Continuing with the theme of picking states I have a personal connection to, I've chosen Florida as I visit there at least once a year and will be flying down at the end of the month to visit my grandparents.
As always, I'm sure I missed some great films that take place in Florida so feel free to chastise me (though some, like Some Like It Hot, have been left off on purpose and I will rebuke you appropriately if that's the case).
Day of the Dead
It's kind of a disappointed after the epic greatness of Night of the Living Dead and Dawn of the Dead. In fact, Day of the Dead kind of drives me crazy with all of the shouting and irrationality. The characters aren't particularly complex or likable... but zombies! People trapped in an underground silo! Awesome gore! Bub! I really think that most of my problems with the film are that it's not exactly what I wanted it to be (which is a balls-out zombie apocalypse), which isn't exactly fair. Also, it just doesn't seem right that it doesn't take place in Pennsylvania. Still, vital for any zombie fan.
The Birdcage
The first R-rated film I saw in theaters at the age of 13. Why? I have no idea. There is no violence or promise of nudity. It's about a gay couple trying to pose as a straight couple with one cross-dressing. There's little in it that should appeal to kids in the first place. Maybe I just really liked Robin Williams then (which would be ironic since I can barely stand him now). Certainly, I didn't put together that the mincing house keeper was the voice of Apu, Chief Wiggum, and Moe. I'm not even sure if I understood it at the time. I just know that I like it now.
Black Sunday
I watched Black Sunday (not to be confused with the Mario Bava film, which does not take place in Florida) with my dad when I was quite young. Before I started paying attention to actors and directors. All I needed to know was that a blimp was heading for the Super Bowl and there's a bomb on it! Sign me up! A blimp? Are you kidding me? That's awesome! If there's one thing I've always said, it's that there aren't enough blimps in movies these days. John "The Manchurian Candidate" directs. Thomas "The Silence of the Lambs" Harris wrote the source material. Robert "I'm a Badass" Shaw stars. Watch out for a bit of hyperbole at the end of this trailer.
Caddyshack
The first of two cheats in that there is no specified location (other than fictional Bushwood Country Club) to Caddyshack, but the film was shot in Florida. And since so many people go to Florida to golf, it plays. There isn't too much more to say about Caddyshack. It's pedigree speaks for itself. Bill Murray. Chevy Chase. Harold Ramis (directing). Ted Knight. Rodney Dangerfield. Michael O'Keefe. OK, so many that last one (and main character) never achieved quite what the others had/have. However, my mind was significantly blown when I found out Michael O'Keefe played Jackie's accidental impregnater on Roseanne.
Edward Scissorhands
Filmed in and around Tampa, which is where I'll be heading soon, Edward Scissorhands makes the cut, though admittedly, until I looked up the filming locations, I'd always associated it with California (possibly because Tim Burton conceived it around his childhood in Burbank). This film is a great fairy tale with a stellar cast. This is Vincent Price's last feature film role and I feel the need to tell you all to go out and watch his old movies. He's a great actor and not the caricature he is portrayed as in pop culture. Also of note is Edward Scissorhands marked Anthony Michael Hall's change from put-upon nerd to bully (or at non-nerd roles, though he did eventually played notable nerd Bill Gates). It's a beautiful film.
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