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Odd Dog Movie Recommendations

We’re not all work-work-work over here at Odd Dog! What’s that saying? All work and no play make Jack something, something…

When not working, we do love a great movie! We recently asked a bunch of Odd Dogs for their movie recommendations. Maybe their favorite movie. Or maybe a movie they felt was underrated and needed more attention.
What we got was a beautiful hodgepodge of action, romance, drama, and 70’s animation.

Perfectly Odd Dog!

Bart – Top Gun

A top-tier soundtrack, fighter jets, our favorite Scientologist, and an iconic beach volleyball scene. Alexa play “Highway to the Dangerzone”  because I am talking about Top Gun. Top Gun is by no means a cinematic masterpiece. BUT DID I MENTION FIGHTER JETS? If it is on TV, I know what I am doing for the next couple of hours. 

This IMDB review from user Artdoag2 sums up what makes Top Gun so great:

“I can’t believe the reviews I have read about Top Gun being technically inaccurate, not enough character development, an overall simple and childish plot… gimme a freegin’ break! This film was made to look cool, sound cool, and define cool. Yeah, okay, the MiG-28s are really F-5 Tigers; I’ve read the ‘goofs’ section before. And Tom Cruise’s height. And about ‘Maverick going supersonic – I’ll be there in 30 seconds,’ and the laws of physics preventing him from covering 200 or so miles from the carrier in that time. Whatever! So what!”

I was around 8 or 9 the first time I watched Top Gun. As a kid obsessed with planes, this was the Coolest. Movie. Ever. Physics, who needs them! 

Additionally, the viewing of Top Gun is the right of passage to becoming accepted as the youngest brother in the Drees family. To this day, my brothers and I will still lob Top Gun quotes at each other over dinner. At times, you may even hear us harmonizing to the Kenny Loggins classic “Playing With The Boys“.

Even now, each time I watch Top Gun I get something new from it. Following my last viewing, I attempted to grow a Goose-esque mustache.

Top Gun is a classic film, there is no doubt about it. However, it is the movie’s unique mix of cool 80’s nostalgia, iconic soundtrack, and legendary cast that make it a cult classic. Also, did I mention fighter jets?

Ryota – Age of Adaline

Some call me the best movie critic in Seattle, most don’t, but I have an underrated movie for you. Have you ever heard of Age of Adaline, didn’t think so. The 2015 movie was directed by Lee Toland Krieger and it features Blake Lively, Michiel Huisman, and Harrison Ford. I am not one to enjoy romance films but this one was different. I thought the cinematography was wonderful and the plot was great, it even made me cry a little bit. I have recommended this movie to all of my movie friends and it is a must-watch!

Spoilers:

Want to know more about the movie? In short, the main character played by Blake Lively, Adaline crashes her car during a snowstorm. All hope is lost, but lightning strikes and it suddenly revives her. Since that moment, Adaline is physically 29 years old and doesn’t change. 

As you can imagine, this creates some issues. You get a little taste of her ups and downs as she lives through the decades. She ends up meeting Ellis, played by Michiel Huisman, and a conflict arises as the relationship builds. That seems like a good cliff hangover… Happy watching!

John – Shawshank Redemption

It’s a weekend afternoon, raining outside, nothing to do. You’re thumbing through the channels on your TV, you inevitably run into two stations: TBS and TNT. I guarantee one of them will be playing this particular movie. I think we all know the movie I’m talking about… a little voice should be whispering in your head right now “Zihuatanejo”. You see the familiar face of Andy Dufresne (who knew it was spelled like that???) and you’re instantly taken to a rooftop, sippin’ on some suds w/ your best buds chatting about tax evasion. I’m talking about The Shawshank Redemption. 

It doesn’t matter where in the movie it’s at when I see it on tv, I’m watching it. Could I buy/rent this movie and watch it commercial-free from the beginning? Sure could, but this specific movie is meant to be watched commercially interrupted. Somehow the story perfectly intertwines itself w/ advertisements. It’s as if the Dorito and Shaquille O’Neal car insurance commercials complement Morgan Freemans’ effortless smooth vocal cord remedies to the point where two become one, and frankly, I don’t want to live in a world where they don’t coexist in perfect harmony. “Andy crawled to freedom through five hundred yards of shit smelling foulness I can’t even imagine”… and I’ll happily watch him crawl through it 500 more times… commercials interrupted. 

Talia – Atonement

Do you love watching horrible, terrible, sad movies that make you cry — all to make you feel alive again? Me, too! That’s why I’m recommending my absolute favorite movie: the 2007 Oscar-nominated film Atonement

Adapted from the beautifully written book of the same name by Ian McEwan, Atonement follows a wealthy British family around the time of WWII (the perfect setting for total heartbreak) and tells a story of youth, regret, love, loss, and, most notably, atonement, from the perspective of three vivid characters: Briony Tallis, the naive and aspirational baby of the family; Celia Tallis, the intelligent and self-assured eldest daughter; and Robbie Turner, the thoughtful son of their hired help who, as they grow older, garners the interest of both of the Tallis daughters.

Directed by Joe Wright (who also did the 2005 version of Pride & Prejudice and is the master of period pieces starring Kiera Knightley), Atonement truly does everything right in my eyes. The cinematography and costume design are stunning and memorable, the score is a piano-driven masterpiece that yanks on every last string of your heart, and the acting is phenomenal; I can’t believe I haven’t even mentioned that it stars Kiera Knightley, James McAvoy, and a young Saoirse Ronan (whom I adore as an actress). If you’re looking for a beautiful tragedy to watch on a rainy day, there is no better choice than Atonement. Warning, though: you’ll come out of it hating a 13-year-old like you’ve never hated a child before. 

This also feels like an appropriate time to plug one of my favorite apps, Letterboxd. Everyone at Odd Dog has heard this plug before, but Letterboxd is a place for rating and logging movies, compiling a “watchlist” to refer back to when you don’t know what to watch, and determining which platforms movies are currently available on. Would recommend it to anyone who loves a good flick!

Danielle – The Point

I’m going to take you back. So far back, in fact, you can watch this whole film on YouTube complete with the amazing Harry Nilsson soundtrack. I’m referring to the 1971 classic animated movie, “The Point”. Fun fact, The Point was the first animated film made for television. Take that Charlie Brown! 

The Point starts with a father reading a story to his son who of course has no interest in being read to, but of course, gets into the story –  very Princess Bride-esque. The story being read takes us to the land of Point, where everything has a point. Even the people, right on top of their heads. That is until little Oblieo was born, who was born without a point. Poor Oblio gets banished and we get to follow along his adventure through the Pointless Forrest, complete with Harry Nilsson songs to aid the narration. If you think you haven’t heard of Harry Nilsson, you’re probably wrong as he not only sang his own songs but also was a songwriter back in the day for many big names you have heard of. Check out his music on Spotify here!

While the original recording was narrated by Harry Nilsson himself on his album, The Point, Dustin Hoffman recorded the narration for the television release, and it was later re-recorded with Alan Thicke in the 90s. The home video release was then recorded with Ringo Star as the narrator. (which is my personal favorite!)
Something about Harry’s voice, this 70’s style of animation, and the lessons on perception and acceptance The Point teaches you makes this one of my top favorite films of all time!

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