I love the calming sense of serenity one gets after they watch a good film. For me, that sense of an overall calm feeling is much better if the movie itself is filmed a certain way. I like films that have a vintage feel to them, whether that movie be set in the past itself of if it is filmed like it was. I also have appreciation for movies filmed decades ago. Anything before 1990 is considered a classic to me. Let's have a look at some of my favorite movies that have also left me feeling that 'sense of serenity' afterward.
The Virgin Suicides (1999)
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| I love the interior of the Lisbon girls' rooms! |
What a gruesome title, isn't it? Despite the title,
The Virgin Suicides is about the five teenage Lisbon sisters living in the mid-1970's. Each girl has their own set of problems, but the film is mainly based on Lux, the 14-year-old daughter. This movie is told from the perspective of a few teenage boys who live in the neighborhood of the Lisbon girls and watch their lives while collecting souvenirs and interacting them.
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| Again, the Lisbon girls minus Cecilia. |
The movie is told from the perspective of an unknown boy who apparently was one of the boys who watched the Lisbons' slow down-spiral into depression. Although the movie does have a grim and somewhat sudden ending, the film is definitely worth watching. I've watched it four times in the past year and I never get sick of the mystery that was the Lisbon family.
Watch
The Virgin Suicides trailer
here.
Moonrise Kingdom (2012)
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| Suzy and Sam reviewing their map. |
I'm normally not a fan of movies from 2000 and on, but Moonrise Kingdom is a great exception. I wanted to see this movie so badly that I actually went out and bought tickets to see it in theaters, which is rare for me. I usually wait for it to come out on TV.
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| Suzy out on the lake in her wonderfully-sixties dress. |
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Moonrise Kingdom is yet another wonderful Wes Anderson film. I'm personally a huge Wes Anderson fan, mainly because the way he films everything is so vintage and wonderful. The movie itself is set in 1965 and is about two twelve-year-old kids named Sam and Suzy who fall in love after meeting accidentally backstage Suzy's play. Following this they write each other letters and eventually meet up, running away together until they are caught by the local police. The movie's filmography is absolutely brilliant and I enjoyed every minute of it in theaters, from the wonderful clothing the characters wore to the amazing soundtrack.
Watch the Moonrise Kingdom trailer
here.
Carrie (1976)
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| Carrie winning prom queen, a great surprise. |
Although I've made a Carrie post before, the film is so brilliant that I thought I must include it. The film is based off of a Stephen King novel of the same name, published in 1974. It is about a young girl named Carrie who is taunted after she receives her time of the month for the first time in the gym showers. She had been harassed before, but now the harassment increases. She is also struggling with her telekinetic powers that she hides from everyone, but eventually tells her bat-crazy mother. From there she is constantly bullied until asked to the prom by Tommy Ross, a popular boy from school.
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| The crazy ending to Carrie. |
At first Carrie thinks it is a joke, but she eventually agrees. On the night of prom all havoc breaks loose after the infamous pig-blood scene. I won't spoil the ending, but Carrie is an absolutely brilliantly-written film that defied horror movie standards in the 1970's. It is absolutely lovely.
Watch Carrie full length for free
here.
Quadrophenia (1978)
Quadrophenia is a film based off The Who's 1973 concept album of the same name. The album and movie are similar, although it is a little harder to figure out the plot by simply listening to the album. The movie is about a young teenager named Jimmy living in the early 1960's who decides to take up the mod lifestyle. Throughout the film he seems to be enjoying being a mod, although his spiral downward into popping pills and wrecking havoc increases.
While Jimmy is out with friends enjoying himself, he's battling the demons of his multiple personalities inside. Some may say he has schizophrenia; this is why the movie is titled Quadrophenia, as Jimmy had four different personalities (one for each member of The Who.) Soon bad things start happening to Jimmy. During a mod riot he is taken in by the police, the girl he likes named Steph goes for another guy, he is kicked out of his house, and his mod scooter is smashed. Jimmy realizes he's hand enough when he finds out his idol, fellow mod Ace Face (played by Sting) is actually a bell boy at a local hotel. He steals Ace Faces scooter and crashes it over a cliff, jumping off before he himself plummets to his doom. The movie ends with Jimmy walking on a Brighton beach, the same way the film started, leading to think that the entire movie was simply a flashback.
Watch Quadrophenia full-length for free
here.
- "Sunday Morning" - The Velvet Underground & Nico
- "Run of the Mill" - George Harrison
- "The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra, Op. 34" - Benjamin Britten
- "If You Want to Sing Out" - Cat Stevens
- "Twelve Thirty (Young Girls are Coming to the Canyon)" - The Mamas and the Papas
- "Winter" - The Rolling Stones
- "Sun King" - The Beatles
- "Aubrey" - Bread
- "Wild World" - Cat Stevens
