Ten Movies for an Anti-Valentine's Day Party

I don't consider myself to be Anti-Valentine's Day. I'm a single lady who enjoys my day and doesn't wallow in self-pity every Feb. 14. Being single, believe it or not, is not the end of the world.

However, I decided to have a little fun this year and come up with a Top 10 list of Anti-Valentine's Day movies. Instead of being depressed this Valentine's Day, why not get together with some single friends and have a movie marathon? After watching these flicks, you may find yourself happy to be single. Love can be crazy!

10. My Bloody Valentine

I haven't seen the original 1981 film, so this will be referring to the more recent version that was released last year. Not exactly the best horror movie I've ever seen, but since it has "Valentine" in the title, I decided it deserves a spot on this list. The film revolves around the mining town of Harmony, where a tragic accident claimed the lives of six miners. Only Harry Warden survived, but is in a coma. He awakens on Valentine's Day and kills 22 people. Harry is believed to have been killed by the deputy. Ten years later, Tom Hanniger, one of the few survivors, returns to the town, and unfortunately, so does Harry Warden.

9. Obsessed

I have to admit that I actually enjoyed this movie, much more than I expected to. Derek Charles is a hard working executive with a beautiful wife (Beyonce) and daughter. He has the perfect marriage and family. But it all comes falling down around him with a new temp at his company (Ali Larter) develops a crush on him and can't take "No" for an answer. Larter takes her obsession to the extreme, as she tries to destroy everything that has meaning in Derek's life, including his family. If anything, this movie was worth watching just to see the cat-fight scene between Larter and Beyonce.

8. The Stepford Wives (the original)

I'm not even going to begin to discuss what I think of the 1994 dud of a film starring Nicole Kidman, but I will say that it's a good example as why Hollywood should leave the classics alone. No, instead I am referring to the original 1972 thriller, in which Joanna Eberhart begins to suspect that the overly submissive the housewives in her Connecticut neighborhood may have actually been programmed by their husbands in order to have the perfect wife. Granted, it's cheesy and corny compared to today's filmmaking, but it still has its moments of creepiness.

7. Twisted

Jessica Shepard (Ashley Judd) is an inspector with the San Francisco police force. She and her partner, Mike Delmarco (Andy Garcia) are assigned to a case involving the murder of one of Shepard's one night stands. Soon Shepard becomes a suspect herself, when three more murders take place, all involving men she had a relationship with. I have always loved Ashley Judd's work and while this may not be considered one of her best films, it's definitely one of my favorites.

6. Alfred Hitchcock's Rebecca

In this psychological thriller, Maximilian (Maxim) de Winter marries a young woman played by Joan Fontaine (the character is never actually named) and subsequently takes her to live at Manderley, his country house in Cornwall, England. His previous wife, Rebecca, died under mysterious circumstances, and the new lady of the house has a difficult time trying to fit in, as all the servants remain loyal to Rebecca and are reluctant to accept Maxim's new bride. It's not long before the housekeeper, Mrs. Denvers, tries driving the new wife insane. A classic film that has stood the test of time. You can't go wrong with Hitchcock.

5. What Lies Beneath

Michelle Pfeiffer and Harrison Ford play Claire and Norman Spencer, a seemingly normal, loving couple, until Claire begins to experience the supernatural in their home - falling pictures, doors opening and closing, and strange reflections in her bathtub. It's not long before this couple comes face to face with a terrible secret that threatens to destroy their perfect life. Done in the style of Alfred Hitchcock, What Lies Beneath is one of my all-time favorite thrillers.

4. Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte

As this horror film opens, it is 1927 and Charlotte Hollis (Bette Davis), is a woman accused of murdering her married lover, John Mayhew, with a cleaver during a party at her family's mansion. Fast forward to 1964. Now Hollis is a middle-aged, wealthy spinster, living at her family's estate. The Louisiana Highway Commission attempts to evict her so that can demolish her home and build a new highway through the property, but she refuses to leave. Although she is a recluse, she seeks help in fighting the Highway Commission from her poor cousin, Miriam. Soon after Miriam's arrival, Charlotte's sanity deteriorates as she is haunted by mysterious piano playing and by the appearance of Mayhew's hand and head. It's not long before Hollis is almost driven to the brink of insanity and discovers a dark secret Miriam has been hiding.

4. Revolutionary Road

It's 1955 and Frank and April Wheeler (Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet) are a self-assured young married couple filled with hopes and aspirations for their future. They don't like being in a suburban rut and April convinces Frank they should move to Paris, where she will work and support Frank as he follows his own ambitions and dreams. After conceiving a third children, their plans for Paris fall apart and April, overwhelmed by her situation, turns to drastic measures. This is definitely not the film I was expecting to see. I had no idea it would be so depressing and heart-wrenching, but I must say that DiCaprio and Winslet are a perfect team on screen and for that alone this film is worth watching.

2. Fatal Attraction

"I'm not gonna be ignored, Dan!" A movie list like this wouldn't be complete without this one. I didn't see Fatal Attraction for the first time until a few years ago, but once you see it, it's hard to forget. This thriller from 1987 stars Michael Douglas as Daniel Gallagher, a married man who has a brief affair with Alex (Glenn Close), a woman who becomes obsessed with him. And like all of our other obsessed ladies, this one isn't about to let her man go so easily. This film definitely has some of the craziest scenes I have ever seen (i.e. the bunny boiler). The next time you're thinking of having an affair, watch this film and perhaps you'll think twice.

1. Valentine

We began with a Valentine movie, so why not end with one? In 1988 Jeremy Melton is continually rejected by his peers, especially the girls. One of these girls accuses him of attacking her, leading the more popular boys to strip him and beat him up. Fast forward to 2001 - all the girls who rejected him are now in their 20s and trying to figure out their own love lives, as most young women do at that age. After one of them is murdered, the rest of the women begin receiving morbid Valentine's Day cards. They eventually figure out that Jeremy could be responsible, but nobody knows where he is or what he looks like now. Has Jeremy come back for revenge? Again, not the best movie on this list, but since it takes place during Valentine's Day, it gets my top spot.

Happy movie watching!