If you have close to or more than 3 hours to spare

I have spoken to friends about films, quite long ones, that I have seen and enjoyed and they have said "that's 3 hours of my life I can never get back".

Watching a long film these days is something that really has to be planned. For me, these types of films are ideal for those incredibly hot summer days when it really is too hot to be outside. In Australia in summer, that time is generally between 11.30am and 3.30pm.

On the last really stinking hot day that I was living in Australia, my husband and I went to Westfield Bondi Junction to see Avatar in 3D in order to escape the heat. Fortunately we enjoyed the film and didn't feel as though we had wasted a few hours of our lives.

There are lots of films that are real events. Ones that I have really enjoyed I have listed below:

Secrets & Lies (A film that really needs the time given to it for the story to evolve naturally)
Casino
The Godfather 
The Godfather Part II
Heat
Gandhi
Schindler's List
Goodfellas
The Dark Knight
Inglourious Bastards (Tarantino is a god)
The Aviator
Braveheart (Back when Mel was in form)
Eyes Wide Shut (I liked it but I am aware it was a film that polarised people when it came out)
Meet Joe Black (Perfect for reminiscing about a youthful Brad Pitt)
Titanic
Traffic (One of my favourite Steven Soderbergh films - he is a man that directs an ensemble cast really well)
The Deer Hunter (A truly remarkable film)
Django Unchained (I personally feel this is Tarantino's best work to date)
Spartacus
Ben-Hur
Lawrence of Arabia (I still enjoy watching this one today - great cast, lovely scenery)
The Ten Commandments (While the effects have dated, it is interesting to note it took 10 years to make and lots of people died during the making of the film)
Gone with the Wind (Brilliant acting, again some of the effects are dated but still worth a watch)
American Gangster
Zodiac (I don't recommend watching this one late at night - I found it to be quite scary)

There are several others that can fit into this list including a certain Lord of the Rings Trilogy and the Harry Potter Series. Again, this is just a starting point for those that are interested in a long film and wanting to escape for a few hours.

What's your favourite long film? Let me know.