The Butcher

This ongoing segment will feature movies that I consider to be my favorites. In order for a movie to make the list it has to have touched me on some level. These are movies that I’ve seen countless times and could watch anywhere any time. The write-ups are meant to give you an inside look as to why I love the movie and what it means to me. There are more of these articles to come in the future. Enjoy!

BIG (1988)



Big, starring a young Tom Hanks is an amazing movie. Like all amazing movies, the casting is great, the writing is top notch and it’s masterfully directed by the legendary Penny Marshall. The movie is about a young boy named Josh Baskin, who, while at a carnival makes a wish to become big and when he wakes up the next morning, he is indeed big. He quickly moves to New York where he gets an “adult” job and lives his new life until him and his childhood friend Billy, can find the Zoltar machine and reverse the spell.

Why it’s a Favorite: I cherish my childhood. It was hard due to my parent’s separation, my mother’s life taking illness and my lack of popularity in middle school, but even then, I loved being a kid. I never wanted to grow up and in some ways I feel that I never did. In the movie Big, the older Tom Hanks acts like a child for the majority of the film. It’s not until the third act where his character begins to take the relationship with his girlfriend and his job as a toy developer more seriously. He is so wrapped up in his new life that he’s forgotten his childhood. Ultimately he realizes this, finds the Zoltar machine, switches back and returns to his old life. This movie reminds me of how important (I feel) it is to carry some part of your childhood throughout your life and never forget to have fun and laugh a lot.

SOME KIND OF WONDERFUL (1987)



Ever want the girl, but knew she was out of your league? Did you fantasize about being friends with this girl? Hell, even standing next to this girl would have made your year. I think we’ve all been there at one time or another. Keith Nelson, played by a very young and charismatic Eric Stoltz, dreams about one day dating high school knock-out Amanda Jones (Lea Thompson). He stares at her beauty from across the hall, fantasizes about kissing those perfect lips and even paints high quality, but slightly creepy portraits of her face. In this movie, due to 80’s clichéd circumstances, Keith gets his dream date with Amanda and what an amazing date it is. Thanks to the genius writing of the late John Hughes, we are treated to stellar dialogue, interesting situations and some of the most fleshed out characters the 80’s had to offer.

Why it’s a Favorite: Besides the excellent script, casting choices, acting and superb pacing, we learn that there is far more to Amanda Jones than a pretty face. She’s honest, has integrity and is as insecure as the rest of us. But the best part is… She helps Keith see that everything he’s always wanted has been staring him in the face the whole time, his best friend Watts (Mary Stuart Masterson). And this film has one of the most effective and well done finales I’ve ever seen in a love story to this day. And if you’re not standing up cheering for these two love birds by the end of the film then you’re heart is made from the blackest coal this Earth has to offer. OK, maybe that’s a bit much, but you get the point. This movie fucking rocks!!!

FLASH GORDON (1980)



With a meta score of 63/100, I’m confident that half of you reading this won’t understand why Flash Gordon made the list. For starters, I found this movie early on in my life and it stuck around throughout the years; so nostalgia plays a big part here. Flash Gordon is about a hunky football player, his hot ass girlfriend and a scientist who unexpectedly travel to the distant planet of Mongo. There they find a bunch of zany characters and one bad ass bald dude looking to destroy earth. Flash Gordon and company (mostly beautiful woman in scantly clad silk outfits), and Timothy Dalton, do everything they can to bust up his plan. Oh yeah, and it’s based on a comic book series originally published in the 1930’s and has been adapted in various mediums throughout the years.

Why it’s a Favorite: Flash Gordon is 100% B movie material and as most of you know, I love B movies. And to be 100% honest with you, Flash Gordon is the king of B movies in my world. For starters, our villain is awesome. He’s bat shit crazy, hangs out with the hottest chicks and wants to destroy the Earth for no better reason than the fact that he’s bored. How’s that for being bad ass? We have several gorgeous women showing of their sexy backs, legs, cleavage, stomachs and everything in between throughout most of the movie. We have laser guns, weird evil machines, venomous slugs that wield instant death upon their bite, bird men, whips and of course…the awesomeness that is Flash Gordon; kicking ass from one frame to the next. And if that wasn't enough, the film is scored by the legendary rock band Queen. All these elements work together, making for a perfect B movie experience that does everything right in my book. Again, meta score of 63/100. I guess I’m the crazy one in the room.

AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON (1981)



Now here’s a true American horror classic. Written and directed by John Landis; a man mostly known for his stellar comedies at the time. I saw An American Werewolf in London back in the mid 80’s on VHS; while staying at my dad’s apartment for the weekend. We spent most Saturdays with a bag of pretzels and a stack of movies. An American Werewolf in London opens with two kids backpacking through a remote back road somewhere in the outskirts of England. After a short and very awkward visit to the local pub The Slaughter Lamb, Jack and David are viciously attacked by a werewolf. Jack dies immediately, but David recovers at a local hospital where most of the movie takes place. David quickly finds out that he’s been infected by the wolf and will soon turn.

Why it’s a Favorite: An American Werewolf in London is a perfect blend of comedy and horror, which wasn’t done much at the time. Griffin Dunne, who plays David’s best friend Jack Goodman, shows up as a ghost to warn David that he will soon turn. These appearances are priceless. Jack is literally eating bacon off David’s plate while pieces of his flesh are falling off his face. Priceless! The backbone of the movie is a super tight script by John Landis that focuses on a love story between David and his gorgeous nurse/girlfriend Alex Price. These characters are very real and you quickly begin to care for them and their fate. There are also many memorable moments like, dead people meeting in a porn theater, “a naked American man stole my balloons” and of course, the dream sequences where Nazi’s massacre David’s family. Then if that wasn’t enough, we’re treated to arguably one of the best wolf transformation scenes of all time. Finally, this masterpiece of a film ends with David, as the wolf, reeking havoc on downtown London. It’s all perfectly and masterfully done.