Sgran's The Big Screen Revisited playlist
 

I swear to god that this will work, but nobody believes me, least of all the manager of Palace Cinemas here in Budapest (who is a friend). The idea is to get hold of a cinema with a good sized screen -- or just one screen at a multiplex -- and run movies that people should see on The Big Screen. You show a steady diet of older blockbusters where people say "I wish I'd seen that on The Big Screen" or they now own on DVD, but it's just not the same at home.

So help me build the list. Again, rewatchable films -- blockbusters or cult classics -- that have to seen Big. These are in no particular order.
1. Jurassic Park
2. The Matrix
3. Saving Private Ryan (it would also be an interesting experiment to see if people would come out for 3 episodes of Band of Brothers or the Pacific)
4. Batman Begins
5. The Dark Knight
6. Die Hard
7. The Thing
8. Pitch Black (my biggest regret)
9. Star Wars (the original. Fuck all the sequels or "prequels" or any Lucasquels)
10. Raiders of the Lost Arc (okay, we'll give Lucas some credit. It's unbelievable how often I can watch this movie even after 30 years)
11. Rocky Horror Picture Show

I'll stop there. John Wayne films? woo? Russ Meyers? What would people come out to see?

It isn't my cup of tea, but Titanic should probably be on that list.

Man, not even Empire Strikes Back?

I would have a hard time gauging film going crowds in Budapest, but I know there a lot of art theaters that have midnight showings of cult classics and the like that are pretty popular.

To add to your list above: Terminator 1 & 2, Alien, Aliens, Predator, LOTR movies, 2001: A Space Odysessy, Poltergeist, Evil Dead flicks

+1000

Pretty much exactly what I was getting ready to type.

Avatar, Ben-Hur, Wizard of Oz, Lawrence of Arabia and Blade Runner

Not a classic by any means, but I watched Black Hawk Down in a theatre when it was released. I fucking loved it. When I later watched it on DVD it just wasn't the same..

Of course, because everyone would clamor for it, and then no one would attend, just like the Star Trek with both Kirk and Picard. My opinion is that these aren't great movies -- rather the fanboys were just grateful at the time and have positive emotional connections to them. But sure, let's show it.

THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK ISN'T A GREAT MOVIE?

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All solid, but the last time I saw Poltergeist it struck me as dated. That's my problem with a lot of Hitchcock films, as well. And, as much as it breaks my heart, I'm not sure the Evil Dead trilogy would draw. In fact, I'm not sure I can name a single horror flick that would. Naturally, we could try Halloween, but eh...

By the way, don't worry about whether these films would draw in Hungary. I'm offering this master plan to the world.

Yup. Wizard of Oz would be an interesting one. Could probably add some Japanese classics here like Ran.


I agree that people who showed up would enjoy it, but would anyone show? It's neither a blockbuster nor a cult classic.

Ah. Well, your master plan has been implemented throughout a lot of the U.S. at the very least.

Like I mentioned, the local art theater here has midnight showings of old blockbusters and cult classics. Every Friday and Saturday. And for the record, the Evil Dead movies do quite well at these screenings.

It's a great plan. I think you just need more than the movie to make it an event. Beer for starters.

I'd say Cloverfield, just because it's the type of movie that benefits being show on the big screen...

Movies with a lot of scenery should be seen there ...Gone With The Wind, Lawrence of Arabia come to mind.

Back to the Future, The Godfather, Shawshank Redemption, Pulp Fiction, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Lethal Weapon, E.T., Top Gun, The Road Warrior

Gone With the Wind for sure, Ben-Hur probably, Wizard of Oz maybe. I'd also agree with Cuckoo about Top Gun being one of those.

Also, you may have already seen this but .... here's a list of theaters who at least occasionally do something similar.
Reel Classics: Classic Movies on the Big Screen

Empire is the best of the 6.

You're dead to me.

Scratching my head on this one. Comparing Star Trek Generations to Empire Strikes Back and then invoking the 'fan boy' clause? Hmmm...something is amiss in Budapest.

Gladiator is a good choice.

robocop

Maybe in Hungary, Empire is blacklisted for its pro-incest stance. And don't tell me they didn't know, 'cause they both admit later that they more or less always knew. Freaks.

No, I hadn't seen that. So the economics must work somehow. Actually, I used to live just 2 blocks from this theater: "The Music Box Theatre (3733 N Southport Avenue, Chicago, IL 60613; --foreign and classic films in a restored 1929 movie house." It was often an evening choice between the Music Box and Wrigley. Oh, those heady days of youth...

But as far as I can tell, these are art houses, where you usually go to see the best foreign films (before they're remade by Hollywood with a happy ending), with a sprinkling of old artsy films like Eraserhead or the Bicycle Thief. There are plenty of arthouses in Budapest that still receive state support, so there's no market in that direction. My idea was more "darn, i wish I'd seen Pitch Black in a darkened movie theater."

But whatever, I knew the thread would just end up with me stepping on a few sacred cows and waking up tomorrow next to the head of Jar Jar Binks.

Sweet, I live very near to that theater and Killer Clowns From Outer Space is coming!

Rocky I-IV. Stallone can still sell, obviously. This and the Rambo series are him at his peak.