# Truly original films?



## Explorer (Jan 29, 2011)

In a nearby topic (about "The Rite"), there is a comment in the original post about how the movie fits right in with a particular genre. 

However... there are a lot of movies which *don't* fit in with a genre, although they may cause a genre to spring up around them. 

Since I'm always interested in something to which I might never have been exposed, I'd love to hear/read suggestions about movies which are very original. And, of course, if a movie isn't the progenitor of a particular genre, it will be equally interesting if someone later corrects the mistaken impression and gives examples of the true progenitor of said genre.

Hmm... of course, that raises the question of movies I've found really original. 

Serpico.
Ravenous.
Memento.
The Limey.
The Brothers McMullen.
The Matrix.

And even then, if audiences had been more aware of the ancestors of these films, they wouldn't necessarily seem so original. 

With that in mind, what would you have considered to be a truly original film?

And, where did I go wrong in considering the films on my own list as truly original?

Go ahead, punk... make my movie night!


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## dpm (Jan 29, 2011)

Bad Boy Bubby


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## Xaios (Jan 29, 2011)

Spaceballs II: The Search For More Money


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## ittoa666 (Jan 30, 2011)

Xaios said:


> Spaceballs II: The Search For More Money



 Yes!


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## Scar Symmetry (Jan 30, 2011)

The Matrix is most definitely not an original film 

It would be difficult to give legitimate answers to the question as everything in art is inspired by something else, even if the artist isn't aware of it.


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## Demiurge (Jan 30, 2011)

Scar Symmetry said:


> The Matrix is most definitely not an original film



In which way: because its plot features a Christ-like leader of a human rebellion against robots that have taken over the planet a la John Connor vs. Skynet, because it cribs its metaphysics from questions raised in any Philosophy 101 course, or because most sci-fi with "what is _really_ reality?" undertones owes its existence to Philip K. Dick?


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## Scar Symmetry (Jan 30, 2011)

Only two? I had more reasons in mind than that.


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## troyguitar (Jan 30, 2011)

I don't think I'm old enough to know about any original films.


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## ILuvPillows (Jan 30, 2011)

Fox and the Hound. Hound fought a black bear and everything.


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## MikeH (Jan 30, 2011)

Gummo and Kids. Anything by Harmony Korine, really.


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## groph (Jan 30, 2011)

Scar Symmetry said:


> The Matrix is most definitely not an original film
> 
> It would be difficult to give legitimate answers to the question as everything in art is inspired by something else, even if the artist isn't aware of it.




This. 

I suppose in the West most stories are just rehashes of ancient legend, which in turn were just rehashes of themselves IE Greek mythologies which employed certain conventions to the point of being formulaic, but that was the point, if not the point it was certainly a defining characteristic. Movies are the same nowadays; people want to see the same story over and over again.

But Memento was still fucking awesome and refreshing in the sense that it's a story told backwards and it had some cool plot elements.


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## JJ Rodriguez (Jan 30, 2011)

Black Swan was pretty different/original as far as movies go.


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## Xodus (Jan 30, 2011)

Primer


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## Sofos (Jan 30, 2011)

Salo; or the 120 Days of Sodom
A Serbian Film
The Human Centipede


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## Meatbucket (Jan 30, 2011)

Avatar. Lololololol.

In all seriousness. Pi. I dunno if it's original, but it's definitely a unique movie. I love it.


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## matty2fatty (Jan 30, 2011)

I just watched a Greek movie called Dogtooth. I can say with certainty that I've never seen a movie like that before


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## MaxOfMetal (Jan 30, 2011)

Eraserhead.


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## Meatbucket (Jan 30, 2011)

The original Night of the Living Dead.


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## Murmel (Jan 30, 2011)

Meatbucket said:


> Avatar. Lololololol.
> 
> In all seriousness. Pi. I dunno if it's original, but it's definitely a unique movie. I love it.


Avatar is basically Pochahontas (spelling) with blue people


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## Meatbucket (Jan 30, 2011)

Murmel said:


> Avatar is basically Pochahontas (spelling) with blue people


That and Dances with Wolves in space.


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## UltraParanoia (Jan 30, 2011)

dpm said:


> Bad Boy Bubby


Amen! That shit is fucked up  Good movie though

Inception


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## Explorer (Jan 31, 2011)

Okay, so I've been trying to think of movies which started whole genres, or which were extremely original in their own genres. Here we go:

Three Kings
The Wild Bunch
Dead Man
Metropolis
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
i(heart)huckabees
The Prestige
Mad Max
Nightmare Before Christmas

I don't know how far I'd go in eliminating works because they are based on books or non-movie stories, because there are themes which run through much of our common culture. (I almost posted an example, but realized that I didn't want to rob someone of seeing it with fresh eyes for the first time.)

Hmm...

2001: A Space Odyssey? Being John Malkovich? Full Metal Jacket?


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## The Reverend (Jan 31, 2011)

Do you mean movies that feature original storytelling or plot devices? Or movies shot in a style that become standard for a genre? Or both/more?

I'm not _huge_ into indie flicks and cult classics, so of course, I'm not able to contribute much. I do have to echo some previous entries though: Gummo and Eraserhead. I'm still a little disturbed from Gummo, even after five years. It didn't create a genre or anything, though, and was largely plot-less. 

The Matrix should get points for bullet time! It's not a widely used cinematographic tool, but it was definitely original for 1999.


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## Explorer (Jan 31, 2011)

Any examples of innovation would be great, from my perspective....


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## Malkav (Jan 31, 2011)

The Serbian Movie has to be one of the funniest things I've ever seen, watched it last night 

Also if you want some slightly left of field stuff (not sure if it's that original) try:

The Fountain
Dark City
Donnie Darko
Cashback
Old Boy (Korean movie)


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## jymellis (Jan 31, 2011)

MaxOfMetal said:


> Eraserhead.


 
you stole mine have to come up with a couple others
lost highway
begotten
cannibal halocaust


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## windu (Jan 31, 2011)

would i be flamed for suggesting some of kevin smiths movies? 
first clerks i thought was orginal lol
2 dudes that work at a conveince stores daily life? lol


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## kung_fu (Jan 31, 2011)

MaxOfMetal said:


> Eraserhead.



This....though i'm actually convinced Lynch stole this movie directly from my nightmares


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## Spinedriver (Jan 31, 2011)

I'd have to say that "SE7EN" created a bit of a trend in films that didn't end all neat & tidy.
Other films I'd say that were pretty original in one way or another:

the first "Saw"
The Blair Witch Project (no one knew what the hell to expect)
Sin City
28 Days Later (it re-invented the 'zombie' genre even though they weren't zombies per-se)
Moon
Spinal Tap (it's one of the first 'mock-umentaries' that I can think of)


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## Explorer (Jan 31, 2011)

These have been excellent suggestions so far. I actually have quite a few of them on the shelf, either already watched or on deck and waiting for the right occasion. 

I remember seeing two movies in theaters which were very original at the time, Friday the 13th and A Nightmare on Elm Street. 

Let's see... what else would I consider really original...

Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai
Treasure of the Sierra Madre
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Chinatown
The Piano
American Beauty

And, if we're talking about movie adaptations from books, it gets easier:

Lord of the Rings (really an ancestor of all that battle/elf fantasy)
Interview with the Vampire (leading to all that Buffy and Twilight stuff)
The Godfather
The Exorcist

----

I've been waiting to watch "Moon" for a while. I think tonight will be the night....


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## bostjan (Jan 31, 2011)

Some movies can be very original, yet not so enjoyable.

I think "Cannibal, the Musical," although based on an existing story, does an excellent job making a unique brand of film, especially considering it's a Troma film.

A lot of movies that take flack for being cliche nowadays were actually rather novel when they were released- the first in a genre, as you mentioned.

Some movies that are maybe not the first of their kind, but they seem to me to be:
Harold and Maude
The Groove Tube
Dark City
Momento
The Deer Hunter
Donnie Darko
Reservoir Dogs


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## Spinedriver (Feb 1, 2011)

I find that the only thing that makes Cannibal:The Musical so good is the commentary track where they get stinking drunk while they're watching it. 

Around 10 yrs ago, I took it to my friends' place and now every time they meet someone new that they think might like to get to know, they use that movie & commentary as a sort of 'litmus test' to see if they have a decent sense of humor or not. Seriously, it's hands down one of the best dvd commentaries I've ever listened to.


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## Explorer (Feb 1, 2011)

I used to own "Groove Tube" on VHS. I might look into getting it on DVD, and it will rest alongside the other classic of the genre...

There used to be a comedy troupe called, IIRC, the Kentucky Fried Theater. A few guys wound up buying the rights to that material, and they shoved it into a film they called "The Kentucky Fried Movie." That was just the start, of course, and "Airplane!," "The Naked Gun" and a whole host of other projects came from that.

There is one other project which is similar to Groove Tube and KF Movie, and I don't know the name of it. I only remember a segment where there were people dressed in Biblical clothes, singing "If you were a carpenter, and I was your lady..." and so on, and after Joseph sings about her having his baby, the Heavenly Voice has a verse about how it would be HIS baby... *laugh*

----

Not a movie per se, but remember when "Max Headroom," with the short (less than 15 second) commercials, and the thousands of channels, seemed really unlikely? *laugh*


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## Sofos (Feb 5, 2011)

How has Requiem For A Dream not been said? fantastic film. Heavy Metal in Baghdad as well. How many other documentaries are out there about a metal band in a warzone? 

also, 300th post


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## ROAR (Feb 5, 2011)

List of Disney Channel Original Movies - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Pretty much all of those.


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## willow (Feb 6, 2011)

Enter The Void (Gaspar Noe)
Pi (Darren Aronofsky)
The Holy Mountain (Alejandro Jodorowsky)

Off the top of my head.


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## josh pelican (Feb 6, 2011)

What about Cube? I can't say there are too many movies like that one.

I have so much to add to this thread, but it might turn into another "Fucked Up Movies" thread.


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## TheSixthWheel (Feb 7, 2011)

I came here to add Dark City to the list, only to find that it's been mentioned twice. It's a most excellent film, and Australian too. 

My housemate located a movie he remembered seeing years ago on Australia's only real "world" tv channel SBS (we're talking back in free-to-air tv days here), called Black Cat, White Cat. It's a fucking strange, yet hilarious foreign film. It's a complete culture shock, Yugoslavia style.


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## ROAR (Feb 7, 2011)

I see Memento but I don't see Nolan's first film Following
which IMO, being written first, is groundbreaking and original
for films of that decade up until now. Actually of film
history that and every other Nolan movie is exceptionally 
written, along with Aronofsky and Kubrick.


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## synrgy (Feb 7, 2011)

Xodus said:


> Primer



+1.

I'll add that Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus was pretty unique. Most of Gilliam's work is pretty unique, for that matter.


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## Wingchunwarrior (Feb 7, 2011)

Riki-Oh!


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## SirMyghin (Feb 7, 2011)

josh pelican said:


> What about Cube? I can't say there are too many movies like that one.
> 
> I have so much to add to this thread, but it might turn into another "Fucked Up Movies" thread.




Cube, now there was a movie that pissed me off.  As far as originality goes I don't know if I would count it though, it is just random group of people trapped in possibly deadly scenario and some variety of deus ex machina saves (some of) them.


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## Scar Symmetry (Feb 7, 2011)

SirMyghin said:


> Cube, now there was a movie that pissed me off.  As far as originality goes I don't know if I would count it though, it is just random group of people trapped in possibly deadly scenario and some variety of deus ex machina saves (some of) them.



Way to ruin it for anyone that hasn't seen it


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## Alberto7 (Feb 7, 2011)

Complementing what ROAR said about Disney movies, I'd suggest you watch Walt Disney's movie "Fantasia", released in 1940. I believe it was the first movie Disney released to the public, and it even paved the way for stereo sound for later movies. Truly original and beautiful, despite of what goes around about it being "Illuminati-driven" and all this stuff... Which I won't get into  amazing movie, nonetheless.

I don't know if it'll be of your liking, but I thought that "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" had a pretty creative plot.

Also, I'd highly suggest you watch "Mr. Nobody". It implements so many ideas, theories, and different philosophies. Very mind-boggling and creative, I thought 

Definitely taking suggestions from this thread!

EDIT: I can't stress enough on how good "Fantasia" is... To me, at least haha.


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## Explorer (Feb 7, 2011)

For those who like "Fantasia," I recommend a tiny little film called "Allegro Non Troppo." 

And, of course, there's also that section which was never fully animated, but is in rough form, in the movie "Heavy Metal." 

I commented on Nolan, Del Toro, Besson and possibly others in the Directors thread, but they are definitely not mainstream. Another director whom I didn't know had done an English film is Timur Bekmambetov (English sp? I don't have Cyrillic on this keyboard), who did the film adaptations of Sergei Lukyanenko's Nochnoi Dozor (Night Watch) and Dnevnoi Dozor (Day Watch); it wasn't until later that I found out he had done "Wanted" as well. The four Lukyanenko books are very different from a lot of European and American fiction, and whether you read them in English or Russian, they are entertaining. I had wondered why that one guy in Wanted looked so familiar, not realizing it was Konstantin Khabenskiyi (again, English spelling?).


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## groph (Feb 7, 2011)

SirMyghin said:


> Cube, now there was a movie that pissed me off.  As far as originality goes I don't know if I would count it though, it is just random group of people trapped in possibly deadly scenario and some variety of deus ex machina saves (some of) them.



Yeah, Cube sucked huge balls IMO.


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## jeremyb (Feb 7, 2011)

City of lost children
Delicatessen
Blue Velvet
Naked lunch


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## signalgrey (Feb 7, 2011)

Metropolis (1927)
Seven Samurai
Brazil

some of my faves.


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## Cadavuh (Feb 7, 2011)

Memento was the first to come to mind, but the OP beat me to it . 

Other popular titles include

Fight Club
Pulp Fiction
Inglourious Basterds
Sin City


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## Bloody_Inferno (Feb 7, 2011)

Ghost in the Shell


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## synrgy (Feb 7, 2011)

Cadavuh said:


> Fight Club
> Pulp Fiction
> Inglourious Basterds
> Sin City



Popular - check. 
Awesome - double check. 
Original - not so much.


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## Malkav (Feb 8, 2011)

Synyrgy your avatar says it all - How To Train A Dragon, yeah there have been dragon films before but how many of them were about training the fuckers? it's like a handguide to awesome!  Now I wish I had a dragon


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## MFB (Feb 8, 2011)

synrgy said:


> Popular - check.
> Awesome - double check.
> Original - not so much.



I'd say Fight Club is original over-all, from first being a book and then as a movie it still translated that originality. I WANT to say Inglorious Basterds is original in its story, but in the way it's shot - it's like every other Tarantino film


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## Explorer (Feb 8, 2011)

We used to play what we called... "The Movie Game."

We'd pull out the weekend movie section from the newspaper, and would tell each other titles, with no other information.

The person hearing the title would have to guess the genre, whether it was a Hollywood, foreign or independent film, how many quotes were included in the ad, whether it was playing just at an art house, with bonus points for guessing that Siskel and Ebert or Travers from the Rolling Stone had contributed a quote. 

After a while, we were able to nail not just general ideas, but to guess the whole plot, what actors would likely be in such a movie, and so on. 

Of course, the points didn't matter, and we never really worried about it, but we found that most movies would have some major information encoded in the title. 

----

Fight Club was one of those movies which completely defied our expectations, and which was completely unanticipated in the way it works. No one I know who didn't know anything about the film before seeing it had any idea of how it would develop....


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## synrgy (Feb 8, 2011)

MFB said:


> I'd say Fight Club is original over-all, from first being a book and then as a movie it still translated that originality. I WANT to say Inglorious Basterds is original in its story, but in the way it's shot - it's like every other Tarantino film



I guess I just figure that a movie based on a book (or other previously established intellectual property) is not original. The book it's based on certainly can be, but not the movie itself, if that makes sense? Not taking any originality points from Paluhnik's book Fight Club, but the movie is just based on his book. I actually prefer the pacing of the movie to the book, but again: My love for something doesn't have any bearing on its originality.

As for Tarantino: He's pretty much my favorite director, so don't mistake my opinion as any lack of love, but I have to say I don't think the man has an original bone in his body. Every scene in every film is an homage to one or more scenes or other pop culture items he grew up with. Again, that's why I love him, but it's also why I don't think his films are 'original'. Inglorious Basterds is a great example. It's basically his version of the Dirty Dozen. Even the title was stolen from another similar 1978 movie called Inglorious Bastards (Currently available on Netflix Instant View).


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## MFB (Feb 8, 2011)

Ya know, I actually DID call it the Dirty Dozen when I first saw the preview, and I still would call it an original despite the similarities; as for the name, can't help give any opinion on that.

But I see where you're coming from with both of those


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## ROAR (Feb 8, 2011)

Holy Mountain.


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## synrgy (Feb 8, 2011)

MFB said:


> Ya know, I actually DID call it the Dirty Dozen when I first saw the preview, and I still would call it an original despite the similarities; as for the name, can't help give any opinion on that.
> 
> But I see where you're coming from with both of those



For what it's worth, I'll say most of Miyazaki's films (nodding to your avatar, there!) are quite original. Sure, he employs a lot of classic themes (coming of age, nature vs industry, etc) but his characters, fantasy worlds and story arcs are pretty unique all things considered. He's one of my favorites for sure.


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## Mr. Big Noodles (Feb 8, 2011)

Xodus said:


> Primer



Pbbbbbt.



synrgy said:


> I'll add that Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus was pretty unique. Most of Gilliam's work is pretty unique, for that matter.



Definitely anything that has anything to do with Gilliam. His philosophies are not always original, and even the stories are occasionally cliché, but the art of his presentation gives you every sense that he is as unique and original as they come. Definitely not an amateur. Good Gilliam films:

Brazil
Jabberwocky
The Fisher King
12 Monkeys
Time Bandits (Stinking Kevin!)

Some others to add to the list:

Match Point
The Hustler (1961)
Cane Toads: An Unnatural History
Baraka (although I personally prefer Chronos, which was made in a similar style by the same filmmaker soon after)
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... And Spring
Zardoz (maybe not so original, but certainly artful)
The Thing
Tampopo (1985)
Casablanca
2046
Sunset Boulevard
Ugetsu


I don't think I need to mention Hitchcock's The Birds, Psycho, North by Northwest, and all that jazz.

I'm trying to find the name of this Japanese film I saw on an airplane back in 2008. For the life of me, I can't remember what it was called. It was about this lady that vacations at some beach, and she's really uptight, and they have lobster for breakfast and really good shave ice, and the old lady does some weird aerobics group thing... Unfortunately, there isn't much to go with for search engines.

EDIT: Ah! Found it! It's a 2007 film called "Megane" (English title: Glasses). http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1016307/


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## Edika (Feb 8, 2011)

matty2fatty said:


> I just watched a Greek movie called Dogtooth. I can say with certainty that I've never seen a movie like that before



Yes because it suck major donkey balls (and this coming from a Greek)!


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## Explorer (Feb 8, 2011)

Just for the record, the movie "Fight Club" is different from the book.

I think that "American Psycho" also varied, but the book just sucked, so I can't remember precisely....


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## yacker (Feb 8, 2011)

God you guys.....now I need to reopen my netflix subscription. So much for saving money.


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## Explorer (Feb 8, 2011)

It's worth noting that most library systems in the US have DVDs to lend. I routinely get movies sent from various branches to my local library....


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## josh pelican (Feb 9, 2011)

Nailgun Massacre.

HE USES A NAILGUN.


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## ROAR (Feb 9, 2011)

Batman Begins.

Nolan truly took an unseen side of that story,
put his own twist on it, and made a completely
original movie that I bow down to.


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## Arctic (Feb 9, 2011)

El Topo
The Fountain
Muholland drive
The machinist
Waking Life
Southland Tales


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## Scar Symmetry (Feb 9, 2011)

ROAR said:


> Batman Begins.
> 
> Nolan truly took an unseen side of that story,
> put his own twist on it, and made a completely
> original movie that I bow down to.



Man is in prison, finds himself in the mountains, learns how to fight and ends up defeating the bad guys?

Yeah real original 

I'm going to watch it tonight actually


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## MFB (Feb 9, 2011)

Hobo with A Shotgun


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## Konfyouzd (Feb 9, 2011)

Demiurge said:


> In which way: because its plot features a Christ-like leader of a human rebellion against robots that have taken over the planet a la John Connor vs. Skynet, because it cribs its metaphysics from questions raised in any Philosophy 101 course, or because most sci-fi with "what is _really_ reality?" undertones owes its existence to Philip K. Dick?


 
The fear that machines will rise up against us is hardly a new idea. And I think that might be the root of a lot of the "The Matrix isn't original" thing...

I mean think about it... You've created a machine to do that which you cannot... Now you've made it think and reason... How could you expect it not to figure out that it's above you in the food chain if you already have?



To add to the list... 

Bubba Hotep
Baraka
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest


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## synrgy (Feb 9, 2011)

ROAR said:


> Batman Begins.



You're doing it wrong.


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## Explorer (Feb 9, 2011)

Konfyouzd said:


> The fear that machines will rise up against us is hardly a new idea.



Ah, "Rossum's Universal Robots," the Russian work which used the word "robot" ("worker") for a mechanical device, forever etching it into culture. 

And, as those workers did rebel, they joined the Golem and other incarnations of the myth of Prometheus, including "Frankenstein: The Modern Prometheus," in evoking our fear of creating something which would seek our destruction....


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## SenorDingDong (Feb 9, 2011)

Being John Malkovich
Synecdoche, New York
Donnie Darko
The Jacket
May (love this movie beyond belief)
The Girl Next Door (Jack Ketchum movie, not girly one)
Shrooms
Fido
Pan's Labyrinth
House of the Devil
The Orphanage
City of Lost Children
Little Miss Sunshine
Running With Scissors
The Labyrinth
SPINAL TAP


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## Mr. Big Noodles (Feb 9, 2011)

Arctic said:


> Southland Tales



I'm glad that you mentioned this film, but it's far from original. Read: Amazon.com: The Power of Myth (9780385418867): Joseph Campbell, Bill Moyers: Books


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## josh pelican (Feb 9, 2011)

Freaks.


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## Explorer (Feb 9, 2011)

The thing is, I'm not so much hung up on absolute originality in terms of any particular aspect of a film, but love to watch movies which defy my expectations. 

As to whether or not Southland Tales is entirely original (which, given its length and sprawl, and more of the same if you include the prequel comics and website), there is little doubt that it is different from most movies.

----

In the past, I've done a few nights of double features for friends: one night of Existenz and Twelve Monkeys, another with The Thirteenth Floor and The Jacket, and so on, choosing pairings which have the same themes as other nights, but different angles. I'm considering several new pairings from this thread....


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## Mr. Big Noodles (Feb 10, 2011)

In that case, yes, Southland Tales is quite original. And very quotable.


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## JJ Rodriguez (Feb 10, 2011)

josh pelican said:


> What about Cube? I can't say there are too many movies like that one.
> 
> I have so much to add to this thread, but it might turn into another "Fucked Up Movies" thread.



Cube was amazing. The first time I saw it, I think I had a hard on for the entire movie. The sequel and prequel are interesting too, but don't compare to the original. Canadian too, fuck yeah!


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## sakeido (Feb 10, 2011)

synrgy said:


> You're doing it wrong.



yes he is 

plus Christopher Nolan is massively overrated. great genre film maker.. yes.. worthy of being compared to Kubrick?  I would put him on roughly the same level as Michael Mann, maybe.

Adaptation and Synecdoche New York are two very original movies that I enjoyed. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind was certainly up there too. and then for that matter.. Scott Pilgrim didn't have a unique story, but it certainly had a unique presentation


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## Scar Symmetry (Feb 10, 2011)

Jstring said:


> Being John Malkovich
> Synecdoche, New York
> Donnie Darko
> The Jacket
> ...



Now that's more like it.


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## josh pelican (Feb 10, 2011)

I'm A Cyborg, But That's Okay
Uzumaki
Martyrs


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## josh pelican (Feb 14, 2011)

Most Troma films.


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## gunshow86de (Feb 14, 2011)

I know everyone is posting "mind-fuck" and "out-there" types of movies, but did anyone else catch _the Sunset Limited_ on HBO Saturday night?

For those who didn't, brief synopsis......


Tommy Lee Jones plays an Atheist college professor. Samuel L. Jackson is an ex-con turned evangelical Christian. Before the movie begins, TLJ attempts suicide by jumping in front of a train. SLJ catches him and prevents him from killing himself. The actual movie takes place in SLJ's apartment where the two discuss matters of faith and how it effects their world view.

Really great dialog (the play is written by Cormac McCarthy). They are the only characters to appear on screen, and the apartment is the only set in the whole movie.

Glad I recorded it, still not sure what conclusions are to be drawn from it (though I'm not sure that is the point).


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## josh pelican (Feb 17, 2011)

Pink Flamingos


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## Origin (Feb 17, 2011)

Stalker


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## UnderTheSign (Feb 22, 2011)

Det Sjunde Inseglet. One of the best movies I've ever seen, too.


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## Jissi (Feb 23, 2011)

One film that managed to surprise me and felt original in a good way was Moon:

Moon (2009) - IMDb


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## Cabinet (Feb 23, 2011)

MaxOfMetal said:


> Eraserhead.


I'll see you at Eraserhead and raise you Begotten

Oh, and Moon was fucking excellent.


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## synrgy (Feb 23, 2011)

Jissi said:


> One film that managed to surprise me and felt original in a good way was Moon:
> 
> Moon (2009) - IMDb



Agreed. Made me an official Sam Rockwell fan.

As a side: I think Rockwell is one of the coolest names anyone could ever have.


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## gunshow86de (Feb 23, 2011)

Yes, _Moon_ was a great film.

Also, Kevin Spacey was more convincing as a creepy robot than as a creepy human (for reference; see every other film he's made).


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## Scar Symmetry (Feb 23, 2011)

Malkav said:


> The Fountain
> Dark City
> Donnie Darko
> Cashback
> Old Boy (Korean movie)



The Fountain definitely.

Dark City I want to see.

Donnie Darko definitely.

Cashback I haven't seen.

Old Boy was the most predictable film I've ever seen.


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## JeffFromMtl (Feb 23, 2011)

Donnie Darko
Tideland
Memento
Elephant
City of God
He Died With a Falafel in his Hand
Waking Life
Irreversible
Martyrs
Oldboy
Audition
Begotten
Tokyo Gore Police lol
Hard Candy
The Science of Sleep
Gummo
I Heart Huckabees
Mulholland Drive
Eraserhead
A Serbian Film
Pan's Labyrinth


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## Alberto7 (Feb 23, 2011)

^ I heard that "Elephant" was a 'boring' (long-winded, rather) yet brilliant movie. Also heard good things about "A Serbian Film". I might have to keep an eye out for those.


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## MFB (Feb 23, 2011)

Elephant in my opinion, was a piece of shit; and I've done my time working with film and critiquing and I feel no remorse in saying that. Writing, acting, everything about it was just boring and somewhat pretentious to me. Felt like it was trying to hard to be a movie about something serious.


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## jaredowty (Feb 26, 2011)

I've found that the most original (and best) films aren't found in the theater, but on premium cable television. The Wire, Six Feet Under (first two seasons) and Dexter (first two seasons) surpass any movie I've ever seen, especially modern films, and are all very original in concept and execution. Which is strange, because until the last decade, one could flaunt their supposed intellectual superiority by saying "I don't watch TV".  HBO changed that.

I just stopped going to the movies, I'm tired of being told the same story over and over. Also, length is an issue. After watching these huge, epic series, the narrative flow of movies feel contrived. As soon as I get to know the characters, BAM, it's over.  I haven't watched that many independent films, however, and I have a feeling there's some gems out there. But Hollywood is a joke.


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## Cyanide_Anima (Feb 27, 2011)

Antichrist was a pretty original movie, and pretty fooked up. I also liked the movie 'Moon'. It had some pretty interesting elements to it and it kept you guessing.

I'm watching Tokyo Gore Police now. I have the biggest smile on my face, this movie is ridiculous! haha.


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## Explorer (Feb 27, 2011)

@Jaredowty: Most of the films which have been listed as truly original aren't Hollywood films. "Moon," "Thank You for Smoking," and a host of others were made independently, and then got distribution by Hollywood, but they weren't developed in the Hollywood system.

I understand your enthusiasm for watching television series, especially with the lengths which allow much more in-depth character development. I would imagine that a topic about such would be just as interesting as this one about movies. However, I don't think you can argue that television series are movies. I'd say that most series falter after their first few seasons and become formulaic, and the only ones which maintain a strong focus, instead of just introducing novelty to maintain interest, are telenovellas and series which have a story arc already charted for a determined run. That's why anime series like "Trigun," "Cowboy Bebop," "Deathnote" and "Fullmetal Alchemist" are on my shelf, and series like "Inuyasha" aren't: They know where they will end, instead of just trying to figure out new situations into which to put their characters. 

----

Now, back to the discussion of truly original movies....


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## Alberto7 (Feb 27, 2011)

^ Don't forget Neon Genesis Evangelion . But I have to adamantly agree on Cowboy Bebop.

As for the movies, I got around to watching "The Sunset Limited" the other day. The dialogue is brilliant. And it touches really interesting subjects. The fact that everything takes place in only one setting really puts your imagination to work (something I really appreciated). The only complaint I have is that it probably should have been longer, but that's just because I would've wanted them to go more in depth on the topics of discussion. Other than that, a very interesting and (what I found to be) a very interesting film.

As for recommending other movies, I'll have to go with an all-time favorite of mine: In Bruges. I'm not sure if it's been mentioned before.


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## Explorer (Feb 27, 2011)

I'll have to look up "The Sunset Limited."

I gave this a little thought last night, and had a small idea: 

Series which don't have a defined ending can quickly become what is referred to as "Monster of the Week," where there's a little set up, then the monster is defeated, and there's a tagline. "Dexter" falls into this formula, for all that it has a single novel idea behind it: a serial killer who kills serial killers. However, the main character is a sociopath, and so you can't have character development without violating the premise of the show. 

"The Sopranos" also wound up having to get heavier and heavier, as it was too difficult to maintain a light-hearted view. Eventually the brutality of Mafia business would have had to intrude. At heart, I always thought of Tony Soprano as a modern Bugs Bunny; you would put the character into situations which were not the normal situation for that character, and then watch as hilarity ensued. 

And, of course, very few people really loved the later Matrix movies.


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## -42- (Feb 27, 2011)

Jaws.


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## ddtonfire (Feb 27, 2011)

The Roundhay garden scene, of course!


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## jaredowty (Feb 27, 2011)

@Explorer I completely agree, most series don't begin with the end in mind (besides the first two seasons, usually) and they suffer from a lack of focus later on. The Wire is the only series I've seen that has no wasted storylines or characters and all five seasons are excellent (but even then I would say its structure is closer to a novel than a film). HBO and Showtime often get compared to films through the way the shows are shot (wider angles as opposed to the notorious "talking heads" of television), and one could argue that any filmed media is classified as a film (since TV is such a dirty word for the most part haha).

I'll definitely have to check out some of the films listed in this thread though.


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