Your Guilty Pleasure Films

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Admit it, you've got a few. In my case, more than a few. They're the ones you've seen repeatedly and make excuses about when you are caught; "Are you watching that....again.......?". So, why do you like them and what about them gets your attention?

Here's 3 -

Johnny Mnemonic (1995)

Pure camp w/ Keanu Reeves at his Shakespearean best. It loosely follows the Gibson short story from 14 years earlier and gets enough of it right as well as move along at a good clip. It's got Ice-T as an counterculture revolutionary, Henry Rollins as a Dr. raging against a disease, Dolph Lundgren as a hitman religious leader, a ninja with a laser whip thumb, Dina Meyer, and an OD of saturated color. There's also a dolphin. It is a good snapshot too for the mid 90's and the great unknown of the internet and where it would go. It's a lot of fun.

The Ninth Gate (1999)

Johnny Depp plays a rare books dealer and total scumbag. I actually think this is Depp's best role as he portrays a shifty, nervous, conniving low-life looking for the next big deal. One falls into his lap from a former customer (Frank Langella, also great) who collects books on the occult and wants one of his researched. It's a long film but well crafted by another scumbag, Polanski and it does not bog down. But it is over the top with a healthy dose of schlock thrown in and some definite laugh out loud moments. An enjoyable train wreck that I cannot tear my eyes from.

Constantine (2005)

Another Keanu Reeves movie and I have no previous experience with the graphic comics so, no expectations on how close it follows canon. You can also see Keanu Reeves growth as an actor in 10 years, about that much. (Holds forefinger & thumb apart 1/4".) I cannot even fully explain Constantine's role except that he deports demons back to Hell when they break the rules that govern their conduct on our plane. It is apparently a role he is well suited to when he uncovers a massive Big Good vs. Big Evil conspiracy. The film is a visual treat with great performances from Rachel Weisz, Tilda Swinton, Djimon Hounsou, surprisingly Shia LaBeouf, and most especially Peter Stormare. His portrayal of the Devil is worth the wait.

Honorable mentions in no particular order:

Strange Days (1995)
eXistenZ (1999)
Bourne Legacy (2012)
Evolution (2001)
Speed Racer (2008)
Elysium (2013)
Unforgiven (1992)
Hardware (1990)
 
A bunch of Westerns...Good the Bad and the Ugly, Valdez is Coming, Chato's Land, Last Train From Gun Hill, Open Range, first Lonesome Dove, Jeremiah Johnson, Magnificent Seven, Quigley Down Under, etc. My philosophy is I haven't met too many westerns that I didn't like. The nice thing is my wife likes them too, so we watch them together.
 
Admit it, you've got a few. In my case, more than a few. They're the ones you've seen repeatedly and make excuses about when you are caught; "Are you watching that....again.......?". So, why do you like them and what about them gets your attention?

Here's 3 -

Johnny Mnemonic (1995)

Pure camp w/ Keanu Reeves at his Shakespearean best. It loosely follows the Gibson short story from 14 years earlier and gets enough of it right as well as move along at a good clip. It's got Ice-T as an counterculture revolutionary, Henry Rollins as a Dr. raging against a disease, Dolph Lundgren as a hitman religious leader, a ninja with a laser whip thumb, Dina Meyer, and an OD of saturated color. There's also a dolphin. It is a good snapshot too for the mid 90's and the great unknown of the internet and where it would go. It's a lot of fun.

The Ninth Gate (1999)

Johnny Depp plays a rare books dealer and total scumbag. I actually think this is Depp's best role as he portrays a shifty, nervous, conniving low-life looking for the next big deal. One falls into his lap from a former customer (Frank Langella, also great) who collects books on the occult and wants one of his researched. It's a long film but well crafted by another scumbag, Polanski and it does not bog down. But it is over the top with a healthy dose of schlock thrown in and some definite laugh out loud moments. An enjoyable train wreck that I cannot tear my eyes from.

Constantine (2005)

Another Keanu Reeves movie and I have no previous experience with the graphic comics so, no expectations on how close it follows canon. You can also see Keanu Reeves growth as an actor in 10 years, about that much. (Holds forefinger & thumb apart 1/4".) I cannot even fully explain Constantine's role except that he deports demons back to Hell when they break the rules that govern their conduct on our plane. It is apparently a role he is well suited to when he uncovers a massive Big Good vs. Big Evil conspiracy. The film is a visual treat with great performances from Rachel Weisz, Tilda Swinton, Djimon Hounsou, surprisingly Shia LaBeouf, and most especially Peter Stormare. His portrayal of the Devil is worth the wait.

Honorable mentions in no particular order:

Strange Days (1995)
eXistenZ (1999)
Bourne Legacy (2012)
Evolution (2001)
Speed Racer (2008)
Elysium (2013)
Unforgiven (1992)
Hardware (1990)

Why would anyone have to make an excuse for watching UNFORGIVEN? It's an excellent western and, IMO, Eastwood's finest film.
 
A bunch of Westerns...Good the Bad and the Ugly, Valdez is Coming, Chato's Land, Last Train From Gun Hill, Open Range, first Lonesome Dove, Jeremiah Johnson, Magnificent Seven, Quigley Down Under, etc. My philosophy is I haven't met too many westerns that I didn't like. The nice thing is my wife likes them too, so we watch them together.

Again, I don't understand some of these choices as 'guilty pleasures.' THE GOOD, THE BAD, and THE UGLY, LONESOME DOVE, and MAGNIFICENT SEVEN are top notch productions; better than 90% of the crap that calls itself entertainment.
Maybe it would be appropriate to look up the meaning of 'guilty pleasure' before posting. To me a guilty pleasure would be watching any movie with Jerry Lewis in it. Or listening to any song by the Monkees.
 
Again, I don't understand some of these choices as 'guilty pleasures.' THE GOOD, THE BAD, and THE UGLY, LONESOME DOVE, and MAGNIFICENT SEVEN are top notch productions; better than 90% of the crap that calls itself entertainment.
Maybe it would be appropriate to look up the meaning of 'guilty pleasure' before posting. To me a guilty pleasure would be watching any movie with Jerry Lewis in it. Or listening to any song by the Monkees.

I don't have any friends who watch westerns. My wife does, but our kids give us that look. I've had people stop by when I'm watching one and they have actually acted like I might be a little off because it's not a new movie. I guess guilty pleasure is subjective and can be interpreted different ways.
 
I don't have any friends who watch westerns. My wife does, but our kids give us that look. I've had people stop by when I'm watching one and they have actually acted like I might be a little off because it's not a new movie. I guess guilty pleasure is subjective and can be interpreted different ways.

I'd find new friends, but you're pretty much stuck with the kids:)
 
MAC TED, while you might have found a more genteel way of putting it, "Unforgiven" is a top-notch film. Watched it just 2 days ago for the upteenth time, and while the bar scene is of course the pinnacle, I prefer the previous scene.

This is where William Munney is awaiting the return of the young lady with their money, only to find out Ned was killed. His transformation (in that brief few minutes) from a reformed killer who had changed and given up the evil BACK to that same person?? Amazing. Gives me chills.

"But that didn't scare Little Bill, did it?"

That line is gold.

My guilty pleasures are these three

The Terminator (original, loosely based on Harlan Ellison's short story 'Soldier')
Predator
The 13th Warrior
 
I like Roadhouse with Patrick Swayze, it is hilarious. I call movies like that unintentional comedies. Cobra with Sly Stallone is another unintentional comedy that cracks me up.

tumblr_lhau7wYCfj1qbah8ko1_500.jpg
 
Hey, dirtbag. You're a lousy shot. I don't like lousy shots. You wasted a kid. You ain't nothin. Now I think it's time to waste you.
 
Point Break - The move is a silly bromance between Swayze and Reeves with dialogue consisting mostly of. S) Brah! ... R)Brah!
S) No way Brah! ...R) Yea!, Brah! ...S) Brah! ...R) Not gonna let ya do it Brah! ...S) Brah! ...etc. ...etc. :p

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"Napoleon Dynamite"
At first glance, it`s "Beavis & Butthead" stupid, but I found it to have a certain charm about it that makes it easy to watch....maybe it`s the location background shots, or the soundtrack....

"The Princess Bride"
About a thousand great, memorable lines make this one a classic in my book....it never gets old....

"Office Space"
Same sentiments as "Princess Bride"
("Don`t take my stapler....it`s a Swingline 5000")
 
Only 3?

Hmmm...aside from all the standards I'd go with
1) Big Trouble in Little China
2) Overboard
both with Kurt Russell and with great lines
3)Army of Darkness
 
"Joe's Apartment"
That just cracks me up. Very campy, poor production, easy to guess plot.

"Soldier". I'm a sucker for early techno movies like that.

BEST:
"Going to California" - W.C. Fields, 1934 (I think). Classic Comedy. Love it.
 
Starship Troopers -" C'mon you apes, you wanna live forever"

Abbott and Costello meet Frankenstein ( Wolfman - Lon Chaney,Dracula -Bela Lugosy and Frankenstein monster all together, even Vincent Price as invisible man, whats not to like. Boris Karloff as the monster would have made it even better.

Saturday night fever
 
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