You Have That in Your DVD Collection?: Guilty Pleasures.

Okay, so it’s obvious that I like a lot of good movies. But, like everyone, I do have some guilty pleasures that I keep hidden in my DVD collection, just for me. Not all of them are necessarily bad movies (though some are) but they are not the kind of films that you brag about liking. Plus, over the years, my film taste has changed so some of these are just left over from my adolescence. Since I am the bigger man, I figured I’d open up and share some of them with you. Here are fifteen guilty pleasures I have stashed around my house:

(Note: These are put in order as to the films I would still watch frequently. In other words, the closer to number 1, the more I tend to watch the film.)

15. Daredevil

Let’s just start with the one that’s going to get me the most crap. Yes, I own Daredevil. In fact, I own two copies: the theatrical cut and the director’s cut (though I only purchased the latter). Yes, I know that Daredevil is a bad movie. Despite having cinematography that works well with the original source material, the direction from Mark Steven Johnson is pretty bad and Ben Affleck, Jennifer Garner, and Colin Farrell are all miscast. Plus, that park fight between Affleck and Garner is still one of the most embarrassing and lame things put to film. Still, I enjoyed watching this movie in the theaters. It’s actually a pretty entertaining film. Jon Favreau has a nice supporting role and the story really isn’t that bad. However, if you watch the director’s cut, you can see how much Fox butchered the storyline and how much better the movie could have been. I haven’t watched this movie in years but I definitely don’t think it is as bad as everyone tends to make it out to be. It’s definitely not as bad as Johnson’s next comic book adaptation: Ghost Rider. Now that was unforgivable. I feel bad for Johnson. He’s a guy that obviously cares about these comics but he just cannot direct a movie to save his life.

14. Hulk

Since we’re on the subject of bad superhero movies, how about we talk a little about Hulk. The Ang Lee directed superhero film is one of the most misunderstood and hated comic book films ever made. Personally, I don’t think it’s as bad as everyone says it is. The first time I saw the movie, I just didn’t know what to think. It’s just so weird and unexpected in its approach to the material. In the end, it’s just not the Hulk movie that we all wanted. Lee tends to focus too much on the psychological and existential and not enough on the story and much needed action. Still, it’s a pretty impressive stylistic effort and Danny Elfman’s score is simply beautiful. Hopefully the Edward Norton / Louis Leterrier reboot will be more of the Hulk film that everyone has been looking forward to.

13. Body Double

I blame my dad for this one. What a sleazy movie. Body Double literally reeks of sleaze. It’s exploitive to the bone and a pretty nasty little thriller. It also feels like a cheap rip off of Alfred Hitchcock’s Rearview Mirror. With all that said, it is the efforts of director Brian de Palma that makes this movie fun to watch. De Palma goes all over the place and then some. His direction is the star of this movie and he goes so far at times that it becomes ridiculous (that spinning, 360 degree kissing scene was hilariously bad). Still, I had a lot of fun with this, even if it is embarrassing to admit so with the movie being so unashamedly trashy. It’s just fun. How about that scene set to “Relax” by Frankie Goes to Hollywood? How about that crazy, scarred construction working Indian that’s out for blood? How about that haunting score by Pino Donaggio? Yeah, this is a fun movie.

12. Hostel

I have to be careful with this one. This is the kind of movie you get judged for owning. You have Hostel? What are you, some kind of sicko? Well, I don’t think so. Like Eli Roth’s Cabin Fever, I thought Hostel was a pretty crazy and fun horror flick. It starts off as a sex comedy, turns into a torture, horror film, and then ends up being an 80’s revenge movie. Like all of Roth’s efforts, the film was all over the place and I had fun with it. I know the guy can be really annoying and pompous in real life, but his movies are usually pretty entertaining. I never did see Hostel II though…

11. The Lost World- Jurassic Park

Apparently, everyone hates this sequel. And by everyone, I mean everyone. When I was a kid, this movie was awesome: more dinosaurs, more action, and more Goldblum. Yeah, that might be a creepy man crush talking. Plus, it had that surprise ending where the T-rex ended up in San Francisco, wreaking havoc. What more could you want as a child? Well, apparently, a story. If you don’t know, David Koepp’s screenplay did not follow Michael Crichton’s original novel at all and this pissed a lot of people off. Basically, everyone just saw this as a cheap, quickly made sequel to cash in on the success of the original film. And it was. However, after re-watching it recently, I can still enjoy the film on a popcorn level. It’s still pretty fun, has a little bit of Spielberg’s filmmaking magic (a little bit), and an extremely underrated, brooding score by the great John Williams. This may just be a cash-in flick, but I still think it’s a fun one. One thing’s for sure, it’s still a thousand times better than Jurassic Park III. Screw that movie. Screw it.

10. King Kong (1976)

People truly hate this 1976 remake of King Kong. Well, they definitely have reason to. I own this movie for purely nostalgic reasons. It was on AMC the other day and I was surprised to hear how bad the dialogue was and see how bad the acting was. All of the segments on Skull Island look like they are filmed on a really bad set. Then there’s that three second shot of the Kong robot. Man, what a bad idea that was. Poor Rick Baker in the gorilla suit just doesn’t get enough credit. Still, I enjoy it occasionally for nostalgic reasons, John Barry’s great score, the random 1970’s social commentary, Jeff Bridge's awesome beard (something I recently praised him for in Iron Man) and the fairly effective ending on top of the World Trade Center. However, if you are going to watch a King Kong movie, watch the original 1933 classic or Peter Jackson’s epic 2005 version.

9. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003)

I should hate this movie but I really don’t. This was the first of Platinum Dune’s horror remakes and it is definitely the best. The movie is essentially all gorgeous style thanks to director Marcus Nispel (who is helming the Friday the 13^th remake… let’s hope that’s a good thing) and runs essentially with a scare-a-minute. This is a popcorn horror flick all the way and it’s actually pretty effective. The film never shies away from its dark subject matter and remains pretty true to the original film. Plus, the film has R. Lee Ermey doing the craziest and most twisted character he’s ever done since Full Metal Jacket. This guy was insane. Also, I had one of the best theater experiences of my life with this film. I went with a group of girls and they ended up crying through the whole movie because they were so scared. It was really surreal... and really funny. Overall, the film doesn’t hold a candle to Tobe Hooper’s original cult masterpiece but it’s not bad for a slow night.

8. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2

Just so no one gets confused, this is the sequel to Tobe Hooper’s original 1973 film, not the 2003 remake. The first time I saw this film, I absolutely hated it. The tone and style of the film are such a departure from Hooper’s original film that I just didn’t know what to think. He went from a gritty, almost-documentary style horror film to a silly, glossy horror / comedy. I still find the characters of Chop Top and Stretch insanely annoying. And why is Leatherface humping his chainsaw? Yeah, it was really hard to get along with this movie. However, over time, I’ve started to appreciate certain aspects of it, such as the film’s strange, dark humor, the legendary Tom Savini’s crazy special effects, and Dennis Hopper being awesome. I mean, what other movie has Dennis Hopper having a chainsaw duel with Leatherface? That scene alone is worth buying the movie for.

7. Final Destination 2

Final Destination 2 is the perfect group movie. It’ absolutely ridiculous in its execution and is usually unintentionally hilarious. Never have I seen more ridiculous death scenes in a movie. A guy that gets killed by a flying barbwire fence? Check. A kid that gets crushed and then explodes after a pane of glass is dropped on him? That’s a big check. Really, this movie is most fun you’ll ever have watching a horror movie. I remember the first time I that I watched this movie. I was having an awful day and then, after a few minutes of this piece of cinema, I was laughing my head off. It’s a bad movie but at least it’s silly enough to have tons of fun with.

6. When Harry Met Sally

It took a lot to admit this one. I have it pretty well hidden. Not that it’s a bad movie, but, let’s face it, it’s a chick flick. Still, it’s a really good chick flick. In fact, it’s the only chick flick I own. Unlike most chick flicks I’ve seen, this movie feels as if it has a more realistic edge and seems to be grounded in reality. It’s just a movie that works in every way possible. Rob Reiner doesn’t get enough credit. Good directing, acting, and a well paced story make up the film. The late Bruno Kirby gives a great supporting role as Billy Crystal's friend. I miss that guy. When I bought this movie, I got it with a copy of Hard Candy so I’d still look a little hardcore. I don’t think I was fooling anybody.

5. Home Alone

One thing you’ll learn as you read this list is that I love John Hughes movies. Home Alone isn’t exactly a John Hughes film, but the guy wrote it. So that's good enough. But really, this is a movie that I, like pretty much everyone else I grew up with, watched daily as a kid. So, when it came out on a special edition DVD, I just had to buy it. I was just watching it the other day and, surprisingly, it still holds up pretty well. I still really enjoy watching this thing. The ending with all the traps is still insanely impractical and over-the-top but who cares. It’s fun. I’m really not that embarrassed to own this one. Also good- Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. It’s the exact same movie (and I mean exact- another topic for discuss later on) only with a nice location change.

4. The Breakfast Club

Okay, usually I wouldn’t even consider this a guilty pleasure but Caleb still gives me crap for this one. Really, what’s wrong with liking John Hughes movies? Due to my dad, I grew up watching stuff like Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Weird Science, and Sixteen Candles (okay… this one’s kind of iffy). Even though I didn’t grow up in the 80’s (I was born in 1987), I still grew up with John Hughes and his films. I still love them and I consider The Breakfast Club my favorite. Sure, it’s pretty people with problems but who cares. I love this movie. Judd Nelson is a total bad-a. I still play and occasionally sing “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” By Simple Minds. That and I like to do that celebratory fist pump that Nelson does at the end of film whenever I can. I really don’t consider this a guilty pleasure. The Breakfast Club is an awesome movie. 

3. Hocus Pocus

This is another movie that I grew up watching as a kid and, honestly, it still holds up today. This is one movie that really captures the mood and feel of Halloween and it’s really great to put it in the player around the holiday. It’s a movie for kids, but I don’t care, it’s fun to watch. Last summer when I worked at Movie Gallery, I put it in the player and it was weird how many customers came up to me, wanting to talk about the film. Apparently, everyone watched this thing when they were a kid. I have a friend named Zach who has a special connection to the film. For years, he used to take pride in sharing the same first name as the kid-turned-cat in the film: Zackary Binks. He would love it when girls called him this. Then, one day, someone he knew got on IMDB.com and found that it was actually Thacery Binks. He was devastated. That’s how important this film is to those that grew up with it. It’s really pure nostalgia. I really don’t have that much else to say about it.

2. Empire Records

This is another movie that I don’t really consider a guilty pleasure but, after being berated by Caleb for liking it, I guess I’ll put it in here. I love Empire Records. It’s cliché, sappy, over-the-top, silly, and stereotypical. Still, all of these things somehow manage to weigh into the film’s favor. This movie is basically The Breakfast Club of the 1990’s. You've got your stoner character, suicidal Goth chick, loveless loser, ADHD inflicted kid, etc. Instead of everyone being stuck in a library on detention, they’re all working in a record store on “Rex Manning Day.” Everyone’s a stereotype but it all still works. It’s just a really fun movie. The 1990’s rock music used really adds the feel and era of the movie. The musical sing-along to AC/DC’s “If You Want Blood (You Got It)” really stands out. You can see that scene here. I loved the character of Lucas and his constant philosophizing. It doesn’t really matter what kind of mood I’m in- Empire Records will always entertain me. Just remember- “Damn the man, save the Empire.”

1. Hook

Hook is Steven Spielberg’s worst reviewed movie of all time. This is a fact I still don’t understand. Critics hated this movie with a passion but everyone I know has a deep love for it. Maybe it’s because we all grew up with it, but I like to believe it’s a little more than that. I mean, just look at that poster above. You see that? There’s even magic in the poster. And that’s what this movie is full of- Spielberg magic... more so than most of his other films. The cinematography is beautiful, the set design breath taking, and John William’s score is one of his best. The only thing lame in this movie is Julia Roberts as Tinker Bell and, from what I’ve read, Spielberg hated her in person so much that he ended up cutting her role down. Good job, Steven. And how about Dustin Hoffman as Captain James Hook? What an acting job. Really, were the critics sleeping during this? How about that scene when they use their imagination to eat dinner and Peter starts to play along? Yeah, that was pure magic. Seriously, critics even gave War of the Worlds a lot better reviews than this movie and that film sucked. It just doesn't make sense. I really do love this movie. I’ve watched it recently and I just got to relive all the magic I did the first time I watched it as a kid. In fact, this is one of the first movies I ever saw in the theater. So yeah, this one’s special. I really wish I didn’t have to call it a guilty pleasure. Ruf-i-ooo! Ruf-i-oooo! 

So, what guilty pleasures do you have in your DVD collection? Come on, be the bigger man.