Five movies every guy should see

[EllisDee]

A lot of great lists. I agree that Major League is a great pick that does indeed kick the ass of White Men Can’t Jump, which is fantastic in its own right. Don’t shy away from movies that have been mentioned a lot. This thread isn’t about coming up with the most possible choices, but rather identifying the best choices. I would have considered it a rousing success if there were a movie that appeared on every single list. Not that it’s a failure without; just trying to give a little context.

I was going to post the complete results, but it ended up being 122 movies long, which is unwieldy at best. So here’s the abbreviated results so far, excluding everything that wasn’t seconded:[ul][li] Godfather (9)[/li][li] Raiders of the Lost Ark (7)[/li][li] Rocky (6)[/li][li] Animal House (5)[/li][li] Apocalypse Now (5)[/li][li] Die Hard (5)[/li][li] Fight Club (5)[/li][li] Goodfellas (5)[/li][li] Blues Brothers (4)[/li][li] Reservoir Dogs (4)[/li][li] Terminator (4)[/li][li] Caddyshack (3)[/li][li] Casablanca (3)[/li][li] Goldfinger (3)[/li][li] Patton (3)[/li][li] Unforgiven (3)[/li][li] Airplane! (2)[/li][li] Big Lebowski (2)[/li][li] Blazing Saddles (2)[/li][li] Brian’s Song (2)[/li][li] Bull Durham (2)[/li][li] Bullitt (2)[/li][li] The Cowboys (2)[/li][li] Dr. Strangelove (2)[/li][li] Godfather II (2)[/li][li] Great Escape (2)[/li][li] Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (2)[/li][li] Longest Yard (2)[/li][li] Magnificent Seven (2)[/li][li] Man Who Would Be King (2)[/li][li] North by Northwest (2)[/li][li] Predator (2)[/li][li] Robocop (2)[/li][li] Slap Shot (2)[/li][li] True Grit (2)[/li][li] Young Frankenstein (2)[/ul]Some of your lists weren’t counted because you’re dirty rotten cheaters. If you cheaters want to avoid Arlen Specter going medieval on your ass, I encourage you to amend your submission to only ONE LIST of EXACTLY FIVE movies. The fact that it’s difficult to do is what makes this an interesting exercise, IMO. So the following posters had their contributions completely ignored for tallying purposes: Labdad, Stranger On A Train, jali, El_Kabong, cinehead, JohnBckWLD, HelloKitty, What Exit, OtakuLoki, ShermanAter, phungi[/li]
There are some quality flicks that haven’t yet been seconded, such as Cool Hand Luke and The Usual Suspects. Maybe somebody else will second them. Remember that we can’t; you only get one list, period.

As for the two of you who nominated Robocop, heh, they read that suggestion from one of the emailers on Mike & Mike, where this idea originated. Their response? “You have to turn of the radio now. Not only are you not allowed to listen to the rest of this show, but you’re banned from ESPNradio for the rest of the day.” hehheh.

[Robot_Arm]

Every guy has already seen Caddyshack. When I hear of a list like this, I can’t help thinking of things that may be just off people’s radar.

The General
The Big Sleep
The Sting
The Right Stuff

None of these are really big finishing movies. (Well, The General, but a train falling through a burning bridge into a river doesn’t make jaws drop the way it used to.) I need a great action movie, ideally something with a big finale.

Die Hard
It was painful to cut that down to 5. Sadly missing are M, Bull Durham, and Ocean’s Eleven (2001).

[Spoons]

This isn’t easy. I like a lot of the movies and lists so far, and I’m unsure what I can add. But I’ll try. In no particular order, and with opinionated commentary:

Rocky: There’s gotta be a sports movie, and this has got to be it. The story of an underdog taking on the champ and damn near winning is the hope of every pickup touch football player, workplace softball team player, and even the guy who’s always being ragged on by the boss. This is a movie that Dan Connor would watch over and over again.

Die Hard: None of that esoteric “Feel the Force, Luke” here; this is the much earthier “The quarterback is toast” and “Yippee-ki-yay motherf*cker!” Explosions, guns, and one man against both the terrorists and the cops. Yeah, this is a guy’s movie.

The Blues Brothers: Car crashes, memorable lines (in addition to “It’s a hundred and six miles to Chicago,” we shouldn’t forget “I hate Illinois Nazis”), impossible stunts, and enough ass-kicking rhythm and blues to make converts of those who don’t normally listen to R&B.

The Magnificent Seven: I like Westerns, and if my list is going to have one, then after careful consideration, this is going to be it. The cast is perfect, the story is edgy, the old west (or a popular conception of it) exists as it does in no other film, IMHO. And the theme music is unforgettable.

The Dirty Dozen: We need a war movie, and after more careful consideration, this is going to have to make my list. A bunch of badasses go through special training and then infiltrate a Nazi castle. Action from start to finish, and an edge-of-your-seat storyline: Which of the Dozen will actually get out alive?

It wasn’t easy to do, and there was much consideration of other films, but there are my five.

[Lakai]

Die Hard - Bruce Willis is the guy described in the OP and he is kicking serious ass.

Terminator - An Arnold Schwarzenegger movie has to be on this list.

The Godfather - No rational is needed.

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly - A western has to make the list too. It’s the way that Clint Eastwood helps one dying man by giving him a cigar that clinches it.

The Big Lebowski - For any dude that ever found himself in a “WTF is going on” situation.

[EllisDee]

I keep meaning to respond to the first couple replies and forgetting:

@Zebra

Five movies every guy *should * see or five every guy has seen.

Should see. As in, if the other guys find out you didn’t see it, they’re going to be busting your balls about it forever. Thus, you better be sure you’ve seen them.

@ArrMatey!

For the Gladiator vs. Braveheart question- I think Gladiator got more acclaim because it was paced well. Braveheart tended to drag in sections, and dealt with a lot of politics and such that seemed … Not sure what word I’m looking for here. ‘Boring’ is derisive, but… Not exciting? Not interresting? shrug I loved both movies, but Gladiator was much more tightly paced (And, I think, had a much more ‘evil’-seeming villain) than Braveheart.

“Expository.”

[drachillix]

Fight Club
Reservoir Dogs
Blackhawk Down
Bull Durham
The Last Samurai

[chowder]

The Green Mile
Saving Private Ryan
Casablanca
Shane
The Sting

[don_t_ask]

Cruising
Midnight Express
Brokeback Mountain
Cabaret
Philadelphia

[lieu]

@outlierrn

Hud

I couldn’t believe this hadn’t been mentioned before. Wonderful guy flick as it speaks volumes as to what being a man truly is but, sadly, I don’t know what I’d pull from my list. Just five is tough. I’m sure glad someone mentioned it though. Strange that you don’t see more McMurtry here.

[Trunk]

@Atomicktom

I love this movie, but it doesn’t exactly fit the OP (guys who “shower after work” do not work in an office)

It reminds them why they don’t.

[El_Kabong]

@Ellis Dee

Some of your lists weren’t counted because you’re dirty rotten cheaters. If you cheaters want to avoid Arlen Specter going medieval on your ass, I encourage you to amend your submission to only ONE LIST of EXACTLY FIVE movies. The fact that it’s difficult to do is what makes this an interesting exercise, IMO. So the following posters had their contributions completely ignored for tallying purposes: Labdad, Stranger On A Train, jali, El_Kabong, cinehead, JohnBckWLD, HelloKitty, What Exit, OtakuLoki, ShermanAter, phungi

Dude. Just go with my second list. Jeez.

[phungi]

@Ellis Dee

…o the following posters had their contributions completely ignored for tallying purposes: Labdad, Stranger On A Train, jali, El_Kabong, cinehead, JohnBckWLD, HelloKitty, What Exit, OtakuLoki, ShermanAter, phungi

Fair 'nuf. Here are my un-seconded five:

Platoon
Planes Trains and Automobiles
Coming to America
Point Break
Chasing Amy

[Bobotheoptimist]

Can I make a motion that any film starring Tom Cruise, Tom Hanks or directed by Spielberg require a minimum of 4 votes to get on the list?
Raiders of the Lost Ark is safe, but in general those three may try like heck to make “guy” movies, yet there’s either preening or (even worse) emotions in most of their stuff. Saving Private Ryan would have been good, if it wasn’t for all that caring and morals and crap.

Or am I out of touch with modern guys? Is it ok to cry at stuff now (besides Ol’ Yeller, that show seems to launch dust particles straight into the eyes of old cowboys. Weird how that always happens) and wonder about the injustice of war?

[Least_Original_User_Name_Ever]

Predator
Bloodsport
Fight Club
Animal House
Pulp Fiction
I almost said “Gladiator” or “300” in there, but I only get 5. I also don’t get to put any Mel Brooks movies in there, which is a filthy shame. Caddyshack should be in here, but I’ve been limited to 5.

[Labdad]

@Ellis Dee

The fact that it’s difficult to do is what makes this an interesting exercise, IMO. So the following posters had their contributions completely ignored for tallying purposes: Labdad, Stranger On A Train, jali, El_Kabong, cinehead, JohnBckWLD, HelloKitty, What Exit, OtakuLoki, ShermanAter, phungi.

All right, I’ve been properly chastised! Here, then, is my list:

Western: The Wild Bunch
Bond: Goldfinger
War: The Guns of Navarone
Caper: The Usual Suspects
Sports: Bull Durham

[Elendil_s_Heir]

Lotta good lists already. Hard to narrow it down to five, but I’d say:

Breaker Morant - A great war movie and courtroom drama. Every guy should know how to keep a stiff upper lip and make a poetic quip even in the face of impending doom.

Groundhog Day - A great comedy-romance. 'Cause, hey, isn’t every guy gonna use an endlessly-repeating day just to get laid before he acquires true wisdom?

Notorious - Hitchcock’s best, IMHO. Every guy should know how to make Ingrid Bergman want you, even as you turn her away because it’s your patriotic duty.

True Lies - An outstanding action comedy. Every guy should be able to surprise his wife so completely and revive his marriage so excitingly. Jamie Lee (horrified): “Did you… kill people?” Ah-nuld (earnestly): “Yes, but they were all bad!”

Trading Places - A great premise, a great script and a great cast who obviously had a blast making the movie. Every guy should learn how to get revenge so sweetly.

[Larry_Borgia]

The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly
Apocalypse Now
The Godfather
Animal House
Brian’s Song*

*Man, there’s a lot of dust in this room. My allergies are going nuts.

[jsc1953]

I would love to add **Day of the Jackal **-- just an incredibly cool movie, that provides the Real Guy with parallel step-by-step instructions on how to be a cold-blooded assassin, and how to track down a cold-blooded assassin.

But I don’t know what to cut from my list, so I’ll just leave it out there as an orphan.

[Parthol]

So many choices…

Gotta go with:

1. Raiders of the Lost Ark (still an unmatched adventure flick)
2. **The Matrix **(Plenty of violent action, SF for geeky men, chicks in tight leather pants, and the whole thing oozes style. Pity about the sequels though.)
3. Die Hard (best action move ever made)
4. The Great Escape (best war movie ever made)
5. Hoosiers

[Key_Lime_Guy]

(without reading the thread)

Rocky
Ronin
Slap Shot
Unforgiven
Casino Royale (2006)