Friday's Top Five: Best cross-dressingAdam Sandler plays both of the title characters in his movie "Jack and Jill," opening this weekend, but he's far from the first actor to experiment with cross-dressing on film. Hollywood has had a long tradition of androgynous characters. Our list this week consists of films where men pretend to be women and women pretend to be men. Most of these stories tend to be comedies like "White Chicks" and "Bosom Buddies," but they can also be more substantive, such as Glenn Close's upcoming "Albert Nobbs." Here's the list that tops this gender-bending genre. What are your favorites? Friday's Top Five: Scary moviesIt would be a waste of time to figure out why, but it goes without saying that scary stories can be extremely entertaining. And there’s no better way to get in the mood for Halloween than by locking your door, staying up late and watching your favorite flicks that’ll totally freak you out. From CNN Geek Out: Movies that scare the people who scare us Hollywood has invented numerous ways to give us nightmares. Monster movies (really the first foray into making audiences scream) employ werewolves, vampires, reanimates and other supernatural beings. The monsters are often conflicted, guilt-ridden creatures that suffer as a result of the crimes they commit against humanity. Friday's Top Five: Kevin BaconThe new "Footloose" opens today, and young and nostalgic audiences will certainly flock to the film, tap their feet along to the soundtrack and watch today's version of Ren, Willard, and Ariel. Still, it’s hard to accept this story of rebellious youth without associating it with Mr. Six Degrees himself, Kevin Bacon. (Fans of the original Ren McCormack will have to settle for a voice appearance on a new episode of Robot Chicken. He’ll be teaching the Peanuts how to cut loose in stop motion on October 23, check your local listings.) Friday's Top Five: Courtroom moviesLately, the media seems to be dominated by one high profile court case after another. The dramatic trials of Casey Anthony, Conrad Murray and Amanda Knox have captivated the world, and the latter of the three has already been spun into an actual film. But of course, movies have some dramatic advantages. Writers, actors and editors make movie lawyers, judges and juries look their best, speak eloquently, and deliver just the right amount of dramatic pause during opening and closing arguments. In fact, growing up with Hollywood’s version of our judicial system can make real life litigators appear a little boring in comparison. If it pleases the court, this week’s list puts your movie knowledge on trial. What’s the verdict on the best courtroom dramas? And if you were a Hollywood casting agent, who would you cast in the role of Miss Anthony (Natalie Portman), Dr. Murray (Forest Whitaker), and Miss Knox (For a big screen feature, I'd go with Jennifer Lawrence over Hayden Panettiere)? Clearly, these stories are movies just waiting to be produced. Friday's Top Five: Buddy moviesWhether you call it having a BFF or being in a bromance, everyone needs that one person they can count on. This is especially true when life gets rough, as it does in the new movie "50/50." Starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt as a young Seattleite and Seth Rogen as his well-meaning but immature best friend, this comedic look at battling cancer includes another spin on a timeless movie genre, the buddy film. [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJ90H5HCgCw%5D The buddy genre is part of a long Hollywood tradition of dynamic duos. Some famous pairings that should immediately come to mind include Abbott and Costello, Laurel and Hardy and Matt and Ben. And what would Batman have been without Robin, or Bert without Ernie? |
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