5punk

I consider myself quite the film geek, but although ive seen a *lot* of things, I do have the occasional odd hole in my film knowledge. I recently taken it upon myself to do something about that, and watch those films that are either genuine classics, the "not very good but none the less weirdly iconic" and the films that other films reference a lot, as well as some that are must watch films just because they are so utterly and hilariously shit. Not the obscure films, just the ones that you are slightly surprised whenever someone says they have never seen it.

Ive been bundling them up into themes too. Recent bundles include:

All the James Bond films (because I was sure there was one lurking in there somewhere that I had somehow missed. Turns out I was wrong, although some of them I am much less familiar with than others).

90's slasher horror things. These are the ones that started this idea off, as I suddenly realised I had never seen any of the Scream series, and I had never seen the first Freddy Kruger film. I have still got to catch up with Halloween though.

Gangster films: I've now finally watched all the Godfathers, and ive already watched Scarface and Goodfellas.

So, the question is twofold:

1) are there any gangster or 90's slasher films I may have missed that I should watch?

2) what vague theme should I do next?

Have you seen LA Confidential?, great gangster type film that popped into my head for some reason, Casino goes in the Goodfellas category and is excellent too.

Edit: Oh and Heat as well, more action robbery though.

Heat is an obvious suggestion. Not necessarily a gangster movie, but one of the best crime dramas ever made.

Also: Road to Perdition was really good, Public Enemies was OK.

Once upon a time in merka, the untouchables, millers crossing, carlito's way, scarface.

Westerns? B-movies? I'd say zombie films, but if I'm honest there's not a lot worth watching.

Can't suggest much in the way of gangster/slasher movies, I've little to no interest in either.

Gangster films

Sonatine
Hana-Bi

Both Japanese films directed by Beat Takeshi (aka Takeshi Kitano of Takeshi's Castle fame - don't let that put you off, he is an incredible director)

Gangster No.1 - unfairly dismissed as another Lock Stock clone, it's actually very good, and very brutal.

Donnie Brasco
The Long Good Friday

Chinatown - not really a gangster film, but it has gangsters in it, and it really is top notch.

Cop Land - in my opinion this is Sylvester Stallone's best film. No joke. I've never seen him top his performance in this.

Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction

Boondock Saints - decent little low budget film


I'll have a ponder over some more. Not sure on Slasher films though - I found that after Scream they were all a bit shit (Urban Legend gave me rage induced aneurysms and I Know What You Did Last Summer is no better).

Roman Totale wrote:Cop Land - in my opinion this is Sylvester Stallone's best film. No joke. I've never seen him top his performance in this.

I don't think I've seen another film where he's done proper acting like in this one. Aside from Rocky of course. I enjoyed it a lot when I saw it in the cinema. I've added to my rental list for a another go.

Ronin, Taxi Driver and Mean Streets are other good DeNiro ones not already mentioned, as he seems to pop up in quite a few of the suggestions.

He's also in Cape Fear, which falls into the other category. The film did make me rather annoyed with Juliette Lewis for a number of years, though.

The first Halloween and Elm Street films were of course 70-80's horror, and I can help more with that than the horror of the last two decades when hasn't interested me much. I think everyone fondly remembers horror films from back when they were young enough to be scared, or when they were the talk of the playground. So: The Evil Dead series, Carrie, Amityville Horror, House (1 & 3, 2 was a comedy), American Werewolf, Friday 13th, The Omen, Christine, Chainsaw Massacre, Candyman, People Under the Stairs, Fly, Nightbreed, Howling, Prince of Darkness, Bad Taste, Braindead, Phantasm, Pet Semetary, Poltegeist, Thing and my all-time favourite Hellraiser.

Not all 'slashers' but mostly good (at least at the time) and a lot in there you'll find referenced in later stuff. I left out "videio nasties" because they're mostly shit.

FatherJack wrote:I left out "videio nasties" because they're mostly shit.

And all being remade by the look of it - Last House on the Left, The Hills Have Eyes and I Spit on Your Grave have all had makeovers recently. Rape is obviously big selling point these days.

Roman Totale wrote:Rape is obviously big selling point these days.

Looks that way, they just remade Straw Dogs.