Brian De Palma

I’m pretty sure he’s a household name by now, but if you want to dive deep into his career, I’ve dropped some links right here for you...

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000361/
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000361/

...so, I was just sitting here wondering, which one of his movies is actually your absolute favorite?

If I’m being totally honest and going purely by gut feeling, I find myself constantly torn between *Carrie* and *Scarface*. In my mind, those two are the absolute crowning achievements of his career, whereas I feel like movies such as *Carlito's Way* and *Sisters* are criminally underrated gems that deserve way more love than they get.

I ended up casting my vote for *Scarface* because... well, let's be real... *Scarface* is just *Scarface*. It's an icon. 🙂

Look, I’ll admit I’m probably being a little biased here, but man, *Carlito's Way* (1993)... it just hits different. It's always such a toss-up because honestly, almost everything on this list is close to my heart, but this one? This one holds a special place in my soul.

The Untouchables is just... untouchable.

Those first four options on the poll look really solid to me, though if I’m being honest, "The Untouchables" might just be my absolute favorite of the bunch...

Blow Out, hands down.
The rest of my Top 5 would be, in no particular order:
- Phantom of the Paradise
- Carrie
- Carlito's Way
- The Untouchables

Actually, I respect De Palma so much that I almost wish he'd just stop making movies altogether; it's pretty obvious he hasn't been in his prime for a while now, even if nothing he does can touch the greatness of his earlier work.

How can I even call myself a cinephile if I haven't checked out Phantom of the Paradise yet? 🤦
Seriously, this is a must-watch...

They’re basically untouchable, sitting in a league of their own—though I haven't sat down to watch everything they've put out yet.

I’d like to bring up a film that didn't make the cut... I'm talking about Raising Cain from 1992. It truly is an excellent piece of cinema, especially with the performance by John Lithgow...
Generally speaking, I have a great deal of affection for all of the films directed by Brian De Palma.

brighteagle39 said:I’d like to bring up a film that didn't make the cut... I'm talking about Raising Cain from 1992. It truly is an excellent piece of cinema, especially with the performance by John Lithgow...
Generally speaking, I have a great deal of affection for all of the films directed by Brian De Palma.

Then Click "Someone Else" 🙂

Actually, it's a shame they didn't mention Body Double, Sisters, and Obsession; I think they deserve it. I'd swap them on this list for Snake Eyes and Mission to Mars. 😉

I haven't managed to sit through everything on that list, though I suppose if I had to pick a favorite from the ones I have seen, it would probably be Scarface.

I’ve only actually sat down to watch 👍 "Carrie" and "Mission: Impossible."

brighteagle39 said:I’d like to bring up a film that didn't make the cut... I'm talking about Raising Cain from 1992. It truly is an excellent piece of cinema, especially with the performance by John Lithgow...
Generally speaking, I have a great deal of affection for all of the films directed by Brian De Palma.

Man, I remember watching that one ages ago, and if I'm being totally honest, I found it incredibly dull! That said, I could definitely see myself giving it another shot—I'm quite certain my opinion might have shifted since then. 👍

I’ve always felt a certain kinship with Carlito's Way...

I went with Scarface, though I was really torn between that and Carlito's Way. Honestly, any De Palma flick works for me. Still haven't gotten around to watching The Untouchables or The Black Dahlia yet.

If you ask me, *The Bonfire of the Vanities* is easily his weakest effort. Even with such an incredible cast assembled on screen—I mean, who wouldn't want to see that much talent in one room?—I just couldn't find my footing with it. It felt like this massive, messy jumble of a movie, and I honestly just lost myself in all the chaos.

Sisters (1973.)

I guess I love De Palma most because his framing is basically identical to Alfred Hitchcock's—he was his student, after all.🙂

I’m putting Scarface at number one, mainly because of how much freedom he let loose in that movie. It’s probably why it was rejected at first, but whatever, today it's considered one of Pacino's best. For me, it's the absolute best.

Next up is Carrie. It's a great horror flick with a masterclass ending. Plus, you get young John Travolta. 😁

The Untouchables—Robert De Niro played Al Capone perfectly; he actually was him. Sean Connery deserved an Oscar for that. That scene on the stairs at the station is easily one of the best-shot moments ever. Just perfect.

So, yeah, those are my top 3.🙂

Even though I think Carlito's Way, Raising Cain, and even Sisters are better, I ended up voting for Carrie. I just really love that movie.

Man, can we just take a second to talk about *Scarface*? I mean, seriously, how much of an absolute powerhouse is this movie? You sit down to watch it and you're immediately hit with that raw, unfiltered energy that only 1983 could deliver. It’s just such a wild ride from start to finish, isn't it? I was thinking about it the other day—is there any other era where crime dramas felt this visceral, or was it just the magic of this specific cast and crew coming together at the perfect moment? You've got Al Pacino giving what might be one of the most iconic, high-octane performances in cinema history, and honestly, I don't think anyone else could have captured that specific kind of manic, desperate ambition quite like him. He makes you feel every single heartbeat of Tony Montana's rise and his inevitable, crashing fall. And let's be real, the style of this movie is just legendary. The neon, the excess, the sheer unapologetic swagger of it all... it’s basically a masterclass in visual storytelling. It doesn't hold your hand, and it certainly doesn't play nice, which is exactly why it works so well. It’s gritty, it’s loud, and it’s totally unforgettable. Do you ever find yourself rewatching it just to catch those tiny details in the background that you missed the first ten times? Because I definitely do. It’s one of those rare films that stays with you long after the credits roll, leaving you wondering just how far someone will go when they finally get everything they ever dreamed of. What a trip! Hands down the absolute best—we're talking a straight-up masterpiece here! 👍

Honestly, if I had to rank them, *Carlito's Way* would be right up there at the top with *Carrie*, and then everything else just follows behind them!