Movies I've Never Seen

Over at Jeffrey Wells's blog, Hollywood Elsewhere, he's posted a piece about San Francisco Chronicle movie critic Mick LaSalle and a piece that LaSalle wrote last Sunday where he admitted he hadn't seen Blade Runner, To Kill A Mockingbird, Young Frankenstein or 2001: A Space Odyysey despite having had a 20+ year career as a film critic. He went on to review Young Frankenstein, which he didn't much care for, and 2001, which he found boring. This has led to a big discussion on the comments thread at Hollywood Elsewhere for that piece and people admitting to classic films they haven't seen. I admit I'm shocked that an experienced film critic for a major daily paper in a major US city hasn't seen these films but I have to admire him for admitting the error of his ways. I think all movie buffs would have to admit they have quite a few major films they may have been remiss in not viewing for one reason or another, usually due to a lack of interest in the subject, or the actors or other talent involved or even lack of opportunity to see the film. (but I WAS shocked by the number of people on the comment thread who admitted to NOT having seen some HUGE films like Gone With the Wind and Citizen Kane.)


As for me, my embarrassment list would have to be:

Most of John Ford since I'm not a fan of "guy" movies in general and westerns in particular, nor am I a John Wayne fan. Also, most classic westerns in general including Hawks' Red River and Rio Lobo.

Capra's It Happened One Night (I've seen parts, but not all)

An American in Paris (too much dancing)

Bridge on the River Kwai and Lawrence of Arabia (too macho and too long)

I'm not sure I actually have seen ALL of 2001 myself...maybe

Chinatown...I own it, but I've never watched all of it...SHOCKING, I know!


Most big studio films of the last 15 years or so...I just don't care for most "Hollywood" movies, even the so-called artier ones...I haven't seen Dances with Wolves, or Braveheart or A Beautiful Mind. Recently, I haven't seen Michael Clayton, nor do I really want to...I'm not that keen on people in suits, talking about problems movies.

And there are TONS of big foreign movies I haven't seen, but that's not as shocking, in my eyes. I've never seen a Kurosawa or Fellini film from start to finish and the only Bergman movie I've seen in full, (and loved) is Fanny and Alexandra.

And, I haven't seen Berlin Alexanderplatz yet, (I've seen almost ALL of Fassbinder) but my excuse for that is, it was hard to see for many years, and I currently can't afford to buy the Criterion produced DVD which only came out a few months ago.

Now that I've got that off my chest, maybe I'll do a column on classic movies I HAVE seen, and actively dislike...

(uh, yeah, The Third Man, I mean YOU)