Comfort Movies: In Case of Emergency Break Glass Here!
July 10th 2007 22:33
Bottom line is, when things aren’t going so well – we’ve all (at one time or another) turned to ‘Comfort Movies’.
From the inspirational to the just plain soppy – seldom do their titles ever fall into the Best 10 Movies of All Time category – but they collectively serve their 'hunkered' down masters well.
Unkindly (yet probably correctly) labeled as cinematic pacifiers – there are no right or wrong pieces of celluloid.
What begs the question though is what makes a good (or great) comfort film?
Is it merely 35mm and two hours of uplifting footage or is there a deeper, mysterious inner sole to these bastions of mental and emotial wellbeing.
Perhaps you connect with its content or characters – or is the ultimate Hollywood teddy bear one which simply affords you escapism – to that ‘happy place’.
Whatever it is – we’ve all got em’
From the all singing – all dancing favourites Grease and Sound of Music - to Back to The Future and Muriel's Wedding – they sit there silently on video store shelves and the recesses of TV cabinets just waiting for our often unrelenting private world to implode – then like an oasis in a perpetual desert - offer a sanctuary – so we can continue the journey.
I sincerely hope that no-one is in dire need of immediate salvation – but in any event – BREAK GLASS HERE – help is on its way.
From the inspirational to the just plain soppy – seldom do their titles ever fall into the Best 10 Movies of All Time category – but they collectively serve their 'hunkered' down masters well.
Unkindly (yet probably correctly) labeled as cinematic pacifiers – there are no right or wrong pieces of celluloid.
What begs the question though is what makes a good (or great) comfort film?
Is it merely 35mm and two hours of uplifting footage or is there a deeper, mysterious inner sole to these bastions of mental and emotial wellbeing.
Perhaps you connect with its content or characters – or is the ultimate Hollywood teddy bear one which simply affords you escapism – to that ‘happy place’.
Whatever it is – we’ve all got em’
From the all singing – all dancing favourites Grease and Sound of Music - to Back to The Future and Muriel's Wedding – they sit there silently on video store shelves and the recesses of TV cabinets just waiting for our often unrelenting private world to implode – then like an oasis in a perpetual desert - offer a sanctuary – so we can continue the journey.
I sincerely hope that no-one is in dire need of immediate salvation – but in any event – BREAK GLASS HERE – help is on its way.
| 60 |
| Vote |
subscribe to this blog


















Comment by JohnDoe
Film & TV on DVD
We all have our "security blanket" movies, a few of my faves:
Rob Reiner's The Princess Bride
Gene Saks The Odd Couple
Coen Brother's Big Lebowski
Curtis Hanson's Wonderboys
Wes Anderson's Royal Tenebaums
John Sturges The Magnificent 7
George Pal's The Time Machine
Free Enterprise
and Adventures Raiders, Star Wars, Superman, Back to the Future
Comment by Mr Nice Guy
Pop Culturist
Pop Rock Factory
The Odd Couple's a classic as for the Magnificent 7 - I only watched that last weekend - along with True Grit.
Like your style J.
Thanks for the comments
Cheers
MNG
Comment by JohnDoe
Film & TV on DVD
I actually prefer Rooster Cogburn to True Grit, mainly because of the chemistry between the Duke and Hepburn.
Red River, Rio Bravo, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, the Searchers, The Quiet Man, Sons of Katie Elder, El Dorado etc......John Wayne films are certainly fitting to the category.
Comment by Cibbuano
Hunt Famous
Orble Post of the Day
Fat Cult
Techbreak
- The Big Lebowski
- Shaun of the Dead
- Booty Call
- Club Dread (I've grown to appreciate the few parts that are worth watching)
Comment by Mr Nice Guy
Pop Culturist
Pop Rock Factory
Didn't expect a response from anyone (let alone one of the Orble film oracles themselves) given the post was so long ago.
The only one I can't lay claim to viewing is Club Dread - which as they say in the land of TV Game Show is now "On The List".
Cheers
MNG