Babalu Blog: The Movie List

June 07, 2006

The Movie List

Night before last I posted an entry titled "The List" where I called on everyone to note each instance where Cuba is mentioned in movies, television, songs, etc.. Problem is, there are so many references to the island nation in all of those sources that it becomes almost impossible to note them all down simultaneously. Thus, I figured we would do one category at a time and figured movies would be the perfect place to start.

At some point, I will add a link to these lists somewhere on the sidebar, with a description of each moment where Cuba is mentioned in each title. It will be a huge task and hopefully I will have the time to maintain it properly. So, if you do add a movie title or song title or TV episode title, please take a moment to describe the exact scene or line where Cuba is mentioned.

Again, I am doing this to try to gauge just how many references are made to Cuba in American mainstream and pop cultures.

To wit, I give you a list of movies we have so far, please fell free to add titles via the comments section:

MOVIES
The Godfather, Part II
Cuba
Havana
The Break Up
Clear and Present Danger
We were Strangers
A Message to Garcia
Our Man in Havana
Scarface
Mambo Kings
Meet the Fockers
Affair in Havana
Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights
Weekend in Havana
Moscow on the Hudson
Smoke
The Ghost Breakers
The Inlaws
Guys and Dolls
Red Dawn
Original Sin
Bananas
Red Zone Cuba
Dance with Me
Fast and Furious
The Postman Always Rings Twice
Blazing Saddles
Bad Boys II
Heartbreak Ridge
Hunt for Red October
Popi
The Perez Family
A Few Good Men
Big Fish
JFK
Thirteen Days
The Wild Geese
Before Night Falls
Key Largo
All the President's Men
Goldeneye
Die Another Day
Rumor Has It

Posted by Val Prieto at June 7, 2006 08:24 AM

Comments

Movie: Along Came Polly

Song: Dr. Wu by Steely Dan, Keeping the Faith by Billy Joel

TV: A Sopranos episode 1 or 2 seasons ago had a Cuban in a bit part, The Critic once took place in Havana.

Posted by: Louis at June 7, 2006 10:24 AM

This may have been mentioned, but wasn't there a Chevy Chase comedy where he and his family land in Cuba, which is portrayed as a maniacal military dictatorship? Can't remember the name though. (the portrayal isn't far from the truth, though ironically Chevy Chase now seems to think "socialism works" after a Potemkin Village tour of the island).

Posted by: Dax at June 7, 2006 01:04 PM

How come no one has mentioned "For Love or Country" yet? It's the story Arturo Sandoval with Andy Garcia!!! A lo cubano!

Also, there's the movie "Captain Ron" where Martin Short and his family go sailing in the Caribbean and they hire a kooky drunkard played by Kurt Russel to navigate the yacht. Kurt Russel's character ends up getting them lost in the caribbean, he picks up a band of anti-castro guerillas, and they hijack the yacht to Cuba.

there's also that great hbo (or was it showtime) documentary called "yank tanks" about american cars in cuba.

Posted by: ComeMierdaFidel at June 7, 2006 07:45 PM

Plunder Of The Sun -- a noir from 1953 starring Glenn Ford. Early in the movie he refers to Havana as "Paris of the new world" So very wrong that it isn't so anymore.

It's on TCM right now (6/8/06 9:00 pm CDT)

Posted by: mckreck at June 8, 2006 10:09 PM

One of the Jurors in The Runaway Jury is a Cuban American, Gulf War vet.

Posted by: conductor at June 11, 2006 11:22 PM

The Old Man and the Sea.

Posted by: conductor at June 11, 2006 11:25 PM

At the end of Goldfinger, Goldfinger says he is taking the plane to Cuba instead of the White House.

Posted by: dorkafork at June 12, 2006 06:16 PM

Movie: Topaz

It´s unforgiveable that this Hitchcock extremely anti-Fidel , anti-communist film was not on your list...
Please include it!!

Posted by: la3 at June 15, 2006 06:55 AM