Again? Yes, Again

There are some movies that I have to watch every time they are on TV. EVERY time. It doesn't matter if it was just last week or if it was last year. Once I see one of these faves in the program guide, all bets are off. Jay could've planned a seafood dinner (actually, no he couldn't, he can't make phone calls or plan or anticipate that a seafood dinner would be really cool) and I would stand him up in a heartbeat. The Sacred List includes the following:

Armageddon
The Rock
ConAir
Jaws
Jaws 2
Jeepers Creepers
Meet Joe Black
Legends of the Fall
Dirty Dancing (Duh!)
Designing Women (I know, not a movie, but I've watched it for 20 years and have every single line of every single episode memorized, and wish more than anything to die and be reincarnated as Julia Sugarbaker).

Before you go all Siskel and Ebert on my ass about how none of these are stellar troves of cinema glory, I have to say this: I don't care about what anyone has to say about anything, so dissing my Sacred List has no effect on me. 

I realize none of my Sacreds are intensely thought provoking or mentally challenging, but maybe that's why I love them so. I love that no one puts Baby in a corner. I love that Roy Scheider is a hot island chief who wears short shorts and kicks some serious shark ass. I love that Brad Pitt is beautiful to watch whether he's Grizzly Adams or the Grim Reaper. And really, any time when Nicolas Cage is getting blown up or blowing things up is just cheap entertainment. 

Armageddon was on this weekend and while glued to the screen, Jay & Ryan attempted to talk around me. Finally I said, "Hush! I haven't seen this part!" Ryan said, "Mom, you've seen this more times than anyone. I've seen it more times than I want because I've had to watch it with you." I said, "You don't know. Maybe this time he doesn't die." But of course he did, and Bruce Willis sadly had to sacrifice himself to save the world (to save the entire friggin' world, dammit!!!!) I sighed and said, "You know, he really should have figured out by now to stop setting off that bomb!" Ryan said something probably not so nice, but I ignored him because everyone knows teenagers don't know what they're talking about. They haven't lived long enough to appreciate that a movie can be so touching, so sentimental, so emotionally wrenching that it can only be appreciated if you watch it over and over. Deep down, I truly believe there's that chance that things will be different, that Owen Wilson didn't have to die so soon in the movie, and that maybe this time Ben Affleck bites it and Bruce Willis can go back home to his daughter. Of course, it never happens. But a girl can always hope.