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1.) "Apocalypse Now"
Amazing film that works on so many levels: visually mesmerising,
superficially exciting, conceptually fascinating, and full of
unforgettable images. And, in the original format, quadrophonic sound!
Easily the best, most immersive sound design I've ever heard --mortar
shells fly over your head, insects chirp all around you, it really drops
you right into the middle of the jungle.
2.) "Betty Blue"
Two words: Beatrice Dalle. Also had a deep effect on my thinking when I
was younger, convincing me that indulging one's passions and acting on
whims was a good thing, which led me to follow a girl or two around the
globe. Not sure in retrospect if that was a good idea or not, but while
I don't love the girl anymore, I still love this film.
3.) "Meshes Of the Afternoon"
Classic avant-garde short film by Maya Deren. This one was hugely
influential in convincing me that dreamstates are fertile ground for
exploring in art.
And I have to mention Terry Gilliam's "Brazil" --I don't think any other
film has identified the sickness at the heart of modern civilisation as
accurately --certainly, not with as much wit or trippy dream sequences!
- Gio: of Makyo
One of my favorites is Groundhog Day. It's one of those philosophical
movies that's disguised as a comedy! I also enjoy Witness, but for
different reasons. There's something both sad and uplifting about that
film. And This is Spinal Tap should be required viewing for ANY musician-
there are things in that movie that are QUITE applicable to the
space/ambient music business! And I don't mean that in a good way.......
:)
- Jeff Pearce: ambient guitarist
THX1138:
a stunning exploration of cinematic minimalism
BLADERUNNER:
nothing that i can say hasn't already been said!
SPACEBALLS:
few things can make me fall out of my chair laughing... the simpsons..and
spaceballs...
- taylor deupree:12k
Andrei Tarkovsky "The Sacrifice"
Ingmar Bergman "The Seventh Seal"
Peter Weir "The Last Wave"
These are all incredible, deep, multilayered and beautiful films. Almost
any film by any of these directors is worth seeing.
- Robert Rich:Soundscape Productions / Amoeba Music
Jan Svankmajer's " Faust".
Possibly because I'd had recurring dreams that were similar to sequences in
it. It has a magical quality.
and it's funny.
"Themroc"
A French film about people reacting against routine lives by going
completely wild like carnivorous birds.
Because it's really funny.
Monty Python's "Life of Brian"
it shows how major world religions get started and infighting between
political extremists which is the sort of thing I'm interested in. and it's
funny.
- Nigel Ayers: of Nocturnal Emissions
This is a tough decision to make since I'm obliged here to focus myself on a
particular timeframe and the current mood, I'm in at the moment of answering this question but let's give it a try :
1) David Lynch's The Elephant Man
- Directed right after his cult-classic Eraserhead, David Lynch made perhaps
his most intimate, sensitive but still evocative, surreal and experimental
movie. Shot in B/W, Lynch used his fascinating talents with great pride
realizing a movie which blends perfectly the documentary-like plot with visual
and subliminal messages. At times quite claustrophobic when creating the
dream sequences and the mood of that Victorian period and simultaneously very moving
and breathtaking with, for instance, the death scene of John Merrick upon the
beautiful music of Samual Barber. This is what Lynch stands for and along
with the very strong performances by Anthony Hopkins and John Hurt this movie is my
all-time favorite.
2) David Fincher's Seven
- A very popular but also very strong and to my opinion best movie yet on the
subject of the serial killer. What made me watch this movie already over Īsevenā times is that the film is made with a strong eye for detail, mood and tension. Although it has an gruesome topic, the director beautifully avoids the explicit violence in order
to increase the tension and drama on an almost subliminal level. Again, the
combination with the outstanding performances, photography and minimal but
very dark score by one of my favorite composers Howard Shore is perfect and works
100% percent.
3) Terrence Malick's Thin Red Line
- Being a pacifist, I usually don't like to see war movies but a review in the
local newspaper made me quite curious since the journalist was quite explicit
how this movie was so diverse from all other movies on war.
And indeed, it was. I never saw such a brave, beautiful and breathtaking
movie on the useless issue of war and how this infects humans on all levels. The
movie still contains a few very explicit warscenes but mainly the pace,
Terrence Malick shoots his movie with, structures the 3-hour long movie with
dignity and a great feeling for beauty, emotion and intimacy. The movie
strucks you as one long poem on the issue of how war can effect your personal
life emotionally on the battle field and at home. Again, the photography, the
off-screen voice and the superb music turns this movie into an experience,
I'll never forget and which left me wordless hours after.
- Vidna Obmana: ambient artist
Tokyo Story, directed by Yasujiro Ozu:
I like his pieces, especially Classical house style gives me many suggestions
uncomparable with today's "junky" house.
His monotone image and universal theme about family are very ambient in
addition to polite and gramatically correct conversation style.
- Katsuya Hironaka: Electronician
'liquid sky' for it's retroid sex flops and fantastic repetits or
glo-n-da dark morph poems of subtle days. an infit unfinite for
television dancicle to watch at.
'midnight cowboy' breaks all stereotypes you do not need for a short
time. a movie is a break from a reality that is fun and not an escape
from an unpleasant time of yours or that what?
'dutch harbor' - where the sea breaks it's back' black [full] white
[pure in comparidome] grey [combo that never sees the color of blood].
- Jon Sheffield: bedroom
producer
Hard to just make a small selection. I love films, so let's just see what
comes to mind........
Wings of Desire -
Wim Wenders' tale of the guardian angels who wish to experience the emotion
of human existence.
2001: A Space Odyssey -
I was raised on sci fi and this is surely on of the most visionary of movies
The Pillow Book -
Peter Greenaway, multi media, ascetic of flesh, obsession & death
- Martin Franklin: of Tuu
I'm a huge fan of the movies of David Lynch, particularly Eraserhead, Blue
Velvet, and Lost Highway, but all of them really. Partly it's his unique
visual sense, and partly his unusual attention to the sound world in the
foreground of his films... but mostly it's the surreal, alternate realities
he manages to create every time. Other favorite directors include Kubrick
and Peter Greenaway. Best film of 1999? The Matrix!
- M. Griffin: Hypnos Recordings
What a difficult question, I like so many movies! Here are three that
seem pertinent for this forum as they involve notable music/sound, they
also happen to all be science fiction films...hmmm...
(1) 2001...an amazing film that stands the test of time, and a unique
intermingling of soundtrack and visuals...many have copied but none have
done as well.
(2) Bladerunner...very flawed (hauntingly so), and bearing limited
resemblance to the PKD book it was based on, but another wonderful
intermingling of sound/music/visuals. Check out the director's cut if
you haven't yet.
(3) Until the End of the World...for my money the best Wim Wenders film
(though quite different from Paris Texas, another fave). This seems to
me to be a case where the use of pop/rock songs actually worked...helped
by the fact that he got some great tunes. Also a very interesting story
filled with many intriguing ideas, and Sam Neill to hold it together.
Overlooked by many, go rent it!
- M. Bentley: the foundry
Andrej Tarkowskij "Stalker" - a bleakly beautiful rumination upon faith
and its possible mutilation by art, science, and the collusion of the
desires to control and explain; Tarkowskij's sensitivity to the subtleties
of sound as an indicator of changing states of consciousness and his use
of Eduard Artemiev's hauntingly cosmic score make it as involving a sonic
journey as it is a visual one
Wim Wenders "Wings of Desire" - Wenders chalks the poetic writing of Peter
Handke over the dreamlike urban luminosity painted by Jean Cocteau's
cinematographer, uniting melancholy alienation with romantic obsession,
and mixing up Bruno Ganz with Peter Falk and Nick Cave, in a perfect tale
of angels patroling the Berlin Wall and shedding their wings for coffees
and mismatched plaids
Wong Kar-Wai "Chungking Express" - dizzyingly melted colors, an entrancing
repetition of "California Dreaming" - a song as a soundtrack to one's
fantasized image of a person or a place - and the great HK pop singer Wong
Fei in a film about nothing so much as the wish to sing to stuffed animals
and bars of soap
- Thermal: Boxman (hako otoko) label
Here are a couple of my favorite films that these days people seem to
love-to-hate:
"2001 a Space Odyssey."
I saw this film when if was first released, I was quite young at the
time (around 8 years-old) and had never seen anything like it before.
I still think 2001 is probably the most stunning visual film ever.
And even though the soundtrack didn't have a single note written
specifically for it it was very daring for its time.
"My dinner With Andre."
Just a simple but effective film about two old friends have a
conversation about life. Every time I watch it I get sucked into the
conversation just as if I where there.
- Loren Nerell: Ethno-musicologist
Currently, Phantom Menace (Star Wars still brings out the kid in me)
For strange humor and violence, the award goes to Pulp Fiction
and my most favorite movies are made before 1960 and of that category I would
say, Philadelphia Story (Hepburn, Grant, Stewart)
- Paul Vnuk: (Ma Ja Le)
2001 a Space Odyssey
Invasion of the Body Snatchers - the old 50's version
Chinatown
Kiss me Deadly --- I had to get a grade B in the list
They all have a nice feeling of mystery to them.
- lk: (audiochrom)
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