"OMG! you've never seen _____?!"

[ToyMan]

so, i was thinking- i was absolutely stunned to hear a lot of people saying that they'd never seen dr. strangelove and the big lebowski in recent threads, and i was wondering what movies everyone here often finds that others haven't seen.

for example, until a few days ago, my girlfriend had never seen fright night, and she still hasn't seen return of the living dead, and i was like "have you been living under a rock your whole life?", when on the other hand, i'd have to admit that i'd never watched the original halloween from start to finish up until a few weeks ago.

so, again, what films do you often find people to be unfamiliar with?

[schmendrik]

Funny you mention The Big Lebowski, because as soon as I saw the title of this thread I was going to volunteer that I've never seen that.

I was reminded of that fact once again last night, as the guy in front of me on the plane was watching it on his laptop. "Damn", I said to myself for the 10,000-th time, "I gotta put that thing on my Netflix queue."

[lester1/2jr]

wedding crashers.  I 'm sorry world I haven't yet seen wedding crashers.  it doesn't mean I'm a communist

[Kester Pelagius]

Well I've seen Dr. Strangelove.. but not The Big Llebowski AFAIK.  Then again I haven't seen a LOT of flicks.  OTOH

[Clinton Mode On]
It depends on what your definition of "seen" is.
[/Clonton Mode Off]

I've seen portions or extracts from one or two of the SAW movies but have never actually sat down to watch one from beginning to end, nor do I have any intention of ever doing so.

I have never really watched AMERICAN PIE, though I did record it off satellite once and scanned through it on FF just for the heck of it.  Looked dull and boring.  (And I've never seen ANY of the sequels.)

Don't think I ever watched DiCaprio's TITANIC (that's my story and I'm sticking to it) or any of the new FANTASTIC FOUR movies properly from begining to end either.

I've never sat down to watch LEGEND OF BAGGER VANCE, depite the fact it seemed to come on ad nauseum on satellite not that long ago.

Haven't watched 300 from beginning to end, though I have seen a goodly portion of it when it aired on Satellite.  I note this because I have it on DVD and it's still in the shrink wrap.

I also have yet to see MEET THE SPARTANS.

I haven't seen STARLOST, but then again it never aired anywhere I lived.  Though I understand the series has been released to DVD.

Speaking of TV series I've never seen. . . LOGAN'S RUN.  Never saw it.  Read lots about this series though.

I've never seen VAMPIRE CIRCUS.  But that's only because it seems to be interdicted from release to R1 DVD.

I've also never seen UNDERDOG, MAX PAYNE, any of those HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL flicks, MARK OF THE DEVIL 2, FLAVIA THE HERETIC, BEVERLY HILLS CHIHUAHUA, CALIGULA: THE UNTOLD STORY (properly framed and uncut), any of TYLER PERRY'S movies, ZACK AND MIRI MAKE A PORNO, ORGAZMO, INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL, FRED CLAUS, DON'T MESS WITH THE ZOHAN, either of the THE INCREDIBLE HULK movies (though I have the 1st one on DVD), IRON MAN, GET SMART, SISTERHOOD OF THE TRAVELING PANTS, SPEED RACER, DADDY DAYCARE, JINGLE ALL THE WAY, or MESSALINA, MESSALINA et al.

Actually if it's a Hollywood movie, especially anything supposed to be remotely romatic or comedic or dripping with sacchrine sentiment and charm, and it's come out in the past 3 to 5 years, just assume I haven't seen it.   

[The Burgomaster]

I have seen DR. STRANGELOVE several times, but I've never seen THE BIG LEBOWSKI.

Although I try very had to watch a good balance of classics, bad movies, and mainstream hokum, I am embarrassed to say I have never seen DOUBLE INDEMNITY, PATHS OF GLORY, AMADEUS, 8 1/2, THE GRAPES OF WRATH, and many, many others.

[lester1/2jr]

paths of glory is on tcm from time to time.  a similar one is "the hill" starring sean connery  both are very good anti war type movies

[ER]

Casablanca

[Jim H]

wedding crashers.  I 'm sorry world I haven't yet seen wedding crashers.  it doesn't mean I'm a communist

Good.  It's truly awful.

I've met a few people recently at college who are film students and haven't seen Star Wars.  Yeah, that's probably the most amazing one to me.

Myself, considering stereotypes of film students, it's probably the most amazing that I haven't seen Full Metal Jacket.

[Psycho Circus]

I have never seen any of the Harry Potter films or any of the recent Spiderman films and I intend to keep it that way.

[Rev. Powell]

I've never seen ROBOT MONSTER or THE ROAD WARRIOR.

And like several others here, I've never seen THE BIG LEBOWSKI---maybe we should form a support group?

All of us here have some gaps in our film education, but at least we generally know the films we have yet to see that are highly regarded.

Toyman's original question, though, was " what films do you often find [other] people to be unfamiliar with?"  My answer would be, "almost anything interesting."  Whenever I'm in a conversation with a random group of people and the subject of movies comes up, almost no one is familiar with anything except mainstream Hollywood movies released in the past 10-20 years.  Silent films?  No one would recognize the names NOSFERATU or THE CABINET OF DR. CALIGARI.  Foreign films?  What's a LA DOLCE VITA?  No idea what "film noir" is, couldn't name an example if you stuck a gun to their head.  If it was filmed in black and white or has subtitles, it's not really a movie to most people.   

It's rare to randomly run across anyone who's interested in seeing anything remotely outside of the mainstream, so if I'm ever at a party and I hear someone mention THE THIEF, THE COOK, HIS WIFE AND HER LOVER, to take a real life example, I'll immediately start a conversation with that person that will last at least 15 minutes, with both of us going back and forth asking "have you seen this one?"

[Allhallowsday]

Casablanca

You haven't seen CASABLANCA?  Well, someday yer in for a treat!  Is it corny?  Hmmm, I don't react that way to it, but I suppose it is.  Doesn't matter; fantastic cast, great dialogue, wonderful acting... damned fine film. 

I haven't seen THE BIG LEBOWSKI either, and I like COEN BROTHERS movies.  There are so many films I haven't seen, but I will mention the latest CASINO ROYALE which I own on dvd...

[ghouck]

I have never seen any of the Harry Potter films or any of the recent Spiderman films and I intend to keep it that way.

Word. . .

[Kester Pelagius]

All of us here have some gaps in our film education, but at least we generally know the films we have yet to see that are highly regarded.

Toyman's original question, though, was " what films do you often find [other] people to be unfamiliar with?"  My answer would be, "almost anything interesting."

I suppose we did sort of derail from the central question.  So, to make amends to ToyMan. . .

It always astounds me how few people seem to be aware of Italian spaghetti space operas, but especially PLANET OF THE VAMPIRES.  I've had numerous conversations with fans of the ALIEN franchise over the years who, in their innocent ignorace, have said some pretty mean and nasty things when you try to point out the similarities.  Yet, and this one probably is just as equally amazing I am sure, I've never seen XTRO.  Which seems to be one of the movies most point to as being similar to ALIEN.

I'm also astounded by how few people are aware of the influence FORBIDDEN PLANET had on STAR TREK, but not nearly as surprised by the numerous people I've encountered over the years oblivious to the fact STAR TREK spawned any movies.  What's even funnier is the startlement some have displayed when informed it's actually more than ONE movie.

Then again it surprises me how few people seem interested in genre fare, unless of course it's horror.  Horror is chic.  Then again it never ceases to amaze me just how totally ignorant people working in retail outlets with large DVD sections are.  And it's not just obscure movies they are ignorant of either!

I've gotten glassy eyed stares in stores when asking about the Trinity and Django westerns.  Okay, fair enough.  But one aisle walker thought I was pulling his leg when I asked if they carried FLESH GORDON MEETS THE COSMIC CHEERLEADERS* and, after explaining to him what it was a sequel of, told me the store probably didn't carry anything like that to which I asked him if they carried CALIGULA, and yes I had to explain what that was to him too, to which he told me definitely he thought they did not carry it; then I walked him to where CALIGULA was on the shelf and then promptly walked out the store.

It's not the lack of knowledge of the store merchandise that floored me.  It was just the lack of general knowledge about movies.  How do you not know about CALIGULA?  I see this ignorance all the time, and usually in younger employees.  If it's not the latest Guitar God(tm) game they don't know anything about it.  It's appaling.


(*) I've had similar experiences while looking for THE WARRIOR AND THE SORCERESS, HUNDRA, the 'X' rated ALICE IN WONDERLAND musical, et al.

[Doc Daneeka]

...Has ANYone here seen The Big Lebowski? I sense a conspiracy, perhaps it is not a film at all but some imaginary stoner idol set up by the counter-culture conspirators!! INDIANA SMITH TO THE RESCUE, DEFEAT THE TOYMAN!!!

Oh man there's a lot I haven't seen; Annie Hall, Platoon, The Vanishing, The Exorcist, Goodfellas, Smokey and the Bandit, Schindler's List, Top Gun... That being said I am a huge film geek within my school, yet in the grande scheme of things I'm a pretty weak case :P

[JaseSF]

I've yet to see any of The Godfather films. In fact, I've missed most of the gangster genre entirely.