Staff Picks: Movies for a Valentine's Day

We're back at it again with some staff picks.  We decided to be timely in our picks this month and share movies that you can watch with your sweetheart for an inexpensive Valentine's date. Or movies you can watch in your sweats with a bowl of ice cream on a date that happens to be smack dab in the middle of the month of February.  Or with your kids, whom you love dearly. Or just anytime because movies are great.  There. Bases covered.

Lindsey - My suggestion may seem odd because it is an animated children's movie, but I cannot stress enough how much I want everyone to see this movie.  A Monster in Paris.  My sister happened upon it with her three boys (ages 2, 6, and 8) and they watch it so often, I ended up watching it and falling in love.  I'm not even sure how to explain the plot except to say that a monster is accidentally unleashed on the city of Paris, but it's not what you would expect.  It's funny, well animated, and nicely acted.  The music is beautiful and catchy (we may have recently purchased the soundtrack). It is utterly charming.  Go, watch, and thank me later.

Lis - Hitch is a fun movie with romance that guys seem to like. Will Smith is one of those actors that everyone seems to love. There are different types of couples that get together in the movie, and it gives hope to everyone that love can be possible if you just get the right opportunity.

Paige- My favorite romantic movie, which is saying something since I typically don't enjoy them, is Sense and Sensibility. First because Hugh Grant and Alan Rickman are in the same movie. Second because it's wonderfully witty. Third because it's the only romantic movie that my husband happens to enjoy as well. It's the trifecta. Fun fact: did you know Emma Thompson wrote the screenplay?

Megan - I discovered the French movie He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not at the International Cinema   on campus when I was in college. It's a completely brilliant movie that plays from two different points of view, so for the first half of the movie you think you're watching a completely different kind of movie than you discover you are in the second half. I will just warn you that it is not a romantic comedy, but the surprises are the best part, so don't go reading the plot before hand. Bonus: it stars Audrey Tautou of Amelie fame (which I think it why I watched it in the first place.) If you want something different than the same old sappy chick flick this year, this is your movie. (Even my husband loved it.) (Side note: This movie used to be on Netflix, but appears to only be available on DVD now. If your appetite for Valentine's-appropriate French movies must be appeased and you didn't plan ahead, let me suggest the excellent Romantics Anonymous, which is about two incredibly awkward, shy people attempting to fall in love - and is available on instant watch.)

Jill - Perhaps this one is only coming to mind because I rediscovered it when a friend was going through my DVDs the other day, but I am going to throw Bend it Like Beckham into the mix. It has some romance to make it holiday appropriate, some soccer (erm, it is a British movie, so we should probably say football) to satisfy the part of you that is driven bonkers by Valentine's Day and a good chunk of Punjabi dialogue thrown in to make you feel multi-cultural. When it first came out (more than a decade ago! Yikes I am getting old!), my five sisters and I went through a streak of watching it so much that our then-four-year-old sister could quote it almost entirely. Unfortunately, that included the rare mild swear word (sorry, Mom), but oh the memories. Basically, I offer up this movie with a lot of love in my heart, so go forth and enjoy!

Melissa- I could probably list a hundred movies that I would enjoy to watch with my sweetheart. I envision myself with my legs strewn across his lap as we cuddle to the witty musings of a Nora Ephron movie, but that's not how it ever works out for us. Usually we end up arguing about how often we've watched "Melissa movies" recently or how we've had an influx of "Adam movies." Whatever movie we end up deciding on usually entertains us, even if the other didn't want to watch it. My suggestion is White House Down, staring Jamie Foxx and Channing Tatum (Tatum Channing? Chatum Tanning? -- Most confusing name ever). It exceeds every ridiculous expectation you could want. It's about a Secret Service wannabe (Tatum/Chantum/Tanning?) who takes his daughter on a tour of the White House after a failed interview. Good thing he's there, because the White House is suddenly under attack and EVERY SECURITY PERSON WITH ACCESS TO A GUN IS IMMEDIATELY ANNIHILATED. The lines are brilliantly cheesy. There are no less than nine thousand explosions, and Tanning Chatum finds an opportunity to needlessly remove his shirt mid action scene. It's a plethora of twists and cliches all rolled in one. But if it had been my pick, I would have gone with Crazy, Stupid, Love. It's one of my favorite rom/coms  and it stars Steve Carrell and Ryan Gosling so you can't lose. Wildly inappropriate for children.

Cara- I think Valentine's Day can be a great day for celebrating romance, but above that I think it's great reminder to share your love--romantic or otherwise--with those you care about.  And so, in no particular order, here are some films that celebrate love of all kinds. Big Fish is a film about a dying father, his skeptical son, and how stories can bring people together (I cry every time with this one...). In Her Shoes tells the story of two sisters struggling to embrace themselves and their past. While this may not necessarily be your typical "snuggle up together" movie, it does make you think about connections, trust, and love. Life is Beautiful brings together romance, laughter, hope, imagination, fatherly love, and sacrifice in the harsh reality of World War II. Last, but not least, the Anne of Green Gables series (and the others in the Anne canon) covers the gamut of love, from her search for a family (despite not being a boy who can help on the farm), to finding kindred spirit friends, to falling in romantic love. But be sure to set aside a weekend...or two...or three...to be able to watch the whole, wonderful, thing!

Creepy Movies for Halloween Night

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Okay, let's talk Halloween movies. I like spooky movies. I do not like graphically gory movies, and anything that is going to leave ultra creepy images in my head for weeks is not my thing. I want some spine-tingling and some good jumping, and then I want to leave it alone. (The Ring creeped me out a lot more than it should have, and The Woman in Black SERIOUSLY freaked me out, although I also thought it was pretty good.) Your definition of a scary movie is probably not the same as mine, but there's a pretty good mix here, and if you're sick of watching Hocus Pocus every year, perhaps something will strike your fancy.

This is another post that is a collaboration between me and my friend Ann, whose tastes lean more toward the creepy and gothic ghostly than to Stephen King. I haven't seen everything on the list, but I'm confident it's a good one.

The Others. I don't know why this movie is so perfectly creepy to me. It's a little jumpy, but mostly eerie and atmospheric, with a beautiful flip that makes the dark less frightening than the light. I love it.

The Last Exorcism 

The Woman in Black. I had seen this play and read the book, and both were just sort of creepy. This one scared me to death, especially because I was pregnant at the time and had to get up in the night ALL THE TIME. It's got a great cast and is well done, but it really did scare me.

The Haunting of Hill House. A million times better than the late 90s remake based on the same book, this classic black and white number is wonderfully creepy, even if some of the expressions are kind of hilariously dated.

Wait Until Dark. Audrey Hepburn makes being blind so scary - and classy. I love to watch this one with friends who have never seen it and wait for them to jump.

Vertigo. Ann says, "I personally find this really scary, but I don't know if anyone else will." I think it's a great movie, and although it's more psychological than anything else, it's still creepy and wonderful. Plus, Jimmy Stewart.

Psycho.  I love how haunting the climax of this movie is, no matter how many times I've seen it. I also recommend the recent biopic Hitchcock, which tells the story of how this ended up being a movie against all odds. (That one is not really creepy, but totally worthwhile.)

Night of the Living Dead (1968)

Invasion of the Body Snatchers (I also secretly liked the Nicole Kidman remake of this.)

The Skeleton Key 

Cape Fear (1962). Gregory Peck tries to protect his family from Robert Mitchum, who wants revenge because Peck's character put him in jail. Creepier than it sounds.

The House on Haunted Hill. Okay, this movie is pretty campy and old, but SO GREAT. It's Vincent Price at his finest. I've watched it more than once, and it was on Ann's list too. It won't terrify you (although it might make you jump once or twice) but it's a great one for a Halloween party, especially one where not everyone wants to be scared. The best part? It's available on Netflix instant watch, so if you can't get anything at your video store (do any of those still exist? The scary movies were always gone when I got there on Halloween anyway) this is a great option. (My friend Debra, who introduced me to this, also loves Vincent Price's House of Wax.)

Nosferatu. This silent movie version of Dracula is a far cry from the sparkly sexy vampires of today's movies and TV, but it is seriously creepy. (It's also available on Netflix for streaming, or on Youtube.)

Vampyr. A German movie from 1932 that you can watch here.

The Bad Seed. Unfortunately, the Hayes code kind of ruined the end of this movie, but it's still a really fun, and the little girl does a great job of being a psychopath.

The Innocents. A creepy old movie based on The Turn of the Screw. I still don't completely understand it, but it was creepy and fun to watch.

Something Wicked This Way Comes. Not as creepy as the book, but it's still a pretty decent (if oldish) creepy movie. I love the concept of a creepy carnival.

When a Stranger Calls (either version - the old one is much scarier than the new one)

Arsenic and Old Lace. More funny than creepy, but so wonderfully Halloween.

The Village. Yes, M. Night Shamaylan is kind of over, but this movie feels like fall, doesn't it? It's just creepy enough, and the colors are just beautiful.

The Stepford Wives (1975). You guys. It's a feminist horror movie. And it is SO SCARY. The new one is not at all scary, but the old one is really quite terrifying.

Secret Window. This movie is one of my husband's favorite scary movies, and the climax is quite wonderfully scary. (He wants me to put Ernest Scared Stupid on this list as well, but I just can't bring myself to do it.)

ET is not scary, but if you just want a movie that just takes place at Halloween, here it is!

Disney's Ichabod Crane, which you can totally watch on youtube. It's not really scary, but it has lots of singing by Bing Crosby.

The Goonies


What are you going to watch on Halloween night?

Staff Picks: Girls' Night Movies

This is the first of what we hope will be many collaborative posts where we just tell you what we all like in a category. We hope that you'll share your favorites with us in the comments! 

There's nothing more fun and relaxing than a good old-fashioned girls' night. We all need them from time to time to unwind and be silly. Here's a little (okay, "little") list of our favorites.

Meg: There are so many awesome girls night movies, but if I'm being honest, I'm always in the mood for an SLA (Sumptuous Literary Adaptation) and I have enough bookish/Anglophile friends that I can usually talk someone into watching them with me. North and South (the 2004 Elizabeth Gaskell adaptation, not the 1985 Patrick Swayze Civil War one) is basically Pride and Prejudice with a cotton mill strike. It clocks in at about four hours, but it's the perfect movie to watch while you work on projects, paint your nails, and swoon over Richard Armitage in all of his angular British majesty (plus the actor who plays Bates in Downton Abbey is running around). It has a little bit of a hefty (non-violent) death toll (cotton workers get fluff lung a lot) but the romantic payoff is so great that I always feel like starting it over again as soon as it ends. I have never recommended it to anyone who didn't fall in love with it, and I even watched it with my mother-in-law.

Lindsey: I didn't think this would be a difficult choice, but, my friends, it was so difficult.  I'm not a "chick flick" kind of girl and generally let my girlfriends convince me to watch things like North and South (I am the proud originator of the term "fluff lung," thank you and you're welcome) and other lengthy sagas.  I will confess I did not watch the BBC's Pride and Prejudice until I was in my mid-twenties, I do not know what I was thinking, because we all know that this happens:

And that's really something I can get behind.  My girls night movies are usually comedies that guys would also like, something from the 80's, or ridiculous teen movies with catchy phrases we can say over and over.  So, I'm going with the 80's selection since it is severely overlooked as of yet in this post.  There are so many, but I have to pick Pretty in Pink.  Molly Ringwald is the girl from the other side of the tracks who falls in love with a rich guy named Blaine.  BLAINE.  He has perfectly floppy hair and is non-threatening and soft spoken, just the kind of guy teenage girls swoon over.  The soundtrack is fantastic, the angst is thick, and Jon Cryer does the best lip-synch I've ever witnessed.  It brings me great joy.  

Bonus points for Pretty in Pink: I saw James Spader walking around the Louvre with his girlfriend in 2007.  It was amazing and every time I watch this movie, I remember slightly stalking him from a respectable distance in a famous French museum.  Kristy Swanson hits on Ducky at the end of Prom.  This means Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Ducky dated (before she met Donald Sutherland and fell in love with Dylan from 90210). Movies are great.

Melissa: While You Were Sleeping is the perfect romantic comedy for a girls night. Starring Sandra Bullock and Bill Pullman, this 90s flick is filled with hilarious dialogue, and a plot so ridiculous it is irresistible. It’s the not so classic tale of girl falls for boy, boy falls onto train tracks, girl saves boy, boy falls into a coma, and in a comedic series of misunderstandings the boy’s family believes the girl is his fiancée. This movie has been a staple in our family since it hit theaters in 1995. It is witty, it is honest, and of course in the end true love conquers, leaving you satisfied (and maybe even a little teary eyed).

“Do you believe in love at first sight? Nah, I betcha don't, you're probably too sensible for that. Or have you ever, like, seen somebody? And you knew that, if only that person *really* knew you, they would, well, they would of course dump the perfect model that they were with, and realize that YOU were the one that they wanted to, just, grow old with. Have you ever fallen in love with someone you haven't even talked to? Have you ever been so alone you spend the night confusing a man in a coma?”

Paige: Downton Abbey. Okay, I cheated. This isn't exactly a movie BUT if you watch two episodes in row it is! Or better yet, you could be like me and watch a whole slew of them at once and get a pop up box on your computer that says, "You've been watching for three hours. Are you sure you want to continue?" Thanks for the self-esteem boost, computer. They might as well put a note on the bottom of the chip bag that says, "You just ate a whole bag of potato chips. Do you hate yourself yet?"

Downton Abbey is the best because it is wholly and completely a soap opera... but it's on PBS and everyone has British accents so you can totally get away with watching it. Do you ever hear your co-workers talking about who finally kissed on Days of Our Lives? No, because everyone would be too embarrassed to admit they watch it. But you can still have the "can you believe who woke up from their coma?" conversations in total confidence if you invest in this classier soap.

So if you're going to hop on the band wagon (and I highly recommend that you do) you should know that the cool kids just call it "Downton"; don't ever let autocorrect make you look like a fool that spells it Downtown Abbey or you will be mocked and ridiculed; and we all hate Ms. O'Brien.

Now feel free to call the next person that cuts you off on the freeway an uppity minx.

Cara: I’m sometimes up for a good chick-flick but most of the time I just need a smile. Some of my favorites that I’m always up for are (in no particular order): Young Frankenstein, Princess Bride, Some Like It Hot, Singin’ in the Rain (one of the few musicals I truly love), White Christmas (another musical I dig), and Noises Off.  Some of my TV favorites: Matlock (you really can’t beat spunky Andy Griffith in a grey suit, though it's not typically my friends' movie night pick), Firefly (Mmmmm...Nathan Fillion...), Friends, and The Vicar of Dibley.  If I feel as though I need a good tug on my heart I’ll opt for: In Her Shoes, Big Fish (always makes me cry), and Stranger than Fiction.  As you can tell, I really don’t like choosing favorites and I lean more toward nostalgia than anything else. :o)

 

Megan: My current movie obsession is Pitch Perfect. Who knew that a movie about "organized nerd singing" could be so fun?  I love almost everything about it. I watched it for the umpeth time on Monday night for "research," even though it meant I only got 5 hours of sleep that night. I love the soundtrack. We listened to it over and over again on our road trip last month. I love how empowering for females the movie is (it even passes the Bechdel test). The movie is also extremely quoteable! My favorite lines comes from Fat Amy (yes, there is a character named Fat Amy and she is played by the amazing Rebel Wilson). Here are just a few of my favorites: "I'm gonna finish him like a cheesecake" and "Yeah, I did, but yet maybe I didn't because I got hit by flying Mexican food."

Miri: This is a difficult question for me, because much depends on what kind of girls' night it is. Are tubs of ice cream and the comforting of a recently-dumped roommate involved? If so, is the goal cheering up or wallowing and commiseration? Is it a pizza-and-drinks movie night, where you just want something fun? A girl-power night? Snooty foods and classic films? (It is now obvious to me that I should have made a flowchart.) 

Weirdly enough, both types of roommate-comforting needs can be met by the two movies I couldn't choose between: Bridesmaids and Bridget Jones's Diary. Both are excellent for wallowing; both are also hilarious with sweet love stories and warm fuzzies. Seriously, Bridesmaids. Kristen Wiig and Melissa McCarthy are pure comedic genius. For something fun, Easy A is both hilarious—Stanley Tucci's role = fabulous—and a light-hearted, interesting (though not un-problematic) commentary on slut-shaming and other social topics. It has depth, but it's the kind of depth you can totally ignore if you're just in the mood for a funny movie. Now, if you're looking for girl power, I don't think you can do better than Buffy the Vampire Slayer (the TV show, not the movie, which I haven't seen). I will say only this: Even moderate to severe levels of 90s cheese are worth it for the experience of a universe in which a woman is always the strongest person in the room. And finally... the classics. Go with pretty much anything starring a Hepburn, and you're good. For girls' night, I'd pick Stage Door—an almost entirely-female cast including Katharine Hepburn, Lucille Ball, Ginger Rogers, Ann Miller, and Eve Arden, plus dialogue that would make Gilmore Girls die of envy.

Elise: If I'm going to be honest here (and I believe honesty if of utmost importance when it comes to girls nights) I have to choose You've Got Mail. It's got the Meg Ryan/Tom Hanks dynamic duo, cute music, a to-die-for children's book store, a great story line, and loooove. I'm impressed with how well the movie has aged even though the main theme centers around the internet in its prepubescent days, complete with the dial-up tones when everyone logs on to check their email.  This is my go-to movie and seems to fit any situation; are you crafting and need some background noise? You've Got Mail. Can't sleep? You've Got Mail. Feeling lonely because your husband/boyfriend/significant other is out of town? You've Got Mail. And it's endlessly quotable ("152 people who think he looks like Clark Gable. 152 people who think he looks like a Clark Bar"). See what I mean? Excellent girls night fodder.  

Lis: I really like The Holiday. It's got Jude Law- enough said for me, but I also like how they made Jack Black and Kate Winslet go so well together. It's the first movie I saw in a theater by myself. My other choice would be Northanger Abbey, the 2007 version. The main guy reminds me of Jude Law- pure coincidence. I love the playful feeling of the movie mixed in with the gothic novel aspect. It has comedy, drama, and romance- perfect Jane Austen for those who have watched Pride and Prejudice fifty times already.

Rachel: The Little Mermaid. The Les Poissons song, princesses and handsome prince, a happy ending, animation, and childhood memories.


Jill: Between growing up with five sisters and no brothers and ten years of living with various female roommates, I have had dozens, nay hundreds of "girls nights." They were all special in their own way, but not too long before I gave up living with a gaggle of girls to live with one anti-chick-flick husband, a group of friends and I discovered something even better than finding the best girl's night movie. We began a quest to find the best worst girls night movie. Ever since then we have been slowing making our way through some of the most unintentionally laughable films out there and let me tell you- they are some of the best girls nights I have ever had. The top contenders? Burlesque (Oh. My. Lands. I was speechless), Liz and Dick (we felt bad picking on a made-for-tv Lifetime movie, but it seemed destined to be in our lineup anyway), Spice World (okay, I not-so-secretly actually loved this one), Josie and the Pussycats, and my personal pick for the absolutely best worst movie ever made... From Kelly to Justin. Although, good luck getting your hands on a copy of that last one- I had to take the metro to a public library two counties away before I found it. Apparently it was, like, not that popular or something. Shocking.

Zaissa: Mirror Mirror is a newer movie that I think has been totally under appreciated. It's fun, and clean so you can watch it with kids in the room (they will like it too). I love the retelling of an old fairy tale that  dumped the old version of Snow White you may know. She was never my favorite character because - other than pretty, there wasn't much to her. The story was always more about what people did to her and did because of her. And she was pretty much a lost girl who just went with the wind. But in this version she is smart, funny, and really brave. Her beauty comes from the way she cares about other people. And she and the queen aren't fighting over being the "cutest" but over power - 'cause you know, even in a chick flick it seems like we girls deserve more credit than to have it believed all we care about is our skin and hair. The scenery is beautiful.


Dafni: Chocolat has to be my all-time favorite girls' night movie. Gorgeous France, smooooth, creamy chocolate, Johnny Depp... need I say more?? It may be my obsession with travel and my love for Europe (and did I mention Johnny Depp? :)) that pushes this to the top of my list, but it really is a fantastic movie. Beautiful scenery, acting and a romantic love story. So dreamy.

On a completely different note, Pitch Perfect is hilarious and all about music nerds. I was totally one of those nerds in high school. Wait- that's probably not past tense. Either way, this one is great. I usually like to give it some time before I watch a movie again, but I've seen this one at least 4 times in the last 2 months. Hilarious with a fantastic soundtrack = awesome.

Honorable Mentions (because this list could be so very long):

She's the Man

Bring It On

When Harry Met Sally

Sleepless in Seattle

Moulin Rouge

Mona Lisa Smile

Becoming Jane

Mean Girls

Whip It
Confessions of a Shopaholic
Miss Representation

What are your favorite movies for Girls' Night?