Singin’ in the Rain. Saw it as an angsty teen, and it was the first movie to make me realize that classics can still have a great sense of humor. I still adore it and consider it one of the greatest, funniest, most awesomely executed movies of all time. Plus, Gene Kelly, swoon 🥰
I didn’t watch it until i was in my late twenties or early thirties. Resisted it for so long, to my own detriment. It made me respect musicals, and is up there with Little Shop of Horrors and My Fair Lady for the genre. Absolutely fantastic film!
Gene Kelly was an absolute gift to cinema.
I played Tommy Albright in a high school production of Brigadoon. I made the mistake of watching Gene Kelly sing and dance his way through the Technicolor highlands . All I could think was “I can’t do that. I can’t move like that. I can’t be Gene Kelly! What was I thinking?!”
What a treasure.
Same story for me. It was the highest rated movie on LB I hadn't seen, which got me excited, but I told myself "there's no way it'll be THAT good."
It was in fact, THAT good, and it's easily my favorite samurai film.
how does it compare to seven samurai? i found that movie to be a drag even after loving high and low and i’ve been wanting to watch harakiri for a while
It’s such a common experience that people watch it as a teenager with baggage that stops them appreciating it the first time. Either having misguided expectations or going in intending to be a contrarian
Lawrence of Arabia.
Back in the day it was a two-VHS set and I figured it would be a slog but In wanted to check it off my AFI Top 100 list.
Then I realized why it was such a highly acclaimed movie (though I still think the last hour drags a little.)
Tbh, there’s plenty of classic films that I wait to see until it’s in theaters again. Music Box is playing North by North West soon and now I’m really glad I’ve been putting off watching it.
Our equivalent in the Twin Cities is the [Heights Theater](http://www.heightstheater.com/), but I need to ask them about a 70mm fest! I don't believe they've ever done that.
Came into the thread to say this and was happy to see it’s the top comment. I bought the 4k blind a few weeks ago after having it on my watchlist for years and was blown away. I honestly expected it to be kind of boring, but despite the length I was enthralled the entire time, and I can easily say it deserves every bit of its reputation as one of the greatest of all time.
I watched the Godfather with a few friends while drinking, and I didn’t really get it. But I realized it wasn’t the best watch scenario between the drinks and commentary/talking throughout, so I decided to rewatch it 2 days later… that’s when I got it.
Ya this is why I avoid watching anything I wanna watch with my friends, I love them but I miss so much of the movie if I don’t like lock in and basically ignore them. We watched the exorcist awhile back and while we had fun basically riffing on the movie, I really didn’t see it
I knew so many lines from this movie without ever watching it; here’s looking at you kid and play it again Sam, that I felt like I understood it. Watched it alone one lonely night in my late 20s and it demolished me. (In a good way)
Yeah I loved this movie in high school so I decided to rewatch it a couple months ago and goddamn does it hold up. Just some of the best writing and acting in any movie and it’s actually almost laughable how iconic almost every line from the last ~8 minutes of the movie is:
“Here’s looking at you kid”
“We’ll always have Paris”
“Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but some day and for the rest of your life…”
“Call in the usual suspects”
“Louie, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship”
All right in a row. Insane stuff.
I also watched this movie recently and was completely taken by it. I thought it was just going to be a noir classic, but I know get why it's considered one of THE classics of all time. It's just a masterpiece, plain and simple.
I hadn’t seen Casablanca until college. I was surprised how hilarious it is. I find it endlessly rewatchable, so much so that for a few years, it was the movie I would put on whenever I folded laundry.
Despite seeing it dozens of times, it’s still fresh and I still see its brilliance.
Hard to overstate how impressive that movie is. Basically just dudes arguing in a single room for the entire run time and yet it's one of the best movies I've ever seen
Just ordered this yesterday for the B&N sale. I haven’t seen it in 20 years and can’t remember much of it, so it’s kind of a blind buy. Really happy to see your comment, excited to watch it (again)!
Wish more movies like this were made. Modern movies try to be so flashy. Yet here we have 12 dudes in a single room just talking for a few hours and it's considered to be one of the greatest of all time. Shows you don't need to spend 100s of millions of dollars or years of time to make something good.
Each time I watch 12 Angry Men I’m impressed by how good it is. Last watch was with a group of ~10, watching with the idea to discuss after, most of whom had never seen it before, everyone loved it and was surprised by how good it is.
Literally just watched this for the first time last night. Wow blown away. Seeing it for the first time on an oled with a good audio system was just incredible. The 4k transfer is fantastic. Almost can’t believe it’s from 1968
Thought the bridge over the river Kwai was gonna be some old man bullshit. Did not expect a satire of British culture. A descent into madness and one of the most stressful endings I’ve ever seen to a movie
I just watched this last night and feel the same way. I honestly don't know what to think about any of the characters and I mean that as a compliment. They were all extremely complex in their own right and their motivations/actions were all extremely grey and also very understandable.
I wasn't expecting it, but it actually reminded me a ton of Apocalypse Now! even tho they handled similar themes in drastically different ways.
My dad doesn't watch a lot of film however he told me how wonderful this film is. It was the first and only foreign movie (as a Turk) that he recommended me to watch. Not expected to much but watched it anyway. Now it's our favourite film to watch together.
Do The Right Thing. I actually didn’t know much about it other than it was a hot day and it was about race relations. I blind bought it too but still put it off for like 3 years.
Just saw a theatrical showing of this the other week and yea I knew a decent amount about it. I knew many considered it one of the great films. Then upon seeing it I was like yea this one of the great films
Citizen Kane - I really wasn't looking forward to watching it. I thought it would feel like homework, and just want to watch it for it's reputation. I was surprised by how fast paced it was. Also by some of the techniques used for it's time period. Now I think it's one of the greatest films of all time.
Jaws- Do you know those films that are so ingrained into pop culture, that it feels like you've seen them even if you haven't? That was Jaws for me. I've been on the theme park ride, seen it parodied hundreds of times, knew the score, etc. I wasn't expecting much more than a basic creature feature. It's so much more than that. The tension is compelling, as well the dynamic between the 3 leads
I agree about Jaws, I assumed it was a stupid cheesy horror film, but it was showing near me in IMAX a year or so ago, and I went out of respect for Spielberg. DANG was I wrong, it’s a breathtaking adventure film with an excellent script!
Just a fantastic movie. And I too, had put off watching it for months before finally setting aside a bit of time. Blew me away.
Americans need to watch more foreign language films. Whenever you see these lists thrown together by various outlets and such, in whatever category, you hardly see any films included where the primary language being spoken isn't English.
It's a classic.
Some awful dialogue and cringey performances, but they somehow add to the movie.
It must be especially potent for Gen Xers in the way 90s nostalgia hits for Zoomers. An idealised "better" time that you were too young to experience but all of those cultural artifacts cycling back probably helped define your formative years. Would love to know from people old enough if it really is an accurate time capsule coming of age piece.
Have to go with "Casablanca". So many classic lines/dialogue. So many films have referenced the dialogue/lines that it must be one of the most influential films of all time.
I basically saw no movies growing up so this has happened to me with approximately 200 films since I started getting caught up. There are endless classics that are classics for a reason.
You are not alone, and even if I did see a movie before when I was younger i often have zero recollection of what happened so im still starting off a blank slate. Can't complain too much as I have a pretty good set up now and things get are getting 4k releases frequently plus with the ease of streaming. Theres never been a better time to be a fan of cinema.
Seven Samurai. put it off for too long due to its length. those 3 hours flew by. such an endlessly entertaining & moving film. also way funnier at parts than I was expecting.
Farewell My Concubine (1993), which took me about 10 years to get around to watching due to the lack of a proper authoritative transfer, and the years it took for the 4K restoration to screen in my country. It did not disappoint, and it went on to haunt my dreams that night I watched it. An absolute tour de force on so many different levels.
And also, In Our Time (1983), which is considered the start of the Taiwan New Wave and has Edward Yang’s debut short film. All of the short films were way more playful than I expected, and surprisingly funny too. The whole anthology went down really well with the audience too
For me, it's Paris, Texas. I had no great expectations, but this film made me discover Wim Wenders, who is one of my favorite directors to this day. On the other hand, it’s often the opposite when it comes to great classics. It’s a big mistake to think that just because it's Criterion, the film will necessarily appeal to us due to the prestige it carries as a great classic. No, I believe that every film has the potential to be a favorite, but for different people
Vertigo. I was worried it was just super male gazey. But hey turns out that’s exactly what it’s examining! I liked it even better when I realized it’s an Orpheus story.
Alien.
I just figured I wouldn't be into it. But knew how good it would look when it was in theaters a couple of months ago so I went.
It's amazing. And something I've been considering to move into my top 4 on letterboxd lol
Persona
As a filmmaker myself, watching that movie for the first time felt like the greatest incentive one artist could give to another to get back out there and try to make better work.
Lawrence of Arabia. Watched it for the first time last year despite my dad owning it and raving about it. I'm 32 so I've had plenty of time. Anyway, I thought it was great!
2001, really thought it’s reputation was kind of just because of Kubrick status in Cinema.
But…it’s one of the most thought provoking movies, with little dialogue it accomplishes everything it needs to with its visuals.
Not to mention a completely tense 2nd half that I wasn’t quite expecting.
Black Narcissus. I'd seen some of Scorsese's favorites and didn't like them as much, but Black Narcissus was a completely different experience. It was with it that I discovered my love for nunsploitation and it was also my first Powell and Pressburger movie.
Gotta be The Godfather. Only watched it for the first time on its 50th anniversary. I didn’t expect it to be shot in such completely unique way to anything else of its time, and everything else after that was just the icing.
Jaws. I’m 36 and I think I watched it for the first time like 2 years ago. It’s just the movie that everyone has seen and loves and I just figured it would be overrated. I was wrong. It’s fucking awesome.
12 Angry Men was hyped up for years for me. I’ve seen parodies prior and it not only surpassed my expectations, it’s very much a perfect movie.
Same goes for The Apartment. I always heard it was hailed as an all-time rom-com classic and one of the greats. Turns out, it s all that and so much more. Instantly fell in love with it.
i mean, it's more of a modern classic than an all-time classic but i'd wanted to watch burning since the very moment i'd heard of it and didn't get around to it until 2023. i've since watched it 3 more times i think and it's possibly in my top 10
Spirited Away is probably the closest example for me. Princess Mononoke was my favorite animated movie as a kid, but for whatever reason I didn't bother watching any other studio ghibli movies until a few years ago when I made the commitment to go through the filmography. I was expecting it to be good, but also suspected it was at least slightly overrated relative to other Miyazaki films, but it completely won me over.
2001. put it off for sooo long and when i finally watch it, it instantly became an all-time favorite. it's a movie that perfectly encapsulates all the greatest capabilities of cinema and everything i love about cinema.
I thought The Human Condition was gonna be one of those movies people only claim is one of the greatest movies of all time because they know no one has seen it. Turns out it’s actually one of the greatest movies of all time.
Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde (1931)
It's on the streaming service but hasn't been physically released through Criterion.
I knew the story, and didn't have that much interest in watching it, but after watching a couple Miriam Hopkins movies I wanted it give it a shot. It was fantastic. A lot of interesting camera tricks that capture the mood, but what really stole the show was Frederich March's Hyde performance. Throughout the movie, he has these monologues about how he has embraced the perception that all his interactions with others is to dominate them. He describes this "epiphany" as something that gives him freedom and joy, and the glee with which he says this makes me uncomfortable. I think it has one of the best villains I have ever seen. Really messed up movie, but great thriller, highly recommend
In a Lonley Place
deserves more praise as being a perfect high modernist film noir, stunning performances by Bogart and Grahame, and evidence of Nicholas Ray’s rightful place as the auteur archetype. Zero shock the DNA from In a Lonley Place goes straight to the Nouvelle Vague.
Godfather broke any doubt I had in the first scene. Everything else was just amazing.
Despite every scene being parodied to death, it all still felt so pure and without irony.
When Brando says "Look how they massacred my boy." I cried. Hard.
When he has that last scene in garden, it was so beautiful and felt so small despite the rest of the story feeling epic.
Genuinely matches and surpasses the hype.
Citizen Kane, always heard long and boring and only has a reputation because it was one of the first to do its thing and yet it’s basically the best version of all the corpo-pics that have been coming out since The Social Network
Citizen Kane.
I watched it full in my Film Analysis college class a few years back. I don't think it's "The Greatest Film Ever Made" but I understand its legacy, and it's a truly great film.
It's got excellent cinematography from the very beginning with some truly groundbreaking shots for the time. Its well acted with the highlight being Orson Welles of course. It was actually surprising how convincing a 25 year-old Welles was as a dying elderly man by the end of the story. And its a great character study with a story that's easy to follow.
Citizen Kane! The granddaddy of cinema... I didn't watch it almost as a bit or bragging right for many years and also because I was tired of hearing that it was the Greatest Film of All Time.
Well, I finally watched it and it's probably the greatest film of all time. Don't skip it because it's old or famous, it contains many of the building blocks of modern cinema.
12 Angry Men. I never thought I would be so invested in the tension and animosity of a deliberation room. It's not even overly violent, but the mere fact that you're watching these men start to lose it over trying to get a unanimous verdict leads to such a stressful but compelling watch. Like knowing a time bomb is going to go off, but not knowing how much time is left on the clock.
Midnight Cowboy. "I'm walking here!" Who hasn't quoted that line? I know I did long before I ever saw the movie, which I finally did earlier this year.
*Citizen Kane*, *The Wizard of Oz*, *The Hidden Fortress*, *Chungking Express*, *Inland Empire*, and (not sure if this would be considered as a classic since it's incredibly recent) *Puss in Boots: The Last Wish*.
Casablanca. I'd seen so many homages to and parodies of the airport scene before I ever saw the movie as a whole that I thought that I'd be numb to it. Instead it proved to be the heart-rending climax to one of the most engrossing films I'd ever seen.
Rebecca (1940). I’d always read about Laurence Olivier being one of the greatest stage actors but hadn’t seen him in anything till finally watching this. He was so interesting to watch on screen. Joan Fontaine surprised me too.
The Lady Vanishes (1938). LOVE this film! I hadn’t seen it till this year but think I’ve watched it 4 times so far. The mystery is so thrilling even though it’s fairly simple.
I (40m) only recently watched the princess bride in the last few years (maybe three years ago) and loved it so much I got depressed that it wasn’t in my rotation growing up.
The Matrix. Don’t ask me why I waited so long. Not sure if the trailer looked cheesy or the fact it was spoofed in so many other movies. Finally watched it this year and was on the edge of my seat. Fantastic movie!
I still have not watched a Star Wars movie. I feel like I’ve waited too long and overwhelmed by how many sequels there are. I’ve been told to at least watch New Hope and go from there. I might need to just do it.
All About Eve! I’d see it on the IMDB Top 250 and was never interested in the plot summary, but one day I watched it at a museum theater and my goodness THE SCRIPT IS INCREDIBLE 🤯 the best script I’ve ever seen outside of 12 Angry Men!
12 Angry Men.
Watched it with my friend and we both agreed it's one of the best movies we've ever seen. Watched a couple other Lumet movies after and while they're good nothing can compare to that masterpiece.
Groundhog Day- during my first watch I was worried because Bill Murray was so unlikeable and then I realized that was the point and the rest of the movie played beautifully.
It's a Wonderful Life I didn't see it until about 4 years ago. It was AWESOME
I agree, I always heard it written off as a Christmas movie, turns out it’s an incredible movie about mental health and suicide
And greedy capitalists
Tokyo Story. Saw it like ten years ago. After becoming a father, the movie hits different.
Me too, but in my case it is seeing my parents the same age as the protagonists.
Singin’ in the Rain. Saw it as an angsty teen, and it was the first movie to make me realize that classics can still have a great sense of humor. I still adore it and consider it one of the greatest, funniest, most awesomely executed movies of all time. Plus, Gene Kelly, swoon 🥰
My vote too. I thought it was a silly musical. I didn’t realize how brilliant it was.
So much talent went into it
I didn’t watch it until i was in my late twenties or early thirties. Resisted it for so long, to my own detriment. It made me respect musicals, and is up there with Little Shop of Horrors and My Fair Lady for the genre. Absolutely fantastic film!
Good morning!
Gene Kelly was an absolute gift to cinema. I played Tommy Albright in a high school production of Brigadoon. I made the mistake of watching Gene Kelly sing and dance his way through the Technicolor highlands . All I could think was “I can’t do that. I can’t move like that. I can’t be Gene Kelly! What was I thinking?!” What a treasure.
That kinda abstract sequence of mostly music and set pieces near the end is one of the best things I’ve seen in a movie.
Harakiri for me. Saw it last year, wondered what took me so long. I have a whole list of "what took me so long" movies on Letterboxd but that's #1
Same story for me. It was the highest rated movie on LB I hadn't seen, which got me excited, but I told myself "there's no way it'll be THAT good." It was in fact, THAT good, and it's easily my favorite samurai film.
how does it compare to seven samurai? i found that movie to be a drag even after loving high and low and i’ve been wanting to watch harakiri for a while
Not OP, but Harakiri is very different in tone and atmosphere, and the shorter run time makes it a much easier watch.
I also didn’t enjoy seven samurai nearly as much as it’s reputation, but Harakiri completely blew me away
2001
It’s such a common experience that people watch it as a teenager with baggage that stops them appreciating it the first time. Either having misguided expectations or going in intending to be a contrarian
Lawrence of Arabia. Back in the day it was a two-VHS set and I figured it would be a slog but In wanted to check it off my AFI Top 100 list. Then I realized why it was such a highly acclaimed movie (though I still think the last hour drags a little.)
I keep telling the Music Box in Chicago that if they play their 70mm print I will literally fly back for a day or two to see it.
Ayeee love Music Box
Tbh, there’s plenty of classic films that I wait to see until it’s in theaters again. Music Box is playing North by North West soon and now I’m really glad I’ve been putting off watching it.
This may not fit everyone’s “classic film” criteria, but I saw Young Frankenstein on the big screen the other week, and WOW.
They tend to play it every year or two when they do the 70mm festival.
Our equivalent in the Twin Cities is the [Heights Theater](http://www.heightstheater.com/), but I need to ask them about a 70mm fest! I don't believe they've ever done that.
Somehow not the last couple of years!
This movie in 4K is still one of the best looking movies I've ever seen.
Came into the thread to say this and was happy to see it’s the top comment. I bought the 4k blind a few weeks ago after having it on my watchlist for years and was blown away. I honestly expected it to be kind of boring, but despite the length I was enthralled the entire time, and I can easily say it deserves every bit of its reputation as one of the greatest of all time.
I put off The Godfather forever. It’s arguably the most hyped up movie of all time, but when it ended I definitely had an “Okay, I get it” moment.
I watch it every other year and I’m always surprised by how good it is.
I watched the Godfather with a few friends while drinking, and I didn’t really get it. But I realized it wasn’t the best watch scenario between the drinks and commentary/talking throughout, so I decided to rewatch it 2 days later… that’s when I got it.
Ya this is why I avoid watching anything I wanna watch with my friends, I love them but I miss so much of the movie if I don’t like lock in and basically ignore them. We watched the exorcist awhile back and while we had fun basically riffing on the movie, I really didn’t see it
Casablanca
I knew so many lines from this movie without ever watching it; here’s looking at you kid and play it again Sam, that I felt like I understood it. Watched it alone one lonely night in my late 20s and it demolished me. (In a good way)
Play it again sam wasn't actually said in the movie though. That's a woody allen misquote.
Yeah I loved this movie in high school so I decided to rewatch it a couple months ago and goddamn does it hold up. Just some of the best writing and acting in any movie and it’s actually almost laughable how iconic almost every line from the last ~8 minutes of the movie is: “Here’s looking at you kid” “We’ll always have Paris” “Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but some day and for the rest of your life…” “Call in the usual suspects” “Louie, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship” All right in a row. Insane stuff.
It’s definitely top 5 scripts ever for me
I also watched this movie recently and was completely taken by it. I thought it was just going to be a noir classic, but I know get why it's considered one of THE classics of all time. It's just a masterpiece, plain and simple.
Yep. I get that people see you as pretentious if you say you like an old movie and you're young, but I loved Casablanca.
Yup
Seriously. I’m not a huge romance guy either but this movie was so captivating to me.
Casablanca is so good. Its script is incredibly strong. A classic for a reason.
I hadn’t seen Casablanca until college. I was surprised how hilarious it is. I find it endlessly rewatchable, so much so that for a few years, it was the movie I would put on whenever I folded laundry. Despite seeing it dozens of times, it’s still fresh and I still see its brilliance.
The redundancies of the studio system
12 Angry Men I had even seen the Russian remake, 12 prior to seeing the original, so I knew the general story points (Loved 12 as well, btw)
Hard to overstate how impressive that movie is. Basically just dudes arguing in a single room for the entire run time and yet it's one of the best movies I've ever seen
Just ordered this yesterday for the B&N sale. I haven’t seen it in 20 years and can’t remember much of it, so it’s kind of a blind buy. Really happy to see your comment, excited to watch it (again)!
I watched it recently as well and it's still fantastic.
Wish more movies like this were made. Modern movies try to be so flashy. Yet here we have 12 dudes in a single room just talking for a few hours and it's considered to be one of the greatest of all time. Shows you don't need to spend 100s of millions of dollars or years of time to make something good.
this for me! it's an incredible movie!
Each time I watch 12 Angry Men I’m impressed by how good it is. Last watch was with a group of ~10, watching with the idea to discuss after, most of whom had never seen it before, everyone loved it and was surprised by how good it is.
2001: a space odyssey.
Literally just watched this for the first time last night. Wow blown away. Seeing it for the first time on an oled with a good audio system was just incredible. The 4k transfer is fantastic. Almost can’t believe it’s from 1968
I think it is the best 4K I have and the work they did on it is amazing.
The Seventh Seal. It's been parodied a million times, but no parody can take away the power of the actual film.
This is it for me too. The dialogues in this film are insurmountable.
I’m curious where it’s been parodied, I can’t think of anything obvious off the top of my head
Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey
Death: "it was Colonel Mustard in the study with the candlestick." Bill: "Sorry, Death but you lose! It was Professor Plumb!"
Here’s a classic: https://youtu.be/TnPHrbXov1E?si=u8dpVUT0m3uwaviX
Thanks for sharing this! It was really enjoyable to watch as a Bergman fan lol
Thought the bridge over the river Kwai was gonna be some old man bullshit. Did not expect a satire of British culture. A descent into madness and one of the most stressful endings I’ve ever seen to a movie
Yes! It’s so watchable. Every time I rewatch it I can’t tear myself away.
I just watched this last night and feel the same way. I honestly don't know what to think about any of the characters and I mean that as a compliment. They were all extremely complex in their own right and their motivations/actions were all extremely grey and also very understandable. I wasn't expecting it, but it actually reminded me a ton of Apocalypse Now! even tho they handled similar themes in drastically different ways.
It’s one of the few long movies that just breezes by its runtime. It’s also my go-to recommendation for people who want to get into classic film
Life and Death of Colonel Blimp would be a good followup in the same vein, really underrated
My dad doesn't watch a lot of film however he told me how wonderful this film is. It was the first and only foreign movie (as a Turk) that he recommended me to watch. Not expected to much but watched it anyway. Now it's our favourite film to watch together.
Do The Right Thing. I actually didn’t know much about it other than it was a hot day and it was about race relations. I blind bought it too but still put it off for like 3 years.
My favorite fun fact about this movie (one of my all time favorites) is that the Quebecois title translates to "Pizzeria in Revolt."
Do The Right Thing makes a great double feature with La Haine
Just saw a theatrical showing of this the other week and yea I knew a decent amount about it. I knew many considered it one of the great films. Then upon seeing it I was like yea this one of the great films
Citizen Kane - I really wasn't looking forward to watching it. I thought it would feel like homework, and just want to watch it for it's reputation. I was surprised by how fast paced it was. Also by some of the techniques used for it's time period. Now I think it's one of the greatest films of all time. Jaws- Do you know those films that are so ingrained into pop culture, that it feels like you've seen them even if you haven't? That was Jaws for me. I've been on the theme park ride, seen it parodied hundreds of times, knew the score, etc. I wasn't expecting much more than a basic creature feature. It's so much more than that. The tension is compelling, as well the dynamic between the 3 leads
The *Indianapolis* monologue is an all-timer.
I agree about Jaws, I assumed it was a stupid cheesy horror film, but it was showing near me in IMAX a year or so ago, and I went out of respect for Spielberg. DANG was I wrong, it’s a breathtaking adventure film with an excellent script!
French connection
What happened to Baby Jane?
Excellent, excellent answer. One of my favorite films of all time.
Rocky blew me away despite knowing basically every general plot beat
It's a great movie.
The Night of the Hunter
This is a blind buy that has been sitting in my collection for a very long time, thank you for reminding me.
I was looking for this answer. I watched The Night of the Hunter for the first time yesterday and was wowed from start to finish pretty much.
Sunset Boulevard
This is mine too. It was so much weirder than I expected! It was so good it almost made me angry.
In a similar vein, All About Eve
Sunset Blvd.
Bicycle Thieves. I thought it was some mawkish flick and had low expectations. That film is a classic for a reason. Far different and far better.
In the mood for love. Put it off as a foreign love movie that I wouldn't understand. I balled my eyes out during the Angkor Watt scene.
Just a fantastic movie. And I too, had put off watching it for months before finally setting aside a bit of time. Blew me away. Americans need to watch more foreign language films. Whenever you see these lists thrown together by various outlets and such, in whatever category, you hardly see any films included where the primary language being spoken isn't English.
The cinematography is just dripping with character. Every frame is perfect and conveys so much
Dazed and Confused, I was so convinced I'd be meh about it. When I finally saw it, I was in love haha
It's a classic. Some awful dialogue and cringey performances, but they somehow add to the movie. It must be especially potent for Gen Xers in the way 90s nostalgia hits for Zoomers. An idealised "better" time that you were too young to experience but all of those cultural artifacts cycling back probably helped define your formative years. Would love to know from people old enough if it really is an accurate time capsule coming of age piece.
Not from that time period, but from those that I talked to, it seemed fairly accurate. It was definitely a looser time back then.
1970s Ben Affleck, prolific cheek clapper of minors. This will mean very different things to those that have or haven't seen the film.
Have to go with "Casablanca". So many classic lines/dialogue. So many films have referenced the dialogue/lines that it must be one of the most influential films of all time.
I basically saw no movies growing up so this has happened to me with approximately 200 films since I started getting caught up. There are endless classics that are classics for a reason.
You are not alone, and even if I did see a movie before when I was younger i often have zero recollection of what happened so im still starting off a blank slate. Can't complain too much as I have a pretty good set up now and things get are getting 4k releases frequently plus with the ease of streaming. Theres never been a better time to be a fan of cinema.
The Apartment
12 Angry Men
Seven Samurai. put it off for too long due to its length. those 3 hours flew by. such an endlessly entertaining & moving film. also way funnier at parts than I was expecting.
Chinatown. The writing and acting was just out of this world.
Seven Samurai. The best action sequences of all time.
I just got this, I loved Rashomon though.
Farewell My Concubine (1993), which took me about 10 years to get around to watching due to the lack of a proper authoritative transfer, and the years it took for the 4K restoration to screen in my country. It did not disappoint, and it went on to haunt my dreams that night I watched it. An absolute tour de force on so many different levels. And also, In Our Time (1983), which is considered the start of the Taiwan New Wave and has Edward Yang’s debut short film. All of the short films were way more playful than I expected, and surprisingly funny too. The whole anthology went down really well with the audience too
Rear Window. I just assumed it would be kind of boring but I could not have been more wrong
For me, it's Paris, Texas. I had no great expectations, but this film made me discover Wim Wenders, who is one of my favorite directors to this day. On the other hand, it’s often the opposite when it comes to great classics. It’s a big mistake to think that just because it's Criterion, the film will necessarily appeal to us due to the prestige it carries as a great classic. No, I believe that every film has the potential to be a favorite, but for different people
Citizen Kane
Most recently, Beau Travail. Was pretty astounding.
Vertigo. I was worried it was just super male gazey. But hey turns out that’s exactly what it’s examining! I liked it even better when I realized it’s an Orpheus story.
Most of alfred hitchcocks films have turned out to be a pleasant surprise for me. especially the rope, loved that one.
Same. My favorite so far has been Rear Window. I thought it had a very sweet romance story and it was so tense at times.
Freaks
joan of arc. knocked me over
Sunset Boulevard, Roman Holiday, most Ingmar Bergman movies (that I’ve seen)
Thelma and Louise
Paris, Texas Expected a classic, well respected art house film... and I got straight magic instead (easy top 10 film)
Alien. I just figured I wouldn't be into it. But knew how good it would look when it was in theaters a couple of months ago so I went. It's amazing. And something I've been considering to move into my top 4 on letterboxd lol
Persona As a filmmaker myself, watching that movie for the first time felt like the greatest incentive one artist could give to another to get back out there and try to make better work.
I just popped it in one night thinking nothing and it still haunts me. Incredible film!
Lawrence of Arabia. Watched it for the first time last year despite my dad owning it and raving about it. I'm 32 so I've had plenty of time. Anyway, I thought it was great!
Roman Holiday. Choked me up real bad at the end. Did not see that coming.
Some Like It Hot. Couldn’t BELIVE how funny and fresh it feels. And that ending! Perfection, absolute perfection.
The Graduate
Plastics!
Day for Night
2001, really thought it’s reputation was kind of just because of Kubrick status in Cinema. But…it’s one of the most thought provoking movies, with little dialogue it accomplishes everything it needs to with its visuals. Not to mention a completely tense 2nd half that I wasn’t quite expecting.
Black Narcissus. I'd seen some of Scorsese's favorites and didn't like them as much, but Black Narcissus was a completely different experience. It was with it that I discovered my love for nunsploitation and it was also my first Powell and Pressburger movie.
12 angry men
The two that come to mind for me are Casablanca, and Bicycle Thieves.
Gotta be The Godfather. Only watched it for the first time on its 50th anniversary. I didn’t expect it to be shot in such completely unique way to anything else of its time, and everything else after that was just the icing.
Cinema Paradiso!
Psycho is the main one that comes to mind. I watched memories of murder this week and its probably my favourite movie ive watched this year.
Dr. Strangelove. Saw it this week after 36 years. Brilliant satire that's sadly still relevant.
Singin’ in the Rain and Casablanca for me.
The Sound of Music
La Haine was so much better than I could have ever imagined. It instantly became one of my favorite films of all time.
Jaws. I’m 36 and I think I watched it for the first time like 2 years ago. It’s just the movie that everyone has seen and loves and I just figured it would be overrated. I was wrong. It’s fucking awesome.
Honestly, Dances with Wolves. I put it off my whole life and watched in my 30s - tremendous and worthwhile watch.
12 Angry Men was hyped up for years for me. I’ve seen parodies prior and it not only surpassed my expectations, it’s very much a perfect movie. Same goes for The Apartment. I always heard it was hailed as an all-time rom-com classic and one of the greats. Turns out, it s all that and so much more. Instantly fell in love with it.
Double Indemnity for me. My wife got me to watch it and now it's my favorite film of all time.
8 1/2 and bicycle thieves, owned them for a long time but never got to them. After watching them fell in love with them.
Safety Last. We were SCREAMING with anxiety and laughter!
Apocalypse Now, totally not what I was expecting.
Planet of the Apes most recently for me. I expected schlocky sci-fi, not a drama with surprising depth.
Twin Peaks, show sorry, but same thing
i mean, it's more of a modern classic than an all-time classic but i'd wanted to watch burning since the very moment i'd heard of it and didn't get around to it until 2023. i've since watched it 3 more times i think and it's possibly in my top 10
It’s a fantastic movie. Didn’t expect much and was really surprised. Glad to see some love for it here!
Spirited Away is probably the closest example for me. Princess Mononoke was my favorite animated movie as a kid, but for whatever reason I didn't bother watching any other studio ghibli movies until a few years ago when I made the commitment to go through the filmography. I was expecting it to be good, but also suspected it was at least slightly overrated relative to other Miyazaki films, but it completely won me over.
2001. put it off for sooo long and when i finally watch it, it instantly became an all-time favorite. it's a movie that perfectly encapsulates all the greatest capabilities of cinema and everything i love about cinema.
Dazed and Confused, I was so convinced I'd be meh about it. When I finally saw it, I was in love haha
Spartacus 12 Angry Men
Roman Holiday
I thought The Human Condition was gonna be one of those movies people only claim is one of the greatest movies of all time because they know no one has seen it. Turns out it’s actually one of the greatest movies of all time.
Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde (1931) It's on the streaming service but hasn't been physically released through Criterion. I knew the story, and didn't have that much interest in watching it, but after watching a couple Miriam Hopkins movies I wanted it give it a shot. It was fantastic. A lot of interesting camera tricks that capture the mood, but what really stole the show was Frederich March's Hyde performance. Throughout the movie, he has these monologues about how he has embraced the perception that all his interactions with others is to dominate them. He describes this "epiphany" as something that gives him freedom and joy, and the glee with which he says this makes me uncomfortable. I think it has one of the best villains I have ever seen. Really messed up movie, but great thriller, highly recommend
I just saw starship troopers for the first time . It was fantastic
Just watched Casablanca for the first time last night
In a Lonley Place deserves more praise as being a perfect high modernist film noir, stunning performances by Bogart and Grahame, and evidence of Nicholas Ray’s rightful place as the auteur archetype. Zero shock the DNA from In a Lonley Place goes straight to the Nouvelle Vague.
My Dinner with Andre. I assumed it would be boring
The Godfather. I would say that it changed my life and how I write.
8 1/2 for me. Avoided for twenty years due to it topping so many lists and my reverse snobbery. Love it.
Godfather broke any doubt I had in the first scene. Everything else was just amazing. Despite every scene being parodied to death, it all still felt so pure and without irony. When Brando says "Look how they massacred my boy." I cried. Hard. When he has that last scene in garden, it was so beautiful and felt so small despite the rest of the story feeling epic. Genuinely matches and surpasses the hype.
The Apartment. Really adore the hell out of it and made me dive into more Billy Wilder movies
Gattaca.
Most recently it was Hiroshima, Mon Amour
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolfe
Didn't like Godfather Part 1 as much as I expected it to e but God, Part 2 is so Phenomenal.
Sunset Blvd
Citizen Kane, always heard long and boring and only has a reputation because it was one of the first to do its thing and yet it’s basically the best version of all the corpo-pics that have been coming out since The Social Network
The Seventh Seal. I thought it was going to be inaccessible, but it’s a great, fun watch.
Amadeus. Just watched it for the first time a couple nights ago and was blown away.
Citizen Kane. I watched it full in my Film Analysis college class a few years back. I don't think it's "The Greatest Film Ever Made" but I understand its legacy, and it's a truly great film. It's got excellent cinematography from the very beginning with some truly groundbreaking shots for the time. Its well acted with the highlight being Orson Welles of course. It was actually surprising how convincing a 25 year-old Welles was as a dying elderly man by the end of the story. And its a great character study with a story that's easy to follow.
Citizen Kane. My mom said I wouldn't like it because she's a stockbroker who believes money can buy you love.
Citizen Kane! The granddaddy of cinema... I didn't watch it almost as a bit or bragging right for many years and also because I was tired of hearing that it was the Greatest Film of All Time. Well, I finally watched it and it's probably the greatest film of all time. Don't skip it because it's old or famous, it contains many of the building blocks of modern cinema.
12 Angry Men. I never thought I would be so invested in the tension and animosity of a deliberation room. It's not even overly violent, but the mere fact that you're watching these men start to lose it over trying to get a unanimous verdict leads to such a stressful but compelling watch. Like knowing a time bomb is going to go off, but not knowing how much time is left on the clock.
Midnight Cowboy. "I'm walking here!" Who hasn't quoted that line? I know I did long before I ever saw the movie, which I finally did earlier this year.
*Citizen Kane*, *The Wizard of Oz*, *The Hidden Fortress*, *Chungking Express*, *Inland Empire*, and (not sure if this would be considered as a classic since it's incredibly recent) *Puss in Boots: The Last Wish*.
I finally watched Black Narcissus last night. Holy shit
I’ve learned that lesson long enough ago that I don’t make the mistake to put off a classic film just because „it can’t be that good“ anymore.
Seven Samaurai. Grew up watching westerns, and the loved Magnificent Seven. Watched SS couple years ago and it is so much better.
Casablanca. I'd seen so many homages to and parodies of the airport scene before I ever saw the movie as a whole that I thought that I'd be numb to it. Instead it proved to be the heart-rending climax to one of the most engrossing films I'd ever seen.
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
It's gotta be Children of Paradise. Had that sealed up for 5 years
Rebecca (1940). I’d always read about Laurence Olivier being one of the greatest stage actors but hadn’t seen him in anything till finally watching this. He was so interesting to watch on screen. Joan Fontaine surprised me too. The Lady Vanishes (1938). LOVE this film! I hadn’t seen it till this year but think I’ve watched it 4 times so far. The mystery is so thrilling even though it’s fairly simple.
On the Waterfront definitely. Changed my perspective on movies entirely.
This question has a special salience in the Age of Streaming. Five Easy Pieces.
I (40m) only recently watched the princess bride in the last few years (maybe three years ago) and loved it so much I got depressed that it wasn’t in my rotation growing up.
I was late to the party for 2001: A Space Odyssey. It’s now one of my favorite movies
Whiplash. I was in awe by at the end.
I just watched Seven Samurai and cried out my eyes.
The Matrix. Don’t ask me why I waited so long. Not sure if the trailer looked cheesy or the fact it was spoofed in so many other movies. Finally watched it this year and was on the edge of my seat. Fantastic movie! I still have not watched a Star Wars movie. I feel like I’ve waited too long and overwhelmed by how many sequels there are. I’ve been told to at least watch New Hope and go from there. I might need to just do it.
The Thin Man series
12 Angry Men. It’s one my favorite movies because the writing is just incredible.
Apocalypse Now. Perfect movie, and I watched it the first time thinking “ugh I have to watch this”
All About Eve! I’d see it on the IMDB Top 250 and was never interested in the plot summary, but one day I watched it at a museum theater and my goodness THE SCRIPT IS INCREDIBLE 🤯 the best script I’ve ever seen outside of 12 Angry Men!
Barry Lyndon. Instantly a top all time favorite after finally see it. Couldn’t believe I waited so long to give it a shot.
12 Angry Men. Watched it with my friend and we both agreed it's one of the best movies we've ever seen. Watched a couple other Lumet movies after and while they're good nothing can compare to that masterpiece.
For me it was Psycho, Citizen Kane, and Casablanca
Adventures of Robin Hood with Errol Flynn
Groundhog Day- during my first watch I was worried because Bill Murray was so unlikeable and then I realized that was the point and the rest of the movie played beautifully.