Today, teh interwebs are all about the movies. So, in the interest of giving Greg some choices to ponder and Mme. Piggy a list to carry her into the winter, here are my favorite movies that you probably haven’t seen.
1. A Song Is Born: a bunch of jazz greats in a very silly movie with Danny Kaye and Virginia Mayo.
2. Streets of Fire: Michael Pare, Diane Lane, Rick Moranis, Willem Dafoe, Robert Townsend, a sledgehammer duel and one of the two best soundtracks of the eighties.
3. Black Widow: Debra Winger and Theresa Russell in the kind of cat and mouse movie that’s usually reserved for male leads.
4. The Women: the 1939 version. See why the remake was doomed from the start to live in the shadow of the original.
5. Born Yesterday: also the original, because Melanie Griffith is no Judy Holiday. Wide-eyed patriotism at its finest and funniest.
6. Strictly Ballroom: good luck sitting still–and not gaping at the surrealism.
7. Down by Law: Roberto Begnini, Tom Waits, Jim Jarmusch, ice cream, bunnies and jailbreak.
8. Deathtrap: twists, turns, reversals and one of the first big-name gay smooches in the movies.
9. What a Way to Go!: the costumes! The cast! The deaths!
10. Keeping Mum: sweet black comedy as only the British can do it. With Maggie Smith. Rowan Atkinson is the straight man.
So, what overlooked gems have I missed?
12 comments
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Greg Laden
December 19, 2008 at 4:24 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Black Widow. Yes, had I thought of it I would have put it on my list. Strictly Ballroom: Saw it but don’t remember it. You and I both overlooked The Producer. Not The Producers. The Producer. In fact, I’d take The Producers off to put the Producer on.
Greg Laden
December 19, 2008 at 4:26 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
no no no, that’s The Player. The Player. Must add.
Stephanie Zvan
December 19, 2008 at 4:28 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I didn’t care for The Player, actually. The meanness just wasn’t relieved by enough else.
Greg Laden
December 19, 2008 at 5:26 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I don’t remember any meanness. I mainly remember rolling parodies of the movie industry and a thousand cleverly placed cameos.
Stephanie Zvan
December 19, 2008 at 5:55 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
That would be mostly meanness in the sense of things being done for petty stakes. I just didn’t care about anything that happened. If I had to add an Altman (which I’d be happy to do), I’d make it Gosford Park. I will never be able to look at drawing room mysteries the same way again, which is good.
Dr. J
December 20, 2008 at 8:04 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Black widow – definitely seen, more than once, and yes very good! Strictly Ballroom also, great soundtrack.
Mme Piggy
December 20, 2008 at 11:42 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Nice List, Stephanie! I haven’t seen any of these with the exception of Strictly Ballroom. I will start Netflixing (a new verb!) right now!
Greg Laden
December 20, 2008 at 2:39 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Now, I know you are an English Lit/Language expert type of person, MP, but would that not be “netflicking?” … sounds better, anyway.
Stephanie Zvan
December 20, 2008 at 3:34 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Okay, since everyone who is commenting has seen Strictly Ballroom, maybe I should change that one to I Love You to Death: a study in infidelity and ineptitude–and Keanu Reeves’ most believable role.Dr. J, I have the soundtrack too. Love it, although I prefer Cake’s version of “Perhaps Perhaps Perhaps.”As host, I think I’m going to have to make a ruling in favor of “Netflixing.” We just don’t use enough Xs.
Betül
December 21, 2008 at 12:14 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Have you watched Oldboy? It is a Korean movie. A little rough but I love it in the name of art
Recommended.http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0364569/
Mme Piggy
December 21, 2008 at 3:47 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Yay for Xs. Also, I forgot to add CLUE to my own list. It is definitely most excellent.
Stephanie Zvan
December 22, 2008 at 7:16 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Hi, Betül. No, I haven’t seen Oldboy. I’ll have to keep an eye out for it.Mme. Piggy, Clue is indeed excellent. However, if I had to pick a silly mystery to include on my list, it would have to be Murder by Death.