I watched Needful Things three weeks after it premiered in an empty house; it was a Tuesday matinee and I was the only person seated.
Movie starring someone who was famous in the silent era
The Private Life of Don Juan
Douglas Fairbanks shifts to talkies
Sunset Boulevard
Gloria Swanson earns Golden Globe
It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
Buster Keaton assists police chief
Next up:
Movies that were late-career hits for a star
The Wrestler
Washed-up boxer plays washed-up wrestler.
Boogie Nights
Burt Reynolds plays porn producer.
Brendan Fraser
Forgotten actor stages huge comeback.
Movies with a star who has since been canceled.
Movies with a star who has since been canceled.
The Social Network
One Eisenberg beats two Hammers.
Se7en
Spacey’s monstrous. His character, too.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
Canceled actor? Just remove head.
Next: Movies with a formerly unknown actor who had a breakout role.
Risky Business
Tom Cruise: you’re welcome, world
The Color Purple
Whoopi earned lots of whoopie!
Good Will Hunting
Matt Damon earned his apples
Next: Movies with breakout stars who weren’t top-billed
Earth Girls Are Easy
Carrey, Wayans, Goldblum, Julie Brown!
Girl, Interrupted
Angelina Jolie ECLIPSED Winona Rider!
Uncle Buck
Macauley Culkin interrogation scene rocked!
Forgettable movies with amazing soundtracks
Jungle Fever
Spike Lee produces some dysplasia.
Something Wild
I remember; nobody else does.
Footloose
Would you remember it otherwise?
Films you saw with a nobody, and thought “s/he’ll be big!” and you were right.
Was the movie named something else, mebbe…?
Films you saw with a nobody, and thought “s/he’ll be big!” and you were right.
Betsy’s Wedding
Anthony LaPaglia stole every scene
Titanic
That DiCaprio kid’s not bad
Edward Scissorhands
This Depp fella is terrific!
Next up:
Movies about bad parents
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Their son is a macguffin
Mommie Dearest
Never use wire coat hangers
The Breakfast Club
All parents should go bowling
Next: More bad parents
Oops. The Whale lol.
Carrying on …
More bad parents
The Harry Potter franchise
Dursleys just barely tolerate Harry.
Titanic
Rose’s domineering mother: “Marry money.”
Carrie
Cruelty towards Carrie from mother.
Next: “Fish Out of Water” movies
Red Heat
Ahnuld is Chicago-bound Soviet cop
Time After Time
HG Wells explores Seventies Frisco
Big
Little boy (Hanks) explores adulthood
Let’s keep going!
More “Fish Out of Water” movies
My Cousin Vinnie
They don’t belong in Alabama.
Tarzan’s New York Adventure
Right there in the title!
Crocodile Dundee
This film is almost forgotten!
European movies that unexpectedly caught on big in America
The Gods Must Be Crazy
Bushman’s quest for bottle redemption
Amélie
Garden gnome travels the world
Kind Hearts and Coronets
Louis will make them pay
Next: Housebound movies (movies that take place almost entirely indoors)
The Gods Must Be Crazy was a joint South African/Botswanan production, not European. How about:
Run Lola Run
She repeatedly saves stoopid boyfriend
Back to:
Housebound movies (movies that take place almost entirely indoors)
Rear Window
Jimmy Stewart watches, sees all
Phantom Thread
Fashion designer, muse toxic together
The Towering Inferno
Gets pretty hot up there!
Next up:
Movies which are almost entirely set outdoors
D’oh! Brain fart!
In play:
The Blair Witch Project
Snot bubble makes movie history
The Hunger Games
Reality TV goes on steroids
The Incredible Journey
The Fellowship of the Fur
Next: Movies set in the US deep South
Driving Miss Daisy
Black chauffeur befriends white boss.
Bastard Out of Carolina
Girl really wants Elvis tickets.
Steel Magnolias
Women bond through life experiences.
More Movies set in the US Deep South
Cold Mountain
Confederate soldier heads for home
Mississippi Burning
FBI agents fight Klan idjits
In the Heat of the Night
Mr. Tibbs investigates a murder
Next up:
Movies set in New England
It
Down here, we all float
Pet Sematary
Sometimes they do come back
The Patriot
Mel Gibson appropriates another culture
Next: Non-horror movies set in New England
Manchester by the Sea
Uncle adopts his orphaned nephew.
Coda
Deaf parents, hearing daughter, complications.
Good Will Hunting
Genius janitor befriends widowed psychiatrist.
Movies set in the Midwestern US, but not Chicago