Even though I really love movies, I don’t have much appreciation for the classics. Well, I have an appreciation for them, I just never took the time to sit down and actually watch them so I can really appreciate them.

That changed a little Christmas night. We left Bridget at my mother-in-law’s for a couple of days, so we had the house to ourselves. When we got home, we did what any couple which has been married for 13 years would do – we put on our pajamas and climbed into bed early. We were exhausted.

After watching the end of the final showing of “A Christmas Story” on TBS, we searched for something to watch. Turner Classic had “Casablanca.” When I mentioned to Maria I had never seen the film, our choice was made.

I’m really glad I watched it. The film, obviously, has a lot more than the lines that everyone remembers (and Maria recited in a whisper along with the actors). I didn’t know much about the plot and really enjoyed the story. This kicked off a weekend of good movie watching for us.

On Friday, Encore started a Big 80s movie weekend. The feature that night was “Sixteen Candles,” one of our favorite movies. This time, we both recited the lines along with  the broadcast. I have now decided that “Sixteen Candles” is the “Casablanca” of the 80s because of all the quotable lines. “What’s happenin’, hot stuff?” is the new “Here’s looking at you, kid.”

Maria didn’t want to watch the Encore feature on Sunday night. How anyone cannot love “Red Dawn” is beyond me, but I have come to accept my wife’s shortcomings like she accepts mine. I have it on DVD so can watch it whenever I want. I like that feeling even though I never watch it. I just like to yell “Wolverines!” once in a while.

So we found “Mumford” on one of the other movie channels. What an underrated movie. Loren Dean nails the lead character perfectly and a pretty good supporting cast featuring Alfrie Woodard, Martin Short, and Jason Lee (“My Name is Earl”) wrap it all together. If you have never watched this movie, check it out. The Encore channels show it fairly frequently.

That left the coup de grace for Sunday night. Encore did not disappoint as the 80s weekend came to a close. What better way to end the week than with “Back to the Future,” my wife’s favorite movie. I hadn’t watched it all the way through for a while, so it was very enjoyable. Plus, you can’t go wrong laughing at all the little things in the background of a classic 80s movie.