# Five movies every guy should see **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 26, 2008, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-movies-every-guy-should-see/439225 "2008-02-26T15:53:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2008, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-movies-every-guy-should-see/439225/21 "2008-02-26T17:26:44Z")
Reservoir Dogs Animal House Speed Thunderdome Apocalypse Now ---
**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2008, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-movies-every-guy-should-see/439225/22 "2008-02-26T17:27:46Z")
Rocky (How can I be the first to mention Rocky?!) Goodfella’s (From what I’ve heard, this movie averages more than a “fuck” a minute) Reservoir Dogs (Pulp Fiction is out because of the ass-rape scene; definitely not “man’s man friendly”. Reservoir Dogs is in because of the ear cutting scene) Airplane! (Still ridiculously funny, after all these years) White Men Can’t Jump (I wanted to add a sports movie; this one is one of my favorites) [I made it a point to nominate movies I didn’t already see; you certainly can’t go wrong with Raiders of the Lost Ark or Caddyshack. And I love Fight Club] ETA: I see the last 2 posters beat me to 2 of my selections; oh well, I guess I’m not as original as I had hoped ---
**Author:** ![delphica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9a140/32.png) [@delphica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/delphica)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2008, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-movies-every-guy-should-see/439225/23 "2008-02-26T17:35:16Z")
I’m not a guy, but I’m going to give this a shot anyway. Good Fellas Rocky Gallipoli Raiders of the Lost Ark Road House It was hard picking between Good Fellas and the Godfather as the Mafia movie, and I also considered Scarface if we’re going for the more general organized crime. I think Good Fellas has aged the best, and will have the most to say to guys of all generations. Rocky is my pick for sports movie. I think it’s an all-around classic. It’s even good for an actual movie, not just a sports movie. For a war movie, I went with Gallipoli, which also takes care of the Mel Gibson movie category. I’m a little uncertain about this, though, because it’s been a long time since I’ve seen it and I’m not sure how well it holds up. Raiders don’t even need any exposition, it is just so clearly on the list. I’m a chick, I don’t understand what guys see in Road House. But I know an ASTONISHING number of guys who think Road House is the crowning achievement in American cinema. And even if they don’t admit to thinking Road House is the crowning achievement in American cinema, a lot of guys seem incapable of changing the channel when Road House is on cable, even if they previously watched the last showing of Road House on cable, 2 hours ago. ---
**Author:** ![phungi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/phungi/32/395_2.png) [@phungi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phungi)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2008, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-movies-every-guy-should-see/439225/24 "2008-02-26T17:35:25Z")
[QUOTE=Ellis Dee] You guys hear Greeny’s list? Funniest goddamn list ever:[ul][li]Gone With the Wind[/li][li]When Harry Met Sally[/li][li]Pretty Woman[/li][li]Sleepless In Seattle[/li][li]Bridgette Jones’ Diary[/ul][/li][/QUOTE] This is an OUTRAGE!!! No _Beaches_?!? The manly man’s list needs _Platoon_! ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2008, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-movies-every-guy-should-see/439225/25 "2008-02-26T17:47:05Z")
[QUOTE=delphica] I’m a chick, I don’t understand what guys see in Road House. But I know an ASTONISHING number of guys who think Road House is the crowning achievement in American cinema. [/quote] I think Road House is a chick flick; it’s that movie that chicks _think_ guys like. Then again… > [@](#): > > And even if they don’t admit to thinking Road House is the crowning achievement in American cinema, a lot of guys seem incapable of changing the channel when Road House is on cable, even if they previously watched the last showing of Road House on cable, 2 hours ago. Guilty as charged. But the same holds true for Overboard, of all things. Some movies just have tremendous replay value, regardless of their quality on first viewing. We’ve had threads on those. While I don’t think Road House was mentioned in any of them, it absolutely qualifies. ---
**Author:** ![Bobotheoptimist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/919ad9/32.png) [@Bobotheoptimist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bobotheoptimist)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2008, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-movies-every-guy-should-see/439225/26 "2008-02-26T17:51:28Z")
Full Metal Jacket Blues Brothers Big Red One The Dirty Dozen [DEL]Ice Station Zebra[/DEL] Slap Shot ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2008, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-movies-every-guy-should-see/439225/27 "2008-02-26T17:57:03Z")
[QUOTE=silenus] **Bull Durham Patton Animal House Forbidden Planet Deep Throat** Everything else is commentary. [/QUOTE] Including _this_ commentary: **Bull Durham** - \*Crash Davis: Well, I believe in the soul, the cock, the pussy, the small of a woman’s back, the hanging curve ball, high fiber, good scotch, that the novels of Susan Sontag are self-indulgent, overrated crap. I believe Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone. I believe there ought to be a constitutional amendment outlawing Astroturf and the designated hitter. I believe in the sweet spot, soft-core pornography, opening your presents Christmas morning rather than Christmas Eve and I believe in long, slow, deep, soft, wet kisses that last three days. \* **Patton** - \*Patton: [referring to Rommel’s book, ‘Infantry Attacks’ or ‘Infanterie greift an’] Rommel… you magnificent bastard, _I read your book_! \* **Animal House** - _D-Day: War’s over, man. Wormer dropped the big one. Bluto: Over? Did you say “over”? Nothing is over until we decide it is! Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell no! Otter: Germans? Boon: Forget it, he’s rolling._ **Forbidden Planet** - \*Commander John J. Adams: I’m in command of 18 competitively selected super-perfect physical specimens with an average age of 24.6 who have been locked up in hyperspace for 378 days. It would have served you right if I hadn’t… and he… oh go on, get out of here before I have you run out of the area under guard - and then I’ll put more guards on the guards! \* **Deep Throat** - _Gag._😃 ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2008, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-movies-every-guy-should-see/439225/28 "2008-02-26T18:01:16Z")
[QUOTE=Labdad] Too hard right now to come up with a list of 5, but “The Wild Bunch” certainly belongs on the list! [/QUOTE] Or _Bring Me The Head of Alfredo Garcia_. I also can’t believe that no one has mentioned _The Godfather_ and _The Godfather, Part II_, yet. “A man who doesn’t spend time with his family can never really be a man.” Finishing the list are _Raiders of the Lost Ark_ or _Die Hard_, and either _The Great Escape_ or _The Guns of Navarone_. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2008, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-movies-every-guy-should-see/439225/29 "2008-02-26T18:05:53Z")
[QUOTE=Ellis Dee] Some movies just have tremendous replay value, regardless of their quality on first viewing. We’ve had threads on those. **While I don’t think Road House was mentioned in any of them** , it absolutely qualifies. [/QUOTE] [post=6584986]I stand corrected by the very first reply.[/post] ETA: **Stranger** , you only get five. ---
**Author:** ![jali](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecae2f/32.png) [@jali](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jali)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2008, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-movies-every-guy-should-see/439225/30 "2008-02-26T18:26:30Z")
No one has chosen “ **Snatch** ”. Positively re-watchable. (I’m a chick so I really shouldn’t be here, but I’m nosy as hell). ---
**Author:** ![Bobotheoptimist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/919ad9/32.png) [@Bobotheoptimist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bobotheoptimist)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2008, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-movies-every-guy-should-see/439225/31 "2008-02-26T18:30:35Z")
[QUOTE=Bobotheoptimist] Full Metal Jacket Blues Brothers Big Red One The Dirty Dozen [DEL]Ice Station Zebra[/DEL] Slap Shot [/QUOTE] That was boring. Let me 'splain - _FMJ_, in my opinion, was more a war movie than a social commentary like some of the other ‘Nam flicks. There was some in it, but if you start drinking right at the beginning, you don’t notice it so much. _Blues Brothers_ doesn’t really need explanation, does it? “It’s 200 miles to Chicago, we got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it’s dark, and we’re wearing sunglasses” “Hit it” _Big Red One_ is just good, even if Mark Hamill is in it. Every Lee Marvin movie I’ve seen (with the possible exception of “Paint Your Wagon”) should be on this list _Dirty Dozen_ - Probably should have gone with _Great Escape_, since there’s already a Lee Marvin on my list. _Great Escape_, unfortunately, has ol’ whatsisface and his motorcycle. “I’ll star in your little film if you let me show off my mad biking skilz”. There should be an Alistair MacLean on the list, but I couldn’t pick just one so I chose: _Slap Shot_ “Old time hockey, eh coach?” ---
**Author:** ![Wargamer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/df705f/32.png) [@Wargamer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wargamer)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2008, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-movies-every-guy-should-see/439225/32 "2008-02-26T18:35:07Z")
You need to include one sports movie, one mob/gangster movie, one action flick, one comedy, and one western. So, with those categories in mind: Sports - **Rocky** - has the classic rooting for the underdog vibe to it. Mob - **The Godfather** - established the genre. Action - **Goldfinger** -has the added benefit of fulfilling the Bond/spy flick spot Comedy - **Caddyshack** - Rocco, help the Judge find his checkbook, willya? A guy HAS to be able to quote 95% of this movie. So, gunga le gunga. Western - **True Grit** - The Duke. 'nuff said. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2008, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-movies-every-guy-should-see/439225/33 "2008-02-26T18:37:30Z")
[QUOTE=Daddypants] The Godfather Raiders of the Lost Ark Terminator Die Hard The Blues Brothers [/QUOTE] This was the first list which had nothing I objected to. ---
**Author:** ![AndyPolley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/54ee81/32.png) [@AndyPolley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AndyPolley)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2008, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-movies-every-guy-should-see/439225/34 "2008-02-26T18:59:19Z")
These lists start to look similar. I’ve got… **The Blues Brothers** (comedy) \*\*The Terminator \*\* (love story) **Raiders of the Lost Ark** (action) **The Hunt for Red October** (Men saving the world!) **Unforgiven** (western) Aside from Terminator, I’m missing that Sci-fi piece. I guess Sci-fi is just a little too imaginative for the standard Guy’s guy top 5. **October** should be on every guy’s list. And **Unforgiven** gets in for the exchange “You just shot an unarmed man!” and Eastwood’s response that begins with “Shoulda armed himself…” ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2008, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-movies-every-guy-should-see/439225/35 "2008-02-26T19:10:10Z")
Road House Opinions vary ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2008, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-movies-every-guy-should-see/439225/36 "2008-02-26T19:22:51Z")
[QUOTE=Bobotheoptimist] Full Metal Jacket Blues Brothers Big Red One The Dirty Dozen [DEL]Ice Station Zebra[/DEL] Slap Shot [/QUOTE] What do you have against Ice Station Zebra? I love that movie! ---
**Author:** ![sturmhauke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47c2d/32.png) [@sturmhauke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sturmhauke)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2008, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-movies-every-guy-should-see/439225/37 "2008-02-26T19:42:46Z")
I believe in stretching one’s horizons, so here’s my list: Sanjuro Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence Grave of the Fireflies Schindler’s List Strange Days ---
**Author:** ![Bobotheoptimist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/919ad9/32.png) [@Bobotheoptimist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bobotheoptimist)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2008, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-movies-every-guy-should-see/439225/38 "2008-02-26T19:44:23Z")
[QUOTE=Zebra] What do you have against Ice Station Zebra? I love that movie! [/QUOTE] So do I. But there’s _Guns of Navarone_ and _Where Eagles Dare_ that are classics as well. Should be more cold war movies on the list. _ISZ_ would qualify ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2008, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-movies-every-guy-should-see/439225/39 "2008-02-26T19:45:03Z")
Not to start an argument, but a lot of these seem a little too highfalutin’ for the assumed target audience. OTOH, _Roadhouse_ is right out, because it’s got Patrick Swayze, and he starred in one of the classic chick flicks of all time. Also, for any such list to be valid, there has to be at least one flick with Schwarzenegger, Seagal, Van Damme or Stallone on it. So, here’s my absolute double throwdown, man’s man, squirting-testosterone-from-the-eyeballs list: _Enter the Dragon_ _Commando_ (or _Predator_, your choice\*) _Die Hard_ _The Good, the Bad and the Ugly_ _The Dirty Dozen_ If we’re gonna go a bit more cerebral (but not much): _The Road Warrior_ _Kelly’s Heroes_ _From Russia With Love_ _Zulu_ _Goodfellas_ ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2008, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-movies-every-guy-should-see/439225/40 "2008-02-26T19:46:37Z")
A quick scan of everyone’s list revealed no movies under 10 years old (newest seems to be SPR, 1998) and most 20+ years old. What does that say about the state of moviemaking today? (It might say something good, I don’t know, I’m just asking.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-movies-every-guy-should-see/439225.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-movies-every-guy-should-see/439225.md?page=3)