So, this is inspired by something I saw going around on BlueSky. The idea is not to choose the BEST 5 movies, or even the 5 movies you like the most, but rather, what are the 5 easiest movies to just pop on and watch, either in the background or whatever. You can almost always put them on because you are rarely going to not be in the mood for them. Maybe it's because they're shallow but entertaining so you can turn your brain off, or maybe it's because the humor or dialogue or casting just hits you so right. The idea is that this isn't a film that'd going to immediately suck up all your attention (necessarily, unless that's comfortable for you). It's a film you can just ride along with any time you like.
Here's my top 5:
Scott Pilgrim vs the World - Between all the goofy video game references, the fantastic soundtrack, the snappy cuts and dialogue, and the fact that it makes me also think back to the comic, I just find this a breezy watch that is always entertaining. I'm never not feeling like some Scott Pilgrim.
Clue - The casting alone, but also fantastic dialogue. This is a movie where a lot of people talk a lot and hustle from room to room. Arguably, not a lot actually happens. Doesn't matter. It always makes me laugh and want to quote it.
Princess Bride - I'm not sure I actually have a lot to say about this one that hasn't been said a million times in articles and retrospectives and paeans to its timelessness. Easy Breezy Beautiful Princess Bride.
Monty Python and the Holy Grail - A collection of loosely associated sketches. Insanely quotable, quote hilarious, quite absurd and ridiculous. It's a movie only by technicality, but who cares?
Star Wars: A New Hope - Nostalgia wins. This is basically a big budget B-movie. Not my favorite Star Wars movie, but really easy to watch because of just how much it glosses over the kinds of things future movies and offerings would obsess over. This is Star Wars before it cared about lore and the bigger universe.
Now that I've thought through this I'm seeing a theme. These are all movies that move quickly from one thing to the next. They are all at least slightly comedic. Dialogue really moves things along (maybe not so much Star Wars). If there's action it's snappy (maybe not Monty Python). Star Wars is really the odd film out on this list, IMO, but I think it JUST skates by.
Honorable Mentions
This is Spinal Tap - I tend to really enjoy this film, but it really drags in places. It is, at times, too committed to the gags. But so many of the scenes are just bizarre and snappy dialogue and those are the real winners. The poor pacing is what really knocks it from the top 5.
Willow - Some good dialogue here and I love how abrasive Val Kilmer is as Madmartigen. And Warwick Davis also delivers such a solid performance as Willow. But some parts of the movie are maybe a little cringe in retrospect and the movie sometimes trips over its own tone and aspirations. so it's not quite as breezy or snappy a watch as, say, Star Wars or Princess Bride. Some scenes are a little too attention-demanding or alternately too cringy for it to be top 5.
Labyrinth - On the one hand I love this film. On the other hand, it has not aged well. Some of the Bowie / Connelly dynamics are, in retrospect, REALLY creep-tastic. Also, the movie can get a bit self-indulgent with some of it's exploration of "look what we can do with puppets!" But it's a really heartfelt production that wears the story's heart on its sleeve, and the coming-of-age honesty wins out over the cringe. But the problems disqualify it from the top 5 pretty handily.
So what movies can you almost always sit down to or pop on the TV?
It's funny, I was just talking about this sort of thing with some friends. Not this exactly, but very close. I was making a metal list of my top "feel good" movies. And by that I mean, movies that I can watch when I'm feeling blue or am stressed out or whatever. This is a little different than movies you can watch at any time, in any mood, even if it's just in the background. But they're both along the same lines!
Labyrinth was definitely a "pop in and watch any time" movie when I was a kid. I still love it, and I could watch it no matter what mood I'm in, but these days I tend to go long periods without watching it. It was mostly a conscious decision because I had seen the movie so many damn times as a kid, I want to keep it fresh. There's quite a few movies that fall into this category for me.
Clue is another movie that I had watched so many times when I was a kid. These days, I don't watch it too often. But it's definitely still a movie I can put on and watch at any time. It falls onto every list for me. Favorite movies, comfort movies, watch any time movies.
Scott Pilgrim is a good pick! I have only seen this movie a few times actually, but I love it. I just watched it a few months ago when I picked it up on 4K. Everything you mentioned, of course. But it's also cut very fast paced. Not just the jerky editing, but the movie never really has a dull moment. It's just, in a word, FUN. I should watch it more often.
Austin Power: The Spy Who Shagged Me use to be a movie that I popped in all the time. It's not that I don't love the first one, but Spy Who Shagged me just ends up being the better movie to watch any time IMO. I have really watched the Austin Power movies much for quite a few years now, but I should change that.
I feel like many Jackie Chan movies could be watched any time or when you're in any mood, but my favorite is Mr. Nice Guy. There's other Jackie Chan movies that I like almost as much, but Mr. Nice Guy just nails everything. It's like the perfect Jackie Chan movie. And these days, the movie just feels so 90s so I get a good dose of nostalgia as well. It's a pretty snappy movie, it moves along at a fast pace and doesn't really have any dull moments (the USA cut, at least). It might not have Jackie's most impressive stunts, or even most flashy, but I rate it very high in entertainment value. The fight scenes are great, and funny, and his stunts are all excellent. Jackie Chan always skated along the edge of Kung Fu and comedy, and this movie just nails it. Anyway, some runner up Jackie Chan movies for me are Jackie Chan's First Strike, Rumble in the Bronx and Who am I?
What is my own personal top 5? I would have to think on that a little. But as mentioned above, here's a quick list of movies that I think are great to watch when you're not in the best of moods.
1. That Thing You Do! - One of the few movies written and directed by Tom Hanks, this is such a happy-go-lucky flick that could put a smile on your face at any time. If you haven't seen it before, it's about a group of four young adults that end up writing a one-hit-wonder and the escapades the ensue. The movie takes place in the 60's, so the vibe is already awesome. It's got a great cast. It's funny and charming. And something that occurred to me, which you'll see as a trend on this list, is that there really isn't a "bad guy" in the movie. In fact, there really isn't a clear antagonist. And that might be a big reason why it's such a "watch when you're feeling blue" kind of movie for me.
2. Larry Crowne - The other movie written and directed by Tom Hanks, and yet another movie that has no "bad guy" in it. And in fact, another movie that doesn't even have a real antagonist in it. The titular character was a career Navy man that ends up being laid off due to not having a college degree. This movie takes place during the recession, so you can sympathize with his problem regarding his mortgage and gas prices. Anyway, Larry Crowne sets out to make some changes in his life, and never really gets into peril along the way. It's kinda like, watch Larry Crowne make a better life for himself, which may sound boring but I find it inspiring. Like, it's never too late to make that change. And like That Thing You Do!, this movie also has a great cast with lots of laughs.
3. The Breakfast Club - Need I say more? But I'll just point out that this is another movie that doesn't really have a bad guy. Sure, the principle works as the antagonist. But really, he's just doing his job. Those kids all did something to earn them detention (well, except the basket case LOL). You could say that the things the principle says to Bender crosses the line, but I think it's clear that Bender was a giant asshole. I mean, the boy has marijuana. That was marijuana. Do you approve of this?
4. Uncle Buck - So far my list is made up only of movies written and directed by Tom Hanks or John Hughes. But you know what? Most John Hughes movies are watchable any time. 16 Candles might be a better movie, but I feel like Uncle Buck is more watchable at any time. And there's no real bad guy in this movie either (well, maybe the boyfriend, Bug).
5. I don't know yet!
I'll have to think really hard and come up with my own top 5 watch anytime movies. But for now, these 4 are my list for top movies to watch when you're down or stressed.
These are in no particular and I would probably change my mind if I thought too hard about it. These are just the first ones out of many favorites that popped into my head.
1. Signs - I only rewatch a select few M. Night Shayamalan movies but Signs is the one that I watch the most. Mel Gibson and Joaquin Phoenix are fantastic in this. A lot of people like to dunk on this movie because they think it is about aliens weak to water invading a planet full of water. However, I fully subscribe to the theory that
they are not aliens but demons and they are weak to holy water (not all water).
2. The 13th Warrior - An extremely underrated movie. So many great quotable moments that my wife and I still use to this day. I also love that Michael Crichton wrote the book version (Eaters of the Dead) on a bet that he could make Beowulf interesting. I'd say he succeeded.
3. Princess Mononoke - My favorite Studio Ghibli movie. I knew about the theatrical run of this movie when it was released. Unfortunately, it wasn't screened anywhere near me at the time. I first saw it on DVD back when rental stores still existed. I bugged the poor staff of the local mom & pop rental store to get it in and they obliged!
4. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade - I saw this in theaters during its original run. My parents insisted on going and I wasn't very interested. I had only seen bits and pieces of Temple of Doom and it wasn't my cup of tea. The Last Crusade blew me away and made me a lifelong Indy fan.
5. Aliens - To be honest, it is usually a toss up between Alien and Aliens. Both are masterpieces. It really depends on my mood as to which one I pick. Lately, it has been mostly Aliens...mostly.
Hmmm... this is a tricky one. None of them should be put in the background, but here's my list (in no particular order).
1. The Land Before Time - I was a huge dinosaur kid, and this movie was an absolute treat. It's paced well, having lots of important downtime in between the intense parts. And it's just so genuine.
2. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Probably biased due to the fact that I can quote most of the movie's script. It updated the cartoon to something that was suitable for adults to enjoy as well, without being unfriendly to kids. And the performances are nuts when you realize that was stunt men in these giant turtle suits doing some pretty solid acrobatics.
3. Hook - This updating of the Peter Pan story connects with parents worried about their kids and kids who have parents that work (and maybe a bit too much). Dustin Hoffman is clearly having the time of his life, and it's just a feel good all around.
4. Muppet Treasure Island - Speaking of actors living it up, Tim Curry as Long John Silver. I don't need to say any more.
5. Boys and Girls/Keeping the Faith - I can't decide between these two. They're both rom coms that came out at a specific point in my life to hit with maximum impact. Boys and Girls is fairly unique in the genre by having the events spread over several years of college (plus a couple of intro meetups earlier in life), so the "will they won't they" has a more organic "it's taking them time to realize just how good they are together". And it mostly relegates the wacky hijinks to Jason Biggs in a supporting role (hot off his performance in American Pie). Keeping the Faith, on the other hand, is the story of three friends where the girl moved across country, while the two boys grew up to be a Catholic priest and a rabbi. And then the girl moves back to town. It's a different kind of romantic tension, and it's really nice to see an extremely Jewish protagonist and going through many specific struggles he has due to not being your standard default Christian protag. Also, it's got an Indian bartender named Pauli who runs an Irish bar.
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For some reason I didn't return to comment on this. Glad to see the thread waking back up. Here are my thoughts on some of other folks' picks:
Austin Powers (the first) - Absolutely. Has a little more narrative and heart than the second film, even though the second film garners a few extra chuckles from some strong jokes.
Jackie Chan stuff - Heck yeah! So many of those films are just casually watchable. Almost better in the background, as the rare slow moments can really drag and the dialogue is usually inane. But man, Chan is just so much fun to watch do stuff on screen.
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade - Yeah, I can see this. It has a lot of just interesting interplay between two of the grumpiest old men in Hollywood.
Mononoke - I think it's a good film, but I'm not sure I can watch this one as casually as you clearly can, bmoc. All the Ghibli stuff just compels me to pay attention, but also has enough emotion and heart that it forces me to feel stuff in a more than casual way. Great films I love and respect, but never comfortable and casual watching for me.
Transformers: the Motion Picture - Hell yes. It has some slow and boring bits but the soundtrack is fantastic and there are some iconic scenes and lines and it's impossible to take too seriously (now that I'm an adult, anyway).
Muppet Treasure Island - For some reason I didn't see this until I was already an adult and I think that hurts my appreciation for it, but it absolutely has all the essential qualities for this kind of list.
TMNT - Yes, such a good, cheesy film. Henson studios puppetry at play. Great practical costuming effects.
Hook is awesome. What a weird concept, to make a sequel to Peter Pan. An idea like that would usually be total shit, but this somehow works. Dustin Hoffman is fucking awesome, but so is the rest of the cast. Robin Williams could have easily of stolen the show, so it's a good thing they casts the roles as good as they did. I'm also a huge fan of the score. I pretty much like anything John Williams, but I love the score to Hook and it really helped make the movie what it was. I've read that Spielberg was really unhappy with the film for some reason. One thing I heard is that at some point it was going to be a musical, and later after filming Spielberg regretted not making it a musical.
Muppet Treasure Island, Tim Curry, yeah. I actually just watched a few of the Muppet movies. Some of them for the first time ever, some for the first time in the longest time. I think I saw Muppet Treasure Island once when it was new, and I just saw it for the first time since then. Tim Curry is just as great as I could have imagined. And as far as a Muppet movie goes, I think this one holds up really well. By that I mean, it's as watchable today as it was 20 or 30 years ago when it came out. Some of the older Muppet movies, however, while still good they can feel a bit dated.
To be honest, such a list would be hard for me to make. Ranking my favorites, movies or otherwise, is always so hard for me. A lot of times, it might depend on the mood I'm in, where I'm at in life and so on. Like back last summer when I was REALLY into Wes Anderson films. That reminds me, I still need to watch Isle of Dogs. Then I need to snag the rest of his films (Bottle Rocket, The Royal Tenenbaums, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou and The Darjeeling Limited), which I hope to do when Barnes and Noble do their next big Criterion sale in July.
Plus, if you've been keeping track of the movie thread, I don't watch a whole lot of movies lately. I think it's because I tend to only watch movies on my night off and more often than now, I'd sooner put a show that I like to binge (Solar Opposites, The Great North, The Golden Girls, etc) or just queue up a bunch of YouTube videos on my tablet and let it play while playing video games on my TV. Hell, a lot of times, I can tie a particular game and/or TV show (in general or a specific episode) to one another. Like when I started playing Dysmantle for Switch while binging Murder, She Wrote.
The only exception would be watching Christmas movies from November 1st to Christmas Eve, usually while wrapping presents.
Lately, if I do watch a movie, I tend to make it like an event. Going with theater rules, I put my phone and other screens aside and devote my full attention to it (and whatever I'm eating if it's a dinner-and-a-movie deal).
But I do agree with many of the choices I see on here.
The closest to a comfort movie was when I used to throw on Girls Will Be Girls, back when it was on Netflix.
