Not all movies have to be art, and nowadays few rarely are. I will always enjoy a 'Godfather' and a 'Jaws' any day of the week, but there are those other days when you pull out something that you just get some kind of enjoyment out of and not really know why. Whether its based on some nostalgia, or a recent gem you've come across everyone has their own films that qualify for this list and today I share my own. We'll go with ten today and in no real particular order, so let's start this up shall we?
10) Good Burger (1997)
9) The Shadow (1994)
Most of my favorite childhood films seemed to have been exclusive to myself at the time. Like 'Good Burger' above, 'The Shadow' was a relatively obscure license that had bombed at the box office and quietly left the public eye. And then I stumbled upon the old radio shows and sought out the film and I never regretted it. 'The Shadow' has a lot of problems yes and I hope another more faithful adaptation can come sooner than later (Mr. Raimi, I'm looking at you) but the film still has some strong visuals and a classic style that few movies at the time had. It's also spawned one of the best pinball machines of all time, and how many movies can say that?
8) Home Alone 3 (1998)
This one is probably the one I get the most confused looks. "Why that one?" they say, well that's the whole point of this list right? I'm going to be perfectly honest here, the 'Home Alone' franchise is formulaic as hell and the first two films, as classic and awesome as they are were not cinematic masterpieces to begin with, so it's not as if this one really lowers the bar (part 4 and 5 would do that). The third installment has some fun traps and gags to keep me chuckling, however I totally agree that making the villains spies was taking things too seriously for 'Home Alone' and Alex is no Kevin, but hey there's worst kids flicks in the world.
7) Hook (1991)
This one is really no longer considered the cult film it once was but I still put it on here because of how impactful it was on my youth. It's a shame that the film was not the success it should have been when it first released because it has all the same Spielberg magic we've come to love and by far this is one of my favorite Robin Williams roles. In an era where we've attempted three new adaptations of this story and failed, it's amazing we don't go back to 'Hook' more often.
6) House of Wax (2006)
A remake in name only, the film is a great popcorn slasher flick and by far a better film than previous Dark Castle films (Gothika and Ghost Ship come to mind). The film is surprisingly dark in tone and heavy on the gore for a mainstream film at the time and any movie that shows Paris Hilton getting killed off is worth a watch. 'House of Wax' is also one of the more interesting films to look at, with deep dark color pallettes and heavy shadows. It gives it a creepy vibe that many films during this era rarely pulled off well.
5) Baby's Day Out (1994)
An early guilty pleasure from my younger days, 'Baby's Day Out' was a film I'd watch on repeat add nausem and that's coming straight from my mother. Like 'Good Burger', I just can't explain this one it's just full of good humor, cute and heartwarming scenes and overall it's likely to be the film I pass down to my own children. Despite its 'Home Alone' knockoff plot, it still pulls off some good gags of its own, including one with a man in a gorilla costume. I recommend this one for your kids.
4) Dennis the Menace (1993)
The second earliest guilty pleasure that comes to mind, I dressed myself to portray the titular character through most of preschool. This movie always brings me back to my childhood, staying with my grandparents over the summer and spending time with my mother on her days off. This one is really personal for me, and likely many others and its charm has yet to wear off.
3) Rat Race (2002)
'It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World' is a timeless classic, with an all-star cast that's not seen in modern cinema and some of the funniest scenes in any movie. So why attempt to remake it with B-C grade comedians and not make any references to the original? I'm not sure what their mentality was, but this one defines 'Guilty Pleasure'. This movie is really really stupid, has a lot of dated jokes, and you will never convince me that Jon Lovitz is funnier than Jonathan Winters. So why do I enjoy this movie so much? I classify it as a 'sick day' movie as well, by which I mean when I feel like crap I stick this movie in and it always perks me up. Not really sure why, it just does and that's why it's here.
2) Goldmember (2003)
I honestly classify the whole 'Austin Powers' series as guilty pleasures, but the third one gets the spotlight due to its less than stellar critical and audience reviews. 'Goldmember' is the best of the trilogy, with some of the best jokes, great music, and has the best opening credits of the three as well. And it has a LOT less of Fat Bastard, which is a big plus for me.
1) Aliens Vs. Predator (2003)
Again, this movie is really awful. But it's awful like pro wrestling and Godzilla are awful in that the cheese makes it so much fun to watch. It doesn't need a high intellect just some beer, junk food, and some friends and you have a perfect late Saturday night. Really any monster flick could go here but I chose AVP due to my personal fanbase and Godzilla gets on these lists too much already.
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