Movies you can't help but watch when they come on TV

[Dolph Lundgren]

You guys know the drill.  You'll be flipping through the channels, most likely bored, when you stumble upon that movie.  Not just any movie, but that one that leaves you helpless and unable to change the channel until you watch it.  It doesn't matter that it's most likely cropped, edited, etc.  You'll still watch it.

What are your picks?  Here's mine:

The Karate Kid.  Guilty as charged.  I think I'm obsessed with this movie.  I simply can't change the channel when this is on, no exaggeration.  I have the DVD, but it doesn't matter.  There's just something about this movie that always keeps me watching.  It used to be that I had a huge crush on Ali, but now it's probably the fact that I can recite the movie's songs, word-for-word.  I'm a sad person, what can I say?

The Goonies.  A VERY close second.  Another one of those movie's I'm obsessed with.  I just think this movie's a blast to watch.  It hasn't gotten old for me, and I pray that it never will.  I still love, and watch it religiously, to this day.

Road House.  This movie is a treasure chest filled with bad 80s cliches, action, GREAT one liners, it has it all.  Even if you hate Swayze, I don't understand how this movie could be hated.

Hard Target.  Van Damme's mullet is hypnotizing in this one.  The fact that Lance is in it is another reason.  But above all, nothing makes me laugh harder than the scene when Van Damme stands on top of the moving motorcycle and fires away at the black SUV heading toward him, flips over it as it explodes, lands on his feet, gives the usual YEEEAAAUUUGGGH that we've come to love from the big lug, greasy mullet flapping in the breeze.  Poetry in motion, I tell you.

[ulthar]

I'll watch just about anything on tv in the action/suspense/comedy/horror genres.  About the only genres I avoid are 'chick flicks' and most made-for-tv 'drama.' I watched The Sixth Sense on ABC the other night, though I got very frustrated with:

(1) 5-8 minute commercial breaks
(2) it seemed roughly 90% commercials were previews for ABC's fall lineup.

So yeah, I'd leave Karate Kid or Road House on ... but probably would not just be sitting there watching (I often do work on the laptop in the living room).

[ToyMan]

robocop, happy gilmore, billy madison, black sheep, tommy boy, coming to america, the breakfast club.

[Scottie]

I'll watch most everything that comes on tv, however when it comes to commercials, sci-fi channel is the worst. Their only form of commercial is for their upcoming shows or original movie - and that's EVERY COMMERCIAL BREAK! I tried watching It Came From Beneath the Sea but every break began and ended with a plug for the next episode of Stargate SG-1. It wouldn't be so bad if perhaps it were a different edit of the same preview, but it was the same every time. Too difficult to sit through. The commercial wasn't even that good.

Difficult to turn away movies?

most Adam Sandler comedies (I avoid it 364 days of the year, one day won't kill me)
A Few Good Men
Anything with either Gene Wilder or Richard Pryor, most usually Brewster's Millions
Anything with Steve Martin usually All of Me, or !Three Amigos!
Anything from Hitchcock - heck I'm even wearing a shirt of his right now!

[ulthar]

Scottie wrote:

> Anything from Hitchcock - heck I'm even wearing a shirt of his
> right now!
>

You have one of Hitchcock's shirts?  Wow.

[Zapranoth]

Ah, Roadhouse.

That movie contains the jewels,

1.  "Pain don't hurt."

2.  "Dang that hurts, don't it?"  (After the grizzled old streetfighter stomps on a guy's knee.)

and perhaps best of all,

3.  "All My Exes Live in Texas."  (the song)

[ulthar]

Zapranoth wrote:

> Ah, Roadhouse.
>
> That movie contains the jewels,
>

Speaking of Roadhouse, have any of you guys visited

http://www.moviesthatsuck.com ?

Swayzee is one of their "heros" over there, and they actually use a "Number of Swayzees" rating system for some movies.

The site's a riot, though it does not seem to be updated very often any more.

[Mr_Vindictive]

Zap, you forgot one of the worst converstations in the history of film:

Doctor: Who won the fight?

Swayze: Nobody...ever wins a fight.


I'd have to agree with ToyMan about Coming To America, Breakfast Club, and Tommy Boy.  Can't forget Trading Places as well.

[Scottie]

There's something about the guy that people latch onto. This is just passing conversation, but at the video store where I go to school, they've converted the drop-off box into Patrick Swayzee's Head drop-off box: his mouth being the slot. They call it Patrick Swayzee's love slot. I didn't get it until I started to see how positively people reacted to it. No wait... I didn't get it, I just kind of accepted it. What's the deal?

Regarding my wearing one of Hitchcock's shirts, I shall rephrase:
I went to a Hitchcock exhibit in 2002 down in MGM studios, Orlando, Florida, where there were presentations on many of Hitchcock's filming techniques, his camera tricks, some of his sets, his miniatures, how he constructed with wild walls to accomodate for unique camera positions, etc. They even showed us a clip of "The Birds" presented in 3D! Anyways, they had a gift shop and I bought a shirt, so that's how I have one of 'his shirts.'



Post Edited (08-04-05 09:10)

[Fearless Freep]

Movies I never pass up on TV?

Have to agree with Roadhouse, although usually I'll just watch in on commercial breaks for whatever else I'm watchin.

Definately any of the "Beastmaster" series.



Swayzee is one of their "heros" over there, and they actually use a "Number of Swayzees" rating system for some movies.

Sounds like the "Hoff Scale" (for David Hasselhoff) used over at Opposable Thumb Films where he rates films based on how much David Hasselhoff it would take to make the film watchable.

[dean]

For some reason I'll always watch The Fifth Element or the Jackal [although The Jackal hasn't been on since I bought the DVD so who knows now] and general 'fun' movies like the Back to the Future Trilogy or Indiana Jones trilogy, or Bill Murray comedies.

Other than that, I'll seemingly always get attached to crappy late night made-for-tv movies that star b-grade actors which I have never heard of before.  They'll be total crap but it's something to zone out to at the end of a long day.  The trouble is once they start, no matter how bad it is, I have to see the end.  It's as if I am hypnotized by the damn bastards who made the train wreck I am watching.

[Fearless Freep]

For some reason I'll always watch The Fifth Element

I'll agree with that.  Also, as you mentioned Bill Murray, Stripes or Ghostbusters.

They'll be total crap but it's something to zone out to at the end of a long day. The trouble is once they start, no matter how bad it is, I have to see the end. It's as if I am hypnotized by the damn bastards who made the train wreck I am watching.


That's how people end up here.  Heck, I just rented "Dragon Storm" because I caught about ten minutes of it on Sci-Fi and couldn't watch the whole thing....pretty pathetic

[Derf]

Roadhouse would be on my list as well. As for others, I'd have to include many cheesy action flicks, Breakfast Club (though my fascination with it has waned over the years), Josie and the p***ycats (I don't know why; I'm a sick man), Undercover Brother (again, I don't know why), and any of the Zatoichi movies.

[trekgeezer]

Tremors, I don't know what it is I've seen it a million times and my wife always gripes about me watching it again.  It really doesn't matter at what point in the film I catch it, I will watch it from there to the end.

[Derf]

OMG, I just, like, realized: Josie is the new Breakfast Club!!

If you've seen the movie, you'll get that. It's not necessarily funny, but you'll get it.