Why "Just Go with It" Won't Be as Good as "Cactus Flower"

As I mentioned earlier, they've remade the classic Cactus Flower into an Adam Sandler comedy. I personally am a big fan of Cactus Flower so I'm not sure I can be completely objective, but it just seems like the new one isn't going to be nearly as good. Here's why.

Cactus Flower Remake

Apparently they're remaking one of my favorite films, Cactus Flower, as a dumb Jennifer Aniston/Adam Sandler romantic comedy, Just Go With It. What made the original great were the three main stars and the incredibly corny '60's music and dancing and weird catch phrases. So, I have little hope for this new one that looks like every other boring romantic comedy they come out with these days.

Cactus Flower

If you haven't seen Cactus FlowerI highly recommend doing so, and even if you have seen it, you should watch it again. It was on the other night, and I got the chance to watch parts of it. I had forgotten what a fabulous movie it was!

Walter Matthau plays a dentist who enjoys the company of the younger ladies. Goldie Hawn plays his young girlfriend and Ingrid Bergman plays his kind of boring nurse. They get mixed up in a bit of a love triangle. Actually, it's a love hexagon. Goldie Hawn works in a record shop which is kind of cool, since I've never actually gotten to see a real record shop! Meanwhile, this is the first movie I've seen with a very young Goldie Hawn, and she's hilarious! She even won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress.

This is by far the most 60's looking movie I have ever seen. There are lots of bell bottoms, and Goldie Hawn wears quite an array of interesting outfits. The best part of the movie by far, is a fabulous scene in a very retro nightclub where they incessantly play 60's elevator music. Ingrid Bergman's character is starting to loosen up and she finds herself at this nightclub on a date. Things get a little out of hand and she proceeds to the dance floor where she invents a very special dance called "the dentist". It's worth seeing the movie for "the dentist" alone. I'm telling you, there is nothing that compares to some "trendy" dancing in a 60's movie.

Great Classic Films You Can Stream Right Now for FREE

These days, if I can't stream something, is it really worth watching?? Ok well, the answer is yes because, sadly, there are hardly any Judy Garland movies streaming. Nonetheless, there are some great movies that are streaming for FREE right now on apps like Pluto, Plex, Roku, and Hoopla (which requires a sign up through your local library). Some of them have ads but it's a small price to pay for a great movie without having to get up off the couch and put on a Blu Ray.

Here's a list of some of my favorites. If you're looking for more options, check out JustWatch.com where you can search and see what's available for free or through subscription services.

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Gaslight - Roku

Guys & Dolls - Roku, Pluto

It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World - Roku, Pluto

Till the Clouds Roll By - Plex, Roku, Pluto - There's a painful lack of musicals streaming, so here's one if you need it.

Cactus Flower - Plex - I just love this wonderfully 60's movie. 

That Touch of Mink - Pluto - I love it. Doris Day, Cary Grant, sexual innuendo. Have you ever noticed that Doris Day tends to sing a weird dramatic song while she's considering whether or not to sleep with her leading man? She does.

Houseboat - Pluto - Truly one of my favorites!

McLintock! - Roku, Plex - I mean, McLintock. What can I say? It's a movie with an exclamation point in the title. Classic Maureen O'Hara and John Wayne shenanigans.

Rio Grande - Pluto - I'm not super into westerns, but ... Maureen O'Hara.

Indiscreet - Pluto

The Grass is Greener - Pluto - This may not be the most amazing movie but Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr are always delightful together and it has its moments.

Roman Holiday - Pluto - A handful of great Audrey Hepburn movies coming up!

Charade - Roku, Plex

Breakfast at Tiffany's - Hoopla

Sabrina (1954 and 1995!) - Pluto

The African Queen - Pluto - It's been years since I've seen this one. Might have to give it a watch.

To Catch A Thief - Pluto

The House of Usher - Pluto - If you're in the mood for some corny Vincent Price horror movies, you're in luck...

The House on Haunted Hill - Roku, Pluto

The Last Man on Earth - Roku, Pluto

The Raven - Pluto

The Pit and the Pendulum - Pluto

The Tingler - Roku, Pluto, Plex

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And some non-movie honorable mentions. The Roku channel has lots of great old TV shows if you need to binge:

Alfred Hitchcock Presents/Alfred Hitchcock Hour

The Doris Day Show

The Carol Burnett Show

The Dick Van Dyke Show