Kill the Irishman
Cleveland mobster in the crosshairs
Alex Cross
Detroit detective hunts serial killer
Fargo
Only opening scene set there
Let’s keep it going!
More movies set in the Midwestern US, but not Chicago
Hoosiers
Classic ‘David versus Goliath’ tale
August: Osage County
We’re all just family, right?
The Bridges of Madison County
Iced tea and split atoms
Next: Movies set in the Southwest, but not Texas
Oklahoma!
Wind sweeping through the plain.
The Milagro Beanfield War
Misunderstanding leads to profound understanding.
Raising Arizona
They’ll never miss just one.
Movies filmed on literal locations that are not Los Angeles or NYC. (By “literal” location, I mean, Star Wars wouldn’t count-- it was filmed “on location” in Tunisia, because that is not a studio, but it is also not Tatooine, so it doesn’t count. It has to be filmed where it was in the movie’s context. And, if interior scenes are studio scenes, it still counts.)
You’re not making it easy with these specific requests, but here goes my replies:
Movies filmed on literal locations that are not Los Angeles or NYC.
Napoleon Dynamite
They shoot steer in Idaho
Drugstore Cowboy
Addicts roam streets of Portland
Mad Max
Max goes tearing around Melbourne
Next: Movies set mostly at sea
Does the ocean count?
Certainly.
Movies set mostly at sea
Down Periscope
“Frasier” plays a submarine captain.
Titanic
Good story about doomed liner.
The Caine Mutiny
“Captain Yellowstain” and the strawberries.
Next: Non-sports movies that take place at a university or college
Love Story
Handsome guy, beautiful girl: tragedy
Animal House
“Knowledge is Good,” ya know OR My advice: start drinking heavily
The Lords of Discipline
Military cadets learn hard lessons
Next up:
Movies about the military that (at least mostly) aren’t about combat
Sgt. Bilko
Steve Martin plays grifting sergeant.
An Officer and a Gentleman
Wannabe Navy officers in training.
Stripes
Basic training without an instructor?
Next:
Military movies that are about combat
All Quiet on the Western Front
First really good war picture
The Red Badge of Courage
The Civil War was hell
Saving Private Ryan
Had to watch the opening
Next: More military movies that are about combat
Glory
Black troops overcome huge obstacles
Paths of Glory
French Army a WWI mess
Stalingrad
German soldiers’ descent into hell
Next up:
“Nice” movies that aren’t twee
The Holdovers
Crusty teacher, unhappy student. Friends?
Breezy
Holden, Lenz, May-December situation.
Hidden Figures
Who’s really behind NASA trajectories?
Next:
More “nice” movies that aren’t twee
The Devil Wears Prada
And she flings her coats
Two Weeks Notice
Is she bobcat or pretzel?
When Harry Met Sally
I had what she’s having
Next: Romantic comedies
The Awful Truth
Is that they’re in love.
My Best Girl
Starring America’s Sweetheart, Mary Pickford.
Fish
Finally, not a coming-out story.
NEXT: Films about GBLTQ life that are not coming-out stories.
The Birdcage
Gay dads can’t hide sexuality.
Ma Vie en Rose
Trans girl navigates life, bigotry.
Philadelphia
AIDS patient hires bigoted lawyer.
More movies about the LGBTQ experience that aren’t about coming out.
Tea and Sympathy
This one’s about staying in!
Cruising
Pacino walks the wild side
Cabaret
Master of Ceremonies? A survivor.
Movies where the person we see naked and the person we WANT to see naked are two very different people
Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Prefer naked Kunis over Segel
The Wolf of Wall Street
Prefer anyone over Jonah Hill
28 Days Later
Selena could’ve been nude, too!
Movies about European history
Amadeus
Young composer is ultra-talented buffoon
Waterloo
Wellington’s, Napoleon’s armies fatefully clash
Downfall
Source of a gazillion memes
Next up:
Other movies which have given rise to memes
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
You have my complete attention
LotR: The Fellowship of the Ring
One doesn’t walk into Mordor
Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood
Right there! That’s the one!
Next: More memes from movies
The Lord of the Rings
Gollum’s two faces got around!
Home Alone
Kevin reacts to aftershave… forever
Pirates of the Caribbean
Capt. Jack bemused at… everything
Next up:
Good pirate movies