I was playing the game Dominion, which is great, with my friends Dan and Eric the other day when Eric played the Witch card. Since I, like so many of you, was raised on movies and TV shows, I cannot help it but to quote dialogue that matches what’s going on at the time. So when Eric said he was playing the Witch, I said “I’m not a Witch, I’m your wife!”
Putting the gender confusion aside, it’s from “Princess Bride,” and when I said it we shared a chuckle and agreed that it’s a perfect movie. Which is what bring us here to this blog today.
The perfect movie. A movie that couldn’t have been improved by changing anything in the script, the acting, the dialogue, the plot, the anything. “Princess Bride” is one of them, and I’m gonna hit you with a few others below. Note that this isnt a list of “Godfathers” and “Citizen Kanes” but a list of MY perfect movies that showed up during MY generation. The kind of flick that my friends or I were channel surfing and come across, we couldn’t help but to say “oh!” and settle in. Here we go, feel free to add or disagree:
Princes Bride
Shawshank Redemption
Midnight Run
Aliens
The Spanish Prisoner
Full Metal Jacket
Snatch
The Thing
What are your surf stoppers?
10 responses so far ↓
Leland Purvis // June 15, 2009 at 5:03 am
To those I would add Raiders of the Lost Arc. Also, possibly, The Incredibles.
Matt // June 15, 2009 at 7:40 am
I won’t name names, but someone I know got bored by PRINCESS BRIDE. I love that movie.
Rebecca // June 15, 2009 at 1:35 pm
Point Break. I mean it. And you know I’m right.
jen // June 15, 2009 at 1:57 pm
little miss sunshine is the first one that comes to mind for me.
todd elliott // June 15, 2009 at 1:58 pm
Pirates of the Caribbean, the first one. It’s always seemed like a very efficient, tight movie.
Eric // June 19, 2009 at 7:19 pm
Guy Ritchie does not make perfect movies. Stop lying to people.
Other Eric // June 20, 2009 at 1:01 pm
Big YES to Midnight Run. An often overlooked classic. I just watched Going In Style; George Burns, Art Carney and Lee Strasberg rob a bank because they’re bored with being old, directed by Martin Brest before he made Beverly Hills Cop or Midnight Run. Pretty good, believe it or not, but not perfect.
Fats // June 23, 2009 at 9:49 am
Beverly Hills Cop I or II
X-Men 2
Superman
When Harry Met Sally
Back to the Future I or II
The Silence of the Lambs
GoodFellas
The Empire Strikes Back
Ghostbusters
Fletch
The Blues Brothers
Army of Darkness
The Shining
Ruthless People
War of the Roses
Raiders of the Lost Ark
The Dark Knight
The Omen
Jaws
Planes, Trains & Automobiles
Big
The Untouchables
The Fugitive
Unforgiven
In regard to your list, first four would be on mine. Spanish Prisoner– is that the Mamet film? I don’t think I liked it, from a writing standpoint. Full Metal Jacket is great, but personally I preferred Platoon. I didn’t like Snatch– couldn’t understand a damn word anyone was saying. And I know everyone loves The Thing, but I’ve never been able to get into it. I keep meaning to try again.
Ned // July 3, 2009 at 10:13 pm
sadly, it’s not the good ones that make me pause; it’s usually the TBS/TNT dreck. In no particular order:
Turner & Hooch
The Principal
Any Godzilla movie not f’d up by Roland Emmerich (includes Ghidra, Gamora, and Mothra)
John Candy – Summer Rental, Uncle Buck
Nurse Betty
Reruns of SCTV or Arliss
Stephen King – Pet Semetary, The Shining, Maximum Overdrive, Shawshank Redemption
unforgiven
the Song Remains the Same
Behind the Music: MC Hammer
Ned // July 3, 2009 at 10:14 pm
to be clear – these are not my tops, but they are movies that while channel surfing make me lose an entire weekend afternoon.