# Great Films You Never Intend To See **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 3, 2007, 8:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-films-you-never-intend-to-see/417885 "2007-09-03T08:51:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2007, 8:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-films-you-never-intend-to-see/417885/1 "2007-09-03T08:51:35Z")
Are there any films you know are probably very good, but have no intention of ever seeing, simply based on subject material or genre? **Million Dollar Baby** - someone spoiled the ending to me, I am not a fan of boxing, and it just seems so depressing so have no intention to ever watch it. \*\* Grave of the Fireflies\*\* - supposedly a classic film, but also mentioned as one of the saddest films of all times - pass. Same goes for **Dancer In the Dark**. **The Hours** - great cast, great reviews, but watching a film about three suicidal lesbians? Uh, no. **Letters From Iwo Jima** - don’t much like war films, even though I know this is more than just a war film. \*\* Beautiful Life\*\* - Roberto Benigni was so annoying in his press junket through the US and his Oscar win, I never want to see the film even though I have heard it was great. So, any “great films” you have no intention of ever seeing, and why? ---
**Author:** ![ambushed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3bc359/32.png) [@ambushed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ambushed)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2007, 9:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-films-you-never-intend-to-see/417885/2 "2007-09-03T09:25:57Z")
I have no interest in seeing _Gone With the Wind_. It looks far too sappy for me. ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2007, 9:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-films-you-never-intend-to-see/417885/3 "2007-09-03T09:38:15Z")
[QUOTE=DMark] Are there any films you know are probably very good, but have no intention of ever seeing, simply based on subject material or genre? **Million Dollar Baby** - someone spoiled the ending to me, I am not a fan of boxing, and it just seems so depressing so have no intention to ever watch it. \*\* Grave of the Fireflies\*\* - supposedly a classic film, but also mentioned as one of the saddest films of all times - pass. Same goes for **Dancer In the Dark**. **The Hours** - great cast, great reviews, but watching a film about three suicidal lesbians? Uh, no. **Letters From Iwo Jima** - don’t much like war films, even though I know this is more than just a war film. \*\* Beautiful Life\*\* - Roberto Benigni was so annoying in his press junket through the US and his Oscar win, I never want to see the film even though I have heard it was great. So, any “great films” you have no intention of ever seeing, and why? [/QUOTE] I’m with you on everything but GRAVE (it’s legendary sadness makes me really curious to see it) and LIFE. It’s not that I WON’T watch any of these, but that I’m sure not going to make any effort to see them. That goes for BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN, too. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2007, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-films-you-never-intend-to-see/417885/4 "2007-09-03T11:45:32Z")
They’re not “great” movies, but I have no intention of ever sitting through any of the _Pirates of the Caribbean_ films. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Dumbest\_Guy\_in\_the\_Room](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5fc32e/32.png) [@The\_Dumbest\_Guy\_in\_the\_Room](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Dumbest_Guy_in_the_Room)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2007, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-films-you-never-intend-to-see/417885/5 "2007-09-03T11:46:59Z")
Everybody I know tells me how good **The Queen** is. Having very little interest in our Monarchy, and even less interest in Diana, I’m almost certainly never going to bother watching it though. ---
**Author:** ![Marlitharn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/779978/32.png) [@Marlitharn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marlitharn)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2007, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-films-you-never-intend-to-see/417885/6 "2007-09-03T11:55:54Z")
Everyone keeps telling me how great _Titanic_ is. I still have no intention of ever watching it; I already know how it ends (the boat sinks) and I get irritated when Hollywood takes an already dramatic and story-ful historical incident and slops a crappy love story all over it. This is what made _Pearl Harbor_ suck. ---
**Author:** ![Hung\_Mung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a88e4f/32.png) [@Hung\_Mung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hung_Mung)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2007, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-films-you-never-intend-to-see/417885/7 "2007-09-03T13:19:10Z")
[QUOTE=Marlitharn] Everyone keeps telling me how great _Titanic_ is. I still have no intention of ever watching it; I already know how it ends (the boat sinks) and I get irritated when Hollywood takes an already dramatic and story-ful historical incident and slops a crappy love story all over it. This is what made _Pearl Harbor_ suck. [/QUOTE] I made it several years without seeing that movie. Then, somewhere in high school, one of our teachers played it in class, probably a football coach during that last week of school. I despised it and I pissed off a bunch of people by giving a detailed argument as to why Billy Zane was the movie’s true sympathetic character. As for movies I’ll never see… I doubt I’ll ever see Lawrence of Arabia. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2007, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-films-you-never-intend-to-see/417885/8 "2007-09-03T13:35:52Z")
**The Departed**. I’ve had a bunch of people – all male, perhaps not coincidentally – tell me what a brilliant film it is. “I hear it’s really violent,” I’ll say. "Well… yeah … " is the inevitable response. Sorry, no interest. Interestingly enough, despite my oft-stated preference for movies that “aren’t grim,” I loved – just among the films mentioned here – **Dancer in the Dark, Million Dollar Baby,** and **Brokeback Mountain**. Also really liked **The Queen** , though it’s not particularly grim. Have never seen **Titanic** , and probably never will, though my disinclination isn’t at a particularly strong level of obstinacy. ---
**Author:** ![whistlepig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/73ab20/32.png) [@whistlepig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whistlepig)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2007, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-films-you-never-intend-to-see/417885/9 "2007-09-03T13:50:02Z")
I’ve never watched any of the Star Wars movie and have no desire to do so. Space operas without irony. ---
**Author:** ![well\_he\_s\_back](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/3ab097/32.png) [@well\_he\_s\_back](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/well_he_s_back)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2007, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-films-you-never-intend-to-see/417885/10 "2007-09-03T14:16:10Z")
I know “Silence of the Lambs” is supposed to be a great movie with great acting, but the subject matter will ever keep me away. (As to the previously mentioned films, I respect everyone’s not-see-um decisions, except “Lawrence of Arabia”. I saw that pretty late in my life, and I was enjoyably impressed. At the other end of the spectrum, although the 2nd and 3rd Pirates movies were wretched, the first one is still my favorite popcorn-y movie, perfect in its own way.) ---
**Author:** ![Southpaw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@Southpaw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Southpaw)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2007, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-films-you-never-intend-to-see/417885/11 "2007-09-03T15:29:21Z")
**Dr. Zhivago** - I just don’t like epics and this one looks to be boring as hell. **Godfather** movies, **Casino** , **Goodfellas** , etc. - I don’t like mob movies **Schindler’s List** - I don’t want to end up an emotional wreck. Besides, I have an explicable hatred of Liam Neeson. Heck, just add all Holocaust movies in there. ---
**Author:** ![askeptic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb9ed0/32.png) [@askeptic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/askeptic)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2007, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-films-you-never-intend-to-see/417885/12 "2007-09-03T15:42:33Z")
Mel Gibson’s Christ movie. Whenever anyone asks if I have seen it I tell them I read the book so I know how it ends. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2007, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-films-you-never-intend-to-see/417885/13 "2007-09-03T15:47:35Z")
I probably won’t ever get around to watching **Battleship Potemkin** or **Birth of a Nation**. ---
**Author:** ![Caprese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9a28c/32.png) [@Caprese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caprese)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2007, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-films-you-never-intend-to-see/417885/14 "2007-09-03T17:32:19Z")
[QUOTE=DMark] \*\* Grave of the Fireflies\*\* - supposedly a classic film, but also mentioned as one of the saddest films of all times - pass. [/QUOTE] I almost regret seeing that movie because it really _was_ that sad. ☹ I don’t think I can see **Requiem For A Dream**. Have heard good things about it, but it just looks like such a downer. ---
**Author:** ![Millit\_the\_Frail](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/51bf81/32.png) [@Millit\_the\_Frail](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Millit_the_Frail)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2007, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-films-you-never-intend-to-see/417885/15 "2007-09-03T18:14:12Z")
Hah, I came here to mention **Million Dollar Baby** , because a professor spoiled it for me on Friday. He was like, “you’ve all seen MDB, right?” A few people nodded their heads noncommitally, and he just went right into a big discussion of the ending. Douche. ---
**Author:** ![Electronic\_Chaos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Electronic\_Chaos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Electronic_Chaos)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2007, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-films-you-never-intend-to-see/417885/16 "2007-09-03T18:48:44Z")
[QUOTE=Hung Mung] I made it several years without seeing that movie. Then, somewhere in high school, one of our teachers played it in class, probably a football coach during that last week of school. [/QUOTE] Funny, that’s the exact thing that happened to me. You didn’t happen to go to Lebanon did you? ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2007, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-films-you-never-intend-to-see/417885/17 "2007-09-03T18:51:29Z")
Seconded on _Schindler’s List._ Also include every disturbing horror movie that has been praised-- _Seven_? I’m sure it’s a masterpiece. _Silence of the Lambs_? Likewise. I’ve got a vivid enough imagination as it is, thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2007, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-films-you-never-intend-to-see/417885/18 "2007-09-03T19:55:27Z")
[QUOTE=olivesmarch4th] Seconded on _Schindler’s List._ Also include every disturbing horror movie that has been praised-- _Seven_? I’m sure it’s a masterpiece. _Silence of the Lambs_? Likewise. I’ve got a vivid enough imagination as it is, thanks. [/QUOTE] Neither of those is close to being a horror movie. I have not seen _Blackhawk Down_ and may never see it. ---
**Author:** ![Shamozzle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shamozzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shamozzle)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2007, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-films-you-never-intend-to-see/417885/19 "2007-09-03T20:10:22Z")
[QUOTE=Loach] Neither of those is close to being a horror movie. I have not seen _Blackhawk Down_ and may never see it. [/QUOTE] No, but they _are_ “heads in jars/rape with blades/skin as fashion” movies. So, call it what you will. I’ve never seen “Schindler’s List” either. The documentaries on PBS, etc, with the piles of bodies, and a visit to Dachau, have been enough, TYVM. ---
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2007, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-films-you-never-intend-to-see/417885/20 "2007-09-03T20:17:25Z")
I may get stoned here but… I have never seen, and have no desire to see: **Citizen Cane Casablanca Chicago Gone With the Wind Godfather one, two, three** Really, any movie made before 1975 (with some exceptions, maybe about fifty). And upon reading the replies so far in this thread, I see I’ve only seen TWO of the movies mentioned so far. **Titanic** and the movies in the **PotC** series. Other than those two, never seen any of the rest either and have no desire to. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-films-you-never-intend-to-see/417885.md?page=2)