Iconic movies - school me!

[phantom13]

There are definitely some great modern movies but I do think there’s a Disneyfication under way, where a lot of edge on mainstream films have been focus grouped away and made corporate friendly (different to things being made “woke”, to the extent that means anything anymore I think any normal person should celebrate that films can now be told by and from the perspective of a more diverse range of characters).

That said, to the question of “why are all these movies so intense?” I think a lot of them are movies people posted that they loved as teenage boys, when you would see things like this and it would be like “wow that’s so subversive”. A film like Beau travail wouldn’t have appealed to me as a 15 year old in the way that Se7en did, but if I had to pick one now, it’s not really a contest (though I still do like Se7en).

Se7en is pretty timeless (even the production design is pretty deliberately ambigious with cars and typewriters and the like).

I can say from the iconic list that was developed theyre not all "intense" (Dead Poets and Jerry Maguire were on there) but some of the more intense movies have iconic moments

Spoiler

"WHATS IN THE ****ING BOX"

and become iconic.

 

[GROTTO]

Se7en is pretty timeless (even the production design is pretty deliberately ambigious with cars and typewriters and the like).

I can say from the iconic list that was developed theyre not all "intense" (Dead Poets and Jerry Maguire were on there) but some of the more intense movies have iconic moments

Spoiler

"WHATS IN THE ****ING BOX"

and become iconic.

 

[Beerfish]

I watched Seven. Why are all of these iconic movies so INTENSE help

Can be hard to get your head around sometimes.

 

[MrsEddieBetts]

Can be hard to get your head around sometimes.

 

[Cruyff14]

Did you like it MEB? What are you going to watch next?

 

[Beerfish]

There's no need to lose your head now!

 

[MrsEddieBetts]

Did you like it MEB? What are you going to watch next?

Very much so. I haven't decided what's next yet, happy to take suggestions.

 

[Cruyff14]

Very much so. I haven't decided what's next yet, happy to take suggestions.

Usual Suspects, for sure!

 

[MrsEddieBetts]

Usual Suspects, for sure!

Oh I've seen that one! Great movie

 

[Billy ray]

I know you are looking for movies buthave you seen series 1 of true detective?

 

[Cruyff14]

The Fugitive. Do it!

 

[MrsEddieBetts]

I know you are looking for movies buthave you seen series 1 of true detective?

I haven't, my dad raves about it though. One day I'll get to it, maybe after my movie project is done I'll ask for suggestions on series. I don't have a huge attention span though so they can't be slow.

 

[MrsEddieBetts]

The Fugitive. Do it!

Aw man ya gotta pay for it

 

[spinynorman]

Mmm, maybe? I suppose it's mostly men making recommendations to me and stereotypically speaking they're probably more inclined to choose action or thrillers than women are? That's a huge assumption by me though.

I think it’s fair to say this forum is majority men. And that film only in the last decade or so began seeing something closer to parity in female directors telling their stories etc so that’s probably even more distorted.

For films that are a bit more in the romance side of things from this era, I’ll throw out:

Before Sunrise and its sequel, Before Sunset
The Bridges of Madison County
In the Mood for Love
The Piano (the “romance” isn’t particularly romantic but it’s the greatest movie ever made by a woman, I think)

 

[spinynorman]

Se7en is pretty timeless (even the production design is pretty deliberately ambigious with cars and typewriters and the like).

I can say from the iconic list that was developed theyre not all "intense" (Dead Poets and Jerry Maguire were on there) but some of the more intense movies have iconic moments

Spoiler

"WHATS IN THE ****ING BOX"

and become iconic.

I get they’re not all intense but I just mean they’re either easily digestible or things that are more obviously shocking. Like when I first saw A Clockwork Orange it shocked in a very obvious way, but as an adult 2001: A Space Odyssey leaves a greater impression (and these days seems the more “iconic”, although they both are).

Anyway, obviously that’s a difficult thing to define - as you mention there’s iconic scenes, but the image of Tom Cruise dancing in his underwear might be iconic but I don’t think the film Risky Business is, if that makes sense. Obviously its subjective and anything can be iconic to any people (I know some people can quote Spaceballs at length but I had no relationship with that movie, but then for whatever reason I watched As Good As It Gets repeatedly, a film that’s mostly forgotten but meant a lot to me).

 

[MrsEddieBetts]

I think it’s fair to say this forum is majority men. And that film only in the last decade or so began seeing something closer to parity in female directors telling their stories etc so that’s probably even more distorted.

For films that are a bit more in the romance side of things from this era, I’ll throw out:

Before Sunrise and its sequel, Before Sunset
The Bridges of Madison County
In the Mood for Love
The Piano (the “romance” isn’t particularly romantic but it’s the greatest movie ever made by a woman, I think)

THANK YOU!

 

[bommer16]

Bridges of Madison County - one of my fav Meryl films. 10/10.

 

[ibd77]

View attachment 2053035

Hahaha, just watched that like 5 minutes ago.

 

[MrsEddieBetts]

Prepare your throwing tomatoes - I watched Shawshank last night and just didn’t love it.

 

[MatthewB]

Prepare your throwing tomatoes - I watched Shawshank last night and just didn’t love it.

Why didn't you love it

 

[MrsEddieBetts]

View attachment 2147229

Why didn't you love it

Maybe my expectations were too high? I was expecting it to hit me in the feels, and it didn’t. It felt long and a bit preachy.

 

[MatthewB]

Maybe my expectations were too high? I was expecting it to hit me in the feels, and it didn’t. It felt long and a bit preachy.

That's fair enough, you can't like every movie, never hit me in the feels either, but I enjoyed the story telling

 

[phantom13]

There’s absolutely no question it’s iconic but I think it’s a film who’s reputation has become almost mythical.

I actually totally understand the IMDB ranking and score because it’s a well done film about some (semi) dark subject matter that makes it all accessible and has a delightful (if somewhat unearned) ending.

It’s funny. Frank Darabont has done 3 King adaptations and IMO Shawshank is the worst (noting it’s actually still a pretty good film).

 

[Cruyff14]

Ironically it's on TV now.

Exceptional film. I love it.

 

[Sketi]

I love horror films but a few years ago I decided to watch the old Iconic horror films and they are amazing!

Iconic Italian Horror from Dario Argento!

Suspiria
Opera
Deep Red
Inferno
Phenomena

I love the slower more immersing pace that 70s horror had like.

Invasion of the Bodysnatchers (1978)
The Omen
The Exorcist
The Wicker Man
The Tenant
The Shining

Iconic recent horror:

The Witch
Hereditary (Not my favourite on the list but this creeped me out for days)
The Blackcoat's Daughter
The Wailing

My pick for 'iconic' horror would be Rosemary's Baby.

Was the horror movie of the 1960s and is widely considered to be one the best ever.

To your point about psychological horror MrsEddieBetts , it is the perfect example of that IMO. Scary and stressful without a single piece of gore.

Iconic horror movies:

Rosemary's Baby
The Shining
Psycho
Scream
The Thing
Modern classic: Hereditary