The Southern Male Democrat

What is it about some movies that even though we’ve seen them a gazallion times, a chance spotting while channel surfing will make us sit and watch yet again?  Mrs. SMD was a little under the weather this weekend and turned in a little early last night, thus leaving me with the remote all to myself!

I have a terrible habit of staying up too late surfing the channels anyway and last night I hit the jackpot. The Hunt for Red October was on from 11:00pm to 2:00am. Even though I can quote the whole movie by heart (”I would have like to have seen Montana..”) there I sat, sucked into this movie’s powerful vortex once again.

I finally gave up a little after 1am, right when Jack Ryan is making contact with Capt. Rameus. Though I suppose that is progress - choosing to turn it off and go to bed rather than sitting through the whole thing, again.

Hunt for Red October is just the tip of the late night goodness that exists in cable-land. Other movies that I can’t turn off include -

The Shawshank Redemption - heaven help me if that one starts after 11pm. I am GOING to finish that one come hell or high water. The last scene is priceless.

Cast Away - most nights I can make it to the home-made root canal scene.

ANY movie about a famous singer - The Buddy Holly Story, Walk the Line, La Bamba, Ray, etc.

[Sidebar - It is a oft-forgotten footnote of history that Waylon Jennings gave up his seat on Buddy Holly's ill-fated plane to someone else.  ]

Father of the Bride - go ahead, laugh. I love this movie. Steve Martin raging against the “bun guy” is well worth staying up for most nights.

Apollo 13 - I always spend the movie trying to figure out how many takes it too them to do the weightless scenes in the Vomit Comet. If you haven’t seen this in HD, I highly recommend it. The take off scene is amazing.

Legends of the Fall - woe is me if I find this 4 hour behemoth on after 10pm. I’ve got my disclipline down pretty good with this one. But the payoff of the ending is hard not to stay up for.  Julia Ormond isn’t too bad to stay up for either! (That deserves a pic…)

Steel Magnolias - yes, I am a straight male! The southern women featured in this movie are like so many of the women I knew in my upbringing.  Plus, it’s pretty damn funny. I don’t care if it is a chick flick. THERE, I said it!

Next time you find one of these movies on, drop me a line, you know I’ll be up! What are some of your favorites to stay up for, despite having seen the movie tons of times?