No podcast this week as Dan and myself are balancing the act a little amongst work commitments and our pledge not to record on weekends. This will possibly come up more and more so I suspect you might be encountering the odd old school blog post from one of us every couple of weeks in lieu of a poorly put together podcast (trust me the trade off is worth it). Of course if you have one of those text to speech converters then feel free to run the posts through one of them for that podcast feel (if any of you actually do this please send me a link!!).
Now over the past week or so I’ve been talking about some of the films that I am catching up on of late, nothing unusual there I think we all go through patches where we seem to miss every film at the cinema and catch up on blu-ray or dvd later on. The thing about these films though are that they’ve been benchmark films that I really should have seen.
My wife still won’t let it go that I only in the past couple years discovered the joy that is The Goonies, a point I concede completely.
I guess this line of thought started a couple of months ago when we watched Footloose which I’d never seen and was assured that I really should have, indeed I now know what to do with all my built up angst (release in dance form in the garage). That experience was surprisingly satisfactory (the film not the garage dancing) and I started thinking more and more about some of the absentees in my movie collective that have been gnawing at me for some time now. Labyrinth and The Dark Crystal were certainly the front runners having been exposed to them as a child but never having sat down to watch them in their entirety.
So I caught Labyrinth the other night and despite controversial comments from Mr Hughes (of which he has now clarified his position further) I actually really liked it and can see why it is such a touch point for so many of our generation. I was particularly taken with the character Ludo and the battle mech guarding the gates. Certainly the film is dated in places but it’s a testament to Jim Henson that a 34 year old man can enjoy it so many years after it was released (in fairness that man is me and I write this whilst wearing a Marty McFly Back to the Future 2 lenticular cap).
I haven’t had the chance to sit down and watch The Dark Crystal yet as Tracey refuses to watch it with me in the same manner that she refuses to watch The Lion King again. But the other movie that was sorely lacking and probably more so than these other two was John Carpenter’s The Thing.
If anything I certainly am all of these following things:
- a John Carpenter fan
- a Kurt Russell fanboy
- a science fiction nut.
Add to this my fondness for horror when I was a teenager and it seems ever so wrong that I’d never seen The Thing. Well thanks in part to a day off unwell in bed and the news of the abysmal reception of the remake I finally watched The Thing and all is right in the universe again.
I enjoyed it, a lot.
It’s nice I think when you can discover such an iconic film after the event and appreciate it for everything that it is.
What it does do is make me wonder what other awesome films that I’ve missed that aren’t coming to mind!!
So I’ve shared mine, what are the films that you know that you really should have seen but haven’t gotten around to (I’m hoping that we share the same gaps and you’ll jog my memory!).
Let us know in the comments here or over on the Facebook page which films you should have seen already but haven’t!
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First god damn week of Winter
I took me a while to work out what you were on about then – of course now I have another film to know random quotes from.
A friend and I have been having this competition for years where we try to be the first person to text that line to each other on the first day of winter.
Casablanca, The Big Lebowski and Big Trouble in Little China.
Oh Ian you must watch the second 2 this weekend, in fact Big Lebowski was on Go on Sat night
All three I heartily recommend, you have to get on that third one though as soon as possible!!!
I’ve seen Casablanca relatively recently. It’s high quality and all, but … meh.
You gotta get on BTiLC, though.
Indeed, Big Trouble is the greatest movie ever
I’ll get on to BTiLC as a priority!
I hadn’t seen Big Trouble in Little China until very recently. It’s…ok. However the tone wasn’t what I was expecting it to be – so if I rewatched it I may enjoy it more.
I recently found a list of “BEST 100 SciFi Movies”, ( http://scifilists.sffjazz.com/lists_film.html ; it has changed a little bit since I first copied it!) which is always something arbitrary and debatable, but decided to see how many I actually owned on DVD. It stands at 57! You’ve prompted some of those purchases, and have now prompted me to revisit the list and see which ones of the 100 I haven’t watched.
No.13 A Clockwork Orange (and I confess I have no desire to), 34. Donnie Darko, 35.
V for Vendetta, 48. Pitch Black, 57. Soylent Green, 58. Children of Men (which I own & plan to watch soon), 59.Solaris (1972), 62. THX-1138, 63. Equilibrium, 68. District 9, 72. Fahrenheit 451 (I own it), 80. Them!, 83. Night Of the Living Dead, 85. The Rocky Horror Picture Show, 88. Frankenstein (1931), 91. Pi, 95. Dark Star, 96. Rollerball, and 98. Stalker.
So 19 out of 100 I haven’t seen – and that’s just the SciFi genre!
I saw John Carpenter’s The Thing in grade 9 or 10 when it first came out on video, with a bunch of mates; we all kept jokingly going “Boo!” throughout the movie, mainly to try to cover up the fact we were scared as!
On the list provided I must say that:
- V for Vendetta is pretty good
- Pitch Black is not too shabby.
- Rocky Horror is worth watching at least once. Its less a SciFi movie than a musical though.
I hate Rocky Horror with a passion. So neh.
It’s just too seedy.
Yes, I have to admit that I’m quite happy to let it stagnate near the bottom of my “No Desire To Watch Whatsoever” List. It can keep A Clockwork Orange company.
That’s a really good list and there’s some notables on there for me:
- Cube
- Rollerball
- Sunshine
- Starman
- Stalker
- Pi
- Young Frankenstein
- Fahrenheit 451
- THX-1138
- Equilibrium
- Soylent Green
- Solaris (original)
- Dr Strangelove
So I’m at 13 and a couple of them are outrages especially Starman.
are these the ones that you havent seen?
Yeah, I’ve seen the rest so this isn’t too bad a list to start on
I’m kind of afraid to look at that list… I might be behinder than I think!
I thought I’d come out a lot worse than that to be honest – so you might surprise yourself.
Since I last copied the list I have to add a few to “Have not Seen”: I Am Legend, and Cube. (Not sure which “Have Seens” got bumped off to add them!)
Late to the party here, but I haven’t seen loads of them:
2001:Space oddssey – get bored half way through.
Twelve Monkeys
A Clockwork Orange – have no desire to either.
The Day the Earth Stood Still
Forbidden Planet – although I have friends that have been in the stage show about 12 times.
The Abyss
Contact
Donnie Darko – Have no desire to either to be honest.
Metropolis
War o the Worlds
Logans Run
The Time Machine
The Andromeda Strain
Children of Men – Kerry has seen this one and informs me there is no way i’d cope with it.
Pitch Black – Sounds too much like a horror movie to me.
A.I. – Again, it looks like a children in peril film to me.
Solaris – Looks a bit arty farty.
Invasion of the Body snatchers – No thanks.
Soylent Green – Apparently it’s people. i listened to a radio play of it once in my childhood and it scared me shitless
Equilibrium
Silent Running
THX-1138 – I’m waiting for the special edition to come out.
Moon – I know i know, but I will get round to it.
The Fly – Looks too scary.
Omega Man
Westworld
Night of the Living dead
Them! – I make it a rule to try and avoid films with exclamation marks in their titles.
20,000 Leagues under the sea
Pi – I didn’t realise this was sic fi
I am Legend – Too scary, plus post apocalyptic.
Invasion of the body snatchers – didn’t we have this one already
Stalker – Never even heard of it.
Frankinstien
Sunshine
Rollerball
Cube
Dark Star – although i have seen Bravestar if that counts.
Pretty pathetic really. There’s a project there I think.
From what I know of you Dan, Kerry is bang on the money about Children of Men. If I were you, I wouldn’t watch The Boy in the Striped Pijamas either.
Oh, and as far as real, true confessions go, still haven’t watched Gone With The Wind!
have have not seen Gone with the Wind either and I am happy to keep it that way
I rate Gone With The Wind at least for the one watch in your lifetime, it was a triumphant piece of film making and to watch Atlanta burn is quite impressive (they torched the King Kong set and filmed that for the effect).
You need to set aside the whole afternoon though and probably be in the mood for some southern drama
I have seen Gone With The Wind. It is worth 1 watch, if only to say you have seen it.
I’ve not seen The Godfather Part 2
Wow, I’m not judging but wow.
Actually Tracey and I came to the Godfather trilogy quite late, I recommend the second, many consider it the best though I personally prefer the first one.
Does this mean you’ve seen the third?
Yeah saw Part 3, it was a negative experience. partly bcoz I hadn’t seen 2 and partly because its a crap movie
I dont know why I never saw it, always wanted to.
The general consensus is that Part 3 is really crap but I enjoyed it all the same but then we watched this in pretty close succession which always helps.
Never seen any Godfather from start to finish … what a shallow life I lead
Yeah, I gotta admit I’m with you. With all the pieces I’ve seen I might have seen the whole first one, but not at one sitting, or in order.
I’ve not seen any of them to be honest.
I haven’t seen any of the Godfathers; and is it un-Australian to say I haven’t ( and go out of my way to avoid the coutless re-runs on TV) seen either of the Crocodile Dundee films?!?
Either? Did you know they may a third? its terrible but the first one is pretty good
I suspected as I wrote that that there was probably a third… it’s become a bit of a joke/tradition when I get to say “Oooh… another opportunity not to watch it!” Sad really…
I have a soft spot for Crocodile Dundee one and two, not particularly great films but certainly part of my childhood.
Dundee 2? Really?
Not that I’m Judging but…. :-p
I remember loving Dundee 2. I love that whole die hard bit set in the outback.
Saw all three and the quality declines exponentially as the numbers increase. Paul Hogan had 1 movie in him, and should have left it at that, instead flogged a dead horse until it was a glue stick. Now he is only relevant when the tax man chases him.
In terms of my confession I honestly can not remember watching Total Recall from beginning to end. Seen bits and pieces, but not the whole movie.
Tron Legacy is on the watch list as well. Only watched the original 2 months ago.
Add to that Iron Man (yes still haven’t picked it up) and then theres a few thousand I have forgotten
We’re watching Total Recall the week after next so it might be a good time to check it out – or maybe we’ll convince you one way or the other
Did Tron hold up for a first time viewer?
Iron Man 1 is the must see comic book movie.
I was actually surprised that it did stand up very well. Sure if it was done today it would CGI’d to the max, however the lack of overly pretty graphics mean more focus on the acting with less distraction from the landscape.
I guess Tron Legacy would show you some of what they would do today though there is plenty of homage in that for the original.
I love that certain computer generated sequences in Tron were actual traditional animation made to look computer generated.
We reviewed Tron alongside Jeff in the dim and distant past. It was my first time seeing it too,and it does hold up very well.
I haven’t seen The Thing, either. Still haven’t seen Army of Darkness, Big Lebowski, or (as admitted above) the Godfather trilogy. Also missing Children of Men, 12 Monkeys, Footloose, and 16 Candles (actually most of the Brat Pack films, except Breakfast Club).
I recommend The Thing, it is well worth a look.
Army of Darkness is fantastic, certainly a modern B movie classic.
I too have holes in my Brat Pack films though I’m slowly filling them (never seen Weird Science all the way through).
Of the films on the 100 list I havent seen:
58 Solaris (either version)
87 The Rocky Horror Picture Show (not all the way through)
93 Stalker (Sounds very interesting)
97 Sunshine (not terribly interested but maybe one day)
I had preconceived disinterest with Sunshine, but now think it is worth a look- very well made.
It does look really well made!!!!! I have no interest in the horror aspects but the quality look makes it hard to ignore!!!
I’d never even heard of Stalker!!
Kelly’s comment over on the Fright Night podcast has reminded me…
I HAVE NOT SEEN WILLOW.
WHAT?!?!?!
I have seen it, but can not remember it. All I can picture is Alyson Hannigan.! Does that make me a born again Willow virgin?
Good grief! That needs to go on the list!!
Actually we should have saved the Thing for the list too as I’ve not seen it either and there is the remake/reboot/prequel happening. We could maybe slot it in soon so you don’t have to watch it again.
Then again, dare I watch it?
There are certainly a number of your “have not seen” that you shouldn’t lose any sleep over leaving un-watched! It is certainly tempting ask what people think (from Dan’s list) are Must-See/s!