028]

I'm going to go with the Adventures of Robin Hood :).

[Damfino]

Looks like no. 88 Tokyo Story or no. 97 How Green Was My Valley for me. It will probably be HGWMV since we did Japanese movies last week.

The biggest "challenge" on the list would probably have to be no. 68 The Ultimate Ric Flair Collection. How did that make the list?

[karnblack]

Here are the movies I'm interested in watching that I haven't seen yet:

Adventures of Antoine Doinel: Criterion Collection (would be nice, but I don't know if I can afford it right now, and I would probably only be able to watch one of the movies)
* Adventures of Robin Hood: Special Edition
* Singin’ in the Rain: Special Edition
Eraserhead (interesting, but might be difficult to get)
8 1/2: Criterion Collection (this is probably going to be my choice)
* Treasure of the Sierra Madre: Special Edition
* Scarface: Anniversary Edition
Do the Right Thing: Criterion Collection
Grand Illusion: Criterion Collection (this is probably going to be my second choice)
* West Side Story: Special Limited Edition Collector’s Set
Naked Lunch: Criterion Collection (this is probably going to be my third choice)
Tokyo Story: Criterion Collection
The Civil War - A Film by Ken Burns (too long)
Exorcist: 25th Anniversary Special Edition (not into horror much)
* All About Eve
* Gentleman's Agreement
* How Green Was My Valley
* Sunrise

For some reason I'm interested in watching DVDs I don't already own.

* denotes DVD I already own.

[Damfino]

Originally posted by karnblack
Here are the movies I'm interested in watching that I haven't seen yet:

Adventures of Antoine Doinel: Criterion Collection (would be nice, but I don't know if I can afford it right now, and I would probably only be able to watch one of the movies)

You would have to start with The 400 Blows which is the best movie of the set by far.

8 1/2 is a challenge-worthy choice since you will either love it or you'll wonder WTF was that all about?

[Quake1028]

Bump, posting the new one in a second.

[Damfino]

Where did everybody go?

How Green Was My Valley (1941) :thumbsup:

Director: John Ford (The Searchers, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance)

Cast
Walter Pidgeon
Maureen O'Hara
Roddy McDowall
Donald Crisp

I have always been a fan of John Ford westerns, but I have seldom seen his other movies. I own this one mainly because I had to buy it to get Sunrise, so it had been in my unwatched collection for over a year.

If you're looking for a movie that will satisfy the kids and the grandparents, this is it. This story of a coal mining family's hard lives in Wales touches the soul and seems part Frank Capra and part David Lean.

Roddy McDowall was only 12 when this movie was made and he steals the show as Huw Morgan the youngest (and smartest) member of his family. His father and five older brothers all work in the mines, so it's not really a surprise but still disappointing when Huw drops out of school to start working in the mine with his father and brothers.

Coal mining is dangerous work and ironically when four of the five older brothers lose their jobs and are forced to leave the community, you realize that this is the best thing that could happen to them.
This is a great example of a movie making style that doesn't exist anymore.

[karnblack]

I picked up 8 1/2 last week, but I still haven't had a chance to watch it. My birthday was last Friday and I was busy all weekend. Hopefully I'll get to it soon. I'm hosting our monthly DVD night on Wednesday and the movie for this month is Bubba Ho-Tep. It's another movie I haven't seen.

[littlefuzzy]

BTW, the info for #98 - Cowboy Bebop: The Perfect Sessions Limited Box set should reflect that this set is LONG out of print and not available anywhere, and EVERY version listed for sale at Amazon is a pure bootleg!

I think I will go with one of the following, although I can't decide which one at the moment.

Citizen Kane
Royal Tenenbaums
Adventures of Robin Hood
Reservoir Dogs
Notorious
Rebecca

[karnblack]

Originally posted by littlefuzzy
BTW, the info for #98 - Cowboy Bebop: The Perfect Sessions Limited Box set should reflect that this set is LONG out of print and not available anywhere, and EVERY version listed for sale at Amazon is a pure bootleg!

I think I will go with one of the following, although I can't decide which one at the moment.

Citizen Kane
Royal Tenenbaums
Adventures of Robin Hood
Reservoir Dogs
Notorious
Rebecca

Reservoir Dogs

[littlefuzzy]

Originally posted by karnblack
Reservoir Dogs
Watched it...

I must not be QT's target audience. The film was OK, but not the greatest film ever. I had the same opinion on Pulp Fiction, although Kill Bill vol. 1 was better than these two, IMHO. I haven't seen Kill Bill vol. 2 yet, or any other QT film.

From what I have seen of QT on DVD extras, interviews, etc., he is VERY full of himself, and that isn't helped by actors and interviewers acting like he and his films are the greatest thing since the movie camera was invented.

[karnblack]

I finally watched 8 1/2. I have to say I liked it, but there were moments where the film seemed to drag on. It reminds me very much of Terry Gilliam films. I didn't watch his intro until after I watched the film, but I can see how 8 1/2 has inspired Gilliam's films. I need to rewatch this a few times. If you like Terry Gilliam's films then you may want to look into 8 1/2.