Melissa Kaercher

Every Monday, each of us will suggest a film that we feel too few people have seen.

Melissa’s Pick of the Week: The Perfect Host

So, an easy way to get me to watch just about anything is to put David Hyde Pierce in it, which means that The Perfect Host was laser-aimed at the pleasure centers of my brain. The plot involves a thief who cons his way into a dinner party being hosted by an upscale foodie, played by Mr. Pierce. As the film progresses, the thief begins to be wary that things aren’t quite right with his consummate host, and soon David Hyde Pierce is chewing ALL of the scenery. Seriously. I think he may even have been chewing so much scenery, he ran out and started chewing on scenery in other movies. It’s a twisted delight.

Windy’s Pick of the Week: Hustle and Flow

I’m not really a fan of rap music or rap culture.  And yet somehow this movie is still engaging.  A breakout performance by Terrence Howard anchors this film, but it’s the gritty and interesting details, along with the surrounding characters that gives his character something to bounce off of.  It’s a typical hero’s quest – but the hero is a pimp trying to be a rap star.  More inspiring and positive than it has any right to be.

Every Monday, each of us will suggest a film that we feel too few people have seen.

Windy’s Pick of the Week: My Sister Eileen

A series of autobiographical short stories by Ruth McKinney was turned into a play, a movie-non-musical, a Broadway musical (Wonderful Town), and the 1955 movie starring Betty Garrett and Janet Leigh. But who cares about the girls – the reason to watch this movie is the dancing! Specifically the challenge dance done by Tommy Rall and Bob Fosse! The story is about two midwestern girls moving to the big city – what more do you need to know? BOB FOSSE!

Melissa’s Pick of the Week: The Dam Busters

You know how TV shows like Law & Order are called crime procedurals? Well, The Dam Busters is kind of a war procedural. The film tells the true story about how the British managed to attack German dams during WWII, from “hey, I have an impossible task,” to “hey, I’m a scientist and I have an idea” to “HEY, LET’S GO BOMB NAZIS.” Keen viewers will catch that Star Wars borrowed a lot of the starfighter action scenes from this movie, right down to flying low down a trench in order to thread a proverbial needle with a bomb. The film is smart and exciting and definitely worth tracking down. Bonus points for containing Michael Redgrave.

(A note of caution: this film contains a dog with an offensive name. In the film’s defense, the dog was a real dog owned by the real pilots, and that was his real name. The dog even has a Wikipedia page.)