had a couple of v pleasant movie watching experiences with others and realized I have been missing out on one of life’s utmost pleasures, watching movies in a group setting. to remedy this, I am starting to screen movies on a schedule, two evenings a week, for myself, my neighbors (I live in a small apt complex), and select others to drop in on when they feel like.
seeking recommendations along two lines:
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What movies have you watched in a group setting that have absolutely killed?
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Every month will have a theme, and for November the theme is “just to feel” - v emotional movies. Doesn’t have to be super sad, it could be joyful, but preferably not a children’s/family film or an anime (sorry just not my thing, though there are exceptions of course - you can’t do an emotional movies program without Grave of the Fireflies)
Just watched Chingking Express recently and really enjoyed it.
A Scene at the Sea by takeshi Kitano walk the line between funny and tragic. It’s about a deaf surfer. His movies Hana-bi (fireworks) and Sonatine are both excellent and have similar vobes as well.
The Straight Story by David lynch is also a long the lines of melancholic, funny and poetic like the other movies I listed.
Chungking Express is superb. As is The Straight Story.
I’d throw in a recommendation for Hirokazu Kore-eda’s “Shoplifters” - it’s an often funny, joyful movie that nonetheless deals with serious subjects of poverty, social isolation, found family, and more.
First off: hell yeah, it’s great to watch movies in a group setting.
Second off: it’s going to depend entirely on the preferences and vibes of the group. But allow yourselves to vary the genere, and to not get into a rut where you’re watching too many “good” or “bad” movies in a row. We occasionally overindulged in weird B movies, and I put my foot down at one point and asked to watch something actually good.
We kicked off our group watches with RRR, which was a great flick for a group setting.
The last movie I watched in a big group was RRR and it absolutely killed. idt I would classify it as “emotional” tho.
Depends on how restless the crowd is I guess, but Kurosawa’s movies have always gone down really well in my experience, it stands out and resonates with people in a way modern films don’t really do anymore. Seven Samurai or Yojimbo would probably be the ones I recommend. They might not go down well if your group hates black and white movies or subtitles though.
Dersu Uzula (produced by Mosfilm and filmed in the Soviet Union) would make a great movie for the November “emotional” prompt as well.
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Princess Mononoke
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Depending on how based the audience is:
Joker (2019)
Taxi Driver (1976)
Drive (2011)
Drive my Car (2021)
Blade Runner 2049 (2017)
Manchester by the Sea (2016)
My Dinner with Andre (1981)
Fight Club (1999)
Barbie (2023)
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wuxia and kung fu movies tend to do well in group settings in my experience. people like watching badass stuntmen do amazing martial arts and nearly die. as far as emotional movies i think royal tenenbaums and some other wes andersons have some emotional heft without being so heavy that people won’t want to come. the holdovers is another one like that and also has a holiday theme so it might be good for later in november
For 2
- Pennies from Heaven (1981)
- Where Is the Friend’s House? (1987)
- Barfly (1987)
- Housekeeping (1987)
- An Unmarried Woman (1978)
- Klute (1971)
- The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964)
Oooh Barfly is fantastic, good call.
was chatting with my partner about this prompt, here are their reccs:
- The Fits (2015)
- Ginger Snaps (2000) (for Halloween)
- Dog Day Afternoon (1975) (how did I forget this!! so good)
- Salt of This Sea (2008)
- Saving Face (2004)
for November the theme is “just to feel”
The Power of the Dog
The Sisters Brothers
watched both of these in a group setting and they absolutely killed. both happen to be westerns
On 1.
Sovereign with Nick Offerman, brilliant movie, but heavy
On 2.
The Notebook, which is unfortunately sad (and a romance movie) but I can heartily recommend it
Behind The Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon is a yearly halloween watch for me and my crew. Can’t recommend it higher. Just trust me.
- There’s some totally classic Mystery Science Theater stuff that can be very fun to watch in a group setting. The one I remember laughing the most at is Space Mutiny.
AHHHHHHHHHH!
casually gets out of bumper car
