'Mega-Hits' you never got around to

[Frayed Knot]

I mentioned in the 'Ghostbusters' thread that I just never got around to seeing that flick. No particular reason really just that, aside from catching a few minutes on TV once or twice, I've simply never sat down and watched it.
Which got me thinking about other top movies that, for one reason or another, I never saw either during its first-run in theaters or via any means (VCR/Beta/DVD/Cable/Rental/Network) since: Star Wars for instance (all of them), also E.T. and Schindler's List.

So if we limit the discussion to those movies released in your of-age lifespan (and realizing that the definition of 'mega-hits' is subject to interpretation) were there any big hit films that you never got around to? Listing you reasons for not seeing them is optional.

[Ceetar]

I've got a list a mile long. I was more a gamer than a tv and movie kid and didn't do much of either until I started dating my wife.

Pulp Fiction. I want to see this one..I just..haven't.
My Cousin Vinny. I'm worried this is going to be the crude/slapstick style humor along the lines of Wayne's World that I just don't really care for. (and I've never watched Wayne's World all the way through either, if that counts.)

[Edgy MD]

Brokeback Mountain. Just haven't made the time.

A lot of the movies in that "Best of the Nineties" thread, I guess.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Saving Private Ryan. Missed seeing it with a few friends when it came out, and I must have paused in front of it a half-dozen times at the video store/Netflix, but... well... at that point, it always seemed like homework.

Gone With The Wind (at least not all the way through). Which is really odd, because I've read the book, read a lot about the production, and seen virtually all of the other nine 1939 Best Picture nominees (I think I'm missing Ninotchka, and that's it).

I feel like being Star Wars-free leaves you with one hell of a gigantic pop-cultural void (maybe less of one than it used to be, but still...).

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Vinny is way better than Wayne's World and not nearly the same thing at all.

My list would include Schindler's List, Norrin Radd's beloved Blade Runner, and just about all of the superhero movies you fruitcakes like. Only had seen the first StarWars till Lunchpail showed up, now seen all a million times.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Vinny is standard, well-executed fish-out-of-water stuff. Pleasant, well-crafted... but, like, a LOT of jokes hinge on the fact that Joe Pesci's Brooklyn accent sounds funny.

But you REALLY should see Pulp Fiction. Have you seen and enjoyed other Tarantino? Pursuing other Tarantino stuff without having seen this is like being a Woody Allen fan but never seeing Annie Hall.

[Ceetar]

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: Vinny is standard, well-executed fish-out-of-water stuff. Pleasant, well-crafted... but, like, a LOT of jokes hinge on the fact that Joe Pesci's Brooklyn accent sounds funny. But you REALLY should see Pulp Fiction. Have you seen and enjoyed other Tarantino? Pursuing other Tarantino stuff without having seen this is like being a Woody Allen fan but never seeing Annie Hall.

never seen Annie Hall or much Woody Allen, but anyway.

I've seen Kill Bill and 2001 and Clockwork Orange. wait, those last two are Kubrick. oops.

I fell asleep on the first 5 minutes of Reservoir dogs and haven't gotten back to it. I'm pretty much expecting to like Fiction, I Just haven't..done it yet. I know my wife probably WON'T like it, so that's a block. I probably should just download it now so I have it.

[metsmarathon]

titanic, bladerunner, and the big lebowski come to mind.

also, nearly anything in hte past three years.

i hear there was this movie with blue aliens, but everybody who watched it had to wear funny glasses. wtf is that all about?

[Benjamin Grimm]

I had never seen The Exorcist until a few weeks ago. Same with Raging Bull. Haven't seen any of the recent three Star Wars films. I've never seen a movie with Adam Sandler in it. I have Thelma and Louise in my DVR, but at the moment I've still never seen it. Still haven't seen Moneyball.

[Frayed Knot]

One of my goals in life is to never see a movie with Adam Sandler in it.

[Ceetar]

metsmarathon wrote: titanic, bladerunner, and the big lebowski come to mind. also, nearly anything in hte past three years. i hear there was this movie with blue aliens, but everybody who watched it had to wear funny glasses. wtf is that all about?

Avatar. Wasn't quite a Mega-Hit. Had more to do with special effects and all that. The story line was really basic, not bad, just nothing special. the funny glasses were only if you saw it in 3D. nothing different.


Does Titanic count as a mega-hit? screw Titanic.

You really have to see the Big Lebowski just for the Lucas Duda jokes.

[Frayed Knot]

Avatar:
- $77 million opening weekend and $2.8 billion gross
- 3 Oscars plus 6 other nominations including Best Picture

and

Titanic:
- $29 million opening weekend (15 years ago) and a $2.2 billion gross
- 11 Oscars including Best Picture and 14 overall nominations

are pretty much the definition of "Mega-Hits"

[Ceetar]

Avatar: - $77 million opening weekend and $2.8 billion gross - 3 Oscars plus 6 other nominations including Best Picture and Titanic: - $29 million opening weekend (15 years ago) and a $2.2 billion gross - 11 Oscars including Best Picture and 14 overall nominations are pretty much the definition of "Mega-Hits"

oh, indeed. I guess I was sliding towards more the cultural hit bit. I feel like you hear people talking about, quoting, and referencing movies like The Big Lebowski and what not and rarely Titanic or Avatar. But yeah,

[Frayed Knot]

The current discussion in the GB thread mentioning the possible impending release of 'Ghostbusters 3' reminds me that the largest source of mega-hits that I haven't seen is just about all sequels - but, unlike hit movies that I simply never got around to, missing sequels is very intentional.

[Guest sharpie]

Avatar
Ghostbusters
most superhero movies
any Indiana Jones movie

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

See, I can understand skipping Avatar or Titanic, or failing to go back and cross off Schindler's List off your to-do list, or skipping superhero movies, but, man... Ghostbusters and Big Lebowski and the Indiana Jones movies are fun. These are pleasant, enjoyable, make-you-enjoy-life-a-little-more experiences, akin to a really great meal or fantastic beer-or-three, and well worth two hours of fartaround time when you have it, even if you never encounter another cultural-reference joke relating to them.

(And how did you fall asleep during Reservoir Dogs, Cee? Did you have a gas leak?)

[Guest Mets � Willets Point]

I think my list would be very long.

Actually there's a bunch of Spielberg movies I've been wanting to watch - Amistad, Schindler's List, and Saving Private Ryan - but have yet to do so. I've also never seen Shawshank Redemption.

There are some mega-hits I have no interest in seeing that I won't list.

[Ceetar]

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: (And how did you fall asleep during Reservoir Dogs, Cee? Did you have a gas leak?)

I recall putting the DVD in to watch in my room when I was still living with my parents after college (13in'er at the foot of the bed). I must've already been exhausted. I'm pretty sure the same thing happened with Pulp Fiction. Also Lock Stock and 2 Smoking Barrels, although that one was while in a Cornell dorm.

[Vic Sage]

i think I've seen every movie anybody has listed so far in this thread.

Wait... I didn't see 'Brokeback Mountain", nor do i intend to, nor almost every movie adaptation since 1961 that was based on any 19th century novels written by Henry James, Jane Austen or any of the Brontes (including most movies made by Merchant/Ivory). I don't know how many of these would qualify as Mega-hits, but i think some did (A ROOM WITH A VIEW, SENSE & SENSIBILITY come to mind).

SHAWSHANK wasn't a megahit. It was more of a mega-flop. I love it, and it has developed a cult following and great critical reputation, but its not a 'mega-hit' in any reasonable meaning of that word. And any meaning of the term that doesn't include TITANIC and AVATAR is missing the point entirely.

[nymr83]

It really depends how you define a hit. Do you just want to go down the all-time earnings list? You'd be including things like Titanic and Avatar that, although they made lots of money, are not movies from which people constantly spout quotes or discuss. You aren't missing cultural references by missing them, as opposed to lesser-earning movies like Ghostbusters.

[Frayed Knot]

As I acknowledged in the intro, the definition of 'mega-hit' is a bit broad
But mainly I was going for for those flicks most widely viewed - either during their initial run or since. You can use box office dollars although those numbers tend to get skewed by time. And pop culture quotes & references tend to favor lighter comedies and such.

IOW, name those movies where you're convinced that you are one of the handful of people on the planet who hasn't seen it without necessarily going back to the ones released before you were born.

[nymr83]

When you throw in the "without going back to the ones before you were born" part its probably jus Titanic for me, and I never plan to waste time with it.

[Ceetar]

Frayed Knot wrote: IOW, name those movies where you're convinced that you are one of the handful of people on the planet who hasn't seen it without necessarily going back to the ones released before you were born.

That's what i was interpreting it as.

I mean, Titanic is a "mega hit" but do you ever hear anyone say "I can't believe you haven't seen Titanic, man what a great movie!"?

[Edgy MD]

A mega-hit is a mega-hit. That this should be a point of contention is faceplantable.

Hits make money. Mega-hits make mega-munny.

[Vic Sage]

top 100 us box office (adjusted for inflation)

Gone With the Wind (1939)
Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977)
The Sound of Music (1965)
E. T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
Titanic (1997)
The Ten Commandments (1956)
Jaws (1975)
Doctor Zhivago (1965)
The Exorcist (1973)
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
101 Dalmatians (1961)
Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Ben-Hur (1959)
Avatar (2009)
Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983)
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)
The Sting (1973)
The Lion King (1994)
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
Jurassic Park (1993)
The Graduate (1967)
Fantasia (1940)
The Godfather (1972)
Forrest Gump (1994)
Mary Poppins (1964)
Grease (1978)
Marvel's The Avengers (2012)
Thunderball (1965)
The Dark Knight (2008)
The Jungle Book (1967)
Sleeping Beauty (1959)
Shrek 2 (2004)
Ghostbusters (1984)
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
Love Story (1970)
Spider-Man (2002)
Independence Day (1996)
Home Alone (1990)
Pinocchio (1940)
Cleopatra (1963)
Beverly Hills Cop (1984)
Goldfinger (1964)
Airport (1970)
American Graffiti (1973)
The Robe (1953)
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006)
Around the World in 80 Days (1956)
Bambi (1942)
Blazing Saddles (1974)
Batman (1989)
The Bells of St. Mary's (1945)
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
Finding Nemo (2003)
The Towering Inferno (1974)
Spider-Man 2 (2004)
My Fair Lady (1964)
The Greatest Show on Earth (1952)
National Lampoon's Animal House (1978)
The Passion of the Christ (2004)
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005)
Back to the Future (1985)
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
The Sixth Sense (1999)
The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
Superman (1978)
Tootsie (1982)
Smokey and the Bandit (1977)
West Side Story (1961)
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001)
Lady and the Tramp (1955)
Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977/1980)
Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)
Rocky (1976)
The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
The Poseidon Adventure (1972)
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
Twister (1996)
Men in Black (1997)
The Bridge On The River Kwai (1957)
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009)
It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963)
Swiss Family Robinson (1960)
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)
M*A*S*H (1970)
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)
Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002)
Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)
Aladdin (1992)
Toy Story 3 (2010)
Ghost (1990)
Duel in the Sun (1946)
The Hunger Games (2012)
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
House of Wax (1953)
Rear Window (1954)
The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997)
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
Spider-Man 3 (2007)
Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

the only ones i haven't seen:
- Love Story (1970)
- The Passion of the Christ (2004)
- Swiss Family Robinson (1960)
- Duel in the Sun (1946)

[nymr83]

Shawshank Redemption is $4 at Target today on DVD

[Frayed Knot]

Nymr83 wrote: Shawshank Redemption is $4 at Target today on DVD

Buy two in case one breaks.

[Frayed Knot]

Leaving aside the pre-1960 ones (just to pick a cut-off - although I have seen a number of those) the top box office ones from Vic's above list that I have NOT seen include:
- Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977)
- E. T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
- Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
- Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983)
- Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)
- The Lion King (1994)
- Marvel's The Avengers (2012)
- Shrek 2 (2004)
- Ghostbusters (1984)
- Love Story (1970)
- Cleopatra (1963)
- Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006)
- The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
- Finding Nemo (2003)
- Spider-Man 2 (2004)
- Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005)
- The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
- Smokey and the Bandit (1977)
- Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001) -- although I actually caught pieces of this one on TV just this afternoon due to the presence of related-to-me rugrats
- The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
- Men in Black (1997)
- Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009)
- Swiss Family Robinson (1960)
- Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002)
- Aladdin (1992)
- Toy Story 3 (2010)
- The Hunger Games (2012) --- may still get around to this one
- Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
- The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997)
- Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
- Spider-Man 3 (2007)


Pretty much what I expected: Star Wars stuff, super-hero stuff, recent kiddie-oriented stuff, plus several sequels.

[Guest Mets � Willets Point]

Post-1973 from Vic's list:



Avatar (2009)
Jurassic Park (1993)
Marvel's The Avengers (2012)
The Dark Knight (2008)
Shrek 2 (2004)
Spider-Man (2002)
Independence Day (1996)
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006)
The Passion of the Christ (2004)
The Sixth Sense (1999)
The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
Twister (1996)
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009)
Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)
Ghost (1990)
The Hunger Games (2012)
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997)
Spider-Man 3 (2007)
Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

All of these fall on the "I have no interest in seeing" list rather than the "I haven't gotten around to it yet." If anyone wants to make a case on why I should see any of these movies, I'd love to read it.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

If you liked the Marvel heroes growing up, both Spider-Man and The Avengers do their respective subjects justice and then some.

The Dark Knight is worth it for the Heath Ledger performance, the sci-fi-style assailment of some topical issues (civil liberties vs. security, e.g.) and some uberdeftly-plotted-and-executed action sequences, at the very least.

Whatever his latter-day sins-- hell, his everything-after-this sins-- Shyamalan made one hell of a suspenseful, effective spook story in The Sixth Sense (all the more so if you haven't been spoiled).

Jurassic Park is just an expertly-made sci-fi thrill ride, and well worth seeing.

Most of the others have things to recommend them, but even the best of them are probably-- at this point-- skippable.