Monday, July 23, 2018

Favorite Old Movies

          These days we all have concerns about identity theft.  As a senior and regular Facebook user, I’m statistically a target. My son, who left FB ages ago but knows me well, warns me about filling out one of those on-line surveys about favorite foods, first pet or the name of the street I grew up on.  He says it will make me a target of hackers.  The survey questions are usually the same ones (along with my mother’s maiden name) that are security questions to unlock our credit card accounts.  It’s not hard to understand why some hacker would come up with such a diabolical plan. But it won’t happen to me.  I still don’t know how to cut and paste on FB and now that I know how dangerous it is to respond to such surveys, I’ll never learn and thus won’t be able to participate.  (And note to all my friends who ask me to do it, maybe you shouldn’t be participating either.)
But back to the surveys, they can be interesting.  I don’t mean the ones that ask the name of your first pet or your first grade teacher, but surveys that focus on favorite restaurants, vacation spots, beaches and movies.  Movie lists are always interesting.  My list of favorites usually is made up of romantic comedies. I guess as a romance writer, that shouldn’t come as any surprise.  In no particular order, my top movies would be Love with a Proper StrangerBarefoot in the ParkBreakfast at Tiffany’sGuess Who’s Coming for DinnerGigiLove ActuallyMy Fair Lady, and any movie written and produced by John Hughes. I’m always on the look out for good ones to watch. I know there are movies out there that I haven’t seen and don’t know about and will love as much as the aforementioned. I’ve since discovered in the age of Google, such lists are easy to find and, in the process of procrastinating and avoiding writing this blog, I found one that lists the top 50 romantic comedies of all time. 
I’ve seen a lot of them, was happy to be reminded of some, and intend to make it my goal to see the rest.  Interestingly, there are several really old movies that are still on the list and several newer ones, such as Pretty Woman, that are not.  Pretty Woman, unfortunately, along with Bull Durham and Officer and a Gentleman, was once in my top three, but time moves on. Also on the list were several that seem to be there for sentimental reasons.  I will always opt for a Cary Grant movie over most others, and he’s represented with three, all great—of course I’ve seen them—and in the top 15, but I really wonder if Charlie Chaplin’s City Lightsshould be included.  I guess I’ll have to watch it to find out.  Fortunately, with Netflix that’s not hard to do. 
I’m ready to line up my choices and settle in front of the TV to watch them.  Waitresssounds intriguing and it’s been a long time since I saw It Happened One Night.  Now all I need is a quiet night without my husband. He’d never want to watch any of these. He’s more of a History Channel guy.
But back to those surveys, are my choices of movies predictable? Probably.  And my husband’s choices probably are too.  I can’t believe I’m the only woman married to a man who would rather watch the History Channel than catch up with Grey’s Anatomy.  Just as a footnote, in our house, we watch what I call, Compromise TV, i.e. NCISChicago PD and The Americans, the latter because it’s simply excellent.  Seriously, I’m curious about what everyone else watches or wants to watch—and not because I’m going to hack you. 

8 comments:

  1. This post had me nodding my head in agreement. I love some of the same movies, especially My Fair Lady. When I'm down, I always watch Singing in the Rain; it never fails to pick me up.

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    1. Singing in the Rain is also a good one. Ad there are tons more. After I finished this blog I kept thinking of all the movies I didn't mention!

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  2. I love a good mystery so Agatha Christie adaptations are favorites. So is anything by Alfred Hitchcock..Rope and Rear Window are my top two favorites of his. But I also love the old dramas such as Mrs. Miniver, All This and Heaven Too and Dark Victory. I'm definitely a TMC kind of gal, I love the old classics!

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    1. Me too--love the old classics. The more I thought about the movies I like, the more I realized I forgot some of my favorites. the great thing about this blog though is that it will give me some more movies to watch.

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  3. Hi Deborah--
    I too love romance movies--comedies, dramas, thrillers, and musicals. I particularly like Billy Wilder films, Alfred Hitchcock thrillers, and some of the films you all mentioned. Oh, and thank you for the warning about online surveys. Thankfully I don't do them but I didn't realize the dangers.
    Victoria--

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  4. Deborah, nice post. I guess I don't have a favorite movie to watch when I need an uplift. I'm lucky to have a husband who loves sports, history, and the food channel, but will spend time with me at night watching the Hallmark Channel and series such as HEARTLAND.

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    1. No compromise TV? Fortunately, my husband and I both like Chicago Fire, PD and Hospital and best of all, The Americans though when he's retired I bet we'll add the food channel onto our list. But the History Channel? He's on his own and I am afraid he'd ruin the Hallmark Channel for me by noting unrealistic situations. But who knows, maybe I'm underestimating him.

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