Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Those Gordon Brown DVDs

Tom Harris has decided to start a silly little meme about the 25 DVD's Gordon Brown got given by Obama. He says...

I have a question (well, three questions, actually): How many have you seen, how many do you already own on DVD (or video) and how many haven’t you seen?

Take two points for every film you own and have seen (only one if you own it but haven’t got round to watching it yet), one point if you’ve seen it but don’t own the DVD, and no points for those you haven’t either watched, purchased or been given.
I am afraid I do not come out well on this...

OWN: Schindler’s List, ET (2 points)

SEEN: ET (1 point)

NEVER SEEN: Gone With The Wind, City Lights, Sunset Boulevard, Casablanca, The General, The Grapes of Wrath, Citizen Kane, Raging Bull, Singin’ in the Rain, Lawrence of Arabia, , Vertigo, The Wizard of Oz, The Searchers, Psycho, 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Graduate, On the Waterfront, Chinatown, Some Like it Hot, The Godfather, Star Wars: Episode IV, It’s a Wonderful Life, To Kill a Mockingbird

Giving me a total of 3 out of a possible total 50. Oh dear...

I now tag: Norfolk Blogger, Dizzy, Nadine, Paul Waugh, Bob Piper

48 comments:

kinglear said...

Iain, that is disgraceful. Especially its a wonderful life.My score is 47 - but I'm a BAFTA member...

BSH said...

You haven't seen Wizard of Oz? How odd!

Tom Harris said...

You are a disgrace, Dale.

Doug said...

Own and seen: Schindler's List, Lawrence of Arabia, 2001, The Godfather, Star Wars = 10

Seen: Gone with the Wind, The Wizrd of Oz, Psycho, The Graduate, On The Waterfront, Some Like it Hot = 6

There should be another category for films I've sat down to watch and just given up due to boredom or distraction which would account for most of the rest.

Dick the Prick said...

20 - don't buy films.

I agree with Kinglear - you should hang your head. To kill a mockingbird is brilliant:

'Stand up Scout, your father's passing'.

Man, goosepimples every time.

And Godfather (can't be watched without 2), Casablanca and Lawrence but Iain, serious oversight.

Alan Douglas said...

Not surprised. How could you possibly have time (or money) after al those 120 Harry Webb CDs ?

Alan Douglas

Gordon Brown said...

Lawrence of Arabia is one of the best films that I have ever seen. You have to see it. And Tunbridge Wells gets a mention.......

Doubting Richard said...

How can you be gay and not have seen the Wizard of Oz?

(I have just noticed that the word verification for this comment is "buthoses". Oh dear)

Ralph Hancock said...

I'd never claim to be a film buff, but I've seen 13 of them, every one in a cinema. And I only own a DVD of one of them, The General; but I saw that first in a cinema too. I have plenty of DVDs, but mostly of oddities you'd never see in a cinema anyway. Which is what DVDs are for, perhaps.

Jimbo said...

Big Story Dale

Northern Ireland

Some hunter bloke taking on helicopters

New teacher training plans

Launch of libertas

Cameron ( I have my seroius face on today ) back to so called work

...and you lead with this...YAWN

PS I wonder what were McCains DVD recommendations to you lot...shhhhhhh

Jimbo said...

I also noted that Guido cannot bring himself to mention Nortern Ireland

nothing to to with the fact that he is an Irish citerzen who lives in Euroland Ireland

edf said...

I bet they're all Region 1

Nigel said...

Cultural lacuna ?
More like mid-sized black hole.

(FWIW, seen all, own none.)

Trend Shed said...

I have seen a 3 or 4 of those - Lawrence of Arabia is an fabulous film.

I'd seek it out again.

Anonymous said...

Too late!

Gordon's already put them up for sale on Ebay.

You don't believe me?

Then look here

strapworld said...

I have seen the lot.

I once owned a house built on land once owned by Lawrence of Arabia.
In Chingford!!

Jabba the Cat said...

How bizarre, Jabba would expect most educated people to have seen all bar one or two of the films on that list not the other way round.

Unknown said...

Blog memes? Ergh....

Dick the Prick said...

Jabba - he's saying he's never seen Star Wars!! Now there's being remiss and then being bloody minded.

paulocanning said...

Given that you're an Elaine Page and Cliff Richard fan, I'm hardly surprised.

You obviously dislike cinema full-stop.

Iain Dale said...

Not at all. I just don't like old films. I have about 150 movies on DVD. They just don't happen to be any of these.

Bill Quango MP said...

Tom Harris was trying to protect his leader.
These are the real 25 he was given.

President Obama was sending a message alright.

Lost
Forrest Gump
The Road to Perdition
Frost Nixon
Walking with Dinosaurs
Mama Mia!
Titanic
Wizard of Oz
Wall-E
Shrek
Gold
One flew over the cuckoo's nest
Dr Strangelove
Alien
The Elephant man
The Great Dictator
Mr Smith goes to Washington
Unforgiven
judgement at Nuremberg
The hustler
twelve Monkeys
Crash
Brokeback mountain
Psycho
Moulin Rouge

Bird said...

You are a total Philistine Mr Dale.
But at least you're honest.

Wrinkled Weasel said...

Oh dear. Next, Iain will be confessing to never have read Dickens or Shakespeare.

Iain Dale said...

Er...

MARA MACSEOININ said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
MARA MACSEOININ said...

'Gone With The Wind' is an absolute *must* - if only for the 'massa on de ole plantation 'n' t'ing' depictions of black slave: cringeworthy, the kind of dialogue that makes one have a full-body shudder. Avoid The Wizard of Oz: a seriously creepy foray into a psychedelic psyche. A bit like Faure on acid.

Chris Paul said...

You've not seen The Wizard of Oz??? I've seen it dozens of times. Extra points for that? Is this just link bait Iain?? So everyone will jeer and then you'll step from behind the curtain and admit that you've actually watched many of these? That you are only kidding.

Fairly close to a full house on seeing them, but don't knowingly own that many of them,perhaps some newspaper freebies.

Naturally we SHARE where I come from.

paulocanning said...

"I just don't like old films."

Never understood this. My mum is just the same.

What's wrong with 'old' Y're supposed to be a conservative FCS!

Sunset Boulevard, par example, is a classic which *any queen should see.

The Wizard of Oz is incredibly influential and just plain fun.

Same goes for Some Like it Hot and Singin’ in the Rain.

Dale, you're missing out with this 'it's old' biz.

Interesting choice for Obama, actually, as most of these never won a single award yet are among the most well-known of all time. And they're not the AFI's list, so someone actually tried matching to Gordon ...

Ralph Hancock said...

Paul Canning wrote:

'... And they're not the AFI's list, so someone actually tried matching to Gordon ...'

He's still in therapy at Bellevue.

Steve Tierney said...

People still buy DVDs? That's kinda quaint.

JoeF said...

How on earth did you manage to miss films like The Godfather and Star Wars IV (the original one)? These were absolutely key films of our generation, not exactly ancient.

I only own those 2 on DVD but have seen almost all the rest on TV at least.

Not a sheep said...

18, unless I get extra points for 2001 in several formats...

Dick the Prick said...

Don't like old films!! I still gear up when an Abbot & Costello film is on - jaffa cakes check, pot of tea check, plenty of fags check.

And if the Big Sleep isn't up there in the top 5 gangster films of all time, well.

Chinatown is awesome (Miller's Crossing and Devil wears a blue dress of similar modernish exemplary standard).

I hope you realize that chums who get you Chrimbo or birthday presents have just been given concrete authority to get you educated.

Dick the Prick said...

I wanted to be Humphrey Bogart when I was a kid and i'm 33 now. The man rocks.

Roger Thornhill said...

My score is 34.

I did like the post over at Guido showing the video of this event as seen by The Daily Show. The Obama administration comes across as a bunch of unthinking skinflints for the DVDs (vs the history laden penholder) and the absurd "button" for the Russian Foreign Minister.

Tom Jones said...

I have to say that is pretty poor. You should definitely spend a weekend in with some of these at some point. Film geekery can be just as fun as political geekery, I promise.

Paul Halsall said...

There are issues of basic cultural literacy here....

Anonymous said...

You have not seen The Searchers? or Star Wars IV? or, goodness, 2001 a Space Odyssey! For a gent of a literary bent - well I am surprised.

I am also surprised they did not include Dr Strangelove. And The Maltese Falcon and ... ooh err ...

Any other surprise omissions?

How did Lawrence of Arabia get in there - its a British film, I thought the idea was to display great American movies. Of course it is about a masochistic repressed homosexual engaged in an extravagant military adventure in the middle east ... ooh err ... again.

Old Holborn said...

I doubt the 150 DVD's you have would be of interest to us Iain.


If you know what I mean.

Anonymous said...

OH,for someone who is always complaining about Iain's gay leanings/slant on here you also appear to be fixated with it too.

Jimbo,bet your great company for a fun night out.

Little Black Sambo said...

"I just don't like old films" makes about as much sense as "I just don't like old books".
You are so lucky to have all that enjoyment still in front of you, if only you will forget that you just don't like old films.

Doubting Richard said...

What if I have read two of them, and own the books, but never seen the film?

Rush-is-Right said...

Iain, the best films are the old ones.

Surprise ommissions... Double Indemnity. The Killers (1946), Point Blank (you can tell I like gangster films can't you?)

scott redding said...

How can you understand the appeal of Brando if you've never seen "Godfather" or "On The Waterfront" ... "I coulda had class. I coulda been a contender. I coulda been somebody"

force12 said...

How strange.

tory boys never grow up said...

I find it slightly worrying that someone who wants their politics to be taken seriously has not seen Citizen Kane - which surely must be one of best movies about the corrupting effects of power (you have read 1984?). I'm sure you would have something to say about if you got around to watching it.

But at least you have the potential joy of many great movies to watch in the future - perhaps you are saving them up, like i do with books, to enjoy in the future.

Seen 22 out of 25 - all except The General, 2001 and Star Wars - but only saw the Godfather 2 weeks ago.

Why does ownership get 2 points - surely you should get more points if you view the movie in a proper cinema?

OBC News said...

OWN AND HAVE SEEN: Schindler’s List, ET, City Lights, Casablanca, Citizen Kane,The Wizard of Oz (Iain how can you be gay and not have seen this?!), On the Waterfront, Chinatown, It’s a Wonderful Life, To Kill a Mockingbird

HAVE SEEN: Singin’ in the Rain, Raging Bull (boring), Vertigo, Psycho, Star Wars: Episode IV (as in 'Star Wars' the original, yes?), The Graduate (halfway through... bored me to tears)

NEVER SEEN: Gone With The Wind, Sunset Boulevard, The General (but own), Lawrence of Arabia, 2001: A Space Odyssey (I've read it tho'), Some Like it Hot, The Godfather

NEVER SEEN OR HEARD OF: The Grapes of Wrath, The Searchers

Which I think is 26.5 points. Yippee.

WV: ephing