Just Effing Entertain Me

The GASP List

Readers who’ve been with me for awhile remember the good ol’ Gasp List – the list of movies – compiled from various sources – that you seriously should have seen if you want to have anything to do with the movies whatsoever…if you haven’t seen these movies, first we GASP and then we give you a dirty look and then we roll you in peanut butter then brads and then we throw you into the Silver Lake Reservoir with a clawing, desperate writer roped to one leg and a snarling, exclusive agent roped to the other.  The water will be whipped to a froth while you slowly sink under the waves ruing the day you didn’t deign to see BLUE VELVET and being struck, mildly, in your last moments, how Lynchian your fate probably is, but you’d know for sure if you HAD seen BLUE VELVET and dude, you’re totally going to write about this – before it goes completely black.

Many movies – thousands – are NOT on the Gasp List because say for example if you’re a serious sci-fi/action writer and you never saw 27 DRESSES, well, you know, cute romcom but not having seen it by far does not warrant a peanut butter/brad frenzied drowning in a lake. HOWEVER. You should have seen WHEN HARRY MET SALLY because it was in many ways seminal with its iconic moments and fresh approach to romcom.  If you’re a romcom writer of any stripe, I’m sorry, if you haven’t seen ALIEN, you suck and will be bradded and roped. But if you haven’t seen PREDATOR – seriously, that ain’t no Gasp Lister so you’re cool.

So ideally, we should all strive to have seen every single title on the Gasp List. But then, the Gasp List always provokes a lot of heated conversation – What?? A BRIDGE TOO FAR isn’t on the Gasp List?! Nope. It’s not. Good movie, but not a Gasper according the to International Gasp Review Commission.

You see, there’s a sub-list, one rung below the GASP and that is the Oh really? You should see it sometime. I really like it.

So here for your viewing pleasure, is the latest iteration of the Gasp List. How many films have you seen on this list? Put what you haven’t seen on your Netflix queue and round out your film viewing track record and stay safe from the no doubt very uncomfortable but quite cinematic and ironic event at the reservoir. Our very own Chaia sweetly added a genre distinction to each listing so you can see how you’ve done by genre.

And of course – let the arguing commence. But nice arguing because this is JFEME and that’s how we roll:

2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY – sci fi

A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE – drama

ADAM’S RIB – screwball comedy

ALIEN – sci-fi

ALL ABOUT EVE – drama

AMADEUS – drama

AMERICAN BEAUTY – drama

ANIMAL HOUSE – comedy

ANNIE HALL – comedy

APOCALYPSE NOW – drama

ARTHUR – romantic comedy

BACK TO THE FUTURE – action/adventure

BIG – comedy

BLUE VELVET – drama

BORN YESTERDAY – screwball comedy

BRAZIL – cult/fantasy

BREAKFAST AT TIFFANYS – romantic comedy

THE BREAKFAST CLUB – drama

BRIDGE OVER THE RIVER KWAI

BRINGING UP BABY – screwball comedy

BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID

CASABLANCA – drama

CHARIOTS OF FIRE – sports drama

CHARLIE CHAPLIN (any or all) – slapstick comedy

CHINATOWN – drama

CITIZEN KANE – drama

A CLOCKWORK ORANGE – drama

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND

DELIVERANCE – drama

DIE HARD – action

DOUBLE INDEMNITY – noir

ET – sci-fi

THE EXORCIST – horror

FARGO – black comedy

FATAL ATTRACTION – thriller

FERRIS BUELLER’S DAY OFF

FINDING NEMO – family

FORREST GUMP – drama

THE FRENCH CONNECTION – crime thriller

FROM HERE TO ETERNITY – drama

GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES – comedy

GLADIATOR – action/adventure

THE GODFATHER – drama

GONE WITH THE WIND – drama

GOODFELLAS – crime/drama

THE GRADUATE – comedy

HARVEY – comedy

HIGH NOON – western

HIS GIRL FRIDAY – comedy

INDIANA JONES – action/adventure

IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE – drama

JAMES BOND (any)

JAWS – action/adventure

KARATE KID – sports

LAWRENCE OF ARABIA – adventure/drama

LETHAL WEAPON – action/adventure

MALTESE FALCON – noir

MARATHON MAN

THE MATRIX – action/adventure

MEMENTO – mystery/thriller

MILDRED PIERCE – drama/noir

MONTY PYTHON (Life of Brian or the Holy Grail)

MOONSTRUCK – romantic comedy

NETWORK – drama

ON THE WATERFRONT – drama

ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST – drama

PATTON – drama

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN – action/adventure

THE PLAYER – comedy

PRETTY WOMAN – romantic comedy

THE PRINCESS BRIDE – action/adventure

PSYCHO – thriller

PULP FICTION – drama

RAGING BULL – sports

REAR WINDOW – noir

REBECCA – noir

RED RIVER – western

RISKY BUSINESS – comedy

ROCKY – sports

ROSEMARY’S BABY – horror

SABRINA – romantic comedy

SCARFACE – crime drama

SCHINDLER’S LIST – drama

THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION – drama

THE SHINING – thriller

SHREK – family

SILENCE OF THE LAMBS – crime thriller

SILKWOOD – drama

SINGIN IN THE RAIN  – musical

THE SIXTH SENSE – supernatural thriller

SOME LIKE IT HOT – comedy

STAR WARS – sci-fi

SUNSET BOULEVARD – drama

TAXI DRIVER – drama

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS –biblical drama

TERMS OF ENDEARMENT – drama

THELMA AND LOUISE – drama

TOOTSIE – romantic comedy

TOY STORY – family

TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE – western

THE USUAL SUSPECTS – crime drama

WALL STREET – drama

WHEN HARRY MET SALLY – romantic comedy

THE WIZARD OF OZ – family/musical