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What do you consider to be the essential/must see films?

posted 5 years ago by [deleted]
112 replies | jump to latest

What are the films you consider to be essential films that every film buff must see? Not necessarily your personal favourite or the best, but the films that are required viewing. List yours and tell me how many have you seen from my list? Here is my list of essential films:

2001: A Space Odyssey 1968
8½ 1963
A Clockwork Orange 1971
All About Eve 1950
Apocalypse Now 1979
Ben-Hur 1959
Bicycle Thieves 1948
Bonnie and Clyde 1967
Citizen Kane 1941
City Lights 1931
Dog Day Afternoon 1975
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb 1964
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial 1982
The Exorcist 1973
Freaks 1932
The Godfather 1972
The Godfather: Part II 1974
Gone with the Wind 1939
The Graduate 1967
Intolerance: Love's Struggle Throughout the Ages 1916
Jeanne Dielman, 23 Commerce Quay, 1080 Brussels 1975
King Kong 1933
La Strada 1954
Lawrence of Arabia 1962
M 1931
Man with a Movie Camera 1929
Metropolis 1927
Midnight Cowboy 1969
Nashville (1975)
Network (1976)
The Passion of Joan of Arc 1928
Persona 1966
Picnic at Hanging Rock 1975
Psycho 1960
Pulp Fiction 1994
Raging Bull 1980
Ran 1985
Rashomon 1950
Rebel Without a Cause 1955
The Red Shoes 1948
Rosemary's Baby 1968
Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom 1975
Sanshô dayû 1954
Schindler's List 1993
Seven Samurai 1954
The Seventh Seal 1957
The Shining 1980
Singin' in the Rain 1952
Solaris 1972
Star Wars 1977
Sunrise 1927
Sunset Boulevard 1950
Taxi Driver 1976
Vertigo 1958
West Side Story 1961
The Wizard of Oz 1939

[–] [deleted] 5 years ago

You took most of mine!

I’d ad the room, just for lols

[–] [deleted] 5 years ago

I haven't seen The Room yet, but I want to.

[–] sslssg (34317) 5 years ago

I've been thinking about this for a few hours now, but there are just so many to choose from. The ones that I could think of are

12 Angry Men (1957)
An American Werewolf in London (1981)
The Apartment (1960)
The Descent (2005)
Baraka (1992)
Double Indemnity (1944)
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
The Fifth Element (1997)
The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)
Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986)
Ichi the Killer (2001)
Jaws (1975)
Metropolis (1927)
Man Bites Dog (1992)
My Dinner With André (1981)
Pan's Labyrinth (2006)
Pulp Fiction (1994)
Rashomon (1950)
Samsara (2011)
Secretary (2002)
Stand by Me (1986)
Terminator 2 (1991)
The Sting (1973)
The Tale of the Princess Kaguya (2013)
The Wizard of Oz (1939)

[–] [deleted] 5 years ago

Good list. I haven't seen The Descent, Baraka, Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, Ichi the Killer, Man Bites Dog, Samsara, Secretary or The Tale of the Princess Kaguya. I like most of the others, although I find The Sting to be overrated.

[–] sslssg (34317) 5 years ago

I think that the Sting is just a really enjoyable movie. Maybe I am still a little smitten with Redford. And even Newman.

[–] Mrmojo4700 (21539) 5 years ago

The first film that comes to mind that is not on your list is The Good, The Bad and the Ugly.

[–] [deleted] 5 years ago

I've seen The Good, The Bad and the Ugly, but found it somewhat underwhelming.

[–] Mrmojo4700 (21539) 5 years ago

It does drag in some parts but I think the entire graveyard scene is fantastic. I honestly can’t think of another scene in film that I could place above it.

[–] Knish (1721) 5 years ago

Are you QT?

[–] Mrmojo4700 (21539) 5 years ago

I don’t think I’ve ever been called a cutie before.

[–] [deleted] 5 years ago

lol

[–] db20db (17293) 5 years ago

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo...either version.

[–] [deleted] 5 years ago

I've seen and enjoyed both versions.

[–] berge (12) 5 years ago

Lots of great movies here

For me essentials, in no particular order, include:

Cleopatra (Mankiewicz’s)
Holiday 1939 (
Little Women (LeRoy’s)
Once Upon A Time When We Were Colored
The Women (Cukor’s)
Casablanca
The Joy Luck Club
Selena
Shadowlands
To Sleep With Anger
Empire Strikes Back
Titanic (cameron’s)
Back to the Future
Christmas Story
Sound of Music
Singin’ in the Rain
Henry V (both Olivier and Branagh version)
Harold and Maude
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie
Independence Day
Iron Man
Something New
Carmen Jones
Stand and Deliver
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Swept From The Sea
Philadelphia Story
It Happened One Night
Now Voyager
The Bourne Identity (Liman’s)
Wonder Woman
The Black Panther

[–] [deleted] 5 years ago

I've seen most of the ones you mentioned and liked them.

[–] CKid (3842) 5 years ago

There is one film which was not on anyone's list that I definitely consider to be an essential/must-see film, so I might as well mention it myself ...
To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)

[–] [deleted] 5 years ago

To Kill A mockingbird is a great film.

[–] [deleted] 5 years ago

yes!

[–] actionkamen (23176) 5 years ago

I've seen about 10 of your list.

My list would be a lot shorter.
1. 2001: A Space Odyssey (sci-fi / thriller / futurism)
2. Blue is the Warmest Colour (indie / drama / romance / euro)
3. The Lion King (musical / coming of age / traditional animation / fable)
4. The Matrix or Terminator 2 (action / sfx)
5. Toy Story (computer animation / bromance)
6. Hero (asian / wuxia / art)
7. Dr. Strangelove (comedy / war / anti-war)
8. Ben Hur (epic / historical fantasy / religious)
9. Akira (anime)
10. The Godfather (gangster / character drama)
11. The Dark Knight or Avengers: Infinity War (superhero / cbm)

[–] [deleted] 5 years ago

Good list. I haven't seen Akira, but I really liked all of the others you mentioned.

[–] actionkamen (23176) 5 years ago

In a second thought, while Akira is one big monumental film in the history of anime I think it's not as essential as I previously imagined. I'll take it out and replace it with Spirited Away (2001). Now that's truly essential IMO.

[–] [deleted] 5 years ago

Spirited Away is fantastic.

[–] BillHicksFan (10608) 5 years ago

I like the distinction. I put down the important ones from your list.. I had to remove some of my favorites as well.

A Clockwork Orange 1971
All About Eve 1950
Bicycle Thieves 1948
Citizen Kane 1941
The Godfather 1972
The Godfather: Part II 1974
La Strada 1954
M 1931
Midnight Cowboy 1969
Nashville (1975)
Network (1976)
Persona 1966
Rashomon 1950
Seven Samurai 1954
The Seventh Seal 1957
Sunset Boulevard 1950
Taxi Driver 1976

[–] [deleted] 5 years ago

Good list! I've seen all of them and liked or loved them all.

[–] BillHicksFan (10608) 5 years ago

Yeah, its your list. I just removed some that weren't ESSENTIAL, even if I liked them very much

[–] [deleted] 5 years ago

Is there any films that aren't on my list that you would consider essential?

[–] BillHicksFan (10608) 5 years ago

One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest
Harry and Tonto
They Shoot Horses, Don't they?
The Battle of Algiers
Treasure of the Sierra Madre
A Woman Under The Influence
Buffalo '66
Mr. Deeds Goes to Town
la grande illusion
ace in the hole
wild strawberries
On The Waterfront
McCabe & Mrs. Miller
Elmer Gantry
The Grapes of Wrath
Annie Hall
Harold and Maude
Shane
The Swimmer
The Devil and Daniel Webster
Last Tango In Paris
Knife In The Water
Chinatown
The Face of Another
Little Fugitive
A Taste of Cherry
The Lost Weekend
The Conversation
Mr. Smith Goes To Washington
Mr. Deeds Goes To Town

[–] [deleted] 5 years ago

Good list. I've seen most of them. I just saw la grande illusion last week for the first time. I thought it was alright (a 7/10), but not as good as I had expected. I saw Harry and Tonto a couple weeks ago for the first time and loved it, rating it a 9/10. I saw The Devil and Daniel Webster earlier this year, but thought it was just okay (a 6/10). I haven't seen They Shoot Horses, Don't they?, A Woman Under The Influence, The Swimmer, Knife In The Water, The Face of Another, or Little Fugitive. I'm on vacation this week so I will likely watch a bunch of movies.

[–] BillHicksFan (10608) 5 years ago

Great! Those first two you haven't seen are on YouTube (and many a few others). ENJOY!

I also didn't like "La Grande Illusion" the first time much, either. I think I only saw this after reading Orson Welles say it was his favorite. But, the VHS was grainy, and I started watching it at 5am. But the second time, I downloaded it with good quality, and rested, and I absolutely loved it.