Everyone has them-the guilty-pleasure movies they can't stop watching. And no one likes to admit what they are. I'm no exception-if you come up to me in the store and ask what my favorite movies are, I'll inevitably give you a list that includes The Shawshank Redemption, Back to the Future, Indiana Jones, and Clerks. And these are great movies. They really, really are. I love them and will never turn down an opportunity to watch them. But let's be honest-those are only the favorites that I'm not ashamed of. The time has come to 'fess up. Here's my list of favorite movies that you won't find on AFI's Greatest Movies of All Time list.
Don't judge me.
Grumpy Old Men
Jack Lemmon and Walter Mattheau play next-door-neighbors whose life-long rivalry is only getting worse with age. Their fighting comes to a head when the new exotic neighbor Ariel (played by Ann-Margaret) moves in, and they both fall head over heels. But eventually they begin to realize that maybe they don't hate each other after all.
I love, love, LOVE this movie. I watch it in the store all the time. You've probably seen me at it-I'll quickly press "pause" or turn the volume down as soon as I see you coming so you won't be witness to my shame. But now I confess it to the world-this is my all-time, hands-down, no-holds-barred favorite movie. There. I said it. (Come on-you know you love watching Jack Lemmon and Walter Mattheau call each other names and throw dead fish in each other's cars.)
Bringing Down the House
Steve Martin plays an uppity divorced tax lawyer who is trying to find a way to bond with his kids, get his ex back, and have a successful career at the same time-and he's not doing a very good job. In walks Charlene (Queen Latifah) an ex-con who brings him both her case and her attitude, and teaches him a thing or two about life, falling in love with Steve Martin's law partner (Eugene Levy) in the meantime.
I can't decide if this film is racist or not. Furthermore, if it is, I can't tell if it's making fun of black people or white people. Maybe both. Maybe neither. Also, the script is bad. B-A-D bad. The plot is lame, the comedy is unworthy of the cast, and the soundtrack is so cliche it's laughable. But I love it anyway. So sue me.
The Mummy series
A quasi-remake of the old horror movie The Mummy, this series stars Brendan Frasier as Rick O'Connell, an American treasure-seeker who stumbles upon an ancient curse in Hamunaptra, a mythical Egyptian city. With the "help" of Yvie, a librarian and expert on ancient Egyptian lore (Rachel Weisz), he manages to free the mummy that haunts Hamunaptra, and endangers the whole world in doing so.
Everyone (Seriously. Everyone.) tells me this trilogy sucks. But I don't get it. I think it's awesome. Brendan Frasier is hot, I have a girl-crush on Rachel Weisz, and a soft spot for ancient mythology. I can't get enough of these movies. (Though you can skip the third one. Rachel Weisz dropped the franchise, so really, what's the point?)
Encino Man
Another Brendan Frasier catastrophe, this film also stars Paulie Shore and Sean Astin as two hapless teenagers who dig up a frozen caveman (Frasier) in their pool and unfreeze him with hairdryers. In their quest to be cool, they end up "dissing" their new caveman buddy and setting him adrift. But in the end, Link the Caveman teaches them things about life they were too busy to learn on their own.
Come on, it's Paulie Shore. What more is there to be said?
17 Again
Zac Efron stars in this not-at-all-original body-swap comedy. Mike (Efron/Matthew Perry) feels as if he has thrown his life away. But then, he gets a second chance when he wakes up 17 again! He befriends his high school children, and hilarity ensues.
There's nothing good about this movie. I love it anyway. I have no excuse.
Austin Powers in Goldmember
The third and inarguably worst installment in the Austin Powers trilogy, in this film Austin finds himself working alongside his estranged father (Michael Caine) to defeat the criminal mastermind Goldmember, who loves gold so much he had his genitals re-cast in gold after suffering from an "unfortunate smelting accident".
There's lots of Dr. Evil in this movie. Britney Spears' head explodes. And Mini-Me turns good. What's not to love about this terrible, horrible, no-good-very-bad film?
-Posted by Colleen
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