# The Five Movies That Nearly Everyone On Earth Should See **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 15, 2006, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-five-movies-that-nearly-everyone-on-earth-should-see/352818 "2006-04-15T23:22:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2006, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-five-movies-that-nearly-everyone-on-earth-should-see/352818/1 "2006-04-15T23:22:24Z")
As a followup to [thread=7302222]The five movies that nearly everyone on Earth has seen[/thread], what films, dear Doper, are the five movies that nearly everyone on Earth should see? This is clearly a completely arbitrary list based upon personal preference, but take into account appeal and accessibilty to the general public, therefore leaving out films like _Brazil_ or _La Dolce Vita_ that require more patience or concentration than the average viewer cares to invest in. Here’s my list: [ul] [li]_Rear Window_ (obviously the Stewart-Kelly version)[/li][li]_Casablanca_[/li][li]_Raiders of the Lost Ark_[/li][li]_Arsenic and Old Lace_[/li][li]_Goodfellas_[/ul][/li] Almost rans: _Dr. Strangelove_, _The Great Escape_, _Some Like It Hot_, _Cool Hand Luke_, _The Wild Bunch_, _Real Genius_, _Best In Show_. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2006, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-five-movies-that-nearly-everyone-on-earth-should-see/352818/2 "2006-04-15T23:33:03Z")
I’d keep Casablanca from your list. I’d add Gone with the Wind - part of our cultural heritage. I’d replace Rear Window by either North by Northwest or Psycho. 2001 a Space Odyssey and Star Wars both, for two ends of the sf spectrum. And I’d wind up with Citizen Kane. I’d be tempted to add The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, but it’s probably too much for the average viewer. ---
**Author:** ![pinkfreud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pinkfreud/32/17603_2.png) [@pinkfreud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinkfreud)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2006, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-five-movies-that-nearly-everyone-on-earth-should-see/352818/3 "2006-04-15T23:33:19Z")
Off the top of my head, and in no particular order… Lawrence of Arabia The Godfather The Treasure of the Sierra Madre Fantasia Duck Soup ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2006, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-five-movies-that-nearly-everyone-on-earth-should-see/352818/4 "2006-04-15T23:39:42Z")
_Real Genius_ is an also ran? Are you serious? It was a cute movie but no way in hell should it ever come close to a top 5 “must see” list. I just know someone will say _Gone With the Wind_…I shudder to think of keeping people awake through that one if it were on a top 5 list. Citizen Kane Casablanca 2001: A Space Odyssey Duck Soup The Godfather (has to trump Goodfellas) ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2006, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-five-movies-that-nearly-everyone-on-earth-should-see/352818/5 "2006-04-15T23:41:13Z")
Actually… Scracth _Duck Soup_ off my list and replace it with _The Wizard of Oz_. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2006, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-five-movies-that-nearly-everyone-on-earth-should-see/352818/6 "2006-04-15T23:46:51Z")
_Lonesome Dove_. It was a TV movie, but probably better than 95% of the theater films produced. _Godfather I & II_ _The Oxbow Incident_ _The Execution of Private Slovik_ _African Queen_ ---
**Author:** ![Lochdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/edb3f5/32.png) [@Lochdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lochdale)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2006, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-five-movies-that-nearly-everyone-on-earth-should-see/352818/7 "2006-04-15T23:49:34Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > The Godfather (has to trump Goodfellas) As good drama, sure. As any semblance of realism then absolutely not. The Godfather is about as realistic as Raiders of the Lost Ark or even Real Genius. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2006, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-five-movies-that-nearly-everyone-on-earth-should-see/352818/8 "2006-04-15T23:59:26Z")
Young Frankenstein My Favorite Year The Lion In Winter Secondhand Lions Ghandi ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2006, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-five-movies-that-nearly-everyone-on-earth-should-see/352818/9 "2006-04-16T00:06:14Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > _Real Genius_ is an also ran? Are you serious? It was a cute movie but no way in hell should it ever come close to a top 5 “must see” list. Remember, we’re not talking about _significant_ movies, but accessible ones, and movies that can cross cultural boundries. (Everyone I know who’s seen _Real Genius_ has enjoyed it immensely–but I probably stuck it on the list because the DVD was recently released and I’ve watched it a couple of times in the last month.) I realize that this is all opinion, but I’d have to say that _Gone With The Wind_ should probably be out of consideration; it may be part of the cultural history of someone in the American South, but for most people, especially non-Americans, it’s both culturally irrelevent and, frankly, boring as hell. _The Godfather_ is an interesting pick; I’d have to agree that it’s a better movie than _Goodfellas_, but many people seem to find it slow-moving and boring. (Go figure.) And while it’s a great drama with lucious cinematography and the second or third best acting job Al Pacino has ever done, it’s really a Greek tragedy in the guise of a Mafia movie, which gives it more thematical complexity than _Goodfellas_ (which is basically a straightforward biopic of a low-level Mob soldier) it also makes it harder to absorb. (Similarly, _The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance_ is the best Western John Ford ever made and that John Wayne ever had the privilege of appearing in, but because it is a deconstructuralist story that undermines the whole Western genre it has a somewhat limited appeal to the viewing public.) I’d have to go with _Goodfellas_ over _The Godfather_, and indeed, over the superior but less accessible Scorsese-DeNiro masterpieces like _Raging Bull_ and _Taxi Driver_. _2001: A Space Odyessy_: a great film, but most people find it boring as hell and lacking any plot. It was a commercial success in initial release only among serious sci-fi filmies and acid heads, and while many of the scenes and ideas have been ripped off by lesser films, it remains an enigma, unappealing to most viewers. I like **pinkfreud** ’s picks (aside from _The Godfather_); I hadn’t even thought of _Lawrence of Arabia_. Unfortunately, to get the full impact of the film you really have to see it in 70mm projection, and baring the remaining handful of cinemas so equipped, most people will never get the chance to see it properly. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2006, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-five-movies-that-nearly-everyone-on-earth-should-see/352818/10 "2006-04-16T00:08:47Z")
> [@Lochdale](#): > > As good drama, sure. As any semblance of realism then absolutely not. Should a movie be judged on how well it reflects reality? Other than documentaries, I would say that criteria is the last thing I consider in a good movie. ---
**Author:** ![Lochdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/edb3f5/32.png) [@Lochdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lochdale)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2006, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-five-movies-that-nearly-everyone-on-earth-should-see/352818/11 "2006-04-16T00:09:54Z")
I’d agree that the Godfather is a greek tragedy described as a “mafia” pic. It’s also an excellent movie. My problem with it, however, is that it glamorizes the mafia lifestyle and even invents part of it. It was adapted from a potboiler tha had very little basis in reality. Goodfellas is much more convincing and in many ways a much more human movie. It is, in my opinion, a vastly superior movie and one that is more relevant and more valuable than any of the Godfather movies. ---
**Author:** ![Lochdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/edb3f5/32.png) [@Lochdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lochdale)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2006, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-five-movies-that-nearly-everyone-on-earth-should-see/352818/12 "2006-04-16T00:13:47Z")
> [@Fear Itself](#): > > Should a movie be judged on how well it reflects reality? Other than documentaries, I would say that criteria is the last thing I consider in a good movie. Well that depends on how you define a good movie. My concern with the Godfather is that it glamorizes (and invents) a profoundly anti-social lifestyle. Is that something we want to spread around the world? The Godfather is almost a cartoon, a male adolescent fantasy, insofar as it makes sociopathic thugs out to be honourable business men. A movie like Goodfellas holds that very same lifestyle up to the light and basically mocks it. To my mind, that’s a more important and powerful message and one which I think ought to be shared before that of the Godfather. ---
**Author:** ![Mangosteen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Mangosteen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangosteen)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2006, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-five-movies-that-nearly-everyone-on-earth-should-see/352818/13 "2006-04-16T00:20:10Z")
Flight of the Phoniex The Sting Cool Hand Luke Raiders of the Lost Ark Blow ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2006, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-five-movies-that-nearly-everyone-on-earth-should-see/352818/14 "2006-04-16T00:20:16Z")
A casual list only, quite likely I could change my mind on any of them on the slightest whim. I’m going to start by picking one each from what I consider major film catagories. Comedy - Blazing Saddles Drama - Casablanca Suspense/Thriller - Rear Window Action/Adventure - Raiders of the Lost Ark SciFi/Fantasy - Star Wars Western - The Wild Bunch So I picked six, oh well. SF/Fant and A/A could be combined then, the nod going to the Lucas Film. Catagories may change at the drop of a hat. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2006, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-five-movies-that-nearly-everyone-on-earth-should-see/352818/15 "2006-04-16T00:25:04Z")
[Star Wars](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0076759) (and not that _A New Hope_ crap re-release that Lucas did, I mean the original cut released in 1977) [Blazing Saddles](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071230/) [The Terminator](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088247/) [The Gods Must Be Crazy](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080801/) [Stop Making Sense](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088178/) and if I can add one more, in the nonfiction category, it would be [Koyaanisqatsi](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0085809/). (I know, I know… having 6 is cheating. :rolleyes: So sue me.) ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2006, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-five-movies-that-nearly-everyone-on-earth-should-see/352818/16 "2006-04-16T00:38:09Z")
Would be interesting to see some postings from non Western nation Dopers. (if there are any left.) As long as the shows are readily available to me, Joe Average American. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2006, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-five-movies-that-nearly-everyone-on-earth-should-see/352818/17 "2006-04-16T00:38:55Z")
> [@Lochdale](#): > > A movie like Goodfellas holds that very same lifestyle up to the light and basically mocks it. To my mind, that’s a more important and powerful message and one which I think ought to be shared before that of the Godfather. I’ve started [post=7302940]another thread[/post] on this topic, so as to prevent hijack. Enjoy. Stranger ---
**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:** [April 16, 2006, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-five-movies-that-nearly-everyone-on-earth-should-see/352818/18 "2006-04-16T00:46:39Z")
Just off the top of my head… Casablanca The Godfather Dr. Strangelove The Princess Bride And for a western, what the heck… The Good, The Bad and the Ugly. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2006, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-five-movies-that-nearly-everyone-on-earth-should-see/352818/19 "2006-04-16T00:49:38Z")
> [@Shoeless](#): > > And for a western, what the heck… The Good, The Bad and the Ugly. I almost went for that one! Might depend on mood for me… ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2006, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-five-movies-that-nearly-everyone-on-earth-should-see/352818/20 "2006-04-16T01:00:58Z")
Easy Rider, Plan 9 from Outer Space, Gummo, The Fog of War and another one I don’t know the title of. Had to do with Nuclear Energy and why its a good thing. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-five-movies-that-nearly-everyone-on-earth-should-see/352818.md?page=2)