Top 100 Movies: No. 68 - The People vs. Larry Flynt (1996)
Posted on March 12, 2008
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The People vs. Larry Flynt is on this list for three reasons: 1) The performances by Edward Norton, Woody Harrelson and Courtney Love; 2) the subject matter - free speech; and 3) it’s a great, entertaining movie (OK, that’s kind of a given).
Edward Norton is terrific as a lawyer who defends his client in an effort to protect our freedom of speech. Unfortunately for him, his client isn’t that sympathetic - he’s a pornographer.
Whether or not you find Larry Flynt’s chosen profession distasteful, the legal issues litigated were vital to our First Amendment rights. The clip below sums up what was at stake.
Tags: courtney love, list, movies, the people vs. larry flynt, top 100, woody harrelson
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Top 100 Movies: No. 78 - O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)
Posted on November 14, 2007
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I am a huge fan of the Coen Brothers and it shows - three of their flicks made it into my Top 100 Movies. The first, of course, is O Brother, Where Art Thou?, which is loosely based on Homer’s “The Odyssey.”
Like most Coen Brothers’ movies, O’ Brother, Where Art Thou? has some great (and memorable) lines (”Damn! We’re in tight spot!”) and a stellar cast. However, standing above the rest is George Clooney. He delivers his best performance by far and in doing so proved that he could be funny outside of The Facts of Life and interviews. Seriously, you have to hand it to him, he paid his dues and is now a huge star.
In addition to Clooney and the great lines (and yes, a great story and cast), O Brother, Where Art Thou? features one of the great all-time theme songs - I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow (the video is below the trailer).
Man, now I’m really excited for No Country for Old Men!
Tags: coen brothers, george clooney, homer, i am a man of constant sorrow, lines, list, movies, no country for old men, o brother where art thou, song, the odyssey, top 100
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Top 100 Movies: No. 80 - The Untouchables (1987)
Posted on November 9, 2007
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We end the week in 1920’s prohibition-era Chicago with The Untouchables. This flick features several stellar performances, but two stand about the rest - Sean Connery, who won an Oscar for his supporting role as one of the Untouchables, Jimmy Malone, and Robert De Niro as infamous crime boss and tax evader Al Capone.
Not to take anything away from Sean Connery (like I could anyway), but Robert De Niro is fantastic in this film. I forget that it is De Niro playing Capone when I watch this flick. Granted, he put on a lot of weight for the role, but it still takes a great actor to so totally consume and live as a character, especially in a biographical film, to make you forget who they are. Hey, Jack Nicholson was great as The Joker in Batman, a role for which he wore a lot of makeup and changed his appearance, but I never forget that it is Jack playing the ghoulish clown sociopath.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Kevin Costner, who gives a solid performance as Eliot Ness. For all the crap Costner gets now, he sure was in some great flicks in the mid-to-late 80’s and early 90’s.
Tags: al capone, batman, chicago, eliot ness, gangster, jack nicholson, kevin costner, list, prohibition, robert de niro, sean connery, the joker, the untouchables, top 100, top 100 movies
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Top 100 Movies: No. 89 - The Lost Boys (1987)
Posted on October 19, 2007
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Is that garlic I smell or just 80’s movie greatness? The Lost Boys stands on its own in the vampire genre, but it was also such an “80’s movie.” Who thought vampires could be so hip? Wait, is it hip to say hip? I don’t care, the vampires in this flick were cool, even the dude from the Bill and Ted movies.
The Lost Boys soundtrack was great as well. In fact, if you saw this movie back in the 80’s, it was a pretty sure bet that you also bought the soundtrack. At least that was the case with people I knew. I wonder how many of you bought this soundtrack? (hint hint)
The Lost Boys helped launch the careers of Jason Patric, who went on to star in Speed 2: Cruise Control, and Kiefer Sutherland, who starred in The Cowboy Way. There were also two guys named Corey in this flick - they have a reality show on A&E now. I know, they’ve all done other work as well, but sometimes I can’t control my sarcastic inner voice.
One final note - this flick has a great ending. For those of you who haven’t seen it (come on!), I won’t spoil it, I will just say that the grandpa has a great line in the last scene.
Hey, it’s October and Halloween is closing in on us fast, why not see The Lost Boys again (or for the first time)? We’ll get to the scary stuff at the end of the month.
Be sure to check back here on Monday for No. 88 in my Top 100 Movies list. Have a great weekend!
Tags: 24, halloween, jason patric, kiefer sutherland, list, movies, october, reality show, soundtrack, speed 2: cruise control, the cowboy way, the lost boys, the lost boys soundtrack, the two coreys, top 100, vampire movies, vampires
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Top 100 Movies: No. 93 - Beverly Hills Cop (1984)
Posted on October 8, 2007
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Remember the first R-Rated movie you received permission from your parents to see? For me, it was Beverly Hills Cop. I had watched other R-Rated movies, but those viewings occurred at friends’ homes on HBO when their parents were out. This time, it was in a real movie theater. I could actually tell my friends that I had seen Beverly Hills Cop! Pretty exciting stuff for a kid. The fact that I saw this flick in a theater with my parents’ blessing (well, maybe not their blessing) helped Beverly Hills Cop crack my Top 100 Movies.
Believe it or not (but believe it ’cause its true), Sylvester Stallone was originally cast as Axel Foley in Beverly Hills Cop. However, two weeks prior to shooting, he was out, Eddie Murphy was in, and some screenwriters really freaked out (the Stallone-featured Beverly Hills Cop would not have been a comedy). The rest is history.
This is the only Eddie Murphy flick to make it into my Top 100 Movies list, which is surprising (at least to me). Eddie Murphy used to be really, really funny and made some great movies. Slight correction, he is still really funny, I just don’t care for some of the crap, uh, films, he has made the last several years.
For those of you who may be too young to remember, Eddie started out as a stand-up comedian and filmed a couple of his concerts, including Eddie Murphy - Delirious, which is an absolute classic. Oh, and you can’t beat old episodes of Saturday Night Live starring Eddie. These rank just behind the first couple years of SNL with Belushi, et al. (that’s John Belushi kids, not Jim.)
So there you have it. Beverly Hills Cop. No. 93 on my Top 100 Movies list.
Tags: axel foley, belushi, beverly hills cop, delirious, eddie murphy, jim belushi, john belushi, list, r-rated, saturday night live, snl, sylvester stallone, theater, top 100, top 100 movies
