One of the best parts of various holidays is the favorites movies we associate with them. 
Random sidebar: I just thought of a fun parlor game: Pick three of your favorite movies that aren’t associated with a holiday, then invent a holiday that incorporates aspects of all three. Fun for the whole family! Or at least, some friends who are over for drinks..
Anyway, the film section of Leo Magazine (in my hometown of Louisville) asked me for some of my favorite films for Valentine’s Day (they supplied the various categories below). I was happy to oblige, partly of course as a selfless public service, and partly because I’ll use any opportunity to push my favorite films on people. The full article with others’ recs, too, is here. The envelopes, please (with Netflix links):
Funniest Sex Scene? Monty Python’s Meaning of Life, the ‘Sex Education’ skit. It’s exactly the way Americans imagine a literal British sex ed class would be run.
Most Romantic Moment? Tie: The conclusions of Chaplin’s “City Lights” and, of course, ‘Casablanca.’ In the former Chaplin reveals his true self to the woman he’s loved but has never seen him, and in the latter Bogart sacrifices his love for Bergman for the sake of her happiness and the free world. They’re very different, but very romantic.
Best Kiss? Tie again:
(1) Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman, ‘Notorious.’ [The photo above.] For two and a half minutes they kiss, pull slightly apart, then kiss again. Repeat, please. Trivia: Hitchcock devised this to get around the prohibition against kisses lasting more than three seconds. Repeat, please.
(2) Buster Keaton’s ‘The General‘. Keaton’s beloved fuels the train’s fire with just twigs, as they’re escaping the enemy. He strangles her for half a second, then kisses her. It’s a beautiful and hysterical summation of love.
Best Non-Hook-Up? “There’s Something About Mary.” Poor Ben Stiller suffers and suffers.
Best Break-Up? The end of ‘Superbad,’ one of my all-time favorites. Jonah Hill and Michael Cera head off with their new squeezes, looking back over their shoulders at one another and the end of their adolescent friendship that dare not speak its name.
Favorite Anti-Love Story? “War of the Roses” (Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner and Danny DeVito), or “The Break-up,” in which Vaughn and Aniston have to share an apartment post-break-up.
Favorite Overall Romantic Comedy or Love Story? “Shop Around the Corner,” with Jimmy Stewart and Margaret Sullavan. They work together and detest one another, but they fall in love as each other’s anonymous pen pal. Funny, sophisticated, and fantastic.
Here’s to a Valentine’s Day that’s sweet or spicy, however you like it.
Posted in Favorites, Film, Funny Like Ha-Ha, Interviews and Q&A's, Louisville & KY, News & Events, Other Photos, Press, Video (Online & Home)
Vampire Day! Pick any 3 movies, there’s lots of good ones. Salem’s Lot, Dracula (1931 version), and 30 Days of Night would be my pics. Sleep all day, party all night, what could be a better holiday?
That is a *fantastic* idea. Obama, make this woman the Holiday Czar, please.
You named Shop Around the Corner ! I’ve been looking for this one recently.
Well, Vampire Day definitely marks the spot : ) My choices are probably more themes than holidays and i added some European movies , hope that’s fine :
So there’s the Day of Different Perspectives :
Another Earth
Three Colors : Blue ( France, Trois Couleurs Bleu – imdb.com/title/tt0108394/ )
The Straight Story
An Absurd Day:
Amélie ( France )
Contact High ( Austria – imdb.com/title/tt0780002/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1 )
Mr Blandings Builds His Dreamhouse (1948 )
and Change- the -situation -Day :
Walk, Don’t Run (1966 )
Aprile ( Italy – imdb.com/title/tt0118635/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1 )
L.A. Story
Happy Valentine’s Day , William !
sahana
Hmm, OK.
Most romantic moment? Must be Bette Davis(my heroine) and Paul Heinreid in Now Voyager. “Jerry, don’t let’s ask for the moon, we have the stars.”
Best kiss? Brokeback Mountain. Day after Ennis and Jack’s first drunken hookup, Ennis is shamefaced & rides off to the mountains at dawn. At sunset, comes back and Jack is waiting in the tent. Ennis (shy and stonefaced) comes to tent, where Jack kisses him passionately and Ennis surrenders, with his head on Jack’s shoulder, and the face of a baby. Beautiful.
Best non-hookup? Tie. One funny, one sexy.
Funny: Trains, Planes and Automobiles. Steve Martin and John Candy in bed. “Why did you just kiss my ear?” “Why are you holding my hand?” “Where’s your other hand?” “Between two cushions.” “Those aren’t cushions…!!”
Sexy: Raging Bull. Robert De Niro and Cathy Moriarty. Jake La Motta and wife Vicky are newlyweds and can’t keep their hands off each other. Jake has a fight coming up and has been told to lay off sex. Goes into bathroom and pours jug of icewater down his shorts to cool off. Vicky comes in, in white silk negligee and tries to get him into bed. They share a passionate embrace in the bathroom doorway, before he pushes her away. Vicky has a big wet stain on the front of her nightie. Ahem…