Recommend classic/good movies/TV series for ISB's first watch

[Trollheart]

If you've been following his thread about giving up music collecting, you'll know that I've suggested @innerspaceboy might find interest watching, and perhaps reviewing, movies and TV series he has never seen before. I therefore set up this thread for recs. Bear in mind that he hasn't got a TV so almost everything you think he will have seen, it's likely he has not.

Certain criteria to keep in mind: No superhero/action movies that can't be watched as standalone; thoughtful, intelligent movies (yes of course recommend American Pie!  ) even if they're very old and classic; probably nothing that takes serious committment and needs to be followed episode-by-episode (think Lost, 24, Supernatural etc) and nothing that needs reference to other series/movies to be enjoyed, i.e., no "franchises" (Walking Dead/Star Wars/Star Trek/Batman etc).

In the end, of course, it's his choice and I'm sure if he wants recs for specific movies or TV series he will pop in and ask. The above just gives you an idea. I'm sure comedy is fine, as he says he love Seinfeld, but what type of comedy, only he can tell you.

Anyway we'll keep a list here if we can, so post your suggestions and I'll add them to the OP. PLEASE NO SPOILERS, and no links to Wiki because there spoilers abound. Treat every rec as if you are making it for someone who has never seen it, because he most likely has not.

MOVIES

Casablanca (1940) - classic b/w wartime love story starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman

The Odd Couple (1968) - classic comedy movie based on Neil Simon's play about two male friends who decide to live together, and find it's not as simple as it sounds. Jack Lemmon/Walter Matthau.

Brazil (1985) - Cult dystopian black comedy/science fiction movie directed by Terry Gilliam

Silent Running (1972) - Science fiction movie about one man keeping the Earth's remaining forests, which have been sent into space, alive against all odds.

The Last Temptation of Christ (1988) - Fictional imaginging of how things might have turned out had Christ not been crucified for our sins.

Star Wars (1977) - Classic science fiction space opera that changed the entire world of science fiction

The Godfather (1972) - The quintessential Mafia movie

Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984) - John Hurt and Richard Burton in the film version of Orwell's classic of a dystopian future.

Dark Star (1974) - Trippy movie about space hippies blowing up planets, and a sentient bomb

Der Untergang (Downfall) (2004) - Assuming you don't mind subtitles, mind-blowing performance by Bruno Ganz as Hitler in his last days.

The Matrix (1999) - Nobody can tell you what the Matrix is: you have to see it for yourself.

SERIES

Downton Abbey - Life at a country mansion in the early 20th century

Dickensian - Clever series that weaves together characters from Dickens' books to create a whole new story: who murdered Jacob Marlowe?

Ripper Street - Not a drama that follows the hunt for the infamous killer, but set in those times when detectives tracked down other killers in London.

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1984) - The best of the adaptations, starring Jeremy Brett

Frasier - Intelligent and high-brow comedy that doesn't take itself too seriously

[innerspaceboy]

Thank you very much, TH. I confess that this challenge is daunting and makes me nervous and anxious. It seems an insurmountable errand. But I'll do my best to engage you.

You may wish to pin this information to the parent post for easy reference:

When I was seeing my Canadian girlfriend we collaborated on constructing a Google spreadsheet of films grouped into various categories. We created conditional logic parameters to color code cells for films in our existing libraries, ones we've watched together or separately, etc.

The primary categories include:

- Cinematic Masterpieces From The Golden Age of Hollywood
- Films with Existentialist Themes
- Existential Cont'd
- Cary Grant's Top 10 Greatest Screwball Comedies (Chronology)
- Other Cary Grant films
- 75 Science Fiction Cinema Essentials: A Chronology
- Television Series
- Documentary Films
- General Films
- Blockbusters
- Philip K Dick Inspired Filmography
- Studio Ghibli Films
- Disney Films
- Pixar Films

And we added a list of Directors Exploring Existential Themes:

- Ingmar Bergman
- Luis Buñuel
- Lars von Trier
- Rainer Werner Fassbinder
- Lucrecia Martel
- Pedro Almodóvar

I then exported the output of "sudo tree -d > list.txt" from my primary film folder on my server to an adjacent Google Workbook.

I thought it might be useful for people participating in this thread to view these worksheets. I may unshare them later but for the moment I feel comfortable making it accessible.

Here's the primary film spreadsheet of movies we'd intended to view together before we parted:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1yRROIBLTNsGTkqGYNPRPwanKTJWR9WVqM3IBlfOgPVw/edit?usp=sharing

And here's the tab with my personal library of (mostly) unviewed films and television programmes:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Hjxiou0rRTgwTw5pcc8s8Q-OZB2DNlpATkPsQb1uf6c/edit?usp=sharing

I'd welcome the community's suggestions.

[Trollheart]

Okay I'll have a look through those when I have a mo(nth); I know your lists tend to sprawl more than prime, undeveloped real estate at the hands of hungry realtors. But if the project, as such, makes you nervous that would have the opposite effect. It should not be something you feel you have to do, complete in any sort of time frame, or live up to anyone's expectations (including your own very exacting ones) about. It should be fun. I discovered long ago that if you're writing a journal and it's no longer a pleasant task, if it becomes a chore, if you end up worrying about deadlines and see it as a job or a task that must be done, rather than something you enjoy, it's best not to bother, or at least pull back from it. I would, if you're going to do this, take it slow and easy. Watch a movie a week, or longer, take your time thinking about what you want to say about it, if anything - sometimes a few lines can be as effective as paragraphs or pages - but most importantly, enjoy it. Take your time and don't let anyone - including that little guy in your brain who no doubt, if you're anything like me, is constantly tapping his watch and shouting into a mega --- just me, then? I see - anyway, don't let anyone rush you. The point is to have fun and spend your time in a productive but not hassled or pressurised way.

[Trollheart]

Had a look through your extensive spreadsheets. Very impressive. I don't have write access so I can't mark the ones I recommend; if you wish to provide that to me I will. There are certain films/shows in your list that I would definitely think you should prioritise.

[innerspaceboy]

Had a look through your extensive spreadsheets. Very impressive. I don't have write access so I can't mark the ones I recommend; if you wish to provide that to me I will. There are certain films/shows in your list that I would definitely think you should prioritise.

Thanks! PM me your preferred email address and I'll grant exclusive editor access to the two worksheets.

I appreciate you!

[Trollheart]

Oh everyone knows my email address, no need to PM it. It's trollheart@gmail.com (original huh?) Thanks for granting access: I'll just code in green those I think you should watch, blue those that are definitely ones you need to watch, and red for those I've seen but have not personally enjoyed.

[innerspaceboy]

Great! You've been added as an editor to both worksheets. Thank you!

[Trollheart]

I've finally updated the spreadsheets for you with my own ratings and recommendations, and added a few series I think you may be interested in checking out. Don't take my recs as gospel of course, but they'll give you an idea.