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.

Watch It Twice

Recently, I've begun to see the merit in watching a film twice before coming to a solid judgment on whether or not it is good. I had always heard that most movie reviewers see a film twice before writing their review to make sure they comment on everything that is important in the movie.

I have always been more of a snap judgment kind of person in this regard. I see a movie, and by the time I leave the theater, I know whether or not I'm going to be spending more money to buy it on DVD.

But lately I've found that my opinions coming out of films have been a little wishy-washy. My default response when someone asks me how a movie is, is "It was alright." The movie had some good parts but didn't really wow me. This kind of response isn't really helpful to anyone.

I think part of the problem is that I have a lot of anticipation when seeing a film for the first time. I've stopped reading reviews of films before seeing them because I want to make up my own mind. I don't want to know what to expect going in, I just want to make sure it's worth my money to go see it.

The problem with anticipation is that it can be just as distracting as reading those reviews. I become so focused on seeing the movie, and being able to say that I've seen it, I lose track of whether or not the film is any good.

For example, I started this summer off by going to see "The Avengers" on opening night. I didn't go at midnight (I've grown out of that) but the Friday it was released, my butt was in a seat. I came out of the movie having enjoyed it, but again not really thinking it was as good as most people were claiming.

Later, I went and saw the movie a second time and really enjoyed it. I took it all in and came out wondering why I had been so hesitant to embrace it the first time I saw it.

This problem goes beyond blockbusters though. Today I watched a film called "Charlie Bartlett" on Netflix. It was only the second time I had seen the film, the first being four years ago in my friend's dorm room. I remember walking away from that movie with a hollow feeling. I felt that it hadn't delivered on whatever I was expecting it to be. After watching it today, I found that it really was a solid film.

I think that is where the second coming viewing comes in handy. It diminishes expectations and simply allows for the film to be enjoyed for what it is.