# In which Idle Thoughts watches popular movies most have seen already but that he hasn't. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 2, 2015, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-which-idle-thoughts-watches-popular-movies-most-have-seen-already-but-that-he-hasnt/733318 "2015-10-02T23:35:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**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:** [October 2, 2015, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-which-idle-thoughts-watches-popular-movies-most-have-seen-already-but-that-he-hasnt/733318/1 "2015-10-02T23:35:27Z")
Over the next few weeks, I think I’ll watch a few movies that I’ve never seen before but that I’ve heard are really, really good, nay, even great movies. I’m a big movie watcher, and I’ve been in sort of a movie watching mood as of late… …but even being a movie buff, there are a great many movies that I’ve skipped over in the last decade or two. Why, I don’t know. Just never gotten around to watching them. Well, no more. I will start tonight. Tonight’s movie will be a movie I’ve heard about and read about a lot recently: _ **Requiem For a Dream** _. It looks good, but beyond just seeing two or three clips of it, I have no idea what it’s about. In the coming weeks, I already have a list planned out of other movies I will watch and I will write down my opinion/thoughts here after each one, if anyone cares. These will include movies such as _ **Pulp Fiction, Trainspotting, Rambo, Twelve Monkeys, Donnie Darko, Sin City, The Usual Suspects, Fargo, Inglourious Basterds, L.A. Confidential, Mulholland Drive, Gladiator, 300, The Departed,** _ the _ **Alien** _ movies, the _ **Predator** _ movies, the _ **Star Wars** _ movies, and the _ **Batman** _ movies. More may come as I think of them. I have not watched/seen any of these movies ever before. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2015, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-which-idle-thoughts-watches-popular-movies-most-have-seen-already-but-that-he-hasnt/733318/2 "2015-10-03T00:11:19Z")
[Here’s a list](http://paulharrisonline.blogspot.com/p/movies-you-might-not-know.html) of recent and older movies from a talk radio host. ---
**Author:** ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2015, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-which-idle-thoughts-watches-popular-movies-most-have-seen-already-but-that-he-hasnt/733318/3 "2015-10-03T01:11:27Z")
Do you have any particular genres or eras that you don’t mind? I could recommend tons of 70s stuff that I think is the bomb and you’d find interesting, but if it wouldn’t be your cuppa, I don’t want to waste your time. ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2015, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-which-idle-thoughts-watches-popular-movies-most-have-seen-already-but-that-he-hasnt/733318/4 "2015-10-03T01:49:29Z")
With regard to _Donnie Darko_, people may tell you that you “must” check out the bonus content on the DVD to get writer/director Richard Kelly’s explanation for the mysterious events in the movie. Personally, I’d advise against this, as this explanation is so stupid and full of holes that it actually hurt my opinion of a movie that I _had_ enjoyed. IMHO you’re better off making up your own explanation or just thinking of the mysterious events as being things that cannot be explained. You might also want to consider watching _An American Werewolf in London_ around the same time as _Donnie Darko_. There’s a specific scene in _Donnie Darko_ that’s borrowed from _An American Werewolf in London_, and in a more general way I think _Donnie Darko_ owes a lot to the earlier movie. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2015, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-which-idle-thoughts-watches-popular-movies-most-have-seen-already-but-that-he-hasnt/733318/5 "2015-10-03T06:23:37Z")
Are there other movies by the same directors that you’ve also missed? That is, have you seen most of the other movies by the Coen brothers, Quentin Tarantino, Terry Gilliam, etc.? Do you intend to see all the Star Wars movies? If so, in what order will you watch them? ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2015, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-which-idle-thoughts-watches-popular-movies-most-have-seen-already-but-that-he-hasnt/733318/6 "2015-10-03T06:33:12Z")
Man you haven’t seen any of those movies? What have you been watching all these years - rom-coms? Those are all Classic movies for people our age! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2015, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-which-idle-thoughts-watches-popular-movies-most-have-seen-already-but-that-he-hasnt/733318/7 "2015-10-03T12:01:00Z")
For some odd reason I never got around to viewing **Django Unchained** until last weekend. It’s a must-see. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2015, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-which-idle-thoughts-watches-popular-movies-most-have-seen-already-but-that-he-hasnt/733318/8 "2015-10-03T12:54:24Z")
When you say the Batman movies, are you talking about the Christopher Nolan movies or the earlier Tim Burton/Joel Schumacher series? Or both? ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2015, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-which-idle-thoughts-watches-popular-movies-most-have-seen-already-but-that-he-hasnt/733318/9 "2015-10-03T13:26:56Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > For some odd reason I never got around to viewing **Django Unchained** until last weekend. It’s a must-see. What a coincidence. Me too, and I LOVED it! ---
**Author:** ![Robert163](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/4af34b/32.png) [@Robert163](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robert163)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2015, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-which-idle-thoughts-watches-popular-movies-most-have-seen-already-but-that-he-hasnt/733318/10 "2015-10-03T15:39:44Z")
> [@Idle\_Thoughts](#): > > Over the next few weeks, I think I’ll watch a few movies that I’ve never seen before but that I’ve heard are really, really good, nay, even great movies. > > I’m a big movie watcher, and I’ve been in sort of a movie watching mood as of late… > …but even being a movie buff, there are a great many movies that I’ve skipped over in the last decade or two. Why, I don’t know. Just never gotten around to watching them. > > Well, no more. I will start tonight. > > Tonight’s movie will be a movie I’ve heard about and read about a lot recently: _ **Requiem For a Dream** _. It looks good, but beyond just seeing two or three clips of it, I have no idea what it’s about. > In the coming weeks, I already have a list planned out of other movies I will watch and I will write down my opinion/thoughts here after each one, if anyone cares. > These will include movies such as _ **Pulp Fiction, Trainspotting, Rambo, Twelve Monkeys, Donnie Darko, Sin City, The Usual Suspects, Fargo, Inglourious Basterds, L.A. Confidential, Mulholland Drive, Gladiator, 300, The Departed,** _ the _ **Alien** _ movies, the _ **Predator** _ movies, the _ **Star Wars** _ movies, and the _ **Batman** _ movies. More may come as I think of them. > I have not watched/seen any of these movies ever before. Donnie Darko is I think the best of the list. I agree, watch the standard version. For The Departed, the original Hong Kong - Infernal Affairs - was better. The only movie on your list I didn’t see is Mulholland Drive. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2015, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-which-idle-thoughts-watches-popular-movies-most-have-seen-already-but-that-he-hasnt/733318/11 "2015-10-03T15:51:52Z")
[QUOTE=Robert163] The only movie on your list I didn’t see is Mulholland Drive. [/QUOTE] Good for you. It’s a palpitating pile of poop. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2015, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-which-idle-thoughts-watches-popular-movies-most-have-seen-already-but-that-he-hasnt/733318/12 "2015-10-03T15:58:54Z")
> [@Idle\_Thoughts](#): > > Over the next few weeks, I think I’ll watch a few movies that I’ve never seen before but that I’ve heard are really, really good, nay, even great movies. > > I’m a big movie watcher, and I’ve been in sort of a movie watching mood as of late… > …but even being a movie buff, there are a great many movies that I’ve skipped over in the last decade or two. Why, I don’t know. Just never gotten around to watching them. > > Well, no more. I will start tonight. > > Tonight’s movie will be a movie I’ve heard about and read about a lot recently: _ **Requiem For a Dream** _. It looks good, but beyond just seeing two or three clips of it, I have no idea what it’s about. > In the coming weeks, I already have a list planned out of other movies I will watch and I will write down my opinion/thoughts here after each one, if anyone cares. > These will include movies such as _ **Pulp Fiction, Trainspotting, Rambo, Twelve Monkeys, Donnie Darko, Sin City, The Usual Suspects, Fargo, Inglourious Basterds, L.A. Confidential, Mulholland Drive, Gladiator, 300, The Departed,** _ the _ **Alien** _ movies, the _ **Predator** _ movies, the _ **Star Wars** _ movies, and the _ **Batman** _ movies. More may come as I think of them. > I have not watched/seen any of these movies ever before. You’ve never seen _Star Wars_? :eek: I’ve seen all on your list except for _Donnie Darko_ and the _Predator_ movies. For several of those, I’d be hard-pressed to say which is my favorite. But _Gladiator_ is a seriously bad film undeserving of its Best Picture Oscar. It’s ironic that Russel Crowe was nominated for an Oscar three years in a row, for _The Insider_, _Gladiator_ and _A Beautiful Mind_ but won only for _Gladiator_ when his performances in the other two films were much better. I loved _Requiem For a Dream_, but don’t watch it if you’re depressed. ---
**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:** [October 3, 2015, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-which-idle-thoughts-watches-popular-movies-most-have-seen-already-but-that-he-hasnt/733318/13 "2015-10-03T16:20:47Z")
> [@Jeff\_Lichtman](#): > > Are there other movies by the same directors that you’ve also missed? That is, have you seen most of the other movies by the Coen brothers, Quentin Tarantino, Terry Gilliam, etc.? > > Do you intend to see all the Star Wars movies? If so, in what order will you watch them? I don’t tend to like Quentin Tarantino movies, though. I will watch them starting at episode one and going on from there, in order. > [@Shoeless](#): > > When you say the Batman movies, are you talking about the Christopher Nolan movies or the earlier Tim Burton/Joel Schumacher series? Or both? Both, in the order they came out. > [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > You’ve never seen _Star Wars_? :eek: Only bits and pieces. ---
**Author:** ![Robert163](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/4af34b/32.png) [@Robert163](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robert163)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2015, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-which-idle-thoughts-watches-popular-movies-most-have-seen-already-but-that-he-hasnt/733318/14 "2015-10-03T16:23:41Z")
> [@Idle\_Thoughts](#): > > I don’t tend to like Quentin Tarantino movies, though. > > I will watch them starting at episode one and going on from there, in order. > > Both, in the order they came out. > > Only bits and pieces. Django unchained is a bit more accessible than most Tarantino movies ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2015, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-which-idle-thoughts-watches-popular-movies-most-have-seen-already-but-that-he-hasnt/733318/15 "2015-10-03T19:49:47Z")
> [@Robert163](#): > > Django unchained is a bit more accessible than most Tarantino movies True, but I think most folks would enjoy Inglorious Basterds the most. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2015, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-which-idle-thoughts-watches-popular-movies-most-have-seen-already-but-that-he-hasnt/733318/16 "2015-10-03T22:54:29Z")
Requiem for a Dream left me stunned, speechless, stultified. It was so raw, so utterly real, and so much like the stories I have heard from real-life people in recovery. The inhumanity addicts show to each other, and the way they cling together despite the horrific behavior. It’s just all right there. The stuff gets real, honey. Have a friend on cue to meet for coffee or something afterwards. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2015, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-which-idle-thoughts-watches-popular-movies-most-have-seen-already-but-that-he-hasnt/733318/17 "2015-10-03T23:33:21Z")
> [@Idle\_Thoughts](#): > > Trainspotting I’m keen to know what you think about this. The book, and then a few years later the film, were genuinely big cultural things where I live. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2015, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-which-idle-thoughts-watches-popular-movies-most-have-seen-already-but-that-he-hasnt/733318/18 "2015-10-03T23:59:45Z")
> [@Baron\_Greenback](#): > > I’m keen to know what you think about this. The book, and then a few years later the film, were genuinely big cultural things where I live. It was great, wasn’t it? ---
**Author:** ![Aquadementia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aquadementia/32/555_2.png) [@Aquadementia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aquadementia)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2015, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-which-idle-thoughts-watches-popular-movies-most-have-seen-already-but-that-he-hasnt/733318/19 "2015-10-04T01:11:23Z")
What movie goes with what food from Taco Bell? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2015, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-which-idle-thoughts-watches-popular-movies-most-have-seen-already-but-that-he-hasnt/733318/20 "2015-10-04T01:25:46Z")
> [@Aquadementia](#): > > What movie goes with what food from Taco Bell? Judge Dredd goes with all Taco Bell. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-which-idle-thoughts-watches-popular-movies-most-have-seen-already-but-that-he-hasnt/733318.md?page=2)