Imagine that you're sitting on your couch on a Saturday night. It's the kind of night where you are holding a bowl of popcorn, blanket tucked around your legs, with a glass filled to the brim with your favorite drink. What are you about to do? Are you going play Sudoku?
No, you're probably not. Unless you are into that sort of thing? I mean, I've played Sudoku a few times. It's actually not that bad.
The image that I'm trying to paint is that you're about to take a nose dive into a movie that will get your brain flowing and your heart pounding to the point where it's all you think about for the next 24 hours.
I have seen my fair share of films. I even took a film class once. World Cinema. There are very few subjects in this ol' world that I can confidently tell you that I'm skilled in, but knowing about things of the cinematic variety is definitely one of them.
What I'm going to do for you lovely people is assemble a few of my favorites into their respective categories and encourage each of you to give them a try. If you have already seen some of these, watch them again. These movies, I promise, will never get old.
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Movies That Were Beyond Your Time, And Mine:
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| On The Waterfront Trailer |
Like any movie junkie, I have a list of my favorites. It's a concrete list, one that I rarely change. I'm very critical when it comes to movies and which ones that I consider my favorites. On the Waterfront (1954) is rightfully number 4. Trust me when I tell you that my top three favorites are very, very good, because this movie is to die for. Marlon Brando was the king of the fifties (Sorry, James Dean.) and if you enjoy a good classic, then you'll definitely not be able to pass up this one.
Synopsis: "I coulda been a contenda. I coulda been somebody."
An ex-boxer is challenged to step-up to the mobster's controlling Hoboken's waterfront. This movie shows that personal redemption is possible.
Ladies, you'll love this one too. Eva Marie Saint plays the good girl to Marlon Brando's bad boy. Wink wink wink.
Honorable mentions: Dead End (Humphrey Bogart, 1937), The Adventures of Robin Hood (Errol Flynn, 1938)
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Movies That You Probably Won't Understand:
As you know, I have a knack for the exotic. That includes foreign films. If you don't get a headache reading subtitles, then I strongly advise you to step outside of Hollywood and see what the rest of the world can do. The United States is the holy grail of the film industry, but other countries are quickly gaining momentum.
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| The Man From Nowhere Trailer |
Let's head over to Asia with my absolute favorite foreign film. This is a movie that I forced my mother to watch because I had sat one weekend and watched it over and over again until I had to get someone else to watch it simply so I could talk about it. It had me on the edge of my seat, biting my nails, crying, sighing from relief, and then wondering why I put myself through such an emotional roller coaster.
Synopsis: The Man From Nowhere (South Korea, 2010) is an action packed film about a man who risks his life to save his kidnapped neighbor.
When I watch a movie, I tend to dissect it and nitpick things that I would have done differently. It's just a habit I have that really gets my creative mind flowing. There isn't a single piece of this movie that I would have done differently. My mother, who barely stays awake long enough to watch a movie in English, sat through all of this one and loved it. Subtitles and all.
Honorable Mentions: A Prophet (France, 2009) A Better Tomorrow (South Korea, 2010) - Rough Cut (South Korea, 2008) - Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India (India, 2001)
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Movies That Will Make You Fall in Love:
Let's bring it home one times for the ladies, shall we? I mean, some of you gents might even like a little love on the big screen. I'm not going to genderize the romance category.
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| The Pick-Up Artist Trailer |
When I think of love, I think of Molly Ringwald. She was the poster child of teenage love in the 80s. I mean, come on... She got to make out with Judd Nelson in a janitor's closet. I would cut off my left leg to make out with Judd Nelson in a janitor's closet. You know who else Molly Ringwald got to make out with in the 80s? Robert Downey Jr.
A young Robert Downey Jr at that. This was long before he grew a goatee and flew around in an iron suit. This is raw RDJ in his early years.
Synopsis: The Pick-Up Artist (1986) A womanizer (lawlz) meets his match with a woman that doesn't fall under the spell of his smooth one-liners.
"Has anyone ever told you that you have the face of a Botticelli and the body of a Degas?"
Honorable Mentions: Excess Baggage, (1997) Leap Year (2009), Breathless, (France, 1960),
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Movies that Will Make You Cry:
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| Shindler's List Trailer |
I'm a cryer. I'm not ashamed to admit that. The very minute the final scene from The Green Mile (1999) starts playing, I am already in a fit of tears. It hits me so hard in the feels I literally cannot stand myself. Or how about Armageddon (1998) with Bruce Willis? I cry ugly tears, UGLY TEARS. Kim Kardashian tears.
Schindler's List (1993) - The film is based on the true story of Oskar Schindler, a German businessman, who owned a factory during Nazi Germany. His factory was run by Polish Jews during the Holocaust. As you can probably imagine, this movie is powerful.
I remember watching this one my senior year of high school in my English class. I cried sitting on the floor, not even bothering to hide my tears. Half of my classmates cried too. The rest were just speechless. Years after watching this movie, I was able to visit a German concentration camp while vacationing in Germany. The tears came back with a vengeance.
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Movies that Will Make You Laugh:
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| Smokey and the Bandit Trailer |
There is only one movie that I know for a fact has the ability to make a 14 year old, a 21 year old, a 44 year old, a 45 year old, a 76 year old, AND an 84 year old laugh until there are tears in the corner of their eyes. Yes, I did just list the ages of everyone in my family. From my teenage brother to my elderly grandfather, there is one movie that we can all watch and laugh until we cry.
This movie is a staple for my family. We quote it every time the opportunity knocks. And trust me... it knocks... a lot.
Synopsis: Smokey and the Bandit (1977) A maverick racecar driver is challenged to bring a semi-truck filled with beer from Texas to Georgia in 28 hours. He picks up a runaway bride along the way and ultimately gets chased by the bride's groom and father-in-law.
My brother and I know this movie from front to back. It was a product of our raising and I strongly suggest that you add this to your to-do list.
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Movies That Star Tom Hardy:
Let's be honest. He's nice to look at. This had to be a category. Tom Hardy is one of those actors that you just can't help but like. He's versatile, subtle, and has the lips of a Roman god. Heyyyy. (insert woman emoji with her hand out here) In all honesty, I've never seen a Tom Hardy film that I didn't like. He starred in the autobiographical film Bronson, (2008) about inmate Charles Bronson, he starred alongside Chris Pine in the rom-com This Means War (2012) and then there was Warrior (2011).
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| Lawless Trailer |
I could listen to Tom Hardy grunt and groan as Forrest Bondurant for the rest of my life and never once complain. He makes a cardigan look manly. Can I get an amen? While watching this movie in theaters, I literally stood up from my seat and shouted at the screen. I'm not lying. I nearly walked out of the theater. Never in my life has a movie made me that nervous, that overwhelmed.
Synopsis: Three bootlegging brothers from Virginia are challenged by a new special deputy as they try to run moonshine during the Great Depression.
If you have already seen this movie, know that I am telepathically sending you a high five. If you haven't, then I suggest you take a second to get your life together.
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Movies That You Won't Watch Because They're Too Controversial:
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| Che Trailer |
Some of you may not even know who Che Guevara was, but I'm sure you've seen his face posted up on the t-shirts of several young, wannabe revolutionaries. He was an Argentine Marxist that befriended Fidel Castro and was a major figure in the Cuban Revolution. If you have a love for biopics, Cuba, Bolivia, and Benicio del Toro, then I suggest giving this film a try.
The film is split into two parts: the Cuban Revolution and his attempt at bringing a revolution to Bolivia. It's in Spanish, so once again, if you aren't a fan of subtitles... this one might not be for you.
I have only seen it one time, but I would watch it again. Benicio del Toro is a phenomenal actor and seeing a different view of such a controversial figure was intriguing.
Honorable Mentions: The Passion of the Christ, (2004)
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Movies Movies That You Usually Avoid But Shouldn't:
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| To Hell And Back Trailer |
Not many of you are going to know Audie Murphy, but he was a war hero, turned actor in the 50s that starred in his own autobiography about his experiences in World War II. Audie Murphy was the most decorated American combat soldier of WWII with the Medal of Honor as well as every single military combat award available from the US Army. He was a hero as well as an icon in Hollywood.
His film To Hell and Back (1955) is the story of his experiences during WWII and one that I strongly recommend for any of you that enjoy the classics.
Honorable Mentions: Zero Dark Thirty (2012), Three Kings (1999), The Hurt Locker (2008)
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Movies That Will Make You Want to Blow Something Up:
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| Snitch Trailer |
The next movie that I'm going to babble about completely slipped under my radar. This film came out during a time where I wasn't really watching much TV or paying attention to what was playing at the cinema. I hadn't even heard of it until my mother and I were standing at a Redbox kiosk sometime last summer. She is an avid fan of Dwayne Johnson... I usually prefer his wrestling days rather than his acting career, but that's another story.
We rented Snitch (2013) one weekend for a family movie night and I was on the edge of my seat. It genuinely surprised me at how unpredictable I found it to be. Normally, when I'm watching a movie I can already guess how it's going to end halfway through the film. I was wrong on this one and it was a pleasant surprise.
Synopsis: A man's estranged son is arrested on narcotics charges. In order to reduce his son's prison sentence, he becomes an informant.
Honorable Mentions: All Star Wars Movies in the History of Ever
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Movies That Won't End the Way You Think They Will:
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| Buried Trailer |
As I mentioned in the last category, there are very few movies that I cannot predict. Films with twist endings are the bane of my existence, yet I watch them because I'm a glutton for punishment. The moment in a film where you can physically heart your heart pounding is a complete adrenaline rush, like you've been running a mile when you've never even left your couch. It's like a workout for the lazy. There are several movies out there with endings that you're not expecting, one in particular that nearly gave me a heart attack.
Warning: If you are claustrophobic, don't even bother with this movie. The setting alone will make your head spin.
Buried (2010) starring Ryan Reynold's was a movie that I watched while I lived in Spain. Yes, I still had movie nights in Spain. I was there for months, long past the tourist stage. There was bound to be times when I sipped wine in my apartment and did nothing but watch movies.
Synopsis: A driver stationed in Afghanistan is kidnapped by a terrorist group, given a cellphone among other necessities, and buried alive inside a wooden coffin. The film is shot entirely in the coffin, so if you fear that sort of thing, don't even bother watching this.
Honorable Mentions: The Devil's Advocate (1997), The Usual Suspects (1995)
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Movies That You Shouldn't Watch in the Dark:
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| The Orphanage Trailer |
Speaking of watching movies in Spain, in my media class, my professor had us watch a Spanish film entitled El Orfanato, or The Orphanage (2007). There is talks of an English version of the film, but as of right now, there is the Spanish version. I know, I'm sorry... More subtitles. But I promise that it is worth seeing.
When I watched it in class, I nearly jumped out of my own skin on several occasions. I was so embarrassed at first, but after seeing how absorbed the rest of the class was in the film, my twitching like I was experiencing an exorcism didn't really matter.
Synopsis: A woman returns to the orphanage that she once stayed in as a child. Her, along with her husband and own adopted son, begin the process of reopening the facility. Her son, who has a habit of talking with his imaginary friends, goes missing and she vows to do anything and everything to find him.
Honorable Mentions: The Strangers (2008), The Omen (1976 or 2006)
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Movies That Have a Cult Following:
I'm sure by now some of you are wondering what my other two favorite movies are. I've named number two and number four so far, if you're still paying attention. This next film ranks in at number three. Rightfully, this film should be numero uno, but after a long, schizophrenic conversation with myself... I let it slide in at number 3.
This is a movie that my parents will no longer watch with me because I mumble every single line as we're watching. I've known it word for word as long as I can remember. It was the first movie I ever remember watching and one that I will love for the rest of my life.
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| The Crow Trailer |
Brandon Lee, son of the infamous Bruce Lee, was my Man Candy Monday long before I ever knew what MCM was. His character as Eric Draven in the 1994 cult classic, The Crow, inspired my love of leather jackets, rock music, and dark eyeliner. I have the score, not the soundtrack, the Graeme Revell score on my iTunes playlist. The whole thing. I've been obsessed with it, literally, since I was probably 4-5 years old.
Ask my mother the three things I loved most as a child: Barney, Martin Lawrence, and this movie.
Honorable Mentions: From Dusk Till Dawn (1996) - I strongly suggest this Quentin Tarantino film as well for those of you who are into the weird cult classics. This one stars a young George Clooney. Heyyyyyy, ladies. Wink wink.
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Movies That Will Make You Wish You Were A Little Bit Taller, Wish You Were a Baller:
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| Hardball Trailer |
We all love Denzel Washington in Remember the Titans (2000), or Sean Astin in Rudy (1993), but this next film is one of the greatest sports movies of all time. From the pitcher that sings Big Poppa by the Notorious B.I.G. to Keanu Reeves' gambling addiction, this film will make you fall in love with a little league baseball team from the wrong side of the tracks.
Hardball (2001) will surprise you. I can bet you that. Pun intended. The story is one that will captivate you and I can guarantee that you will be happy you watched it, if you haven't already. If I were going to write a screenplay for a baseball movie, this is definitely the one I would write.
Synopsis: A man in severe gambling debt is forced to become the new baseball coach for group of rag tag kids from the projects.
Honorable Mentions: We Are Marshall (2006)
For those of you that don't understand the category title, click this.
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Movies That You Should Encourage Your Children to Watch:
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| All Dogs Go to Heaven Trailer |
I've seen some of the animated films that have been released for this 00s kids and they aren't quite like the gems that I grew up with in the 90s. I understand that this generation has their own style of pop culture to grow up with, but it doesn't hurt to let them indulge in the throwbacks. My brother and I watched my mother's throwbacks, and look how hip we ended up being.
A film that I liked to eat Cheetos and watch on Saturday's was All Dogs Go To Heaven (1989). Most of you are probably smiling right now because you forgot about this precious gem. I'm sure when I type out "Let's make music together, let's make sweet harmony..." then you probably read it in the same singing voice as the Drag Queen alligator that made it famous. We grew up with fun movies like this one. Let your kids watch it.
And if you never watched it yourself, then go grab a bag of Cheetos and don't waste anymore time.
Honorable Mentions: Oliver & Company (1988), and every single Land Before Time film ever.
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And my favorite movie of all time:
Some of you will have trouble believing that this is my favorite movie, others won't really be that surprised. Even I sometimes wonder why, out of all the movies I've seen in my nearly 22 years, this one is the one I love most above all else.
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| Animal House Trailer |
National Lampoon's Animal House (1978) is the staple college movie that every freshman should see. It was the only movie I took with me to Louisville during my freshman year. I have two copies because mom and I both accidentally bought it for me one year for Christmas. (That's another story.) John Belushi is a comedic genius that died way, way too early and if you look real close in the film, you'll see Kevin Bacon.
You know all those Toga parties everyone knows and loves? You can thank Animal House for that.
Honorable Mention: (The Lost Boys, 1987) This one previously held the top spot for several years, long before I had ever seen Animal House. It's another movie that I know like the back of my hand.
These are movies that inspire me, movies that make me laugh, make me cry. There is nothing that I enjoy more than finding a movie that really gets me overwhelmed, emotional, and ready to watch it again. The power in cinema, back to its very foundation, has never wavered. It gives us a chance to escape reality, if only for a moment, and see an alternate universe where things happen the way we want them to. I hope you've found a new film to add to your watch list.
Cheers, friends... and happy viewing.
Beneath each movie poster is a link to their official trailer on YouTube.
Cheers, friends... and happy viewing.
Beneath each movie poster is a link to their official trailer on YouTube.
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