10 Burt Reynolds Movies Everyone Should See

With Burt Reynolds' latest film (The Last Movie Star) now out, it seemed like a good time to add another entry to this ongoing '10 Movies Everyone Should See' series. Previous entries have included Sean Connery, Alfred Hitchcock, Tom Hanks, and James Stewart Just to name a few. (You can check those by clicking Here)  Like the rest of the series, this isn't a "Top 10" but rather more of an overall a look at a person's career.

#10 Breaking In (1989)

There were a few films that I debated on putting at the #10 spot, but this film about an expert safe-cracker and a two-bit crook teaming up to pull a few heists ultimately won out. It's not an all-time great movie, but it's a lot of fun.

#9 Boogie Nights (1997)

Boogie Nights isn't my favorite film on this list, but it's well directed, has a pretty good cast, and is one of Reynold's most critically acclaimed performances so it deserves a place a spot.

#8 The Last Movie Star (2018)

I actually had a different film in this spot originally but, after seeing The Last Movie Star I had to include it on the list. I wrote a more in-depth review (which you can check out by clicking HERE) but, the main reason it made it on to this list is that I think it's one of Burt's best acting performances.

#7 City Heat (1984)

If you like Clint Eastwood, Burt Reynolds, and mobster movies then this is one you'll definetly want to check out. While not the best film either one of the leads has been in, I think it's enjoyable and worthwhile.

#6 Deliverance (1972)

This film about a group of friends that take a canoe trip that goes horribly wrong is not a movie I would describe as a 'fun' watch, but it's still arguably the best overall film that Burt has been in.

#5 The End (1978)

One of several films on this list that teamed up Burt Reynolds win Dom DeLuise, this one is a really underrated comedy about a man who has convinced himself that he wants to commit suicide but is too afraid to go through with it.

#4 All Dogs Go to Heaven (1989)

Burt voices the animated character Charlie Barkin, a con-artist German Shepard, in this Don Bluth film. It's a solid animated feature and is certainly a unique entry on the Burt Reynolds filmography.

#3 The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982)

Burt Reynolds joins Dolly Parton in this musical about, as the title would suggest, a whorehouse in Texas. Although this adaptation of a stage production received mixed reviews from critics, it is actually one of my favorites on this list.

#2 The Cannonball Run (1981)

Burt Reynolds may not have always chosen the best films but he usually chose fun ones. Cannonball Run is one of the all-time just for fun films, with a great cast of crazy characters all competing in a cross-country auto race.

#1 Smokey and the Bandit (1977)

This one is a bit of an obvious choice as it's definitely the film Burt is best known for, and for good reason. Smokey and the Bandit was a big hit at the box-office and has become something of an American classic.



Honorable Mentions: The Longest Yard(1974), Stick (1985), Mystery Alaska (1999), Gator (1976), White Lightning (1973), Fuzz, (1972), Semi-Tough (1977), 100 Rifles (1969)

80's Month Day 27: The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas

Well, '80's Month' is quickly coming to a close and today's movie is 1982's The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. The film is based on a stage play of the same name (which I've never seen so I won't attempt to compare the two), and it's a bit of an odd but fun movie. 

 

The movie is about a whorehouse in Texas (as the title would suggest) which has been nicknamed the "Chicken Ranch". The Chicken Ranch, which has been a fixture in the community for years, is run by a woman named Mona (played by Dolly Parton) who just wants to run a nice establishment. She's involved with the town Sheriff, Ed Earl Dodd (played by Burt Reynolds) which only complicates matters later in the film. There are a few musical numbers in the movie and, while they're not those sort of stuck in your head all day tunes, some of them are pretty entertaining. The Sneakin' Around sequence in particular is a lot of fun. 

Well, despite this local brothel never causing any trouble and being generally excepted by the community, a "watchdog" reporter named Melvin P. Thorpe (played by Dom DeLuise) aims to rid Texas of this immoral establishment. Eventually, after butting heads with the Sheriff on numerous occasions, Thorpe does get what he wants in the end and the Chicken Ranch is shut down. This isn't one of the funniest Dom DeLuise roles, but I don't think it's really supposed to be. A lot of the funniest lines actually come from Ed Earl's Deputy (played by Jim Nabors).

Overall, if you like Burt Reynolds, Dolly Parton and the occasional musical number, then you'll probably have a good time with this one. I really like the movie, but I wouldn't call it any sort of masterpiece. It's one of those rare films that I'm really not sure how good it is but, I enjoy it. 

So, a 3.5 out of 5 seems like a fair rating.

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