This month's copy of Los Angeles Magazine boasts a feature on the 25 greatest movies about Los Angeles. No surprise: Roman Polanski's "Chinatown" lands at No. 1. "Sunset Boulevard" is No. 2, while "Blade Runner" is No. 3.
A couple of interesting choices here: Steve Martin's "Bowfinger," a good movie, is ranked (No. 23) rather than what could have been his obvious entry, the less solid but still entertaining "L.A. Story." Perhaps the film's "weather's always good--people drive everywhere--earthquakes are a part of life" jokes are just too obvious. Los Angeles magazine editor Kit Rachlin points out in his opening letter that the list wrongfully misses "Clueless," and I have to agree. Much more than any cheesy "Beverly Hills 90210" episode, "Clueless" was a smart snapshot of young people in mid-1990s Los Angeles, just as "Valley Girl" and "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" (two more missing movies--apparently the magazine wasn't thinking valley) were more than ten years earlier.
Of course, I say they forgot one more: "Midnight Madness." If you don't remember this movie, than you weren't spending the early 1980s watching HBO, which played this movie almost every day at one point. A young Michael J. Fox had a role, but the star of the movie was really Los Angeles. Mastermind Leon spearheaded an all-night scavenger hunt called "The Great Allnighter" (shades of "The Amazing Race"?). The five teams--nerds, meatheads, sorority sisters, good guys and cheaters--were given clues to solve, leading them to the next clue site hidden in the city. I've wanted to revisit this cheesy LA flick for years, but it's just not seen on TV anymore. That's too bad. It was awe-some. But just in case, TiVo has it programmed in its wishlist.
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