It took me 30-odd years but I finally saw E.T.

It seems that every time I’ve made an attempt to watch E.T. the fates have conspired against me.  When it’s been on telly, countless times, I’ve always had something else to do or somewhere else to be.  After borrowing the film from my library – again – I made a concerted effort yesterday to watch it from start to finish.  After 32 years, I’ve finally managed to see it.

Interestingly, people often reminisce about when they first saw E.T. and how it brought their childhood flooding back to them.  For me, I missed the opportunity to watch E.T. as a youngster, but watching it with my eldest child will create its only special memories for me – and hopefully for her, too.  In that sense, it was worth the wait.

Not that long ago I was talking to someone about Star Wars and they confessed they’d never seen any of the movies.  I found this even more surprising than my failure to watch E.T. at that point.  So this is what I'd like to ask:  is there a film you’ve been meaning to watch for years but have, for one reason or another, never quite gotten around to it?  Have you all but given up hope of watching it, or will you make time to eventually see it one day?

To answer the question, the shawshank redemption.

But more interestingly, what did you think of ET?

I personally think it's one of the greatest family films ever made and can still bring me close to tears. Perfect casting, story and music create the perfect storm. And it's way better than Napoleon dynamite.

i pretty much watched everything i wanted to watch . so its hard to think of anything but i have not seen schindlers list . Im not sure why but never really got the chance

Took me years to watch The Exorcist and having been swamped with gore in the intervening years (I love cheesy splatter movies), I couldn't see what the fuss was about as to why it was originally banned. Same with the original "Evil Dead" and "Texas Chainsaw Massacre".

Other films that I finally got round to watching and ended up thinking meh were the original "Get Carter" and "Psycho"

Never watched Top Gun or Dirty Dancing, never will.

Never seen Titanic and probably never will.

Never saw the Jordan video until recently. Hugely disappointed and as Super says, 'a dead ride'.

Saw that Jordan tape, booooring...in much the same way, I've no real desire to see the Tulisa sex tape or Kate Middleton's "two peas on an ironing board" breasts

I heard the Tulisa tape described as a woman sealing an envelope.

I remember ET. Auntie took us and she crashed her Cortina estate into the car park wall as she was spiralling up a level. Probably at Doncaster cinema.

And I do a good ET 'ouuuchhh' impression.

I have been meaning to see American Ninja 3 since the 80's. Left it too long now.

DAVE667 wrote:Took me years to watch The Exorcist and having been swamped with gore in the intervening years (I love cheesy splatter movies), I couldn't see what the fuss was about as to why it was originally banned. Same with the original "Evil Dead" and "Texas Chainsaw Massacre".

Other films that I finally got round to watching and ended up thinking meh were the original "Get Carter" and "Psycho"

I think the scene where she asks Jesus to ..........Whilst swinging a crucifix at her privates ........Kopped for The Exorcist..

Still haven't seen Raging Bull which is a little bit criminal and The Lion King which I don't really intend to.

Finally managed to see, fairly recently: Blade Runner, Cape Fear (de Niro version), Watership Down, Cinema Paradiso, North By Northwest, Rear Window, Seven Samurai and The Long Good Friday.

DAVE667 wrote:Saw that Jordan tape, booooring...in much the same way, I've no real desire to see the Tulisa sex tape or Kate Middleton's "two peas on an ironing board" breasts

Crack up   

Galted wrote:Still haven't seen Raging Bull which is a little bit criminal and The Lion King which I don't really intend to.

Finally managed to see, fairly recently: Blade Runner, Cape Fear (de Niro version), Watership Down, Cinema Paradiso, North By Northwest, Rear Window, Seven Samurai and The Long Good Friday.

I advise you not to watch this film Gaity.

Just don't watch it but if you do make sure its during the day, open all curtains , and have an open mind.

BEWARE THE BLACK RABBIT!

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:

DAVE667 wrote:Took me years to watch The Exorcist and having been swamped with gore in the intervening years (I love cheesy splatter movies), I couldn't see what the fuss was about as to why it was originally banned. Same with the original "Evil Dead" and "Texas Chainsaw Massacre".

Other films that I finally got round to watching and ended up thinking meh were the original "Get Carter" and "Psycho"

I think the scene where she asks Jesus to ..........Whilst swinging a crucifix at her privates ........Kopped for The Exorcist..

Meh...someone's mother sucked male chickens in Hell apparently...still don't see the big deal. Much like I didn't see the fuss made over banning Natural Born Killers (quite apart form the fact that Tarantino's original, and far superior, screenplay bore little resemblance to the finished product)

I've never watched Trainspotting. I have now purchased it and intend on rectifying that this week at some point.

trottb wrote:I've never watched Trainspotting. I have now purchased it and intend on rectifying that this week at some point.

Easily in my top 10 films of all time - just brilliant.

"Picture the scene: The other f*ckin' week there, doon the f*ckin' Volley with Tommy, playing pool. Am playing like Paul-F*ckin'-Newman by the way. Gieing the boy here the tannin' o a lifetime. So it comes to there, during the last shot, the deciding ball of the whole tournament. I'm on the black and he's sittin' in the corner looking all f*ckin' biscuit-ersed. When this hard c*nt comes in. Obviously fu*ckin' fancied himself, like. Starts staring at me. Lookin' at me, right f*ckin' at me, as if to say, "Come ahead, square go." You ken me, I'm no the type of c*nt that goes looking for f*ckin' bother, like, but at the end of the day I'm the c*nt with a pool cue and he can get the fat end in his puss any time he f*cking wanted like. So I squares up, casual like. What does the hard c*nt do? Or the so-called hard c*nt? Sh*tes it. Puts down his drink, turns, and gets the f*ck out of there. And after that, well, the game was mine."

You do realise it is not a documentary superfly?

Yeah - there's a happy ending - definitely not about a real Scottish junkie.

superflyweight wrote:

trottb wrote:I've never watched Trainspotting. I have now purchased it and intend on rectifying that this week at some point.

Easily in my top 10 films of all time - just brilliant.  

"Picture the scene: The other f*ckin' week there, doon the f*ckin' Volley with Tommy, playing pool. Am playing like Paul-F*ckin'-Newman by the way. Gieing the boy here the tannin' o a lifetime. So it comes to there, during the last shot, the deciding ball of the whole tournament. I'm on the black and he's sittin' in the corner looking all f*ckin' biscuit-ersed. When this hard c*nt comes in. Obviously fu*ckin' fancied himself, like. Starts staring at me. Lookin' at me, right f*ckin' at me, as if to say, "Come ahead, square go." You ken me, I'm no the type of c*nt that goes looking for f*ckin' bother, like, but at the end of the day I'm the c*nt with a pool cue and he can get the fat end in his puss any time he f*cking wanted like. So I squares up, casual like. What does the hard c*nt do? Or the so-called hard c*nt? Sh*tes it. Puts down his drink, turns, and gets the f*ck out of there. And after that, well, the game was mine."

Awesome film.

It's sh*te being Scottish! We're the lowest of the low. The scum of the f*cking Earth! The most wretched, miserable, servile, pathetic trash that was ever shat into civilization. Some hate the English. I don't. They're just w*nkers. We, on the other hand, are colonized by w*nkers. Can't even find a decent culture to be colonized by. We're ruled by effete assholes. It's a sh*te state of affairs to be in, Tommy, and all the fresh air in the world won't make any f*cking difference!

Anyone watched the adaptation of "Filth" with James McEvoy? Didn't go far enough into the depravity of the book but it was most enjoyable

Adam D wrote:To answer the question, the shawshank redemption.

But more interestingly, what did you think of ET?

I personally think it's one of the greatest family films ever made and can still bring me close to tears. Perfect casting, story and music create the perfect storm. And it's way better than Napoleon dynamite.

I thought it was a good film, Adam.  Like I say, it was brilliant watching it with my daughter.  Back in 1982 I was a similar age to Elliott, so the film does bring back memories of being a kid.  It's funny how emotionally attached you can get to some films.  The ending to 12 Angry Men always gets to me.  I haven't seen Napoleon Dynamite but vaguely remember a debate on here about whether it's better than E.T. or not. The Shawshank Redemption is definitely worth a viewing.

been going through few of the never got round to watching titles recently, did 12 angry men and old boy recently. and did shutter island last night out of the more recent ones. took me a while to watch the godfathers films

but cant think of too many ive missed over the years, just glanced through imbd top 100 and ive seen all the ones i wanted to watch. never seen casablanca properly though

Still haven't seen Pulp Fiction. Whenever it's on TV I always miss the start and I want to see it from start to finish.

Atila wrote:Still haven't seen Pulp Fiction. Whenever it's on TV I always miss the start and I want to see it from start to finish.

The start of Pulp Fiction's actually somewhere in the middle so you can carry on watching.