Films Film Makers Should Watch
by antmanvernon | created - 22 Jan 2016 | updated - 01 Feb 2016 | PublicThis is a list of films that I do enjoy greatly, however this is not a list of my favorite films. All of these films are clearly flawed yet, they give good insight and are good examples on what film makers both should and shouldn't do when of creating a film. These films can be; foreign, animated, documentaries, etc. as long as they fall under the category of film. These are simply films that I feel directors, writers, editors, and etc. should watch and learn from to gain a greater understanding of what creates high quality film.
Note: (This list is in no particular order and will be added to from time to time I only put films on this list I have seen)
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1. K-PAX (2001)
PG-13 | 120 min | Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi
PROT is a patient at a mental hospital who claims to be from a faraway planet named K-PAX. His psychiatrist tries to help him, only to begin to doubt his own explanations.
Director: Iain Softley | Stars: Kevin Spacey, Jeff Bridges, Mary McCormack, Alfre Woodard
Votes: 192,996 | Gross: $50.34M
This film is great in keeping it's mysterious tone throughout the movie. Kevin Spacey nails his role as Prot. However, there is nothing special in terms of all the other actors in this film. The cinematography is also lack luster but fills it's role.
2. My Neighbor Totoro (1988)
G | 86 min | Animation, Comedy, Family
When two girls move to the country to be near their ailing mother, they have adventures with the wondrous forest spirits who live nearby.
Director: Hayao Miyazaki | Stars: Hitoshi Takagi, Noriko Hidaka, Chika Sakamoto, Shigesato Itoi
Votes: 380,033 | Gross: $1.11M
Simply fantastic, this film fills me a sort of magical childish sensation with every viewing. However, the animation in this film does carry some issues with it's polish, but the animation is still to a very high quality.
3. Rampage: Capital Punishment (2014)
Not Rated | 93 min | Action, Crime, Thriller
A man takes over a TV station and holds a number of hostages as a political platform to awaken humanity, instead of money.
Director: Uwe Boll | Stars: Brendan Fletcher, Lochlyn Munro, Mike Dopud, Michaela Mann
Votes: 7,033
Uwe Boll has committed more crimes against the artistry of film than most other directors. While Rampage is not a master piece by any means it shows how a low production budget cannot destroy a strong subject matter. I feel the movie doesn't have any strong flaws.
4. Waking Life (2001)
R | 99 min | Animation, Drama, Fantasy
A man shuffles through a dream meeting various people and discussing the meanings and purposes of the universe.
Director: Richard Linklater | Stars: Ethan Hawke, Trevor Jack Brooks, Lorelei Linklater, Wiley Wiggins
Votes: 66,909 | Gross: $2.89M
This is just a film you need to watch even if you have no interest in film. The constant shifts in style might annoy a viewing audience but this is no issue to me.
5. Saw (2004)
R | 103 min | Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Two strangers awaken in a room with no recollection of how they got there, and soon discover they're pawns in a deadly game perpetrated by a notorious serial killer.
Director: James Wan | Stars: Cary Elwes, Leigh Whannell, Danny Glover, Ken Leung
Votes: 466,548 | Gross: $56.00M
Flaws, so many flaws can be found within this film. Yet, it is one of the most captivating and engaging films that has ever been made. Immersion is often broken due to the poor acting however, the conflict at hand is powerful enough to brush this issue under the rug
6. Chappie (2015)
R | 120 min | Action, Crime, Drama
In the near future, crime is patrolled by a mechanized police force. When one police droid, Chappie, is stolen and given new programming, he becomes the first robot with the ability to think and feel for himself.
Director: Neill Blomkamp | Stars: Sharlto Copley, Dev Patel, Hugh Jackman, Sigourney Weaver
Votes: 269,560 | Gross: $31.57M
I am in the minority when I say I truly love this film. I mostly have issues with the shallow characters. However, the films has seamless visuals, well edited, and interesting ideas.
7. Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
PG-13 | 121 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy
A group of intergalactic criminals must pull together to stop a fanatical warrior with plans to purge the universe.
Director: James Gunn | Stars: Chris Pratt, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Zoe Saldana
Votes: 1,272,931 | Gross: $333.18M
This may be the best sci-fi comedy you will ever see. I find it hard to view this as a super hero film. My issue with this film is how so many major plot points go about due to convenience.
8. Some Like It Hot (1959)
Passed | 121 min | Comedy, Music, Romance
After two male musicians witness a mob hit, they flee the state in an all-female band disguised as women, but further complications set in.
Director: Billy Wilder | Stars: Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon, George Raft
Votes: 283,447 | Gross: $25.00M
A timeless well acted work. Some of the humor may be found to be repetitive.
9. The Exorcist (1973)
R | 122 min | Horror
When a young girl is possessed by a mysterious entity, her mother seeks the help of two Catholic priests to save her life.
Director: William Friedkin | Stars: Ellen Burstyn, Max von Sydow, Linda Blair, Lee J. Cobb
Votes: 454,787 | Gross: $232.91M
This film proves true horror does not lie in jumps scares but rather in haunting the viewer. This film does suffer from characters that aren't very believable in their roles.
10. Big Hero 6 (2014)
PG | 102 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
A special bond develops between plus-sized inflatable robot Baymax and prodigy Hiro Hamada, who together team up with a group of friends to form a band of high-tech heroes.
Directors: Don Hall, Chris Williams | Stars: Ryan Potter, Scott Adsit, Jamie Chung, T.J. Miller
Votes: 501,800 | Gross: $222.53M
The Pixar formula with a dash of super hero sci-fi. Nothing necessarily wrong with that.
11. Cleopatra (1963)
G | 192 min | Biography, Drama, History
Queen Cleopatra VII of Egypt experiences both triumph and tragedy as she attempts to resist the imperial ambitions of Rome.
Directors: Joseph L. Mankiewicz, Rouben Mamoulian | Stars: Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Rex Harrison, Pamela Brown
Votes: 37,396 | Gross: $57.78M
Film has clearly changed since the 1960's. The idea of what an epic film is, has changed since Cleopatra. This film that easily stretches over 3 hours can turn off audiences by it's length alone. Tonally the movie is not action packed either which also tends to lull audiences. Yet, this movies is the clearest example of scale ever put to film.
12. The Lion King (1994)
G | 88 min | Animation, Adventure, Drama
Lion prince Simba and his father are targeted by his bitter uncle, who wants to ascend the throne himself.
Directors: Roger Allers, Rob Minkoff | Stars: Matthew Broderick, Jeremy Irons, James Earl Jones, Whoopi Goldberg
Votes: 1,141,784 | Gross: $422.78M
Hamlet with Lions
13. The Room (2003)
R | 99 min | Drama
In San Francisco, an amiable banker's seemingly perfect life is turned upside down when his deceitful fiancée embarks on an affair with his best friend.
Director: Tommy Wiseau | Stars: Tommy Wiseau, Juliette Danielle, Greg Sestero, Philip Haldiman
Votes: 94,980 | Gross: $0.22M
The Greatest Comedy of All Time
14. From Dusk Till Dawn (1996)
R | 108 min | Action, Crime, Horror
Two criminals and their hostages unknowingly seek temporary refuge in a truck stop populated by vampires, with chaotic results.
Director: Robert Rodriguez | Stars: Harvey Keitel, George Clooney, Juliette Lewis, Quentin Tarantino
Votes: 340,508 | Gross: $25.75M
This film is quite interesting, my advice if you have not seen it make sure you watch it with virgin eyes.
15. The Men Who Stare at Goats (2009)
R | 94 min | Comedy, War
A reporter in Iraq might just have the story of a lifetime when he meets Lyn Cassady, a guy who claims to be a former member of the U.S. Army's New Earth Army, a unit that employs paranormal powers in their missions.
Director: Grant Heslov | Stars: Ewan McGregor, George Clooney, Kevin Spacey, Jeff Bridges
Votes: 137,558 | Gross: $32.43M
Leaving you with more questions than answers, I like films like these.
16. Her (2013)
R | 126 min | Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi
In a near future, a lonely writer develops an unlikely relationship with an operating system designed to meet his every need.
Director: Spike Jonze | Stars: Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams, Scarlett Johansson, Rooney Mara
Votes: 669,310 | Gross: $25.57M
I have no major issues with this film, I was deeply satisfied with every aspect of this movie. Her is well thought out and well executed.
17. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998)
R | 118 min | Adventure, Comedy, Drama
An oddball journalist and his psychopathic lawyer travel to Las Vegas for a series of psychedelic escapades.
Director: Terry Gilliam | Stars: Johnny Depp, Benicio Del Toro, Tobey Maguire, Michael Lee Gogin
Votes: 301,441 | Gross: $10.68M
I recommend to watch this on marijuana and sober. Either way this film is quite and experience. The videography and editing is absolutely masterful on this work truly creating the feeling of being under the influence.
18. Mary and Max (2009)
Not Rated | 92 min | Animation, Comedy, Drama
In 1976 Melbourne, a lonely 8-year-old girl strikes up a correspondence with an unlikely pen pal: a severely obese 44-year-old New Yorker with Asperger's syndrome.
Director: Adam Elliot | Stars: Toni Collette, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Eric Bana, Barry Humphries
Votes: 186,757
I truly appreciate films of this style, it is amazing how much work goes into films that choose this style of animation. Either way Mary and Max touches on subject matters that most films would not dare to cross
19. Dumbo (1941)
G | 64 min | Animation, Adventure, Drama
Ridiculed because of his enormous ears, a young circus elephant is assisted by a mouse to achieve his full potential.
Directors: Samuel Armstrong, Norman Ferguson, Wilfred Jackson, Jack Kinney, Bill Roberts, Ben Sharpsteen, John Elliotte | Stars: Sterling Holloway, Edward Brophy, Herman Bing, Billy Bletcher
Votes: 142,030 | Gross: $1.60M
Just because it is classic doesn't make it flawless, but still a well done work.
20. RoboCop (1987)
R | 102 min | Action, Crime, Sci-Fi
In a dystopic and crime-ridden Detroit, a terminally wounded cop returns to the force as a powerful cyborg haunted by submerged memories.
Director: Paul Verhoeven | Stars: Peter Weller, Nancy Allen, Dan O'Herlihy, Ronny Cox
Votes: 282,984 | Gross: $53.42M
Come on it's RoboCop, no questions asked.
21. The Union: The Business Behind Getting High (2007)
104 min | Documentary
BC's illegal marijuana trade industry has evolved into a business giant, dubbed by some involved as 'The Union', Commanding upwards of $7 billion Canadian annually. With up to 85% of 'BC ... See full summary »
Director: Brett Harvey | Stars: Adam Scorgie, Chris Bennett, Steve Bloom, Renee Bojee
Votes: 7,833
Writing this in 2016 it is surprising that this documentary is not dated. Hopefully in the future this will be an outdated work. Either way, well produced, well researched, worth watching even if you are against marijuana use.
22. Mr. Happy (I) (2015)
24 min | Short, Drama
Mr Happy is a short film by VICE. It stars a depressed Chance the rapper, who is ready to give up on life and "Mr Happy" acts as the deus ex machina for Chance's problems.
Director: Colin Tilley | Stars: Chance the Rapper, Marie Oldenbourg, Colin Stephens, Vinnie Brar
Votes: 335
Limited Words and heavy use of imagery ties together quite nicely. I tend to enjoy content made by VICE and Chance the Rapper did a surprisingly good job in his role.
23. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
R | 108 min | Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi
When their relationship turns sour, a couple undergoes a medical procedure to have each other erased from their memories forever.
Director: Michel Gondry | Stars: Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet, Tom Wilkinson, Gerry Robert Byrne
Votes: 1,077,641 | Gross: $34.40M
Just Watch and Enjoy
24. Rudy (1993)
PG | 114 min | Biography, Drama, Sport
Rudy has always been told that he was too small to play college football. But he is determined to overcome the odds and fulfill his dream of playing for Notre Dame.
Director: David Anspaugh | Stars: Sean Astin, Jon Favreau, Ned Beatty, Greta Lind
Votes: 69,061 | Gross: $22.75M
RUDY RUDY RUDY RUDY
25. The Love Guru (2008)
PG-13 | 87 min | Comedy, Romance, Sport
Pitka, an American raised outside of his country by gurus, returns to the States in order to break into the self-help business. His first challenge is to settle the romantic troubles and subsequent professional skid of a star hockey player whose wife left him for a rival athlete.
Director: Marco Schnabel | Stars: Mike Myers, Jessica Alba, Romany Malco, Jessica Simpson
Votes: 54,965 | Gross: $32.24M
I am in the minority when I say I found this movie to be funny and generally enjoyable. I see why people find this movie to be in poor taste but there are some funny moments. The humor is low grade which is something I generally hate, but for some reason I find myself liking this movie.
26. Alien (1979)
R | 117 min | Horror, Sci-Fi
The crew of a commercial spacecraft encounters a deadly lifeform after investigating a mysterious transmission of unknown origin.
Director: Ridley Scott | Stars: Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, John Hurt, Veronica Cartwright
Votes: 950,065 | Gross: $78.90M
People know this film is good, it is iconic for a reason, many reasons.
27. A Clockwork Orange (1971)
R | 136 min | Crime, Sci-Fi
In the future, a sadistic gang leader is imprisoned and volunteers for a conduct-aversion experiment, but it doesn't go as planned.
Director: Stanley Kubrick | Stars: Malcolm McDowell, Patrick Magee, Michael Bates, Warren Clarke
Votes: 881,062 | Gross: $6.21M
A great take on a classic novel, a case where the film is more engaging than the novel.
28. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
R | 142 min | Drama
Over the course of several years, two convicts form a friendship, seeking consolation and, eventually, redemption through basic compassion.
Director: Frank Darabont | Stars: Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman, Bob Gunton, William Sadler
Votes: 2,887,541 | Gross: $28.34M
Morgan Freeman, Morgan Freeman, Morgan Freeman
29. Se7en (1995)
R | 127 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Two detectives, a rookie and a veteran, hunt a serial killer who uses the seven deadly sins as his motives.
Director: David Fincher | Stars: Morgan Freeman, Brad Pitt, Kevin Spacey, Andrew Kevin Walker
Votes: 1,798,296 | Gross: $100.13M
Well acted, the highlights of this film are entirely based in the acting of the entire cast.
30. The Hurt Locker (2008)
R | 131 min | Drama, Thriller, War
During the Iraq War, a Sergeant recently assigned to an army bomb squad is put at odds with his squad mates due to his maverick way of handling his work.
Director: Kathryn Bigelow | Stars: Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, Brian Geraghty, Guy Pearce
Votes: 473,673 | Gross: $17.02M
Taking this from Wikipedia-
"As of 2015, The Hurt Locker is the lowest-grossing film to have ever won Best Picture."
I think that is a shame cause this is a fantastic work.
31. Glory Road (2006)
PG | 118 min | Biography, Drama, Sport
In 1966, Texas Western coach Don Haskins led the first all-black starting line-up for a college basketball team to the NCAA national championship.
Director: James Gartner | Stars: Josh Lucas, Derek Luke, Austin Nichols, Jon Voight
Votes: 48,815 | Gross: $42.64M
Typical sports film, but well executed none the less.
32. Buzz Lightyear of Star Command: The Adventure Begins (2000 Video)
Not Rated | 70 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
Buzz Lightyear must battle Emperor Zurg with the help of three hopefuls who insist on being his partners.
Director: Tad Stones | Stars: Tim Allen, Nicole Sullivan, Larry Miller, Stephen Furst
Votes: 5,476
A very good movie despite being based upon a children's show. This movie can be watched on it's own without the context of the series which is a very good thing. The humor is cute and the action is well put together. Things can even get relatively dark for a children's movie which isn't good nor bad just interesting. It is not the best piece of animation but it is a fun little work.
33. Red Hot Chili Peppers: Funky Monks (1991 Video)
60 min | Documentary, Music
Shows the classic lineup of the Red Hot Chili Peppers recording their 1991 breakthrough album "Blood Sugar Sex Magik."
Director: Gavin Bowden | Stars: John Frusciante, Adam Horovitz, Anthony Kiedis, Nial LaPrell
Votes: 817
Some interesting insight on the fantastic album that was Blood Sugar Sex Magik. It runs through more of the process of life while making an album rather than the making of the music itself.
34. The Little Shop of Horrors (1960)
Not Rated | 73 min | Comedy, Horror
A clumsy young man working at an impoverished flower shop discovers that the strange plant he has been nurturing has an insatiable appetite for blood, forcing him to kill to feed it.
Director: Roger Corman | Stars: Jonathan Haze, Jackie Joseph, Mel Welles, Dick Miller
Votes: 19,559 | Gross: $1.40M
*beep* the Rick Moranis version. The Broadway soundtrack is very well done. That being said, this version not being a musical touches more on the insanity and creepiness of the entire situation, and it's humor is a lot darker and less goofy.
35. Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn (2012)
Not Rated | 15 min | Action, Sci-Fi, Thriller
UNSC Cadet Thomas Lasky must conquer his inner fears and join forces with super-soldier John-117 to take down a massive faction of the Covenant.
Stars: Thom Green, Anna Popplewell, Enisha Brewster, Ayelet Zurer
Votes: 25,883
When putting this on the list assume that all parts are mashed up together. That being said this would be better without Master Chief.
36. Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993)
PG-13 | 104 min | Adventure, Comedy, Musical
A spoof of Robin Hood in general, and Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991) in particular.
Director: Mel Brooks | Stars: Cary Elwes, Richard Lewis, Roger Rees, Amy Yasbeck
Votes: 136,773 | Gross: $35.74M
Surprisingly low critical scores, my issues are with pacing mostly otherwise I find myself enjoying this film.
37. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
G | 149 min | Adventure, Sci-Fi
After uncovering a mysterious artifact buried beneath the Lunar surface, a spacecraft is sent to Jupiter to find its origins: a spacecraft manned by two men and the supercomputer HAL 9000.
Director: Stanley Kubrick | Stars: Keir Dullea, Gary Lockwood, William Sylvester, Daniel Richter
Votes: 719,228 | Gross: $56.95M
GREAT EFFECTS, GREAT MUSIC, AWESOME FILM
38. The Village (2004)
PG-13 | 108 min | Drama, Mystery, Thriller
A series of events tests the beliefs of a small isolated countryside village.
Director: M. Night Shyamalan | Stars: Sigourney Weaver, William Hurt, Joaquin Phoenix, Bryce Dallas Howard
Votes: 277,663 | Gross: $114.20M
When I saw this movie I actually saw it in a Bible class, I don't remember what the lesson was. What point was I trying to make. Anyways I like this movie.
39. Napoleon Dynamite (2004)
PG | 96 min | Comedy
A listless and alienated teenager decides to help his new friend win the class presidency in their small western high school, while he must deal with his bizarre family life back home.
Director: Jared Hess | Stars: Jon Heder, Efren Ramirez, Jon Gries, Aaron Ruell
Votes: 237,703 | Gross: $44.54M
Indie comedy done right.
40. Pokémon Origins (2013)
TV-Y7 | 25 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
Pokemon Origins follows Red, a Pokemon trainer, on his adventure through the Kanto Region.
Stars: Junko Takeuchi, Takuya Eguchi, Bryce Papenbrook, Lucien Dodge
Votes: 3,282
I am clumping this Mini Series into one feature. That being said it does a good job reminding and not ruining nostalgia, adding in new elements while bringing back fond memories.
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