Actually, I just haven't had a whole lot to blog about the past week or so. I made a very delicious crock pot sweet potato chili last weekend, but the only picture I managed to snap of it was taken on my cell phone. Even in natural light, it was just a horrible picture not worthy of posting. I've been eating the chili all week and have only a bowlful left. Hopefully I can remember to get out the big guns, a.k.a. David's mamma-jamma camera that I don't really understand how to use, and take a nicer quality photo before I gobble it all up. If and when I do that I'll be sure to post the recipe. It was a keeper.
Anyways, back to le cinema...
Anyone who knows me well knows that I am a bonafide movie-lover. And when I say bonafide, I mean do not mess with me kind of bonafide. I'm not a genius and I certainly have not seen every movie under the sun, but I have most definitely seen more than my fair share. And perhaps a few others' fair shares.
The passion for movies is truly in my blood. My parents loved movies, as well as my cousins, aunts and uncles. Particularly on my father's side, they are all very serious movie lovers. My sisters and I grew up almost speaking our own kind of language--particularly my oldest sister Lauren and I. To this day, she and I can have an entire conversation quoting lines from movies, which nobody seems to understand but us. We're flibberty-gibbets like that (hmmm...can you name what movie that name came from?). Even cornier, my sisters and I used to actually act out scenes from various films. I recall one summer, I believe in 1988, when we spent countless hours acting out scenes from the movie 'Aliens'. Yes, you read that correctly. Lauren would always play Sigourney Weaver's character "Ripley" while my twin sister Meghan or I got to play the part of the young girl "Newt". If you've never seen the movie, Newt carries around the head of a doll as her only friend. With Lauren as Ripley, she would recite the line word for word asking, "Who is this?" to which Newt replies, "Casey." This is where Meghan and I delighted ourselves in frustrating Lauren, who took acting out these scenes very seriously. Lauren, or rather Ripley, then says, "Hello Casey." In the movie, Newt says nothing to this. It's completely silent. So, to make it interesting for ourselves when we were performing this scene, whichever one of us who was not playing Newt could never resist chirping out loud in a Munchkin-from-Munchkinland kind of voice, "HELLO!" as if it came from Casey the doll head. This would then result in Lauren getting angry and frustrated with us because we'd make her laugh when she was trying to remain in full-on thespian mode. It might not seem oh-so hilarious to anybody else, but to us these were comedic moments, brought together by our combined love of movies, that made marks on our memories. Good times with the "M" sisters indeed.
Movies, movies, movies....
The films that occupy my coveted top 10 list (well, it's coveted in my imagination) are of no real particular order except for the number one. It will probably always be in the number one spot because it's been rooted there for so long. It would take such an epic and loved film to move it, and frankly nobody seems to be making movies that well anymore. And the winners are...
#1 Grease
Seriously, who doesn't love Grease? This is one movie that I can without a doubt recite every single line, word for word, by heart. Am I proud of that? No, not exactly. It clearly illustrates that I've had too much time on my hands my entire life, but it's something I'd still never exchange. The singing, the dancing, the melodrama of teen love, and Rizzo. Ahh, Betty Rizzo. I have a very clear and distinct memory of sitting on our couch in New Jersey watching Grease on TV for the very first time and seeing Rizzo's bright red high heels take a turn into the high school gym for the dance. Even at age four, I knew that was the biggest badass bitch I'd ever seen and I just loved her. I always identified a little with Rizzo. Among her friends, she was still kind of a loner, which I've always viewed myself as. There were also some deep feelings there bubbling beneath her icy surface, which also resonated with me in a strong way. Ramma-lamma-ding-dong....
#2 Moonstruck
If you've never seen Moonstruck, please watch it. You may love it, you may hate it. This was the movie that Cher won an Oscar for, which many people never thought possible. That tells you a little something about it right off the bat. It's a wonderful New York movie involving a woman named Loretta, who is engaged to the sweet but boring Johnny, but is now in love with Johnny's angry and bitter brother Ronnie. Throw some La Boheme in there and you've got one beautiful story. Seriously people, contact Netflix now.
#3 Clue
A dark stormy night, six suspects, six murder weapons, a lot of rooms, and one brilliant comedic cast. Was it Ms. Scarlett? Colonel Mustard? Professor Plum? You'd have to watch to find out. In my opinion, this movie is pure 100% comedy gold. One of my favorite "situations" in movies is when something chaotic is going on in one place at one time. In this case, it's in a mansion on one night and is filled with hilarity of trying to figure out who did it, where, and with what. Not to mention, the best character of all, the butler Wadsworth, is played by the brilliantly-beyond-brilliant Tim Curry (my favorite actor of all time) and keeps the film moving at lightening speed. Between Tim Curry and oh my God Madeleine Kahn, and oh my God Eileen Brennan, and oh my God Christopher Lloyd....you can see what this movie does to me. I hope to God that nobody ever attempts to remake this classic. Some things are better left alone in their perfect perfection.
#4 The Big Chill
It astounds me how many people I know that have never seen this, which is kind of a tragedy. Another fantastic film from the 1980's (which I'm now noticing as I glance at my list that 7 out of the 10 movies on my list were made in the 80's) with a wonderful ensemble cast. A group of old college friends gather to attend the funeral of one member of their old "group" who committed suicide. They have all gone in different directions and different careers, but end up spending the weekend together and find that the closeness they once shared is still there. But don't be fooled, this isn't an all sunshine-and-roses comedy. While cleverly written (the dialogue in this movie is fantastic and Jeff Goldblum has some of the best lines in the film) and an astounding soundtrack, there are a few darker moments infiltrated throughout involving drugs, suicide, and extra-marital affairs. But don't be put off. Once you watch it, you'll likely be asking yourself why you've never seen it before.
#5 Some Like It Hot
Old and in black and white, peppered with classic Hollywood movie stars. Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis are musicians who accidentally witness a mob murder in a Chicago parking garage. Scared for their lives, they go on the run to avoid being "bumped off". Since the murderer knows they are musicians, and they still have to find a way to support themselves while on the run, they decide to disguise themselves as women and join a traveling female band, assuming that the mob boss will only be searching for them across the country in all-male bands. From the moment you see them dressed as women, you get a better sense as to why this movie has often been voted the funniest movie of all time. Lemmon and Curtis, or rather "Josephine and Daphne", make not only pretty unattractive women but can hardly contain themselves around their sexy counterparts, particularly Marilyn Monroe's character "Sugar Cain", whom Tony Curtis falls head over heels for. In the meantime there is an elderly Miami millionaire who just can't seem to keep his hands off of a not-amused Daphne. You can see where this is going...It's silly, it's ridiculous, and it's another reminder of why movies of that era were referred to as "The Golden Age". It just doesn't get better than this.
#6 Working Girl
Another great 80's film! This time involving Tess, played by Melanie Griffith, the over-worked, under-paid, and never-appreciated secretary who is determined to fight her way to bigger and better things in New York City. She lands a new secretarial job working for the mighty and shrewd Katharine Parker, played by Sigourney Weaver. Tess is quietly in awe of Katharine and her business savvy and tries bringing a brilliant business venture idea to her that could mean a big promotion for Tess. After being shut down by Katharine and told that her idea is basically small potatoes, Tess is stunned when she discovers that Katharine has in fact stolen her idea and is running with it. Tess refuses to take it lying down and starts some trickery of her own, determined to get her idea off the ground without Katharine knowing. Even though she's the villain, I adore the character Katharine Parker. I love her huge shoulder pads and ice cold demeanor. What can I say? Sometimes the villains are fun. Oh, and did I forget to mention that a very hot Harrison Ford is in this? Hello...Keep the kids out of the room when you watch this one. There are a few R-rated scenes. But trust me, you will love and enjoy the heck out of this if you ever get a chance to see it.
#7 Annie
Another musical. Another 80's film. Another Tim Curry movie. With Carol Burnett. And Albert Finney. And heart palpitations....I love this movie so! You all know the story of little redheaded orphan Annie. If you haven't ever seen it, you should be committed. We're talking one of the greatest musicals ever put on screen here! Also, this is kind of a fun fact, but back in the summer of 1996 I went up to New Jersey to visit my relatives and went out for a drive with my cousin Alex. He took me to show me around his college, Monmouth University, which he told me used to be one of the Vanderbilt mansions now converted to a school. Neato. As soon as I laid eyes on it I thought 'there's something very familiar about this place'. As soon as he took me inside and I looked up, I knew exactly where I was. I was in freakin' Daddy Warbucks' mansion!! Yes, the mansion that they used in the movie is actually a college in New Jersey, which I had no idea. It was one of the most unique places I have ever set foot in and such a fun, as well as unexpected, experience for me. Tomorrow, tomorrow...
#8 Superman
It's kind of hard to choose between Superman part one and part two, because I like them both, but the original I enjoy most. This might seem kind of a strange movie to have on my favorites list, but it's a part of my childhood. And it's one of those movies that if I'm flipping through channels and it's on, I will automatically get sucked into it. Action, adventure, comedy (I particularly love the scene where the pimp on the street sees Superman and exclaims, "Say Jim, that's a bad out-fit!), and Christopher Reeve's gorgeous baby blues...need I say more?
#9 When Harry Met Sally
Ahh, another one of my New York movies. I love films that take place in New York where the city becomes almost its own character. Another Meg Ryan movie, You've Got Mail, is sort of the same thing. What I love about this movie is that there's nothing to it but good acting, good writing, and a good story. No blood or guts, no special effects, just good stuff. Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan, Harry and Sally, meet for the first time as college graduates who carpool together to New York to begin their lives. They don't get along very well as Harry is laid back and a little eccentric where Sally is completely uptight and rigid (which Meg Ryan always plays well). They go their separate ways but meet again five years later. After that chance meeting they meet again years later and suddenly find themselves best friends, which neither expected. And of course they fall in love with each other, which sounds great, but is incredibly complicated for Harry and Sally. I also love the supporting characters in this, Carrie Fisher and the late Bruno Kirby, whose romance begins in the funniest of ways. If you've never seen this, I think I might be ashamed of you. And I mean that.
#10 The Goonies
Oh yeah baby. The Goonies. What self-respecting kid who grew up in the 80's didn't like this movie? This movie is so symbolic of my childhood because my twin sister and I were such adventurers. After seeing this we made our own homemade treasure maps and went on our own quests for One Eyed Willy's jewels. It's just a fun movie all around--a bunch of misfit kids with some serious potty mouths trying to find some "rich stuff" to save their neighborhood all while being chased by the Fratellies, a family of escaped convicts. You just couldn't make this stuff up. What I also love about this movie is that it was one of Josh Brolin's first films, who I love looking at because he reminds me of my husband. He insists they look nothing alike, but I remember my husband at age 18, and trust me, he looked exactly like Brandon Walsh! You better love this movie or walk the plank. Arrr...
Okay, I'll admit, that was lame. I'm tired. Sue me.
So that's it. That's my top ten favorite movies of all time. I love so, so many movies that a top 100 would really be more appropriate for me, but that would make the longest post ever, and this one is already pushing it. So I hope you enjoyed the randomness.
Have a lovely weekend, everyone!
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