CLC Goes to the Movies

Since we talked about TV shows last month, we're sharing our favorite movies from various genres this time around. See what Melissa A and Jami recommend from some of their favorite genres!

Melissa A:

Top 5 Musical Movies

1. The Greatest Showman: Seeing it once is "never enough for me."

2. Little Shop of Horrors: I only like the theatrical release with the happy ending. Rick Moranis and Ellen Greene are perfect in the lead roles.

3. Grease: It's hard NOT to sing along with all the songs. I like Rizzo better than Sandy though.

4. Chicago: Fantastic adaptation of the stage production that added a new layer to the story.

5. Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again: I loved it enough to see it twice. And I sing the songs all the time.

Top 5 Movies Based on Books

1. Where the Heart Is (Billie Letts): One of my favorite movies of all time! It's such a comfort film too.

2. Wonder (R.J. Palacio): See my review.

3. Love, Simon (Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli): I loved the book and the movie did a great job bringing the characters to life. Nick Robinson was perfect as Simon. Some scenes and characters were left out or changed, but I enjoyed it overall.

4. Bridget Jones's Diary (Helen Fielding) The book was hilarious and the movie did it justice. Colin Firth was swoon-worthy. The first time I saw this movie, I was inspired to tell off a guy who had hurt me (emotionally).

5. Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (Ann Brashares): I never read the book, but I loved the movie! I cried so much from it too.

I haven't seen Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society yet, but am excited to check it out soon.

Jami:

Horror/thrillers and rom coms are my favorite genres in books and movies! Here are my top five in each:

For horror/thriller, I’m very particular. I don’t like slasher films like Saw, and I need a strong supernatural/paranormal component. In the order I saw them:

1. The Exorcist. Saw this on TV as an 11-year-old and it started my life-long love of all things supernatural. I even watched and loved the Fox series The Exorcist (sadly canceled), with Geena Davis playing a grown-up Regan. There’s nothing more disturbing than an evil child.

2. The Changeling. This 1980 film stars George C. Scott as a grieving composer who unwittingly moves into a haunted house. The reason why it’s haunted make it one of the most chilling movies in the genre.

3. Pet Sematary, 1989. Stephen King’s scariest book became his (in my opinion) most well-adapted film. I can only hope the new version is half as good.

4. The Sixth Sense. M. Night Shyamalan’s first and best twist. The horror is both the supernatural and the human.

5. Stir of Echoes. This film came out the same year as Sixth Sense and, with similar elements, got somewhat overshadowed, but the combination of supernatural and human horror makes this a strong genre offering.

All five of these films feature creepy, possessed, dead and reanimated kids. Hmmm.

And the romcoms (not in chronological order):

1. When Harry Met Sally. The most quotable rom-com ever, it was written by two screenwriters who wanted to write a movie about two singles who helped each other find their new loves. Surprise, the new loves turned out to be each other! With a stellar supportive performance by Carrie Fisher, this film features my favorite line ever: “When you decide you want to spend the rest of your life with someone, you want the rest of your life to start right now.” (Sadly, the inverse is also true.)

2. 13 Going on 30. Did you notice the house Matt and Jenna move into at the end is a real-life version of the dollhouse he gives her? This movie works on so many levels.

3. Never Been Kissed. Who wouldn’t want to go back to high school and do it all over again, this time knowing everything you missed back then?

4. Peggy Sue Got Married. See above.

5. Groundhog Day. Who wouldn’t want to live the same day over and over again, knowing…. Oh, never mind. I’m starting to sense a theme here.

Shakespeare once wrote that love is not love which alters when it alternation finds, but I think the real lesson here is, try to find a way not to make the same mistake twice!