Anytime Movies

An Anytime Movie is a movie you can put on at anytime and be perfectly content. They are movies that do not depend on mood. You do not worry about how long they are, or anything else. They suit you at anytime. They are rainy day movies, or I-am-not-doing-anything-else movies. They are go to standards. This collection does not represent my all time favorite movies, but the movies I can put on and be immediately happy I did. Yes, two are featured in my all time favorites, but that is not the point. These are the movies that do something to me every time. Movies I never tire of. I have 25 of these movies and for the next five Sundays I will be rolling out 5 of them. They will be semi-grouped into genre or have a connection in some way.

I will begin with action movies. Not only are these my Anytime Movies, but if someone wanted to watch an action movie, these are most likely going to be the ones I ask them about first. They appear in no specific order.

1. Bad Boy 2- You can have the first one, but this one is magic. The movie opens with Will Smith revealing himself under a KKK sheet and then it just goes from there. You get dead bodies being thrown out on the street, Martin Lawrence under the influence of drugs and the standard Michael Bay action shots. It satisfies on many levels. It is hilarious because of Will Smith; it has great explosions, an awesome car chase, sexy girls and a totally over the top ridiculous ending in a mine field!! Pure action does not get much more entertaining.

2. The Rock- My second Michael Bay choice, but bad action just does not get any better than this. How can anyone not like a movie with a character named Stanley Goodspeed. Just the idea of using the only guy to break out of Alcatraz to help the good guys break in is awesome. But you add the great scene of Nic Cage going all slow motion to inject himself, with wailing cheesy guitars and smoke and wind in the background and you have perfection. You also get Sean Connery spouting off great lines like "Your "best"! Losers always whine about their best. Winners go home and fuck the prom queen." What is not to love?

3. Shoot Em Up- I might not suggest this to other people unless they like totally comic ridiculous action, because this movie is not meant to be taken seriously, but it is a movie I always enjoy. It gives me great action, amazingly perfect Clive Owen, and it is visually interesting. The director knows what he is doing and it is meant to just be enjoyed. I think people expect something different so often they do not like it, but when you understand it is not meant to be serious, you can enjoy it. The gun play is totally cool and it comes in at roughly 85 minutes, so you get a lot of fast paced action in a short amount of time. Plus, Owen uses a carrot as a weapon, more than once!

4. Crank- This is another example of totally over the top action. I would not recommend this to many people as it is offensive in many many ways, but it really kicks ass. Just the idea of a guy having to keep his adrenaline up to stay alive is awesome enough, but that he does it with fighting, drugs and public sex is even more awesome. Jason Statham clearly does not care what anyone thinks and is out to make whatever makes him happy and Crank shows that. Picking one or two moments is nearly impossible because the whole movie is just balls to the wall nuts. I am sure when Crank 2 comes out on DVD, I will prefer that one because it is even crazier, but for now, this will do.

5. Spiderman 2- I do not feel like this movie really fits in with the other ones in this category, but it is an action movie. It just is a serious action film that is actually incredible. It is the tops of Superhero movies, in my eyes, as a far as just being to enjoy it on every level. Everything works, but the casting of Alfred Molina was just brilliant. His Doc Ock is wonderful, helped by the masterful effects of Doc Ock's tentacles. A Key scene for me is the train scene, even though a lot of people did not like that it revealed Spiderman, I think it works as a crazy action scene, but also a nice little moment at the end of it.

Well there you have it, the first installment of Anytime Movies. I would love to hear what some of your Anytime Movies are, and they do not have to follow the genres I am laying out, but in case you want that, allow me to lay out how the next four will go.

Next Week: Comedies
Third Week: Comedies with a twist
Week Four: Horror
Week Five: hyper literate action/awesome/thrillers/comedies