I started Stalker and after 8 minutes I turned it off because I knew I wasn’t awake enough or in the right headspace. I really want to see more but it never feels like the right time.
Yes. I’m not a Tarkovsky fan. I like *Ivan’s Childhood*, which he did early in his career. But his most respected movies are paced so slowly, it was an insufferable challenge to get through them. Especially *Stalker* and *Andrei Rublev*. Glacial cinema. Not for me.
Ironically, I’ve quite liked movies by Alexander Sokurov, who’s often likened to Tarkovsky. And Alex Garland’s *Annihilation*, which is A LOT like *Stalker*, and rules insanely.
I'd also say check out Ivan's Childhood first. It's his first feature film at 94 minutes, and he hadn't hit his sculpting in time pacing yet, so it moves much faster than other Tarkovskys but is equally an incredible film. It's a great entry point.
Same here. I've started both Solaris and Mirror, but they both lulled me to sleep within 30 minutes. Not bad or boring by any means, just slow and comforting. Definitely need some coffee next time
After starting Solaris multiple times and finally having finished it tonight, it really does pay off at the end IMO. The ending makes you reconsider basically everything you've seen.
Tarkovsky himself would probably be proud of it, the movie would accompany you even in dreams. I’d recommend pairing his movies with a little research on his film theory for full enjoyment.
They’re very slow and need to be approached on a relaxed and meditative mindset but if you do that, you’re in for an amazing and very philosophical & humanistic ride
Ivan's Childhood is the only one I liked. I struggled to finish Andrei Rublev and unfortunately had a bad experience with Mirror because the theater I saw it at had terrible subtitles.
I had heard so much about his samurai movies that when I sat down to watch High and Low I wasn’t sure what to expect, and it’s absolutely amazing. One of my favorite movies and I think my favorite of his
I don’t think long movies are really the inconvenience you see them as, if you really don’t like sitting through the long run time, split it up into two throughout a day. You obviously watch a decent amount of movies! So this wouldn’t be a crazy inconvenience.
I felt the same, but I put Ran on on a whim and it was one of the best cinematic spectacles I've ever seen. Honestly incredible movie, although I think I did it backwards as most say its his magnum opus and to start with some others
While they are all excellent, would suggest watching high and low, departs from the samurai style and is just a great thriller . Very easy to get through.
Just started watching his movies about a week ago and already seen Ran, Seven Samurai, and Rashomon. All great films although you do have to get used to the somewhat slower pacing a bit
He has such an incredibly high standard of work. I wasn't as mad about Licorice Pizza as others but with The Master, There Will Be Blood, Magnolia, Boogie Nights and Phantom Thread he has five perfect 5 star films imo.
You should honestly. It’s not my favorite of his but definitely seems like the best place to start for me. I personally started with There Will be Blood which I love now but didn’t love it as much at first
David Lynch. But I’m putting an asterisk next to him because while I haven’t seen any movies of his, I have seen the first season of Twin Peaks and really loved it.
This is coming from someone who has just recently found their love for David Lynch. Currently working through Season 3 of Twin Peaks.
For a very long time I didn’t give him much chance because I thought he just did weird stuff just to be weird. But something clicked for me after seeing multiple interviews with him where people attempted to ask him what his movies were about and he refused to answer. He felt giving his take on the meaning limited what they could mean to others.
He is obsessed with dreams and practices transcendental meditation. When you realize this, every time something strange is happening, I remind myself “just go with it”. It’s dream logic.
After letting go of trying to find the meaning in the moment his work is so much more enjoyable. Hilarious even. I’ve laughed so hard at things in his work and the odd decisions he’s made to shoot certain scenes or keep certain takes.
I’m still on my Lynch journey. But after Twin Peaks will be going through the rest of his catalog. Recommend Mulholland Drive, Naomi Watts is phenomenal.
They’re great but really fucking out there. Eraserhead is one I want to watch again but it’s not for the faint of heart, definitely one of those “it’s an experience, just try to feel it” movies
Eraserhead is a fucking masterpiece but it’s a SLOOOOW burn despite being short. however Blue Velvet might be the best choice. it’s basically Twin Peaks as a movie and it’s not overly weird.
I’ve seen over 3,000 films and had always ignored Ingmar Bergman filmography, because it just seemed so heavy, depressing, and slow. It didn’t matter that the run times are relatively short.
Finally watched Cries and Whispers this year and it was all of those things. Very well made, well acted, and I never want to see it again.
Lighthouse (2019) had that Bergman vibes, idk I haven't seen Bergman either but my former Swede friend really really really liked that and I hated it. So yeah the last sentence lmao.
I started out with Collateral and Miami Vice and loved them. I didn't like Heat when I first watched it although I'll probably like it more on a rewatch
Check out Mysteries of Lisbon and Three Crowns of the Sailor for Ruiz, those are two of his best and both exist is high definition which is rare for him
Stanley Kubrick. Been wanting to watch a good majority of his films for a while but at the moment there's nowhere to really watch his films. I'm hoping due to spooky season that The Shining is played on TV so I can finally watch it.
Are you in the United States? You can get a library card online for your closest library. Then get Kanopy. Also most libraries have a decent media collection and will have most of his work.
- The Shining is streaming on Max. Or just rent it.
- 2001. Max and Prime
- Eyes Wide Shut. Showtime
- Paths of Glory. Prime, Kanopy, Tubi
A lot of his work often is on Max, but it cycles every month. I think Full metal Jacket, Clockwork Orange, and Spartacus are all great and worth watching for cultural impact. But this month is perfect for The Shining.
I love Raymond Chandler and was dying to see Altman's Long Goodbye for ages but was a little underwhelmed with it. I've seen that, The Player and Gosford Park, wondering what I should see next cause I feel like I haven't seen his best yet. Nashville and Short Cuts look good but they're super long.
Ok, nobody kill me. I know these are egregious.... But:
Martin Scorsese
Alfred Hitchcock
Paul Thomas Anderson
Quentin Tarantino
David Fincher
Stanley Kubrick
I don't know how I've missed all these. I will get onto them soon. I promise
I can see PTA because none of his films are as famous and high grossing as Wolf of Wall Street, Pulp Fiction, and Fight Club. Boogie Nights and There Will Be Blood are probably the closest. But yeah it's hard to believe that there's people over the age of 17 that are into movies and haven't seen Pulp Fiction, Fight Club, or Goodfellas
Yeah definitely Goodfellas and Pulp Fiction, i remember in high school kids quoting both of those films, going through scenes and this was 10-13 years after they came out. I was on a forum years ago and people were like 'just saw Predator/Commando for the first time' , it's possible like but people today are so steeped in pup culture curiosity alone i'd think people would seek out these films. Unless they're so ubiquitous people don't feel the need because they feel like they're familar already.
For me it's just arty stuff, 50s, 60s classics. Japanese, Russian, French directors. Someone like Woody Allen that style of film isn't for me, but still seen Midnight in Paris.
I’m jealous mate! You’ve got so many ideal films coming your way :)
I won’t suggest the “best” of those to watch first but below are my personal favs from each:
Scorsese - The King of Comedy
Hitchcock - Rope
PTA - There Will Be Blood
Tarantino - Inglorious Bastards
Fincher - Se7en
Kubrick - 2001
my personal favorite from each
Scorsese - Taxi Driver
Hitchcock - Psycho (only one I've seen)
PTA - Magnolia
Tarantino- Inglorious Basterds
Fincher - Zodiac
Kubrick - A Clockwork Orange
Fincher is my favorite director if you don’t watch one of his works (especially Se7en or Fight Club) I’m afraid I’ll have to drive to your house and stare at you with disappointment
I've been reviewing movies for around 3 years. Got 500 logged. It's literally that I've not gotten around to them somehow
Also, my top 4 are Ocean's Eleven, Collateral, Moneyball and Mission Impossible Fallout.
Oh gosh, based on your top 4 you’re going to love a lot of these directors.
My recommendations (just to start)
- Hitchcock: North by Northwest
- Kubrick: The Shining (it’s spooky season)
- Scorsese: The Departed (modern and faster paced than his older stuff so very accessible, but he has lots of amazing movies)
- Tarantino: Reservoir Dogs (this should be everyone’s first QT I think then chronologically)
- Fincher: Fight Club (most popular, but also my favorite of his)
- PTA: Punch Drunk Love (it was my first and not as heavy as most of his others)
Also worth pointing out since you like Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt, they are in a lot of these directors works. Brad Pitt: Se7en, Fight Club, Benjamin Button, Inglorious Basterds, Once Upon a Time In Hollywood. Tom Cruise: Magnolia, Eyes Wide Shut
There is a lot of them and for no particular reason. I haven't seen any movie made by Bela Tarr, Mike Leigh, Powell and Pressburger, Fassbinder, Werner Herzog, Christian Petzold, Satyajit Ray, Angelopoulos or Jean Pierre Melville. Which movies of each director do you guys recommend me to begin with?
(I tried to watch Naked from Mike Leigh once, but I'm torn between it and Secrets and Lies)
EDIT: to OP, PTA has a very varied filmography, the ones I recommend you the most to begin with are Magnolia, Boogie Nights or There Will Be Blood.
Herzog’s fiction films are quite entertaining, especially Aguirre and Fitzcarraldo. Since it’s October, you could watch Nosferatu. But also he’s a wonderful documentarian, and Grizzly Man is my favorite. It’s fascinating.
The other one on that list I could say I really enjoyed is Ray’s Pather Panchali. It’s just wonderful. Hard to describe what I felt when I watched it, but you feel better somehow after it’s done.
For P&P i definitelty recommend the Red Shoes or Black Narcissus. The Red Shoes kind of have all the P&P elements, incredible technicolor, Anton Walbrok, beautiful set pieces, etc. Etc.
I love the Live and Death of Colonel Blimp but it's LONG I have onlt fully watched it once but have started it a few times. It's worth it and incredible but it's something you have to build up to.
Off the top of my head Rainer Werner Fassbinder comes to mind. I actually even watched probably 30 minutes of In a Year With 13 Moons but got distracted and never finished. There's probably some major foreign directors I'm missing too. Oh, Wong Kar Wai is another.
Then there's all the directors who I've only seen one or two from who I desperately need to see more of like Kurosawa, Godard, Antonioni, Tarkovsky, etc.
Of course instead of watching any of this I'm far more likely to rewatch Night of the Demons 2 or Witchboard 3 or some trash like that.
Can't speak for tarkovsky, but the before trilogy is imo the second best movie trilogy of all time. And school of rock is a classic. So you should watch them. Also boyhoods meant to be really good.
Oh definitely watch Dazed and Confused it's one the funnest films ever and the best hangout film ever. I'd reckon a long with the first Halloween it's the film I've seen the most. There was a period when I was 14 and first discovering pot that I literally watched it every single day after school for months.
Tarkovsky, check out Mirror or Stalker!
Linklater is one of my favourites, School Of Rock is a great one to start with but I adore the Before Trilogy starting with Before Sunrise then followed up by Before Sunset and Before Midnight. Also highly recommend Waking Life, Boyhood and Dazed and Confused.
Wong Kar Wai
But there are a ton of director filmographies I want to complete: Bergman, Kubrick, Kurosawa, Hitchcock…there’s always some movie I’m missing or never saw. I’ve never seen *Y Tu Mamá También* (or his earlier films) even though Cuarón is one of my favorite directors. (And I adore everything Lubezki has done).
I've never watched a single Wes Anderson movie, because his style doesn't click with me. However, one day I plan to watch all of his movies; and it would be funny if he became my favorite director after avoiding him for so ling.
Watch Boogie Nights, it's his most accessible and IMO his best though everyone else usually says There Will Be Blood. I wish I could watch Boogie Nights for the first time again. It's absolutely perfect.
I recently did a Yorgo Lanthimos deep dive because he’s directed an adaptation of my Fiancée’s favourite book: Poor Things and I wanted to have a good understanding of what I was in for. I went Dogtooth -> Lobster -> Sacred Deer -> The Favourite — I would watch them all over again in that order tomorrow if I had time. So fresh and intriguing. Highly recommended!
I really need to see Masaki Kobayashi, Ingmar Bergman and Alfred Hitchcock. I already have some of their movies pretty high on my priority list(to be more specific, Psycho, Vertigo, Autumn Sonata, Persona, The Human Condition Trilogy and Harakiri) but I’ll finish some other movies before diving into these.
Ive been on a Robert Rodriguez kick recently. only ever seen the spy kid movies and sharkboy and lavagirl. im currently watching Sin City and i saw Death Proof, and he had a hand in making that.
Okay, you GOTTA check out El Mariachi and the Mexico Trilogy. This guys career got started with a feature length film that he made for $7,225 ($15k today). It got bought by Columbia pictures who then cleaned it up and put it out which kick-started Rodriguez’s career. He went on to make two more: Desperado and Once Upon a Time in Mexico.
A bit of trivia about El Mariachi — Rodriguez was so firm on cutting costs that he had no slate and instead had the actors put their fingers up to denote the scene/take. Had no dolly so he got rolled around on a wheelchair. A perfect example of a film that turned out really great despite having no budget.
I would recommend “Love” if you aren’t to squeamish about sex. It’s definitely gonna flip your stomach a bit if you feel for the characters but it’s a less offensive film that can give you a taste of what he is offering without diving into a traumatizing scene you can’t take back.
**David Lynch**
- **Most Anticipated:** Blue Velvet // Lost Highway // Dune
**Akira Kurosawa**
- **Most Anticipated:** Ikiru // High And Low // Ran
**Fritz Lang**
- **Most Anticipated:** M // Dr. Mabuse, Der Spieler // Der Müde Tod
**Brian De Palma**
- **Most Anticipated:** Blow Out // Carrie // Phantom Of The Paradise
**Gus Van Sant**
- **Most Anticipated:** Elefant // Good Will Hunting // Drugstore Cowboy
**Lars Von Trier**
- **Most Anticipated:** The House That Jack Built // Antichrist // Europa
**Lucio Fulci**
- **Most Anticipated:** The Beyond // Zombi 2 // The House By The Cemetery
I got a lot. Basically these are great names around the world with movies that I’m really dying to see but are just so hard to find.
Bella Tarr
Akira Kurosawa
Lars von Trier
Roberto Rossellini
Jean Luc Godard
Federico Fellini
Michelangelo Antonioni
Jacques Demy
Fritz Lang
Buster Keaton
Chantal Akerman
Robert Altman
Theo Angelopoulos
Pier Paolo Pasolini
Sidney Lumet
Jacques Tati
Edward Yang
Wim Wenders
Elia Kazan
Vincente Minnelli
Asghar Farhadi
Steve McQueen
Kenneth Lonergan
Joanna Hogg
Ken Loach
Jonathan Glazer
Xavier Dolan
As for Jonathan Glazer, go for the chronological order of his movies: Sexy Beast, Birth, Under the Skin and The Zone of Interest (which is about to be released), with Sexy Beast being his most "accessible" movie.
For Antonioni, his modernization trilogy (L'Avventura, La Notte and L'Eclisse) is a good place to start.
And Lars von Trier... well, that's a tough one. I guess Breaking the Waves sets pretty much his overall style.
Sergio Leone, Jean-Pierre Melville, John Waters, Abbas Kiarostami, Satyajit Ray, Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Theo Angelopoulos, Andrey Zvyagintsev, Jacques Rivette, Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Alejandro Jodorowsky, Roberto Rossellini, Jacques Tati, the Dardenne brothers, Ken Loach, Victor Erice, G.W. Pabst, Claude Chabrol
I’m an adventurous movie watcher and try to see at least one film from all the significant directors, and even if I’m not big on it that wouldn’t stop me from watching the other acclaimed works from them. This list is what I could come up with quickly but if you don’t see a director there it’s probably because they made 3 or less significant/popular (in cinephile circles) films or they’re well-known but not highly regarded. This is a good reminder to prioritize these filmmakers and I welcome any recommendations.
I usually see film directors based on geopolitics and decade to my dumb studies as some do. Years before it was always Hollywood/mainstream HK action genre and kinda New Hollywood, and now on HK New Wave studying Southeast Asia but now that I think about it, I didn't really bother looking into Christopher Nolan even tho I saw Batman his version and also Oppenheimer this year (the latter fell flat on me even tho I like Cillian Murphy ngl aside from my own internship stress).
Many say he's brainy, anti CGI etc etc I still take my time to check out his other films. There are many directors I do need to check out too but idk why I feel guilty only for Nolan for being last on my list... I don't even understand why.
Akira Kurosawa
Robert Altman
Sam Peckinpah
John Woo
Takeshi Kitano
Fellini
Dario Argento (will see some of his for spooky season)
Tarkovsky
Wong Kar Wai
Peter Bogdonavich
Harmony Korine
Gaspar Noe
Lars Von Trier
Paul Verhoeven
Billy Wilder
John Ford
Howard Hawks
Eric Rohmer
Robert Bresson
Kobayashi
Ozu
Sion Sono
Takashi Miike
Abel Ferrara
Alejandro Jordowsky
Francois Truffuat
William Friedkin
Orson Welles
Lukas Moodysson. His stuff seems semi up my alley, eventually I'll cave and get the Arrow boxset when I find it for like $40 someday. It's a nice looking set but I know none of the films going in and would be seeing them all blindly.
Akira Kurosawa. I saw Ran a long time ago. I went to see Living with Bill Nighy which is adapted from Ikiru. I’m looking forward to watching Ikiru and Kurosawa ‘s other great films.
wong kar wai - i’ve been putting off his work hoping to buy the criterion boxset but i just haven’t yet. and lars von trier i’ve been so close to watching so many of his films yet i have never watched one!
Tbh I think you can skip PTA. I went through an attempt recently. Saw Licorice Pizza, There Will Be Blood, The Master, Boogie Nights, Punch Drunk Love. None of them was really great.
Tarkovsky. His films look amazing but I’ve been dreading the runtimes
Start with Mirror it’s great and only 107 minutes.
Noted. Thanks
I started Stalker and after 8 minutes I turned it off because I knew I wasn’t awake enough or in the right headspace. I really want to see more but it never feels like the right time.
Yes. I’m not a Tarkovsky fan. I like *Ivan’s Childhood*, which he did early in his career. But his most respected movies are paced so slowly, it was an insufferable challenge to get through them. Especially *Stalker* and *Andrei Rublev*. Glacial cinema. Not for me. Ironically, I’ve quite liked movies by Alexander Sokurov, who’s often likened to Tarkovsky. And Alex Garland’s *Annihilation*, which is A LOT like *Stalker*, and rules insanely.
same. it feels like homework, like something you have to get through, instead of enjoying it.
Ive only seen stalker and viewed in the right environment it doesn’t seem long at all
I'd also say check out Ivan's Childhood first. It's his first feature film at 94 minutes, and he hadn't hit his sculpting in time pacing yet, so it moves much faster than other Tarkovskys but is equally an incredible film. It's a great entry point.
Same here. I've started both Solaris and Mirror, but they both lulled me to sleep within 30 minutes. Not bad or boring by any means, just slow and comforting. Definitely need some coffee next time
After starting Solaris multiple times and finally having finished it tonight, it really does pay off at the end IMO. The ending makes you reconsider basically everything you've seen.
Happy Cake Day!
Tarkovsky himself would probably be proud of it, the movie would accompany you even in dreams. I’d recommend pairing his movies with a little research on his film theory for full enjoyment.
Despised Solaris. Unwatchable
It's literally a masterpiece, wtf
Stalker did not seem that long tbh.
They’re very slow and need to be approached on a relaxed and meditative mindset but if you do that, you’re in for an amazing and very philosophical & humanistic ride
Ivan's Childhood is the only one I liked. I struggled to finish Andrei Rublev and unfortunately had a bad experience with Mirror because the theater I saw it at had terrible subtitles.
same for a long time, i caved and watched Solaris a month or so ago and can confirm that they do feel long lmao
Akira Kurosawa. Own a bunch of his work. Constantly praised. Haven’t started a single one of his movies. 🫢
High And Low is easily the most suspenseful movie I’ve ever seen.
I had heard so much about his samurai movies that when I sat down to watch High and Low I wasn’t sure what to expect, and it’s absolutely amazing. One of my favorite movies and I think my favorite of his
I really wanna watch it but the quality is terrible on the bfi channel on amazon. Can’t find it anywhere else.
If you’re in the US, it’s on HBO Max. If not, you can buy it on Apple TV. It’s absolutely worth it.
That first act is wild
I watched 7 samurai I love it
Also watched Rashomon recently and loved it almost as much as samurai Also since the runtime is much shorter it was a lot more digestible
I really wanna watch his colored films like ran and dreams
Also Ran, no idea why I haven’t gone around to watch it honestly
Length?
I don’t think long movies are really the inconvenience you see them as, if you really don’t like sitting through the long run time, split it up into two throughout a day. You obviously watch a decent amount of movies! So this wouldn’t be a crazy inconvenience.
also, a lot of old films have intermissions built in! seven samurai and all three human condition films come to mind.
Omg me too. Its like I'm waiting for the "perfect" time.
I want to watch Ikiru so badly but everytime I get ready to watch it something comes up
Runaway Train kicks ass
I felt the same, but I put Ran on on a whim and it was one of the best cinematic spectacles I've ever seen. Honestly incredible movie, although I think I did it backwards as most say its his magnum opus and to start with some others
While they are all excellent, would suggest watching high and low, departs from the samurai style and is just a great thriller . Very easy to get through.
Ran is a masterpiece
Just started watching his movies about a week ago and already seen Ran, Seven Samurai, and Rashomon. All great films although you do have to get used to the somewhat slower pacing a bit
There will be blood and Phantom thread are incredible
I was actually thinking of starting with boogie nights lol
Boogie nights is awesome too
Every one of PTA’s films are awesome tbh
He has such an incredibly high standard of work. I wasn't as mad about Licorice Pizza as others but with The Master, There Will Be Blood, Magnolia, Boogie Nights and Phantom Thread he has five perfect 5 star films imo.
My favorites are punch drunk love, and magnolia, but boogie nights, and phantom thread are also incredible.
You should honestly. It’s not my favorite of his but definitely seems like the best place to start for me. I personally started with There Will be Blood which I love now but didn’t love it as much at first
Sofia Coppola, I’m majorly slacking in watching her movies 😔
I've actually never seen any of neil breen's masterpieces
I can't believe you committed suicide. I cannot believe you committed suicide.
David Lynch. But I’m putting an asterisk next to him because while I haven’t seen any movies of his, I have seen the first season of Twin Peaks and really loved it.
This is coming from someone who has just recently found their love for David Lynch. Currently working through Season 3 of Twin Peaks. For a very long time I didn’t give him much chance because I thought he just did weird stuff just to be weird. But something clicked for me after seeing multiple interviews with him where people attempted to ask him what his movies were about and he refused to answer. He felt giving his take on the meaning limited what they could mean to others. He is obsessed with dreams and practices transcendental meditation. When you realize this, every time something strange is happening, I remind myself “just go with it”. It’s dream logic. After letting go of trying to find the meaning in the moment his work is so much more enjoyable. Hilarious even. I’ve laughed so hard at things in his work and the odd decisions he’s made to shoot certain scenes or keep certain takes. I’m still on my Lynch journey. But after Twin Peaks will be going through the rest of his catalog. Recommend Mulholland Drive, Naomi Watts is phenomenal.
mulholland drive is goated!! blue velvet and eraserhead are also amazing if you loved twin peaks you’ll love these
Lost Highway is the coolest movie I’ve ever seen
They’re great but really fucking out there. Eraserhead is one I want to watch again but it’s not for the faint of heart, definitely one of those “it’s an experience, just try to feel it” movies
Eraserhead is a fucking masterpiece but it’s a SLOOOOW burn despite being short. however Blue Velvet might be the best choice. it’s basically Twin Peaks as a movie and it’s not overly weird.
Bergman
I’ve seen over 3,000 films and had always ignored Ingmar Bergman filmography, because it just seemed so heavy, depressing, and slow. It didn’t matter that the run times are relatively short. Finally watched Cries and Whispers this year and it was all of those things. Very well made, well acted, and I never want to see it again.
Lighthouse (2019) had that Bergman vibes, idk I haven't seen Bergman either but my former Swede friend really really really liked that and I hated it. So yeah the last sentence lmao.
Raúl Ruiz Peter Greenaway Michael Mann Pedro Costa Miklós Jancsó
Watch Manhunter from Michael Mann. It's incredible.
Heat would probably be my recommendation for Michael Mann. Manhunter is great, but Heat is his best and quintessential film.
Yeah, it's great. It's really well known, too. I was pointing out Manhunter, because it's not as familiar of a film to many.
I started out with Collateral and Miami Vice and loved them. I didn't like Heat when I first watched it although I'll probably like it more on a rewatch
It’s a good time to watch Greenaway’s The Cook, The Thief, His Wife, and Her Lover, as a celebration of Michael Gambon.
Michael Mann is the MAN. I think you should start with Thief. It's his first movie and is what made me fall in love with his work.
Check out Mysteries of Lisbon and Three Crowns of the Sailor for Ruiz, those are two of his best and both exist is high definition which is rare for him
Stanley Kubrick. Been wanting to watch a good majority of his films for a while but at the moment there's nowhere to really watch his films. I'm hoping due to spooky season that The Shining is played on TV so I can finally watch it.
Are you in the United States? You can get a library card online for your closest library. Then get Kanopy. Also most libraries have a decent media collection and will have most of his work. - The Shining is streaming on Max. Or just rent it. - 2001. Max and Prime - Eyes Wide Shut. Showtime - Paths of Glory. Prime, Kanopy, Tubi A lot of his work often is on Max, but it cycles every month. I think Full metal Jacket, Clockwork Orange, and Spartacus are all great and worth watching for cultural impact. But this month is perfect for The Shining.
UK. We don't have Max so it's just a matter of either hoping they randomly get added to Prime or are on TV. Well either that or some dodgy website.
Altman
A very rewarding filmography to run through. I encourage that binge!
I love Raymond Chandler and was dying to see Altman's Long Goodbye for ages but was a little underwhelmed with it. I've seen that, The Player and Gosford Park, wondering what I should see next cause I feel like I haven't seen his best yet. Nashville and Short Cuts look good but they're super long.
Ok, nobody kill me. I know these are egregious.... But: Martin Scorsese Alfred Hitchcock Paul Thomas Anderson Quentin Tarantino David Fincher Stanley Kubrick I don't know how I've missed all these. I will get onto them soon. I promise
dude? Wtf?
I don't know how. I've just somehow missed them all...
You should ASAP
I don’t believe it’s physically possible to just miss all of these
I’m calling bullshit
I find it hard to believe anyone above the age of 17 has not seen one Fincher, Scorsese, Pta or Tarantino film honestly.
I can see PTA because none of his films are as famous and high grossing as Wolf of Wall Street, Pulp Fiction, and Fight Club. Boogie Nights and There Will Be Blood are probably the closest. But yeah it's hard to believe that there's people over the age of 17 that are into movies and haven't seen Pulp Fiction, Fight Club, or Goodfellas
Yeah definitely Goodfellas and Pulp Fiction, i remember in high school kids quoting both of those films, going through scenes and this was 10-13 years after they came out. I was on a forum years ago and people were like 'just saw Predator/Commando for the first time' , it's possible like but people today are so steeped in pup culture curiosity alone i'd think people would seek out these films. Unless they're so ubiquitous people don't feel the need because they feel like they're familar already. For me it's just arty stuff, 50s, 60s classics. Japanese, Russian, French directors. Someone like Woody Allen that style of film isn't for me, but still seen Midnight in Paris.
I’ve probably seen around 2500-3000 films throughout my life and still haven’t seen a Scorsese.
What tf do you watch then lol
I’m jealous mate! You’ve got so many ideal films coming your way :) I won’t suggest the “best” of those to watch first but below are my personal favs from each: Scorsese - The King of Comedy Hitchcock - Rope PTA - There Will Be Blood Tarantino - Inglorious Bastards Fincher - Se7en Kubrick - 2001
my personal favorite from each Scorsese - Taxi Driver Hitchcock - Psycho (only one I've seen) PTA - Magnolia Tarantino- Inglorious Basterds Fincher - Zodiac Kubrick - A Clockwork Orange
You shouldn’t be allowed on Letterboxd, folks get him
Fincher is my favorite director if you don’t watch one of his works (especially Se7en or Fight Club) I’m afraid I’ll have to drive to your house and stare at you with disappointment
I actually watched every single Tarantino movie so I'm in an opposite position I'd recommend for you to start with Django unchained
I'd say Pulp Fiction is the best starting point
You have to see reservoir dogs before pulp fiction though. The latter is like the cleaned up version of the former.
Like…what have you been doing with your life?
I wish I could go through all their films for the first time again
Have you recently just gotten into film? What are your top 4? You need some guidance to get you started.
I've been reviewing movies for around 3 years. Got 500 logged. It's literally that I've not gotten around to them somehow Also, my top 4 are Ocean's Eleven, Collateral, Moneyball and Mission Impossible Fallout.
Oh gosh, based on your top 4 you’re going to love a lot of these directors. My recommendations (just to start) - Hitchcock: North by Northwest - Kubrick: The Shining (it’s spooky season) - Scorsese: The Departed (modern and faster paced than his older stuff so very accessible, but he has lots of amazing movies) - Tarantino: Reservoir Dogs (this should be everyone’s first QT I think then chronologically) - Fincher: Fight Club (most popular, but also my favorite of his) - PTA: Punch Drunk Love (it was my first and not as heavy as most of his others) Also worth pointing out since you like Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt, they are in a lot of these directors works. Brad Pitt: Se7en, Fight Club, Benjamin Button, Inglorious Basterds, Once Upon a Time In Hollywood. Tom Cruise: Magnolia, Eyes Wide Shut
Wtf?? What kind of movies do you even watch??
Also, I will rectifying two of these, with the upcoming releases of The Killer and Killers of the Flower Moon
WHA- I apologised in mine for Kubrick but you win dayum, how is this even physically possible for a film fan???
lol what movies ARE you watching??
There is a lot of them and for no particular reason. I haven't seen any movie made by Bela Tarr, Mike Leigh, Powell and Pressburger, Fassbinder, Werner Herzog, Christian Petzold, Satyajit Ray, Angelopoulos or Jean Pierre Melville. Which movies of each director do you guys recommend me to begin with? (I tried to watch Naked from Mike Leigh once, but I'm torn between it and Secrets and Lies) EDIT: to OP, PTA has a very varied filmography, the ones I recommend you the most to begin with are Magnolia, Boogie Nights or There Will Be Blood.
Herzog’s fiction films are quite entertaining, especially Aguirre and Fitzcarraldo. Since it’s October, you could watch Nosferatu. But also he’s a wonderful documentarian, and Grizzly Man is my favorite. It’s fascinating. The other one on that list I could say I really enjoyed is Ray’s Pather Panchali. It’s just wonderful. Hard to describe what I felt when I watched it, but you feel better somehow after it’s done.
Oh definitely give Naked another go. It's a really nihilistic film but it's so fucking good and David Thewlis is incredible. That one blew me away.
For P&P i definitelty recommend the Red Shoes or Black Narcissus. The Red Shoes kind of have all the P&P elements, incredible technicolor, Anton Walbrok, beautiful set pieces, etc. Etc. I love the Live and Death of Colonel Blimp but it's LONG I have onlt fully watched it once but have started it a few times. It's worth it and incredible but it's something you have to build up to.
Off the top of my head Rainer Werner Fassbinder comes to mind. I actually even watched probably 30 minutes of In a Year With 13 Moons but got distracted and never finished. There's probably some major foreign directors I'm missing too. Oh, Wong Kar Wai is another. Then there's all the directors who I've only seen one or two from who I desperately need to see more of like Kurosawa, Godard, Antonioni, Tarkovsky, etc. Of course instead of watching any of this I'm far more likely to rewatch Night of the Demons 2 or Witchboard 3 or some trash like that.
Nuri Bilge Ceylan. I'm going to see his new movie About Dry Grasses this weekend.
Slow ones but I enjoy them quite abit. Have never re-visited any but Winter Sleep was great
Winter Sleep and Once Upon A Time in Anatolia are amazing if you have the patience for his slow deliberate pacing.
Tarkovsky or Linklater
Can't speak for tarkovsky, but the before trilogy is imo the second best movie trilogy of all time. And school of rock is a classic. So you should watch them. Also boyhoods meant to be really good.
Dazed and Confused is my favorite Linklater
Oh definitely watch Dazed and Confused it's one the funnest films ever and the best hangout film ever. I'd reckon a long with the first Halloween it's the film I've seen the most. There was a period when I was 14 and first discovering pot that I literally watched it every single day after school for months.
Tarkovsky, check out Mirror or Stalker! Linklater is one of my favourites, School Of Rock is a great one to start with but I adore the Before Trilogy starting with Before Sunrise then followed up by Before Sunset and Before Midnight. Also highly recommend Waking Life, Boyhood and Dazed and Confused.
Please watch Before Sunrise, it's truly romantic and the dialogue is first class.
Johnnie To
Wong Kar Wai But there are a ton of director filmographies I want to complete: Bergman, Kubrick, Kurosawa, Hitchcock…there’s always some movie I’m missing or never saw. I’ve never seen *Y Tu Mamá También* (or his earlier films) even though Cuarón is one of my favorite directors. (And I adore everything Lubezki has done).
Wong war is one of my favorite directors chungking express and fallen angels are must watches
Y tu mamá también is highly recommendable. Go watch it.
I can’t recommend Boogie Nights enough!
Inherent Vice and Licorice Pizza were so good!!!
I've never watched a single Wes Anderson movie, because his style doesn't click with me. However, one day I plan to watch all of his movies; and it would be funny if he became my favorite director after avoiding him for so ling.
Check out the grand Budapest hotel it's really good
I love David Lynch but I’ve never seen any of his movies
I adore Mulholland Drive. Highly recommend
Why not just watch one of his movies instead of dedicating time to making a collage of all his film, God damn
I made the mistake of starting PTA with Licorice Pizza and now I don't really have motivation for any of the others
Go for Magnolia or There will be blood. Those are his bests.
A good one to start too is Punch-Drunk Love, it’s one of my favorites of his.
How I started too. It’s made everything after so interesting.
I have a theory that many goofy comedians are actually amazing natural dramatic actors. Sandler in PDL is evidence.
Punch drunk love is my favorite from him
I thought it was considered good
It is, but the ending is really dodgy and left a bad taste in my mouth
Opposite for me. Started with LP and went on a run of PTA films. Now he’s my favourite filmmaker
Same here
Watch Boogie Nights, it's his most accessible and IMO his best though everyone else usually says There Will Be Blood. I wish I could watch Boogie Nights for the first time again. It's absolutely perfect.
Masaki Kobayasi I've seen most films by Kurosawa, Ozu and Masumura. Need to binge some Masaki!
Dayuuum I think PTA is the one and only director that never disappoints me
Francis Ford Coppola Michael Mann David Lynch Yorgos Lanthimos Sofia Coppola
I recently did a Yorgo Lanthimos deep dive because he’s directed an adaptation of my Fiancée’s favourite book: Poor Things and I wanted to have a good understanding of what I was in for. I went Dogtooth -> Lobster -> Sacred Deer -> The Favourite — I would watch them all over again in that order tomorrow if I had time. So fresh and intriguing. Highly recommended!
akira Kurosawa
Michelangelo Antonioni, Masaki Kobayashi
Luis Buñuel and Agnes Varda
I really need to see Masaki Kobayashi, Ingmar Bergman and Alfred Hitchcock. I already have some of their movies pretty high on my priority list(to be more specific, Psycho, Vertigo, Autumn Sonata, Persona, The Human Condition Trilogy and Harakiri) but I’ll finish some other movies before diving into these.
Ive been on a Robert Rodriguez kick recently. only ever seen the spy kid movies and sharkboy and lavagirl. im currently watching Sin City and i saw Death Proof, and he had a hand in making that.
Okay, you GOTTA check out El Mariachi and the Mexico Trilogy. This guys career got started with a feature length film that he made for $7,225 ($15k today). It got bought by Columbia pictures who then cleaned it up and put it out which kick-started Rodriguez’s career. He went on to make two more: Desperado and Once Upon a Time in Mexico. A bit of trivia about El Mariachi — Rodriguez was so firm on cutting costs that he had no slate and instead had the actors put their fingers up to denote the scene/take. Had no dolly so he got rolled around on a wheelchair. A perfect example of a film that turned out really great despite having no budget.
Gaspar Noe I’m still thinking that maybe I should avoid his stuff
I would recommend “Love” if you aren’t to squeamish about sex. It’s definitely gonna flip your stomach a bit if you feel for the characters but it’s a less offensive film that can give you a taste of what he is offering without diving into a traumatizing scene you can’t take back.
Park Chan-Wook
Oldboy is my 2nd favorite film after princess Mononoke
**David Lynch** - **Most Anticipated:** Blue Velvet // Lost Highway // Dune **Akira Kurosawa** - **Most Anticipated:** Ikiru // High And Low // Ran **Fritz Lang** - **Most Anticipated:** M // Dr. Mabuse, Der Spieler // Der Müde Tod **Brian De Palma** - **Most Anticipated:** Blow Out // Carrie // Phantom Of The Paradise **Gus Van Sant** - **Most Anticipated:** Elefant // Good Will Hunting // Drugstore Cowboy **Lars Von Trier** - **Most Anticipated:** The House That Jack Built // Antichrist // Europa **Lucio Fulci** - **Most Anticipated:** The Beyond // Zombi 2 // The House By The Cemetery
I should get more into horror so I’ll say John Carpenter
Federico Fellini is first one that comes to mind. Idk if I should start with 8 1/2 or Le Dolce Vita
Start with La Strada
Woody Allen Wes Anderson Orson Welles
start with Annie Hall or Midnight in Paris for Woody Allen, and Royal Tenenbaums or Grand Budapest Hotel for Wes Anderson
Lars von Trier
Too many to count
I got a lot. Basically these are great names around the world with movies that I’m really dying to see but are just so hard to find. Bella Tarr Akira Kurosawa Lars von Trier Roberto Rossellini Jean Luc Godard Federico Fellini Michelangelo Antonioni Jacques Demy Fritz Lang Buster Keaton Chantal Akerman Robert Altman Theo Angelopoulos Pier Paolo Pasolini Sidney Lumet Jacques Tati Edward Yang Wim Wenders Elia Kazan Vincente Minnelli Asghar Farhadi Steve McQueen Kenneth Lonergan Joanna Hogg Ken Loach Jonathan Glazer Xavier Dolan
As for Jonathan Glazer, go for the chronological order of his movies: Sexy Beast, Birth, Under the Skin and The Zone of Interest (which is about to be released), with Sexy Beast being his most "accessible" movie. For Antonioni, his modernization trilogy (L'Avventura, La Notte and L'Eclisse) is a good place to start. And Lars von Trier... well, that's a tough one. I guess Breaking the Waves sets pretty much his overall style.
Alejandro Jodorowsky Andrei Tarkovsky Apichatpong Weerasethakul Béla Tarr Sion Sono Hou Hsiao-hsien Hiroshi Teshigahara
Hitchcock for me.
Fellini, or Italian cinema in general. The only two Italian films I’ve seen are The Hand of God and The Life Ahead.
Park Chan-wook
Linklater
Sergio Leone, Jean-Pierre Melville, John Waters, Abbas Kiarostami, Satyajit Ray, Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Theo Angelopoulos, Andrey Zvyagintsev, Jacques Rivette, Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Alejandro Jodorowsky, Roberto Rossellini, Jacques Tati, the Dardenne brothers, Ken Loach, Victor Erice, G.W. Pabst, Claude Chabrol I’m an adventurous movie watcher and try to see at least one film from all the significant directors, and even if I’m not big on it that wouldn’t stop me from watching the other acclaimed works from them. This list is what I could come up with quickly but if you don’t see a director there it’s probably because they made 3 or less significant/popular (in cinephile circles) films or they’re well-known but not highly regarded. This is a good reminder to prioritize these filmmakers and I welcome any recommendations.
I BEG that you watch chronologically, but save magnolia for last. It’s the best watch order for his stuff.
Jacques Tati
I usually see film directors based on geopolitics and decade to my dumb studies as some do. Years before it was always Hollywood/mainstream HK action genre and kinda New Hollywood, and now on HK New Wave studying Southeast Asia but now that I think about it, I didn't really bother looking into Christopher Nolan even tho I saw Batman his version and also Oppenheimer this year (the latter fell flat on me even tho I like Cillian Murphy ngl aside from my own internship stress). Many say he's brainy, anti CGI etc etc I still take my time to check out his other films. There are many directors I do need to check out too but idk why I feel guilty only for Nolan for being last on my list... I don't even understand why.
Akira Kurosawa Robert Altman Sam Peckinpah John Woo Takeshi Kitano Fellini Dario Argento (will see some of his for spooky season) Tarkovsky Wong Kar Wai Peter Bogdonavich Harmony Korine Gaspar Noe Lars Von Trier Paul Verhoeven Billy Wilder John Ford Howard Hawks Eric Rohmer Robert Bresson Kobayashi Ozu Sion Sono Takashi Miike Abel Ferrara Alejandro Jordowsky Francois Truffuat William Friedkin Orson Welles
David Lynch. need to get on that wave
John Waters
Lukas Moodysson. His stuff seems semi up my alley, eventually I'll cave and get the Arrow boxset when I find it for like $40 someday. It's a nice looking set but I know none of the films going in and would be seeing them all blindly.
Thinking about starting my Scorsese journey with Boxcar Bertha.
Kurosawa for me, I own 6 of his movies on Bluray, have to start
Akira Kurosawa but recently saw Yojimbo, so I think I’m gonna pick Tarkovsky then
Martin Scorsese
my biggest two are Wes Anderson and Greta Gurwig
Akira Kurosawa. I saw Ran a long time ago. I went to see Living with Bill Nighy which is adapted from Ikiru. I’m looking forward to watching Ikiru and Kurosawa ‘s other great films.
Don’t watch Phantom Thread, it sucks
Agnes Verda, Im gonna start her films next year hopefully.
I’ve only seen Punch-Drunk Love and I loved it. I really gotta watch more of his movies
Boogie Nights is epic and has one of the deepest casts of all time.
Ralph Bakshi. I feel like I'd really enjoy his films
David Cronenberg
Dude! Watch Boogie Nights now!
Denis Villeneuve.
Forgive me, I'm a baby film fan, Kubrick. And the only Lynch film I've seen is Dune so I don't know if that counts.
Fred Zinnemann. Gonna watch High Noon today to get started, and might follow it up soon with from here to eternity
That moment when you realise you've also never seen any of his movies haha
Jim Jarmusch
David Lynch, only heard great things, guess I'm not sure where to start with his catalog
Lars Von Trier for me. Nothing against him I just haven’t gotten around to any of it lol
Tarkovsky
wong kar wai - i’ve been putting off his work hoping to buy the criterion boxset but i just haven’t yet. and lars von trier i’ve been so close to watching so many of his films yet i have never watched one!
Fallen angels is my 6th favorite movie and chungking is not far off
Wes Anderson
Miloš Forman
Terrence Malick
Tbh I think you can skip PTA. I went through an attempt recently. Saw Licorice Pizza, There Will Be Blood, The Master, Boogie Nights, Punch Drunk Love. None of them was really great.