DVDs weren't out yet, so please ignore my box set

[sovay]

The hundred movies meme was even harder to assemble because I spent far more of my childhood and adolescence immersed in books than in movies and therefore many of the films on this list were not so much formative as illuminating once I finally started paying attention to cinema as an art form, and/or they wired themselves instantly into my brain and are quoted regularly to this day. A list of favorites might overlap significantly but not identically, I imagine tilting more heavily toward sff and noir. I feel it may be a much more mainstream list than my formative books, although still full of meaningful absences. (I sacrificed a number of classics as well as movies whose circumstances were potentially more important than their content, but just glitched on The Medium (1951) and Katerina Izmailova (1966), both of which I even own.) I find it very difficult to try to winnow accurately. I may just not be designed for this format of meme.

Comments

[theseatheseatheopensea]

I may just not be designed for this format of meme.

Neither am I! I just give up and say that this is my list for today, and tomorrow it might be completely different! Your list is great, I especially liked seeing Autobiography Of A Princess and The Russian Ark, and of course all the noirs! <3 (We matched on 34 out of 100, by the way!)

[sovay]

Neither am I! I just give up and say that this is my list for today, and tomorrow it might be completely different!

I think that is a very sensible way to think of it!

Your list is great, I especially liked seeing Autobiography Of A Princess and The Russian Ark, and of course all the noirs!

Thank you! So many more noirs were regretfully discarded! Justice for Temptation Harbour (1947).

(We matched on 34 out of 100, by the way!)

w00t!

[skygiants]

I'm on 21 of these, which frankly is more than I thought I'd hit -- I knew your list was going to overlap significantly with my lifelong to-be-watched list and indeed it did! I was so happy to see The Reckless Moment.

[sovay]

I'm on 21 of these, which frankly is more than I thought I'd hit -- I knew your list was going to overlap significantly with my lifelong to-be-watched list and indeed it did!

Neat! Out of curiosity, what sort of thing is on the to-be-watched list?

I was so happy to see The Reckless Moment.

I love that movie so, so much.

[nineweaving]

I only matched 25, but most of those would be on my list. I am proud to have turned you on to a few. As I recall, I shared Johanna d'Arc of Mongolia and The Cuckoo with you.

Nine

[sovay]

I only matched 25, but most of those would be on my list. I am proud to have turned you on to a few.

And I am glad you did. What were the major overlaps?

As I recall, I shared Johanna d'Arc of Mongolia and The Cuckoo with you.

You did! And Alex-who-is-not-on-DW made me an icon of Viktor Bychkov as Ivan, forever loved and remembered as Psholtii. (Icon employed here without its usual meanings.)

[ethelmay]

I matched on thirteen, which amazed me because I am fairly sure I have seen very few movies in my life compared to you (I might even be under a hundred all told).

[sovay]

I matched on thirteen, which amazed me because I am fairly sure I have seen very few movies in my life compared to you (I might even be under a hundred all told).

I think that's great.

[sartorias]

I've seen 25 of them, which surprised me. The only one that I watched enough to consider formative was CASABLANCA--I wish I'd seen PIMPERNEL SMITH when young, as it would have been even higher, I think. Though I appreciated "Ich möchte ein Mann sein," which I saw ages ago in German class. If you'd had Fritz Lang's NIBELUNGEN on there, it would have also been high; hearing him speak was one of the highlights of my early life.

[sovay]

I've seen 25 of them, which surprised me. The only one that I watched enough to consider formative was CASABLANCA--I wish I'd seen PIMPERNEL SMITH when young, as it would have been even higher, I think.

I discovered it in my late twenties and it became a kind of instant talisman, all the more so within the last decade.

Though I appreciated "Ich möchte ein Mann sein," which I saw ages ago in German class.

I didn't know that! It was the first movie I watched on our Linux-driven pseudo-TV because it was on FilmStruck at the time, very shortly after which FilmStruck ceased to exist.

If you'd had Fritz Lang's NIBELUNGEN on there, it would have also been high; hearing him speak was one of the highlights of my early life.

I've never seen his Nibelungen! I remember that you heard him speak: I am glad you did.

[kindkit]

I've seen 18 of them, which is better than I expected given that you've seen every movie ever.

It is a weird meme format, but I always find people's lists interesting, so thank you for doing it!

[sovay]

I've seen 18 of them, which is better than I expected given that you've seen every movie ever.

I truly have not! I've still read more books! I am acclimating myself to the idea that I may have seen a lot of movies, though. I still don't feel like it.

It is a weird meme format, but I always find people's lists interesting, so thank you for doing it!

You're welcome! I also find them interesting whether I have much of an overlap or not. All of the ones I've seen have been distinctively individual.

[troisoiseaux]

Only 8 out of 100, but Johanna d’Arc of Mongolia sounds fascinating.

[sovay]

Only 8 out of 100, but Johanna d’Arc of Mongolia sounds fascinating.

I love it deeply and you should watch it by whatever means available to you stat.

[selkie]

Hey, I got 21, which surprised even me!

I am having a real true problem with the fact that Der Dybbuk was 1937. Like… that’s… it’s equivalent to 2023.

[sovay]

Hey, I got 21, which surprised even me!

You watch movies! And I don't think there were too many with fake dead bodies on that list!

I am having a real true problem with the fact that Der Dybbuk was 1937. Like… that’s… it’s equivalent to 2023.

Time, man.

*hugs*

[gwynnega]

I got 45! But a lot of those are films I first saw in the past twenty years or so. I tried to come up with a list of formative films that I saw before I turned twenty-one, and I only came up with thirty movies (though I'm probably forgetting a few).

[sovay]

I got 45! But a lot of those are films I first saw in the past twenty years or so.

Most of the movies I've seen are in the past twenty years or so! I had to go with "influential" more than "formative."

I tried to come up with a list of formative films that I saw before I turned twenty-one, and I only came up with thirty movies (though I'm probably forgetting a few).

I'd love to see your thirty-movie list.

[gullyfoyle]

36 of 100. Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner I'd never heard of until fairly recently when I happened to read Lucius Shepard's, I believe, review of it in an old Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction and it jumped way up on my to-watch-soon list. And it mightily tickles the testosterone in me to see The Hidden on the list. That's such a great kickass but decidedly not dumb movie. The Terminator probably made more of an impression on me, but The Hidden competes well against it. Plus it has Danny Trejo in a very early role, for about 5 seconds before he, as they say, exits, permanently.

In Sept/Oct 2019 I read 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, 13th (?) edition. The most recent movie in it was The Lighthouse (2019). Since each edition has a slightly different set of movies, I obtained a copy of the list of every movie that had appeared in all the editions up to then -- 1235 movies. And started checking them off and seeking them out. When I started I was at 504/1235. I'm up to 670/1235. Many of the ones I've not gotten to are foreign films that can be harder to find. There are some movies on the list, like Audition and Irreversible, that I'm not sure I'll ever want to see. But it gives me something to look forward to every time I scan the upcoming schedules for TCM, HBO, etc.

[sovay]

36 of 100. Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner I'd never heard of until fairly recently when I happened to read Lucius Shepard's, I believe, review of it in an old Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction and it jumped way up on my to-watch-soon list.

Nice! I had the fortune of seeing it in theaters when it came out and then the fun of teaching it for a class in grad school. It is in fact one of my favorite movies as well as a movie it is important for me to have seen.

And it mightily tickles the testosterone in me to see The Hidden on the list. That's such a great kickass but decidedly not dumb movie. The Terminator probably made more of an impression on me, but The Hidden competes well against it. Plus it has Danny Trejo in a very early role, for about 5 seconds before he, as they say, exits, permanently.

I watched it on recommendation from moon_custafer and loved it. I have a great deal of affection for the average WTF level of '80's sci-fi.

In Sept/Oct 2019 I read 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, 13th (?) edition. The most recent movie in it was The Lighthouse (2019). Since each edition has a slightly different set of movies, I obtained a copy of the list of every movie that had appeared in all the editions up to then -- 1235 movies. And started checking them off and seeking them out. When I started I was at 504/1235. I'm up to 670/1235. Many of the ones I've not gotten to are foreign films that can be harder to find. There are some movies on the list, like Audition and Irreversible, that I'm not sure I'll ever want to see. But it gives me something to look forward to every time I scan the upcoming schedules for TCM, HBO, etc.

That sounds like fun. I have never actually tried to check out how many of the movies of a given edition I have seen in my current state of not yet dead. Any favorites from pursuing their list?

[yhlee]

I've seen four total so I bet I am the record for LOWEST lolsob. :p

[sovay]

I've seen four total so I bet I am the record for LOWEST lolsob.

Hey, which four?

[genarti]

13, which is more than I thought it might be given how rarely i watch movies (it's always a social activity for me) and thus pleasing; also, significantly less than the number of books I got, more mainstream or no. The list reminded me of how much in all directions Johnny Eager is, of the fact that I should really rewatch Pimpernel Smith sometime soon, and of how many of these movies I haven't seen I ought to put on the list to... maybe get around to or maybe not, let's be honest, but at least earnestly intend to.

[sovay]

13, which is more than I thought it might be given how rarely i watch movies (it's always a social activity for me) and thus pleasing; also, significantly less than the number of books I got, more mainstream or no.

That makes sense to me. Are television shows the same way?

The list reminded me of how much in all directions Johnny Eager is, of the fact that I should really rewatch Pimpernel Smith sometime soon, and of how many of these movies I haven't seen I ought to put on the list to... maybe get around to or maybe not, let's be honest, but at least earnestly intend to.

I am glad it is inspiring! I can rewatch both Johnny Eager and Pimpernel Smith pretty much any second of the week.

[thisbluespirit]

I managed 12/100, but I was worried it would be even worse! Given my solid lack of watching old US films for practically all my life and the fact that I may never even have seen a noir, my matches were indeed mainly on the few old UK films and suchlike.

It might be 13, because I cannot for the life of me remember if I've seen batteries not included, or if I'm just confusing it because of Short Circuit, which I mentally (wrongly or rightly) put in the same bracket, and which should have been on my list.

I'm pretty sure this meme was just 100 favourite films, or it started out that way on tumblr. I think people started talking about formative things, because they overlap and it's often a good metric for why including x entry over y, but I took it to be both/either/whatever. I probably wouldn't have been able to get beyond 50 for films if it had been solely formative and I keep mentally changing the list anyway. Other than me and Middle Sis as teens watching pretty much anything my Dad recorded off the TV, my film watching was mainly rare cinema social trips and hired VHS romcoms for an evening with my housemate.

(It did also occur to me that 'formative' isn't necessarily complimentary as such and I could have included some films that I watched that were the reasons that I know x or y subgenre isn't for me, but which are burned in my memory. Also not necessarily not complimentary, because they did make an impact after all.)

I had Persuasion 1995 on my TV list, because it was solely a BBC2 Austen TV adaptation here. I was 40 or more before I learned from a flister that it had got a cinematic release elsewhere in the world!

[sovay]

I managed 12/100, but I was worried it would be even worse! Given my solid lack of watching old US films for practically all my life and the fact that I may never even have seen a noir, my matches were indeed mainly on the few old UK films and suchlike.

A lot of films did not make it onto this list which you might very well have seen. What did we mostly match on?

It might be 13, because I cannot for the life of me remember if I've seen batteries not included, or if I'm just confusing it because of Short Circuit, which I mentally (wrongly or rightly) put in the same bracket, and which should have been on my list.

The first movie I ever saw was Singin' in the Rain. We had a taped-off-the-television videocassette for years. *batteries not included was the first movie I ever saw in theaters. (Short Circuit I saw on video, either at a classmate's house or the same day camp that showed all the Disney movies.) Oh, my God, I just realized I forgot The Court Jester (1955).

I'm pretty sure this meme was just 100 favourite films, or it started out that way on tumblr. I think people started talking about formative things, because they overlap and it's often a good metric for why including x entry over y, but I took it to be both/either/whatever. I probably wouldn't have been able to get beyond 50 for films if it had been solely formative and I keep mentally changing the list anyway.

This list is definitely a snapshot of the day. If I had been thinking of it as favorites, I might have winnowed out a few more toward the beginning, but maybe not. I think I am just not a hundred-film person, which is nuts to contemplate.

(It did also occur to me that 'formative' isn't necessarily complimentary as such and I could have included some films that I watched that were the reasons that I know x or y subgenre isn't for me, but which are burned in my memory. Also not necessarily not complimentary, because they did make an impact after all.)

I would honestly love to hear which movies turned you completely off their genres/styles/themes. That is not usually discussed as often when talking about experiences with media.

I had Persuasion 1995 on my TV list, because it was solely a BBC2 Austen TV adaptation here. I was 40 or more before I learned from a flister that it had got a cinematic release elsewhere in the world!

I included television productions if they were feature-length! I also excluded short films, which was unfair, because I do have some I deeply love.

[mrissa]

17, and the thing that's interesting to me is that I mostly was looking at the ones I haven't seen and thinking not that I should see them but that I should poke around and see what you've written about them.

My grandmother held the belief that she liked the top 0.01% or so of books and the rest of us liked the top, say, 30%, and that was why we'd read so much more, we just liked more books. And this was totally wrong (Janette Oke would not be widely agreed to be in the top 0.01% of authors, I don't think) but there is a grain of truth in it: I just like books better than I like movies, I like books better than I like most things. I don't dislike movies! But. Well.

[sovay]

17, and the thing that's interesting to me is that I mostly was looking at the ones I haven't seen and thinking not that I should see them but that I should poke around and see what you've written about them.

Enjoy! I have not written formally about all films represented on this list, but I have usually said something, even if it was twenty years ago and incoherently. I can also answer questions.

I just like books better than I like movies, I like books better than I like most things. I don't dislike movies! But. Well.

I still read more books than I watch movies! I just don't mostly write about the books. I'd never get anything done.

[landingtree]

Thirteen all told. Two definitely thanks to you: the Fingers of Doctor T (I always have to look up whether it’s five or ten thousand) and I Hired A Contract Killer.

Happy to be reminded of Darby O’Gill! I chose that off the rack at the DVD store to watch on my birthday when I was about twelve - I think for no other reason than that I liked leprechauns.

[sovay]

Thirteen all told. Two definitely thanks to you: the Fingers of Doctor T (I always have to look up whether it’s five or ten thousand) and I Hired A Contract Killer.

Nice! I don't know if I knew that. Thank you for telling me.

Happy to be reminded of Darby O’Gill! I chose that off the rack at the DVD store to watch on my birthday when I was about twelve - I think for no other reason than that I liked leprechauns.

I saw it for the first time somewhere between the ages of eight and ten and then did not watch it again until my junior year of college, at which point it became an amazing exercise in details accurately remembered across decades and details which had not stuck with me at all. My brother had remembered the banshee; I had remembered the drinking contest and the death-coach and the loophole of the last wish. It was such a folktale, its strangeness as a Disney movie hadn't registered with me at all. I should see it again.

[julian]

22. This is a handy list, as I can use it as a Reminder for my own To Watch list. (Like, why *did* I never watch The Secret of Roan Inish? I should fix this.)

Unfortunately, the complete idiocy of the thing's search process means every time I try to get up the momentum to do this meme, I stall out again. Maybe I'll just do a Top 20 of each. Dunno.

[sovay]

22. This is a handy list, as I can use it as a Reminder for my own To Watch list. (Like, why *did* I never watch The Secret of Roan Inish? I should fix this.)

Cool! (I do recommend this course of action.)

Unfortunately, the complete idiocy of the thing's search process means every time I try to get up the momentum to do this meme, I stall out again. Maybe I'll just do a Top 20 of each. Dunno.

In both book and film lists, I ended up making a lot of the little tiles myself. A top twenty sounds like a fair compromise with the user interface to me.

[rushthatspeaks]

27, which both strikes me as odd given how many movies we watch together, but also seems about right given how much time you spend with noir and I spend with anime.

[sovay]

27, which both strikes me as odd given how many movies we watch together, but also seems about right given how much time you spend with noir and I spend with anime.

It's missing Neil Jordan, Peter Strickland, Ben Wheatley, Ida Lupino—I think I have finally seen more movies than I thought I had.

[thawrecka]

I've watched something like 8 of these, which is even worse than people did on my list (which is much shorter, at least in part because as soon as I sat down to make a list I forgot everything I've ever watched).

[sovay]

I've watched something like 8 of these, which is even worse than people did on my list (which is much shorter, at least in part because as soon as I sat down to make a list I forgot everything I've ever watched).

Okay, now I definitely have to check out your list.