The best movie you've NEVER seen.

[tomagain77]

Is there a total classic movie you've never seen for one reason or another?

 

I have never seen Wuthering Heights......I've seen the promos and it looks great! I even made a DVD copy one night when TCM ran it. I've just never taken the time as of yet to watch it!!

 

For years and years I had never seen Gone With The Wind.......it had always been so hyped and I always thought it would never measure up to the expectations that I had of it. Well, I finally bought the DVD and watched it a few weeks back and yes it measured up to the expectations and surpassed them! Man what a flick!

 

Tom

[bhryun]

It took me years to see GWTW as well, but like you I'm glad I did. I've never seen "Citizen Kane". Really to this day have no desire to. I know I'm missing something, but I'm really not a fan of Wells. I've also never seen "The Philadelphia Story". I know, I know, I must be wacky!

 

 

[therealfuster]

"Viridiana" by Bunuel.

 

I had a book with a photo in it from the film, and an exegesis of the plot, and after reading just a few paragraphs, I was afraid to read any more for fear of ruining it when I saw it.

 

It took literally years, and I kept looking for the film but it would either be out of print, or just not available at all and it never was shown on tv or at any revivals.

 

Finally after about ten years I did get to purchase a copy of it on vhs, and though it was a bit blurry, I could see why it is considered such a great film and so justly famous. The Last Supper scene alone would make it a classic. Now I look forward to it finally being released on a remastered and digitalized dvd, by hopefully some group like Criterion.

 

Great question by the way!

[happyowl55]

Have you seen Death Takes a Holiday? I was told that Meet Joe Black was based on the same premise. That movie (Joe Black)was a waste of time in my opinion. I can't imagine why Death would want to know any of those people.

 

I saw DTaH listed somewhere recently. (Don't remember if it was TCM or not.) But I didn't get a chance to watch it. I'm wondering if it would be worthwhile watching if I ever get the opportunity.

[ayresorchids]

I've never seen any of The Godfather films. I understand they are units of a masterpiece, and I keep meaning to, but haven't done it yet.

 

(My mood so often seems to be for something magical and b&w to cheer me!)

[venerados]

Reckless Moment, Matter of Life and Death, Sansho Dayu, Landscape in the Mist, Masculin-Feminin, Seventh Heaven. Hundreds more, but those are the most important.

 

Viridiana was actually one of the first movies I remember seeing. I didn't know anything about it beforehand or much about cinema in general and it was a real eye-opener. I've got a full size poster on my bedroom wall to commemorate when I first saw it.

 

I think Death Takes a Holiday is on TCM later this month. I've only seen a shoddy VHS copy, so I might have to watch it again myself.

[path40a]

Death Takes a Holiday will be on 5/20, and it's well worth your time. Much easier to watch that the overlong remake too!

[therealfuster]

if one of the first movies you remember seeing was "Viridiana" were you living as a youngster, in some offbeat pad area of Greenwich Village with a local Janus Films PBS station affiliate, or what?

 

Or is the emphasis on that it is one of the first films you "remember"? It is memorable, I can say that for sure. Silvia Pinal in the wedding outfit, in a drugged, death state is hard to forget.

 

I'm only curious, because usually a person remembers films they saw first as a child, and most stations show things like "Singing in the Rain" more often than a Bunuel film.

 

All I know is...I sure would have liked to live where you did, if they showed Bunuel films regularly.

 

"Reckless Moment" is a really good film, but I've never seen a really high quality transfer of it.

 

I remember seeing "Death Takes a Holiday" too, when I was about eight and really loving it. I need to watch it the next time it is on TCM.

 

 

[venerados]

How should I phrase it...Viridiana is one of the first films I can accurately affix to a point in my past. Growing up there was frequently a Disney video playing in the background or a comedy on tv I could dip in and out of. For Viridiana I decided for myself that I wanted to see it and I watched in rapt attention. It was in that boyhood phase where I was trying to differentiate myself by dressing dandyish, listening to classical music, and watching foreign films. Never lived anywhere artsy; just got lucky to have my local library have a festival of Mexican films.

[feaito]

"Death Takes a Holiday" is not to be missed, it's by far superior than "Meet Joe Black", I would not say properly a "remake" of the former, but another movie based on Alberto Cassella's play. Fredric March is just amazing, as the supporting cast.

 

As for "Viridiana", it was on my "wants" list for a long time until I finally bought the VHS; I enjoyed it greatly, in fact I've enjoyed most of Bu?uel's films I've seen, I also remember "The Exterminating Angel", which also features Silvia Pinal, although this one is far more "surrealistic" than "Viridiana". I also want to see "Tristana" and "The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeois", and his early acknowledged "raw" surrealistic films "Un Chien Andalou" and "L'?ge D'Or". I also would highly recommend to anyone to see Jean Vigo's masterful "L'Atalante", a unique film.

 

As for the best film I've never seen, that would have to be, for example "Death in Venice", which I taped three years ago and still haven't seen it. There must be many more of course, that I've been keeping written down on a piece of paper as "Pending Films that I must see", Like most of Arturo Ripstein's films, some of Werner Herzog's (Only seen "Aguirre the Wrath God", one of the most disturbing and haunting "new" films (for me "new" films are all those made after 1960) I have ever,ever seen, with a magnificent performance by Klaus Kinski, Natassja's father), Rainer W. Fassbinder's, Kieslowszki's ...."The Naked Lunch"....there are so many....not to talk about pre-1960's films like Kubrick's "Paths of Glory", King's "Tol'able David", Chaplin's "The Circus", etc...

 

Fascinating topic RealFuster!

[feaito]

BTW, I noticed that in the May schedule, there are included many early Mexican films, among which I recommend the 1940 "Aqu? est? el Detalle", with Mario Moreno "Cantinflas", which must be the most famous and loved comic in the spanish-speaking countries. I guess that much of his charm lays in his abilty to speak a lot and to say nothing, it's hilarious, I even recall that the verb "cantinflear", was created and accepted by the "Real Academia de la Lengua Espa?ola" (The Royal Academy of the Spanish Language), to designate that special "quality" of saying lots of things, but meaning nothing at the same time. Guess that most of it could be lost in the " english subtitles", 'cos he uses a lot of (1930's and 1940's Mexican) slang.

 

By the way, he was so big a star in Spanish Speaking Countries, that he even starred with David Niven and Shirley MacLaine in "Around the World in 80 Days" and in the all-star "Pepe" (1960). But her roles in those american movies, nor his mexican films after 1956, can compare to his 1940-1953 masterpieces.

 

Please give it a try! And of course watch the rest of the Mexican films featured, they're very entertaining.

[shainablue1]

I have never seen The Postman Always Rings Twice, even though you always hear about that movie. My sister who doesn't even like old movies that much has seen it and not me. I geuss I'll bump it up on my Netflix list.

[feaito]

Correction of my first post:

 

Fascinating topic Tomagain!

[KeithFromKC]

First of all, I agree with you on AGUIRRE WRATH OF GOD, feaito. Klaus Kinski is just amazing, as is the film. I would suggest you also check out Kinski in FITZCARRALDO, another memorable Herzog film. As for classic's I've never seen, I didn't get around to seeing WEST SIDE STORY, until someone recommended it to me after I commented that I wasn't a big fan of musicals on this board last year. I ended up loving it. As a Musical, yes, but I think the cinematography in that film is some of the best I've ever seen. I've seen it twice more since that initial viewing.

 

Also, I still have never seen GONE WITH THE WIND and really don't plan to. I took flak for stating that in an earlier post last year, but it really just doesn't interest me. I made it through about 15 minutes of it and I just can't watch anymore. It's all just boils down to personal taste, really. I've never been a big fan of Westerns either (more power to you if you are), and there are probably dozens of great films in that genre I will never get around to watching. There are just so many great films from the past, that I don't really feel that my film education is incomplete by not seeing certain films deemed 'classics.'

[KeithFromKC]

.....oh, and as for ayresorchids' admission to never having seen any of THE GODFATHER films, well, that's amazing. If you have cable television, well, it's pretty hard to AVOID them! Forget the lop-sided third part of the trilogy, which I don't think is as bad as some critics have reported (Sofia Coppola's laughable performance, notwithstanding). But I have seen the first two films so many times, that they are almost etched in my brain. Sitting through the first two Godfather films back to back is pure cinematic joy for me. As for Sofia Coppola, she is a much better director than she is an actress, so I'm glad she figured that out......

[moviespud]

Rope(I'm quite fond of Hitchock)

The Little Foxes(Bette Davis is one of my all time favorites)

Dr Strangelove

Patton

On the Waterfront

 

[richardny4me]

I cannot believe I have yet to see any of Buster Keaton's silent films. And it is not like they are hard to find - his films play the Film Forum and MOMA here in New York more than any other silent film star's work. Plus Kino and TCM have released DVD sets of his work.

[bhryun]

Tomagain, Wuthering Heights comes on Sunday, and--even if you are a man--you'll feel as though your own heart is broken on the last scene...you'll know what I mean when you watch it.

 

As for movies that I wish to see that I've never seen...well, I have way too many. Roman Holiday and Dark Reckoning and, oh! So many to name! I love old movies!!!

[happyowl55]

You must watch "Roman Holiday." Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn. Now that's CLASS!!!

[therealfuster]

I enjoyed hearing the "Viridiana" story.

 

Feaito, I can remember watching "The Exterminating Angel" the first time, and just being blown away at how truly unique the film was and how incisive. I like all of the films you mention, but for pure perverse pleasure I like "That Obscure Object of Desire" by Bunuel.

 

Speaking of Jean Vigo, I have always admired his stuff, ever since seeing the movie "If..." which had the small parody sequence of "Zero du Conduit". I had looked for "L'Atalante" for years and recently bought the dvd. While watching TCM's showing of "Grand Illusion" over the weekend, I noticed the farm woman and kept wondering where I'd seen her before.

 

It turned out to be Dito Parlo, who played the love interest so beautifully in "L'Atalante". She was also excellent in Renoir's film.

 

Please watch "Death in Venice" so we can discuss Dirk Bogarde, who is amazing in it.

 

 

[deeanddaisy666]

realfuster, THAT was the film I was trying to think of some posts or threads ago, thank you!

 

That Obscure Object of Desire by Bunuel, with Fernando Rey. Yes, that was one of my favorite foreign films from ages ago. Along with Dona Flor And Her Two Husbands, I remember liking that one too.

 

Wouldn't it be grand if TCM were to have an International Film Festival???

 

It would drive leo right over the edge!

 

Has anyone ever seen a foreign (possibly Latin?) film where the protagonist keeps seeing an image of the Virgin Mary (I think) with blood between her eyes, only to be impaled between the eyes in his car at the end of the movie? Great stuff.

[coffeedan1927]

We better brace ourselves right now. There's a Mexican film festival on TCM next month!

[therealfuster]

that dear Leo does not like International Films?

 

I'm simply aghast...

 

Yes, "Dona Flor..." is a good movie; it's been so long since I've seen it though, I've almost forgotten most of it.

 

Now you've intriqued me, Stoney with this film where the Virgin Mary is impaled at the end of the film. It is kind of ringing a bell, but then I've seen way too many films mentioned in the "Psychotronic Encyclopedia". It sounds like something from a Bava relative, or Dario Argento, or Salazar or even like it could be from that Dutch film "The 4th Man" all of whom had some strange religious interludes.

 

Or from a knockoff type Exorcist film. Please give us some more clues. I hope it is not something from the "Tombs of the Blind Dead" series, or a Santo type film like "Samson and the Vampire Women".

 

 

[deeanddaisy666]

Oh no, no, no, realfuster, it's not one of those movies. I tried watching The Cell because the uber hotty Vincent D'Onofrio is in it, but couldn't bear it.

 

Sorry to have given away the ENTIRE ending, but I think the guy worked in a construction yard, and kept having religious flashes throughout the movie. He saw the Virgin Mary and blood was streaming from her eyes. I am SURE there is more to the movie, but these images stuck with me. It HAD to be over 25 years ago (ACK!) that I saw it.

 

At the end, he is driving in his car, again I think, in the construction yard, and his windshield is suddenly pierced by two long pieces of pipe which go straight through his head. So, obviously for the entire movie he had been foreseeing his own death.

 

I'm not sure how good a movie it was, but I liked it at the time.

[slappy3500]

Keith, are you aware that Sophia was in all 3 G.F. films? In #1 she played Connie & Carlo's baby who was cristened while Barzini & Co. got theirs. She was one of the kids at the Confirmation party in #2. Stoney... Pvt. Pyle from Full Metal jacket a "****"???!! :OBTW did you catch his quick but excellent turn as Orson Welles in "Ed Wood"?