It's Just Movies

— by ADAM POYNTER —

As the brisk nights of winter fade away into the gloomy rainy days of spring, staying in is the thing to do. When you are held captive by the elements and not feeling the need to be soaked, finding the right movie can help you to pass the time until the sun is shining again.

First of all, you need the essentials — a nice warm house (a fireplace is nice, if you have one), some snacks, a comfortable couch and the movie of your choice.

I have many great memories of cold, rainy days growing up. In my family, whenever my siblings and I were kids and we couldn’t go anywhere because of the rain, we would have a night in, with a roaring fire, popcorn, a nice dinner and either family game night or movie night. These are great and cherished memories of my childhood and you can start making your own memories, but first you need to choose the right film to watch. It is very important that you don’t pick anything too heavy or sad, during crazy storms you need something that either excites, inspires or thrills to keep your mind at ease and off of the perpetual downpour outside.

It’s been my experience that there are a few genres that are good to stick to on those dark and stormy nights. Here they are (and I will give you some great examples from each): Comedy, Fantasy/Adventure, Classics/ Musicals. These all seem to help pass the time until you can venture outdoors again and most importantly are adventurous or upbeat.

The most obvious is Comedy — a good laugh is important. There are too many comedies to even broach the surface, so here are some rainy day comedies to enjoy with the family: “Miss Congeniality,” “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” or”Meet the Parents.” These are all comedies with a secondary attribute to them which makes them more enjoyable to watch. So whether you’re on a mission with Gracie Hart to infiltrate a beauty pageant, searching for a lost relic in the most comedic way or meeting the crazy in-laws for the first time, I guarantee you will have some fun doing it.

The fantasy and adventure genre is probably my favorite to watch on a rainy day. While the comedies tend to make you happy, a good fantasy film can transport you to another world where you can escape the weather. Another great side to the fantasy film is the fact that they tend to be long. Normally, the length of a movie can be a deterrent in deciding what to watch, but in this case the longer the better. Some great fantasies to watch on a rainy day are the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy, the original “Star Wars” trilogy (episodes IV to VI) and, lastly, a made-for-television miniseries I discovered a few years back called “The 10th Kingdom.” Since I assume everyone is familiar with the first two, I will tell you a little bit about the latter. “The 10th Kingdom” is a dramatic and enchanting tale about a girl (Kimberly Williams-Paisley) who is pulled into another world where all of the fairy tales and stories we have heard are true. There she encounters an evil queen (Dianne Wiest), trolls, a prince (Daniel Lapaine) and many fairy tale characters on her journey through all of the magical kingdoms in a search to find out the truth about the world and how it is all connected to her. With a stellar cast, this nearly seven-hour miniseries is sure to keep you captivated the entire time.

Lastly, are movies for the classic film lover — or just those who love musicals and good movies. They range from old Disney films to sweeping dramas, but they all have one thing in common, they touch the inner romantic in you. Some of the greats I find myself watching are “Mary Poppins,” “Wizard of Oz,” and “The Sound of Music.” Granted, older movies and musicals are not for everyone, but growing up in my house they were always shown and I grew up with a fondness for them. So whether you feel like watching a magical nanny, a trip down the yellow brick road or a nun who has a habit of getting herself into trouble, all of these films will take you on a ride through marvelous landscapes and adventures in fictional worlds that will help you forget all about the weather outside. Or, you can watch “Singin’ in the Rain” to feel the joy rain can bring.

Although these are just a few suggestions out of countless I could have talked about, I hope that you choose to occupy yourself with one of them the next time you are stuck at home in the rain. So tell me, do you have a favorite movie or genre that you watch when you’re stuck inside?

. . .

Follow Adam Poynter on Twitter at http://twitter.com/CCWGGuy.

And don’t forget to “Like” It’s Just Movies on Facebook at
http://www.facebook.com/itsjustmovies.