Past Perfect: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)

Home movie gems from the past few decades that need some dusting but never get old.

It was only recently that I finally got around to watching this classic, and once again the overwhelming feeling afterwards was that I really should be dedicating more time to watching these golden oldies, because there’s usually a very evident reason why they’ve endured. I had never watched a film with Paul Newman and Robert Redford in their prime, and I can see what all the fuss is about. If you want a perfect example of on-screen chemistry, look no further - the title pair are so effortlessly brilliant together that they’re a joy to watch. And it gets even better when Sundance’s girlfriend joins the fray, including a famous musical bicycle scene which will have you humming for the rest of the day and bringing out your old Burt Bacharach tapes. It's basically a chase film, and although it doesn't maintain the great quality of the first half, it still ends with a wonderful, classic scene.

Past Perfect: Unbreakable (2000)

Home movie gems from the past few decades that need some dusting but never get old.

Bigger and louder are usually better when it comes to superhero films, which is probably part of the reason why I find this second outing by director M. Night Shyamalan to be a refreshing and near-perfect piece of restrained storytelling. The concept is brilliantly simple - what would it be like for an average Joe in today’s world to slowly realise that he is, in fact, a superhero, and how would he react to the news and use his powers for good? The person in question is portrayed by Bruce Willis, in one of his outstanding dramatic performances, and he is aided on his journey of discovery by an equally impressive Samuel L. Jackson. Everything you’d expect from a hero/villain story is here - the costumes, the fancy character names, the family backstory, the heroic deed, the heroic musical theme - but it’s so subtle, so carefully awakened, and ultimately so real, that you hardly notice the overall effect until you sit back and take it all in at the end. There’s not a word out of place in the entire film, and despite it being considered a disappointment after The Sixth Sense, I find it to be a much more satisfying film on repeat viewings, and one of my favourite films of all time.

Past Perfect: The Untouchables (1987)

Home movie gems from the past few decades that need some dusting but never get old.

I have a very clear childhood memory of my slightly older brother coming back from some sort of sleepover or football camp, and in hushed tones telling me about the coolest film in the world. I sat in awe as he detailed the violence, the heroics, the scary bits. It was rated 15, and back in the late 80s I was still miles away, but rarely have I yearned so much to watch a film. When, of course, I eventually did, years had passed, and I was expecting an anti-climax. Thankfully, it didn’t materialise, and to this day repeat viewings keep rewarding me with wonderful set pieces, memorable characters, and a team of good guys it’s impossible not to feel proud of. The casting is wonderful, with Kevin Costner and Sean Connery in fine form, and the often forgotten De Niro looking unnaturally large as the menacing Al Capone. Brian De Palma works wonders with light and colour, aided by the period setting, and everything looks so classy since the whole cast is wearing Armani. Plus, Ennio Morricone blessed the film with one of his all-time greatest heroic themes, which would even make the Care Bears look cool. Crime dramas are made quite frequently, but this remains one of the very best.

Past Perfect: Being John Malkovich (1999)

Home movie gems from the past few decades that need some dusting but never get old.

This odd but wonderful gem was the big screen debut of two of the most original minds in filmmaking - writer Charlie Kaufman and director Spike Jonze. To even come up with the concept of this film is impressive enough, but to bring it to the screen in a way that is understandable, funny, emotional and highly entertaining is the stuff of genius. John Malkovich (Dangerous Liaisons, Empire of the Sun) stars as himself, of course. The film centres around a puppeteer (an untidy-looking and pitiable John Cusack, who is excellent here), who discovers a doorway in his office which is actually a portal into the mind of Malkovich. Anyone can slide in, and be Malkovich for around ten seconds. With time and experience, he uses his puppeteering skills to gain more control over the actor, but others also want a piece of the action. The film also stars a nearly unrecognizable Cameron Diaz and the ever-sultry Catherine Keener, and is a joy to watch again and again.

Past Perfect: E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

Home movie gems from the past few decades that need some dusting but never get old.

Believe it or not, there are men and women walking amongst us who haven’t seen this yet. I found one recently, but the situation was remedied within a few days. Whether watching it now, as an adult, can have the same immense impact as it had on my generation back in the 80s is debatable, but nostalgia or not, it’s hard to deny that this is a technically marvellous and emotionally splendid film. I grew up watching it, and feeling incredibly cool on my bike as a result, and I rediscovered some of that magic when I took my younger sister to the cinema to watch it when re-released in 2002. Since then I’ve caught it a few times on TV, and occasionally get the urge to watch the DVD. There’s always new lines or scenes to appreciate fully, and laugh-out-loud moments that never grow old. And then, as things come to a boil, there’s possibly the best fifteen minutes of film music ever composed, and one of the all-time best examples of the perfect marriage between what you see and what you hear. The escape, the chase, and the goodbye that will leave you in bits.

Past Perfect: Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961)

Home movie gems from the past few decades that need some dusting but never get old.

I was a latecomer to this timeless gem of a movie, and inevitably I had built up my own (incorrect) impressions of what the film would be like, based on the countless posters, imagery and little black dresses (not for me, of course) that have resulted from Audrey Hepburn’s look in this film. But when I actually sat down to savour it, without having any idea of the plot or concept, I was very pleasantly surprised. Despite looking like the most fragile and beautiful creature on earth Hepburn’s Miss Golightly is a feisty character if ever there was one, as she waltzes through life appearing tipsy but actually knowing exactly what she’s after. By the time Paul (George Peppard, or Hannibal from The A-Team before his hair turned white), falls for her, so had I. With the audience wrapped around her skinny finger, Hepburn can then cause all the more heartbreak and frustration with her seemingly spur-of-the-moment decisions. The ending veers slightly from that in Truman Capote’s book, which I then looked up and devoured. The film and the book seem like slightly different versions of the same story, but they’re both a showcase for artists at the height of their talent. There’s also a wonderful party scene thrown in, and of course Henry Mancini’s music, which you’ll be humming for days.

Past Perfect: Body Heat (1981)

Home movie gems from the past few decades that need some dusting but never get old.

Back in 1981, a certain Lawrence Kasdan was getting some much-deserved attention after writing the screenplay for The Empire Strikes Back and Raiders of the Lost Ark. Not a bad way to start your career. For his next move, he wrote and directed this sexy thriller. It’s set during a Florida heat wave, with ceiling fans, beads of perspiration and sweat patches featuring in nearly every scene, and adding wonderfully to the oppressive atmosphere. The film’s protagonist, a debonair lawyer (William Hurt) who isn’t exactly a star at his job, starts an affair with a wealthy woman (Kathleen Turner, in a sizzling breakout performance) and they plot a crime together which doesn’t exactly go according to plan. The film doesn’t shy away from nudity and racy content where appropriate, but it is also heavy on slick dialogue, great acting and a smart plot. And all dipped in a wonderfully sultry jazz soundtrack by the legendary John Barry.

Past Perfect: The Remains of the Day (1993)

Home movie gems from the past few decades that need some dusting but never get old.

Before Downton Abbey and Gosford Park, there was another understated but meticulous treasure that showed the world of servitude and dedication to one’s household in all its soul-destroying detail. A couple of years after he first terrorized the world as Hannibal Lecter, Anthony Hopkins gave a completely different but no less amazing performance as a butler who realises that his loyalties and priorities might have been misplaced. Emma Thompson is sublime as his co-star, but it is Hopkins who commands our attention and subtly makes our blood boil. There’s no action, there’s no overstated melodrama, but with the smallest of his gestures one realises the enormity of what has happened in his life. This is not one to watch if you’re feeling sleepy or being interrupted. It’s one to savour with your eyes and ears wide open.