When people think of Valentine's Day, they usually think heart-shaped boxes of chocolates, bouquets of roses, and couples cuddling together on a couch enjoying a good romantic flick.
Valentine's Day is considered the most romantic day of the year by most of the Western world, and naturally there are many movies dedicated to the holiday, although not all of them are romantic.
1. "Valentine's Day" (2010)
Featuring an all-star cast that includes Julia Roberts, Ashton Kutcher, Jennifer Garner, Shirley MacLaine, Patrick Dempsey, Jamie Foxx, Topher Grace, Anne Hathaway, and Queen Latifah, "Valentine's Day" depicts the evolving nature of relationships as nearly two dozen characters experience love and loss around Valentine's Day. Directed by Gary Marshall, "Valentine's Day" features an episodic plot that includes plenty of clichés made popular by other romantic comedies.
2. "I Hate Valentine's Day" (2009)
This romantic comedy reunites costars Nia Vardalos and John Corbett, both of whom are remembered for their roles in "My Big Fat Greek Wedding." Directed by Vardalos, "I Hate Valentine's Day" has a light-hearted plot that revolves around a carefree florist who falls in love with a charming restaurateur. Main character Genevieve (Vardalos) lives by a strict five-dates rule, meaning that she breaks off all of her romantic relationships after the fifth date. This all changes, however, when she meets Greg (Corbett) and finds herself wanting more.
3. "Sleepless in Seattle" (1993)
Directed by Nora Ephron, this light romantic comedy inspired by the 1957 classic film "An Affair to Remember" has managed to become a classic in its own right. Starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan in one of their most famous onscreen pairings, "Sleepless in Seattle" tells the story of widower and single father Sam, whose son Jonah calls a late-night talk radio show looking for a new mother. Sam ends up lamenting about his lost love on-air; thousands of miles away, Annie (Ryan) happens to hear the program and falls in love with Sam, despite the fact that she doesn't know him and happens to be engaged to boring Walter (Bill Pullman). Annie sets out for Seattle to find Sam, who in the meantime is bombarded with letters from available women who were also touched by his story. While the entire film doesn't take place on Valentine's Day, the climactic scene has Annie and Sam meeting at the top of the Empire State Building on that holiday.
4. "Valentine" (2001)
"Valentine" is an unconventional V-Day flick that horror fans will enjoy. Starring Denise Richards, David Boreanaz, and Marley Shelton, "Valentine" tells the story of four friends who each begin to receive morbid Valentine cards from someone they knew when they were younger, who is now out for revenge.
5. "Hospital Massacre" (1981)
"Hospital Massacre" is a stereotypical '80s slasher flick about a maniac who has spent the last twenty years stalking his object of his jilted childhood affection. He tracks her down to a hospital where she is receiving a routine physical; after swapping her x-rays with that of a terminally ill patient in order to keep her in the hospital, he sets out to slaughter her, just as he killed her brother twenty years earlier on Valentine's Day.
6. "My Bloody Valentine" (1981)
Arguably one of the best horror flicks from the '80s, "My Bloody Valentine" is not for the faint of heart. The small mining town of Valentine's Bluff, Nova Scotia, is planning its first Valentine's Day dance in two decades. The tradition had been set aside after a tragic event that happened during the Valentine's Day dance twenty years ago, which resulted in a large mining crew losing their lives. The sole survivor, Harry Warden, took revenge by cutting out the hearts of those responsible and promised similar bloodshed if the town ever held another Valentine's Day dance. Bodies start piling up as townspeople start losing their hearts-to a maniac with a pickaxe.
7. "The St. Valentine's Day Massacre" (1967)
While this is definitely not a conventional Valentine's Day movie, it does depict the Chicago gangster war of the 1920s that led up to the violent showdown between rival gangsters Al Capone and Bugs Moran in a garage on Valentine's Day of 1929.
8. "Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown" (1975)
When all else fails, there's always Charlie Brown. This "Peanuts" animated film follows Charlie Brown and his undying love for the little red-haired girl, as well as his longing to receive a Valentine's Day card of his own.
These are just some of the movies that incorporate Valentine's Day into their plots. From light-hearted romantic comedies to horror flicks and gangster films to cartoons, there's a Valentine's Day movie out there for everyone. After all, nothing says "Happy Valentine's Day" like cuddling on the couch and watching a good movie.
Comments