Movie Suggestions for a Rainy Day
Spring has arrived. While we all would love to be out enjoying the warm weather, April doesn’t always let us do that. Let’s face it, most of this month will be rain and thunderstorms, and instead of running around outside, I know I’ll be in many nights watching movies.
For me, rainy weekend nights call for heading to the local Family Video with the boyfriend and renting movies. And if you’re like us, you always have a difficult time figuring out which movie to rent. Actually, we usually have a really, really difficult time, as we usually argue in the store for over an hour while trying to agree on a movie (he’s very picky, but I still love him.) Here’s a few of my favorite movie ideas for you and whomever you choose to share your movie nights with:
Photo Cred: mtv.com
1. The Wedding Singer: Honestly, this is my favorite movie of all time. It has a little bit of chick flick and enough comedy to please any movie fan. Plus, Adam Sandler with a mullet? You can’t go wrong.
2. Saved!: A religious satire and a teen comedy. The movie follows a girl who becomes pregnant, and her Christian school friends start to turn on her. Mandy Moore is awesome in this as the Jesus-obsessed Hilary Faye.
3. The Princess Bride: Critics and fans alike adored this movie when it was released in 1987. A fairy tale about fencing, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, miracles, and of course, true love. Even typing about this one makes me smile.
4. Sin City: Based on the graphic novel, this movie is so visually appealing and action-packed that it’s hard not to be mesmerized. The A-list cast includes: Bruce Willis, Jessica Alba, Mickey Rourke, Clive Owen, Brittany Murphy, Josh Hartnett, Rosario Dawson and Alexis Bledel.
5. Labyrinth: If you love fantasy movies, this one is for you. Made in the 80s, the movie centers around a girl looking for her baby brother after the Goblin King took him away. David Bowie. Puppets. Several musical numbers. This movie is one of my favorites but beware that you have to expect its twisted ways to truly appreciate it.
6. (500) Days of Summer: All right, I know this one is the “chick flick” on the list, but guys and girls alike will appreciate it. I like it because it’s a very real look on relationships. Don’t start this one expecting it to be an uplifting love story. It also has an amazing soundtrack.
7. Clue: Based on the board game. An extremely fun thriller/comedy. Tim Curry and Christopher Lloyd are among the stars.
8. Out Cold: This one I had to include because it’s the BF’s favorite movie…and it’s hilarious. With Zach Galifianakis way before his Hangover days, the cast will definitely have you laughing. A brainless comedy indeed but an enjoyable one at that.
9. Big Fish: A different kind of Tim Burton movie then we’re used to…mainly because it doesn’t star Johnny Depp. A movie about one man’s life, as told in his son’s eyes while he’s on his deathbed. Visually appealing like other Burton films, it also had a great storyline to match.
10. The Shining: The one thing the BF and I always agree on is horror movies…and this one is a classic. “Heeere’s Johnny!”
Photo Cred: Circlecinema.com
Whether you like action, comedy, drama or horror movies – I hope this list helps you the next time you decide to rent a movie on a rainy day.
Motion Picture PReview 
All I can say is I hope this is not your choices in order of numberation. But I do like the fact that you have a wide array of films that span date/years, genres and ratings! I am a big David Bowie fan. He was the original singer od “The Man Who Sold The World” that was recorded by Nirvana on the ‘MTV’s Unplugged Album’. “Saved” starring Mandy Moore should be shown to a lot of high school students who are thinking of getting pregnant! “The Shining” is classic St Nicholson, but I thought that Shelly Duvall’s character was too ‘fragile’ against the dramatic part Jack had. And not since 1977’s “Rocky Horror Picture Show”, has Tim Curry played a great lead as the Butler in “Clue”!! “The Princess Bride” was a 1987 mega-starred sucess due to the strong second tiered acting prowess of Carol Kane, Billy Crystal, Peter Falk and was rounded off by the unknown acting talents of WWE Wrestler ‘Andre The Giant’ and Dire Straits guitarist ‘Mark Knopfler’ who was the guitarist in the Balladeer’s band. Unforunately I can’t see Adam Sandler hooking up with Drew Barrymore in “The Wedding Singer” and that “Sin City” was way over the top (RIP Brittany Murphy).
Franklin: I love your insight! I completely agree with your thoughts about “The Shining” and Shelly Duvall’s character. I think how fragile she is just heightens the drama behind Nicholson’s character. Typical good guy/bad guy characters – which makes it so classic. The movies are not in order of my favorites, although “The Wedding Singer” would still be up at the top along with “The Princess Bride.” Something about “The Wedding Singer” – maybe it was the time in my life when I saw it for the first time – just cracks me up and makes me appreciate Adam Sandler. “Sin City” was over the top, but that was the point of it. It was based on a graphic novel, so it was supposed to be a chaotic mix of action and superhero-like characters. Thanks for your views; I enjoyed them!
Wasn’t Scatman Carrothers (Twilight Zone the Movie, voiceovers on various cartoons for Hanna Barbara) the the main proprietor in the film? He wasn’t that much of a bad guy. Didn’t Drew marry Tom Green? He had his own show (The Tom Green Show) that was so crazy they banned it from syndication! I loved Adam Sandler in Happy Gilmore. The part where he got his ass handed to him by Bob Barker (The Price Is Right) was truly classic and totally hilarious! And don’t get me wrong, but Sin City’s modern use of ‘film noir’ captivated me in a n animated sense that gave it a dramatic feel.
Ahhh I can absolutely relate to the whole “movie store dilemma”. My ex-boyfriend (from a few years back) and I used to specifically set aside AT LEAST an hour of time for our Family Video trips back in the day. I honestly feel like I’ve seen at least half the movies in that place! We would sometimes get new releases, but old favorites were definitely what we would focus on. I must say though, I haven’t seen a lot of the movies on this list. 500 Days of Summer is one that I was very surprised to see, because it’s not a very popular movie, but I rented it with a friend one night and LOVED it! Good pick! Also – Out Cold is one of the funniest movies- it’s one of my guy-best friend’s favorites and he made us all watch it one night and we loved it! And of course, you have some great old favorites like The Wedding Singer, The Princess Bride, and The Shining on here. It’s nice to see a movie list not made up mostly of romantic comedies and chick flicks made by a girl (even though some of them are pretty great…hello Mean Girls?).
Thanks Rachel! I’m glad I was able to offer a diverse list of movies! I definitely wanted to choose movies that everyone could enjoy, since so many people enjoy different types of movies. I also agree with your last statement 100%. I could make an entirely different list of my favorite chick flicks! Mean Girls would be on it (Who doesn’t secretly love Regina George?) – along with Love Actually, When Harry Met Sally, My Best Friend’s Wedding, 10 Things I Hate About You – the list goes on and on. I think I just have too many favorite movies! Ha! Hope this post helped you decide the next time you head to Family Video and can’t decide on one of the ‘New Releases.’ If you check one of the movies out listed – visit back and let me know what you thought!!
I love this! I’ve worked at a movie theater 4+ years now, and I must say I like the list. Though these are ALL great movies, I’d have to say maybe a few more classics would be nice. I think The Wedding Singer and The Princess Bride are great films, and I think more movies like that would be a good idea. When it comes to a rainy day, a class is what always gets me. Something like Saved! – I’m not too sure that was a good pick on any level. And Big Fish – amazing. One of my favorite Johnny Depp films, hands down. It amazes me how e can take on any role – especially the crazy ones. 500 Days of Summer is ADORABLE and is definitely a good one for the list. Overall – I like the choices!
Olivia: I agree with you – a classic always gets me on a rainy day in. I chose Saved! because I adore its meaning and satirical look on Christian schools and religion. It’s controversial, yet makes so much sense at the same time. Classics like Princess Bride always make me smile, though. I recently found out a few of my friends had never seen it! I almost died! Glad to see someone else appreciates its glory! Big Fish is another that gets me, but as I said in my post, Johnny Depp is not in it. I like that because it makes it different than other Tim Burton movies! Thanks for checking out my post- I hope you’ll check out one on the list that you haven’t seen. If you do, check back in and let me know what you thought!
Here are my TOP TEN + 1 (in no numerical order):
1. SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION (Drama) – Tim Robbins/Morgan Freeman. Andy DuFrame lands in the roughest prison and befriends Red a prison fixer, outsmarts the warden and breaks out of prison to once again befriends him in Mexico.
2. INSIDE MAN (Thriller) – Denzel Washington/Clive Owen. Keith Frazier tries to outwit a mastermind criminal who breaks into a bank. Powerful twists ensue with a surprise ending in a post 9-11 NYC.
3. KRAMER VS KRAMER (Drama) – Dustin Hoffman/Meryl Streep. A young couple are shocked to discover that their son (Ricky Schroeder) wants his parent to stop their divorce preceedings not forcing him to choose who he will be with.
4. THE UNFORGIVEN (Western)- Clint Eastwood/Gene Hackman. Directed and starring the best acotr in modern westerns, Eastwood plays William Bonney a former outlaw who needs reward money by going after outlaws as he rights wrongs across the plains.
5. DAYS OF WINE AND ROSES (Drama) – Jack Lemmon/Lee Remmick. A successful salesman and his wife slowly fall into a state of alcoholism together.
6. RUNNING SCARED (Action/Comedy) – Gregory Hines/Billy Crystal. Two cops on the virge of retirement make one last bust on a cocaine dealer (Jimmy Smits) getting into comically bad situations and lucky predicaments.
7. HARLEM NIGHTS (Comedy) – Eddie Murphy/Richard Pryor/Red Foxx. Black gangsters outfoil white cops (Danny Aiello) and a White Crime Syndicate wanting to muscle in on their action.
8. THIS IS IT (Concert/Musical) – Micheal Jackson’s dress rehearsal to his final tour is cut short by his untimely death.
9. LADYHAWKE (FANTASY) – Rutger Hauer/Michelle Pfeiffer. A jealous King is determined to seperate two lovers during medievel times with sorcery, but justice prevails in the end.
10. THE WARRIORS (ACTION/DRAMA) – Deborah Van Valkenburgh/James Remar/Mercedes Ruehl. A street gang attends a gang summit when they are blamed for shooting the ganglord kingpin. They must fight their way back home to their turf in Coney Island with a price on their heads as they battle rival street gangs to the death.
+1. LAST ACTION HERO (SATIRE ACTION/COMEDY) – Arnold Schwartznegger/Charles Dance. Danny, a daydreaming young man (Austin O’Brien), takes a wild ride as his movie hero cop comes alive thanks to a magical movie ticket that places him inside the film.
I literally LOLed when I read about you and your boyfriend arguing about movies, because my boyfriend and I do the exact same thing! (Except we’re arguing while standing at a Redbox, with a line of at least 3 people behind us.) We’re usually able to compromise on something, but we always joke about who picks the good movies and who ends up picking the duds. In the spirit of compromise, I thought I would share the list of movies that we both love watching over and over…this could be a separate blog post topic in itself!
1. The Sandlot
2. Wedding Crashers
3. Any movie with Will Ferrell, but especially Anchorman.
4. James Bond movies
5. Pixar movies..including Toy Story and WALL-E