The Popular Movie Blindspot Thread

[Ivan Drago]

Gladiator
The Color Purple
Conan The Barbarian
Gone With The Wind
The Graduate
Some Like It Hot
Ben-Hur (1959)
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
A LOT of John Ford Westerns
The Maltese Falcon
The Bridge on the River Kwai
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
Bonnie and Clyde
The French Connection
Bringing Up Baby
Spartacus
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Tootsie
Unforgiven
Tombstone
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
A Brighter Summer Day
The African Queen
Cabaret
All That Jazz
American Graffiti
North By Northwest

[DFA1979]

Gladiator
The Color Purple
Conan The Barbarian
Gone With The Wind
The Graduate
Some Like It Hot
Ben-Hur (1959)
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
A LOT of John Ford Westerns
The Maltese Falcon
The Bridge on the River Kwai
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
Bonnie and Clyde
The French Connection
Bringing Up Baby
Spartacus
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Tootsie
Unforgiven
Tombstone
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
A Brighter Summer Day
The African Queen
Cabaret
All That Jazz
American Graffiti
North By Northwest

I've seen 18 of those.

[Skitch]

Gladiator - Excellent
Conan The Barbarian - 10/10
The Graduate - Do not like it.
Ben-Hur (1959) - epic
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang - good
The Bridge on the River Kwai - excellent
Bonnie and Clyde - an interesting road movie of sorts, sign of the times imo could use a trim
Spartacus - good
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid - real good. one of the best explosions in cinema, struther martin steals the show
Unforgiven - a little overrated, but I dig it
Tombstone - I've been told its historically inaccurate, but its entertaining
The African Queen - good movie, but kinda simplistic. two people in a boat argue
American Graffiti - saw it for first time last year. not for me
North By Northwest - my favorite Hitchcock

[Ivan Drago]

Seven Samurai (or hell, a LOT of Kurosawa)
The Green Mile
The Usual Suspects
A Fistful of Dollars
For A Few Dollars More
Everything by Yasujiro Ozu
Everything by Rainer Werner Fassbinder
The Apartment (Billy Wilder)
Groundhog Day
A LOT of Ingmar Bergman

[Idioteque Stalker]

The only movie with Laurence Olivier I have seen is Rebecca.

Same, plus Sleuth which I remember liking in high school. He's a legend who I ought to watch more of. Marathon Man seems like a solid choice, as does Bunny Lake Is Missing. And then there are the Shakespeare adaptations he also directed.

This also has me thinking about James Cagney. I have never seen even one movie with him.

Everything by Yasujiro Ozu

Yeah... It's been a long time since I watched Tokyo Story and Late Spring, and that's all I've seen. Ozu deserves better. I will watch some Ozu this week. (Side note: I was going to tongue-in-cheek reprimand you for including Ozu as a blindspot in the Popular Movie Blindspot Thread. Then I thought about it for two seconds, did some research, and discovered that Tokyo Story is the #1 most popular movie of 1953 and Late Spring is the #2 most popular movie of 1949. So yeah. I'm dumb.)

And you're the third person to mention Green Mile. Maybe it's one of those "you had to be there" movies.

EDIT: Finally, out of all the movies you named, my main rec would be Seven Samurai. That's the only specific title that gets five stars from me.

The African Queen - good movie, but kinda simplistic. two people in a boat argue

I agree with this so hard. Except for the "good movie" part. In fact, I've never been impressed by John Huston.

[Skitch]

I respect the difficulty of the filming dragging the boat through the weeds and stuff. I also, have not been a big fan of Houston or Ford. Somewhere baby doll is sending a hit team for me lol

[Skitch]

I haven't seen a bad kurasawa yet. Seven Samurai, 10. Hidden fortress 9 maybe 9.5. Ikiru, throne of blood, Roshomon, all amazing.

[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?

[DFA1979]

Nah I'm at least 12 or 13 depending on my shoe size. Also the biggest MCU fan doesn't even post here anymore so baby doll's insults aren't going to reach him LOL.

[Skitch]

Ah, old dependable lol

As for the Luc Besson, Leon would be my bet for the only one with a chance for you to like.

[StuSmallz]

Anyway, I guess my biggest cinematic blindspot right now would be The Wizard Of Oz, which is partially due to general knowledge of it from "cultural osmosis", and the way that parodies like this make me feel like I've basically seen it already:



Someday, though!

[Skitch]

You should see it stu. While I'm not the biggest fan of it, family wants to watch it every couple years, and I'm surprised how with each viewing it becomes more of a horror film.

[Idioteque Stalker]

Don't y'all see the irony of what just happened? By getting up in arms over Spiderman you have proven BD right, in real time, right before our eyes. Is it really so hard to believe someone would have no interest in superheroes? I know it may be hard to imagine in this day and age, but twenty years ago those people were called "adults."

Anyhow, the most offensive (i.e. hilarious) burn in his post is about Twilight, which of course nobody noticed because it didn't target their nuts.

[Skitch]

Hmmm...my comment wasn't specific, I'm generally annoyed by any review (whether I like the movie or not) that insults the audience that does like whatever movie. It's the cheapest form of criticism. Target the movie. Who cares who enjoys it

[Idioteque Stalker]

99% of the time I agree with you, and I would normally keep my mouth shut. But I feel it being a thread about popular movies opens the door a little to discuss the population. There also may be some personal bias on my part since I view BD as an intellectual wizard and find it fun when he lets loose, like seeing Gandalf laugh at his own fart.

[baby doll]

Are you being for real right now?

I'm a grown man. It's to be expected that I don't have the same taste in movies as the children for whom these films are made. It would be rather sad if I did. Even in the case of the children's movies that I do enjoy (e.g., The Wizard of Oz, My Neighbour Totoro, the Wallace and Gromit films), I don't necessarily enjoy them for the same reasons as their target audience. I like What's Opera, Doc? even more as an adult than I did as a child in part because I get the references to Wagnerian opera. On the other hand, having seen a number of contemporary, live-action comic book films (including the first two Sam Raimi Spider-Man films), I've found there's very little in these films to appeal to an adult--even those that are rated R, such as Sin City--as they consistently privilege movement and noise over style and spectacle (to say nothing of story).

[Skitch]

I'm a grown man. It's to be expected i don't have the same taste in movies as people who grew up in the 1900s, 10s, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, Europe....

it would be rather sad if I did

Yes, if it doesn't relate to me, I think anyone it does relate to is sad

[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]

If I'm a six-year-old for enjoying Spider-man, then Baby Doll is a 98-year-old man sitting alone and unshowered in a dark room in front of an old CRT television, eating Nutritional Sludge(TM) with a wooden bowl and spoon, watching The Symbol of the Unconquered for the 176th time and mumbling to himself, "Fun is for kids."

[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.

[Skitch]

Dammit I can't rep anyone

[Idioteque Stalker]

Dammit I can't rep anyone

Was gonna rep you to rub it in, but I can't!

[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]

Um my post was in complete jest.. I don't care if people don't like Marvel movies or whatever.