The Best Movies You Haven't Seen (2016)

PopGap #22: My Shadow Top 20 Completed!

By dorrk, January 2nd 2017
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Who knows what movies lurk in the hearts of men?

For the last two months of 2016, I let the movie recommendation engine MovieLens engine pick a "Shadow Top 20" for me to watch: movies I hadn't seen that it considered similar to my 20 favorite movies of all-time. While it spit out some inspired and quirky recommendations (and a few way wide of the mark), the aggregate results were no more positive than my randomized selections using the Movie Slot Machine.

While eight of the movies in my "Shadow Top 20" broke above 80th percentile of my Flickchart, the average across all 20 was a decent but not staggering 68%. I liked and/or respected a majority of the movies, but didn't love any of them.

Shadow Top 20 Watchlist Results

Headhunters (2011)

Headhunters (2011)

Dir: Morten Tyldum
Read more... Similar to: Vertigo
Funny Games (1997)

Funny Games (1997)

The Chaser (2008)

The Chaser (2008)

Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India (2001)

Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India (2001)

Dir: Ashutosh Gowariker
Read more... Similar to: West Side Story
The Collector (1965)

The Collector (1965)

My Dinner with Andre (1981)

My Dinner with Andre (1981)

The Verdict (1982)

The Verdict (1982)

13 Tzameti (2005)

13 Tzameti (2005)

Jules and Jim (1962)

Jules and Jim (1962)

Dir: François Truffaut
Read more... Similar to: Manhattan
Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974)

Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974)

Dir: Martin Scorsese
Read more... Similar to: The Graduate
The Goodbye Girl (1977)

The Goodbye Girl (1977)

Kon-Tiki (2012)

Kon-Tiki (2012)

Dir: Joachim Rønning, Espen Sandberg
Read more... Similar to: The Empire Strikes Back
Once Upon a Time in America (1984)

Once Upon a Time in America (1984)

A Christmas Carol (1951)

A Christmas Carol (1951)

Seven Psychopaths (2012)

Seven Psychopaths (2012)

Highlander (1986)

Highlander (1986)

Dir: Russell Mulcahy
Read more... Similar to: Star Wars
The Band Wagon (1953)

The Band Wagon (1953)

The Professional (1981)

The Professional (1981)

A Very Long Engagement (2004)

A Very Long Engagement (2004)

Dir: Jean-Pierre Jeunet
Read more... Similar to: Apocalypse Now

 Reference: My Current Top 20 Movies

#1: The Godfather Part II (1974)

#1: The Godfather Part II (1974)

Dir: Francis Ford Coppola
#2: The Godfather (1972)

#2: The Godfather (1972)

Dir: Francis Ford Coppola
#3: West Side Story (1961)

#3: West Side Story (1961)

Dir: Jerome Robbins, Robert Wise
#4: Manhattan (1979)

#4: Manhattan (1979)

Dir: Woody Allen
#5: The Graduate (1967)

#5: The Graduate (1967)

Dir: Mike Nichols
#6: Tootsie (1982)

#6: Tootsie (1982)

Dir: Sydney Pollack
#7: Apocalypse Now (1979)

#7: Apocalypse Now (1979)

Dir: Francis Ford Coppola
#8: The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

#8: The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

Dir: Irvin Kershner
#9: Star Wars (1977)

#9: Star Wars (1977)

Dir: George Lucas
#10: The Exorcist (1973)

#10: The Exorcist (1973)

Dir: William Friedkin
#11: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

#11: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

Dir: Peter Jackson
#12: Taxi Driver (1976)

#12: Taxi Driver (1976)

Dir: Martin Scorsese
#13: Annie Hall (1977)

#13: Annie Hall (1977)

Dir: Woody Allen
#14: Vertigo (1958)

#14: Vertigo (1958)

Dir: Alfred Hitchcock
#15: Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

#15: Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

Dir: Steven Spielberg
#16: Boogie Nights (1997)

#16: Boogie Nights (1997)

Dir: Paul Thomas Anderson
#17: The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)

#17: The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)

Dir: Tobe Hooper
#18: It's a Wonderful Life (1944)

#18: It's a Wonderful Life (1944)

Dir: Frank Capra
#19: Singin' in the Rain (1952)

#19: Singin' in the Rain (1952)

Dir: Stanley Donen, Gene Kelly
#20: Zodiac (2007)

#20: Zodiac (2007)

Dir: David Fincher

Trailers for the Shadow Top 20 Watchlist

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More Info:

I'll post reviews for all the movies on this blog, and live-tweet most viewings here:
https://twitter.com/popgap

As movies are added to this list, I'll add them to Letterboxd, here:
https://letterboxd.com/dorrk/list/popgap-2016-11-12-my-shadow-top-20

You can keep track of my Flickchart here:
http://www.flickchart.com/Charts.aspx?user=dorrk

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