Movie Recommendation Experiment

[lordofdance]

ie
That Fellini recommendation was just the movie he directed closest to your traits. Amarcord is closer than 8 1/2.

I didn't look at your IMBD ratings because I didn't want to be influenced in any particular direction beyond the information I've been using. Anyway, how about these (some are closer than others):

Memento (2000), Dog Day Afternoon (1975), Bonnie & Clyde (1967), A Better Tomorrow (1986), The Killing (1956), Dark City (1998), 12 Monkeys (1995), Zero Effect (1998), North by Northwest (1959), Wages of Fear (1953), The Professional (1994), The Hospital (1971), Touch of Evil (1958), L.A. Confidential (1997), Chinatown (1974), Blue Velvet (1986), Speed (1994)

Do you know anything about the Serial Experiments Lain series? It seems like you may like it. Also, have you seen 3 Women by Robert Altman? It has some traits that might appeal to you.

[ie]

Here are my comments:

• Okay, well I may check out Amarcord then. Probably before I check out 8 1/2 again.
  
  
• That's fine. But if you're interested in seeing how your system coudl be adapted using a large list of numbered ratings, that or nonfiction's IMDB page may be the best source, because I'd (and nonfiction, if you use his) would be able to clarify things and such.
  
  
• I've seen Memento and really liked it when I did, but it's been a while since I last saw it. I have the special edition DVD, so the next time I watch it, I'll watch it in chronological order. Instead of... you know, the reverse chronological order as we've all seen. It's a hidden extra on the second disc. Oh my, did I forget my spoiler tag? ;D
  
  
• I really should give Dark City a spin, because I've owned it for a while now. Also, I've seen 12 Monkeys but it didn't agree well with me.
  
  
• I have seen Serial Experiments Lain. I did like it, but I think I would have really liked it, instead of just liked it, had I seen it a couple years ago, instead of late last year. Now that I've learned the ins-and-outs of technology and gained a passing interest in philosophy, when it came to the show, I just started picking at little things here and there. Ah well.
  
  
• I've made a note of the rest of these recommendations in my informal movie queue. Thanks again for even more new recommendations, and I'll try to get back to you when I see some of your recommendations.
  

[lordofdance]

In the case of 12 Monkeys, that film matched 2 of your strongest traits, 1 lesser trait and it also matched one new thing that I've been trying out. I haven't yet tried to determine movies people may not like using the same system. I want to start doing that by studying the traits of movies people don't like. Perhaps I'll try that with yours since you have movies you don't like listed.

I'm also going to look at the films you rated highly and see if I would have recommended them to you.

I'll come up with some more recommendations as well.

Oh, yeah. Amarcord matches 4 of your lesser traits and one other thing I'm trying out. 8 1/2 matches 3 lesser traits. Dark City matches 2 strong traits, 2 lesser traits and two other things, so that should appeal to you.

[ie]

Yeah, I'm not really sure what made me disagree with 12 Monkeys so much. I may give it a rewatch before I get rid of the DVD, but that isn't something that's very high on my list of priorities.


As I may have mentioned, I'm working on getting to some of your recommendations, because they do seem like good movies that I've either heard of, or sound good to me, but here are a couple that I am going to be able to get back to you with soon enough. Might just take me a little while: the Departed (own the DVD, need to watch it soon), the Maltese Falcon (DVD I'm going to borrow from the library), Dark City (own the DVD, same), Memento (rewatch is in order) and Donnie Darko (rewatch is also in order).


How does I Heart Huckabees pan out in this?
I ask because I loathe that movie so very much, as apparent by how I usually write it out. I know that your system isn't able to predict movies that people will hate (minus the so bad, they're bad movies), but I'm just wondering if the movie aligns with any of my traits at all. Hopefully not.

[lordofdance]

I Heart Huckabees has two minor trait matches. I wouldn't have recommended it based on that. I use minor trait matches primarily as backup for the primary traits.

The Departed matches 3 major traits.
The Maltese Falcon (1941) matches 2 major and 1 minor traits, as well as 2 other attributes that I factored in.
Memento matches matches 2 major, 1 minor, and one other attribute.
Donnie Darko matches 1 major and 3 minor. Theoretically, this one should appeal to you least.

I checked a few others that you rated poorly:

Buffalo '66 - One minor.
Animal House - One minor.
Saw 2 - One major.
You, Me and Dupree - None.
National Security - None.
The Mothman Prophecies - one major, one minor.
2001 - one major, one other attribute.
Romeo Must Die - Two major, one minor. Hmmm.
Chicago - one major, three minor. Do you not like this because it's a musical? Genre might be able to factor in here. Or maybe you just didn't like the movie for some other reason. This must be studied. (Personally, I hate it too.)


A few random highly rated films:

Schizopolis - one minor, one other attribute. Interesting.
Kalifornia - Two major, one other attribute.
K-PAX - One major.
Illusionist - One major.
Harold and Maude - Four minor, one other attribute.
Cool Hand Luke - One major, one minor, one other attribute.
The Matrix - Three major, three other attributes. This is your kind of movie, supposedly.
Umberto D. - Two minor. Maybe if you saw more films like this one, your favorites list would change?
Snatch - One minor, one other attribute.

[ie]

That news pleases me about I Heart Huckabees.

That's an interesting theory, for those four movies, and one that I'd both really like to follow up and would be able to follow up. That does seem like a possible ordering for how I would rank those movies, although I still need to see two of them, and I am in desperate need of re-watching the other two.


The first few make sense. The least number of traits aren't exactly parallel with being my least favorite, but it does make sense.

Romeo Must Die didn't really work out well for me because I didn't really care for the plot (tired, and what it brought to the table didn't really redeem itself) and Jet Li had made several better movies before and after. I had no problem with the fighting and the action and the such, it just didn't work out for me on other fronts.

I guess you could say that about Chicago. I'm not really too versed in musicals, but I was holding on how a while. After Richard Gere showed up, though, I just kind of gave up and didn't finish it. That just means I'll have to rewatch it, though...
So, in other words, genre may have played a part in it, but we'll have to see after I watch some of your recommendations whether I need to, myself, work on my list. I have this feeling that my top list still does not accurately portray what my favorite movies are, and what movies mean to me.


I think the reason why I rated Schizopolis so highly is because it was one of the few comedies that was actually funny... to me at least. It's mainly a comedy, although it has some other stuff to it as well.

Harold and Maude was a movie I saw very early on, and I just liked the way it carried itself. I can't really talk too much about it, but it was just one that I liked and received very well.

I would agree about the Matrix.
I do really enjoy the mixture of action and philosophy, but now the movie just doesn't feel as right to me as it it used to; there are probably other movies like it that will fit me better, but for a while, it worked out pretty well. I never really cared too much for the world itself, I just really enjoyed it when I ignored all the depressing sad cyberpunk bullshit and saw all the thought that went into the first movie, at the least.

Hersey, I know, but I don't really care for Umberto D all that much. I enjoyed parts of it, I could appreciate it and I did like the realism it had to offer, but I didn't really overly enjoy it. (Guess that means I'll be lowering the rating of it a little bit.) - So, while it might be good that I see more movies like Umberto D, it makes the going kind of hard when my interest isn't really there.

I like Snatch, but recently saw Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and thought quite a lot more of it. Do you see much of a difference there?

[lordofdance]

My main reason for doing this was to see if a person's Top 20 offers an accurate insight into their overall tastes. I look at it as an aid for determing what types of films a person favors above all others. My theory is that the more personal the list, the more noticeable pattern of traits that emerges. Most peope do favor certain types of films, even if they have diverse tastes. I've seen some people who show very strong patterns and appear to have found the types of films that appeal to them. Other people are all over the place, and it makes me wonder if they have really grasped what truly appeals to them.

I'm not saying that films that don't match up with a person's traits can't be enjoyed, it's just often less likely.

I didn't like Chicago, either, and it did match some of my traits. Maybe it's possible that certain trait combinations work better than others for each person. And also, I do not factor in such things as Actors, Directors, plot, I only look at similar qualities. As I mentioned before, the Pandora music recommendation site gave me the idea to use common traits to recommend movies. Sometimes I'll put in a song I like and Pandora will recommend a song with similar traits that doesn't appeal to me. But it does help me narrow down what I like and don't like, even if it isn't always accurate.

In the case of Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, you match 2 major 2 minor and one other attribute. This is better than Snatch. Have you seen Smokin' Aces? You match 1 major, 1 minor, and one other attribute on that movie.

[ie]

I haven't seen Smokin' Aces yet and I'll probably wait a little while before seeing it. It does seem like I'd probably like it around as much as Snatch.

I finished the Maltese Falcon (9/10) just now. Thanks for the good recommendation, and this gives me more confidence that my list is pretty decent.

I'm still working on seeing the Departed, but if it turns out well, then your experiment will be spot-on. I could see myself rating the Maltese Falcon over Memento, and not just for the sake of having a few classics around although it could be a little close, and I could definitely see Donnie Darko being in last place. I do remember the movie being a positive experience, but that doesn't really mean it's better.


More people should be giving this a try. It's turning out pretty well for me so far, and I don't want to do all the talking around here.

[criterionmaster]

Hey man, I am taking his recommendations into account, didn't you see I just checked out Emmanuelle in America? Maybe not the ones he specifically recommended yet, but still, I do appreciate his doing this and I always look forward to see what films he recommends. He seems to have really good taste in film, and fairly similar taste to me (at least it would seem).

I will say though, that I am glad you liked Maltese Falcon, some people on here don't, as you can see over in that thread for the film. Look forward to your thoughts on The Departed too, I have a feeling you will really dig it.

[ie]

Oh yeah, well I just meant that I've been using this thread a lot compared to most of the people around here. I didn't mean it in a negative way, just a bit of an observation.


I could see why some people don't like the Maltese Falcon, and the Departed is coming up soon. Maybe.

[lordofdance]

More people should be giving this a try. It's turning out pretty well for me so far, and I don't want to do all the talking around here.

Thanks ie for keeping me updated. Whatever input I get might be useful for working out the bugs. I don't see why you wouldn't like The Departed, at least enough to give it a decent rating. All the movies I recommended aren't necessarily ones I'm a huge fan of, just ones that seem to fit your preferences and are generally considered good.

He seems to have really good taste in film, and fairly similar taste to me (at least it would seem).

I think we do share some tastes, like an interest in out there movies, but you seem to have more artistic tastes than I do overall. You also seem to experience movies on an emotional level more than I do.

If you ever do watch any of those films I recommended in this thread, let me know your impressions.

[criterionmaster]

lordofdance said:

He seems to have really good taste in film, and fairly similar taste to me (at least it would seem).

I think we do share some tastes, like an interest in out there movies, but you seem to have more artistic tastes than I do overall. You also seem to experience movies on an emotional level more than I do.

If you ever do watch any of those films I recommended in this thread, let me know your impressions.

Yeah, we both enjoy those kinds of films, and other, more art films. Yeah, I probably do have a more artistic taste overall, but still, we do both balance between watching so-bad-they're-good and actual good films.

I think I will add La Notte to my queue first, out of the films you recommended in this thread. I will come back with my thoughts after I see the film.

[sacrilegend]

Match me up? Please?

[lordofdance]

sacrilegend said:

Match me up? Please?

Have you checked out any of those other movies yet? I'll come with some more soon. I'm trying out some new techniques.

If anybody else wants some more or has some input, feel free to say so.

[criterionmaster]

I would like some more, please. Also, I noticed you recommended blackmoses Bride Wore Black, and I feel we have similar tastes, me and him, and I saw it while out and rented it. I watched it and loved it. I will post my thoughts in the Truffaut thread sometime. Would that film fit any of my traits?

[lordofdance]

CRITERIONMASTER
You can try these out (some are closer than others, but these may give you some ideas):

Safe (1995), The Rapture (1991), Out of the Past (1947), Long Day's Journey into Night (1962), Hud (1963), Sweet Bird of Youth (1962), Equus (1977), Sex, Lies & Videotape (1989), The Vanishing (1988), River's Edge (1986), An Unmarried Woman (1978)

River's Edge might be a good place to start.

The Bride Wore Black does match up pretty good.

[ie]

It's sad, but I still haven't seen the Departed. As I told a friend of mine today, at this rate, I'll probably end up seeing Internal Affairs first, which I don't even own...


Also, my Top 20 is changing a little bit. I'll post a newer version of it in a little while; once I see more of the movies you've recommended, once I finish one movie that I know will be in there if it just keeps up the same quality, and once I've thought about these choices a little bit more.

Should be interesting to see if any of the traits change.

[criterionmaster]

lordofdance said:

CRITERIONMASTER
You can try these out (some are closer than others, but these may give you some ideas):

Safe (1995), The Rapture (1991), Out of the Past (1947), Long Day's Journey into Night (1962), Hud (1963), Sweet Bird of Youth (1962), Equus (1977), Sex, Lies & Videotape (1989), The Vanishing (1988), River's Edge (1986), An Unmarried Woman (1978)

River's Edge might be a good place to start.

The Bride Wore Black does match up pretty good.

Wow, I am surprised you recommended me Sex, Lies & Videotape, I have been avoiding seeing it, mainly to piss ptahole off, but now I will try and check it out. And thanks for the others as well, I will check them out. River’s Edge will go up on my queue. And The Vanishing is on Criterion I am pretty sure, so that is probably already on my queue, if Netflix has it.

I asked about Bride Wore Black because it seems like it would match up quite well, it being a revenge film, Truffaut-style. Art director, mixed with exploitation.

[lordofdance]

Sex, Lies & Videotape isn't a favorite or anything. It kind of matches up with what you seem to like. I figure that it's worth watching once. River's Edge seems like a good choice because you like those deliquent teen movies by Larry Clark. It's not as graphic, but it's kind of similar in content.

ie
Depending on the movies you add to your Top 20, the traits could change quite a bit. I'm curious to see myself.

[ie]

ie said:

It's sad, but I still haven't seen the Departed. As I told a friend of mine today, at this rate, I'll probably end up seeing Internal Affairs first, which I don't even own...

Fix that.

...

...


I own the first Internal Affairs now. ;D

And I may end up seeing Internal Affairs first, then the Departed. That's how I usually handle movies with sequels, and I'm in a unique position because most people just shot their load and saw the Departed first.

lordofdance said:

ie
Depending on the movies you add to your Top 20, the traits could change quite a bit. I'm curious to see myself.

I could see that.

I'll post my new Top 20 after I've finished a few movies, so by the end of the weekend I should have it up. I want to see if the Departed or Internal Affairs will make an appearance, and I want to make sure that the new and old entries are solid. I still want to get around to seeing the other recommendations you've made, but if there are changes and any of the new recommendations overlap the old recommendations, then I should probably check those ones out sooner.

[captainofbeef]

I have a question, isn't the film called Infernal Affairs?

[wkw]

captainofbeef said:

I have a question, isn't the film called Infernal Affairs?

Yep, and I'm among the few that has only see IA and not the Departed. IA is a pretty decent thriller with great acting, though it's not without some plot holes. I hear from some that IA is better, while others say the opposite.

[wkw]

www.kaijushakedown.com/2006/05/the_departed_ge.html
Christopher Doyle, cinematographer of Infernal Affairs, regarding the remake of Infernal Affairs into The Departed:

"I find it disappointing if not depressing to see someone of the integrity and scholarship of Marty:

1) apparently not knowing or caring where the original originates from (which I find insulting to our integrity and efforts...when of all the filmmakers in the world Marty is the one who pretends to celebrate excellence and integrity and vision in cinematography)

2) needing to suck box office, or studio, or whoever's dick he feels he needs to suck...it can't be for the money...it can't be for the film (for the reasons above)...it must be just to work...which is mostly my motivation most of the time...but to have something fall into one's lap because one is supposedly competent in a certain kind of filmmaking is exactly why we are moving on and accountants are making non-subtitled versions of what we do.

3) it makes me very sad to see Marty and so many others genre-fying and gentrifying himself into mediocrity. Granted, mediocre is not just a Western ailment...but it would seem the disease is malign and endemic."

[ie]

Oh, fuck.

It would have been funny if I ended up getting Internal Affairs, some sort of strange rip-off movie featuring... Nick Cage, directed by Uwe Boll. Guess you caught me; I'm too much of a techie.


Well, I guess we'll see how I feel after I see InFERnal Affairs (goddamn it, stupid InTERnet) and the Departed. Based off of what I've read on the backs, they don't really seem to be the kind of remake where it's scene-by-scene-by-scene, so I dunno. And if Scorsese was just trying to finally get his Oscar or Emmy or whatever , so be it, that's what directors fucking do, they make money.

If Scorsese were the best director in the universe ever (for the sake of argument, your opinion aside), and he made no money what so ever, he wouldn't be making new movies. Simple as that, proven fact, end of story.

[criterionmaster]

lordofdance said:

Sex, Lies & Videotape isn't a favorite or anything. It kind of matches up with what you seem to like. I figure that it's worth watching once. River's Edge seems like a good choice because you like those deliquent teen movies by Larry Clark. It's not as graphic, but it's kind of similar in content.

As you might have seen in the "What DVD's Have You Rented/Bought" thread, I took your recommendation and rented River's Edge. My mom actually accidentally found it before I did, so I snagged it. It sounds quite good, although I didn't know Keanu Reeves was in any other good films besides My Own Private Idaho, and to an extent, The Matrix. I will try and watch it tonight, as it looks pretty fun, since I find films like these fun most of the time. I will come back with thoughts.

[captainofbeef]

and Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure.

[ie]

I was wondering when someone would bring that one up.

I haven't seen the Departed yet, but Infernal Affairs 1 was fucking awesome. Sure, there was plenty of 00s style - holy shit, great cinematography! - but it had substance behind that style, which is always a positive. I haven't seen a lot of movies or stories like this, so I'm sure that I probably won't be impressed with other offerings, but I liked it.

I'm not too concerned about how the Departed will fair.

[wkw]

I'm glad you liked Infernal Affairs. I thought it was an original, solid film. The acting overall was great, and I doubt that DiCaprio can come close to portraying the undercover cop as well as Tony Leung. Christopher Doyle was the visual consultant for the movie, and the cinematography doesn't come close to his best work. One big problem I had with it though was this plot hole:

SPOILER: Click to show

When Tony Leung realizes that Andy Lau is the mole, why didn't he pretend that he doesn't know instead of running away?

[ie]

Honestly, the story is still just a little too hard for me to grasp. I just can't fully understand it, so I was going to write something once I saw the Departed, but it didn't really help for this specific situation. I'd just suggest reading up plot outlines or reading people's interpretations of the ending for help.


So, I saw the Departed.

I enjoyed the movie, but it didn't get past Memento like the prediction went. Actually, it is pretty much a bulkier version of Infernal Affairs 1, for better and for worse. No spoilers:

Bad: Continuity problems were quite obvious, when I barely even normally notice them. Shit was just too obvious sometimes, and so it was either overly explained or just kind of like "yeah, we get it." Further meat was added to the plot and not all of it was useful for the plot.

Good: The music; Gimmie Shelter and I'm Shipping Up to Boston by Dropkick Murphys (I like Celtic punk). Not all the plot additions were negative. Some were actually pretty interesting, and some of the obvious points in the remake did help to explain some of what was implied in the original.

Overall, I'd give both the same slot (given the option, and since I am, it is so), so they both get the same rating and both are in my Top 100, but I'd put Infernal Affairs 1 before the Departed.

Newer Top 20:

(01) Cowboy Bebop: Knockin' on Heaven's Door
(02) Beyond from the Animatrix; Noiseman Sound Insect
(03) The Seven Samurai
(04) Spirited Away; Grave of the Fireflies; Howl's Moving Castle; On Your Mark (anticipating Princess Mononoke to be here as well)
(05) American Beauty
(06) Enter the Dragon
(07) 7th Street
(08)
(09) Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
(10) The Fountain

(11)
(12) Akira
(13) Fight Club
(14) My Beautiful Girl, Mari
(15) The Elephant Man
(16) Harakiri
(17) Pierrot le Fou
(18) Grindhouse
(19) Waking Life
(20) The Big Lebowski

This isn't a final list, so don't worry about giving me any new suggestions, lordofdance. I'm still also slightly unsure about some of the movies on this list. For example, I'm not sure how American Beauty will hold out for me on a second viewing, and the same actually goes for the Fountain, Fight Club, the Elephant Man and Pierrot le Fou.

Also, rewatching the Seven Samurai, Akira, My Beautiful Girl, Mari and Waking Life wouldn't hurt...


There are still some gaps, namely #18, which I'm not quite sure I want to fill with Romero's Dawn of the Dead would fit there, even if I did just get this awesome toy, although I would like to fill it with a horror or zombie movie. Still two more gaps as well; I haven't seen every movie ever made, so I'm just anticipating that I'll really like two of those movies.

[lordofdance]

I'm very excited to give it another whirl with your new list. You may be my first success story. I envisioned this as a way to evaluate and reconceive what a person's true favorites are, and it appears you are doing just that. Perhaps I will get into Heaven now.