A Special "Black" Friday Movie List

In honor of all you crazy shoppers who either woke up before the crack of dawn on Black Friday, or even worse, cut your family-time short on Thanksgiving, November's Movie-List-of-the-Month takes a look at the greatest films with the work "Black" in their title. But before you get to this month's list, feel free to visit October's List and follow the monthly series as far back as you'd like. Now, on to November's list we go.


Honorable Mention: The Woman in Black and Meet Joe Black

#5. Black Hawk Down

People who know me well understand that I'm not a huge fan of "war" movies. That being the case, Black Hawk Down may seem a little further down my list than you might expect. But Ridley Scott's epic tale about a mission-gone-wrong in Somalia is both candid and intense, enough so it captures the 5th spot on my list.

#4. Black Sheep

While it's clearly no Tommy Boy, Black Sheep is still an iconic comedy from my younger years starring David Spade and the late-great Chris Farley. The laughs are endless and the absurdity is through the roof. And as the added cherry on top, who doesn't love a little Gary Busey now and again?

#3. Men in Black

I'm going to keep it in the 90s with my third selection, the sci-fi comedy Men in Black. I remember a time way before After Earth, when Will Smith ruled the box-office. Although those times has seemingly come and gone, I'll always look back on films from that era, like Men in Black, with nothing but the fondest of memories. And who can deny how catchy that song was?

#2. Black Swan

A much more recent selection comes in the form of Darren Aronofsky's Best Picture Nominee, Black Swan. Natalie Portman took home the Best Actress Oscar for her gut-wrenching turn as a shy and precise ballet dancer who's desperate to convince her director that she can handle the role of the unpredictable and daring Black Swan. This dark psychological thriller toes the line of reality and insanity in such a provocative and tantalizing way.

#1. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

You may call it a "reach", but I'll use the word "clever". While scouring the history of cinema for my favorite film with the word "black" in its title, I came across none other than Gore Verbinski's action-adventure Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. This first installment is immensely superior to its band of sequels and even found itself nominated for five Oscars including Best Actor. Johnny Depp introduced us all to an abnormal, yet still lovable, Captain Jack Sparrow. A man that made the word "savvy" socially acceptable again. 

*** That concludes my list but, as always, feel free to leave a comment pointing out movies that I may have overlooked.