Here's the movie meme, but with a twist. Here is the list of AFIs top 100 movies, but instead of bolding the ones I've seen, I'm just going to list the ones I HAVEN'T seen. Stolen heartlessly from ... everyone, but specifically from Carrie.
4. Raging Bull (1980) - Still haven't seen it. I know. I know I said I'd watch this a year ago.
12. The Searchers (1956) - Never heard of it.
18. The General (1927) - Buster Keaton, right? Really? #18? Okay...
27. High Noon (1952) - I've seen the climactic scene. Well, at least the walking down the street part. After that, good guys win, right?
36. The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) - I can hum the tune. I always confuse this with the Bridge at Remagen, which I watched because it starred George (yummmm) Segal.
43. Midnight Cowboy (1969) - Ends in a bus. Don't need to see it.
45. Shane (1953) - "Shane come back." Don't need to see it.
53. Deer Hunter, The (1978) - Russian Roulette
58. The Gold Rush (1925) - Eats his shoes
59. Nashville (1975) - I always confuse this with Network.
75. In the Heat of the Night (1967) - Sweaty. That's all I know.
79. The Wild Bunch (1969) - I haven't ever HEARD of this movie. Unles it's the one with motorcycles.
91. Sophie’s Choice (1982) - This has to be the only love story in the bunch.
92. Goodfellas (1990) - This has Joe Pesci in it? Right?
95. The Last Picture Show (1971) - BLAME MY MOM. I was watching this and Mom reminded my dad that this was the part when someone takes off her shirt and then suddenly I was in the kitchen and we weren't watching anymore.
So, I still need to see these 15 movies. And to anyone who gasps, "Whaaa! You haven't seen Raging Bull?" I say to you, "Whaa! You haven't seen #82. Sunrise (1927)?"
There's a book called 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die (the list is somewhere on listsofbests.com. Too early/Too lazy to link). I've seen shockingly few of those, even though I did better on the movies lists than I did on books and movies. (I'm really embarrassed by the books list. What were they teaching us when we were supposed to be reading Tom Sawyer?)
Posted by: Kathy | October 23, 2007 at 05:15 AM
I'm doing you a favor. Do NOT watch 'Sophie's Choice. Do not, do not, do not. If you insist on watching it, watch it with the sound turned down so you can't hear the dialogue. Admire the youthful Kevin Klein.
And if you do insist on watching it with the audio up, concentrate on Meryl's truly horrible Polish accent. Don't listen to the words. Really. I'm begging you. Don't watch this movie.
William Styron wrote the book and he's the publishing industry's poster boy for depression.
Posted by: Becs | October 23, 2007 at 05:18 AM
Interesting... My parents never were that concerned with brief moments of nudity. I specifically recall seeing the scandalous "Bob, Carol, Ted and Alice" at the drive-in. I also managed to catch the Sally Kellerman shower scene from "M*A*S*H" at that same drive-in. With my parents.
But then again, my mom was the original, blushing prude when it came to discussing sex with us kids - she didn't. And my (by comparison) more sensible dad didn't exactly fill us in either. Why explain sex to your kids when movies can do it for them?
Oh, well. I'm relatively sane.
Posted by: Friend #3 | October 23, 2007 at 08:21 AM
Yeah, not sure I'd call Sophie's Choice a love story...but that could just be my opinion on it.
I love this meme, I may have to steal it myself.
Posted by: Candy | October 23, 2007 at 09:12 AM
Becs took the words right out of my mouth. Seriously.
Posted by: sue | October 23, 2007 at 09:49 AM
Oooooooooo, I love this meme. I'm a crazy Netflix fan, so I'm doing it sometime soon.
Goodfellas is really good. You really need to see that. :)
Posted by: ajooja | October 23, 2007 at 10:56 AM
I remember seeing Sophie's Choice on the big screen. Jeezus. No one needs to see such cruelty writ so large! Also, this movie made me cry. Not just while I was watching, but I cried for days afterwards whenever I would think about it. Too, too depressing.
Posted by: KC | October 23, 2007 at 11:31 AM
We watched The General in my film history class, and there's this scene where they collapse a bridge and crash a train into the river below it that captivated us because it looked super realistic and it's from the 1920s so it's not like they could CGI it or anything. We ended up asking our professor how they did it: they crashed a real train off of a real bridge into a real lake.
It's not really the most economically sound method, and you only get one take, but damn. They knew how to make movies back then.
Also, does reading all these comments make you want to watch Sophie's Choice? I'm totally thinking about renting it now.
Posted by: Erin | October 23, 2007 at 04:54 PM
I am hereby threatening to post the entire horrible, gut-wrenching, mind-muddying plot complete with spoilers of 'Sophie's Choice' if QM threatens to watch it.
Think 'Schindler's List' only more depressing.
Posted by: Becs | October 23, 2007 at 07:19 PM
I saw Sophie's Choice when I was about eight years old in the theater and have absolutely no recollection - but I turned out a happy person.
Posted by: TasterSpoon | October 23, 2007 at 07:40 PM
Kathy - Seriously? Tom Sawyer? Not Huckleberry Finn? That must have been at the bottom of the list.
Becs - Okay ... but it's supposed to be really good ...
Friend #3 - Remember, I know you.
Candy - You can find the whole meme in its original format at http://sothathappened.typepad.com/main/2007/10/the-inevitable-.html
Sue - That just makes it seem more intriguing...
Ajooja - Huh. I might have to start with that. Even though Sophie's Choice is sounding better and better.
KC - Okay, so another vote for Sophie's Choice ...
Erin - Yep. I think Sophie's Choice is next!
Becs - She has to sacrifice a child, right? I can take that.
TasterSpoon - See? You are years ahead of me. Gotta see this movie.
Posted by: TheQueen | October 23, 2007 at 10:19 PM
You've seen a LOT more of those movies than I have. Heh.
One that I've seen that you haven't: The Wild Bunch. It's a western. It's surprisingly good. Tons of modern movies were influenced by the directing style in it. You should check it out eventually.
But I'm totally putting Sophie's Choice on the top of my Netflix queue now. The curiosity, it is strong!
Posted by: Carrie | October 24, 2007 at 12:30 AM
Hmmm, I might have to steal that meme, too. Thanks!
Posted by: Melissa | October 24, 2007 at 01:55 PM
Carrie - I know! And be sure you watch it in the morning so it can affect your whole day!
Melissa - Steal away - lord knows I've stolen enough from you.
Posted by: TheQueen | October 24, 2007 at 10:20 PM
I actually haven't seen any of these either. Including Raging Bull.
With the exception of Goodfellas. Reall? Goodfellas? It's a kick-ass movie. Pesci, Deniro...But very, uh, vulgar.
Posted by: Marriage-101 | October 26, 2007 at 11:50 AM
Marriage-101 - Vulgar? Is it coarse and vulgar? Sounds like a perfect movie for me.
Posted by: TheQueen | October 26, 2007 at 10:43 PM