"Wait a minute... did you say that... that you haven't seen...? Oh, you... don't mean that, d-do you?"
You know that situation I guess, almost everyone knows it. Whether it's books, music or movies - you can't have experienced it all. But especially when you call yourself and act as if you were a movie buff, people get really happy and self-satisfactory when they've seen a "must-see" movie you haven't seen.
I've learned to see it as a chance though. When somebody tells you about a great classic you should've seen, that's just great because you're probably up to see a really good movie - and we all know how sometimes it can be incredibly hard to choose the "right" movie to see.
So I always follow that kind of recommendations. And it usually pays off.
In 2012, I managed to see a big bunch of these movies that have caused some of those "WHAAAT?" moments among friends, bloggers and other people. There are also movies that nobody has ever talked to me about but that I was personally ashamed of not having seen.
Notably, this isn't a "best formerly unknown-to-me movies I saw in 2012" kind of list, as I didn't like or love all of the movies mentioned here. However, I'm happy I watched them.
Here we go... explaining in what way each of the movies changed or had an impact on any part of my life, philosophy or attitude towards anything.
Andaz Apna Apna
One of the most famous Indian comedies - I definitely see Aamir Khan in a different light now.
On top of the IMDB Top 250, this one shows that in general, people do have some kind of good taste.
Stand by Me
I really, really hope I'll never lose my friends the way the protagonist did in the end.
2001: A Space Odyssey
The best thing about watching all these movies is the touch of enlightenment you feel once in a while.
Psycho
I wonder if any people would've died of fear if they had watched something like The Shining back then - this really was more of a thriller, let's be honest. A good one though.
Super Size Me
Yeah, I still go to McDonald's but mainly for the ice cream - and not very often.
Lagaan
The thing I never thought possible happened; I wasn't bored by this.
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet are officially some of the bestest actors I know.
The Great Train Robbery
So, at least this was short.
The Truman Show
Definitely increased my paranoia.
Toy Story 1,2,3
Pixar rules - and surprisingly, the third part was the best.
The Birth of a Nation
I think I hate Griffith, despite the half-way okay-ish Broken Blossoms.
Rebel Without a Cause
Sometimes I wonder what it would be like... to have something to rebel against instead of my summer-of-69 hippie-ish, and nice parents.
There Will Be Blood
I don't remember much of it, but I guess it was great and... didn't really teach me anything.
La Dolce Vita
So, you can make movies without a plot, that's a new thing.
Paranormal Activity
Not trying to be cool, but this one was quite boring if I'm honest. I understand the popularity though... probably got something to do with voyeurism etc.
More great female directors please!
Million Dollar Baby
So Clint Eastwood is a good director too...
One of the most inventive films I saw last year, especially this scene which was shown twice with different off-screen dialogue.
Kill Bil Vol. 1 and 2
So that's what it's all about, Tarantino and stuff... yeah, he is pretty cool.
Lawrence of Arabia
About three hours long, no female characters at all... and of course I loved it.
Some films are simply timeless (cough-incontrarytoMotherIndia-cough).
Les quatre cents coups
Yeah, I didn't get what was so great.
Omkara
I didn't see enough good Indian films last year, but that's going to change - a great exception was this Othello-remake though.
I still sometimes find myself singing "We're off to see the wizaaaard" in my head. At least I hope it's only in my head...
And that was when I really "got" what was so great about Tarantino.
A Clockwork Orange
Or Kubrick for that matter.
Notting Hill
You know, I found the real Notting Hill to be just as beautiful and cute as this movie.
Amar Akbar Anthony
Lady Gaga stole the egg-song move from Amitabh.
I simply can't get this movie out of my head, it's so haunting really.
Love Actually
Definitely a new addition to the list of movies I watch each year around christmas. "Christmas is all around us...".
Á bout de souffle
Very, very, very stylish.
Yeah, I don't know, it was kinda... all right ya know...
... Sorry, that wasn't funny.
I've seen many of these and our opinions match more or less. I hate Griffith too.
ReplyDeleteAnd gosh, I really want to go to Notting Hill!
It's beautiful really! I'm so glad I convinced my sister to go there with me.
DeleteGriffith, man, his films are so annoying and they just make me feel all frustrated because they bore me so much.
I love the summaries of your reactions and totally agree with many of them, especially Toy Story 3, which I think deserves a special award for best second sequel ever. Funny, poignant and thoughtful, the best of three, but still with plenty of laugh out loud moments.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Stuart. Toy Story 3 is an exceptional movie really - it's double as good as any sequel I've ever seen, except from The Godfather Part II. I loved the Barbie-and-Ken scenes... as well as anything else.
DeleteThat's a great batch of movies. Love that you loved Pulp Fiction, Omkara, Lagaan. Toy Story 3 is my favourite of the trilogy too. We have our disagreements(I love TWBB, didn't really care about Breathless) but that happens.
ReplyDeleteHopefully, 2013 will also come with equally delightful discoveries. Happy New Year, Mette !!
Oh, I did loved There Will Be Blood, but I just somehow forget it really quickly. Maybe I'll re-watch it some time. I was very surprised to like Breathless that much actually, because I had some bad experiences with French black-and-white films.
DeleteHappy New Year to you too!
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ReplyDeleteShawshank, 2001, Psycho, There Will Be Blood, La Dolce Vita, Pulp – you had a damn fine year, I’d say! So many of my favorites there.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely. It's great to see all those wonderful films lined up here, it's almost like an achievement - although perhaps it really is, considering that this is really a hobby and you can also achieve things in hobbies.
DeleteWow, so many of these I haven't seen! I really need to up my movie watching this year :) Some great films on this list too - it seems like it was a good year for your movie tastes.
ReplyDeleteYeah, it was!
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