Favorite Thriller

[magnumforce73]

Apr 29, 2018 9:14:12 GMT rajmahal said:

Talented Mr. Ripley - an all time fave. I own it. What would someone do to have, well, everything? Must see if you haven't. Damon, Seymour, Hoffman & Paltrow, plus Europe.

Inception - post modern exquisite. Amazing sauce. De Caprio.

L.A. Confidential - I own this. Bassinger, Spacey, De Vito, young Russell Crowe & a favorite actor of mine, Guy Pearce. All star cast, story, acting, sets. Can watch again and again. Early Hollywood Golden Age Chinatown inspired masterpiece re corrupton. A favorite.

Jagged Edge (1985) young Jeff Bridges and Glenn Close- do you like a breathless courtroom thriller and a very important typewriter and a brutal unsolved crime? Then you've got to see this one! MANDATORY COURT THRILLER)

Body Heat- (1981) hot southern nights, indeed, and a bit of a triangle. The terrific William Hurt and a young and sexy Kathleen Turner.

Body Double- Modern, sexy film noir classic set in 1980s Hollywood. A twister. It's also pretty edge of your seat stressing and a bit sexploitative, it's Brian De Palma...! Melanie Griffith looks amazing... Frankie Goes to Hollywood appears... a time capsule.. watch if you haven't.

No Country for Old Men (pretty sure I watch this once a year- masterpiece- book is as well- one of the best and brightest authors of our times wrote this, r.i.p.)

Memento (own it) a once a year kind of flick. Required viewing. Guy Pearce.

12 1/2 weeks- Fresh Brit zombie stunner. One of two best zombie flicks.

World War Z- yep, this is the other zombie flick! Guess how important a retracting glass door can be? Brad Pitt makes saving the world from millions of zombies actually become a possibility.

Presumed Innocent (Harrison Ford and Greta Saatchi- hot, hot, story is incredible (and read the best selling book), twists and turns- another 1st class courtroom thriller- MANDATORY COURT THRILLER)

Blow Up (Antonioni - absolute classic- I own it- ART, swinging London timeslice - a murder photographed in a park- or was it? An inquiry into what is truth and does it even matter?)

Alfred Hitchock's Rebecca (do you live in the shadow of an ex? So does Rebecca. Black and white and awesome...sheer suspense + read the book!)

Carnival of Souls- very Twilight Zone-something retro and different. Impress your ARTY friends!

Straw Dogs (don't bet against young and nerdy Dustin Hoffman- this is ART- Peckinpah!)

Don't Look Now (1973) Julie Christie & Michael Caine in Venice, a whole lotta naked but with a big mystery to pursue- its old but interesting - just watch it.

The Shining (a bit of a intense long roller coaster and Nicholson acting showcase, but its an unsurpassed psychological horror story with unforgettable visuals that's for sure (that rabbit)- one of the masterpieces on this list- the book has a totally diff ending!)

Picnic at Hanging Rock (George Miller early 70s, hard to find cult classic, more ART, true story of young Australian women who disappear together and were never seen again- more subjective truth and surreal beauty. They are currently doing a remake of this..)

Ghost Story (70's- George C. Scott- best of category for a classic, venerable good ol' GHOST STORY- you'll never find better)

Psycho (original, obviously- every little detail is a small perfection of building intensity. A masterpiece. You don't need gore when you've got Hitchcock- he blows most of the genre away by creating fear in the blink of an eye or lack thereof- who does that?).

The Others (Nicole Kidman- and if you like this read the literary classic: A Turn of the Screw and watch that movie, too)

The Haunted (young Kate Beckinsdale- YOU MUST RENT THIS! I know most haven't seen this one- PLEASE go find it! It is awesome- not too scary- just jumps! I'm all about a good GHOST STORY!)

The Prestige (Magic! No surprise there with a bit of Hugh Jackson, Christian Bale, Michael Caine and Scarlett Johannson)
& The Illusionist- I own both and watch together-get them mixed up but I love them both - period pieces- magicians- watch em both!

Black Widow (Theresa Russell vs. Debra Winger= guilty pleasures and sexy locations galore. Awesome 80s thriller- women will esp. love this one)

The Handmaiden (New stock with lots of twists and twisteds, alright; highly sexual, but well done, visually impressive Japanese thriller which I came across by accident trying to find The Handmaid's Tale!)

Skeleton Key (Kate Hudson- really really good- I watch this with friends when I want a crowd pleaser thriller- good spooks & story- love me some Louisiana flare)

Jigsaw 1 & 2 (Caveat: change the channel for the sequels- they resorted to gross gore over story-ignore- nouvelle Hitchcock)

Dead Calm (Nicole Kidman- on a bunch of lists here for a reason. Girl power!)

Gone Girl (Ben Affleck - Awesome- I've loved to hate that brat since Mallrats WATCH IF YOU HAVEN'T- women will esp. love-)

The Gift (2000- Kate Holmes and Cate Blanchett- SEE THIS- more Bayous!)

The Hitcher (1986 - Rutger Hauer (wow, he's hot... but cannot), Jennifer Jason Leigh, C. Thomas Howell- one of my favorites, some gore - EDGE OF SEAT ACTION AND SUSPENSE SET IN TEXAS AND HIGHWAYS EVERYWHERE. Trust me.)

Single White Female (a full scoop of obsession plus Jennifer Jason Leigh and Bridgett Fonda in NYC)

La Femme Nikita- no need to say more- sexy spy training and asskicking galore.

SHAMALAYAN x 5 (make it a weekend): I'd love to add more of his, if he would let me by making another movie as good...
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The Village- if you haven't seen this, do it. Shamaylan at his early/best-rich story- I liked- friend I watched it with claims they saw where we were heading. Not me! Very Bradbury!

Signs- as above. Mel Gibson. Shamaylan at his early/best. Mel Gibson also still being likable here as the valiant aggrieved dad protecting his kids (Joaquin Phoenix).

Unbreakable - Bruce Willis again. As likable as he will ever get. Shamaylan's failure to sequel this is something I am not over.

Sixth Sense- The original break thru flick for this kid. Bruce Willis. I wouldn't watch again though.

What Lies Beneath (a young Ford and Pfieffer having some otherworldly marital issues)
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Impressed but never want to see it again:
Blair Witch Project. People said its corny, stupid & not scary. & they are sadistic liars that are trying to make you watch this! DO NOT listen. It is completely frickin scary. Drop as friends immediately. Don't view. It's got it all- esp. years of nightmares. Just say NO!
Blue Velvet- it may be art, but its rough - thanks a lot, Hopper
Jacob's ladder- yeah, ditto the above
Stir of Echoes- watched once it was good but rough, not again.
Room 1408- yeah, most unpleasant and effective. Absolutely can't do that again. I want to punch the writer!
Clockwork Orange- not my cup of tea, art though it may be.
2001 Space Odyssey- see directly above.
The Cell- yeah, too disturbing. Not again. J Lo or no.
The Game- same as above.
Eyes Wide Shut- stylish, sexy, pretty- but there's no there, there, if you ask me and I never bought their chemistry anywayz..
Hard Candy- Ellen Page... Sparse with, strong acting and plenty of girl power and psychological warfare.
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Lights on and watch with your back to the door and plenty of popcorn, plus plus:
Hush
The Gift (2015)
Zodiac- own this. Lights on for sure. Great performances from Robert Downey Jr. and Mark Ruffalo. Soundtrack and suspense and plenty of accuracy and real locations, based on the canonical Graysmith's book.
Fire in the Sky- sparse and all too effective alien abduction movie based on a real account... you won't forget it...

If you like Rutger Hauer, check out an early Paul Verhoeven film from 1973 titled Turks Fruit -- or Turkish Delight.  Offbeat and wild little love story, but a young Rutger nails it--think of it as a portrait of Rutger [The Artist] as a Young Man.

One other recommendation since I saw J.J. Leigh & Single White Female: her best work as an actress is a little pic from the early 90s titled Rush--she plays a young and very wet-behind-the-ears undercover narc (based on a novel by Kim Wozencraft).  Jason Patric and Sam Elliott only enhance the proceedings--just a heads-up--and it's got a rollickin' bluesy soundtrack/score.

mf73

mf73

[rajmahal]

Apr 29, 2018 10:39:51 GMT mark said:

Yeah, "Blow up"! I was not thinking about it, but for some reason, it is my all-time favorite movie. That photo thing and the suspended atmosphere, wonderful.

Hemmings starred in another italian thriller, "Deep Red". Some kind of trash, but still worth. More Horror than thriller.

And Hitchcock, of course. Vertigo is an absolute masterpiece. Rear Window, genius. I liked a lot "Dial M for murder" too.

     Oh! Thank you! I will check Deep Red out! I love Rear Window, too- own that! Yes- Dial M also- and the one where they've got a dead body under the buffet during the party- that is pretty good- great as a play.
     
     Please get your hands on Rebecca if you haven't seen it! It's black and white- excellent- book is also!SaveSave

[rajmahal]

Thank you- love and own RUSH- great movie and soundtrack- need to watch that one again, soon.

will get these Rutger Hauer flicks- thank you! Loved him since he was a replicant with the best lines in the whole of Blade Runner!

[magnumforce73]

May 6, 2018 7:35:42 GMT rajmahal said:

Thank you- love and own RUSH- great movie and soundtrack- need to watch that one again, soon.

will get these Rutger Hauer flicks- thank you! Loved him since he was a replicant with the best lines in the whole of Blade Runner!

And a Hobo with a Shotgun.

mf73

[maxxcat2018]

Carnival of Souls is amazing. If you can look past the low budget-ness of it. Blair Witch I wouldn't even want to watch once, after having done so. But I hate "found footage" movies.

[firespirit]

Brian De Palma's Blow-Out from 1981. Good,but not great. Probably was the last decent movie John Travolta did till he made Pulp Fiction in 94.

[overlooked]

Apr 29, 2018 10:39:51 GMT mark said:

Yeah, "Blow up"! I was not thinking about it, but for some reason, it is my all-time favorite movie. That photo thing and the suspended atmosphere, wonderful.

Hemmings starred in another italian thriller, "Deep Red". Some kind of trash, but still worth. More Horror than thriller.

And Hitchcock, of course. Vertigo is an absolute masterpiece. Rear Window, genius. I liked a lot "Dial M for murder" too.

I got to see Deep Red in theaters recently for the first time (I'd seen Suspiria a handful of times). I think it was a restoration and a longer cut. The movie is a lot of fun! Dare I say more fun than Suspiria? I love the character of the feisty female reporter and the scene where Hemmings plays his own suspense music on the piano. 

[maxxcat2018]

May 6, 2018 15:28:05 GMT overlooked said:

Apr 29, 2018 10:39:51 GMT mark said:

Yeah, "Blow up"! I was not thinking about it, but for some reason, it is my all-time favorite movie. That photo thing and the suspended atmosphere, wonderful.

Hemmings starred in another italian thriller, "Deep Red". Some kind of trash, but still worth. More Horror than thriller.

And Hitchcock, of course. Vertigo is an absolute masterpiece. Rear Window, genius. I liked a lot "Dial M for murder" too.

I got to see Deep Red in theaters recently for the first time (I'd seen Suspiria a handful of times). I think it was a restoration and a longer cut. The movie is a lot of fun! Dare I say more fun than Suspiria? I love the character of the feisty female reporter and the scene where Hemmings plays his own suspense music on the piano. 

I love Deep Red but can't for the life of me stand Suspiria. 

[overlooked]

Favorite new(ish) thriller - Frailty (2001) with the late Bill Paxton and a young Matthew McConaughey pre-McConaissance.

Favorite old thrillers - I'm an old film junkie and particularly fond the noir sub-genre of women-in-peril ie bluebird pictures. It's so hard to pick just one or two but if I have to... Sudden Fear (1952) with Joan Crawford, Mommie Dearest herself, in one of her greatest roles. The supporting cast is aces too. Another great thriller but harder to find is The Window (1949) with pre-Peter Pan Bobby Driscoll. The Window is so much better than I even expected it to be. It really is a hidden gem.

[mravocado]

May 6, 2018 12:04:46 GMT firespirit said:

Brian De Palma's Blow-Out from 1981. Good,but not great. Probably was the last decent movie John Travolta did till he made Pulp Fiction in 94.

This film has had a lot of hype and Tarantino is always raving about it (not that that necessarily means anything) having watched it, I'm not really sure what all the fuss is about? it was all a bit "meh" 

Manhunt: Unabomber was solid

[mark]

May 6, 2018 15:28:05 GMT overlooked said:

Apr 29, 2018 10:39:51 GMT mark said:

Yeah, "Blow up"! I was not thinking about it, but for some reason, it is my all-time favorite movie. That photo thing and the suspended atmosphere, wonderful.

Hemmings starred in another italian thriller, "Deep Red". Some kind of trash, but still worth. More Horror than thriller.

And Hitchcock, of course. Vertigo is an absolute masterpiece. Rear Window, genius. I liked a lot "Dial M for murder" too.

I got to see Deep Red in theaters recently for the first time (I'd seen Suspiria a handful of times). I think it was a restoration and a longer cut. The movie is a lot of fun! Dare I say more fun than Suspiria? I love the character of the feisty female reporter and the scene where Hemmings plays his own suspense music on the piano. 

Yes, lots of fun:). It's solid. To me, it's a cult movie. I called it "some kind of trash", because of cheap VFX, unnecessary violence, and some plot quirks. But overall it's a compelling story, and there's lots of suspance and creepy things. Liked a lot the super close-ups. And the mirror thing is a masterpiece
I didn't watch Suspiria. Knowing how Argento's career went down, I guess you're probably right in thinking Deep Red is better.

[riverstorum]

Blow Up, definitely,

Get Out

Frequency (criminally underrated, I never understood why it wasnt a hit. Everyone I show it to loves it, especially men.)

Obsession aka The Hidden Room (1949) - This was creepy af. I saw it by accident on TCM one time a few years ago and then never again but its worth tracking down.

Rear Window and NxNW

[magnumforce73]

Just saw a great little thriller from 2015 titled Mojave with Oscar Isaac and Garrett Hedlund (one of the most underrated actors in Hollywood).  For those of you that like terse, "hard guy" dialogue in your thrillers, this is a keeper.

"This started in the desert.  It'll end in the desert."

mf73

[mravocado]

One of my favourite films of the last few years is Ex Machina. Would highly recommend. 

[Deleted]

May 6, 2018 17:13:44 GMT mravocado said:

May 6, 2018 12:04:46 GMT firespirit said:

Brian De Palma's Blow-Out from 1981. Good,but not great. Probably was the last decent movie John Travolta did till he made Pulp Fiction in 94.

This film has had a lot of hype and Tarantino is always raving about it (not that that necessarily means anything) having watched it, I'm not really sure what all the fuss is about? it was all a bit "meh" 

Manhunt: Unabomber was solid

Manhunt: Unabomber was engrossing save for one huge casting blunder, Sam Worthington. This was counter balanced by the rest of the cast, especially a brilliant Paul Bettany as Ted Kaczinsky. But man, did Sam ever crap the bed with his performance.