Dobbler Scratch

Dobbler Scratch
Originally uploaded by ambimb.

How awesome is this photo?

Kirk's out of town so I was thinking about plopping down in front of Say Anything or Pretty in Pink tonight. Here's what Cusack said recently about Lloyd:
"With films like The Sure Thing, Say Anything and High Fidelity, Cusack developed a knowing, slightly nerdy screen image that was a forerunner of what Seth Rogen is flogging in Knocked Up. In these movies, Cusack became a symbol of hope, both for those men who figured it might not be so bad being a nerd after all, and for those women who found themselves dating one. "I'm aware of the affection those characters inspired," he says. "I feel close to Lloyd in Say Anything. He was like a super-interesting version of me. Only I'm not as good as him. Whatever part of me is romantic and optimistic, I reached into that to play Lloyd. Of course, now it's all gone. Now I'm just bitter."

I hope he really isn't just bitter. But it could be true.

In the same article John says that he's made maybe 10 good films - out of like 48. Which 10? He doesn't say. So let's formulate our own top 10 - (why am I using the royal 'we'? I don't know, maybe as some sort of pretense that I am not sitting up late composing silly lists about John Cusack?) I'll try to put them in order, but it's tough.

1. Say Anything (1989) - this will always be the quintessential Cusack film of all time, Lloyd Dobbler is our modern hero. Especially if you happened to be a teen in the 80s.

2. Grosse Point Blank (1997)- I LURVE this film. I can watch it over and over again. Plus, Cusack might be at his very cutest here. Throw in the fact that he wrote this one and it comes in handily at no. 2. Fabulous 80s music too.

3. Max (2002) - Few people have seen this one, and I was skeptical about a revisionistic tale involving a young Adolf Hitler, but it is possibly some of Cusack's best acting.

4. Better Off Dead (1985)- Cusack himself pretty much despises this one. He does not recognize his own cult leader like brilliance here. Utterly Quotable too.

5. The Grifters (1990)- Stunning. It's a gorgeous little disturbing film.

6. High Fidelity (2000)- I didn't even like this when I saw it the first time. My expectations were way off, I'd read the book first and I just couldn't get into it. But later, I realized it was genius. Awesome music too, all of which John chose for the film.

7. Identity (2003)- If I can watch a scary movie as many times as I've watched this one and STILL like it, that's saying something.

8. True Colors (1991)- This gets panned a lot. I really like it. John and Spader in the same movie? Especially back in the day when Spader was still yummy and hadn't gone all Boston Legal? John plays a bad guy to Spaders good guy? There's a twist. Plus, it was shot on the UVA campus, so the opening scene is just pure nostalgia for Kirk and I. They film on the lawn on campus where we took Holden trick-or-treating when he was a kid. It's a mindless film, but I like it a lot.

9. The Sure Thing (1985) - I like to think I fell for John when he played Lloyd. And I did. But I first noticed John in this movie and I remember my friend Kari and I walking out of this and asking ourselves "where can I find a boyfriend like that?"

10. America's Sweethearts (2001). Again, didn't like it at first. Expected something very different from what it was - BUT, this really delivers when you watch it over and over. Very funny, great comedic acting by John.

See what happens when Kirk's out of town?