A good but hardly heard of recent movie: The Transporter. Some people on this board cited it for the driving sequences with the big BMW w/ Koni shocks, but also many good inventive martial arts moves/scenes, like the fight scene with the oil on the garage floor. Common chains like Blockbuster/Hollywood Video may even have this one in stock.
Another old one: Danny Kaye in The Court Jester, with the scene over "the pestle with the poison is in the flagon with the dragon, but the chalice from the palace has the brew that is true" rating right up there with Abbott and Costello's 'Who's on First' routine, and also has Kaye's hypnotized sword fighter vs. Basil Rathbone and unbelievably Angela Lansbury as a babe, back before she looked like an ugly grandmother.
Edward G. Robinson in Little Caesar. Cagney again in White Heat: "Top of the world, Ma!" More Errol Flynn in Captain Blood, The Sea Hawk, They Died With Their Boots On. Bogey and Robinson and Bacall in Key Largo. Paul Newman and Jackie Gleason in The Hustler, although it's a bit dark. How else should a pool hall be? Newman again in Cool Hand Luke and The Sting. Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman in Shawshank Redemption, it's outstanding and often in stock at rental chains. Try out Bull Durham if you're a sports fan, and if you like the aging Susan Sarandon in that, maybe also try out White Palace. (How close is the nearest White Castle burger joint from Ann Arbor?) Jack Nicholson's cameo in Easy Rider almost makes that rentable. The only part of Bullitt that won't put you to sleep is the chase scene between the green Mustang and the black Charger, but if you can get it cheap and use your fast forward button a lot its a maybe. Groundhog's Day is funny as hell and sneaky smart too. When will Lost in Translation and Last Samurai be out for rentals? The 1950's version of 12 Angry Men, rent that before you're called for jury duty. Henry Fonda's role is terrific and the whole cast is good. Ghost Busters.
Don't rent The Shootist until you've seen 10 other John Wayne westerns first, from a spread of his career.
