[Jayne Osborn]

What fun, Marion! Thanks for this - but please can we have the film titles with the limericks? They're not all immediately obvious!

The Shawshank Redemption (my favourite film of all time)

Poor Andy is framed, but his head
is screwed on OK! He meets Red,
then escapes through a hole;
Red at last gets parole
and they live rich and happy instead.

[Chris O'Carroll]

Marty’s life in the present day sucks
Until Doc Brown’s capacitor’s flux
Helps him rewrite the past
So his father, at last,
Can have confidence, cool, and big bucks.

[Orwn Acra]

La Nouvelle Vague?

[Brian Allgar]

I haven't seen The Shawshank Redemption, Jayne. I'll keep an eye out for it.

[Brian Allgar]

Shadow of a doubt

There’s something a little bit rotten
About Charlie (portrayed by J. Cotten);
Rich widows keep dying,
Detectives are trying
To catch him ... the rest, I’ve forgotten.

The Third Man

In post-war Vienna, where crime
Is endemic, the crook Harry Lime,
On the run from pursuers,
Is trapped in the sewers -
His death is for real this time.

[Marion Shore]

Chris emailed me with a great name for these:

FILMERICKS!


The Wizard of Oz

In a setting of bleak monochrome,
a girl with a penchant to roam
takes a journey unplanned
through a colorful land
and learns that there's no place like home.

[Brian Allgar]

FILMERICKS is excellent!

An alternative might be "LIMERFLICKS", although I'm not sure if the word "flicks" is used by Americans for films. Actually, I'm not sure if it's still used much by the English these days, but when I was a kid, I always looked forward to "going to the flicks".

Marion, had you thought of suggesting this as a competition to the NS or Spectator?

[Jayne Osborn]

Oh, this thread is SUPERB, Marion! Thank you so much for kicking it off; it's such a splendid idea I'm surprised the NS or Speccie haven't come up with it.

Like Brian, I always used to (and occasionally still do) say I'm going 'to the flicks' - so I think "Filmericks" and "Limerflicks" are both great names for this fun exercise. You've really started something!!!!!

Brian,
The Shawshank Redemption is based on a Stephen King short story called "Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption" and in various polls comes up time and time again as being in people's Top Three or Top Ten Films; I've watched it no end of times and never tire of it. DO get a copy from ebay or Amazon!

Jayne

[Marion Shore]

Jayne, I added my titles.

As Brian said, Chris's are "The Graduate" and "Casablanca".

Though I haven't seen it, I think Shaun's is "Lawrence of Arabia".

Brian's are "Psycho" and "North by Northwest".

Orwn has me stumped.

These are great!

Jayne I loved Shawshank also. Your limerick does it justice. Although shouldn't you say something about what kind of hole he escaped through? Well, maybe not...

[Marion Shore]

A boy and girl's love is beset
by a hatred their folks can't forget.
The fighting gets gory--
Could it be "West Side Story"?
Or "Romeo and Juliet?"