You know, there are two types of folks in this world. Those who were born in Texas and those that wish they were. And with the release of this week's No Country For Old Men, I reckon there'll be a lot of interest in movies about Texas. So wouldn't you know it, the Yankees here in the DVD section agreed and asked the one man on the staff who might know a little something about the greatest state in the union, the one who was born there, to write a little somethin' on the topic.

So here are a couple of good ole films for ya'll from the only good ole boy on staff:

Varsity Blues
While a lot of you Yanks might be big on the whole Friday Night Lights trip, let me let you in on a little secret. "Based on a true story" means just that: that it was based on one. Truth is that Permian Odessa never made it to finals that year. They were beaten in the semi-finals by Converse Judson, a school that went on to get defeated by Dallas Carter in the only game ever to be overturned by a court of law (which is what the book, Friday Night Lights was REALLY about). Judson has the win in the record books with an asterisk. Guess which school I went to? Judson.
Varsity Blues is an oft overlooked and mighty fine film about just how important we hold high school football here in Texas. Sadly mislabeled as a teen film from the fame of its star James Van der Beek (a fine actor and about as nice a guy as you'll ever meet that isn't from Texas), this movie nails what it's like to go to a football-centric high school. You know, like Judson, which was the state champion more than any other high school in the state. Go Rockets.

Lone Star
One of John Sayles finest films, and that's saying a lot. This is his film about mysteries intertwined with an ending I wish I could forget so I could watch it all over again for the first time. Over and over and over again. This is another of those If you haven't seen it go rent it now movies.

Dazed and Confused
Austin, Texas in 1976. It's the last day of school and all hell is breaking loose in the best way possible. This is one of those classic casts from which the actors, over time, have become huge stars: Ben Affleck, Parker Posey, Matthew McConaughey, Rory Cochrane, Adam Goldberg, Cole Hauser, Milla Jovovich, Joey Lauren Adams, Nicky Katt, and a small appearance by then undiscovered Renee Zellweger. All in a film by some guy named Richard Linklater. Find a better movie about the last day of school. I dare you!

Texas Chainsaw Massacre
Come on. It makes every horror top 10 list. It scared a generation and inspired three sequels, a remake, a prequel to the remake, and more knock-offs than you can count. All based on a true story that didn't happen anywhere in Texas, and only involved one guy and had zero, count 'em, zero chainsaws. Not too shabby. Actually the best part of this movie is that everyone remembers it being gory, gory, gory and yet there's almost no blood in it. It's all in your head. That's the magic of Chainsaw.

C. Robert Cargill - - - Email Me

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