The CHUD Essentials

[InTheShadows]

Originally Posted by Beageal

How about the Essentials Appendix -- eight more films that didn't make the original list for some reason. They are:

The Specials
Primer
Hellboy
United 93
Brick
Brotherhood of the Wolf
Equilibrium
Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang

Seen all but The Specials, 5 of them theatrically.

If there was a list for "Films CHUD has hyped over the years," then those would make it. They seem kind of obvious, and a little redundant, for this list.

I wouldn't mind seeing a flick like Battle of Algiers make it, though.

[Renn Brown]

Originally Posted by InTheShadows

If there was a list for "Films CHUD has hyped over the years," then those would make it. They seem kind of obvious, and a little redundant, for this list.

That's precisely what the Appendix was stated to be for. So, good!

[InTheShadows]

Well, mine as well throw Slither and Hot Fuzz in there, too. If that's the criteria.

I also notice a lack of Darabont on the list, so I would nominate either Shawshank or The Mist.

Edit: And ONCE.

[Renn Brown]

Pan's Labyrinth and Children of Men would also fit nicely into the appendix, were it to be revised.

[Greg David]

Originally Posted by The Cameo

And? I'm only 23. A large chunk of these are early/mid 90's or 80's movies. You try being 11 and convincing your parents to let you see The Big Lebowski. Northern New England, unfortunately, isn't exactly the kindest place to independent films either. I can pretty much guarantee that American Splendor probably played in Portland for all of a week when it came out.

Strict(ish) parents and having to travel a half hour in any direction to get to a movie theater is a bad combination.

Why are you making excuses for this? It isn't a contest to see who the most worthwhile human being is. Relax.

And as for adding movies to the list, I'd prefer to see more oldies in the mix. Everybody around here already knows about things like Hot Fuzz and Pan's Labyrinth. I'd like to see more championing of films like M and A Night to Remember and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence. People don't need any pushing to check out recent films. But even a lot of film nerds seem insufficiently motivated to check out the older stuff. Let's give them some ideas.

[InTheShadows]

Wild Strawberries - Bergman
400 Blows - Truffaut
Breathless - Godard
Wages of Fear - Clouzot
Umberto D - de Sica
Battle of Algiers - Pontecorvo

[Phil]

Beaks took a lot of the classic canon knowledge with him (not calling anyone out, but that seemed his niche).

[Andrew Eaton]

At Dev: I tried looking this list up not too long ago, but only got Day 25 to work. Any chance of getting the pages back up? The write-ups made for a good read and I'd love to link this to people

[Beageal]

They all work for me.

[Tom Logan]

Originally Posted by InTheShadows

If there was a list for "Films CHUD has hyped over the years," then those would make it. They seem kind of obvious, and a little redundant, for this list.

Jesus,did CHUD hype Equilibrium up?that film is bloody atrocious and not in an enjoyable way.

Originally Posted by InTheShadows

Wild Strawberries - Bergman
400 Blows - Truffaut
Breathless - Godard
Wages of Fear - Clouzot
Umberto D - de Sica
Battle of Algiers - Pontecorvo

I've suprisingly done 4 on that list,FilmFour have been showing a lot of Bergman flms recently and Wild Starwberries is the only one i could say i thoroughly enjoyed.

[devincf]

Originally Posted by InTheShadows

Wild Strawberries - Bergman
400 Blows - Truffaut
Breathless - Godard
Wages of Fear - Clouzot
Umberto D - de Sica
Battle of Algiers - Pontecorvo

This would be a major missing of the point of a CHUD Essentials list.

[EdHocken]

Absolutely.

That could be essential film list. But not a CHUD essential list.

Oh and Let the Right One In must be in a new list.

[InTheShadows]

Originally Posted by devincf

This would be a major missing of the point of a CHUD Essentials list.

I posted that list more in response to this post by Greg than as recommendations for the CHUD Essentials. The first older film that comes to mind that could fit on the list, though, is The Day the Earth Stood Still.

Originally Posted by Greg David

And as for adding movies to the list, I'd prefer to see more oldies in the mix. Everybody around here already knows about things like Hot Fuzz and Pan's Labyrinth. I'd like to see more championing of films like M and A Night to Remember and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence. People don't need any pushing to check out recent films. But even a lot of film nerds seem insufficiently motivated to check out the older stuff. Let's give them some ideas.

[Beageal]

Originally Posted by EdHocken

Oh and Let the Right One In must be in a new list.

Give the world a bit of time to see if it underrates that one. Maybe we'll all be surprised and it'll get the love it deserves. Or maybe people will decide the remake sucks so much the original must be shit, too.

[Iron Maiden]

Originally Posted by devincf

This would be a major missing of the point of a CHUD Essentials list.

Honestly, I'd love to see CHUD's next list tackle the greatest films ever made. I think it'd be really interesting to see how you guys balance genre movies with the films of Bergman, Fellini, Altman, etc.

[Beldar]

Seen 27 of em, 31 if you count the appendix. At least 5-10 seen after reading this great list. Only seen one theatrically (Jackie Brown)...I'm 24, but there's admittedly about 6 or 7 others I should have seen in theaters. I remember I was supposed to see Big Lebowski with my dad, but it went out of theaters the weekend we were going to go.

[Nicholas]

I've only seen 13, 18 with the appendix. I've seen just three on the big screen.
The best thing about seeing so few is that I can look forward to watching them for the first time.

[JohnnyKilo]

Originally Posted by devincf

Here's a hard one: how many have you seen on the big screen? I'm at 21.

No fair farach, you live in "LA vato!" Seen 47, and am sitting on Gimme Shelter, have systematically been tracking them all down since you published the list - faves were Last Temptation and Birdy out of the stuff i hadn't seen.

Street Trash is amazing if only for the scene where the hulking police officer destroys some henchman, drags his ass into the urinal then, inspired by a finger down the throat, vomits on him in disdain, best disrespectful finish to a fight ive ever seen.

Still tracking down Q and Ilsa - but not bad for a net flix deprived aussie uni student eh - easily your best list - own all the appendix ones too

[Gabe Powers]

I guess my votes for additions to the list if a new one was made some day would be:

American Movie
Cemetery Man
City of the Living Dead
Drive
The Great Silence
Razorback
Save the Green Planet

[Beageal]

Save the Green Planet, excellent. Shall we add Torque to the list as well?

[Tom Logan]

I'll be checking Uncommon Valor a little later,didn't realise Fred Ward and Patrick Swayze were backing Gene Hackman in this one and that Ted Kotchoff went on to direct Weekend at Bernies and Red Shoe Diaries 3?

As people are putting recommendations forward,i was going to say Jodorowsky's The Holy Mountain,does that fit the criteria?its bat-shit crazy but a film that needs to be checked out.

I can't find the original write-ups anywhere too? can anyone help an optically impaired man out?

[Hammerhead]

Seen 31, 12 in theatre.

[Chris Anthony]

Originally Posted by Beageal

Save the Green Planet, excellent.

Seconded. Also, where's some love for FREEBIE AND THE BEAN? Edger Wright showed that at the Hot Fuzztival last year and it seemed to be tailor made for the CHUD community; action, buddy cops, blatant racism, etc. What's not to love?

[Erik Wacker]

I've seen 17 from the main list, but none theatrically unfortunately. If you count the appendix, I've seen four more, but the only one which I saw theatrically was Hellboy.

[Chris Anthony]

I've only got two theatrical; OLDBOY and AMERICAN SPLENDOR

Total, I've only got 10 1/2. As soon as Christmas break starts, I'm going to pick back up on my "1 movie a day" regimen.

[Phil]

I'd yank something like Super Troopers or Rounders off the list and drop in Phantom of the Paradise.

[Chris Anthony]

Good luck talking Nick down on his SUPER TROOPERS love. You'd have better luck getting him to remove ads from the front page.

[Phil]

I just don't think anything from Broken Lizard's going to hold up as an all-timer. Maybe drop Ronin instead. I bet if this list gets revised, Phantom gets some love. It's more worthy of the CHUD spotlight than a few movies on that list.

[Kriegaffe]

I've seen 24 and 3 in the cinema.

To increase my score I'm going to have to search out some more obscure titles (Ilsa, Q, Prophecy) which I'm sure my local DVD store won't have. I need to determine if there is an Australian equivalent to 'Netflix'.

[gravedigger]

DETERRENCE was on Showtime recently so I finally had a chance to see it. I remember Nick talking it up quite a bit back in the day but it was Micah who did the Essentials write-up. Basically, it's really, really good. Pollak is excellent as the unelected president thrust into a devil of a situation with nuclear implications. It's interesting that Lurie thought Uday would be the Hussein son to take control of Iraq. It always seemed to me that Uday was the insane party guy of the two brothers and Qusay was the one who would eventually take over for his father.

The only thing I'm not sure about, and I think it's more because of the uneasy feeling it gave me, was the Pollak's explanation of his motives in his final speech. It's an interesting story but I think it throws some doubt on his competency to be leader of the free world. Maybe it's because I'm not a conspiracy theorist.

[Tom Logan]

I've done 40 now having watched Night of the creeps, Uncommon Valor, Conquest and Street Trash since my initial post (6 months ago!). Enjoyed all four.

Out of the remaining 10, Gimme Shelter is the one that i really want to see.

[Greg David]

Originally Posted by gravedigger

The only thing I'm not sure about, and I think it's more because of the uneasy feeling it gave me, was the Pollak's explanation of his motives in his final speech. It's an interesting story but I think it throws some doubt on his competency to be leader of the free world. Maybe it's because I'm not a conspiracy theorist.

You're supposed to doubt his competency. In the audio commentary, Lurie says that, in his view, Pollak's character is absolutely a bad guy. He intentionally left it open to interpretation, but that speech isn't really designed to make anyone feel better about what he's done.

[Stormin]

33, with the 34th being when I watch Deterrence tomorrow. I think every single movie on this list I've seen on the big screen has been at the New Bev.

[devincf]

bump because Q THE WINGED SERPENT is playing at the Nuart today.