Okay....after much deliberation about what I should blog about, I decided on something that has been debated...the top 10 movies every guy should watch with a nice steak. This is not all-inclusive, but it's a good start. Neither is it in order, but rather just a list as I think of them. Remember, this is a matter of taste and opinion, so here it goes....
#20) "Walking Tall"
Joe Don Baker's version, not Dwayne Johnson's. Joe Don Baker taking Teddy Roosevelt's advise about carrying a big stick.
#19) "Every Which Way But Loose"
"Right turn, Clyde". A tough guy named Philo Beddoe, an Orangutan, and Momma. Need I say more?
#18) "Monty Python's Quest for the Holy Grail".
One of the most quoted movies ever, and for good reason.Drunk or sober, funny as hell.
#17) "Rocky"
Classic story about the underdog. Sly Stallone's second best movie. (Best is at #4)
#16) "El Dorado"
John Wayne, Robert Mitchum, and James Caan. Or is it "Rio Bravo"? Oh, well...basically the same film. Whichever one has John Wayne throwing dynamite to get the bad guys out of the house.
#15) "Death Wish"
Charles Bronson out for revenge on the scum who killed his wife and raped his daughter.
#14) "Dirty Harry".
Eastwood. .44 mag. 'Nuff said.
#13) "Pale Rider"
Often overlooked, a preacher helps some prospectors in the early california gold rush. But, the preacher isn't as peaceful as he seems.
#12) "Lone Wolf McQuade"
Have to get Chuck Norris in here somehow, and this is better than his other films...the fight with Bruce Lee is a close second.
#11) "The Dirty Dozen"
12 misfits released from military prison to do a job no one else wants to do.
#10) "Under Seige"
Before we all knew he was a vegetarian green spewing self proclaimed Lama reincarnation, Steven Seagal could kick some major ass. He couldn't act then, or now, but his Aikido was awesome. That is why I chose his last best movie, "Under Seige". At the time heralded as "Die Hard" on a battleship, it had everything any guy could want...firepower, explosives, high body counts, and Erika Eleniak. He played a ex-seal turned cook on a warship who had to save the world from a crazy Tommy Lee Jones and even crazier Gary Busey.
#9) "Patton"
Need I say more? A movie about one of the best generals this country ever produced, and showing why Hitler feared him and the Japanese hated him. George C. Scott was phenomenal and it makes you proud to be an American.
#8)"Goldeneye"
One of (IMHO) the best James Bond films ever, right next to Goldfinger, Pierce Brosnan's first foray into the Bond role. Again, firepower, explosives, and the ubiquitous Bond girls (Famke Janssen and Izabella Scorupco), with the bad guys getting their come-uppance in true secret agent fashion.
#7) "The Magnificent Seven"
Akira Kurosawa's "The Seven Samurai" in an "Americanized" format, as seven hard cases help a poor Mexican town from banditos. Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, and James Coburn all in one film. Truly a Hollywood classic.
#6)"The Quiet Man"
You can talk about Bogey and Bacall (or Bergman), or Tracy and Hepburn, or even Pitt and Jolie, but my favorite is Wayne and O'Hara. Yes, this seems like an odd choice, but this is a "chick flick" guys can like. Not only does it have John Wayne in it, playing a boxer who returns to his Irish ancestral home, it has one of the most scandalous scenes for the 1950's. The fight is classic, and the supporting characters make things interesting. A slow pace, but you're not bored.
#5) "Bullitt"
Any cop this badass is one cop I don't want to cross. Also, it has a 1968 Ford Mustang 390 CID Fastback. Although the Mopar freak in me was rooting for the 1968 Dodge Charger R/T 440 Magnum, (I cried when the Challenger blew up in "Hellraiser", but that's another story.), you have to give the 'Stang it's props. Arguably the best automobile chase scene ever......ever.
#4) "First Blood"
Don't mess with a special forces trained Vietnam Vet with PTSD.
#3) "Ben Hur"
Have to give Charlton Heston his props with this entry. Great story, and the chariot race scene makes it worthwhile.
#2) "Predator"
By far, Arnold Schwarzenegger's best (again, in my opinion). Man vs. alien in a no-holds barred shootout for the stake of the planet. Just wished the ending would have stopped any sequels, or even AVP.
#1) "Apocolypse Now"
My favorite "AntiWar" War movie. And, I think the role that really drove Marlon Brando nuts (otherwise, why would he have taken the role of Kal-El in "Superman?").
Graphic, gritty, and disturbing. I find myself playing the strafing scenes over and over for their sheer beauty and for "Ride of the Valkyries".
Feel free to add any you think i omitted, or just post your views on the ones I chose. Feedback is always welcome.
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