The Popular Movie Blindspot Thread

[Idioteque Stalker]

I've talked before about how much I hate it when people say, "You haven't seen [x movie] and you call yourself a movie person," etc. Well the time has come for me to stop complaining and actually do something about it.

I see you over there, hiding your cinephile sins deep inside, far away from the judgment of the world -- where they constantly gnaw at you in secret and whisper menacingly, "You'll never complete the IMDB Top 250."

At the end of the day it's okay if you haven't seen Mean Girls, and it's okay that I haven't seen The Goonies. But these movies are hugely popular for a reason, and I'm going to determine why, darn-blast-it.

This thread is a safe space for admitting popular movie blindspots. Only then can we begin our journey of watching, and healing.

[Skitch]

I haven't seen Flashdance, Dirty Dancing, or Footloose (the movie, I've seen a play of it), nor do I intend to. I haven't seen a lot of musicals either, because of the ones I've seen, I've hated most of them.

[Idioteque Stalker]

I watched a lot of musicals when I was young because that's what my family was into, and I think it soured me on them for a while. I really like a lot of the musicals I watch now, but I still haven't had the guts to watch much Vincente Minnelli for instance. Big blindspot for me.

I haven't seen Flashdance or Dirty Dancing either. Happened to watch Footloose a few years back and really enjoyed myself, especially this scene/song: [

Show Spoiler

]

[Idioteque Stalker]

Here is my personal plan for this thread (feel free to play along if you want, or do anything else related to your popular movie blindspots):

It's sort of a companion to the Criterion Challenge. There I watch arthouse movies, here I watch popular movies. How do I determine what is popular? I'm glad you asked. It's systematic, of course!

_____________________

Log into your Letterboxd account on a computer. Click "Films." Browse by year. Here you can see LB's most popular movie of each year (the one with the most views). Start with 2019. The most popular movie of that year is Parasite, currently at 1.7m views. If you have not seen Parasite, watch it. If you have already seen it then move to 2018: Into the Spider-Verse. Seen it already? Move to 2017: Get Out. Repeat the process as far back in time as you want. THEN start over with the second-most popular movie of 2019: Joker. Already seen it? The second-most popular movie of 2018 is Infinity War. Etc. Etc. Etc. For as long as you like.

_____________________

I'm going way, way back. Like 100 years at least. But you can start over at the year 2000 if you want. Or 1975, 1960, 1927, whatever.

You will most likely be confronted with a movie you've been avoiding. That's the beauty of this system. There's no wiggle room. Like me, maybe you never got around to Dead Poets Society (the most popular movie of 1989, surprisingly). Now you have to watch it.

What I've seen so far using this method:
[

Show Spoiler

First pass (#1 most popular movies, 2019-1895)
2018: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse ****
1989: Dead Poets Society ***
1918: A Dog's Life ***
1914: Cabiria **
1913: Suspense
1911: Dante's Inferno ****
1910: Frankenstein
1909: A Corner in Wheat
1908: Fantasmagorie
1907: The Dancing Pig
1906: The Consequences of Feminism
1905: The Black Imp
1904: The Impossible Voyage
1901: The Man with the Rubber Head
1900: Joan of Arc
1899: Cinderella
1898: The Astronomer's Dream
1896: The Haunted Castle

Second pass (#2 most popular movies, 2019-1915)
2011: Captain America: The First Avenger **
1996: Scream ****
1983: Scarface **
1953: Roman Holiday ****
1947: The Lady from Shanghai ***
1944: Laura ***
1943: Bambi ***
1933: The Invisible Man ***
1926: A Page of Madness ***

Third pass (#3 most popular movies, 2019-1920)
2013: Prisoners ***
2012: The Perks of Being a Wallflower **
1990: Edward Scissorhands ***
1987: Dirty Dancing **
1976: Rocky ****

]

[baby doll]

Here are the most popular films I haven't seen for every year since 1984:

2022: The Batman (I could happily live the rest of my life without another seeing Batman movie)
2021: Spider Man: No Way Home (I'm not watching this)
2020: Soul (I haven't heard much about this; no real desire to check it out)

2019: Joker (I'm so sick of Joaquin Pheonix being depressed and mopey)
2018: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (another Spider-Man movie? Are all this site's users six year old boys?)
2017: Baby Driver (I'm not a huge Edgar Wright fan; not a priority for me)
2016: Deadpool (you know what I'm gonna say)
2015: Mad Max: Fury Road (I haven't seen the first three Mad Max films either)
2014: Interstellar (I'm so done with Christopher Nolan movies)
2013: Prisoners (I prefer Villeneuve's early, funny movies and Polytechnique, which is decidedly unfunny; still, I might check this one out, one day)
2012: The Avengers (I'm not a six year old boy, alright? Nor am I the parent of one. This isn't for me)
2011: Captain America: The First Avenger (oh jeez)
2010: Toy Story 3 (see 1999)

2009: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (I checked out of this series after the third movie)
2008: Twilight (I'm not a thirteen year old Mormon girl)
2007: Ratatouille (I'm sure it's fine, I just have very little desire to see this)
2006: I've only seen parts of The Devil Wears Prada (which, from what I can glean, is no better or worse than most of the movies my wife makes me watch); if that doesn't count, Drive (if I'm not watching reputedly major Pixar [see 2007], I'm sure as shit not watching their minor efforts)
2005: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (see 2009)
2004: The Incredibles (see 2007)
2003: I've not seen all of The Room (I checked out after an hour due to boredom); if that doesn't count, Freaky Friday (given the choice, I'd rather watch the Jodie Foster original, not that I'm expecting it to be a great movie)
2002: Star Wars: Episode II—Attack of the Clones (I checked out of this series after The Phantom Menace)
2001: Ocean's Eleven (I generally enjoy Soderbergh's movies, even when they're half-baked, but this seems like too much of a blatant cash-grab for me to prioritize it while a single work by Godard, Kiarostami, or Straub/Huillet still eludes me)
2000: The Emperor's New Groove (I'm realizing kids' movies are a bit of a blind spot for me; this looks like it could be fun)

1999: Toy Story 2 (I liked Toy Story when it came out, but I've never had much curiosity about the sequels)
1998: A Bug's Life (see 2000)
1997: Perfect Blue (I think I might've started watching this back in the day but I might be thinking of another anime)
1996: I've only seen parts of From Dusk Till Dawn (unfortunately the hyper-gory stuff); if that doesn't count, The Craft (which I think my sister liked at the time)
1995: Clueless (for reasons I'm at a loss to explain, I've never been able to get more than twenty minutes into this, but then, Emma is my least favourite Jane Austen novel)
1994: Léon (or any film Luc Besson directed, unless you count the first twenty minutes of Taken; I'm more interested to check out Subway, La Femme Nikita, The Fifth Element, Angel-A, and Lucy)
1993: I can't remember how much I saw of Hocus Pocus as a kid, but it may have only been a few minutes; if that doesn't count, Philadelphia (I don't need to be convinced that discriminating against gay AIDS patients is bad)
1992: Porco Rosso (I should check this out, if only for Miyazaki completism; I've never heard much about it)
1991: I don't remember how much I've seen of Beauty and the Beast (I was reflexively against it at the time because my sister wanted to watch it); if that doesn't count, Thelma and Louise (probably the only post-1982 Ridley Scott movie I actually want to see)
1990: Back to the Future III (I seem to recall seeing a few minutes of it on TV in the '90s, enough to know that Michael J. Fox wears a cowboy suit and steps in horse shit)

1989: Dead Poets Society (if I were going to watch a Robin Williams film I haven't seen, it'd probably be Moscow on the Hudson, World's Greatest Dad, or Seize the Day, assuming Williams' management didn't burn every copy of the latter)
1988: Cinema Paradiso (there are real Fellini movies I could be watching)
1987: The Princess Bride (I think I'd like this; at least I haven't heard anything bad about it)
1986: Stand by Me (I've seen The Simpsons parody)
1985: I've only seen parts of The Breakfast Club; if that doesn't count, Come and See (which I think I want to see, although apparently it's pretty depressing)
1984: A Nightmare on Elm Street (I saw the fourth one on TV back in the day, which largely satisfied my curiosity about the series)

[StuSmallz]

2018: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (another Spider-Man movie? Are all this site's users six year old boys?)

Are you being for real right now?

[Idioteque Stalker]

Responses in bold.

2021: Spider Man: No Way Home (I'm not watching this) I'll probably end up watching this one day, but avoiding it is the main reason I'm going backward from 2019 instead of current day. I thought maybe I was Spidermand out, but after watching and loving Into the Spiderverse I suppose it's more accurate to say I'm Tom Hollanded/MCUd out. Plus there's that nagging feeling I'd have to watch the second movie before getting to the third. There's a good chance it loses the #1 spot to Dune in the coming years anyway.

2015: Mad Max: Fury Road (I haven't seen the first three Mad Max films either) I'm not into Mad Max on the whole, but this movie is special. Still might not be your jam.

2013: Prisoners (I prefer Villeneuve's early, funny movies and Polytechnique, which is decidedly unfunny; still, I might check this one out, one day) I'll be getting to this soon enough. Had no idea it was so popular.

2008: Twilight (I'm not a thirteen year old Mormon girl) Now that the leads have gone on to do respectable work, I'm waiting for the re-appraisal to occur.

2001: Ocean's Eleven (I generally enjoy Soderbergh's movies, even when they're half-baked, but this seems like too much of a blatant cash-grab for me to prioritize it while a single work by Godard, Kiarostami, or Straub/Huillet still eludes me) Can't get behind this line of thinking, but I can comprehend it. Thanks for introducing me to Straub/Huillet -- Chronicle of Anna Magdalena Bach watchlisted.

1997: Perfect Blue (I think I might've started watching this back in the day but I might be thinking of another anime) I'm a superfan. There's a pretty decent chance you like this.

1992: Porco Rosso (I should check this out, if only for Miyazaki completism; I've never heard much about it) Many people dearly love this movie. It's a smaller, more unassuming release from him. If that sounds good to you, go for it. Lesser Miyazaki imo, but in no ways bad.

1991: Thelma and Louise (probably the only post-1982 Ridley Scott movie I actually want to see) Blindspot for me too. Looks... Sundance-y?

1987: The Princess Bride (I think I'd like this; at least I haven't heard anything bad about it) Date night.

[Spun Lepton]

From the IMDb's Top 100, my blind spots.

The Shawshank Redemption
The Godfather: Part II
Everything Everywhere All At Once (already on the top 100?)
Interstellar
City of God
The Green Mile
Hara-Kiri
Parasite
Whiplash
The Intouchables
The Pianist
Gladiator
American History X
Grave of the Fireflies
Apocalypse Now
Casablanca
Modern Times
City Lights
Capernaum
Your Name.
Coco
Django Unchained
3 Idiots
The Lives of Others
Das Boot
High and Low
Witness for the Prosecution
Paths of Glory
Sunset Blvd.
The Great Dictator
The Hunt
Inglorious Basterds
Once Upon a Time in America
North by Northwest
Singin' in the Rain
M

I have no plans to watch many of these movies.

[Idioteque Stalker]

The Intouchables
Capernaum
3 Idiots

I have literally never heard of these movies. And I've looked at that list. The brain is an amazing thing.

Hara-Kiri
Parasite
Apocalypse Now
Casablanca
The Great Dictator
Inglorious Basterds
Once Upon a Time in America
Singin' in the Rain

All of these get five stars from me. The fun ones are bolded.

[DFA1979]

From the IMDb's Top 100, my blind spots.

The Shawshank Redemption
The Godfather: Part II
Everything Everywhere All At Once (already on the top 100?)
Interstellar
City of God
The Green Mile
Hara-Kiri
Parasite
Whiplash
The Intouchables
The Pianist
Gladiator
American History X
Grave of the Fireflies
Apocalypse Now
Casablanca
Modern Times
City Lights
Capernaum
Your Name.
Coco
Django Unchained
3 Idiots
The Lives of Others
Das Boot
High and Low
Witness for the Prosecution
Paths of Glory
Sunset Blvd.
The Great Dictator
The Hunt
Inglorious Basterds
Once Upon a Time in America
North by Northwest
Singin' in the Rain
M

I have no plans to watch many of these movies.

I've seen 22.

[baby doll]

From the IMDb's Top 100, my blind spots.

The Shawshank Redemption mild
The Godfather: Part II warm
Everything Everywhere All At Once
Interstellar
City of God mild
The Green Mile frozen
Seppuku spicy
Parasite warm
Whiplash
Les Intouchables
The Pianist mild
Gladiator cold
American History X mild
Grave of the Fireflies warm
Apocalypse Now warm
Casablanca spicy
Modern Times spicy
City Lights: A Comedy Romance in Pantomime spicy
Capernaum
Your Name. mild
Coco
Django Unchained warm
3 Idiots cold
The Lives of Others cold
Das Boot
High and Low spicy
Witness for the Prosecution warm
Paths of Glory warm
Sunset Blvd. spicy
The Great Dictator spicy
The Hunt mild
Inglorious Basterds warm
Once Upon a Time in America cold
North by Northwest spicy
Singin' in the Rain spicy
M spicy

[Skitch]

I like this.

[Philip J. Fry]

I, indeed, have not seen The Goonies, nor Stand By Me nor Footloose.

Nor Animal House, Airplane and The Blues Brothers.

[Skitch]

I, indeed, have not seen The Goonies, nor Stand By Me nor Footloose.

Nor Animal House, Airplane and The Blues Brothers.

...and you call yourself a movie person. Huff and puff

[Idioteque Stalker]

I, indeed, have not seen The Goonies, nor Stand By Me nor Footloose.

Nor Animal House, Airplane and The Blues Brothers.

Airplane and Stand By Me are great. Goonies, Animal House, and Blues Brothers I too have not seen. I've definitely resisted them for whatever reason. They appear to be products of their time, likely untranslatable to the current day.

...and you call yourself a movie person. Huff and puff

banned

[Skitch]

We should probably give our thoughts on the ones people haven't seen (in a not ass way) to help others make decisions of what to pick.

The Goonies - I'm the exact age for this demo, but for some reason, I completely missed the boat on it. I think my first viewing was around 2000. I enjoy the film, its got some real fun moments and some adventure, but it is lined up for kids at that age group.

Stand By Me - Unlike The Goonies (set in the 80s), because SBM is set in an era I did not grow up in (50s), its easier for me to vanish into the story. In my experience, boys seem to have a stronger reaction to this film than girls, which makes sense. Its timeless, wonderful, hilarious, sad, poignant, and receives the rare rating of me of 10/10. I do not give those out lightly, but it meets my criteria of I would not change a frame.

Animal House - Really funny the first time I watched it, really really rapey the 2nd time I watched it. Probably won't watch again.

Airplane - Hysterical.

Blues Brothers - Fun and silly, and if you love blues like I do, its a treat. Could use a trim though.

[Peng]

Going by Letterboxd's most popular, not-too-recent ones, my top five would be:

1. Donnie Darko
2. Dead Poets Society
3. The Rocky Horror Picture Show
4. Almost Famous
5. Amadeus

[Idioteque Stalker]

Going by Letterboxd's most popular, not-too-recent ones, my top five would be:

Have you avoided Amadeus for any particular reason? It's a personal fave. Acting, editing, music, humor... I can't imagine you not getting something out of it.

I also haven't seen The Rocky Horror Picture Show. I almost saw it at one of those midnight singalongs but it was sold out, and I've never been able to pull the trigger at home. Seems like a chore.

[Peng]

Have you avoided Amadeus for any particular reason? It's a personal fave. Acting, editing, music, humor... I can't imagine you not getting something out of it.

Just not getting around to it yet (partly because I need to find the time for a film of that length).

[Idioteque Stalker]

Just not getting around to it yet (partly because I need to find the time for a film of that length).

Oh right. I forget the movie is long as hell.

[Idioteque Stalker]

First pass at watching the #1 most popular movie of each year according to LB (if I haven't seen it already).

2018: Into the Spider-Verse. I was worried early on this would be overwhelming. But the characters really came through, and my brain didn't have to struggle to make sense of the wild-to-the-point-of-abstract action scenes. I loved it. My new favorite comic book movie. Four stars.

1989: Dead Poets Society. For a movie about poetry, I wish there was more poetry. Bright Star and Paterson this is not. But it's charming to watch people get excited about literature, and it's a decently satisfying drama overall. I wouldn't blame anyone for turning it off when the students hoist the English teacher upon their shoulders. Three stars, but juuuuuust barely.

Next up: Bunch of old ass movies, starting with Charlie Chaplin's "A Dog's Life," the #1 most popular movie of 1918.

[Skitch]

I'm gonna start my list:

spoiler for length

[

Show Spoiler

2021: The French Dispatch
2020: A Quiet Place 2
2019: Parasite
2018: Isle of Dogs
2017: I, Tonya
2016: Hidden Figures
2015: The Big Short
2014: Nightcrawler
2013: The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
2012: Moonrise Kingdom (I own the damn blu-ray ffs)
2011: Shame
2010: Blue Valentine
2009: mother

this is officially getting difficult

2008: Milk (how have I not got to this yet??)
2007: 5 Centimeters per Second
2006: Volver
2005: The 40 Year Old Virgin
2004: Bad Education
2003: Memories of Murder
2002: Secretary
2001: Y Tu Mama Tambien
2000: Ameros Perros

Thats enough for now.

]

I picked movies the way Stalker suggested, but I went down the line of each year to the first movie I hadn't seen but that I am interested in seeing, just didn't get around to it yet.

[Idioteque Stalker]

I'm gonna start my list:

Let me know when you plan to watch 5 Centimeters Per Second and I'll join you.

If you do a Shame/Blue Valentine double feature and make it through intact then you win a $20 Adam and Eve gift card.

[Skitch]

I haven't heard of that 5 Centimeters Per Second (before making that list), but I'm always down for anime movie. I usually mostly into the more sci-fi/actiony anime, but a couple years ago I blind bought Your Name because the blu was only labeled for a buck, so why not, and hoooooly shit what a film.

[Philip J. Fry]

I haven't heard of that 5 Centimeters Per Second (before making that list), but I'm always down for anime movie. I usually mostly into the more sci-fi/actiony anime, but a couple years ago I blind bought Your Name because the blu was only labeled for a buck, so why not, and hoooooly shit what a film.

5 cms is probably my least favorite Shinkai, but it isn't bad. Worth checking out.

I've been for the most part keeping up with anime films from the last 10 or so years, so if anyone wants a recommendation, I'm here.