The point is, I was flipping channels, I saw that the movie was on, and I was compelled to watch, which lead me to ask myself, “What other movies are there that I am unable to surf past?” So, I compiled my Top 10 list, in no particular order.
1. Obviously, the Karate Kid Movies - Just the ones that feature Ralph Macchio as Daniel LaRusso. I liked the Hilary Swank movie, as well as the Jaden Smith/Jackie Chan remake, but they don’t attract me like the Macchio films do. I guess it’s because Daniel is so much more of a loser than Swank’s and Smith’s characters are, that no matter how many times I see Daniel beat whoever the opponent is, I want to see it again because I still can’t believe that as lame as he was, he kept winning.
2. Blazing Saddles – My wife thinks that this is the most racist film ever made; and the 13 uses of the word ‘nigger’ might bear that out. However, I think that this is one of the funniest films ever, and for the same reason that she hates it. The black guy is the smartest guy in the room, and he uses that to help the white people who hate his guts. Harvey Korman as Hedly Lamarr is priceless in this film, and the racism is played for laughs. Cleavon Little’s Sherriff Bart is the most unassuming hero on film.
3. Enter the Dragon – Bruce Lee’s seminal film is not just about martial arts. Bruce plays a spy who goes undercover at a martial arts tournament in order to break up an opium ring, with the caveat that he will also be able to get revenge against the man who tormented Bruce’s sister to the point of her killing herself. Beyond the martial arts is the exposure of the drug ring, as the tournament is a front for bad guy Mr. Han to recruit soldiers for his cause. For me though, watching Bruce’s fight scenes makes me care very little about the rest of the film. Watching Bruce Lee perform is like watching Baryshnikov dance or Michael Jordan play basketball.
4. My Cousin Vinny – Perhaps the oddest film that has or will ever receive an Academy Award in an acting category (Marisa Tomei – Best Supporting Actress), this one is one of the few that truly defines my taste in entertainment. Before I felt that I could write a little bit (which was at a very young age), I wanted to be a lawyer. Today, while my wife is fascinated with medical dramas, I like the human chess of a lawyer show, and My Cousin Vinny is one of the best. I know that this is another Macchio flick, but this movie is more about the court case and the dynamics between Joe Pesci and Marisa Tomei, and Joe Pesci and Fred Gwynne, the judge.
5. The Marx Brothers – Not all of the Marx Brothers movies, but just a few (Monkey Business, Night at the Opera, Duck Soup, Go West, Horse Feathers). Any of these five movies, if they are on, I will watch no matter what else is on television. The others, I will watch, depending on what else is on. That is not to say that I hate those, but these five, in my opinion, are the best five movies. The others have many of the same features, but there is either something missing (like a cohesive story in the Coconuts) or too much of something (like the music and singing in Day at the Races).
6. 12 Angry Men – Here, I am talking about the 1957, Henry Fonda film, though the 1997 remake with Jack Lemmon and Tony Danza is good too. This is a courtroom movie, but the entire film, except for one minute at the beginning and one minute at the end, takes place in the jury room. One unique note is that none of the characters have names, until the end when two of the men introduce themselves to one another. The film touches on a variety of subjects, including fatherhood, bigotry, personal relevance or the need to belong or matter, justice and the law, and this movie is much deeper than 12 men deciding the fate of a convicted murderer, which is why it is on this list.
7. Anatomy of a Murder – This film, from 1959, stars James Stewart as a defense attorney who is charged with defending a soldier who is accused of murdering the man who is accused of raping his wife. There is a scene in this movie where the judge has to forewarn the jury about laughing and snickering over the use of the word ‘panties’ during the testimony of the soldier’s wife. This scene makes me see how far entertainment and Hollywood have come and how different times are today. And of course, this is another lawyer movie.
8. The Addams Family – I always felt that Gomez Addams, as played by John Astin in the Addams Family television show, was the coolest guy on television. Raul Julia, who played Gomez in the film, took that cool to a whole other level. Everything that I remembered about the television show was in place, but ramped up just a bit, and Christopher Lloyd as Fester, was perfect casting. When Gomez does the series of backflips while dueling with his lawyer Tully, lands in his chair, catches his sword in one hand and his pen in the other, I knew that his would be a classic film, and I was not wrong.
9. A Knight’s Tale – I don’t really know why I like this movie so much, I just do. For a long time, I had never seen the first 45 minutes of the film and had no idea why Sir William was jousting, except that he was trying to step out beyond his father’s vision for him. Once I saw the entire film in one sitting, I was hooked. Sir William is a prick, but his aides are loyal to him, even though they know that he is wagering their futures on what is seemingly a longshot. Chaucer’s introductions of William at the tournaments are the types of speeches that drama students should memorize as monologues for audition pieces, and the addition of modern music into a period piece makes the film that much more enjoyable. After all, who doesn’t want to watch a medieval era film featuring two men jousting in a tournament while Queen’s “We Will Rock You” is playing in the background and the spectators are clapping in time with the beat of the song?
10. Major League 1 & 2 – While I liked Major League 3, it did not do it for me as much as the other two, partially because much of the cast had been changed. Substituting Wesley Snipes from #1 for Omar Epps in #2 only had a minor effect on the film, but didn’t change the overall dynamic of the stories. Just like other films of that era, it was written in the Rocky style; down on your luck, given an opportunity, the obstacles seem insurmountable, winning in the end against all odds. In the late 1980s, that’s what movies were, and these two did it well.
Well, that is my list, and I welcome your comments and would love to know which films you can’t surf past. Oh, by the way, here are the films that just missed making this list:
1. Happy Gilmore – Adam Sandler’s best film in my opinion
2. Held Up – Jamie Foxx trapped in a small town convenience store while it is being robbed
3. Oscar – Sly Stallone as a mob boss trying to go straight in honor of his dying father’s last wish
4. Tap – I have always had an affection for tap dancing
5. Crossroads – Another Macchio film, but the guitar work of Steve Vai makes this film for me
6. Drumline – I was in the marching band in high school and the wife thinks that I am reliving those days
7. The Original Kings of Comedy – Bernie Mac’s set was the funniest stand-up that I had ever seen to that point, and there haven’t been many better since
