103 Movies You Have To See or: How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Poll

[LucasM]

I think we should allow an entire series, if it makes sense.  This would avoid having a different vote for each film.  I guess I'll go with it:

Star Wars: The Original Trilogy

After the interchange with Darth Geek above, I've thought about this some more.  With the original Star Wars trilogy, and The Matrix trilogies being 'series' examples thus far, I think that putting series as a unit is a mistake, even for 'linked' series [as opposed to the Star Trek franchise which don't really connect to one-another, with the exception of Spock's death and rediscovery].

How did I come to that?  Because I would have voted for The Matrix trilogy, because it was written as one seven hour story.  But because it was released as three separate films, I agreed with Darth Geek that the one that broke new ground was the first, and changed my original post before anyone voted for it.  [Had someone already voted, I wouldn't have changed it.]

But here's where the problem lies: even though I don't care for it, I feel that Star Wars Episode IV was 'important', and I might have even considered voting for it for a "Have to See" list.  But under no circumstances do I feel that way about the whole original Star Wars trilogy [or the later one], and would definitely not vote for the Star Wars trilogy for such a list.  I don't feel the second and third installments [Eps V and VI] did anything new - even for their generation [or release year] - and so I don't feel they warrant such placement.  That is my opinion.  But it's possible by the difference in number of 'hearts' that 'A New Hope' got on page one of this thread, and the number that 'the original trilogy' got on page two, that I may not be the only one.  [Of course it could just be that the people voting on page one were understandably confused by the thread having both, because they'd already voted for 'Star Wars' once and it showed up again, different.]

[Kete]

I completely agree with your assessment of movie series. I just think that's the risk you run if you nominate the whole series....it may lose some votes.  I did it in an attempt to save us some time, but if others feel the same way, we may have to do the individual movies in future polls.

I'll have the poll up in a moment.

[ScottotD]

so what happens to the movies that don't win?

[goflyblind]

so what happens to the movies that don't win?

we track down the original prints and burn them. then we find the director's home and burn it to the ground. finally, we burn down the internet so that there's no more mention of said movie.

[wurwolf]

A hundred year comma?

BTW "Hedwig and the Angry Inch".

[ScottotD]

so what happens to the movies that don't win?

we track down the original prints and burn them. then we find the director's home and burn it to the ground. finally, we burn down the internet so that there's no more mention of said movie.

Oh, so what some people seem to think happens when something is remade? Fair enough.

[Kete]

A hundred year comma?

BTW "Hedwig and the Angry Inch".

haha....I've always thought it was "Itch".  Probably because of Seven Year Itch.  I guess I always gave up reading halfway through the title.  Needless to say, I haven't seen it.  I should check it out.

so what happens to the movies that don't win?

Nothing. They can be nominated again in a later poll.  If we end up with a Dune situation, we may have to force some movies to go on a hiatus.

[D.B. Barnes]

I fucking love Citizen Cane! It's a wonderfully scathing indictment of the sugar industry.

[Kete]

We can start working on the next list of nominees now.

[ScottotD]

John Carpenter's The Thing

[Kete]

Vertigo

[LucasM]

The Bride of Frankenstein

[Relaxing Dragon]

Scott beat me to my next nomination, but that's alright. I can still make the defense for it if anyone's interested.

The Thing: John Carpenter's masterpiece of suspense, tension, paranoia, atmosphere, and visual effects. It's a tightly crafted and expertly structured piece that immediately draws you in to the situation developing at US Antarctic Research Station #31, and manages to both amaze and disturb you with its breathtaking practical effects (the best ones ever made, for my money). Gets my vote for Best Horror Movie ever, and if you only see one horror flick from the 80s, do make it this one. Dog lovers be warned.

Anywho, fanboy gushing aside, my next pick is...

Seven Samurai. This one pretty much laid the groundwork for every action/adventure movie to come out ever since its creation. The let's-get-the-team-together moment, the reluctant-good-guys-who-must-overcome-themselves-to-protect-the-innocent-from-evil, the comic-relief-character-who-proves-himself-worthwhile-at-a-critical-moment, the cold-opening-to-introduce-us-to-our-hero, and pretty much every archetype and cliche you can think of. They all started here, or at least were solidified here. Plus, you know, it's a masterpiece and everything. That's important too.

[Russell]

The 100 movies you have to see now voting is for loading and unloading of passengers only. There is no stopping in the Dead zone...

I nominate Close Encounters of the Third Kind

[D.B. Barnes]

The Fourth Man