Anything Goes : Movies I know I really ought to have seen but... by James Calder

Nada! I've seen pretty much all his films bar these and 1941. Only saw SoM recently too. Enjoyed it, though.

Forget watching these movies as a part of your screenwriting education. Watch them to be a part of the 21st century. So many pop culture references must go over your head;) To my great shame, I am guilty of the same. I have started Gone With the Wind a dozen times, but I just can't seem to finish it. I am trying to work my way through The Blacklist's 100 movies every screenwriter should watch, and some of them are a real chore. Godfather is on my to do list, as is Casablanca.

You know, CM, I've absorbed quite a bit from them over the years, even though I've never physically sat down to watch them (not all the way through anyway). It's a bit like Kim Kardashian: I don't necessarily want to know what she's up to, but somehow I end up finding out anyway. Good luck with that list.

I must confess my surprise, James, you've missed some extra-ordinary films, Back to the Future 1, 2 & 3 especially - fortunately, all is not lost, you still have the capacity to hire/buy these titles, good luck watching.

I know just what you mean, James. I feel exactly the same way when it comes to pretty much all reality TV. I had to give you a hard time, but really I think we're all in the same boat in a way. Who has time to watch every single "classic"? And who decides what the classics are anyway? We all have our own tastes. So many movies that are critically acclaimed have a poor reception with a large percentage of audiences. It's good to watch movies that outside one's preferred genres to gain screenwriting knowledge, but there's no rule that says you have like it. Good luck, and may the force be with you.;)

"May the force be with you". I'm sure I've heard that somewhere before ;•))

Never seen any of The Godfathers. I never will. I couldn't find anything less appealing if i tried. I hate gangsters and mobsters in real life so i'm sure as shit not watching them for entertainment. it would be a chore. I saw Gone with the Wind earlier this year fir the very reason that i thought it high time I saw some of these movies I hear about, but hadn't seen. I was appalled that this film is a classic. It was dreary, stupid, vapid, inane, ridiculous, sexist, racist and outrageous. I effing HATED this film so much. I HATE THIS FILM. Casablanca is on my to do list, but to be honest it'll probably be more of the same. I don't consider these films classics just because people liked them at one stage. Every Superhero film I have watched had more to offer and more morality to boot. Most classics are a waste of time.

Hahaha, you certainly went to town on those films, Cherie, geez - I actually love the old "classics", I read the Godfather book, loved it, the movie was pretty good - it's not often we disagree, but I thought Gone With The Wind fantastic cinema, a movie from 1939 that was years ahead of its time - you're right, give Casablanca a miss, one of my favourite movies but I can't see you warming to it, lol - most of these films are classics because they were ahead of their time with original ideas and I love the screenplays, especially Casablanca - read Chinatown, an excellent piece of writing - for once, we must agree to disagree, I don't find classics a waste of time, I saw so many on TV.

Talking of classics, I can recommend Kind Hearts and Coronets, starring Alec Guinness of Star Wars fame playing eight or nine different roles. It should be in any 100 must-see movies list. Razor-sharp dialogue and great acting.

Seriously you loved Gone with the Wind? How was it ahead of its time? It was nothing, but Confederate propaganda making it out as if the slave owners were in the right and everyone else was evil. That is the people fighting slavery. It most definitely was NOT ahead of it's time, but actually quite behind and at best indicative of the intense racist and mysoginistic 'values' of the era. The acting was AWFUL. I mean I sat there yelling 'what the hell' at the screen. How can you possibly defend this godawful film? And like I said in regards to The Godfather, I couldn't find self-entitled mobsters who terrorise their communities to be particularly riveting and enjoyable. I won't add to the glorification of them. Yes I doubt I'll like Casablanca, but I aim to sit through it anyway.

Been a while since I saw it and I'll probably never see it again but you always have to bear in mind the times in which films like GwtW were made, not that that excuses any racism or misogyny. As for gangster movies, the good ones always hold a mirror up to society and the human condition and reveal all their flaws, which the Godfather does. I'm hoping Black Mass does the same. I'll be surprised if you don't find something to like about Casablanca.

Owen, GWTW is an embarrassingly outdated film? You're kidding me? James, racism and misogyny? In a film about slavery and the civil war? Owen, we've been down this road before, we are certainly not on the same page re racism, so best we don't explore that, but whether you agree or not, GWTW is PERCEIVED by most to be a great film, myself included - dated? Geez, it's from 1939! YEARS AHEAD OF ITS TIME - I enjoyed The Godfather, read the book, but let's be honest, we should "appreciate the filming excellence" of a film about brutal mobsters, where murder and extortion is part of every day business, in fact, they often said before they killed someone, "nothing personal, it's only business" or something to that effect - murder is fine, we root for this team, but perceived racism? Well, that team and that film must be a disgrace - Casablanca? Careful, that's an old film as well, probably dated and potentially an embarrassment.

Woah there, Chanel. I said "any racism and misogyny". Like I said, I haven't seen it in ages and can't really comment on it being racist and misogynistic or not. Rhett Butler's a cad for sure, but then so's James Bond, and he seems to go down pretty well with modern-day audiences. Rhett also came out with one of the great lines in cinema history. Bloody hell, I feel like watching it now!!

At the risk of getting my head bit off, I think this thread has gotten a little off track. Of course Gone With the Wind contains racism and misogyny. Both were commonplace for the period in which it was set. But aren't we forgetting that the movie, which L.A. Times calls a "scathing indictment of slavery", won 9 academy awards including the first ever oscar for a black actress. And all of this in a time in which the black actors could not even attend the premier because they were not allowed in the theater. Ahead of its time is an understatement, and it's status as "classic" is unquestionable. As for the Godfather, it is, quite simply, a realistic portrayal of mob life. The violence is as necessary to this genre as it is to war movies. Anyone who doesn't like it doesn't have to watch it. I, myself, am aware that I many people enjoy horror, despite my dislike of it, and I don't judge them for it.

Why do you struggle with my reason? It's a perfectly valid and fine reason. I utterly DESPISE mobsters and gangsters. Both of which we have here in Melbourne. They have caused untold misery with murder and theft and fraud and god knows what else. I hate them as human beings and what they bring to the world. Now you give me a movie about police taking down those fuckers I MIGHT be interested. No I DON'T have to appreciate the film-making. There are a myriad other films out there I appreciate and I'm not going to expect you to appreciate them. I might think you're bonkers, but i'm not going to start this crap that I don't get why you don't get that film. Why should I sit through a film about a topic I not only despise, but find utterly in every way NOT REMOTELY INTERESTING. Doesn't a person have to like the topic to want to see a movie?

OMG James. You haven't LIVED! I'm emailing you the Starwars double trilogy box set right now!!! And you haven't met Indie! I hope Harrison Ford finds you and shakes you! lol. anyway, I really want to see some Ingmar Bergman films. I don't even know why...just know I should. I think I'm intrigued about 'film noire' but I don't know anything about it yet - yup just confessed that I'm officially not hip to the film noire thing - guilty!

Cherie- I can relate to you. I find some of these "classics" overrated. I'm not going to get specific. Ive found that Billy wilder, Hitchcock, woody Allen, and chayevsky, have consistently made classics that aren't overrated.

Cherie, the most over-rated mobster film was ANIMAL KINGDOM, how that was voted best Australian film is beyond me, hated it - Sarah, you want to enlighten James with a Star Wars double trilogy? No offence, but you haven't raised the bar very high considering all the available titles out there, besides, I prefer Star Trek, lol.

I never saw Animal Kingdom, for obvious reasons (just like i will NEVER watch any of the 'Underbelly' mows), but to be fair we make so few films here nowadays that anything stands out. Givan. I can agree with Hitchcock and I guess Allen is though I find movies about neurotic New Yorkers beyond boring and tedious. So what classics do I like? To be honest once a film is dated I lose interest. Though I probably could sit through Star Wars again, lol. Hey it is a classic. Oh wait, I LOVED The Three Musketeers from way back. Forget who was in it though. That was a classic. I'm more a classic TV person. The Goodies, Blackadder, The Young Ones, Dr Who. They were out there.

Cherie, Chanel: my favourite Aussie film is Breaker Morant, though I'll watch anything with Jack Thompson in to be honest (Bad Blood - I'd love to see that again - The Club, Sunday Too Far Away etc) That's the kind of stuff I was watching when my friends were all getting into Star Wars etc. BBC 2 in the UK used to show Australian films at weekends, so I grew up on watching stuff like Picnic at Hanging Rock, Money Movers, Don's Party, Newsfront and The Last Wave. There was definitely something magical going on in the Aussie film industry in the 70s and 80s. I haven't seen Animal Kingdom but I'll be surprised if it's anywhere near as good as those films. I also loved Flirting and The Year My Voice Broke. Sarah Gabrielle, bring on the Star Wars box set. I'll send you my address later ;·)). I found Bergman a bit hard-going to be honest but maybe I need to revisit. A friend of mine is into John Cassavetes big time. I have to say it's an acquired taste, uncomfortable to watch. Maybe that's the point. As for Woody Allen, well we all run out of things to say, though some of his early work still makes me laugh and Blue Jasmine was excellent. As for gangster films, I can see Cherie's point. There's just been yet another Krays film released (Legend, is it?) and the only thing I can say is: Why???

Interesting piece on that Krays film here: http://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2015/sep/09/legend-review-movie...

Wow, James, you know your Aussie films, some excellent choices, I'm impressed, especially Breaker Morant - most of the titles have all become classics, does that mean they are no longer any good, lol? So many of those directors moved on to bigger and better things on the world's stage, my favourite was peter Weir (Witness) - Cherie, I suspect disappointment if you had to sit through the initial Star Wars trilogy, only a suspicion, lol.

Cherie, did you see Red Dog? Not my kind of film, but it seems everybody else in Australia did with excellent Box Office - please, PLEASE tell me you're not planning to see Oddball, lol? I'm a Shane Jacobson fan, as in Kenny, but this new film has stretched my limits.

Not seen Red Dog and only just seen something about this Oddball, but no idea what it's about. I'm not really in to Dog movies tbh. I saw parts of Thunderball last night. You could say Bond's are all classics, but I just found this movie so stupid. Not one of the best Bonds. I fazed in and out of it while I watched Bojack Horseman online. Looking forward to Spectre though. Honestly, those old bond films bond practically assaults women and they resist at first and then give into his 'charms' of which I found nothing charming about him. Left me cold and a little shocked to be honest. I have never seen the early Bond films so all this grabbing women and kissing them while they are trying to pull away is disturbing to me.

Godfather II, is quite possibly the best movie of its kind ever made. I would humbly submit James, that it is well worth two hours of your life to watch.

Seen it more times than I'd care to mention, David. And agreed, it's a superior film to The Godfather. It's Star Wars etc that are missing on my resumé.

Hi James - I must be one of the very few sci-fi fans that doesn't want to watch all the star wars movies. Strange but true.

Bela Tarr is an anti-cinephile and his films came out pretty well.