Ron's Desert Island DVD List

I've racked my brain trying to think of something to ask for here and was coming up with nothing. Then on our way to Vermont on Friday "What About the Boy" from Tommy came on the radio. I thought, like I do every time i hear something from Tommy. "I gotta get that DVD." BINGO! Below are the DVDs I always think I'm going to buy someday. They are the movies I grew up on and for better or worse shaped my childhood. They are in order of my preference. I put more on the list then you need because i think some of them may be difficult to get. Any will be very appreciated. I may never leave the house again. For those of you who may be giggling at my choices, I challenge you to watch the trailers below and not want to watch some of these with me.

Thanks Kris Kringle,
Ron

NOTE TO SETH'S KRIS KRINGLE: Seth said all he wants for Christmas is someone to come over and watch these movies with me, so he won't have to.


1. Cabaret. Still one of the best movie musicals ever made. The political overtones give it real gravitos. Minelli at her best. Fosse won the Oscar, Emmy and Tony that year. Classic.


2. TOMMY. What can I say? It's so bad, it's good.


3. VALLEY OF THE DOLLS. I don't believe anything makes you Gay but if something did this would be it.


4. SOB. Fantastic send up of Hollywood by Blake Edwards. The stellar cast includes, William Holden, Julie Andrews, Richard Mulligan, Robert Preston, Robert Vaughn, Shelley Winters, Loretta Swit and Craig Stevens. Despite the painful scene where Andrews is topless, she sings an amazing version of "Oh Promise Me" at the end.


5. BYE, BYE BIRDIE. 4:30 movie classic. Come on, you know you want to see it again. ALBERT!


6. GYPSY. I know Merman was the standard. Milder was a bore. I saw Tyne and Bernadette. Patti is getting a lot of kudos right now but for me they got nothin' on Rosalind. And it's Natalie at her most beautiful. Let them entertain you.


7. GREASE. I saw it 10 times in the theater in 1978. One of those times was the last time I was ever at a drive-in. I saw it again 1998 for the 20th anniversary. I can watch it over and over. It's the kids movie that's not a kids movie.


8. CHICAGO. Who knew they could still make a great movie musical. Not really from my youth but it makes me hopefully for the future of the genre.


9. NEW YORK, NEW YORK. Scorsese, DeNiro and Minelli. Some great moments in a not so great movie. Liza's last great performance.


10. HAIR. Very underrated. I really like this movie even thought it was dated by the time it came out. Treat Williams best movie moments.


11. GODSPELL. I played the soundtrack on the yellow dynamite 8-track player for years. This is my version of the bible!


12. FAME. If I had any guts I would have been one of these kids but I settled for living vicariously through them. Really New York centric. I love it.


13. AIRPLANE. The first of its kind. Still the best.


14. WEST SIDE STORY. Revolutionary for it's time. Arthur Laurents, Jerome Robbins, Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondhiem. WOW. It set the bar.