Movie Survey

Seen all of them.

Shocker!

Wanted to keep the list short. Ten just seems like a good number. After the fact, I do wish I had "Wizard of Oz" on the list. Just a little side note. Did you know that "Gone With The Wind" is the biggest money making box office movie of all time when calculating inflation? Just a little side trivia.

Are these the ones you seen, or not seen?

I've never seen "Rocky Horror". I do remember years ago people would go to this movie for the audience participation. The audience in the movie theater would bring props. Going to see "Rocky Horror" in the movie theaters was more like a party filled with props and audience participation. I never saw the movie, but that is what I remember about the movie.

some still do
it runs pretty much every Friday night at midnight somewhere in Toronto

it wouldn't be a reason for me to see it again, but I can definitely see the appeal for some

*Please note: This is not an attack in any way. It's not criticism or meanness or anything untoward, just an observation about movies.*

I often see in movie reviews many "obscure" or "cult" movies that people are passionate about. I've seen Little shop of horrors, Rocky Horror and Harold and Maude as well as many, many other movies of that genre.

While I agree that they are good movies and I can see the enjoyment people have in them... but.... They just aren't the blockbuster caliber that the movies on the list are. I believe there are so many genre's of movies that the lists should really be kept separate. I am not even sure that Rocky Horror should be included with the other movies on this list. I'd replace it with The Shawshank Redemption.

Seen...

I've seen a lot of movies, have tended to avoid blockbuster types over time, close to no interest.

I happen to have been born into a hollywood family (families). I also read reporter and variety at, say, eleven. In other words, I'm either a snot or unusual..This doesn't mean my own family was wealthy. Some relatives were.

I nodded to Phoenix's post.

I, on occasion, have been known to drift off-topic, One of those instances occurred when I mentioned Harold and Maude, a cult classic. However, in the case of Rocky Horror Picture show, I'd consider the wording of the OP where he speaks of 'iconic" movies (as opposed to blockbusters). Rocky Horror is what I'd consider in the iconic category.

FWIW, I never saw your post when I responded with my previous reply.

How on Earth is The Shawshank Redemption more of a blockbuster than Rocky Horror?

I

I never saw Harold and Maude. Did see the screen promo for it about thirty times (the old Fox Venice used to show old movies, a new one or two each day, and, aside from printed handouts, they'd also have these short adverts.
Same situation, I saw the promo for Aguirre, the Wrath of God way too many times.

1. Star Wars (Original 1977 movie)
2. Titanic
3. Jaws
4. E.T. (Extra Terrestial)
5. The Matrix
6. Forrest Gump
7. Avatar
8. Dark Knight (this is a Batman movie)
9. Rocky Horror Picture Show
10. The Godfather



One thing that keep occuring to me re the movies on the list is the vast time span we're talking about. It goes from 1972 to 2009.

If you are responding and you are 18 years old, these movies came out when you were in 5th grade or younger. Any of the other movies are either things you've watched streaming, or have only heard of them as a social reference.

I'm 58, and can remember living on the Jersey Shore, sitting in the theater at 16 with my friends, getting terrified over this huge shark. It was a big topic amounst us teens while hanging out on the beach.

At that age and time, movies were just something the gang did every Friday, and Saturday night. It was relatively cheap, you were with your friends, and if the movie sucked, it was more about being together.

Looking up 1976 movies, I remember seeing memorable films like Rocky, Carrie, Taxi Driver, The Omen, Marathon Man, etc. in the theaters. Looking at the list, I also remember living through and surviving Lipstick, the Bad News Bears, Car Wash, and many more I've just blocked out.

Seeing them didn't mean I was a movie expert, I was having fun with friends. Major reason for seeing Rocky Horror a dozen or more times. It's a totally different experience being an audience participant rather than seeing it without all that background.

Later, in my mid twenties, I probably saw every movie made from 1982 to 1986 because my boyfriend managed a movie theater.

I saw the Matrix at home I think,

I saw Forrest Gump because I was at my fathers funeral and true to my bizarre family's nature, someone decided the idea of the whole family, including my mother going out to the movies the day after the funeral would be a fun idea. Jesus.

So, different ages, different reasons.

We we watching the movie as a first time run? Because someone took us there on a date? A social event? Watching it 15 years or more later on TV?

There's a lot of variables to when and why.

I have seen all 10

http://www.imdb.com/chart/top

Liked Shawshank a little, but it's just another prison movie.

Rocky Horror Picture had a budget of $1.2 million compared to Shawshank's $25 million. Safe to say that Shawshank had a marketing budget of $20 to 25 million as well. Production wise and story wise, Shawshank is closer to a blockbuster than Rocky Horror.


On the other hand, Rocky Horror eventually made more box office money but its taken several decades of midnight screenings to make it's total of $112,892,319. So, the comparison is a tad askew.

the question isn't about blockbusters.

the question is abut one person's list of iconic films (as they have defined it)

Tell that to Izzy and whomever he posted that reply to.

As for iconic? That word is as useless as overrated and underrated. What makes something a classic whatever is based on subjective perspective.

On Gone with the Wind, I forget the details, that was related to other family.
When my aunt died, the neighbor claimed her house in a will, and I contested as I had a will from her. Lotsa lawyers.
I mention this since I got to go through the house if there was any thing I wanted. The neighbor had already raided, a lot of history.

I called my cousins re if there was anything either of them wanted, and, yes, one was glad to get the Gone with the Wind original.

I chose a wide range of years intentionally. The A2K members who participate in this survey may be any age. There is no way for me to know the demographics. The reason I originally started this discussion was because of a disagreement I had with my friend. My friend stated to me that he believe that certain iconic movies were seen by virtually everyone, regardless of their age or demographics. His argument was that certain iconic movies were seen in the theater, on cable, on dvd, streaming, as first runs, or as television reruns many many years after original release date. One good example that would support his argument would be the movie "Wizard of Oz". I should have included that movie on the list, but it was too late after the fact. His argument may be correct with some iconic movies, but incorrect with certain other iconic movies. This survey is unscientific for many reason. It's just a way of having fun seeing the different responses from different age groups and demographics. Being so random makes it more fun.

So far I've noticed that movies on the list that were seen by 90 something or 100 percent of participating A2K members includes:
1. Star Wars
3. Jaws
4. E. T.
10. The Godfather

Other movies on the list that were seen by 70 something or 80 something percent of participating A2K members includes:
2. Titanic
5. The Matrix
6. Forest Gump
9. Rocky Horror

Other movies on the list that were seen by 50 something or 60 something percent of participating A2K members includes:
7. Avatar
8. The Dark Knight

I don't think that makes either of them blockbusters. Blockbusters are action packed and visually quite the spectacle. I don't think box office takings or critical acclaim come into it, Godzilla was a flop, but it was still a blockbuster.