Banana Scoop

Some movies revolve around a significant date that lends itself to propelling the story or adding a layer of complexity. Whether it be holidays or regular days of the year, there’s a lot of appeal in saving a day of the year to watch a specific movie. In this case, I have five days and five corresponding movies. I personally try my hardest to watch these five movies during the year. The movies below all use the specific dates and I recommend you make it a tradition to do the same.

[UPDATE]: How stupid of me to forget V for Vendetta on November 5th. Recently added.

February 14 – Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Bah, screw Valentines Day [the movie], Love, Actually, and any other rom-com. If you’re gonna coze up against your significant other, how about you watch this movie about how two soul mates erase each other from their minds and fight to hold on to the few memories they have left. This movie provides EXCELLENT visual imagery by director Michael Gondry and is probably one of the stronger love movies I’ve ever seen. It’s hard to watch emotionally sometimes and you might not understand what’s going on for a while, but if you stick with it until the end, you and whoever you’re watching it with won’t be disappointed. And if you’re watching it by yourself like I probably will be doing [boo-hoo I’m single], it’ll give you hope that love out there exists.

May 26 – The Last Samurai

In this movie, Tom Cruise keeps a diary as he’s kept hostage from the Japanese Samurai he was originally hired as a mercenary to kill. As he gets ‘Danced With Wolves’/’Ferngullied’/’Avatared’, he eventually teams up with the Samurai he swore kill to lead a full on attack against his original employers. He leads this wonderfully awe-inspiring and visually impressive battle on May 26.

July 4 – Independence Day

Bill Pullman heads an extremely awesome speech as he launches a world-wide attack against the aliens. This speech includes the unification of countries all over the world and claims that America’s Independence will become the world’s independence day. If you’re not watching fireworks or eating barbecue like the rest of America is doing, at least watch this July 4th blockbuster also starring Will Smith and Jeff Goldbloom.

October 31 – The Nightmare Before Christmas

This one is fairly ambiguous on which date you should watch it, but since I’ve already got a big one for Christmas, I went ahead and stuck this one on Halloween. I know I could’ve chosen a number of Halloween/horror movies. But the only other movie I highly considered was Trick ‘R Treat because a lot of horror movies aren’t Halloween oriented, but this one seemed even more appropriate. In a place where major holidays are entire towns, Jack Skellington is tired of being the master of Halloween. When he accidently stumbles upon Christmastown, he hatches a plan to take Christmas for his own which leads to a series of events that will shake the world as he knows it. Not particularly Halloween oriented as Christmas, but I simply had to choose this next Christmas movie for one of the most competitive days of the year.

November 4 – V for Vendetta

Remember, Remember the 5th of November.  A movie that almost completely consumes itself around that date.  The terrorism, story, and speeches made in this movie have inspired a generation of anonymous that stands in the faces of a most fearsome government.   Amazing action, an inspiring message, and chilling voice work by Hugo weaving, V for Vendetta is a definitely a date to save for the year.

December 25 – Die Hard

Yeah, It’s a Wonderful Life, The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, Jingle All the Way etc. etc. etc. I know there’s a TON of movie about Christmas that do a fantastic job about absorbing the essence of Christmas. But there’s one movie that I would choose over and over again if pitched against all the Christmas movies that ever existed. 1988’s Die Hard starring Bruce Willis was set around the Christmas holiday and still remains [after nearly 25 years] the BEST action movie around. Die Hard, to me, is just so much more significant than all those other Christmas movies because of it’s everlasting influence on actions movies today and the future. When it comes to John McClane vs. Hans Gruber, Mr. Scrooge, The Grinch, and Buddy the Elf don’t even come close.