What is Groucho’s Movie Challenge? Its mission is simple: let us all, as a forum, work to seek out films that might otherwise slip our radar. Each week, anybody who wants to participate will see a film within the guidelines, and return back to the forum to report on the film they saw. It’s easy, it’s fun, and everybody can participate. It’s not a trivia contest…it’s not a game…it’s merely a way we can all be exposed to new avenues of film appreciation…or at the very least see a good flick or two.

Week 5: IMDB Top 250

An easy one this week, due to the upcoming holiday weekend. Watch a film in the IMDB Top 250 (the top films as rated by IMDB users).

Some other guidelines:

1. It should be a film you have never seen before. If that’s not possible, go for a film that you haven’t seen for a very long time.

2. Please, only watch films that are over a year old. Newer films take time to “settle” and tend to be overrated on this list at first.

3. After you watch the film, add your rating to the IMDB mix…especially if you strongly disagree with the IMDB average. Tell us what the IMDB average was and what your vote was.

Watch your film whenever you have the time, and come back here to report…whether your experience was positive or negative.

Missed a previous version of the Movie Challenge? It’s never to late to play:

Week 1: Old Movie Week
Week 2: Foreign Film Week
Week 3: Silence is Golden
Week 4: The Truth is Stranger

Perhaps we should also try to see the highest ranking movie on the list that we've never seen before.

In my case that would be no. 47 Chinatown. Which I've always wanted to see, so I hope I can scrounge up a rental copy.

That's a good suggestion, and worth trying if you can find the film in question.

I guess I will open my Schindler's List and watch it for the first time.

What a coincidence, I just borrowed Chinatown DVD from my local library. They have a decent selection, I've been able to check out quite a few Criterions.

embarrassingly that would be 'Citizen Kane' for me.

reviews of last week's docu's coming soon...

Guess I'm watching American History X. There are a couple of films higher on the list that I haven't seen, but I'd rather see this one.

No need to be embarrassed . . . for me it's going to be Casablanca, but only because I haven't ordered The Seven Samurai yet (they are #8 and #7, respectively).

I keep hoping that someone will announce that they haven't seen The Godfather yet and will "save" us all.

My top unseen movie would be 12. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest followed by 30. Sunset Blvd. However I will be watching 119. The Searchers. After reading about it in another thread I got it from Netflix.

ps. What the heck is The Shawshank Redemption doing at #2. It's a good movie, but nowhere near that good.

I havent seen seven samuri either.

I guess I need to pick up a copy.

Does it count that I've almost seen all of em?

Looks like it's Annie Hall for me. I'm not a big Woody Allen fan, but most people I know seem to have enjoyed this film.

I've seen all but 4 of those. Luckily one of them is Schindler's list which I received from Columbia House a couple of weeks ago.

Another list which I'm sure you have all heard of is the Sight and Sound one. This would be a bit more challanging than the IMDB one.

Good challenge this week. It looks like it's Schindler's List for me too.

now can "Dogville" count? yes technically it came out in may of 2003 in forgien lands, but thats about a year right?

Since most IMDB voters are in the USA, let's say a film has to have been out in the USA for a year. I seriously doubt Dogville will be in the top 250 this time next year.

I'll be watching To Kill a Mockingbird. Never seen it, or read the book.

If I watch Amelie will that also cover week two?

I thought I was going to make it out of the top 100 but I pulled my card on 100 exactly.

100. Nuovo cinema Paradiso

#95 City Lights (1931) Chaplin... a film I never seen before for some reason...

I already watched The Great Dictator (#97) for the first time yesterday. Gonna watch Rio Bravo (#228) for the first time later today.

lawrence of arabia for me.

It will be Schindler's List for me as well.

Some Like It Hot.

I bought it last year from the Walmart bargain bin. I haven't watched it yet because it combines two genres I don't like: romantic comedy and crossdressing comedy.

This week, Groucho's Movie Challenge is making me watch a movie I've been avoiding.

My problem with the IMDB top 100 list is that it's a beauty contest. Rather than listing the best movies head-to-head, it tends to have the best from each genre. The most thrilling action movie, horror movie, romance, comedy, and so forth tend to get high marks. Movies that produce strong gut reactions usually get good votes.

Groucho, you might want to make a different challenge based on the top 100 lists from Roger Ebert, Tim Dirks, AFI, or BFI.