One of the most frequent questions I am always asked being the host of the greatest movie podcast ever (opinions may vary) is “What’s your favorite movie?” That answer has been the same since I was 11 years old. But it also isn’t as easy to explain why I love some movies more than others.
As an art form, movies are by their nature interpretative. Some people will point to a film’s box office total as a barometer for a film’s quality, this might not be true again because although it might be popular to the masses it might not appeal to you. I am looking at you Avatar, which is not one of my favorite films, not by a longshot.
Also, if the film wins an Academy Award for Best Picture, that hardly means it’s one of my favorite films, looking at you The English Patient, in fact I hardly agree with the Academy. Having said that, I am sure that some people love Avatar and The English Patient. And that’s what makes movies so great.
I, also am not a professional critic. I love film. I try and find merit in all film. As a host of a podcast that attempts to give every movie a chance, I believe that is the best way to approach movies, let the lights go out and try and enjoy yourself. You might find a “diamond in the rough.”
When thinking of my favorite movies to share with you, my loyal listeners, I thought 100 wasn’t going to be enough. So, I am proud to present my 150 Favorite Films, right now. These will change, I know they will.
See you at the movies!
***Spoilers Ahead!!!***
86. Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988) Directed by Robert Zemeckis
The Movie: Hollywood, 1947. In a world where ‘toons and people co-exist. Eddie Valiant (Bob Hoskins) is a private eye. Eddie has slipped into an alcohol induced depression after the murder of his brother from an unknown ‘toon.
Eddie is hired by R.K. Maroon (Alan Tilvern) head of Maroon Cartoons, to see if the rumors are true that his once bankable star, Roger Rabbit (Charles Fleischer) is depressed because his wife Jessica Rabbit (the incredible and uncredited Kathleen Turner) is having an affair.
Eddie catches a sultry performance by Jessica at the nightclub The Ink and Paint Club. After she seduces the crowd, Eddie secretly takes photos of her playing patty-cake with Marvin Acme (Stubby Kaye). Eddie shows the photos to Roger, who is distraught and refuses to believe that Jessica would cheat on him.
The next morning Acme is found murdered. Evidence seems to point at Roger as the suspect. Eddie isn’t so sure, but Judge Doom (Christopher Lloyd) is certain that it is Roger. Doom tells Eddie that there is only one way to deal with rogue ‘toons, and that is to kill them by placing them into “Dip”. A mixture of acetone, benzene and turpentine, that causes the ‘toons to melt away to nothing. Doom is helped by his five henchmen, or rather henchweasels.
Eddie returns to his office where he is stopped by Baby Herman (Lou Hirsch) who tells Eddie that Acme’s will is missing and the true motive of the murder might be that he was going to leave ToonTown to the ‘toons.
Eddie enters his office and finds Roger there. Roger pleads with Eddie to help him and tells Eddie he’s been framed. Eddie reluctantly agrees. Eddie takes Roger to a bar that his owned by his girlfriend Dolores (Joanna Cassidy) and she agrees to hid him in her back room.
Back at his office, Eddie is confronted by Jessica. She tells him that Maroon threatened Roger’s career unless she posed for the photos he took. Dolores has also uncovered that Cloverleaf Industries bought the Pacific Electric railway system and will purchase ToonTown at midnight unless Acme’s will is found.
At Dolores’ bar Doom arrives with The Weasels. They lure Roger out of hiding and nearly dunk him in “Dip”. Eddie and Roger escape and hide in a theater. There, Eddie watches a newsreel that shows Maroon selling his studio to Cloverleaf Industries.
With new information, Eddie confronts Maroon at his studio office. Maroon tells Eddie that he did not kill Acme but was trying to blackmail him into selling his company, otherwise Cloverleaf would not buy his studio. Maroon is killed while he is talking to Eddie and Eddie sees Jessica fleeing the scene. Eddie follows Jessica to the edge of ToonTown, where Eddie doesn’t want to go. Eddie eventually finds the courage to enter ToonTown.
While in ToonTown, Eddie is saved from being shot by Doom, Jessica tells Eddie that everything she has done is to save Roger. Jessica tells Eddie that it was Doom who killed Acme and Maroon. Jessica says that Acme gave her his will but when she looked at it, it was nothing more than a blank piece of paper.
The Toon Patrol and Doom capture Eddie and Jessica and take them to Acme’s factory. There, Doom explains that he is Cloverleaf Industries and he is going to sell ToonTown and the railway system to make way for a new interstate highway. His plan to get rid of ToonTown is to use a machine that will spray Dip that will erase ToonTown.
Roger attempts to save Jessica but instead is captured and tied to a chain. They are placed in the path of the Dip Machine and are about to be killed by the Weasels. Eddie realizing that if the Weasels can’t stop laughing, they will die. So he performs a vaudeville act causing them to die. Doom is unable to escape. He is run over by a steamroller, killing him, or so it seems.
Doom reveals himself to be a ‘toon. Nit just any ‘toon, but the ‘toon that killed Eddie’s brother. Eddie is able to subdue Doom by spraying him with Dip, causing him to melt away. As the police and all the ‘toons arrive, Eddie realizes that Acme wrote his will with invisible ink. They are able to reveal the will, and the ‘toons will indeed inherit ToonTown.
Why I Love Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988): As a kid I loved cartoons. I was particularly found of Looney Tunes and the Disney shorts of the 1930’s and 40’s. By putting all of my favorite cartoon characters in one movie made Who Framed Roger Rabbit a childhood favorite.
As I got older, I fell in love with it more. As my love for film noirs of the 1940’s grew it made Who Framed Roger Rabbit that much better. It is funny, it has a wicked sense of adult humor and it is a technological marvel. It is one of the first movies that I remember watching falling in love with the process of movie making. What Zemeckis and his extraordinary team did to achieve the movie magic of Who Framed Roger Rabbit is nothing short of mind blowing.
A movie that plays to not only adults but children as well is not easy. But all the actors and voice actors pull it off with ease. The world that is built is incredible. When I was younger, I wished Mickey Mouse was real and I could go watch Donald and Daffy Duck play dueling pianos.
Who Framed Roger Rabbit is a funny, beautiful and innovative film that not only is brilliant but must be seen multiple times to get all the jokes and catch all the characters.