The Top 10 Most Lied-About-Having-Seen Films

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Halfshell
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The Top 10 Most Lied-About-Having-Seen Films

Post by Halfshell »

Yeah, that's the grammatically correct way of saying it.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film ... films.html

1. The Godfather Trilogy
2. Dirty Dancing
3. Shawshank Redemption
4. Rocky
5. Gone With the Wind
6. Citizen Kane
7. Taxi Driver
8. It's a Wonderful Life
9. Goodfellas
10. The Great Escape

So, "blokes are cock waving show-offs" shock, really.

For the record, I have seen the first two Godfathers and the first 30 minutes or so of the third. I've also seen Shawshank, Rocky, Taxi Driver and Goodfellas. But never on more than one occasion, and the latter three only within the last two-three years.

I suck and only actually saw The Great Escape earlier this week (sick leave = win).

I got about 10 minutes into Gone With The Wind and halfway through Citizen Kane.

The other two, nope. Though there are lots of films I have seen that I'd probably lie and say I haven't. Or just wish I hadn't.
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Post by RID Scourge »

1. The Godfather Trilogy-Saw the last half of the third one.
2. Dirty Dancing-Nope
3. Shawshank Redemption-Nope
4. Rocky-Pieces of it
5. Gone With the Wind-Nope
6. Citizen Kane-Nope
7. Taxi Driver-Never heard of it
8. It's a Wonderful Life-Seen roughly the first half
9. Goodfellas-Nope
10. The Great Escape-Never heard of it.
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Post by Cliffjumper »

Not sure if I've seen all of Shawshank (which really didn't grab me); may or may not have seen Rocky - I've seen a Rocky film, but I've never been interested enough to check which one.

Rest I've seen - Gone with the Wind and Godfather III were ordeals (the first two Godfathers are badly bloated, but do have a lot of good stuff in there). Like Citizen Kane, though if it's not even Welles' best film, let alone much more. Goodfellas is overrated toss. Saw Dirty Dancing at my ex's insistence. Hated it. Love Taxi Driver, Great Escape and It's a Wonderful Life.

On the other hand, about the only films I've seen that have been made in the past four or five years tend to have giant robots called Optimus Prime and Ironhide in them.
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Post by Halfshell »

Goodfellas was an odd one. It was like some weird post-modern trying-to-be-hip music video film. A bit like I imagine the Fast & The Furious franchise to be.

The key to critical acclaim is to either be a film about Hollywood or to have the words "based on a true story" slapped in front. That way you can be as cliche, bloated and unstructured as you want, the awards'll just flow.

Good soundtrack though.

Didn't actually realise how long The Great Escape was until I came to watch it. Worth the time though. Also watched Rio Bravo this week, though that took three sittings over two days. Why is Ricky Nelson in it? How is Dean Martin unconvincing as a drunk? Who the hell told John Wayne he could act?
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Post by Sixswitch »

I haven't seen any of 'em.
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Post by Cliffjumper »

I don't think I've ever watched any John Wayne films properly... I've tried to watch both The Searchers and The Shootist, and I just can't stand him. Some of my favourite films are Westerns, but I really don't like the genre. Maybe I did it the wrong way round seeing stuff like Leone and Eastwood's directorial ones that muck around with the myth before seeing the myth itself. It actually hurts Preacher for me - if Jesse's guardian angel had been Clint Eastwood, it'd have made the comic that extra bit better for me. But ****ed up the timeline.

The Great Escape does so much with its' running time, damn fine film. I've something of a weakness for the big war spectacular - conversely to Westerns, for some reason I'm much fonder of older war films than I am of more recent ones. Bridge on the River Kwai lives up to the hype as well if you haven't seen that one, damn fine movie, Bill Holden deserves more credit for that one (and, indeed, in general).

Goodfellas I just found to be... rather dull. Not much to it, really, and Joe Pesci really is shit. Chronologically it's about when De Niro started to become a bit less committed, too - before the 1990s, he was consistently excellent even if the films weren't. From Goodfellas onwards, it was less of a safe bet.
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Post by Halfshell »

Cliffjumper wrote:Maybe I did it the wrong way round seeing stuff like Leone and Eastwood's directorial ones that muck around with the myth before seeing the myth itself.
Same here, I think. I adore Leone's movies, I've seen loads of Clint's stuff, thoroughly enjoy The Wild Bunch and think Deadwood is one of the best pieces of telly ever, even if it didn't get a proper end (sod a petition to wrap up the loose ends in Animated, if Deadwood doesn't warrant a finale then nothing does).

So I thought I'd sit down and have a look at what the genre was like before they came along and revolutionised it... sadly, off the basis of Rio Bravo (which is the first John Wayne film I've actually watched), the answer is "awful."

Everything's too clean and shiny, everybody's got a confident swagger that just doesn't compute with whiskey-fueled life in a ramshackle town made of wood and mud, and the acting... good ****ing grief. How the hell that black hole of charisma in a cowboy hat became a superstar is beyond me. Unless of course the film's a bad example and he was just going through the motions... somehow I doubt it. He's got a look of pure bemusement in his eyes whenever he shares a scene with Dean Martin, who's trying desperately to act but seems crippled by a sense of why-bother.

I've got The Searchers and How The West Was Won to watch still, as well. Ah'm a scared!
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Post by Cliffjumper »

Good luck... Could never work it out. The man just doesn't have much charisma - I can take or leave acting ability if someone's got that presence; Steve McQueen is, technically, a pretty mediocre actor, but you can watch him. Wayne? No way...

Talking of Clint and Westerns, High Plains Drifter and Pale Rider are worth seeing - preferably close together, just for two totally different takes on basically the same plot. And also Two Mules for Sister Sarah and The Outlaw Josey Wales, just as examples of someone being very aware of their own image.
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Post by Halfshell »

Mmm. Nathan Fillion is one of those people who, whilst arguably not the most technically gifted actor, I don't care that he always plays essentially the same person, because he's just effortlessly watchable.

Firefly may have flopped anyway, but I doubt it would be anywhere near as popular/good as it is with a lesser man than Fillion in the lead.
Cliffjumper wrote:Talking of Clint and Westerns, High Plains Drifter and Pale Rider are worth seeing - preferably close together, just for two totally different takes on basically the same plot. And also Two Mules for Sister Sarah and The Outlaw Josey Wales, just as examples of someone being very aware of their own image.
Yupyup yup. I sort of tuned out for bits of Josey Wales, but the others were top drawer stuff.
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Post by Rurudyne »

Hmmmmm ...

1. The Godfather Trilogy ... seen'em
2. Dirty Dancing ... seen it
3. Shawshank Redemption ... only parts
4. Rocky ... seen more of'em than I wish I had (loved the joke in Spaceballs about Rocky 5000)
5. Gone With the Wind ... loved it
6. Citizen Kane ... loved it
7. Taxi Driver ... only parts
8. It's a Wonderful Life ... you mean someone's claiming to have not seen it?
9. Goodfellas ... only parts
10. The Great Escape ... loved it

Overall a great list of movies. I see your point though, as some movies are like coffee table books that many have but many haven't read. Surprised the original King Kong isn't on the list. Maybe in the second-to-top 10?
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Post by angloconvoy »

1. The Godfather Trilogy - Got talked into watching it by a co-worker who was trying to convince me DeNiro is a good actor. He lent the box set to me, otherwise I wouldn't have bothered.

2. Dirty Dancing - Subjected to this many times by sister and big cousin in m childhood

3. Shawshank Redemption - I liked this a lot until I realised it was basically Stephen King ripping off Escape from Alcatraz. Still, Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins put in good turns.

4. Rocky - Own it. It's a really good film, they really put the effort in there.

5. Gone With the Wind - Never saw it and can't say I'm all that fussed.

6. Citizen Kane - Caught a bit of it on TV once.

7. Taxi Driver - Watched because you're supposed to if you like films, wasn't as impressed as all that. Has it's moments though.

8. It's a Wonderful Life - Haven't seen it, kind of want to but can never quite be bothered.

9. Goodfellas - Saw it, enjoyed the start, but then it dragged on for another 2 hours.

10. The Great Escape - Watched it on the telly once. Absolutely loved it even if the Brits do somewhat get the shaft.

Totally agree on Wayne, though I've never managed to sit through an entire movie of his. Much bigger fan of Eastwood's stuff.
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Post by secretcode »

1. The Godfather Trilogy- Nope. Never had an interest in it.
2. Dirty Dancing- My mom watched it a lot. I'm pretty sure I've seen it all by now.
3. Shawshank Redemption- Yes.
4. Rocky- Yes.
5. Gone With the Wind- No.
6. Citizen Kane- No. Missed the day in film class when we watched it.
7. Taxi Driver- Never even heard of it.
8. It's a Wonderful Life- Yes. Yay film class.
9. Goodfellas- No. Boo film class.
10. The Great Escape- Yay Steve McQueen, but I never exactly finished all of it.
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Post by Cliffjumper »

How have people not heard of Taxi Driver?
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Post by Halfshell »

Cliffjumper wrote:How have people not heard of Taxi Driver?
Baffling. At the very least they must have seen the episode of American Dad (apparently it's the lesser known hip and trendy alternative to Family Guy so all the kids watch it) where he goes back in time and tries to remake it starring John Wayne.
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Post by Cliffjumper »

Or the Simpsons reference... ("Crap, that was an antique").

Rewatched it a couple of days ago, still stands up really, really well. Anyone else subscribe to the theory that he dies in the shoot-out (**** spoilers)?

Shit, whoever ripped these Spaced episodes left the ****ing homage subtitle thing on. A bit irritating for when they do the episode with a whole thread taken from One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest...
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Post by Halfshell »

The homage-o-meter's good for a one-off but it's not the sort of thing I'd stick on again.

Favourite bits include the "every war movie ever" credit, and the insanely specific X-Files reference.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is another one that's sat in the pile with the sellophane still on it.
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Post by angloconvoy »

One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest is good for one viewing, and for skinny Danny Devito.
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Post by Cliffjumper »

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest suffers from RP McMurphy basically being Jack Nicholson's schtick for the following thirty-odd years
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Post by inflatable dalek »

There's a few on there (Gone With the Wind, Dirty Dancing) I must have seen all of by now but over a period of decades rather than all in one go. Bladerunner used to be like that as well until fairly recently.

The Great Escape was actually a bit of a surprise in that
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Post by Selkadoom »

only saw The Great Escape and loved it. never really gotten around the others
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