Baumer's Top 100 films you have probably heard of but more than likely haven't seen. #1: Cute Clever Mischievous, but don't feed them after midnight!

[baumer]

Number 26

Eight Legged Freaks (2002)

Directed by Ellory Elkayem

Starring:  David Arquette, Scarlet Johansson

Box office:  45M WW

 

A film that definitely doesn't take itself seriously and has tongue firmly in cheek.  

 

Prosperity, Arizona. A nice quiet and peaceful little town in the middle of nowhere. That is until spiders from an exotic spider farm escape and feast on some toxic goo....they grow to dramatic proportions..and guess what...they're hungry!

Now, this film doesnt try to be anything else. Its quite simply a tongue-firmly-in-cheek slice of comedy/horror. Altho horror is kept to a minimum. It simply pays homage to the classic B-Movies of the 50s and early 60s.

David Arquette plays Chris McCormack, i wud-be hero who makes his mixed-welcome appearence back in the town. Then there is sam. The towns female Sheriff. Together, they are going to face the BIGGEST challenge of their lives.....

As the town is descended upon by mutant spiders the size of cars, people flee for their lives. The spiders were incredible. I havent seen spiders this realistic since i saw Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets (2002).

The film is intense in some parts, with just the right amount of humour, to keep the merciless deaths just a little bit on the warm side. Dont expect a gore-fest. and dont expect this film to win any awards. But its great entertainment for everyone. Me, being a chronic arachnophobic, was cringing through the entire film, but even so, i thoroughally enjoyed it. 

 

Trivia:  The title did not come from the script, the director or the studio. In one scene, actorDavid Arquette improvised the phrase "Eight Legged Freaks" and that became the title. The original title was "Arac Attack" (in many European countries the film was released under that title). The scene can be seen in the movie with the phrase intact.

 

 

 

 

[John Marston]

 

 

 

 

Basic Instinct is the greatest. I have it on Blu ray and watch it all the time. I am 24 and watched it because I watched Fatal Attraction and knew this was the next movie in the "Michael Douglas crazy woman" trilogy. 

 

[RandomCat]

3 hours ago, Baumer said:

Number 26

Eight Legged Freaks (2002)

Directed by Ellory Elkayem

Starring:  David Arquette, Scarlet Johansson

Box office:  45M WW

 

 

 

I love this movie. I can watch and enjoy this movie, despite being horribly arachnophobic.

[Thegun]

I'll take Tremors 1 or 2 or Slither over Eight Legged Freaks

[baumer]

Number 25

The Big Easy (1986)

Directed by:  Jim McBride

Starring:  Dennis Quaid, Ellen Barkin, Ned Beatty, John Goodman

Box office:  17.7M

 

For a film about violence, crime and police corruption, The Big Easy sure is easy going and colorful. The characters are the liveliest bunch of rascals and it's a pleasure to spend every minute with them. Dennis Quaid plays cocky New Orleans detective Remy McSwain, a swaggering smooth talker who's gotten wealthy taking payoffs, a dude whose silky charm matches his swanky suits. He's gotten used to the easy life in the police department, with a captain who looks the other way (Ned Beatty brings a jovial, rotund presence), and colleagues (John Goodman is perfectly cast as the witty loudmouth of the bunch) who are just as happily willing to bend the rules as him. Trouble arrives in the sultry form of D.A. corruption task force specialist Anne Osborne (a swelteringly hot Ellen Barkin) who leans on Quaid as heavily as he hits on her. There's immediate and electric chemistry between them, which she adamantly fights, and he chases like a horn dog pursuing the bumper of a speeding Buick. Quaid and Barkin have the same spitfire sheen to their work, their careers dotted with performances that are flashy yet brave, pulpy yet laced with depth. Here they're having oodles of fun and carry the entire film on their crackling star power and romantic spark alone. There's also a subplot involving a rash of gang killings, as well as family matters involving Quaid's vivacious Cajun clan, including his Momma (monumentally talented Grace Zabriskie). It's a lively hodge-podge of plot elements we've seen a zillion times, but given such flippant style and good natured southern hospitality that we can't help but be won over. There's some lovely live performed Cajun music as well to add extra spice.

 

Trivia:  According to Robert Redford, this was the first film ever "sold" at a Sundance Film Festival.

Reportedly, star Robert Redford has said that he literally dragged British producer David Puttnam, who was the CEO of Columbia Pictures at the time, to a screening of the film at the Sundance Film Festival. Afterwards, Puttnam then picked-up the picture for distribution.

 

 

 

[baumer]

Number 24

Sleepaway Camp (1983)

Directed by Robert Hitzik

Starring:  Felicia Rose, Jonathan Tiersten

Box office:  4M 

 

Horror films seemed the easy way to make a quick buck in the 80's. There was an abundance of them that graced video. I don't think half of them actually made it to the big screen. You can add Sleepaway Camp to that list. This is a typical scary film. It has it's moments and it is scary in some parts. It has some nice humour especially when they play camp jokes on each other. But having said all that, this movie is as good as it is and it's not too bad ) because the mother in this film is creepier than Mrs. Bates and she actually makes you want to kill her. But the two parts that I will never forget are images that are firmly planted in my brain, especially the part of it that stores nasty horror elements in it.

The first was the death by curling iron. It is so horrific that it bothered me so much that I had to cover my eyes the second time I saw it. It is qutie graphic, not because of what they show, but because you know how nasty it is.

But the one thing that will stay with me and probably anyone else that has seen this film is the very end. That last shot is so horrific, so way out of left field that you never see it coming. It just hits you and then it ends. It has a power of its own. And judging by the comment on here from other users, they feel the same way. This is a film absolutely worth checking out.  

 

For those of you who have not seen it, this is the description of what happens at the end.  If you plan on finding it one day, don't read this.  

 

Spoiler

This low budget film came out during the peak of the horror boom in the 80’s and because of this, it was mostly ignored. The Fridays and Nightmares and Halloweens were dominating at this time. But not only is this film frightening, it has the biggest WTF ending of all time in my opinion. Shy and introverted Angela is sent to summer camp. While there, counsellors and other campers end up dead. Angela looks to be one of the potential victims, and like a typical horror film, we will find some bit player in the film as the killer. WRONG! Angela turns out to be not only the killer but she is actually a HE. The real Angela, his sister, died years ago, and his crazy, demented, sick, perverted, BITCH of a mom, dressed him in a girl’s outfit for years. We find out that Angela is a really a boy, when he reveals himself, buck-naked, his member clearly visible, holding the head of his final victim. He is also screeching out some terrible kind of horror movie moan. It’s an image, to this day, 31 years later, that has never left my brain. I’m the real victim here.

 

 

 

 

[CJohn]

5 hours ago, Baumer said:

Number 26

Eight Legged Freaks (2002)

Directed by Ellory Elkayem

Starring:  David Arquette, Scarlet Johansson

Box office:  45M WW

 

A film that definitely doesn't take itself seriously and has tongue firmly in cheek.  

 

Prosperity, Arizona. A nice quiet and peaceful little town in the middle of nowhere. That is until spiders from an exotic spider farm escape and feast on some toxic goo....they grow to dramatic proportions..and guess what...they're hungry!

Now, this film doesnt try to be anything else. Its quite simply a tongue-firmly-in-cheek slice of comedy/horror. Altho horror is kept to a minimum. It simply pays homage to the classic B-Movies of the 50s and early 60s.

David Arquette plays Chris McCormack, i wud-be hero who makes his mixed-welcome appearence back in the town. Then there is sam. The towns female Sheriff. Together, they are going to face the BIGGEST challenge of their lives.....

As the town is descended upon by mutant spiders the size of cars, people flee for their lives. The spiders were incredible. I havent seen spiders this realistic since i saw Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets (2002).

The film is intense in some parts, with just the right amount of humour, to keep the merciless deaths just a little bit on the warm side. Dont expect a gore-fest. and dont expect this film to win any awards. But its great entertainment for everyone. Me, being a chronic arachnophobic, was cringing through the entire film, but even so, i thoroughally enjoyed it. 

 

Trivia:  The title did not come from the script, the director or the studio. In one scene, actorDavid Arquette improvised the phrase "Eight Legged Freaks" and that became the title. The original title was "Arac Attack" (in many European countries the film was released under that title). The scene can be seen in the movie with the phrase intact.

 

 

 

 

Black Widow before being Black Widow. I knew about the existence of this because of her. Never saw it, tho.

[baumer]

Number 23

The Presidio (1988)

Directed by:  Peter Hyams

Starring:  Mark Harmon, Sean Connery, Meg Ryan, Jack Warden, Jeanne Triplehorn

Box office:  20.5M

 

 

Detective Jay Austin (Mark Harmon) was sure that somebody wanted something badly from the storeroom that night… So he broke in and killed his friend, an MP, Patti Jean Lynch (Jeanette Goldstein) during her routine patrol… 

Austin used to be an MP under Lt. Colonel Caldwell's (Sean Connery) command… He thought he could use the Colonel's help avoiding other channels… His instinct tells him that the bullet belongs to someone on the base… What we get here is an investigation involving both the Army and the San Francisco Police Department… 

Now, while Caldwell considers Austin a man who has no respect for women and he'll use his daughter (whom he loves too much) to get at him… his friend, Sgt. Maj. Ross Maclure (Jack Warden) knows that Donna is not a little girl anymore, and that her father doesn't want her to grow up… 

As a woman in love, Donna (Meg Ryan) knows that her father and Austin don't like each other… So she decides to find out about Austin, and about that incident in the Presidio, where the female MP that was shot to death was with Austin when he busted Colonel Paul Lawrence (Dana Gladstone)… 

The investigation takes a turn when Caldwell knew that Arthur Peale (Mark Blum)—a former province adviser to the CIA in Vietnam—owns the Black Mountain Water Company… Slowly, he begins to perceive that there's a piece missing, something worth killing for… 

The film carries two car chases in the streets of San Francisco, a good fight in a bar, and a climactic shoot-out in a water bottling plant…

 

Trivia:  Kevin Costner was contracted to play the Jay Austin role that in the end went to Mark Harmon. Apparently, Costner left the project much to the disappointment of Sean Connery who had wanted to work again with his co-star from The Untouchables (1987)

 

 

 

[baumer]

Number 22

Wrong Turn (2003)

Directed by: Rob Schmidt

Starring:  Eliza Dushku, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Jeremy Sisto, Kevin Zegers

Box office:  28.6M WW

 

This movie WORKS on many levels. Good actors, a solid storyline that doesn't drag, great make-up and visual affects, and fast paced directing make this movie a must see for the serious horror fan. Wrong Turn is a great throwback to the classic horror movies of the 70's and 80's, with the an excellent production budget which a lot of the older classics simply could not afford to have.

Wrong Turn did not disappoint this reviewer, and I really think it's too easy to compare this movie to "Deliverance", as other reviewers have. Regardless, I would rather watch these guys chase Eliza Dushku through the woods and up the trees any day than to watch Ned Beatty squeal like a pig! :-) Wrong turn is a truly scary and very creepy horror film. I get the "willies" every time I watch it! You really want these characters to make it out alive. Dushku is fantastic in her role as the strong female survivor. She plays it with everything she's got and it shows! The scene in which she is taken back to the cabin and tied to the bed.....well, it's a great piece of acting just as good as any of our beloved scream queens from years past.

The rest of the cast also delivers consistently throughout the film. All in all this is a great film and a class apart from what has been released to us horror fans in the last few years. I enjoyed it tremendously, and would recommend this movie to anyone who is a horror film fan.

 

Trivia:  Emmanuelle Chriqui dislocated her shoulder performing her fall through the trees. You can hear her shoulder pop on the production track in the theatrical sound mix.

 

 

 

 

[baumer]

Number 21

Eden Lake (2008)

Directed by:  James Watkins

Starring:  Kelly Reilly, Michael Fassbender

Box office:  4M WW

 

This is a review from some British Dude:

 

From start to finish this film is a masterclass in confronting our views on revenge and on how we choose which 'side' to be on in any given situation.

The two adult leads are almost immediately plunged into a nightmare where children have the upper hand and where respect for adults is thrown out of the window yet the adults still view the amoral, feral youth as children (at least initially).

Eden Lake plays as virtually a documentary of Britain in 2008 and as a film gives us a stark reflection of what is happening in this country today. The only difference being that Eden Lake takes place in the countryside while the real violence in the UK takes place on our city streets.

James Watkins has managed to create real tension, real suspense and some real terror in his directorial debut. So many UK horror films come with great expectations and so many fail, but with Eden Lake, Watkins has crafted a contemporary film that is instilled with the nastiness and vicious spirit of 70s/early 80s horror such as 'Last House on the Left'.

Disturbing, challenging, thought provoking and downright electrifying in places, this is one of the best horror films of the past few years and one of the best British films this decade

 

 

 

[baumer]

And this brings us to the top 20.

[75Live]

1 minute ago, Baumer said:

And this brings us to the top 20.

 

can't wait, as some of these are already great so the top 20 must have some big guns coming up  

[baumer]

Number 20

The Wild Life (1984)

Directed by Art Linson

Starring Chris Penn, Eric Stoltz, Lea Thompson, Randy Quaid, Ilan Mitchell Smith, Rick Moranis

Box office:  11M

 

Straight up, I love this film. I love everything about it. It has a great soundtrack, it has a lot of recognizable faces and it is funny as hell. There are so many plots in this film and every one of them is funny in one way or another.  I'll admit that this is a film which defined me and my friends so perhaps I will find it funnier than a lot of people watching it now for the first time.  

Where as Spicolli lit up the screen two years back, Drake is almost as memorable of a character. All he wants to do is have fun. He moves out of the house without his parent's consent, he skips work whenever he feels like it, he is obsessed with sex, he loves his drugs and booze and he tries to be a good friend. It is his lacksidaisical attitude that makes him such a joy to watch. And he comes out with some great lines. And there are so many tiny observations that you don't see coming but they make you laugh at the sheer velocity when it hits you. One particular moment is when Tommy and Bill are talking about Bill's ex girlfriend dating someone else now. At the end of the conversation, Tommy takes his huge beer bottle and just throws it over his shoulder, casually. He then says good night and the scene ends. It is a perfect scene. Tommy's world is his own. He really lives to party and have fun. When the conversation is over, his time is over and he doesn't care who he offends in the process. He has an innocence about him. "It's casual" is his favourite saying.

Another such classic scene is Reggie handing Bill a donut. He says something to him that me and my friends will never forget because we rewound the film ten times and watched that part over and over again and hurt ourselves laughing. It has to be seen to be appreciated.

Wild Life is a throw back to when teen comedies were funny, raunchy, had a good ear, entertained us and just wanted us to get lost in their world for 90 minutes. Wild Life does all those things perfectly. If this is a film that you haven't seen, give it a chance. It is a classic.

Also check out the army store guy that Jim has problems with. He is a very familiar face now and it is his first role on the big screen.

 

Trivia:  In the documentary on the 2005 DVD and Blu-Ray editions of Ferris Bueller's Day Off(1986), Ben Stein refers to this movie as a sequel to Fast Times at Ridgemont High(1982), although it is not officially considered one. Cameron Crowe wrote both films.

 

 

 

[baumer]

Number 19

Lucas (1986)

Directed by David Seltzer

Starring:  Corey Haim, Charlie Sheen, Kerri Green, Winona Ryder, Jeremy Piven

Box office:  8M

 

Lucas is a peculiar individual. He is picked on by his peers for being unusual, meets a pretty teenager named Maggie (Keri Green) and falls in love with her. Lucas gets his heartbroken when he learns Maggie has fallen for one of Lucas's best friends, Cappie (Charlie Sheen) what follows is a test of courage for Lucas. 

Sometimes I just need a movie to uplift my spirits and send me to bed happy. Lucas is that movie. What makes Lucas stand out from some other movies in this genre is that it's not contrived or artificial, it's real. The characters are real, and it is extremely genuine. It's an accurate portrayal of everyday High School life. There is plenty of bullying of similar people like Lucas. But what makes this movie so great, is that not only does it manage to give Lucas a fitting send off, but it also has a message that it's OK to be different. The entire cast is wonderful, but the movie's heart & soul is Corey Haim. Corey had star appeal. He had the looks, the charisma, and the acting chops to be one of the all time greats before drugs took over his life. His infectious energy is irresistible, and his portrayal of Lucas is one that is impossible to dislike. His performance was so great, that I actually believed Lucas was a real person at times. His football scene is not only heroic, but the best display of courage you can possibly see. That's how much I loved Lucas. His chemistry with Keri Green was excellent as well. Corey, I salute you! R.I.P. Keri Green is cute as a button. You can't help but love her. It's too bad her career ended so soon. Charlie Sheen is charming as the likable, good hearted jock. You may question a couple of his motives, but he is amiable in one of his early roles. Stars like Winona Ryder & Courtney Thorne-Smith have substantial roles as well. Try and resist the urge to cry in the finale. Rarely ever do I come close to crying happy tears, but I was very close to doing so here. It's hard not for your eyes to well up, and I'm a guy!

Final Thoughts: Everyone has a right to their opinion, and to like or dislike anything, but if you don't like this movie, I really do question your heart. 

 

Trivia:  Jeremy Piven's feature film debut.

 

 

 

[baumer]

Number 18

Pump Up The Volume (1990)

Directed by Allan Moyle

Starring:  Christian Slater, Samantha Mathis, Andy Romano

Box office: 11.5M

 

Pump up the Volume (1990) is perhaps one of the most inspiring films that ever found their way to the celluloid forum. Upon viewing the film for the first time as a 18-year-old kid back when it was released in cinemas, I remember feeling profoundly moved by the main lead and the events his character sets in motion. This genuine masterpiece doesn't only teach us about leadership and the ability of one individual to make a difference in the world; it is also a triumph of the human spirit in general and of the youth over decadent grown-up ideas specifically.

The story presents us Mark Hunter (a then young and extremely talented Christian Slater), a teenage high school student that moves with his parents from the big city to the suburbs, when his father gets a new job as an educational consultant for a middle-America region. The days are the early nineties, when internet was probably considered radical science fiction at best, and Mark finds himself all of a sudden pretty lonely in the new school. Luckily, his parents buy him a ham radio in order to keep connected with his friends back east, and Mark finds a unique way of passing time by transmitting his thoughts about the suburbs and the lousy life of 1990 teenagers, using his ham radio as a local broadcast device. Upon gaining fame and listeners, Hunter adopts a pseudonym, one "Happy Harry Hard On" which brings messages of freedom of speech and thought to his fellow classmates at school. When stumbling upon information concerning illegal steps his school has taken regarding problematic students, things start to get out of control. As Mark, he tries to keep a low profile and doesn't blend in with the ongoing events, but as Harry he feels he must take a stand and speak up his thoughts and ideas. But can a voice be heard without its owner taking responsibility to its actions? 

The notions and ideas which arise upon viewing Pump up the Volume are intriguing and fresh until this very day, 16 years after its initial release. For the younger ones, it teaches how to stand up for what you believe in and try to right society's wrongs. For grown-ups, it serves an interesting conflict about the bounders of democracy and the part the media plays in each and every one of our lives. Look out for Samantha Mathis's powerful role as Nora DeNiro, Hunter's female admirer, and one of the only people around him that know he's behind the controversial broadcasts. Also look out for a very very young Seth Green (Austin Powers, Without a Paddle) as one of the students that helps spread Harry's tapes across the school. A truly profound film and one of my favourites.

 

Trivia:  "HHH" is the acronym and the initials of both one of the radio call names of Mark Hunter (Christian Slater) - "Happy Harry Hardon" - and the informal name of the educational institution - "Hubert Humphrey High".

 

 

 

[baumer]

Number 17

The Prophecy (1995)

Directed by Gregory Widen

Starring:  Christopher Walken, Elias Koteas, Viggo Mortensen, Virginia Madsen, Amanda Plummer, Eric Stoltz

Box office:  16.1M

 

Religion has always been a clouded issue to me. There is absolutely no evidence that there is a God or an afterlife. But that hasn't stopped me ( and billions of people ) from believing in something. And I have always been taught that if there is good, then there is also the bad. If there is a heaven, there has to be a hell. The Prophecy tells us that there is, but it is not necessarily that cut and dried. The ruler of hell in this film is more like a character in a Martin Scorsese film. He is evil ( he has to be, he is Lucifer ) but he is not necessarily here to make God's life miserable. He is not necessarily good, but he is in a self serving kind of way.

The Prophecy is a very confusing and convoluted but brilliant film. The story ( bear with me here, it's been a while since I've seen this film ) is about a war between angels. Some angels became jealous when God decided he loved humans more than them. They become bitter and decide to start a war in heaven with the angels that are loyal to God. Their theory is that if the angels that oppose them are gone, they can take over certain things and hopefully get God's love back. To do this, they must steal the soul of the most heinous person that ever lived. We meet Gabriel, the lead angel in this crusade, and played by Christopher Walken, he is one of the most entertaining characters I have ever seen in the history of film. He has a sense of humour, he is vicious and he uses humans as slaves to do his dirty work. He catches them just before they are about to die and uses them with the promise that he will kill them once their job is finished. Here we meet Jerry, as his human monkey,and the only reason I mention this is because it is one of Adam Goldberg's early roles. He was Upham in Saving Private Ryan and watching this you could tell he had talent and that he would go places. He is fantastic in this film.

Elias Koteas plays Thomas, the only one who may have an insight into what is going on. He was a former priest who understands how religion is playing a part in all of this.

Eric Stoltz plays Simon, one of the good angels that is trying to save the world from Gabriel and he is very affective here as well.

But the star of this film is absolutely Walken. He is perfect as Gabriel. He has a sense of humour and he is evil at the same time. And in some ways you are rooting for him to win. That is until the very end when Satan shows up, because he steals every scene he is in as well.

Satan is played with wicked slickness by Viggo Mortensen. When he speaks he almost slithers and creeps his words onto the screen. He makes a dark scene darker and he keeps you glued to the screen. And his role in this film is one that epitomizes convolution. He is awesome.

This film is one that should not be missed. If you don't understand everything about it the first time, watch it again and again. You'll learn something new every time. And you'll enjoy it more and more. This is one hell of a film!

 

 

 

[RandomCat]

2 hours ago, Thegun said:

I'll take Tremors 1 or 2 or Slither over Eight Legged Freaks

 

Tremors is the best film ever made. I'm not joking as much as some may thing. It's my favorite flick.

[baumer]

Number 16

She's The One (1996)

Directed by: Edward Burns

Starring: Edward Burns, Jennifer Aniston, John Mahoney, Cameron Diaz, Michael McGlone, Leslie Mann

Box office:  9.5M

 

When you have a low budget of about 3.5 million dollars, you are obviously going to concentrate on what you are good at. For Ed Burns, that is dialogue and characterization. She's The One is one of the best movies I have ever seen when it comes to the characters and who they are. This is a film that reminds me of Tarantino, Damon and Affleck and Kevin Smith. These are thespians that first and foremost have an incredible flair and a tuned ear for how people think, talk and express themselves. Ed Burns is truly one of the gifted ones and this is a film that is a pleasure to watch from the start to the end. From it's main characters to it's secondary ones, they all have something interesting or intriguing to say. If there ever was a hidden gem, this is it in every way.

Ed Burns plays Mickey Fitzpatrick and he is fresh off of a tour of the U.S.A when three years earlier he walked into his apartment and found his fiancee buck naked with what Mickey refers to as Gorilla Man. Instead of doing what most macho men from the world of Goodfellas would do, Mickey just turned and walked out, for three years. Some people take a little longer to heal. 

He is now back in New York driving a cab which is a major point of contention between him and his snobby, pretentious brother, Francis. Francis is a wall street broker or investor or something, and he makes a pile of money. He doesn't understand why Mickey is working at a dead beat job and he never shys away from dragging him through the mud every chance he gets.

" Hey, I'm happy where I am right now," Mickey says to his dad and Francis one day while on their dad's fishing boat.

"Happy, big deal if you're happy. You're never going to make any real money," Francis so eloquently points out.

Francis is wealthy as sin and married to a beautiful woman, played by Jennifer Anniston, but he is cheating on her with another cold hearted woman played with absolute Arctic coolness by Cameron Diaz. She is banging Francis but absolutely does not hesitate to sleep with other men because she knows Francis is still married. She even coyly brags about how many orgasms an older man, affectionately named Papa, can give her while in comparison, Francis has about as much spark as a wet match. Why she is with him, that is not quite clear. But their relationship does ring true because both are so emotionally frigid that they just make sense.

Meanwhile Mickey impulsively marries a girl that he drives to New Orleans in his cab. They have known each other for a mere three days and they tie the knot. This is the highest form of romance to some of the woman in the film but to Francis and Mick's dad, they think it is an abomination. Every theory from her being an illegal alien to pregnancy is debated upon. Never once occurring to either of them that Mickey could truly be in love.

There are other layers to the film such as the father having problems of his own with his wife. There is another hilarious subplot about Mickey finding out that the woman his brother is sleeping with is really his former fiancee, the one that cheated on him with Mr. Gorilla Man.

Ed Burns has written rich characters that are quite real. This is a close family, at least the boys and their father are. But they obviously have some serious real life problems. However, whatever amount of animosity that exists between siblings always takes a back seat loyalty, well most of the time. One scene in particular rings so true that it reminded me of my own brother and our relationship.

Mickey finally finds out that Francis is sleeping with his ex-fiancee, the gorilla humper. He has to tell him something that he feels he should know about her. Mickey knows that she put herself through college by working as a call girl. He reluctantly tells his brother and Francis' first reaction is that Mickey is just saying that to him to alleviate his pain, to make sure that Francis does not have what was once his. Mickey then tells him that he is sorry to be the one to tell him but someone had to. He loves him after all, and hey they are brothers. Better he find out from him than from someone else when they are married. And then he follows it up with an even better encounter.

"You told him didn't you?" Heather asks Mickey.

"Yea, I did," Mickey replies without a hint of anger in his voice.

"But you said you were okay with that," she says, close to tears.

"I am," Mickey says sincerely," but he is my brother."

That is all that's said. And that is all that needs to be said. An inferior writer would of had Mickey go into some elaborate monologue about something to do with the fact that he and Francis may not see eye to eye.... and so on. But Burns hits the right note and leaves the rest up to us. 

She's The One has enough story in here for three or four movies, really. And Burns tells all of them equally. He doesn't play favourtism with any one story over the other. They are all important to him and all are allotted the same time to grow. This is one of the best films about relationships and it is certainly one of the most honest. If you think that Kevin Smith's film Chasing Amy was clever with it's dialogue, then you will love She's The One.

I have seen this film three times and The Brother's McMullen twice. They have obvious similarities but the one thing that is great about both of them is that they get better every time you watch them, and that is a sign of a great film.
 

Trivia:  Shot on a budget of $3 million, considerably more than the estimated budget of $20,000 that Edward Burns's previous film The Brothers McMullen (1995) cost.

 

 

 

[baumer]

Number 15

The Fly (1986)

Directed By : David Cronenberg

Starring:  Jeff Goldblum, Geena Davis

Box office:  60M WW

 

The Fly definitely has to have one of the most interesting story in film history about a scientist who teleported himself in his invention without knowing that there is a fly with him. The best thing about the movie is that he didn't turn into a fly straight away after he left the machine; he was slowly throughout the whole film which really created the suspense & the tensive mood.

It is a remake and a hi-tech update of the 1958 classic and is David Cronenberg's biggest hit to date, granting Jeff Goldblum his finest role as the teleported monster hybrid and granting an Oscar for its gruesomely icky special effects. Generally flies are the most useless & annoying animals especially when they sit on your food but for once they did become useful for the idea of this terrific film. I've not seen the original Fly because I'm not keen in really old films and I don't think it will turn out to be as good as this one.

It's rumoured that there is going to be another remake in 2008, I don't mind remakes as long as they turn out to be good but most of them are rubbish. The 80's was the best decade for movies e.g. An American Werewolf in London, Gremlins, A Nightmare in Elm Street, The Terminator & Predator, the list is endless. Overall The Fly is a masterpiece with a classic story.

 

Trivia: After watching some of his early films, director Martin Scorsese asked to meet David Cronenberg. Upon meeting him, Scorsese said he looked like a Beverly Hills plastic surgeon. This inspired Cronenberg to give himself a cameo as a doctor.

 

While working at Fox, it was Scott Rudin's suggestion to Stuart Cornfeld that they hireDavid Cronenberg as director. Cornfeld agreed and after Mel Brooks had written an eloquent letter to the bosses at Fox, they agreed. Cronenberg's asking salary at the time was US$750,000. Brooks, Cornfeld and Fox, countered with an offer of $1 million, which sealed the deal.

 

 

 

[ProtoMan]

4 hours ago, Baumer said:

Number 19

Lucas (1986)

Directed by David Seltzer

Starring:  Corey Haim, Charlie Sheen, Kerri Green, Winona Ryder, Jeremy Piven

Box office:  8M

 

Lucas is a peculiar individual. He is picked on by his peers for being unusual, meets a pretty teenager named Maggie (Keri Green) and falls in love with her. Lucas gets his heartbroken when he learns Maggie has fallen for one of Lucas's best friends, Cappie (Charlie Sheen) what follows is a test of courage for Lucas. 

Sometimes I just need a movie to uplift my spirits and send me to bed happy. Lucas is that movie. What makes Lucas stand out from some other movies in this genre is that it's not contrived or artificial, it's real. The characters are real, and it is extremely genuine. It's an accurate portrayal of everyday High School life. There is plenty of bullying of similar people like Lucas. But what makes this movie so great, is that not only does it manage to give Lucas a fitting send off, but it also has a message that it's OK to be different. The entire cast is wonderful, but the movie's heart & soul is Corey Haim. Corey had star appeal. He had the looks, the charisma, and the acting chops to be one of the all time greats before drugs took over his life. His infectious energy is irresistible, and his portrayal of Lucas is one that is impossible to dislike. His performance was so great, that I actually believed Lucas was a real person at times. His football scene is not only heroic, but the best display of courage you can possibly see. That's how much I loved Lucas. His chemistry with Keri Green was excellent as well. Corey, I salute you! R.I.P. Keri Green is cute as a button. You can't help but love her. It's too bad her career ended so soon. Charlie Sheen is charming as the likable, good hearted jock. You may question a couple of his motives, but he is amiable in one of his early roles. Stars like Winona Ryder & Courtney Thorne-Smith have substantial roles as well. Try and resist the urge to cry in the finale. Rarely ever do I come close to crying happy tears, but I was very close to doing so here. It's hard not for your eyes to well up, and I'm a guy!

Final Thoughts: Everyone has a right to their opinion, and to like or dislike anything, but if you don't like this movie, I really do question your heart. 

 

Trivia:  Jeremy Piven's feature film debut.

 

 

 

 

I watched this movie a ton as a kid. It is a great feel good movie.

 

As you said, Corey Haim had real talent but didn't have the management to keep him away from the Corey and Corey garbage (along with the drugs). It was easy for Hollywood to dismiss him after that.

 

 

Edited August 2, 2016 by ProtoMan