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On December 30 2010 09:04 The KY wrote:+ Show Spoiler +If you're looking for something 'intellectual', I'd recommend skipping the film and reading the book it was adapted from. I swear, 99.9% of good, intelligent films are adapted from books. And 99.9% of the time the book is better. For example;
-Bladerunner, adapted from Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick
While the main theme of both works is what it is to be human, the book addresses this much more fully. The post-war society that the Deckard of the books occupies is based largely around empathy. There is a religion called Mercerism based around every person using a strange machine to feel the experiences of, and thus empathise with, a mysterious messianic figure who for some reason is eternally walking up a mountain and being tormented (there's also a sort of bizarre TV low brow comedian whose show is aired 24/7, no repeats, and who seems to be engaged in a battle with Mercerism for the hearts and minds of the people - it's weird). Empathy is such an central part of their lives that it is a gross social faux pas not to own an animal to look after, but many can't afford one and buy an electrical fake animal and live in fear of their neighbours finding out. Replicants, meanwhile, can't feel empathy, and therein in the focus of the novel.
All or most of this, the 'intellectually stimulating' bits, is absent from the film. Don't get me wrong, Bladerunner is great, but for different reasons. Beautifully shot, written and acted, it's intelligent and engaging throughout. But for brain food, I know which I'm going for.
In my personal opinion, the book version is almost always better in general. But then again I'm not a big film guy. But if anyone's looking for great, intelligent films, I recently watched Sergio Leone's Once Upon A Time In The West and Once Upon A Time In America (the real version, not the shitty fucked up cut released in the US that apparently left Leone so 'heartbroken' that he never made another film). + Show Spoiler +P.S. I can't be the only one who thinks Donnie Darko is balls, can I?
P.P.S This thread is fucking old.
Probably because they cut like 90 minutes of the movie? OOa
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Also, everyone's said it man, but I love Apocalypse Now. The shot where you first see Kurtz, shrouded in darkness, slowly washing his bald head and giving that crazy monologue...I saw that shit when I closed my eyes for days after. Totally mesmerising, perfect, and I don't even know why.
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Stay Alive
Men In Black
Slither
Decoys
NOT.
Here's some movies that are "kinda" intellectual, imo.
Phonebooth
Cube
Vanilla Sky
Ken Park
The Lawnmower Man (Most of these more sad than intellectual)
Requiem For A Dream
Trainspotting
EDIT : Sling Blade
Mr. Brooks
Sadly, I can't recall any movie I've ever seen that I would consider to be, truly "intellectual". But I hope you guys got some laughs out of my fake list.
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No idea if it counts as "intellectual" but I think it's fucking good so:
The man from earth
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On December 30 2010 09:12 MarCoon wrote:Show nested quote +On December 30 2010 09:04 The KY wrote:+ Show Spoiler +If you're looking for something 'intellectual', I'd recommend skipping the film and reading the book it was adapted from. I swear, 99.9% of good, intelligent films are adapted from books. And 99.9% of the time the book is better. For example;
-Bladerunner, adapted from Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick
While the main theme of both works is what it is to be human, the book addresses this much more fully. The post-war society that the Deckard of the books occupies is based largely around empathy. There is a religion called Mercerism based around every person using a strange machine to feel the experiences of, and thus empathise with, a mysterious messianic figure who for some reason is eternally walking up a mountain and being tormented (there's also a sort of bizarre TV low brow comedian whose show is aired 24/7, no repeats, and who seems to be engaged in a battle with Mercerism for the hearts and minds of the people - it's weird). Empathy is such an central part of their lives that it is a gross social faux pas not to own an animal to look after, but many can't afford one and buy an electrical fake animal and live in fear of their neighbours finding out. Replicants, meanwhile, can't feel empathy, and therein in the focus of the novel.
All or most of this, the 'intellectually stimulating' bits, is absent from the film. Don't get me wrong, Bladerunner is great, but for different reasons. Beautifully shot, written and acted, it's intelligent and engaging throughout. But for brain food, I know which I'm going for.
In my personal opinion, the book version is almost always better in general. But then again I'm not a big film guy. But if anyone's looking for great, intelligent films, I recently watched Sergio Leone's Once Upon A Time In The West and Once Upon A Time In America (the real version, not the shitty fucked up cut released in the US that apparently left Leone so 'heartbroken' that he never made another film). + Show Spoiler +P.S. I can't be the only one who thinks Donnie Darko is balls, can I?
P.P.S This thread is fucking old. Probably because they cut like 90 minutes of the movie? OOa
Yes, and much, much worse than that, they fucking rearranged the rest of it. Makes me sick.
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To actually contribute something to the "OP" and I am sure it's been already said, but I'd say 12 Angry Men is an "intellectual" films since it makes you "think" if you have the ability to do so...
I could be wrong since I may have an other definition of intellectual movies.
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On December 30 2010 09:04 The KY wrote:
If you're looking for something 'intellectual', I'd recommend skipping the film and reading the book it was adapted from. I swear, 99.9% of good, intelligent films are adapted from books. And 99.9% of the time the book is better. For example;
-Bladerunner, adapted from Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick
While the main theme of both works is what it is to be human, the book addresses this much more fully. The post-war society that the Deckard of the books occupies is based largely around empathy. There is a religion called Mercerism based around every person using a strange machine to feel the experiences of, and thus empathise with, a mysterious messianic figure who for some reason is eternally walking up a mountain and being tormented (there's also a sort of bizarre TV low brow comedian whose show is aired 24/7, no repeats, and who seems to be engaged in a battle with Mercerism for the hearts and minds of the people - it's weird). Empathy is such an central part of their lives that it is a gross social faux pas not to own an animal to look after, but many can't afford one and buy an electrical fake animal and live in fear of their neighbours finding out. Replicants, meanwhile, can't feel empathy, and therein in the focus of the novel.
All or most of this, the 'intellectually stimulating' bits, is absent from the film. Don't get me wrong, Bladerunner is great, but for different reasons. Beautifully shot, written and acted, it's intelligent and engaging throughout. But for brain food, I know which I'm going for.
In my personal opinion, the book version is almost always better in general. But then again I'm not a big film guy.
But if anyone's looking for great, intelligent films, I recently watched Sergio Leone's Once Upon A Time In The West and Once Upon A Time In America (the real version, not the shitty fucked up cut released in the US that apparently left Leone so 'heartbroken' that he never made another film).
P.S. I can't be the only one who thinks Donnie Darko is balls, can I?
P.P.S This thread is fucking old.
Hehe, I was actually going to recommend Once Upon a Time in America as well, for the reason that there is a lot of symbolism, foreshadowing, and interesting things going on that you'd have to watch the movie multiple times to see everything.
Other "thinking" movies:
- Novecento - 1900 (a movie about the struggle between the peasant class and the ruling class in the early 20th century)
- Rouge (part of the three colours trilogy, an interesting film with some of the best cinematography I've ever seen. It is about how people can be connected, but still never meet or get to know each other. The first two movies are also good, but I put this one because its my favourite)
That's all that comes to mind atm.
edit: on the topic of Once Upon a Time in America, it's rumoured that there was a 5 hour verson and that was Leone's preferred version. Unfortunately he passed away in the early 90's so it may never see the light of day.
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Lost in Translation
Into the wild
Donnie Darko
those are the best 3 North American movies of that genre... in that order.
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good will hunting made me sad... loved it
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Here are a few must see classics
Brazil ...
Being There
Dr Strangelove
Trainspotting ( oh already recommended) Many f the great films come from books , so you could just read the book they are based on . for instance 1984 , water ship down , or Plague dogs , Fight club to name a few
some decent films.....
any David Lynch movie . some of his old works are really trippy . Like " Eraser Head " I really enjoyed Muhullond drive ( took several viewings to really figure it out, Twin peaks , Lost highway , they are all thought provocative; However, I personally would recommend Mulhullond drive over Lost Highway )
one ole classic is the 1950's film Sunset Boulevard by Billy Wilder .
Manchurian candidate ( both versions are good , but the original is a classic Bogart )
Imo Sixth sense was fairly good , hardly ground breaking , but worth a viewing if you dont know the ending yet .
Of course Federico Fellini is one of the fathers of modern surrealism and dream sequences in film , he is a must . any Herzog film are generally provocative although some of his latest I could do without
Edit I will post some more , Need to think on this for while I have seen so many good films, and a lot of poeple have mentioned the cult basics of recent history already .
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Idk if you would consider TOTAL MINDFUCK as an intellectual movie, but if you do, I recommend Fight Club and Oldboy.
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Hot Tub Time Machine... and anything in the Criterion Collection
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Fight Club
Oldboy
Being John Malkovich
Synecdoche New York (A++)
Exam
Open Your eyes
Confessions of a dangerous mind
Amores Perros
American Beauty
Magnolia
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
(half of these movies are written by charlie kaufman.. if you like one, you'll probably like the rest)
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Ok I just remebwered one
" Mindwalk " a really weird movie , and quite intellectual in its dialogue ( at least I thought so 20 years ago when I saw it on LSD ) . If I recall it is a musician , a poet, and a physicist that are having deep conversations for 2 hours, that is pretty much the plot ..
one of the lesser known Quentin Tarantino early screenplays " Sleep with me " It is hardly a great movie , However the dialogue is superb in many places put euphemistically, and that makes it worth a mention .
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On April 07 2005 22:20 travis wrote:
how could you not like good will hunting
QFT
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Inception has probably been posted several times, but you can't discount its ability to make your head hurt.
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El Topo and Holy Mountain -
Both directed, written and designed by the Chillien genius Alejandro Jodorowsky, I can't explain what happens but you must see El Topo first and be warned, these films aren't for anyone who isn't willing to commit to them. I recommend putting on the Director's Commentary for both El Topo and Holy Mountain after watching it a first time... It can help you understand it in a completely different way as to the way you first saw it!
Ed Wood -
A classic cult film directed by Tim Burton, the references are incredibly subtle and are easily missed if you don't pay close attention this film is a quasi biography on Ed Wood (the worst director in Hollywood), starring good ole' Johnny Depp back in the his earlier, less "mainstream" days.
Slacker -
A interesting look on a group of social outcasts and eccentrics who live in Austin, Texas. It's basically a whole lot of different life philosophies all tied together in some chaotic, random sequence which moves pretty seemlessly from one story to the next.
Not all of these are "intellectual" but they do provide a different look on different situations.
If you are looking for something not so "easy" to watch, these can be very rewarding.
Enjoy!
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EPT
