# Movies you know you ought to see but probably never will - and why **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 10, 2010, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-you-know-you-ought-to-see-but-probably-never-will-and-why/528421 "2010-02-10T14:54:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2010, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-you-know-you-ought-to-see-but-probably-never-will-and-why/528421/1 "2010-02-10T14:54:46Z")
I’ve never seen _Schindler’s List_, even though everyone tells me I should. Just sounds like too much of a downer. I’ve never seen _The Shawshank Redemption_, even though everyone tells me I should. The clips I’ve seen of it don’t hook me at all. I’ve never seen _Pulp Fiction_, even though everyone tells me I should. It’s been parodied so much since that I’m not sure I could even take it seriously. And you? ---
**Author:** ![Kolga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e56c9b/32.png) [@Kolga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolga)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2010, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-you-know-you-ought-to-see-but-probably-never-will-and-why/528421/2 "2010-02-10T14:56:54Z")
_Forrest Gump_. I’m not a fan of the Holy Fool trope. _Hotel Rwanda_. I just don’t know if I can stomach it. _Beautiful Mind_. When it came out, I was working on a longitudinal research project regarding schizophrenia, and had no desire to work with the disorder 8 hours a day and go home and watch a movie about it. Then…I just never got around to it. ---
**Author:** ![StusBlues](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@StusBlues](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StusBlues)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2010, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-you-know-you-ought-to-see-but-probably-never-will-and-why/528421/3 "2010-02-10T14:58:36Z")
_Barry Lyndon_. I’ve heard it was boring, and it doesn’t seem to have captured much popular imagination like Kubrick’s other films. _Brazil_. I’ve tried, man. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2010, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-you-know-you-ought-to-see-but-probably-never-will-and-why/528421/4 "2010-02-10T15:03:38Z")
\*Gone With the Wind. \* I pretty much know the story, the characters, the settings, the sub-plots and a shit load of trivia about it … so, what’s the point? ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2010, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-you-know-you-ought-to-see-but-probably-never-will-and-why/528421/5 "2010-02-10T15:03:53Z")
It looks as though I won’t be seeing “Avatar”. I have absolutely no interest in the story but feel like I should see it because of the visual spectacle. I definitely won’t bother seeing it if I can’t catch it at the theater and at this point I don’t see that happening. I’ve also not seen most of this year’s Oscar nominees except “Up in the Air” (which wasn’t very good, to be honest) and don’t have much interest in any of them. I know I’ll be bummed on Oscar night but I can’t seem to motivate myself to check them out. ---
**Author:** ![MitzeKatze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ad7895/32.png) [@MitzeKatze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MitzeKatze)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2010, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-you-know-you-ought-to-see-but-probably-never-will-and-why/528421/6 "2010-02-10T15:21:26Z")
Pretty much every “important movie” ever made in addition to _The Shawshank Redemtion_, _Schindler’s List_, _The Green Mile_ and movies along the lines of _Precious_ and _The Blind Side_. I don’t watch (or want to watch) depressing films, or those about redemption or overcoming depressing circumstances, or anything that is in any way a “downer”. I hated that I was dragged to _District 9_ even because it was so sad… I watch movies for entertainment…I want light-hearted, funny, or at least unrealistic movies (I do like torture-porn type horror movies too). Anything that is “too real” or portrayals of (possibly) actual events that are not so nice is just too much for me to waste my entertainment dollars on. I can get enough of real life, real horrors, and real conflict through other sources. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2010, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-you-know-you-ought-to-see-but-probably-never-will-and-why/528421/7 "2010-02-10T15:23:41Z")
_Citizen Kane_ Yeah, I know it’s the greatest American movie of all time but I already have the whole “rosebud” thing spoiled for me and I’ve heard others say it was cutting edge for it’s time but not so much today. _Scarface_ Almost 3 hours long for a gangster film. And I’ve had my fill of gangster moives over the past 3 decades. Would there really be anything I haven’t seen before? “Say hello to my lil fren!” _Dances with Wolves_ Best Picture yada-yada. I don’t think I could stomach Costner and indians. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2010, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-you-know-you-ought-to-see-but-probably-never-will-and-why/528421/8 "2010-02-10T15:31:18Z")
Any number of classic silent films. For instance, I have no desire to see “Birth of a Nation.” I know Eisenstein is supposed to be a genius, and I’ve seen numerous films pay homage to “Battleship Potemkin,” but I really don’t want to sit through any of his movies. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2010, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-you-know-you-ought-to-see-but-probably-never-will-and-why/528421/9 "2010-02-10T15:46:40Z")
I think I can hear the faint sound of **Equipoise’s** head asploding:eek: ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2010, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-you-know-you-ought-to-see-but-probably-never-will-and-why/528421/10 "2010-02-10T15:46:52Z")
_The Seventh Seal_, for pretty much the same reasons **astorian** listed. ---
**Author:** ![badbadrubberpiggy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/57b2e6/32.png) [@badbadrubberpiggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/badbadrubberpiggy)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2010, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-you-know-you-ought-to-see-but-probably-never-will-and-why/528421/11 "2010-02-10T15:55:41Z")
**Grave of the Fireflies** I’ve read enough about it here to know how depressing it is, and I haven’t been in the mood to feel awful lately. I almost wish I had known less about it, because it’s supposed to be awesome, but it’s hard going into a movie knowing it’s going to be that depressing. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2010, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-you-know-you-ought-to-see-but-probably-never-will-and-why/528421/12 "2010-02-10T16:00:27Z")
> [@Jack\_Batty](#): > > \*Gone With the Wind. \* I pretty much know the story, the characters, the settings, the sub-plots and a shit load of trivia about it … so, what’s the point? I agree that you shouldn’t bother, especially if you’ve read the book. I haven’t seen much of anything (Casablanca, Aliens, Titanic, etc.) and I’m not likely to remedy that situation on purpose. I don’t feel much interest in movies\*, but sometimes I get sucked in if my husband happens to run across something on TV. \*I’m not sure why, maybe I have a short attention sp ---
**Author:** ![Roadfood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9fc348/32.png) [@Roadfood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roadfood)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2010, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-you-know-you-ought-to-see-but-probably-never-will-and-why/528421/13 "2010-02-10T19:11:10Z")
> [@MitzeKatze](#): > > I don’t watch (or want to watch) depressing films, or those about redemption or overcoming depressing circumstances, or anything that is in any way a “downer”. I hated that I was dragged to _District 9_ even because it was so sad… > > I watch movies for entertainment…I want light-hearted, funny, or at least unrealistic movies (I do like torture-porn type horror movies too). Anything that is “too real” or portrayals of (possibly) actual events that are not so nice is just too much for me to waste my entertainment dollars on. I can get enough of real life, real horrors, and real conflict through other sources. Wow, I thought my SO and I were the only people who felt this way, good to hear another kindred spirit. I will never watch “No Country for Old Men”, even though I’m a really big Tommy Lee Jones fan. I will never understand how people can enjoy movies about people killing people. “The Road”, I will never, ever, ever see. I’ve read about it, heard people say that it was a good movie, but really depressing. To me, that’s like saying that you had a root canal with no novocain, and it was really good. It’s just a non-sequiter to me that anyone can enjoy something depressing. ---
**Author:** ![Kolga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e56c9b/32.png) [@Kolga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolga)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2010, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-you-know-you-ought-to-see-but-probably-never-will-and-why/528421/14 "2010-02-10T19:59:34Z")
> [@MitzeKatze](#): > > Pretty much every “important movie” ever made in addition to _The Shawshank Redemtion_, _Schindler’s List_, _The Green Mile_ and movies along the lines of _Precious_ and _The Blind Side_. > > I don’t watch (or want to watch) depressing films, or those about redemption or overcoming depressing circumstances, or anything that is in any way a “downer”. I hated that I was dragged to _District 9_ even because it was so sad… > > I watch movies for entertainment…I want light-hearted, funny, or at least unrealistic movies (I do like torture-porn type horror movies too). Anything that is “too real” or portrayals of (possibly) actual events that are not so nice is just too much for me to waste my entertainment dollars on. I can get enough of real life, real horrors, and real conflict through other sources. You are my twin-separated at birth. _Precious_ is another movie I know I’m going to miss. I tell people that I for the most part want escapism from my entertainment (books, movies, TV). If I want depressing, I’ll turn on the damn news. I do want to see _The Road_, though, because I thought the book was fantastic. ---
**Author:** ![smaje1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47774/32.png) [@smaje1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smaje1)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2010, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-you-know-you-ought-to-see-but-probably-never-will-and-why/528421/15 "2010-02-10T20:33:02Z")
I doubt I’ll ever see Precious: Based on the novel Push by Saphhire, because the name is wayyy to long. Not really. It’s because no matter how uplifting it may be at the end, I could not bear to sit through 2 hours of the poor fat girl being abused. I cry at sad movies - like, I _bawl_. I remember seeing Backdraft in the theater and crying so hard in the bathroom afterward that a nice lady asked my friend if I was ok: “Did a friend of hers die or something?” Same thing after seeing The Doctor with William Hurt. I jsut can’t force myself to see movies I know will make me depressed, no matter how damn good they are. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Mahna\_Mahna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e47c2d/32.png) [@Mahna\_Mahna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahna_Mahna)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2010, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-you-know-you-ought-to-see-but-probably-never-will-and-why/528421/16 "2010-02-10T20:35:25Z")
All of the _The Godfather_ movies. Yeah, I know… it’s a friggin’ masterpiece of late 20th century cinema. Since there’s something about gangster movies that bores me to tears, I have zero interest in watching it. Same goes for Westerns, which means I’ll probably never get around to watching _Unforgiven_ despite the fact that everyone says it’s super-awesome. (Actually, _Unforgiven_ has two strikes against it, because there’s something about Clint Eastwood that annoys me… I’m fully aware that he’s a great actor, but there’s something about him that I irrationally dislike) ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2010, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-you-know-you-ought-to-see-but-probably-never-will-and-why/528421/17 "2010-02-10T20:51:49Z")
Any of the Lord of the Rings films. They’re just so… _long_. And I don’t have that sort of time block that I want to spend watching a movie rather than doing something else. ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2010, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-you-know-you-ought-to-see-but-probably-never-will-and-why/528421/18 "2010-02-10T21:03:01Z")
I love going to the symphony or seeing a play, but I just can’t tolerate musicals, or worse, when there is sudden singing where I don’t expect it. Any singing ruins a _Simpsons_ episode for me. Hated the finale of _Futurama_. The musical _Buffy_ episode I found soul crushing. I stopped watching _Northern Exposure_ completely when they had that “Shelly can’t stop singing” plotline. So, there’s no way I will ever see _Grease_, _The Sound of Music_, _Moulin Rouge_, _Chicago_, _Dreamgirls_, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Anamorphic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/anamorphic/32/3057_2.png) [@Anamorphic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anamorphic)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2010, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-you-know-you-ought-to-see-but-probably-never-will-and-why/528421/19 "2010-02-10T22:22:42Z")
_Crazy Heart_. It’s supposed to be fantastic, Jeff Bridges supposedly gives the performance of a lifetime, and I’m already a big fan of his. But I HATE country music. With a passion. To the point where it makes me physically uncomfortable to be around when it’s playing. I know that probably sounds like I’m exaggerating, but I’m really not. I have to walk away when country music is playing. Sadly, there’s no way I could sit through this film. ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_s\_Son](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19adc/32.png) [@Jim\_s\_Son](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_s_Son)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2010, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-you-know-you-ought-to-see-but-probably-never-will-and-why/528421/20 "2010-02-10T23:59:08Z")
“Schindler’s List” I’ve seen things on the Holocaust (“War and Remembrance”, “Escape from Sobibor”), have read about this, seen documentary’s on Schindler. “Saving Private Ryan” no interest in seeing Tom Hanks play soldier. “Titanic” seen and read several things on it. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-you-know-you-ought-to-see-but-probably-never-will-and-why/528421.md?page=2)