Movie Rant: When Theatres Screen Classic Films

James Dean, a Rebel Without a Cause (1955)

I've found a new obsession and I need to start making it a weekly thing.

About three weeks ago I finally got around to actually seeing a film at the TIFF Bell Lightbox here in Toronto. I've been there before, most notably for the Tim Burton exhibit a few months back. But, for whatever reason, it has taken me this long to actually buy a ticket to see a movie there.

Maybe I was subconsciously waiting for the right one, the perfect movie for the perfect first experience.

Well, it came along in the form of a Spotlight on director Nicholas Ray. I bought two tickets to see Rebel Without a Cause and took my sister. It's unlikely we could have found a better film to introduce us to the TIFF experience. I got to watch an iconic film in all its scratchy, crackly glory. No high-definition Blu-Ray edition just popped into a player. No DVD anniversary edition. It was actual film. It popped, cracked and showed its wear and tear.

I've seen Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) in an anniversary theatrical run a few years back, but it was essentially just the DVD copy projected on the screen. Still incredible, but not quite the same experience.

Another miracle of miracles: the audience remained silent throughout the entire screening of Rebel. No talking, no cellphone-checking and no heaving around their weight in restlessness. You could have heard a pin drop. They laughed at the right moments, but other than that, nada. It's rare to have such a perfect viewing experience.

I told my friends about the great experience I had while watching Rebel Without a Cause (oh, and seeing James Dean on the big screen for the first time wasn't too shabby, either) and I recommended that we see a movie together sometime soon.

Jon Cryer and Molly Ringwald in Pretty in Pink (1986)

That "sometime soon" happened to be this past Friday night. We had a girls night and chose John Hughes' teen angst movie, Pretty in Pink. To see that wonderful piece of melodramatic teen fluff ("What about prom, Blaine? What about prom?") on screen was equally awesome -- ragged and scratched, it looked and sounded so good.

You could almost feel the audience drowning in nostalgia. With its fantastic soundtrack and quotable lines, it would appear that John Hughes movies are still meant to be viewed in their natural state -- on the big screen.

There's just something about seeing your favourite films on the big screen, especially if they were originally released before your time. To have that opportunity to go back and enjoy it the way film audiences of the past did is a huge treat for any film buff.

This must be the equivalent of what music buffs feel when they sit back with a glass of wine and listen to their vinyl records.

What classics or old favourites have you seen on the big screen?

Movie Rant: Popular Movies I Dislike ...Which Will Likely Make Me Unpopular

The Breakfast Club

While re-watching Pretty in Pink (1986) again for the first time in years last week, I realized how much I enjoyed it as a guilty pleasure film (poor, loyal Duckie). Than it reminded me how much I disliked The Breakfast Club (1985) -- arguably John Hughes' most popular and beloved film.

It got me thinking about other popular movies that everyone seems to love but makes me feel like an outcast for actively disliking. Not hate, mind you, just dislike (as in, I don't get the fuss). So, I thought it'd be fun to make a list of Popular Movies I Dislike ...Which Will Likely Make Me Unpopular. 


1) The Breakfast Club (1985)
The Brat Pack get sentenced to a Saturday morning detention -- and all five of them bond in the process. And how do they bond? By spending nearly two hours moaning about their awful parents as if that's the only thing to blame for their failures in life. It's teen angst that isn't really fleshed out or interesting and, as a result, the characters just come off as irritating.

2) Avatar (2009)
An overrated blockbuster that was, essentially, just a re-hash of Pocahontas and Dances with Wolves. The CGI wasn't particularly earth-shattering and the performances and dialogue were pretty cringe-worthy. Made me long for the days when Titanic (1997) was still the highest grossing film of all time.

3) Crash (2004)
Just about as mediocre as movies come. The fact that this won Best Picture (over Brokeback Mountain!!) ruined the Academy Awards for me, forever. Granted, the Oscars have made mistakes in the past but this one is unforgivable and doesn't make any sense. Why it was even nominated in the first place is a mystery in and of itself. A huge cast of so-so actors go through the motions of showing why racism is bad without offering anything new to the discussion. Been there, done that.

4) Pretty Woman (1990)
I saw this for the first time ever earlier this year. I'm already not a fan of Julia Roberts, so I tend to avoid her films. Roberts plays a prostitute hired by a businessman to be his escort for the weekend. While the two fall in love (!!) she proceeds to spend his money, revel in all the jewels he gives her and tells off a saleswoman for thinking she had no money (even though it isn't actually her money). All women apparently only like shiny things and ultimately want to get married to boring businessmen who stay in nice hotels. I know some critics have defended the film, calling it fantasy, but I'm still not buying what its selling.

Jerry Maguire

5) Jerry Maguire (1996)
It's too cute for its own good. I'm not a fan of Cameron Crowe, in general, but this one is my least favourite of his films. It's cute quirk factor is overwhelming and Cuba Gooding Jr. is too much to handle.

6) The Matrix (1999)
I never got all the fuss with this franchise. In fact, I only saw the first one all the way through and remember very little of it, other than that it bored me to tears and had way too many slow-mo gun battles.

7) Garden State (2004)
I know so many people who love, love, love this film. It was fine. Like Jerry Maguire, the characters are too unnaturally quirky to the point of distraction. I've only seen this movie once and it made me want to explain to star and writer Zach Braff why ripping off the vastly superior The Graduate will never work in your favour.

8) Sex and the City (2008)
I should have passed this one over. What was I thinking? What was once a charming and funny show has become a shallow, empty, fashion-obsessed bore where women only talk about men, sex, men, sex, weddings and shoes. *snore* It was borderline offensive at some points. No thanks, ladies. It's time to retire those Jimmy Choos.

9) Superbad (2007)
A whole bunch of swearing and a couple of guys wandering around looking for places to get drunk and laid. That's all I remember. No thanks.

Saving Private Ryan

10) Saving Private Ryan (1998)
I feel like this one is likely going to get me into the most "trouble" but I need to admit my dislike of this film. I liked it when I was younger but when I watched it again as an adult I was bored and not the least bit interested in any of the characters. The fact that it also has Ed Burns and Tom Sizemore in the cast doesn't help matters either. Sure, those opening 20 minutes are incredible, but nothing else in the film even comes close to that emotional first scene. For a genuinely fantastic look at the Second World War, check out the Steven Spielberg-produced Band of Brothers instead. Powerful story, great script and a perfect, A+ cast. 

Question: What films would make it on your own list?