It’s March! Almost time for spring! That means… well, that means the ground will be sloppy with melting snow and mud, the molds and mess of winter all showing up. Not a great time to spend outside, so why not enjoy a nice movie at your place? Adding to that argument is March is the end of the “movie dump season,” where studios typically show movies that they no longer expect much profit from. Since you’ll have to wait for summer blockbusters and Oscar movies typically happen in the fall and winter, why not stay in and get your St. Patty’s Day celebrating started with one of these movies?
The Brothers McMullen (1995) – Back in the day, Edward Burns was writing and directing some very entertaining movies. He even starred in these movies (smart idea for young filmmakers—write yourself a role in the movie you are also directing). The Brothers McMullen is about a family – two brothers on different paths. Along the way, well, things don’t work out quite as planned for anyone. If you wanted to see a follow-up of sorts, with some bigger actors (John Mahoney, Jennifer Aniston, Cameron Diaz), take a look at She’s the One, another Edward Burns movie.
If you like Horror movies and want to celebrate St. Patty’s day, why not watch the Leprechaun (1993)? See pre-Friends Jennifer Aniston fight off the terrors of a very angry Leprechaun looking for his gold. One Leprechaun movie not enough for you? Well you are lucky then – there are multiple follow-ups! ILeprechaun 2, 3, Leprechaun in Space, Leprechaun in the Hood (2 of these!), Leprechaun’s Revenge, and Leprechaun: Origins (coming out 2014!) are there for you!
The Devil’s Own (1997) has many scenes set in Ireland, so it is a fit for St. Patty’s day, right? Both Brad Pitt and Harrison Ford have come out questioning the actual history of this film, given that nothing in it is anywhere close to actuality (well, that’s just like most other movies, really). Pitt stars as a member of the IRA trying to secure weapons in the U.S. Ford is the family that puts him up, thinking Pitt is simply a fellow Irishman need help. What can go wrong?
Michael Collins (1996) is a more realistic biopic about Michael Collins, a hero of the Irish independence movement at the turn of the 19th century. Starring a young Liam Neeson, who plays the titular character, this movie provides a lot of insight on history that I didn’t know much about. Also starring Alan Rickman, Julia Roberts and Aiden Quinn. This is a much more an epic drama.
Speaking of epic dramas, if you want to take a look at a quasi-historical movie based on American soil, take a look at 
Gangs of New York (2002). Starring Leonardo Di Caprio, Cameron Diaz and Daniel Day-Lewis, and directed by Martin Scorsese, this movie explores the early gangs in New York at the time of the Civil War. Epic, long and amazing – I thought this should have won Best Picture Oscar. Amazing movie, great story.
Bonus movie for Earth Day
And don’t want to forget about Earth Day – you always need to be ready for it, and let’s be honest, every day should be Earth Day! Want a family movie to watch (since most of the above really aren’t for the full family), why not give FernGully: The Last Rainforest (1992) a try. It’s basically the same story as Avatar, but it is a family friendly cartoon. Nothing like celebrating Earth Day by sitting around and watching a movie!
What spring movies do you like to watch?
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