How can I get my friends to discuss movies with me? What aspects of a movie are good and easy to get discussions started?

A few words of caution about your question. If you're a film snob (like me, I admit it) and feel very passionately about movies, don't discuss them with people who may not have the ability to discuss them intelligently with you. A couple I know who are passionate about movies went out for dinner and a movie with a new couple they had been introduced to. The conversation was ok at dinner and then they went to the movie - "Memento". After it finished a small discussion was had that went something like this: Couple I know: "Oh. My. God. Thoughts?" New couple: "It was really... interesting. I liked how it was similar to Pulp Fiction with the time order all messed up." Couple I know: "Well, it was really nice meeting you. Catch up again soon?" New couple: "That'd be great!" Couple I know (now out of earshot of New couple, turn to each other and say): "We cannot be friends with those people." It seems shallow, but hey - you love what you love, right?

This is a question that I've confronted before in my own life.  I think the key is to be able to both respect other people's opinions and also understand what people can and can't talk about.  I think you want to avoid thinking about what is "productive;" if you find the conversation interesting or enjoyable, then that's what matters. I think maybe the easiest place to start a conversation about films would be to compare movies to each other.  E.g. if you see Star Trek (2009), you could compare it to District 9, another good sci-fi movie that came out the same year.  From there, the conversation could evolve organically, maybe talking about acting, special effects, the setting (e.g. is far-future sci fi cooler than more contemporary sci fi?), etc.  Actors, actresses, and directors also offer fertile ground for discussion.  For instance, you could talk about the differences (or common good/bad things) between Christopher Nolan's "Inception" and "Batman Begins;" e.g. you could talk about how he manages to pull of some of the special effects in both movies without relying on CG. I actually worked at a movie theater for a few months when I was younger.  Working at a theater might not be an option, but a lot of movie lovers worked at the the theater I worked at.  There's also websites that might be worth checking out, like the Onion AV Club and IMDB.

simple answer dude, top 5's.... It engages the person your talking to about something they can relate with. Met an old mate last weekend who also like loves films... We came up with top 5 individual film that are part of trilogies... Came up with a couple of crackers!