Catch Up with these Classics
by xsarenkax | created - 14 Jun 2013 | updated - 08 Mar 2020 | PublicSomehow I missed some of these titles until they became classics, others I have yet to see. Still others are here because either my husband or I have seen them, but the other has not. Lastly, regardless of whether we'd seen them, they just belong here. Maybe YOU haven't seen them yet, but you should. Enjoy!
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1. Spartacus (1960)
PG-13 | 197 min | Adventure, Biography, Drama
The slave Spartacus survives brutal training as a gladiator and leads a violent revolt against the decadent Roman Republic, as the ambitious Crassus seeks to gain power by crushing the uprising.
Directors: Stanley Kubrick, Anthony Mann | Stars: Kirk Douglas, Laurence Olivier, Jean Simmons, Charles Laughton
Votes: 143,132 | Gross: $30.00M
Having just finished watching the Spartacus television series, I must now compare and contrast with the original story that we'd never seen. We must see it done.
2. Fatal Attraction (1987)
R | 119 min | Drama, Thriller
A married man's one-night stand comes back to haunt him when that lover begins to stalk him and his family.
Director: Adrian Lyne | Stars: Michael Douglas, Glenn Close, Anne Archer, Ellen Latzen
Votes: 97,044 | Gross: $156.65M
Boiled rabbits? I've been meaning to see this for the longest time. Is it worth the wait?
UPDATE: I watched it and wondered if it was merely some of the weird choices that made this movie memorable for so many. I'm sorry but casting was just odd for a couple of characters, and the boiled rabbit didn't make sense either. It was probably better enjoyed at this late date than it ever could have been at release time. I'm glad I waited.
3. Mommie Dearest (1981)
R | 129 min | Biography, Drama
The abusive and traumatic adoptive upbringing of Christina Crawford at the hands of her mother, screen queen Joan Crawford, is depicted.
Director: Frank Perry | Stars: Faye Dunaway, Diana Scarwid, Steve Forrest, Howard Da Silva
Votes: 18,328 | Gross: $19.03M
Why do I love this movie? There's something about psychotic people that I just cannot resist. The fact that it's based on a real story saddens, but does not deter me from loving it. Husband has yet to see this gem. I can't wait to see it again after so many years.
4. The Birds (1963)
PG-13 | 119 min | Drama, Horror, Mystery
A wealthy San Francisco socialite pursues a potential boyfriend to a small Northern California town that slowly takes a turn for the bizarre when birds of all kinds suddenly begin to attack people.
Director: Alfred Hitchcock | Stars: Rod Taylor, Tippi Hedren, Jessica Tandy, Suzanne Pleshette
Votes: 204,424 | Gross: $11.40M
Finally saw this recently. I was disappointed in the lack of a real explanation for the bird encounters, but then quickly admire the indie style of the story. Not my favorite, but I'm glad to have seen it, finally.
5. The Blues Brothers (1980)
R | 133 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy
Jake Blues rejoins with his brother Elwood after being released from prison, but the duo has just days to reunite their old R&B band and save the Catholic home where the two were raised, outrunning the police as they tear through Chicago.
Director: John Landis | Stars: John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Cab Calloway, John Candy
Votes: 214,400 | Gross: $57.23M
I had grown tired of hearing "you've never seen the Blues Brothers movie?! so I sought this out. It was okay, but perhaps people built it up in my mind too much before I saw it. That or maybe I'm the wrong kind of person for this movie. It was a good time, just not as memorable for me.
6. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)
R | 133 min | Drama
In the Fall of 1963, a Korean War veteran and criminal pleads insanity and is admitted to a mental institution, where he rallies up the scared patients against the tyrannical nurse.
Director: Milos Forman | Stars: Jack Nicholson, Louise Fletcher, Michael Berryman, Peter Brocco
Votes: 1,071,925 | Gross: $112.00M
This one's a winner. It'd been on my list for years, but not high enough of a priority until the magic of the Internet and Tivo helped to make it available. I enjoyed this story and setting.
7. The Graduate (1967)
PG | 106 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
A disillusioned college graduate finds himself torn between his older lover and her daughter.
Director: Mike Nichols | Stars: Dustin Hoffman, Anne Bancroft, Katharine Ross, William Daniels
Votes: 288,299 | Gross: $104.95M
I think I learned of this movie after pondering the lyrics to the Mrs. Robinson song. I must have looked them up and found my way to this title. What a find! Creepy, crazy, and funny all at the same time. Good times with an awkwardly open ending.
8. Arthur (1981)
PG | 97 min | Comedy, Romance
Alcoholic billionaire playboy Arthur Bach must marry a woman he does not love, or he will be cut off from his $750,000,000 fortune. But when Arthur falls in love with a poor waitress, he must decide if he wants to choose love or money.
Director: Steve Gordon | Stars: Dudley Moore, Liza Minnelli, John Gielgud, Geraldine Fitzgerald
Votes: 31,085 | Gross: $95.46M
We watched the newer version first, then we got curious and watched this one. Both were pretty great. Lots of fun.
9. 10 (1979)
R | 122 min | Comedy, Romance
A Hollywood composer goes through a mid-life crisis and becomes infatuated with a sexy, newly married woman.
Director: Blake Edwards | Stars: Dudley Moore, Bo Derek, Julie Andrews, Robert Webber
Votes: 19,284 | Gross: $74.87M
Bo Derek and braids on a beach. Oh and Dudley. That's about all I know about this. I have to get this sorted out, once and for all.
UPDATE: I finally saw this and laughed at all the dated gags involving phone calls and telescopes. I'm glad the way the movie ended, except for maybe the very, very last bit. I won't ruin anything for you, but it was a fun flick. Oh, and there's quite a bit of nudity in this. Just FYI.
10. Deliverance (1972)
R | 109 min | Adventure, Drama, Thriller
Intent on seeing the Cahulawassee River before it's dammed and turned into a lake, outdoor fanatic Lewis Medlock takes his friends on a canoeing trip they'll never forget into the dangerous American back-country.
Director: John Boorman | Stars: Jon Voight, Burt Reynolds, Ned Beatty, Ronny Cox
Votes: 119,209 | Gross: $7.06M
Watched it for "Dueling Banjos" (which is actually played with a banjo and a guitar, but whatever) and came to learn the punchline to all those jokes I never got when people just "bare-na-NARE-nare-nare-nare-nare-nare-NARE"d in the middle of a conversation. Wow. If you haven't seen this yet, I think you must, just to get the jokes.
11. Sybil (1976)
TV-14 | 66 min | Biography, Drama
A young woman whose childhood was so harrowing to her that she developed sixteen different personalities is treated by a doctor.
Stars: Joanne Woodward, Sally Field, Brad Davis, Martine Bartlett
Votes: 7,459
Again, crazy characters based on real stories - gotta love them. I've seen this one multiple times.
12. Taxi Driver (1976)
R | 114 min | Crime, Drama
A mentally unstable veteran works as a nighttime taxi driver in New York City, where the perceived decadence and sleaze fuels his urge for violent action.
Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Robert De Niro, Jodie Foster, Cybill Shepherd, Albert Brooks
Votes: 920,137 | Gross: $28.26M
I didn't quite get this one. Meh.
13. Schindler's List (1993)
R | 195 min | Biography, Drama, History
In German-occupied Poland during World War II, industrialist Oskar Schindler gradually becomes concerned for his Jewish workforce after witnessing their persecution by the Nazis.
Director: Steven Spielberg | Stars: Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, Ben Kingsley, Caroline Goodall
Votes: 1,449,924 | Gross: $96.90M
I guess knowing the sad topic of this one kept me away without anyone else just begging to see it with me. I do feel I must catch up and see, especially having visited Oświęcim.
UPDATE: I watched this and wow. Definite tear-jerker, but so worth it. It's a very important story.
14. Apocalypse Now (1979)
R | 147 min | Drama, Mystery, War
A U.S. Army officer serving in Vietnam is tasked with assassinating a renegade Special Forces Colonel who sees himself as a god.
Director: Francis Ford Coppola | Stars: Martin Sheen, Marlon Brando, Robert Duvall, Frederic Forrest
Votes: 709,841 | Gross: $83.47M
I remember enjoying this, but I cannot remember much of the details. I simply must rewatch!
15. Citizen Kane (1941)
PG | 119 min | Drama, Mystery
Following the death of publishing tycoon Charles Foster Kane, reporters scramble to uncover the meaning of his final utterance: 'Rosebud.'
Director: Orson Welles | Stars: Orson Welles, Joseph Cotten, Dorothy Comingore, Agnes Moorehead
Votes: 465,819 | Gross: $1.59M
I'd heard good things about this, but have yet to see it.
UPDATE: Finally got around to seeing this. Although that Family Guy episode supposedly spoiled the big reveal at the end for me, it was still an interesting story and an interesting collection of characters, and I knew nothing about the plot going in.
16. A Clockwork Orange (1971)
R | 136 min | Crime, Sci-Fi
In the future, a sadistic gang leader is imprisoned and volunteers for a conduct-aversion experiment, but it doesn't go as planned.
Director: Stanley Kubrick | Stars: Malcolm McDowell, Patrick Magee, Michael Bates, Warren Clarke
Votes: 880,986 | Gross: $6.21M
I think this movie just has balls. It's crazy and it knows it. I like a movie with balls and I found the actual plot interesting to boot, as disturbing as some of the scenes may be. I have seen this multiple times and am always ready to see it again.
17. Metropolis (1927)
Not Rated | 153 min | Drama, Sci-Fi
In a futuristic city sharply divided between the working class and the city planners, the son of the city's mastermind falls in love with a working-class prophet who predicts the coming of a savior to mediate their differences.
Director: Fritz Lang | Stars: Brigitte Helm, Alfred Abel, Gustav Fröhlich, Rudolf Klein-Rogge
Votes: 185,448 | Gross: $1.24M
I only recently came to know about this movie and the fact that it was almost lost to the elements. Oddly, I found out about it after songs from a later version's soundtrack popped up in my vast collection of music. Specifically, I really liked the lively "El Bombero", which has nothing to do with the original, carefully restored version of this movie - the one I've seen. (The song is actually from a 2001 anime remake that I have not seen.) The original movie itself was good and I liked seeing the way it was presented for the time and in the style of the time. Also, there were a fair number of special effects that impressed me, especially for the time. Plus, it's an interesting story.
18. Full Metal Jacket (1987)
R | 116 min | Drama, War
A pragmatic U.S. Marine observes the dehumanizing effects the Vietnam War has on his fellow recruits from their brutal boot camp training to the bloody street fighting in Hue.
Director: Stanley Kubrick | Stars: Matthew Modine, R. Lee Ermey, Vincent D'Onofrio, Adam Baldwin
Votes: 790,087 | Gross: $46.36M
"What's your major malfunction?!" and the Rifleman's Creed sparked interest in watching the scenes in context.
19. The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
PG | 161 min | Adventure, Drama, War
British POWs are forced to build a railway bridge across the river Kwai for their Japanese captors in occupied Burma, not knowing that the allied forces are planning a daring commando raid through the jungle to destroy it.
Director: David Lean | Stars: William Holden, Alec Guinness, Jack Hawkins, Sessue Hayakawa
Votes: 233,220 | Gross: $44.91M
My curiosity puts this one on the list only because of the whistle song. I have yet to see this one.
20. The Sting (1973)
PG | 129 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
Two grifters team up to pull off the ultimate con.
Director: George Roy Hill | Stars: Paul Newman, Robert Redford, Robert Shaw, Charles Durning
Votes: 279,772 | Gross: $159.60M
I remember hearing a music box that played the theme song from this movie when I was young. I didn't realize the song was correlated with a movie. Now that I know, I shall have to see this one.
UPDATE: Watched it. What a crazy caper! Now I know why the music box, which was a merry-go-round, played "The Entertainer".
21. Cool Hand Luke (1967)
GP | 127 min | Crime, Drama
A laid-back Southern man is sentenced to two years in a rural prison, but refuses to conform.
Director: Stuart Rosenberg | Stars: Paul Newman, George Kennedy, Strother Martin, J.D. Cannon
Votes: 188,467 | Gross: $16.22M
We've both seen this one, but me, only relatively recently. This is a frequently remembered movie in my household. Whether it's time to eat a lot of eggs, have a cool drink, or do what the boss says, we quote this cute little movie frequently in my house.
22. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
PG | 110 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
In 1890s Wyoming, Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid lead a band of outlaws. When a train robbery goes wrong, they find themselves on the run with a posse hard on their heels. After considering their options, they escape to South America.
Director: George Roy Hill | Stars: Paul Newman, Robert Redford, Katharine Ross, Strother Martin
Votes: 226,661 | Gross: $102.31M
This movie came up in a trivia game the other day. I'd never seen it.
UPDATE: Watched it. Those guys! I didn't realize it was a funny western all these years. Great film.
23. Gandhi (1982)
PG | 191 min | Biography, Drama, History
The life of the lawyer who became the famed leader of the Indian revolts against the British rule through his philosophy of nonviolent protest.
Director: Richard Attenborough | Stars: Ben Kingsley, John Gielgud, Rohini Hattangadi, Roshan Seth
Votes: 240,165 | Gross: $52.77M
How'd this one escape me? I might need to see this, I think.
24. Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
R | 125 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
Three amateur bank robbers plan to hold up a bank. A nice simple robbery: Walk in, take the money, and run. Unfortunately, the supposedly uncomplicated heist suddenly becomes a bizarre nightmare as everything that could go wrong does.
Director: Sidney Lumet | Stars: Al Pacino, John Cazale, Penelope Allen, Sully Boyar
Votes: 272,970 | Gross: $50.00M
This title is mentioned here and there in movie star interviews, so I felt I should include it here and someday see it.
25. Harvey (1950)
Approved | 104 min | Comedy, Drama, Fantasy
Due to his insistence that he has an invisible six foot-tall rabbit for a best friend, a whimsical middle-aged man is thought by his family to be insane - but he may be wiser than anyone knows.
Director: Henry Koster | Stars: James Stewart, Wallace Ford, William H. Lynn, Victoria Horne
Votes: 58,224
The original "Wilfred" character, you guys. Seriously.
26. The Exorcist (1973)
R | 122 min | Horror
When a young girl is possessed by a mysterious entity, her mother seeks the help of two Catholic priests to save her life.
Director: William Friedkin | Stars: Ellen Burstyn, Max von Sydow, Linda Blair, Lee J. Cobb
Votes: 454,740 | Gross: $232.91M
Back when I used to believe in God and Catholicism, this kind of plot scared the bejesus out of me. Today, it's just silly shenanigans. Twisted, though it remains, thus my inclusion in this list.
27. The Omen (1976)
R | 111 min | Horror, Mystery
Mysterious deaths surround an American ambassador. Could the child that he is raising actually be the Antichrist? The Devil's own son?
Director: Richard Donner | Stars: Gregory Peck, Lee Remick, Harvey Stephens, David Warner
Votes: 132,342 | Gross: $4.27M
Damien! What a brat, eh? This is the boy's answer to the Exorcist and the other creepy religious-laden terror to spook believers everywhere. I know adults that still get freaked out when their store bill comes to $6.66.
28. The Amityville Horror (1979)
R | 117 min | Horror
Newlyweds and their three children move into a large house where a mass murder was committed. They start to experience strange, inexplicable manifestations which have strong effects on everyone living in or visiting the house.
Director: Stuart Rosenberg | Stars: James Brolin, Margot Kidder, Rod Steiger, Don Stroud
Votes: 44,580 | Gross: $86.43M
I saw this as a kid. I probably should not have. But I did. I remembered for many years afterwards, various scenes, including the "face" of the house, the bees, the blood, the church, the cellar and the dog. I have not rewatched as an adult yet. Should I, or should I live in the past of my memories on this one?
29. Rosemary's Baby (1968)
Approved | 137 min | Drama, Horror
A young couple trying for a baby moves into an aging, ornate apartment building on Central Park West, where they find themselves surrounded by peculiar neighbors.
Director: Roman Polanski | Stars: Mia Farrow, John Cassavetes, Ruth Gordon, Sidney Blackmer
Votes: 235,027
Never got around to seeing this one somehow.
UPDATE: I finally watched this (it's a bit long) and oh boy, what a campy treat it was! It's fun to see how things were done in the 60's (fashion, acting, etc.) and the story is strange and interesting. Also, the theme song is fun to mix into your collection. "La la la laaa la la la la la la la la la....."
30. The Wizard of Oz (1939)
PG | 102 min | Adventure, Family, Fantasy
Young Dorothy Gale and her dog Toto are swept away by a tornado from their Kansas farm to the magical Land of Oz, and embark on a quest with three new friends to see the Wizard, who can return her to her home and fulfill the others' wishes.
Directors: Victor Fleming, King Vidor | Stars: Judy Garland, Frank Morgan, Ray Bolger, Bert Lahr
Votes: 428,455 | Gross: $2.08M
This used to air once a year during my childhood and I made sure I was tuned in every single time. Who hasn't seen this a zillion times?
31. Planet of the Apes (1968)
G | 112 min | Adventure, Sci-Fi
An astronaut crew crash-lands on a planet where highly intelligent non-human ape species are dominant and humans are enslaved.
Director: Franklin J. Schaffner | Stars: Charlton Heston, Roddy McDowall, Kim Hunter, Maurice Evans
Votes: 193,056 | Gross: $33.40M
I remember seeing this on during my childhood, but I wasn't the one watching it. The ape costumes disturbed me. However, this story makes for a great movie, watching as an adult. Culture differences, race, intelligence and social responsibility are all explored to some degree. There is some element of space travel and time travel to this as well, but don't watch just for that, or you'll be disappointed.
32. Caddyshack (1980)
R | 98 min | Comedy, Sport
An exclusive golf course has to deal with a flatulent new member and a destructive dancing gopher.
Director: Harold Ramis | Stars: Chevy Chase, Rodney Dangerfield, Bill Murray, Ted Knight
Votes: 127,143 | Gross: $39.85M
"Be the ball. Na na na na na na na...." Finally watched this one after being left out of all the jokes and quotes. I also saw the sequel, which was more an excuse to remember '80's fashion.
33. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
R | 142 min | Drama
Over the course of several years, two convicts form a friendship, seeking consolation and, eventually, redemption through basic compassion.
Director: Frank Darabont | Stars: Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman, Bob Gunton, William Sadler
Votes: 2,887,179 | Gross: $28.34M
References to this movie keep coming up, yet it has eluded me. Must see it!
UPDATE: Another Stephen King prison movie (I loved "The Green Mile!"), I enjoyed the clever characters and interesting chain of events. Well done.
34. The Piano (1993)
R | 121 min | Drama, Music, Romance
In the mid-19th century a mute woman is sent to New Zealand along with her young daughter and prized piano for an arranged marriage to a farmer, but is soon lusted after by a farm worker.
Director: Jane Campion | Stars: Holly Hunter, Harvey Keitel, Sam Neill, Anna Paquin
Votes: 95,120 | Gross: $40.16M
I'm not sure if this is a classic, but it's a movie that was talked about for a while - which is probably why I avoided it. I'd like to see what the fuss is (or was) all about.
UPDATE: I watched this on a sick day. It was quite an interesting story - very original setting and plot. Modern screenwriters, take note. Stop rehashing and rebooting stories and find original stories like this to film.
35. My Left Foot (1989)
R | 103 min | Biography, Drama
Christy Brown, born with cerebral palsy, learns to paint and write with his only controllable limb - his left foot.
Director: Jim Sheridan | Stars: Daniel Day-Lewis, Brenda Fricker, Alison Whelan, Kirsten Sheridan
Votes: 79,747 | Gross: $14.74M
I know very little about this, but remembered hearing of the title when I was younger.
UPDATE: I had no idea what to expect from this movie. One day I finally decided to start watching it, but only had small chunks of time to devote to watching, so I divided it into about 4 or 5 parts over as many days. Wow. It was a lot to take in, so I was glad I had broken it up. It gave me time to let the details soak in and to reflect a bit on what I'd seen thus far. I was very moved by this period piece about a poor, very handicapped kid who faced some serious challenges growing up. It's got a good ending, too, I thought.
36. Mandingo (1975)
R | 127 min | Drama, History, Romance
An 1840s slaveowner trains one of his slaves to be a bare-knuckle fighter.
Director: Richard Fleischer | Stars: James Mason, Susan George, Perry King, Richard Ward
Votes: 4,217 | Gross: $2.43M
I actually saw this one, but I'd never heard of it before seeing it. It was definitely quotable and memorable.
37. Roots (1977)
TV-14 | 74 min | Biography, Drama, History
A dramatization of author Alex Haley's family line from ancestor Kunta Kinte's enslavement to his descendants' liberation.
Stars: LeVar Burton, Robert Reed, John Amos, Louis Gossett Jr.
Votes: 18,868
I was too young to appreciate this when it was on network TV, but finally got a chance to watch it all. It was epic! I recommend you watch Roots and Roots The Next Generations.
38. Roots: The Next Generations (1979)
120 min | Biography, Drama, History
The dramatization of Alex Haley's family line from post Civil War America to the writer's search for his roots.
Stars: Debbi Morgan, Dorian Harewood, Paul Koslo, Stan Shaw
Votes: 2,780
I was too young to appreciate this when it was on network TV, but finally got a chance to watch it all. It was epic! I recommend you watch Roots and Roots The Next Generation.
39. The Green Mile (1999)
R | 189 min | Crime, Drama, Fantasy
A tale set on death row, where gentle giant John Coffey possesses the mysterious power to heal people's ailments. When the lead guard, Paul Edgecombe, recognizes John's gift, he tries to help stave off the condemned man's execution.
Director: Frank Darabont | Stars: Tom Hanks, Michael Clarke Duncan, David Morse, Bonnie Hunt
Votes: 1,406,534 | Gross: $136.80M
I never knew what this was about until I finally saw it recently. My interested stemmed from the Stephen King connection. It's long, but went at the perfect pace for the mood of the story. I loved it. I really enjoyed the characters as well. If you haven't seen it, you should add it to your list.
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