One of my favorite boobtube shows of the 90's was called Northern Exposure. It followed the adventures of a New York city born and bred doctor who must payback his med school loans by serving the citizens in a small town in Alaska.
A particularly memorable episode found the NY Doc feeling like he was losing his "hard city edge," forcing him to run down to the local video rental house to grab up any and all NY flicks he could find to help remind him from whence he had come. GoodFellas, The Godfather, Mean Streets, Woody Allen's Manhattan among others.
Like the good Dr. Fleischman, I know I've lost some of my city-fied edge since moving to my small town less than a year and a half ago.
I'm not as suspicious of people's intentions.
I'll make eye contact when walking down Main Street downtown.
Not everyone who says "hey" and "good morning" is looking for a way in to invade your privacy or space, or to separate me from my money.
When someone here comments about the weather, they're not just making light of the fact that the weather in LA hardly ever changes.
I was thinking which dvd's I need to keep in my library to remind me of whence I came and to help me "re-edge" myself so I don't get too complacent by this slower, safer, relaxed environment.
Here's a list I've started. It may grow.
LA Story - Utterly dated and utterly satiric, but like all good satire, therein lies the truth.
Swingers - I no longer use the Club on my car, but I do miss Pink Dot.
LA Confidential - How in the world did they fit those huge cars of the 40's down the narrow streets of the Melrose District.
The Fast and the Furious (2001) - Driving on the 10 is neither of those, unless you let the fast drivers and furious traffic get to you. Even then furious is really all you get.
The Big Lebowski - "Isn't that near that In-n-Out...boy those are some good burgers."
Pizza Man - A film I worked on that was written, directed, and produced by J.F. Lawton. The millions he made from his screenplay for "Pretty Woman" paid for it all....starring a young Bill Maher.
Chinatown - Did Los Angeles ever really look this cool?
Blade Runner - Will Los Angeles ever really look this cool?
Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure - "Hello, San Dimas!"
I wonder what movies Okies who leave the state use to remind them of their home state/town?
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4 comments:
Twister
Rumblefish
Tex
Fandango
The Outsiders
All movies filmed in/or about OK
Take it from a transplanted Chicago boy, sometimes it's best to forget where you're from.
Great list.
Tex - filmed in Oklahoma. Does anyone see the irony?
I guess the obvious "Oklahoma" wouldn't be all that appropriate since it was shot on a sound stage in Hollywood and on location in Arizona -- so I hear.
More irony.
My wife chimed in with Far and Away - even though we heard that Ron "Opie" Howard wanted to shoot the land run scene here in OK, but claimed he couldn't find any wide open spaces that "looked" like Oklahoma at the turn of the century. Huh?
Irony abounds.
Possums is a must have for any expats living away from the red clay of Oklahoma.
Possums - that one drew a blank. Even after I imdb'd it, I still couldn't place this flick.
But I see that our dear Ms. Linda Cavanaugh made an appearance as Reporter #2.
Will have to add it to my Netflix list.
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