Movies

Introduction
TV Series
Movies I like
Directors I admire
Movies seen in 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001

Introduction

Did I say that I am an avid movie watcher? Since moving to College Park, I've systematically gotten down to watch movies that I always wanted to, and new movies that I come across. I used to rely a good deal on Berardinelli's ReelViews, but now I have watched quite a few movies, Netflix does a good job of recommending movies. Below is a list of some good movies that I've seen since 2001. Please note that the scores in the list indicate how much you'll enjoy the movie... if you were like me. I've not listed all the movies that I've seen; these are the ones I either liked or are somewhat critically acclaimed, or would like to make a statement about (for e.g., This one is so bad that it has to be seen to be believed). These days, however, I list almost all the movies that I watch, or putting it another way, I am more discerning and don't watch the mindless drivel churned out by Hollywood. I occasionally succumb to the hype and end up watching movies like the Revenge of the Sith, but that is more the exception than the rule.

Check out Eadons's views on some movies. I like his "preferred endings".

TV Series

I don't watch too many TV series on the telly. I mostly get it on DVD. Some of my favourites are Blackadder, Fawlty Towers, Monty Python, The Office. The good ones don't usually last long. For e.g., as brilliant as the early episodes were, the later episodes of Monty Python were a bit too silly.

Movies I like

I like movies that are well-made. Its not that I don't enjoy main-stream movies, but I'm increasingly annoyed by the compromises that plague these movies and the lack of artistic integrity. The following is a list of the movies I liked or included at a whim. The rankings are, obviously, subjective. I wouldn't recommend anything under 6. They are also a little bit inconsistent, in that different genres cannot be compared, and sometimes movies score lower when they don't live upto expectations.

Movies seen in 2007

The Upside of Anger (2005) [6/8]
Lust, Caution [Chinese] (2007) [7/8]
Eastern Promises (2007) [6/8]
East is East (1999) [6/8]
A History of Violence (2005) [6/8]
The Brave One (2007) [6/8]
3:10 to Yuma (2007) [5/8]
The Sting (1974) [6/8]
Maqbool [Hindi] (2003) [6/8]
The Bridges of Madison County (1995) [7/8]
Shaun of the Dead (2004) [6/8]
The Shawshank Redemption (1994) [7/8]
Death at a Funeral (2007) [6/8]
The Bourne Ultimatum (2007) [6/8]
Omkara [Hindi] (2006) [6/8]
Pan's Labyrinth (2006) [6/8]
Ocean's Thirteen (2007) [6/8]
Little Miss Sunshine (2006) [7/8]
Stranger than Fiction (2006) [6/8]
Equilibrium (2002) [5/8]
Sanjuro (1962) [6/8]
The Barbarian Invasions (2003) [7/8]
Hot Fuzz (2007) [6/8]
Spiderman 3 (2007) [4/8]
Keeping Mum (2005) [4/8]
Persuasion (1995) [6/8]
Good Bye, Lenin! (2003) [6/8]
Police Story (1985) [6/8]
In the Mood for Love (2001) [6/8]
Smoke (1995) [6/8]
The Crimson Rivers [French] (2000) [4/8]
Snake in Eagle's Shadow (1978) [6/8]
In the Name of the Father (1993) [6/8]
The Girl in the Cafe (2005) [5/8]
Good Morning, Vietnam (1987) [5/8]
Pieces of April (2003) [6/8]
Dangerous Beauty (1998) [6/8]
Children of Men (2006) [6/8]
To Play the King (1994) [6/8]
Red Beard [Japanese] (1965) [6/8]

Movies seen in 2006

Intermission (2004) [6/8]
The Story of the Weeping Camel (2004) [5/8]
L'Appartement [French] (1996)[7/8]
The Constant Gardener (2005) [7/8]
Hero [Chinese] (2002) [7/8]
Un Coeur en Hiver [French: A Heart in Winter] (1992) [7/8]
Lucky Number Slevin (2006) [7/8]
V for Vendetta (2005) [7/8]
The Seventh Seal [Swedish] (1957) [7/8]
The Boondock Saints (1999) [5/8]
Dark Habits [Spanish: Entre Tinieblas] (1983) [6/8]
The Woodsman (2005) [7/8]
Suicide Kings (1997) [6/8]
Casino Royale (2006) [7/8]
Cries and Whispers [Swedish] (1972) [7/8]
Ghostbusters (1984) [4/8]
Babel (2006) [7/8]
The People vs. Larry Flynt (1996) [6/8]
Bad Santa (2003) [5/8]
House of Cards (1990) [7/8]
All About Eve (1950) [7/8]
What Have I Done to Deserve This? [Spanish: Que he hecho yo para merecer esto!!] (1984) [6/8]
Matador [Spanish] (1986) [6/8]
Dark City (1998) [6/8]
Junebug (2005) [6/8]
The Wedding Banquet (1993) [7/8]
Brokeback Mountain (2005) [7/8]
Oldboy (2003) [Korean] [6/8]
Paris, Texas (1984) [6/8]
Greenfingers (2000) [6/8]
Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown [Spanish: Mujeres al borde de un ataque de nervios] (1988) [7/8]
The Deep End (2001) [7/8]
13 Conversations About One Thing (2002) [6/8]
Casa de los Babys (2003) [6/8]
Company (2002) [Hindi] [6/8]
Crash (2005) [7/8]
Like Water for Chocolate [Spanish: Como agua para chocolate] (1992) [6/8]
Witness (1985) [6/8]
Match Point (2005) [7/8]
Super Size Me (2004) [7/8]
The Brother From Another Planet (1984) [6/8]
Possession (2002) [6/8]
You Can Count on Me (2000) [7/8]
Pirates of the Caribbean (2006) [5/8]
Network (1976) [6/8]
In America (2002) [7/8]
The Shape of Things (2003) [7/8]
Ghost World (2001) [6/8]
Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead (1995) [5/8]
My Life as a Dog [Swedish: Mitt Liv Som Hund] (1985) [7/8]
Garden State (2004) [6/8]
Napoleon Dynamite (2004) [6/8]
X Men III: The Last Stand (2006) [6/8]
The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys (2002) [7/8]
Welcome to the Dollhouse (1996) [6/8]
The Station Agent (2003) [7/8]
Under the Sand [French: Sous le Sable] (2000) [6/8]
An Affair of Love [French: Une Liaison Pornographique] (1999)) [7/8]
The Door in the Floor (2004) [7/8]
The Machinist (2004) [6/8]
Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974) [6/8]
Between Your Legs [Spanish:Entre las Piernas] (1999) [6/8]
Chungking Express [Mandarin:Chongqing Senlin] (1994) [6/8]
The Squid and the Whale (2005) [7/8]
Hidden Fortress [Japanese] (1958) [6/8]
Igby Goes Down (2002) [6/8]
Clockwise (1986) [4/8]
Nashville (1975) [6/8]
Following (1998) [7/8]
Short Cuts (1993) [7/8]
Rabbit-Proof Fence (2002) [6/8]
Pride and Prejudice (1995) [8/8]

Movies seen in 2005

March of the Penguins (2005) [6/8]
Maria, Full of Grace [Spanish] [6/8]
Monster's Ball [7/8]
The Blind Swordsman [Japanese] (2003) [6/8]
No Man's Land [Serbo-Croatian] (2001) [7/8]
The Flower of My Secret [Spanish] (1996) [7/8]
Dead Again (1991) [7/8]
The Virgin Suicides (1999) [6/8]
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter, and Spring [Korean] (2004) [7/8]
Serenity (2005) [6/8]
Man on Fire (2004) [6/8]
Normal Life (1996) [6/8]
Sideways (2004) [7/8]
Red Rock West [6/8]
12 Monkeys (1995) [5/8]
Big Night (1996) [7/8]
With a Friend Like Harry [French] (2000) [7/8]
12 Angry Men (1957) [6/8]
The Player (1992) [7/8]
No Way Out (1987) [5/8]
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988) [4/8]
Eat Drink Man Woman [Chinese] (1994) [7/8]
Much Ado About Nothing (1993) [6/8]
Lone Star (1996) [7/8]
High Fidelity (2000) [6/8]
LA Confidential (1997) [7/8]
La Femme Nikita [French] (1990) [7/8]
Batman Begins (2005) [7/8]
Donnie Darko (2001) [6/8]
Blade Runner (1982) [5/8]
Fever Pitch (1997) [6/8]
Belle Epoque [Spanish] (1992) [6/8]
Star Wars 6 : Return of the Jedi (1983) [5/8]
Star Wars 5 : The Empire Strikes Back (1980) [6/8]
Star Wars 4 : A New Hope (1977) [6/8]
Star Wars 3 : Revenge of the Sith (2005) [4/8]
Star Wars 2 : Attack of the Clones (2002) [5/8]
Star Wars 1 : The Phantom Menace (1999) [5/8]
Stray Dog (1949) [Japanese] [7/8]
Flirting with Disaster (1996) [6/8]
Farewell My Concubine [Chinese] (1993) [7/8]
Full Metal Jacket (1987) [7/8]
House of Games (1994) [6/8]
The Secret of Roan Inish (1994) [6/8]
The Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy (2005) [5/8]
Antonia's Line [Dutch: Antonia] (1972) [6/8]
Once Were Warriors, (1994) [6/8]
Last Tango in Paris (1972) [4/8]
The Graduate (1967) [6/8]
Get Shorty (2000) [7/8]
Sin City (2005) [6/8]
Dirty Pretty Things (2000) [7/8]
The Royal Tenenbaums (2000) [6/8]
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2000) [7/8]
The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (2000) [5/8]
Amores Perros (2000) [7/8]
Mulholland Drive (2001) [7/8]
Secret Window (2004) [5/8]
The Conversation (1974) [5/8]
Scenes from a Marriage [Swedish: Scener ur ett aktenskap] (1974) [7/8]
The Crime of Padre Amaro [Spanish: El Crimen del Padre Amaro] (2002) [6/8]
A Short Film about Love (1997) [7/8]
Million Dollar Baby (2004) [7/8]
The Spanish Prisoner (1997) [6/8]
Irreversible [French] (2002) [5/8]
Proof (1991) [7/8]
The Remains of the Day (1993) [7/8]
Live Flesh [Spanish: Carne Tremula] (1997) [7/8]
Sense and Sensibility (1995) [7/8]
In the Company of Men (1997) [6/8]
Jackie Brown (1997) [6/8]
Pushpak (1988) [Hindi] [6/8]
Lantana (2001) [7/8]
Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982) [5/8]
Young Adam (2004) [6/8]
Amadeus (1984) [6/8]
Red [French: Trois Couleurs: Rouge] (1994) [7/8]
White [French: Trois Couleurs: Blanc] (1994) [7/8]

Movies seen in 2004

Virumaandi (2004) [Tamil] [6/8]
To Sir, with Love (1966) [6/8]
Modern Times (1936) [7/8]
Swimming Pool (2003) [French/ English] [6/8]
Blue (1993) [French: Trois Couleurs: Bleu] [7/8]
Closer (2004) [7/8]
Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! (2002) [Spanish: Atame!] [6/8]
Malena (2000) [Italian] [6/8]
Oceans 12 (2004) [4/8]
City of God (2002) [Portugese: Cidade de Deus] [6/8]
All About My Mother (1999) [Spanish: Todo sobre mi madre] [8/8]
Talk to Her (2002) [Spanish: Hable Con Ella] [7/8]
The Motorcycle Diaries [Spanish: Diarios de motocicleta] (2004) [6/8]
The Dirty Dozen (1967) [5/8]
Touch of Evil (1958) [6/8]
I'll Sleep When I'm Dead (2003) [6/8]
Sliding Doors (1998) [7/8]
Cinema Paradiso [Italian] (1988) [8/8]
Chinatown (1974) [7/8]
The Salton Sea (2002) [6/8]
Troy (2004) [4/8]
The Incredibles (2004) [6/8]
The Quiz Show (1994) [5/8]
And the Band Played On (2001) [6/8]
And your mother too [Spanish: Y Tu Mama Tambien] (2001) [5/8]
Love Me If You Dare [French: Jeux d'enfants] (2003) [6/8]
Euro Pudding [French: L'Auberge Espagnole] (2002) [6/8]
Remember me [Italian: Ricordati di Me] (2003) [6/8]
The Professional (1994) [6/8]
Nine Queens [Spanish: Nueva Reinas] (2000) [6/8]
Lawless Heart (2001) [6/8]
Wild Strawberries [Swedish: Smultronstället] (1957) [7/8]
Lolita (1962) [7/8]
Persona [Swedish] (1966) [7/8]
Two Family House (2000) [5/8]
Charade (1963) [4/8]
Casablanca (1942) [6/8]
The English Patient (1996) [6/8]
Howards End (1992) [7/8]
Elizabeth (1998) [6/8]
A Room With a View (1985) [6/8]
Spiderman 2 (2004) [5/8]
The Bourne Supremacy (2004) [5/8]
The Terminal (2004) [4/8]
Mean Streets (1973) [6/8]
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) [6/8]
Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994) [7/8]
Gosford Park (2001) [7/8]
Kill Bill Vol. 2 (2004) [5/8]
Spartan (2004) [5/8]
The King of Comedy (1983) [6/8]
Thirteen (2003) [7/8]
Kissing Jessica Stein (2002) [7/8]
The Grifters (1990) [5/8]
The Cook, the Thief, His Wife, and Her Lover (1989) [5/8]
Dirty Harry (1972) [5/8]
Identity (2003) [5/8]
Limbo (1999) [7/8]
Pather Panchali (1955) [7/8]
This Is Spinal Tap (1984) [6/8]
All the President's Men (1976) [6/8]
The Last Seduction (1994)) [6/8]
The Princess Bride (1987) [5/8]
The Limey (1999) [5/8]
The Sweet Hereafter (1997) [7/8]
Groundhog Day (1993) [7/8]
Lilja 4-Ever (2002) [Swedish/Russian] [7/8]
In the Bedroom (2001) [7/8]
The Ice Storm (1997) [8/8]

Movies seen in 2003

Cold Mountain (2003) [4/8]
21 Grams (2003) [6/8]
The Opposite of Sex (1998) [6/8]
Secretary (2002) [6/8]
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (1997) [5/8]
Love, Actually (2003) [5/8]
Strangers on a Train (1951) [5/8]
Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (2003) [7/8]
The Last Samurai (2003) [6/8]
Lost in Translation (2003) [8/8]
Mystic River (2003) [6/8]
Sex, Lies and Videotape (1986) [8/8]
Les Diaboliques [French] (1955) [4/8]
Whale Rider (2003) [5/8]
Sexy Beast (2001) [4/8]
Out of Sight (1998) [6/8]
Intolerable Cruelty (2003) [4/8]
High Noon (1952) [6/8]
Grosse Point Blank (1997) [5/8]
Annie Hall (1977) [4/8]
Seven Samurai (1956) [Japanese] [6/8]
Rashomon (1950) [Japanese] [6/8]
The Pianist (2002) [7/8]
For a Few Dollars More (1965) [5/8]
The Big Lebowski (1998) [4/8]
The Italian Job (2002) [4/8]
The Hours (2002) [4/8]
Election (1999) [6/8]
The Matrix Reloaded (2003) [4/8]
A Fish Called Wanda (1988) [6/8]
Catch Me if you Can (2003) [5/8]
The Postman [Italian: Il Postino] (1994) [6/8]
Run Lola Run [German: Lola Rennt] (1998) [7/8]
Anbe Sivam [Tamil] (2003) [5/8]

Movies seen in 2002

Being John Malkovich (1999) [5/8]
Show Me Love (Fucking Amal) [Swedish] (1998) [8/8]
American Psycho (2000) [5/8]
Exodus (1960) [4/8]
Magnolia (1999) [7/8]
Quills (2000) [6/8]
Dangerous Liaisons (1988) [6/8]
Sleepers (1996) [5/8]
Dances with Wolves (1990) [6/8]
Die Another Day (2002) [4/8]
Bound (1996) [6/8]
Easy Rider (1969) [3/8]
The Deer Hunter (1978) [5/8]
Say Anything (1989) [6/8]
Jerry Maguire (1996) [5/8]
Cape Fear (1991) [5/8]
Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles (1994) [5/8]
The Road to Perdition (2002) [6/8]
Read My Lips [French: Sur mes levres] (2001) [6/8]
A Streetcar Named Desire (1951) [6/8]
Croupier (1998) [7/8]
Bend it Like Beckham (2002) [6/8]
Minority Report (2002) [5/8]
Mandi (1983) [Hindi] [6/8]
Get Carter (1971) [5/8]
Insomnia (1997) [Swedish] [7/8]
Falling in Love (1984) [5/8]
Before Sunrise (1995) [6/8]
Casino (1995) [7/8]
Wag the Dog (1997) [7/8]
Finding Forrester (2000) [6/8]
Alice (1990) [5/8]
Snatch (2000) [7/8]
Unforgiven (1992) [8/8]
Goodfellas (1990) [7/8]
All Quiet On the Western Front (1930) [6/8]
The Usual Suspects (1995) [6/8]
Sholay (1975) [Hindi] [6/8]
Trainspotting (1995) [7/8]
Shadow of the Vampire (2000) [5/8]
The Age of Innocence (1993) [7/8]
The Birds (1963) [5/8]
Chasing Amy (1997) [7/8]
Memento (2000) [7/8]
Psycho (1960) [6/8]
My Fair Lady (1964) [4/8]
Doctor Zhivago (1965) [5/8]
Raging Bull (1980) [6/8]
Reservoir Dogs (1992) [6/8]
Fight Club (1999) [6/8]
The Matrix (1999) [7/8]
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) [5/8]

Movies seen in 2001

Traffic (2000) [8/8]
Requiem for A Dream (2000) [8/8]
Bridget Jones's Diary (2001) [6/8]
Pulp Fiction (1994) [8/8]
Vanilla Sky (2001) [4/8]
Rear Window (1954) [6/8]
Ocean's eleven (2001) [6/8]
On the Waterfront (1954) [7/8]
Ijaazat [Hindi] (1987) [6/8]
The Shining (1980) [6/8]
Vertigo (1958) [6/8]
North by Northwest (1959) [5/8]
The Godfather (1972) [8/8]
Lawrence of Arabia (1962) [5/8]
A Clockwork Orange (1971) [6/8]
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) [6/8]
Dr. Strangelove, Or How I Learnt to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964) [6/8]
Yojimbo (1961) [Japanese] [6/8]
The Cider House Rules (1999) [6/8]
The Day of the Jackal (1973) [6/8]
Apocalypse Now Redux (1979) [8/8]
Clerks (1994) [8/8]
Taxi Driver (1976) [8/8]
Almost Famous (2000) [6/8]
Mission: Impossible II (2000) [4/8]
American Beauty (1999) [8/8]
American History X (1998) [6/8]
Life Is Beautiful (1997) [Italian: La Vita e Bella] [6/8]

directors i admire

The list is by no means exhaustive and I have included a director if I loved two or more of his movies.

John Sayles (Limbo, Lone Star, Secret of Roan Inish)
Pedro Almodovar (All About My Mother, Live Flesh, Talk to Her, Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!)
Ang Lee (Eat Drink Man Woman, The Ice Storm, Sense and Sensibility)
Lukas Moodysson (Lilja 4-Ever, Fucking Amal)
Stanley Kubrick (A Clockwork Orange, Full Metal Jacket)
Ingmar Bergman (Persona, Scenes from a Marriage)
Steven Soderbergh (Traffic, Oceans 11, Sex Lies and Videotape)
Martin Scorsese (Taxi Driver, Mean Streets, Casino, Goodfellas)
Quentin Tarantino (Pulp Fiction, Reservoir Dogs, Jackie Brown)
Ram Gopal Varma (Satya, Sarkar)

Last updated Oct 22, 2007.