Collegian staff recommends V-day movies

Posted on February 09, 2010

Valentine's Day is a holiday founded upon the idea of spending time and exchanging gifts with one's most beloved. But some of us are single. So we watch movies instead and try to forget this holiday even exists. (We guess you could watch these with a date too, if you must.)

The best Valentine's Day movies with green things-"Shrek," "Jurassic Park" and "Wicked"

Catherine-"Shrek" and "Jurassic Park" make great V-day date movies because they both (more or less) portray lovers overcoming great adversity-”you know, being ogres, fleeing velociraptors, etc. "Wicked," while technically a musical and not yet a masterpiece of the silver screen, is still a great modern love story, so download the soundtrack on iTunes.

The best silent movies to watch on Valentine's Day-"City Lights," "The General" and "Phantom of the Opera"

Samantha-The language of love does not always need words, as proven by Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton and Lon Chaney. The 1931 classic "City Lights" shows Chaplin's genius use of human connection that crosses all boundaries. In his classic role of the tramp, Chaplin does whatever it takes to win the heart of a poverty-stricken blind girl.

Buster Keaton fights to win the affections of Marion Mack in "The General." This 1926 silent film is full of laughs by the stone-faced Keaton.

The 1925 film, "Phantom of the Opera," based on the book by Gaston Leroux, is a chilling but beautiful early cinema masterpiece. Chaney's performance of the Phantom is a remarkable feat of silent emotion.

The best classic movies to watch on Valentine's Day-"It Happened One Night," "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" and "Casablanca"

Sean-"It Happened One Night"When Director Frank Capra managed to team up Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert for "It Happened One Night," an instant classic was created. Gable's character sums up the all-too-entertaining love story as he tells Colbert's father, "Any guy that'd fall in love with your daughter ought to have his head examined."

"Guess Who's Coming to Dinner"1967 was a very tricky era for this ground-breaking movie to emerge. But who does not enjoy watching a love story deal with the (then) controversial breaking of race barriers, mixed in with the awkwardness of meeting the soon-to-be in-laws? Do not settle for the shameful Ashton Kutcher remake of this classic; instead watch Sidney Poitier in the break-through performance of his career.

"Casablanca"Wrought with timeless one-liners, "Casblanca" is a Valentine's Day movie for fans of the classic silver screen. Who else besides Humphrey Bogart could deliver such lines as "Of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into mine," "The Germans wore grey, you wore blue," and "We'll always have Paris," with such charm and ease.

The best Valentine's Day movies, just in general-"Before Sunrise," "Before Sunset" and "Die Hard"

Sarah-If you ask me, the best movies to watch on Valentine's Day, just in general, are "Before Sunrise," "Before Sunset" "Die Hard." The first two are the best romance movies ever made, and they make me cry every time. "Die Hard" is "Die Hard." It also makes me cry every time.

The best Valentine's Day movies for dead people-"Ghost," "Just Like Heaven" and "What Dreams May Come"

Casey-Love is one of the strongest human emotions. It makes people feel alive. But "till death do us part" is not always accurate-sometimes love can continue after death.

"Ghost" and "What Dreams May Come" are passionate dramas about dead men who strive to save the wives they left behind. "Just Like Heaven" is a snarky comedy about a dead woman who falls in love with a live man. These films show that true love can endure beyond the grave.

Movies to avoid on Valentine's Day-"Inglourious Basterds," "Snakes on a Plane" and "How High"

Philip-A romantic candlelight dinner, a bouquet of roses-the mood is set. You pop in a movie to cuddle on the couch and the next thing you know, Samuel L. Jackson is fighting hundreds of giant snakes on a jetliner. Not quite what you were going for?

These movie picks are for the films you definitely do not want to watch if you are trying to get your romance on. They are not necessarly bad movies, just complete romantic mood killers. "Inglourious Basterds" is one of my favorite movies, but I am not sure I want to watch the Bear Jew crush a Nazi skull while I am trying to make a move on a lady. For those of you who, like me, are indifferent about Valentine's Day, feel free to watch these. Except for "Snakes On a Plane." You never want to watch that movie.

The best comedies for Valentine's Day-"Team America," "Bruno" and "Forgetting Sarah Marshall"

Jamie-Vaaaasup!?! Isht am going to vaatch some funky tight movies dis Valenshteins Day! Ift you vant your valenshtein to give it up, just vaatch dees movieshteinsens and promish dem you von't die.

Collegian staff recommends V-day movies