Redneck Reels

My favorite movie is CASABLANCA.

There as so many reasons why...

I've always been in love with the '40's...

...the music, the clothes, the men who drink gin, smoke unfiltered cigarettes and keep their body hair un-manscaped...

...and quite frankly, if you don't understand the incredible depth of love Bogart has when he puts Ingrid Bergman on that plane to Lisbon, letting go of his one true love - - at least physically letting her go, but finally allowing her into his heart by realizing "We'll always have Paris," - - if you don't understand that, then we shouldn't even schedule a first date over coffee at Caribou, because our ideas of love are extremely different.

Yeah, I know... "Difficult Bitch - Party of One for All Eternity? Your table is now available."

Even so, I love CASABLANCA. I also deeply love CITIZEN KANE, THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE (the real one... the FIRST one... not the remake with Denzel... ), and DOUBLE INDEMNITY (thank you, Mike for introducing me to that one).

I say this so that you won't completely discount my praise for really great Redneck Movies.

Damn you! I knew it. You're already giggling at me.

Not all Redneck Movies are ERNEST GOES TO CAMP.

"Know what I mean, Vern?"




Listen, if you haven't seen SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT, you have truly not lived.

As proof, I offer this scene where Sheriff Buford T. Justice (Jackie Gleason) takes a break from his "high speed pursuit" The Bandit (Burt Reynolds) to grab a quick meal in a "Choke and Puke" (Redneck term for a truck stop diner). However, he's never seen The Bandit. He's only talked to The Bandit on his CB radio (I friggin' love the 70's!), so he doesn't know that the man he's talking to in the diner with the bedroom eyes and hot - as - fuck 70's mustache IS The Bandit.

See? Didn't think a Redneck Movie would have a plot that convoluted, did you?



And here's your movie trivia for the day: That scene wasn't in the original screenplay. Jackie Gleason suggested it. He also improvised nearly all of his lines in the film.

Put that in your REMAINS OF THE DAY lunchbox and lick it!

But on Christmas night earlier this week, my father introduced me to my new favorite redneck movie...

TALLADEGA NIGHTS: THE BALLAD OF RICKY BOBBY

Ya'll, this movie is some serious funny. Check out this scene so that you will A) fall in love with the movie and B) truly understand the modern Southern Gothic oeuvre...



As I believe Billy Bob Thornton said - - and this applies to TALLADEGA NIGHTS as well...

"In the North, people think SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT is a movie. In the South, it's a documentary."