The Godfather of all film fibs

YOU may have missed the show due to an offer you couldn’t refuse, or frankly (my dear) didn’t give a damn when it was out, but finally your secret has been uncovered.

A 1,500 person-strong survey has found that, despite claims to the contrary, many amateur film buffs have failed to see some of the silver screen’s most revered classics.

International rental firm Lovefilm has compiled a list of the top 10 movies people are most likely to lie about watching.

According to the survey, Francis Ford Coppola’s 1972 classic gangster film The Godfather is the most popular screen saga movie-goers pretend to have seen.

Despite having a gross revenue of more than €250 million, winning three Oscars and being given the honour of preservation at the US National Film Registry, 30% of those surveyed admitted lying about watching the first part of the iconic Corleone trilogy.

The 1942 romantic drama Casablanca — whose final line has become the catchphrase for star-crossed lovers and one-night-stand departures alike — is second on the list, with 13% of survey respondents pretending to have watched Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman say their goodbye.

Among the remaining most lied about movies in the survey’s top 10 list are 1976 hit Taxi Driver (11% of respondents have lied about seeing); 1968 epic 2001: A Space Odyssey (9%); 1992 blockbuster Reservoir Dogs (8%); hilarious 1984 mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap (7%); and 1979 war classic Apocalypse Now (6%).

Others on the list are 1990 gangster flick Goodfellas (5%); 1982 thriller Blade Runner (5%); and 1963 classic The Great Escape (4%).

The survey findings are likely to cause some awkward moments from self-styled film experts.

However, in some cases there are mitigating circumstances: a psychopathic space ship voice, a back-room casino scene involving a card-counter and a vice, and let’s face facts, Marlon Brando’s bloated appearance are enough to put anyone off their popcorn.

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The top 10 was as follows:

1. The Godfather (30%)

2. Casablanca (13%)

3. Taxi Driver (11%)

4. 2001: A Space Odyssey (9%)

5. Reservoir Dogs (8%)

6. This Is Spinal Tap (7%)

7. Apocalypse Now (6%)

=8. Goodfellas (5%)

=8. Blade Runner (5%)

10. The Great Escape (4%)