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Before Hollywood rubber-stamped a parade of thin, formulaic cash-ins and ruined Elvis as a legitimate box-office draw, there was one iconic film: "Jailhouse Rock" from 1957. Elvis plays an ex-con who discovers his latent musical talent in the pokey. How convenient, what with all that time to practice. When he gets his freedom, he sets out to make music and break hearts. "Jailhouse" was early enough in Elvis’s career that director Richard Thorpe was allowed to make Elvis look, talk, and feel edgy. Even dangerous. This wouldn’t happen again. It’s a real shame, because, after all, rebellion was the original draw of Rock n’ Roll. After "Jailhouse," producers and handlers were keen to scrub any hard edges off Elvis’s gleaming pop facade. It’s yet another case of greedy Hollywood dealmakers mucking up a really good thing.

No surprise then that so many movies feature couples tying the knot, for better or for worse. From acknowledged classics like “Gone with the Wind”(1939), “The Philadelphia Story” (1940), and “The Sound of Music” (1966), to more recent crowd pleasers like “Meet the Parents” (2000) and “Mamma Mia” (2008), a wedding always features in the plot.

French cinema is alive and well in the 21st century, as evidenced by these twelve titles, all made since the millennium. They are all…magnifique!

With streaming, you get that thing we all crave: immediate gratification. Complete spontaneity, no need to plan ahead. And that’s a big deal over the holidays, when we’re all over-stressed, overbooked, overloaded. Who has time to think about what to watch on Christmas Eve before you’re actually there?

With Thanksgiving upon us, let’s consider those memorable movie moments that capture family (and friends) around the dinner table or kitchen. When we all convene together like this, amazing things happen- and get said! Here are some great titles, old and new, that reflect this abiding truth.

We movie fans all know there are times when only a mystery or thriller will do. These films draw us in from the start, and hold us fast till the finish. We are side-by-side with the protagonists as they solve a crime, or work to clear themselves, or attempt something we’d never want to risk ourselves.