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10 movies Jami wants everyone to watch

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Jami July 10, 2016

Seven Samurai (1954)

Director: Akira Kurosawa

Kurosawa is a true gem as a director. The set-up and build-up of Seven Samurai take hours and we all are hooked. It is only towards the end that one realises who is the real hero of the film.

Sholay (1975)

Director: Ramesh Sippy

Even though Sholay copied brutally from Once Upon a Time in the West, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, and even the songs were fully copied, but this film will still live on forever. The additions they did to this copy were gigantic. Its cinematography and sound design are fully classic and timeless.

Yojimbo (1961)

Director: Akira Kurosawa

Yojimbo is Sholay actually. One can easily see that it is the style of this film that gave birth to Sergio Leone’s Spaghetti Westerns.

The 400 Blows (1959)

Director: François Truffaut

The 400 Blows is my Salaam Bombay!. I was not aware of Truffaut’s work but after seeing this film, I saw a man who could get kids to act as if they all were Marlon Brandos.

Pather Panchali (1955)

Director: Satyajit Ray

Pather Panchali made me come back to Pakistan. In it, I saw my fields, my land at a Santa Monica Beach screening of his work. I left everything and ran for Pakistan to make films.

The Godfather, The Godfather Part II (1972, 1974)

Director: Francis Ford Coppola

Stanley Kubrick said these are perfect films. What else can I say?

The Dark Knight (2008)

Director: Christopher Nolan

The Dark Knight is the best modern classic to come out of Hollywood. Nothing comes close to this madness.

The Wild Bunch (1969)

Director: Sam Peckinpah

Sholay copied from this film’s style and edit. The Wild Bunch is supreme in terms of perfection.

The Thin Red Line (1998)

Director: Terrence Malick

In The Thin Red Line, Terrence Malick shows what war is really like. The UN should see this film before they pass any new war bill.

Citizen Kane (1941)

Director: Orson Welles

It is a film school that teaches you how to become a great, insane film-maker. Always pushing boundaries and resistance is the key to flight. These films are important for desi film-makers as we must know that true cinema is beyond Bollywood or Hollywood clichés.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 11^th, 2016.

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COMMENTS (12)

Haris | 8 years ago | Reply Jami ! Moor was excellent! You can always make alot of audience by investing, rather throwing money on glamour. But Moor was about bringing simplicity with magnification. Personally I like the talent of seeing beauty, charm and story in the simple realities. It was a job well done.I am waiting for the cd release. But Jami ! Why didn't you mention WAAR ? As far as I believe you worked in waar yourself. I mean, the cricket scenes.

Aqua | 8 years ago | Reply Impressive list,but everyone knows that the Citizen Kane,The Godfather,The Dark Knight,etc are the best movies of Hollywood.When we have to recommend movies to someone,it means that we have to give our personal opinions,not the opinions of the critics.We have to extract some classic movies out of thousands of movies,instead of recommending mainstream movies.

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Ahmed | 8 years ago | Reply Not a pioneer film critic as peeps above claim to be. Just an average movie lover who have seen quite decent amount of movies mostly Hollywood. I would say I am in extreme awe after watching Moor. It's incredible for me. The storylines were simple but their intermingling and sentimental attachment made them supreme. Cinematography is excellent, period. Acting is indeed inspiring. Music and what not. In summary I really liked the movie this instilled my confidence in Pak movies once again.

Raz.DK | 8 years ago | Reply There are a few of them I have not seen, otherwise I totally agree with Jami. Godfather II etc. are so perfect, in my opinion. You have a brilliant taste -like myself :o). Respect. What about "Jacobs Ladder", "Sicario", "The shinning","China Town"-old one with Jack Nicolson!? Please watch them, if you haven´t seen them - you will like them. I do NOT watch Asian movies except some Iranian, Korean etc. ones. But o yeah, I see some PK movies progressing and in the right direction. I would love to watch O21 and Moor. The trailers on Internet have been attracting me and the name "Jami" attached to them. After watching Waar, I want to see original PK movies -made in the terms of Hollywood way of making movies with original PK substance. I even took a flight (from DK) to London to watch Waar in a cinema and was amazed. It was an experience. Hats off to it !Waar, the only non-Hollywood movie I have ever watched in a cinema. PS. The problem with Sholey is that foreign western technicians were hired to do the screenplay and coordinate the scenes with actions, fights etc. (now-a-days it is a rutine for Bollywood, they simply hire foreigners to do the special affects, actions and special make-up etc., as far as I have heard/read) and without giving them any credit). Then the question arise, what is left to appreciate? Hmm...only the songs and dances (which were also copied as well) but done by locals!? Anyway.. Sholey gives what it is meant to hence everything can be forgiven. It is one of the most griping and tense movies (East or West). One of the best villians on screen ever the world has seen is Gabbar, in my opinion. The scene, in the court, where Gabber is in chains and has been sentenced and in the court hall he meets inspector Thakur (responsible for arresting him) and Gabbar threatens him "I will remember you thakur..." is damn scary and one of my all time favourite scenes ever. Otherwise I hate copycat Bollywood. Last time I saw one was almost 20 years ago.

Jami | 8 years ago | Reply Ji hammad sir u ve ur opinion and U might be right but do read MOOR review from THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. Just saying.

Syed Hammad | 8 years ago | Reply A masterpiece with no sense of direction and character development. Moor was a 3 hour of nothingness. Would really like if the "filmmaker" can get his "masterpiece" reviewed by intelligent critics. Any child whose been through one year of film school can name these films. And in no way can I tell by going through this list that this particular filmmaker had any idea of why these films are a master piece. I'm not a filmmaker but having read enough on films and literature I know there's a lot more to films than having good audio or acting like marlon brando. Shows the intellectual ability of this particular filmmaker and if he's Pakistans top filmmaker then God help this industry. I think we're better off with munni masala. This semi pseudo non critical cinema will be the death of what's left of the "Pakistani intellect". If you think making films is about pretty images and good acting my friend you're understanding of cinema is clearly immature. Having said that I think this particular filmmaker should learn more and not get stuck with one "masterpiece".

Jami | 8 years ago | Reply Salman i agree on Dark knight. Mad max is on my list of top 20 films. But writing of Datk knight is too perfect to surpass Mad Max. But Mad max is the new classic fir sure.

Jami | 8 years ago | Reply This list was too kong so rest is here. City of God How does one make kids act so beautifully and how to shoot gang war life so insane great. 2001:Space Odyssey Even When Nolan needed inspiration he went to this film. Imagine Full Metal Jacket Best Anti war film ever. How US war machine works and how it fails. All here. Dr Strangelove Master stroke. Kubrick doing comedy u can imagine great Darkness. Touch Of Evil One of the Best Film Noir ever made. So many mise-en-scèn and perfect ones. Incredible. Lunch Box Answer to MUNNI BILLI TANDURI CHICKEN Item numbers. Made 500 carore Pk Rs. Globally. Pk distributors wont believe or deny even to imagine. The Conversation Best crime thriller i think. Technique of sound was pushed to new limits and editing of it. Empire Strikes back Best starwar film ever. Rest is all studio drama. T2 For me James Cameron died after T2. Titanic and Avatar is when he lost everything amazing and became a brand. Madmax:1,2 & Fury And then God Made Miller. Most of the people couldnt get Fury as it was about being human the way we should be thru Womanhood as we all come out of one. This guy is still the best action director ever.

salman | 8 years ago | Reply Good list, but I would argue that mad Max fury road surpasses dark night in madness.

PakPower | 8 years ago | Reply @Asad Shairani: I agree. No wonder we see nuanced brilliance in all his work.

Raheel Taj Uddin | 8 years ago | Reply No wonder this man has given us a masterpiece in the form of Moor.

Asad Shairani | 8 years ago | Reply That's a terrific list.

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