Posted by
Scott Keys on Friday, March 28, 2008 8:57:49 PM
Surf Stoppers is a term I invented for movies that compel you stop channel-surfing and watch. Doesn't matter how many times you've seen 'em, you've just gotta' watch. They're that great. I'll start the list with a few of my favorites. If you haven't seen these, get to it!
Top Twenty-five Surf-Stoppers!!
1.The Godfather, parts I or II - most compelling cinematic car wreck of all time
2. Forrest Gump - CG stuff still looks convincing after 13 years
3. Ferris Buehler's Day Off - perhaps a controversial choice but always fun (to my wife's chagrine);
4. Say Anything - John Cusack's best role; Ione Skye is unreasonably pretty
5. Planes, Trains and Automobiles - maybe John Candy's best - Steve Martin, too
6. Young Frankenstein - Mel Brooks directed but this is really Gene Wilder's movie
7. Full Metal Jacket - at least the boot camp first half
8. Wizard of Oz - no explanation necessary
9. North By Northwest - Hitch, Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint, Martin Landau - what's not to like?
10. The Sting - really fun to watch with a first-timer, singlehandedly (and anachronistically)re-popularized Scott Joplin and ragtime
11. Death Wish - just extremely gratifying; Jeff Goldblum as rapist/mugger; Christopher Guest as a cop
12. Uncle Buck - typical John Hughes pith disguised as a comedy, Macauley Culkin was never better
13. Major League - dumb but funny; worth it for Bob Uecker alone
14. The Freshman - Marlon Brando hilariously spoofs his godfather personna; Mathew Broderick's second best role
15. Meatballs - no seriously! Bill Murray at his best and a great little story, too. Elmer Bernstein score!
16. Blazing Saddles - I'll do a whole post someday on dialogue from this flick;
17. Air Force One - great Harrison Ford vehicle
18. Bull Durham - the best baseball movie ever made despite Tim Robbins throwing like a girl
19. Dirty Harry - as satisfying as Death Wish; great '60's 'Frisco scenes, Afros, dialogue: "Well, do ya'? PUNK!"
20. My Favorite Year - "Your Show of Shows" from the inside
21. Willy Wonka and the Cocolate Factory - the Gene Wilder version, not the depressing Johnny Depp art house remake
22. Die Hard - one-of-a-kind coolness from B-Dog; best-ever evil terrorist guy from Alan Rickman
23. Ben Hur - epic grandeur and most succinct review ever: "Loved him, hated Hur"
24. Cast Away - is Tom Hanks gonna make it outa there?
25. As Good As It Gets -James Brooks's masterpiece; may be Nicholson's best role, definitely Greg Kinnear's