As someone recently said, there does'nt seem to be a film thread, so I thought I would start this one. Post your favourite films of all time what you are going to see or have seen.

DVDs of films as well.

My opening post is that great trilogy of films directed by Peter Jackson,of that J R R Tolkien classic, 'Lord of the Rings'. This one has to be my favourite. I also love Star Wars as well. I was in the USA at the time that the first one of all was being shown, before it reached this country. Another favourite of mine is 'Saving Private Ryan'. That moving film about this group of soldiers looking for a fellow soldier, during the last war, to bring him home, if I remember rightly, his brothers were killed and so he was ordered back home or som ething like that.

Look forward to reading your posts.

Hmm, this could be as difficult as selecting favourite books. Still, off the top of my head, this has to be an all time favourite
. I'm a big fan of Powell and Pressburger generally. Umm, then there's this
One of those rare things, a faithful and successful adaptation of a book. Shame about the naff cover. Makes it look like a costume Romance. Then there's this
A wickedly funny  religious satire. Alanis Morrisette as God anyone? The Pope wouldn't like it.

That's it for now.

Oh dear.

I'm a great fan of The Edukators. It's a German film about a group of youths who break into rich people's houses while they're swanning around, then only re-arrange the furniture - "die Stereoanlage ist im Kühlschrank" (the stereo is in the fridge) - and leave them a note to give them a fright. One time the owner catches them in the act and he therefore gets kidnapped. They go into a hut in the mountains and he turns out to have been one of the prime movers in the riots of '68... It's about different views of the world with age, capitalism, society...

It's so small-scale, like a play. There are really only the three youths and the rich guy to list as major characters.

"Fear and Trembling" (or "Stupeur et tremblements") is a good one:

"Based on Amélie Nothomb's autobiographical novel, this comedy is a stingingly satirical insight into Japanese corporate culture. Despite being born in Tokyo and still fluent in the language, Sylvie Testud's eager Belgian translator falls foul of her employers because of her inability to appreciate the rigidity of their hierarchical structure. She also mistakes politic politeness for friendship in her dealings with careerist supervisor Kaori Tsuji, who sees Testud as an interloper, not an ally. Testud's attempts to ingratiate herself with her fellow employees all end in disaster and resentment, sending her shooting down the corporate ladder — all the way to the staff toilets. Filming predominantly in Japanese, Alain Corneau directs with a sureness that reinforces the comic potential of the various cultural chasms without indulging in racial stereotyping. He is aided immeasurably by Testud's luminous — and César-winning — performance as the indomitable Amélie."

I'm not a great movie buff or follower, but I am pleased to see films - how different is it seeing them on the Big Screen rather than on the Small Screen?  I saw Laurence of Arabia on the wide, wide screen of the BFI last week, and it was a wow.

Going out to the flicks gives a sense of occasion which popping in a DVD during a tray supper (a thing unknown chez moi) is not the same at all.  Maybe that's why I prefer the live theatre - even more sense of occasion.

The first movie I was taken to was Oklahoma! and I loved it. Hadn't a clue about the plot (what there is of it, I now realise) but the song and dance was wonderful.

Well, the British Film Institute is doing a David Lean series, in which I saw Laurence.  We had tickets for Dr Zhivago, but I had a bad cough and flu, so missed it.  Reports of Ryan's Daughter on Friday were enthusiastic.

I am not a cinema goer nor a film buff either.  As regards David Lean I'd go along with Lawrence, there is Brief Encounter of course, and looking through my bookcase I find I have his Great Expectations with John Mills, which is quite exciting given our Dickens discussion lately.

I am afraid my favourites seem to be the popular old classic black and whites such as Citizen Kane, Casablanca, The Third Man, North by North West, etc.  A lot of the Marilyn Monroe movies, most films with Humphrey Bogart, corny as they are.  Also, The Producers, Aguirre Wrath of God, Fitzcarraldo, Das Boot.  I saw the other day a film which was new to me - Whistle down the Wind - which I greatly enjoyed.  For anything more modern I will have to think about it.

Oh goodness, How could I forget The Wicker Man? The original with Edward Woodward (never tire of that name) and Christopher Lee; none of this poncy remake business.