# Modern Classics: 100 movies to see before you die **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 16, 2010, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-classics-100-movies-to-see-before-you-die/536331 "2010-04-16T12:32:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2010, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-classics-100-movies-to-see-before-you-die/536331/21 "2010-04-16T17:51:29Z")
Pretty unimpressive list. I’ve seen 27 of them, and if I’m being really generous I could consider about half of those four- or five-star movies: Malcolm X Groundhog Day Fargo The Big Lebowski Being John Malkovich Run Lola Run Almost Famous Best in Show (agree with **ArchiveGuy** that _A Mighty Wind_ is superior) Amelie Donnie Darko Lord of the Rings Memento Mulholland Dr. A lot of movies on there I have absolutely no interest in seeing. You couldn’t pay me enough to sit through _Oldboy_. Guess that means I can’t die. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2010, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-classics-100-movies-to-see-before-you-die/536331/22 "2010-04-17T00:01:52Z")
I’ve only seen 44 movies from that list and there are a handful that are on my short list to watch. Others on that list I rented and never got past the first 10 minutes (Anchorman and Finding Nemo, I’m looking at you). ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2010, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-classics-100-movies-to-see-before-you-die/536331/23 "2010-04-17T00:29:13Z")
I got about halfway through making my list of movies I haven’t seen when I saw _The Bourne Ultimatum_. _The Bourne Identity_ was amazing but any list that describes the two sequels as “modern classics” has lost my respect. ---
**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:** [April 17, 2010, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-classics-100-movies-to-see-before-you-die/536331/24 "2010-04-17T00:53:26Z")
> [@AClockworkMelon](#): > > I got about halfway through making my list of movies I haven’t seen when I saw _The Bourne Ultimatum_. _The Bourne Identity_ was amazing but any list that describes the two sequels as “modern classics” has lost my respect. Uh, I must be the only one that thought Bourne Supremacy was the classic and best of the series. ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2010, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-classics-100-movies-to-see-before-you-die/536331/25 "2010-04-17T01:59:56Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Uh, I must be the only one that thought Bourne Supremacy was the classic and best of the series. Well… you’re certainly entitled to your opinion… Too bad your opinion is wrong! ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2010, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-classics-100-movies-to-see-before-you-die/536331/26 "2010-04-17T02:11:22Z")
> [@Ike\_Witt](#): > > Others on that list I rented and never got past the first 10 minutes (Anchorman and Finding Nemo, I’m looking at you). Finding Nemo is a brilliant movie in lots of ways. The effects aren’t cutting edge anymore but the storyline is original and can’t be beat. It is a fantasy, comedy, action flick, and drama as well as ground-breaking. ---
**Author:** ![drm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e57/32.png) [@drm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drm)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2010, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-classics-100-movies-to-see-before-you-die/536331/27 "2010-04-17T03:10:06Z")
I have yet to see: Red (Trois couleurs: Rouge) Big Night Fireworks I think I’ve seen but I can’t recall: Yi Yi Lone Star I guess my answer is three, possibly 5. Hell, I _own_ about 80 of them. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2010, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-classics-100-movies-to-see-before-you-die/536331/28 "2010-04-17T04:44:50Z")
Well it is good to see **Lone Star** on the list. There’s a movie that doesn’t get the attention it deserves. Otherwise, there are a lot of questionable choices. (_Bourne Supremacy_ over _Bourne Identity_? WTF?) ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2010, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-classics-100-movies-to-see-before-you-die/536331/29 "2010-04-17T05:11:05Z")
I’ve seen **Raise the Red Lantern** at least three times. Phenomenal film. Yet if someone had told me what it was about, it wouldn’t have sounded interesting to me. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2010, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-classics-100-movies-to-see-before-you-die/536331/30 "2010-04-17T06:07:21Z")
I haven’t seen 80.5 of them. (I fell asleep during _Amelie_.) ---
**Author:** ![unclviny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e274bd/32.png) [@unclviny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/unclviny)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2010, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-classics-100-movies-to-see-before-you-die/536331/31 "2010-04-17T06:34:44Z")
I have seen 18 from that list, but 2 of my recent favorites (movies that became instant “Classics” in my world) are not on that list so the list is Crap. Unclviny ---
**Author:** ![vdgg81](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/3d9bf3/32.png) [@vdgg81](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vdgg81)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2010, 7:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-classics-100-movies-to-see-before-you-die/536331/32 "2010-04-17T07:22:42Z")
I’ve yet to see 46 movies from the list. Seems like a decent enough list to me but I felt that _Gosford Park_ and _The Company_, _De-lovely_, _Spirited Away_ (instead of _Mononoke_), _Talk to Her_ (either in the place of or in addition to _All About My Mother_), _Wag the Dog_ (maybe _Primary Colors_ also), _Zatoichi_, _After Life_ (by Hirokazu Koreeda) and _The Departed_ should have been featured. I also think _Munich_ could be placed instead of either _Schindler’s List_ or _Saving Private Ryan_ and that either _Carandiru_ or _Elite Squad_ would be much better choices than _City of God_. I also can’t figure out why the these movies were ever put in the list: _Michael Clayton_ (great performance, boring movie), _Shaun of the Dead_ (completely forgettable), _Memento_ (good but not great), _The Sixth Sense_ (same as the last one, also, loses a lot of impact after one knows the twist), _There’s Something About Mary_ (crude humor at its worst), _Scream_ (boring horror), _Boogie Nights_ (I remember liking it a lot, but not enough, apparently, to remember anything else about it) and _Ghost in the Shell_ (pretty decent but that’s it). There’s a few others I didn’t like so much but can see why people thought they did. In _Oldboy_’s case I understand why it made the list. I’m pretty sure it’s for the same reasons I hated it as much as man can hate a movie. Actually, I guess that, as there are 12 movies I’d like to add or substitute and a further 9 that I’m pretty positive don’t belong and considering that some of the movies on the list I didn’t watch I failed to do so because I had a good idea I’d dislike them, the list suddenly doesn’t seem so decent anymore. ---
**Author:** ![fusoya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecccb3/32.png) [@fusoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fusoya)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2010, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-classics-100-movies-to-see-before-you-die/536331/33 "2010-04-18T00:04:40Z")
major kudos to putting Living in Oblivion on this list. I thought I was the only person who HAS seen this one, and it’s brilliant. What the heck is Supercop doing on there? And WHAT IN THE HELL is Elephant doing on there? That’s probably the WORST movie I’ve ever seen. I have not seen: Malcolm X - I really should, even though it’s a 3 hour movie which I’ve heard feels like 9 hours The Player - Tim Robbins, Rob Reiner, why have I not even HEARD of this one (the generic title doesn’t help) Raise the Red Lantern - heard the name, know nothing about it. Should watch sometime. Before Sunrise - didn’t this get a Before Sunset sequel recently? Haven’t seen either… Sense and Sensibility - gave me an impression of being a Pride and Prejudice sequel. No thanks. Big Night - another one I’ve never even heard of… Dead Man - (see above) Lone Star - (see above…is this one about Texas, per chance?) Secrets & Lies - another one I know the name of, but nothing else Eve’s Bayou - " The Sweet Hereafter - " Fireworks - I know nothing about this one, but I love the title, so the movie must rock! Election - I really do need to see this one… Yi Yi - I actually own the DVD (anything that Criterion chooses to release automatically gets my interest) but haven’t gotten around to it yet The Diving Bell and the Butterfly - is this the one about the deaf kid? lots of good choices on that list. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2010, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-classics-100-movies-to-see-before-you-die/536331/34 "2010-04-18T00:20:40Z")
> [@fusoya](#): > > The Player - Tim Robbins, Rob Reiner, why have I not even HEARD of this one (the generic title doesn’t help) I didn’t count this as one that I’d seen. I actually did see it once as an in-flight movie, and had a hard time hearing everything. It may have been an edited version, too. I didn’t like it much, but I should probably try it again under better circumstances. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2010, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-classics-100-movies-to-see-before-you-die/536331/35 "2010-04-18T00:27:58Z")
I’ve seen exactly half of them. I’ve hardly seen any of those from the last five years, though. I feel like my attention span has decreased lately. Watching movies does not sound like fun anyway. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2010, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-classics-100-movies-to-see-before-you-die/536331/36 "2010-04-18T00:33:04Z")
It was nice to see Eve’s Bayou on the list. Anyway, I’ve seen 45 of the movies and parts of another 15 or so that bored me so much I stopped watching them partway through. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-classics-100-movies-to-see-before-you-die/536331.md?page=1)