101 Things That Are Cool
- Films -
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Casablanca Raiders of the Lost Ark Before Sunrise Monty Python and the Holy Grail When Harry Met Sally Clerks |
Introduction:After going ahead and reading some of the things that I've written on this page, I guess I've decided that there are a few general statements that can be made about my taste in movies. First, I love comedy. Those who know me well, know that I rarely take anything seriously. Everything in the universe can be the source of a little laughter. Even the most insignificant or the most tragic subjects are targets for a keen wit. I enjoy nothing more than a good laugh. Unfortunately, there aren't any good comedy movies. Those that are listed on this page are rare exceptions. They are the few comedies that are actually funny rather than just being incredibly stupid. It is very unfortunate that so many movies are designed to appeal to 14-year-olds, with their Beavis and Butt-head mentality, instead of directing a little comedy toward those of us who can appreciate a little subtlety and intelligence in our humor. Second, I'm very cynical. So, when the happy couple rides off into the sunset, I'm not buying any of it. Most romance-type movies are very sappy and simplistic and way too happy to have any relationship to my life. Somehow, they never seem to connect with me, because they just don't have any connection with reality. (Now, that bit on "ER" where the woman moves to Phoenix and the weeks leading up to her departure are filled with moments when she and Anthony Edwards almost get together but never quite make it even though they both can tell that they like each other and should get together--Now that's real!) I am very much an anti-romantic, so I was very suprised when I realized how many love stories ended up on this list. I guess there are just so few good ones that actually connect with me that I really have strong feelings for the handful that do. |
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Okay, I know this one is a gimme, but it's not here just because
everyone else thinks it's a classic. It's here because I happen to
really like it. I think that the best thing about this movie is
Bogie. Humphrey Bogart is just the coolest guy ever to walk the earth.
As Richard Blaine, he is totally in control. (As he is in many
other films.) Nothing happens to him that he can't handle. And,
the one thing that happens to him that he can't control to his
advantage (the Ilse/Paris thing) is handled almost effortlessly.
I know, I know, it's all just a facade to cover up his broken heart
and to keep a wall around himself so he can't be hurt again.
But the point is that he makes things seem so easy. Most of us
can only dream of being half as smooth under pressure.
This is the only "action" movie in this list. I figure they're usually
pretty mindless and they get plenty of attention without me plugging
them. However, this one happens to be my favorite (I've probably
watched it more times than any other movie), so what the heck!
(Amazingly, I've only seen the "Temple of Doom" once.) What
can I say about this one? It's got everything - Nazis, exotic
locations, endless excitement, mystery, a tough heroine, and a
mega-cool hero. (It must be the hat.)
I tend to think of things that are supposedly romantic as being
pretty repulsive (
). What the average Joe
(or, more often, Joan) considers to be romantic is usually something
that I find to be pretty cheesy and stupid. This movie, however, is one
of the few "romances" that I actually happen to like. For a change, the
characters are people that I actually like and that I feel I have something
in common with. Basically, it is the story of an American guy (Ethan Hawke)
and a French (blech) girl
(Julie Delpy),
who meet on a train and end up spending a day together in Vienna
(and, of course falling in love).
"Before Sunrise" was directed by Richard Linklater, who also directed
"Slacker" and "Dazed and Confused". As with his earlier movies, this is a
film based on conversation. Although the two main characters spend 24 hours
wandering around Vienna and seeing plenty of interesting things, there
really isn't any action going on. It's just a beautiful depiction of
all the odd things that they choose to talk about as they get to know each
other and get inside each other's heads.
What can you say about Python? They're nuts. That's about it.
You know, I used to hate people who could spend half of their
lives quoting from Monty Python. Now, I do believe that I've
become one of those people. (Brian- "You are all individuals."
/ crowd- "Yes, we are all individuals!" / lone man- "I'm not.")
I could go on and on and on, but I'll spare you. If you like
Monty Python, you probably know it all anyway. And if you don't
know it, that's probably because you hate Python. I don't think
that there is any in-between on this one. Either, you're the type
of person who doesn't take anything seriously, sees stupidity
all around, and has no respect for whatever others think you
should have respect for, or you're not.
As you might have guessed, I'm one of those people. And if you're
not --- "I fart in your general direction. I burst my pimples at
you. You sons of an English pigdog. I once again unplug my nose
towards you. You cheesy lot of second-hand electric donkey bottom
biters. You tiny brained wipers of other people's bottoms.
I wave my private parts at you. You filthy English kaaaa-niggets."
Rob Reiner has directed some great movies. Among them are Stand By Me,
This is Spinal Tap, The Sure
Thing, and The Princess Bride. But my favorite is When Harry Met
Sally. I saw the filming of the first few minutes of the movie
during orientation week at
The University of Chicago.
The movie is a examination of the relationship between men
and women. Can a man and a woman be just friends or will that
friendship ultimately be affected by sexual feelings that the
two people might have for each other? Once again, a "romantic"
type of movie has made it onto this list. But, again, it's here
because it looks at things that most sappy romances don't ever
take the time to examine. It actually has something to do with
reality. That's something that's very rare in today's movies
and that's why I like it.
Clerks
Okay, it's another movie about people just hanging out and talking
to each other endlessly. What can I say? There just happen to be
some really good movies that are like that. This one is a low budget
black & white flick directed by
Kevin Smith.
He also directed Mallrats ( another good film, which was
filmed at Eden Prairie Mall, here in Minnesota.) Clerks is
about a day in the life of two guys. Dante works in a convenience
store and his friend, Randal, works in the video store next door.
(Randal spends an incredible amount of his workday outside the
video store, including a trip to rent a video from a different
store.) These two guys pass the time talking to each other and
their friends and their girlfriends. They talk about stupid
customers and sex and everything else. This movie stars a bunch
of amateurs and only cost about $26,000 to make (the soundtrack
that was added cost a fortune) and this little thing is a lot
better than about 98 percent of the multi-million dollar movies
that come out of Hollywood.
