# Movies that I HAVE to watch **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 22, 2004, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-i-have-to-watch/225591 "2004-01-22T06:26:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![gyt\_fx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/74df32/32.png) [@gyt\_fx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gyt_fx)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2004, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-i-have-to-watch/225591/1 "2004-01-22T06:26:56Z")
I watch movies **A lot**. I already consider myself a movie connoisseur [Atleast compared to anyone I know…]. However I understand that Many, and I say many as in… most, people have seen more and better movies than me. That’s just how it is. [-I am only 16 though…] So what are some movies that are just Completely mandatory to even consider calling myself a connoiseur? (ask if you want a list of ones I’ve seen… but movies that I would expect you to say First would probably be: Schindler’s List Full Metal Jacket etc.) Which by the way, I have seen. ---
**Author:** ![DaPearl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5e925/32.png) [@DaPearl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaPearl)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2004, 7:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-i-have-to-watch/225591/2 "2004-01-22T07:37:23Z")
The Wild Bunch. Maybe more from me later, but that’s my most important. ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2004, 7:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-i-have-to-watch/225591/3 "2004-01-22T07:39:25Z")
A good one that I recently watched, although not a “great, absolutely must watch classic”, is _Intacto_. Good story, well acted, good director. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2004, 8:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-i-have-to-watch/225591/4 "2004-01-22T08:02:51Z")
[The _Sight and Sound_ Top Ten Poll 2002](http://www.bfi.org.uk/sightandsound/topten/index.html). [All films voted for.](http://www.bfi.org.uk/sightandsound/topten/poll/list.php?list=films) [The Library of Congress’ National Film Registry.](http://lcweb.loc.gov/film/titles.html) ---
**Author:** ![Short\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Short\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Short_Guy)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2004, 8:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-i-have-to-watch/225591/5 "2004-01-22T08:52:36Z")
Just one for now, but a film everyone should see is Orson Welles’ _Touch of Evil_. IMHO, it’s the best film Welles ever made, which by definition makes it the best film ever made. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Leechboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9fc348/32.png) [@Leechboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leechboy)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2004, 11:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-i-have-to-watch/225591/6 "2004-01-22T11:02:05Z")
If you’re seriously wanting to become a connoiseur, I’d suggest starting from the very beginning, seriously. It’s the best way to learn about how film grammar was formed and has changed since. Here’s a rough guide to some signpost flicks (Cobbled from memories of my first year cinema class.) Watch these in order The Lumiere shorts A Trip to the Moon Any Mack Sennett shorts you can find Birth of a Nation (A difficult one as it’s so incredibly racist, but invaluable for learning about cinema’s most influential director.) Gold Rush The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (Not a great film per se, but it’s style was revolutionary) Un Chien Andalou Metropolis Battleship Potempkin Nanook of the North Man with the Movie Camera The General Greed Sunrise The Last Laugh Napoleon (Preferably in a theatre with the three screen set up.) Nosferateu The Passion of Joan of Arc The Jazz Singer (This is purely for educational purposes, the movie itself stinks) The Blue Angel King Kong Scarface The Front Page Triumph of the Will (See Birth of a Nation) Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs Stagecoach The Rules of the Game Citizen Kane The Maltese Falcon Sullivan’s Travels Henry V A Matter of Life and Death Bicyle Thief Crossfire Rashomon Singing in the Rain Tokyo Story Ugetsu Monagatore Monieur Hulot’s Holiday On The Waterfront Panther Panchali / Aparajito / The World of Apu The Red Balloon Night Of The Hunter The Searchers The Seventh Seal / Wild Strawberries Touch of Evil A Bout de Souffle The 400 Blows Psycho Lawrence Of Arabia A Hard Days Night Blow Up Persona Belle De Jour Dr Strangelove 8 1/2 Bonnie & Clyde 2001 Easy Rider Kes The Wild Bunch Midnight Cowboy Sweet Sweetback’s Baad Asssss Song Woodstock Walkabout Aguirre, Wrath of God Godfather The Conversation Bad Lands Chinatown Don’t Look Now Profondo Rosso (Deep Red) Picnic At Hanging Rock Taxi Driver Annie Hall Jaws Star Wars (Duh) The Tin Drum Halloween Raging Bull E.T. This Is Spinal Tap The Decalogue Wings Of Desire When Harry Met Sally Sex, Lies & Videotape The Killer Do The Right Thing Goodfellas Jurassic Park / Terminator 2 Pulp Fiction I’m assuming you’ve probably seen a lot of stuff from the 90’s onward. I’ve probably missed a couple, but All of these films are lardmarks in some way, shape or form. Go through them all, some you’ll enjoy, some you’ll hate, but each is a doorway to a whole bunch of other great films. For example the two film noirs I’ve included - The Maltese Falcon and Touch of Evil bookend the first wave of noir films, follow that path and you find another 300 films to look for, a substantial percentage of them being above average. The main point is, follow your taste, if you try to be a enclyopedia of all film you’ll go nuts, find what you like and then specialize, when you’ve finished that field, move on to another. I’m a noir/horror/shakespeare freak. ---
**Author:** ![drm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e57/32.png) [@drm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drm)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2004, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-i-have-to-watch/225591/7 "2004-01-22T14:21:22Z")
Leechboy has a very good list and I’ll add a few to start (unless I missed them on his). **Modern Times** **In The Heat of the Night** **Olympia** (another important one from Leni Riefenstahl) **Apocalypse Now** See all on Leechboy’s list. A Trip to the Moon is ridiculously funny and all the others are quite simply awesome. ---
**Author:** ![Ilsa\_Lund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a6a055/32.png) [@Ilsa\_Lund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ilsa_Lund)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2004, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-i-have-to-watch/225591/8 "2004-01-22T15:08:01Z")
If you don’t care for Riefenstahl’s propaganda in _Das Triumph Des Willens_, the Olympia is a good place to start for her. Try to get it in two parts, not the edited American edition. I would also do your best to watch all of the films on Jonathan Rosenbaum’s Alternative 100 Greatest American Movies: [http://www.chireader.com/movies/100best.html](http://www.chireader.com/movies/100best.html) ---
**Author:** ![gyt\_fx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/74df32/32.png) [@gyt\_fx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gyt_fx)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2004, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-i-have-to-watch/225591/9 "2004-01-22T15:41:52Z")
Wow. That is quite the list **Leechboy**. Are there actually… Cinema classes? Where you just watch and learn about movies? If so, I live in WA, you know any schools that may have a class of that sort? 🆒 But seriously… I can’t **possibly** watch **all** of those movies. I mean… even assuming they will all be on VHS at my local video store and actually be available?[My video store is notorious for not carrying good movies] Each one would cost about $2.00. So I’m guessin that would be about $150-200 to rent all of those movies… A bit much for me. But thanks for suggesting them, I may check some out. However… let me kinda rephrase my question. Are there any movies that, if I were to tell someone I really enjoy watching movies and I watch a lot of them, and they suggested it and I reply that I haven’t seen it, would they be astounded? That is so badly worded but oh well… I gotta go to school in… well it starts in less than 10 minutes. Thanks for all your suggestions ---
**Author:** ![Ilsa\_Lund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a6a055/32.png) [@Ilsa\_Lund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ilsa_Lund)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2004, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-i-have-to-watch/225591/10 "2004-01-22T16:33:16Z")
> [@gyt\_fx](#): > > Wow. > That is quite the list **Leechboy**. > > Are there actually… Cinema classes? Where you just watch and learn about movies? > If so, I live in WA, you know any schools that may have a class of that sort? 🆒 > > But seriously… I can’t **possibly** watch **all** of those movies. I mean… even assuming they will all be on VHS at my local video store and actually be available?[My video store is notorious for not carrying good movies] > Each one would cost about $2.00. > So I’m guessin that would be about $150-200 to rent all of those movies… > A bit much for me. > But thanks for suggesting them, I may check some out. > > However… let me kinda rephrase my question. > Are there any movies that, if I were to tell someone I really enjoy watching movies and I watch a lot of them, and they suggested it and I reply that I haven’t seen it, would they be astounded? > That is so badly worded but oh well… I gotta go to school in… well it starts in less than 10 minutes. > > Thanks for all your suggestions Libraries, man. If you have a medium to large local library, I guarantee that they will have at least half to three quarters of those movies. As for your question, most of the movies on **leechboy’s** list fit that criterion. ---
**Author:** ![Ilsa\_Lund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a6a055/32.png) [@Ilsa\_Lund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ilsa_Lund)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2004, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-i-have-to-watch/225591/11 "2004-01-22T16:35:26Z")
> [@Ilsa\_Lund](#): > > Libraries, man. If you have a medium to large local library, I guarantee that they will have at least half to three quarters of those movies. > > As for your question, most of the movies on **leechboy’s** list fit that criterion. Also, **lissener** lives in Seattle. He is a film god. He may have suggestions on where you can get some quality films for little or no cost (i.e., film libraries or film clubs.) ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2004, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-i-have-to-watch/225591/12 "2004-01-22T16:47:02Z")
> [@](#): > > **I mean… even assuming they will all be on VHS at my local video store and actually be available?[My video store is notorious for not carrying good movies]** Once you have a credit card, you can subscribe to [NetFlix](http://www.netflix.com), the on-line DVD rental service that users like me love. For $20/month, you can watch as many films as you wish (up to 3 at a time), with no return deadlines. > [@](#): > > **Are there any movies that, if I were to tell someone I really enjoy watching movies and I watch a lot of them, and they suggested it and I reply that I haven’t seen it, would they be astounded?** Yes, that _Sight and Sound_ Top Ten list, which I linked above. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2004, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-i-have-to-watch/225591/13 "2004-01-22T17:25:52Z")
Also, cable channels like Turner Classic Movies and Fox Movie Channel show numerous classics every month. Some upcoming classics on TCM: Jan. 23: _Rules of the Game_ (from the _Sight and Sound_ Top Ten) Jan. 25: _The Lady Eve_ \*# Jan. 25: _Rear Window_ \*# Jan. 25: _The Shop Around the Corner_ \*# Jan. 26: _Exodus_ \* Jan. 27: _Modern Times_ \*# Jan. 27: _The Hospital_ # Jan. 28: _The African Queen_ \*# Jan. 29: _The Public Enemy_ # Jan. 31: _Rocco and His Brothers_ \* Jan. 31: _Vertigo_ \*# (from the _Sight and Sound_ Top Ten) Jan. 31: _Psycho_ \*# - = _Sight and Sound_ list nominee # = National Film Registry ---
**Author:** ![Ilsa\_Lund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a6a055/32.png) [@Ilsa\_Lund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ilsa_Lund)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2004, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-i-have-to-watch/225591/14 "2004-01-22T17:38:40Z")
> [@Walloon](#): > > Also, cable channels like Turner Classic Movies and Fox Movie Channel show numerous classics every month. > > Some upcoming classics on TCM: > > Jan. 23: _Rules of the Game_ (from the _Sight and Sound_ Top Ten) > Jan. 25: _The Lady Eve_ \*# > Jan. 25: _Rear Window_ \*# > Jan. 25: _The Shop Around the Corner_ \*# > Jan. 26: _Exodus_ \* > Jan. 27: _Modern Times_ \*# > Jan. 27: _The Hospital_ # > Jan. 28: _The African Queen_ \*# > Jan. 29: _The Public Enemy_ # > Jan. 31: _Rocco and His Brothers_ \* > Jan. 31: _Vertigo_ \*# (from the _Sight and Sound_ Top Ten) > Jan. 31: _Psycho_ \*# > > - = _Sight and Sound_ list nominee > > # = National Film Registry :eek: Damn, I wish I had TCM. ---
**Author:** ![Leechboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9fc348/32.png) [@Leechboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leechboy)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2004, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-i-have-to-watch/225591/15 "2004-01-22T21:42:13Z")
> [@gyt\_fx](#): > > Wow. > That is quite the list **Leechboy**. > > Are there actually… Cinema classes? Where you just watch and learn about movies? > If so, I live in WA, you know any schools that may have a class of that sort? 🆒 Almost every Australian University has a Cinema department (Despite the governement cuts). One way of finding a lot of these films is to visit the university libraries. If your lucky some, like Melbourne Uni, will have a system that allows you to watch films on site without a card. Plus you also have WAPA over there, which I’m sure has a excellent collection. Otherwise, your local library may have something. > [@](#): > > But seriously… I can’t **possibly** watch **all** of those movies. I mean… even assuming they will all be on VHS at my local video store and actually be available?[My video store is notorious for not carrying good movies] > Each one would cost about $2.00. > So I’m guessin that would be about $150-200 to rent all of those movies… Well there’s the other thing. 90% of watching these films is tracking them down, and that takes getting up and going to every Video store in your neighbourhood, then the next neighbourhood and so on. I belong to about ten video stores in my local area alone. Find the ones with the best weekly deals, and the biggest “classics” section. There are places that do $5 for 5 weekly deals and so on. Then it’s a matter of sitting down and watching one a night. Not easy, but do able. ---
**Author:** ![gyt\_fx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/74df32/32.png) [@gyt\_fx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gyt_fx)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2004, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-i-have-to-watch/225591/16 "2004-01-22T22:28:22Z")
**Ilsa\_Lund** , Checking the local library sounds like a decent suggestion. I belong to the Timberland Regional Library (In Centralia: small town). So it’s not that large of a library, so I may check but I’m doubting it. **LeechBoy** , I live in a small town, and the only video stores in my locale are are basically a Hollywood Video, Video Update, and then a couple much smaller lesser ones. Hollywood video… has more new movies, and Video Update has more movies that people wouldn’t normally rent on a day-to-day basis, so I could prolly find some of them there. However between the two… and perhaps attempting at some futile searches in other smaller ones, It’s doubtful I will find many of them. But Thanks for your suggestions, I will prolly try the library, and try renting atleast some of them, my income permitting… Movies that, Well… I basically figured I already needed to see them. But after reviewing that Sight and Sound list thing, I plan to watch: Citizen Kane Vertigo The Godfather Movies (Haven’t seen them for awhile… and not quite in their entirety) 2001: A Space Odyssey The others are by foreign actors and would be difficult to acquire, or I just learned about 'em. So the ones listed above are ones I’ve heard about and now I need to. ---
**Author:** ![Ilsa\_Lund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a6a055/32.png) [@Ilsa\_Lund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ilsa_Lund)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2004, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-i-have-to-watch/225591/17 "2004-01-22T22:52:38Z")
> [@gyt\_fx](#): > > **Ilsa\_Lund** , Checking the local library sounds like a decent suggestion. > I belong to the Timberland Regional Library (In Centralia: small town). So it’s not that large of a library, so I may check but I’m doubting it. > > **LeechBoy** , I live in a small town, and the only video stores in my locale are are basically a Hollywood Video, Video Update, and then a couple much smaller lesser ones. > Hollywood video… has more new movies, and Video Update has more movies that people wouldn’t normally rent on a day-to-day basis, so I could prolly find some of them there. However between the two… and perhaps attempting at some futile searches in other smaller ones, It’s doubtful I will find many of them. > > But Thanks for your suggestions, I will prolly try the library, and try renting atleast some of them, my income permitting… > > Movies that, Well… I basically figured I already needed to see them. But after reviewing that Sight and Sound list thing, I plan to watch: > Citizen Kane > Vertigo > The Godfather Movies (Haven’t seen them for awhile… and not quite in their entirety) > 2001: A Space Odyssey > > The others are by foreign actors and would be difficult to acquire, or I just learned about 'em. So the ones listed above are ones I’ve heard about and now I need to. Oh, I thought you said you lived in Wa. Washington, and not Western Australia. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2004, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-i-have-to-watch/225591/18 "2004-01-23T00:55:32Z")
Screw the “100 greatest movies of all time”. Just watch **The Iron Giant** 100 times. Or at least once. ---
**Author:** ![JackaRoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b5e925/32.png) [@JackaRoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JackaRoe)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2004, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-i-have-to-watch/225591/19 "2004-01-23T01:24:55Z")
“It’s a Wonderful Life” “Captain Courageous” ( the black and white version not that crappy recent remake) “The Grapes of Wrath”