Clerks II (2006)

If you haven't seen the original 'Clerks,' or any other Kevin Smith movies, you're in for a big surprise, and quite possibly won't like this flick. However, I think 'Clerks 2' was a big step for Kevin Smith as a writer/director, and a drastic improvement from his most recent 'Jersey Girl' and 'Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back.' It's weird seeing Dante and Randal go from a basic free-form minimum plot style (which also prevailed in the animated series. Yeah, I'm a junkie.) to a recognizable heartfelt plot. Let's face it, though, there's plenty of crude jokes and lots of laughs to be had throughout the flick, and like the original, Randal (Jeff Anderson) has nearly all the good lines. I would never think of saying this one was as good as the original, but it was a solid tribute to the cult classic, and if you liked the first one, you won't be disappointed.

Rating: 8.5/10

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967)

Back in the day, when racial prejudice was a subject no one would touch with a 10 foot pole, William Rose wrote this story of a white woman (Katharine Houghton) bringing home a black fiance (a brilliant Sidney Poitier) to meet her typical, rich, white middle-class family (played by Spencer Tracy and the always amazing Kate Hepburn). With so much acting talent, the script comes to life like this story was happening right in your own house. Even though it's nearly 40 years later and movies with racial themes are a dime a dozen, this movie is so well played out that it still feels relative by today's standards - and it is. Definitely a classic, and I think pretty much everybody should be made to watch this movie.

Rating: 8.75/10

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)

James Stewart (Mr. Smith) is always amazing, and in this pre-'It's a Wonderful Life' collaboration with director legend Frank Capra, we see just how great and emotional movies can be. It's hard not to follow Stewart's emotional rollercoaster as he goes back and forth from the extremes of sorrow and bliss, and the ending is a major tear-jerker. Damn you, Frank Capra, and your sentimental movies. Oh, what's this movie about? Jimmy Stewart is a semi-smalltown young man who gets to fill a seat in the Senate, only to stumble upon lies and deceit, and ultimately to have to stand alone, against what seems like a whole country, for what he believes (and is) right. This is a spectacular movie for any time, whether you're feeling patriotic at the moment or not.

Rating: 9.5/10