Your 5 Greatest Film Biopics ? - Blu-ray Forum

zombie63 · 12-10-2009, 01:18 PM

Originally I was gonna make this a choice of your favourite , but having just looked at the sheer amount of ground this covers Im gonna make it your top 5.
If we get a good response then may turn it into a poll , but for the mean time here are my 5...

1. Amadeus - It has everything , a great cast (F Murray Abraham has never been better) wonderful Locations (the original music theatre used by Mozart) authentic costumes and the music is not too bad either.

2. Gandhi - When I saw this on its release I never knew much of the story of his life ,but Attenboroughs story telling has you hooked from the start and Ben Kingsley Is Gandhi.

3. Man of a Thousand Faces - James Cagney is brilliant in the biopic of one of my heros Lon Chaney Snr, the brief glimpses of him working in the films that made him one of the biggest stars in the world at the time are truly wonderful.

4. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid - Still one of the greatest westerns ever made and everything about this film works perfectly from scenery , casting ,music and brilliant screenplay.

5. Braveheart - I chose this over Spartacus as it holds a special place in my heart being from Scotland myself. I know a lot of libertys have been taken with the story but Gibson still manages to win you over by being true to our sense of freedom from the "old enemy".

Loads missed out here including mentions too....

Spartacus
Lawrence of Arabia
Schindlers List
Downfall
The Assasination of Jesse James by the coward Robert Ford.
Shadow of the Vampire
The Insider
Chaplin
The Elephant Man
All the Presidents Men.
Papillon
Anne of a thousand days.
The Desert Fox
Sergeant York

Elvis · 12-10-2009, 01:24 PM

What no Patton?

Solok · 12-10-2009, 01:26 PM

Patton
Band of Brothers
Apollo 13
Alamo
Gettysburg

zombie63 · 12-10-2009, 01:27 PM

Damn I forgot Raging Bull too.

zombie63 · 12-10-2009, 01:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elvis

What no Patton?

Ive never seen Patton, though its on my to do list.

luwanda · 12-10-2009, 01:32 PM

The Doors! one of my favourite movies! but i guess that has something to do with the fact that Doors is my favourite music and Jim one of my favourite poets

charlieray1 · 12-10-2009, 02:12 PM

The Buddy Holly Story -- certainly not very accurate, but really enjoyable. Gary Busey is great in it.

Bound For Glory -- David Carradine as Woody Guthrie.

Butch Cassidy -- Fun. I doubt it's very true, but good stuff.

The Wrong Man -- Interesting experiment by Hitchcock. He set out to make as accurate a true story as possible, using many actual locations, court transcripts and a few of the people involved in small roles.

repete66211 · 12-10-2009, 02:46 PM

Although it's non-fiction, All the President's Men isn't a biopic because it's not telling the story of someone's life.

The movies that come to mind, based not on the person but on how much I enjoyed the movie:

Amadeus
Ghandi
Before Night Falls
Braveheart
Breaker Morant (not really a biopic, but who cares?)

Fighter · 12-10-2009, 03:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by luwanda

the doors! One of my favourite movies! But i guess that has something to do with the fact that doors is my favourite music and jim one of my favourite poets

+1

surfdude12 · 12-10-2009, 03:18 PM

i thought Amadeus wasn't fact-based? loved the film, but when i read about it, i thought i remembered reading that the feud (or extent of it) was largely manufactured.

Blu Myers · 12-10-2009, 03:23 PM

Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story
Control (Biopic on Ian Curtis from Joy Division)
Braveheart
Tyson
Raging Bull

JTStarkiller · 12-10-2009, 03:35 PM

Public Enemies. Man on the Moon and Ali are also two of my favorites.

surfdude12 · 12-10-2009, 03:38 PM

although they're not my favorites:

Malcolm X
Walk the Line

Al_The_Strange · 12-10-2009, 03:40 PM

"The Passion of the Christ" (um, does that count as a bopic?)
"Lawrence of Arabia"
"Amadeus"
"Braveheart"
"Downfall"

JTStarkiller · 12-10-2009, 03:41 PM

Ooh, American Splendor. Forgot about that one. Great film. Although I have no idea how much of that was based on fact.

zombie63 · 12-10-2009, 04:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by surfdude12

i thought Amadeus wasn't fact-based? loved the film, but when i read about it, i thought i remembered reading that the feud (or extent of it) was largely manufactured.

Peter Shaffer did use dramatic licence a lot in the 2 main roles of Mozart and Salieri but there is evidence to suggest that the pair did have a dislike for each other.

I know many of the films people will pick will have huge great holes in the truth (Braveheart), but its a representation of a life rather than an out and out Biography.

CZAR · 12-10-2009, 04:32 PM

Malcolm X.
Midnight Express
Mask
Goodfellas
Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story
Casino
Selena
The Temptations
Remember the Titans
The Pursuit of Happyness
American Gangster
Cadillac Records
Notorious

Got Em!!

zombie63 · 12-10-2009, 04:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CZAR

Malcolm X.
Midnight Express
Mask
Goodfellas
Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story
Casino
Selena
The Temptations
Remember the Titans
The Pursuit of Happyness
American Gangster
Cadillac Records
Notorious

Got Em!!

excellent choice

though its a tad more than 5

Riff Magnum · 12-10-2009, 04:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Solok

Patton
Band of Brothers
Apollo 13
Alamo
Gettysburg

I think some people are confusing biopics with historical pics. I've always assumed biopics are biographical depictions of individuals, not groups of people or historical events/movements.

I don't think anyone's mentioned The Aviator.

CZAR · 12-10-2009, 04:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zombie63

excellent choice

though its a tad more than 5

I couldnt only list 5 and u mean to tell me that is the only one u like from my list?? Shame on u!

Got Em!!

12-10-2009, 01:18 PM	#1
zombie63 Expert Member Member since:Sep 2009 Location:Scotland Blu-ray collection:175	Your 5 Greatest Film Biopics ? Originally I was gonna make this a choice of your favourite , but having just looked at the sheer amount of ground this covers Im gonna make it your top 5. If we get a good response then may turn it into a poll , but for the mean time here are my 5... 1. Amadeus - It has everything , a great cast (F Murray Abraham has never been better) wonderful Locations (the original music theatre used by Mozart) authentic costumes and the music is not too bad either. 2. Gandhi - When I saw this on its release I never knew much of the story of his life ,but Attenboroughs story telling has you hooked from the start and Ben Kingsley Is Gandhi. 3. Man of a Thousand Faces - James Cagney is brilliant in the biopic of one of my heros Lon Chaney Snr, the brief glimpses of him working in the films that made him one of the biggest stars in the world at the time are truly wonderful. 4. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid - Still one of the greatest westerns ever made and everything about this film works perfectly from scenery , casting ,music and brilliant screenplay. 5. Braveheart - I chose this over Spartacus as it holds a special place in my heart being from Scotland myself. I know a lot of libertys have been taken with the story but Gibson still manages to win you over by being true to our sense of freedom from the "old enemy". Loads missed out here including mentions too.... Spartacus Lawrence of Arabia Schindlers List Downfall The Assasination of Jesse James by the coward Robert Ford. Shadow of the Vampire The Insider Chaplin The Elephant Man All the Presidents Men. Papillon Anne of a thousand days. The Desert Fox Sergeant York

12-10-2009, 01:26 PM	#3
Solok Active Member Member since:Mar 2009 Blu-ray collection:62	Patton Band of Brothers Apollo 13 Alamo Gettysburg Last edited by Solok; 12-10-2009 at 01:29 PM.

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12-10-2009, 01:24 PM	#2
Elvis Banned Member since:May 2009 Location:The Jungle Room Home Theater Gallery:1 Blu-ray collection:327 DVD collection:45 Blu-ray reviews:10 Trading Score:18	What no Patton?

12-10-2009, 01:27 PM	#4
zombie63 Expert Member Member since:Sep 2009 Location:Scotland Blu-ray collection:175	Damn I forgot Raging Bull too.

12-10-2009, 01:32 PM	#6
luwanda Special Member Top contributor Member since:Jan 2009 Location:Madrid 4K collection:65 Blu-ray collection:1157 DVD collection:12 Blu-ray reviews:59	The Doors! one of my favourite movies! but i guess that has something to do with the fact that Doors is my favourite music and Jim one of my favourite poets

12-10-2009, 02:12 PM	#7
charlieray1 Blu-ray Guru Member since:Nov 2008 Location:Victorville, CA Blu-ray reviews: 1	The Buddy Holly Story -- certainly not very accurate, but really enjoyable. Gary Busey is great in it. Bound For Glory -- David Carradine as Woody Guthrie. Butch Cassidy -- Fun. I doubt it's very true, but good stuff. The Wrong Man -- Interesting experiment by Hitchcock. He set out to make as accurate a true story as possible, using many actual locations, court transcripts and a few of the people involved in small roles.

12-10-2009, 02:46 PM	#8
repete66211 Blu-ray Samurai Top contributor Member since:Jan 2009 Location:Kansas City area Home Theater Gallery:10 Blu-ray collection:196 Blu-ray reviews:1 Trading Score:3	Although it's non-fiction, All the President's Men isn't a biopic because it's not telling the story of someone's life. The movies that come to mind, based not on the person but on how much I enjoyed the movie: Amadeus Ghandi Before Night Falls Braveheart Breaker Morant (not really a biopic, but who cares?)

12-10-2009, 03:18 PM	#10
surfdude12 Blu-ray Knight Member since:Jul 2007 Location:Club Loop Blu-ray collection:343 Blu-ray reviews:112 Trading Score:1	i thought Amadeus wasn't fact-based? loved the film, but when i read about it, i thought i remembered reading that the feud (or extent of it) was largely manufactured.

12-10-2009, 03:23 PM	#11
Blu Myers Blu-ray Knight Top contributor Member since:Sep 2007 Location:Haddonfield, IL Home Theater Gallery:17 4K collection:37 Blu-ray collection:655 Digital collection:10 Blu-ray reviews:3 Trading Score:108	Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story Control (Biopic on Ian Curtis from Joy Division) Braveheart Tyson Raging Bull

12-10-2009, 03:35 PM	#12
JTStarkiller Power Member Member since:Aug 2007 Location:Austin, TX DVD collection:69 Trading Score:17	Public Enemies. Man on the Moon and Ali are also two of my favorites.

12-10-2009, 03:38 PM	#13
surfdude12 Blu-ray Knight Member since:Jul 2007 Location:Club Loop Blu-ray collection:343 Blu-ray reviews:112 Trading Score:1	although they're not my favorites: Malcolm X Walk the Line

12-10-2009, 03:40 PM	#14
Al_The_Strange Blu-ray Prince Top contributor Member since:Apr 2009 Location:Out there...past them trees... Home Theater Gallery:126 4K collection:1140 Blu-ray collection:4958 DVD collection:530 Digital collection:1013 Blu-ray reviews: 132 Trading Score:32	"The Passion of the Christ" (um, does that count as a bopic?) "Lawrence of Arabia" "Amadeus" "Braveheart" "Downfall"

12-10-2009, 03:41 PM	#15
JTStarkiller Power Member Member since:Aug 2007 Location:Austin, TX DVD collection:69 Trading Score:17	Ooh, American Splendor. Forgot about that one. Great film. Although I have no idea how much of that was based on fact.

12-10-2009, 04:32 PM	#17
CZAR Blu-ray Prince Member since:Jul 2009 Location:Camp Crystal lake 4K collection:72 Blu-ray collection:312 Blu-ray reviews:1 Trading Score:75	Malcolm X. Midnight Express Mask Goodfellas Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story Casino Selena The Temptations Remember the Titans The Pursuit of Happyness American Gangster Cadillac Records Notorious Got Em!!

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