your favorite movie

If you want to know me you do not need to fly to Texas. Just watch *Giant* several times, over and over.

*waxes sentimental*

Maybe...

1) It says something true about the way you see the world: The world is silly, and you shouldn't take it too seriously. Idiot savants are cool. With great power comes great responsibility.
2) It contains moments and/or speeches you will never forget: Bob Genghis Khan, playing cards with Billy the Kid, Soc-rates, "party-on dudes" "be excellent to each other", all the historical dudes running around the mall.
3) It illuminates something you did not know or fully understand before you saw the movie: I didn't know time-travel was possible (er, actually pass). Maybe, it confirmed to me that I'm not a man with refined tastes, and I wouldn't want to be.
4) It thoroughly engrosses you, and you never miss a chance to see it again: yep! I have seen this film about 10-15 times. I might watch it later! I must get it on DVD. Often imitated, never bettered, and I include "dude! where's my car" in this statement.

I've watched it on video about twenty times.

The view of the world that affects me is not the anti-apartheid thing in itself, but the idea that sometimes you have to put your principles ahead of the ones you love, and that if you do you will have to face the consequences of that.

The moments I will not forget are when Barbara Hershey (Ruth Slovo)tries to commit suicide. Also when her daughter, the brilliant child actress Jodie May (Gillian Slovo) - her mother in prison and her father (Joe Slovo) in exile - goes to play with her friend is not allowed to see her by her friend's father. Oh, and the moment when Hershey is released from prison, and rearrested outside in the telephone box for another ninety-days' detention. And at the end when Jodie May, after failing to understand for most of the film why her parents put their beliefs ahead of her, sings the freedom anthem. Ah, ah, what a film: now I must watch it again!

on the other hand
tarkovsky's nostalghia
also does the trick

somewhere inbetween
with a hot cup of coffee
lurks the haikunym

Hmm... I'm going to say, by this criteria, Wonder Boys or Full Metal Jacket. I'm more engrossed by Wonder Boys, but it "illuminates" less than Full Metal Jacket.

The fourth question rules out a lot of my favorite foreign and silent films. I have to be able to allocate two or three hours when I can watch and pay complete attention to them, which is altogether too rare for me.

scarface meets all of these criteria.

1) It says something true about the way you see the world.

Giant is amazing, I think, b/c it made a lot of bold statments about race relations in Texas. Personally this conflicted view it has of white/mexican life in Texas, and the intense pride each has for their home, speaks more to my own worldview than any pop culture piece can.

2) It contains moments and/or speeches you will never forget.

There perhaps small lines/speeches but they are eternal to me:

Leslie and Bick when they first meet: "well isn't Texas green?" "Not altogther, ma'am"

The next day: Leslie "We stole Texas didn't we? From the Mexicans?" Bick, "Why I never heard anything so ignorant as some Easterners!"

Leslie and Bick after their trial seperation: Her, "You know I'm just as an awful a girl as I was before." Him, "Us Texans like some vinegar in our greens. Gives 'em flavor."

Leslie and Jett after she visits Little Reata for the first time: Her, "Money isn't everything you know, Jett." Him, "Not when you got it."

(Leslie=Elizabeth Taylor; Bick=Rock Hudson; Jett Rink=James Dean)

3) It illuminates something you did not know or fully understand before you saw the movie.

I don't think I was able to fully articulate some of the emotions I felt about Texas specifically and pride and place in general until I interanalized this movie and novel.

4) It thoroughly engrosses you, and you never miss a chance to see it again

Anytime it is reprised in the theaters, I go to see as many times as possible. Anytime I make a friend who hasn't seen it: video time.

okay, hope that's better.

yeah i learned something about texas just from hearing you talk about it...

I really love Lone Star for the same reason.

1) It says something true about the way you see the world.

don't get high on yer own supply. never underestimate the other guy's greed. all i've got in this world is my balls an' my word, and i don't break 'em for no-one.

2) It contains moments and/or speeches you will never forget.

"Whattaya lookin' at? You're all a bunch of fucking assholes. You know why? 'Cause you don't have the guts to be what you wanna be. You need people like me. You need people like me so you can point your fucking fingers, and say 'that's the bad guy.' So, what dat make you? Good? You're not good; you just know how to hide. Howda lie. Me, I don't have that problem. Me, I always tell the truth--even when I lie. So say goodnight to the bad guy. Come on; the last time you gonna see a bad guy like this, let me tell ya. Come on, make way for the bad guy. There's a bad guy comin' through; you better get outta his way!"

3) It illuminates something you did not know or fully understand before you saw the movie.

i didn't know that you could get shot half-a-zillion times with submachine guns and still be left standing and take out motherfuckers!

4) It thoroughly engrosses you, and you never miss a chance to see it again.

That goes w/t saying doesn't it?

1) It says something true about the way you see the world.

"... almost the whole world's asleep. Everybody you know, everybody you see, everybody you talk to. ... only a few people are awake, and they live in a state of constant, total amazement."

2) It contains moments and/or speeches you will never forget.

The above, and the bit where they're beating him with fish, and "I know he can get the job, but can he do the job? I didn't say that. If I said that, I would be wrong. I'm not arguing that with you." (My ex and I used to quote the latter at each other constantly -- "I'm not arguing that with you" is actually a spectacularly useful thing to say in relationship quarrels, cause a lot of the time -- at least in mine -- you're arguing about two different things.)

3) It illuminates something you did not know or fully understand before you saw the movie.

* Physical illness is often used as a crutch that gets one out of taking responsibility for one's own happiness, and likewise is often manufactured.

* Happiness and willingness to take risks are linked.

* Orange soda is great.

4) It thoroughly engrosses you, and you never miss a chance to see it again.

And so, yes, that movie is Joe Vs The Volcano.

Mr. Wahawaturi: "Nobody feels good! You think I feel good? After childhood it's a fact of life!"

Oh, I should have somehow worked Abe Vigoda into my answers, though. I mean, shit. ABE VIGODA.

Dan Hedaya. I think of him as Nixon. I thought of him as Nixon long before Dick. And yes, he perfect as a bag of shit stuffed in a cheap suit.

1) It says something true about the way you see the world.
Well this is obvious. The whole "maths is the language of nature" thing, Fibonacci, the kaballah/the torah, insanity, migraines, computers all rolled up into one wonderful err... spiral.

2) It contains moments and/or speeches you will never forget.
The migraine scenes. The "restate my assumptions" speech(es). This stuff was a relvalation to me, it was like Tao as numbers. It just clicked in my brain and made sense.

3) It illuminates something you did not know or fully understand before you saw the movie.
The stuff about how there are people studying the torah as a data set, that hebrew is all maths. That fascinated me. The layman's chaos theory stuff too.

4) It thoroughly engrosses you, and you never miss a chance to see it again.
I have the DVD and I can easily watch this film repeatdedly. Having said this it occurs to me I have never seen it in the cinema. Pity.

The funny thing is, I'm not a maths geek AT ALL - I hate maths and I'm useless at it - but there was something about Pi's worldview that totally got to me. And the soundtrack, acting and direction were all shit hot amazing of course.

2) It contains moments and/or speeches you will never forget.
... and Garth finally got pubes
3) It illuminates something you did not know or fully understand before you saw the movie.
This film shaped my sense of humour
4) It thoroughly engrosses you, and you never miss a chance to see it again.
It will always be hilarious.

Maybe broadcast news with the devil speech also, I don't know.

It's like Schindler's List but with porn.

1) It says something true about the way you see the world.
Criminals come in all shapes and sizes. Even a bunch of surfers can be vicious bank robbers.
2) It contains moments and/or speeches you will never forget.
This movie is full of amazing moments. I mean, the body shot scene at Bodi's party. Bodi riding the final 40 year wave. Johnny Utah. A rare appearance by everyones favorite thespian Anthony Kiedis. Bunker Weiss. Warchyld. Gary Busey and his love of meatball sandwiches.
3) It illuminates something you did not know or fully understand before you saw the movie.
Even with a history of knee problems, you can still get in the FBI.
4) It thoroughly engrosses you, and you never miss a chance to see it again.
I've seen it 400 times.

2) It contains moments and/or speeches you will never forget.
I can probably recite the whole thing. (if that's what you meant)

3) It illuminates something you did not know or fully understand before you saw the movie.
Erm, yes.

4) It thoroughly engrosses you, and you never miss a chance to see it again.
I love it, I watch it all the time.

Although your criteria doesn't quite match mine, I do love this film & that's it!

1) It says something true about the way you see the world.
It's all about being able to stand up for what you believe it, not necessarily what's right. It's the ultimate Catholic film, really, with Juror 8 as Jesus, the righteous one who proves all wrong with patience, understanding, and one moment of anger

2) It contains moments and/or speeches you will never forget.
"You don't really mean you'll kill me, do you?"
"We are.... what is the word?" "Notified" "Yes, we are notified"
"He was a real ox..."

3) It illuminates something you did not know or fully understand before you saw the movie.
I now know how to fix a fan.

4) It thoroughly engrosses you, and you never miss a chance to see it again.

Last Xmas, I had a job as a waiter. I was up at 5 am, worked a 14 hour shift from 10 am to 12pm, got home at 1 am, and then stayed up to watch a 3am showing of this film. I actually had it on video, anyway.

1) It says something true about the way you see the world: Well first off can I just say that I absolutely love Byrne. But his character in this movie is an enigma – a good man in a bad world or a familiar with a vortex where his heart should be? I love the fact that your perspective can shift each time you watch this film and that’s part of what I fascinates me about life too I suppose – ambiguity. I admire the juxtaposition of black humour and wild passion that ignites throughout this picture and the themes; friendship, love, loss and mortality are as big as they come. Fan-fucking-tastic.

2) It contains moments and/or speeches you will never forget: Oh man, every line is a carefully considered classic – the script is as faultless as they come. The dialogue is both snappy and thought provoking – you won’t catch on to all of it in just one viewing. At times hilarious and then deeply brooding, some of the speeches and exchanges are all time stone cold classics:

The Dane: What’s that potato-eater up to?

Goon: Beats me.

The Dane: That's Bernie's sister, isn't it?

Goon: Beats me.

The Dane: What's he seeing her for?

Goon: Beats me.

The Dane: Shutup. Get outta the car.

3) It illuminates something you did not know or fully understand before you saw the movie: Hmm, perhaps shedding some light on the intricate workings of the human heart…?

4) It thoroughly engrosses you, and you never miss a chance to see it again: Indeed, I would watch this film at any given moment in virtually any given situation.

"Fuck the Yankees."

2) It contains moments and/or speeches you will never forget.

When they all quit and Boilermaker won't let em. Pretty much every scene with Tatum O'Neal.

3) It illuminates something you did not know or fully understand before you saw the movie.

Sometime in the last thirty years, it has become unacceptable for an adult to throw beer in a child's face in a movie for an audience of mixed ages.

4) It thoroughly engrosses you, and you never miss a chance to see it again.

That's right, The Bad News Bears. (It came on television this morning and was my respite after being up all night.)

I got together with one of my Great Lost Loves over this film *sigh*

I'd be interested to see this again to see if it actually worked. I was more disappointed at the time that it's only the first half of the book.

It's being released as a HMV (uk) exclusive today, I think. No idea when it gets a full release. I was hoping Critereon would release it too, maybe they still will - the only simultaneous release they've done is The Royal Tenebaums, as far as I'm aware.