re: I&#39;m not a movie buff. What movies do I HAVE to see?

Posted by Marciano1

Marksville, LA

Member since Jun 2009

18414 posts

Posted on 2/25/14 at 9:55 pm to Bamatab

The Godfather
The Godfather Part II
Seven Samurai
Once Upon A Time in the West
Pulp Fiction
City of God
Das Boot
Requiem for a Dream
Taxi Driver
Alien

Posted by Zephyrius

Wharton, La.

Member since Dec 2004

7934 posts

Posted on 2/25/14 at 10:03 pm to Ace Midnight

Solid list Ace...

I'd go:
Gone with the Wind
Rebecca(Alfred Hitchcock)
Big Country(western)
Flying Tigers(John Wayne)
To kill a Mocking Bird
Mutiny on the Bounty(Marlon Brando... Clark Gable version also very good)
Original Star Wars
7 Samurai(foreign film)

Posted by lake2280

Public intellectual

Member since Nov 2012

4288 posts

Posted on 2/25/14 at 10:15 pm to Schmidt

Zoolander
Fear and loathing
Way of the gun
Boondock saints
Jay and silent bob strike back
Caddy shack
Money ball
Life of David gale
Clock work orange
Apocalypse now
There are better movies but these are some of my favorites that I watch more than any.

Posted by rondo

Worst. Poster. Evar.

Member since Jan 2004

77408 posts

Posted on 2/25/14 at 10:19 pm to alajones

quote:
The Count of Monte Cristo

Posted by Kafka

I am the moral conscience of TD

Member since Jul 2007

141737 posts

Posted on 2/25/14 at 10:19 pm to Schmidt

Here are 5:

Sunrise (1927)

Citizen Kane

Casablanca

Seven Samurai

The Godfather

Watch these and then you can move on to other films with the same directors, stars, etc...

Posted by OMLandshark

Member since Apr 2009

108098 posts

Posted on 2/25/14 at 10:20 pm to Schmidt

quote:
I suck right?

Everyone has to start from somewhere, so not necessarily.

Posted by alajones

Huntsvegas

Member since Oct 2005

34461 posts

Posted on 2/25/14 at 10:21 pm to rondo

I don't know anyone who doesn't like that movie.

Posted by Baloo

Formerly MDGeaux

Member since Sep 2003

49645 posts

Posted on 2/25/14 at 10:30 pm to alajones

I'm going to give you too many because I'm copying a list a friend of mine asked for, when she decided to become a film geek. These were the films I told her she should watch to be a film geek:

11 CLASSICS
1. Casablanca
2. Citizen Kane
3. The Godfather Pts I & II
4. City Lights
5. Vertigo
6. Bringing Up Baby
7. To Kill a Mockingbird
8. Once Upon a Time in the West
9. Chinatown
10. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
11. The Third Man

11 FOREIGN FILMS
1. Rashomon
2. The Bicycle Thief
3. The Seventh Seal
4. City of God
5. La Grande Illusion
6. 8 ½
7. Wings of Desire
8. Festen
9. 400 Blows
10. M
11. Metropolis

11 MODERN CLASSICS
1. Fight Club
2. Blue Velvet
3. Memento
4. Pi
5. Barton Fink
6. Downfall
7. Das Boot
8. Slacker
9. The Prestige
10. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
11. Reservoir Dogs

Pick and choose as you will. But my big advice is when you find something you like, use that as a springboard to find other movies. Like Rashomon? Seek out Kurosawa's career? Like Slacker? American indie waits for you. Festen? Time to read up on Dogme 95.

Don't view any list as an obligation, view it as treasure map.

Posted by beaver

The 755 Club

Member since Sep 2009

46861 posts

Posted on 2/25/14 at 10:47 pm to alajones

quote:
Godfathers 1 & 2.

Hijack

I've seen 1 and 2, should I see 3?

Posted by OMLandshark

Member since Apr 2009

108098 posts

Posted on 2/25/14 at 10:54 pm to Schmidt

I'll give you a good diverse list for you to watch:

1) The Godfather Parts I and II
2) Star Wars
3) Almost Famous
4) Lawrence of Arabia
5) Casablanca
6) Pan's Labyrinth
7) Spirited Away
8) City Lights
9) Monty Python and the Quest for the Holy Grail
10) One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
11) Die Hard

These are films judging from what you've said in previous posts that I don't think you would have seen, and I've tried to get every genre I can on there. All these are good examples on what you can expect from a certain genre. This is something most film nerds do is attach to some genres more than others. I think this is a good start, but I wouldn't say these are the 11 best films of all time or my top 11 films of all time. Hope you enjoy these and some other suggestions in this thread.

Posted by OMLandshark

Member since Apr 2009

108098 posts

Posted on 2/25/14 at 10:54 pm to beaver

quote:
I've seen 1 and 2, should I see 3?

It's still really good, just don't go in with ridiculous expectations.

This post was edited on 2/25/14 at 10:55 pm

Posted by TheHumanTornado

Baton Rouge, LA

Member since May 2008

3762 posts

Posted on 2/25/14 at 11:04 pm to Baloo

No work to be done here. You nailed the concept.

Posted by molsusports

Member since Jul 2004

36107 posts

Posted on 2/25/14 at 11:14 pm to Schmidt

Start with some of these:

The Shining
Terminator 2
Big
Trading Places
The Godfather
Pulp Fiction
Caddyshack
Ghostbusters
Dr Strangelove
Unforgiven
2001

Then keep watching:

Cool Hand Luke
Minority Report
Shrek
Hoop Dreams
Die Hard
Sideways
The Hustler
Grizzly Man
In the Line of Fire
Rocky
West of Memphis
High Noon
True Grit
Halloween
Superman (1978)
S in Love
Up
The Fog of War
The Right Stuff
Halloween
North by Northwest
The French Connection
Out of Sight
Dave
Jaws
Wall-E
Predator
No Country for Old Men
The Wild Bunch
Catch Me if you Can

Posted by Ironbat31

Member since Jul 2013

805 posts

Posted on 2/25/14 at 11:26 pm to Schmidt

lord of the rings
slumdog millionare

Posted by Thunder Tiger

Member since Sep 2011

2608 posts

Posted on 2/25/14 at 11:26 pm to Schmidt

God, so many come to mind. I'm sure I'm leaving some classics out, but off the top of my head now, I'd say:

Godfather 1 & 2 (I consider them as one)
Star Wars, episodes IV, V (same)
Planet of the Apes (1968)
2001: A Space Odyssey
Alien/Aliens (same)
The Thing (1982)
Patton
Shawshank Redemption
Braveheart
Silence of the Lambs

Posted by beauchristopher

new orleans

Member since Jan 2008

65852 posts

Posted on 2/25/14 at 11:27 pm to molsusports

Absolutely agree on the Shining, if he hasn't seen that yet.

Definitely.

The Shining
Animal House
The Prestige is an outstanding movie
Forrest Gump
The Lion King

Maybe Gladiator, Good Will Hunting, and The Big Lebowski

I'm not into super hero movies, but Batman Begins was incredible and drew me in to watch the entire trilogy..

Posted by OMLandshark

Member since Apr 2009

108098 posts

Posted on 2/25/14 at 11:30 pm to beauchristopher

Yeah, add the Shining as an honorary 12th. Best horror movie of all time IMO, and also a great film to start Kubrick's filmography.

Posted by Peazey

Metry

Member since Apr 2012

25418 posts

Posted on 2/25/14 at 11:39 pm to OMLandshark

quote:
Yeah, add the Shining as an honorary 12th. Best horror movie of all time IMO, and also a great film to start Kubrick's filmography.

I think that any list should have at least one Kubrick and one Coen Brothers film in it to at least get a taste into their filmography. They are some of the most important film makers to me personally.