# The ONE movie that will always make you stop channel surfing **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 27, 2010, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-one-movie-that-will-always-make-you-stop-channel-surfing/548235 "2010-07-27T21:42:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![crypto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b3f665/32.png) [@crypto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2010, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-one-movie-that-will-always-make-you-stop-channel-surfing/548235/1 "2010-07-27T21:42:24Z")
I’m looking for one movie, not a list. You get one choice. The one movie that never fails to get you to stop and watch it. No matter how much of the movie has already run, what you are doing, etc. It will stop the channel surfing and, in my case, also please the wife. No arguing to keep surfing! A big bonus for me. So, single or with a significant other, what movie does it for you? My winner is \ **A Few Good Men** This is a movie that is great to watch, has a great performance by Nicholson, and the chemistry with Cruise, Moore, Bacon, Pollak, Sutherland, etc flows nicely. The script is great, and with the unfortunate editing on some of the vulgarity, it still works well on regular TV. I think it also works well because there is no relationship between Moore and Cruise. It wouldn’t have worked, and any time devoted to it would have taken time away from the movie as it stands now. Finally, when it comes to my wife and I agreeing on a movie to watch when there is nothing specific on and we are just looking for something we can agree on, this always wins. I don’t like the edited version, but there are not that many vulgarities to edit in the first place, so it’s not horrific to watch (unlike something like Fargo, where they substitute “fruitful” for “fucking” in a number of places that make the edited version painful to sit through. Your movie? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2010, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-one-movie-that-will-always-make-you-stop-channel-surfing/548235/2 "2010-07-27T21:44:50Z")
Um… **Xanadu**. ---
**Author:** ![Bearflag70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2010, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-one-movie-that-will-always-make-you-stop-channel-surfing/548235/3 "2010-07-27T21:49:01Z")
Star Trek II TWOK ---
**Author:** ![Electric\_Warrior](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@Electric\_Warrior](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Electric_Warrior)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2010, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-one-movie-that-will-always-make-you-stop-channel-surfing/548235/4 "2010-07-27T21:49:50Z")
_National Treasure_ :o ---
**Author:** ![MostlyClueless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@MostlyClueless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MostlyClueless)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2010, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-one-movie-that-will-always-make-you-stop-channel-surfing/548235/5 "2010-07-27T21:51:49Z")
Starship troopers ---
**Author:** ![sandra\_nz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@sandra\_nz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sandra_nz)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2010, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-one-movie-that-will-always-make-you-stop-channel-surfing/548235/6 "2010-07-27T21:52:21Z")
Ghostbusters. ---
**Author:** ![Susie\_Derkins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47774/32.png) [@Susie\_Derkins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Susie_Derkins)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2010, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-one-movie-that-will-always-make-you-stop-channel-surfing/548235/7 "2010-07-27T21:53:01Z")
Sixteen Candles. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2010, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-one-movie-that-will-always-make-you-stop-channel-surfing/548235/8 "2010-07-27T21:53:50Z")
Monsters, Inc. ---
**Author:** ![leftfield6](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leftfield6/32/18780_2.png) [@leftfield6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leftfield6)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2010, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-one-movie-that-will-always-make-you-stop-channel-surfing/548235/9 "2010-07-27T21:55:25Z")
Rio Bravo ---
**Author:** ![kathmandu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kathmandu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kathmandu)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2010, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-one-movie-that-will-always-make-you-stop-channel-surfing/548235/10 "2010-07-27T22:01:39Z")
The Terminator. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2010, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-one-movie-that-will-always-make-you-stop-channel-surfing/548235/11 "2010-07-27T22:04:06Z")
Jaws ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2010, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-one-movie-that-will-always-make-you-stop-channel-surfing/548235/12 "2010-07-27T22:10:32Z")
Almost Famous. It used to be Contact before they added to Netflix streaming ---
**Author:** ![Jet\_Jaguar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jet_jaguar/32/3562_2.png) [@Jet\_Jaguar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jet_Jaguar)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2010, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-one-movie-that-will-always-make-you-stop-channel-surfing/548235/13 "2010-07-27T22:26:27Z")
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (the old Gene Wilder version). ---
**Author:** ![Shawn1767](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Shawn1767](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shawn1767)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2010, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-one-movie-that-will-always-make-you-stop-channel-surfing/548235/14 "2010-07-27T22:28:02Z")
Silence of the Lambs ---
**Author:** ![Proudest\_Monkey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/proudest_monkey/32/13257_2.png) [@Proudest\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Proudest_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2010, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-one-movie-that-will-always-make-you-stop-channel-surfing/548235/15 "2010-07-27T22:43:22Z")
Hard to pick just one. In fact, my husband, daughter and I have had an ongoing discussion of this very subject – we keep adding to our lists. I have many, but a random selection from my list (that hasn’t been mentioned yet) is **That Thing You Do**. Love everything about it, especially the scene when Guy first changes up the tempo, and the scene when they hear their song on the radio for the first time, and so on . . . ---
**Author:** ![DivineComedienne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c67d28/32.png) [@DivineComedienne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DivineComedienne)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2010, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-one-movie-that-will-always-make-you-stop-channel-surfing/548235/16 "2010-07-27T22:52:53Z")
_Gentlemen Prefer Blondes._ Total fluff, very dated, and Jane Russell (as Dorothy) is wooden; but Marilyn Monroe is a joy to watch as golddigger with a heart of gold, Lorelei Lee. Two lines stand out and make me laugh every time I hear them: (Lorelei needs to coax her rich boyfriend into giving her money to replace a diamond tiara): Lorelei: How much does a diamond tiara cost, anyway? Dorothy: About $15,000. Lorelei: Hmmmm…That will take an hour and 15 minutes. I love how she has it timed out, dollars per minute! – AND – (Lorelei is talking to her rich boyfriend’s even richer father): Rich father: You’re just interested in his money. You aren’t fooling me. Lorelei: I’m not trying. But I bet I could, though. I watch it EVERY TIME, and laugh out loud EVERY TIME. ---
**Author:** ![woodstockbirdybird](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/woodstockbirdybird/32/7905_2.png) [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2010, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-one-movie-that-will-always-make-you-stop-channel-surfing/548235/17 "2010-07-27T22:55:15Z")
**Groundhog Day**. Probably seen it 20 times just because it was on when I was channel surfing. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2010, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-one-movie-that-will-always-make-you-stop-channel-surfing/548235/18 "2010-07-27T23:24:46Z")
Kelly’s Heroes. ---
**Author:** ![santosvega](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@santosvega](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/santosvega)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2010, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-one-movie-that-will-always-make-you-stop-channel-surfing/548235/19 "2010-07-27T23:25:28Z")
_Dazed and Confused_. Don’t really know why. Love the movie, but I love a lot of other movies and _Dazed and Confused_ is the only one I’ll always get excited about. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2010, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-one-movie-that-will-always-make-you-stop-channel-surfing/548235/20 "2010-07-27T23:29:15Z")
It was Beetlejuice then the 5th Element now Idiocracy, Kingpin and The Big Labowsky get my attention So it is not just one. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-one-movie-that-will-always-make-you-stop-channel-surfing/548235.md?page=2)