22 MOVIES I STILL HAVEN'T SEEN YET

I'm feeling mighty Swift-y at the ripe old age of 22, and to celebrate it I thought I would list the top 22 (or the ones that came to mind) movies that either my friends/family have recommended to me for years and years or films that I desperately want to see but haven't gotten around to. Enjoy!

MOST MIYAZAKI MOVIES
Anime reached its height of popularity when I was in the sixth grade, and perhaps for that reason I wanted to rebel and not be as into it as my friends were. I saw Spirited Away years ago on Cartoon Network, where it effectively creeped me out. Totoro, Kiki's Delivery Service, Howl's Moving Castle are all on my list to explore.

50 FIRST DATES

This is actually the one I get the most, from people my age. I don't mind Sandler comedies for the most part, Punch Drunk Love and Happy Madison have tickled my fancy, and this'll probably be viewed fairly soon.

SEVEN SAMURAI
Though I did study his Rashomon last year in college, Akira Kurosawa's wholly original beast that inspired countless cowboy flicks has gone unseen. I need to find a rainy Sunday and strap in for three and a half hours of a master at work.

TOKYO STORY

I remember seeing this film first from Roger Ebert's all time top 10 list. It was in the same breath as Citizen Kane, Vertigo and 2001, and I take the late Ebert very seriously. In the same aforementioned class we studied Yasujirô Ozu's blocking of just one scene in this film. In twenty seconds he showed more depth than five Transformers films.

THE DEPARTED

I've very purposefully held off on this one, as it's my last Best Picture winner to see. I started my goal of seeing all of them back in January of 2009, after a screening of Slumdog MIllionaire made me fall in love with the movies. I encourage the casual filmgoer to do the same, because once you do, it's the most magical rabbit hole you could ever fall into. 

APOCALYPSE NOW

I've read its source material, "Heart of Darkness," for class, studied its opening scene for a film studies course and am familiar with the documentary about how hard it was to make it. But I haven't seen the gorgeously filmed movie, or Marlon Brando's iconic performance. 

THE ALIEN FRANCHISE
I was completely lost when Spaceballs spoofed this in its space diner scene. It might be the one I'm most ashamed of. I know after Aliens the franchise went straight to the garbage chute, but those first two or the most talked about films in horror

REQUIEM FOR A DREAM

A film I tried to watched on the worst day of my life back in the summer of 2016. I will conquer this movie, but as it stands, I shut it off halfway through, the only film whose content upset me so much I couldn't finish it on the first go.

THE FAST AND FURIOUS FRANCHISE

Most of these movies I actually do plan on seeing, but I kind of shrug when people tell me to watch this franchise about *cue Diesel voice* family, but I have no big interest in showy cars, or even Fast Five, which I hear is more of a heist movie than a car movie. 

THE BLADE RUNNER FRANCHISE
I love noir and sci-fi pretty equally, so why haven't I seen Ridley Scott and Denis Villenueve's (some would say) equally great installments? It's as good a question as "Do androids dream of electric sheep?" Come the first weekend of March, I do think 2049 will take home prizes for cinematography and visual effects.

THE NOTEBOOK
The details of why I haven't seen this movie are a bit too sensational for this modest, mild blog. But one day I'll get to see Ryan and Rachel lock lips in the rain, and I can finally say I saw a Nicholas Sparks movie.

ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN
Every newspaper movie that comes out, Shattered Glass, Spotlight, The Post, gets compared to this, one of the giants of the sweet seventies of cinema. It really should be seen, whether you're a history buff, a movie buff, or have ever read a newspaper. 

IDIOCRACY
A particular favorite a friend of mine, this movie might be a bit of a stinging mirror to look into, with its themes of rampant anti-intellectualism becoming the norm. I'm a fan of Mike Judge's Office Space and surprisingly Extract, and it was a Comedy Central staple that I foolishly avoided.

PRETTY IN PINK
Rest assured, I've seen Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles and Uncle Buck, but this essential entry in the Hughes canon has eluded me! I may not be a teenager anymore, but I'm sure it'll still resonate as much as it did back in '86.

THE THING (1982)

Here's the thing...actually I don't have a good reason for not seeing it. I just wanted to use the pun.

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
Every year Cecil B. DeMille's biblical achievement comes on ABC for Easter, and every year I miss it. 

LOGAN'S RUN
Surprisingly a buzzed about movie when I was in elementary school, this sci-fi spectacular has always interested me. I hope I see this before I'm 30.

COCO

I finally just watched Moana last month. I have serious catching up to do! The honest answer to why I don't see/review Pixar movies in the theatres much anymore is because I feel weird as a (practically) adult buying a ticket for an animated film by myself. I need a date or a family member to make myself feel less awkward.

GLORY
Another history lesson/great movie/Oscar darling that I have no idea why I haven't seen before. 

THE FRIDAY THE 13TH FRANCHISE
You gravely mistake my childhood if you think I would've been allowed to watch this or the title below it until I was off to college. I just watched the original Nightmare on Elm Street, and it was campy fun, but it didn't spook me. Maybe I just don't wanna be let down by the massive reputation these movies carried in summer camp (no pun intended, I was a big summer camp kid).

THE HALLOWEEN FRANCHISE

A relative told me they watched this movie, on TV, and the music got to be too much for them. This is a Carpenter masterpiece I can't wait to get into. Might skip the Rob Zombie reboots.

BILL AND TED'S EXCELLENT ADVENTURE
It's bogus that I haven't seen this 80's classic, or it's sequel.