Best Films of ______

[Huntn]

Best Films of 2015

Update: Not an assured indicator of true quality, added Top Grossing Movies to end of list.

I've highlighted the movies I've seen.
RollingStone:
10. Inside Out/Anomalisa (tie)
9. StarWars: The Force Awakens
8. The Martian 1-29
7. Tangerine
6. Straight Out Otta Compton
5. Brooklyn
4. Mad Max: Fury Road
3. Carol
2. Steve Jobs
1. Spotlight

Back in June, RollingStone had Ex Machina as number 3 out of 7.

Variety:
Justin Chang’s top 10 films of 2015 | Read more
1. “The Assassin”
2. “Mad Max: Fury Road”
3. “Phoenix”
4. “The Look of Silence”
5. “Carol”
6. “The Tribe”
7. “Spotlight”
8. “Inside Out”
9. “Girlhood”
10. “Brooklyn”

Peter Debruge’s top 11 films of 2015 | Read more
1. “Son of Saul”
2. “Spotlight”
3. “Steve Jobs”
4. “Inside Out”
5. “Tangerine”
6. “Above and Below”
7. “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”
8. “The Martian” 1-29
9. “Mustang”
10. “Mon roi” and “By the Sea”

Guy Lodge’s top 10 films of 2015 | Read more
1. “45 Years”
2. “Carol”
3. “Mad Max: Fury Road”
4. “Arabian Nights”
5. “Magic Mike XXL”
6. “The Demons”
7. “The Lobster”
8. “Victoria”
9. “The Endless River”
10. “Joy”

Indie Wire
1. Mad Max: Fury Road
2. Sicario
3. Duke of Burgundy
4. Carol
5. 45 Years
6. Inside Out
7. Room
8. Spotlight
9. Brooklyn
10. Son of Saul

The Guardian
1. 45 Years
2. Bridge of Spies
3. A Syrian Love Story
4. The Look of Silence
5. Carol
6. Amy
7. Mistress America
8. Inherent Vice
9. A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence
10. While We're Young

Top World Wide Gross
1. SW
2. JW
3. Furious 7
4. Avengers: Age of Ultron
5. Minions
6. Spectre
7. Inside Out
8. Mission Impossible- Rogue Nation
9. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay- Part 2
10. Fifty Shades of Grey

Top US Domestic Gross
1. SW
2. JW
3. Avengers: Age of Ultron
4. Inside Out
5. Furious 7
6. Minions
7. Hunger Games
8. The Martian 1-29
9. Cinderella
10. Spectre

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Best Films of 2015

I've only seen 3 of theses:
RollingStone: 10 Best Films of 2015.

10. Inside Out/Anomalisa (tie)
9. StarWars: The Force Awakens
8. The Martian
7. Tangerine
6. Straight Out Otta Compton
5. Brooklyn
4. Mad Max: Fury Road
3. Carol
2. Steve Jobs
1. Spotlight

Back in June, RollingStone had Ex Machina as number 3 out of 7.

Which three of the movies listed have you seen? And which of them would you recommend?

Personally, I haven't seen any of them.

 

[Huntn]

Which three of the movies listed have you seen? And which of them would you recommend?

Personally, I haven't seen any of them.

I bolded the ones I saw in the original post and added other lists including one from The Guardian. I wholeheartedly recommend Ex Machina and Mad Max, while realizing they may not suit everyone's tastes. Ex Machina is a brilliant physiological thriller. Mad Max is a rousing adventure and visual treat. If you are a Star Wars fan, The Force Awakened is a requirement to see, although it's suffered serious noodle lashing since it's release. Inside Out is recognized as a good film, but it did not quite click for me, a child's emotions turned into little cartoon characters. I anticipate The Martian (currently reading the book) will be good.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

I bolded the ones I saw in the original post and added other lists including one from The Guardian. I wholeheartedly recommend Ex Machina and Mad Max, while realizing they may not suit everyone's tastes. Ex Machina is a brilliant physiological thriller. Mad Max is a rousing adventure and visual treat. If you are a Star Wars fan, The Force Awakened is a requirement to see, although it's suffered serious noodle lashing since it's release. I anticipate The Martian (currently reading the book) will be good.

Thanks for your reply.

I rarely go to see movies, though I would be interested in reading your thoughts of Brooklyn, if you get a chance to see it, as it is based on an excellent book by the superb Irish writer Colm Tóibín.

 

[Huntn]

Thanks for your reply.

I rarely go to see movies, though I would be interested in reading your thoughts of Brooklyn, if you get a chance to see it, as it is based on an excellent book by the superb Irish writer Colm Tóibín.

Will do.

I'm curious if you rent disks or stream media for movies? If not, it's an easy way to view most recent films. I'm only interested in going to the theater if it's a visual extravaganza, I'm in love with the book, or if it's a blockbuster. However the last is tricky with no guarantee of satisfaction. And you can never trust a trailer. I always try to evaluate if the trailer just showed every high point to be found in the movie.

Side note regarding movie viewing philosophy, never ever watch a "making of documentary" before seeing the movie, unless you want it ruined. I guess that's common sense and I learned it the hard way, lol.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Will do.

I'm curious if you rent disks or stream media for movies? If not, it's an easy way to view most recent films. I'm only interested in going to the theater if it's a visual extravaganza, I'm in love with the book, or if it's a blockbuster. However the last is tricky with no guarantee of satisfaction. And you can never trust a trailer. I always try to evaluate if the trailer just showed every high point to be found in the movie.

Side note regarding movie viewing philosophy, never ever watch a "making of documentary" before seeing the movie, unless you want it ruined. I guess that's common sense and I learned it the hard way, lol.

No, I neither rent discs, nor stream movies. (I read books, lots and lots of books). In fact, apart from the news, intelligent current affairs, documentaries, and a few shows that I like, I rarely watch TV either.

To be quite honest, as it is, I spend enough of my life in front of screens, (with computers) I have no real desire to wish to do it any further - and I have never - physically - enjoyed the experience of watching movies.

It has to be really, really good - or on something that interests me, or beautifully made - to make me wish to see a movie.

I don't like horror, romance, macho nonsense, most movies that are marketed as comedies, bad history, beautiful people doing stupid things, or vacuous stuff that relies on special effects. Nor do I much care for movies that fail the Bechdel test.

Actually, I have a marked preference for European movies, and, in a movie, I wish to see a good thoughtful - preferably thought-provoking - plot, excellent character acting, and a very good script. Exceptional production values and attractive pictorial composition help, too.

 

[D.T.]

@Huntn The Martian is outstanding, just saw it on Friday night (scored a great deal on digital copy), beautifully shot, smartly scripted, Matt Damon is pretty terrific, and best of all - with the exception of a few well placed F-bombs - it's almost like a throwback to the action-adventure scifi of the 50s.

 

[Huntn]

@Huntn The Martian is outstanding, just saw it on Friday night (scored a great deal on digital copy), beautifully shot, smartly scripted, Matt Damon is pretty terrific, and best of all - with the exception of a few well placed F-bombs - it's almost like a throwback to the action-adventure scifi of the 50s.

I'm looking forward to seeing it.

 

[kazmac]

At the movies, Ex Machina and The Force Awakens. I rented Mad Max Fury Road. Of the three, I'd wager Fury Road as the best film (Hugh Keays-Byrne and the visuals made the movie for me.) And it's the only one I'd watch again.

I will rent Bridge of Spies...that looked excellent and I'm sorry I missed it.

However, nothing tops the utter joy and fun I am having with the Shaw Brothers Studios stuff. As much as I love Italian / European and American trash / genre films, the Shaws stuff feels so new and different and fun to me. Probably the most fun I've ever had watching any specific genre. I love them.

 

[citizenzen]

... I don't like horror, romance, macho nonsense ...

If you don't like macho nonsense, then by all means skip Mad Max. I watched it last night on HBO, and I can't believe it's up for a best picture. There is no story. It's just one long chase scene through desert wasteland.

Spoiler

Mad Max and the small band he's rescued are about to ride off into the horizon, when they stop and decide their only course of action is to turn around and ride back through the horde that had been chasing them for the previous hour and a half. I literally shouted at the TV at the prospect of going through another 30 minutes of the exact same chase I had just watched!

Terrible, terrible movie.

 

[Huntn]

If you don't like macho nonsense, then by all means skip Mad Max. I watched it last night on HBO, and I can't believe it's up for a best picture. There is no story. It's just one long chase scene through desert wasteland.

Spoiler

Mad Max and the small band he's rescued are about to ride off into the horizon, when they stop and decide their only course of action is to turn around and ride back through the horde that had been chasing them for the previous hour and a half. I literally shouted at the TV at the prospect of going through another 30 minutes of the exact same chase I had just watched!

Terrible, terrible movie.

Lol, that all boils down to your expectations. It is one pretty much a continuous chase. My entertainment spectrum is more robust than yours. There was a minimal story, Furiosa making a break from oppression with the help of an unlikely stranger, with pure outstanding action, and no it was not all identical, but similiar with different stunts. For example , the guys on the poles were near the end; the guys jumping their motorcycles while throwing bombs happened in just one sequence; the Gigahorse jumped, flew in front of the tanker and slammed on it's breaks once, and Mad Max's Interceptor got destroyed once, being ground between two large vehicles.

You'll notice I already included a disclaimer because I suspected it would not meet @Scepticalscribe standards. There is only one reason it's up for best picture, 10 best picture slots. Now that is stupid, but the film is no less exciting, if this kind of outstanding correagraphed action appeals to you and that's why it was nominated. Some talent was involved in the creation of this film. I also liked the minimalist dialog when it look place. "This rig goes nowhere without me". "That is a trap". "My name is Max, here have some blood."

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Lol, that all boils down to your expectations. It is one pretty much a continuous chase. My entertainment spectrum is more robust than yours. There was a minimal story, Furiosa making a break from oppression with the help of an unlikely stranger, with pure outstanding action, and no it was not all identical, but similiar with different stunts. For example , the guys on the poles were near the end; the guys jumping their motorcycles while throwing bombs happened in just one sequence; the Gigahorse jumped, flew in front of the tanker and slammed on it's breaks once, and Mad Max's Interceptor got destroyed once, being ground between two large vehicles.

You'll notice I already included a disclaimer because I suspected it would not meet @Scepticalscribe standards. There is only one reason it's up for best picture, 10 best picture slots. Now that is stupid, but the film is no less exciting, if this kind of outstanding correagraphed action appeals to you. I also liked the minimalist dialog when it look place. "This rig goes nowhere without me". "That is a trap". "My name is Max, here have some blood."

Therein lies the truth, and how right you are.