Married nearly 19 years, these guys don't agree on much, but when they do, it is usually worth looking into. Here are some of their favorite movies.
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Odd Bits: HOMEPAGE
Shakespere in Love (Gwyneth Paltrow and ).
Twelfth Night (Imogene Stubbs and Helen Bonham Carter.
Casablaca
(Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman). One of the greatest movies ever made!
We like watching it with
Raiders of the Lost
Ark (Harrison Ford, Karen Allen).
It's
a Wonderful Life (Jimmy Stewart, Donna Reed). Not just for Christmas--the
uplifting story of George Bailey, a man at the end of his rope who discovers
he is the richest man in town. A big part of our Christmas tradition. If
you have never seen it, you'll be surprised at the number of things that
have been influenced by it.
To
Kill a Mockingbird (Gregory Peck, Robert Duvall). Great movie; great
book (even if you hate lawyers). Watch for a young Duvall as Boo Radley.
Henry
V (Kenneth Brannaugh, Derek Jacobi, Brian Blessed). Worth watching
for the St.Crispin's Day speech. Well played and easy to
follow.
Much
Ado About Nothing (Kenneth Brannaugh, Emma Thompson, Denzel Washington,
Kenau Reeves, Michael Keaton, Brian Blessed). Amusing Shakespearean comic
romance played by a talented cast of characters. Keaton's performance as
the "ass" of a Constable is hilarious.
The
Scarlet Pimpernell (Leslie Howard, Merle Oberon).
Leslie Howard is "that demned elusive Pimpernell," the master-mind of a band
of Englishmen rescuing French aristocrats from Madame Guillotine masquerading
as a foppish dandy. There are parts of this film that are obviously low-budget
(some of the costumes look like they were borrowed from the local high school),
but the performances by Howard and Oberon as lovers separated by her involvement
in the death of a family in the Revolution are memorable.
Beauty and the
Beast (Jean Cocteau, director) Alan first saw this 1946
black and white French picture as a child about the time that JFK was
assassinated. He never forgot either event. Years later he found a video
copy. It has been imitated by everyone from Disney to Fairy Tale Theatre
but has not been bested. Subtitles.
Les Miserables
in Concert (Cameron MacKintosh , producer). Dream cast
performs the music from the broadway musical in a concert format.
Sense
and Sensibility (Emma Thompson, Kate Winslet, Hugh Grant). The script
is amusing, the characters engaging and
real. "Willoughby!"
Last
of the Mohicans (Daniel Day-Lewis, Madelene Stowe).
Beautiful flick and love story.
Wuthering
Heights (Laurence Olivier, Merle Oberon). Timeless
love story. Olivier is at his best as Heathcliff begging a dying Kathy to
haunt him rather than leave him in the dark alone. One of those movies better
than the classic that inspired it.
Chariots of
Fire (Ian Charleson, Ben Cross, Ian Holm, Alice Krige)
The Olympic ideal as a dream for a Cambridge student and Jewish-English runner,
his Italian coach, and a Scots missionary.
DRAMA
Apollo 13
(Tom Hanks, Gary Sinise). "Houston, we have a problem." Ron Howard
brings suspense to a story where you know the ending.
Forrest Gump
(Tom Hanks, Gary Sinise). We thought the movie should have been named
"Captain Dan."
The English
Patient (Ralph Fienness, Kristen Scott Thomas) The best
movie we saw last year (no matter what Elaine says).
Dead Poet's
Society (Robin Williams, Robert Sean Leonard). Carpe
diem.
Quiz Show
(Ralph Fienness, Rob Morrow, director: Robert Redford)
Based on a true story of game show television fraud.
River Runs Through
It (Brad Pitt, director/narrator: Robert Redford)
two minister's sons, their father and fly fishing.
White
Palace (Susan Sarandon, James Spader). Sexy love story
between a yuppie and an older woman.
Rear
Window (Jimmy Stewart, Grace Kelley)
One of Hitchcock's best. Do you recognize the
murderer?
Dead
Again (Kenneth Brannaugh, Emma Thompson, Derek Jacobi, Robin Williams).
Suspense thriller and love story worthy of Hitchcock. Great cameo by Williams
as an ex-shrink (so what if he slept with a few patients?).
Reilly,
Ace of Spies, Part 1 (Sam Neill).
Based upon the book of the same name that chronicled
the life of a Russian turned English spy. Purported to have been the figure
that inspired the James Bond character.
.
Part 2;
Part
3;
Part 4.
Ghost
Story (Fred Astaire, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., Alice Krige)
Riveting tail of revenge from the grave.
The Usual
Suspects (Kevin Spacy, Gabriel Byrne) The Sting with a
double twist.
.Navigator.
In August, 1990, Susan was studying for the bar exam, and Alan was home with
Nick who had the chicken pox watching time travel movie after time travel
movie, wishing he was anywhere else in time or the universe. It didn't work,
but he did discover this great movie. The story of a medieval Welsh community
making an offering to God in 20th century New York in order to escape the
plague.
The
Adventures of Buckaroo Bonzai (Peter Weller, Ellen Barkin, Jeff
Goldbloom, John Lithgow). "Must see
Buckaroo Bonzai." Buckaroo Bonzai and the Hong Kong Cavaliers save the earth
from aliens from the 5th dimension. (We have not yet found
a source for this film. If you would like for us to try, e-mail us at
Nelson@sicembears.com.)
Highlander
(Christopher Lambert, Sean Connery). Immortal beings fight for
superiority. We like this movie in spite of the sappy ending.
Somewhere in
Time (Christopher Reeve, Jane Seymour). A love story. Another movie
we like in spite of the sappy ending.
Time
Cop (Jean-Claud Van Damme). Van Damme policing time. Good
movie. Sappy ending. (There is a pattern here).
Star Trek: The
City on the Edge of Forever (William Shatner, Joan Collins).
Our favorite Star Trek episode. Joan Collins plays Kirk's love
interest and the current in time that has drawn him back to earth circa 1930.
NO SAPPY ENDING. I guess TV can manage this concept without a sappy
ending. (We have not yet
found a source for this video. If you would like for us to try, e-mail us
at
Nelson@sicembears.com.)
Jumanji
(Robin Williams, Kirsten Dunst, Jonathan Hyde). Holds
you in its grip until you reach JUMANJI and call out its name. Great performances
by Hyde as the father and the evil hunter.
Time
Bandits (John Cleese, Sean Connery). A kid named Kevin
joins a band of outlaw dwarves who have stolen a map from God and gets caught
up in the battle between good and evil.
My Cousin
Vinny (Joe Pesci, Marisa Tormei and Fred Gwynne). When
his cousin is accused of murder in Alabama, Vinny comes from New York to
defend him and to try his first case. Not a pure comedy or court room drama
but it mixes the two genres well. Fred Gwynne is wonderful as the "good ole
boy" trial judge; Tormei puts in a great performance as Vinny's "bimbo
mechanic" girlfriend; one of Pesci's best.
BRITISH COMEDY (TELEVISION MOSTLY)
Black
Adder I, Part 1. (Rowan Atkinson, Brian Blessed). Hilarious antics
of Edmund, the slimy son of King Richard IV (a ficticious figure) set in
England during the middle ages.
Part 2
The
Incredible Adventures of Wallace and Gromit. Our favorite clay animation
heros. All three adventures are included on this one video: A Grand Day
Out, The Wrong Trousers and A Close Shave.
Black
Adder II, Part 1. (Rowan Atkinson). Further antics of Edmund Black
Adder, a slimy descendant of Prince Edmund in I, reincarnated as a
courtier in Elizabethan England.
Part 2
Fawlty
Towers (John Cleese, Connie Booth). John Cleese at his
most manic as the owner of a small English hotel--Fawlty Towers where the
motto is "No Riff-Raff Allowed." If you prefer to purchase the episodes
separately:
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Great Reads
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No Chance Meetings Books & Odd Bits
Copyright 1998