F(ilm): 10 movies Zeeshan Parwez wants you to watch

These movies have had a big impact on Zeeshan Parwez and it would be great if one can critically watch them

There are originally 40 in my list that I would like to share but I did the best to narrow it down as much as possible. These movies have had a big impact on me and it would be great if you can critically watch them and talk about them.

I would strongly advise not to check out the trailers for the movies listed. Some of the trailers were done in an age when the art of cutting a good trailer was developing.

1. Dr. Strangelove (1964)



Director: Stanley Kubrick

I’ll be the first one to admit that I am not a massive Kubrick fan and I don’t think I will ever be. But I cannot deny his explicit attention-to-detail when it comes to structure, subtext and shot design. Dr. Strangelove is a masterpiece as it paved the way for what we now know as black comedy. This political satire is nothing short of genius. Not should it be only seen but critically analysed as well.

2. Fisher King (1991)



Director: Terry Gilliam

If you hear the director’s commentary of this movie, the first thing you’ll hear Terry Gilliam say is: “I had three rules in life when it came to film-making:

1) I’d never do anyone’s script but my own

2) I’d never work for a major studio

3) I’d never work in America. I violated all three of these rules to make The Fisher King.”

This movie is an absolute masterpiece. It used to be my elder brother Adnan’s favourite movie. And like music, I inherited his taste for movies as well. Of all of Terry’s works (Brazil, Monty Python series, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas etc) that I’ve seen, this one is the closest to my heart. I highly recommend watching it with the director’s commentary because there’s so much to learn from Terry and what he did to make this simple story stand out.

3. Lawrence of Arabia (1962)



Director: David Lean

Enough has been said about this movie. Let’s not talk about it further … it is brilliant. I wish I could have seen the production of this classic with my eyes. Lawrence of Arabia is a superb reminder of the glorious days of Classical Hollywood

4. There Will Be Blood (2007)



Director: Paul Thomas Anderson

I thought long and hard about two of my favourite Paul Thomas Anderson movies that have had a considerable amount of impact on me. It’s always been a tie between Magnolia and There Will Be Blood. In this case, I’ll choose the latter, quite possibly because of the brilliant tone of the movie, the brilliant script and acting by Daniel-Day Lewis and Paul Dano. If I’m not wrong, Quentin Tarantino also urged his audience to see this movie at least twice, in order to spark an intellectual discussion about this movie.

5. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)



Director: Frank Darabont

This is it. I place this movie above all others. The Shawshank Redemption is why I chose film-making. Frank Darabont made me believe there is light in the darkest of places and “hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things and no good thing ever dies.”

It’s hard to explain the connection I have with this movie; it’s such a personal one that it seems to get stronger every time I watch it. It’s very strange but I haven’t been able to get tired of watching this. If you have not seen it, I think this would be the first one that you should religiously see out of the entire list. I remember back in the 1990s in Peshawar, I literally went out of my way to promote this movie in different circles so people would watch it. This movie is pure love.

To this day, I have the score of this movie on my phone. I listen to it once, every week.

6. The Commitments (1991)



Director: Alan Parker

An underrated gem but I think if you look between the lines, it is one of the most honest movies ever made about struggling musicians trying to start a band. It’s incredibly funny if you dig Irish humour. I saw this movie 10 years after its release and it made me want to make music videos. The soundtrack is phenomenal.

7. JFK - The Director’s Cut (1991)



Director: Oliver Stone

This movie made me think I could do editing inside my head. Who knew 12 years after watching this movie I would pursue video editing ... Thank you Oliver Stone! The assembly of this movie is amazing. It is an achievement in both editing and cinematography. Through choppy edits, it unleashes a wealth of information that keeps the audience engaged and wanting for more. Masterpiece!

8. Samurai Champloo (2005)



Director: Shinichiro Watanabe

Samurai Champloo is not a movie. It’s an anime series of 26 episodes, made by the person who gave us Cowboy Bebop. This series is nothing short of brilliant. The way the show was introduced has been far ahead of its times. It had a unique style associated with it which people like me enjoy to this day. The story, the music, the setup – it’s all amazing. I must give credit to my friend, Jamal Khurshid for introducing me to this.

9. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)



Director: John Hughes

Any person growing up in the 1980s stands by this movie in being one of the most iconic coming-of-age tales ever told. It’s pure fun and at times, there is profound sadness in some parts. This movie needs to be seen and talked about. It’s oozing with love and amazing vibes from the one and only, John Hughes. You need this!

10. The Insider (1999)



Director: Michael Mann

This movie never gets old for me – an incredible narrative, constructed by Michael Mann, that discusses issues such as journalistic integrity, corruption and the outcomes of coming out with the truth. It’s an extremely beautiful movie from which I learnt a lot.

The writer is a film-maker, musician from Peshawar. He is a former ‘Coke Studio’ video producer. He tweets @zparwez

Published in The Express Tribune, August 15^th, 2016.

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