Famous Classic Movies You've Never Watched

[GenesisNemesis]

Is there some reason you're avoiding Casablanca ?

For me I think it's because I just avoid watching romance stuff altogether, reminds me too much of various bad decisions (there are exceptions, The Fifth Element is too good to pass up). Plus I still enjoy not being in a relationship, so I can't exactly relate to romantic plots often.

I am shocked, shocked that there are people who haven’t watched Casablanca.

People are allowed to have preferences in genre are they not? And I'm sure this has been said about practically every movie.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

Looking at the AFI top 100, I've seen 14 of the top 17. I find it odd that Wizard of Oz would be ranked so high. Production wise, it is remarkable, but there are plenty of films below it that deserve a higher spot. Similar for The Graduate. I'm not exactly certain why that movie matters so much.

Looking at the stats, I'd say I'm delinquent in Stanley Kubrick (only Dr. Strangelove), Bogart (only African Queen), Hitchcock (I've seen several, but I haven't seen a Psycho, Shadow of a Doubt is one of my favorite films), and late 60s, 1970s movies in general.

I haven't seen West Side Story in full yet, and I'd say that'd probably be much bigger than Casablanca just based on the sheer insanity that was the concept of musical in the first place.

 

[unapologetic]

As a kid in the '60s, our parents made us dress-up and go to a city to see Doctor Zhivago and Bridge on the River Kwai.
Big fancy theater. (widescreen maybe) We lived in the boonies and didn't get films till they were played-out in the citys.
That's how it works in the boonies. One screen per theater, one theater per town. One print of a film travels from town to town, after the city doesn't need the print. The best films would take months to get to us. And only play for one week, no exceptions.
Zhivago put me to sleep. River Kwai was interesting and seinic, but not great. I've never watched either since.

Edit:
We saw Sound of Music there too. I hate musicals.

 

[Politesse]

Looking at the AFI top 100, I've seen 14 of the top 17. I find it odd that Wizard of Oz would be ranked so high. Production wise, it is remarkable, but there are plenty of films below it that deserve a higher spot. Similar for The Graduate. I'm not exactly certain why that movie matters so much.

Because AFI are movie buffs! The Wizard of Oz changed the way movies were produced. Before it there were few hits produced in technicolor. After it there were few hits NOT produced in color. It revolutionized the use of visuals and especially visual effects to tell a story rather than as a mere pantomime or emphasis, making the yellow brick road, the slippers, the emerald city, the field of poppies and so forth an essential building block of the story in a way few filmmakers had done since the silent era. It made Judy Garland a household name. It was a popular escapist fantasy at a time in American history at a time when Americans really, really needed an escapist fantasy where evil was a choice and readily defeatable, even if the leaders who set you to the project are corrupt. Metaphorical language from the film became a part of the everyday American lexicon. And unlike some of the other popular films in the era, it has stood the test of time and is still an enjoyable watch, unlike say "Geronimo!", popular at the time but a difficult slog now.

 

[Politesse]

Hitchcock (I've seen several, but I haven't seen a Psycho, Shadow of a Doubt is one of my favorite films)

Psycho is more "iconic" than "great", if you ask me! But you should give "Vertigo" or "Rear Window" a watch some time, if you enjoyed "Shadow of a Doubt".

 

[unapologetic]

Across the Universe (1970)

Across the Universe is the only musical I ever liked. (unless you consider Hard Days Night a mustcal.) I bought the Universe DVD and play it often.

 

[thebeave]

Looking at the AFI top 100, I've seen 14 of the top 17. I find it odd that Wizard of Oz would be ranked so high. Production wise, it is remarkable, but there are plenty of films below it that deserve a higher spot. Similar for The Graduate. I'm not exactly certain why that movie matters so much.

Because AFI are movie buffs! The Wizard of Oz changed the way movies were produced. Before it there were few hits produced in technicolor. After it there were few hits NOT produced in color. It revolutionized the use of visuals and especially visual effects to tell a story rather than as a mere pantomime or emphasis, making the yellow brick road, the slippers, the emerald city, the field of poppies and so forth an essential building block of the story in a way few filmmakers had done since the silent era. It made Judy Garland a household name. It was a popular escapist fantasy at a time in American history at a time when Americans really, really needed an escapist fantasy where evil was a choice and readily defeatable, even if the leaders who set you to the project are corrupt. Metaphorical language from the film became a part of the everyday American lexicon. And unlike some of the other popular films in the era, it has stood the test of time and is still an enjoyable watch, unlike say "Geronimo!", popular at the time but a difficult slog now.

It is a great film, and has always been in my Top 5. As an annual rite of passage, it was broadcast once a year on TV in the '60's and 70's and I recall watching it with the rest of my family many of those years. About 20 years ago, I watched it again on the big screen at the old Stanford Theater in Palo Alto with a foreign visitor who had never seen it before. Lots of laughs and sniffles in the theater. So, yeah...big fan here as well.

 

[unapologetic]

I saw 2001 in cinamascope in St. Louis.
I was with a busload of other Boy Scouts, traveling from PA to Philmont, New Mexico.
We crashed for the night at some college dorm. I saw an ad in the paper for 2001 in CINAMASCOPE!
I knew my hometown theater wouldn't get it for a year, and not widescreen. So I risked breaking curfew and hitched to the theater, in my uniform.
Saw 2001 several times since, still a classic, even on a standard screen.

 

[Shadowy Man]

What’s that Christmas movie with jimmy Stewart? Never seen it despite it being shown every damn year. I’ve only seen snippets when I skipped past it on the TV or it was shown in some shop or restaurant around Christmas time.

 

[thebeave]

What’s that Christmas movie with jimmy Stewart? Never seen it despite it being shown every damn year. I’ve only seen snippets when I sliced past it on the TV or it was shown in some shop or restaurant around Christmas time.

It's a Wonderful Life. Since its talked about so much, I decide to sit myself down and watch it a few years ago. I found it kind of boring, and stopped watching before it got anywhere. So, a bit overrated IMHO. Maybe when I'm 97 years old in a nursing home and I find a fly on the wall to be the highlight of my day, I'll give it another go.

 

[pood]

What’s that Christmas movie with jimmy Stewart? Never seen it despite it being shown every damn year. I’ve only seen snippets when I skipped past it on the TV or it was shown in some shop or restaurant around Christmas time.

Never saw it either, and no desire to.

 

[pood]

Also never saw Birth of a Nation, which today is praised for its technical virtuosity for that era (1915) but not for its racist content. The execrable racist Woody Wilson hosted a screening in the Whie House and of course loved it.

 

[Swammerdami]

Is there some reason you're avoiding Casablanca ?

For me I think it's because I just avoid watching romance stuff altogether, reminds me too much of various bad decisions (there are exceptions, The Fifth Element is too good to pass up). Plus I still enjoy not being in a relationship, so I can't exactly relate to romantic plots often.

I am shocked, shocked that there are people who haven’t watched Casablanca.

People are allowed to have preferences in genre are they not?

No!
Everyone should be like me! My list of favorite movies is very eclectic; I like a variety of genres, as long as they are very good movies with good acting, good script, interesting stories, and a good mix of drama, thrills, humor, etc.

Wikipedia calls Casablanca a "romantic drama" and if I click there I see 41 examples of "romantic dramas", of which only Casablanca and maybe An Officer and a Gentleman would get high recommendation from me. So I don't like the Casablanca "genre". I like THAT movie because on a scale of 1 to 10 it ranks about 25 for its "genre."

Across the Universe (1970)

Across the Universe is the only musical I ever liked. (unless you consider Hard Days Night a musical.) I bought the Universe DVD and play it often.

I'm glad to see SOMEBODY agreeing with me about something! Another favorite musical is Amadeus. Among traditional musicals only two Rodgers and Hammersteins rank high for me -- Flower Drum Song (funny, poignant, sentimental, good story) and South Pacific, sentimental story, with Ezio Pinza singing "Some Enchanted Evening" worth the price of admission.

The musical Singin' in the Rain -- #10 on the posted AFI Top 100 -- is hugely over-rated. Speaking of that AFI list, i may be a "movie buff": I've seen 47 of the Top 50. (Though it's only 44 if we ignore 3 I've almost completely forgotten.)

What’s that Christmas movie with jimmy Stewart? Never seen it despite it being shown every damn year. I’ve only seen snippets when I sliced past it on the TV or it was shown in some shop or restaurant around Christmas time.

It's a Wonderful Life. Since its talked about so much, I decide to sit myself down and watch it a few years ago. I found it kind of boring, and stopped watching before it got anywhere. So, a bit overrated IMHO. Maybe when I'm 97 years old in a nursing home and I find a fly on the wall to be the highlight of my day, I'll give it another go.

VERY boring, and almost pointless. Many Jimmy Stewart movies are very over-rated. I continue to be amazed that Vertigo is ranked so high. I consider it the worst among all Hitchcock movies. Boring, and with an uninteresting and unrealistic "twist" ending.

Jimmy was surprised The Graduate -- quite uninteresting IMO -- is ranked high. I think this 1967 film was supposed to reflect a generational change in American values, so was supposed to be "important." Network -- an unworthy farce IMO -- also makes the AFI List for similar reason.

 

[Swammerdami]

I already knew Casablanca was the greatest film ever before I ever knew WHY.

Eventually I clicked YouTubes by expert cinematographers explaining its greatness. Here's an explanation of some of its greatness that is only 10 minutes long.

I hope that video is not a SPOILER. Even those who've never actually watched Casablanca know the entire story by now anyway, right?

 

[Tharmas]

sentimental story, with Ezio Pinza singing "Some Enchanted Evening" worth the price of admission.

Knock Knock
Who's there?
Sam and Janet.
Sam and Janet who?
[sung] Sam and Janet Evening

Sorry about that. Back to your serious discussion.

 

[Politesse]

I don't know if it would have occurred to me to describe Casablanca as a "romance". I mean, unless you're using a queer lens to interpret Louis and Rick's beautiful friendship. Aren't romances supposed to focus primarily on the progress of a relationship, for good or ill? Casablanca is a political drama, of which romance is only an ingredient. During the flashback scene where the romance part of the romance is remembered, the tone is so different as to be legitimately jarring.

Is Inglorious Basterds a romance?

 

[Swammerdami]

I don't know if it would have occurred to me to describe Casablanca as a "romance". I mean, unless you're using a queer lens to interpret Louis and Rick's beautiful friendship. Aren't romances supposed to focus primarily on the progress of a relationship, for good or ill? Casablanca is a political drama, of which romance is only an ingredient. During the flashback scene where the romance part of the romance is remembered, the tone is so different as to be legitimately jarring.

I find it hard to pin down some movies to one "genre," but "romantic drama" seems MUCH closer to me than "political drama"!

The review I just linked to uses the word "melodrama" once or twice.

Melodrama is a dramatic genre focused on heightened emotion, sensational plots, and clear-cut morality, featuring stock characters (heroes, villains, damsels) and music to cue feelings, prioritizing action and sentiment over deep character study, often with happy endings where virtue triumphs.

Here is a VERY long  List of melodrama films. Casablanca is included along with The Third Man, A Streetcar Named Desire, On the Waterfront, East of Eden, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, The Graduate, Cabaret, Apocalypse Now, Schindler's List, Titanic -- just to pick a few from a VERY long list.

In my dialect, as I mentioned earlier, "romance" goes far beyond sexual love affair.

I tend to use the word "romance" in a more general sense than "love story." Wiktionary is my favorite dictionary: "Love affair" is first but not the only of TWELVE meanings.

Noun
romance (countable and uncountable, plural romances)

1. An intimate relationship between two people; a love affair.
2. A strong obsession or attachment for something or someone.
3. Idealized love which is pure or beautiful.
4. A story, novel, film, etc., centred around an idealized love relationship.
5. A story relating to chivalry; a story involving knights, heroes, adventures, quests, etc.
6. A tale of high adventure.
7. A mysterious, exciting, or fascinating quality.
8. A literary or filmic genre about idealized love.
9. An embellished account of something; an idealized lie.
10. An adventure, or series of extraordinary events, resembling those narrated in romances. ("His life was a romance.")
11. A dreamy, imaginative habit of mind; a disposition to ignore what is real. ("She was so full of romance she would forget what she was supposed to be doing.")
12. (music) A sentimental piece of music; a romanza.

Other dictionaries also show "Love affair" as #1, but show an alternative as well.

2. a quality or feeling of mystery, excitement, and remoteness from everyday life.
...
2...
: a medieval tale based on legend, chivalric love and adventure, or the supernatural
: a prose narrative treating imaginary characters involved in events remote in time or place and usually heroic, adventurous, or mysterious
...
the feeling of excitement or mystery that you have from a particular experience or event:
a story of exciting events, especially one written or set in the past

Casablanca is a romance in the fuller sense, though based on a love story ... or more precisely (Spoiler alert?) a love TRIANGLE.

 

[bilby]

People are allowed to have preferences in genre are they not?

No. No, they are not. Report for re-education, citizen.

 

[bilby]

Looking at the AFI top 100, I've seen 14 of the top 17. I find it odd that Wizard of Oz would be ranked so high. Production wise, it is remarkable, but there are plenty of films below it that deserve a higher spot. Similar for The Graduate. I'm not exactly certain why that movie matters so much.

Because AFI are movie buffs! The Wizard of Oz changed the way movies were produced. Before it there were few hits produced in technicolor. After it there were few hits NOT produced in color. It revolutionized the use of visuals and especially visual effects to tell a story rather than as a mere pantomime or emphasis, making the yellow brick road, the slippers, the emerald city, the field of poppies and so forth an essential building block of the story in a way few filmmakers had done since the silent era. It made Judy Garland a household name. It was a popular escapist fantasy at a time in American history at a time when Americans really, really needed an escapist fantasy where evil was a choice and readily defeatable, even if the leaders who set you to the project are corrupt. Metaphorical language from the film became a part of the everyday American lexicon. And unlike some of the other popular films in the era, it has stood the test of time and is still an enjoyable watch, unlike say "Geronimo!", popular at the time but a difficult slog now.

The Stawman, Tin Woodman, and Cowardly Lion as allegory for America, with its wasted potential due to a brainless agricultural sector, heartless industrial sector, and cowardly politicians, is rather well done.

 

[Politesse]

Looking at the AFI top 100, I've seen 14 of the top 17. I find it odd that Wizard of Oz would be ranked so high. Production wise, it is remarkable, but there are plenty of films below it that deserve a higher spot. Similar for The Graduate. I'm not exactly certain why that movie matters so much.

Because AFI are movie buffs! The Wizard of Oz changed the way movies were produced. Before it there were few hits produced in technicolor. After it there were few hits NOT produced in color. It revolutionized the use of visuals and especially visual effects to tell a story rather than as a mere pantomime or emphasis, making the yellow brick road, the slippers, the emerald city, the field of poppies and so forth an essential building block of the story in a way few filmmakers had done since the silent era. It made Judy Garland a household name. It was a popular escapist fantasy at a time in American history at a time when Americans really, really needed an escapist fantasy where evil was a choice and readily defeatable, even if the leaders who set you to the project are corrupt. Metaphorical language from the film became a part of the everyday American lexicon. And unlike some of the other popular films in the era, it has stood the test of time and is still an enjoyable watch, unlike say "Geronimo!", popular at the time but a difficult slog now.

The Stawman, Tin Woodman, and Cowardly Lion as allegory for America, with its wasted potential due to a brainless agricultural sector, heartless industrial sector, and cowardly politicians, is rather well done.

Americans are quietly so masterful with irony, foreigners often think we're producing it accidentally.