favorite movies (written march 10, 2003)

Ok, first off, I won’t debate my choices with anyone, especially you James, because I am not the movie girl. I’ve never seen the The Godfather, every time I’ve tried to watch it, it puts me to sleep. And I never seen Gone With the Wind, but I read the book, that should be good enough. Clearly I have three categories of movies, relationship stories, lame-ass comedies and the ones where people get killed. I don’t dig the drama and as wonderful a movie as Schindler’s List or the like may be, I know my history, I don’t go to the movies to learn, I got to be entertained…that said:

In no real order because how could I choose???

1) Animal House-I have seen it many, many times, it’s still funny, I will see it many more times, and it will still be funny

2) Some Like it Hot- men in drag are funny. It’s a fact. Marilyn Monroe was funny. That’s a fact too. Niagara is good, Seven Year Itch is good, but this is great.

3) Persuasion-the best romance movie I have ever seen. You’ve probably never heard of it, you probably don’t know who the actors are but I do and it’s one of the best adaptations of a book (Jane Austin) that I have ever seen.

4) Wizard of Oz-I’ve read the book, I like the movie better. It does what it’s supposed to do and it’s still really beautiful with the simplest, most beautiful special effects

5) Better Off Dead-gotta go with James on this one-Gee Ricky, I’m sorry your mom blew up

6) Reservoir Dogs-Now, I haven’t actually sat down and watched it in a long time but I remember loving it when I saw it the first time, the second time and the third time. Not to mention that it has some of my favorite boys in it…Harvey, Steve, Tim.

7) The Italian Job- I only recently saw it on the recommendation of James the Brit and I thank him for it. How can you not love a movie full of mini coopers?

8) The Winter Guest- this is another one of those relationship films but its really good, so subtle you might not even notice it. And it doesn’t hurt that it was directed by Alan Rickman

9) The African Queen-I love any movie Bogart was in, I love Bogart and I have since I was a kid. But the older I get, the more this becomes my favorite. It’s simple and beautiful

10) Sexy Beast- I love, love, love this movie! Ten minutes into I knew that this was one of my all time favorite movies ever. There is nothing I don’t like about this one although the rabbit man scares the crap out of me. Amazing on every level! Not a bad performance in the bunch and an awesome opening, right down to the stranglers song ( this would probably be #1 or #2 if I was going in order, fighting it out with Animal House).

11) Four Weddings and a Funeral-c’mon it is exactly what it says. But it’s a good romantic comedy w/o being too sentimental. Has a great cast and, you know the most oft used words in the movie are bugger and fuck. AND THEY DON’T EVEN GET MARRIED IN THE END!!! (and it’s written by one of my favorite screen/t.v. writers ever).

12) Jaws-for all the usual reasons but also because I occasionally forget how sexy Richard dryefuss and Roy Schneider can be

13) Mallrats- I make no excuses. I love this movie, you can have your ‘chasing Amy’ that ones bull shit. Mall rats is the real deal, he can deny it as much as he wants it’s the funniest movie Kevin smith has ever made and I’ll stand by it even if he won’t

14) I’ve been told that I said that Bedazzled (the original with Dudley Moore and Peter Cook) was one of my favorite movies. I don’t actually remember saying that but it’s funny and I love it.

15) I wasn’t going to say this one, but the more I think about it, the more I have to include The Blues Brothers. It’s just cool.

16) Now I’m feeling bad because I have so many modern movies so I just remembered one that I haven’t seen in a million years but I loved so much I swore I’d name my first child after one of the characters…A Tale of Two Cities (1935). I find the book tedious but the movie truly moved me. If I had a kid I might name it Sydney.

17) Mame- the Rosalind Russell version, not the Lucille Ball one. I always wanted tbe be Mame and I love her apartment and I think I already have the drunken best friend…

18) OK then there are all the movies that I wouldn’t classify as “favorites” and certainly not as “good” but that I love anyway. The bastard stepchild movies: Drop Dead Fred, Baseketball, PCU, Pretty in Pink, Sid and Nancy…stuff like that.

19) Then there’s all the stuff that I really do like but I just don’t want to put on my favorites list , like Casablanca, Willie Wonka, Wuthering Heights (the Laurence Oliver version), Move Over Darling, That Touch of Mink (love that Doris Day!), because they are favorites, but in a secondary way

20) Then, finally there are all the movies I can’t think of that I love and will remember after I send this…or the ones that I only saw once but thought we’re great but would have to see again to be sure (The Mission, Kafka, The Piano and my new sort of favorite Waydowntown).

21) And see, this is exactly what I’m talking about! How could I forget Breakfast at Tiffany’s? LOVE THAT MOVIE! Who cares about the racist Mickey Rooney portrayal of the Japanese photographer. Everyone in the story is a bad person, but you love them anyway.