Terrapin Tables

I wouldn't do anything like Apocalypse Now, since it's just so slow and down...everyone would be all glum and shit. And Anchorman, well that's way too recent to use a special slot. On the other hand, you'd totally be able to make as much noise as you wanted during Anchorman, since it's your show...or just have Rick up front acting out the Will Ferrell parts.

I think if I had won, the first movie would be either Zero Effect, Ghost Dog, or Two Lane Blacktop. The second would be Big Lebowski.

This is the coolest contest ever. I like the idea of a serious one and a comedy. I'll try to think of movies that are either better suited for the big screen (like Saving Private Ryan from your list), or are old enough that we never got to see them in the theater (Godfather).

I've rated over 1,000 movies at Netflix, and Netflix will show me my highest rated - here's some of 'em. Not too many in either category I was going for though - just overall good movies, or 80's movies that we may want to see again.

The Abyss (director's cut)
Back to the Future
Casino
Donnie Darko
Fear of a Black Hat (hey, I have to try)
Goodfellas
History of the World, Part 1
Indiana Jones
Ronin
Top Gun (again, worth a shot)
Usual Suspects
The Meaning of Life (Monty Python)
Raging Bull
The Three Amigos

This is a kick ass contest, no doubt there. Some ideas from me (focus on Sci-Fi just cause of theater size):

Hoop Dreams
Aliens
28 Days Later
Predator
Coming to America
Blade Runner
and to concur with Rick, the epic that is the director's cut of the Abyss

More random ideas awaiting feedback:
Fight Club, Office Space, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Way of the Gun, Requiem for a Dream, A Perfect World, South Park

I once went to a double feature of one of the Naked Gun movies and then The Ref, which was just one helluva day of laughing.

For this contest, well, there are just so many to choose from: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000219/

I would recommend the serious film be one that translates well to the effects of the big screen. Then again, my favorite movie is The Uusal Suspects, which doesn't exactly qualify.

I would probably screen Weekend at Bernies, if only so my sister and I could watch it one more time.

Serously, I would think about this in terms of movies that, if you stumble across them, you cannot turn them off - Star Wars, Coming to America, Field of Dreams, and Indiana Jones (not the Temple of Doom) come to mind. I suppose you can't do music videos, but I would LOVE to see Thriller on the big screen.

Sorry this wasn't very helpful...will try to think of more.

Requiem for a Dream - you beat me to it.

As for something funny, there are a lot of my personal favorites on here already. I dunno, Kingpin? Old School? Major League? Those are all kind of dumb, there are better ones on this site already.

Rounders? The Natural?

More suggestions, with a slant towards older movies:

Masters of the Universe
Transformers
TMNT
Interview with a Vampire
Army of Darkness
Caddyshack
Animal House
Airplane!
The Princess Bride

Psycho
Citizen Kane
The Shining
Jaws
Blade Runner
Patton
Planet of the Apes
SuperBabies: Baby Geniuses 2 (I kid)

Scarface, The Untouchables, Roger Rabbit, Gladiator, Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle, Zoolander?

So Chad told me about this...sounds pretty freakin' awesome. If I were picking a serious movie that translates well to the big screen and a comedy, I'd go with 2001: A Space Odyssey and Dr. Strangelove, respectively. What can I say, I'm a fan of Kubrick.

Two other movies I'd recommend that have amazing visuals are a pair of Akira Kurosawa films- Ran, which is an adaptation of King Lear set in Feudal Japan and Yume (Dreams) which is a collection of 8 short...for lack of a better description, dreamlike films. Martin Scorsese walks around in a painting and there's a nuclear meltdown and cool stuff like that.

Well, lot's of good suggestions so far. To help narrow it down, like Rick said, I'd suggest going for movies better suited for the big screen, and that are old enough that we never saw them that way. For the serious movie, I'd go for The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. For the non-serious movie, I don't know. There aren't too many comedies that need to be seen on the big screen to be appreciated. Maybe The Big Lebowski for the dream sequences, or Animal House just because. You could always ditch a comedy and do something like the Transformers movie. If you're going to do Star Wars, see if you can get the original, non-Greedo shooting first version.

I asked a guy at work and he suggested Casablanca. I don't concur.

It may be a little gay, but maybe Rocky Horror Picture Show for a comedy that works better on the big screen with an audience involved.

I'd like to use my veto (I'm not sure I get a veto, after all, I suggested Exit Wounds) on Rocky Horror Picture Show. I understand Fatboy's point about the audience, I just don't like that movie. But I want to second his other suggestions - the non-Greedo shooting version of Star Wars and Animal House. That would be a quality pairing right there. Animal House makes me think of another quality college-based comedy that was ahead of its time - PCU.

How about Rocky - that's a serious movie that ought to be good on the big screen that we didn't get a chance to see in theatres.

since no ladies have replied - at least i don't think so, since one response was anonymous - i figured i'd put in my votes.
my favorite movies, which would probably bode well at this point in the year, are a league of their own and field of dreams. other ideas i liked that you guys mentioned are jaws and indiana jones. that being said, i've never seen classics like godfather or star wars so i probably have no legs to stand on. of course, old school is my vote for the comedy and i always love a good caddyshack. i'd want to see something with really quality cinematography, beautiful pictures.
i dunno, this is a very difficult job. i just realized that i'm horrible at this.

John needs to call the theater and ask if it's okay to play all 76 movies suggested to him rather than just 2.

Oh, I also need to add the Bambi + Porn suggestion from the bar tonight. That would be awesome.

Well, after skimming through IMDB's top 250, my only other real recommendation would be A Clockwork Orange. (Trainspotting and Duck Soup would be good, but I just don't see getting anything more out of a theater than what you can get off a DVD.)

Ok, so I just left a message with the Silver Theatre requesting Heat and The Big Lebowski. So I suppose I'll just have to wait and see. Thanks to everyone for your help and suggestions.