Best Movie Restaurants - MPAA Blasted on Oral Sex - Top 10 Sports Movies

CMG's List of the Best Movie Restaurants

I consider myself a 'foodie'.  I do not cook, at all, but I do enjoy eating all sorts and types of food prepared by others - from street vendors in Singapore and food trucks in Buffalo, to culinary on-the-edge joints like Alinea's in Chicago or La Bernardine's in NYC. So, I thought it would be a good idea to 'pair' my love for food with my favorite movie restaurants.  They are in no particular order and I'm sure you have favorites of your own - please share.

1. Mos Eisley Cantina - Star Wars - Featured the Modal Nodes Band
2. Jack Rabbit Slim's - Pulp Fiction - '50s style landmark
3. Rick's Café American - Casablanca - Never was a 'real' Rick's
4. Cafeteria (Univ. of Oregon) - Animal House - Belushi at his best
5. Korova Milk Bar - A Clockwork Orange - LSD laced milkshake, anyone
6. Louis Restaurant (the Bronx) - The Godfather - Dining mob-style
7. Katz's Deli - When Harry Met Sally - NYC landmark
8. Gonpachi Nishi-Azabu, Tokyo - Kill Bill - Bloody rare
9. Copacabana - Goodfellas - Wise-guy central
10. Grafton's Saloon - Shane - "a low-down Yankee lair"

Oral Sex - Not Mainstream, Yet

Evan Rachel Wood blasted the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) for demanding that the scenes featuring oral sex be cut from her latest film.  Wood's (26) is starring in 'Charlie Countryman' which would have received an 'NC-17' rating vs. the 'R' rating it has if the oral sex scenes were not omitted.

After viewing the edited version, Wood took to Twitter and described the MPAA action as, "Symptomatic of a society that is frightened of female sexuality.  I would like 2 share my disappointment with the MPAA, who thought it was necessary to censor a woman's sexuality once again. The scene where the two main characters make love was altered because someone felt that seeing a man give a woman oral sex made people 'uncomfortable'.  This is a symptom of a society that wants to shame women and put them down for enjoying sex".

'Charlie Countryman' received the 'R' rating by the MPAA once the oral sex scenes were cut in fear of receiving the dreaded 'NC-17' rating (anyone under 18 not admitted) which can spell box office disaster as the large cinema chains will not exhibit films with an 'NC-17'.

CMG's take: Like most things in society, the more frequent - the more accepted. So, the more film-makers feature oral sex in their movies the less offensive it becomes until it is viewed as normal and not taboo.

10 Best Sports Movies

Published in England since 1791, The Observer, is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper. It also prints some of the best 'top ten lists' and recently it ran a list of the 10 Best Sports Movies. Here is their list:

1. Raging Bull/Boxing
2. The Hustler/Pool
3. Hoop Dreams/Basketball
4. The Wrestler/Professional Wrestling (photo: Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler)
5. Jerry Maquire/Football
6. Point Break/Surfing
7. Bull Durham/Baseball
8. Slap Shot/Hockey
9. Olympia/1936 Olympics
10. This Sporting Life/Rugby
 
Can't say I disagree.

Best
Jim Lavorato