A list of 100 movies, which are a must see, which are overrated?

[dnooman]

I'm trying to find some hidden gems worth watching. Maybe they're not exactly hidden, but there are a lot in this list I haven't even heard of. Bonus points if you figure out why they're ordered this way. I've asterisked the ones I've seen and remember enough to have an opinion about, just for fun.

Harakiri (1962)
High and Low (1963)
Tokyo Story (1953)
Sherlock Jr. (1924)
Come and See (1985)
Moonrise Kingdom (2012)
The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928)
Le Samouraï (1967)
Throne of Blood (1957)
Sunrise (1927)
Nights of Cabiria (1957)
Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949)
Like Stars on Earth (2007)
The Wages of Fear (1953)
The Battle of Algiers (1966)
Judgment at Nuremberg (1961)
Fanny and Alexander (1982)
Diabolique (1955)
Ikiru (1952)
The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
Anatomy of a Murder (1959)
The Kid (1921)
La Strada (1954)
Persona (1966)
Witness for the Prosecution (1957)
Stalag 17 (1953)*
The General (1926)
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)
All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)
The Gold Rush (1925)
Wild Strawberries (1957)
Stalker (1979)
The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
It Happened One Night (1934)
The Hustler (1961)
The Killing (1956)
The 400 Blows (1959)
The Night of the Hunter (1955)
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984)
The Celebration (1998)
Castle in the Sky (1986)
The Big Sleep (1946)
Yojimbo (1961)
Nosferatu (1922)*
The Wild Bunch (1969)*
Notorious (1946)
Bicycle Thieves (1948)
8½ (1963)
Touch of Evil (1958)*
Mary and Max (2009)
La Haine (1995)
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)*
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
The Manchurian Candidate (1962)*
Ran (1985)
High Noon (1952)
City Lights (1931)
All About Eve (1950)
Dial M for Murder (1954)
Roman Holiday (1953)
A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)
Rebecca (1940)
Rope (1948)
Strangers on a Train (1951)
Infernal Affairs (2002)
Ip Man (2008)
The Secret in Their Eyes (2009)
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007)
Double Indemnity (1944)
Network (1976)
The Apartment (1960)
Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
Barry Lyndon (1975)
Rashomon (1950)
M (1931)
A Separation (2011)
On the Waterfront (1954)
The Great Dictator (1940)
The Seventh Seal (1957)
Modern Times (1936)
Manhattan (1979)
My Neighbor Totoro (1988)
Metropolis (1927)
The Intouchables (2011)
Paths of Glory (1957)
Cool Hand Luke (1967)*
The Third Man (1949)
The Maltese Falcon (1941)
Cinema Paradiso (1988)
For a Few Dollars More (1965)*
Sunset Blvd. (1950)
The Artist (2011)
Singin' in the Rain (1952)
Rosemary's Baby (1968)*
Gandhi (1982)
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)*
The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)*
Ben-Hur (1959)*
Howl's Moving Castle (2004)

[RealityChuck]

I think it'd be worthwhile to see all of them. Some really great films, and nothing that's really a stinker.

[Jeff Lichtman]

I'll start by admitting that I haven't seen everything on your list.

Most of these are at least very good movies. Whether a movie is a must-see depends on your taste and your goals (e.g. would you consider a movie a must-see if it represents an important milestone in film history, regardless of whether you think you'll like it?). Here are some from your list that I believe are really great:

Anatomy of a Murder
Witness for the Prosecution
The Gold Rush
The Hustler
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
The Manchurian Candidate
All About Eve
Network
The Apartment
A Separation
Paths of Glory
Cool Hand Luke
The Third Man
The Maltese Falcon
Singin' in the Rain


Not every movie in this list is perfect. For example, I think Mary Astor was mis-cast in The Maltese Falcon. I don't like the music in The Treasure of the Sierra Madre. In my opinion, these flaws aren't significant enough to keep them from being great movies.

BTW, The Third Man is one of my all-time favorites. It has a great story, great acting, great dialogue, interesting characters, a unique and interesting musical track, and it doesn't have a single significant flaw (in my opinion).

The only movies in your list that I might call "overrated" are The Artist and Metropolis. I liked The Artist - I thought it was very entertaining and well-made, but I don't think it deserved all the praise that it got. The story was basically a retelling of A Star Is Born with touches of Singin' in the Rain.

Metropolis was groundbreaking for its time, but I don't think it holds up well. I saw it recently and thought it was very heavy-handed in the way it delivered its message. I also thought some of the acting was over the top.

[Bozuit]

I think if you're going to watch For a Few Dollars More you should watch A Fistful of Dollars and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly too. Not that the stories are really related, but they're all great. Or maybe you've already seen those two anyway.

[silenus]

The Battle of Algiers (1966)
Stalag 17 (1953)*
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)
The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
The Wild Bunch (1969)*
Notorious (1946)
8½ (1963)
Touch of Evil (1958)*
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
Ran (1985)
High Noon (1952)
Rebecca (1940)
Barry Lyndon (1975)
Rashomon (1950)
On the Waterfront (1954)
The Intouchables (2011)
Paths of Glory (1957)
Cool Hand Luke (1967)*
The Third Man (1949)
The Maltese Falcon (1941)
Rosemary's Baby (1968)*
Gandhi (1982)
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)*
The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)*
Ben-Hur (1959)*

Bolded are excellent, must-sees. Strike-thrus are over-rated glurge.

[dnooman]

I think if you're going to watch For a Few Dollars More you should watch A Fistful of Dollars and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly too. Not that the stories are really related, but they're all great. Or maybe you've already seen those two anyway.

Several times. :D

[dnooman]

The Battle of Algiers (1966)
Stalag 17 (1953)*
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)
The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
The Wild Bunch (1969)*
Notorious (1946)
8½ (1963)
Touch of Evil (1958)*
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
Ran (1985)
High Noon (1952)
Rebecca (1940)
Barry Lyndon (1975)
Rashomon (1950)
On the Waterfront (1954)
The Intouchables (2011)
Paths of Glory (1957)
Cool Hand Luke (1967)*
The Third Man (1949)
The Maltese Falcon (1941)
Rosemary's Baby (1968)*
Gandhi (1982)
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)*
The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)*
Ben-Hur (1959)*

Bolded are excellent, must-sees. Strike-thrus are over-rated glurge.


Excellent. Thank you! I'm gonna start filling my queue with a few of those right now.

[Bob Ducca]

I haven't seen a majority but from the list I cherry picked my favorites (and a couple that are some of my favoritest favorites) that I'd put on anyone's "Must See" list:

Nights of Cabiria (1957)
Double Indemnity (1944)
Network (1976)
The Apartment (1960)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Paths of Glory (1957)
Singin' in the Rain (1952)
Cinema Paradiso (1988)!!!!!!!!!!



The only one there that I think might be overrated is The Artist, but it's still good and very entertaining - just not a Great Film, at least when compared to the rest of the list.

[TriPolar]

The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
On the Waterfront (1954)
Rosemary's Baby (1968)*

Bolded are excellent, must-sees. Strike-thrus are over-rated glurge.

Those are neither over-rated nor glurge.

[robardin]

What or whose list is this, may I ask?

I see several number of Miyazaki's anime movies (My Neighbor Totoro, Castle In The Sky, Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, Howl's Moving Castle) - IMHO they're all good and some are terrific, and to which I'd add Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke. I'd rank those two higher than Howl's Moving Castle, FWIW, though I would definitely recommend it all the same.

In addition to the classic It Happened One Night would be a less remembered comedy classic of the era, Midnight (also starring Claudette Colbert, with Don Ameche). I caught it by accident while channel surfing in a hotel room a few years ago; I was lucky enough to start watching it within 10 minutes of the start of the movie and my wife and I laughed so much we were afraid we'd get that pounding on the wall bit from the next room.

I was a bit surprised to see For A Few Dollars More on this list but not the other "Man With No Name" Spaghetti Westerns by Sergio Leone (A Fistful Of Dollars and The Good, The Bad and The Ugly) or his other great Western, Once Upon A Time In The West. But I kind of agree that I like it the best. I even have "The Musical Pocket Watch (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tiTzQoEWDw)" theme (spoiler-free link) from the soundtrack on my cellphone so I can cue it up when needed for a throwdown challenge to a one-on-one duel: "When the chimes end, pick up your gun." (Yeah, it's come up.)

Alongside of Singing In The Rain would be (to me) An American In Paris and Gigi.

[Southern Yankee]

The Battle of Algiers (1966)
Stalag 17 (1953)*
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)
The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
The Wild Bunch (1969)*
Notorious (1946)
8½ (1963)
Touch of Evil (1958)*
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
Ran (1985)
High Noon (1952)
Rebecca (1940)
Barry Lyndon (1975)
Rashomon (1950)
On the Waterfront (1954)
The Intouchables (2011)
Paths of Glory (1957)
Cool Hand Luke (1967)*
The Third Man (1949)
The Maltese Falcon (1941)
Rosemary's Baby (1968)*
Gandhi (1982)
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)*
The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)*
Ben-Hur (1959)*

Bolded are excellent, must-sees. Strike-thrus are over-rated glurge.

Totally agree, with the exception of Touch of Evil, which IMOO, sucked donkey balls.

[Zsofia]

Of the ones I've seen, these I'd consider absolute must-see with my favorites bolded:



Sherlock Jr. (1924)
The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928)
Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949)
The Wages of Fear (1953)
Judgment at Nuremberg (1961)
The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
Stalag 17 (1953)*
The General (1926)
All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)
It Happened One Night (1934)
The Hustler (1961)
The Big Sleep (1946)
Nosferatu (1922)*
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)*
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
The Manchurian Candidate (1962)*
Ran (1985)
High Noon (1952)
A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)
Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
M (1931)
On the Waterfront (1954)
My Neighbor Totoro (1988)
Metropolis (1927)
Paths of Glory (1957)
The Third Man (1949)
The Maltese Falcon (1941)
For a Few Dollars More (1965)*
Sunset Blvd. (1950)
The Artist (2011)
Singin' in the Rain (1952)
Ben-Hur (1959)*

[robardin]

Those are neither over-rated nor glurge.

I think we have another Peter Griffin movie critic here.

"Wha - You didn't like The Godfather?!"
"It insists upon itself."

(Which I sort of agree with :D)

[Bryan Ekers]

If you get a chance, read Ayn Rand's commentary (http://books.google.ca/books?id=2Gkx0STfl5kC&pg=PT361&lpg=PT361&dq=ayn+rand+%22best+years+of+our+lives%22&source=bl&ots=Ab8ZA7v91r&sig=Gs5gJvtw6-xbjn8VO8bo36pIKTE&hl=en&sa=X&ei=VWb_T6jYBqSa0QGAntnGBA&ved=0CE8Q6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=ayn%20rand%20%22best%20years%20of%20our%20lives%22&f=false) on The Best Years of Our Lives (1946).

She wasn't a fan.

[suranyi]

Here are the ones from your list that I've seen and thought were very good or great:

Judgment at Nuremberg (1961)
Witness for the Prosecution (1957)
The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
Bicycle Thieves (1948) [I think this is also known sometimes as "The Bicycle Thief"]
City Lights (1931)
Rebecca (1940)
Network (1976)
The Apartment (1960)
The Great Dictator (1940)
Modern Times (1936)
Manhattan (1979)
Singin' in the Rain (1952)

[Rubixcube]

Every one of those will be considered overrated by somebody, and everyone of those will be hailed as the finest produced by someone else. It's just the reality of how these things work. However every one of those films is notable for one reason or another, some are important or influential. Some are pioneering, others are just really well made. Asking an entire board to pick and choose is pointless, as you'll just get too many contradicting answers to make much of a decision.

[silenus]

Knife fight!

[MovieMogul]

Those are neither over-rated nor glurge.And while not necessarily my favorites, leagues better than Butch Cassidy or Cool Hand Luke which the same poster elevated over a list with 75% of the films better than them.

(IMHO)

The Top 10 from that list, to these eyes (in chrono order):

The General
Sunrise
Modern Times
The Big Sleep
Singin' in the Rain
Tokyo Story
Night of the Hunter
Persona
The Battle of Algiers
The Wild Bunch

[MovieMogul]

Every one of those will be considered overrated by somebody, and everyone of those will be hailed as the finest produced by someone else. It's just the reality of how these things work. However every one of those films is notable for one reason or another, some are important or influential. Some are pioneering, others are just really well made. Asking an entire board to pick and choose is pointless, as you'll just get too many contradicting answers to make much of a decision.
Or to put it another way....check 'em all out (eventually) and judge for yourself.

[Robot Arm]

Metropolis was groundbreaking for its time, but I don't think it holds up well. I saw it recently and thought it was very heavy-handed in the way it delivered its message. I also thought some of the acting was over the top.I understand those criticisms, and even agree with you somewhat, and I still think Metropolis is brilliant. The best description I can think of is that everything in it is over-the-top; the sets, story, acting, special effects, dialog, etc. Parts of it seem stilted and silly to a modern audience, but you couldn't really change them, either. You couldn't have subtle, naturalistic acting in that world. If you can appreciate how groundbreaking this was and the brutal beauty of the images, it's a must-see.

[sparky!]

The Battle of Algiers (1966)
Stalag 17 (1953)*
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)
The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
The Wild Bunch (1969)*
Notorious (1946)
8½ (1963)
Touch of Evil (1958)*
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
Ran (1985)
High Noon (1952)
Rebecca (1940)
Barry Lyndon (1975)
Rashomon (1950)
On the Waterfront (1954)
The Intouchables (2011)
Paths of Glory (1957)
Cool Hand Luke (1967)*
The Third Man (1949)
The Maltese Falcon (1941)
Rosemary's Baby (1968)*
Gandhi (1982)
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)*
The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)*
Ben-Hur (1959)*

Bolded are excellent, must-sees. Strike-thrus are over-rated glurge.

Oh man!

I usually read your posts and really agree, but High Noon? Barry Lyndon? :confused:

Ok, I'll give you Barry Lyndon (a bit bloated, too much for even the most beautiful cinematography to counter), but High Noon just built and built... until... it was resolved!

Ok, I really liked it for the characters and acting.

[Biffy the Elephant Shrew]

Knife fight!

Not until me and Harvey get the rules straightened out.

[dnooman]

What or whose list is this, may I ask?
I thought it might be fun for someone to guess, so I'll answer in a spoiler tag. It's nothing super interesting by any means.

They're all taken from the IMDB top 250 (http://www.imdb.com/chart/top) and sorted from least votes to most. I figured that a movie that cracks the top 250 with FAR fewer votes than the really well known ones, has a devoted following of sorts. The logic may not be mathematically sound, but it was just the first unique way I thought of to sort a long list of movies I'd like to check out sometime.

As for the subjectivity issue, this is a vetted list, that I'm further vetting on a board with a lot of people whose opinions I respect. It at least helps narrow down the field a bit. I'm informally tracking the results for each movie mentioned more than once so that I have a metric as well.

[stegon66]

BTW, The Third Man is one of my all-time favorites. It has a great story, great acting, great dialogue, interesting characters, a unique and interesting musical track, and it doesn't have a single significant flaw (in my opinion).

Ditto that.

I've seen about 90% of the films on that list.

All are good films though different tastes will say otherwise - there are a few I'm not particularly keen on. The top five that struck me as being accessible and entertaining to a newbie:

The Third Man (naturally), classic thriller that really hasn't dated, fast-paced, funny, perfectly cast, killer ending.

High and Low: very good police procedural, directed by a master (Akira Kurosawa) and based on a novel by Ed McBain. Patience is required.

La Strada: heart-breaking drama from Federico Fellini.

Paths of Glory: anti-war film by Stanley Kubrick, another perfectly-cast film, moves very quickly, fantastic script, devastating and unforgettable.

High Noon: stellar, cynical, classic western.

[grude]

Grave Of The Fireflies

Possibly the saddest movie in the world, no spoilers but it follows some young war orphans and pulls no punches.

Nihilistic.

[hogarth]

I thought it might be fun for someone to guess, so I'll answer in a spoiler tag. It's nothing super interesting by any means.

They're all taken from the IMDB top 250 (http://www.imdb.com/chart/top) and sorted from least votes to most. I figured that a movie that cracks the top 250 with FAR fewer votes than the really well known ones, has a devoted following of sorts. The logic may not be mathematically sound, but it was just the first unique way I thought of to sort a long list of movies I'd like to check out sometime.
I was able to identify it instantly, since I made a similar list at one point for a similar reason! (My list was restricted more by date, though -- something like 1940-1985.)

My favourites:

The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
Anatomy of a Murder (1959)
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984)
The Wild Bunch (1969)
Touch of Evil (1958)
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948) <-- probably my favourite from the whole list
The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
All About Eve (1950)
Roman Holiday (1953)
Manhattan (1979)
My Neighbor Totoro (1988)
Cool Hand Luke (1967)
Sunset Blvd. (1950)
Singin' in the Rain (1952)
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
Ben-Hur (1959)


Ones that I found underwhelming:

Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949)
The Night of the Hunter (1955)
The Celebration (1998)
Yojimbo (1961)
Bicycle Thieves (1948)
8½ (1963)
The Seventh Seal (1957)

[The Other Jeffrey Lebowski]

Interesting way to come up with that list, dnooman. I might suggest swapping the Altman selection to either Nashville or The Player, swapping Kubrick's selection with The Killing, including at least one Coen brothers film, and cherry pick a few more films from the '70's.

[Boyo Jim]

From your list, these are the ones I especially like. I didn't bother deciding if any are "bad".

But -- you're missing a lot of great movies. :p
.
Judgment at Nuremberg (1961)
The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
Anatomy of a Murder (1959)
Witness for the Prosecution (1957)
The General (1926)
All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)
It Happened One Night (1934)
The 400 Blows (1959)
Yojimbo (1961)
The Wild Bunch (1969)*
Notorious (1946)
Bicycle Thieves (1948)
Touch of Evil (1958)*
The Manchurian Candidate (1962)*
Ran (1985)
High Noon (1952)
City Lights (1931)
All About Eve (1950)
Roman Holiday (1953)
Strangers on a Train (1951)
Network (1976)
The Apartment (1960)
Rashomon (1950)
M (1931)
A Separation (2011)
Metropolis (1927)
Paths of Glory (1957)
Cool Hand Luke (1967)*
The Third Man (1949)
The Maltese Falcon (1941)
Cinema Paradiso (1988)
For a Few Dollars More (1965)*
Gandhi (1982)
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)*

[Sage Rat]

I've seen the following:

Must See: Ran (1985)
Must See: Rashomon (1950)
Must See: Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
Fun: My Neighbor Totoro (1988)
Skippable: High and Low (1963)
Skippable: The Killing (1956)
Skippable: Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984)*
Skippable: Castle in the Sky (1986)
Skippable: Metropolis (1927)
Skippable: Paths of Glory (1957)
Skippable: For a Few Dollars More (1965)**
Tedious: Gandhi (1982)
Avoid: Barry Lyndon (1975)

* The comic version is a must, however.
** Once Upon a Time in the West is a Must See, however.

[The Other Jeffrey Lebowski]

I've seen the following:

Must See: Ran (1985)
Must See: Rashomon (1950)
Must See: Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
Fun: My Neighbor Totoro (1988)
Skippable: High and Low (1963)
Skippable: The Killing (1956)
Skippable: Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984)*
Skippable: Castle in the Sky (1986)
Skippable: Metropolis (1927)
Skippable: Paths of Glory (1957)
Skippable: For a Few Dollars More (1965)**
Tedious: Gandhi (1982)
Avoid: Barry Lyndon (1975)

* The comic version is a must, however.
** Once Upon a Time in the West is a Must See, however.
:smack: Can't believe that I missed The Killing earlier.
Gotta disagree with you, Sage Rat, on The Killing and on High and Low - they would both be must see's for me, along with:

The Wages of Fear
Stalag 17
The Hustler
The Night of the Hunter
The Big Sleep
Yojimbo
Touch of Evil
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
The Manchurian Candidate
All About Eve
Dial M for Murder
Rope
Strangers on a Train
Double Indemnity
Network
The Apartment
Rashomon
M
Cool Hand Luke
The Third Man
The Maltese Falcon
Cinema Paradiso
For a Few Dollars More
Sunset Blvd.
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

[dnooman]

Interesting way to come up with that list, dnooman. I might suggest swapping the Altman selection to either Nashville or The Player, swapping Kubrick's selection with The Killing, including at least one Coen brothers film, and cherry pick a few more films from the '70's.

Thanks, but I had no part in choosing anything about this list other than the way it was sorted and listed. A handful of the ones listed here would be on my fave list, but my fave list would look quite different.

[dnooman]

But -- you're missing a lot of great movies. :p


Yes, I know. This ended up being primarily a list of older movies that I hadn't seen, and wanted advice on which ones to cherry pick first.

BTW, I haven't put your picks into my spreadsheet yet, but I can already tell that you are the guy who is most likely to enjoy whatever classic a random Doper might choose. You must come to my M. Night Shyamalan film festival so that you can taste scorn for once. You've been hogging all the adoration for way too long buddy. ;)

[terentii]

So many of my favorites are already listed, but I would add these for sure:

The Music Box

Duck Soup

Manhattan Melodrama

Pygmalion

Casablanca

The Sea Hawk

49th Parallel

Gentleman's Agreement

The Postman Only Rings Twice

Mildred Pierce

The Snake Pit

Destination: Tokyo

Thirty Seconds over Tokyo

The Purple Heart

Run Silent, Run Deep

This Is the Army

Yankee Doodle Dandy

Key Largo

Love Me Or Leave Me

The African Queen

The Spirit of St. Louis

Bad Day at Black Rock

The Seven-Year Itch

Some Like It Hot

Bus Stop

Funny Face

Never Steal Anything Small

Psycho

A Shot in the Dark

Experiment in Terror

The Magnificent Seven

The Great Escape

The Train

Wait until Dark

American Graffiti

[Grumman]

Of these, I've seen the following:

Infernal Affairs (2002)
Ip Man (2008)
Cool Hand Luke (1967)*
Howl's Moving Castle (2004)

I liked Infernal Affairs (The Departed is an inferior knock-off) and Ip Man (but if you're not interested in martial arts, you might not be interested). I watched Cool Hand Luke more than a decade ago and can't remember whether I liked it. I disliked Howl's Moving Castle.

I also dislike Grave of the Fireflies on general principles and so have deliberately never seen it.

[denquixote]

[QUOTE=dnooman;15266445]I'm trying to find some hidden gems worth watching. Maybe they're not exactly hidden, but there are a lot in this list I haven't even heard of. Bonus points if you figure out why they're ordered this way. I've asterisked the ones I've seen and remember enough to have an opinion about, just for fun.


1. The Third Man (1949)
2. The Apartment (1960)
3. The Maltese Falcon (1941)
4. Singin' in the Rain (1952)
5. On the Waterfront (1954)
6. Roman Holiday (1953)
7. It Happened One Night (1934)
8. Stalag 17 (1953)*
9. The Hustler (1961)
10. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1942)
11. The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)*
12. Notorious (1946)
13. The Great Dictator (1940)
14. The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
15. Sunset Blvd. (1950)
16. All About Eve (1950)
17. Double Indemnity (1944)
18. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)
19. The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
20. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)*
21. Cool Hand Luke (1967)*
22. The Wild Bunch (1969)*
23. High Noon (1952)
24. Infernal Affairs (2002)
25. Manhattan (1979)
26 .Witness for the Prosecution (1957)
27. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)*
28. Network (1976)
29. Paths of Glory (1957)
30. Judgment at Nuremberg (1961)
31. City Lights (1931)

As you may have noticed I eliminated all silent movies save one, and all foreign films. I have seen some but just don't care for most and the ones I do like you have not chosen so I did not rate them. Of the remaining films you have selected some of my all-time favorites (but not a lot of others.) In any case the best of the best that remain are numbered according to my preference. As you can see, you just cannot go wrong with Billy Wilder. But you are missing Preston Sturges, the Coen brothers and almost all of John Ford.

I will plug three of my all-time favorites not on this list:

The Lady Eve: Barbara Stanwyck; Henry Fonda
Viva Zapata: Marlon Brando; Anthony Quinn
Three days of the Condor: Robert Redford; Faye Dunaway

[Sage Rat]

Gotta disagree with you, Sage Rat, on The Killing and on High and Low - they would both be must see's for me
I didn't say they were bad, just that you can reasonably skip them over. If you've seen 2001: A Space Odyssey, A Clockwork Orange, Dr. Strangelove, and the first section of Full Metal Jacket, you're just as well to move on to Ran, The Seven Samurai, and Rashomon rather than to keep watching Kubrick films. The Killing is fine, Paths of Glory is fine, and Spartacus is fine, but they're not the films that show off what Kubrick brought to the game.

And if you've watched Ran, The Seven Samurai, and Rashomon, you're probably just as well to move on to Blue Velvet, The Elephant Man, and The Straight Story rather than go back and dig out Kurosawa's greater anthology.

[TriPolar]

I noticed that the greatest movie of all time, Raging Bull is not on anyone's list. So go ahead and watch all the others, because the very best will still be out there to see some day.

[The Other Jeffrey Lebowski]

I didn't say they were bad, just that you can reasonably skip them over. If you've seen 2001: A Space Odyssey, A Clockwork Orange, Dr. Strangelove, and the first section of Full Metal Jacket, you're just as well to move on to Ran, The Seven Samurai, and Rashomon rather than to keep watching Kubrick films. The Killing is fine, Paths of Glory is fine, and Spartacus is fine, but they're not the films that show off what Kubrick brought to the game.

And if you've watched Ran, The Seven Samurai, and Rashomon, you're probably just as well to move on to Blue Velvet, The Elephant Man, and The Straight Story rather than go back and dig out Kurosawa's greater anthology.

Gotcha - I just really like noirs, and I think that both The Killing and High and Low are terrific examples of them, two of the absolute best of the genre.

[Nava]

High Noon (1952)

Bolded are excellent, must-sees. Strike-thrus are over-rated glurge.

Is not! That's the movie that gave me a years long crush on Cooper, damnit...

For a Western that's in the list of "all those things you're calling clichés were done here first" and which is not in your list, try Stagecoach. And I'm going to take advantage to plug one of my favorite Spanish movies, since I know it's available in Parts Abroad with subtitles: Belle Epoque (when we rented it, my non-Spanish-speaking then-boyfriend stayed on the floor after falling off the armchair laughing for the second time).

[divemaster]

I don't think anyone has given props to or even mentioned the first movie on your list:

Harakiri (1962)

This is an amazingly good film.

Also, to me, Ikiru (1952) is Kurosawa's best film. Maybe not his most entertaining, but his best.

[johnspartan]

The Battle of Algiers (1966)
Stalag 17 (1953)*
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)
The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
The Wild Bunch (1969)*
Notorious (1946)
8½ (1963)
Touch of Evil (1958)*
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
Ran (1985)
High Noon (1952)
Rebecca (1940)
Barry Lyndon (1975)
Rashomon (1950)
On the Waterfront (1954)
The Intouchables (2011)
Paths of Glory (1957)
Cool Hand Luke (1967)*
The Third Man (1949)
The Maltese Falcon (1941)
Rosemary's Baby (1968)*
Gandhi (1982)
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)*
The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)*
Ben-Hur (1959)*

Bolded are excellent, must-sees. Strike-thrus are over-rated glurge.

I heard Gandhi referred to as a great movie you really only need to watch through once. I wondered before finally having seen it how that could be the case, but afterwards I realized they were probably right. It was well done and interesting, I enjoyed watching it, I would recommend it... and I feel NO compulsion whatsoever to watch it again.

[CalMeacham]

I haven't seen them all, but here are my comments:

Harakiri (1962)
High and Low (1963)
Tokyo Story (1953)
Sherlock Jr. (1924)
Come and See (1985)
Moonrise Kingdom (2012)
The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928)
Le Samouraï (1967)
Throne of Blood (1957) -- Great, weird Japanese take on Macbeth. I alwaus like Kurasawa
Sunrise (1927)
Nights of Cabiria (1957)
Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949) -- Great Ealing comedy. A;lec Guiness plays many parts
Like Stars on Earth (2007)
The Wages of Fear (1953)
The Battle of Algiers (1966)
Judgment at Nuremberg (1961)
Fanny and Alexander (1982)
Diabolique (1955)
Ikiru (1952)
The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
Anatomy of a Murder (1959)
The Kid (1921)
La Strada (1954)
Persona (1966)
Witness for the Prosecution (1957) -- All-star cast, and a great Defense attorney in Charlres Laughton
Stalag 17 (1953)* -- Loved the film. Based on a play by two ex-POWs, one of whom is in the film.
The General (1926) -- One of the best films ever made. Buster Keaton at the peak of his form
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966) -- Edward Albee play expanded to fill a movie. Definitely worth it, but feels "stretched"
All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)
The Gold Rush (1925) -- Great Chaplin comedy. Some scenes (the boot-eating scene) are iconic
Wild Strawberries (1957)
Stalker (1979)
The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
It Happened One Night (1934)
The Hustler (1961)
The Killing (1956)
The 400 Blows (1959)
The Night of the Hunter (1955)
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984)
The Celebration (1998)
Castle in the Sky (1986)
The Big Sleep (1946)
Yojimbo (1961)
Nosferatu (1922)* -- Interesting take on the vampire, introducing its own imagery not present in the book, or anything, for that matter -- Masx Shrek's rat-toothed vampire was unique, until they started copying it. Introduced the vampire-dissolved-by-sunlight meme.
The Wild Bunch (1969)*
Notorious (1946)
Bicycle Thieves (1948)
8½ (1963)
Touch of Evil (1958)* -- Greatest opening title sequence ever. I felty it dragged in parts, but this is why they shoulda given Welles the camera more often.
Mary and Max (2009)
La Haine (1995)
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)*
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948) -- Definitely a classic. Love it.
The Manchurian Candidate (1962)* -- Overrated, IMHO. Some very clever filmmaking at times, but I'm more frequrently annoyed by it.
Ran (1985) -- Kurasawa doing Shakespeare again, this time King Lear. Depressing but epic.
High Noon (1952) -- Classic. Ecellent Zinneman film.
City Lights (1931)
All About Eve (1950)
Dial M for Murder (1954) -- Alfred Hitchcock didn't want to do a 3D film, but the studio made him. Has the best cinejmatic use of 3D I've ever seen.
Roman Holiday (1953)
A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)
Rebecca (1940)
Rope (1948) -- Engrossing Hitchcock thriller. The illusion of constant shooting and the perceived passage of time makes a neat background to a linearly unfolding story. More than just a "gimmick" flick.
Strangers on a Train (1951)
Infernal Affairs (2002)
Ip Man (2008)
The Secret in Their Eyes (2009)
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007)
Double Indemnity (1944)
Network (1976) -- When Paddy Chayefsky was on a roll, hre was great. This one comes across as his rant against modern business and the sins of TV, where he worked in the "Golden Days". Absurdist but not superficial.
The Apartment (1960)
Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
Barry Lyndon (1975) -- "A Feast for the Eyes, a Famine for the Mind" one critic said. Pretty ccurate. I love its every-scene-a-composition cinematography and Kubrick's choice of music. The scenes shot by candlelight (using an obscenelt small f/number lens) alone are worth seeing it for.
Rashomon (1950) -- Either this or Seven Samurai is Kurasawa's signature flick. Kurasawa combined and rewrote two short stories to make a unique and potent story (which has been copied, now, ad nauseum). Highly recommended.
M (1931) -- I just got to see this recently. Fritz Lang was a helluva filmmaker, and I found myself drawn into this, although it seemed to lack focus. Beautifully told, though.
A Separation (2011)
On the Waterfront (1954)
The Great Dictator (1940)
The Seventh Seal (1957) -- I lovre the imagery and the surreal story.
Modern Times (1936)
Manhattan (1979) -- Disappointing.
My Neighbor Totoro (1988) -- Just saw this. One of the first Studio Ghibbli films to rreally capture a western audience. Filled with cute touches and wonderfully weird images.
Metropolis (1927) -- I've been watching this film being restored my entire life. The firsty copies I saw were terribly washed out, and cut to ribbons. You could see that there was a story there, but it seemed vhaotic. Then the restorations starteed, one after another, and with each the images became sharper and the storyline clearer. See the most recent restoration, which features all but one svcene from the original release, with the sharpest images available and the most coherent and reaized storyline. Land and von Harbou's storyu still seems naive at times, but it's awesomely told, and a weird mix of medieval imagery and gee whiz-bang futurism.
The Intouchables (2011)
Paths of Glory (1957) -- Well-told story involving war, a trial, and resolution. How can you go wrong? Kirk Douglas in a great role and Kubrick before he acquired so many of his idiosyncrasies. This film persuaded Douglas to hire Kucrick for Spartacus.
Cool Hand Luke (1967)*
The Third Man (1949) -- Very cynical and adult espionage drama. Great lines from Welles, and some classic images.
The Maltese Falcon (1941) -- Definitely the best film version of the story, and the one most faithful to not only Hammett's words but the spirit as well. Bogart nails Sam Spade perfectly.
Cinema Paradiso (1988)
For a Few Dollars More (1965)*
Sunset Blvd. (1950)
The Artist (2011)
Singin' in the Rain (1952)
Rosemary's Baby (1968)*
Gandhi (1982)
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)*
The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)*
Ben-Hur (1959)*
Howl's Moving Castle (2004)

[puddleglum]

For me the must see movies that you have not seen are "The Maltese Falcon" and "On the Waterfront". Not just because they are great movies but because they are so ingrained in pop culture. Bogart's, Greenstreet's, and Lorre's performance are so iconic that they have been referenced over and over in pop culture. Likewise Brando's performance in "On the Waterfront" is one of the reasons he was the icon of acting for a whole generation of actors. Also the politics of it are really interesting and will help you understand a controversial time in American history.

[Slithy Tove]

Comments on a few, FWIW:

Harakiri (1962) Like Divemaster, props for including this one. I’ll also Add Samurai Rebellion (1967). Kobayashi really gets overlooked by the mainstream in favor of Kurosawa. You are allowed to watch more than one Japanese director, honest.

Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949) A perfect movie. Plus, Joan Greenwood could sit on a black of ice reading the phone book and still sound like she’s having an orgasm.

Ikiru (1952) If you like this one, you’ll like Make Way for Tomorrow (1937) Crying really does release a lot of toxins from your system. It's not unmanly: it actually spikes testosterone production!

The Grapes of Wrath (1940) Everybody remarks on right-wing John Ford directing this in an “Only Nixon could go to China” situation. I think Ford was heavily influenced by the Irish Diaspora when he made this.

The Hustler (1961), Cool Hand Luke (1967)*, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)*
I considered starting a thread “James Dean survives: does all the movies instead of Paul Newman and Steve McQueen.” Dean couldn’t have done The Hustler: he needed big wild props like cars going over cliffs or gushing oil wells or the roofs of freight trains as he curled up pathetically. Pool and card tables would have been too small an arena. As Cool Hand Luke they would have been in a dead heat. However, Dean would have done better as Butch Cassidy: while rebellious and individualistic and boyish and all that, Newman always seemed too smart to be an outlaw inhaling horseshit dust. As a Depression conman in midlife crisis he was more believable.

The Great Dictator (1940) When he hit 50, like a lot of guys do, Charlie got preachy. This is the only time it worked.

[Malthus]

In terms of heart-wrenching war movies, Grave of the Fireflies is most often mentioned, but in my opinion the harshest I've ever seen is Come and See. Surreal in parts and totally horrifying.

Very influential in its techniques on other movies - for example, anyone who has seen the opening hitting-the-beach scene in Saving Private Ryan will recognize the dept to it.

Not, however, for those easily upset. This movie is hardcore unpleasant.

[Zsofia]

I honestly don't get people who don't think High Noon is an amazing movie.

Cool Hand Luke, on the other hand, is wildly overrated - like Bridge on the River Kwai I think people only remember the good parts and forget about the rest of it.

[woodstockbirdybird]

My "must-see" movies from your list:

High and Low (1963)
Tokyo Story (1953)
Le Samouraï (1967)
Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949)
The Wages of Fear (1953)
The Battle of Algiers (1966)
Ikiru (1952)
The Big Sleep (1946)
The Wild Bunch (1969)*
Bicycle Thieves (1948)
Touch of Evil (1958)*
Mary and Max (2009)
The Manchurian Candidate (1962)*
Ran (1985)
Double Indemnity (1944)
Network (1976)
Rashomon (1950)
M (1931)
The Seventh Seal (1957)
My Neighbor Totoro (1988)
Cool Hand Luke (1967)*
The Third Man (1949)
The Maltese Falcon (1941)

Lots of the others are excellent movies, but these ones are all top tier, IMO. And I'll second Make Way For Tomorrow. You will absolutely cry.

[bup]

Adding my votes, for the ones I've seen. Bold is excellent, strike-through made me think the emperor didn't have clothes. Regular font means I liked it, but maybe it's not a must-see.

Moonrise Kingdom (2012)
Anatomy of a Murder (1959)
The Kid (1921)
Stalag 17 (1953)
The General (1926)
All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)
The Gold Rush (1925)
The Hustler (1961)
The Night of the Hunter (1955)
Nosferatu (1922)
Notorious (1946)
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
City Lights (1931)
Rebecca (1940)
The Great Dictator (1940)
The Seventh Seal (1957)
Modern Times (1936)
Metropolis (1927)
The Maltese Falcon (1941)
Gandhi (1982)
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)

[awldune]

Moonrise Kingdom (2012) -- Very fun, not a "great film" in the way that many of these others are. We'll see in 10 years I guess.

Throne of Blood (1957)
Ikiru (1952)
Yojimbo (1961)
Ran (1985)
Rashomon (1950)

All of these Kurosawa films are good, but Seven Samurai and Hidden Fortress are more enjoyable than any of these. After a while they run together (except Ikiru which is not a period piece) Rashomon was an innovative film in its narrative style but I didn't find it especially compelling.

Nights of Cabiria (1957) Love it
La Strada (1954) Love it
8½ (1963) Didn't like it.

The Killing (1956) I liked it quite a bit.
Barry Lyndon (1975) I liked it, but I love photography.
Paths of Glory (1957) I found it a little boring.

The Battle of Algiers (1966) Good but I can't seem to remember much about it.

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984)
Castle in the Sky (1986)
Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
Howl's Moving Castle (2004)

These are all decent, "Castle in the Sky" is probably the less recommended. Grave is very melodramatic whereas the others are more adventure stories. Nausicaa is my favorite but it is very dated in its animation and music.

Nosferatu (1922)*
The Wild Bunch (1969)*
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
Cool Hand Luke (1967)*
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)*
Notorious (1946)
The Third Man (1949)
The Maltese Falcon (1941)

All classics, recommended.

Roman Holiday (1953) -- Love it

Metropolis (1927) -- I am astounded by the effects, it is a must see if you are interested in movies.

Cinema Paradiso (1988) -- Pleasant movie, a bit sentimental for my taste.

For a Few Dollars More (1965)* -- I like this quite a lot. I love Lee Van Cleef.

[Baal Houtham]

I honestly don't get people who don't think High Noon is an amazing movie.


I probably can't help you, but I first watched it about 5 years ago and thought it held up in fine fashion (and I usually I think the "classics" are overrated.)

My memory is that it was believably rendered. People didn't talk in received Western movie dialogue. People responded to tough situations in believable fashion. An "adult" western.

I seem to remember that it lost it a little in the final shoot-out, and fell back on standard Western tropes. Again though, I've just seen it once and it was half a decade ago.

[Bass Chick]

From your list I like these:

The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
Cool Hand Luke (1967)*
Singin' in the Rain (1952)
Gandhi (1982)
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)*
The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)*
Ben-Hur (1959)*

[stegon66]

Cinema Paradiso (1988) -- Pleasant movie, a bit sentimental for my taste.

If you do watch this, do NOT watch the longer version. Definitely a case of more is not necessarily better!

[divemaster]

Cinema Paradiso (1988) -- Pleasant movie, a bit sentimental for my taste.



If you do watch this, MAKE SURE to see the extended version. So much richer! That is, as long as you like an extra spoonful of sentiment. (I certainly did.)

[oreally]

I'll start by admitting that I haven't seen everything on your list.
I'll start by admitting I didn't even read that list. I am also not getting some people's definition of "overrated."

However on many lists of greats which I found overrated, "Taxi Driver" first came to mind. What a pathetic flick.

[dnooman]

Thanks everyone for your replies, I found them very informative.

Here is a breakdown of the movies from the original list that were voted for, in order from most votes to least:

The Maltese Falcon (1941)
The Third Man (1949)
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
Cool Hand Luke (1967)*
Singin' in the Rain (1952)
Paths of Glory (1957)
Network (1976)
The Manchurian Candidate (1962)*
The Wild Bunch (1969)*
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)*
The Apartment (1960)
High Noon (1952)
Witness for the Prosecution (1957)
Stalag 17 (1953)*
The General (1926)
Touch of Evil (1958)*
M (1931)
Rashomon (1950)
Ran (1985)
Ben-Hur (1959)*
The Hustler (1961)
Judgment at Nuremberg (1961)
The Big Sleep (1946)
Anatomy of a Murder (1959)
The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)*
The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
Sunset Blvd. (1950)
City Lights (1931)
Metropolis (1927)
Notorious (1946)
Double Indemnity (1944)
Rebecca (1940)
The Battle of Algiers (1966)
My Neighbor Totoro (1988)
Cinema Paradiso (1988)
Roman Holiday (1953)
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)
Manhattan (1979)
Nosferatu (1922)*
The Wages of Fear (1953)
Gandhi (1982)
On the Waterfront (1954)
The Night of the Hunter (1955)
All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)
All About Eve (1950)
The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
The Gold Rush (1925)
Bicycle Thieves (1948)
For a Few Dollars More (1965)*
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)*
It Happened One Night (1934)
Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949)

I cut the voting off at 3 votes minimum. Do you see an error here? I'm sure you do. This was collected in a spreadsheet and was very "back of the napkin". However, even if all calculations were perfect, nothing much would change in this list.

Again, thanks for the input. I now have a much more refined list of things I need to watch without wasting my time.

[Baron Greenback]

In terms of heart-wrenching war movies, Grave of the Fireflies is most often mentioned, but in my opinion the harshest I've ever seen is Come and See. Surreal in parts and totally horrifying.

Very influential in its techniques on other movies - for example, anyone who has seen the opening hitting-the-beach scene in Saving Private Ryan will recognize the dept to it.

Not, however, for those easily upset. This movie is hardcore unpleasant.

I'll second this. An enormously difficult film to watch in parts - lots of parts - but it's a masterpiece. Just don't expect to sleep easily after it.

[tomcar]

Ip Man was enjoyable, but not "must-see" or great.
I think Gandhi and Network are overrated.

[oreally]

Thanks everyone for your replies, I found them very informative.

Here is a breakdown of the movies from the original list that were voted for, in order from most votes to least:

The Maltese Falcon (1941)
The Third Man (1949)
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
Cool Hand Luke (1967)*
Singin' in the Rain (1952)
Paths of Glory (1957)
Network (1976)
The Manchurian Candidate (1962)*
The Wild Bunch (1969)*
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)*
The Apartment (1960)
High Noon (1952)
Witness for the Prosecution (1957)
Stalag 17 (1953)*
The General (1926)
Touch of Evil (1958)*
M (1931)
Rashomon (1950)
Ran (1985)
Ben-Hur (1959)*
The Hustler (1961)
Judgment at Nuremberg (1961)
The Big Sleep (1946)
Anatomy of a Murder (1959)
The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)*
The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
Sunset Blvd. (1950)
City Lights (1931)
Metropolis (1927)
Notorious (1946)
Double Indemnity (1944)
Rebecca (1940)
The Battle of Algiers (1966)
My Neighbor Totoro (1988)
Cinema Paradiso (1988)
Roman Holiday (1953)
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)
Manhattan (1979)
Nosferatu (1922)*
The Wages of Fear (1953)
Gandhi (1982)
On the Waterfront (1954)
The Night of the Hunter (1955)
All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)
All About Eve (1950)
The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
The Gold Rush (1925)
Bicycle Thieves (1948)
For a Few Dollars More (1965)*
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)*
It Happened One Night (1934)
Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949)

I cut the voting off at 3 votes minimum. Do you see an error here? I'm sure you do. This was collected in a spreadsheet and was very "back of the napkin". However, even if all calculations were perfect, nothing much would change in this list.

Again, thanks for the input. I now have a much more refined list of things I need to watch without wasting my time.
Wow a lot of really good movies on this list. Notice something though, all of these movies are dated, and almost all VERY old. I think a lot of it is people putting "modern" movie standards/expectations to older movies, which IMO is not terribly bright. Oh well.

[Equipoise]

Again, thanks for the input. I now have a much more refined list of things I need to watch without wasting my time.There are about 30 on your list I haven't seen, but I don't think you'd be wasting your time with any of them. At best you'll be seeing a good-to-great movie, maybe discover a new favorite, or get into a genre you might not have explored before.

At worst you'll be seeing a movie that others rate very highly and is either considered a classic or might become a future classic, and be able to decide for yourself where it fits in your internal movie rankings, based on what you've seen with your own eyes, rather than what some random person on the internet thinks.

At medium you'll be seeing a work by a particular director, writer and actors and will be able to judge how and where it fits into their filmography.

When movies as great as these:

The Battle of Algiers (1966)
My Neighbor Totoro (1988)
Cinema Paradiso (1988)
Roman Holiday (1953)
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)
Manhattan (1979)
Nosferatu (1922)
The Wages of Fear (1953)
Gandhi (1982)
On the Waterfront (1954)
The Night of the Hunter (1955)
All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)
All About Eve (1950)
The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
The Gold Rush (1925)
Bicycle Thieves (1948)
For a Few Dollars More (1965)
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
It Happened One Night (1934)
Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949)

are in the BOTTOM 20, you really can't go too wrong. Of those, I haven't seen The Battle of Algiers, Manhattan, Cinema Paradiso, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, Kind Hearts and Coronets or All Quiet on the Western Front (I will be seeing that this week in the theater) but the rest are all pretty great.

Without meaning to rank them against any others, because I enjoyed them all, I'd like to highlight from this Bottom 20 My Neighbor Totoro, which I just saw -subtitled- for the first time a couple of weeks ago and found an absolute delight, and The Wages of Fear, an edge-of-the-seat nail biter about truck drivers transporting nitroglycerin through mountainous South American terrain.

From the rest of the list, there are so many great movies it would hurt my brain and soul too much to try and pick favorites, but I must mention that I had a big grin on my face when I saw High and Low (1963) (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0057565/) named. It might be considered a "minor" Kurosawa but I like police procedurals and it's a great one. My favorite Kurosawa, Dersu Uzala (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071411/), a gentle, non-violent film about friendship, wasn't on your list. I also have a special fondness for Yojimbo (and its sequel Sanjuro). I've never seen a Kurosawa film I didn't like, though I haven't seen all of his movies.

Once again I must defend Gandhi, which IMO is not overrated one iota, and far from being the stuffy ET-killer it's remembered as, is extremely entertaining. I was as impressed by Gandhi's sly sense of humor as I was by his humanity and determination.

[dnooman]

Wow a lot of really good movies on this list. Notice something though, all of these movies are dated, and almost all VERY old. I think a lot of it is people putting "modern" movie standards/expectations to older movies, which IMO is not terribly bright. Oh well.

There's a very good reason for the age of the movies in this list. I took the movies with the fewest votes from the IMDB top 250 list. This kept classics such as Shawshank, The Godfather, etc off the list. That way of sorting them also gave me a large list with a much higher percentage of movies I'd never seen before. I don't need any input on ones I've already formed an opinion about for the most part.

[Boyo Jim]

...Cinema Paradiso (1988) -- Pleasant movie, a bit sentimental for my taste...

If you do watch this, MAKE SURE to see the extended version. So much richer! That is, as long as you like an extra spoonful of sentiment. (I certainly did.)

If you do watch this, do NOT watch the longer version. Definitely a case of more is not necessarily better!

This is one of my favorite films, but I had no idea there were two versions. I read the description on Wiki, and I'm sure the one I say was the shorter, more popular version, which BTW is available on Netflix Streaming.

I just wanted to throw in my two cents on the long version, which oddly enough I haven't seen. I won't link to the Wiki description, because it's basically a spoiler, but the long version contains an additional plot thread that completely changes the relationship between the main two characters. It makes the film much darker, and to me that would be a very bad thing.

[lisiate]

The Battle of Algiers is a truly great movie, which I'd recommend to anyone. It could also be a training film for both terrorists and counter-insurgents. In fact the trajectory in Iraq after the 2003 invasion almost makes me suspect that one side at least had watched it closely.

[Krokodil]

Diabolique, though nicely shot, is neither better nor worse than a better-than-average M. Night Shyamalan movie. Rashomon, also beautifully shot, is about 80% as good as it's reputed to be. Both of these broke some ground, but not enough to make up for their shortcomings.

A couple of movies I wish were on your list: Monika at the Beach, My Life as a Dog and Boogie Nights.

[oreally]

I think a few of you might want to re-read the title/OP.

[Jackmannii]

It turns out that Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind is about a massive attack of gastroenteritis that breaks out at a conclave of movie critics.

[Beware of Doug]

I think a few of you might want to re-read the title/OP.Yeah! As I read it, the OP wants a list of 100 movies, each of which must be a must-see, yet still overrated. WTF?

Now back to listomania, already in progress.

[Boyo Jim]

Yeah! As I read it, the OP wants a list of 100 movies, all of which which must be both must-see and overrated.

WTF?

Now back to listomania, already in progress.

No, he wants the list divided up into two lists: a must see list, and an overrated list.

[Lazlo Hapsburg]

I think you would be better off going to IMDB where you can find many lists of movies that people have put together and they all have descriptions and ratings and lot of other info and links.

Here are a few to get you started:

SOME GOOD RECOMMENDED MOVIE LISTS
Battle of Los Angeles-imdb.com/title/tt1217613 -> leads to 5 other lists:
. Best Movies of 2011-2012-www.imdb.com/list/r0jUkri88Js
. Dubbs Movie List-www.imdb.com/list/JwiSrlXj504
. Movies I Think Are Worth A Watch-www.imdb.com/list/e0yQ4Bl30Kg
. Top 90 movies of 2011-www.imdb.com/list/20xZlMOTMEI

. Movies I Want To See(324 titles)-imdb.com/list/j0RdZ3CiXBI
. The Cinema Quest-www.imdb.com/list/Ec_F8w7KDY0
. My Movie Ratings(1371 titles)-www.imdb.com/list/G05xERaXQOs
. Every Movie I've Ever Seen-www.imdb.com/list/JELOSBFwvR4


By the way, when it comes to Bogart films, I have watched most all of them many times and I would recommend the following as his very best:

Treasure of the Sierra Madre 1948
The Maltese Falcon 1941

Also the following is pretty close:

The African Queen 1951

There are a few others that are also excellent but they depend on what kind of films you like.

Some are more crime adventure movies where others are mostly love stories.

[Elendil's Heir]

[As to Cinema Paradiso]...the long version contains an additional plot thread that completely changes the relationship between the main two characters. It makes the film much darker, and to me that would be a very bad thing.

I've seen both versions, and far, far prefer the shorter one. It packs much more of a dramatic punch, and doesn't feel padded (and even self-indulgent) as the longer version does.

Of the movies on the OP's list, I've seen about half. I found these overrated:

Rebecca
The Apartment
Barry Lyndon

I particularly enjoyed:

Castle in the Sky
Notorious
Yojimbo
The Third Man
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

Personal favorites of mine that weren't on the list include:

Casablanca
Breaker Morant
2001: A Space Odyssey
Glory
Excalibur
Aliens
The Fellowship of the Ring
Hot Fuzz
The Incredibles
Dark City
Trading Places
True Lies

And Kiki's Delivery Service really ought to be on any list so heavy with Japanamation.

[FluffyBob]

...
** Once Upon a Time in the West is a Must See, however.

+1

[Lazlo Hapsburg]

I would also like to add my opinion that when seeking for a list of excellent films or when seeking to rate films in most any way, it is just no good to say that you are looking for "excellent films" and leave it at that.

Films that I like may not be films that you like and without stating any qualifying conditions, it just places too much of a burden on the reader.

IMO, it is extremely important to help the reader by giving them some kind of help in identifying the kind of films you seek.

If you don't specify any kind of qualifying criteria, it is just about impossible for anyone to make a serious attempt at providing you with any kind of list of films.

[JMH125]

Come And See is an absolutely amazing war film, but it is disturbing. I've seen it probably 3 times and would watch it again.

[Musky Moon]

The Best Years of Our Lives- Worth watching for Harold Russell. It hasn't aged well, but Russell's frustration stands out.

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance- Jimmy Stewart, John Wayne, Lee Marvin and Andy Devine. What's not to like? It's a movie that turns Wild West mythology and romanticism on it's head. A must see.

All Quiet on the Western Front- To me, it was loooong, boring and overrated.

Grapes of Wrath- Ditto

Nosferatu- Watch this movie! Max Shreck is downright other-worldly. There was even a 2000 movie (The Shadow of the Vampire) that was written about Shreck's performance being so creepy that he could have been the real thing.

Castle in the Sky- My second favorite Myazaki film.

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly- While it's been debated how much Jean-Do actually contributed to the book they were writing, this movie was stunning, gut-wrenching and inspiring. I expected to be horrified by the lead's medical condition, but came out of it feeling uplifted. Not an easy task for someone as cynical as me.

Roman Holiday- Hepburn is effervescent and flawless. Worth it just to bask in her considerable screen presence.

Rosemary's Baby- Often imitated, but nothing quite matches Mia Farrow's descent into paranoia.

Bridge on the River Kwai- Plenty of controversy over the actual people and events being misrepresented in this movie. However, it doesn't take away (for me) from the performances. The smaller more personal conflicts in this movie do a better job at defining the larger world at war than many war movies have ever managed. Guiness was magnificent. As was Hayakawa as Colonel Saito.

The Apartment- My favorite performances by both Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine. Fran will break your heart.

If you haven't seen it, add In Harm's Way to your list. Great WWII movie with some great performances by Kirk Douglas and Patricia Neal.

[dnooman]

FWIW this thread is serving its purpose quite nicely. I got enough answers about some being must sees and others being duds. The ones people have been suggesting that are not on the original list are welcome as well.

While people are suggesting great movies, what are some must-see movies that are on Netflix instant? I've used http://instantwatcher.com/ with some success.

[Boyo Jim]

Quite a few of the ones on your list are available, though I don't have the patience to look them all up.

Maybe not exactly your cup of tea, but here is a thread from just a few weeks ago (http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=657732) about great documentaries streaming on Netflix.

I've rated these with 5 stars:
Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, which you can watch as one really long movie or a 3 part serial. Truly outstanding movie.
Fight Club
Bull Durham
Silence of the Lambs
Annie Hall
The Andromeda Strain (the original)
The Full Monty
Defiance
The Big Lebowski
Das Boot
The Battleship Potemkin
Gladiator
Being John Malkovich
Reservoir Dogs
District B13
Apocalypse Now Redux
Lonely Hearts
Ronin
The Game
The Last of the Mohicans
Donnie Brasco
1984
Hombre
The Patriot
True Grit (both versions)
Die Hard
Black Rain
Marathon Man
The Terminator
Good Will Hunting
From Dusk Till Dawn
Dog Day Afternoon
RoboCop
Groundhog Day
A Clockwork Orange
Eight Men Out

[dnooman]

That's a pretty good list. I think I'll start adding some of them.