With Us gracing our theaters this weekend, our Best Ever Challenge was the Best Movies with One Syllable Titles. You’d think that would be tough but there are WAY more out there than you would expect on an initial search. Below are our Gurus and Contributors top ten. Let us know any that we left out that you would have included!
I may be biased in my choice for this one as it is not every day that you get to gush over your namesake! Shane is a classic of the western genre which is one of my preferred genres (it just may be in my blood). On the surface, this film seems to be just another old school western but it truly has a darker edge. The same can be said about the titular gunslinger. The dark nature of Shane comes to the forefront in a story about the rights of people to the lands. Alan Ladd is a charismatic lead who carries this film through the highs and lows of the west leading up to an iconic shootout like any great western can boast. This one is worth it…I would bet my name on it. (Shane Conto)
Will Ferrell’s sensational depiction as Buddy the Elf heightens a generic Christmas picture to one of the greatest holiday films of all time! Its enthralling narrative is complemented by wonderful performances from Zoey Deschanel, James Caan and Bob Newhart. Elf isn’t sugar-coated with genre cliché’s or unnecessary subplots; everything seamlessly works in orderly fashion. However, the humor isn’t necessarily aimed at young children. The film features an abundant of laugh-out-loud sequences for adults that are genuinely hysterical. Will Ferrell is the pictures saviour, his contribution is partially why Elf is declared a Christmas classic. His good-natured, peculiar persona is consistently hilarious, stealing every scene he’s in. Its virtually impossible to despise Elf, unless you’re on the naughty list. An astounding movie that upholds the holiday spirit in quirky style. (Zach Stephens)
The year is 1996. Jim Carrey has become the first actor to get paid $20 million to star in a movie. Fists are flying for Tickle Me Elmo. And a satire playing off the tropes of scary movies is flipping the horror genre on its head. It’s called “Scream” and the idea is simple. What happens when privileged teens savvy to the genre are stalked, quizzed and violently picked off one-by-one by a masked killer? The result is a legitimately scary, legitimately funny slasher that instantly enters the pantheon of horror movie greats. (Drew Douglas)
Speed is essentially three action movies wrapped into one and they all work like gangbusters. The movie that, in my mind, made Keanu Reeves a legitimate star and box office threat, at least for awhile…and not to mention a young lady by the name of Sandra Bullock made a bit of an impression as well. Mix that with Dennis Hopper as the end all of ’90’s screen chewing villains and you have a film to this day I watch at least once a year. This film is one of the big reasons I think Keanu is the best action star we’ve ever had on screen and probably ever will. (Jonathan Watkins)
Maybe it’s Kevin Kline’s fun but still meaningful dual performance, or maybe it’s Ivan Rietman’s pin point accurate sense of humor, or maybe it’s just nice to think that a President could actually run the country with pure motives, a kind heart, and a wise hand, but whatever it is Dave is pure magic in bringing it to us. It’s sincere optimism, and hilarious journey combine to form one of the most enjoyable movie watching experiences you could hope for. Hail to the chief cause he’s the one that we say hail to. Thanks Dave. (Aaron Dicer)
Full disclosure, I generally am a hard sell when it comes to single actor movies, but if I break down and watch one, I generally end up loving it. Not really a “watch it over and over again” kind of love, but an “I’m really glad I listened to so and so and gave it a chance” kind of love. Duel, Moon and Locke are at the top of this list (and the only three with one syllable titles). Moon puts Sam Rockwell alone in space at the end of a three year tour when things start to get weird. Locke puts Tom Hardy in a car juggling work and life on a single trip. And Duel is an early Spielberg TV movie that puts Dennis Weaver in a car as well, but his problem is a road-rage semi driver. Duel is my favorite of the three. It’s proven the test of time, and gained a bit of cult status. And though it’s pre-Jaws Spielberg, you can already see the master working. (and if I’m honest- I have watched that one more than one time). (Joshua Childs)
Hitchcock was not only the master of suspense, he was the master of giving himself limitations to test his ability to tell great stories. But apparently “master of suspense” fits better on a business card so he went with that. In Rope Hitch confines himself to film the whole movie in a single real time shot, something even more difficult because at the time movie reels were only 10 minutes of film. So Hitch shot 10 of them, with the only cuts being hidden in transitions. It’s an audacious undertaking, and even more miraculous when you consider how compelling and tense the final product is. Jimmy Stewart gives an incredible performance as a teacher who has to reckon with his students taking his philosophy to its unfortunate conclusion. Rope is a masterpiece on many levels. (Aaron Dicer)
Michael Mann’s epic cops & robbers film gave us exactly that; cops AND robbers. Each side armed with the best character actors 1995 had to offer, supporting two of the greatest living actors- Pacino (the cop) and Deniro (the robber). Each side embraces their inner antagonist and protagonist, as they face off against each other in a ying-yang of awesomeness. Our two legends even share the screen for one highly anticipated coffee shop scene (that totally lived up to the hype in my head). Mann is an effective director, but this is his standout for me. (Joshua Childs)
Up is a film that created a sequence that became iconic as soon as the film hit theaters. Even now, at its 10-year anniversary, if you ask a group of people to name a scene in a movie that makes them cry every time they watch it, at least one person will say the sequence that depicts Carl and Ellie’s life together. It’s moving, even without any dialogue, and sets up Carl’s backstory in just about five minutes. But while many mediocre and bad movies have great sequences, Up does not fall into that category. Full of laughs, heart, and legitimately tense moments, it show’s Carl’s journey as he is given a reason to live and be happy after the loss of the love of his life, to make it one of Pixar’s all-time greats. (Robert Bouffard)
Two notes from the terrifying score and you already know the film: Jaws. This all-time classic launched the career of the great Steven Spielberg and has stood the test of time throughout the years. To this day, there are still people afraid to go into the water because of what may be lurking underneath. This is due to the incredible direction given to us by Spielberg but also the mystery surrounding our monster who isn’t fully shown until the third act. Many have tried to duplicate the success of this film, but all bow to the greatness that is Jaws. This film is also responsible for launching the summer blockbuster craze that still goes on to this day further proving just how impactful Jaws is. (Ben Davis)
Honorable Mentions
Breathe
Any film led by Andrew Garfield is sure to have meaningful themes. In Breathe, the main theme is the value and quality of life. Garfield plays Robin Cavendish – a man with an adventurous spirit who is paralyzed due to polio at 28. After initially lacking any hope for recovery or any quality of life, Cavendish changes course to living life travelling still, all while helping others. It’s a well-crafted film in Andy Serkis’ directorial debut that shows that with the human spirit, life can still be lived to the fullest, no matter the circumstances. (Robert Bouffard)
Krull
In a post-Star Wars, pre-Lord of the Rings, concurrent-Dungeons and Dragons world, Krull appeared. An epic foray into an 80s special effects and soundtrack infused fantasy world. Prince Colwyn, armed with a glaive (the greatest weapon since the light saber) assembles a band of misfits (including lesser known Liam Neeson) to rescue his love from invading aliens in a spaceship/castle called the Black Fortress. It has shapeshifters, cyclops’, soothsayers, swashbuckling sword fights, quicksand, a giant spider, and a band of outlaws, which makes for the perfect 80s action fantasy. (Joshua Childs)
Brick
Know what I love? Noir. Know what I didn’t know I loved? Teen noir. Rian Johnson’s break out film was the pitch perfect nod to classic noir films of yor, only it featured teens in the iconic archetypes, consequently turning it into a weird fantasy. Joseph Gordon-Levitt leads the cast as a loner working his way to the eerie dark center of a high school crime ring to find his ex-girlfriend. Such a fun premise and a knock-out execution. (Joshua Childs)
Once
To say that the music of this film is the star is an understatement… So imagine I’m singing it- The music is the star of this film… Don’t get me wrong, the performances are great. The story is sweet. The premise is effective. But they’re all arrows pointing to the amazing music. Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, our two leads, wrote the music in real life, and sing their way through Writer/director John Carney’s story. Carney went on to make Begin Again and Sing Street which are also awesome music-focused films, but there’s no way I (or anyone) would have known about them had Once not been so catchy. (Joshua Childs)
Them!
MUTANT ANTS! AMIRIT?! Without these epic atomic age insect movies the cinema special effects landscape would be lacking in character. They’re testaments to the creative problem solving of how we bring these giant fears to life. Rubber suits, stop motion, live action- the juggle between budget and effectiveness has brought out the best (and worst) offerings. Them! is probably the best of the “Big Bug” movies, due in huge part to it’s (Oscar nominated) special effects, utilizing giant puppet ants (controlled by 20ish puppeteers). The movie also sets itself apart with it’s humor, finding some unusual, yet intentional, laughs. Side challenge- as you watch, listen for the Wilhelm Scream (only 3 years old at this time). (Joshua Childs)
Also See:
Drive, Cars, Babe, Clerks, Big, Pi, Tron, Grease, Ghost, Stripes, Saved!, Sphere, Hitch, Signs, IT, Locke, Her.