What movies do you consider required viewing for cultural literacy?

[Bossy Monkey]

Or TV shows, if you prefer. There are dozens, maybe hundreds, that I've never gotten around to seeing, from "The Exorcist" to the first two Godfathers (embarrassingly, I have seen III) to "Apocalypse Now." On the TV end, I never liked Jerry Seinfeld or "Seinfeld" so as near as possible never saw the latter. I've never seen "The Office," British or American. I have seen "Citizen Kane," "Casablanca," "North By Northwest" and the "Star Wars" trilogy that didn't suck, for example, but I just missed a lot of the classics. What do you say?

[gratuitous]

1. Attack of the Killer Tomatoes

Who sees that movie and understands it need see no other.

[Posteritatis]

37. This as first response wins the entire discussion. Thread over! (nt)

[JVS]

53. yup. a classic.

[taterguy]

2. The Last Waltz

First one to sprang to mind, since it provides a great primer on 'Essential Music.'

[tekisui]

61. Yeah, The Last Waltz has it all.

[CBGLuthier]

3. It would be almost impossible to think of all of them

I highly recommend the sight and sound polls. They do them every ten years and ask critics and directors to vote

http://www.bfi.org.uk/sightandsound/topten/

Currently the director's list is

Citizen Kane

Godfather I and II

8 1/2

Lawrence of Arabia

Dr. Strangelove

Bicycle Thieves

Raging Bull

Vertigo

Rashomon

The Rules of the Game

Seven Samurai



All of these are very important films. I would add the excellent film The Best Years of our Lives and Chaplin's Modern Times to this list.

Then see everything else Hitchcock did starting with Rope and everything Kubrick did starting with A KIlling.

Start working through Billy Wilder. Sunset Strip, Stalag 17, Some Like it Hot, The Apartment.

[mitchum]

4. That is a great and essential list from sight and sound

[Moondog]

5. For popular cultural literacy, I would add

TV - MASH
Movies - The Maltese Falcon

For actual cultural literacy, I'd leave out TV altogether, and add an entire list of films, as opposed to movies. There is a film institute that compiles a list of great films, and I would defer to them.

[mix]

6. The Misfits, John Huston

[Oceansaway]

7. "Them"...n/t

[Taverner]

8. Everything by Kubrick, nothing by Michael Bay

[LynneSin]

17. can we skip over "Eyes Wide Shut"

pul-lease

[Taverner]

21. That was not a Kubrick movie. That was a Tom Cruise movie.

Kubrick was in advanced stages of dementia - so much so that he handed the reigns to Cruise and Kidman...

[grasswire]

9. Grapes of Wrath

Do you have TCM?

[Bossy Monkey]

11. Heck, I don't even have a TV.

I wasn't actually asking for recommendations for me, but rather for people's opinions. Turned into a pretty neat little thread, though. Thanks, and thanks everybody.

[liberaltrucker]

10. Smokey and the Bandit

'nuff said.

:rofl:

[Mopar151]

15. The Bandit movies are fun

But they illustrate Burt Reynold's approach to movie making - it is far more important to cast guys you want to party with than develop a coherent story, OTOH, they'll show it in film school someday to illustrate Gleason's classic slow burn.

I'd put up "The World's Fastest Indian", particularly if seen with its forerunning documentary "Sacrifices to the Gods of Speed". "Greased Lightning" and "Heart like a Wheel" ain't bad, either.

Given the current popularity of "nostalgia" and "vintage" racing, biopics for Jan Opperman,Don Garlits, Richie Evans, and the Allison brothers would be quite do-able now, and they are compelling stories.

[MissMarple]

12. Harvey...Jimmy Stewart.

Pukas rule. ;)

on edit...All of the best people know this.

[MrsBrady]

13. Gone with the wind

Wizzard of oz...released the same year, by the way.
The muppet movie. Very first one.
look who's coming to dinner
young Frankenstein
the princess bride
a room with a view
sound of music
singin in the rain w/ gene kelly
shaft, 1971
airplane, 1980...Then look up all the actors/actresses names in this one and watch some of their previous films

that would be off the top of my head...random, eclectic list for you
and some of my faves

[jobycom]

14. Field of Dreams, Bull Durham, Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Shining.

Not the deepest of films, but significant cultural landmarks.

[Bossy Monkey]

16. Hey, I've seen three of these

Watch out, you may be joining me as a cultural illiterate.:P

[jobycom]

34. I've seen maybe 10% of the others listed here, so I had to list something I'd seen.

:)

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

18. To Kill A Mockingbird

The (original) Manchurian Candidate
(Hitchcock's) Rope
A Christmas Story
Dennis The Menace
The (original) Taking Of Pelham 1 2 3
Bullitt
Vanishing Point

...for a start...

[Deep13]

19. Frankenhooker

[phasma ex machina]

25. Teenagers from Outer Space

[Deep13]

28. Blood Diner

Teenagers from outer space was pretty amusing. Grandpa was pretty clueless.

[Ptah]

20. Smoke Signals

[Bertha Venation]

22. Rain Man. Tootsie. The Silence of the Lambs. n/t

[bikebloke]

23. Some foreign picks

Jean de Florette/ Manon of the Spring
Rififi
The Grand Illusion
Joyeau Noel
Downfall
Jules and Jim
La Dolce Vita
The Best of Youth

[Paladin]

27. Nice Listing.

I'd add "Amercord" and "The Lives of Others" to it........

[burrfoot]

30. I've only

seen Jean de Florette and Jules et Jim, but nice job bringing in the foreign movies!

[Tuesday Afternoon]

24. Any movie/film that piques one's interest in learning more about

the topic of the film. Most historical type movies, sci-fi, any genre that leads to the quest for more knowledge.

[snooper2]

26. "Dazed and Confused" & "The Doors"

nt

[bookworm65t]

40. second here for D &C

that scene in which the freshman-to-be is buying beer and the cashier counsels the pregnant customer ahead to take vitamins, all the while she is smoking and buying a 6 pack. Hilarious!

[SKKY]

29. "Bound" and "Talk To Her"...

[Gidney N Cloyd]

31. Gotta have lots of quotable lines that act as shorthand communication or metaphors.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

32. Kung Fu Hustle.

:thumbsup:

[DU GrovelBot]

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[TZ]

35. This is Spinal Tap ! Princess Bride,Clerks

Very different movies but all classics...

[Bossy Monkey]

45. Three more that I've seen (and the two responses immediately below)

though we were early for Spinal Tap and made the mistake of reading a review posted in the lobby. The reviewer helpfully revealed 80% of the jokes in advance, so we sat through much of the movie in stony silence. It was 10 years or so later when I'd forgotten that I was able to see it again and really enjoy it.

[keroro gunsou]

36. the blues brothers

that is all.

[Auggie]

38. The Rocky Horror Picture Show

[Duer 157099]

39. Here's how I determine which those are

I watch Family Guy or The Simpsons or Futurama (et al) with my teenage son and when I see/hear a cultural reference, I ask him to interpret it for me and if it's clear that he doesn't know what the reference is to, then I make him watch the film(s)/show(s) that were the source for the reference.

All Kubrick, obviously.

[WilmywoodNCparalegal]

41. Schindler's List and Sunset Boulevard

Why Schindler's List:
hard-to-watch gut-wrenching but unfortunately a true event in recent history and Oskar Schindler, shown as he was and lived: a screwed up and amoral man who, in the end, redeemed (somewhat) himself, and the lives of the people he saved and how their numbers have increased through the following generations, a testament to how such a small act of kindness can resonate in magnitude.

Why Sunset Boulevard:
great script, where almost every line uttered is a famous quote. It is a supreme critique of the Hollywood star system, which has not changed much, where stars are discarded and forgotten. It is a former star's sad attempt at regaining herself and her dead career, shown in all her screwed-up splendor, including an unforgettable monkey funeral and it was one of the first movies to begin at the end, so to speak. An amazing movie with amazing performances including famous cameos by several silent-era stars and Cecil B. DeMille himself... and, of course, Gloria Swanson.

[NewJeffCT]

42. By seeing Godfather 3, but not 1 & 2

I think your citizenship papers might have to be revoked.

But, to start:
Some of the big movies from 1939 are still cultural icons: The Wizard of Oz, Gone with the Wind and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington... also from 1939: Of Mice & Men, Wuthering Heights, the Hunchback of Notre Dame, Stagecoach, Ninotchka, Goodbye Mr. Chips, Gunga Din. (I had to check online for movies, but wow...)

From the 1940s...
besides Citizen Kane & Casablanca, you have Double Indemnity, It's a Wonderful Life, Rebecca, Notorious, the Grapes of Wrath, the Maltese Falcon, the Philadelphia Story

From the 1950s...
12 Angry Men, Bridge on the River Kwai, All About Eve, On the Waterfront, Rear Window, Singin' in the Rain, Ben Hur, Vertigo, Some Like it Hot

From the 1960s...
To Kill a Mockingbird, Lawrence of Arabia, Psycho, 2001, Planet of the Apes, the Sound of Music, the Graduate, the Manchurian Candidate, Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner

[CreekDog]

43. I was going to say a Sunday morning political news panel show, but their quality has declined

But I think Beavis and Butthead should capture the essence of political commentary among beltway pundits:

[quiet.american]

44. All in the Family.

Some 30+years out, the show's approach still feels more real than reality, the topics are still timely and the episodes still make me gasp, howl with laughter, and sometimes cry, too.

[PeaceNikki]

46. HBO's Iron Jawed Angels

http://www.hbo.com/films/ironjawedangels/

[OffWithTheirHeads]

47. Cool hand Luke

"What we have here...."

[Mutley]

48. Twilight

:hide:

[BlueIris]

49. Sure, if you want to get literate about how dysfunctional the culture is. nt

[BlueIris]

50. For serious? In movies, "Brokeback Mountain," "JFK," "Taxi Driver," "The Graduate,"

"On the Waterfront," and "The Big Sleep."

(Notice how there's no film in there from the '80s? Not a mistake.)

T.V.: "The Sopranos," "Homicide: Life on the Street," "The X-Files," "Friends," (Sorry, big fan) "ER," "My So-Called Life," "Fresh Prince of Bel Air," "Roseanne," "The Simpsons," "The Cosby Show," "Night Court," "The Golden Girls," "In the Heat of the Night," "Miami Vice," "Hill Street Blues," and "Maude."

[petronius]

51. If you exclude the '80s you exclude The Breakfast Club,

and thus you exclude cultural literacy...

:)

[CBGLuthier]

60. There were many fine films made during the 80's

Amadeus
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Das Boot
Once Upon a Time in America
Full Metal Jacket
Blade Runner
Wings of Desire
A Christmas Story
The Untouchables
Brazil
Ran
Gandhi
Platoon



and more

[Ghost of Tom Joad]

52. Some of the films I've shown in my Film History class

Battle of Algiers
M
Singin' in the Rain
Grapes of Wrath
Double Indemnity
Blade Runner
Children of Men
Sunset Boulevard
Bringing Up Baby
Baby Face

[RushIsRot]

54. Reefer Madness

[LostInAnomie]

55. Dolemite 2: The Human Tornado

[ZombieHorde]

56. Terminator, at least one Godzilla movie, Night of the Living Dead (oringinal),

Indiana Jones Raiders of the Lost Arc, Star Wars trilogy (probably both), Record of Lodoss War, The Exorcist, Cannibal Holocaust, Matrix, Apocalypse Now, Blade Runner, Godfather, Ghost in the Shell (original), Better Off Dead, Jurassic Park, Tetsuo the Iron Man, The Toxic Avenger, The Reanimator, Psycho(original), Faster Pussy Cat Kill Kill, Zombie 2 (aka Zombi), Halloween, Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th, The Thing (remake), Rosemary's Baby, Dawn of the Dead (original), Reefer Madness, Versus, Spongebob Squarepants Movie, Ilsa Shewolf of the SS, Spirited Away, Bloodsucking Freaks, Mark of the Devil, Lord of the Rings trilogy, Dead Alive, Master of the Flying Guillotine, They Live, Video Drone, Clash of the Titans, The Shining (original), Elfen Lied, The Omen, Poltergeist, ...

That is all I came up with off the top of my head, I am sure we could come up with a list containing 100's of movies.

Oh shit, eta: Rocky Horror Picture Show

[Quantess]

57. Deliverance. So many cultural references to that film.

[UrbScotty]

58. To Kill a Mockingbird - either required viewing or required reading

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

59. Do both...

It's a great book AND a great movie. That's pretty rare.

[Captain Hilts]

63. Play the soundtrack while reading the book - best of both worlds. nt

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

64. Whenever I read the book....

I hear Gregory Peck's voice as I'm reading the dialogue from Atticus.

Same with "The Grapes of Wrath."

[Captain Hilts]

65. Yes. To Kill a Mockingbird, Grapes of Wrath and African Queen are great

adaptations of books. With AQ, the film is actually better, as it has humor and an ending C.S. Forester preferred over his own.

[begin_within]

62. My list

"Bicycle Thieves" (1948)
"Ikiru" (1952)
"Tokyo Story" (1953)
"Salt of the Earth" (1954)
"East of Eden" (1955)
"Some Like it Hot" (1959)
"Psycho" (1960)
"The Apartment" (1960)
"Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?" (1962)
"Mary Poppins" (1964)
"Soy Cuba" (1964)
"Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!" (1965)
"Au Hasard Balthazar" (1966)
"The Good, the Bad and The Ugly" (1966)
"Night of the Living Dead" (1968)
"2001: A Space Odyssey" (1968)
"Easy Rider" (1969)
"Five Easy Pieces" (1970)
"Harold and Maude" (1970)
"What's Up, Doc?" (1972)
"Chinatown" (1974)
"The Stunt Man" (1978)
"Life of Brian" (1979)
"E.T. The Extraterrestrial" (1982)
"El Norte" (1983)
"Contact" (1997)
"Daughter from Danang" (2002)
"March of the Penguins" (2005)

[begin_within]

66. For TV,

"Upstairs, Downstairs" is the best drama series.
"Monty Python's Flying Circus" is the best comedy series.
"Planet Earth" is the best documentary.

All from Merry Olde England. Hmmm...