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Your Guilty Pleasure Films

soundmotor said:
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)
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given your list, i'm pretty sure you'll like my #1 pick:
Serenity
and a few others:
Cloud Atlas
Dune
Iron Sky
Tron Legacy
Kung-Fu Panda
The Coneheads (Meepzor)
of course, all the trek, star wars, hobbit, and matrix movies....anything by Kubric or Tartantino, although those may not count as 'guilty' pleasures.
 
Was flicking thru the channels this afternoon and got 'stuck' on Doc Hollywood.

Forgot how good this was...guilty pleasure.
 
The War Of The Worlds. The first one in black and white. The main guy has a fake mustache that is often crooked and even missing in one scene. Must have had a budget of at least $100. But it does follow the book. I love it.
 
"Guilty pleasure"? Nope, I've read in the posts, just pleasure in viewing and re-viewing time after time. Perhaps a bit of an interlude inbetween seeing that same movie again.

I've heard this from others who simply enjoy a movie production that offers the depth of appreciation on more than one level.

It could be the plot even though the denouement is known, but getting there and the intricate twists and turns are more clearly seen. Or, it could have been the way that the actor was able to bring the character alive and holding your interest throughout the whole movie. On the other hand, it might have been the background music that pervaded the audience adding that fourth dimension of viewing. To some, the unexpected creates interest, but the build up to that point seems impervious to repeated seeing these events. Today, many get lost in the intricate special effects that causes all else to be secondary in importance.
Finally, some of these favourites leave you with that sense of well being that pervades the spirit and becomes part of you.
In differing degrees I've found the above in the movies below.

"Shindler's List"

"The Usual Suspects"

"Dr. Zhivago"

"Casablanca"

"The Passion"

"Star Wars"

As already mentioned these were movies that I have enjoyed more than once and they still retain the original appreciation that I have for them.

What makes a movie outstanding may have certain critieria we all hold up for evaluation but the truth still lies within the eye of the beholder.


Q2
 
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I've lost track of what been posted, but I'd I haven't said previously,
The Green Mile.
The Road to Perdition.
 
Casablanca
Maltese Falcon
League of Their Own
Planes, Trains & Automobiles
The entire Thin Man series
 
noogies said:
Those were decent movies. Nothing to be ashamed of, unless it's a latent Tom Hanks infatuation.
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Mebbe in this case it's about watching them more than twice and still enjoying them, rather than films that defy justification beyond personal enjoyment.
 
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Pio1980 said:
Mebbe in this case it's about watching them more than twice and still enjoying them, rather than films that defy justification beyond personal enjoyment.
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Ahhh ... I get it. I'm like that with Pulp Fiction and Manhattan, and my wife never misses an opportunity to see Contact or Independence Day.
 
Sharknado , Lavalantula and any other mindless, mutated insect/animal movies. I only watch them late at night when my wife is sleeping.

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Escape From The Planet Of The Apes
(Taylor, 1971)

Pauline At The Beach (Pauline à la plage)
(Rohmer, 1983)
 
Step brothers, it never gets old.
Grandmas boy. Very crude, but just makes me feel light after.
Any space movie, I am just drawn to space movies.
 
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