From Kottke.org:
Film critic Jim Emerson recently compiled a list of 102 movies that you should see before
you can consider yourself movie literate:
…they [are] the movies you just kind of figure everybody ought to have seen in order to have any sort of informed discussion about movies. They’re the common cultural currency of our time, the basic cinematic texts that everyone should know, at minimum, to be somewhat “movie-literate.”
Kottke then asterisks all the movies he has seen. I do not consider myself movie literate, but for kicks, let’s see how I do.
* means I saw it
– means I’ve seen parts of it (parts = at least a ten minute segment, not “clips”) and probably won’t ever watch the whole thing
– 2001: A Space Odyssey
* The 400 Blows
* 8 1/2
Aguirre, the Wrath of God
Alien
* All About Eve
* Annie Hall
* Apocalypse Now
* Bambi
The Battleship Potemkin
The Best Years of Our Lives
The Big Red One
The Bicycle Thief
The Big Sleep
* Blade Runner
* Blowup
Blue Velvet
*Bonnie and Clyde
Breathless
Bringing Up Baby
Carrie
* Casablanca
Un Chien Andalou
Children of Paradise / Les Enfants du Paradis
– Chinatown
* Citizen Kane
– A Clockwork Orange
The Crying Game
The Day the Earth Stood Still
Days of Heaven
Dirty Harry
* The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie
Do the Right Thing
La Dolce Vita
Double Indemnity
* Dr. Strangelove
– Duck Soup
* E.T. — The Extra-Terrestrial
Easy Rider
* The Empire Strikes Back
– The Exorcist
– Fargo
* Fight Club
* Frankenstein
The General
The Godfather, The Godfather, Part II
Gone With the Wind
GoodFellas
* The Graduate
Halloween
* A Hard Day’s Night
Intolerance
It’s a Gift
* It’s a Wonderful Life
* Jaws
The Lady Eve
* Lawrence of Arabia
M
Mad Max 2 / The Road Warrior
* The Maltese Falcon
The Manchurian Candidate
* Metropolis
Modern Times
* Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Nashville
The Night of the Hunter
Night of the Living Dead
* North by Northwest
– Nosferatu
On the Waterfront
Once Upon a Time in the West
Out of the Past
Persona
Pink Flamingos
– Psycho
– Pulp Fiction
Rashomon
Rear Window
Rebel Without a Cause
Red River
Repulsion
The Rules of the Game
Scarface
The Scarlet Empress
Schindler’s List
The Searchers
* The Seven Samurai
* Singin’ in the Rain
* Some Like It Hot
A Star Is Born
* A Streetcar Named Desire
* Sunset Boulevard
– Taxi Driver
The Third Man
– Tokyo Story
Touch of Evil
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
Trouble in Paradise
Vertigo
* West Side Story
The Wild Bunch
* The Wizard of Oz
Yikes. I’ve only seen 33 of these movies. Does it matter that I can explain the historical significance and/or plot of at least half the movies I haven’t seen? How do my readers compare?
* 2001: A Space Odyssey* The 400 Blows* 8 1/2* Aguirre, the Wrath of God* Alien All About Eve– Annie Hall* Apocalypse Now* Bambi* The Battleship PotemkinThe Best Years of Our LivesThe Big Red One*The Bicycle Thief*The Big Sleep* Blade Runner* Blowup*Blue VelvetBonnie and ClydeBreathlessBringing Up Baby*Carrie* Casablanca*Un Chien Andalou*Children of Paradise / Les Enfants du Paradis* Chinatown* Citizen Kane* A Clockwork OrangeThe Crying GameThe Day the Earth Stood Still*Days of HeavenDirty Harry* The Discreet Charm of the BourgeoisieDo the Right Thing*La Dolce Vita*Double Indemnity* Dr. Strangelove Duck Soup* E.T. — The Extra-TerrestrialEasy Rider* The Empire Strikes Back The Exorcist* Fargo* Fight Club*FrankensteinThe GeneralThe Godfather, The Godfather, Part IIGone With the WindGoodFellas* The Graduate*Halloween* A Hard Day’s NightIntoleranceIt’s a Gift– It’s a Wonderful Life* JawsThe Lady Eve* Lawrence of Arabia*M*Mad Max 2 / The Road Warrior*The Maltese Falcon*The Manchurian Candidate* Metropolis*Modern Times* Monty Python and the Holy GrailNashville*The Night of the Hunter*Night of the Living Dead* North by Northwest* NosferatuOn the WaterfrontOnce Upon a Time in the WestOut of the PastPersona*Pink Flamingos Psycho* Pulp Fiction*RashomonRear WindowRebel Without a CauseRed RiverRepulsionThe Rules of the Game*ScarfaceThe Scarlet Empress*Schindler’s ListThe Searchers* The Seven Samurai* Singin’ in the Rain* Some Like It HotA Star Is Born* A Streetcar Named Desire* Sunset Boulevard* Taxi DriverThe Third Man* Tokyo StoryTouch of Evil*The Treasure of the Sierra MadreTrouble in Paradise*Vertigo* West Side StoryThe Wild Bunch* The Wizard of Oz
Well, since you actually called and asked me to, I’ll go ahead and respond to a blog, as much as it pains me to do so.I’ve seen 63 from the list. Instead of playing with asterisks and stuff, I’ll just list the ones I haven’t seen.The Battleship PotemkinThe Bicycle ThiefThe Big Red OneBonnie and ClydeBreathlessChildren of Paradise / Les Enfants du ParadisThe Crying GameDays of HeavenDirty HarryDo the Right ThingDouble IndemnityDuck SoupEasy RiderThe GeneralGone With the WindGoodFellasThe GraduateA Hard Day’s NightIntoleranceIt’s a GiftThe Lady EveModern TimesNashvilleOn the WaterfrontPersonaRed RiverRepulsionThe Rules of the GameScarfaceThe Scarlet EmpressSchindler’s ListThe Seven SamuraiA Star Is BornA Streetcar Named DesireTokyo StoryTouch of EvilTrouble in ParadiseUn Chien AndalouWest Side StoryThe only one of those that would qualify as a “-” by your system is Easy Rider, although there are a few that I haven’t seen 10 minutes of, but nonetheless don’t plan to bother with: A Streetcar Named Desire (since Tennessee Williams does nothing for me)Do the Right Thing (since Spike Lee does nothing for me)Nashville (since Robert Altman does nothing for me. . . I’m starting to notice a pattern here)Schindler’s List (since Steven Spielberg’s serious-minded side does nothing for me)West Side Story (since musicals do nothing for me. . . regardless of how hot Natalie Wood is or how much I like Robert Wise’s other work)Finally, a couple of things I want to point out – 1. Ben, have you really seen Scarface? It’s not the Pacino/De Palma one, it’s the Muni/Hawks one.2. It’s really a list of 103 movies. Why is it that everyone who ever makes a list of important or great movies puts The Godfather and The Godfather 2 as a single entry? That’s just lazy and misleading. I’m hereby changing my count to 64/103, since I’ve seen the both of them. Sheesh.
Whoa Brian, you seem testy. Something get under your skin? I’m surprised you haven’t seen some of those movies, particularly Bonnie and Clyde and The Graduate. They’re both available and not offensive in any annoying actor/musical/annoying director way.
Grandpa scores 70…but many are oldies, so he has an advantage.
Wow! I’m still impressed.