High-Def Digest's Can't Miss Valentine's Day Movie Guide

HDD's Aaron Peck offers his picks for can't miss Valentine's Day movies!

by Aaron Peck

Valentine's Day is less than a week away! You can bet by now all the good restaurants are already booked up with reservations. You'll probably forget the flowers and chocolates until it's too late and then you're looking at some pretty crazy shipping prices. Now what are you going to do?

Instead of running around trying to put a Valentine's Day date together at the very last second, why don't you pop a bowl of popcorn and cuddle up next to that special someone in the comfort of your own home? Here's a list of ten movies that would be perfect movies to watch on that special day.

'10 Things I Hate About You'

One of the best high school rom-coms around, and its got a young Heath Ledger who's always easy on the eyes. '10 Things I Hate About You' was definitely smarter than it should have been. It's one of those rom-coms that I don't mind revisiting again and again, and it's a perfect choice for a relaxing Valentine's Day at home.

'(500) Days of Summer'

Not all romances go the way you planned them in your head. Not every romance ends up with the happy doe-eyed lovers embracing for a kiss right before the credits role. Sometimes, love doesn't work through a pre-packaged Hollywood formula. It's great to remind ourselves of this every once and a while. ‘(500) Days of Summer' has the perfect blend of romance, without all the clichés that usually find their way into romantic comedies. Also, this gives you a chance to either a) watch this with you girlfriend and find out if she's exhibiting any Summer characteristics or b) watch this with your wife and be thankful your not still in the dating pool and dealing with all those head games.

'Casablanca'

Ah, the classic love story. If your wife/girlfriend is the type of girl who loves revisiting the classics, then this is a perfect choice. One of the all time greatest romantic flicks in cinema. Seriously, you can't go wrong here. This classic looks BEAUTIFUL on Blu-ray

'Dirty Dancing'

Sometimes, guys, you've just got to grin and bear it. ‘Dirty Dancing' is resoundingly loved by just about every female on the planet. Why? I really have no idea. Still, they love it, and if you're looking to please your significant other you'll just have to silently suffer through all of Swayze's hip gyrations.

'Knocked Up'

This one plays the romantic angle a little differently. A guy gets a girl pregnant, and then they have to work out their differences for the good of the baby. Judd Apatow is great at creating real characters with very real problems. He doesn't necessarily work toward a happy ending, rather he works towards a happy new beginning for his characters. This is a great choice if you're looking for a rom-com that doesn't follow the normal clichés.

'Lars and the Real Girl' WARNING: NOT available on Blu-ray

Unfortunately, this one's not available on Blu-ray right yet, but it had to be included on the list. Now this is a different kind of love story, but it doesn't make it any less touching. Who says love has to be between two humans? Lars falls head over heels for a lifelike doll, and it's downright endearing to watch it happen. What a beautiful little film. I know that this is sort of an odd pick, but go ahead and watch it. Tell me you don't feel moved by Lars' unconditional love. I also feel like pleading for a Blu-ray release of ‘Lars.' That would be a perfect Valentine's Day gift for everyone.

'Love Actually'

I'd just like to quote our own Josh Zyber here, "'Love Actually', [is] a film jam-packed with A-list stars and bursting at the seams with intertwining narratives all on the subject of love in the modern age. Somehow, amazingly, it works." Now that's a perfect endorsement for this movie. Tons of narratives have been woven together into a poignant, funny, and all together fantastic rom-com.

'The Princess Bride'

Wesley, Buttercup, and a whole lot of laughs. Their loves spans space and time. It's a modern day comedy classic, there's just no other way to say it. It has everything: Love, romance, action, adventure, and humor. ‘The Princess Bride' is infinitely watchable and is always a wonderful choice when you're looking for a movie that really embodies true love. Or was it "to blave"?

'Say Anything'

Hang on! We can't forget the 80s on this list. Can anyone forget the iconic scene with Jon Cusack standing outside holding a boombox over his head? All for the woman he loves. What a fantastic movie choice for Valentine's Day. Oh, and don't forget that our own M. Enois Duarte gave this film a whopping 4.5 out of 5 stars. Now that's a recommendation you can take to the bank. (And yes, the boombox scene was shot right down the street from HDD editor-in-chief Mike Attebery's house.)

'You've Got Mail'

Even though I've tried to steer clear of the cheesy, clichéd rom-com movies, I must admit that there are girls out there that just like to cuddle up and watch something predictable. In that case Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan's little movie about how love can be kindled over e-mail is worth a watch. Hanks makes the movie bearable for the guy. The light, airy feeling that accompanies the movie actually makes it pretty easy to watch. Yes, you know exactly what's going to happen, but it's one of the better conventional rom-coms out there.

Now, I know what some of you are saying. "But, Aaron. I don't have a girlfriend or wife. Frankly, I think love stinks." Well, I've got you covered there too. Invite your other single, bitter guy friends over and watch 'My Bloody Valentine' with them. Nothing like celebrating Valentine's Day with a few buddies and a good ol' bloody slasher flick.

To all of you out there, Happy Valentine's Day from High-Def Digest. We hope these suggestions help you score.

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