10 Movies I’m Not Going To Miss At The Plaza Classic Film Festival

I adore classic movies. My default tv channel is Turner Classic Movies and if I have free time you can bet I am watching a classic movie on my DVR. I also adore the chance El Paso has gotten for the last fourteen years to watch classic movies where they should be watched, on the big screen in a gorgeous movie house. The Plaza Classic Film Festival brings amazing movies to El Paso every year and the historic Plaza Theater is the perfect place to watch them.

Even though I find something to love every year, this particular edition of the PCFF is a real standout. When I looked over the list of films I had a tough time whittling it down to ten that I really want to watch. There are other amazing films like Forrest Gump and The Big Sleep with Bogey and Bacall but these are the ten I absolutely will not miss. You might want to grab your tickets now because a lot of these will likely sell out or close to it and you don't want to miss out on seeing these classics on the big screen. Get more details about the Plaza Classic Film Festival by clicking here.

1. Rear Window - This Hitchcock thriller from 1954 stars Jimmy Stewart and Grace Kelly. If you've only ever seen Stewart in It's a Wonderful Life then you need to see him in this film. He is funny and sexy and plays the whole movie in his pajamas and in a wheelchair. I won't give you any plotlines because you really have to see the whole thing without knowing what's coming next.

2. Meet Me In St. Louis - Oh this movie. Judy Garland at her best. She was falling in love with the director and would ultimately marry him and have his daughter, Liza. You can really see her talent on full display, and her rendition of Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas will have you sobbing. A fun, romantic musical!

3. Raiders of the Lost Ark - Raiders is a movie that has to be seen on the big screen to be really appreciated. The action sequences just aren't the same on a tv and Harrison Ford's silly grin and anti-hero charm will sweep you off your feet. I saw this when it first came out and I can't wait to see it again at the Plaza.

4. Breakfast At Tiffany's - Not sure if you know this but Holly Golightly was an escort. Yup. The Audrey Hepburn character that women have loved for decades was a call girl. Sorry to burst your bubble. She was a charming escort, but an escort nonetheless. That doesn't mean I'm not going to watch the movie. I absolutely will not miss this movie that takes place in a New York that I wish I could have visited. The movie is gorgeously shot and there are too many memorable scenes to count. Don't miss this if only for the little black dress at the beginning of the movie.

5. Top Gun - Maverick and his motorcycle. Maverick and Goose. Maverick and Charlie. Maverick and volleyball. Maverick and those goofy tighty whities. What isn't there to love about this movie? Is it any wonder I'm not going to miss it?

6. The Sound Of Music - This is possibly the one movie I'm most looking forward to. I saw it when I was a kid at the Pershing Theater and fell in love with it. Anytime it is on tv I will watch it, but getting to see it again on the big screen is just too much to pass up.

7. The Pink Panther - Peter Sellers is a name the kids these days don't know, but his portrayal of Inspector Jacques Clouseau is fall over funny. He takes slapstick into the modern era and you can't wait to see what he will screw up next. Such a fun movie.

8. Gentlemen Prefer Blondes - If you've seen the iconic Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend scene you haven't really seen everything you should in this movie. Check out this scene when Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell walk through a restaurant. They are wearing girdles, stilettos, skin tight evening dresses and they never look down or hold a hand rail as they float down the staircase. This scene alone is worth the ticket price.

9. Urban Cowboy - John Travolta two-stepping in a pair of painted on Wranglers. I mean seriously, enough said. And the rest of the movie is amazing, too.

10. Grease - Yeah, I know, this one is on tv all the time, but believe me, the sanitized version you are seeing at home is nothing like the one you'll see in the theaters. You should probably leave the kids at home because there are a lot of raunchy scenes you've forgotten about.