| Terri's Picks |
| Since I'm always being asked by family, friends, co-workers, etc. what movies I would recommend, I thought I'd compile a short list, by genre, of some of my favorites. Enjoy. Horror The Ring- This one won't make you jump out of your seat in fright but I can guaranty you'll get the heebie-jeebie's from it. The Blair Witch Project- This movie was so well made that people actually thought it was real! Another one that will give you the creeps. Make sure to rent the complimentary mockumentary that was released with it. John Carpenter's The Thing- An oldie but a goody. If you can't take dislocated heads that turn into spiders then this one is not for you. Gotta love Kurt Russell though! Evil Dead 2-Not only was this movie spooky but it was funny as hell. Bruce Campbell has great comedic timing, especially when fighting with his own possessed hand! One of director Sam Raimi's (Spiderman) first movies, and co-written by Bruce Campbell. Pet Semetary, IT, Misery, Salem's Lot', The Stand- Not all of Stephen King's books translate well to the screen but these do extremely well. Drama A Bronx Tale-Written by Chazz Palmenteri, directed by Robert De Niro, da Bronx, da mob...what's not to like? Reservoir Dogs- That Quintin Tarantino is one sick puppy but you gotta love his style. A sick, twisted and funny movie. Goodfellas and Casino- With the one-two punch of De Niro and Pesci how can you go wrong? Damage-Starring Jeremy Irons and Juliette Binocche, about one man's infidelity and the consequences he pays. Jeremy Irons is haunting in this one. Feast of July and Washington Square- Two Ben Chaplin movies, whom I adore as an actor. Also tear jerkers but wonderfully made. The Pope of Greenwich Village- Probably one of the best movies ever made by Mickey Roarke and Eric Roberts. This one might be hard to find but who can forget the classic line, "They took my thumbs, Paulie. They took my thumbs..." Comedy There's Something About Mary- In this politically correct world it's refreshing to see a movie with enough cajones to break the rules. One of the funniest movies every made. Dazed and Confused- No, not the Led Zepplin song. This is one funny movie set in the 70's (which I can say I remember well). Matthew McConaughey is fabulously funny as the older guy who likes muscle cars and still likes to hang out with high school kids. As his character says in the movie, "I dig high school girls, man...I get older and they stay the same age." If you remember your stoner days from the 70's then you'll appreciate this one! Ruthless People- Another oldie but goody. This one has so many funny twists that you'll find yourself guffawing. Young Frankenstein, Blazing Saddles, History of the World, Part 1, High Anxiety- If someone should create an all Mel Brooks channel I would never leave my house! Where Stephen King is the Master of Horror, Mel Brooks is the King of Comedy. Others have tried, oh yes, but no one comes close to making a Mel Brooks movie! Mystery Science Theater 3000- This movie was made because of the very popular (and now defunct) TV show which ran for close to 10 years on cable (and you can stil see on Saturdays on the Sci-Fi Channel), where characters in a space station are forced to watch cheesy movies by a sadistic scientist, except the victims have found a way to get through the torture of watching the movies; they make up their own lines and shout them out (ala Rocky Horror audiences). The movie these guys spoof in this one is called "This Island Earth", a cheaply made 1950's sci-fi fiasco, and boy, have these guys made it fun to watch! If you want a few silly laughs this one's for you. Foreign Open Your Eyes-Spanish with English subtitles. This was the original film that Tom Cruise tried to remake with his version called Vanilla Sky. Sorry, but Tom's performance couldn't hold a candle to Eduardo Noriega's, who was wonderful in the lead as Ceasar. I loved this movie so much that I bought it. Don't miss it if you know what's good for you! Rashomon- This is a Japanese film made in 1950. It's in black and white with English subtitles. The premise is that there are 4 sides to every story: his, hers, the witnesses and the truth. A real classic. Indochine- French with English subtitles. It's a love story and history lesson about the French occupation of Vietnam all rolled into one. Beautifully made and starring the beautiful Catherine Denueve. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon- Some of the best martial arts moves ever put on film. Another beautifully made movie and also a reason why Ang Lee is considered one of the top directors today. The Bride with the White Hair and Storm Riders- If you're like me and loved watching all of those chessy martial arts movies that came out of Hong Kong/China back in the 70's and 80's, then you'll like these two. Sure, they're still cheesy but they're also done with much more style than they were back then. Beauty and the Beast- No, not the Disney cartoon. This was a French made film in 1946 with English subtitles. It's in black and white but the sets, costumes and entire production has such an etheral quality to it that whomever the Production Designer was should have won an Oscar. Who knows, maybe he did. This one might be hard to find but worth it. Blue- Starring Juliette Binocche. French with English subtitles. This film is about a woman's struggle to move on with her life after the death of her husband and young son. There's a wonderful plot twist that will rip your heart out. Bring lots of tissue. Run Lola Run- German film with English subtitles. This is a great story about a girl who tries to save her boyfriend that plays out in three different ways. It's about the choices we make and the different paths those choices can lead us down. Documentary One Day in September- A fascinating and heartbreaking look at the tragedy of the 1972 Munich Olympics. This film not only has footage from that day but witness accounts of how the hostage negotiations were botched and why 11 men from the Israeli team had to die. There's also a riveting interview with the only Palestinian terrorist still alive today who gives his reasons and views of his actions. It's interesting to see that not much has changed between the Israeli's and Palestinians since that incident 31 years ago. |
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