CLASSIC COMPARISONS FOR VALENTINE'S DAY

Welcome to the ninth in our now occasional series of Classic Comparisions. Our current selection have been chosen for Valentine's Day and features some romantic, and not so romantic, titles. Thanks to Matt, Mathew, Sam and Adrian. As always, to access comparisons for any of the films, just click on the cover art.

	1. MEET JOE BLACK Bill Parrish (Anthony Hopkins) has an unusual request from Death (Brad Pitt) who wishes to experience life, that which he normally takes away. Instead of taking Bill's life he makes a deal to let him live a little longer while he enters Bill's life as Joe Black. Death experiences romance with Bills daughter (Claire Forlani) who Joe briefly encountered before he died and other things like his first kiss and ‘peanut butter’ on a spoon. Tom Newman's score truly enhances this emotional film. This movie always leaves me with one message 'Life Is A Gift' - Matt.		2. THE FAMILY MAN What if...you where a successful wall street hot-shot, single, lived in a penthouse, drived a Ferrari and had everything in life! Then one day you woke up in the suburbs, drove a mini-van, married with two kids and now a tired salesman! This happens to Jack Campbell (Nicolas Cage) in this comedy/romance film. Jack has now married Kate Reynolds (Tea Leoni), his high school girlfriend and over the next couple of weeks he sees what he's been missing out on and that the things he thought once important are insignificant. This movie has enough laughs not to be your typical love story - Matt.		3. NOTTING HILL 'Can the most famous film star in the world fall for just an ordinary guy?' As the tagline suggests - ‘Chic Flick’! When Anna Scott (Julia Roberts), the world's most beautiful woman falls for a British travel bookstore owner William Thacker (Hugh Grant) the two fall in love. It sounds like a fairytale until fame and an American boyfriend get in the way for him. His room mate ‘Spike’ adds lots of humour in this very charming and humorous romantic comedy. This movie will definitely touch the bottom of your heart, but like many other love stories has a predictable ending. Highly recommended for any romantic nights - Matt.
	4. THE WEDDING SINGER Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore team up in this romantic comedy in which a wedding singer and one of his customers fall in love. Capturing the Eighties perfectly and with a great soundtrack, this is one of the best rom-coms ever made. Also check out some great cameos from Steve Buscemi and Jon Lovitz amongst others. You'll both laugh and cry - Sam.		5. LOVE ACTUALLY One of the finest British romantic comedies, the film stars genre favourite Hugh Grant amongst plenty of other British talent. With a cast list like this, the film just couldn't go wrong. Keira Knightley, Elisha Cuthbert, Bill Nighy, Martine McCutcheon and plenty of others bring together various stories that by the end of the film are inevitably connected - Sam.		6. 50 FIRST DATES After the success of The Wedding Singer, it was only a matter of time before Drew Barrymore and Adam Sandler would reunite. This time, Drew Barrymore plays a character who suffers from memory loss meaning Sandler must try and win her over every day, essentially having '50 First Dates' - Sam.
	7. TRUE LIES Two lovers kiss in beautiful and engaged union...while a mushroom cloud rises up into the sky. In that image you know why True Lies is such a success with audiences. Girls get a comic farce with Jamie Lee Curtis for their romantic side; guys get to see Arnie blow stuff up with the usual one-liners ("You're fired") and shoot-up a public toilet (don't ask). How's that for a combination? - Mathew.		8. A FISH CALLED WANDA In 1989, a small, very British comedy opens in the US and becomes a massive hit with critics and audiences alike. A group of thieves execute a robbery, but it all goes a bit wrong, meaning Jamie Lee Curtis has to seduce John Cleese. The two charming leads, however, are overshadowed in the comedy stakes by the duo of Kevin Kline and Michael Palin, with the former winning an Oscar for his turn as the deranged moron Otto. Make sure you get the 2 disc edition - Mathew.		9. THE 40 YEAR OLD VIRGIN 40 year Andy (Steve Carell) has never done the deed, so his "friends" try to get him with the first available drunken girl. But Andy also has a blossoming relationship with Trish (Catherine Keener) that he'd rather focus on - even if he has to keep his dirty little secret under wraps. A charming romantic comedy from the creators of "Anchorman". A new Special Edition of the film is slated for Summer 2007, but if you can't wait, the original can be picked up dirt cheap - Mathew.
	10. VALENTINE So here we are. The most appropriately titled film in the list and it's got far more to do with blood and guts than romance. But regular readers of these Classic Comparisons wouldn't expect anything else from me. In slight defence, there's a good share of heart-throbs to go round here, including David Boreanaz and Denise Richards. Four Friends start to receive morbid valentine day cards. Someone out there is stalking them....and Valentines Day is the day the stalker gets their revenge. It's certainly a by-the-book post-Scream slasher but still fun for those who don't want by be all sloppy in front of the TV - Adrian.		11. MY BLOODY VALENTINE Another appropriate title - although more obviously not your traditional Valentine film. This one dates from the early Eighties round of the horror film cycle when, following the success of Halloween, every annual holiday/event you can think of was snapped up for the title of the next slasher film. Tragedy struck the small mining town of Valentine's Bluff 20 years ago when an explosion at the mine cost the lives of many locals. The sole survivor killed those responsible (who had skipped work to party at the Valentine Dance) and warned the town to never to celebrate Valentine's Day again. But the youngsters are organising a new Valentine's Party - and soon the killing begins again - Adrian.		12. I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER And what's that got to do with Valentine's Day? OK, here goes - the most tenuous link award goes to Adrian - it's because I couldn't think of another slasher which is set on Valentine's Day and this one stars Jennifer LOVE Hewitt! This was one of the first post-Scream slashers to appear and the screenplay was written by the man responsible for Scream - Kevin Williamson. Whilst the formula is well known now, it's still one of the better teen-slashers of the late 90's - Adrian.

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