Several of us were standing around the coffeemaker when one of us cut loose with a reference to Caddyshack. I was forced to admit I had never seen the movie, and he replied “That’s okay, I’ve never seen Gone With the Wind OR Casablanca.” Then another person admitted she had never seen Citizen Kane.
So how about some true confessions? What are some classic (or so you’ve been told) books-movies-TV series-music that you not only didn’t experience the first time, but in this era of VCRs and DVDs, still haven’t gotten around to checking out?
I’ve seen Citizen Kane but none of the others you mention. This game is known in some circles as “humiliation”. Winners have to show that they (like me) have not read books like The Bible.
This is a serious topic. Lack of cinema cultural literacy is a serious problem in this country, effecting one of four people sitting at our table last night.
I was with Athena, Strainger and a non-doper friend of mine, Ann. During the evening we disovered that the three dopers had seen many of the same classic movies and could recall scenes and lines easily. Ann is a well educated and intelligent person but often misses movie references I make in conversation. We determined the solution was for her to print out the top 100 list from American Film Institute and start renting, watching and checking them off the list. If we don’t fight ignorance, who will?
Hardly classics, but I’ve never seen any of the “Jaws” movies or any movie with Sylvester Stallone in it.
For movies I really should have seen – I’ve never seen all of “Treasure of the Sierra Madre”. Only up to the part where they find the gold. Well, up until the “We don’t need no stinking badges!” line actually.
When I think of all the movies I have seen it’s embarassing to list good ones I’ve missed. They should show them more often at 3 a.m. if I’m supposed to see them.
By the way, that AFI “Best Films” list is a joke, and a very bad one at that. REAL film afficiandos had a fit when it came out, and even the AFI admitted that, umm, being available at Blockbuster was indeed one of the qualifications for being on the list.
Oh, I’ve never seen any of the “Star Trek” films, either.
Do I get points for having seen, but not particularly liked, “Citizen Kane?”
I am another that has not seen this, along with any other Fellini movies.
I believe I have missed out by not seeing Hitchcock’s Vertigo yet, especially if I would like it as much as Rear Window.
I once rented Citizen Kane, got all comfy on my couch ready to watch… and fell asleep about 15 minutes into the movie. Haven’t bothered to try again yet.
Eve - I readily concede that the AFI list is a little too populist but it’s a good starting point. I admit there are some movies that I wouldn’t put on the list and the top 100 comedy list is even worse. Is it better to put someone off with the subtitles in Shichinin no Samurai or to start them off with The Magnificent Seven (hey, the Marlboro jingle, I know that!) and then suggest they may want to see the original.
The fact that the ONLY silent movies on the AFI list are “Birth of a Nation” (“yeah, umm, Griffith . . . I’ve hearda that one”) and “Gold Rush” (“We better put a Chaplin on there”) proves that it was compiled by a buncha culturally illiterate yahoos.
Eve - I bow to your superior taste oh queen of the cinema. I renounce the heretic AFI lists and put myself at your mercy to grace me with your top 100 choices… mfff!
BAHAHAHAHAH!!!
I’m sorry, I couldn’t keep a straight face. Cut me a little slack please. I’m not trying to turn my friend (or myself) into a highbrow cinema buff. I’d just like to keep her from giving me that look when I quote a line from The Godfather. Yeah, Speilberg is vastly overrepresented in the list but I don’t let it get to me. Seriously I’d like to know what your top 100 list is.
pluto - The original Jaws and Rocky were decent movies but do yourself a favor and avoid the seqels at all cost. I do agree with AFI that The Godfather Part II is one of the few sequels that’s worth watching.
<sitting down with a bucket o’ corn to watch Buster in The General>
I have not seen
[ul]
*Titanic -know ending
*Gone with the Wind -tried to, never get past first few minutes
*Rocky Horror Picture Show -See above
*Some Like It Hot -Not a Marilyn Monroe fan
*None of the million Scream movies -don’t do horror movies
*Saving Private Ryan -don’t want to see that much blood and guts
[/ul]
Well I could continue but the list gets long.
…is when you OWN a copy and still haven’t seen the movie.
*2001
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
Hamlet *(both the Barrymore (?) and Branagh editions) (Hey, I can’t find one of them!) Butterfield 8 (Okay, I taped this one, meaning to watch it later) Freaks (this one too) Dr. Zhivago
The Tin Drum
Lawrence of Arabia
A Place in the Sun
Das Boot
Emma
[I bought them with the idea that, 'Hey, if I *buy* a copy, one of these days I’m actually going to sit down and watch this, instead of letting the rental video accrue late charges on top of the video cabinet!]
Fine, y’all shamed me into it. After I get back from camping this weekend, I am actually going to sit down, unwrap the plastic and watch the flippin’ things.