There was a lazy spot in the middle of the afternoon after I watched the Angels foolishly for the fourth game in two weeks blow a lead in the 9th inning and lose. (In my humble opinion, this is no way to win a pennant.) I wasn’t quite ready to start thinking again nor was I ready to have my intelligence insulted by 90% of what’s on television. I went to the guide information on the television to see if there was something that fit the bill for that in-between area.
The MGM HD movie channel was about a half-hour into “The Adventures Of Buckaroo Banzai Across The 8th Dimension“, which I consider to be a classic. It doesn’t matter if I come in somewhere in the middle, I can watch it any time. If I’m doing something else I can have it on in the background as noise. If I’m looking to just chill out I can sit and watch it in its entirety or from where I found it.
In thinking about it I started compiling a list of similar movies. Favorites that you’ve seen a zillion times and can watch at the drop of a hat. I’m sure everyone’s got a few of them. For me, off the top of my head and in no particular order, my list would include (in addition to “Bucaroo Banzai”):
- The Princess Bride
- Animal House
- The Blues Brothers
- Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
- Alien or Aliens
- Woodstock
- Any of the three original “Star Wars” films
- Any of the “Lord Of The Rings” films (not “The Hobbit”)
- Apocalypse Now
- The Shining
- The Godfather or The Godfather Part 2
- Harvey
- Field Of Dreams
- Bull Durham
- Major League
- The Great Escape
- The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
- Groundhog Day
- How To Train Your Dragon
- Terminator 2: Judgement Day
- Anything by Monty Python
- A Fish Called Wanda
- Full Metal Jacket
- Blade Runner
- Bridge On The River Kwai
- Mr. Smith Goes To Washington
- Amadeus
- 2001: A Space Odyssey or 2010
How about you? What personal classic of yours am I overlooking? What might I have not seen that in your humble opinion I must see immediately if not sooner? Put your suggestions in the comments below!
We Love The Stars Too Fondly 
Scott Pilgrim VS the World. Also I have borrowed your DVDs for at least two of those, try and guess which ones!
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Good call!
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A few good men
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Top Gun! F-16’s!!
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The Fifth Element and the Magnificent Seven
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Good choices! I love the scene in The Fifth Element when the blue alien diva sings.
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Great list. I got sucked into “Grease” that way yesterday. Managed to get stuff done around the house, watch some of the Padres game, and still make it back for most of the musical numbers. — In fact looking at your list… I missed seeing any musicals (unless you count “The Blues Brothers”). Some “drop of the hat” musicals on my list would include “West Side Story,” “My Fair Lady,” and “Mary Poppins.” If you include filmed for TV stage productions I’d throw in “Into the Woods,” “Pippin,” and “Sweeney Todd.”
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Chris, we never seem to have those musicals on cable in Maine. In fact,very few musicals at all. I wonder why that is?
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Nodding my head at many on the list. I’d add Time Bandits, The Breakfast Club, Singin’ in the Rain, The African Queen, The Day the Earth Stood Still (original), Time Machine (Rod Taylor), Starman, Tombstone, Carousel, An American in Paris, Wizard of Oz.
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Good list! The air raid sirens in “The Time Machine” scared the crap out of me as the Morelocks kidnapped everyone to eat them. When I first saw it in the mid-60’s we lived in KC and those sirens were fairly common during tornado season.
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