Many of us have a "List of Shame" - a collection of movies, books, or video games that are considered "can't-miss" experiences, but which we haven't watched, read, or played. I've recently been considering my own list of shame. There are a number of these that I've only just gone through recently, and a bunch more that I have yet to get to. I find myself wondering whether I'm creating the list because I'll actually enjoy the books, movies, and games, or whether I just want to be able to say that I've seen that movie or read that book.
To start, let's look at a few movies that had long been on the list of shame: The 1985 Terry Gilliam film Brazil, Alfred Hitchcock's 1959 classic North by Northwest, and Stanley Kubrick's 1971 film A Clockwork Orange, all of which I only saw for the first time about four or five years ago. First off, I hated Brazil. I may have actually missed the final fifteen minutes or so, because I just couldn't stand watching the movie anymore. I'm not sure why people seem to love it, because I found it to be inferior to the 2008 film The Visioneers, with which it had a lot in common. On the other hand, I was surprised to find that I absolutely loved North by Northwest. The fact that the movie is a half-century old detracts in no way from the film. It's just a really good action movie. It makes me want to see more Alfred Hitchcock. A Clockwork Orange was just... meh. It was fine, and I'm glad to have watched it, but I have no desire to go back to it. I know it's a classic, but I didn't love it.
And so I find myself wondering which of the items on the remainder of my list I'll enjoy, and which I won't. It's the same with video games. I enjoyed The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker well enough when I played it earlier this year, even if I didn't enjoy it as much as Twilight Princess, but Metroid Prime never grabbed me. I quit during the plant boss, partially due to the game's janky controls and partially due to my overall lack of interest in the game. I'm catching up on season four of Big Bang Theory and enjoying it a lot, so there's another item to check off the List of Shame.
So what remains on my list? Citizen Kane. I've never seen it. The big reveal has been spoiled for me, as I suppose is only fair with such an old movie. I'd still like to see it sometime. Also, the 1927 film Metropolis, which is actually a silent film, but I find myself intrigued. I worry that I might not like it at all, but I plan to give it a shot. I'd also like to try to read Asimov's Foundation - the first book at least if not the entire trilogy. I've got a copy on my to-read shelf, where it's been sitting neglected for a good year now, being passed up for Jim Butcher novels. I'd also like to read The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss, about which I've heard innumerable compliments. That one belongs on my to-read shelf. Unfortunately, my propensity to continually purchase more books in this way is the reason my to-read shelf remains constantly at around 20 books despite my continual reading.
Lastly, a couple old video games. I never finished Grim Fandango, and have been meaning to do so for years. And despite my eternal love for the Ultima series, I never played Ultima 6. At this point, I worry that the game may be too retro for my tastes, and as such I'd had the Dungeon Siege powered remake installed on my computer for some time. But now, hearing that Good Old Games is offering the Ultima 4-5-6 collection on their website, I may have to try that version, as I can only imagine that it's been tweaked to run on modern PCs a bit better than the version available for free on Abandonia.
What's on your List of Shame?
"North by Northwest" is, IMO, the ultimate Cold War thriller just as "Dr. Strangelove" is the ultimate Cold War satire.
A newly restored version of "Metropolis" was released a few years back--try to see that one. I have a print if you want it. I also have an AVI copy. "Citizen Kane" is a must-see. There's a lot more to it than Rosebud.
Be warned that "Foundation" is a fix-up (five short stories). The first three novels are what you want to read. The two later novels are sort of like the three "Star Wars" prequels.