Tagged with list specific

The Lists of Others: Elana

An old friend, recently reconnected with, Elana sent me a List Specific for posting. Below are her 10 silly comedies that she believes that you should see before you die….

1. Robin Hood – Men in Tights – Mel Brooks underrated comedy that actually stands-up beyond current (the songs are terrible though)
2. Airplane – just for the sound track alone and the drinking problem – oh so many excellently terrible gags
3. Naked Gun – This is Leslie Nielsen at his best
4. Airplane II the Sequel – “sshuo, sshou” -I love this door gag
5. Happy Gilmore – best Adam Sandler!
6. Monty Python and the Holy Grail – do I need to say anything….
7. Austin Powers – by far the best of the series, it was really original at the time
8. Blades of Glory – Will Ferrell can be hit and miss for me. By the combination here is just fantastic.
9. Mystery Science Theatre 3000 – it will bring out anyone’s inner snarkiness
10. Wayne’s World – made everyone love Bohemian Rhapsody and the only SNL bit that got made into a movie that worked.

Thanks Elana! You rock! And you’re absolutely bang on… these are 10 fantastic silly comedies. Anyone else?

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Film 101: The Mad Hatter

Hatter got busy today and sent me not one, but TWO lists. And they don’t overlap! Thanks, guy! I’m pretty abysmal at this, honestly, since I’ve seen so few movie ‘classics’. So, here is the considered opinion of a fellow blogger on the 10 films you need to see as a baseline to your film ‘education’.

CITIZEN KANE: There are techniques and devices being used in this movie that are light years ahead of its time. Get the DVD and watch it twice, once just to watch it, and the second with the commentary on to point out all the details and how they were done.

THE GODFATHER: Possibly the most lyrical use of violence ever. If you watch it on DVD, you must watch it in a darkened environment. Otherwise all the scenes that take place in darkened rooms (read: one third of the movie) turn into mush.

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND: Spielberg takes what he learned on JAWS and turns his eyes to the skies.

RAGING BULL: Elegant in every way, and one of the best character studies of the last thirty years.

VERTIGO: Hitchcock’s best, and rather twisted in a few ways. Some say that in a few years this will overtake Kane as the answer to “What is the greatest film ever made?”

APOCALYPSE NOW: One of the best examples of “The Madness of War”, and all the more impressive when you find out how many dozens of things went wrong in trying to make it.

LAWRENCE OF ARABIA: The greatest epic ever. Prepare your butt, because it’s a 3.5 hour flick, but the eye-popping photography is well worth it.

ALIEN: The dawn of one of the strongest female characters ever.

CITY LIGHTS: Chaplin’s genius is in danger of being forgotten in the modern era. he could make you laugh and break your heart, and do it all without saying a word. This movie is his masterpiece.

SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN: Probably the best movie about the movies, and likely the best musical of the golden era. Watch it just to see Donald O’Connor make you laugh at every turn.

Er… Sadly I have only seen three of the movies on this list (and I’m not telling which three) so here’s my challenge. I’ll give myself a month to see all of these, including the ones I’ve seen, and get back to you as to whether or not I agree…. Do you agree? Tell me in the comments.

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List Specific: 10 Christmas Movies to See Before You Die

Given that, like it or not, Christmas is coming and comes every year, this is my own personal list of 10 Christmas Movies to See Before You Die. Please remember that these are in no specific order, just in the order they came out of my head this morning. Here we go (short rationale to be added later when I can use the freaking spacebar!!!):

Home Alone
One Magic Christmas
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
A Christmas Carol (1951)
Scrooged
Black Christmas
How the Grinch Stole Christmas (animated, not live action)
Elf
Gremlins
Home Alone 2

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