BetaKitten
Mega Poster
Not too much more than Rob at 104, but i have seen many many many more films off our 500 list...
Started early...
Started early...
Are you a film buff?
- Thread starter furie
- Start date
The IMDB one is better in my opinion, simply because it's based around "popularity". It's created by the people who vote on there - so you don't get films like Eraserhead appearing. It's critically acclaimed and most film students will tell you it's one of the best artistic films ever, but I would say 99% of people wouldn't make it more than ten minutes into it without switching it off.
However, there's a good pull of critically acclaimed stuff that is also "a good watch". It's a nice mix of films to give most people a chance.
If somebody wants to produce the Empire top 500 in Excel format, feel free and I'll do that too
However, there's a good pull of critically acclaimed stuff that is also "a good watch". It's a nice mix of films to give most people a chance.
If somebody wants to produce the Empire top 500 in Excel format, feel free and I'll do that too
A
Anonymous
Guest
I'm not really sure of the complete number, but I'm 100% sure that I have seen 85 of the films on the top 250 chart, but I can have seen more since I don't recognise all films with their English title...
I've seen 163 of them, does that make a film buff? No.
I rarely take anything in...and if I do, it's without realising. I don't study the cast, production staff or even the music unless I'm really grabbed. I watch a film for a few hours of throwaway entertainment.
I rarely discuss films outside of "Have you seen blah blah? It's brilliant/utter crap!"
I watch something because it's recommended to me and I enjoy watching them, but it's not a subject of discussion I'm interested in. So no, I'm not a film buff, just a film watcher.
If you ever want to talk pretentiously about films, then I'd recommend seeing "Sunrise: A Song of..." It's black and white, silent but exceptionally well crafted. It's one of those joyful films that makes you sound a bit poncy in certain situations.
I rarely take anything in...and if I do, it's without realising. I don't study the cast, production staff or even the music unless I'm really grabbed. I watch a film for a few hours of throwaway entertainment.
I rarely discuss films outside of "Have you seen blah blah? It's brilliant/utter crap!"
I watch something because it's recommended to me and I enjoy watching them, but it's not a subject of discussion I'm interested in. So no, I'm not a film buff, just a film watcher.
If you ever want to talk pretentiously about films, then I'd recommend seeing "Sunrise: A Song of..." It's black and white, silent but exceptionally well crafted. It's one of those joyful films that makes you sound a bit poncy in certain situations.
Ploddish
Hyper Poster
90 as of just now. After coming back from uni, I've basically trawled through the sky movies TV Listings, setting everything i'd like to watch to record. Tonight's film was Das Boot!
Of what I've got recorded:
Taxi Driver
Touch of Evil
Who's Afraid of the Virginia Woolf
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Dr Strangelove
Dial M for Murder
I'm amazed at the amount of films from my top 10 you've not seen. It's almost as if you're actively avoiding my favourite ones! These are the few I think you really have to see:
Amélie - My favourite, and the film that can consistently make me euphoric. The reason my favourite soundtrack artist is Yann Tiersen. Anything else I say about it would just be a hyperbole
Requiem for a Dream - The film that has depressed me the most, and it was such a stunning experience. Watch alone and without distraction, and make sure you've nothing else to do afterwards - I had to sit down and do nothing for quite some time afterwards. Truly spectacular music.
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind - Charlie Kaufmann is definitely one of my favourite screenwriters. It's touching, funny and a very interesting look at how we process loss. Basically a romcom Inception, but better
Magnolia - A long, but it's really rather brilliant look at a series of characters caught up in a series of coincidences. I dare you not to love it after the opening 10 minutes.
The Pianist - A very moving, haunting film from Polanski, wonderfully acted by Adrien Brody. It's probably because I've yet to see Schindler's List, but this has been one of the few films to properly horrify (all over again) me over the events of the holocaust.
Spirited Away/Other Miyazaki - It's Miyazaki. Need I say more?
In Bruges - One of the more fun comedies to come out for a while. Think an Irish Shaun of the Dead, without the zombies, featuring inept assassins and set in Bruges.
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly - The weird one. It's an interesting film about a man with locked-in syndrome, who writes a memoir (which the film is based on) describing what it's like. It has a lovely dream-like quality to it
Of what I've got recorded:
Taxi Driver
Touch of Evil
Who's Afraid of the Virginia Woolf
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Dr Strangelove
Dial M for Murder
I'm amazed at the amount of films from my top 10 you've not seen. It's almost as if you're actively avoiding my favourite ones! These are the few I think you really have to see:
Amélie - My favourite, and the film that can consistently make me euphoric. The reason my favourite soundtrack artist is Yann Tiersen. Anything else I say about it would just be a hyperbole
Requiem for a Dream - The film that has depressed me the most, and it was such a stunning experience. Watch alone and without distraction, and make sure you've nothing else to do afterwards - I had to sit down and do nothing for quite some time afterwards. Truly spectacular music.
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind - Charlie Kaufmann is definitely one of my favourite screenwriters. It's touching, funny and a very interesting look at how we process loss. Basically a romcom Inception, but better
Magnolia - A long, but it's really rather brilliant look at a series of characters caught up in a series of coincidences. I dare you not to love it after the opening 10 minutes.
The Pianist - A very moving, haunting film from Polanski, wonderfully acted by Adrien Brody. It's probably because I've yet to see Schindler's List, but this has been one of the few films to properly horrify (all over again) me over the events of the holocaust.
Spirited Away/Other Miyazaki - It's Miyazaki. Need I say more?
In Bruges - One of the more fun comedies to come out for a while. Think an Irish Shaun of the Dead, without the zombies, featuring inept assassins and set in Bruges.
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly - The weird one. It's an interesting film about a man with locked-in syndrome, who writes a memoir (which the film is based on) describing what it's like. It has a lovely dream-like quality to it
BetaKitten
Mega Poster
We have to 500 films list already spreadsheeted for our own working through purposes.... but it's nerdily colour coded as to what we've watched already and what we have but have not got round to watching yet....
It also includes directors and years and all that stuffs...
It also includes directors and years and all that stuffs...
This has been (for me anyway), an interesting topic. Some films added to LoveFilm now to watch too
I'm up to 149 BTW, with another to take me to 150 this weekend
Anyway, Ian's post really interested me
The thing is... I think it does make you a film buff, just not one who has an interest in what makes it good.
Like before we became "enthusiasts", I think we all pretty much enjoyed riding coasters. We didn't need to know who made it, what type it was, what g-forces are. I certainly rode (and enjoyed/hated) coasters for thirty years without that knowledge.
I rarely take note of things like soundtrack. I don't know much about film-making techniques, directional techniques or script writing. I'm not really good even at working out if somebody is a good actor or not.
What I know is if I've enjoyed a film. And I can usually spot the parts that make me enjoy it. I'll pick up on similar things in other films, and you'll probably find I enjoy films which are all made in quite similar ways, with quite similar shots, direction and pacing - even if I don't know what the technical terms for them are.
Now, I do take note of the director. For me, the cast are like the musicians in a band, and the director is the songwriter (though obviously most bands have the song writer as one of the musicians).
You'd certainly look at the band who made an album or song before buying it (or even listening to it). Likewise, I'll not just look at the actors, but also the director for the same reason.
As with a band, if you like one album, you're probably going to like others by them.
Anyway, the point is, you probably are film buff Ian. You watch a lot of films, and have solid opinions of if you like a film or not. You watch it for the purest of reasons - enjoyment. Yet you're watching films that aren't simple "blow'em up/cheap gags/big specialFX/Dark Knight" popular mindless trash (though you are, but not exclusively). So you have a solid "taste", which is essentially being an untrained "film buff". Which is a very good thing indeed, it means you know what's good and what isn't, but don't care why as long as you're enjoying it
Phew :lol:
I'm up to 149 BTW, with another to take me to 150 this weekend
Anyway, Ian's post really interested me
Ian said:
The thing is... I think it does make you a film buff, just not one who has an interest in what makes it good.
Like before we became "enthusiasts", I think we all pretty much enjoyed riding coasters. We didn't need to know who made it, what type it was, what g-forces are. I certainly rode (and enjoyed/hated) coasters for thirty years without that knowledge.
I rarely take note of things like soundtrack. I don't know much about film-making techniques, directional techniques or script writing. I'm not really good even at working out if somebody is a good actor or not.
What I know is if I've enjoyed a film. And I can usually spot the parts that make me enjoy it. I'll pick up on similar things in other films, and you'll probably find I enjoy films which are all made in quite similar ways, with quite similar shots, direction and pacing - even if I don't know what the technical terms for them are.
Now, I do take note of the director. For me, the cast are like the musicians in a band, and the director is the songwriter (though obviously most bands have the song writer as one of the musicians).
You'd certainly look at the band who made an album or song before buying it (or even listening to it). Likewise, I'll not just look at the actors, but also the director for the same reason.
As with a band, if you like one album, you're probably going to like others by them.
Anyway, the point is, you probably are film buff Ian. You watch a lot of films, and have solid opinions of if you like a film or not. You watch it for the purest of reasons - enjoyment. Yet you're watching films that aren't simple "blow'em up/cheap gags/big specialFX/Dark Knight" popular mindless trash (though you are, but not exclusively). So you have a solid "taste", which is essentially being an untrained "film buff". Which is a very good thing indeed, it means you know what's good and what isn't, but don't care why as long as you're enjoying it
Phew :lol:
Yes, you hit the nail on the head there. I know what I like and dislike and I'm only after entertainment. Selfish really.
And just because furie thinks I'm buff, please do not try to engage me in a detailed chat about films because you'll only bore me.
And just because furie thinks I'm buff, please do not try to engage me in a detailed chat about films because you'll only bore me.
Finally got 150 last night with The Manchurian Candidate. As I said int he "now showing" topic, I like doing this as it means you catch films you'd otherwise completely overlook.
You also get people giving good advice on films too. I think it's going to be difficult to really make much headway now, but it'll be fun trying
You also get people giving good advice on films too. I think it's going to be difficult to really make much headway now, but it'll be fun trying
LiveForTheLaunch
CF Legend
51
nadroJ
CF Legend
furie said:
Eraserhead - one word, urrrggggghhhhh. Although I think I need to watch it again because I have recently discovered that David Lynch is: awesome.
I just got very very unnerved and grossed out by the weird chicken and the extremely strange sexual imagery. I'll do a proper count later when I don't have a head covered in hair dye =]
Edit: My number is 107 =D
Double edit: Furie, you literally need to see City of God. Like, neeeeeeeed to!