I'm curious what it says about me that, with regards to The Onion AV Club's list of 24 Great Films Too Painful To Watch Twice (via Cinematical) there are several films that I've watched several times and count amongst my favorite films of all-time, and that the ones I haven't seen I want to see right away. Hmm. Glutton for punishment, I suppose.
I was surprised by their Haneke-choice of Seventh Continent - not because I think they're wrong; it's an incredibly difficult film to sit through - but The Piano Teacher is nearly as brutal and the more obvious a choice. And, sicko that I am, I have no trouble at all sitting through Audition; I'd put Ichi the Killer as the Miike-choice here, that's one I've yet to make it through once yet. I certainly can't argue with their #1 choice... even though I've forced myself to sit through it probably five or six times now.
Here's their full list:
24- Nil By Mouth
23- Lilya 4-Ever22- United 93
21- Million Dollar Baby
20- The Last House on the Left
19- S-21: The Khmer Rouge Killing Machine
18- Jonestown: The Life and Death of People's Temple
16- When The Wind Blows15- Grave of the Fireflies
14- Boys Don't Cry
13- Irreversible
12- Safe
11- In A Year of 13 Moons
10- Come and See
9- Sick: The Life and Death of Bob Flanagan, Supermasochist
8- Audition7- Straw Dogs
6- Bad Lieutenant
5- Winter Light
4- The Seventh Continent3- The Passion of Joan of Arc
2- Dancer In The Dark
1 - Requiem For A Dream
Anything y'all might add to the list?
Posts
12 comments:
And American History X is where...?
But beyond that, Grave of the Fireflies should be a lot higher, I've seen Million Dollar Baby four times, and United 93, although still an incredible masterpiece, is not as emotionally destructive the second time around, which was weird.
God, I'm scared to see Requiem.
Great call on AHX, JD.
I actually wasn't all that moved by Fireflies, to be honest. I was expecting to bawl my eyes out, but I was just pretty meh on it. I was nowhere as heartless towards it as my boyfriend, though, who got so sick of the little girl's whining that he was anxiously waiting for her to die. Monster!
I thought Salo, or the 120 Days of Sodom was worse than Requiem, which I bought on DVD after seeing it in a theater, but still haven't watched at home! Safe is one of my all-time favorites -- I don't think it's bad at all.
Watching Requiem for a Dream is worth it j.d. It is tough to sit through and plus if you watch it a second time it's tougher because you know what's going to happen to the characters.
I find the inclusion of United 93 on this list to be really strange. Sure it makes you cry, but it's not something like Breaking the Waves bleak, or as off-putting as some of the rest.
The first films that came to my mind that aren't on the list were La Ceremonie and Natural Born Killers (which I remember admiring when I saw it in the theater - but I knew immediately I didn't want to watch it again).
I don't think the list was saying Safe was a bad movie. Just a bleak and unenjoyable one. Which I'd agree with. I believe the point of the lists was great movies that you only ever want to see once.
I've been wanting to see Salo for so long, Ross! But Netflix doesn't have it and, well, frankly I'm too lazy to figure out another way to see it. Why must you curse me, Netflix???
Joe - I think Ross meant, by "bad", that it's not too bad in the bleak dept., not quality-wise. That's how I read it, at least. And I never felt terribly scarred by Safe either. I love the movie a lot, but Carol White's behavior never struck a personal chord with me - it was never something I could sympathize with much; I could never see myself going nuts in that specific fashion, that is.
I've seen [safe], Dancer and Requiem multiple times and think they're 10/10 films. I've seen United 93 three times (the third time was purely by accident) and I'd have no problem watching M$B, Boys Don't Cry and Grave of the Fireflies again.
I'd agree that I don't particularly care to watch Irreversible again even though I gave it a B-, and I probably won't sit through Last House on the Left again purely because it's so crudely made.
I won't sit through Straw Dogs or Audition twice because once was more than enough (i hate those movies). The rest I haven't seen - some of which I've wanted to see for a while.
I'd put Passion of the Christ and Romper Stomper on there (very similar, but earlier, to American History X - I won't even watch AMX because I felt physically ill watching Romper Stomper).
If they're gonna go for Oscar-baity stuff like M$B then why not Monster's Ball? That was an ugly vile little creature, wasn't it?
I haven't seen Monster's Ball; nothing's ever made me feel like I want to. Romper Stomper I've seen a couple times because I have a sick, need-to-get-therapy-for skinhead fetish. I don't know, I know it's wrong, don't make me feel bad.
PotC is def. one I'd never sit thru again, but just cuz it was so awful, like you feel about Audition and Straw Dogs, Glenn. I still aven't watch United 93... I've had it on DVD ever since it came out and haven't felt up to it yet.
I found the ending of Dancer in the Dark far more terrifying than that of Requiem for a Dream. Granted, after watching the latter for the first time, I had to scrub myself in the shower to try to feel clean again. But to this day I still can't watch Selma croon "And that's..." before I avert my eyes.
I agree with Glenn about The Passion. But most likely for a different reason.
I remember, about three years ago, I started watching it (we have it on DVD because my parents saw it in theatres, but I couldn't muster it, so I saw Jersey Girl), and about 10 minutes in, when the Satan lady appeared, I had an inner reaction that's probably the same as Dick Cheney being doused with holy water. My soul was screaming in a metaphysical pain I cannot describe. I felt a twinge of fear for my immortal soul. I turned it off and fell asleep in the fetal posistion.
I did not make that up.
"I love the movie a lot, but Carol White's behavior never struck a personal chord with me - it was never something I could sympathize with much; I could never see myself going nuts in that specific fashion, that is."
I stopped using scented products about 10 years ago, and ever since, I haven't been able to tolerate cologne or perfume. Prolonged exposure will give me a sore throat and a headache. And when I bring it up, people think I'm crazy, so I totally understand where she's coming from. Not that there isn't a psychological component to the whole thing, but in my opinion, she's not nuts at all. The beauty of the movie, though, is that this is totally left to your own personal interpretation.
Post a Comment