Non-Dorky Poll: One Movie to Share

How about Starship Troopers? Everybody loves that, and it's getting old enough to be unseen. Or Withnail and I, the most quotable movie ever?

There's a reason why this can't be The Princess Bride?

I suggest Miracle Mile, an obscure but very amusing movie about the end of the world. Or The Hidden, one of the greatest of all alien-walks-among-us flicks, which as a special bonus stars Kyle McLachlan.

I doubt you can say they've all seen Galaxy Quest (I haven't, and I'm closer than you to their peer agegroup). It's a bunch of freshman, so how about PCU or Real Genius? Now that they're in on the joke that college is not like it's portrayed in the movies...
Personally, one of my favorites is Wet Hot American Summer, but it's not everyone's cup of tea.

Oh, and Repo Man.

Without a doubt, it's Animal House...

If they're all engineering and science types, then Real Genius for sure.

Inherit the Wind. Funny, educational and topical.

_Ronin_! Because it's a smart snappy action/caper that I don't think is as well-known as it should be. And they can see Sean Bean doing a trial run for the role of Boromir.

Well, it doesn't really fit your rubric of avoiding the serious highbrow films, but it is so abstract that it doesn't really fall into the category of award-winning subtitled films either, so I'll suggest it anyways:

Koyaanisqatsi

It's certainly thought-provoking but I think you can watch it and take any number of messages from it. And probably nobody's seen it, even the film snobs with their libraries of award winning foreign films (which, for the record, are also the ones I prefer).

Koyaanisqatsi is a film that uses juxtapositions of documentary-style images and stock footage, with no "dialogue or narrative structure," to examine the "superstructure of modern life." (Quotes are phrases the filmmaker uses.) It makes heavy use of time-lapse and slow-motion cinematography, in ways that were pioneering for 1982. And once you've seen it, you start to notice clips from it all over the place.

I actually wrote my college admissions essay about Koyaanisqatsi, in an (apparently successful) effort to demonstrate that although I was interested in math and science, I could also think and write about the arts and humanities. (Successful in that I convinced the admissions committee to admit me, not in that I could actually think deeply about the arts and humanities.) So I claim empirically that it's appropriate for getting college-age kids to think. But in my case, I've watched it so many times and though about it so much that it's one of the few movies about which I'd feel comfortable leading a discussion.

raising the intellectual tone around campus

Is this the successor to the "march the frats off" vibe you alluded to a while back?

I always liked The Great Escape.

Also, The Usual Suspects.

The Princess Bride is undoubtedly correct. Before I read that answer, though, I was going to suggest Dead Poets' Society.

My first instinct is to go with Casablanca. There's a reason that film is considered a classic: the themes of friendship and loyalty in the face of difficult times make this film accessible to any audience, including today's college students.

If you're worried that Casablanca would be a bit too highbrow (and I agree that it makes a difference whether this film is the first in the series or part of an established series), then Real Genius (as two others suggested upthread) is a good choice. Probably a significant fraction of the audience has seen The Princess Bride, but otherwise that one is a good suggestion, too, as is Monty Python and the Holy Grail. All four (including Casablanca) have a high concentration of quotable lines.

Something recent by Pixar. Ratatouille or The Incredibles maybe. The people who have seen it before won't mind seeing it again, and the people who haven't seen it are going to be way surprised how much they enjoy it.

Left out half my post. Both movies have strong themes of becoming your own person, overcoming exaggerated obstacles, doing the right thing, being imperfect but good, and rewarding decency.

Yep, The Princess Bride. But since that's going to be screened very quickly, my two other great all-time favourites:

Dark Star - strange, only semi-serious low-budget science fiction, with the worlds first beachball alien.

Leningrad Cowboys go to America. The Kaurismäki brothers are very well known directors in Scandinavia, but less so elsewhere. This one is about a Finnish band that decides to go on a tour in the US when the parents of one member want them to show the corpse the world after he dies of cold exposure. Yes it's a strange, strange movie, and really popular among university students at the time. All but the first few minutes is in English so no fear of subtitles either. And look out for all the cameos.

I distinctly remember seeing The Graduate as a freshman at Cal. It was a bit of a shock to see buildings in a movie that I walked past every day -- though bizarrely the campus scenes were shot at UCLA and USC. More importantly though it's a great flick and really quite funny. For some reason I never see it on cable so maybe there's a good chance many students haven't seen it.

Breaking Away still works well too, if you want a good sports movie. Like The Graduate it has an interesting and funny take on the awkward what-am-I-doing-here feeling from recent graduation. It's on TV a little more often though.

Real Genius is a great suggestion too. Or maybe Top Secret if you want some sillier Val.

Impressionable college students? Real Genius, definitely. (But then, I work at Pacific Tech.)
I'm a huge fan of Breaking Away, too. Harold and Maude has its charm, as well.

Who doesn't love Princess Bride? Action adventure/ chick flick/ comedy and it has Wallace Shawn! True love!

Caddyshack or the Blues Brothers, why not.

Fargo maybe

The Siege, so that everyone can have a really bad time discussing security vs civil rights.

Monty Python mentioned! I would show "Life of Brian", as an opener to discussion about religion. (John Cleese: "...whatever the founder says, within three minutes everyone's rewriting it in accordance with their own emotional needs".)

In this election year in your country, I would also like to show "Triumpf des Willens" by Leni Riefenstahl. I haven't seen it in full, but even from excerpts I can understand why it is banned everywhere: it makes any party congress look ridiculous.

My votes:

The Princess Bride - ''

Jurassic Park - hey, I like genetics even if it is outlandish in this, and bringing dinosaurs back is just awesome! The sad part is I'm afraid that these collect students might really be young enough to have not seen it....eeeep old now?

Rounders - Maybe send a bad message?

Good Will Hunting - They probably haven't seen it but will probably speak to those "misunderstood geniuses" in the audience, and just a solid movie IMO.

Aliens - Not sure I need to defend this one!

What about Donnie Darko? Not the best movie, but worthy of some discussion.

I say stick with the Coen Brothers, but go with The Big Lebowski instead. Without a doubt, one of my all-time favorite films.

"People Will Talk"

Cary Grant is a medical school professor who marries one of his pregnant students. Great characters, good dialog, humor, and some pointed observations.

I suppose "Contact" is too high-brow to start things, and "The Matrix" is still new enough that most people have seen it.

What about "Sneakers" for a funny high-tech caper movie that I doubt anyone in college has seen. They'd recognize some of the characters (Sydney Poitier and Dan Aykroyd).

I agree with starting out with comedy, but think that something older that they are quite unlikely to have seen is a good idea. How about Dr. Strangelove? That might also provide fuel for some discussion on war/defense/foreign policy issues in an easy atmosphere.

Koyaanisqatsi would have been my pick, too, although in my experience forcing someone to watch it always ends in tears.

Actually, that describes many of my favorite movies. I seem to be evenly split between "movies so popular, everyone has seen them," and "movies so quirky, barely anyone likes them." I guess I'd go with Primer - it's intriguing and short enough that even the people who hate it will probably finish watching it.

Well, there is never a bad time to show Casablanca. Dr. Strangelove is a great idea too. I would add "The Mouse that Roared" to the list. Great satire of militarism and muscular diplomacy. And it stars Peter Sellers, Peter Sellers and, unbelievably, Peter Sellers.

Any Marx Brothers fans in here? "Duck Soup" or "A Night At The Opera."

The President's Analyst
Earth Girls are Easy
Network
The Hospital
Dr. Strangelove
Forbidden Planet
The Thomas Crown Affair (Steve McQueen)
The Perils of Gwendolyn

Mankind is mean to squat in mud and offer pain, Iesus Christus dicendo "Poenitentiam agite adpropinquavit enim regnum caelorum" omnem vitam fidelium penitentiam esse voluit. If you are feeling clean and wholesome, science has the cure.

I'm currently serving as one of the faculty members involved with a new-ish residential life initiative aimed at raising the intellectual tone around campus.

Probably you'll want to go with The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan's Island (1981), though that might be a little too highbrow for most college students today.

Do NOT do Koyaanisqatsi. While you'll amaze a few students, you'll turn everyone else off really quickly. Especially with the soundtrack. I'm a big fan of minimalist composers (e.g., Steve Reich and Philip Glass), but I've found somewhere around a 10% selling rate when trying to get others to appreciate it.

My personal pick would be "Network". The 1970's setting will give the students something to snicker at long enough for them to get into the film. And it's a movie about politics without being too political. For just a fun movie, show "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure" or "Pee Wee's Big Adventure".

I am a college student and a science/engineering type (but a pretty cool one who reads alot of blogs) and I say Real Genius. I don't think people will go out for a movie they haven't heard of.

I wrote down many of the movies everyone suggested and I will be hitting itunes and netflix for them.

Thanks!

Saw a couple of good suggestions (Sneakers, The President's Analyst) but I would suggest a suspense/action flick from the pre-special effects era, The Third Man. If you've never seen it do yourself a favor and view it. It contains one of the best chase sequences in movie history. (And there are no cars involved.)

Ah, yes, Repo Man!

"A lot o' people don't realize what's really going on. They view life as a bunch o' unconnected incidents 'n things. They don't realize that there's this, like, lattice o' coincidence that lays on top o' everything. Give you an example; show you what I mean: suppose you're thinkin' about a plate o' shrimp. Suddenly someone'll say, like, plate, or shrimp, or plate o' shrimp out of the blue, no explanation. No point in lookin' for one, either. It's all part of a cosmic unconsciousness."

"You eat a lot of acid, Miller, back in the hippie days?"

A lot of these movies are great. Allow me to add Unforgiven as a suggestion. Not only is it just a wonderful movie on its own terms, it's also a complete, 2-hour deconstruction of practically the whole Western genre, directed by one of the greatest stars of that genre. It certainly deserves to be seen and discussed by kids who were too young to see it at the time it came out.

Little Bill: "I don't deserve this... to die like this. I was building a house!"
Will Munny: "Deserve's got nothin' to do with it."

We used to watch three stooges movies in HS towards the end of the year in joke classes, they are old but classic and everyone seemed to enjoy them.

Most(? all?) of my suggestions have already been suggested. In alphabetical order they are:

Breaking Away
Dark Star
Dr Strangelove ...
Leningrad Cowboys go America
The Blues Brothers (original version)
The Mouse that Roared
The President's Analyst
The Usual Suspects

and more-or-less any Monty Python!

Of those, I'd guess Leningrad Cowboys go America is the least likely to have been seen, or even heard of, by USAian college students. Whether that is a good or bad I dunno (the movie itself is quite good and very funny).

On the Waterfront
Casablanca
Blade Runner (you can use the Final Cut)
Princess Bride
A Christmas Story
Back to the Future (only the first one is necessary)

I would want to show movies that I'd be inclined to quote, so they can get the reference.

I'd use Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Good to discuss plot development and the nature of relationships, excellent for discussion of the nature of memory.

I think "Young Frankenstein" would be an excellent choice. Particularly if it could be shown as a double feature with "Bride of Frankenstein" to help them make the most of the parody. Throwing in the 1931 "Frankenstein" and maybe "Son of Frankenstein" might be a bit much, though.

My top choices, excluding popular sports and action movies (sadly):

The American President
Love and Death
Duck Soup
Reality Bites
Hot Shots Part Deux

From a college student:

The Graduate would be my vote. Great movie, and I don't think many of the students would have seen it previously.

Good Will Hunting was also a good suggestion. To my surprise, a lot of people my age haven't seen it.

Oh, and if you really wanna "aim lower," why not Team America? Haha...

Chad: Galaxy Quest came out when entering freshmen were 9, and at 18 they aren't old enough to have seen lots of movies on cable when they can't sleep.

Some Like It Hot.

The Ladykillers - not the horrendous remake, but the original one with Alec Guinness. Black comedy at its finest!

Lots of good suggestions here, for sure. I also go with the Coens, but nominate O Brother Where Art Thou? as their best and most hilarious. Kudos to Uncle Al for Earth Girls Are Easy, a film both too stupid and too briliant for any current undergraduate to have seen without coercion. Time will probably bring them The Blues Brothers, maybe even Repo Man, which no self-respecting student should be without. But if we're aiming to educate, how about:

Drowning By Numbers
Velvet Goldmine
Edward II
Mulholland Drive
Equinox
Waking Life
Dead Ringers
Orphée
Touch of Evil
The Passenger
Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown

None of those are less than entertaining. If you feel more able to tax them, Celine and Julie Go Boating should make Last Year in Marienbad seem easy...

What's Up, Doc?

The thing about many of the other movies that have been suggested is that they are shown fairly regularly on the various movie channels. But What's Up, Doc?, for some reason, rarely is. And it's definitely very high on my list of funniest movies.

I presume that college students these days are familiar with the old Bugs Bunny movies.

The only problem with screening it is that, before you screen it, you may have to screen Love Story first.

I would recommend Clue. Like all good mystery movies, half of the fun is recognizing what the con is.

Young Frankenstein. (compare to every other Frankenstein interp.)
Contact. (and rip the ending nice cutesy bit to shreds)
The Core. (and talk about everything that's wrong with it)

The Talented Mr. Ripley (we like Mat Damon as a shy cheat)
Some Like It Hot (a riot - very popular with feminists)
Raising Arizona (a riot, the logic of sheer lunacy)
The Incredibles
Chicken Run
Trainspotting (the smack habit is a full-time business)
Amelie (subtitled, she is cute and chicks like her too)
Full Metal Jacket (the Marines suck harder)
The Shining (classic creeps: Wendy, give me the bat)
Monsters Inc
Little Big Man (a Dustin Hoffman gem - Western meets Forrest Gumb)
O brother where are thou
Shallow grave (3 roommates and stiff + suitcase full of money)
Shanghai Triad (the other Godfather, subtitled - suck it you white devils)

Now I have some new ones to dig up! This post almost reads like my favorites list but a few I have not seen.

I definitely raise my hand for Dr. Strangelove. It has everything, simply cannot miss.

If you really want lowbrow, Orgazmo, the story of the first Mormon Missionary Porn Star Superhero. Or Killer Condom, shot on location in New York with an all-German cast, an evil scientist develops a carnivorous condom in an attempt to wipe out the gay community. A courageous gay Italian cop named Macaroni is on the case.

The Zero Effect. So underrated that not a lot of people have seen it, but still a great, great movie.

Lone Star. No explanation, just tell them Kris Kristofferson's in it and let John Sayles's script drawn them in.

Rope. The idea of holding a dinner party for your professors with a dead body hidden under the appetizers gets pretty amusing towards finals. See if anyone notices that Hitchcock filmed the entire movie in two uncut acts. Probably would work better with grad students.

Glad to see The Mouse That Roared in the suggestions. Bravo!

Double Feature: The African Queen and White Hunter, Black Heart. Which one screens first is up for debate.

A Midwinter's Tale. Kenneth Branagh not taking Shakespeare too seriously in one of the most rapid-fire comedies I've ever seen. Laugh at a joke and you'll miss the next one.

For more lightweight films, I would add My Fellow Americans, Sneakers, and Support Your Local Sheriff.

I had opportunity a few years ago to watch a DVD of the Exorcist in a room full of college students who had never actually seen it and were convinced that it would be good campy fun. Watching them jump out of their skins no less than a half-dozen times during the film did my heart good.

Raising Arizona - hilarious, quirky

Little Shop of Horrors - 50's style musical/horror starring Bill Murray, Rick Moranis, Steve Martin (cameos by John Candy, Christopher Guest, etc.)

Really depends on what sort of feel you want. Not ideas, feel.

Drama: October Sky (almost guaranteed none of them have seen it, and it is rather good)

Sci fi/WTF/huh?!: Donnie Darko, maybe Edward Scissorhands

Comedy: Gotta vote for Dr. Strangelove (Holy Grail and Blues Brothers have already been mentioned, and they are extraordinarily unlikely to have seen it)

Comedy first runner up: a classic Steve Martin, a la My Blue Heaven or LA Story
Comedy second runner up: other classic SNL alum movies, in particular Spies Like Us or So I Married An Axe Murderer or Groundhog Day
Comedy 1+1/2 runner up: We are ... The Three Amigos!

Old thiller/horror: one of Vincent Price's good movies, with the Thiller video to warm them up

Romantic-ish: if they can get the jokes, Emma Thompson's version of Much Ado About Nothing would be fabulous; since it is unfortunate how big an if that is these days, a good backup would be the Karate Kid... nevermind, it's gotta be When Harry Met Sally.

All guys: one of the good guy films, but one from before they were born -- maybe First Blood, to show the drama and power of Stallone when younger, or True Lies, which ... dear god, imdb says 1994. f@#$... and Back to the Future is older than most graduating seniors at a 4-year school ...

Good Morning, Vietnam.

I'd show "2001" and "2010" as a double feature, with video of interviews with Sir Arthur C. Clarke to put these in context.

Second choice: double feature of "Real Genius" with "Quantum Hoops" and an episode of "NUMB3RS" in between the two.

About "Real Genius": it was partly shot at Caltech. One Caltech alumnus was an Intern on the film; he submitted a CV, which the Director found stunning, as it lacked the usual headshot, but listed Quantum Mechanics and other courses.

He made sure that the Steam Tunnels were plausibly shown.

The head of Wardrobe wandered campus one morning to see how actual Caltech students dressed. Staggered by the anti-fashion seen, Wardrobe said: "Do these guys get dressed in the dark, or what?"

Wikipdia begins: "Real Genius is a 1985 comedy film starring Val Kilmer and Gabriel Jarret. The movie is set on the campus of 'Pacific Tech,' a fictitious technical university in the US. Chris Knight (Kilmer), is a genius in his senior year working on a chemical laser. He came to the university as a somber, assiduous student but mellowed over time after deciding that there is more to life than just work..."

They need the citations, but I can independently verify these points from discussions I had with Dave Marvit:

Production

"To prepare for the film, Martha Coolidge spent months researching laser technology, the policies of the CIA, and interviewed dozens of students at Caltech."

"While the actual campuses used in the filming were those of Pomona College and nearby Occidental College, many references suggest that 'Pacific Tech' is a thinly disguised version of Caltech, mixed with some elements of similarly-technical Carnegie Mellon University.[citation needed] Dave Marvit, a former Caltech undergraduate student, was a consultant for the film, and photographs of graffiti on the walls of Dabney House at Caltech were used for interior sets.[citation needed] The initials 'DEI', well known at Caltech to stand for 'Dabney Eats It', occur several times in the film.[citation needed] Coolidge, a stickler for authenticity, had many Caltech undergraduate students on the set as extras.[citation needed] The Tanning Invitational scene, featuring bikini-clad women (an actual Caltech annual event at the time), was filmed during finals week, and therefore all the extras in that scene are non-students.[citation needed]?"

By the way, the standard response from residents of the the student house Dabney to "DEI" is "FEIF": Fleming Eats It Faster.

Val Kilmer has expressed interest in making a sequel to "Real Genius", but no shooting dates have been set.

The 7 original undergraduate houses (not quite the same as fraternities) occur by name as Kingdoms in Dave Brin's [1973 B.S. in Astronomy from Caltech; 1978 M.S. in Applied Physics from U.C. San Diego; 1981 Ph.D. in Space Science from U.C. San Diego] novel: "The Practice Effect" (1984).

To repost from:
catdynamics/2007/04/baghdad_indiana.php

In about 2.5 hours, I'll see the Caltech premiere of "Quantum Hoops."
[I omit the results of my having dinner and drinks subsequently with the Director of Quantum Hoops, but you've previously seen his work as the Interstitials in Seinfeld"]

http://www.quantumhoops.com/index2.htm

While most sports films celebrate the quest for a championship, "Quantum Hoops" follows a team that is searching for a single win. The documentary chronicles the final week of the 2006 Caltech basketball season.
The team is currently in the midst of a 21 year losing streak - over 240 consecutive conference losses.
Caltech is annually considered one of the top 5 academic institutions in the world yet its athletic department always takes a back seat to the achievements of its world renowned faculty, Nobel prize winners, and advancements in the world of science and technology. The film "Real Genius" was a
not-so-subtle take on Caltech life.

To the casual fan, the team might sound like a bad joke. There are more valedictorians on the team than players with high school basketball experience. In
fact, the 5 seniors did not play high school basketball, yet all five are major contributors to the team. They are roundly mocked by opposing fans as "nerds playing basketball" (the few fans that decide
its even worth it to show up). However, this season would mark an amazing turnaround from just two years ago when the team would lose by an average margin of
over 60 points per game. Against remarkable odds and adversity, the players and coaches dedication, discipline, heart, and yes, SKILL would make for one of the most exciting seasons in school history. The
final home game of the year would give the 5 seniors one last shot at that elusive win and an entry into the history books of college athletics....

Posted by: Jonathan Vos Post | April 7, 2007 04:50 PM

Of course, switching from film to TV,
NUMB3RS is actually set at Caltech, partly filmed at Caltech, has Caltech's Prof. Gary Lorden as Math Advisor, and DOES do a much better job (than "Real Genius") of representing academics and women. The department chair is a complex woman. The writers meant Caltech, Caltech IP attorneys
agreed, but at the last minute CBS-TV changed it to "Cal-Sci." But it is supposed to be Caltech, and the whole campus community knows that. By the way, Gary Lorden was an undergrad at Caltech first, class of '62, same class as Kip Thorne.

Although I'm on-topic, I've gone on too long, and will omit my involvement in the shooting of an original "Mission Impossible" episode on the Caltech campus.

I omit hotlinks to my listings of several thousand of my favorite films in each of several subgenres of Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery/Detective, Westerns, and Romance, all also broken down chronologically. For blog purposes, Too Much Information.

I think your premise here is flawed. I take it you haven't watched very many subtitled movies. You know, people outside the English-speaking world actually enjoy making and watching movies, and many of them are very talented.

Part of the university experience is being exposed to things you won't find at the mall or on cable TV.

I'd recommend Fellini's 8 1/2. Yes, it's (mostly) subtitled -- Barbara Steele is a delight as the American starlet constantly babbling inane Shirley MacLaine-esque woo in English. Yes, it's critically acclaimed. But it's also beautifully filmed, has lots of eye candy for both the gents and the ladies, and it is frequently flat-out hilarious.

It's all in how you present it. If you say, "This is an important film. You all must sit quietly and soak in the pretentiousness," then that's how people will react. But if you tell people, "It's kind of like The Andy Richter Show, but in Italian," you'll get a much better reaction.

Also, 8 1/2 is the greatest movie ever made. Everyone should see it, and then say, "Wow, HP. Thanks for that recommendation. I loved that movie!" And then I just sit back and beam.

More films that went over well when I was in school. Generally films that many had either never heard of, dismissed, underestimated, or had never taken time to actually watch.

The Haunting (not the CGI-laden remake)
The Killer (John Woo. Or, if your really want to disturb people, A Bullet To The Head)
The Ghost and The Darkness
Supercop (might be enough to explain to youngsters why Jackie Chan is cool, despite the Rush Hour franchise)
Much Ado About Nothing
Dragon
The Wall
M*A*S*H
Forbidden Planet
Yellow Submarine
The Godfather

And, of course, Hudson Hawk (The secret: If you're expecting Die Hard, you'll be very disappointed and angry. If you walk in the door expecting a Hope and Crosby road movie, it rocks.)

OK then, Caddyshack with German subtitles it is! :-)

Here is a thought--now it's a bit x-rated and disturbing, but how about "Blue Velvet?"

Some years ago, when I was an undergrad, we had Blue Velvet discussion groups that sometimes went on for hours. The concepts of symbolism, child abuse, contrasting light and dark in many forms -- the ideas went on forever. And it seemed that the more we watched it, the more subtleties we found. And every time a new person viewed it with us, we could share the ideas and the group grew as a whole.

Of course, it is not a movie for the faint hearted, and it is Dennis Hopper as we have never seen him. Kyle MacLachlan and Laura Dern make the perfect "milk toast" couple, and there are other actors that will make you question everything you ever thought.

It is something to consider. We had many hours of very deep, contemplative thought about this movie. Good luck in what you are doing. I wish more groups would develop like this one!