# Tell me what movies I really, really need to see **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 1, 2001, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-what-movies-i-really-really-need-to-see/70884 "2001-07-01T23:32:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![grendel72](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/91b2a8/32.png) [@grendel72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grendel72)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2001, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-what-movies-i-really-really-need-to-see/70884/21 "2001-07-02T05:48:50Z")
The Umbrellas of Cherbourgh Evil Dead II Profondo Rosso The Rocky Horror Picture Show Heavenly Creatures …and, dude you absolutely HAVE to see Citizen Kane. ---
**Author:** ![katiekilldare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/838e76/32.png) [@katiekilldare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/katiekilldare)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2001, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-what-movies-i-really-really-need-to-see/70884/22 "2001-07-02T06:18:15Z")
The Shawshank Redemption The Abyss Tootsie Some Like it Hot ---
**Author:** ![Pammipoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/87869e/32.png) [@Pammipoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pammipoo)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2001, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-what-movies-i-really-really-need-to-see/70884/23 "2001-07-02T07:24:12Z")
\*\*The Fast and the Furious \*\* I saw it a few weeks ago, and I’m in awe. I loved it. I would highly reccomend it. Course, if hot guys and fast cars aren’t your thing, then it may not be for you 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Chas.E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e99b99/32.png) [@Chas.E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chas.E)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2001, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-what-movies-i-really-really-need-to-see/70884/24 "2001-07-02T07:48:15Z")
Andy Warhol’s “Sleep” “Ghosts Before Breakfast” by Hans Richter “Symphonie Diagonale” by Viking Eggeling “Flicker” (the first animated film ever made, alas no copies are known to exist so I recreated it as a computer animation, runs on Mac only, contact me if you’re interested). “Solaris” by Andrei Tarkovsky Shall I go on, or are people starting to get the idea that Hollywood is not the be-all and end-all of moviemaking? ---
**Author:** ![sirmulberryhawke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9e8a1a/32.png) [@sirmulberryhawke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sirmulberryhawke)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2001, 10:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-what-movies-i-really-really-need-to-see/70884/25 "2001-07-02T10:34:25Z")
May I suggest withnail and I, an old favourite in my neck of the woods. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2001, 10:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-what-movies-i-really-really-need-to-see/70884/26 "2001-07-02T10:46:30Z")
A couple of suggestions from yer ol’ pal **spooje** : _Twelve Angry Men The Big Sleep Failsafe_ and all the films by the Coen brothers _Fargo The Big Lebowski Oh, brother, where art thou? Blood Simple Barton Fink Raising Arizona Miller’s Crossing The Hudsucker Proxy_ Enjoy! ---
**Author:** ![Aghris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecccb3/32.png) [@Aghris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aghris)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2001, 11:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-what-movies-i-really-really-need-to-see/70884/27 "2001-07-02T11:05:16Z")
**Tuckerfan** , you are **so** on the spot with your movies. Let me add a couple that I think are great: - Drowning by Numbers - The bodysnatchers (the one with Donald Sutherland) - The Exorcist (I know, been suggested before, but definately worth repeating) - The Ninth Gate - To Wong Foo, Thanks For Everything, Julie Newmar (much funnier than Prescilla, and you gotta love Patrick Swayze and Wesley Snipes in a dress) - The Talented Mr. Ripley - Seven - Good Will Hunting ---
**Author:** ![psylocke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/94ad74/32.png) [@psylocke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psylocke)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2001, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-what-movies-i-really-really-need-to-see/70884/28 "2001-07-02T11:35:35Z")
The crow dark city lock,stock and 2 smoking barrels and snatch the big kahuna mallrats the 5th element true romance ---
**Author:** ![CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crankyasanoldman/32/11670_2.png) [@CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrankyAsAnOldMan)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2001, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-what-movies-i-really-really-need-to-see/70884/29 "2001-07-02T14:56:24Z")
After Cranky Jr was born, husband and I had to figure out a way to stay sane through all those feedings and late-night rocking sessions. Our answer? Put a VCR & TV in the nursery, and start working our way through the AFI 100 list! He was more faithful to the list than I was; I rented a lot of trashy stuff and a lot of indy stuff. We got a Blockbuster Gold membership in record time that year. Anyway, here are a few I thought were pretty good. Or worthwhile because they helped me understand something about movie icons of the past: Giant _(a big sprawling movie, really likable even if IMHO James Dean sucked in it)_ Treasure of the Sierra Madre The Manchurian Candidate _(Good god, who knew Frank Sinatra could ACT! And you’ll never look at Angela Lansbury the same way again)_ All the President’s Men Bonnie and Clyde The Searchers _(The Western landscape is this film’s biggest star, and that’s saying something because John Wayne’s in it)_ I’m sure I’ll think of more later. ---
**Author:** ![Gamelan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d07c76/32.png) [@Gamelan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gamelan)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2001, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-what-movies-i-really-really-need-to-see/70884/30 "2001-07-02T15:31:25Z")
OK here goes: The Holy Trinity for Comedy: Tha Christopher Guest Improv ensemble three: Spinal Tap Waiting for Guffman Best in Show but then, I am partial to that ‘type’ of comedy. The Holy trinity (Drama) The Godfather Movies They are like crack cocaine on filmstock for me. I just can’t get enough. Plus, just saw A.I. last night. BRILLIANT! ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Cynical](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ee59a6/32.png) [@Mr.Cynical](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Cynical)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2001, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-what-movies-i-really-really-need-to-see/70884/31 "2001-07-02T15:39:56Z")
I’ll give you these: The Shawshank Redemption The Princess Bride The Razor’s Edge (Bill Murray in a DRAMATIC role?) The Three Amigos Airplane! The Jerk Animal House Clerks Mallrats Dogma The Right Stuff ---
**Author:** ![Jeannie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e480ec/32.png) [@Jeannie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeannie)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2001, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-what-movies-i-really-really-need-to-see/70884/32 "2001-07-02T16:02:44Z")
Of the ones listed that I have seen, these are my favorites: **Schindler’s List** (But I’ve only seen it once. It was almost too much for me to take. I was very affected by it.) **Pulp Fiction** (I’m one of those who loved this one and Forrest Gump. I could watch this a million times and never get bored) **Toy Story 1&2** (I have the DVD Toybox) **Braveheart** **The Sixth Sense** (I get chills just thinking about that ending. I liked Unbreakable as well) **The Exorcist** (Scariest movie ever. I can’t believe I was able to sit through it in the theatre without freaking out) **Life of Brian** **Monty Python & the Holy Grail** **Dogma** (my favorite of the Kevin Smith films I’ve seen. Although sometimes I like Clerks better. Didn’t like Chasing Amy. Never seen Mallrats–for some reason it’s always out when we want to rent it) **The Usual Suspects** (the first Kevin Spacey film I ever saw. God Bless that man. He is pure talent from head to toe) **A Clockwork Orange** **Fargo** **Evil Dead II** (I liked the others in that trilogy as well) **Heavenly Creatures** **The Shawshank Redemption** **Raising Arizona** (one of the all-time funniest movies ever!) **Seven** There were many more that I liked, but the post would take the whole page if I listed them all. I didn’t like: **The Adventures of Baron Munchausen 2001: A Space Oddessey** (yes, I know, that’s heresy, but I just didn’t like it. I’m planning to see it again, in case I was just in a bad mood that day) **Brazil Apocalypse Now Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest The Ninth Gate** So, I hope that helps in narrowing down my tastes. I like just about any genre (except maybe westerns–never had a big desire to watch those). I really just like well-made films. And the ones here that I didn’t like were actually all very well made. I personally just couldn’t get into them for some reason. ---
**Author:** ![Jeannie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e480ec/32.png) [@Jeannie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeannie)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2001, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-what-movies-i-really-really-need-to-see/70884/33 "2001-07-02T16:17:38Z")
Just saw those last two posts. **Gamelan** : The Holy Trinity of Comedy: Yes! I loved all three of those! How is it possible for one man (Christopher Guest) to be so damned funny?! **The Godfather Trilogy** : Umm…I’ve only seen the first one. I loved it, though. Mr. Jeannie rented and watched the second one while I was out one day. This incident is still somewhat of a sore spot with us. **Manservant** : > [@](#): > > The Shawshank Redemption > The Princess Bride > The Razor’s Edge (Bill Murray in a DRAMATIC role?) > The Three Amigos > Airplane! > The Jerk > Animal House > Clerks > Mallrats > Dogma > The Right Stuff Never seen **Razor’s Edge** or **The Right Stuff** , but I liked all the rest of the films you listed. ---
**Author:** ![plnnr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@plnnr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/plnnr)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2001, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-what-movies-i-really-really-need-to-see/70884/34 "2001-07-02T16:23:35Z")
Oh, boy. Citizen Kane’s good, but check out The Magnificent Ambersons as well for another shot of Orson Welles. The Maltese Falcon already got mentioned, as did The Big Sleep. I like Falcon better (its my personal favorite)- The Big Sleep is awfully complicated in spots (they played the uncut version on AMC a while back and it got even more convoluted). Throw in Treasure of the Sierra Madre or To Have and Have Not and you’ve got Humphrey Bogart in a nutshell. In my book, he is THE MAN. The Philadelphia Story and Bringing Up Baby (Hepburn and Grant in both of those - screwball comedies at their best). Dracula and Frankenstein/Bride of Frankenstein - that covers the horror genre pretty well (plus, Bride of Frankenstein is just a plain old good movie). Casablanca and An Affair to Remember for romance. Stangers on a Train and Psycho for Hitchcock’s work. Stage Coach and My Darling Clementine for Westerns. You can also add The Cowboys and High Noon to that category. Ben Hur and/or The Ten Commandments for big, sprawling, techno-color, vista vision, 360 degree, panoramic bad acting. Some Like it Hot and The Apartment for Billy Wilder’s stuff (Jack Lemmon’s in both as well). Wilder also did Sunset Boulevard (“Its the pictures that got small.” What a great line). The Godfather I& II, Lawrence of Arabia, and Dr. Zhivago for big, sprawling stuff done well. Raising Arizona and Miller’s Crossing for the Coen Bros. work. Duck Soup, A Night at the Opera, A Day at the Races and The Big Store for the Marx Bros. I have copies of all of these on tape if you need to check them out. I could go on, but this is a list that might never end. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-what-movies-i-really-really-need-to-see/70884.md?page=1)