December 19, 2008

Top 10 Movies You Haven't Seen

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:

Anonymous said...

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.

Anonymous said...

no no no, that's The Player. The Player. Must add.

Stephanie Zvan said...

I didn't care for The Player, actually. The meanness just wasn't relieved by enough else.

Anonymous said...

I don't remember any meanness. I mainly remember rolling parodies of the movie industry and a thousand cleverly placed cameos.

Stephanie Zvan said...

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 said...

Black widow - definitely seen, more than once, and yes very good!

Strictly Ballroom also, great soundtrack.

Mme Piggy said...

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!

Anonymous said...

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 said...

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 said...

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 said...

Yay for Xs. Also, I forgot to add CLUE to my own list. It is definitely most excellent.

Stephanie Zvan said...

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.