I love movies. Movies are such a driving force in not just the entertainment business but also my own personal entertainment. And when's the best time to watch a movie? When you decide to have a nice treat yourself day and avoid all other responsibilities. However, for your movie marathon you need balance, you need a nice selection. I believe to have perfected the movie recipe for an extravagant movie marathon so you have something to do instead of glancing over those lecture notes. Sorry, professors.
1. "Zodiac" (2007)
GiphyYou know whats better than writing a paper that isn't due for another week? Watching a movie about one of the most famous unsolved mysteries of all time. "Zodiac" (2007) follows reporters and police officers of the time and their obsession with tracking down the Zodiac Killer as he terrorizes San Francisco in the late 1960s. We live in the time where unsolved mysteries are at peak interest so this gives you a good scare while making you think... Could he still be out there? (Plus, Jake Gyllenhaal is in it and if that's not enough of a reason to watch this movie I don't know what is)
2. "Would You Rather" (2012)
GiphyMaybe true crime thrillers aren't good enough for you. Perhaps you need some real gory horror to sit back and enjoy. "Would You Rather" (2012) is the perfect gory horror, mind tingling, squeamish film. A woman goes to a dinner party where a large sum of money can be won just for playing a game of would you rather. Sound easy, right? Except there's a deadly catch: you much act upon which choice you pick. Seems simply enough until questions become as gruesome as "would you rather: hold your breath underwater for 2 minutes or cut your own eye with a blade."
3. "Love Actually" (2003)
Any good movie list is never complete without a classic romance film. "Love Actually" (2003) delivers the essence of love and joy in such a seamless way. The story follows a bunch of different timeline, much like films such as "Valentines Day" or "New Year's Eve". All the timelines, however, care the same theme: love. The joyous, wonderful thing that is love. I find this film always warms my soul, plus, it takes place during Christmas which makes it 100x better.
4. "The Secret Life of Pets" (2016)
Animated films rank supreme when you want some good laughs and that feeling of nostalgia. I'd say "The Secret Life of Pets" (2016) does just all that. The film follows the life of a little dog named Max and his adventure with his owner's newest dog named Duke. Through this, we see the lives of others pets in Max's friend group along with the torment unwanted and abandoned pets deal with. Really, the movie is just super cute and I'm absolutely in love with it. I'm a sucker for animations.
5. "The Princess Diaries" (2001)
If you thought I could make it though this list without bringing up a Disney film, you were wrong. I had big internal debate when deciding on what Disney film to highlight but I knew I wanted to go for one we all saw on Disney Channel and genuinely enjoyed. "The Princess Diaries" (2001) screamed in my mind because, well, we all love Anne Hathaway and we all love Julie Andrews. The film has the simple plot of a woman being converted into a princess with the help of her grandmother, who happens to be a queen. However, despite the simple plot, the film packs on a lot of themes such as finding yourself and coming of age. A lot of which my 10 year old self never recognized. It's another good nostalgia one, I think.
6. "Doctor Strange" (2016)
GiphyOf course I had to squeeze in a Marvel film. And it had to be one of the best Marvel films ever. Personally, I find that "Doctor Strange" is greatly underrated. From the impeccable visual effects to the mind-blowing acting performances, the movie has it all. It blows away any expectation you'd ever have for a superhero film and not only that but it's unique. Doctor Strange's powers all originated from the power of his mind and layers he's able to unpack in the structure of time. Seriously, when I first watched it I thought I was on drugs.
7. "Begin Again" (2013)
GiphyWe end this list with my favorite movie of all-time: "Begin Again" (2013). This movie serves us something we've been missing from this list: music. The film follows Gretta, young British girl, and her time in New York. After moving there with the her singer/songwriter boyfriend, everything in her life falls apart. Her boyfriend cheats on her and she results to sleeping on her best friend's couch while her boyfriend's career flourishes. After her best friend convinces her to perform one of her own songs at a cafe, she meets a disgraced ex-music producer who wants to make an album with her. They face challenges along the way but both really get the change to begin again. This movie holds such a special place in my heart and I want it to hold a place in yours, too. Even if you don't like it, you get to stare at Adam Levine for an hour or two, so it's a win-win.
