Sunday, December 11, 2011

The List



Here is the list of the films that would benefit you as IB students and as educated individuals. Remember none of these films are mandatory. Please do not watch anything that you or your parents would find objectionable. The ratings range from G to R. If you watch any of these films, please blog about what you thought about them, and why you think they were included on the list. Have a fabulous Winter Break. You deserve the rest. I am so very proud of each and every one of you!

These films appear in no particular order.

1) The Star Wars movies (this has become our modern mythology)
2) Forrest Gump (a comedy, a tragedy and a history lesson all in one)
3) Scarface (a commentary on the American Dream. Gatsby for modern times)
4) Gone With The Wind (yes its four hours long but it is an amazing story. I want Scarlett's red dress. You will know the one)
5) Fight Club/American Psycho***(neither are for the faint of heart or squeamish. Especially American Psycho. Both are examples of post modernist films and came from amazing books)
6) O Brother Where Art Thou? (a retelling of The Odyssey)
7) I Am Legend (a social commentary on the race for cures with dire consequences)
8) The Last Samurai (Amazing story about the end of the Samurai culture in Japan)
9) Saving Private Ryan (a historical WWII film that is one of the best)
10) The Lion King (best Disney cartoon. Every literary element appears in this film)
11) Seven Pounds (the ending will leave you speechless)
12) Blade Runner (a haunting, visually stunning dystopian society)
13) Alien (one of the scariest movies ever)
14) The Graduate (life after college with no answers)
15) Moulin Rouge! (sappy story, amazing visuals. Same director remaking The Great Gatsby)
16) The Breakfast Club/Ferris Bueller's Day Off (no better 80's movies exist that stand the test of time)
17) Psycho (Alfred Hitchock, the pioneer of horror movies)
18) The Silence of The Lambs (no more evil, creepy genius serial killer exists)
19) Legends of The Fall (amazing story of an American family post WW1)
20) Anchorman/Zoolander (ridiculous satire and just plain fun)

Start with these and I will publish Part II another time. Happy watching!
17) Anchorman (just because its hysterical and ridiculous)
18)




15 comments:

  1. Yay, first one to comment :) I have seen over half of these movies :) but I will let you know about the other ones I havent seen.
    ~Taylor Stephen
    PS MERRY CHRISTMAS (EARLY)

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  2. oh okay. I will be watching as many as I can

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  3. I watched Scarface for the first time the other day so SAY HELLO TO MY LITTLE COMMENT!!-Brandon Day

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  4. I have seen a lot of these, but I really need to sit down and watch all of the Star Wars movies and Gone with the Wind! Merry Early Christmas everyone! :)

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  5. Just watched Seven Pounds just want to say i know where Mr. Popp got his DBQ Tell me what your going to say, tell me, and tell me what you just told me!
    The movie has a remarkable ending, beginning, and middle. I think I might have shed a tear. Definently deserves to be on this list.

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  6. I've seen most of these movies but to be perfectly honest I have never really cared for Star Wars and I will probably never watch them. I saw Saving Private Ryan and I ended up rewatching Scarface because the chainsaw scene never gets old. Scarface is definitely the movie that is at the top of my chart.
    - Kayla Barrett

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  7. I finally watched bits and peices of Scareface the a few days ago, and from the little parts I did watch he did remind me of a more modern version of Gatsby. Also, I agree with Janiel, on her comment on 7pounds, that movie brought tears to my eyes and I don't cry.
    -Sylvia Williams

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  8. I have seen most of these movies but havent got a chance to see seven pounds yet. I really like the star wars series and think that everyone should have seen at least one of them. :) Brandon Day

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  9. I have watched most of these and they are all defintely really good movies. I think that Saving Private Ryan is probably the best war movie ever made and really made me think about what those men sacrificed for us.
    -Matthew Greene

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  10. This list is awesome. All of these movies are great and tie into everything that we learn in class. I am not the biggest fan of Star Wars though, just something that does not interest me. I have probably watched Moulin Rouge over a hundred times and know all of the songs, great movie!
    -Ashley Collins

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  11. These are great movies. I’ve seen most of them, I watch too much TV. I think Forrest Gump probably has my vote for greatest movie of all time. Definitely most quotable. I watched Gone with the Wind, but it didn’t really do it for me. I should watch it again to make sure. Saving Private Ryan was awesome, Tom Hanks is great. I wasn’t real impressed by Moulin Rouge but that’s just me. Think that’s it...


    Oh and I still haven’t seen Anchorman….


    Alex Colling

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  12. Asian better watch Anchorman soon...I love this list so far, I still have to watch some of these movies but the ones I have seen are great examples of some of the things we've learned in class. I hope we keep adding to the list. - Barack Jordan

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  13. I watched 7 pounds and it was absolutely devastating :(

    The fact that he thought the only way to redeem himself was to donate his body parts was so admirable...most people wouldn't go that far. Even though he fell in love, he gave that up to help people. I think its a great movie and I hope everyone gets to watch it.

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  14. I have viewed most of the movies on this list and belive that they are all great movies. Most of these movies are in my top test best films. I viewed 2 of the movies on the list over Christmas break, which were Legends of The Fall, and Blade Runner. Both films reached out and grabed me to want more of the character's, and plot. Great jod on constructiong this list. All films on the list should be viewed at least once.

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  15. I've seen about half, but I've heard of the others. The ones I have seen have been great movies and I need to watch the others sometime. Of the list, I think The Last Samurai was the best, probably because I like Japan, but it was also a good movie.
    -Krystal Midcap

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