By Cat
We’ve made it past the Ides of March and just around the corner is one
of the most famous party holidays of all. Of course, I’m talking about Saint
Patrick’s Day – where everyone loves to pinch people for forgetting to wear
green and pretend that they’re Irish for a day. (I’ve tried to claim my green
eyes were a built in pinch-proof system but, alas, no one usually buys it.
Lucky for me, my favorite color is green so most of my wardrobe is in that
color range anyway.) Oh, and of course there’s all the drinking.
There’s fun for the whole family in this holiday packed with shamrocks,
rainbows, leprechauns and pots of gold. Everyone loves a good excuse for food
and fun, right? Well if you would rather stay in than go out to crowds and
rivers of green beer or the like; I’ve got a collection of movies and shows
here to make your binge-watching hearts happy in the spirit of the season.
This is by no means an all-encompassing list. I picked 17 random
productions filmed in Ireland, or have Irish main characters that are either
dear to my heart or are on my ‘to-watch list.’ I tried to keep it mostly on the
light side - there are some serious and award-winning movies out there that
explore the darker sides of Ireland (The Troubles and conflict involving the
IRA as an example). I hope you enjoy!
17 - Leprechaun (1993)
Viewing Options: Amazon
Instant Video, YouTube (purchase), Vudu, Xfinity Subscription, iTunes
Director: Mark Jones
Actors: Warwick Davis,
Jennifer Anniston, Shay Duffin, Ken Olandt
Genre: Comedy, Fantasy,
Horror
Rated: R
More Information Here.
Blurb: An evil, sadistic
Leprechaun goes on a killing rampage in search of his beloved, but pilfered,
pot of gold.
I’d bet you’d be a wee bit cranky, too, if you were locked in a box for
10 years. OK, so this movie isn’t the best movie ever. I don’t think it was meant to be. It’s campy and over the top.
Most have even said it’s not even all that scary. Who cares, though! Just like whenever
Friday the 13th rolls around, you can be sure to see the Jason
Voorhees movies pop out of the woodwork; this list would be incomplete without
this classic B movie. Besides, who doesn’t love Warwick Davis (Willow, Harry
Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Rogue One)?! This was also the big screen
debut for Jennifer Anniston (Office Space, The Iron Giant, We're the Millers).
16 - The Irish Pub (2013)
Viewing Options: Netflix,
Amazon Instant Video
Director: Alex Fegan
Actors: Liam Aherne, Bobby
Blackwell, Tom Breen, Patricia Brennan
Genre: Documentary, History,
Music
Rated: Unrated
More Information Here.
Blurb: This film takes a
loving look at traditional Irish pubs and the people who run them, highlighting
the friendships they share with loyal customers.
I don’t usually get on the documentary bandwagon, but this and the next
entry on the list seemed like appropriate exceptions to the norm. St. Patrick’s
Day is often used as the patron holiday of drinking. There’s no better holiday to take a peek into
the cultural cornerstone that is the Irish pub.
15 - Tales of Irish Castles (2014-)
Viewing Options: Netflix
Director: Sarah Share
Actors: Simon Delaney, Dave
Swift, Marcus Seoige
Genre: Documentary, History,
TV Series
Rated: TV-PG
More Information Here.
Blurb: From early Norman
fortresses to posh 20th-century estates, stone castles tell the tale of a millennium
of Irish wars, politics, economics, and culture.
Castles bring to mind fairy tales and magic. They’re amazing structures
that beckon to be explored and fire the imagination. This documentary series
takes you through a collection of real Irish castles. Sure, there’s actual history
involved rather than flights of fancy – but it’s fascinating all the same. I
haven’t watched this series yet, but from what I can tell, the host is
charismatic, animated, and isn’t one of those that just stands there and drones
in monotone. (Bueller… Bueller…)
14 - The Boondock Saints (1999)
Viewing Options: Netflix
DVD, Amazon Instant Video, YouTube (purchase), Vudu, iTunes
Director: Troy Duffy
Actors: Willem Dafoe, Sean
Patrick Flanery, Norman Reedus, David Della Rocco, Billy Connolly
Genre: Action, Crime,
Thriller
Rated: R
More Information Here.
Blurb: Fraternal twins set
out to rid Boston of the evil men operating there while being tracked down by
an FBI agent.
So this movie isn’t set in Ireland, but rather the good ol’ USA. Boston
is one of the cities well-known for its large concentration of Irish immigrants and their descendants.
The MacManus brothers – accents and all – are a pair of Irish imports. This isn’t
a super serious movie. It blends comedy with crime thriller and there is some
seriously over the top violence involved.
Long before Daryl Dixon donned the
leather vest with angel wings, Norman Reedus (Air, Sky, Triple 9) was already wearing a halo (albeit tarnished)
as one of these ‘saints.’ Willem Dafoe (Platoon,
American Psycho, John Wick) was amazingly bugnuts in this movie, as well. I
can’t even give a good enough description for the ‘omg’ moments he inspires.
You’ll just need to watch and see!
Additionally, the lilting and upbeat opening
theme of this film is one of my favorite pieces of music of all time -- The Blood of Cuchulainn by Jeff and
Mychael Danna. It’s driving beat is laced with the ethereal sounds of the
uilleann pipes (Ireland’s version of the bagpipe).
13 - In Bruges (2008)
Viewing Options: Netflix
DVD, Amazon Instant Video, YouTube (purchase), Vudu, iTunes
Director: Martin McDonagh
Actors: Colin Farrell,
Brendan Gleeson, Ciarán Hinds, Ralph Fiennes
Genre: Comedy, Crime, Drama
Rated: R
More Information Here.
Blurb: Guilt-stricken after
a job gone wrong, hitman Ray and his partner await orders from their ruthless
boss in Bruges, Belgium, the last place in the world Ray wants to be.
Native Dubliners Colin Farrell (Total
Recall, Seven Psychopaths, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them) and Brendan
Gleeson (Harry Potter and the Goblet of
Fire, In the Heart of the Sea, Assassin's Creed) get to let their true
accents shine as IRA hitters on the run. I have seen this movie and absolutely
loved it.
Sure, it’s not set in the picturesque Irish countryside – but this
pair brings a slice of Ireland with them in spirit to Bruges, Belgium
(pronounced “broozh”). It is, however, hilarious and thrilling. There’s a
little bit of everything in it from action to a shade of romance. The dynamic
between the lead pair is enjoyable. These two find themselves in some crazy
situations definitely worth checking out.
12 - The Fall (2013-)
Viewing Options: Netflix,
Amazon Instant Video, Vudu, iTunes
Directors: Allan Cubitt,
Jakob Verbruggen
Actors: Gillian Anderson,
Jamie Dornan, John Lynch, Aisling Franciosi
Genre: Crime, Drama,
Thriller, TV Series
Rated: TV-MA
More Information Here.
Blurb: A detective superintendent
battles her own personal demons as she tries to get inside the head of a serial
killer hiding behind a family-man facade.
I haven’t yet watched this series, but it looks really interesting.
There are also three seasons of it, so I’ve got some catching up to do! I have
affectionately dubbed this show ’50 Shades of Serial Killer.’ From what I’ve
seen of previews, this really does seem a bit like Gillian Anderson’s (The X-Files, Johnny English Reborn, Hannibal)
agent is tracking down a predator that explores a scenario of ‘what if the nay-sayers
of a certain erotic series were right’ about Jamie Dornan’s (Marie Antoinette, Once Upon a Time, The
Siege of Jadotville) character. I don’t think that this series meant to do
that specifically, but it’s an interesting coincidence. Dornan didn’t appear in
the first movie of that controversial series until 2015 and this series began
in 2013, after all. I do intend to watch this at some point. Keep your eyes
peeled for my review, if I do.
11 - Darby O'Gill and the Little People (1959)
Viewing Options: Netflix
DVD, Amazon Instant Video, YouTube (purchase), Vudu, iTunes
Director: Robert Stevenson
Actors: Albert Sharpe, Janet
Munro, Sean Connery
Genre: Adventure, Family,
Fantasy
Rated: Unrated
More Information Here.
Blurb: A wily old codger
matches wits with the king of the leprechauns and helps play matchmaker for his
daughter and the strapping lad who has replaced him as caretaker.
A handful of years before he began to order martinis shaken but not
stirred, young and dashing Sean Connery (Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade,
The Hunt for Red October, The Rock) starred in this adorable vintage Disney movie.
10 - Far and Away (1992)
Viewing Options: Amazon
Instant Video, YouTube (purchase), Vudu, Xfinity Subscription, iTunes
Director: Ron Howard
Actors: Tom Cruise, Nicole
Kidman, Thomas Gibson, Robert Prosky, Barbara Babcock, Colm Meaney
Genre: Adventure, Drama,
Romance
Rated: PG-13
More Information Here.
Blurb: A poor 19th-century
Irish tenant farmer runs afoul of his landlord in his ill-conceived pursuit of
vengeance, and in the process has a meeting with destiny. He helps the
landlord's daughter run away to America where they must struggle to find their
way in a new land and find themselves in the process.
This is one of my favorite movies of all time. I could mic-drop there,
really. Set aside that some things aren’t entirely historically accurate, and
that the accents were maybe a wee bit off. Just let yourself sink into the
fairytale-like story of a pair seeking The American Dream and personal freedom.
It is a sweet movie that’s full of heart.
This was also filmed when Tom Cruise
(Legend, Top Gun, Knight and Day) and Nicole Kidman (Days of Thunder, Practical
Magic, Cold Mountain) were freshly married and still madly in love in their
happy honeymoon phase. That comes through in their characters and adds an
underlying warmth to the movie. (It also makes for some good giggles in a
certain scene where it’s said Cruise is really naked beneath that pot – or bedpan
– whatever it was.) The soundtrack to this film is also amazing, with several
numbers by one of my favorite Irish musicians, Enya.
9 - Patriot Games (1992)
Viewing Options: Netflix
DVD, Amazon Prime, YouTube (purchase), Vudu, Hulu Subscription, Epix Subscription
Director: Phillip Noyce
Actors: Harrison Ford, Sean
Bean, Anne Archer, Thora Birch, Samuel L. Jackson
Genre: Action, Thriller
Rated: R
More Information Here.
Blurb: When CIA Analyst Jack
Ryan interferes with an IRA assassination, a renegade faction targets him and
his family for revenge.
Harrison Ford (Indiana Jones and
the Temple of Doom, Ender's Game, Age of Adaline) was an action movie icon
of the 80s and 90s. This was one of his well-known films of the latter. I love him to pieces – he reminds me a lot of
my late maternal grandfather. I digress… the rogue IRA operative played by Sean
Bean (The Hitcher, Game of Thrones, The
Martian) is enough to fit this list’s criteria. If you want to know if Bean
survives this movie or not – you’ll need to check out this Ford classic to find
out.
8 - The Commitments (1991)
Viewing Options: Netflix,
Amazon Instant Video, Vudu, iTunes
Director: Alan Parker
Actors: Robert Arkins,
Michael Aherne, Angeline Ball, Maria Doyle Kennedy, Dave Finnegan, Bronagh
Gallagher, Colm Meaney
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Music
Rated: R
More Information Here.
Blurb: After scouring Dublin
to find musicians with soul, an aspiring band manager builds a band of locals
with tons of raw talent -- and zero experience.
This movie’s a mix of good tunes and good story. Blues isn’t always my
musical genre of choice, but it didn’t stop me from enjoying my ride with this
making-of-a-band film. It follows some predictable recipes, but not to its detriment.
7 - Into the West (1992)
Viewing Options: Xfinity or Amazon with STARZ channel
subscription
Director: Mike Newell
Actors: Gabriel Byrne, Ellen
Barkin, Ciarán Fitzgerald, Rúaidhrí Conroy, David Kelly, Colm Meaney, John
Kavanagh, Brendan Gleeson, Liam Cunningham
Genre: Adventure, Family,
Fantasy
Rated: PG
More Information Here.
Blurb: Grandpa Ward gives a
horse he found to his grandchildren, who keep it in their tower-block flat in
Dublin. The horse is stolen from them, and the two young boys set out to find
it and flee on it.
Gabriel Byrne (End of Days, Stigmata, Vampire Academy) stars with two
adorable little Irish boys in this magical family tale. The horse is gorgeous and
the tale is a little wild – in a good way. Imagine a horse inside an apartment,
if you will. If you can’t wrap your mind around that, you’ll actually see it in
this movie. The film is adorable, endearing, and one of my favorites. The story
also takes a peek into the world of Ireland’s version of gypsies – The Travelers.
6 - The Secret of Roan Inish (1994)
Viewing Options: Netflix
DVD, Amazon Instant Video, YouTube (purchase), Vudu, iTunes
Director: John Sayles
Actors: Jeni Courtney,
Eileen Colgan, Mick Lally
Genre: Drama, Family,
Fantasy
Rated: PG
More Information Here.
Rotten Tomatoes Blurb: In
this family film, set in Ireland, ten-year-old Fiona is sent to Donegal to live
with her grandparents. On the nearby island of Roan Inish, she spies a wild
child. Fiona believes that the child is her long-lost brother, who mysteriously
disappeared when his cradle floated out on the tide.
Selkies are one of the many creatures that dwell within the vivid and
magical landscape of Irish folklore. This movie dives in to that mythology as
this adorably precocious little girl tries to search for her long lost brother.
Rotten Tomatoes
has this movie scored as 98% fresh.
5 - Song of the Sea (2014)
Viewing Options: Netflix
DVD, Amazon Prime, YouTube (purchase), Vudu, iTunes
Director: Tomm Moore
Actors: David Rawle, Brendan
Gleeson, Lisa Hannigan, Lucy O'Connell, Fionnula Flanagan
Genre: Animation, Adventure,
Family
Rated: PG
More Information Here.
Blurb: Ben, a young Irish
boy, and his little sister Saoirse, a girl who can turn into a seal, go on an
adventure to free the faeries and save the spirit world.
Irish writer, director, and animator Tomm Moore (Puffin Rock, Backwards
Boy, The Secret of Kells) brings this beautiful story to life for a
family-friendly adventure. I haven’t seen it yet but it is near the top of the
list of movies I want to watch. This
film also explores the selkie mythology – though, this time in animated format.
Rotten Tomatoes
has this one as 99% fresh, as well. I sincerely hope that this makes it to
Netflix streaming soon so that we have a chance to review this for you.
4 - Waking Ned Divine (1998)
Viewing Options: Amazon
Instant Video, YouTube (purchase), Vudu, iTunes
Director: Kirk Jones
Actors: Ian Bannen, David Kelly, Fionnula Flanagan
Genre: Comedy
Rated: PG
More Information Here.
Blurb: When a lottery winner
dies of shock, his fellow townsfolk attempt to claim the money.
Imagine Weekend at Bernies (1998) set in Ireland – and instead of a bunch of young adult boneheads trying to take advantage of a dead guy, it’s a whole town of Irish folk in their ‘golden years’ pulling the wool over the lottery man’s eyes rather than dodging a hitman. From what I’ve heard about this movie, it just seems hilarious.
3 - Leap Year (2010)
Viewing Options: Netflix,
Amazon Instant Video, YouTube (purchase), Vudu, iTunes
Director: Anand Tucker
Actors: Amy Adams, Matthew
Goode, Adam Scott
Genre: Comedy, Romance
Rated: PG
Trust the Dice Review
More Information Here.
Blurb: Anna chooses February
29 to propose marriage to her boyfriend, but after meeting a charming
innkeeper, she must evaluate her original plans.
Check out our recent review of this movie, linked above. I loved it. It’s
endearing and the perfect movie to cuddle up with someone special for a night
in with.
2 - Brooklyn (2015)
Viewing Options: HBOGo,
Amazon Instant Video, YouTube (purchase), Vudu, Xfinity Subscription, iTunes
Director: John Crowley
Actors: Saoirse Ronan, Emory
Cohen, Domhnall Gleeson, Emily Bett Rickards
Genre: Drama, Romance
Rated: PG-13
More Information Here.
Blurb: An Irish immigrant
lands in 1950s Brooklyn, where she quickly falls into a romance with a local.
When her past catches up with her, however, she must choose between two
countries and the lives that exist within.
I have been absolutely dying to see this movie. I’ve missed it the few
times I’ve seen it cycling through HBO and my DVR has eaten my recording of it
at least once already. One of these days I’ll actually manage it. I was
enchanted by the trailer for this movie. It made our November
2015 Top 20 list when it was released to theaters. The film was nominated
for three Oscars and also many other awards (and even won a few). Irish actress
Saoirse Ronan (The Lovely Bones, Hanna,
Byzantium) seems to have been born to play this role.
1 - The Secret of Kells (2009)
Viewing Options: Netflix,
Amazon Instant Video, YouTube (purchase), Vudu, Xfinity Subscription, iTunes
Directors: Tomm Moore, Nora
Twomey
Actors: Evan McGuire,
Christen Mooney, Brendan Gleeson, Mick Lally
Genre: Animation, Adventure,
Family
Rated: Unrated
More Information Here.
Blurb: When Vikings attack
and Irish abbey, the young nephew of an abbott must brave an enchanted forest
to complete work on a legendary book.
This is yet another Irish animated movie by Tomm Moore (Puffin Rock,
Backwards Boy, Song of the Sea). It actually predated his prior film in this
list. This one is also currently on Netflix streaming service and has been
milling about in our list of potential movies for review. The dice keep
narrowly missing landing on this title. I’ve heard so many good things about
this movie. The Book of Kells is one of the most beautiful and well known
illustrated manuscripts of all time. I am fascinated at a prospect of a film
that takes a fanciful and magical twist on that.
Whatever your St. Patrick’s Day plans; have fun, be safe, remember your
designated driver if you plan to consume mass quantities of green alcohol, and
may the dice ever be in your favor.
But
I Digress... is a weekly column for trustthedice.com that can't be
pinned down to just one thing. It's Cat's celebration of tangents,
random references, and general fan geekdom that both intertwines with,
revolves around, and diverges from our movie-review core. In homage to
the beloved Brit comedians, we want to bring you something completely
different!
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