Movies Worth Watching

Something I envy my children having is the chance to watch for the first time the great movies made in the past.  I mentioned this the other day and they said that I should list them.  So here is the start of a list.  Some of these movies have problematic elements, like more swearing or more sexual innuendo than I would like, but they are still good enough. 

To start my list I will not have any particular hierarchy, just as the names come to me.

Fahrenheit 451 - one of my favourite movies.

It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World - such a continuous hoot.  Many of the great 50's comedians brought together.  Jonathan Winters is tops.

Ben Hur - Charleton Heston

Kelly's Heroes - wonderful characters

High Noon - the best western?

Shane - Alan Ladd

Robin Hood - the

Close Encounters of the Third Kind

Young Frankenstein - more sexual innuendo than I want, but very funny and well done.

Being There - another one with a bit extra sexual innuendo but another good movie.

12 Angry Men (1957) - #7 on the IMDB top 250 list

The Music Man - another of my favourites.  Shirley Jones was wonderful.

Rebecca - Albert Hitchcock still in England.

North by Northwest - Hitchcock in America - a thriller, not a horro pic.

Sherlock Holmes (with Basil Rathbone) - the definitive movie.

Without a Clue - (Michael Caine) a very funny alternate look at Holmes.

The First Great Train Robbery (1978) -  Donald Sutherland - a good movie, beautifly photographed.

Gone With the Wind - great cast

Life With Father - William Powell

Laurel and Hardy - most movies they made except the very last ones.  Try The Music Box, Towed in a Hole, Brats.

Buster Keaton movies too.  The General is a good start.

 Lawrence of Arabia - long,.. and very good.

Goodbye Mr. Chips - makes you cry.

The Lavender Hill Mob - Alex Guiness

All the Start Wars movies - yes, even Episodes 1, 2 and 3.

I, Robot - Will Smith

Minority Report -

Top Gun -

The Ipcress File - my favourite Michael Caine movie.

Gorky Park - a mystery set in Soviet Russia

Waterloo - colourful, and the battle scenes are very well done and authentic.

The Caine Mutiny - Humphry Bogart

The Maltese Falcon - Bogart again.

Casablanca - Bogey once more

It Takes a Thief - Grace Kelly

Once Upon a Time in the West - runs on a bit, but great scenes and music

Lord of the Rings trilogy

Double Indemnity - a classic of Noir film-making.

The Railway Children

Where Eagles Dare, Ice Station Zebra, The Guns of Navarone - from Alistair MacLean novels

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy - the TV series, not the movie.

Apollo 13 - even though you know how it ends.

The Notebook - a weeper and great.

Beaches - a classic weeper, very well done.

My Brilliant Career - 1979, Australia

The Gods Must Be Crazy

Walkabout - end has a downer

The Princess Bride - many memorable lines.  Great fun

To Kill a Mockingbird

On the Beach - a downer ending, but it sure makes you think about life and the world.

Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion (1970) Italian movie (dubbed available)

Z - (1969) a good story, well made

Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964) - might not be the best movie, but is worth seeing as an icon.

Citizen Kane - so well made, such a story.

WALL-E

The Witness

Das Boot - stunning

Bridge on the River Kwai

The Money Pit

Blade Runner - some very violent scenes but very good otherwise.

Cool Hand Luke

The Sting

Paper Moon

Manhatten

The Manchurian Candidate (1962)

Roman Holiday

Breakfast at Tiffany's

Rain Man

Arsenic and Old Lace (1944)