The feast of Saint Valentine can be a disconcerting dish for all and everyone involved. From the single lady struggling to chew loneliness, that she’s been goaded into eating by Hallmark, to the young man with petrol station flowers, who’s meals usually come served in a tray, not sure which overpriced meal to order for him and his newly found lady. Luckily for you, your film choice need not be so complicated this February 14th, as I’m about to list for you my top 3 favourite Valentine’s Day flicks (with a twist).
Natural Born Killers.
This movie was always going to be my number one pick. The plot centres around Micky and Mallory Knox, two lost souls with similar traumatic childhoods, who go on to become lovers and psychotic serial killers, whilst their stories get glamourised by the media and told by the singular victim they let live at each and every crime scene.
I must of watched this movie over 50 times. I’ve owned it on every format possible, bought it’s soundtrack and in the days when I wrote music let it’s main protagonists find their way into my songs. Often disturbing and consistently hypnotic, Oliver Stone’s satirical look at 90’s America and it’s obsession and desensitised attitudes towards violence may seem a strange pick for Valentine’s... But for me, the love shared between Micky and Mallory is something special and eerily heartwarming, so for that reason its my number one.
Wild At Heart.
It is closely followed by visionary director David Lynch’s tale of a forbidden romance ‘Wild At Heart’. A story of two lovers, Sailor Ripley and Lula Fortune. Upon leaving prison, the couple decide to ignore Sailor’s probation and hit the road to California. Driven insane by the thought of them being together, Lula’s psychotic mother hires a hit-man to track down and kill Sailor. Blissfuly unaware of this the couple enjoy their time together, until witnessing a road side crash, in which the direction of their journey changes.
In my personal opinion, Wild At Heart would be a great introduction to Lynch for anyone new to his work. In comparison to films such as Inland Empire, it drives down a much more liner path, which in turn makes it easier to follow, although that’s not the reason I adore it so much. Typically surreal and accompanied by an incredible soundtrack, with constant outbursts of extreme violence, hilarity and romance, this movie takes you on an incredibly stylish, romantic road trip with two characters I really grew to adore (and their snake skin jacket).
True Romance.
Probably the most heartwarmingly violent movie ever made. During his annual birthday visit to the cinema, Clarence Worley, a comic book store clerk/avid Elvis fan, meets a beautiful blonde by the name of Alabama. From the movie theatre, the two get better acquainted over coffee and pie, in which leads to an evening spent in each others arms. In the middle of the night Alabama tearfully confesses that she’s a call girl who’s been hired by his boss for his birthday... And that she also thinks she’s fallen in love with him. With the feelings being mutual, the newly found couple decide to get married the next day. After this, Clarence decides to pay her old pimp Drexel a visit to collect Alabama’s possessions, a journey that will lead to bloodstained hands grasping a suitcase full of cocaine. From here, the lovers set their sights for Hollywood, with the intention to quickly sell the newly acquired narcotics, with its original owner hot on their trails; angry, locked and loaded.
Out of all the aforementioned movies above, True Romance is the one I identify with the most. With incredible lead performances by Christian Slater and Patricia Arquette, Clarence and Alabama are two characters you can’t help but find yourself falling in love with. With some truly iconic scenes, notably ones involving Garry Oldman and Dennis Hopper, this movie is bursting with iconic imagery and endlessly quotable dialogue. Accompanied by a truly charming soundtrack, Tarantino’s take on the romantic genre is one that speaks to me in volumes and in my opinion, a truly classic piece of cinema that looks so cool, so cool, so cool.
What will be you be watching this Valentines?
Joshua White.
Fire Write With Me.
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