Secret treasures

I tuned into "At The Movies" on Saturday eagerly awaiting the review of "Step Up 3D." I had seen the film on Friday and loved it more than I thought possible. But I couldn't help but wonder if I'd gone soft or deluded. So I waited to hear from Michael Philips and A.O. Scott.

The review began that the story was ridiculous, the acting was cheesy and the plot was predictable. Then came the words I was waiting to hear, "And I absolutely loved it," Philips said. Scott quickly echoed that sentiment and the both gave it high marks.

So now you're wondering, was it a good movie? Yes and no. "Step Up 3D" won't win any Academy Awards, and it probably won't make many Top 10 lists, but it was entertaining. Sometimes there are movies that just grab you and hold you and defy explanation. That's the reason why, two weekends ago, I stayed up until 1 a.m. watching "Stick It" on USA. It's not a great movie, it's not even a good movie, but I got sucked in. I think, by the way, this is the excuse we can use for re-watching almost any movie made in the 1980s.

So I thought I'd give you a couple of films I like that simply defy expectation. We'll call them secret treasures. Movies that you can't justify liking for any reason, but you just do. Here's three from me:

First, "Bring It On" (2000). It's a teen comedy about cheerleaders. That alone should disqualify it from my list, but I actually own this movie and have seen in upwards of a dozen times. It began in college. My roommate and I rented it because we rented almost every new release. I thought it would be dumb. It was. But it stuck with me.

By the time I returned the film, I had seen it three times, once with director's commentary. Next thing I knew, when my birthday rolled around, that is what my roommates got me for my birthday. I should probably have been ashamed, but instead I was secretly excited because I could now watch the movie in pop up video mode and learn random cheerleading facts. I've done that a couple times. In short, I can't explain why but the movie makes me laugh.

Second, "She's The Man" (2006). I saw this movie with my sister, in Atascadero, as part of my role as film reviewer. I expected to hate it. I didn't. The movie is, for reasons I can't process, hilarious. I bought it when it came out on DVD and now have to check yes on any survey that asks if I own an Amanda Bynes movie. There is really no reason why the film should have appealed to me. However, I liked this slapstick modern Shakespeare update, the acting worked for me, and for some reason the jokes made me laugh.

They still do. If it's been a dark, tough week, sometimes I will try to lighten the mood with "She's The Man." It usually does the trick, unfortunately.

Finally, I love Michael Bay movies. This may seem like cheating because this is more than one movie, but as a serious film critic I probably shouldn't like Bay as one of my favorite filmmakers. But I do. I own all his movies ("The Rock," "Bad Boys," "Bad Boys II," "Armaggedon," "The Island," "Pearl Harbor," "Transformers," and "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.") Sometimes you just want to kick back, catch a few laughs, and see some great explosions. That is Bay's forte.

He used to direct music videos, so you can see that glamorous style in his films. His trade mark is sweeping slow motion shots and explosions. I guess this part of the list partially restores my manhood, which is good. Sometimes you just need a simple, straight-forward action comedy. And Bay delivers that in spades.

So there you have it, some of my secret treasures. Hey, we all have them. Why not proudly celebrate the films we love but can't justify!