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Movies everyone should see...to get the jokes

Posted: June 5th, 2007, 11:44 am
by traceyk
The Julie Andrews thread got me thinking about "Sound of Music" which got me thinking about all the pop cultural references made about that movie in other movies and on TV shows and in books and even kids' cartoons. That got me thinking of other movies and how movie makers and writers not only parody old movies, but borrow from them as well. All you have to do is say, "Frankly my dear..." or "I'll make him an offer he can't refuse," or "I'm ready for my close-up," and people know instantly what is being referenced, even if they haven't seen GWTW, "The Godfather" or "Sunset Blvd."

I have seen references to lots of other old movies over the past few years, everything from "Treasure of the Sierra Madre" to "Cool Hand Luke." And how many times does somebody drawl in a John Wayne voice and call another character "Pilgrim?" I even saw a reference to "The Lost Weekend" (albeit, not a funny one) in the movie "Pay it Forward"--the alcoholic mom had hidden a bottle of vodka in the light fixture. To me it's kind of a good sign--even if themoney men and actors of today's Hollywood don't know their history, at least the writers are doing thier homework.

So, to get to the point, are there movies that everyone should see, if for no other reason than getting the joke? (Though there are much better reasons to see these movies)

The obvious ones I've already listed, along with Star Wars and ET and Jaws.
Some (maybe) less obvious ones:
Dracula (1931)
Freaks
Psycho
The Birds
Miracle on 34th Street
It's a Wonderful World
Rear Window
Raymond Chandler films
Any Busby Berkely movie
King Kong (1933)
42nd Street
Dirty Harry movies
007 movies

Posted: June 5th, 2007, 11:54 am
by movieman1957
Well, I totally misread the concept in this thread. So, I'll try something else later. (What happened to my delete button?)

Posted: June 5th, 2007, 12:12 pm
by MissGoddess
The Wizard of Oz

"There's no place like home..."

Posted: June 5th, 2007, 12:14 pm
by MissGoddess
The Virginian (1929)

"If you want to call me that.....smile."

Posted: June 5th, 2007, 12:15 pm
by MissGoddess
Citizen Kane


"Rosebud..."

Posted: June 5th, 2007, 1:17 pm
by knitwit45
Wizard of Oz "Lions and tigers and bears, oh, my"
"I'll get you, my pretty" "We're not in Kansas anymore
It's a Wonderful Life I'm all right, I'm alllll right!"

Posted: June 5th, 2007, 1:26 pm
by vallo
Sweet Smell of Success (1957)

"Match Me, Sidney!"

Posted: June 5th, 2007, 1:42 pm
by benwhowell
All About Eve

"Fasten your seat belts, it's going to be a bumpy night!"

It ain't Carmen Miranda

Posted: June 5th, 2007, 6:17 pm
by Moraldo Rubini
A favorite reference of mine happens in Terry Gilliams' Brazil. There's a scene wherein Sam Lowry (Jonathan Pryce) is escaping the monolithic office building where he works. He runs from the elevator bank toward the wide lobby stairs as a janitor is cleaning them. Armed guards enter and ascend the stairs and suddenly we're caught in a recreation of Sergei Eisenstein's battle on the steps in Bronenosets Potyomkin. The janitor is shot in the melee and her large vacuum cleaning contraption becomes Potemkin's baby carriage on the loose. It thrilled me the first time I saw this!

Posted: June 5th, 2007, 7:12 pm
by Lzcutter
Moraldo,

The Untouchables with Kevin Costner and Sean Connery also has an homage to Potemkin.

"That's the Chicago Way."

Posted: June 5th, 2007, 8:55 pm
by Kyle In Hollywood
Here's a little experiment...

Let's see what happens if I write -

"Randolph Scott"

kjk

Posted: June 5th, 2007, 9:29 pm
by Kyle In Hollywood
JohnM wrote:Cary Grant.
Nope. Not the response I was looking for - but perfectly understandable during "Screened Out" month.

kjk

Posted: June 5th, 2007, 9:56 pm
by Lzcutter
Here's a little experiment...

Let's see what happens if I write -

"Randolph Scott" >>

"You'd do it for Randolph Scott."

"Randolph Scott!"
(cue chorus)

Posted: June 5th, 2007, 10:18 pm
by Kyle In Hollywood
Lzcutter wrote:Here's a little experiment...

Let's see what happens if I write -

"Randolph Scott" >>

"You'd do it for Randolph Scott."

"Randolph Scott!"
(cue chorus)
That's It!

And I have lzcutter to thank for explaining that to me sometime ago in the recent past when I happened to write "Randolph Scott", for some reason. It is one of those jokes you'll only understand if you have seen Blazing Saddles - which I hadn't for a looong time so Lynn had to explain it to me.

Hope it made you smile, Lynn.