I am obsessed with pop culture.  Music, movies, television, etc., are my life-blood.  So naturally when I have seen a movie that I am positive is a classic, I am also 100% sure that everyone else in the English speaking world has seen it.  My thoughts and hopes of people seeing these movies or knowing where my references originate have consistently been dashed against the rock as I have been at SVU.  Most students I have met, at school, have never heard of more than half the things I talk about.  I honestly thought it was just a “bubble” thing. 

My thought of coming home to Orlando has me convinced that people would FINALLY understand what I’m talking about.  People of the world can understand my references, for once, and all will live in harmony forever.  However, in the last few days at work, I have been surprised to find out that my pop culture wisdom is basically just for me.  Needless to say, I found that it’s clearly not a bubble thing.  It has everything to do with the fact that people are uneducated fools when it comes to pop culture.  My straw that broke the camel’s back, in this case, was finding out that only 3 people I work with have seen The Princess Bride.  Three out of tens of people ranging in ages from 16-60 have seen that 1980’s classic.  My whole view of the world and life itself was shattered.  How can a person live and function in adult society today and not see The Princess Bride?!  It’s scandalous, really, and truly disappointing.  Since that fateful day, I have felt the need to run around my work place screaming “Educate yourselves!” So far, my cries and pleas for people to learn more about pop culture are in vain…just like when I try to teach my friends from college/high school about pop culture (you know who you are).

So I have decided that I will begin educating the masses through this blog post.  I have found the top 250 movies of all time (that is right, ALL TIME people) from imdb.com and you all can read it, watch these movies, etc.  There are some on that list that I think they could do without and some that I agree are important, but not THE MOST important.  I will highlight the ones that I 100% agree with and then I will make my own list of movies that will educate the world. 

IMDB List:

#4-Pulp Fiction: It’s classic Tarantino.  Watch it and learn.

#6-12 Angry Men: Classic movie about jurors on a murder trial. 

#7-Schindler’s List. Needs no explanation.

#9-Lord of the Rings: Return of the King. Also see #’s15 and 22 because they are the other 2 parts of the trilogy.  EDUCATE YOURSELVES ON GEEKDOM.

#11-14

#17-Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope as well as all the other Star Wars movies.

#19-Casablanca. It’s probably one of the most famous movies of all time.  If you haven’t seen it, do it.  If you refuse to see it, die.

#25-Raiders of the Lost Ark and every other Indiana Jones movies starring Harrison Ford ever made.

#29-Psycho. A horror/thriller movie classic.  Everyone knows the shower stabby scene and music.  Now watch the rest of the movie.

#30-It’s a Wonderful Life. You can’t go wrong when James Stewart is in a movie.

#41-Alien. An alien fetus claws its way out of a woman’s abdomen.  It’s kind of legit.

#42-The Avengers. It just came out, go see it. Tons of handsome men fighting.  Perfection in movie form.

#46-Toy Story 3. While you’re at it, see the other two.

#48-The Shining. AMERICAN HORROR CLASSIC.  “Here’s Johnny!”

#52-The Pianist. Oscar gold.

#61-Back to the Future. Needs no explanation.

#70-The Prestige. Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale, and Michael Caine: you can’t lost with them.

#82-Monty Python and the Holy Grail. It’s a movie, it’s a musical now, it’s an epic win. 

#84-Singin’ in the Rain. Gene Kelly at his finest.  Singing, dancing, and “I cayn’t styan-em.”

#94-Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi.  See #17.

#101-The Lion King. “Simba, remember….” Disney’s Golden Age of Movies. 

#102-Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. See #25.

#136-146

#151-The Artist. 2012 Oscar Gold.  It’s amazing.

#162-Gone With the Wind. It beat The Wizard of Oz for the big awards in ’39.  Plus, “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn.”

#179-Slumdog Millionaire. It’s SUCH a good story about a boy’s life story and his journey in India and on “Who Wants to be a Millionaire?”

#197-The Princess Bride.  YOU ALL MUST WATCH THIS MOVIE TO LIVE.

#208-The Exorcist. Head spinning all the way around, crab walking downstairs, and it’s a horror classic.

#217-Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Before you watch that one, watch all the HP movies.

#218-A Streetcar Named Desire. “STELLA!!”

#227-Roman Holiday. Audrey Hepburn at her finest, besides Breakfast at Tiffany’s.

#233-Rosemary’s Baby.  It’s a fascinating tale of Paranoia and pregnancy.  Watch it.

Alright, so that list is all well and good, but since this whole blog post, and blog itself, is about me and what I think will educate people, here is my PERFECT list for the educating of the masses.

Tracy’s List of Perfectly Educating the World:

-Every Disney movie ever made:

                -From Snow White to Brave. If you want to really go above and beyond, watch the silly symphonies, steamboat willy and the silent movies too.

-The ENTIRE Star Wars collection (maybe not the cartoon ones, but every other one)

-Lord of the Rings trilogy. 

-Harry Potter series. 

-Indiana Jones

                -All movies, maybe not the new one with Shia Lebouf, but the originals with Harrison Ford)

-The Princess Bride

-Gone With the Wind

-The Wizard of Oz

-ALL Mel Brooks movies, including, but not limited to:

                -Blazing Saddles                               -Robin Hood Men In Tights

                - Young Frankenstein                     -The Producers

-Monty Python Movies:

                -Monty Python and the Holy Grail            -History of the World Part 1

                -Monty Python’s Flying Circus                  -Any other one you can get your hands on

-ANYTHING by Rodgers and Hammerstein.  That includes, but is not limited to:

                -The Sound of Music                                       -Cinderella

                -The King and I                                               -South Pacific

-ANY musical that became a movie from the 1940s-1970s.  INCLUDING:

                -Bye Bye Birdie                                                  -Annie Get Your Gun

                -Seven Brides for Seven Brothers                      -My Fair Lady

                -Calamity Jane                                                  -West Side Story

                -The Pajama Game                                         -Thoroughly Modern Millie

-ANY Gene Kelly/Fred Astaire/Rock Hudson/Doris Day movie. My favorites are:

                -Singin’ in the Rain                                          -Pillow Talk

                -Funny Face                                                    -Easter Parade

                -That Touch of Mink                                       -Summer Stock

-John Hughes movies from the 1980s, and any other ‘80s teen classic.  Including, but not limited to:

                -The Breakfast Club                                        -Sixteen Candles

                -Pretty in Pink                                                 -Can’t Buy Me Love

                -St. Elmo’s Fire                                               -Say Anything

-‘90s/2000s teen movies.  Including, but not limited to:

                -She’s All That                                                   -The Election (Pick Flick!)

                -Drive Me Crazy                                                -Drop Dead Gorgeous

                -10 Things I Hate About You                             -Bring It On

                -Clueless                                                            -Never Been Kissed

                -Zoolander         

-Scary Movie Classics, including, but not limited to:

                -Psycho, The Shining, The Birds (Anything Alfred Hitchcock)

                -Signs, The Sixth Sense, The Village (Anything M. Night Shyamalan)

                -The Exorcist

                -Poltergeist

                -The Grudge Trilogy (actually, it’s kinda funny.)

-ANYTHING by Jim Henson:

                -Muppet Treasure Island                              -Muppets in Space

                -The Muppet Movie (circa 1979)                  -Muppets in Manhattan

                -The Muppets (circa 2011)                           -Muppet Christmas Carol

                -The Great Muppet Caper                           -Muppet Family Christmas

There are LOADS more movies that I haven’t added to this list, but this is pretty good to start your pop culture education with.  If anyone has more to add to the list, comment/message/email me and I’ll add them to the list!

Ready, set, EDUCATE YOURSELVES!