Top 3: Movies To Watch Anytime (Part 2)

A little over a year ago I posted an article I had published in my college newspaper listing the top three movies to watch anytime. The criteria was that these were most likely movies the viewer had seen before, therefore making it easy to pick up with the movie no matter what point it was at. It also left the viewer free to leave the movie at any point because they already knew the ending. The movie also had to be readily available on cable, meaning that on any weekend you would likely stumble across one of these films.

After spending a fair amount of my time this weekend watching TV, I have decided to add to the initial list with three more entries. These entries are not as frequently aired as the movies listed in part one, but they are still pretty easy to find. The main difference with this list is that each of the movies listed is attached to a specific time period during the day when they are more likely to be aired (morning, primetime and late-night).

1. Encino Man
If you are looking for the perfect movie to lay in bed and watch while you are still half-asleep and nursing a hangover, look no further. This early 1990's gem is a bit of cult classic. Originally intended for an immature audience, this movie features Brendan Fraser early in his career in an inspired bit of casting as a cavemen dug up in suburban Los Angeles by two high school losers played by Sean Astin and Pauly Shore. The movie was never that good to begin with, but it is a nice piece of 90's nostalgia. Fraser goes full caveman, and the jokes, while simple, still hold-up better than you might expect. Look for this one on Saturday or Sunday mornings on Comedy Central.

2. Walking Tall
For those looking for something to tune into later in the day, check out this Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson classic often found playing repeatedly on Spike. The Rock plays a man who returns to his hometown only to find it has been corrupted by a local casino. The owner of the casino, an old friend, is also pushing drugs while paying off the local police. After a brutal attack by casino security, The Rock take sit upon himself to take back his town. The premise is hokey, but the acting is surprisingly good. The Rock brings a certain amount of chemistry to every project he's in, no more evident here where he grabs your attention with every cold hearted stare. Throw in Johnny Knoxville for comic relief and Neil McDonough playing the villainous casino owner and you've got a recipe for some solid mindless entertainment.

3. Starship Troopers
I covered what you should watch when you wake up after a night out at the bars, but what about when you get home from the bar? This sci-fi cult classic is often on in the wee hours of the morning on stations as diverse as Syfy, USA, and even Bravo. The movie follows a group of space marines who go off to war against a planet full of bugs. When put like that, the movie sounds pretty lame. However, this movie was intentionally made to be over the top. It soars to amazing heights of ridiculousness not only in premise, but in dialogue and action. This film has a quality that is hard to describe, but something about it grabs you and pulls you in when you watch it. The special effects aren't bad for the mid 90's either. Not to mention you get Neil Patrick Harris post-Doogie Howser, but pre-Barney Stinson, playing some kind of weird scientist. And who doesn't love a little NPH?

As always feel free to hit the comments with your own suggestions.

Further Evidence I'm 12: WWE Editon

Last night I spent about an hour and a half watching the 2012 edition of WWE Summer Slam. I wish I could say this is the first time I had watched wrestling in a while, but that would be a lie.

I began watching wrestling in the third grade, which I think is about the same time most boys start watching it. I grew up watching stars like The Rock, Triple H, and Stone Cold Steve Austin, not to mention amazing tag teams like the Hardy Boys and Too Cool. It was also when WWE became available on network TV for the first time with the premiere of WWE Smackdown.

I watched for a few years because it was something my cousin and I enjoyed, and it was entertaining. The plot lines were easy to follow and the action was always exciting.

Then as I grew a little older, I became a little wiser. I started to see the phoniness and cheesiness that really defined each episode.

But in college my friend started to get me back into it a little. This was around the same time The Rock came back and began his feud with John Cena. I always liked The Rock, and I have a lot of respect for people, especially actors, who don't abandon their roots. The Rock coming back to the WWE is like George Clooney coming back during the final season of "ER." They don't need to come back. They have established careers beyond where they started out, but they show loyalty to the fans who made them who they are by coming back.

As I started watching again I began to set aside the pompous attitude I had towards wrestling: the idea that I was too good to be watching this kind of television. I see my watching wrestling in three stages:

1. I watched as a kid for the action and violence.

2. I stopped watching in middle school and high school because I thought it was childish and ridiculous.

3. I started watching again in college because I can acknowledge that yes, it is ridiculous, but that doesn't mean it isn't enjoyable.

What I discovered is, that while the stars had changed, and while I didn't watch wrestling the same way I did as a child, it can still be a lot of fun to watch.

The fights are blatantly staged, but I still never know the outcome. The surprise is still there; I never know when someone's entrance music might come on to signal someone is coming to disrupt the match.

Plus, like I said, I watch it now more because of how terrible/amazing it is. The line reading and pontificating are just as terrible as they ever were. The insults are grade school level at best, but the mock outrage that exists between two opponents is none the less fun to watch. And despite what anyone says, these guys are still athletes. They are flying around the ring and throwing each other in ways I just don't see in other sports.

Wrestling isn't on my regular viewing schedule. I don't go out of my way to watch it the way I do with other shows, but if there isn't anything else on, and I'm with a couple buddies, nothing really beats the theatricality of a good WWE match.