Now, I consider myself pretty well-versed in the entertainment spectrum. I’ve seen more movies than is probably healthy — and can remember more about them than I should. (There was a time, a few years ago, where me and fellow PopWatcher Wook Kim performed Raiders of the Lost Ark from memory while standing outside a coworker’s cubicle. Or most of it, at any rate…I think we were derailed by a laughing fit somewhere around Sallah’s little H.M.S. Pinafore interlude. "I am the monarch of the sea," indeed.)
But for as complete a geek as I claim to be, I know there are still some embarrassing pockets of never seen/never read/never listened to on my CV.
To wit: I’ve never seen All About Eve (pictured). Or The Third Man. Or any film by Pedro Almodovar. Or Wong Kar-Wai. Never listened to a Bruce Springsteen Album. Or N.W.A. Or Neil Young. And if you printed out the list of great books I’ve never even cracked open, you could paper the Pentagon.
What about you? Where’s your weakness when it comes to pop-culture consumption?
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I have never seen Citizen Kane or any of the Lord of the Rings trilogy
I’ve also never seen Citizen Kane. Does the fact that I now know Rosebud is a sled ruin it for me, or should I just go ahead and rent it?
I’ve never seen E.T!
I’ve never seen any of The Godfather, one, two, or three. It’s not that I don’t want to it’s just that I never seem to get around to it.
Never seen a single John Wayne film, a single episode of the Sopranos, or any of the Godfather films – for those, I’m always like, “Someday, I’ll watch them. Just not today.”
I too have never seen Citizen Kane nor Casablanca, The African Queen, The Maltese Falcon and 2001: A Space Odyssey. On the TV front I’ve never seen Buffy, Angel, X-files, The Shield, Rescue Me, ER and Nip/Tuck.
Wow Shirley. Ditto but I have seen Nip/Tuck. Add all the Star Wars. Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter. Also, I thought Beautiful Mind was a steaming pile of Dung. And I walked out of Dan in Real Life.
I’m reality show illiterate. I’ve never watched Survivor, Amazing Race, Big Brother, etc.
At least people aren’t acting like missing Citizen Kane and All About Eve is a badge of honor. The first is incredibly entertaining and the second is wickedly written. I, myself, have never seen an episode of American Idol OR Dancing with the Stars. I’m just not excited about variety shows.
I’ve never seen “Gone With The Wind.” Not sure that I give a damn, either!
I’ve never seen the following movies:
–The Godfather or either of its sequels
–the Indiana Jones films
–Any of the Halloween, Nightmare on Elm Street, Chucky, or Jason movies (though I still have Freddy Kruger nightmares on occasion)
I am not proud of this, I am just merely stating the facts.
Also, I have never watched an episode of Family Guy.
I’ve never seen an episode of Sex and the City, The Sopranos, Big Brother, The Amazing Race, or Survivor. I’ve never heard the Dixie Chicks or Timbaland, and I’ve never read or seen The Chronicles of Narnia or Lord of the Rings trilogy.
@ Lynn: See Citizen Kane anyway. Rosebud isn’t really a main part of the story, so knowing it isn’t going to ruin anything for you. (And if you like it, watch RKO 281, which is about the making of CK. It’s phenomenal, even if Melanie Griffith is in it.)
Way back when, my parents bought me a copy of E.T. on tape. And despite owning it, I’ve never been able to work up an interest in watching a rotund, bald, creepy, bug-eyed, wrinkled alien for two hours. Sorry!
I’ve never seen a lot of supposedly great trilogies. I know they’re good, but I just don’t think I’d enjoy them.
I haven’t seen any Star Wars, LOTR, or The Matrix. Call me crazy.
I’ve never seen the vast majority of “classic” movies. I think I can count on one hand the number of “great books” I have read, and we can thank my high school english teachers for that accomplishment, as far as it goes. Even now as a graduate student who pretty much spends most the day reading anyways for school, I have no interest in updating that list. Also, no Oprah books will be added to it.
I have never seen The Sound of Music, or most other big movie musicals for that matter (except for The Wizard of Oz, possibly my favourite movie ever). I have also never watched Citizen Kane. The African Queen has been on my DVR for about 2 months now, so that’s a start. I’ve never seen Cleopatra, but I am about to remedy that because it’s on my DVR too. I’ve never read any Jane Austen, although I will work on that. I hated Wuthering Heights. I have fallen asleep watching 2001: A Space Odyssey four times so far, so I think I’ve given it enough chances. Marc, you should watch The Third Man, it’s amazing.
My parents practically force-fed me classics when I was young (thank you!), but I’m missing “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” and, “The Maltese Falcon”. Also, on Sunday night I saw “Gladiator” for the first time, and I’ve still never seen “The Patriot” or “Braveheart”.
Lynn, that knowledge wont ruin Citizen Kane for you. It is definitely worth a watch!
I’ve never seen Survivor, Amazing Race, or Big Brother.
You MUST watch “All About Eve”. It is my all time favorite older film.
I was born and raised in Atlanta and I have never read or seen Gone with the Wind. I do not watch CSI unless there is nothing else to do, and I do not get what is so great about the Simpson’s. I have never seen Citizen Kane either.
thank god i’m not alone! i haven’t seen star wars, the godfather, or the sopranos either. and you know what, i am proud of it!
See All About Eve! It is so brilliant! As for Citizen Kane, hmm, it’s fine, but not my favorite.
I’ve never seen The Simpsons, although I probably would like it.
This is appropriate given the season…I’ve never seen “Rudolph the Red-nosed Raindeer,” “Frosty the Snowman,” or any of those other Rankin-Bass “classics.” Oh, and I’ve never seen “A Christmas Story” all the way through, but that was not for a lack of trying (I fall asleep every time).
I’ve neither seen nor read Gone With the Wind, and I have absolutely no desire to (people think I’m crazy for that). But Marc, you really should watch All About Eve (brilliant) and listen to Neil Young.
I actually have a list of great movies I feel I need to see: some of those include Fargo, All About Eve, The Godfather Part II, Chinatown, Sullivan’s Travels, The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly, and Raiders of the Lost Ark.
i’ve somehow managed to avoid both reading and seeing any harry potter materials. and the classic movies i haven’t seen are many. i call myself a reader, but i’ve never read any jane austen and only one important mark twain book. it took me 24 years to read little women.
I’ve actually made a point to sit down and watch some classic movies, but my heart’s just not in it. I would love to be able to comment on Citizen Kane or The Maltese Falcon, but I’ll have to be satisfied with knowing the dialog from all 6 Star Wars movies back to front.
Marc, I would love to see your re-enactment of Raiders. That would be awesome! Please do it again and post it!!
Not that I am a fan, but if you never heard of the Dixie Chicks you are just ignorant. Do you watch the news?
I’ve never seen Paris or Lindsay’s vajayjay thought I have seen Britney’s.
For shame! See All About Eve immediately! It’s one of my favorite old movies, and it improves with time.
For me, WESTERNS. I’ve tried. Really. I chugged my way through Shane, High Noon, 3:10 to Yuma, the Ungorgiven, and a few others. It’s just not meant to be. If I can’t enjoy a western starring Audrey Hepburn, I’m never going to like a western.
Modern sitcoms. I know my Bob Newhart and Mary Tyler Moore but have no clue who Will and Grace are, why everybody loves Raymond, or even what terrible sitcom Charlie Sheen is currently in.