The best thing about DVDs is that they’re a great way to kill a couple of hours if you don’t have anything else to do, as long as they’re entertaining! Entertaining doesn’t always mean good, although sometimes a movie is both entertaining and good. Some of the movies I’ve listed are good enough to rent or buy on DVD if you knew anything about them. Anyway, here is my list for you in alphabetical order. The main criteria is that they provide entertainment. Actually the total is 12 if you count a modern original remake as 2 DVDs, and I couldn’t take another DVD off the list!
two thousand maniacs (1964) and/or 2001 maniacs (2005) – 2001 Maniacs is actually the Robert Englund starring colorized remake of the classic 1964 horror film involving Civil War Revenge in the present day. 2001 Maniacs is more manic and over the top and of course sick and disgusting and to me even more entertaining than the original as it amps up the action. The original is pretty good too and you can watch both movies without getting bored.
The butterfly Effect (2004) – A really, really good sci-fi movie that for some reason seemed to get a backlash when it came out, probably because it starred Ashton Kutcher, who was actually pretty good. This movie is like a nasty and evil “Ground Hog Day” and seems to have been inspired by the novel “Replay” by Ken Grimwood.
cabin fever (2002) – This is the film that launched Eli Roth’s career before he made Hostel. Roth is one of my favorite directors and this movie is amazing, sick and disgusting and not anyone’s idea of a “chick flick” unless a flesh-eating virus in a secluded cabin shared by friends on vacation is your idea of romance .
dead silence (2007) – I must confess that I love “Ventriloquist” horror movies. I found this movie quite entertaining, although on the surface there is absolutely no redeeming social value. A great movie for people who like to be scared of Dummies!
Lure (1946) – One of the most underrated and (relatively) unknown film noir classics featuring what has to be the nastiest, unrepentant, ruthless and cold-blooded villain of all time. This movie was 60 years ahead of its time. It involves, as an added bonus, bringing an executed murderer back to life, greed, betrayal, and more.
the devil rides (1968) – This Hammer Horror movie starring the great Christopher Lee, is one of the best movies about Satan and the rich devil worshippers and is a perfect example of the Serious but Campy style of acting in the 1960s that cannot be beat. capture in 2008. There’s just no way a modern actor could seriously deliver this film’s dialogue with a straight face like the wonderful English actors here did in 1968. Some great country British houses and of course Satan.
House of 1000 Corpses (2003) – This movie is one of my top ten movies of all time. With the directorial debut of Rob Zombie, this to me is one of the most entertaining, hilarious, and sickening horror movies ever. The casting, acting, script, is perfect. If this movie doesn’t entertain you nothing will, Sid Haig as Captain Spaulding should have won an Oscar! This movie even has Rainn Wilson, pre-office!
kidnapped (2006 Complete TV Series) – This is actually the excellent 2006 13 Episode Complete TV Series starring Jeremy Sisto about the kidnapping of a rich boss’s son (Timothy Hutton) which is a suspenseful thriller with a lots of twists and turns that deserved a huge TV audience. “Kidnapped” was canceled before it could reach the level of success of, say, “24,” though the show’s first arc is complete here. It would be worth renting even if you didn’t just want to kill time and be entertained.
shutter (2008) – This is a thoroughly entertaining American imitation of your basic Japanese modern horror film, starring the great Joshua Jackson. It’s strictly a “B” or “C” grade movie, but Joshua Jackson delivers some of the most despicable lines of cluelessness in spoken word movie history towards the end of the movie. It’s worth renting just for Joshua Jackson’s dialogue in the last 10 minutes, which is beyond amazing. The writer is a genius.
Sky Captain and the world of tomorrow (2004) – This is a sci-fi fantasy movie starring Jude Law and I thought the photography and styling was absolutely amazing and I felt like I was in a 1940s Space Opera. I can’t figure out why this movie it wasn’t huge at the box office.
Wonderful Waterfalls (2004) – A really fantastic TV show that deserved a better fate but it was on Fox, what do you expect? Only 4 episodes of this show aired before it was cancelled, but this box set contains the entire 13 episodes that were originally filmed. This was the best whimsical fantasy tv show I have ever seen with great acting directed by the amazing Caroline Dhavernas who this show should have made a star of, great writing and directing.