21 MOVIES YOU SHOULD SEE (ACCORDING TO ME)

It has been a few weeks since I have last blogged, and there's a lot of reasons for that. The Billboard Country Music Summit, the CMA Music Festival, and taking the kids to camp have been a large part of what is going on. I will try to be a little bit more regular over the next few weeks....For this blog, I wanted to focus on something that we all have our favorites of---the movies. I'm not saying that these 21 films (I couldn't limit myself to 20) are the best of all time....but they are some of my favorites, and maybe some of yours. If you haven't seen these, you need to....



1. "A Time To Kill"----I saw this for the first time a few months ago, and I've got to say it was first rate all the way around. Kevin Spacey, Samuel Jackson, and a young Sandra Bullock were great in their roles, but Matthew McConaughey dominated the screen in this case of crime and racism in a Mississippi town. His closing argument is one of the best moments in film from the past two decades.



2. "Back To The Future"----Michael J. Fox has had some great Hollywood moments, but this Spielberg classic was one of the best. The movie was a treat to watch from start to finish. One of the most pleasurable parts of this movie were the little subtle jokes about what the future would bring. The two sequels to this franchise were a little confusing at times, but this one? Nothing but a classic.



3. "Batman"-----1992's sequel "Batman Returns" had Michelle Pfieffer as Catwoman (one of the best casting moves ever), and "The Dark Knight" had Heath Ledger's unforgettable performance, but the first modern film in the franchise managed to be cool and dark at the same time. Michael Keaton brought a vulnerability to Bruce Wayne, and Jack Nicholson as the Joker? Need i say more?



4. "Chicago"-----OK, so Catherine Zeta-Jones in this movie was a plus for me, but all around, I thought this musical was awesome from start to finish. I was skeptical about Richard Gere holding his own in a film like this, but he did and then some....and it was one of the first films I saw with the great Queen Latifah....but as you can tell later on the list....it wasn't the last!



5. "Coal Miners' Daughter,"---In my opinion, the greatest musical biography of all time. Sissy Spacek and Tommy Lee Jones were incredible in their roles as the Lynns. I have watched this movie more than any other, and it never gets old. As a radio guy, I love the scenes where Loretta and Mooney travel around to radio stations, promoting her first records. Not just a great musical, but one of the great films of all time.



6. "Double Jeopardy"-------Ashley Judd and Tommy Lee Jones made for a great cat-and-mouse chase in this thriller. He doesn't get the credit that they do, but this movie is also worth seeking out for the slick job that Bruce Greenwood does playing the movie's villain. Whether it be TV or movies, he's always first-rate playing a heavy!



7. "Ferris Bueller's Day Off"----My days playing hooky were never this much fun. Matthew Broderick played the "Eddie Haskell" of my generation. I haven't watched this one in years, but it's one of the best of the 80s!

8. "Forrest Gump"------You have to suspend reality in your mind on this one, as who actually witnesses history from this many angles? Still, this film is one of those that no matter how many times you might have seen it, it never gets old.


9. "Giant"-----My favorite TV series of all time was "Dallas," and some have said that the Ewings owed a debt to this epic 1955 film that featured Rock Hudson and James Dean feuding over a lovely Elizabeth Taylor. This film was also notable for a early role for the late Dennis Hopper.



10. "Hoosiers"---Speaking of Hopper, who can forget his comeback role as a drunken parent in this Gene Hackman classic. There may be sports movies as good, but you won't find one better!



11. "Intolerable Cruelty"-----I have spoken of my affinity for Catherine Zeta-Jones, and there's plenty of screen time for her in this Coen Brothers film. The combination of her and George Clooney was nothing short of genius, and throw in Billy Bob Thornton and you have a comedy of epic proportions.

12. "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation"---Who doesn't view this one at least once during the holiday season. It might not have been "It's A Wonderful Life," but the Griswold family was never funnier.

13. "Primary Colors"----Mike Nichols is credited as a filmaking genius, and I think this parody of the Bill Clinton campaign was first-rate from start to finish. John Travolta pulled off the role of the Southern governor, Emma Thompson was superb as the Hilary character, and the supporting cast (Thornton, Kathy Bates, and Larry Hagman among them) was outstanding. If you've never seen this one, you need to!

14. O'Brother, Where Art Thou?----No matter how many times CMT shows this one, it never fails to leave me laughing. Clooney ruled the screen more than ever before or since, and the supporting players were excellent as well, especially Charles Durning as the governor. The film was definitely "bonafide."

15. "Ocean's Eleven"----What is it about George Clooney that causes a film to be memorable? I don't know the answer to that, but between him, Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, and Andy Garcia, this one doesn't have a slow moment in it. I would also suggest "Ocean's Thirteen" as well.

16. "Ray"------It's in the same class with the afore-mentioned "Coal Miners' Daughter." Jamie Foxx had the role of his life as the genius Ray Charles. At times, you forget where Foxx ends and Charles begins.

17. "The Secret Life Of Bees"----My wife wanted to see this one in the fall of 2008, so we went. I didn't expect to love this one as much as I did, but it was a well-written story with some great acting from Queen Latifah. The fact that she wasn't nominated for an Oscar for this one still bumfuzzles (is that even a word?) me.

18. "The Shootist"-----I love westerns, and nobody did it better than John Wayne. This film, which was his last, was a great way to go out. Throw in Ron Howard as a Wayne in-the-making and Jimmy Stewart as the kindly doctor, and you've got one of the genre's best.

19. "Smokey And The Bandit"-----It will never be compared to Masterpiece Theatre, but as far as an enjoyable movie experience, I think this is still one of the best. I would love to see this remade, possibly with Blake Shelton and Trace Adkins as the modern-day Reynolds and Reed.

20. "Walking Tall"-----The story of Buford Pusser has always intrigued me, and while the two follow-ups of this film were not as great, Joe Don Baker had his role for the ages as the Tennessee sheriff that stood up against the system. It was very dark and violent at the time, but the people that Pusser battled were not the comic book characters that were depicted in the 1975 and 1977 sequels.

Also....while not one movie, I wanted to lend my thoughts on what the best movie franchise of all time would be. I have to say that if I have two hours to spare (?), there is no better escape than the team of Riggs and Murtaugh (i.e., Mel Gibson and Danny Glover) and the "Lethal Weapon" series. Quite possibly, the best buddy team of all time....

Well, there they are. I know I didn't pick many from the "Golden Age," but then again, I never said these were the best....just my favorites. I hope they are some of yours!