Guilty Pleasures-chick flick or action movie?

joe.shearer

November 29, 2007 by joe.shearer

0 votes

Let me say it for the record: a good 70% of romantic comedies are worthless. They're straight formula pictures: a glamorous young suburbanite woman, impoosibly good looking, outgoing and popular, just cannot get a man. She meets Mr. Right, but for some reason she just doesn't like him. He's a professional rival, or he's just too darn laid-back for our high-strung heroine.

So the only thing that changes is the situation, leading to some of the most asinine, even insulting and degrading situations to men (see "Failure to Launch," "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days")

Same goes with bad action films. A down-on-his-luck cop, probably divorced and drinks a lot, has to take down a drug cartel or mob boss or whatever, and does the most inexplicably unlikely things, all the while cracking jokes as he dispatches another thug. More often than not his wife/child/best friend is caught in the crossfire and he has to rescue that person close to him in the process.

These movies, then, fall under that category of guilty pleasures. We all have them, those movies we have to drag the TV to the closet to watch, or turn the channel when someone walks in the room.

For me I'd say "Steel Magnolias" is the quintessential chick flick that I like. It's impossibly maudlin, blatantly sassy and decidedly estrogen-fueled, but it's still funny and touching.

Another is "One Fine Day." I love George Clooney, and that's one that just pulls me in every time I watch it.

Among action films, there are plenty. "Tango & Cash" and "Road House" are two that immediately spring to mind.

What's yours?

Forum: Movies

Tags: 

movies, Steel Magnolias, chick flicks, action movies, Sally Field, Kate Hudson, Dolly Parton

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7 comments

Garin
Garin, November 29, 2007
0 votes

three fo the most hated sequeals in their series are my gulity pleasres..Alien 3,Halloween 3,Friday the 13th part 5

joe.shearer
joe.shearer, November 29, 2007
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Friday Part 5 is one of the best worst movies ever.

My favorite line is from Demon in the port-o-let when his girlfriend scares him by shaking it: "You're gonna get it, b---h."

Garin
Garin, November 29, 2007
0 votes

I love that line too! Reggie "the Reckless","Crazy' Tommy Jarvie and Roy "the ambulancce driver"(great,terrible,charcters) this film was directed by a guy(Danny Steinnman) who did lots of Porn Filmmaking..it doesn't show..it's followed up by the best sequeal of the series Friday the 13th part 6 Jason Lives

joe.shearer
joe.shearer, November 29, 2007
0 votes

My cousin and I say that line to each other all the time.

Great ludicrous kill scenes, too. The road flare to the mouth, the leather strap around the eyes/tree, and the immortal meat cleaver/motorcycle decapitation scene.

Garin
Garin, November 29, 2007
0 votes

ahhhhhhhh good times!

Batman
Batman, November 29, 2007
0 votes

I'll go with the original 'Predator' ... if it's on, I HAVE to stop and watch it. I just can't help myself. "Run! Getz to da choppah!" Damn, that Arnold is cool.

Zombieguy
Zombieguy, November 29, 2007
0 votes

'Four Weddings and a Funeral' is a great chick flick that dudes can watch and enjoy. Also, pretty much anything where Meg Ryan fakes the 'Big O.'

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