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News / Columns / Five Favorite Films
Five Favorite Films with Dane Cook
Which movies have influenced the comedian?
by Alex Vo | September 17, 2008
Discuss Article
"You only roast the ones you love," Dane Cook explained to Rotten Tomatoes regarding his colorful comments about My Best Friend's Girl's poster, in which he compared his Photoshopped face to a section of Britney Spears's anatomy. "If you really, really are pissed or whatever, you don't say anything. You just tuck your tail between your legs and you walk away."

So Cook loves his upcoming movie (opening this Friday), in which he co-stars with Jason Biggs, Kate Hudson, and Alec Baldwin as a jackass-for-hire who takes women on legendarily bad dates and sends them running back to their exes. What are the other movies the comedian/actor loves, namely his five favorite of all time? RT puts Cook under the spotlight.




Planes, Trains, and Automobiles (1987, 97% Tomatometer)
I know three right off the bat. Planes, Trains, and Automobiles. How'd it influence me? Big Steve Martin fan. Knew I wanted to be a comedian when I was very young. And my sister brought the Wild and Crazy Guy album home, which I still have in my office. When Planes, Trains came out, that was the first film that really I looked at and said, "I'd love to, someday if I'm lucky enough to have a comedy audience, bring them into film and make that kind of movie." Big heart, big laughs. And, of course, Steve Martin at the car rental shop, you know, "I want my f--king car right f--king now." Unbelievably funny movie. Of course, John Hughes, John Candy, one of my favorites ever.

Can I take two minutes to tell a story? Awesome f--king John Hughes story. [My Best Friend's Girl director] Howie [Deutch] was directing Some Kind of Wonderful and the studio wanted a four-page rewrite on a scene. So Howie's all, "I can't figure out what to do." Calls John, says, "Can you come over and help me write these four pages?" For two-and-a-half hours they're just pacing around, John is just smoking incessantly. Howie says, "I need to lay down. I'm beat. I'm going to sleep a few hours and then we'll finish it." Then he says, "Dane, I wake up at about five in the morning and John is scribbling like crazy. He hands it to me and says, 'Read this. It's only 50 pages right now, but read it. I'm calling it Ferris Bueller's Day Off.'

The Empire Strikes Back (1980, 97% Tomatometer)
Absolutely blown away by the world of Star Wars, Empire and Jedis. [But] my favorite moment of the three is actually in The Return of the Jedi. And I argue this with people who are real Star Wars freaks. "Ewoks ruin the movie." If you're going to trifle over Ewoks, and you're not going to talk about how great the speeder bike scenes through the redwood forests are, then f--k off. Those are some of the greatest action sequences... Okay, yeah, there's some cute critters to sell merchandise. [But there's] some [scenes] that I couldn't even dream up with these unbelievable hovercrafts and modern-looking Stormtrooopers.

And Jedi has the best moment. [It's] at the very end when the Emperor is trying to pull Luke over and, of course, Luke is getting the s--t kicked out of him and getting electricity blown at him. And Luke finally takes his lightsaber and throws it aside and says, "No. I'll never join you. I'm a Jedi like my father before me." And the Emperor says, "So be it...Jedi." And it was the fact that the f--king devil himself gave Luke props and called him by [who] he was. It empowered him. That always gets by people, but that's my stand-out moment.

But Empire, when that movie ended in a cliffhanger, my life was a cliffhanger. Until the next one came out, you couldn't talk to me, you couldn't talk to me, dude. I was hanging out with my Ungnaught action figures. Everything in my life went back to, "What do you think is going to happen next to Han Solo?" I promise you, you talk to my family and they will go, "Dane was bananas."

Goodfellas (1990, 96% Tomatometer)
Goodfellas is a movie that you can watch a million times in a row and there's always a scene where you go, "Whoa, wait a minute, is this another director's cut. Where did that scene come from? When did that scene get so amazing?" Just a classic. Love Scorsese. But this movie to me is just the cream of the crop when it comes to dramas.









The Dark Knight (2008, 95% Tomatometer)
I'm going to put this on the list. It's a new movie. It's a movie that's making history. It's one of the greatest crime dramas out there. And when Kevin Smith lovingly compared it to Godfather II, it was before I had seen the movie and I thought, "Okay, this is jumping the shark. Kevin Smith, if I see him, I want to punch in the mouth. Because he has taken the hype machine and he's cranked it up to 11 via Spinal Tap." And I was unhappy with [his] statement.

Now that I've sat through the movie, I want to French kiss Kevin Smith. He f--king nailed it. And this movie, The Dark Knight, it deserves the money its making. It's epic, it's classic, Heath Ledger would be amazing whether it was a posthumous performance, whatever. He's awesome in it. I. Love. This. Movie.


Halloween (1978, 90% Tomatometer)
Let me really rattle my brain here. I want to go back. I'm going to say Halloween. When Mike Myers walks out of the backyard... It's an establishing shot of the front of the house, and you think it's just a standard exterior, night, Halloween, porch. [But] then the music goes [imitates Halloween theme]. And then [Myers] walks out of the shadow of the backyard. I, to this day, don't look into a shadowy night yard situation without seeing him walk out.

The same way that when I'm in a very sudsy bathtub -- and, yes, I do take baths, don't judge me -- when my f--king toe comes out of the water -- my number six pick would be Jaws -- I still look at my toe and I still become frightened of Amity Beach and all the things that happened to the poor people in the Steven Spielberg epic.

I grew up in a family that loved film, loved music, loved comedy. Thirsty for the how-to's. Some kids liked to take apart radios. I wanted to know how Johnny Carson set up punch. I wanted to know how Burt Reynolds jumped over the bridge in Cannonball Run. I really have a love of film. And although I wanted to be a comedian primarily, I certainly wanted to, with a smidgen of success, be behind the camera and live that incredible world.

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Comments (1-20 of 106 posts) | Reply
Product_of_You
Product_of_You writes:
on Sep 17 2008 05:09 PM

awesome list

(Reply to this)
Vortex&Vertigo
Vortex&Vertigo writes:
on Sep 17 2008 05:14 PM

I like his list. It feels honest and not trying to be sophisticated.

(Reply to this)
IMAmoose24
IMAmoose24 writes:
on Sep 17 2008 05:26 PM

Wow, all movies that i've seen! Seems like Cook isn't as wacky of a guy as i originally thought him up to be. Props to him.

(Reply to this)
Schumacherh8ter
Schumacherh8ter writes:
on Sep 17 2008 05:38 PM

For a talentless hack, Dane (likes the) Cook has good (movie) taste.

(Reply to this)
leachiro4077
leachiro4077 writes:
on Sep 17 2008 05:53 PM

And top five movies i don't like anymore

(Reply to this)
the_reasons
the_reasons writes:
on Sep 17 2008 06:14 PM

In reply to this comment (#2034981)
my thoughts exactly

(Reply to this)
jrod1978
jrod1978 writes:
on Sep 17 2008 06:19 PM

Even though I think he is completely unfunny and totally overrated, that was a good list. Well done.

(Reply to this)
emoticant
emoticant writes:
on Sep 17 2008 06:21 PM

wow. an unexpectedly impressive list. his talent doesn't match his aspirations, but it's nice to see he can appreciate good work by others.

(Reply to this)
twinsfan2715
twinsfan2715 writes:
on Sep 17 2008 06:39 PM

really? you guys are all gonna sit there and tell me he isn't funny? well, looks like i'm diving head first into a s--t storm of epic proportions. i think the guy's funny as hell and he's in my top 3 of stand-up comedians with Dave Chappelle and Chris Rock. not only is he hilarious, but Dane and I also share a taste in movies. kudos to you Mr. Cook for a fantastic list (2, maybe 3 of which i would put in my favorites) and a hilarious career. keep up the good work

(Reply to this)
mrmister
mrmister writes:
on Sep 17 2008 06:40 PM

I think he's trying to answer "favorite movies of the average guy" on Family Feud.

(Reply to this)
jokerboy1991
jokerboy1991 writes:
on Sep 17 2008 07:13 PM

In reply to this comment (#2034981)
Cook is awesome! I saw his stand up for the first time live last year I had the best time. Also he has a good choice of movies. I wish he was in better movies though, he can be a good actor I actually like him in Mr.Brooks and he was pretty good in Dan in Real Life.

(Reply to this)
sugarflowlistical77
sugarflowlistical77 writes:
on Sep 17 2008 07:13 PM

Yeah, these movies can't be argued with, but that is the most eerily populist and vapid list of favourite movies I've ever seen.

Fratboy Cinema.. That's what it is.




(Reply to this)
Clint129
Clint129 writes:
on Sep 17 2008 07:17 PM

In reply to this comment (#2035023)
If they were too high-brow you'd castrate him, and if they were too low you'd ridicule him. So coming from you, I'd say 'average guy' is the best banner possible.



(Reply to this)
Some guy you dont know
Some guy you dont know writes:
on Sep 17 2008 07:37 PM

Some facts:

Dane Cook is the worst thing ever.
What a terrible and generic list.
Halloween? Now I can't like that movie anymore.
Anyone who uses 'frat' ever, should die.
The Dark Knight?


(Reply to this)
mrmister
mrmister writes:
on Sep 17 2008 09:06 PM

In reply to this comment (#2035049)
"If they were too high-brow you'd castrate him, and if they were too low you'd ridicule him."

Wow. Lighten up.

"So coming from you, I'd say 'average guy' is the best banner possible."

Cuz you know me sooo well.
Oh, btw, Since your birthday is coming up, expect an elastrator in the mail.
There's a quirky card too!


(Reply to this)
palistes
palistes writes:
on Sep 17 2008 09:19 PM

Wow, he totally missed the point of the dialog he references from Return of the Jedi. The Emperor doesn't call Luke a Jedi to give him "props," he is sneering at Luke, taunting him as if to say that becoming a Jedi isn't going to do Luke much good since he will be dead.

(Reply to this)
wazzat
wazzat writes:
on Sep 17 2008 09:21 PM

Smart move to try to appeal to all the fan boys with TDK pick. I was expecting something more like:

Police Academy
Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment
Police Academy 3: Back in Training
Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol
Police Academy 5: Assignment Miami Beach


(Reply to this)
rroberts115
rroberts115 writes:
on Sep 17 2008 09:31 PM

You know, say what you want about Dane Cook but the guy has made a lot of green selling a lot of albums to a lot of people. I think it is funny how its become trendy to hate on him when half of those people were all about him a couple of years ago.

(Reply to this)
Sulaco2k
Sulaco2k writes:
on Sep 17 2008 09:46 PM

Dane's overhyped by the media but he's nowhere near as bad as some of you are trying to make him out to be. A very good list that's not trying to be pretentious.

(Reply to this)
thereign
thereign writes:
on Sep 17 2008 09:56 PM

In reply to this comment (#2035061)
Bruce;

If you're saying Dane's list is terrible because HE likes it, I'm sort-of there with you, because it is the most generic one could come up with.

If you're saying it's terrible because the MOVIES on it are terrible, then you are out of your frickin' mind, dude.


(Reply to this)
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