Tomorrow I’ll be posting this month’s Blind Spot entry – the tenth in the series. Today though, I’m casting an eye towards entries thirteen through twenty-four.

See the great thing about being surrounded by such film-literate friends (and family members), is that they can point me in the right direction. Looking back on this year for instance, I might not have caught up with films like A MAN ESCAPED, FIVE GRAVES TO CAIRO, CARNIVAL OF SOULS, CUBE, and GRAVE OF THE FIREFLIES were it not for the specific suggestion of others.

So in thinking about next year’s Blind Spot Selections (yes, I’m keeping this series rolling), I’m turning the curation over to anyone who reads this post.

Over on my Letterboxd profile, you’ll find fifty-plus titles that I haven’t seen. Choose the eleven you believe are most egregious and the top choices will make up next year’s list. For bonus points, if there’s a film that isn’t listed there that you know I haven’t seen (or think I haven’t seen), feel free to make note of it.

One note: I’m being especially shamed over my lack of BATTLESHIP POTEMKIN know-how, so that’s an automatic selection to the tally. I now need eleven more.

So have at it folks – what am I watching in 2013?

Edit:

So with 20 or so of you having weighed in, here are some front-runners…

  • THE BIRDS
  • THE KID
  • SUNRISE
  • LES DIABOLIQUES
  • IKIRU
  • THE PASSION OF JOAN OF ARC
  • BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA
  • THE BATTLE OF ALGIERS
  • PERSONA
  • LE GRANDE ILLUSION
  • L’AVVENTURA
  • TOKYO STORY

 

31 Replies to “No Stranger to Shame – Pick the Next Blind Spot Selections”

  1. from the list you have there the films that I’ve seen and I personally recommend you see are:

    Big Trouble in Little China
    Dr. Zhivago
    Enter the Void
    Ikiru
    Once Upon a Time in the West
    Tokyo Story

    The FP???? A modern day classic.

  2. Well, I guess I have to hang my head in shame because there are so many in that list I have not seen yet. But from those I have which are on your list are: Enter The Void (a movie you should at least experience once), Doktor Zivago (great epic movie), Les Diaboliques (had me glued to the screen), The Birds (classic Hitchcock) and The Kid (one the best Chaplin movies).

    I would like to add one of my personal favorites, Mr. Nobody.

  3. Great idea. Unfortunately there’s so many on there that I’ve not seen either! Of the ones I have, I recommend The Birds, L’Avventura, Great Expectations, Satantango and Tokyo Story. Going in the other direction, I wouldn’t recommend Big Trouble in Little China, Doctor Zhivago, Man with a Movie Camera, Au Hasard Balthazar or Battleship Potemkin.

  4. L’Avventura
    Battle Of Algiers
    Ikiru
    Man With The Movie Camera
    Once Upon A Time In The West
    Passion Of Joan Of Arc
    Pather Panchali
    Persona
    Sunrise
    Tokyo Story
    Ugetsu

    The three silent films on that list are among my all-time favourites of any type. Of the others (all amazing), Persona and Ugetsu would be my other personal faves.

    L’Avventura is probably the hardest to like, but it’s well worth seeing if you like gorgeous people in gorgeous places doing…well, don’t expect hand-to-hand combat action. My fave Antonioni is still Blow-Up – add that to your list if you haven’t seen it.

  5. Many of the films on that watchlist I’ve also haven’t seen, however here’s a few I have and recommend:
    Hard Core Logo
    Battle of Algiers
    The Kid
    Man with a Movie Camera

    As for Battleship Potemkin, it’s not the easiest film to watch and I don’t think I’ve watched it once without falling asleep at some point.

  7. Here’s my 11 from your list:

    Passion of Joan of Arc
    The Kid
    The Best Years of Our Lives
    The African Queen
    Sunrise
    Ikiru
    Grand Illusion
    Crumb
    Brigadoon
    Big Trouble in Little China
    The Birds

    They’re all good stuff. I’m surprised you haven’t seen a few of those already!

  8. Big trouble in Little China (I have it and can lend it to you)
    24 Hour Party people (ditto)
    Hard Core Logo (It’s a canadian Classic and a brilliant film)
    The Birds (Classic in so very many ways, and still freaks me out)
    Charlie Chaplin Gold Rush and the Kid (If you elect to only see one of these, make it the Kid)
    African Queen (Bogart and Hepburn at their best)
    Hunger (I’ll admit this one is because of Michael Fassbender, who is a great actor and beautiful even when he’s emaciated)
    Pierrot Le Fou
    Backbeat- I was obsessed with this movie in high school. Great performances, great soundtrack
    Brigadoon- It’s obviously set on a soundstage and it’s cheesy as all get out, but Cyd charisse and Gene Kelly have never been more timeless
    Doctor Zhivago- Sweeping, epic, the quintessential telling of this story for the screen

  9. I love Battleship Potemkin. Glad you’re finally watching it. It came up on the syllabus at least 3 times in 4 years of film school (and in grade 11 film class).

    These would be my picks for must-sees:
    Passion of Joan of Arc
    Eyes without a Face (my favourite on your list)
    Battle of Algiers
    If…
    Grand Illusion
    The Birds
    The Kid
    Les Diaboliques
    Man with a Movie Camera (I think you’d enjoy this with your photography background)

    I’d strongly recommend The Last Laugh over Sunrise for Murnau films if you haven’t seen it (assuming you’ve also seen Nosferatu). Much more engaging, heart breaking, rewarding film with few title cards and amazing performance by Emil Jannings.

    I’d also suggest something by Ernst Lubitsch if you haven’t seen any of his films: Ninotchka, Shop Around the Corner, To Be or Not to Be or one of his musicals like The Merry Widow, The Love Parade, One Hour with You. He’s know for sophisticated “comedies of manners,” great dialogue, and musicals.

  10. Battleship Potemikin
    Close Up
    Les Diabloiques
    Grand Illusion
    Late Spring
    Joan of Ark
    The Kid
    Battle of Algiers
    Big Trouble in Little China
    The Birds

  11. Out of the couple dozen masterpieces on the list I’ve seen, these ones are top of the heap for me:

    The Birds
    Close-Up
    Ikiru
    Jeanne Dielman
    L’Atalante
    Pather Panchali
    Persona
    Satantango
    Sunrise
    Tokyo Story
    Ugetsu

  12. Like most others, I haven’t seen half of them myself. So, from what I know and have seen, here goes the list –
    L’avventura
    Contempt
    Dr. Zhivago
    Pather Panchali
    Hunger
    Ikiru
    Sunrise
    Persona (If you haven’t seen any Bergman before, DO NOT get to Persona directly. Ease yourself to him)
    Battle of Algiers
    The Lost Weekend
    The Birds

    P.S. If you are continuing the series, there is a very good chance that I will join you this year. There are a few I can include myself in your list above.

  13. Au Hasard Balthazar
    Close-Up
    Eyes Without a Face
    Intolerance
    L’Atalante
    Ordet
    Stalker
    Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans
    The Best Years of Our Lives
    The Man with a Movie Camera
    The Passion of Joan of Arc

    What do you know, that came out right to 11. All of those films that I selected from your picks are among my favorites. Look forward to hearing from you on some (or hopefully all) of these films.

  14. Mostly this just reminds me how dismally I did in my own Blind Spot series. I think I managed to watch four of them, but only write about two. Anyhoo. There’s always other years (I’m not sure next year is a great one to plan to watch a bunch of specific movies, though!)…

    From your list…
    Grand Illusion
    Le mepris/Pierrot le fou (if you only pick one Godard, do Pierrot le fou)
    Persona
    Sunrise
    The Birds (The 39 Steps is also great, but The Birds is one of my top 5 Hitchcocks)
    The Gold Rush
    L’avventura
    Charade
    Intolerance
    The Long Goodbye (especially if you’re reasonably familiar with 1940s detective films, as Altman pastiches them quite well)
    Les diaboliques

    I wouldn’t really consider Brigadoon a blind-spot, unless you’re being a completionist. It’s fun times if you’re a big Gene Kelly or Cyd Charisse fan (or a fan of movie-Scotland), but it’s pretty much a lesser MGM musical. Have you seen The Band Wagon and On the Town? They’re both 5-star MGM musicals in my book.

  16. Dude, something’s not right if I’ve seen a number of these films and you haven’t. But choosing 11, I’ll pick:

    Charade (one of my faves)
    Diabolique
    Eyes Without a Face
    Hunger (how haven’t you seen that yet?)
    Ikiru (my favorite Kurosawa film)
    Persona
    Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans
    The African Queen
    The Best Years of Our Lives
    The Gold Rush
    The Lost Weekend

    Come on, man. Pick up your A-game!

  17. Being the Japanese film buff, i have to encourage you to watch those 0 Ikiru is one of the few films I would call a masterpiece. Man with a Movie Camera is simply astounding, i was blown away after seeing it. Hunger is one of the rawest performances you’ll ever see an actor give. Here are my picks

    *24 hour Party People
    *Enter the Void
    *Big Trouble in Little China
    *Hunger
    *Ikiru
    *Ugetsu
    *Tokyo Story
    *Man with the Movie Camera

    1. There aren’t too many “fun” ones I’ve never seen – or feel ashamed for not having seen.

      Besides, there’s fun to be had on that list. THE BIRDS, THE KID, BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA…they might not be the fluffiest of selections, but they’ll provide a few thrills and perhaps even laughs themselves.

      I vote you take part in the blind spot series in 2013!

  19. Hi Ryan. This is a fun way to set up your blind-spots series! I’m going to continue mine and focus solely on the most notable movies of the 2000s (the first decade) that I’ve missed. It will start with Black Swan and Brokeback Mountain for sure.

    Here’s what I think you have to see:

    Big Trouble in Little China
    24 Hour Party People
    Bob Le Flambeur
    Ikiru
    Sunrise
    The Gold Rush
    Tokyo Story
    The 39 Steps
    The Passion of Joan of Arc
    L’Avventura
    Backbeat

    I’ve seen all these and think they’re all definitely ones you should see. The most suspect is Backbeat, but I figure it’s a good change of pace from the heavier films.

  20. Here is a list of 11 I would choose based on what is on your Watchlist and what is not in your list of Letterboxd films. These are in order of importance.

    The Passion of Joan of Arc (with a C)
    Greed
    Grand Illusion
    The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
    The Battle of Algiers
    The Young Girls of Rochefort (or Umbrelas of Cherbourg)
    The Earrings of Madame de…
    A Matter of Life and Death
    Stalker
    The Guns of Navarone
    Written on the Wind

    I think you’ve seen “Rome, Open City” but if not, this would be #2 on my list behind Joan.

    It’s classic-heavy, but you’ve only got five films made before 1930 on Letterboxd and 19 before 1940.

  21. For the serious cinephile, I suggest:

    The Passion of Joan of Arc
    Battleship Potemkin
    Sunrise
    Grand Illusion
    Persona
    Contempt

    For still serious, but slightly more fun:

    The African Queen
    Bob le Flambeur
    The Best Years of Our Lives

    For pure fun:

    Charade

    For a bit of CanCon (and still fun):

    Hard Core Logo

  22. I could take or leave The Birds, and I normally LOVE Hitchcock.

    As for the rest? Ikiru, The Passion of Joan of Arc, Persona, and Grand Illusion are some of my very favorite films ever made. They’d all be in my top 100, maybe all in my top 50, and at least two (Ikiru and Passion of Joan of Arc) are in my top 20.

    1. After I posted this, I realized that half of the titles that are leading the scoreboard are sitting on my PVR just waiting to be watched.

      I think that makes them even more shameful omissions…

  23. I’d recommend

    andrei rublev
    ikiru
    le grand illusion
    the gold rush
    the mirror
    the passion of joan of arc
    tokyo story
    battle of algiers
    the long goodbye
    24 hour party people
    crumb

    just to mix up the heavier and lighter stuff.

    1. Welcome to The Matinee!

      I’ve added your suggestions to the tally, though it looks like those titles I added to the post will be making up the bulk of my workload in 2013.

      Be sure to keep checking in and see how I make out with them!

  24. I’ve seen 29 films on your letterbox, and of those the top twelve would be:

    1. Pierrot le Fou
    2. Eraserhead
    3. Contempt
    4. The Crying Game
    5. Red
    6. Ordet
    7. Sans Soleil
    8. Short Cuts
    9. Dangerous Liaisons
    10. Blue
    11. Being There
    12. White

    That being said, if you haven’t seen The Birds or Sunrise, you really need to. You should combine Blue, Red and White as one (since you need to see them all, even though they really have nothing to do with one another) and add The Birds and Sunrise to the list. Sunrise is especially important to see!

    1. Welcome to The Matinee Andrew!

      You’ve sorta dug back a bit to read this post – this was actually from over a year ago when I was looking for suggestions for last year’s batch of Blind Spot viewing. You’ll be happy to know that since then, I have scratched both SUNRISE and THE BIRDS off my to-watch list, with the latter getting a full post for this series!
      (You can see what I’ve watched already by going to the ONGOING FEATURES menu above and selecting BLIND SPOT).

      As luck would have it though, I *will* be pulling together the list of 2014 Blind Spots quite soon, so I’ll take your dozen suggestions under advisement.

      Thanks for reading!

      1. LOL, I didn’t even look at the date on the post. I saw this thread tagged on another blog and I assumed it was for this year. That being said, I’ve added your blog to my blog list, so I’ll be more up to speed with your posts now.

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