My 9 Fave Flicks

It was all quiet on the western front tonight. Still reeling from El Flu, I visited the 'rents and made it a Blockbuster nite. My eagerly awaited rental of The Grudge, however, was postponed upon discovering that they just released The Forgotten. Still recalling the trailer where Julianne Moore frantically tears back wallpaper revealing child scrawls, I convinced my Dad that this was a quality night in the making.

I liked it, Mom criticized it intermittently (along with asking a multitude of questions that would be answered if she just quietly watched the movie), Dad fell asleep. and Grandma came in to snag 2 kernels of popcorn before going to bed at 9:30. Tough crowd.

Whenever I go rent a movie, I can never recall many that I actually have been waiting to see. I'm not sure if it's the way Blockbuster only highlights recent releases or whether my memory just plain sucks, but if I were forced to go to the old school aisles categorized by department, I wouldn't know what movie to pick out. With so many flicks flying by all the time, this is a crying shame.

So, while this list won't help me any longer, perhaps it will aid you with your next night in. Renter need not beware, viewer satisfaction guaranteed :).

Dodger's Top 9 not-so-obvious* Movies (* this list does not include the popular blockbuster types no doubt everyone's seen/knows of/knows they're good):

1. The Ring - probably the only truly scary movie I've seen seeing Exorcist/Poltergeist when I was a kid. Hey, given how jaded most of us our, real scary movies are hard to come by.
2. Spellbound - Oh yes, it's a documentary on the spelling bee. Then again, I got beat in the county round by an autistic kid who put his hands in his pants each time he spelled a word and still harbors dreams of the golden stage ;).
3. The Hunt For Deep October (or, as some may call it, Red October...)- Denzel and Hackman - power struggles personified. The claustrophobic, deep sea element is the perfect pressure cooker.
4. Amelie - Cute. Fun. You will go to sleep a happier person.
5. Shakespeare In Love - Maybe it's cuz I like proving I can understand languages other than plain English (see all Alberto-related posts), but I found this movie really fun. Not recommended, however, for those who suffered the shakes when studying Shakes.
6. The Negotiator - Spacey and Jackson in a fantastic faceoff. If you like mental battles and rhetoric, this is a must-see. Also good for dealing with car salesmen.
7. The Shawshank Redemption - A tricky name makes remembering it even trickier at Blockbuster. But if you are one of the poor few who haven't been clued in to catch this, GO NOW. Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman (before he adopted Ashley Judd) are incredible. Go go go! (surprisingly, Stephen King penned this)
8. The Assassin (or, as some may call it, The Professional)- Rapport can make or break a movie. The French guy and Natalie Portman (her debut) definitely do the former. A warm, thoughtful movie amidst bullets and blood.
9. Monsoon Wedding - A Bollywood flick prepped for the casual American audience. This is fast, colorful, and ultra-festive. Much like real Indian weddings - which, I attest, are very much like the one in this movie (monsoon optional).

Now, I could only come up nine recommendations, so that's that. Happy renting.

As for your own faves, I'd love to hear them!