Can’t Click Through…
The elegant and entertaining Elsie listed some of her favorite movies that she absolutely cannot pass by when surfing the channels. This looks like a good start for another meme (something to keep our minds occupied between medications), so I’ll throw it back out there and see if it sticks. Elsie listed four, but did not prescribe any rules, giving us great liberties, which, of course, I will be all over, like blue on a berry.
Like Elsie, I rarely watch a movie more than once. Oh, occasionally, there may be a re-viewing many years later, either purposely or accidentally. There is nothing that gets my panties in a wad more than watching a bad movie for an hour or more and then slowly start recalling that I’ve seen it before, and it is still bad enough to be unmemorable. But there are a few — very few — that I have seen multiple times and look forward to seeing again and again. These are also among my favorites as listed on my Likes/Dislikes page. So, with that prelude, here are the movies that, given no other constraints, I would not click through but stop and watch… again…
To Kill A Mockingbird: (1962) My all time favorite movie. I cannot resist the riveting, Academy Award, performance of Gregory Peck, the cultural significance of the story by Harper Lee, or Robert Duvall’s big screen debut. My own childhood is so heavily reflected in the lives of the three children, Jem, Scout, and Dill, that may be the clincher for me.
Mockingbird was nominated for eight Academy Awards, winning three. In 1995, the movie was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”. (Source: Wikipedia)
Notting Hill: (1999) I had never been big on romantic comedy, then along came Notting Hill. I was instantly in love with Julia Roberts’ character, Anna Scott. The storyline, the direction, and the supporting actor entourage were all magnificent. This was my first real notice of Hugh Grant, who convinced me in my first viewing of the movie that if and when I grow up, I want to be Hugh Grant
A Fish Called Wanda: (1988) A couple of hours of slapstick British comedy that always makes me laugh out loud, something I seldom do. Kevin Kline delivers an excellent performance, Jamie Lee Curtis seduces me as she always does, but the what makes this movie work are the side-splitting deliveries by John Cleese and his Monty Python brother, Michael Palin.
Kelly’s Heroes: (1970) An offbeat war movie in the same genre and time frame as M.A.S.H. and The Dirty Dozen (two other favorites of mine), all you really have to see is the cast to know why it is a great movie. The cast included: Clint Eastwood, Donald Sutherland, Telly Savalas, Don Rickles, and Carroll O’Connor, with lesser roles played by Harry Dean Stanton, Gavin MacLeod, and Stuart Margolin.
Sometimes I surprise myownself. After carefully thinking through Elsie’s challenge and listing the movies, it is shocking that the list includes no sports movies, no sci-fi, and nothing closer to violence than Kelly’s Heroes, which is far more comedy than blood and guts war violence. The absence of such will undoubtedly call my manhood into question in some quarters. I confidently stand my ground and loudly renounce Lifetime: Television for Women to support my case.No tags. If you like Elsie’s concept, just pick it up and run with it, though not as slowly as me…
13 Comments so far
My not-so-active husband and I watched a long series of old classic Westerns on TNT (or AMC or TBS or one of those) over the holidays. High Noon, Clint Eastwood can be watched again…then there was Rio Bravo with John Wayne and Dean Martin (what a hoot). It was entertaining. Don’t any of you watch good ole’ Sunday afternoon Westerns?
My question is: how did you “carefully think through the challenge” during this time of overindulgence in all things nourishing and medicinal?
You have selected some fine films. Kelley’s Heroes has many quotes that I use on a regular basis. They just seem to stick with me. Always with the Negative Waves, Kinda makes ya homesick, don’t it? and We got the game on all come to mind.
I have several movies that I have watched many times. One chic flick is Pretty Woman. But also Diamonds are Forever and From Russia With Love. Blast From the Past and Grosse Pointe Blank also capture my attention. That is about all I can think of in my weakened condition while suffering from the Martian Death flu.
OK, I’ll jump in with my “multiple watch” favorites:
Dr. Strangelove
Dr. Shivago
Office Space
O’ Brother where Art Thou
Saving Private Ryan
For what that’s worth…
So far each of you has reminded me of at least one more that could have properly rounded out my list. Bonnie, I’m not really big on Westerns, but there are some Clint Eastwood movies that I would have trouble bypassing. “Every Which Way But Loose” is one. Ingineer tweaked my weakness for Julia Roberts with “Pretty Woman”. And twomartini, who can’t spell Zhivago, really pointed out a disconnect in my synaptic nodes. How could I possibly leave out “O’Brother…”?
What, no “Blade Runner?” No “Lord of the Rings?”
Later, gerry
How come it is that you don’t allow comments on your likes/dislikes page?
Gerry: I don’t really remember. It has been like that since I started 2-1/2 years ago and nobody asked (pun intended) … until now. It sounds as if you might want to leave a rant or rave, so I’ll go turn on the comments now…
I’m with you on to kill a mockingbird and fish called wanda…great movies for intirely different reasons…the pink panther movies with peter sellers make me laugh till I pee…and I still will watch the 13th floor and quarterback princess for my own weird reasons..although the quarterback princess is a tv movie..I still love it..
ok, I’m slow… hoping to be late for my own funeral, too
I love To Kill A Mockingbird… then from there I will add: ‘Harvey’ (Jimmy Stewart), ‘Dangerous Minds’ (Michelle Pfeiffer), ‘Million Dollar Baby’ (Hillary Swank and Clint Eastwood), ‘Finding Forrester’ (Sean Connery), ‘Instinct’ (Anthony Hopkins and Cuba Gooding, Jr.)
…crikey, I may do a whole post of my own!
Elegant and entertaining? I’ve got you fooled!
Notting Hill is also a favorite. You wanting to be Hugh Grant? Why? In the words of Jay Leno, “What were you thinking?”
Redneck, there’s still time, and it’s not expensive. About the same as a fifth of Jack Daniels, the official currency of the great State of Tennessee…
Elsie, I’ll admit I’m easily fooled and even gullible at times. But in your case, not. Actually, I want to be Howie Long if/when I grow up, but will settle for being Hugh Grant. As to why, I think I feel another blog post coming over me…
LOL I like your choices (Got to love any think with Greg or Clint) and am making a note to continue this at my blog.
BTW, good job for your Titans and I confess I was cheering (only ’cause I wanted the Browns in the playoffs. Sigh) Normally I would have been cheering Tennessee. I really dislike Indianapolis and if you don’t understand that, think Art Modell and Bob Irsay. You know you’re from NE Ohio if you can say, “Art Modell can go to hell!” in you’re sleep. I can say it loudly and clearly. Sigh.
Good luck to the Titans — another team that sold their fans (in Texas) out. Sigh
Kelly’s Heroes - where the tanks go in playing music. I can’t think of the song.