Let’s Go To The Movies!
I fell behind on my “Cinema A – Z” due to a vacation and Olympics….but let’s back to the movies!
My second home is a movie palace: a place to escape, to explore, to dream, and to be inspired and terrified as well…and nothing beats the experience of seeing a film in a movie theater – like these ten movies that begin with an “M”!
All year long, I am counnting down ten films that begin with a specific letter – and my “Cinema A – Z” lands on the letter “M” – so let’s get going with this important question:
“Why are you so unpopular with the Chicago police department?”
If you know the answer then you know one of the best “buddy” films of all time:
10 – “Midnight Run”
Robert DeNiro showed his comedic chops as a Bounty Hunter who has a VERY difficult client in Charles Grodin – here is the trailer:
While not a huge hit when released in 1988, “Midnight Run” has gotten a reputation as one of the funniest action films ever – and now there is a new remastered special edition on blu-ray – read all about it here:
Next up on the “M” list is one of the most imaginative, exhilarating movie musicals of all time – thanks to visionary Director Baz Luhrmann!
9 – “Moulin Rouge”
Nicole Kidman and Ewan MacGregor star as ill-fated lovers who meet at the legendary Moulin Rouge theater in Paris – here is the trailer:
“Moulin Rouge” is, without a doubt, one of the most creative films ever released.
The dance numbers are amazing – the camera never stops, and the cast has so much energy – also, Luhrmann used a unique blend of modern and classic music for the soundtrack, and the dance numbers – so get ready for a mashup of “Diamonds Are A Girl’s Best Friend” and “Smells Like Teen Spirit!”
I just re-watched this recently with my wife and it holds up as fresh as when we first saw it.
Alex then had me re-watch this one with her as well – and I’m glad I did!
8 – Mean Girls
Yes, this is a really funny and perceptive movie about his school starring Lindsay Lohan, Rachel McAdams and Amy Poehler – with a razor sharp script from Tina Fey.
Here is the trailer:
The story has a simple setup: Cady Heron is a hit with The Plastics, the A-list girl clique at her new school, until she makes the mistake of falling for Aaron Samuels, the ex-boyfriend of alpha Plastic Regina George.
This film is funny, perceptive and as timely today as ever. Here is some fun trivia from IMDB.com:
In the scene where Cady was asked if her “muffin was buttered,” the line was originally going to be, “Is your cherry popped?” The same went for the girl who “made out with a hot dog;” this was going to be “masturbated with a hot dog.” These were omitted in order for the film to gain a PG-13 rating instead of an R.
And what about this:
To capture this moment, Amy Poehler pinned a piece of a cocktail wiener into her bra to encourage the chihuahua dog to nibble there!
A terrific, insightful comedy, which holds up so well, and is packed with familiar faces.
Next up, arguably one of the funniest movies of all time:
7 – Monty Python & The Holy Grail!
Where to begin: how about the reaction from the French soldier when he spies King Arthur and his gang outside his castle:
“I don’t want to talk to you no more, you empty-headed animal food trough wiper! I fart in your general direction! Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries!”
A Non-Stop Onslaught Of Laughs!
Remember these? The Trojan Rabbit. The Knights Who Say “Ni!” So many more classic moments in a film that is filled with nonstop laughs.
How’s this for a fun fact?
The movie contains 527 jokes, including 42 in the opening credits, for an average of one joke every ten and a half seconds!
Here is the trailer:
This profane spoof of King Arthur’s legend was financed in part by some of the biggest musical groups of England.
Pink Floyd used money made from their legendary album “The Dark Side of the Moon” to help fun the film. The band were such huge fans of the show, they would halt recording sessions just to watch “Monty Python’s Flying Circus” TV show in England.
Oh, and what about this:
[after slicing one of the Black Knight’s arms off]
King Arthur: Now stand aside, worthy adversary!
Black Knight: ‘Tis but a scratch!
King Arthur: A scratch? Your arm’s off!
Black Knight: No, it isn’t.
King Arthur: What’s that, then?
Black Knight: [after a pause] I’ve had worse.
King Arthur: You liar!
Black Knight: Come on, you pansy!
And on and on…a comedy classic!
Next up, a quirky cult film with a dynamite performance from 007 himself!
6 – The Matador!
The tagline says it all:
“A Hitman And A Salesman Walk Into A Bar…”
This 2005 dark comedy run with that setup and has a blast doing it! It’ss the story of a globetrotting hitman and a modest businessman who happen to meet in a hotel bar in Mexico City.
This accidental encounter draws them together in a way neither expected.
Here is the trailer:
Pierce Brosnan puts it all out there, throwing himself into the role in ways you’d never expect, like this scene as he strolls through his hotel lobby:
Greg Kinnear is also outstanding, and their onscreen chemistry is hilarious. Brosnan produced the film as well, and it’s a real labor of love.
“Films like this are not easy to do”, said Brosnan. “It’s about keeping a balance, keeping it serious, real, dramatic, truthful, and yet obscuring it at the same time. Richard Shepard has drawn it well, and when the writing is good, all you have to do is just follow the words, use a bit of imagination, and keep it as simple as possible.”
Next up is a surreal dark comedy from England – starring legendary Actor Peter Sellers – and a real life Beatle!
5 – “The Magic Christian”
This is one of the darkest of black comedies from England in 1969 – with Sellers a wealthy eccentric who likes to use money to play with people…and Beatles drummer Ringo Starr as a homeless man who he adopts! First, check out the trailer:
The film is filled with cameos like Yul Brynner, Raquel Welch and more, and has a terrific title song written by Ringo’s bandmate Paul McCarney, called “Come And Get It!”
This is a very dark comedy with many surreal touches, and Sellers and Ringo are great together.
You can see McCartney’s great music video for the title track – and much more about the film, by clicking on my story here:
Nest up, a three hour story of lives in LA’s San Fernando Valley:
4 – Magnolia
Paul Thomas Anderson shares the lives of people who all live on “Magnolia”, which is a boulevard in the San Fernando Valley. Here is the trailer:
This incredible cast includes Tom Cruise as a macho “self-help” Guru, and among the other cast members are Julianne Moore, Tim Robbins, Philip Seymour Hoffman and many more…a brilliant film.
Speaking of brilliant movies, how about his classic “film noir”:
3 – The Maltese Falcon
Humphrey Bogard stars as Private Detective Sam Spade, who takes on a case that involves three eccentric criminals, a gorgeous liar, and their quest for a priceless statuette: “The Maltese Falcon.”
This is a classic film that is as fresh and engaging today as ever – here is the trailer:
Sometimes there is so much joy in going back decades to see some of Hollywood’s;;d’s greatest films like this one…up next, a film that turned science fiction upside down forever:
2 – “The Matrix”
Easy to take this for granted, but what this film did when released in 1999 is change some aspects of filmmaking forever!
A computer hacker learns from mysterious rebels about the true nature of his reality and his role in the war against its controllers. Check out the trailer:
THE MATRIX, Keanu Reeves, Hugo Weaving, 1999. ©Warner Bros./courtesy Everett Collection
State of the art special effects have made this one of the great science fiction action films of all time – and “The Matrix 4” is now filming!
I will wrap up my “M” list with one of my favorite movies of all time, with an incredible performance by the legendary Peter O’ Toole:
1 – “My Favorite Year”
Richard Benjamin directed this affectionate tribute to the early days of live television – here is the trailer:
This hilarious look at life behind-the-scenes of a live weekly TV show is great fun – and also warm and surprisingly emotional as well – and Peter O’ Toole chews up the scenery as the over-the-hill action star who agrees to do the show to get the IRS off his back!
See more about this legendary “hell raiser” here:
There you go, ten great films with the letter “M” – now, if you’ve missed any of my previous letters, you can catch up:
Alan Alda’s just hanging around wait for you to check out my list of movies from “A-F” – which you can see here:
Now, if you want to see what I shared for the letter G-L, you can go here, and remember: the horse’s head was real!
Yes, that trivia is just one of the reasons to check out my “G-L” list of sixty great movies here:
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Categories: 70's Cinema, Action Films, British Cinema, Comedy Movies, Cult Movies, Film Fight Club, Great Films, Hollywood, Movies, Obscure Movies, Pop Culture, Talent/Celebrities
johnrieber 
Do you know, John, I’ve never watched Monty Python. I wonder if I’m the only person who hasn’t in the whole world.
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John, soooo many great movies, here!
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As I was going through the list, I remembered the movie that gave us the unforgettable “the best of the best of the best” 🤣
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so many great ‘m’s here, I love. my hitman movies, so the matador was a favorite, along with monty python h.grail, and midnight run –
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I liked Mame starring Lucille Ball. While it’s not the level of Auntie Mame, it was still enjoyable!!
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Midnight Run gets better every time I see it. Matador is my favourite Brosnan role, and the Matrix was amazing innovation at the time. I am going to have to disagree about Moulin Rouge, and Magnolia. I really didn’t care for either of those films, and actually turned off the DVD of Moulin Rouge well before the end.
Best wishes, Pete.
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A great selection of movies. There are three I haven’t seen – Midnight Run, The Matador, and My Favourite Year – so I’m grateful for your recommendations.
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