The “Must See” Film List: Have Your Say!

At the beginning of the year I attempted to knock some films off my “Must See List” by selecting five films a month to watch. Needless to say, my plans were derailed by March as other film watching priorities arose. I am now committed to getting my plan back on track but with one twist. Instead of tackling the same never-ending list as before, I have decided to revamp things a little bit.

Below, in no particular order, is a list of films that will make up my new and improved “Must See List”. As you will notice there are 50 blank spots. This is where you movie loving readers come in. I want your help selecting the remaining films. In the comments section, list what films you think are a must for any cinema lover. These can be anything from Academy award winners to zany genre films, big budget blockbuster to a poorly made blaxploitation film, foreign film to...well you get the point. Basically if there is a film you love, that is not already on the list, then I want to hear about it. I will update the list based on your suggestions, assuming I have not already seen the film, each week until the list is filled.

The Must See List

1. Paths of Glory
2. 8 1/2
3. The Assassination of Jesse James By the Coward Robert Ford
4. Army of Shadows (recommended by Wes22)
5. Sherlock Jr. (recommended by Cinema Sights)
6. Days of Heaven
7. La Haine
8. Carry on Regardless (recommended by Dan)
9. House of Games (recommended by Colin)
10. Bicycle Thieves (aka The Bicycle Thief)
11. The Lion in Winter (recommended by Anna)
12. Reds (recommended by Andrew)
13. Kentucky Fried the Movie
14. Pusher III
15. Snow Cake (recommended by Jess)
16. Boy A (recommended by Squasher88)
17. The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas (recommended by HKB)
18. Rashomon
19. Audition
20. Suspiria (recommended by Bob)
21. Troll 2 (recommended by Action Flick Chick)
22. A Town Called Panic
23. Inland Empire
24. Sunrise: A Song of Two Human (recommended by Cinema Sights)
25. Branded To Kill (recommended by Bob)
26. Sweet Smell of Success
27. The Battle for Algiers
28. In a Lonely Place (recommended by Anna)
29. Senna (recommended by Andy)
30. Castaway on the Moon (recommended by Adina)
31. Martyrs
32. Vertigo
33. The Tree of Life
34. Beau Travail (recommended by Anna of Split Reel)
35. Beginners (recommended by Duke)
36. Patton (recommended by Andrew)
37. The Brother from Another Planet
38. 12 Angry Men
39. Battleground
40. Head-On (Gegen die Wand) (recommended by Anonymous)
41. The Omega Man (recommended by Richard)
42. Rosetta (recommended by Anonymous)
43. The Room
44. The Outlaw Josey Wales
45. Ichi the Killer
46. The Wind and the Lion (recommended by Richard)
47. Triage (recommended by Phips)
48. Basket Case
49. Double Indemnity
50. Dear Zachary (recommended by Colin)
51. Jules and Jim
52. Wings of Desire
53. Badlands
54. Solaris (original) (recommended by Wes22)
55. The Taming of the Shrew (recommended by Andrew)
56. JD’s Revenge
57. I Love You Philip Morris (recommended by Duke)
58. Children of Paradise (Les enfants du paradis) (recommended by Movie Guy Steve)
59. The Adventures of Tintin
60. Battleship Potemkin
61. Incendies
62. Gun Crazy (recommended by Movie Guy Steve)
63. I Am Cuba (recommended by Bob)
64. Marwencol (recommended by Colin)
65. City Lights (recommended by Cinema Sights)
66. The Passion of Joan of Arc
67. Nashville
68. Judgment at Nuremberg (recommended by Anna)
69. Safety Last! (recommended by Chip Lary)
70. The 400 Blows
71. Breathless (Jean-Luc Godard version)
72. The White Ribbon
73. The Man from Earth (recommended by Chip Lary)
74. Kaboom (recommended by Toby)
75. Children of Huang Shi (recommended by Alan)
76. Alluda Mazaaka (aka Alluda Majaka)
77. The Killing
78. Dance Party, USA (recommended by Toby)
79. Night of the Hunter (recommended by Rich)
80. Close-Up (recommended by Joel)
81. The Birth of a Nation
82. The Human Centipede
83. Ran
84. Melancholia
85. Vanishing Point (recommended by Paul S)
86. Paris is Burning (recommended by Rich)
87. Two-Lane Backtop (recommended by Paul S)
88. Hands on a Hardbody (recommended by Joel)
89. La Dolce Vita
90. Rango
91. Tokyo Gore Police (recommended by CriticalMovieCritics)
92. The Steel Helmet (recommended by Will)
93. Soylent Green
94. Bright Star
95. Werckmeister Harmonies (recommended by Bonjour Tristesse)
96. The Great Train Robbery (recommended by Andrew)
97. The Hidden Fortress
98. I Killed My Mother
99. On the Waterfront
100. Cyclo (recommended by Bonjour Tristesse)
101. The Bitter Tea of General Yen (recommended by Danny)
102. Black Narcissus (recommended by Bob)
103. Murder, My Sweet (recommended by Danny)

Five Films to Check Off the “Must See List” By the End of March

After successfully completing last month’s list, I figured it was time to finally remove another five random films from my personal “must see” list. While not all of them may be considered cinematic gems, here is what is on tap for the coming month:

Battle Royale – This is one of those films where I think it will be hard to live up to the hype. For eleven years now I have kept hearing that Battle Royale is a film that I must see. Many found it disturbing, while others simply thought it was awesome. I think it is time to finally see what all the fuss is about.

Bright Star – A co-worker recently offered to lend me a copy of Bright Star. Seeing as it was a film I had been procrastinating on for a while now, I could not pass it up.

The White Ribbon – I have mention several times on this blog that Michael Haneke is a director who always evokes some sort of reaction out of me. As a result, any film he makes is an automatic must see for me. The White Ribbon has been a film I have been meaning to watch for over a year, so it is time to finally check it off the list.

I Killed My Mother – Xavier Dolan’s latest film Heartbeats was released in U.S. theatres last week. Although the film has received critical acclaim, I have held off seeing it until I catch the young Canadian director’s semi-autobiographically debut I Killed My Mother. Despite the horror film sounding title, I Killed My Mother is more of a coming of age tale about a gay teen who is at odds with his mother. Judging by the praise I have heard for both films it sounds like Dolan may be one of our country’s next great directors.

Bronson – This film has been on the list for a few years now, but it recently got bumped up a few pegs after seeing Tom Hardy’s scene stealing work in Inception. Although Hardy was good in Layer Cake and Scenes of a Sexual Nature, everyone keeps telling me that Bronson is the film where he truly shines.

Five Films to Check Off the “Must See” List By the End of February

Like most movie fans, I have a large number of films on my personal “must see” list. Now with the Oscar nominations out, this list has just gotten bigger. Considering I have not put a dent in my list for a few months now, I have decided to pick out five random films that I will finally set aside time to see over the next month. Similar to weight loss, it is all about taking the small steps to achieving the overall goal. While not all of them may be considered cinematic gems, here is what is on tap for the coming month:

The Ghost Writer: I won a free copy of this film months ago and it has been sitting on top of my DVD player staring at me ever since.

The King’s Speech: It is the only one of the Best Picture nominees that I have not yet seen. Although, there are a bunch of other Oscar films to see (especially the documentaries and foreign films), I shall start with this one.

Unthinkable: A co-worker lent me this Samuel L. Jackson film several months ago and it has slowly made its way to the bottom of the pile. I seriously need to watch it and return it.

Enter the Void: Gaspar Noé’s follow up to Irreversible received high praise from several of the bloggers at the monthly pub night this week.

The Good, The Bad, The Weird: Okay, I did attempt to watch this late one night but fell asleep within the first 15 minutes. This is not a knock against the film, but more a reflection of the gruelling work week. The Good, The Bad, The Weird has been on the list for a few years now so this is a must see in the coming month.