HI FIDELITY: We like John Cusack very much, and this is one of his best. He co-wrote the screenplay and it is right from the Cameron school of music-meets-movie (it's no coincidence, considering John played the boom-box-hefting Lloyd Dobler in Crowe's directorial debut, Say Anything...) In this movie, John is a record store owner who makes lists of everything. His wacky employees (scene-stealing Jack Black and the babysitter guy who said 'jaaazzzzzz' in Jerry Maguire) are a sounding board while Cusack woefully recounts his Top 5 breakups and tries to win every one of the girls back.
PRETTY IN PINK: Funky girl who comes from the wrong side of the tracks unexpectedly catches the eye of a rich preppie...and his nasty best friend. Meanwhile, her best friend, a dorky guy whose affections aren't returned the same way, gets jealous. It all hits the fan on prom night. Molly Ringwald, Andrew McCarthy, James Spader, Harry Dean Stanton.
THE BREAKFAST CLUB: Arguably the quintessential 80's teen movie, one look and it's high school all over again. Five kids symbolizing the major archetypes of any school -- popular pretty girl, cute jock guy, bad boy, nerd guy, and weirdo girl are stuck together for an all-day detention. Many barriers come down, but at the end Anthony Michael Hall raises the question: What happens when we see each other in the hallways on Monday? Emilio Estevez, Molly Ringwald, Ally Sheedy, Judd Nelson.
ALMOST FAMOUS: The man can do no wrong. Cameron Crowe's lovingly written semi-autobiograpical journey back to the early 70's, in which an aspiring rock journalist who happens to be only 15 becomes a man while touring with Stillwater, a fictitious band based upon a conglomeration of The Allman Brothers, Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, etc. Although he's still uncool, the young William learns about friendship, love, loyalty, and the power of music as he treks the country with the band -- and their "Band Aids". Billy Crudup is great as guitarist Russell Hammond, and Frances MacDormand is wonderful as William's strong-willed Mom. Patrick Fugit, Kate Hudson, Jason Lee, and music by Peter Frampton and Nancy Wilson.
THE MATRIX: How an actor as historically bad as Keanu Reeves could pull this off is amazing. Part sci-fi, part thriller, and all action, this futuristic flick makes us wonder whether there is a grand but diabolical scheme behind our so-called reality. Superb action and a great premise make this a must-have DVD for repeated viewings. Lawrence Fishburn is totally cool as Morpheus, and the guy who plays the elf king Elrond in The Lord of the Rings is the evil agent.
JOE VS. THE VOLCANO: A really cute and highly misunderstood movie, the first of the Tom Hanks/Meg Ryan teamups finds Tom in quite a predicament: he's got a brain cloud, and only 6 months to live. He makes a deal with a rich and powerful man to jump into a volcano, and save an island nation from a curse. It's campy and goofy on the surface, but there are many embedded symbols and spiritual references that are easy to miss if you're not looking for them. Watch it again and see if you notice them. The underlying theme, as stated by Meg: "Let's leap, and we'll see."
BRAVEHEART: The testosterone classic of all-time, this Mel Gibson tour de force is an epic for the ages. William Wallace had to be one of the bravest men in history, and this is his story. It may be violent, but the bloodshed is portrayed artistically, not gratuitously. An amazing film.
CASABLANCA: If you've never seen this one, you don't know what you're missing. Still considered by many to be the best film of all time. A poignant portrayal of lovers in a war-torn world, it reaches heights of emotion rarely captured on celluloid. Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Peter Lorre.
SLAP SHOT!: What could be better than an unbelievably hysterical movie that's about hockey? Down and out coach takes a drunken, rag-tag minor league team on the road, and crazy shenanigans go down both on the ice and off. The whole thing is a riot, but when the Hanson Brothers take the ice, it's quite possibly the funniest scene in movie history. Paul Newman is comically brilliant.