The Movie Chest
On this list I've placed pictures that I find special, unique, important, fun and amongst other things. These are the ones I imagine having on DVD, stacked in a big wooden chest on my private off the grid cabin, so whenever you'd feel like going back and enjoying a classic, the variety would be there. It's a nice mix. Just pull one out. Enjoy!
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- DirectorMilos FormanStarsJack NicholsonLouise FletcherMichael BerrymanIn the Fall of 1963, a Korean War veteran and criminal pleads insanity and is admitted to a mental institution, where he rallies up the scared patients against the tyrannical nurse.So hopeful and humane in its core. Full of emotion. Nicholson at his best. Absolutely love this one. 10/10
- DirectorCameron CroweStarsBilly CrudupPatrick FugitKate HudsonA high-school boy in the early 1970s is given the chance to write a story for Rolling Stone magazine about an up-and-coming rock band as he accompanies them on their concert tour.This is my kind of a fairytale. Great story, great performances, amazing soundtrack. "Welcome to 1973 and here is Black Sabbath!"
- DirectorSidney LumetStarsHenry FondaLee J. CobbMartin BalsamThe jury in a New York City murder trial is frustrated by a single member whose skeptical caution forces them to more carefully consider the evidence before jumping to a hasty verdict.The most powerful tool we possess, language. The nature of man. All explored in a single room, with 12 men.
- DirectorDavid FincherStarsBrad PittEdward NortonMeat LoafAn insomniac office worker and a devil-may-care soap maker form an underground fight club that evolves into much more.Hard to think of a better narrated movie (except Travis Bickle) Fantastic performances by Norton and Pitt, great commentary on the 21st century. What more can I say, it's fight club, you've probably seen it. But you won't tell, or you brake the 1st and 2nd rule, right?
- DirectorMartin ScorseseStarsRobert De NiroJodie FosterCybill ShepherdA mentally unstable veteran works as a nighttime taxi driver in New York City, where the perceived decadence and sleaze fuels his urge for violent action.I would be lying if I said that I didn't look at my life differently after seeing this one. First time I watched it, I watched it again 3 times in 3 days. It's that great of a character study, you really have to watch it with different mindsets to get all the messages. Cranberry juice of a movie
- DirectorMartin McDonaghStarsFrances McDormandWoody HarrelsonSam RockwellA mother personally challenges the local authorities to solve her daughter's murder when they fail to catch the culprit.A breath of fresh air. Unique twists, wickedly funny. Strong characters. One of my favorite movies of the 2010s. This one deserves to be a classic in the future.
- DirectorMartin BrestStarsAl PacinoChris O'DonnellJames RebhornA prep school student needing money agrees to "babysit" a blind man, but the job is not at all what he anticipated.Hoo-ah! Pacino delivering a one of a kind performance. Entertaining, funny, deep at times. "YOU'RE RIDING WITH ONE VERY HAPPY MAN!"
- DirectorTerry GilliamStarsJohnny DeppBenicio Del ToroTobey MaguireAn oddball journalist and his psychopathic lawyer travel to Las Vegas for a series of psychedelic escapades.Johnny Depp was born to play Hunter in a movie. Absolutely delighted how this movie was made. Perfect execution of a great book. THE greatest drug trip movie of all time. Hands down. The cinematography is underrated, the shots, the transitions, the visualizations of the drug experiences, spot on.
- DirectorDarren AronofskyStarsEllen BurstynJared LetoJennifer ConnellyThe drug-induced utopias of four Coney Island people are shattered when their addictions run deep..Speaking of drugs. It's not always wild times in Vegas. This one takes a more serious look into the lives of people who just lose their way. This one left a big impression on me. Not looking forward to watching it again any time soon. But I hope you do if you haven't!
- DirectorTony ScottStarsChristian SlaterPatricia ArquetteDennis HopperIn Detroit, a pop-culture nerd steals cocaine from his new wife's pimp and tries to sell it in Hollywood, prompting the mobsters who own the drugs to pursue the couple.Maybe the greatest runaway movie of all time. You cannot help but root for the characters. An ensemble cast. Truly, True Romance.
- DirectorWes AndersonStarsRalph FiennesF. Murray AbrahamMathieu AmalricA writer encounters the owner of an aging high-class hotel, who tells him of his early years serving as a lobby boy in the hotel's glorious years under an exceptional concierge.This one caught me off guard. Surprisingly funny. Wes Anderson in his mecca. Very atmospheric. It will go down like sweet bar of marzipan.
- DirectorRon HowardStarsRussell CroweEd HarrisJennifer ConnellyA mathematical genius, John Nash made an astonishing discovery early in his career and stood on the brink of international acclaim. But the handsome and arrogant Nash soon found himself on a harrowing journey of self-discovery.An important movie in it's own right. A moving story. Terrifying but beautiful. I became a true fan of Crowe after this one, he nails it.
- DirectorMichael CiminoStarsRobert De NiroChristopher WalkenJohn CazaleAn in-depth examination of the ways in which the Vietnam War impacts and disrupts the lives of several friends in a small steel mill town in Pennsylvania.A powerful and ferocious picture. I see it as an anti-war film, but that's not what the film is, it's just there if you want to see it. This one left me speechless and glued to my seat. Very important movie of the New Hollywood era.
- DirectorSean PennStarsEmile HirschVince VaughnCatherine KeenerAfter graduating from Emory University, top student and athlete Christopher McCandless abandons his possessions, gives his entire $24,000 savings account to charity and hitchhikes to Alaska to live in the wilderness. Along the way, Christopher encounters a series of characters that shape his life.I've loved this movie for many years and every time I watch it again I love it more and more. The soundtrack, the performance, the story itself. Another great runaway movie, but in this case, a solo runaway.
- DirectorRichard LinklaterStarsJason LondonWiley WigginsMatthew McConaugheyThe adventures of high school and junior high students on the last day of school in May 1976.A real time capsule. It's painfully good.
- DirectorFrancis Ford CoppolaStarsMartin SheenMarlon BrandoRobert DuvallA U.S. Army officer serving in Vietnam is tasked with assassinating a renegade Special Forces Colonel who sees himself as a god.Tough to think about this movie without remembering the iconic quotes and that mesmerizing intro. A very atmospheric film. I'd love to see this on a big screen. This is my new Saving Private Ryan.
- DirectorStanley KubrickStarsTom CruiseNicole KidmanTodd FieldA Manhattan doctor embarks on a bizarre, night-long odyssey after his wife's admission of unfulfilled longing.It's a big hazy dream. Christmas in New York, shot in true Kubrick style. Cruise and Kidman, the perfect cast (real life couple at the time) the chemistry, the dialogue. Absolutely eccentric and I love it!
- DirectorPaul Thomas AndersonStarsDaniel Day-LewisPaul DanoCiarán HindsA story of family, religion, hatred, oil and madness, focusing on a turn-of-the-century prospector in the early days of the business.The word masterpiece is used a lot but I only intend to use it once in this list. This is a masterpiece. One of the best fitting scores I've heard. The most deserving Oscar win for Daniel Day Lewis. The character is so deep and so well played, it's so tough to separate the fact that Daniel Day Lewis is a real living person but Daniel Plainview is a fictional character written by PTA. I mentioned Pacino with his performance in Scent of a woman but this performance tops it even more. To me, arguably the most determined character portrayal of the 21st century
- DirectorAri AsterStarsFlorence PughJack ReynorVilhelm BlomgrenA couple travels to Northern Europe to visit a rural hometown's fabled Swedish mid-summer festival. What begins as an idyllic retreat quickly devolves into an increasingly violent and bizarre competition at the hands of a pagan cult.Unique Unique Unique. Loved the theme, loved the atmosphere. From a Baltic point of view, it was even better considering we celebrate midsummer and the traditional culture is so relatable. Shocking in a good way.
- DirectorMike NicholsStarsDustin HoffmanAnne BancroftKatharine RossA disillusioned college graduate finds himself torn between his older lover and her daughter.Hoffman & Simon & Garfunkel. Summer of love all twisted between a few struggling characters, looking for meaning. A movie where two generations meet, in a very important time in history.
- DirectorBilly WilderStarsMarilyn MonroeTom EwellEvelyn KeyesWhen his family goes away for the summer, a hitherto faithful husband with an overactive imagination is tempted by a beautiful neighbor.Step into mid fifties and let Marilyn Monroe woo you. A sweet soft comedy of it's time.
- DirectorSpike LeeStarsEdward NortonBarry PepperPhilip Seymour HoffmanCornered by the DEA, convicted New York drug dealer Montgomery Brogan reevaluates his life in the 24 remaining hours before facing a seven-year jail term.This movie has a lot going for it, the clever and real dialogue, the plot, the characters, the time and place ( New York 2002 ). The story telling remind me a bit of the movies of the 70's.
P.S this one is great until the very last shot - DirectorRian JohnsonStarsDaniel CraigChris EvansAna de ArmasA detective investigates the death of the patriarch of an eccentric, combative family.A classic style detective mystery movie with a fun twist set in 2019, the movie we all didn't know we needed :) I don't know why it reminds me of some board game, maybe it's how interactive it feels when watching it. I still have to say, it's more of a comedy than a mystery.
- DirectorSpike JonzeStarsJoaquin PhoenixAmy AdamsScarlett JohanssonIn a near future, a lonely writer develops an unlikely relationship with an operating system designed to meet his every need.The loneliest movie that doesn't feel lonely. Beautiful choices of colour throughout. This movie probably is more important as years go on regarding A.I . Perhaps a real portrayal of how it feels falling in love with the "person" .
- DirectorGalder Gaztelu-UrrutiaStarsIvan MassaguéZorion EguileorAntonia San JuanA vertical prison with one cell per level. Two people per cell. Only one food platform and two minutes per day to feed. An endless nightmare trapped in The Hole.The whole movie is message, with a message within the message. Another great movie that can spark a great conversation. Have some food ready or...not, both will work.