Help with movies needed please

[Pia]

Hi gang

OK, as you know we don't get to the movies much (OK not at all - car, ferry, taxi, movie, taxi, ferry, car = too much trouble and $$ ) So we have decided to start renting a movie once in a while but have no clue what is out there so I thought I would turn to you all for some help.

Keep in mind we just rented this weekend "The Bucket List", "The DaVinci Code" and "Meet The Fockers" so to say we are alittle behind the times is an understatement

Any idea's as to good movies to rent - funny, suspenseful, romantic (OK probably not too many "chick flicks or hubby might complain) etc but no blood and guts - I hate watching heads get chopped off especially when you don't know it's coming.

Thanks and looking forward to any suggestions

Pia

Oh, and they can be really old too - hubby just watched "My Brother Vinny" back in October - I laughed so hard - love that movie

[jmq]

My Cousin Vinny - 2 things come to mind: Pesci talking to the judge about "yutes", and Marisa Tomei in that purple dress…

I am a huge fan of Jeff Bridges. I was just reminded of one of his films in particular after last week’s plane crash called “Fearless”. He walks away from a plane crash and has real trouble dealing with survivors guilt, to the detriment of his family (Isabella Rossellini) but to the benefit of a fellow survivor (Rosie Perez).

I just looked him up on IMDB in order to reference Fearless and I see many of his other films I also enjoyed:
Starman (one of those movies like Shawshank that I always stop to watch when channel surfing);
Tucker: The Man and His Dream;
The Fabulous Baker Boys (with his brother & the fabulous Michelle Pfeiffer)
White Squall (several Caribbean scenes that take place in the ‘60s)
Arlington Road (domestic terrorism);
Seabiscuit (beautiful in widescreen hi-def)

Also saw part of "The Missing" again this weekend while channel surfing. Takes place in the still wild west of 1885 dealing with a pretty intense kidnapping, but great stuff from director Ron Howard with Tommy Lee Jones and Cate Blanchett with some beautiful New Mexico high desert vistas.

[sailorgirl]

I don't suppose netflix is an option. They have a play now feature which could work.

A list, in no particular order,

Fish Called Wanda
Pirates of the Caribean, orignal only follow ups s*&ked
The Savages (Laura Linely and Philip Seymour Hoffman, I would watch them read a phone book)
Borat, very stupid, get drunk first its funnier
Cinema Paradiso
Momma Mia
Sideways
Million Dollar Baby ( Moragn Freeman again)
Raging Bull
The orignal Godfather
I like Oceans 11, not so much 12 & 13
Bend It like Beckham

I'm sure there are more, most of my film suggestions come from my Net Flix account because hubby and I are helplessly incompatable in this area. I've seen alot of antimated films and films where things blow up.

[sailorgirl]

Ditto with JMQ re: Tommy Lee Jones, how about the Men in Black movies.

[waterguy]

I loved Ironman
Mama mia laughed all the way.
Dark night.

[Maggy]

Ditto Mamma Mia!

Meryl Streep is just wonderful and the movie make wonders for your spirit. It's impossible to not be happy afterwards.

Best export ever from Sweden - Abba (or maybe it's Absolut vodka)

[waterguy]

I'd take abba with the vodka I had a crush on the girls in the band in HS. Boy I'm dating myself.

[jmq]

Two other lesser known but enjoyable films that may be worth checking out: “The Edge” - Anthony Hopkins and Alec Baldwin are stranded with others by a plane crash in a dangerous wilderness; and “The Dish” – the role that a huge remote antenna station in Australia (the “dish”) played in relaying the first moonwalk TV signal back to earth, populated by some charming/quirky characters.

[PA Girl]

A few that I just recommended to my mom, who is also behind the times when it comes to movies:

The Usual Suspects
Little Miss Sunshine
The Big Bounce
Charlie Wilson's War
Darjeeling Limited (witty humor you have to think about, you'll either love it or hate it.)
Weeds, a series on Showtime
Layer Cake - a bit violent but you see it coming

[loria]

agree with most of waht others said.--these are mostly good stoires, with some silly and some intense thrown in.

miss pettigrew lives for a day
don't mess withthe zohan (ok, it's a bit out there)
50 first dates
babettes feast (this is really old)
12 angry men (older still)
shawshank redemeption
apollo 13
charlie wilsons war
son of rambow (really REALLY Good!!!)
burn after reading
billy elliot
the visitor (wonderful)
once (ditto)
waitress (ditto again!)
i am legend
juno
dan in real life
made of honor
atonement
michael clayton
big fish
being john malkovich

[canucknyc]

My favorite movie of all time: Amelie.

[Marcia (Mrs. Pete)]

I didn't read the whole thread so maybe it's been mentioned but "Crash" is really, really good.

There are so many to recommend...more to come...

[loria]

My favorite movie of all time: Amelie.

OH OH OH OH OH i LOVED that MOVIE!!!!!! Pia, definitely see that!

and see 'like water for chocolate'
and the milagro beanfield war

[jmq]

How about Hitchcock's "Rear Window"? First saw it in an arthouse theater and besides the suspense and great cinemaphotography was just knocked out by how beautiful Grace Kelly was.

[CariBert]

Pia, with sooo many good movie choices out there, maybe you should start a DVD swap club or party, or e-mailing thing. I have a lot of pretty good movies on DVD that I have watched several times and they are just sitting there collecting dust, I'd be willing to trade you title for title.....

Just a thought.

-Bert