My colleague Andrew Sullivan has been hosting nominations for the best movie line ever. This is the most recent:
Which makes me realize that I've probably used that line 100 times or more in conversation, even though I've never actually seen the movie. I don't know why I haven't; it's just somehow never happened. But watching the clip, I was reminded that I love Brando, I love Kazan, I love old movies, and boy, I oughta.
So I'm taking nominations: what's the best movie you've never seen?
I've always wanted to see "The Sweet Smell of Success", but it never even appears on cable, it never was at Blockbuster in the video store era, I've never checked on Netflicks, and I don't watch as many movies these days. I suspect there is some distribution rights dispute, similar to what kept the original verison of "The Manchurian Candidate" seldom seen for a long time.
Gone With the Wind, probably. That's supposed to be good, right?
Akira Kurosawa's - The Seven Samurai.
Just haven't gottten around to it. I really ought to as I saw RAN and thought it was a great movie.
"what's the best movie you've never seen?"
I think the question itself is more interesting than any particular answer, no?
How do you know it's a great movie if you've never seen it?
Anyway, if you're going by, say, the top 10 on AFI's list, I've never seen Gone with the Wind or Schindler's List.
Yes, you oughta. It's a great movie. Not a good movie. A great movie.
Anything by Bergman. I was reminded of that when he died the other day. I've only seen the parodies in Woody Allen films.
you'd like it - it's all about how terrible unions are and the virtues of ratting out your friends to the government - a position that i have attributed to you because you support torture. no logical connection, true, but you seem to give the thumbs up to a lot of counterintuitive immoralities.
in all honesty, it's still a fantastic movie.
the best movie i've never seen is probably either the seventh seal or north by northwest.
'Sweet Smell of Success' is constantly on cable TV. I have watched it three times in the past two years, and it's currently sitting comfortably on my DVR awaiting another viewing. Maybe even tonight. It is an absolute classic. "Thank you, J.J., for what I consider sound advice."
I'm with think twice, my only exposure to Bergman is through Woody Allen.
My wife has been out in the world quoting various Bill Murray bits from 'Caddyshack' for years and years, and finally saw the movie last year. She fell asleep halfway through.
"The Conversation"
I really like Gene Hackman, and this is considered to be one of his best pictures. I've tried several times to see this movie and every time something comes up.
Woody, what outlet plays it? I swear, I look at AMC or TCM on the channel guide pretty frequently, and I have never seen it.
I've never seen Casablanca, for shame.
I've actually never seen Citizen Kane either, but something tells me the former is the better film, AFI be damned.
The DVR I have now came from Encore-Drama (I am embarrassed to say we've got just about every channel there is). I know I saw it on TCM at least once in the recent past, though.
Shamefully, Spinal Tap.
Mike, they are both great movies; just very, very, different.
Anything by Kurosawa or Bergman. Most of Hitchcock. It just occurred to me that I have never seen a Jimmy Stewart movie. Although of all the movies mentioned so far, "Spinal Tap" is the one that's been on my must-see list for far too long.
I made a point of hunting down and watching both "On the Waterfront" and "Casablanca" several years ago because of their reputations. Sadly, I must have spent too much time with videogames and music videos in my youth because I just don't have the patience for the pacing of most old movies. There was a lot to admire about both movies, but I can't say I particularly enjoyed watching either of them.
An awfully Tyler Cowen-like request...
"The Best Years of Our Lives." I made it a goal in college to watch the first 25 films that were put on the National Film Registry. I watched nearly all of them, but I skipped that one, even though I had a free taped-off-PBS copy sitting there waiting to be watched.
The Godfather. I, II & III. And yes, I've used the phrase "Make 'em an offer he can't refuse" countless times.
I haven't seen "On the Waterfront" yet, either. Off the top of my head, "Schindler's List", "Apocalypse Now", and "Dr. Strangelove" are a few other biggies I've missed.
As far as icons go, I can't recall ever watching anything with Marilyn Monroe, John Wayne, James Dean, Bette Davis, the Marx Brothers, or Bruce Lee in it.
I think one of the great tragedies of modern cinema is that the following line took place in a Star Wars movie and hence will never be given any recognition (because really, these lines do not at all have to have been uttered in a ship with a bad hyperdrive hiding in an asteroid cave)
(han solo rubbing princess leia's hands)
"stop that"
"stop what?"
"my hands are dirty"
"my hands are dirty too"
The day I ever have an excuse to utter those words to a pretty girl, despite all of my grand aspirations, my life shall be considered complete.
There are a bunch I haven't seen that I imagine are pretty good (or at least "worth" seeing) -- 2001, To Kill a Mockingbird, Seven Samurai. But on the AFI list, the highest that I haven't seen is Lawrence of Arabia, and that's another I was going to name.
But, oh, On the Waterfront is a great one. I envy you getting to see it for the first time.
mtc-
"stop that"
"stop what?"
"my hands are dirty"
"my hands are dirty too"
My fiancee and I have quoted this exchange to one another on more than one occasion. I think nerds like us have all the fun. I have a friend who's never watched Star Wars, and I feel that's the best movie anyone's never seen, though I was shocked that anyone had never seen it.
I have never seen Citizen Kane or On The Waterfront, those are probably my worst omissions, in that I actually want to see them. I've never even been tempted to watch Gone With The Wind or Apocalypse Now.