ASHLEIGH MATTERN
Editor-in-ChiefÂ
Nothing makes a more romantic Valentine’s Day than turning down the lights and snuggling up with that special someone to watch a movie. Just be careful you don’t ruin it by renting one of these mood killers. Â
I have to admit, the reason this is on my list is because I am guilty of renting it on Valentine’s Day. I made my boyfriend a candlelit dinner, then we popped this bad boy into the TV.
In my defence, I had heard it was good, and had some sort of inkling that it had something to do with war. I was not prepared for three and a half hours of commentary on the Holocaust. While an incredibly good movie, it’s not such a great choice for Valentine’s Day.Â
You may have loved the book, but the made-for-TV movie is absolutely painful. Horrors are a perfect choice for Valentine’s Day; all the scary parts are a great opportunity to wrap your arms around each other.
The world created in Stephen King’s The Stand is definitely horrific, but so is the acting, and if you’ve read the book, so are the changes to the movie version. You’d think the changes would help shorten the epic length of the story, but the movie remains six hours long. Â
Although my boyfriend says, “Van Damme any day of the week,” I disagree. You would be hard-pressed to find a Jean-Claude Van Damme movie that isn’t absolutely groan-worthy. In fact, maybe “Anything with Van Damme in it” should be on this list.
But truth be told, I love this movie. I’ve watched it too many times to count. That doesn’t mean it’s good for Valentine’s Day, though; there are simply too many pointless chase and action scenes, and many more bloody fights and deaths besides.
I’m pretty sure I cried throughout this entire movie. It’s a gorgeous film with a haunting story, but it’s probably one best watched by yourself or with your best friend. I dare anyone to watch this without shedding a tear. Let me know how it goes.Â