I Confess.......(I have not seen these films): (1 Viewer)

[Jon_Are]

Good man. Let us know what you think.

Jon

 

[Jim Peavy]

Check this one out, too! Fabulous film and equally great DVD presentation. An absolute classic.

 

[Holadem]

You really can't go wrong going down (or up) the AFI 100 and the Sight & Sound lists. You will see a couple of dogs *cough*French Connection*cough*, DO NOT be afraid to voice your opinions about them.

--
Holadem

 

[Qui-Gon John]

"French Connection" is a great movie, what do you mean, dogs?

 

[Dan Rudolph]

Yeah, it's a great movie, dawg.

 

[Holadem]

Obviously not in my opinion John and Dan - which I am aware is quite singular, after all, the movie is part of the friggin AFI 100 list. Since I am not willing to debate this, why don't we leave it at that?

You've got to realise that in a world where there are as many opnions are people, you're bound to meet a few individuals who do not like every single movie off a list of a 100, be those 100 the best America has to offer.

Jeezas.

--
Holadem

 

[John^Lal]

There are over 250 S&S movies i have not seen:frowning:

 

[streeter]

age: 21

from AFI list not seen: (5)
GONE WITH THE WIND
GRAPES OF WRATH (seen as a young child, but not since)
WEST SIDE STORY (bought the DVD recently, still haven't watched it)
SOUND OF MUSIC (same as above)
IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE

Also, even though I've had the DVD for over a year, I have yet to watch 8 1/2. I've started watching it 4 times, but each time something came inbetween. But now that I'm doing the Sight and Sound challenge, I hope that I'll watch it sometime this month.

 

[Jon_Are]

Michael, pretty impressive for a young'un!

I actually watched the first Austin Powers movie last night for the first time.

Jon

 

[BertFalasco]

I haven't seen Young Frankenstein and I have owned the SE for months and months.

 

[Ken_McAlinden]

The one film that I have never seen that surpises even me is "Patton". I will be remedying this oversight in the next day or two, though.

Done! Boy was that good. I don't know why I put it off for so long. George C. Scott was phenomenal. That was one of the single most impressive performances I have seen in a film. I'd love to see it on the big screen in all of its Dimension 150 glory.

Regards,

 

[Eman_Ramos]

Just saw Singin' in the Rain.

Now that's a good movie. It may well surpass West Side Story as the best musical I've ever seen. Then again, I'm not a Musical buff. But the musical numbers are just amazing.

And the French Connection? I wasn't that impressed. I may need to see it again.

 

[Anthony Neilson]

SHOULD see. There's nothing more of a turn-off than people being told they SHOULD see something. Nobody should be beating themselves up about what they haven't seen. If anything, I feel envious of people who are going to see movies like NORTH BY NORTHWEST or LAWRENCE OF ARABIA or GOLDFINGER for the first time.
The reason why someone like Hitchcock's movies are worth your time is because Hitchcock was a great STORYTELLER.
Most of his films - and many of the films listed in this thread - are in no way a chore to watch, because these guys knew how to entertain intelligently. Over the years, some kind of split seems to have emerged whereby you either see INTELLIGENT movies or ENTERTAINING movies. Any film that is loaded too much in either direction is going to fail to engage with some part of its audience. JAWS, for example, may not have much of a subtext - but it is inventive and respectful of the audience. It is INTELLIGENT ENTERTAINMENT.

People should be careful of where they're being steered by the so-called intellectuals. Staying with Hitchcock as an example, I would not advise someone to start with VERTIGO.
VERTIGO is admired because it is the most nakedly autobiographical film that Hitchcock made. This means a lot to film scholars but not much to anyone else. In fact, VERTIGO is a rather tortuous and clumsy narrative and it would possibly bore someone new to Hitch's work. Far beter to start with PSYCHO or NORTH BY NORTHWEST. If you enjoy these, then start exploring.

There are also some films - not that many - that really, truly HAVE to be seen on the big screen. 2001 is the best case I can think of. Its impact is severely diminished on the small screen. A high-end Home Theatre set-up could get you a hint of its impact, but anything less would be a poor introduction to Kubrick's films. Start with THE SHINING or DR STRANGELOVE. If his style gets under your skin, you'll want to see more. I just hope you're given the chance to see it in the best presentation possible ; there is no substitute for the luminous image created by light pushing through celluloid.

It's very dangerous for any art form to assume the mantle of education. The academics and the critics - the Salieris of our age - have all but ruined theatre for the people.
Shakespeare was a great writer and he established a dramatic template for all the work that followed. But he wrote in a time when nobody had a clue what, say, Venice looked like. Judged by contemporary standards,Shakespeare's plays are long-winded, repetitive and overwritten. Actors, directors, historians, SPECIALISTS love them but the general public -and who else should theatre, the most democratic of mediums, be for? - are,by and large, turned off by the weight placed upon it.

I can admire Fellini and Godard and Bresson, without truly enjoying much of it. They were important historically, but that doesn't make them entertaining NOW. In the end of the day we are all human, and much closer in our emotions than our thoughts. If we continue to separate the two, we'll get obscurity in the Indie sector and banality in the Mainstream.

All these good people are on this forum because they've seen at least a couple of movies that have changed their lives for the better,if only for an hour or two.
Let's not make them ashamed of what they haven't seen. Let's get them excited about what they're GOING to see.

 

[Mary Giddens]

Ugh and here I thought my list of have seen movies was pretty good, apparently not according to AFI :b

1. CITIZEN KANE (1941) (Seen parts as a kid)
7. THE GRADUATE (1967)
8. ON THE WATERFRONT (1954)
12. SUNSET BOULEVARD (1950)
13. THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI (1957)
16. ALL ABOUT EVE (1950)
17. THE AFRICAN QUEEN (1951)
19. CHINATOWN (1974)
21. THE GRAPES OF WRATH (1940)
23. THE MALTESE FALCON (1941)
24. RAGING BULL (1980)
27. BONNIE AND CLYDE (1967)
29. MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON (1939)
30. THE TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE (1948)
31. ANNIE HALL (1977)
35. IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT (1934)
36. MIDNIGHT COWBOY (1969)
37. THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES (1946)
38. DOUBLE INDEMNITY (1944)
40. NORTH BY NORTHWEST (1959)
44. THE BIRTH OF A NATION (1915)
51. THE PHILADELPHIA STORY (1940)
52. FROM HERE TO ETERNITY (1953)
54. ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT (1930)
57. THE THIRD MAN (1949)
66. NETWORK (1976)
67. THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE (1962)
68. AN AMERICAN IN PARIS (1951)
74. THE GOLD RUSH (1925)
76. CITY LIGHTS (1931)
79. THE DEER HUNTER (1978)
80. THE WILD BUNCH (1969)
81. MODERN TIMES (1936)
82. GIANT (1956)
84. FARGO (1996)
85. DUCK SOUP (1933)
88. EASY RIDER (1969)
90. THE JAZZ SINGER (1927)
92. A PLACE IN THE SUN (1951)
93. THE APARTMENT (1960)
96. THE SEARCHERS (1956)
97. BRINGING UP BABY (1938)
99. GUESS WHO'S COMING TO DINNER (1967)
100. YANKEE DOODLE DANDY (1942)

And fyi, age 25.

 

[Holadem]

Excellent post Anthony!

--
Holadem

 

[Jon_Are]

Let's not make them ashamed of what they haven't seen. Let's get them excited about what they're GOING to see.

This statement captures my intent; I couldn't agree more.

Jon

 

[Lee-M]

I have not seen:

Casablanca
North by Northwest
The 39 Steps
The Grapes of Wrath
To Kill a Mockingbird
The French Connection
Bullitt
Out of Africa
The Magnificent Ambersons
On the Waterfront
All Quiet On the Western Front
The African Queen
Singin in the Rain

... and I have never seen a Marilyn Monroe movie in its entirety, just bits and pieces.

Not bragging; just haven't gotten around to them. I have to admit that I prefer a more modern, naturalistic approach to movie acting; less theatrical, more real.

 

[Anthony Neilson]

Yes, Jon, I'm sorry. I realised after writing my post that it might seem like a criticism of the actual thread. I truly didn't aim those comments about intellectuals at anyone who's posted here, and certainly not you. Just got a bit carried away.
I think it's a really good subject that could develop into something more than a series of lists.

 

[Jon_Are]

No problem, Anthony. I did see the thread veering in that direction, so I do understand.

I've been on a personal challenge to view, in order, the AFI top 100 (not because I perceive that list to be definitive, but just to give myself an education and to have fun).

So far I've watched the first 36 (Citizen Kane through Midnight Cowboy) and have enjoyed the ride tremendously, encountering many, many previously-unseen treasures (Lawrencce of Arabia, Sunset Boulevard, The Bridge on the River Kwai, All About Eve, The African Queen, Psycho, Chinatown, The Grapes of Wrath, The Maltese Falcon, Dr. Strangelove, High Noon, To Kill a Mockingbird, It Happened One Night, Midnight Cowboy).

Next up: The Best Years of Our Lives.

The fact that many of us have so many un-watched gems to look forward to is an uplifting thought.

Jon