Thursday Movie Picks: Tall Buildings

Is this weird or what, but I am actually choosing 2 newer films this week! Ok, some may not think so but, to me, they are new:) It's all about tall buildings and you will never, ever catch me in this type of predicament since I freak out when I am on the second rung of a ladder. Head on over to Wandering Through The Shelves to see what other films have been chosen by us film nuts. Here are my 3 plus a bonus....

1. THE TOWERING INFERNO-1974

It's an Irwin Allen production which means fun and campy! There are a mega load of film stars in this flick from Paul Newman to Steve McQueen( who wanted to be posted first in the credits and then wanted to be on the left side when he had to share his name with Paul Newman on the credit opening). Paul Newman plays an architect who designed this mega structure for his dad In Law, William Holden. To celebrate the grand opening there is a big ball at the top of the building where many big wigs attend. No one realizes that a fire has started in a closet...except for OJ Simpson but, instead of going down to the closet and using a fire extinguisher to put the small Fire out, he disappears and the fire gets out of control. I always laugh at that scene. Now, of course we wouldn't have a film if they just put the fire out. When the blaze goes nuts, in comes Steve McQueen as the fire chief to try to control the blaze. We have people panicking, people crying and poor Robert Wagner walking in full blazing glory. I love this flick.

2. ENTRAPMENT-1999

This is not a fantastic film by any means but a fun one to watch and you get to see dance moves from Catherine Zeta Jones as she wiggles  and winds herself around some laser beams not to mention the camera lingering on her butt. So she plays an insurance investigator who is asked to investigate and nab the famed thief played by Sean Connery. She learns some tricks from him and he learns...about her nice ass. Anyway they end up at Kuala Lampur at those insane twin buildings with some glass bridge connecting the 2 towers. They plan to steal a lot of money and end up outside those building high, high up. Even watching that made me ill and, yes, I will never be caught up there...ever. Anyway, intrigue, deceptions and who is playing who, is wrapped up in this fun flick.

3. MISSION IMPOSSIBLE:GHOST PROTOCOL-2011

I like these flicks even though Tom Cruise's character would have broken all his bones and he would be slobbering in a cup somewhere if he actually survived all he does in these films. This 4th installment has Tom and his team after some device that could hurt the world..of course. They end up in a very tall building in Dubai. Of course, Tom can only get to something if he climbs outside the building so he does...and guess what? Tom Cruise really is outside that building doing most of the stunts! He is nuts we all know that because he think Scientology is aok instead of  nutty and dangerous, but he also must be an adrenaline junkie since he loves doing these stunts. This movie has death defying stunts, 2 women duking it out and some fun humour. I'd love to see Jeremy Renner in a comedy actually.

Bonus pick.

4. SAFETY LAST-1923

Harold Lloyd is one of the top 4 comedians from the silent era. He plays a meek man who leaves his mother and girlfriend to go to the big city and make good! Somehow he ends up outside a tall, department store building and is trying to get in with much hi jinks. Now it is filmed in such a way that you think he is up that high but he is not. The facade of the building he is climbing was built on top of  the highest building at that time in L.A. Mattresses were placed at the bottom in case he fell. All worked well but afterward, they tested it out on a dummy that was the same weight as Harold. The dummy fell, bounced off the mattress and went over the edge! Another point...back in 1919, Lloyd was holding a what he thought was a prop bomb. He lit it with his cigarette which blew up taking his thumb and index finger with it and laying him up in the hospital for a few months. When he is climbing look at his right hand and you will see it is a glove to hide his disfigurement.

What are your picks??