Rankings (Let’s B Ril + Confess They All Have Issues. Therefore, Chronological)
Rich and Strange (1931)
An early Hitchcock film that felt, to me, a bit like a dress rehearsal for Mr. and Mrs. Smith (1941), but–not particularly loving that film–darker and quirkier. There were, however, problems: Glib Orientalism and the tinniest dialogue ever recorded on an actress (making it impossible to make out 99% of her lines). [Squished face emoji]
The Music Man (1962)
I was never a show-tunes, theater kid. But I loved The Simpsons. And “Marge vs. the Monorail” is one of TV’s finest (half)hours.
Hide in Plain Sight (1980)
James Caan directs, and it’s a domestic drama about child abduction. Whether you enjoy this film might depend on how you feel about the people, words, and implications of my previous sentence. Admittedly, I struggled.
Firefox (1982)
Maybe the best film on the list. I wasn’t sure I’d live in a world (er, city) where I could see Clint Eastwood’s invigorating Cold War thriller twice on the big screen. But, thanks to the New Beverly’s proprietor’s fondness for this beaut, I have.
Red Dawn (1984)
As a cult film guy from way back when, I was surprised it took me so long to see this thing. I wasn’t blown away–you know, because I’m not an adolescent–but it was fun seeing it with a crowd on the 4th of July at the New Beverly. Though the responses were markedly split between sincere and ironic enjoyment, capped with a “What the fuck is so funny?” bellow near the film’s climax that (unsurprisingly) brought down the house.
Grumpy Old Men (1993)
You know what you may not remember from when you saw this as a child and liked it because it was old men cussing? That those same old men are trying to pork Ann-Margret the whole time.
Everybody Wants Some!! (2016)
“Spiritual” sequels are bullshit. But, unlike the double exclamation points, this grew on me by the end. I still can’t envision a world where I reach for it instead of Dazed and Confused (1993).
(Screengrab from The Music Man)
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