MetaChat - 24 Films you can't watch more than once.

Yes I can*. The first film on the list, "Requiem For A Dream", I've watched at least three times. I've watched "Irreversible" twice (first time without subtitles, second time with). I would definitely watch "Grave Of The Fireflies" again, the same for "Dancer In The Dark" (or any other of those on the list that I've seen).

* Someone had to say this, so it may as well be me.

posted by Daniel Charms 11 October | 05:10

Yeah, not sure about the "Can't watch them again" statement, but some of them, like "Sick," are pretty damn sick.

posted by Brittanie 11 October | 05:40

Is it good or bad if you haven't seen a single one of those films even once?

Because that's me.

posted by dg 11 October | 06:01

Wow! I have seen almost all the films on the list. I guess I need to get a life.

posted by govtdrone 11 October | 06:48

I've never seen any of them, and don't intend to -- I won't deliberately watch disturbing movies, no matter how good they are, and I'm sure all of these are excellent. Once Upon a Time in the West is a possible candidate for this list that I unfortunately have seen.

Just last night, innocently flipping channels (and I don't have very many channels to flip through), I came across something so completely upsetting that I had trouble sleeping, and I never have trouble sleeping. Am now seriously contemplating tossing the tv into the garbage can.

posted by JanetLand 11 October | 07:12

Do you mean Once Upon a Time in America, JanetLand? OUATI the West (a spaghetti Western) is pretty mild, violence-wise.

posted by matthewr 11 October | 07:21

No, I mean Once Upon a Time in the West, with Henry Fonda and that other guy. It has an extremely horrible ending involving a hanging and a harmonica.

posted by JanetLand 11 October | 07:23

Well, I've seen Safe, Straw Dogs, and Last House On The Left multiple times. I'd like to see Requiem For A Dream again, but yeah, that's a tough one to watch a second time.

I haven't seen Dancer In The Dark but would like to, and Irreversible sounds intriguing, but I'm not sure I'm up to it.

I would add to the list: Salo and Night and Fog.

posted by BoringPostcards 11 October | 07:27

I've been unable to watch 'The Grave of the Fireflies' even once. The summary it's sad enough for me.

posted by Memo 11 October | 09:51

I've seen seven of these. Each once and I don't think I'd ever watch them again. I know people who adore Requiem For a Dream, but I hated it. Not because it was tough to watch, but because I thought it was so hokey and heavy-handed.

My own personal "never again" list would include Trainspotting (which I hated) and Breaking the Waves (which I loved, but absolutely gutted me). Also, any adaptation of The Little Match Girl. I saw one as little girl and it broke my poor little baby heart.

posted by jrossi4r 11 October | 10:10

Feh. I *own* most of those.

posted by chuckdarwin 11 October | 11:40

I own most of those too and I've watched Straw Dogs and Requiem For a Dream in the past two weeks or so.

posted by arse_hat 11 October | 12:43

I've watched Once Upon a Time in the West a bunch of times. I love it.

I own Grave of the Fireflies. It was a gift. It's still in its shrinkwrap; I can't bring myself to watch it.

I would add Once Were Warriors to the list, but that's probably just me.

posted by small_ruminant 11 October | 12:52

I Spit On Your Grave would probably go on this list. I'm not sorry I watched it once, though, despite its rep.

posted by small_ruminant 11 October | 12:53

Any chance at someone copy-pasting this list here? The link keeps crashing my browser.

I bet I've seen most of these more than once.

posted by Hugh Janus 11 October | 13:01

While I'm making that list, here's a link to the print version, which might work okay.

Dang, I forgot to post this comment. Well, here's that list:

1. Requiem For A Dream (2000)
2. Dancer In The Dark (2000)
3. The Passion Of Joan Of Arc (1928)
4. The Seventh Continent (1989)
5. Winter Light (1962)
6. Bad Lieutenant (1992)
7. Straw Dogs (1971)
8. Audition (1999)
9. Sick: The Life And Death Of Bob Flanagan, Supermasochist (1997)
10. Come And See (1985)
11. In A Year Of 13 Moons (1978)
12. Safe (1995)
13. Irreversible (2002)
14. Boys Don't Cry (1999)
15. Grave Of The Fireflies (1988)
16. When The Wind Blows (1986)
17. Leaving Las Vegas (1996)
18. Jonestown: The Life And Death Of Peoples Temple (2006)
19. S-21: The Khmer Rouge Killing Machine (2003)
20. The Last House On The Left (1972)
21. Million Dollar Baby (2004)
22. United 93 (2006)
23. Lilya 4-Ever (2002)
24. Nil By Mouth (1997)

posted by box 11 October | 13:09

I would add Once Were Warriors to the list, but that's probably just me.

I had forgotten about that movie. That was a rough one, too.

posted by jrossi4r 11 October | 14:29

Breaking the Waves is quantifiably harder to re-watch than Dancer in the Dark. But I own it and I love it very much.

Dogville might be a good addition to this list.
and Oldboy. Gawd, I hated the direction that one went.
I don't think I could watch Zodiac again for the realistic repeat stabbing, or The Last King of Scotland. Grody torture is grody. I recently watched The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and barely made it through once. So fucking gross. Blehhhhhh.

posted by Ambrosia Voyeur 11 October | 14:30

Cool, thanks, box.

I watch Joan of Arc at least once a year. But quite a few of the others do fit their criteria.

posted by Hugh Janus 11 October | 14:39

and Oldboy. Gawd, I hated the direction that one went.

Oh, yes. Yes.

posted by BoringPostcards 11 October | 17:48

Oldboy was excellent. But if you're not in that frame of mind then try Wonderful Days (again from S. Korea); it might give you joy. Tale of Two Sisters might creep you out, but I don't remember anything gruesome happening.

I'm stunned that Nil By Mouth made it. Equally, from Ambrosia, that you hated Dogville. Dogville was, imo obviously, astonishing.

I would agree with not seeing Zodiac again tho. Not because of the stabbing scene, but that's a good reason to stay away - those sounds are still in my head - but because it was a crap film.

Having said that, Texas Chainsaw Massacre is a great film.

posted by urbanwhaleshark 11 October | 18:37

Ichi the Killer. It was great in its way, but man....

posted by malaprohibita 12 October | 13:56

I loved Dogville!! But It should go on that list, based on the content of the list.

posted by Ambrosia Voyeur 12 October | 14:26

A few on this list, I have yet to make it through even once.

I shut down Irreversible after a minute or two of what (I read in this article) is a nine-minute single-take scene. I'll watch it someday, but that day ain't today.

Audition is the single film I can think of that actually triggered my gag reflex. I had to stop the DVD for a moment, turn on the lights, and regain control over my gorge. And no, I'm not planning to see it ever again, though I enjoyed the subtle plot-creep, how it starts as a light-hearted romantic thriller, and ends up, uh, elsewhere.

Ambrosia Voyeur, are you talking about the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre, or the remake? I recently watched the original again and was surprised how little visceral response it triggered in me. (Of course, different people, different responses --- just curious.)

Urbanwhaleshark, I lovedTale of Two Sisters!

posted by Elsa 12 October | 16:50

The original. That's about as graphic a film as I've ever seen... though I'll probably remember something worse... I haven't seen any of the new uber-horrible crop.

posted by Ambrosia Voyeur 15 October | 13:58

Breaking The Waves was devastating. Amazing but devastating. i always refer to it as a great movie i plan to never see again.

posted by ethylene 15 October | 14:10

11 October 2007