Weekends are for movies. Friday nights are for science fiction or retro. I’m not sure what I’m watching tonight, but whatever it is, I’m sure it will be perfect. Last weekend I watched The King of Comedy with Robert De Niro and Jerry Lewis, a Martin Scorsese film about an obsessed comic who goes too far with wanting to be on TV. Not science fiction, the 80’s movie was nothing short of clean fun.
The other day I watched Mars Attacks! with pretty much everyone who was anyone in Hollywood in 1996 starring in the flick. This proved to be another hilarious romp, but this time it was science fiction.
I’m not sure when this tradition started. All I remember is how Friday nights became The X-Files night and once the show had moved to Sundays, I had a massive void to fill. Incidentally, one of the first movies I watched for a Friday night was Mars Attacks! and it became a type of template for what I wanted out of the evening.
All the Men in Black movies became a Friday night staple at my home, too. They deliver on fun with a twist of science fiction. The wonderful thing I like most about the movies is their consistent 50’s theme while set in the 90’s and 2000’s. For instance, the flying saucers, which everyone knows is nothing more than a throwback to the old sci-fi flicks that hit the drive-ins in small towns across America during the cold war, make a valiant appearance.
Part of my Friday night viewing pleasure is retro viewing. I’m talking about watching one of those 80’s action flicks with plenty of cheesy lines, and a thousand explosions that would cause serious sonic damage to the structural integrity of my house’s foundation. We’re talking Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger damage here. I’m a sucker for those movies. Anything but the movie Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot will work here. If it’s Predator, I’ve seen it a gazillion times. If it’s any of the Rambo movies, I’ve seen them another gazillion times. Nothing quite beats a muscleman hero with a smart-alecky attitude to get my testosterone pumping full throttle. These movies never cease to entertain me on a Friday night.
Lastly, I do hold a special place for those one-offs where no other night will do to watch the movie other than a Friday night. I’m talking about real bad movies. The kind of movie that would embarrass your mother if she were watching it with you. The kind of movie that would cause someone to have the desire to walk across a busy freeway. The kind of movie that would make someone wish a train would derail and crash into the house to bring them sweet relief. Can I get away with one more bad movie joke? The kind of movie that would cause you to say, “drop your gun, I’m Superman,” knowing full well the robber will shoot to prove you wrong. Somehow, these movies make for a fun start to great weekend.
I hope you enjoyed this Freedom Friday post. What a treat to go back to the days when habit became tradition and I now have something to look forward to every week.
RANGER MARTIN AND THE ALIEN INVASION, on sale October 21.
What do you watch during movie night? If you have more than one movie night, what kind of themes do you have?
Looking to God 
I thoroughly enjoy a good B movie from time to time and can always find time for something retro. I must say though, I have successfully managed to stay away from “Stop or my mom will shoot you.” I’ve seen Commando way more times than anyone needs to, and I have to admit that I watch almost all sci-fi movies, good and bad.
Movie night, not a specific night for me. But when in the mood I turn on the TV and flip on to the SYFY channel to see, seriously, what ‘B’ movie might be on. Could be anything from “Dogs of War” to one of the few Dungeons and Dragons inspired TV movies. Heck anything Pedator or Aliens would be a go in my book.
SYFY channel has a reputation now of showing colossally bad ,possible cult, type movies like “Sharknado”. So bad it has to be seen more than a few times, with Ian Zeirling of ” 90201″ fame.
-so yes, “B” movie schlock for me. 🙂
Great post Jack. And other posts have me updating my ‘movies to see’ list.
Great post, as always!
We watch anything and everything on Movie Night – we’ll usually decide a few days ahead of time what we’re in the mood for, and then craft a night of entertainment – including the type of food and if there should be a follow up! Sometimes this leads to a movie marathon weekend. Right now, I think we’re trying to make our way through James Bond.
Side note – I’ve picked a release date for Changelings, and I was wondering if I could pick your brain on how you handled the release for Ranger Martin – from my side of things you had an excellent release which you handled quite professionally. Is it okay if I shoot you an email with a few questions?
Ha! I’m in the middle of my own James Bond marathon. I’m up to “Live and Let Die” so far. Watching them chronologically based on release date. Like minds, Katie, like minds!
Anyway, yeah, go ahead and ask me anything–you have my email. I’d be more than happy to help!
Like minds indeed! And thanks, Jack. I appreciate it!
Love anything with a space battle 😀
There is a great art to terrible movies. My brother and I have spent many nights torturing our younger sister by pulling up terrible movies on Netflix. I highly recommend checking out “A Talking Cat?” on Netflix. I don’t recommend watching the whole thing, because then your brain might melt.
I have four daughters who hate scary movies so we watch a lot of rom com. Last night we watched Amanda Peet and Ashton Kutcher in A Lot Like Love for the fourth or fifth time. This one never gets old. One of my favorite older movies to watch is Silence of the Lambs and a newer one is Disturbia. Of course, the bed is full of teenage girls on those nights since everyone is too scared to sleep alone! 🙂
My brother is a collector of horrible “B” movies. It’s fun to spend an evening with them and just laugh. You’ve got to find Hell Comes to Frogtown.
Two of my favorite movies to watch on a Friday are Pretty in Pink and Say Anything! I am a sucker for 80s movies! My parents use the weekend to watch the Rocky movies. Growing up we watched them almost every weekend. I think I know those movies from beginning to end.
I’m a book junkie so a lot of movies just irritate the piss out of me. Unless it’s supposed to be cheesy and then I’m all for it lol. Maybe friday could be cheesy movie night… Worth a shot.
I loved Mars Attacks and my favorite cheesy movie was Plan 9 from outer space!!!!
We watch films whenever there is an opportunity. There are some films we preferably watch Saturday night. Examples: They, 2001, Alien, The Night of the Creeps, Soylent Green, Terminator
I’m pretty bad at watching movies. But there is a great pleasure in watching movies that are either very good or very bad. Have you seen Birdemic: Shock and Horror? It’s not really science fiction … but it’s not really anything else, either.
Aw… I don’t have a specific movie night… we just try to find one we haven’t seen, if there’s nothing on telly. 😀
On the retro and bad movies theme though – have you seen Bounty Killers? Although being new, it has that 70ies retro theme. Ok, so it might be like marmite, and you’re either gonna love it or hate it… but if you love guns, gore, fun, action and sexy ladies then you’re in for a treat! It is violent, it is gory – but it’s also very funny! It’s a stupid film that won’t change your life in any way – but you’ll have loads of fun watching it. 🙂 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2369396/
My favorite was Earth versus the Flying Saucers. I love the tape recorder gimmick. I also liked the Raymond Burr Godzilla. Great tech movie. The island scene is really good. I thought The Thing was a marvelous movie, and liked Kenneth Tobey in it.